The latest update of “Eternal Night Rose” immediately caused a large number of interstellar readers to rush into the new chapter, jumping into the pit without hesitation and right on time.
Usually, Kane would have been one of them.
Even though he had many complaints about “Eternal Night Rose” due to the update issues of the two books, he would still read on time whenever updates were made.
So when Audrey noticed that her older brother had been absent-minded ever since returning from the company, she couldn’t help but grow curious.
“Brother, why are you just sitting there?”
With Audrey’s question, Kane’s odd behavior soon made Freya and her husband realize that something was off with their son.
“Is it because you’re too tired from work? I see that the company has been doing well recently.”
Kane’s father put down his newspaper and glanced at Kane.
Although he never fully understood why Kane went into the entertainment industry at first, Kane had achieved great success in his career, as a father, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride for his son.
“Ah, no, I’m just thinking about some things. I might need to go to the company later.”
When Kane finally realized that the whole family was looking at him, he suddenly came back to his senses, quickly ate a few bites of food, then, like a zombie, went upstairs to change clothes.
Freya and her husband:?
“What exactly is Kane up to lately?”
Lady Freya couldn’t help but worry.
Just a few days ago, Kane had seemed full of energy, but today, he suddenly looked like his soul had been lost.
“I’ll go check!”
Audrey naturally volunteered to find out what was going on.
The key issue was…
“Brother! How come you didn’t get any autographs!?!”
Audrey excitedly opened the physical book of “Contract Marriage” Kane had brought back, only to suddenly despair when she realized it was completely blank!
It didn’t have the author’s signature!
The key point was that Kane had never broken his promise to her before.
What was going on?
“Uh, I did forget.”
After hearing Audrey’s desperate cries, Kane finally remembered that he had asked his secretary to bring it over.
As a result, he had completely forgotten about it…
Now, his mind was completely preoccupied with the image of him locking eyes with Yu Mian and was unable to think about anything else.
“Brother, what’s going on with you!? Didn’t you meet Fish Soup Noodles today?? Was the figure in the online photo really him?”
“How old is he? Is he good-looking? What’s his personality like? Is he interesting?”
Audrey had been dying to meet Fish Soup Noodles in person, and her curiosity was boundless.
But since she had class today and Kane clearly stated that it needed to be kept secret, Audrey had to reluctantly give up. However, she figured she could still ask about it!
What Audrey didn’t realize was that her barrage of questions was only pulling Kane, who had finally hypnotized himself into forgetting everything, back into that memory.
‘Help, what have I done!?’
Especially as he rubbed the star card he had been holding since he got it, Kane suddenly realized that he had mistakenly thought he was living out the plot in “Contract Marriage”, and had even said the lines in front of Yu Mian.
‘Oh my god, this is just beyond embarrassing.’
‘How can I forget all of this!!’
“Brother? Are you stupid?”
Audrey watched helplessly as her older brother’s head gradually heated up and began to emit steam, and finally, he just buried his face in the pillows, his dazzling blonde hair a mess in the wind.
“I’m not stupid…”
“Very good-looking.”
After several minutes, Kane finally responded in a muffled voice.
Audrey:?
“Wow—brother, are you saying Fish Soup Noodles is really good-looking?!”
When Audrey heard Kane finally answer her question, she excitedly ran to the other side of the bed, trying to pull the golden potato out from the pillows.
“Why can’t you just explain it in detail, Brother! My classmates and I are so curious! You didn’t take me to the scene, you won’t show me pictures, and now you’re being so stingy about details! You’re so cruel!”
The key point was that, as his younger sister, Audrey knew very well that Kane had always been a severe “face-con” since he was a child.
How good-looking must Fish Soup Noodles be if her brother says he looks good!
“…Uh, it’s just that… it’s hard to describe, but good-looking.”
Suddenly having his pillow snatched away, Kane could only respond gloomily and absentmindedly.
It was like an old clockwork music box that only made one sound after being spun dozens of times.
To be honest, he had known from the photos that Yu Mian was very good-looking.
But how should he put it? The reason he didn’t recognize him when they first met in person was because the real-life impact was far beyond what the photos could convey.
