Chapter 193 - 171: "Inheritor" + "Zui Sheng Building

’Too bad the novel from my past life was written from Jiang Sheng and Bai Jian’s perspectives,’ she thought. ’Compared to reality, it’s full of mistakes and omissions, so it’s not that useful. Otherwise, I could have used it as a cheat sheet and just picked the best option.’

"Haha! I didn’t say anything, so why are you talking like that?"

Seeing that she had made her choice, Wei Shuojie didn’t try to persuade her any further.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Forcing the issue wouldn’t do any good.

If she chose something she liked, she would be happy while filming it, which might just produce even better results.

Besides, they had landed two films today. Wei Shuojie was more interested in the historical spy film, the one Ni Bingyan had secured only after passing a series of demanding tests.

"I’ll give you one last chance to change your mind. Once you’ve decided, I’m submitting it on the backend."

"Let’s go with this one!"

Ni Bingyan nodded.

Once she made up her mind, she wasn’t one to be wishy-washy.

Wei Shuojie grunted in acknowledgment, immediately took the mouse, selected the option, and submitted it to upper management.

"So what’s the other script? Seriously, I’ve never been through such a bizarre audition."

With that matter settled, it was time for the main event.

Even though it wasn’t the super-production originally slated to compete for international awards, this script was still one that countless artists at the company were fighting tooth and nail for. It had to be good.

"Here, come take a look!"

Wei Shuojie clicked open the script she had just received and showed it to Ni Bingyan.

"A historical spy film? What kind of genre is that? Pretty rare."

Ni Bingyan turned the laptop toward herself and began to read quietly.

As she read, her eyes couldn’t help but widen. "What is this? Isn’t she a total player? Damn! This is intense!"

’She can play so many men at once... I have to say, you’re amazing, my dear Jiuli!’

"What do you mean, ’player’? That sounds so crass! Do female-led movies have to be all about sappy romance? A woman without love in her heart can be just as charismatic! Political intrigue isn’t just for men."

Wei Shuojie huffed, clearly displeased with her comment.

Ni Bingyan skimmed through the script and finally understood the reason for the bizarre audition.

The protagonist’s costumes needed to be custom-made in advance, and the role required the actress to be proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

She had landed the role in large part because of her high-level dancing skills and her talent for calligraphy and painting.

While she wasn’t a master of music, she could at least pretend to play a simple piece for the camera. After all, the sound could be added in post-production, but painting, writing, and dancing couldn’t be faked later.

This was a strong female-led film.

Women would find it empowering to watch, while men would be captivated by her charm.

The story was set in an era of incessant warfare.

The protagonist’s country was conquered by an enemy nation, and her entire family was annihilated. Only she, escorted by a loyal servant who fought to the death to protect her, managed to escape through a secret passage and vanish without a trace.

Years later, a new establishment appeared in the city: the Zui Sheng Building, home to an unparalleled Oiran.

The Oiran was stunningly beautiful and a master of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was especially skilled at dancing, moving with the seductiveness of a nine-tailed fox. A single glance from her could steal one’s soul; all who saw her were utterly captivated.

Every powerful official at court adored her, and foreign envoys would wait for ages just for a glimpse of her beauty.

On the surface, Jiuli flirted and laughed with all the influential men, but in reality, her heart was as hard as ice. Behind their backs, all she wanted was to kill them.

The Princess of the Defeated Country stirred up a storm in the city, her fair hands slowly manipulating the shifting political landscape.

Eventually, someone noticed the clues and came looking for her. The two of them engaged in a series of confrontations that was absolutely thrilling to witness.

"Born to rule, my father’s weakness was his original sin. But this usurper... he is a brute who has broken every promise he made when he seized the throne! I want him to die, so he *must* die!"

"Could this world possibly get any worse? Haha, I think not. So why not shatter it and piece it back together? Everything will be new!"

"The hatred for my nation’s enemy, for my family’s killer... you want me to give that up? And you think your words alone will be enough?"

"The Emperor’s throne is never permanent, and this year, it’s my turn. Hehe, surprise! Bet you didn’t see that coming, did you?"

...

One hand on the mouse, the other on the keyboard, Ni Bingyan’s eyes were glued to the computer as she read, bit by bit.

As she read, her blood began to pump with excitement, and she started reciting Jiuli’s lines aloud.

Before she knew it, the room had grown dark.

"Hey! I printed it out for you. Take it home and keep reading there!"

Exasperated, Wei Shuojie walked over with a bound copy of the script and patted her firmly on the shoulder.

’Filming for this movie won’t start for at least another six months, so what’s the rush?’ she thought. ’No matter how good a script is, it can’t fill your stomach, can it?’

"It’s dinnertime. Want to grab a bite together?"

Seeing Ni Bingyan’s eyes still glued to the laptop screen, Wei Shuojie had to raise her voice.

"No, no, I’m going home to read the script."

Ni Bingyan finally snapped out of her trance and took the script from her.

"Alright then! I won’t keep you."

As Ni Bingyan rolled up the script and put it in her bag, Wei Shuojie added, "When you get back, focus more on the TV series that’s about to start filming. Especially *Soul Ferryman*. It’s going to air as we shoot, and as the female lead, you’ll be under a lot of pressure. You need to be well-prepared."

"Okay, Sister Wei, I know."

Ni Bingyan naturally understood this and readily agreed.

She was like someone who used to starve but was now enjoying lavish feasts for every meal. Before she could even finish one, the next several were already planned out.

She didn’t want to humblebrag, but she couldn’t help a satisfied sigh. ’Ah, life is going almost *too* smoothly.’

Unfortunately, no matter how successful her career was, when her dad decided to chew her out, she could only hang her head and take it.

"You promised me you’d go on that blind date, and it’s been almost half a year! How can you go back on your word? If you had refused from the start, what could I have done? But by doing this, you’re making me look like I can’t be trusted!"

Ni Guangli’s show, *God of Cooking is Coming*, had become a huge hit. After filming the first season, he was about to start preparing for the second in the latter half of the year. He had just found a moment to spare when he remembered his own daughter, who had eaten her words and broken her promise.

He wondered how much weight she had put on.

With that thought, he called to confront her.

Ni Bingyan knew she was in the wrong on this one, so she couldn’t talk back. Besides, she had been deliberately avoiding Sang Yuan for the past six months, even pretending to be too busy to attend a shareholder meeting he had invited her to.

If she kept dragging this out, it wouldn’t be good for anyone.

"Fine, fine, don’t worry about it anymore. I’ll arrange to meet with him later."

Only then did Ni Guangli let her off the hook.

After hanging up, he couldn’t help but smile. "Hmph! So stubborn. If she really didn’t have any feelings for him, would she have dragged this out for so long?"

When it came to people she didn’t like, she had always been one to cut ties cleanly and quickly.