Nowadays, in TV dramas, especially those with larger productions, the audition process is becoming increasingly rare.

This is because now, popularity is justice. When everyone’s acting skills are similar, the director will definitely invite popular celebrities to play the lead roles, rather than selecting grassroots actors with good acting skills through auditions.

In TV dramas, unlike movies, acting skills are secondary.

The important thing is the popularity behind the lead actors.

This is the harsh reality.

Qu Hua nodded and said with a smile, “This IP itself comes with a lot of popularity. The casting will lean more towards those who match the original work, as the book fans will buy into it. Director Xiao saw your bamboo rat program and thought you fit the role, so he wants you to audition.”

Bamboo rat program? Could it be… Ning Qiuxiu’s eyelid twitched. “What’s the name of the novel this drama is based on?”

“My School Bully Girlfriend.”

“…As expected, she knew there wouldn’t be such a thing as a free lunch.

School bully—it sounds like a fierce character, perfectly matching her tough-guy image!

So, is this persona something she can’t shake off?

Ning Qiuxiu couldn’t help but laugh and cry.

The more she didn’t want to be typecast in such a role, the more others wanted to cast her in it.

Even a famous director knew about this; it was such a painful realization.

Therefore, it made sense why Xiao Sheng wanted her to audition.

She had no film or TV works to her name, only the official hype from the TV series “Wandering,” which might or might not be true.

So, he wanted her to give it a try.

Otherwise, if they cast a pretty face with no acting skills, they would be drowned in the criticism from the book fans.

Ning Qiuxiu casually read a few chapters of “My School Bully Girlfriend.”

It turned out to be a story centered on a strong female lead.

The female lead was fierce, but not a typical thug; she was a top student who excelled in everything, while the male lead just rode on her coattails.

A rogue with culture is terrifying, and this female lead exemplified that perfectly.

Given the popularity of the novel, this drama was bound to be a hit, even if it was produced by an obscure team, let alone someone as famous as Xiao Sheng.

Ning Qiuxiu had no reason to refuse.

Fine, if she had to be fierce, so be it.

At least it was still a human persona, much better than Song Chu’s soft puppy persona!

Ning Qiuxiu felt more balanced after shamelessly attacking Song Chu once more.

Since she would be recording the bamboo rat show in a couple of days, Qu Hua scheduled this audition for after the shoot to give her two days of rest before the filming.

…

Zhan Qingyue’s health was improving day by day.

Just over two months since he woke up, his physical condition had already recovered significantly.

Even the doctor in charge of his rehabilitation was astonished by the speed of his recovery, calling it a medical miracle.

However, Zhan Qingyue’s physical capabilities were still average, and the rehabilitation doctor couldn’t find any specific reason for his rapid recovery.

They could only attribute it to the good supplements and care that wealthy people receive, which might be why he was recovering so well.

Recently, his rehabilitation focused on practicing standing against the wall.

Because he hadn’t used his legs for so long, standing was especially challenging for him.

He was psychologically afraid of standing and resisted the process.

Dr. Pan’s visits increased from once a week to every three days.

Fortunately, Zhan Qingyue remained strong.

Despite the difficulties, he didn’t show signs of anger or self-pity.

At home, he continued to be his composed self, while privately seizing every chance to tease Ning Qiuxiu.

Ning Qiuxiu’s mother, Wen Ling, was slow to receive updates.

It wasn’t until a week later that she saw her daughter’s bamboo rat show.

She was stunned by Ning Qiuxiu carrying the bamboo, and immediately sent her a video.

Ning Qiuxiu was resting at home, preparing for tomorrow’s shoot, and was dozing off on the living room sofa when she received the video.

She answered sleepily, “Mom, what’s up?”

“Why do you look so bad? Are they mistreating you at the Zhan family?”

Ning Qiuxiu wasn’t sure what her mother had heard and said helplessly, “I’ve been overworking lately. Don’t think so badly of the Zhan family. At least Brother Qingyue isn’t that bad.”

“That’s hard to say,” Mrs. Wen replied, “I just saw your bamboo rat show. Where did you get that strength? Did the Zhan family make you do heavy labor?”

“…” Ning Qiuxiu truly admired Wen Ling’s imagination and said, “How could that be? I actually do have a bit more strength than the average person. I just kept it hidden before.”

“How come I never noticed? You couldn’t even open a bottle cap before. Don’t try to fool me.”

“I’m not lying to you. I used to maintain the image of a delicate, pampered rich girl. Aren’t dainty girls more likely to attract boys?”

Madam Ning was somewhat convinced and said, “Then why are you openly displaying it on TV now? The whole country knows about it.”

“What does it matter,” Ning Qiuxiu knew Zhan Qingyue was in his study having a meeting, so she boldly boasted, crossing her legs, “I’ve already married out. If I lose my image, so be it. It’s not like Qingyue could return me because of that.”

Madam Ning: “…”

That made so much sense she almost believed it.

After chatting for a while, Madam Ning received a message, read it, and smiled, “As long as you’re fine, I’m relieved. Take good care of yourself and remind Qingyue to stay healthy too. Your father and I are going on a short trip for the next three days. He just sent a message saying he’s back. I’m going to change and get ready to go!”

“Dad’s back?” Ning Qiuxiu was taken aback, “Wasn’t he supposed to have an important meeting?”

This meeting was crucial, and Zhan Qingyue had to attend remotely.

He had even postponed his standing rehabilitation session at the nursing home this afternoon for it.

Ning Qiuxiu felt bad about it and was considering sending Zhan Qingyue’s rehab schedule to her father, asking him to try to avoid overlapping important meetings with Qingyue’s rehab sessions so it wouldn’t delay his recovery.

“Huh? No, he told me this morning that he had a meeting, but he was free in the afternoon. Why?”