“You’re so perfunctory, Brother.”
Audrey was clearly extremely dissatisfied with Kane’s answer.
“And what’s this… a star card! Brother, why are you holding onto this?”
When Kane sat up, Audrey’s sharp eyes immediately noticed what was in his hands.
It didn’t even seem to be his own card.
“Don’t touch this—!”
Just Audrey tried to grab it to take a look, Kane immediately stood up and lifted the star card high.
“Huh? Did Fish Soup Noodles give this to you? Why are you so nervous about it?! What’s going on with him giving you a star card? Brother!”
Audrey immediately guessed the truth, directly poking Kane’s sore spots.
“Uh, I have to head to the company to take care of some things. The driver is already waiting downstairs.”
Kane quickly changed the topic and stood up, adjusting his clothes as he clenched the star card in his hand, ready to escape.
“Brother—stop right there!”
Despite Audrey’s obstruction from behind, Kane ran downstairs at lightning speed.
Watching the two siblings chase after each other, the couple couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
“Mom, Dad! I think something’s wrong with Kane! He is hiding something from me!”
Unable to catch up with him, Audrey immediately went to report.
He didn’t get her an autograph, couldn’t even answer her questions properly, and now he was acting like this—this was too much!
——
It wasn’t until he arrived at the company office that Kane finally took a serious look at the star card in his hand.
There was no way he’d use the money in it.
In fact, he even wanted Yu Mian not to have to repay this money…
Although “Contract Marriage” and “Eternal Night Rose” were indeed very popular, “Contract Marriage” wasn’t that long, and most of the income came from the copyright fee, while “Eternal Night Rose” had only recently started and it’s updated weekly.
But the penalty for breaching the contract stipulated in the contract was quite high.
This young author actually paid him back not long after he made some money.
How would he live if he gave all his hard-earned money to him?!
But Kane just couldn’t bring himself to say “don’t worry about paying it back”…
Because somehow, that was eerily similar to the plot of “Contract Marriage”!
This world was really crazy.
Kane covered his head and ran his hand through his blonde hair, feeling like he was in a dream.
No wonder he couldn’t find the person when he was searching everywhere.
And why had he acted so foolishly and thought that this million was part of the plot? Would Yu Mian think he was really stupid!?
However, just as Kane was caught in this mental turmoil, there was a knock on the office door.
The secretary had come to inform Kane that the people responsible for investigating the so-called “internally decided” role had arrived in the conference room.
This time, not only were the core figures such as the director and producer present at the emergency meeting inside Xingqiong, but the guilty and flustered middle-aged man who followed at the end was none other than the agent that Yu Mian met at the restroom.
The man couldn’t figure out how he had been discovered!
It wasn’t until Kane finished reviewing all the materials in his hands and asked the relevant parties for more details that he finally understood the situation clearly, and his expression became serious.
In fact, the character “Gu Bai” had indeed attracted a lot of attention due to the high popularity of “Contract Marriage”. It could be said that any young actor in their twenties would want the chance to play this role.
After all the auditions were done, the decision-makers finally hesitated between two actors.
One was Liao, and the other was the currently popular actor Dreyl.
The director and producers were more inclined toward the latter, though the author, Yu Mian, preferred Liao.
“This actor Dreyl is indeed very good-looking and very popular, and I really admire how young he is and has achieved such success. But I think the character of Gu Bai isn’t suited to such a showy, flamboyant type…”
When Yu Mian had discussed the recommended candidates and his reasons with Kane, he had also paid attention to this actor Dreyl.
During the audition process, Yu Mian realized that compared to playing Gu Bai, this actor seemed to be performing himself.
And to be honest, “Contract Marriage”, a light-hearted romantic comedy with a bit of “chasing wife to the crematorium” and a touch of “heartthrob” elements, Liao, although not as strikingly good looking as Dreyl, who was the type to leave a lasting first impression, actually fit many of the descriptions of Gu Bai in the book.
He seemed ordinary at first, but the more you looked at him, the more attractive he became. The character arc from a young, immature and introverted figure to one showing sharp edges and so dazzling could be better portrayed with someone like Liao.
