Lu Shao is cunning; Miss Nan has fallen for his tricks again.

Chapter 169 My Muse is Lu Zhiruo
Nan Xu used her free hand to knock on the slightly dilapidated iron gate. Perhaps she knocked too hard, because the iron gate made a creaking sound.

The door opened shortly afterward, and Zhang San, dressed in a loose white T-shirt and black trousers with slightly faded cuffs, his hair greasy and tangled, looked at Nan Xu with a toothbrush and a mouthful of toothpaste foam.

Nan Xu's lips twitched into a stiff smile. Was this unkempt person really the famous director Zhang San she knew?
Seeing Nan Xu standing there frozen in place, Zhang San, his mouth full of foam and his words slurred, said, "Come in, don't just stand there."

Even though Nanxu was extremely unwilling, she had no choice but to go in.

I hope the living room can be better than the outside.

"Uh, okay."

Zhang San waved his hand and said to Nan Xu, "Sit wherever you like. I'll get the script for you to see after I've washed up."

"Okay." Nan Xu nodded, looking at the layout of the living room. Although Zhang San was sloppy, the house was still quite clean.

A small wooden table and ornaments with an artistic flair, and a big, fat white cat lying in the cat bed on the balcony.

Nanxu placed breakfast on the table and then sat on the sofa to wait.

Zhang San quickly finished washing up and brought the computer from his room to Nan Xu. "Here, this is the complete script for 'Ascension to the Throne.' I wrote two versions of the ending. We'll discuss and confirm the final version later."

Nan Xu took the computer from Zhang San and browsed it carefully. Zhang San opened the takeout box, sat at the table, crossed his legs, and chatted with Nan Xu while eating.

"You asked me to write a few likable minor roles for your company's actors, and I've already added them, but even with Tingwan, there are only four spots left. You should think it over carefully." Zhang San picked up a small steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Do you have someone you like, female lead?" Nan Xu looked up at Zhang San.

"I wanted Lu Zhiruo to play the role, but she might not. There are rumors online that she's moving behind the scenes, but I don't know if it's true or not." Zhang San shook his head, somewhat annoyed.

All his efforts over the years have been for the sake of working with Lu Zhiruo once. Now he is barely qualified, but she wants to move behind the scenes.

"Why does it have to be her? I often heard your assistant mention when we chatted that you wanted to work with Lu Zhiruo. Why are you so obsessed with her?" Nan Xu leaned back on the sofa, smiling as she looked at Zhang San.

Zhang San pouted, a hint of pride in his voice, "She's my muse, after all. Who wouldn't want to collaborate with their muse?"

When Lu Zhiruo was mentioned, Zhang San's eyes lit up, showing how much he really liked her.

"She's an award-winning actress, so she probably wouldn't even look at our script," Nan Xu said with a hint of regret, though she was secretly delighted.

For some reason, the thought that Zhang San's muse was Lu Zhiruo made her feel like she was covering for someone else in front of an acquaintance, which made her want to laugh.

Upon hearing Nan Xu say this, Zhang San immediately became displeased and put the steamed bun he had just picked up back down.

"What do you mean? You have so little confidence in my script? Lu Zhiruo hasn't seen my script yet. If she had... maybe she would have agreed." As he spoke, Zhang San's confidence waned, and his voice grew softer and softer.

He didn't know if Lu Zhiruo would refuse, but he knew that Lu Zhiruo had never acted in this type of script before, but what if she was interested?

"It's hard to say. Besides, this is a big production. The costumes, props, and sets all need to be very detailed. How much money do you have to hire her?" Nan Xu coldly poured cold water on the idea.

Zhang San thought about it carefully for a while. Indeed, this script had taken him many years of hard work, and he must have put a lot of effort into the costumes, props, and set design.

If we really manage to get Lu Zhiruo on the cast, then the budget for other actors will have to be cut, but there aren't many actors in the entertainment industry who are a good match for Lu Zhiruo's status. Even if there are, they would require a huge salary. Otherwise, very few people can handle the roles Lu Zhiruo plays.

All these miscellaneous expenses add up, what can those hundreds of millions do?

Zhang San was about to speak when Nan Xu interrupted him, "That's enough, huh? Five hundred million is my final offer. If I lose it all, who am I going to cry to? You need to choose your actors carefully, instead of just thinking about finding this Best Actor or that Best Actress. We also need to consider our own qualifications, don't we?"

Zhang San breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright then, but I still want to try to win over Lu Zhiruo."

"You won't give up until you've hit rock bottom, will you? I'll send the script to Lu Zhiruo. If she agrees, then I have nothing to say. If she doesn't agree, then just give up on this idea, okay?" As she spoke, she took out her phone and sent a message to Lu Zhiyan, asking for Lu Zhiruo's WeChat and email address.

Upon hearing that Nan Xu was going to send a message to Lu Zhiruo, Zhang San immediately perked up, and all his stubbornness disappeared.

"You, you know Lu Zhiruo?" Zhang San looked at Nan Xu in disbelief.

While texting, Nan Xu glanced at Zhang San and said irritably, "Oh, I know him."

Zhang San quickly got off the chair and ran to Nan Xu's side to sit down. "How did you two meet? Tell me quickly!"

“My fiancé’s cousin, we only met at the engagement banquet.” Nan Xu looked at the WeChat friend request that Lu Zhiyan sent her and immediately clicked to add it.

"Oh my god, so... so that means Lu Zhiruo really is Lu Zhiyan's cousin?"

“Yes, but why do you look so surprised? Didn’t you say last time that Lu Zhiyan and Lu Zhiruo looked alike?” Nan Xu looked at Zhang San, trying to find something in his eyes.

"Hey, I was just joking back then. There's been a rumor in the industry that Lu Zhiruo is the daughter of the Lu family, but no one has ever confirmed it. I made a joke to Lu Zhiyan when I saw him last time, and who knew it would actually be true."

Lu Zhiruo quickly accepted Nan Xu's friend request and even sent Nan Xu a very cute emoji.

"Send the script to my email, and I'll send it to her for a look."

"Okay, wait a minute." Zhang San took the computer and sent the script to Nan Xu's email.

Nan Xu quickly sent the script to Lu Zhiruo: "Alright, now it's up to you whether Zhiruo accepts it or not. Has the male lead been decided yet?"

"As for the male lead, I can't choose one. It's a female-centric political drama, so there are only male supporting characters, not a male lead. But I do have a few candidates, and I'll show them to you in a bit." Zhang San's fingers flew across the keyboard as he released the list of male actors for "Ascension to the Throne."

“There are three right now: Qi Zhengdong, He Shichen, and Xu Zhengyi. What kind of roles do you think they are all suitable for?” Zhang San turned the computer screen towards Nan Xu.

Nan Xu looked at the three of them and then thought of Feng Queyan, Li Zehu and He Liushan in her mind.

“I think Xu Zhengyi is suitable for Li Zehu, Qi Zhengdong is suitable for He Liushan, and He Shichen is suitable for Feng Queyan,” Nan Xu said in detail.

“I think the same way, but He Shichen’s physique is not good enough yet, she still needs to exercise.”

"You should try to secure the person first," Nan Xu said calmly.

(End of this chapter)