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Zheng Jingyuan had been drawn to this character the moment he read the script. This man could not be called a bad person, but he was definitely not a good person in the traditional sense either.

He had been attracted by the character setup and wanted to audition for the role, but his agent had advised against it, saying that the character's personality was completely unlike any role he had played before. The part was pitifully small too, with few chances to appear on screen.

He barely had any opportunities to act now. If he failed to perform well, would he not lose another opportunity? It would be better to choose something more suitable for him.

After much deliberation, Zheng Jingyuan sighed and decided to follow his agent's advice.

He had been away from the industry for quite some time and no longer knew much about the current state of the entertainment world, so there were some matters he had to discuss with his agent.

But now, after Cai Jinbai's question, Zheng Jingyuan's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Cai Jinbai said, "That's right. It seems you like this character too. So, how about it? Do you want to audition for him?"

"Of course, the decision is yours. You can continue auditioning, or switch to the role of 'Yang Zixin.'"

Although Yang Zixin had very little screen time, if the role was played well, he would absolutely stand out and leave a strong impression. In short, though the part was small, it carried considerable weight.

Zheng Jingyuan did not hesitate for long. He took a deep breath, wrestled with himself for a moment, then decided to take a gamble.

"I've decided to audition for Yang Zixin, President Cai."

Cai Jinbai smiled. "I think you made the right choice."

Compared with the other role, the Wealth Aura brought by Yang Zixin was more suitable for Zheng Jingyuan.

If he played this role, he would be more memorable in this television drama.

A character's quality was not determined by how much screen time he had.

It depended on whether he could make the audience feel refreshed and leave them unable to forget him.

That was how a character's popularity was revealed.

Since Zheng Jingyuan had made the right choice, once the audition was over, he could receive another precious opportunity.

Zheng Jingyuan's acting skills were absolutely up to standard. As expected, he got the role of Yang Zixin.

Once it was confirmed, Zheng Jingyuan smiled sincerely. Then Cai Jinbai's next words gave him an even greater surprise.

"Are you interested in attending a film audition as well?"

After staring blankly for a moment, Zheng Jingyuan immediately said, "Yes, I am, President Cai."

No matter what kind of film audition it was, he had to accept it. He could not miss this opportunity.

After all, this was no longer a time when he could pick and choose scripts. He had to fight for every hard-won opportunity.

But Zheng Jingyuan had not expected President Cai to give him such an enormous surprise.

Li Hua—Director Li's film—and the role he was auditioning for was the male lead.

Leaving aside Director Li Hua's reputation, every film he made was profoundly meaningful and had won countless awards.

Just the fact that President Cai could give him the opportunity to audition for a film's male lead left Zheng Jingyuan feeling flattered and alarmed, as though a trap had fallen from the sky.

He was somewhat hesitant and nervous, and even more unable to believe it.

Cai Jinbai saw through him and said, "Director Li Hua asked me to invest in his film, and I agreed. But I proposed one condition: I would recommend a candidate to him. Of course, whether he ultimately uses the person I recommend will still depend on Director Li's decision."

"I've already read the script Director Li provided. I think you're very suitable for the male lead role, so you can give it a try."

"So I'll recommend you to Director Li. But whether you succeed will depend on your own efforts. I hope you won't disappoint me, Zheng Jingyuan."

Zheng Jingyuan licked his dry lips, his heart surging with excitement.

He controlled his expression and said, "I'll prepare well, President Cai!"

Cai Jinbai nodded. Since he had finished this matter, there was no need for him to stay any longer.

Later, news of the film audition arrived on Zheng Jingyuan's phone.

The film was called A Man and a Dog Adrift. It looked like a warm, even somewhat humorous story on the surface, but its core was sorrowful.

The male lead had experienced enormous ups and downs. He had once lived a life of luxury, yet he had also fallen to rock bottom. There had been times when he was arrogant and invincible, yet there had also been times when he was decadent and lost. He clearly had a home, but he did not dare return to it.

Because his investments had failed, his car, house, and other property had all been taken away. He did not dare face his wife and son.

He wandered outside, got drunk beneath an overpass, and nearly froze to death. But when he woke up, he found an old dog lying on top of him, keeping him warm.

What followed was the story of the male lead and the old dog wandering together.

Even Cai Jinbai could not help being drawn in as he read the script.

"A Man and a Dog Adrift..." A smile appeared at the corner of his lips as he looked at Xuan Yu. "It reminds me of when you and I wandered together as children. A man and a dragon adrift?"

After saying that, Cai Jinbai's smile deepened.

Back then, he had still been a little beggar, while Xuan Yu had been so weak that he could not even maintain his dragon form.

When they first met, Cai Jinbai had picked up Xuan Yu, thinking he was a little black snake.

