The Scummy Top Desperately Tries to Win Back His Ex After the Breakup - Chapter 3

Jiang Zui was awakened by one phone call after another.

With a hangover from the previous night and an empty stomach, he rubbed his head and picked up his phone. “Hello?”

“Jiang Zui! Jiang Zui!” Xu Yan’s loud voice came through the receiver. “I sent you the location. Get over here quickly! Director Chen’s new movie specifically asked for you to audition for the second male lead!”

Jiang Zui’s eyes snapped open. His hands trembled as he held the phone. “…”

“Jiang Zui?” There was silence for a long time, making Xu Yan call out again anxiously, “Are you there?”

“I am here,” Jiang Zui replied, recovering from his initial shock. “I will be there right away.”

Director Chen was a relatively famous director. Several urban dramas he had filmed were minor hits, and lately, he had been focusing on the film industry with a youth-themed movie. Jiang Zui was overjoyed. He picked out his most decent outfit, tidied himself up quickly, and hurriedly hailed a car.

By the time he arrived, it was already six o’clock. As soon as Jiang Zui pushed the door open, he was dragged inside by the waiting Xu Yan. She gave his arm a sharp pinch. “Greet them.”

Having rushed through the cold wind, Jiang Zui was still out of breath. His chest heaved for a long while before he finally calmed down and politely said, “Hello, Director Chen.”

The moment he looked up, however, he saw a peerlessly handsome face; it was Pei Youting.

Pei Youting was dressed in a custom suit from a top Italian brand, which emphasized his broad shoulders and long legs. He exuded an air of nobility that made even the professional actors and stars standing near him pale in comparison.

Pei Youting lowered his head slightly to look at him. Because his eyelashes were so thick, when he half-closed his eyelids, his deep eyes appeared exceptionally dark and narrow.

Jiang Zui met his gaze and then looked away unnaturally.

In the end, it was Pei Youting who spoke first. “We meet again.”

Even though Jiang Zui had been heavily intoxicated, he remembered that he had vomited on the man’s trouser leg the day before. He felt a bit humiliated.

Director Chen looked back and forth between him and Pei Youting, his lips curling into a smile. “Oh, this is President Pei of the Pei Group. He is the investor for our movie. I heard he came over today to look at the casting.”

It was common for investors to be present during casting to see if the chosen actors could increase the chances of the movie becoming a hit.

“Xiao Jiang, have you looked at the script? Get ready. You will come over to do a screen test in a bit.”

Jiang Zui could not find the words to speak and could only nod. Xu Yan was incredibly nervous, fearing that this role might slip through his fingers again.

Besides Jiang Zui, there were two other boys. They were more famous and had deeper backgrounds than him, the rising stars of New Star Entertainment. Xu Yan’s heart was in her throat, worried that Jiang Zui would not win this tough battle.

Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm. Although Pei Youting’s presence made Jiang Zui a bit nervous, he managed to perform without any major mishaps, delivering a steady acting performance. As Jiang Zui walked out of the room, he gave Xu Yan a reassuring look.

Xu Yan’s eyes lit up, and she patted Jiang Zui on the shoulder. “Good. Regardless of whether you pass or not, at least you have made an impression on Director Chen. He might think of you for other scripts in the future.”

Inside the room, Pei Youting lit a cigarette. The smoke blurred his sharp features, making him seem even more distant and cold.

Director Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled flatteringly at the powerful man. “President Pei, I called him over just as you instructed. Have you really decided to let him play the part? I must say, this Jiang Zui has decent acting skills and looks, but he has no popularity. If by any chance…”

“You only need to let him act,” Pei Youting said, leaning back on the sofa and turning his head to look at the director. “You do not need to worry about the rest.”

He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray and stood up. His height of one hundred and ninety-three centimeters was somewhat overwhelming, and combined with his sharp gaze, he looked like a living King of Hell.

“There is no need to say anything extra in front of him.”

Director Chen nodded in agreement, his face nearly aching from smiling so much. “Yes, of course, definitely.”

With Pei Youting operating behind the scenes, the role falling to Jiang Zui was a certainty. A few days later, Jiang Zui received the notice to join the crew.

In truth, if he had been able to calm down and think carefully at the time, he would have realized how strange it was for him to get this role. However, he was too happy back then, and being young and somewhat proud, he simply assumed the director was a talent scout who recognized his worth as a fine horse. He did not look into it further.

Director Chen did a good job with confidentiality, so there were no gossipy rumors within the crew. Once the actors were in place, filming began according to schedule.

Jiang Zui was not the type to chat freely with others. On the contrary, he appeared a bit cold, speaking in a straightforward manner without any social finesse.

Those who did not know his temperament thought he was arrogant. Since he was a fresh face, they speculated he had a powerful backer and kept a respectful distance.

This turned out to be an advantage for him. Whenever he had free time, he would study the script. It was just a youth pain literary script without much depth.

However, the thin booklet was flipped through over and over. The dozen or so A4 pages were covered in dense footnotes. When Director Chen happened to pass by and catch a glimpse, he could not help but feel surprised.

It was not the first or second time an investor had pushed someone into the crew. For instance, the male lead, a young man in his early twenties whose father was a powerful boss, had been given the lead role just to keep him happy. That young master’s temper caused chaos every day.

Director Chen had initially thought that someone cared for by Pei Youting would be another ancestor to serve. He never expected Jiang Zui to be so low-maintenance. Not only was his professional level up to par, but his perception was also high.

