Contract Marriage: Let's Make It Real, Mrs. Sterling!-Chapter 338 - 337: Script

"The day before yesterday, I almost got mistaken for a con man," Ian Lee said with a chuckle.

Mia Sutton: "..."

Celine Thorne said, "Our artist couldn’t believe it was actually you calling. Even when I was told, I almost didn’t believe it."

Ian Lee said this originally to lighten the atmosphere, and upon hearing this, he continued.

"That’s my fault. We’ve been looking for a suitable female lead for a long time, so when we got Mia Sutton’s number, we called right away. I hope it didn’t cause you any inconvenience."

Celine: "Not at all. You’re too kind, Director Lawson. We’re actually quite happy to have this role."

Director Lawson had already decided to let Mia Sutton play the role upon meeting her, so without any reservation, he handed her the script.

"Mia Sutton, right? Please take a look at the script first; we can discuss the rest after you’ve read it."

Mia reached out for the script Ian handed over, said thank you, and quietly began reading.

The script tells the story of a young lady from a wealthy family during the Republican era in China, who lost everything due to the war.

She ended up in a theater troupe and, through her own efforts, gradually rose to prominence.

She was naturally beautiful, well-educated, giving her a distinct aura. Despite her circumstances, her only belief was survival, with no room for romance.

She climbed without regard for anything, eventually becoming the star of the troupe.

But the good times didn’t last; the Japanese invaded, the troupe disbanded, and she was again adrift, later mistakenly sold into that place.

Initially, she was there to entertain clients, but because of her talent, the person in charge allowed her to only perform.

From then on, she became a fixture in the establishment, performing night after night. Since her arrival, the audience never had an empty seat.

The establishment prospered more and more, and she found herself amidst various people, gradually forgetting her former self, singing her songs day after day, doing her tasks, and... surviving.

But in times of war, there is no solace. No place is absolutely safe; the neighboring province was already amidst the flames of war, and many warlord troops were stationed here.

War seemed imminent.

She had become accustomed to such days, wearing her qipao, sitting by the window upstairs, looking at the distant sky, with indifferent brows, wondering how long these days would last.

Later, she heard the head of the warlord troops was coming; it was mere hearsay, until she found out he actually came to their place, specifically asking to hear her sing.

...

Mia Sutton turned page after page; initially, she was aware of her surroundings, but gradually became engrossed, completely drawn into the story.

The rest of the story speaks of how the man began coming every day to listen to her perform, having heard of her reputation somewhere, specifically requesting her.

Soon enough... their interactions extended beyond just the stage and the audience, becoming somewhat more.

Both gradually developed an affection for each other, but it wasn’t complete; having gone through so much, neither could entirely let their guard down to wholly fall for another.

Thus, it was unrealistic.

Their feelings were more akin to ambiguity, though they shared many intimate moments, there was always an underlying caution.

They got along well; the man would take her horseback riding, show her beautiful sights, and hold her hand as they wrote poems.

As time passed, the woman showcased more of her talents, calligraphy she wrote using the Tonghua style, very elegant, and her painting was superb.

She painted him a picture, which he hung in his bedroom.

As it progressed to the end, though occupying only a third of the script, it was the most thrilling part.

After much buildup, the place succumbed to war, with both sides in a tussle over control of the city.

More people appeared in the establishment; the woman knew well she couldn’t escape her fate, seemingly thriving amidst various people, but only she knew her real struggles.

With her beauty and intelligence, and working with the man from within, she managed to save the city but... the establishment was gone.

The man... was gone too.

She sacrificed so much to survive, and ultimately, for others... she died.

No one ever knew why she died, or why indeed, even after the establishment was rebuilt, the man never returned again.

All that remained was a painting in his room, depicting a woman on stage, in opera attire, singing.

...

Mia Sutton finished reading the entire script, feeling heavy-hearted, unable to shake it off for a while.

She closed the script, lightly blinked her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Having taken quite a while to read, Ian Lee and Celine Thorne had already gone to discuss the next steps on another side.

Mia glanced at the script on the table, originally prepared for what was to follow but now hesitant.

She wasn’t sure if she could perform this role well.

The entire script is heavy in tone, revolving around this one woman, using her as the timeline to envelop the whole war.

She is an enigmatic woman, seemingly fragile, yet resiliently alive, dying in a burst of fervor.

Mia truly doubted if she could do justice to the role, hence her hesitation.

...

Elsewhere, Jensen Sterling arrived.

Cameron Grant was with him; upon arriving, they only saw Ian Lee in the living room, as Ian and Celine had finished their discussion and Celine had stepped out.

She had said she would take a tour around.

Ian spotted Jensen, smiled, and said, "You’re here. I knew you’d come. Have you thought about it?"

Jensen sat on the sofa nearby, hands crossed, and said calmly, "Director Lawson, I’ve already mentioned that I can’t do roles with too much emotion."

Ian quickly, and earnestly, replied, "Who says that? You’re starring as a warlord, most of the scenes are related to the war, there isn’t that much romantic drama."

Jensen slowly lifted his gaze, looked at him lightly, and said, "I’ve read the script."

Implying he knew what was on the pages.

Ian: "..."

Jensen had to admit, the script was excellent, both in theme and purpose, and was bound to deliver impressive results.

However, the interaction between the male and female leads was too intense, involving various types of scenes.

Ian persuaded him for quite a while, from the perspective of the script, and various other aspects, talking until his lips were nearly chapped.

He had never been so persistent in convincing someone before.

At the brink of exasperation, he picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and said, "The female lead is here too, she’s in the backyard reading the script, go see her and then decide."

"Moreover, you’ve worked with the female lead before."

Jensen said calmly, "I’ve worked with many actresses."

Just as he was about to refuse, he saw someone coming in from outside.

Cameron was also startled, and exclaimed in surprise, "Celine?"