Chapter 45 - 1#
Jing Shun hadn’t received a character biography in a long time, and a flicker of excitement surfaced in his eyes.
But he quickly restrained his emotions and opened the electronic document with a serious and cautious attitude.
Before the formal character biography, the document contained a general introduction to the script.
Fu Changting’s new drama was called “Traces,” a crime investigation drama set in a modern urban backdrop.
The male lead he played, Yue Qiao’an, was originally the captain of the Jiangdu City Criminal Investigation Team. Five years ago, he and his partner encountered an accident while on a mission—
One fell into a deep coma, and the other died on the spot.
By the time other officers arrived at the scene, all the traces and evidence pointed to Yue Qiao’an as the murderer.
The investigation into this case dragged on for nearly a full year, shifting from “solid evidence” at the start to “loopholes in the evidence” and then to “evidence deemed invalid.”
Although Yue Qiao’an was cleared of suspicion as the killer, he suffered severe psychological trauma as a result, and the real culprit remained at large, never captured.
Yue Qiao’an still lost his original job, was demoted to a local police station, and was subject to periodic trajectory monitoring by relevant authorities.
It wasn’t until five years later that the new criminal investigation captain, Ling Zhuo, took office.
And the first ultra-vicious case he took over happened to occur in the jurisdiction of the police station where Yue Qiao’an worked.
Thus, the whole story began.
While Jing Shun was reviewing the story synopsis, Fu Changting said to Yu Xiuzhu, “The script for ‘Traces’ was polished over three years. It’s invested by my film and television company and co-produced by Haishi TV.”
Yu Xiuzhu nodded, having heard of it.
The drama officially started filming only last week. Fu Changting played Yue Qiao’an, while the other male lead, Ling Zhuo, was played by Jin Yulin, a popular young actor from the past two years.
In addition, many veteran actors and powerhouse performers were involved.
Whether it was the cast or the production team, everything was top-notch.
When the drama started filming last week, the related trending topics had already surged to the top of Weibo’s hot search.
Yu Xiuzhu recalled the rumored cast and wondered what role Fu Changting intended to leave for Jing Shun. “Is Xiao Jing joining this drama? Is there still a role not yet cast?”
Fu Changting nodded. “Yes, the drama is structured in anthology episodes. There’s a standout role near the end that we’ve never been able to find the right person for.”
Jing Shun listened while swiping his finger down the page.
The moment he saw the first line of the character biography, he caught the keyword. He couldn’t help but look up and meet Fu Changting’s gaze:
“Brother Ting, you want me to play a serial killer?”
Yu Xiuzhu was startled by the role description. “What?”
Fu Changting laughed, not rushing to answer. “You could say he’s a high-intelligence criminal antagonist. Take a look at the biography first and see if you’re interested.”
“…”
Murderer?
It was indeed a role he had never encountered before.
Jing Shun began reading with curiosity.
The character’s name was Yan Zijing, a young and promising painter. At just twenty-five, he had already launched a nationwide touring exhibition of his works and owned his own art studio.
In fact, alongside his paintings, Yan Zijing’s striking good looks had also brought him fame.
He had become an internet sensation early on, amassing nearly a million followers. Every time spots for his public teaching lessons opened up, his admirers and fans would scramble for them.
The opening of this anthology episode involved a male corpse discovered at the lowest reaches of the Ning River on the outskirts of Jiangdu.
Forensic examination confirmed that the victim had not drowned—he had been knocked unconscious, died from excessive blood loss while in a coma, and then dumped into the river.
The victim was identified as a married actor who had once starred in a minor hit drama.
When the news broke online, it caused a nationwide sensation and drew a huge amount of attention.
As the criminal investigation team conducted step-by-step searches, they discovered that such a method of death was not an isolated case!
Given the modus operandi, it was likely a series of linked homicides. The severity of the case escalated immediately!
Jing Shun had only read a bit of the character summary and related plot, and he was already captivated.
Fu Changting glimpsed something from his expression. “Originally, the screenwriter set Yan Zijing’s right hand to be amputated due to a childhood accident and fitted with a prosthetic. He created those paintings with just one hand.”
“Moreover, the basic requirements for this role were that the actor had to be young, good-looking, and exude a sense of fragility—beautiful enough to make women’s hearts soften.”
Fu Changting met Jing Shun’s eyes and threw out another key point. “And of course, delicate acting skills are a must.”
The character’s foundation was tragic, and the delivery of many emotional nuances had to be precise.
As the villain in the final anthology episode, Fu Changting, along with the director and screenwriter, had been very cautious in casting but had never found the right person.
Yu Xiuzhu caught the subtlety. “So the character’s setting has been changed now?”
After all, Jing Shun was still in a wheelchair and couldn’t stand for filming.
“When I met Xiao Jing again on the show, I immediately thought of this character,” Fu Changting said. “But it wasn’t certain then, so I couldn’t bring it up casually.”
“After the show wrapped up, I went to find the director and screenwriter and had a thorough discussion to confirm things.”
Fu Changting looked at the two across from him and stated directly, “If Xiao Jing is willing to take on the role, we can adapt the character to use a wheelchair.”
In fact, they had already started revising details in the script to make the character fit Jing Shun as closely as possible, but they hadn’t mentioned it outright for fear of putting pressure on him.
Yu Xiuzhu raised an eyebrow slightly. The person directly involved, Jing Shun, didn’t rush to respond.
