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Wei Linxuan slammed the table in a fury. "Get everyone from production and planning to the company for a meeting. We'll form our own crew, find a director and screenwriter, and tailor a project specifically for Lu Heng. I refuse to believe Huaxia Imperial Entertainment can't make him a leading man!"

Lu Heng looked at the indignant Wei Linxuan, got up to pour him a glass of cola, and handed it over as he soothed him gently. "The second male lead isn't bad, actually. I'm a complete newcomer with no experience. It's normal for Director Fang to have reservations."

Wei Linxuan sneered. "If he's worried your acting isn't good enough, then he shouldn't covet your popularity!"

After finalizing Lu Heng's role, the production company of Autumn Dew White actually had the nerve to call and discuss the film's promotion. They hoped Huaxia Imperial Entertainment would mention Lu Heng's participation in Autumn Dew White during his signing press conference, generating some buzz for the movie. It would also raise Lu Heng's market value when he debuted.

It had originally been a win-win arrangement. But now, the more Wei Linxuan thought about it, the more irritated he became. They had just picked him over, then came running over to take advantage of him. What gall!

Having worked together for more than a decade in his previous life, Lu Heng knew full well that Wei Linxuan's temper when defending his own was utterly unreasonable. Like a lion that had been provoked, he had to find an opportunity to fight before he could vent his anger.

But Lu Heng also knew how to calm his bristling boss. He nudged the full glass of cola closer to Wei Linxuan and watched him angrily down it before glaring at Lu Heng and demanding, "Aren't you angry?"

"I am. But in the end, anger is only rage at one's own powerlessness." Lu Heng lowered his eyes, his long lashes trembling and casting two fan-shaped shadows. He smiled faintly, somewhat bitterly. "I'm useless, aren't I? I couldn't even seize an audition opportunity, and I made the company lose face too."

Wei Linxuan: "..."

The fury blazing above his head was extinguished by a bucket of cold water. Wei Linxuan coughed awkwardly and said softly, "You... are you okay?"

"This isn't your fault! Star Entertainment and Fang Kaizhi have gone too far—"

"Star Entertainment merely gave Director Fang a better option. In terms of popularity, box-office appeal, and acting ability, a newcomer like me really isn't as strong as Zhao Miao. If I were the director or investor, I'd choose Zhao Miao too."

Although Lu Heng was speaking the truth, seeing his own person being picked over and rejected like this—especially seeing Lu Heng apparently prepared to accept it so calmly—

It made him so angry!

Wei Linxuan took a deep breath and asked stiffly, "Then what do you want to do?"

"Of course, I'll take the role." Lu Heng smiled slightly, his clear, gentle eyes fixed on Wei Linxuan as he spoke with calm confidence. "Without comparison, no one will ever know who is truly the best. Backing out now would only make us deserters. Other than making us look petty and turning us into a laughingstock, it would accomplish nothing. I may only be a newcomer, but I won't let anyone think Lu Heng is someone who can't win and can't accept defeat. And of course, Huaxia Imperial Entertainment isn't that kind of company either."

Looking at Lu Heng, whose powerful presence had erupted in an instant, Wei Linxuan helplessly realized that he had been persuaded.

"But we can't let them off that easily!" Coming back to himself, Wei Linxuan said indignantly, "I'll make them pay the price!"

The price Wei Linxuan solemnly swore he would make the Autumn Dew White crew pay was increasing Lu Heng's salary tenfold—from two thousand yuan to twenty thousand yuan.

It sounded rather impressive, but compared to the other main cast members, who were paid millions at the drop of a hat, even Zhao Miao, who was only making a cameo for a few days, received one hundred thousand yuan because of his status. Viewed that way, Lu Heng's twenty thousand yuan was nothing much. What was more, that twenty thousand also included the promotion Huaxia Imperial Entertainment would incidentally provide for Autumn Dew White at Lu Heng's signing press conference—

Damn it, even a separate advertisement wouldn't come this cheaply!

The more Wei Linxuan thought about it, the more he felt they were getting the short end of the stick. In the end, he simply dragged Lu Heng to the China World Trade Center Building for a shopping spree to ease his frustration.

During this time, Huaxia Imperial Entertainment also managed to accomplish something else: they transferred the school registrations of Lu Heng's older brother and younger sister to Beijing. Lu Chi's registration was directly placed in the high school division of Yanjing University Affiliated Middle School, while Lu Miao was enrolled in Yanjing University Affiliated Primary School in the same class as Wei Jiayi. However, with summer vacation approaching, the Wei family only transferred Lu Miao's registration for the time being. Lu Miao herself could report to school after summer vacation ended. Lu Heng, meanwhile, applied to the middle school division of Yanjing University Affiliated High School as a student with special talents.

Considering the Lu family's special circumstances, the Wei family arranged boarding for Lu Chi and Lu Miao. Only Lu Heng applied to commute. Huaxia Imperial Entertainment rented Lu Heng a small duplex apartment of less than one hundred square meters in an upscale residential complex a ten-minute walk west of Yanjing University Affiliated High School. Wei Linxuan even specifically asked when Father Lu and Mother Lu would come to Beijing to look after the siblings.

"We still need to sort things out at home first." Lu Heng smiled faintly.

Following Lu Heng's suggestion, Father Lu took ten thousand yuan back to J City to establish a logistics company. He also needed to contact many of his former comrades and bring them over as truck drivers. Mother Lu could read and write, so she would first work as the logistics company's accountant and handle its administrative support. Naturally, the couple also worried about whether their sons were doing well in Beijing.

But the eldest son was entering his first year of high school and boarding at school, while the second son still had to join a production to film. With summer vacation about to begin, the three children would likely be returning to Lu Family Village for the break. Even if the couple went to Beijing at this juncture, they would not be of much use.

Yanjing Film Studio was located on Middle North Third Ring Road in Yanjing City.

The filming of Autumn Dew White was scheduled to begin in September. However, because the movie contained several opera-singing scenes, the production required all principal actors to undergo opera training for a period before filming began.

Lu Heng played the second male lead, young Han Lusheng. According to the script, he had a scene in which he performed onstage. It told of young Han Lusheng's first appearance onstage at the age of thirteen, when his performance of The Interrupted Dream became an instant sensation and made him a star everyone sought after. To perform this scene well, Lu Heng, who had no foundation in Kun opera whatsoever, had to study its movements and singing style with a teacher. Most unfortunately, as Lu Heng remembered it, the finished film of Autumn Dew White did not include this scene. It seemed to have been cut.