The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 51

The explosive success of The Chronicles of Zhuang Zhou was inseparable from the efforts of Cai Kang and Zhou Nan. In her previous life, Shen Nian hadn’t participated in this drama at all, yet it had still managed to stand out among its competitors due to its sheer quality.

The first season had only twelve episodes, which was technically a poor business move. In the current market, most production crews preferred to pad their shows with extra episodes to stretch out the broadcast time and farm more traffic. However, Cai Kang refused to compromise. He prioritized the overall quality of the film and refused to edit it just to fit market trends. Consequently, The Chronicles of Zhuang Zhou finished its run in less than a week.

Surprisingly, its popularity didn’t wane after the finale. On the contrary, unsatisfied viewers began rewatching it for the second and third time, flooding the cast’s social media accounts begging for a second season.

Whenever Shen Nian opened her apps, she saw fans sharing various high-definition stills of her. At the same time, many high-quality scripts—roles she could never have accessed before—were being placed before her. But as a student, she couldn’t dedicate herself fully to filtering through them.

She realized that if she wanted a smooth transition into the industry, her best bet was to find a management agency to handle these trifles. But that brought a new set of problems.

“Big companies have too much competition and too many restrictions; small companies have no resources,” Shen Nian muttered to herself, leaning her forehead against her hand as she looked at the invitations in her inbox. “Each has its own issues…”

Suddenly, a notification for a new email popped up. It was from a newly established, small company. Usually, such a company wouldn’t even have its basic regulations in order, and she would have closed it immediately. But the sender was clever; they put their core advantage in the very first line. One glance was all it took for Shen Nian to be unable to look away.

“Mo Huai?”

She quickly searched the name and confirmed that the Mo Huai mentioned in the email was indeed the legendary, iron-fisted manager she remembered from the industry.

Mo Huai was a female Beta who previously worked for one of the top agencies in the country, Starlight Entertainment. Recently, two factions within that company had been at war. When the dust settled, Mo Huai had been kicked out for siding with the losing party. She had scouted one Best Actor, two Best Actresses, and countless first-tier stars. But now, those people—fearing they would offend Starlight—were cutting ties with her.

The new company, Cengyue, was Mo Huai’s own startup. Shen Nian looked at the name and smirked.

Starlight (Xingguang) vs. Clear Moon (Cengyue).

Choosing such a name was a blatant declaration of war against her former employer. Shen Nian found the woman a bit arrogant, but it suited her taste—she liked Mo Huai’s undisguised ambition. However, she recalled that in her previous life, she had never heard of “Cengyue,” and Mo Huai’s name had faded into obscurity. Most likely, the company hadn’t survived the first time around.

Despite her thoughts, her hand honestly dialed the number left in the email.

“Hello,” a neutral female voice answered.

Shen Nian got straight to the point. “Ms. Mo Huai? This is Shen Nian.”

“Shen Nian,” Mo Huai paused, repeating the name clearly. The background noise was filled with the rapid clicking of a keyboard. “I’m honored you’re interested in Cengyue. Give us both a chance, Shen Nian, and I will turn you into the next phenomenal star.”

“Heh,” Shen Nian laughed softly. “I’m sorry, Ms. Mo, but I don’t buy empty promises.”

In her studio, Mo Huai stopped typing and straightened her back, switching from a casual posture to one of high alert. “Shen Nian, I’m not joking.”

“Mhm,” Shen Nian hummed. “Shall we meet and talk?”

“No problem.” Mo Huai checked the time and rattled off an address. “Of course, if that’s inconvenient for you, I can come to you.”

The last sentence conveyed her sincerity. Shen Nian politely declined, saying she would arrive in about an hour, and hung up to change her clothes.

Shen Zhui was working in the living room. Seeing that Shen Nian wasn’t dressed for class, she asked, “Where are you going?”

Shen Nian walked over to her to pour a glass of water. Before putting the glass down, she didn’t forget to steal a kiss from Shen Zhui.

“…” President Shen, suddenly kissed, frowned with a mix of shyness and slight displeasure.

“To meet someone,” Shen Nian said, pressing her cheek against Shen Zhui’s. “I’m planning to sign with an agency.”

Shen Zhui looked at her. After a moment, she spoke. “Don’t sign with outsiders. If you need one, I can arrange it.”

“Hmm, wouldn’t that be the same as…” Shen Nian tilted her head, testing the waters, “…signing an indenture to you?”

Shen Zhui raised an eyebrow. “Is that not okay?”

“Tsk, I’ll think about it,” Shen Nian said nonchalantly. She stood up and waved. “I’m going to inspect the first candidate.”

She left quickly, not daring to look back at Shen Zhui’s expression.

They met at a café near a business building. Mo Huai had shoulder-length short hair and sharp cheekbones, giving her a somewhat unapproachable appearance. When she saw Shen Nian, she stood up to greet her, a hint of genuine surprise in her eyes.

“My eye for talent has never been wrong,” Mo Huai said as they shook hands. “You are even more striking than I imagined.”

Shen Nian teased, “If you were still at Starlight Entertainment, that sentence might have more credibility.”

“Little girl!” Mo Huai feigned annoyance and laughed. “I won’t accept that. Picking the wrong side in a corporate war has nothing to do with my eye for talent.”

Shen Nian nodded. “True. My apologies for the shallow comment.”

The first impression was good on both sides. Mo Huai was a woman of action; as soon as they sat down, she got to business. She was clearly prepared, and the terms she offered were incredibly sincere.