Madam Ning wouldn’t lie to her, so Ning Qiuxiu felt reassured and said, “Nothing. You go ahead, Mom.”

After hanging up the video call with her mother, Ning Qiuxiu processed the information she had just received and couldn’t help but facepalm.

Zhan Qingyue had used an excuse to avoid rehab.

This realization both surprised and amused her.

Zhan Qingyue usually gave the impression of being disciplined and rational.

Though occasionally cunning, he was always reliable in important matters.

The word “willful” never seemed to apply to him.

But now, it seemed that even someone as strong as Zhan Qingyue had such a… childish side.

Ning Qiuxiu walked to the study door.

When Zhan Qingyue had meetings, people generally didn’t disturb him.

Ning Qiuxiu knocked on the door, and without waiting for a response, she opened it.

“Miss Ning,” Zhan Qingyue’s face showed obvious displeasure when he saw Ning Qiuxiu enter without permission.

He looked up at her and said with a serious tone, “Entering someone’s space without permission is very rude.”

Ning Qiuxiu felt confident because she had something on him.

She replied, “Although the meeting at Ning He might be confidential, as a member of the Ning family, it’s not unreasonable for me to attend.”

Zhan Qingyue frowned slightly.

Ning Qiuxiu wouldn’t ask to attend the meeting without a reason.

There was only one possibility—she had found out something.

Zhan Qingyue’s face showed no sign of guilt. His mind was racing, and he shrugged, “I’m afraid the meeting has already ended.”

Ning Qiuxiu glanced at her phone. “An important meeting lasting half an hour? Mr. Zhan, your efficiency is indeed impressive. It’s only 2 o’clock now. There’s still time for your rehabilitation. I think no matter what, rehabilitation shouldn’t be delayed. I’ll contact the doctor now. Is that alright, Mr. Zhan?”

“……” Zhan Qingyue was caught off guard and then laughed, realizing he couldn’t hide it.

He admitted, “I’ve been having some issues with my mindset recently. I need to adjust.”

Ning Qiuxiu wasn’t trying to hold Zhan Qingyue accountable.

She walked over, sat down in front of him, and asked with concern, “Aren’t you seeing a psychologist regularly?”

“I have a strong sense of personal space,” Zhan Qingyue confessed. “Psychologists, to some extent, can’t fully understand my psychological issues.”

Ning Qiuxiu had never seen a psychologist and didn’t know how they connected with their patients, but she knew that Zhan Qingyue’s psychologist wasn’t an amateur. If even Dr. Pan couldn’t solve his issues, it was indeed serious.

However, this was something Zhan Qingyue had to address on his own.

Ning Qiuxiu thought for a moment and suddenly said, “I’ve actually been through a similar situation.”

“Really?” Zhan Qingyue looked up, interested.

“My acting skills used to decline. During classes at the company’s performance department, the teacher would criticize me for having no soul and lacking the most essential qualities of an actor. I used to be praised for having a natural talent, but now I was told I was just putting on a show,” Ning Qiuxiu explained.

“So, I decided to prove myself and make the teacher see me differently. Even though I was constantly criticized, and I started to feel discouraged, I kept telling myself that I had reached a peak before and could definitely return to that level if I didn’t give up.”

Ning Qiuxiu looked at Zhan Qingyue with determination. “During that time, I practiced whenever I had a free moment, repeating lines until I nearly choked. Eventually, I regained that feeling, and my acting skills came back.”

“I believe you have stood before, so you shouldn’t be afraid or avoid standing now. You need to believe in yourself,” Ning Qiuxiu said, feeling a bit awkward as she lectured Zhan Qingyue for the first time.

She nervously twisted her fingers and added, “Of course, your situation is more serious, so it’s not exactly the same. Just try to adjust your mindset.”

Her experiences were not enough to be a model for Zhan Qingyue, and in fact, Zhan Qingyue understood the reasoning; he just couldn’t overcome it psychologically.

Zhan Qingyue didn’t respond immediately.

His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and just when Ning Qiuxiu started to feel uncomfortable, he suddenly smiled and said, “You make a good point. I’ve stood up before; I shouldn’t be afraid to face it.”

He swiftly shut his laptop and said to Ning Qiuxiu, “Let’s go. Accompany me.”

The topic changed so quickly that Ning Qiuxiu didn’t react in time. “Huh? Go where?”

“The nursing home, for rehab,” Zhan Qingyue said.

Ning Qiuxiu: “…”

Did he really have to take action so promptly?

Ning Qiuxiu wasn’t sure if Zhan Qingyue was convinced by her reasoning or just embarrassed about being caught, but either way, he no longer made excuses to avoid rehab.

This incident made Ning Qiuxiu see Zhan Qingyue in a new light, feeling like she had peeled back another layer of this enigmatic man.

After resting at home for two days, Ning Qiuxiu had to go record the bamboo rat program.

This time, the production team was combining two episodes into one recording session to meet the broadcast schedule.

Early in the morning, Ning Qiuxiu dragged her suitcase and said goodbye to everyone at the Zhan household.

Just as she was about to leave, Zhan Qingyue called out to her.

“What’s up?” Ning Qiuxiu turned to look at him, wondering if he had any last-minute instructions.

“Do you think it would look good if I wore a green hat?”

“…?” Ning Qiuxiu thought Zhan Qingyue was truly unique, his sense of humor incomprehensible to ordinary people.

To avoid falling into another one of his traps, she shamelessly flattered him, “I think your handsomeness can pull off any color.”

Zhan Qingyue frowned, “But I don’t like that color.”

No normal person would, and wasn’t he hinting at the idea of being cuckolded?

As expected, Zhan Qingyue continued, “So, be careful during the recording. Don’t let any matchmaking rumors give me a green hat.”