He had been black all over, tiny and pitiful, collapsed in the ice and snow, buried beneath the snow and nearly frozen to death.

Cai Jinbai had kindly picked up the little snake, only for it to try to bite him after waking up.

Thinking of this, Cai Jinbai sighed repeatedly and shot Xuan Yu a reproachful look.

Xuan Yu's mouth twitched. "...Kindly? Do you want me to remind you that you wanted to roast me and eat me back then?"

Cai Jinbai said, "Really? Did that happen? Why don't I remember?"

"I only remember a certain little snake opening his mouth wide and lunging at my neck to bite me. He scared me half to death."

He put on a frightened expression, his eyes growing aggrieved as though all the fault lay with Xuan Yu.

Before becoming the artifact refiner admired by everyone, Cai Jinbai had actually been cunning and skilled at putting on an act. He often used an innocent, pitiful appearance to deceive others into trusting or pitying him. Behind the scenes, however, he had been full of schemes and adept at calculation.

Several hundred years had now passed, and Cai Jinbai had long since concealed his sharpness. On the outside, he looked refined and scholarly, elegant and unhurried.

But in truth, there was still a bit of mischief hidden beneath that exterior.

And only someone as close to him as Xuan Yu could see it.

That was precisely what made Xuan Yu immensely satisfied.

Sure enough, he and Xiaobai were the closest.

But even Xiaobai could not twist black into white!

So a savage smile appeared on Xuan Yu's lips as he suddenly pounced on Cai Jinbai. "Is that so? You really don't remember? Want me to help you remember exactly how you threw me into the fire, hmph?"

Cai Jinbai was immediately knocked onto the sofa by Xuan Yu. His artifact-refining methods were exceptional, but in other areas, he was no match for Xuan Yu.

Especially when it came to "fighting." Usually, he earned the money while Xuan Yu protected him—one used his hands, and so did the other.

One of Xuan Yu's hands pinned Cai Jinbai down, gripping both his wrists, while the other reached for his waist.

Cai Jinbai's eyes widened at once. Then he could not help bursting into laughter, twisting his waist desperately to avoid Xuan Yu's attack.

"Y-you're so childish, let go, hahaha, let me go already, Xuan... I really can't, hahaha, I can't take it anymore." Cai Jinbai spoke in broken fragments through his laughter. His glasses had slipped crooked, sweat beaded on his forehead, his collar had fallen slightly open, and the clothes around his waist were in disarray.

After a while, Cai Jinbai's glasses fell beside the sofa, revealing his beautiful brows and eyes.

Without the obstruction, Xuan Yu could see the expression on his face even more clearly. A blush had flown to the corners of his eyes, and his gaze seemed to ripple...

Suddenly, seeing Xiaobai laugh until even his lips had turned red, Xuan Yu felt as though his palm were burning. Whenever he brushed the skin at Xiaobai's waist, his fingertips felt as if they had been electrocuted. The current traveled along his fingers, shot from his arm to his back, then rushed to the top of his head, making his scalp tingle and his spine tremble...

How strange. He had not been struck by heavenly lightning, had he?!

Xuan Yu abruptly withdrew both hands and instantly teleported to the other side of the sofa. He sat pressed against the armrest, staring intently at Xiaobai as he slowly climbed up from the sofa as though facing a formidable enemy.

Cai Jinbai said, "...?"

He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes after laughing so hard, then straightened his clothes.

"What are you scared of? You don't even have any ticklish spots. Are you afraid I'll tickle you back?" Cai Jinbai said with a speechless pout.

That was the unfair part. Xuan Yu was not ticklish at all. Whenever Cai Jinbai had fought back before, Xuan Yu would sit there lazily with a trace of mockery at the corner of his mouth, not resisting in the slightest. He would watch Cai Jinbai bustle about with perfect composure, obviously laughing at him. That smug look was practically begging to be punched.

Xuan Yu said, "...Y-you can tickle me back if you want. Go ahead."

After thinking it over, he even began to look forward to it.

Cai Jinbai said, "..."

A crazy dragon. He could not be bothered with him.

He had not finished his work yet, so he continued reading.

After a while, Xuan Yu slowly edged back over and sat beside him. "What happens later in that script?"

When the script had been given to Xiaobai, Xuan Yu had not been interested and had not read it.

Cai Jinbai said, "The male lead gives the dog a name: Hope."

At first, the male lead was despondent and did not even have the motivation to survive. It was the old dog that went out to find food and brought it back for him.

The male lead was fed by the dog, but the dog went hungry. Once, its leg was even injured after someone beat it.

Then the male lead was moved. In order to keep the dog from going hungry, he went out to work. When he had left home, he had left all his money to his wife and son, leaving himself without a cent. He begged for interviews at jobs he had once looked down on, clawed his way up from the bottom, and encountered all kinds of people.