CHAPTER 316: NEW ROLE

Chen Xueru had been feeling very down lately and couldn’t sleep well at night. Tang Shuwen thought she was worried about Xiao Nian and often tried to comfort her, telling her not to worry and that Xiao Nian would be okay.

Since the day he was shot, Xiao Nian had not spoken and was as unresponsive as a wooden doll. Wen Lan and Chen Xueru had no other choice but to agree to Tang Shuwen’s suggestion to take Xiao Nian to see a psychologist.

However, the results were not good.

Xiao Nian was still the same, and Chen Xueru was worried sick.

The doctor said that the child’s reaction to the outside world was so extreme that it had caused a psychological trauma, and he had actively distanced himself from the world to protect himself. He might never get better. Upon hearing this news, Chen Xueru held Xiao Nian and cried her eyes out.

The Tang family was usually a very happy family, but everyone’s mood had been low recently.

Chen Xueru’s mood was the worst, and she rarely smiled.

In addition to worrying about Xiao Nian, she was also worried about Zhao Yuning. Her desperate cries and vicious curses were like sharp thorns, stabbing into her heart.

On the third day after returning to the country, she received a call from Zhao Yuning. She didn’t know how Zhao Yuning got her number, but she called her.

Zhao Yuning said that it was because of her meddling that Tang Shuwen no longer wanted his own flesh and blood and was forcing her to have an abortion. She said she would not do what they wanted and would be strong enough to give birth to the child.

She also cursed Chen Xueru’s child, hoping he would always be a slow-witted and mute.

Chen Xueru didn’t want to pay attention to what she said. Zhao Yuning was also cornered by Tang Shuwen, which was why she called her to cry. As a woman, she understood how Zhao Yuning felt.

She had talked to Tang Shuwen, and he had clearly promised her that he would no longer pressure Zhao Yuning to have an abortion and that they should just let things happen naturally. This was the best solution for both of them right now. She was really afraid that the bad things they had done would come back and haunt Xiao Nian.

Zhao Yuning’s child was also a child, and her child was also a child. Xiao Nian was still sick, and she hoped that Zhao Yuning and her child would also be safe and sound and not bring any more misfortune to Xiao Nian.

Tang Shuwen didn’t know that Zhao Yuning had called Chen Xueru until he saw Zhao Yuning’s number in the recent calls section on Chen Xueru’s phone, which she was using to take a picture of her son. He only then realized that Chen Xueru’s unhappiness was because of Zhao Yuning’s call.

To make Chen Xueru happy, Xiao Nian was the key.

If Xiao Nian could recover, Chen Xueru would be very happy and would return to her usual optimistic self.

He alone couldn’t make Chen Xueru smile happily.

Cheng Anya knew about Xiao Nian’s condition and casually mentioned that Ye Ningyuan had a similar experience when he was a child, but he got better after he was stimulated by Xu Nuo.

Ye Ningyuan’s situation was a little different from Xiao Nian’s.

But Tang Shuwen had heard something important: "stimulation."

He asked Cheng Anya for the details. Ye Ningyuan had lost his sight and speech because of Xu Nuo’s death, but he had regained his sight because he was looking for Xu Nuo’s jade pendant. Both events were related to Xu Nuo.

Xiao Nian’s condition was caused by a gunshot.

Tang Shuwen silently made a decision. He would take a gamble.

The next morning, Chen Xueru’s agent, Shasha, brought her the script for *Liang Hongyu*. Her role had been confirmed. She would be playing the third female lead, a princess who was in love with Han Shizhong. In the end, to save him, she married a Jin man.

She knew that the female lead role was already taken by Wen Nuan, so she chose from the remaining roles. Chen Xueru liked the third female lead. The second female lead was a villain, but her feelings were too intense, which wasn’t a good fit for her.

Chen Xueru had always been indifferent about being the lead or not. She had read the original book and knew that Wen Nuan was more suitable to play Liang Hongyu. The role required a mix of strength and softness, and Chen Xueru’s looks were a little limited and not as versatile as Wen Nuan’s.

Tang Mandong knew that it was a film by Lin Ning, and she was going to be an intern director again. Wen Lan said, "Mandong, you should focus on your studies. You’re always on set. Don’t you have classes?"

Chen Xueru smiled. She had been on a set with Tang Mandong before. The girl was a hard worker.

Tang Mandong said, "Mom, you don’t understand. The things a director and an artist can learn from textbooks are very limited. It’s better to do more internships on set. It’s a blessing to be learning from Brother Lin. I can learn a lot. Maybe next year I can try directing my own film. Dad, you have to fund me."

"No problem!" Tang Shuwen said with a smile. Tang Mandong had a wide range of interests, and directing was the profession she was most interested in and passionate about. He fully supported her. Nowadays, it was common for socialites in A City to invest in a film and use it to promote themselves. If his daughter could direct her own film, how proud would that make him?

Chen Xueru really liked the princess’s character in the script. Most importantly, besides Liang Hongyu, this was the character with the most scenes with Ye Yan, so Chen Xueru decisively chose the third female lead.

"Xueru, you and Wen Nuan have acted in three shows together now?"

"Yes, *Qingcheng*, *Princess Qinglian*, and *Liang Hongyu*. We have a lot of fate. *Princess Qinglian* is about to air. Mom, you’ll probably like it." Chen Xueru said. The Tang family usually watched popular TV shows, mostly so Tang Mandong could get ideas.

In Tang Mandong’s words, every investor was an idiot and liked to invest in abnormal things. The shows they produced were idiotic and lacked substance, forcing them to watch these idiotic shows to see how they were directed and written.

Chen Xueru just smiled. Everyone had their own struggles, and that’s just how the market was.

Without some melodrama, a heartbreaking romance, or something conventional, a show couldn’t make it to prime time.

"For my daughter-in-law, I’ll have to support the ratings," Wen Lan said with a smile. The girls had been corrupted by Cheng Anya and often watched prime-time shows. In fact, it was a good form of entertainment for a family to watch TV together in the evenings.

With the development of new media, you could watch any TV show on the computer.

If everyone in the family watched TV in their own rooms and didn’t communicate, what was the point? It was better for the whole family to sit in front of the TV together for two or three hours a day. It was great for building relationships.

This was something Cheng Anya had said. No matter how busy the Ye family was every day, they would gather to watch TV together. This habit, which had been passed down from childhood, was a great way for siblings, spouses, and parents and children to communicate with each other.

Wen Lan and Tang Shuwen thought this was a good idea, so they had started the habit when Tang Shuwen was a child.

Tang Shuwen held Xiao Nian and wiped his mouth. He looked up at Chen Xueru and asked, "Will you be home all day today?"

Chen Xueru said, "I have plans to see a play with a friend this afternoon. I’ll be back in the evening."

Tang Shuwen nodded. "Then I’ll take Xiao Nian out for the day."