“Uncle, Nanxing said he wants to break off our engagement. You have to help me! If Grandpa and Grandma find out, they’ll definitely beat me to death!”

When Fu Zhiyuan heard this, his emotions finally erupted. He slammed his hand down, sweeping the papers off the desk in anger, throwing them toward Fu Chengyu. “I just want to hit you right now!”

His heart was filled with pain for Shen Nanxing. Thinking of all the hardships Shen Nanxing had suffered at school, Fu Zhiyuan’s anger burned even more. He wanted to take care of Shen Nanxing but had no standing to do so, while others failed to appreciate him, bullying him for the sake of an outsider.

Fu Chengyu was stunned by the sudden onslaught of papers. He looked at Fu Zhiyuan’s angry face, unsure of what to do. “Uncle, I—”

Fu Zhiyuan coldly interrupted him. “Don’t call me ‘Uncle.’ I won’t help you.”

Fu Chengyu didn’t expect Fu Zhiyuan to be so ruthless, unwilling to offer any help. He felt the sting of rejection and remembered what his mother had said: Fu Zhiyuan never treated them as family. For something so small, Fu Zhiyuan refused to lend a hand, which was truly heartless.

Although Fu Chengyu felt disheartened, he didn’t dare show it on his face. Clenching his fists, he forced himself to stay composed. “Uncle, I won’t bother you any longer.”

Fu Zhiyuan didn’t even spare him a second glance. “Get out.”

After Fu Chengyu left, Fu Zhiyuan instructed his assistant not to let irrelevant people enter the office in the future, even if they shared the same last name, Fu.

Fu Zhiyuan made an effort to calm his emotions, thinking about how he could make things right with Shen Nanxing.

—

The next day, Shen Nanxing woke up with panda eyes. Last night, he had been too absorbed in reading the script that Xie Ling had sent him to even read his favorite novel. Eventually, he couldn’t keep his eyes open and fell asleep.

At school, Xie Ling eagerly took him to the drama club. On the way, she briefly introduced the club to him. The president was a senior who was very efficient, and this script was her work.

When they arrived at the club, Shen Nanxing noticed that many people were already rehearsing. In the center of the stage, a girl with a neat ponytail was holding a script and intensely discussing lines with those on stage.

“Xiaoyue, pay attention to your positioning, and don’t exaggerate your facial expressions so much.”

“Also, when the lights hit you, you need to start your performance immediately. Don’t react so slowly!”

“And you, this prop in your hand is fragile, be careful not to bump it.”

…

Xie Ling pulled Shen Nanxing through the crowd to the girl. She pushed him gently toward the girl and said, “President, I’ve brought him here.”

The girl, named Su Lin, waved her hand to the people on stage, signaling them to keep reviewing the script. Then, she turned to face Shen Nanxing and Xie Ling.

Su Lin had heard of Shen Nanxing recently through a forum, and she had casually mentioned that he would be a great fit for the role of “Lin Sheng.” To her surprise, Xie Ling had actually brought him.

She smiled at Shen Nanxing in delight. “Hello, junior. I’m your senior, Su Lin.”

Shen Nanxing smiled politely. “Hello.”

Su Lin pulled a chair beside her and gestured for him to sit. “Xie Ling must have told you, right? The role of ‘Lin Sheng’ is a supporting character. Though it has very few lines, it’s an important role.”

Shen Nanxing nodded, confirming that he had already read the script.

Su Lin, seeing his response, looked excited. “That’s great, junior! You coming really helps us out a lot.”

Shen Nanxing had no idea that this role was a gender-bent one. The reason they had chosen him was because many boys couldn’t portray the desired effect, so they had set their sights on him.

Shen Nanxing’s demeanor fit the character of “Lin Sheng” perfectly. He looked around and didn’t see Lin Bai or Fu Chengyu, so he asked, “Have you decided on the lead roles yet?”

Xie Ling, standing next to him, answered, “The leads haven’t been decided yet. But if all goes well, Fu Chengyu should be the male lead, since he has the most votes.”

It turned out that the selection of the lead roles was based on a campus vote, and the one with the most votes would win. Undoubtedly, Fu Chengyu had the highest popularity at school.

Shen Nanxing nodded in understanding. “What about the other lead?”

Xie Ling pulled out her phone to check the votes. “The other lead should be Senior Xia Zimu!”

Shen Nanxing could hardly believe his ears, shocked. “What? Xia Zimu?” Shouldn’t it be Lin Bai???

Xie Ling and Su Lin both nodded.

If he remembered correctly, Xia Zimu was even more popular than Fu Chengyu, right? The thought of Xia Zimu being the delicate bird in Fu Chengyu’s arms made Shen Nanxing want to laugh.

Shen Nanxing double-checked, “Wouldn’t this be too hasty? The roles need to match the characters, right?”

Xie Ling nodded matter-of-factly. “Yes, that’s exactly the contrast we want. More people will come to watch if it’s like this.”

[What kind of strange preference is this?]

Shen Nanxing replied, “But would Xia Zimu even agree?”

This question immediately left Xie Ling and Su Lin speechless. After all, Xia Zimu wasn’t the easiest person to convince.

After a moment, Su Lin comforted him, “It’s fine, if Senior Xia doesn’t agree, we have other backup options.”

Shen Nanxing relaxed a little upon hearing this. The idea of Xia Zimu and Fu Chengyu partnering up would surely turn the stage upside down.

Shen Nanxing stayed a little longer in the club’s rehearsal room. He noticed that the members of the club were full of enthusiasm and focus for the upcoming play. In this vibrant group, everyone was contributing to the production in their own way. Aside from those chosen to perform on stage, many were working behind the scenes, each handling their own responsibilities. This scene deeply moved Shen Nanxing, as he hadn’t expected such passion from everyone just for a play.

For several consecutive days, Shen Nanxing made time to attend the club’s rehearsals and got to know many new friends.

When Shen Chuanqiong learned that he would be performing in the school play, he asked when the official performance would be, and offered to cheer him on. Shen Nanxing laughed and replied, “This isn’t a competition, why cheer?”

In the rehearsal room, Xia Zimu looked at the person in front of him with disdain. “Fu Chengyu, what are you doing here?” He had heard that Shen Nanxing was also participating, and that was the only reason he agreed to appear in the play. However, instead of seeing Shen Nanxing first, he had to face the annoying Fu Chengyu.

Compared to Xia Zimu’s explosive reaction, Fu Chengyu remained much calmer. He had known earlier that they would be partners in the play.

With a provocative look, Fu Chengyu said, “Xia Zimu, don’t you know? In the script, you’re supposed to be madly in love with me.”