Up on the dais, the executives' voices continued to rise and fall.
"Journey through Luo is Huading Group's major project for the second half of this year, and our shareholders attach great importance to it. We bear a heavy responsibility, and that places even greater demands on the entire Journey through Luo project!"
"With that in mind, I hope every actor in this production will give it a hundred and twenty percent. We must make Journey through Luo a defining work for Huading, and we must make the industry see us in a new light!"
"Next, I will announce several of the actors with major roles in this production!"
Yu Xingyan rubbed his hands together, wishing he could fly straight onto the stage.
Nan Qing listened for a moment, too.
The fourth male lead and third female lead were both well-known veteran actors. The third male lead was an actor who had burst onto the scene in a political intrigue drama last year and was known for his acting.
The second female lead, who had the most substantial role among the actresses, was a young starlet Huading Entertainment was currently promoting.
When the choice for the second male lead was announced, the conference room erupted.
"It's actually Xi Juan!"
"Xi Juan is the youngest actor to sweep the best actor awards! He's actually descending to the mortal realm to play a supporting role in a TV drama!"
"Xi Juan's box-office draw is no joke. This drama of ours is a sure thing!"
"Ah, if only I could get even a little screen time! How did I miss such a great opportunity?"
"I heard our executives personally stepped in to persuade Xi Juan, and even arranged a resource exchange for him. They've really spared no expense to promote the male lead this time!"
"I wonder who the male lead is. How did he get so lucky?"
The clamor came from every direction. Listening to it, Yu Xingyan felt so elated that even his feet seemed to be resting on clouds.
He could hardly wait to go onstage and glanced several times at the gap Nan Qing had left.
Seeing the lively discussion below, the chairman seated at the center of the dais nodded in satisfaction. The general manager continued, drawing out the suspense.
"Finally, I will announce the actor chosen to play Xue Rang, the male lead of Journey through Luo, our S+ project-"
It was as though someone had pressed pause on the noisy, enormous conference room. It fell silent in an instant.
Yu Xingyan began taking deep breaths again.
A secretary hurried over below the dais and whispered a few words to the speaker.
The executive who had been speaking looked around the conference room.
"Is he not here? Was he delayed on the way? Why don't I see him?"
"Xingyan, he's looking for you!"
"Xingyan, stand up! The general manager hasn't seen you!"
"Xingyan, hurry!"
Urging voices rang out one after another, and the people around him turned to look.
Yu Xingyan's heart pounded. Barely able to control his impulsive movements, he shot to his feet.
"General manager, I'm here!"
Almost every gaze in the conference room converged on Yu Xingyan.
The feeling of being the sole protagonist in a crowd of thousands filled Yu Xingyan with joy, and confidence shone in his eyes.
He waved even harder.
The chairman seated at the center of the dais frowned at Yu Xingyan, then turned to the general manager.
The general manager fell silent. "..."
The next moment, the conference hall doors creaked open. A slender, delicate figure appeared in the doorway, his voice sweet.
"Sorry, something happened on the way, so I'm a little late today!"
Countless heads turned in unison. Nan Qing glanced back along with them and, sure enough, saw the little white flower, Bai Ruanruan.
"Come here, Ruanruan!"
The general manager beckoned to him with a kindly expression.
"We were just introducing you. I was wondering why you weren't here."
Among the crowd, Yu Xingyan froze with his hand still raised, staring incredulously at the newly arrived figure.
"Hello, seniors! I'm Bai Ruanruan. I'm delighted to meet everyone!"
The vast conference hall was silent.
This was a completely new face in the entertainment industry. No one knew what background this young man who had arrived late had.
The general manager led the applause. Scattered clapping sounded throughout the hall, soon swelling into a chorus.
The noise left Yu Xingyan dizzy, his face burning and stinging in waves.
He had no idea how he sat down. All he felt were the mocking looks coming at him from every direction.
Nan Qing lazily glanced toward the front, then quickly looked away.
He really did not think much of Bai Ruanruan, the protagonist shou-
A pure little white flower on the outside, but really a sea king, a green tea, and a white lotus.
On one hand, he kept the immensely powerful Huo Yuzhou on the hook, hoping to gain benefits from him. On the other, he could not bear to let go of his canon partner, best actor Xi Juan, and sweetly flaunted their love in front of the cameras.
He could clearly have dumped Huo Yuzhou cleanly and stayed with his canon husband.
Yet every time he finished showing off their love, he went back to stringing Huo Yuzhou along, saying he had no choice in this industry, saying Huo Yuzhou was his only ideal type, getting jealous because Huo Yuzhou's assistant was male, making scenes as if his life depended on it, playing hard to get...
During the years when the vicious cannon fodder Nan Qing bullied him, Bai Ruanruan had given Huo Yuzhou a great deal of warmth. He was like Huo Yuzhou's white moonlight.
Unfortunately, his white moonlight gave him hope again and again, only to drive him to despair again and again. The torment kept Huo Yuzhou's nerves stretched taut as he repeatedly matched wits with Xi Juan, the protagonist gong favored by fortune. In the end, he fell amid hopelessness and betrayal, pointlessly sacrificing his business empire and half his life.
All the cannon fodder and villains paved a broad road with their own bones, letting the protagonists of this book tread over their remains and witness the happiness they were destined to reach under its rules.
Nan Qing tugged at the corner of his mouth, a faint sneer escaping his lips.
But the next second, he heard the excited voice of Bai Ruanruan, the protagonist shou.
"Brother Nan Qing, is that you?"
At the sudden mention of Nan Qing, everyone's gazes swept over again.
Bai Ruanruan continued in his delicate, weak voice, drawing out his words.
"Brother Nan Qing, so you're here!"
"After you left home yesterday, Dad and Mom were so angry..."
Those few hesitant words successfully confirmed his identity for everyone who had harbored doubts-
No wonder his surname was Bai, no wonder the general manager treated him so kindly, and no wonder he had landed the male lead in Journey through Luo.
So he was the true young master whose bloodline had been mixed up.
Whispers spread through the crowd. Bai Ruanruan continued speaking softly in that cloyingly sweet tone.
"They really doted on you all these years, but they never expected you to be so thoughtless and break their hearts. I spent all last night comforting Dad and Mom."
"They said they were glad they still had such a well-behaved child like me, unlike you, who only ever makes them angry..."
Among the crowd, the beautiful boy leaning against his chair glanced at him indifferently.
"If you're going to talk, talk properly."
"Putting on that much of an act-got a slipper stuck in your throat?"