Afraid Jing Shun might misunderstand, Fu Changting added, “Xiao Jing, don’t get me wrong. We all agreed that you fit the character’s vibe perfectly, nothing else.”
“I believe if you were to play it, you could create a truly brilliant role.”
As for the changes to the character’s appearance—
First, they didn’t affect the core development of the character and could save the crew and the actor time and labor costs related to the “right-hand prosthetic.”
Second, if Jing Shun agreed to play the role, it would make it easier for him to portray the character.
It wasn’t a deliberate attempt to use a “wheelchair-bound” role to make some veiled sarcastic jab.
Jing Shun spoke up. “Brother Ting, you don’t need to explain. I understand.”
Fu Changting nodded slightly. “Xiao Jing, I know you still yearn to be in front of the camera. This is somewhat selfish of me.”
He didn’t want to see the person before him fade into obscurity, disappearing from the industry entirely because of his legs.
Fu Changting remembered that when he was a newcomer, Jing Shun had given him the effort and recognition that he needed most at the time. Now, Fu Changting wanted to do something in return with his own ability.
Yu Xiuzhu exchanged a glance with Fu Changting and added, “Xiao Jing, whether you want to take this role is entirely up to you. No pressure.”
Jing Shun finished reading the rest of the character summary. After learning the hidden backstory of Yan Zijing, he was even more tempted, but he didn’t dare agree lightly.
“I have my second surgery scheduled for June 10th. I’ll need a month of quiet recovery afterward, followed by rehabilitation.”
Jing Shun explained his upcoming medical plans, expressing concern. “Hasn’t the crew already started filming? I’m worried about the timing.”
No matter how important acting was, his health came first at this critical moment.
Fu Changting addressed his concerns. “This drama will take about four months to shoot. Yan Zijing only appears in the final anthology episode, so his filming schedule is naturally towards the end.”
After all, the actor hadn’t been cast yet; even if they wanted to shoot, they couldn’t.
Fu Changting knew the plot best. “Yan Zijing has about fifty scenes in total. If you can grasp the character well, finishing them within a week’s concentrated shoot won’t be a problem.”
Yu Xiuzhu knew that the production quality of “Traces” was considered a “good opportunity” in the industry. A villain role that Fu Changting valued was bound to have its highlights.
For any actor, such an opportunity was once in a blue moon.
He tried to give Jing Shun a suggestion from the side. “You’ll need to rest quietly for a month after the surgery. You can use that time to study the script.”
“…”
Jing Shun’s temptation grew stronger.
He looked at the two “older brother” figures beside him. “Can I really do this?”
“Yes, you can.”
“Yes, you can.”
They spoke in unison.
Fu Changting said, “I thought you were the right fit, which is why I brought you in for this. At the very least, I’m the investor and supervisor of this drama. Xiao Jing, don’t be afraid.”
Yu Xiuzhu also chimed in, “Yeah, don’t feel burdened. Even if you sign the contract and something comes up that prevents you from filming, I’ll cover the penalty fees.”
Jing Shun quickly retorted, “That won’t do. The penalty fees for Brother Ting’s big production must be steep; I can tell they’re not cheap.”
“I didn’t know you had a bit of a money-grubbing streak?”
Fu Changting was amused by his expression. He suddenly felt that—
Jing Shun was much more lively than when the show first started filming. The gloom between his brows had completely disappeared.
“Brother Ting, let me be serious.”
Jing Shun adopted a sincere expression and discussed it with him. “I’m truly grateful you’re offering me this role and opportunity. But if possible, you and the production team should have a backup actor in mind.”
Although Professor Song said the surgery had a high success rate, Jing Shun still feared the unknown risk of failure.
What if his recovery wasn’t good, or his performance on set was terrible, holding back the entire crew’s progress?
“Mm, I understand.”
Fu Changting understood his concerns and nodded.
“How about this: next Monday, I’ll have someone go to Bamboo Forest Agency to discuss the filming contract properly? Once the agreement is officially signed, I’ll send you the complete revised script for Yan Zijing.”
Jing Shun was eager. “Okay.”
Just then, a knock came from the restroom door.
It wasn’t Yu Yinhe this time, but another staff member. “Directors, the celebration banquet is about to begin. The other guest teachers are already seated in the main hall.”
Fu Changting stood up and responded, “Alright, we’ll be right there.”
“Mm.”
The celebration banquet was lively.
The first three tables were reserved for the main creative team, celebrity guests, and non-celebrity guests.
Jing Shun exchanged quick greetings with a bunch of familiar faces.
After sitting down, he couldn’t resist his curiosity and whispered to Yu Xiuzhu beside him, “Brother Yu, why didn’t Meng Zhide show up?”
Even if the other party hadn’t done much real work, he was still one of the listed producers. Would he skip such an occasion?
Yu Xiuzhu took a sip of wine and whispered back, “It happened while you were in Aoshi. Somehow, he offended the higher-ups at Haishi and has already resigned from there.”
“Huh? Fired?”
Yu Yinhe happened to pass by with a toast and overheard their murmuring. He interjected, “Meng Zhide got some damn luck and jumped to Phoenix TV. Now he’s become the overall head of their variety department.”
“…”
Jing Shun and Yu Xiuzhu, who knew the inside story, were both speechless.
Someone who did nothing substantial could become the department head? Were the higher-ups at Phoenix TV blind?
Yu Yinhe, who never got along well with Meng Zhide, raised his glass to change the subject. “Let’s not talk about such jinxes on a good day. Cheers?”