Join a Dating Reality Show with the Aloof, Fishing-Style Richest Man - Chapter 10

“Well, then… should we rehearse the kiss scene first?”

Because kiss scenes had been mentioned earlier, Lu Zhao blurted it out subconsciously.

Ji Zhaoxi: “…?”

She looked at Lu Zhao, her brow furrowing slightly. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but eventually swallowed her words and nodded, giving her consent.

Seeing her actually agree, Lu Zhao’s eyes widened in shock once more. In truth, she had regretted the words the moment they left her mouth, but she couldn’t exactly take them back immediately. Who would have thought Ji Zhaoxi would actually agree!

“Are… are you sure?” Lu Zhao started to stutter.

“Wasn’t it your suggestion?” Ji Zhaoxi looked at her with a look of confusion, as if finding the question redundant.

Lu Zhao gave her a sheepish grin. “Hehe, I just… I’m still a little bit in disbelief.”

“But don’t worry! I definitely won’t actually touch you!”

Ji Zhaoxi: “…”

Lu Zhao reviewed the script for the kiss scene and quickly cleared her mind to enter character. She looked at Ji Zhaoxi, her eyes full of fury.

“Brother Chen, is this really what you think of me? We grew up together, yet I never knew I was such an ugly person in your heart!”

“You would humiliate me like this for the sake of that woman!”

“Do you not have even a shred of affection for me?!”

As she spoke, she lunged toward Ji Zhaoxi, attempting a forced kiss.

“Stop!”

Ji Zhaoxi called a halt. Looking at Lu Zhao’s performance, she frowned. “Is something not quite right? The female supporting lead loves the male lead so much; when he humiliates her for another woman, wouldn’t she feel disappointment? But all I see from you is pure rage.”

Lu Zhao paused. Thinking it over, she realized Ji Zhaoxi was right. Seeing someone you grew up with and loved treat you that way, feeling disappointed was only natural.

Lu Zhao lowered her eyes, pondering how to make the scene feel more layered.

Seeing Lu Zhao deep in thought with furrowed brows, Ji Zhaoxi said calmly, “Then again, this plot isn’t exactly logical to begin with.”

Slapping him or turning and walking away would both be more logical than trying to force a kiss on the male lead.

“Never mind whether the plot is logical or not—if it’s illogical, I’ll make it logical through my acting. That’s my job!” A fire of determination ignited in Lu Zhao’s eyes.

Seeing her so full of ambition, Ji Zhaoxi said nothing more.

Once Lu Zhao gained her new insight, the next rehearsal was far more layered than the first. That feeling of love and hate intertwining vividly portrayed a woman being pushed down a path of no return.

Lu Zhao stepped forward and gave Ji Zhaoxi a forceful shove. Ji Zhaoxi fell back onto the sofa. Lu Zhao flipped over and hovered above her, trapping Ji Zhaoxi in her arms, then suddenly lowered her head to kiss her!

The two were extremely close. Warm, hurried breaths mingled in the small space, and a faint heat began to rise.

Lu Zhao caught the scent of Ji Zhaoxi’s light orange fragrance again. Her thoughts momentarily drifted, and she could no longer immerse herself in the character of the second female lead.

In this moment, she was very aware: she was Lu Zhao, and the person pinned beneath her was Ji Zhaoxi.

Because they were so close, their bodies were naturally pressed together. In the trance-like silence, Lu Zhao seemed to hear a rapid heartbeat, but for a moment, she couldn’t tell whose heart was beating so fast.

It must be mine, she thought. Ji Zhaoxi’s expression was as calm as still water; how could her heart be racing like this?

But why is mine beating so fast? How pathetic! It’s just being a little close, isn’t it? Have I been single so long that I’ve become desperate?!

She scrambled backward, getting off Ji Zhaoxi. Her face turned various shades of white and red like a tipped-over paint palette; her expression was a mess.

After she got up, Ji Zhaoxi slowly smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes. Looking at Lu Zhao’s face, she narrowed her eyes slightly. “Looking at you now, have you found the emotional journey of the second female lead?”

Lu Zhao was stunned. She looked up at Ji Zhaoxi’s unruffled demeanor and, gradually, a bright smile spread across her face. She stepped forward and grabbed Ji Zhaoxi’s hand, her eyes brimming with tears of gratitude. “President Ji, you really are a good person! Now that you mention it, I think I’ve got it. I feel much more confident about this role!”

