Page 25

"...So, what's your decision?" Ye Mo asked her. "Are you taking the bet or not?"

He Zhen opened her mouth, looking hesitant.

Ye Mo passed judgment on her: "Coward!"

He Zhen simply couldn't stand being provoked. The moment she heard Ye Mo say that, she replied without thinking, "Who said I wouldn't dare? You're on! Who's afraid of whom?"

A satisfied smile appeared on Ye Mo's face. "Good! Then let's wait and see!"

She swept her gaze around. The people nearby, who had been pricking up their ears and watching them with gossip-filled eyes, hadn't expected her to look over so suddenly. For a moment, the thin-skinned ones panicked, utterly embarrassed, while the thick-skinned ones met Ye Mo's gaze head-on.

...After eating so many melons lately, I never thought I'd become the melon everyone else was talking about today.

Ye Mo gave a wry smile.

She told He Zhen, "He Zhen, all these people witnessed our bet. Don't go back on your word later!"

He Zhen was already feeling some regret. Just as Ye Mo knew she couldn't stand being provoked, she knew very well what sort of person Ye Mo was. If Ye Mo didn't have something to back her up, why would she make a bet like this?

But now He Zhen was riding a tiger and couldn't get off.

Just as Ye Mo had said, so many people were watching. If she changed her mind and backed out now, she would probably become the laughingstock of the entire industry tomorrow. So, despite feeling that something was wrong, He Zhen still gritted her teeth and said:

"Who said I'd go back on my word? You're on! Who's afraid of whom? I'd like to see just how you're going to land the role of [Xia Mei]!"

At that, a smile immediately appeared on Ye Mo's face. "Remember what you said."

With that, she turned and returned to her seat, leaving He Zhen standing alone. It took considerable effort for He Zhen not to stamp her feet in anger.

Before long, word of Ye Mo and He Zhen's bet reached Director Ji and the others.

"...Ye Mo really bet someone that she could land the role of [Xia Mei]?" Director Huang, the production's assistant director, asked in astonishment.

The staff member who brought the news nodded. "Yes!"

Director Huang fell silent for a few seconds before remarking, "Who gave her that kind of courage?"

He curled his lip and looked at Director Ji, who hadn't spoken. "Director Ji, not to be critical, but while Ye Mo does look pretty good, her acting is truly terrible. You know my friend Shen Zhiwen, right?"

"A while ago, he was hired to teach Ye Mo how to act. When he came back, he complained to us that the girl simply didn't have a knack for acting. No matter how he taught her, she couldn't learn..."

"And even so, she actually dared to bet someone that she'd land the role of [Xia Mei]

-who on earth gave her that confidence?"

Director Huang seemed to have quite a few objections to Ye Mo, his tone full of distaste and disdain.

After hearing him out, Director Ji showed no particular expression. He merely said, "She hired your friend to teach her acting, which means she still wants to improve... Poor acting isn't frightening. What's frightening is being unable to jump up and down."

Hearing this, Director Huang knew that Director Ji still leaned toward casting Ye Mo as [Xia Mei].

"That girl's acting really is terrible!" Director Huang insisted. "You'll know when you see it later. She's truly a piece of rotten wood that can't be carved. What a waste of a face made for the big screen..."

Director Ji neither agreed nor disagreed.

"Director Huang, didn't you say that Miss Ye hired someone to teach her acting?" the man beside them spoke up. He was Li Ke, who had already been confirmed as the male lead of "Chase." As a best actor winner currently enjoying immense popularity, Li Ke was extraordinarily handsome, and even sitting there, he had a naturally dashing air.

He said, "...Perhaps she's shed her old skin and been reborn under her teacher's guidance? Otherwise, she wouldn't have the confidence to make this bet, would she?"

Director Huang curled his lip. "My friend only gave up teaching Ye Mo just over half a month ago. How much could her acting possibly have changed in such a short time?"

Li Ke smiled. "Who can say with this sort of thing?"

"We'll know at the audition!" Director Ji, who rarely spoke, said. He looked like a stern man, with exceptionally deep creases around his brows and eyes. "We'll find out exactly how good Ye Mo's acting is when she auditions!"

He looked at Director Huang. "Don't worry. No matter how closely her appearance matches the [Xia Mei] I envision, if her acting can't move me, I won't cast her... I won't treat my work as a joke."

At that, Director Huang looked sheepish. "Of course you're very responsible, Director Ji!"

With that much said, they set the matter aside for the time being. They would find out how good Ye Mo's acting was now when she auditioned.

Meanwhile, Shen Yan returned from drawing a number and learned that his resident little ancestor had made a bet with someone. At the news, his vision practically went black, and he nearly toppled headfirst to the floor.

"...Give me a hand." He asked his assistant Xiaoyu to support him. "I feel like I'm running out of oxygen."

Ye Mo: "..."

"How could you make a bet like that with He Zhen?" Shen Yan asked in a lowered voice, sounding thoroughly exasperated. "And in front of so many people, too! Have you thought about how humiliating it'll be if you lose?"

Ye Mo said, "Naturally, I dared to make that bet because I'm confident."

She looked at Shen Yan. "With Director Ji already satisfied with my appearance, if I still lose this bet, I really shouldn't pursue acting anymore. I might as well become a regular on a variety show."

Shen Yan said, "...Please don't. I'm afraid the moment you open your mouth, you'll anger the guests to death."

Ye Mo: "..."

"It's not as though I can anger just anyone to death," Ye Mo said, still quite self-aware. "If someone hasn't offended me, I won't say things to upset them for no reason. I didn't want to make this bet with He Zhen either, but I'm really quite sick of her."

They already couldn't stand the sight of each other, yet every time they met, He Zhen had to come over and take a couple of jabs at her. After so long, Ye Mo was annoyed too. That was why she had thought of making a bet to settle things once and for all and have He Zhen leave her sight of her own accord.

"Don't worry. Since I made this bet, naturally I'm confident I can win!" Ye Mo said.

Shen Yan watched her silently, saying nothing.

You're confident, but I'm not...

He sighed inwardly.

He didn't know whether the Ye Family had found Ye Mo some acting teacher. In any case, he had barely seen her over the past half month or so, and so he didn't know what level her acting had reached now.

But whenever he thought of Ye Mo's previous ten acting teachers, Shen Yan simply couldn't muster any confidence.

Still, things had already reached this point. They said He Zhen was riding a tiger and couldn't get off, but weren't they in exactly the same position? So, despite his doubts, Shen Yan could only choose to trust Ye Mo now.

At that thought, he couldn't help taking a deep breath, finally beginning to calm down.

"This is the number I drew." He handed Ye Mo the number he had just drawn. "You're thirty-fifth, which is a little far back... I asked around. Fifty-eight people in total are auditioning for [Xia Mei], and the strongest contenders are probably Fang Ting, Xu Siyu, and Dai Wenwen."

Of those three, Fang Ting had won best actress last year, while Xu Siyu and Dai Wenwen had also won awards. All three were highly capable actresses.

As for Ye Mo snatching the role of [Xia Mei] from those three, all Shen Yan could say was that her chances really weren't great.

Thinking about this, Shen Yan couldn't help growing anxious. He struggled to suppress his agitation and instead comforted Ye Mo. "Since things have reached this point, let's just do our very best... Even if we fail in the end, it's no big deal."

Ye Mo looked up at him. "How do you know I'll fail?"