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After the reading session, the choice of the female lead remained unresolved.

Lu Yao firmly rejected Director Wang's suggestion that day, and has been interviewing actresses for the past few days, but has not yet met the right person.

For several days in a row, Lu Yao, as the screenwriter, participated in the reading sessions. Watching the actors perform the characters she had created gave her a sense of satisfaction.

"That's all for today." Director Wang closed the script, rubbed his temples, and said, "The audition for the female lead is scheduled until next Monday. If we still haven't found a suitable candidate, we'll start the open casting call."

The people in the meeting room began to pack up their things, and Lu Yao also organized her notes.

Xie Linyu walked to her side and asked in a low voice, "Are you free later? I'd like to talk to you about Ling Mo's transformation scene in the middle of the story."

Lu Yao glanced at the time; it was 3:30 PM.

Fu Ciyan is still on a business trip, so it doesn't matter whether she goes back early or late. As for their daily tasks, because Fu Ciyan is away on business, he submitted a report, which has been approved by the Bureau of Reproduction. However, the debts owed will have to be made up later.

"Okay, where shall we talk?" Lu Yao asked.

"There's a small coffee shop upstairs, it's quite quiet," Xie Linyu said. "It won't take up too much of your time."

The two left the conference room together and took the elevator upstairs.

As Xie Linyu had said, the coffee shop was indeed quiet and peaceful, with few customers.

They chose a corner seat by the window.

"Is your arm alright?" Lu Yao noticed that Xie Linyu was still being somewhat cautious when picking up the coffee cup.

"Much better, the doctor said I'm recovering well." Xie Linyu smiled. "But I still can't exert myself, so the next action scenes may require a stunt double or be postponed."

Lu Yao nodded: "Safety first."

After the waiter brought the coffee, Xie Linyu took out the script from his bag and turned to the marked page.

"Here, after Ling Mo has undergone three months of treatment by the female lead, he takes the initiative to ask her questions for the first time," Xie Linyu pointed to the line. "The script notes that it is 'a tentative, wary inquiry,' but I think there could be more layers here."

Lu Yao leaned closer to look; she remembered that scene very clearly.

Ling Mo's physical injuries have mostly healed, but his psychological trauma is far from over.

The female lead changes his dressings and prepares his food every day, but never speaks to him; she just does her work silently.

Until that day, Ling Mo finally couldn't help but speak:

"What exactly do you want to do?"

The female lead was applying medicine to the last wound on his arm when she heard this and paused, saying, "I couldn't tell I was treating your wound."

Ling Mo sneered, his wound stinging from the emotional turmoil. His voice carried suppressed rage. "Heal the wound? And then what? Lock it back in a cage."

The female protagonist, her fingertips damp with cool ointment, gently applied it to the edges of his gruesome scar, her movements perfectly still and without a ripple: "Is that what you think?"

Ling Mo abruptly turned his head, his sharp, wolf-like eyes fixed on her, as if trying to tear a crack in her facade: "Otherwise what? You don't actually intend to let me go, do you?"

When Lu Yao read this passage, she couldn't help but be immersed in Ling Mo's emotions of despair and resentment.

She looked up at Xie Linyu and found that he was also looking at her, with strange emotions seemingly lurking deep in his azure eyes.

"Look," Xie Linyu pointed to the script, "Ling Mo's questioning here is not just anger. Anger is superficial. He should be more uneasy about what the female lead did, afraid that he will trust her again. This brief 'goodwill' is just the beginning of another long torment. So his tone should be more complicated. In addition to hatred, there is also an imperceptible fear, as well as self-loathing for being stupid enough to fall for it again."

Lu Yao nodded thoughtfully, picked up her pen, and quickly jotted down notes on her script: "So, the way he stared at the female lead was scrutinizing, as if trying to see through her and find her flaws, but at the same time, it also carried a faint expectation that even he himself was unwilling to admit?"

"Yes!" Xie Linyu's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward slightly. "That's the contradiction, Lu Yao, you've got it right. He wants her to give him positive expectations, but he's also afraid that this is just another way she's playing with him. He's afraid to trust her, yet he can't help but have expectations."

Soft background music played in the coffee shop, and sunlight streamed through the window, dancing on Xie Linyu's blond hair.

Looking at the man in front of her who was seriously analyzing the character, Lu Yao found it hard to connect him with the sharp and prickly man she had seen in the conference room.

"You seem to understand this feeling very well?" Lu Yao couldn't help but ask softly.

Xie Linyu's fingers tightened unconsciously around the coffee cup for a moment. He looked down at the dark brown liquid in the cup, and after a long while, he tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that wasn't very genuine: "Probably because I, too, once had unrealistic expectations for certain things, and then those expectations were dashed."

He didn't say it explicitly, but Lu Yao recalled what Qinghe had mentioned when they gossiped about it.

An eighteen-year-old proud boy participated in a walking marriage matchmaking event with high expectations, but was ultimately rejected by his matchmaker.

It was indeed a very disheartening thing, especially considering that Xie Linyu himself had a strong background and considerable strength.

"I'm sorry," Lu Yao realized she might have touched a sore spot, "I shouldn't have..."

"It's alright." Xie Linyu interrupted her, and when he looked up again, his face had returned to that slightly lazy expression. "It's all in the past. I don't care about it as much now. Now, let's focus on how to make the character of Ling Mo more touching. After all," he winked at Lu Yao, "I'm still hoping to win another award with this drama."

Lu Yao was amused by him, and the subtle sense of heaviness she had felt earlier dissipated.

The two discussed a few more details, and before they knew it, the sky outside the window had turned a faint orange-red.

"Ah, it's so late." Lu Yao glanced at the time, somewhat surprised. "I have to go back."

"Shall I take you?" Xie Linyu made a move to get up.

"No need, no need, I drove myself." Lu Yao quickly waved her hand, packed her things, and said, "Thank you for today. After talking with you, I have a much deeper understanding of Ling Mo, and I know which direction to focus on when revising the script."

"I'm glad I could help." Xie Linyu leaned back in his chair, looking at her. "Take care on the road. By the way, if the female lead still can't be decided, will you consider Director Wang's previous suggestion?"

Lu Yao paused, then smiled helplessly: "I really can't. Acting and writing scripts are two different things; I can't risk the whole project."

Xie Linyu raised an eyebrow noncommittally and did not continue the topic.

Personally, I really hope Lu Yao will agree, so that they can have more contact.

However, Lu Yao is clearly a very clear-headed woman who will not change her original intention because of such frivolous vanity, which makes him admire her more and more.