“President Ji, my darling, you really are an angel on earth. Meeting you and getting to pursue you is the blessing of a lifetime!”

As Lu Zhao grew more and more emotional and was about to continue her eloquent praise, Ji Zhaoxi coldly withdrew her hand and gave Lu Zhao a look of utter disbelief.

“Can you not speak normally for once?”

Lu Zhao immediately looked aggrieved, her soulful fox-like eyes drooping slightly. “President Ji, saying that really breaks my heart.”

“I’ve lived on meager rations and ignored all other comforts just to pursue you, and yet you treat your loyal follower like this!”

Ji Zhaoxi: “…”

Expressionless, she got up and went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. She shot a sidelong glance at Lu Zhao. “If you don’t win Best Actress in the future, it’ll be a waste of your dramatic talent!”

Lu Zhao’s eyes lit up instantly. “You really believe I can win Best Actress one day?”

Seeing her look of seeking approval, Ji Zhaoxi took a sip of water and chose her words carefully. “I certainly believe you can win it, and I believe you have the talent for it. However, the market is dominated by capital these days. If you don’t win it in the future, it won’t necessarily be your fault.”

“Regardless of what happens, I hope that whether you win that trophy or not, you never doubt your own ability.”

After hearing this, Lu Zhao smiled at her and finally remarked with a sigh, “You’d actually make a great psychological counselor. Look at you, speaking so eloquently.”

Gulp—

Ji Zhaoxi took a slightly too large swallow of water. Her knuckles whitened around the glass. She gave a faint smile at Lu Zhao’s comment but didn’t say anything more.

They spent the next while rehearsing several other scenes. Lu Zhao was smart; she caught on quickly whenever a problem was pointed out, and her progress was rapid.

Through this rehearsal and the feedback provided, Lu Zhao’s understanding of the character grew deeper and deeper. She became more determined than ever to land the role!

“Have you… considered coming to Ji’s Entertainment?” Ji Zhaoxi kept her eyes on the script, speaking as if it were just an idle thought.

“Eh?”

Lu Zhao turned to look at Ji Zhaoxi, asking with confusion, “What made you suddenly want me to join Ji’s Entertainment?”

Ji Zhaoxi pursed her lips, her fingers tightening slightly on the script. “I see your potential. If you come to Ji’s Entertainment, you’ll have access to much better resources.”

Ji Zhaoxi wasn’t lying. As a titan that held half the sway in the entertainment industry, the strength of Ji’s Entertainment was beyond question.

Lu Zhao’s current agency was a different story. Lu Zhao was currently their biggest star, and that was only because of her sudden “loyal dog” persona going viral, not because of her work.

Lu Zhao wrinkled her nose and grumbled with dissatisfaction, “Are you only just realizing I have potential? Did you never notice before?!”

If she had noticed, shouldn’t she have tried to recruit her sooner!

Ji Zhaoxi was momentarily speechless.

“I hadn’t fully taken over the group back then. Ji’s Entertainment wasn’t under my direct management. Now that I’ve taken full control, you can naturally move over.”

The internal politics of Ji’s Entertainment were deep and entangled with various interests. Before she had total control, bringing a “nobody” like Lu Zhao in wouldn’t have necessarily improved her resources; it might have just made her environment more complicated.

“Oh.” Lu Zhao nodded. It was natural to want to move up in the world, and while she wanted to join Ji’s Entertainment, she felt a lingering hesitation.

“Sister Li has always been good to me. If I leave, she won’t have anyone left under her,” Lu Zhao said in a low voice. After all, the others were even more obscure than she had been.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Just have her come over and continue managing you there.”

“!”

Lu Zhao’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Ji Zhaoxi, once again exclaiming from the bottom of her heart, “President Ji, how can you be so nice?!”

“But if I do that, the netizens will get excited again. They’ll definitely say I finally got some benefits from being your ‘simpering follower’!”

Having received yet another “good person” card and hearing those words, Ji Zhaoxi: “…”

Lu Zhao happily turned away to message Sister Li, telling her the good news about Ji Zhaoxi inviting them to Ji’s Entertainment.

Sister Li: I’m fine, I can just resign normally. But you’re under a talent contract. Who’s going to pay the contract termination fee?

Seeing Sister Li’s message, Lu Zhao froze instantly.

Asking for her money was the same as asking for her life!

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