After they came out, Lin Kai'an belatedly realized something. "Nanshu... did you not pay???"
Ji Nanshu held up the things in his hands. "That talisman of mine was worth far more than these things."
"Huh? You're not running a fever! Why are you talking nonsense?!" Lin Kai'an believed in Ji Nanshu's mystical arts, but as for how powerful he was, he genuinely had no sense of it.
That pile of talisman paper and top-grade cinnabar had to cost several hundred thousand. Could a single talisman from Ji Nanshu sell for that much?!
Forget it, forget it. Even the shopkeeper didn't care, so why should he? He should take him home to put his things away first.
"Young miss, do you really believe this talisman works?" Not only did Elder Zhang not believe it, he even wanted to call the police to arrest Ji Nanshu for taking things without paying! That was several hundred thousand!!
Si Dai's expression remained unchanged, her gaze still resting on "Rebound." "Elder Zhang, I accepted an assignment from the 'relevant authorities.' I leave in four days. He said I'd have a use for it in five days."
"He must have been spouting nonsense!"
"Elder Zhang, you haven't understood. How do you think he knew I'd have a use for it? You could say you're the first person to know I accepted the assignment."
Elder Zhang finally caught on and exclaimed in shock, "Could he have divined it?! Then... doesn't that mean you'll be in danger on this trip, young miss?"
Si Dai smiled and said, "We'll know whether it's dangerous when the time comes. Elder Zhang, I'm leaving now. As for the top-grade cinnabar, set some aside for me as usual."
"Yes!"
Ji Nanshu arrived at the audition venue as agreed. A staff member led him to the waiting area, told him to wait, and left.
He had only been sitting for a few minutes when a shadow suddenly fell before him. He looked up to find a pretty young woman with a round face.
The young woman's face was flushed, her eyes showing a little nervousness. "H-hello!! I'm your fan! Could I please have your autograph?!"
She stepped back, abruptly bowed ninety degrees, and held out a journal with both hands.
The bow left Ji Nanshu at a loss. He paused, a little uncertain. "Are you sure you want... my autograph?"
With the original owner's scene-kid look and his obscurity as a bottom-tier celebrity, he actually had fans?!
Ji Nanshu was skeptical. It never occurred to him that Ideal Life might have brought him fans of his own.
"Y-yes!!!" Before Ji Nanshu could continue, the young woman went on, "N-no, no, s-sorry, am I bothering you? I..."
Ji Nanshu patted the seat beside him. "Don't be nervous. I don't bite. Sit."
The young woman scratched her head sheepishly, chuckled, and sat beside Ji Nanshu. "C-can I call you Nanshu?"
"Of course." Ji Nanshu's eyes curved in a smile. "Where should I sign?"
"A-anywhere!"
"Your name is Chen Yuan?"
"Yes!!"
After asking her name, Ji Nanshu wrote out a message of well-wishes with a flourish, signed his name, and returned the journal to her.
Chen Yuan hugged the journal, grinning from ear to ear. "Thank you!! C-can we take a photo together?"
Ji Nanshu indulged the young woman and took a photo with her too. Afterward, she had barely gone two steps before turning back and bowing ninety degrees again, calling, "Nanshu!! Could you post more on Weibo from now on?! Fortune-telling, photos, daily life, anything is fine!! I'll always support you!!"
Then she ran off in a flash.
What a sweet, kind young woman.
How about posting something on Weibo now?
Just as he was thinking this, a staff member called his name. "Ji Nanshu!"
Ji Nanshu entered the audition room. It wasn't large, and three people sat inside.
The director sat in the middle, with the producer on the right and the screenwriter on the left.
The moment he entered, Liang Ziqian clicked his tongue and nodded approvingly. "Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!"
A lotus rising from clear water, its natural beauty needing no adornment.
Such a beauty was exceedingly rare even in the entertainment industry. Those so-called fresh young faces and idols all looked either handsome or pretty once styled and made up, but someone like Ji Nanshu was rare!
