The atmosphere in the entire ward became tense and expectant due to the Oriental Consortium's announcement of the cast for "Xian Tu."
"I wonder if my name will be in the announced cast," Lin Shirou, her face still swollen, now displayed a joyous expression, making her look both comical and ugly.
Yang Niyun immediately chimed in, "Of course it will be. Our Rou Rou is so outstanding, she's definitely the female lead."
"Lin family's reputation still depends on you to uphold. Unlike some people who betray their own kind, like ungrateful wretches." Lin Hanhai couldn't understand. The same daughters, one a beloved child, the other a bringer of misfortune. If he could choose, he would have strangled that bringer of misfortune at birth.
Then they wouldn't have been beaten and sent to the hospital.
Gu Shaoting, who had been silent, endured the pain at the corner of his mouth and praised with immense pride, "Don't you worry. In the cast of 'Xian Tu,' even if you're not the female lead, you'll absolutely be the second female lead! Didn't you say that the interviewers had you try out for several roles that day? It's because you're so versatile that they did that."
Lin Shirou, praised like this, felt as if she were about to float to heaven with pride.
Although Zhong Jingjing said nothing, her face was full of shared glory.
Lin Xingwan remained silent, but a curve of her lips betrayed a deep mockery.
On the television, a beautiful and elegantly dressed female host's face was filled with excitement. Her voice involuntarily rose a few decibels as she said, "Hello, everyone. Are you surprised to see me at this moment? China has over two billion people, but I believe that at this very moment, at least 1.5 billion people are waiting for this thrilling moment: the unveiling of the cast for 'Xian Tu,' a drama heavily invested in by the Oriental Consortium.
As everyone knows, 'Xian Tu' is a novel that has been popular online for over a decade, with a fan base in the hundreds of millions. Its ingenious plot and grand scenes are an unrepeatable and unsurpassed success in the literary world! To find actors who fit the original characters, the Oriental Consortium spared no effort, holding auditions for two months. Whether you were an established actor or an ordinary citizen, everyone was treated equally during the auditions.
And this cast list I hold in my hand is the result of the Oriental Consortium's two-month-long audition process. Below, I will begin announcing the names of the actors one by one."
At this moment, Lin Xingwan's heart felt as if it were being fiercely clutched by something.
They were about to announce it, they were about to announce it!
She was so nervous that she could barely breathe.
"Film Emperor Jiang Wenyuan will play the male lead, Lu Bingchuan."
"Popular young star Yan Yuxi will play the female lead, Su Lili."
Lin Xingwan was not particularly surprised by the host's official announcement of the male and female leads.
Jiang Wenyuan achieved fame at a young age and is now a first-class national actor. He is also one of the few actors who has not been typecast after becoming famous. He is the only actor in China to have won a "Grand Slam" and is only twenty-five years old, already hailed as "China's Most Expensive Actor." Last year, "The Frontline," starring Jiang Wenyuan, was a global sensation. Rumor has it that he will be the next Oscar winner.
Only a company like the Oriental Consortium, which treats money like dirt, could afford to recruit such a prominent figure for a drama.
As for the young star Yan Yuxi, not only has she starred in a hit drama every year for the past five years, but she also enjoys a reputation for bringing good luck to her male co-stars in the entertainment industry. Every male celebrity she has collaborated with has become famous. Furthermore, her striking appearance makes her perfectly suited for the role of the flirtatious and cool female lead in "Xian Tu," who is always trying to seduce the male lead. Moreover, Yan Yuxi also endorsed the "Xian Tu" online game two years ago, wearing the costume of the female lead Su Lili. The game, upon its release, set records for the most registered users and the highest revenue.
While other online gamers are just starting to understand the world, the fans of Su Lili, the female lead of "Xian Tu," have already become mature adults. It's only right for them to spend some money on their cherished memories.
However, Lin Xingwan became even more worried. With such formidable leads, the requirements for the male second lead would undoubtedly be very high.
Lin Xingwan unconsciously tightened her grip on Zhou Jinbai's hand, her teeth biting her lower lip, her eyes glued to the television screen.
Zhou Jinbai held her hand back, soothing her emotions.
The host continued to read:
"Artist Ge Xuansi will play the male second lead, Wang Yuan."
This caused a massive uproar!
