Chapter 748. The Choice For Male Lead

"If I was plump and fat what would happen? Would you still choose me as the female lead?" Tangning asked with a smile as she quickly gestured for the author to sit down.

"That wouldn't be possible. You've always had really good self discipline, so I've always had faith in you. I just never expected it to be this good even after you gave birth." Tang Xiao was dressed in a long black dress and she had a pair of gold framed glasses perched atop her nose. She had a shy presence about her; typical of an author that often stayed at home and barely left the house or socialized.

"Do you want to see the baby?" Tangning asked after she made a cup of coffee.

"May I?" Tang Xiao appeared pleasantly surprised as she looked at Tangning with a cute and innocent expression.

Tangning nodded her head. Afterwards, she carried the two babies out of their room. As soon as Tang Xiao realized there were two babies, she was stunned, "You...you gave birth to twins? They are exactly the same!"

"Yes, I haven't notified the public about this yet," Tangning nodded. "I hope these two rascals can have a peaceful childhood."

"They are so cute..."

Tang Xiao was 23 years old, but she had already written millions of words. Her biggest hit was the novel they were currently discussing, 'The Forensic Concubine'. Actually, Tang Xiao's family wasn't very rich and her parents often fought in front of her. So, to change her fate, she set out on the path of a writer. At the time that she learned of Tangning, she was at her lowest point in life. But, as she watched Tangning climb to where she was today, she too, composed herself and worked hard to become the author that was now worshipped by the netizens.

Soon, the two women began chatting. Tang Xiao was aware that Tangning didn't put up a front, so she quickly revealed her original intentions for 'The Forensic Concubine', to Tangning. As a result, they quickly discovered their views were the same and regretted that they hadn't met sooner. The more they talked, the more they got along with each other.

"I'm confident that you will portray Qing Lan well. But, you need to prepare yourself for some suffering. If we want to film this novel well, you will have a lot of hardship ahead."

Hearing this, Tangning responded with a gentle smile, "Don't worry. You've saved me with such a great script, so I will definitely give my all."

"That's because you've also saved me in the past," Tang Xiao sincerely thanked Tangning. "You do not know how much you mean to me. During my toughest time, you were the one that showed me persistence always paid off. If every person in this world approached life with kindness, I believe more people would be influenced by it."

"Either way, I don't think you needed my script to save you. You have always been yourself and nothing like the rumors."

Tangning and Tang Xiao ended up chatting for a good few hours. Basically, by the end of it, both women had a clear picture of what was expected of the drama.

In the end, Tang Xiao noticed it was getting late. So, she quickly got up to go home. If she didn't, she wouldn't know how long they'd continue chatting.

"Oh, by the way, regarding the male lead, do you have any preferences?"

"Initially, I quite liked the idea of Bei Chendong. But, the two of you have already worked together so many times and his appearance isn't suited to ancient attire, so I'll let you guys decide."

"You really don't have anyone else in mind?" Tangning asked as Tang Xiao left.

"Well, I do have someone, but I don't think it's possible," Tang Xiao hesitated for a moment before she leaned over and whispered a name into Tangning's ear.

As expected...

...Tangning stared at Tang Xiao blankly.

"He was born with the almighty presence of a king. Even without acting abilities, he is capable of convincing the public and fans of the novel!"

However, casting the person she had in mind, wasn't easy to achieve.

"It's impossible isn't it? I didn't think it was possible either. It's not likely that he would act, so I'll let you guys pick someone instead. As long as you think the actor matches you, then that is already the best decision."

Tang Xiao had too much faith in them.

Other authors often had a plethora of worries when filming their novels and had multiple suggestions for actors. But, Tang Xiao was easy to work with. She simply left behind an impossible name, shrugged it off and walked away.

It wasn't that the person suggested by Tang Xiao couldn't act. But...

...

Just as 'Concubine Ning' was busy filming, an exciting piece of news exploded onto the entertainment scene of Beijing. Tangning had settled on a new drama; an adaptation of the popular novel, 'The Forensic Concubine', by Tang Xiao. As soon as the news was released, the media flocked to Hai Rui to confirm the information. In the end, Hai Rui's head of PR told everyone to wait for an official announcement and that they had nothing to reveal at the moment.

The circulation of this news created a crisis for 'Concubine Ning'. Many of the crew members had read the novel. In fact, some of them were chasing Tang Xiao's latest creation. So, it could be easily seen from the reactions of the crew, how popular this novel truly was.

As Bai Yu spent most of her time overseas, she had not seen this novel before. So, she asked her assistant, "Is 'The Forensic Concubine' better than 'Concubine Ning'?"

The assistant froze. She did not expect Bai Yu to ask such a question. So, all she could do was nod timidly.

"Tell me the truth."

"It is indeed very good. It is a masterpiece that's​ hard to surpass," the assistant explained honestly. "Also, I heard that Tang Xiao created the script herself. I'm sure it will be very spectacular."

"Are you looking forward to it?"

The assistant looked at Bai Yu's expression and chose to lie in the end, "How's that possible? Tang Xiao may want to adapt her novel, but she needs to consider whether her fans would accept it. Every reader has their own expectations for the female lead. If Tangning wants to act in this drama, she will need to first get past the fans. She's got a lot of suffering ahead of her..."

After hearing this, Bai Yu was well aware that her assistant was lying to her, but she also felt her words slightly made sense. After all, fans were always the hardest to please.

So, as expected, as soon as the news spread to the fans, there was a huge commotion...

"Oh God! Finally...a novel that I like and an actress that I like..."

"F*ck, the novel couldn't avoid being adapted into a drama in the end. Luckily, the female lead will be Tangning. At least that's a bit of comfort."

"I'm too excited! Tangning will be playing the role of our Qing Lan! Oh! She completely fits the role!"

"This is something to be happy about. I always knew Tang Xiao was a fan of Tangning's."

But, of course, there were fans that still had their doubts.

"Tangning just gave birth not too long ago. How is she going to act as our domineering Qing Lan?"

"I'm afraid Tangning won't be able to fit into an ancient costume, right?"

"I acknowledge Tangning's acting, but I can't accept the radish-shaped figure of someone that's just given birth."

"The Qing Lan in my mind can never be portrayed by anyone. I beg Tangning to let this go. There have already been so many novels that have been destroyed by their adaptations. This is my favorite, please don't ruin it as well!"

...

Everyone acknowledged her acting.

But, they doubted her figure and state!