“…You might not know the industry well, but I’ll be honest: the contract I’m giving you is on par with what first-tier actresses get. As a newcomer, you would never get these resources or profit splits anywhere else.”

Shen Nian wasn’t a true novice. One scan of the contract told her Mo Huai wasn’t lying. But she didn’t believe in free lunches. “The contract is fine, but Ms. Mo… frankly, as a new company, even if you give me all your resources, wouldn’t they just be…” she looked at her opponent, “…the leftovers that big companies didn’t want?”

“A role’s quality depends on how the actor shapes it,” Mo Huai said, leaning in. “I watched The Chronicles of Zhuang Zhou several times. When you took the role of ‘Chen Min,’ surely you weren’t looking at the budget?”

“And so?”

“I can’t get you into a blockbuster production immediately,” Mo Huai admitted. “But do not doubt my vision. If you come to Cengyue, I will manage only you. I will personally vet every project to ensure it is a good script with a good character.”

Shen Nian smiled but remained silent.

“I won’t give you some bullshit about ‘growing with the company,’ but everything takes time,” Mo Huai said, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration. “Once you make your mark, high-quality resources will come seeking you out.” She suddenly asked, “What about you? Do you have no confidence in your own strength?”

“Even the best wine fears a deep alleyway,” Shen Nian replied, not falling for the trap. “Isn’t that why we’re sitting here today?”

Mo Huai narrowed her eyes. Composed and unyielding. Her evaluation of Shen Nian rose even higher.

“This place makes great cake,” Mo Huai said, breaking the tension to think of her next move. “I ordered their signature cherry cake for you. Try it.”

Shen Nian took a bite. She didn’t expect much, but the cream melted on her tongue, instantly capturing her taste buds.

“Good, right?” Mo Huai observed her. “To be honest, I chose my office location just for this café’s cake.”

Shen Nian gave her a thumbs up. “A wise choice.”

After finishing the cake, Shen Nian looked up to discuss the critical issue. “About your grievance with Starlight…”

“I understand your concern,” Mo Huai rubbed her temples. “There will be an impact, but I guarantee it won’t affect the big picture. Actually, no matter which company you join, you’ll face competition.”

Shen Nian didn’t let her off that easily. “But at least I wouldn’t be facing off against a giant like Starlight right from the start.”

“…” Mo Huai studied her. “If I didn’t know you were a sophomore, I’d swear you’d been in this industry for years.”

Shen Nian just smiled.

“How about this, to show my sincerity…” Mo Huai took a sip of bitter coffee to clear her head. “Shen Nian, I’ll handle the Wang Ze situation for you. If you’re satisfied, we can keep talking.”

Shen Nian thought for a moment and nodded. “Deal.”

Wang Ze was the original male lead of The Chronicles of Zhuang Zhou who had been fired with a 250,000 yuan settlement. Since the drama had become a hit, he had been using his social media to claim Shen Nian bullied him out of the cast. While Shen Nian was too busy to deal with such a clown, his fans were becoming an annoyance, spreading rumors daily.

After making an appointment for their next meeting, Shen Nian stood up to leave. Before she left, she specifically ordered a cake to go.

By the time she reached home, it was evening. The autumn sunset was beautiful, plating the city in gold. She saw Shen Zhui lounging on the sofa, looking radiant in the fading light. A strong feeling washed over Shen Nian—the feeling of coming home to a beloved wife.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Zhui’s voice brought her back.

“Why haven’t you turned on the lights?” Shen Nian asked, walking toward her.

“I forgot,” Shen Zhui said. Before she could say anything else, Shen Nian pulled her into a sudden embrace. The familiar warmth made Shen Zhui relax against her. “What happened? Did someone mistreat you outside?”

“No,” Shen Nian sighed, looking out the window. “I just think… the sunset is so beautiful. I wonder how much longer we can see such a beautiful sight.”

Shen Zhui poked her forehead. “When did you become so sentimental?”

Shen Nian tightened her grip. Just then, the plastic bag on the floor rustled.

“What’s that?” Shen Zhui asked.

Shen Nian knelt and opened the bag. “A cake I brought for you.”

She handed Shen Zhui a small fork. Shen Zhui took a bite and fed a piece to Shen Nian, who declined, saying she’d already had some.

“It’s delicious,” Shen Zhui said, licking her lips. “The best I’ve ever had.”

Shen Nian rested her head on Shen Zhui’s lap. “When I tasted it at the shop, I thought you’d like it.”

As the room grew darker, Shen Nian noticed a bit of cream on Shen Zhui’s finger. Instead of reaching for a tissue, Shen Nian took Shen Zhui’s hand and put the finger in her mouth.

It was warm, sweet, and clean.

“I regret it…” Shen Nian murmured.

“Hmm?”

“I should have tasted this one. I think the one I brought home tastes better.”

She leaned up and kissed Shen Zhui’s lips—a fleeting touch. “Mhm, it is different…”

The room fell into shadow as the sun dipped below the horizon. They didn’t turn on the lights. They shared a deep, fervent kiss that felt like a rising tide, leaving Shen Zhui breathless and disoriented.

When the tide receded, Shen Nian looked at the disappearing sunset with a trace of sadness.

“What is it?” Shen Zhui asked.

“Just feeling that beautiful moments are always fleeting,” Shen Nian whispered. “The sunset is gone before I could even appreciate it.”

Shen Zhui hugged her tightly. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. The sun rises and sets; the ‘sunset’ you want is always by your side.”

Shen Nian went silent for a few seconds. “…You’re right.”

She stood up and finally flipped the light switch.