Second Take On Romance - The A-List Actor Wants Me-Chapter 32 : The Thousand-Legged Centipede Spirit (1)

Shen Jingwei was someone who had little tolerance for apologies*. Actions, he believed, carried far more weight than empty words. Rather than burying mistakes under a veneer of remorse, he preferred tangible reparations.

Yan Renzhong, on the other hand, was someone who hated apologizing. He never actively sought to harm anyone. If he happened to hurt someone unintentionally, he would do everything in his might to rectify the situation through concrete actions.

At their core, these complementary philosophies served as the initial catalyst for their bond.

What happened three years ago that made Yan Renzhong change so much...?

Shen Jingwei opened his eyes to the sound of chirping birds outside, followed by Zhu Dongyi’s not-so-gentle wake-up calls.

"LITTLE SHEN! WAKE UP! IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER SHOOTING!"

Shen Jingwei half-opened his eyes, his pupils barely showing signs of life.

Zhu Dongyi began to shake him like mad.

"QUICK! IT IS ALREADY 6.05!"

"..."

All other managers should thank Zhu Dongyi for his rambunctious spirit so early in the morning. It saved them all the effort to wake their own protégés.

Shen Jingwei pushed himself to a sitting position with a groan, followed by a big yawn.

"Right, Little Shen, I forgot to give you something."

Shen Jingwei blinked at his manager.

Zhu Dongyi rummaged inside his suitcase and pulled out a wrapped package.

"When I collected your suitcase, I found this package in your mailbox."

"..."

Shen Jingwei took it and read the sender’s name and address.

Oh, God.

It’s the inauspicious set of couple mugs.

"I need you to buy me something else," he said.

"Oh, what is it?"

"Ceramic paint," Shen Jingwei stuffed the wrapped package into his suitcase. "Red, yellow, green, and blue. Not much, just one box would do."

"Alright." Zhu Dongyi flashed him an OK sign. "It will be waiting for you at the tent at the end of the day."

"Thanks, Old Zhu."

It might not be much, but it was his way to redeem himself. freёwebnoѵel.com

The first step toward paving the path of forgiveness.

It had been three years.

Was there any value in rehashing old resentments with Yan Renzhong?

None.

Was there any value in establishing a perfunctory rapport with Yan Renzhong?

Yes.

Yan Renzhong reigned supreme as the industry’s undisputed A-List actor, a status unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. His immense popularity, cultivated through a dedicated fanbase, made him a box-office guarantee.

The mere inclusion of his name in a film’s cast could ignite fervent anticipation among audiences.

Consequently, alienating Yan Renzhong was a career-limiting move. Any director would prioritize him over other actors, regardless of the circumstances.

So, Shen Jingwei was doing this for himself.

Besides, despite his condescending and arrogant demeanor from time to time, Yan Renzhong had been surprisingly cordial towards him.

Shen Jingwei appreciated it.

For the purpose of filming for the Thousand-Legged Centipede Spirit arc, the production team constructed an elaborate artificial cave set.

Anticipating the dynamic and perilous nature of the scenes, which involved controlled cave collapses, they strategically integrated various mechanisms into the set. This innovative approach ensured that the desired dramatic effects could be achieved without compromising the safety of the cast, crew, or expensive equipment.

The opening scene centered on Yan Renzhong and Feng Jietang, whose characters were portrayed as bitter rivals forced into an uneasy alliance to accomplish their shared objective.

Shen Jingwei and the actor who played Zhou Guiying waited at another entrance of the cave, waiting to break through the wall and meet with Yan Renzhong and Feng Jietang.

Feng Jietang and the other actor would take their leave soon afterward, leaving Shen Jingwei and Yan Renzhong to continue shooting further scenes.

Shen Jingwei was nervous.

Not because of the scenes.

Because this was the first act where Xie Jianyu and Zhang Fengxi were locked together for a long, long time.

Up until now, their interaction had been limited to minutes, if not seconds.

Taking into consideration their last, disastrous exchange, Shen Jingwei did not have the confidence to talk to Yan Renzhong. Not even while shooting the scenes.

"Xie Jianyu and Zhou Guiying, get ready," a production crew announced.

A second take would be bothersome because they had to repair the broken wall.

"Action!!!"

Shen Jingwei and Zhou Guiying destroyed the wall separating the two entrances, and found Yan Renzhong and Feng Jietang on the other side.

They were, unexpectedly, wrestling against each other. Their weapons were nowhere to be seen.

"Little Uncle!!!"

Feng Jietang was genuinely happy to see Shen Jingwei. He quickly grabbed Shen Jingwei’s wrist and dragged him toward the entrance.

"The cave is crumbling! Let’s go, out of here!!!"

Following Feng Jietang’s lead, Shen Jingwei turned his head to look at Yan Renzhong, who did not follow behind them.

He gave the other three a wistful smile before heading in the opposite direction and finding the spirit they were supposed to slay.

---------

Author’s note :

*Of course this author refers to big mistakes, hm? Something like burning down a house or destroying one’s career.

It doesn’t quite apply for minor mistakes such as stepping on one’s foot or saying "I hate you" to the author ₍⁠₍⁠◞⁠(⁠ ⁠•⁠௰⁠•⁠ ⁠)⁠◟⁠₎⁠₎

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on f(r)e𝒆webn(o)vel.com