Chapter 28: She Won't Sign It

It was as if a long-dormant passion had been reignited—Li Shuangmu returned home without the slightest trace of sleepiness, hurriedly connecting the final scene he’d filmed to his computer, savoring it in detail.

“Heh, it’s been ages since I’ve seen you this excited. What, have you taken a liking to that Chu Luoxi?” Wang Lei, Li Shuangmu’s deputy and assistant, had worked with him for years and could naturally see through his thoughts.

“Heh... This feeling...” Li Shuangmu clicked his tongue twice. “It’s honestly no less shocking than the first time I saw Xiao Jingxuan. Hard to believe she’s only a sophomore.”

“Huh?” Wang Lei was surprised. “You rate her that highly? Didn’t you say Xiao Jingxuan’s talent was a rarity in ten, even a hundred years?”

“The two of them...” Li Shuangmu paused. “They’re different.”

“What’s different?” Wang Lei looked puzzled, aware that Li Shuangmu was now in the throes of discovering new talent.

“I’d like to know myself—what’s different?” Xiao Jingxuan’s voice came from the doorway, a hint of curiosity in his expression. He was followed by Leng Lu, laden with bags and carrying plenty of snacks for everyone.

Poor Leng Lu—destined to become an internationally celebrated diamond agent, and yet here he was, drafted as an assistant by the great Xiao Jingxuan.

After working most of the night, everyone was famished. Li Shuangmu and Wang Lei didn’t stand on ceremony, rummaging through the food and enjoying it with relish.

“The difference I mean is the environment. You, kid, I may not know well, but you can’t deny it—you’ve had the right timing, the right place, and the right people, so your path ahead is smooth and unquestioned. Of course, you’re skilled—most can’t compare.” Li Shuangmu spoke around a mouthful of food, his words slightly muffled. “Your junior, though, is not the same.”

“You say she’s only a sophomore, just beginning to learn acting, yet her skills rival yours—not just rival, she’s stronger than you are now, especially in handling subtle details. Jingxuan, you’ve been in this industry for years. You’re not exactly busy, but you’ve got far more practical experience than your junior!”

At this, Xiao Jingxuan fell silent, his dark eyes deep as a pool, impossible to read.

Leng Lu and Wang Lei, however, were truly astonished. They had thought Li Shuangmu’s praise for Chu Luoxi was already high, but hadn’t expected it to reach such heights.

“Director Li, aren’t you exaggerating?” Leng Lu glanced at Xiao Jingxuan, dismissive. Clearly, neither had yet grasped his true nature, so his words were carefully measured, his expression icy—a walking iceberg.

Li Shuangmu laughed, assuming Leng Lu was defending his artist, Xiao Jingxuan, unaware he was probing for information. “Just watch...”

He rewound the footage. “Wasn’t it said that her MV with Ji Yanqin was her first on-camera experience? Yet she’s remarkably composed in front of the camera—even for a film academy graduate, that’s impressive. Look at this close-up—her eyes are genuinely steady, not feigned.”

“And her first time on wires, her movements weren’t stiff at all, but natural and harmonious. Even suspended in midair, she instinctively knows how to present her best, most beautiful angle for the camera, always ensuring that the shot is perfect and suitable for editing. That’s a skill even veteran actors hesitate to claim.”

“And here.” Li Shuangmu fast-forwarded, then slowed down the scene where Chu Luoxi descended from above, landing on a stone pedestal. “The wire missed its mark, but she instantly compensated, relying on flexibility to land perfectly and preserve the pose. Few possess such adaptability.”

At first, he was captivated by the beauty Chu Luoxi embodied, but the more he watched, the more he realized there were countless facets worth exploring.

Li Shuangmu found himself bewildered; the deeper he looked, the more startled he became. Could an actress who handled so many hidden subtleties truly be a newcomer filming her first drama? Why did he feel that even seasoned veterans lacked such delicate skill?

“Well, Jingxuan, didn’t you notice how refreshing it was to act opposite your junior? Look at these unedited takes—she’s never overshadowed by you!” Li Shuangmu said, smiling, taking a hearty bite of the chicken claw in his hand. Ah, it tasted better than ever.

Taking the remote, Xiao Jingxuan watched the scenes repeatedly, a mischievous smile curving his lips. “Yes, I sensed it during filming—it was great.”

“This young lady is no ordinary talent!” Wang Lei nodded in admiration. “Jingxuan, with such an outstanding junior, you should have introduced her sooner. Perhaps she could be the leading lady in ‘Dragon Roars Across the World.’”

Selecting the female lead had been a painstaking process; most couldn’t withstand Xiao Jingxuan’s presence, even when he toned it down.

In the end, they settled for someone adequate, as expected—a mere decorative character, forcing them to cut down her role to avoid diminishing the drama’s quality.

Xiao Jingxuan smiled, offering no explanation. Earlier? He hadn’t known this junior at all—their acquaintance had sprung from chance...

“Ah, once Yuntianxue’s soul-stirring character comes alive, the female lead will seem even more like a decorative piece,” Li Shuangmu said, melancholy.

With comparison comes hierarchy—how could a vase-like heroine match a dazzlingly brilliant male lead? Tragically, Li Shuangmu could already imagine the viewers’ dissatisfaction with this couple. If both parents were so exceptional, how could the heroine drag them down?

Thus, Li Shuangmu began to consider whether to end the story without a female lead—better that than disappointing the audience! Stroking his chin, he mused that an open ending might be a good choice.

Back in his room, Leng Lu transformed from iceberg to hot spring, suddenly genial. “Never thought your junior would be so remarkable. Man, your eye for talent keeps getting sharper. With Chu’s acting skills now, her future is boundless. As her agent, should I sign her right away? And your Scenery Entertainment company should definitely get her on board—no risk of loss, so act fast.”

“She’s my junior—why do you say it so smoothly?” Xiao Jingxuan glanced at him, a hint of disdain in his eyes.

“Why fuss over that? Your junior is my junior, isn’t she?” Leng Lu was exasperated, never having seen Xiao Jingxuan so hung up on such a trivial issue.

“Hmph, she won’t sign with any company,” Xiao Jingxuan declared, dropping a bombshell that left Leng Lu utterly stunned.

“Why?” Leng Lu blurted out, feeling the topic had taken an odd turn.

“Intuition.” With those two words, Xiao Jingxuan watched as Leng Lu pretended to spit blood and collapse in dramatic despair.