Melon Eating Cannon Fodder, On Air!-Chapter 64 - Sixty-Four: Loose Threads

While many liked to say that opportunities in the entertainment industry were plentiful, those truly worth seizing were painfully rare. The industry was crowded, competitive and constantly shifting. For every role announced, there were hundreds waiting. For every project greenlit, countless others died quietly at the proposal stage.

Good opportunities did not come often.

And when they did, everyone noticed.

Recently, rumours had begun circulating within industry circles that Wen Shaoheng was preparing to direct a new film.

The news alone was enough to stir waves.

Shaoheng had not simply transitioned from actor to director on a whim. He had done so deliberately, stepping away at the peak of his acting career when his name alone could still guarantee box office success. Many had called it wasteful back then. Short-sighted, even.

They had been wrong.

Behind the scenes, Wen Shaoheng proved himself ruthless in standards and meticulous in vision. He chose scripts carefully, rejected projects without hesitation, and surrounded himself only with people who understood cinema as more than profit. The films he produced after leaving the spotlight did not rely on hype. They relied on substance.

Awards followed.

Then came critical acclaim.

Then came trust.

By the time his name appeared in a project’s credits, investors felt reassured, actors felt challenged, and audiences felt curious. His reputation was no longer built on popularity, but on credibility.

Which was precisely why the rumours mattered. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

If Wen Shaoheng was directing again, it would not be a vanity project.

It would not be rushed.

And it would not be forgiving.

For actors, being cast in one of his films meant more than exposure. It meant scrutiny. It meant expectation. It meant standing naked before the camera with nowhere to hide.

It was the kind of opportunity that could elevate a career.

Or end one.

And as whispers continued to spread, one thing became increasingly clear within the industry.

Whatever Wen Shaoheng was preparing, it was not meant for just anyone.

And whoever he chose would have to be ready to be seen.

*****

This week’s dating show ended on a surprisingly pleasant note. Or perhaps, in the director’s opinion, a note that was a little too pleasant.

After all, the previous week had ended in chaos, with one of the cast forced to withdraw amid scandal. Compared to that, this week felt almost... gentle.

There had been sweat, of course. Tears as well, whether from exhaustion, frustration or wounded pride. But there were no explosive arguments, no public meltdowns, no headlines waiting to be written in advance.

For once, the atmosphere had remained intact.

Too intact.

The cast had worked together, shared meals, and even laughed by the end of the day. Viewers saw effort, sincerity and moments of unexpected warmth. It was wholesome in a way reality television rarely allowed itself to be.

And that, oddly enough, made the director uneasy.

Because while chaos made headlines, calm did not.

While scandal guaranteed attention, harmony was far harder to sell.

Still, as the cameras shut down and the lights dimmed, there was no denying it.

This week had ended well.

Perhaps too well for a show that thrived on cracks beneath the surface

*****

Sun Qiaolian, however, did not share the same sense of satisfaction.

A faint unease lingered beneath her calm exterior, one she could not quite shake off. This week had passed without incident, without mistakes, and without anything she could point to and call progress.

Most of all, her relationship with Jiang Shuyue had not improved as much as she had hoped.

She had tried. Subtly, carefully, in the way she always did. A gentle word here, a considerate gesture there, small attempts to close the distance without making it obvious. Yet Jiang Shuyue remained polite but guarded, their interactions hovering at the surface without ever truly deepening.

It was not hostility. It was not rejection.

It was indifference.

And that unsettled her far more than open conflict ever could.

Even with Lu Jiaxin, things felt much the same.

The former national sweetheart had been warm, attentive and gracious to everyone. She listened patiently, remembered names, and responded with genuine kindness. Sun Qiaolian could not find a single fault in her manners.

Yet that was precisely the problem.

No matter how pleasant their exchanges had been, Sun Qiaolian knew, with quiet certainty, that she had not left a lasting impression. She had blended into the background, one courteous face among many, easily forgotten once the conversation moved on.

Lu Jiaxin had been kind to her.

But kindness was not the same as connection.

Sun Qiaolian maintained her smile, laughed at the right moments, and played her role perfectly on camera. But in the quiet moments, when no one was watching closely, she could not help but wonder if she had misjudged something along the way.

For the first time since joining the show, she felt as though she was standing still while everyone else, in one way or another, was moving forward.

*****

An Ning received the call just as she finished towelling her hair dry, the faint scent of soap still lingering in the room.

It was her manager.

Her tone alone was enough to make An Ning straighten. "I just got confirmation," her manager said, unable to fully hide her excitement. "Wu Shaoheng is directing a new film."

An Ning paused. Wu Shaoheng. That name carried weight.

"It’s a commercial project," her manager continued quickly, afraid she might lose her attention. "Big investment, strong backing, and it’s xianxia. Proper world-building, real fight choreography, not the watered-down kind."

That did get An Ning’s interest.

"There’s a role," her manager said, voice lowering slightly, "a female cultivator. Not the soft type. Sharp, restrained, powerful. She doesn’t speak much, but when she does, people listen."

An Ning could already picture it.

"I think it suits you," her manager said firmly. "Not just suits you. I think you would elevate it."

Silence stretched for a moment before An Ning spoke. "Do we have an audition?"

"Not yet," her manager admitted. "But I’m going to fight for you. This project will be competitive, and Wu Shaoheng doesn’t cast lightly."

An Ning smiled faintly. "Then let’s fight properly."

After the call ended, she sat still for a moment longer.

Xianxia.

Wu Shaoheng.

A role that demanded strength rather than spectacle.

For the first time in a while, anticipation stirred quietly in her chest.