Lin Xingwan felt as if her emotions had been hit by a nuclear bomb, or blasted by cannons. Her head was buzzing, and she didn't hear a single word the host said next.
"Zhou Jinbai, did I just hear that Ge Xuansi is going to play the male second lead? Am I dreaming? Quick, slap me! I think I'm dreaming." Lin Xingwan flailed her arms like a little girl, playfully leaning her face towards Zhou Jinbai, inviting him to slap her.
Zhou Jinbai pinched Lin Xingwan's cheek. Her excited expression made her delicate features incredibly vivid. "It hurts. I'm not dreaming. Ge Xuansi is actually playing the male second lead! I have to tell him this good news."
Lin Xingwan excitedly ran out, with Zhou Jinbai following behind her helplessly. How could his wife be so silly?
As the two of them left gracefully, the four people in the ward were left looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Who is Ge Xuansi? That scoundrel's friend?" the old lady asked, frowning.
"Ge Xuansi? That name sounds familiar. He seems to be an artist under Peak Entertainment," Lin Hanhai subconsciously scratched his head, forgetting about the large bump on his head, and winced in pain.
"What? An artist from Peak Entertainment? That broken company that scoundrel just took from us not long ago?" Zhong Jingjing's voice rose by eight hundred decibels, her face filled with shock.
Gu Shaoting, though reluctant to admit it, confirmed, "Indeed."
Zhong Jingjing's usually sharp eyes were now filled with astonishment.
She would never forget everything that happened today.
First, they lost the Ginseng King that could extend life, then they lost all face in front of everyone. Now, they learned that an artist from Peak Entertainment would be appearing in a drama invested in by the Oriental Consortium.
She could tolerate the first two, but the last one made her feel like she couldn't rest in peace.
She pounded her chest, looking as if she no longer wanted to live. "Heavenly wrath! How could I have been so foolish as to give Peak Entertainment, this golden goose, to that scoundrel? If Peak Entertainment were still in our hands, the entire Lin family would be sought after by everyone. We could have risen from the bottom of the third-tier wealthy families to become a first-tier one."
For so many years, the Lin family had been waiting for an opportunity to turn things around.
However, the Lin family was insignificant in Rongcheng. Wealthy families of similar standing offered them very limited resources, while higher-ranking wealthy families looked down on them.
Zhong Jingjing had never imagined that a company under the Lin family would one day collaborate with the Oriental Consortium. If they had leveraged this opportunity well and connected with the Oriental family, the leaders of the wealthy elite, their fortunes would have soared.
In the future, people from other wealthy families would have to bow and scrape even to a dog from the Lin family.
But Peak Entertainment was now in the hands of that scoundrel, who was extremely rebellious and held grudges.
Zhong Jingjing regretted it deeply. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have been greedy for those twenty million.
Time ticked by. After the host announced the actors for more than a dozen important roles, he directly presented the list of supporting actors to the camera.
Lin Shirou's eyes widened as she scanned the list carefully, afraid of missing even the slightest detail.
Even in the list of supporting roles, her name was nowhere to be found.
Lin Shirou refused to believe it and searched online again.
As expected... she wasn't there!
Why could an artist from the trashy Peak Entertainment play the male second lead, while she couldn't even land a supporting role?
From childhood, she had been inferior to Lin Xingwan in everything, and it was the same as she grew up.
Lin Shirou, consumed by jealousy, tightened her grip on the bedsheet, a sinister glint flashing in her eyes. Then, in a soft voice, she said, "Peak Entertainment has been losing money year after year, yet it managed to surpass other entertainment companies and get its artist into the male second lead position. Sister, you didn't... use any special means, did you?"
After saying that, she quickly shook her head, "No, no, no, Sister isn't that kind of person. How could I think of her like that?"
"This woman is simply too shameless," Gu Shaoting's expression grew even uglier as he thought of something.
How many times had Lin Xingwan cuckolded him? She was truly something.
When these men abandoned her one by one, and she came crawling back to him, he would never take back this cheap tramp.
"I didn't intentionally try to smear Sister's name. I was just stating my guess. Shaoting, Sister has always been outstanding. Let's not overthink it."
Lin Shirou was still trying to placate Gu Shaoting, but he let out a dismissive snort. "Outstanding? Heh, how do we know what kind of abilities she used?"
Even though Gu Shaoting insulted Lin Xingwan like this, the Lin family members didn't find anything wrong with it.