The only awkward point was that Dreyl was indeed an actor under Xingqiong.
In a way, it seemed more suitable for their own actor to play a role that would definitely explode in popularity, which made Yu Mian hesitate to speak openly about it in front of Kane.
After all, his relationship with Kane wasn’t ordinary.
Especially considering the huge penalty he owed already, if Kane hadn’t been so generous and not pursued it, things could have easily been at a deadlock from the start.
“But this news… you were the one who spread it?”
When Kane furrowed his brow and looked at Dreyl, who was already fidgeting nervously, the young actor’s face immediately turned pale.
“Well… actually, that’s not quite how it is. We were just talking privately…I didn’t expect it to spread, and form this misunderstanding. I’m really sorry!”
In fact, Dreyl didn’t know as much about “Contract Marriage” as other candidates. He had only stayed up late to finish reading it after learning that Xingqiong secured the film and TV rights.
But Dreyl quickly realized that the character of Gu Bai in the novel matched his age group and career path well, and the original work was immensely popular. It was obvious that if it were adapted into a film, it would definitely be a hit.
He was also one of the top stars under Xingqiong. Having met the president Kane several times and even receiving Kane’s personal acknowledgment of his achievements, not only did Dreyl feel that he had a high chance of landing the role after the audition, many of his colleagues around him thought the same.
They all believed the audition was merely a formality, and with Dreyl’s advantages, it would be nearly impossible for anyone else to take the opportunity.
However, when these private messages leaked and screenshots spread, the nature of the situation instantly changed.
After all, many artists from smaller companies or even complete amateurs would believe these kinds of rumors about”internally decided” roles to be true. As a result, this kind of rumor quickly spread among the candidates.
Kane could only give Dreyl a deep look. The complexity in his eyes instantly made the young actor regret and feel guilty, unsure how to make up for it.
“Dreyl, this is really unfortunate. You should just keep working hard in the future.”
The producer looked at the resumes in his hand and shook his head with regret.
To be honest, the reason he had felt regret for Liao back then was because Liao had a certain charm, but when it came to absolute skills, Dreyl was definitely more solid.
It turned out, however, that the issue was outside the audition room. Looking at it now, it seemed that Dreyl’s character still needed some work.
Yu Mian, who learned the details of the incident from Kane, had mixed feelings about it.
[Fish: Well, I can kind of understand why a young person would have that kind of mindset…]
It was understandable that the actor, being one of the best among the newcomers, would think he had a great chance after his company secured the rights for the casting.
It was like being specially recruited by a top university, with both parents being professors at the same school—naturally, one would think it was almost certain to succeed.
But it could only be said that he was still too young. Once such private group messages leaked, and the rumor caught public attention, it would definitely cause a huge scandal. Fortunately, Yu Mian had discovered the issue beforehand.
Otherwise, the fairness of Xingqiong’s casting process would have been questioned.
He hoped that the actor could learn a lesson from this incident.
[EN: Yeah, it seems like the actor for Gu Bai is probably Liao now.]
However, Kane’s urgency in investigating this matter was also related to Yu Mian, the author, personally reporting the “internally decided” role situation.
It was one thing to be foolish when they met earlier, but if he also investigated things so slowly, how would he face Yu Mian if the other party thought he was really stupid?!
In fact, just opening the chat with Yu Mian made Kane feel an indescribable sense of inner turmoil and unease.
Although Yu Mian, the one who triggered Kane’s anxiety, was completely unaware of it.
[Fish: Thank you so much! With your busy work schedule, you still managed to investigate everything so quickly! You’re amazing! [Fish pats back.gif]]
As expected of the CEO, his work ability was incredible.
Seeing that the matter had been cleared up, Yu Mian sighed in relief and, after saying goodbye to Kane, went back to continue writing.
Kane, however, was left staring at the “Fish pats back” GIF on his lightbrain, silently watching it for a long time.
Who knew what he was thinking.
The secretary, who had been witnessing her boss’s unusual behavior for some time, was no longer surprised.
Fortunately, his work had not been affected, and he was still as efficient as ever.
“By the way, the update!”
It wasn’t until several minutes later that Kane remembered he had been so busy that he hadn’t had time to check the update for “Eternal Night Rose”.
