Three days later, Shen Jingwei took up another shift at the Handsome Butler Coffee Shop. Jin Zhou just happened to be there, and he was more than excited to share tales from his audition with everyone.
Shen Jingwei was rather stunned to hear that it was the same drama he auditioned for.
"So it was for a drama titled 'Dance Of The Dragons'," he began, upon hearing which Shen Jingwei almost choked on his free cup of coffee.
"Jingwei, are you alright?" the butlers asked him.
"Yes, I am fine," Shen Jingwei coughed violently while dismissing his colleagues' worries. "Continue."
"I was auditioning for a side character role named 'Jiang Muchen'. Dude is so good with both sword and bow. I am good with none. But I do hope the judges pay more attention to my face and my acting skills."
They all broke into laughter, save for Shen Jingwei, who was still busy trying to get traces of coffee out of his respiratory tract.
"They said that the audition result is going to be published today. Oh, I am so nervous. I have been checking their website every five minutes."
"Don't worry, Brother Jin. I am sure that you will get the role," Butler Luo Chengshi patted Jin Zhuo in encouragement.
"Are you sure? Ahhh, I hope so!" Jin Zhuo whined.
Around this time of the day, the coffee shop was not too crowded, so the butlers had time to chat among themselves.
Rain began to splatter against the windowpane as Shen Jingwei gazed outside. The rhythmic tapping was oddly soothing, and he found himself drifting into a reverie.
"IT'S OUT!" Jin Zhuo's shrill voice rang through the shop sometime later.
Shen Jingwei turned his head and walked toward his excited colleagues.
He did not hope for much, he swore.
But still, he should be interested in seeing the audition result, shouldn't he?
Jin Zhuo excitedly scrolled down the page, eager to discover the cast lineup for the drama.
Soon, he broke into an agonizing despair.
"NOOOOO I DIDN'T GET IT!"
Jin Zhuo threw his phone to the counter and wailed in Luo Chengshi's arms.
Shen Jingwei and the other butlers crowded around the forsaken phone and scanned through the list of lucky actors and actresses.
Lin Ruoye made it to the cast, but she was given a minor role.
The one to play Liu Wenyuan was, curiously, a certain Lang Yuxuan. An unknown name. Probably a new actor.
Anyway, he was not on the list, which was to be expected.
Another failed audition. May Zhu Dongyi gain another opportunity to drive him to madness, but hopefully not anytime soon.
The thought barely settled when a call from Zhu Dongyi arrived.
Shen Jingwei stared at his phone in disbelief.
Maybe it was because he was never a religious person in the first place, or maybe God just wanted to punish him.
Either way, he could not ignore his manager.
Shen Jingwei took a deep breath and answered the phone.
"Little Shen, congratulations on your remarkable performance before the panel of judges! I am so, so, so proud of you!"
His voice was so loud that the other butlers turned their heads toward him at the same time.
Shen Jingwei chuckled at his colleagues before he took the call outside.
"Old Zhu, what are you talking about? I failed the audition."
"Oh, no no no. You didn't. You have outdone yourself this time. Little Shen, you have landed the role of the male lead!"
"..."
The role of the male lead?
"As in, the role of Crown Prince Xie Jianyu?"
"Yes, exactly! I knew that you took your job seriously! Oh, this is huge, Little Shen. You are going to work a hundred times harder, but the pay! The pay is ten times more!"
Mathematically, it sounded like a scam. But this was the film industry, after all.
"But how?"
Shen Jingwei couldn't believe it.
"Why would they offer me that role?"
"It was said that the author fell in love with you at first sight. I don't know what you did to impress her, Little Shen, but continue doing so and you shall soar to the sky! This can be the golden opportunity you have been waiting for for the past three years!"
"... The author?"
"Ah, yes, I am going to text you her number. She wants you to contact her."
The text arrived a short while later. Shen Jingwei stared at the string of numbers in bewilderment.
He added Lu Shui onto WeChat* and sent her a message, "Why me, of all people?"
"Obviously to repay you for the chocolate bun and chocolate milk," came the answer. Not in text but in voice.
And no, it was not a voice message.
Lu Shui appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of him. The author wore a wide grin across her face.
"Surprise!" She cried out while throwing both hands in the air.
Shen Jingwei's soul almost left his body on the spot.
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Author's note :
*WeChat = Chinese version of WhatsApp.
Mini theater!
Shen Jingwei : I need an exorcist. The author is haunting me.
Author : Emperor Yan happens to be a skillful exorcist...
Shen Jingwei : Forget it! Let the author haunt me! Add more ghosts if need be! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