Three days later, early morning.
Maternal Grandmother let out a startled cry, waking the whole family.
"Oh my, Third Brother, you don't seem as dark anymore!"
Maternal Grandfather, who was watering flowers in the yard, heard the voice, dropped the spray bottle in his hand, and rushed in. He looked at Shen Xubai and pinched his thigh, "Ouch, it hurts! It's not a dream, Third Brother has really gotten fairer!"
The elderly couple excitedly pulled Shen Xubai over to examine him.
When they were young, Third Brother was the best-looking in the family.
His features were sculpted, his skin a cool white, and his face was handsome and noble. Everyone in their circle knew that the Shen family had produced an immortal-like handsome man.
But as he grew older, for some unknown reason, his skin color became darker and darker. Especially in the last few years, he had become so dark that his handsome features were barely visible.
Maternal Grandmother's smile turned into tears.
"When he was little, Xubai loved acting. He would spend all day imitating characters on TV and even took lessons from many teachers! If it weren't for this strange illness, he would definitely be an excellent actor now!"
Shen Xubai's drama, filmed when he was five, became a nationwide hit.
From then on, he became obsessed with acting.
At such a young age, he dominated the wealthy circle by directing and starring in a cosplay of a young emperor, with the young masters and ladies around him all serving as his eunuchs and palace maids.
But within two years, he developed this strange illness that made him progressively darker.
The Shen family sought various avenues, but there was no solution.
Shen Xubai continued to get darker day by day.
Finally, he had to give up his acting career.
He didn't give up on himself; he actively started a company and dedicated himself to nurturing good actors.
But it seemed God didn't favor the Shen family's children. Everything eventually turned to dust. Xubai's company was also on the verge of bankruptcy...
Maternal Grandmother wiped her tears and pulled Shen Ningxi over. "Ningxi, you're back. Maternal Grandmother sees hope. Is our family still salvageable!"
"Yes, yes, it is!"
Shen Ningxi quickly helped her Maternal Grandmother wipe away her tears. "Maternal Grandmother, don't worry, our family will get better and better!"
"Good, good, good. Ningxi is our little lucky star!"
Shen Xubai never expected that there would be a day when this strange illness could be cured. But he didn't have time to be happy; a deep chill rose in his heart. Could it be true, as Ningxi said, that Xinyue was stealing his face...
Before he could ponder further, Shen Ningxi suddenly took out a box of black hair dye and grinned at Third Brother, "Third Brother, come, I'll make you beautifully dark."
Maternal Grandfather:?
Maternal Grandmother:?
Shen Xubai:?
Under the bewildered gazes of the three, Shen Ningxi smeared Shen Xubai again, making him even darker than before.
Shen Ningxi looked at her masterpiece with satisfaction.
She swayed her head and said, "Don't flaunt your wealth, a dark face deters thieves!"
...
With Yan Jingci, that big basin.
The Shen family's renovation progress in the past few days has been like a cheat code.
The workers were all amazed, how could the home environment change so much in just two days.
Sister Yang sat askew on a stone stool, arms crossed, looking indignantly at the construction materials piled in the yard.
These were all top-quality materials.
Every bit of it was money, all Lu Ang's money.
Just then, someone called from outside the gate, "Miss Ningxi, are you home?"
Sister Yang turned her head and was so startled that she jumped up, with such force that she knocked over the stone stool beneath her legs.
"Planner Zhang, what brings you here?"
This was a script planner from Dragon Shadow Group.
Dragon Shadow Group, the company with the roaring golden dragon that appears at the beginning of movies, was a company that every artist in the entertainment circle desperately clung to.
Planner Zhang was a heavyweight figure in this heavyweight company.
He was in charge of evaluating, purchasing, and adapting all scripts for the company. It could be said that he held the first hand to any good script.
Sister Yang, however, wore a fawning smile. "Planner Zhang, are you looking for 'Shen' Ningxi? She's no longer a member of the Lu family. If you have business with Lu Shi Entertainment, you can tell me."
