A Stroke Of Bad Luck.

The early morning sunlight gracefully streamed through the window, casting its warm glow on Xuejian's handsome face. Even in his icy exterior, his charisma was undeniable as the light danced upon him. Squinting his eyes, he turned his gaze to the side, only to find Meiying absent.

He didn't think much of it and swiftly rose up from the bed and made his way to his room to prepare for the day ahead. Once he was ready, he descended the stairs, only to be met by Butler Yang at the entrance.

"Good morning, sir. Mistress has prepared breakfast for you," Butler Yang informed, his voice filled with warmth and respect.

Xuejian looked at him in surprise, before making his way into the inviting aroma of the dining room.

Meiying stood proudly at the back of the chair placed at the end of the table, a beaming smile gracing her face. "Good morning, I made breakfast," she greeted cheerfully.

"I can see that," Xuejian responded, his voice tinged with awe. He approached the chair, which Meiying had thoughtfully pushed out for him, and took his seat.

Across the beautifully set table, it was adorned with an array of enticing dishes such as fluffy egg pancakes, steamed buns and steamed dumplings with side dishes accompanied by a refreshing glass of soy milk.

"You made all this?" Xuejian asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

"Of course I did!" Meiying exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction. "It took me the entirety of the morning to prepare such a feast."

Curiously, Xuejian grabbed a pancake, placing it gently on his plate before cutting a piece and bringing it up to his nose. He sniffed it, much to Meiying's annoyance.

"That's insulting! You should never sniff a woman's food," Meiying scolded.

Xuejian chuckled. "I possess an exceptional olfactory sense, you see, capable of detecting even the faintest traces of toxins."

Meiying frowned. "You can't be serious."

Xuejian tone turned serious, "There are no toxins present. However, I must admit that this particular dish is not to my taste." Disappointed, he dropped the piece of pancake onto his plate and rose from his seat, making his way to the entrance of the dining room.

Meiying swiftly rose from her seat, retrieving the abandoned pancake from the table. As she took a bite, the unpleasant taste made her recoil in disgust. Meanwhile, Xuejian shot her a mischievous smirk before exiting the room.

Filled with anger, Meiying stared at the doorway, realizing her mistake of not researching the correct amount of spices for the recipe. Why did she trust her instincts instead?

Just as she was about to call for help to clear the table, Qingting entered the dining room.

"Are you still here?" Meiying asked, but Qingting simply walked past without acknowledging her presence.

Qingting sat down at the table, attempting to salvage her breakfast by grabbing a steamed bun. However, the taste was equally repulsive, causing her to scrunch up her face and involuntarily retch. Standing up, Qingting glared at Meiying, clutching her stomach, and hurriedly ran past her.

The burden of her cooking mishaps was lifted, as Qingting was now destined for an unpleasurable day.

Driving to her father-in-law's company, Meiying entered the premises, causing surprise among the employees who had never seen her there before. Whisperings circulated, suggesting that her now improved relationship with her husband granted her access into her father in-law's company.

She stepped into the elevator, making her way to Mr. Wang's floor. Upon meeting the secretary, Meiying was guided to his office. She politely knocked before entering, only to find Mr. Wang seated on the couch, accompanied by a woman.

The woman turned towards Meiying, prompting her to rush forward and embrace her. Meiying could hardly believe her luck – it was her former manager, Li Jingyi, whom she had known during her acting career in her previous life.

Her father-in-law cleared his throat, drawing Meiying's attention. She turned towards him, offering an apologetic smile, while Jingyi stared at her with surprise.

"You didn't see me here and chose to hug Jingyi instead," he commented, feigning annoyance.

"Bàba, I apologize sincerely," Meiying expressed, drawing nearer to her father-in-law and grasping his hand delicately while wearing an endearing, blinking expression. This caused him to straighten his tie in response, acknowledging her apology with a nod.

Jingyi adjusted her eyeglasses gracefully and inquired, "Sir, you summoned me?"

"Yes, from now on, you will be Meiying's manager," he informed them.

"That's splendid!" Meiying exclaimed with excitement. In her previous life, Jingyi had been assigned to Xiaoxiao at this stage, so perhaps because she entered the industry early, Jiangsu was now assigned to her.

"For what duration?" Jingyi queried.

"At most two years. Here is the contract," he stated, presenting them with the document.

They both carefully read and examined the terms and conditions before signing and exchanged contact information.

"Now, here are some of the movies you will appear in. Chen Meilin will also appear in some of them so be ready to prove your acting skills to me," he stated as he handed Meiying a stack of scripts.

Meiying shivered as she looked at the pile in astonishment. There were around eight of them.

"Isn't this too much for a newcomer? Moreover, people may criticize her for leveraging her connections to secure these roles," remarked Jingyi.

"She's right; it is excessive," Meiying agreed. Besides, she knew she lacked the dedication required to act in all of them within a year. Two or three at most.

"What do you think, then?"

"Let Jingyi choose for me." Jingyi and Mr. Wang looked at her in shock, as they had expected Meiying to be like other actresses that disregards their manager's opinion.

"Well, these two are suitable," Jingyi said, showing them two scripts. One was a movie centered around a criminal case involving a wanted serial killer, while the other was a drama series portraying three couples in contract marriages.

"But which roles should I play in these two?" Meiying questioned.

"For the movie, a hot-tempered detective, and for the series, the woman in the last couple, a gentle young woman who marries a disabled man," Jingyi suggested.

"I agree with the latter, but as for the former, Meiying might struggle to portray it convincingly," Mr. Wang remarked.

"Acting as a hot-tempered detective will provide a tremendous opportunity for people to witness Meiying taking on a character vastly different from hers. It will be fascinating to see a calm and reserved girl portraying such a fiery character. Despite being a supporting role, it has the potential to shake up the industry," Jingyi stated with conviction.

Meiying's mind swiftly traveled back to the memories she had absorbed from her previous life, the recollection of the movie that had singlehandedly catapulted the careers of all those fortunate enough to be part of it, including her father-in-law's company.

"You always seem to know what's best for me, Jingyi," Meiying said, causing them both to look at her in astonishment.

"I mean, you gave me a very reliable manager," she clarified, looking at her father-in-law, who smiled in response.

"I will inform the directors about it, but you will have to audition like everyone else and make sure you secure the role," he instructed her.

"Yes, sir," Meiying responded earnestly.

"I will send you the scripts for the roles you will be playing later. The audition for the movie is scheduled for next Saturday. You may go now," he stated as he returned to his desk, resuming his work. He felt a sense of relief that it was easy to come in agreement with Meiying. He couldn't understand why he had initially disliked her. If they had just talked, they could have reached an understanding. Nonetheless, he was grateful that things were working out between them. His wife would be proud of him.

Leaving the office, both of them headed towards the elevator. However, Meiying noticed Chenwei leaning against the wall that was facing the elevator door. As he saw them, he walked past her, but surprising her, he slipped a piece of paper into her hand before walking away.

Meiying was taken aback but quickly folded the paper, reminiscing about the secret notes Chenwei used to pass to her during their clandestine relationship in her past life. Giggling softly, she read the message he had written after she separated from Jingyi and entered her car: "Meet me at the Liu's restaurant by 10 am." Glancing at her watch, she realized she still had an hour, so she occupied herself by researching videos on the internet about actors playing hot-tempered detectives for the next fifty minutes before heading to the restaurant.

Upon entering the restaurant, Meiying inquired about a reservation made by Chenwei. The receptionist nodded and directed her to a private room. However, before she could enter, she was intercepted.

"Meiying?" she heard her name and shivered as she recognized the voice.

"What a stoke of bad luck" she mumbled.