The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 19: Boss, Acting in Comedies Will Kill Me!

The next day, at Spark Media.

Jiang Ci sat on the sofa in Lin Wan's office, holding a brand new script between his fingertips, feeling as restless as sitting on pins and needles.

Three artistic characters were printed on the script cover—"Love on the Ferris Wheel."

Just the name alone made Jiang Ci feel his life points were slowly being depleted.

He scanned through all the scenes for the fourth male lead "Fang Xiaobei" at the fastest speed possible.

Conclusion: The love security guard for the main couple, a walking applause machine, the sweet and naive atmosphere group member with "I'm so happy" permanently welded onto his face.

Act this?

This was no longer about whether he could harvest Heartbreak Value.

This was challenging the fundamental logic of the Heartbreak Master System!

"Finished reading?"

Lin Wan's voice came from behind the desk. She approached holding a cup of coffee and sat on the sofa opposite Jiang Ci.

Dressed in a sharp white suit with her long hair tied up high, revealing her smooth, full forehead, the scrutinizing aura of the "Devil Screenwriter" hit him head-on.

"Fi...finished reading, Lin Wan."

"What do you think of the character?" Lin Wan took a sip of coffee, her gaze fixed on his face, not missing any micro-expression.

Jiang Ci's back instantly tensed up.

How to answer?

"I won't act this, this character is too sunny, it doesn't match my tragic and melancholic temperament?"

A newcomer who just finished playing a minor male role, the company gives him the fourth male lead in a popular drama, and he dares to be picky?

But if he accepts...

In Jiang Ci's mind, he could already see the countdown to his life reaching zero.

He decided to gamble.

He would bet on Lin Wan, this "character's birth mother," and her unusual preference and persistence for "good actors."

"Lin Wan," he raised his head, meeting Lin Wan's probing gaze, his eyes filled with twelve parts sincerity and struggle, "The script is good, and the character Fang Xiaobei... is written to be very likable."

"But," Jiang Ci braced himself, carefully choosing his words, "I feel that I might not be able to act it well."

"Oh?" Lin Wan's expression didn't change. "Is it because you think the role has too little screen time, or that the character isn't important enough?"

"Neither!" Jiang Ci immediately shook his head. "No role is too small, I don't care about that. It's just... I feel my entire state is almost completely opposite to the character Fang Xiaobei."

His performance had begun.

"Lin Wan, I'm someone... who might be naturally lacking in 'happy' cells. Making me play a character that needs to constantly convey sunshine and cheerfulness, I'm afraid what I perform will come out very fake."

After speaking, Jiang Ci slowly looked up, discreetly observing Lin Wan's reaction.

This rhetoric took all the problems onto himself—it's not that I don't know what's good for me, but that I know my limitations, I'm afraid of embarrassing you.

The posture was flawless.

Lin Wan didn't speak immediately, her slender fingers lightly tapping against the coffee cup, making a light "tap, tap, tap" sound.

After a long while, Lin Wan finally spoke.

"So, you want to refuse this role?"

Her voice was very calm, showing no emotion.

Jiang Ci's heart slowly sank.

Damn, the boss is unhappy.

He simply hardened his heart, stood up, with a trace of determination in his tone: "Yes. Lin Wan, I'm very sorry, I know this opportunity is hard to come by, but I... truly cannot play a character that I find completely unrelatable."

"Heh."

Jiang Ci looked up sharply and saw Lin Wan looking at him, those sharp eyes containing not a trace of anger,

but instead... amusement and appreciation.

"Alright, sit down." Lin Wan waved her hand at him. "Making it seem like I'm going to eat you."

Jiang Ci sat back on the sofa in a daze. This script... wasn't right?

"Jiang Ci, do you know?" Lin Wan leaned back into the sofa, adopting a more comfortable posture. "You are the first newcomer since Spark Media was established who dares to refuse a company-assigned fourth male lead role to my face."

This didn't sound like praise no matter how he heard it.

"Before you, when the company gave opportunities, forget about the fourth male lead, even if it was a background character with no lines, they would fight tooth and nail for it. Someone as 'picky' as you, you're the first."

Lin Wan's tone was neutral, but Jiang Ci broke out in a cold sweat listening.

"Lin Wan, I'm not being picky, I just..."

Jiang Ci was stunned.

"Knowing where your strengths lie, and also knowing your limitations." Lin Wan stared at him, the amusement in her eyes fading, replaced by a complex scrutiny. "You, kid, really want to be an actor, not come here to be a star."

Jiang Ci was dumbfounded.

An excuse he casually made to save his life—how did it automatically get elevated to a lofty pursuit of art in the boss's mind?

This boss's thought process really couldn't be measured by normal logic!

"Alright then." Lin Wan placed her coffee cup heavily on the table and stood up. "Since you don't want to act it, I won't force you. I'll give this role to someone else."

Jiang Ci instantly felt the huge rock pressing on his heart being lifted.

"Thank you, Lin Wan! Thank you for understanding!"

"This is the list of projects the company is currently involved with, as well as the project reserves for the next six months. Look through it yourself, see if there's anything you 'can act' in."

Jiang Ci picked up the project list.

With just one glance, the smile on his face froze.

"Contract Sweet Wife of the Domineering CEO," "My Idiot Buddies," "Youth Training Manual," "Love One Hundred Percent"...

Looking through row after row, as far as the eye could see, it was all dominated by sweet romance, comedies, and idol dramas.

He flipped through those pages over and over—forget about tragic male leads, he couldn't even find a single male supporting character with a miserable ending.

The entire project library of Spark Media emphasized one thing: "harmonious, happy, and positive."

Jiang Ci's face completely fell.

Lin Wan looked at his utterly devastated expression, the corner of her mouth uncontrollably lifting.

"What? Nothing catches your eye?"

Jiang Ci, like an eggplant beaten by frost, weakly shook his head.

"That's right." Lin Wan sat back in her executive chair, folded her hands in front of her, leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharp as a torch.

"Jiang Ci, I appreciate your pursuit. But I must also tell you a reality—the market is like this."

"What's hot right now are sweet romances and comedies. Tragedies are niche, highbrow but with little appeal, unrewarding for the effort, and few companies are willing to take the risk."

"A good tragedy script, a tragic role that can make you shine, is something you encounter by chance, not by search."

Her voice became extremely clear.

"Since you've chosen this most difficult path, you must be prepared to wait."

"It might be one month, it might be three months, or it might be... a year or so."

A year or so?

The grass on his grave would be taller than him by then!

Looking at his instantly pale face, Lin Wan delivered her final ultimatum.

"So, I'll ask you one last time."

"That fourth male lead in 'Love on the Ferris Wheel,' Fang Xiaobei." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Are you sure, truly sure, you won't act it?"