Strangely, although President Pei had placed someone in the crew, he had not visited even once. Director Chen figured it was just a fleeting interest that had long been forgotten.

It was not that the young master Pei was forgetful. On the contrary, he thought daily about this old classmate whom he had not managed to get his hands on years ago. Unfortunately, he had been busy with a bidding project lately and truly could not find the time.

By the time he finished his work, a few months had passed. One morning, when the weather was fine and Jiang Zui had no scenes to shoot, he was wandering around outside.

At the entrance of the film city, a blind old man was running a fortune-telling stall. Jiang Zui had no interest in such things and was about to walk past when the old man called out to him.

“Young friend,” the old man waved at him. “I see we are destined to meet. Let me tell your fortune.”

Jiang Zui found it baffling. His lips twitched, and he was about to leave. “No, I…”

“I will not charge you money,” the old man said with a smile. These words effectively silenced Jiang Zui’s rejection. He could not refuse anymore and sat down on a slightly shabby small stool, letting the old man have him draw a lot and feel his hands.

When Jiang Zui was starting to get impatient, the unreliable old man finally stopped with a chuckle. “Your fingers are straight and your palms are square; the color of your palms is ruddy. Young friend, you are destined for great fame and fortune, but…”

People are worldly. Every actor hopes to become famous. The old man’s words piqued Jiang Zui’s interest, and he could not help but ask, “But?”

“But your path in love this lifetime is somewhat rocky. You will go through breakups and reunions with the same person, and this ill-fated relationship will hurt you deeply. However, there is a way to handle it. I have a plan.”

The old man rummaged through a dirty snakeskin bag beside him and pulled out a sandalwood bracelet. He handed it forward with a kind expression. “Wear this, and it will turn your ill-fate into a good one.”

“Since you and I are destined to meet, I will give you a discount. I will only charge you twenty-eight thousand.”

Jiang Zui’s expression became hard to describe. He felt the man was nothing more than a charlatan and a swindler. Without a second thought, he turned and left. The old man watched him for a long time before chuckling and calling out loudly, “You do not want it? Do not regret it later!”

If Jiang Zui had been able to foresee the future, knowing that for the next four years, and even decades, his life would be so full of ups and downs and heartbreak because of one person, he would have paid the money without hesitation, even if it were two hundred and eighty thousand instead of twenty-eight thousand.

Regrettably, he knew nothing at that time. Perhaps it was the arrangement of fate; he was destined to be entangled with that person for the rest of his life.

At the same time, Pei Youting’s plane landed on the tarmac. He had contacted Director Chen in advance, saying he would come to the set today to check on the progress; it was just an excuse. Everyone understood the true purpose.

He was here to cultivate feelings with his target.

Jiang Zui, however, did not know the young master would be visiting today. When Pei Youting arrived at the film city, Jiang Zui was still filming. He had the role of the tragic second male lead, crying in the heavy rain and begging the female lead to look back at him. It was a truly pitiful and miserable scene.

“Xiao Le, I beg you… even if he is not here, I am still by your side. Look at me. Whatever he can do, I can do too, okay?”

The female lead opposite him babbled a few lines of nonsense: “It is no use. I do not love you; I love him!”

It was truly an emotional, tearful, and moving performance. Director Chen shouted “Cut” with satisfaction.

The slender female lead, who was soaked to the bone, was immediately wrapped in a cotton coat prepared by her assistant. She sat huddled to the side, sipping hot tea.

She was a popular starlet with a large group of specialized staff to take care of her. Jiang Zui could not compare. He had been lazy and had not brought a thick coat, not expecting to suffer like this. It was late autumn, and being doused by the icy rain made his legs tremble like a quail.

Suddenly, he was wrapped in the faint scent of tobacco. Jiang Zui felt a weight on his shoulders.

It seemed a cashmere coat had been draped over him. The residual warmth from the fabric enveloped his entire body, as if he were being held in someone’s arms.

He instinctively looked up, but his cheek brushed against the jaw of the person beside him. Because they were standing so close, Jiang Zui could feel the other person’s hot breath mingling with his own. The angle was so awkward that it looked as if Jiang Zui were leaning in for a kiss.

It was Pei Youting.

Jiang Zui’s cold ears turned bright red the moment he saw that handsome face. For a split second, he felt as if his breathing had stopped, leaving only the loud, incessant thumping of his heart.

Pei Youting noticed his gaze and his lips curled slightly. After pulling the coat over Jiang Zui’s shoulders, he took a step back to create some distance, causing the strange and ambiguous atmosphere between them to vanish instantly.

“If you catch a cold in this weather, the fever will be very unpleasant,” Pei Youting said. “Do not blame me for taking the initiative.”

His words were intimate yet polite, like those spoken to a close old friend. They swept away Jiang Zui’s fleeting romantic thoughts. Jiang Zui could only give a polite smile. “Of course not. Thank you.”

After he said that, the air froze for a moment, making things a bit awkward. Jiang Zui was never good at conversation, so he could only make small talk to fill the silence. “Why are you here? You…”

Halfway through, he realized how uninspired the topic was. To his surprise, Pei Youting burst into a handsome laugh right in front of him.

“I came to see you,” he said, looking at Jiang Zui without reservation. “How have you been in the crew?”

Jiang Zui was stunned, and a flush instantly colored his cheeks.

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