Planner Zhang recognized her as Lu Ang's agent, Yang Qingqing. He smiled politely, "I'm looking for Miss Ningxi."
Hearing this, Sister Yang's heart became restless.
Especially seeing the stack of scripts Planner Zhang was holding, her heart sank to her throat.
Coming to deliver scripts in person?
Impossible, right!
At this moment, Shen Ningxi walked out.
She greeted him sweetly, "Planner Zhang, you're here. Thank you for your trouble."
As soon as Planner Zhang saw Shen Ningxi, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkled into a smile. He walked over quickly, "It's no trouble, it's a small matter."
Once the two started talking,
no one paid attention to Sister Yang anymore.
The two went to the small pavilion in the courtyard to discuss.
"Miss Ningxi, the company has brought you all the scripts that are currently casting."
Planner Zhang pushed the scripts towards Shen Ningxi.
It was rare. Usually, he was the one asking this little immortal for favors.
This was the first opportunity in five years to repay the little immortal. When he received the call this morning, Planner Zhang had excitedly walked ten thousand steps in his office.
Shen Ningxi quickly scanned through them and soon tapped the thinnest one. "This one will be a hit. But—"
As soon as Planner Zhang heard those two words, he quickly took out his notebook. "Miss Ningxi, please speak."
Shen Ningxi chuckled, "But my Third Brother has to act in it. Do you know my Third Brother? He's that dark, unremarkable Shen Xubai."
Pfft—
Planner Zhang almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
Although the male lead in Jiang Xing's production was initially supposed to play a homeless person and make himself look ugly, he was supposed to become handsome later, not stay ugly the whole time!
Planner Zhang hesitated with his words, and after a while, he said, trying not to offend her, "Miss Ningxi, you truly value family affection."
Shen Ningxi raised an eyebrow playfully. "Don't believe me? Actually, my Third Brother is very handsome~~~"
Planner Zhang: "..."
Family affection can truly blind people's eyes...
...
Shen Ningxi kept that script.
Planner Zhang didn't linger. It was still working hours, after all.
He bid farewell and left.
"Planner Zhang, wait!"
Sister Yang chased after him.
Ever since she was startled by Shen Xubai's handsomeness that day, her right eye had been twitching incessantly, making her feel like a flea had lodged in her heart, unable to settle down.
Seeing Shen Ningxi holding the Jiang Xing script just now, her unease reached its peak.
This was a script she had been negotiating for Lu Ang recently.
She couldn't let anyone snatch it away!
Sister Yang approached and asked tentatively with a smile, "Planner Zhang, the male lead for the Jiang Xing drama should be decided by now, right? Our Lu Ang has been waiting for half a month and hasn't dared to take on any new roles."
Planner Zhang replied very officially, "That's the casting director's responsibility. I'm not sure."
Sister Yang cursed the old fox inwardly but maintained a smiling face. "Planner Zhang, why did you have to come in person to deliver a script to Shen Ningxi? Who is this script for?"
"Could it be for Shen Xubai? What can he act with that face. Honestly, being that ugly will damage the entire drama's quality. Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch."
As if to complement her words,
Shen Xubai happened to walk in, his dark face shining brightly, looking even darker than before.
Seeing this, Planner Zhang's heart sank. The little immortal's infallible myth of guaranteed hits would finally be defeated by family affection...
Shen Xubai didn't notice his gaze at all.
His mind was filled with the conversation he had just overheard: Planner Zhang was delivering scripts to Ningxi!
That old fox had broken contracts for several scripts that were supposed to be collaborations with Xingyao back then, and instead chose to cooperate with Lu Shi Entertainment.
Could it be that Ningxi really snatched them?
Shen Xubai's expression slightly tightened.
A moment later, he asked directly, "Planner Zhang, how many scripts did Ningxi snatch from me back then?"
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