When Rong Dai arrived at the meeting place, it was Huo Shao Ting again who carried her down. He didn't even bring the cane, and of course he wouldn't agree to let her try walking either. Although the rehabilitation had been very effective, she still had to follow a plan for how many steps to walk each day.
If she overexerted herself, it would still affect her legs and feet. Compared to losing face, she really didn't want to become lame in the future. She simply gave up struggling and let Huo Shao Ting carry her into the private room for the meeting.
When they arrived in the private room, fortunately the person they were meeting had not yet arrived, otherwise Rong Dai felt she really would have wanted to find a hole in the floor to crawl into.
"I'm late, I'm late. Traffic in Shenjing is getting worse and worse. Next time I need to buy a bicycle."
The married couple had just sat down and drank two sips of tea when the door to the private room opened, and a white-haired old gentleman in his sixties energetically walked in.
As soon as he entered, his gaze sharply fell on Rong Dai. Rong Dai's heart tightened, and she quickly sat up properly with a dignified yet indifferent expression on her face.
No matter who she met, she could not reveal her own weakness. This of course did not include Huo Shao Ting.
"Little Huo, I wondered what kind of person could catch your eye. You have good taste."
The old gentleman only looked at her for a few seconds before shifting his gaze, giving Huo Shao Ting a big thumbs up.
A smile appeared on Huo Shao Ting's face as he looked at Rong Dai gently and proudly responded, "Uncle Jiang, you flatter me. My wife is outstanding."
Sitting on the side, Rong Dai struggled to keep a smile on her stiff face. She had to secretly kick him under the table, signaling with her eyes for him to introduce the other person to her.
Huo Shao Ting looked at her with laughter in his eyes, "This is veteran actor Jiang Ling. I call him Uncle Jiang. You can just call him the same. He's an old rascal who likes joking around. You'll need to learn to distinguish what he says."
"You little rascal, coming here just to undermine me, huh?" Jiang Ling pretended to glare angrily at Huo Shao Ting before shifting his gaze back to Rong Dai.
Rong Dai didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of introduction was this?
However, judging by their manner of speaking, it was clear these two had a deep relationship. Otherwise, they wouldn't speak to each other this way. Her heart eased a bit.
"Rong Dai...very nice name. Which Rong character is it?" Jiang Ling looked at her admiringly and asked.
"The indigo that spreads a thousand miles, peaks emerging through the clouds," Rong Dai blurted out almost immediately.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she was startled. In her previous life, she had also asked her parents about the origin of her name. Her mother had given her this answer.
It wasn't until many years later that she finally understood why her mother had told her those words. By then, she was already far removed from what her parents had spoken of.
She had entered the imperial palace, and that kind of carefree life could only be a fantasy.
Huo Shao Ting raised his brows. This was the first time he had heard her mention that her name contained such literary allusions.
"Wang Wei's poetry. Few young people today take the time to study it seriously. I saw your audition tape. It was quite good, but there is still so much more you need to learn in order to perform a role well. If it wasn't for this rascal asking, I wouldn't have wanted to exhaust myself at my old age."
Jiang Ling nodded. He didn't watch the news. After retiring, he just fished, gardened, and cultivated his moral character. If Huo Shao Ting hadn't pulled him out, he wouldn't have wanted to get involved in the mundane world again.
Rong Dai immediately understood and looked at Huo Shao Ting in surprise and astonishment. She didn't expect he would go to this much trouble for her.
She had never voiced any of this to him, yet he had paid close attention and arranged everything well for her.
When she accepted this role, it was purely because her wallet was empty, and it happened to align with her experiences in her previous life, so she had dared to boldly take it on.
But she had no professional acting training. This was a work that would ultimately be presented before the public eye and could not have any carelessness.
Although she could grasp the psychology of the female protagonist, there were still some things she very much needed guidance on.
"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Jiang. Rong Dai will definitely study diligently," she quickly bowed her head respectfully.
Seeing her attitude, Jiang Ling seemed fairly satisfied and nodded, "It's good that you're willing to learn diligently. But I have to be blunt. If you can't learn it well, be prepared to endure hardship. I advise you to quit as soon as possible. I won't go easy on you just because of this rascal."
Rong Dai was very clear she desperately needed this guidance. Were the hardships she had endured in her previous life still too few? These difficulties would be nothing to her.
"Don't worry, Uncle Jiang. I will apply myself diligently," she said with determination.
Even if she encountered difficulties, she was unwilling to disappoint him after he had gone to so much trouble.
Jiang Ling nodded, then drank the tea in his cup and got up, looking at the two of them with his hands clasped behind his back like an old supervisor doing an inspection.
"Then it's decided. Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you. I just have two requirements—be on time and study diligently."
Rong Dai nodded. Jiang Ling's gaze shifted to Huo Shao Ting, "Now you rascal must be satisfied, right? The house had better be prepared nicely for me. I want peace and quiet. Noisy disruptions affect my mood."
The corners of Huo Shao Ting's mouth curled up into a smile. "Will a jade mansion and golden pavilion suffice? I've arranged cars, housekeepers, everything for you. Here are the keys."
He slid the keys across the table to Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling humphed with laughter, "Now that's more like it. At least you still have some conscience, you rascal. This old bag of bones won't disturb your newlywed bliss. I'm going to visit some old friends."
Humming a tune, he left the private room. The meeting before and after had lasted no more than ten minutes.
Rong Dai: "..."
Did dealing with matters in the modern world always happen this swiftly?
"He's always been like this. This is your first role. I believe in your abilities. But if you're unhappy learning from Old Man Jiang, or if he makes you uncomfortable, tell me anytime. We can switch teachers immediately."
After the other person left, Huo Shao Ting looked intently at Rong Dai and spoke earnestly.
Rong Dai's heart thumped wildly. She was very afraid of this kind of eye contact with him.
"I'll study diligently. I can still endure some hardship," she nodded. Even in the face of difficulties, she was unwilling to disappoint him after he had gone to so much trouble.
"Then let's go eat. That old guy is strict. I got you a new car and driver specifically to take you to his place."
Huo Shao Ting stood up and looked down at her.
Rong Dai's heart felt warm and fuzzy. He had considered everything so thoughtfully for her. Of course she was touched.
But along with the feeling of being touched, her heart also ached slightly. She knew this tenderness from him was not meant for her, but for the original owner of this body.
"Okay, I'll follow your arrangements," she nodded. Seeing him lean down, she very naturally put her arms around his neck.
By the time the two arrived at the reserved restaurant, night had already fallen over Shenjing.
The setting sun was dazzling, its fiery colors interwoven against the backdrop of deep blue. Layers of purple tinged the thick indigo, transitioning into heavy gray that connected with the dense color of dark blue, the sun sinking down in all its glory.
The noisy, bustling city streets and colorful, dazzling neon lights. Rong Dai sat in her chair, her gaze passing through the floor-to-ceiling window before her, watching the setting sun. Her heart's unease and restlessness were strangely soothed.