As soon as he opened the book page and before clicking on the main text, he found that the comment section had already exploded.
‘Oh my god, what did the author write today?’
In fact, ever since that unexpected underwater kiss, the relationship between Su Yan and Dreven had undergone a significant change.
[[When Xiao finally killed the beast and jumped into the water to search for Su Yan, he heard shouting from the shore.
“Captain—We’ve found the prophet, Coal Ball rescued him, and he’s fine!”
The team members waved at Xiao, and seeing Su Yan wrapped in a towel, drenched, Xiao finally sighed in relief.
“Are you hurt?! Why is there blood at the corner of your mouth…”
“No, no! I just bumped into something underwater.”
Just the habit of Xiao squatting in front of him to check his injury made Su Yan immediately cover the corner of his mouth, almost unable to make eye contact with Xiao.
“Captain, it was Coal Ball who saved him this time. I didn’t know he was such a good swimmer.”
The surrounding team members felt lucky to be alive and began to chat excitedly, which made Xiao take a serious look at Dreven for the first time.
This guy actually saved Su Yan.
What was more critical was that the water was filled with a strong smell of blood, but this guy showed no sign of abnormality or madness.
Could it be that he had been wrong all along? This person wasn’t a vampire?]]
“Eh, this guy Dreven actually managed to pass through this without raising any suspicion!?”
And why did Dreven show no reaction to the smell of blood…
Wasn’t it true that members of the Bart clan had a very strong reaction to fresh blood?
In fact, by the time readers reached this part, not just was Kane shocked, many interstellar readers couldn’t help but wonder if the author had made a mistake.
But as the story progressed, more mysterious layers began to unfold.
[[After a hunting trip, the team members not only successfully obtained the vital materials for the hemostatic medicine, Light Star Grass, but also dragged the entire giant beast back to their territory.
The materials and beast meat from the giant beast provided the entire human settlement with a sumptuous feast.
According to the rules, Dreven also participated and played a key role in saving Su Yan, so he was supposed to receive a share of the supplies.
However, under everyone’s watchful eyes, when Dreven was called to select his share, he merely stood behind Su Yan, seemingly uninterested in any of it.
“Don’t you want any? These are all good things, there are medicines, and food.”
Su Yan thought Dreven didn’t understand and explained, but Dreven shook his head and simply stared at Su Yan, his gaze subtly shifting toward the corner of Su Yan’s mouth.
It had already healed, leaving only a faint red mark.
Realizing where Dreven’s gaze was directed, Su Yan’s ears instantly turned red, and he turned his head to look at the others in the settlement.
“Coal Ball might not need these, everyone, please continue distributing.”
Perhaps Coal Ball still thought of himself as a pet?
After Dreven voluntarily gave up his share of the supplies, the humans in the settlement felt an overwhelming surge of affection for him.
They thought that the perfect labor force brought back by the prophet was truly without flaws.
However, when night fell, Xiao, who was waiting in the corner with his hands crossed, looked coldly at Dreven who was passing by.
When Dreven noticed Xiao, he subtly glanced at him.
Under the moonlight, the underlying bloodlust in his dark eyes seemed to gradually surface.
“Although I don’t know your true purpose for getting close to Su Yan or your real identity, as long as you dare to harm him, I won’t let you go.”
In the solitude of the two, Xiao’s dangerously sharp warning made Dreven slightly tilt his head, seemingly about to respond.
“Coal Ball? Are you here—”
But the moment Su Yan’s voice came, Dreven instantly retracted all his unusual behavior, almost ignoring Xiao completely as he walked towards Su Yan.
“Hateful!”
Holding the hilt of his knife, Xiao was almost certain that this guy definitely had big issues.
But he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong with him.
At least the one thing that reassured Xiao was that the other party didn’t seem to have any ill intentions toward Su Yan.]]
Regarding the scene under the moonlight where Xiao and Dreven, two important characters, faced off, countless interstellar readers found it thrilling to watch.
After all, during the days when “Eternal Night Rose” wasn’t updating, the popularity polls for Xiao and Dreven alone had sparked countless debates in the reader groups.