"The most important thing right now is how to get her to return Peak Entertainment to us. We absolutely cannot let Lin Xingwan gain such a huge advantage," Yang Niyun stated incisively, and everyone in the room fell silent.
Lin Hanhai, however, suddenly had an idea and immediately said, "I do have a way!"
...
Zhou Jinbai dropped Lin Xingwan off at the apartment building, and they sat in the car.
"Thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known how to handle it," Lin Xingwan thought of the ginseng at the birthday banquet and the imperial feast she barely touched, and felt a pang of heartache. But then, thinking of the stunned expressions on those people's faces, she felt incredibly satisfied.
"Silly girl, do we need to be so polite between us?" Zhou Jinbai tapped Lin Xingwan's head exasperatedly. "I was worried you'd be angry with me for how I treated your family. Wife, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to humiliate them, I just wanted to stand up for you."
In the darkness, the man's deep eyes appeared exceptionally charming.
"How could I be angry with you? They don't consider me family. Even if I pour my heart out to them, they still find me distasteful." Lin Xingwan looked outside, her tone indifferent. "External injuries are superficial. Injuries from loved ones go to the bone. For so many years, I've been used to yielding, used to not holding grudges, and all I got in return was escalating bullying and exploitation. Zhou Jinbai, I truly envy your relationship with Grandma. The closer I get to you, the more love I receive, and the more I feel like a obedient dog in the eyes of the Lin family and Gu Shaoting."
Because she received so little love, even a slight change in someone's gaze made her feel like she had done something wrong.
To gain Grandma's love and her father's love, she forced herself to work intensely, to meet their demands.
She was indeed a strong-willed person, but standing in the wind for too long would inevitably sting her eyes.
Night after night, she asked herself where she was inferior to Lin Shirou, why couldn't she act spoiled in front of Grandma and Dad like Lin Shirou did?
Later, after meeting Zhou Jinbai, she truly experienced the feeling of being cherished and protected.
"They never considered me family, so why should I be sentimental about them? Give a dog too many opportunities, and it starts to think it's a lion. Those who have disappointed you will never disappoint you just once."
Just as Lin Xingwan's voice began to choke up, Zhou Jinbai unbuckled his seatbelt and kissed her.
She felt her cold body instantly enveloped in a strong embrace, her unfinished words drowned in a kiss full of tenderness.
Lin Xingwan trembled slightly, obediently allowing Zhou Jinbai to explore her, greedily taking in her scent. In this moment of passion, she forgot they were in a car.
Zhou Jinbai bit her earlobe, his voice completely hoarse. "It won't happen again. I will cherish my wife, spoil my wife, love my wife, and I won't let anyone have the chance to bully my wife."
Her words made him feel a pang in his heart.
Zhou Jinbai even regretted not meeting her sooner.
"It's all in the past. I was just a bit emotional tonight," Lin Xingwan gave a simple, sweet laugh.
Zhou Jinbai felt even more heartache. He wished he could merge this woman into his very bones, to show her his sincere heart.
His kisses moved from Gu Wan porcelain's earlobe to her neck, and from her neck to her rosy lips.
What started as a light kiss became passionate.
Lin Xingwan's entire body felt numb from his kisses, her head swimming. Coupled with her lack of resistance, the temperature in the car rose sharply.
Zhou Jinbai adored her passionate expression, like a fleeting昙花一现, making it all the more precious.
The chair was lowered at some point, and Zhou Jinbai's actions became less gentle.
Lin Xingwan's belt had long since been loosened.
Her seaweed-like long hair was slightly disheveled, her chest half-exposed, giving an impression of hesitant surrender. Zhou Jinbai's eyes deepened.
"Wife, do you remember what you promised me today?"
Lin Xingwan looked at Zhou Jinbai with her watery eyes, confused. It took her a long time to recall.
Her cheeks grew even hotter, and she didn't know how to answer.
Just then, she heard the sound of people talking.
Lin Xingwan immediately became nervous. She wanted to get up from the chair, but Zhou Jinbai pressed her down, unable to move.
"Someone's coming," Lin Xingwan's voice was soft and tense. How embarrassing it would be if they were seen.
Zhou Jinbai bit Lin Xingwan's ear, his voice completely husky. "Wife, let's fulfill the promise."