The director and the other two exchanged glances and said in unison:
"You're the one!!"
Ji Nanshu hadn't even spoken since entering, yet he'd already been cast in the role.
It really was a little hasty.
"Director Liang, is the audition over?" Ji Nanshu asked.
Liang Ziqian said, "Yes. The role is yours! I'll send Liang You the contract later. Come at nine tomorrow morning for the costume photos!"
"Since the audition is over, then, Director Liang... how much funding is your film still short of?"
Liang Ziqian instantly grew wary at his words. "You want to buy your way into the cast? You want more scenes?"
Liang Ziqian wasn't surprised that Ji Nanshu knew about this. After all, everyone in the entertainment industry knew his films cost a fortune and he was perpetually short of funding.
Ji Nanshu shook his head. "No, I just divined that this film of yours will definitely make a huge profit. If Sister Youyou hadn't insisted I come to the audition, I wouldn't have wanted to come."
Amid his happiness, Liang Ziqian felt a trace of frustration.
He was happy that Ji Nanshu thought his film would definitely be a hit, but frustrated that someone actually didn't want to act in his film!!
"You really don't have any other conditions???" Liang Ziqian wasn't sure. What investor didn't put in money hoping to shove in some random people with looks but no acting skills??
Ji Nanshu sighed. "There is one, actually. Could you cut down on my scenes?"
Before Liang Ziqian could answer, the producer, Song Yan, spoke first. "Mr. Ji, if you're not in a hurry, give me half an hour, and I'll draw up a contract right away! May I ask how much you can invest?"
Ji Nanshu glanced at Liang Ziqian's and Song Yan's faces, rubbed his chin, and said, "Forty million, then."
!!!!!
Song Yan's eyes widened in disbelief, and he exclaimed, "Incredible!! Mr. Ji, you really can tell fortunes?!"
How had he named the exact amount of their funding shortfall?!
"Of course."
Half an hour later, Song Yan brought the contract and handed it respectfully to Ji Nanshu.
Without even looking through it, Ji Nanshu flipped straight to the final page and signed his name.
Song Yan said, "You're not going to read it?? Aren't you afraid I'll cheat you??"
"You won't."
It wasn't that he wasn't afraid, but that he was certain it wouldn't happen.
Song Yan found Ji Nanshu even more extraordinary, and his manner grew even more respectful.
Mei Liang's eyes were lifeless, his face covered in stubble, his suit rumpled as though he'd worn it for a long time without washing it.
He wandered aimlessly around Hai City. In this vast city, he couldn't feel a trace of warmth.
He didn't understand why the company he'd worked so hard to build had come to the brink of bankruptcy overnight, why his parents, whose annual checkups had always shown them to be healthy, had died one after the other within half a month, why his young wife had suddenly developed leukemia, and why his lively, adorable daughter had suddenly come down with the same illness.
Now, not only was he drowning in debt, but he also had his wife's and daughter's medical bills, and he had no idea where to find the money.
Mei Liang wandered for most of the day before finally sitting beside the fountain in South Star Park. He took out his phone, wanting to see who else he could contact who might invest in his company. As long as he could get six million in funding, he believed he could not only revive the company but also cover his wife's and daughter's treatment.
Unfortunately, probably no one was willing anymore.
After all, who would give him six million for no reason?
Just then, a notification popped up from Weibo-
[Ji Nanshu: I met an adorable young fan today. She asked me to post more on Weibo. I don't have any particular talents, just fortune-telling. If you're having any trouble involving the mystical arts, feel free to send me a private message (=^▽^=)!]
Mystical arts?!
Wait-
Could this be why his whole family had been so unlucky?!
With a mind to give it a try, Mei Liang sent Ji Nanshu a private message explaining everything that had happened.
Anyway... he might as well make a last-ditch effort. He had no other options left.
I've been racking my brains every day to build up a stockpile of chapters. I definitely won't start writing with nothing prepared like I did with my first book!
My sweethearts, I love you!