“It’s said to be sleep paralysis, supposedly caused by a ghost, but I haven’t seen it myself, so I’m skeptical.” Ashley Grant spoke rather vaguely. He thought it would be strange to assert there was nothing at all, so he just went along with the crowd—this is how most people think.

“That’s true, talk of ghosts and spirits is pretty nebulous. I don’t believe there are ghosts in this world,” said Eric Lewis.

His tone was very certain, and Ashley Grant nodded along.

Eric Lewis: “But once, when we were starting up the equipment, our cameraman forgot to burn incense for the opening, and then the equipment mysteriously broke down.”

Ashley Grant: “……”

So do you believe it or not?

As Eric Lewis was saying this, the dishes arrived. “I ordered a few signature dishes, give them a try.”

Ashley Grant had always loved good food and could hold his liquor, but the company had warned him repeatedly, so he didn’t dare eat too much, and he always kept his drinking in check. Now, with Eric Lewis ordering a table full of delicacies, he couldn’t help but swallow hungrily.

Turbot stir-fried with porcini mushrooms, all the bones removed, the fish slices looked incredibly tender, and the aroma of the mushrooms had seeped through; a traditional old Beijing dish, stir-fried grilled beef, made with marinated beef slices cooked on an iron plate, the savory aroma wafting right into Ashley Grant’s nose; the blanched choy sum shoots looked especially green and appetizing…

The chef’s skills were truly impressive, especially the stir-fried grilled beef—Ashley Grant thought it was the best he’d had in Beijing. He ate until he was about sixty percent full, then reluctantly put down his chopsticks.

“Not eating anymore? Have a bit more, there’s dessert later, hahaha.” Eric Lewis was eating heartily, shoveling food in without a care for appearances, while talking to Ashley Grant.

Ashley Grant: “……”

Eric Lewis’s way of eating was just too tempting. He even poured the meat juices over his rice, coating every grain in sauce, then mixed it with the vegetables—he could eat half a bowl in one bite.

“Well, I’ll have another half bowl then.” Ashley Grant was usually pretty disciplined, but he just couldn’t resist this time—after all, Eric Lewis really knew how to pick a restaurant.

Ashley Grant ate another half bowl, felt full, and quickly put down his chopsticks with a guilty conscience.

Finally, Eric Lewis finished eating too. He wiped his mouth, “Alright, shall we get started?”

Ashley Grant straightened up, still feeling a bit nervous inside.

Eric Lewis took out the script and started reading lines with Ashley Grant.

In this scene, Ashley Grant’s character is the villain, who first talks to the protagonist in front of others and agrees to help with something. But as soon as the protagonist leaves, he reveals his true inner self for the first time.

He had to portray two sides of a person—the greater the contrast, the more impactful and convincing the character would be.

The public persona was easy for Ashley Grant to play. Because of his looks, he often played kind and cute roles.

There was no shortage of this type of actor in the industry, but when Eric Lewis saw him smile, with those two dimples and eyes like streams sparkling in the sunlight, he still felt it was unique—sweet and pure, but not silly, with a certain charm.

“Then I’ll leave it to you,” Eric Lewis delivered the final line, pulled out his chair, and symbolically left, closing the door.

Ashley Grant lowered his head and was silent for a moment. Then he raised his hand, and only then did Eric Lewis notice that at some point, he had picked up a knife. This wasn’t in the script—the knife was just a small, blunt decorative bone knife from the private room, and Eric Lewis hadn’t even noticed Ashley Grant take it. Clearly, it was a spur-of-the-moment idea.

Ashley Grant held the little knife, his fingers moving deftly, twirling it beautifully, instantly drawing everyone’s attention to his hand.

—Large paper effigies require splitting bamboo strips, so he was quite skilled at this.

It was like a prelude, a metaphor. Eric Lewis said nothing; Ashley Grant’s body language made him feel that this added detail was perfect. His movements were smooth and sharp, just like the character.

Suddenly, the little knife stabbed into a piece of fruit—being a decorative knife, that was all it could do.

Ashley Grant looked up, and in that moment, his expression had changed. He seemed nonchalant, but there was a fierce energy in his eyes. Even without saying a word or showing any overt malice, the menace was palpable.

Even Eric Lewis felt a bit uneasy, realizing that Ashley Grant’s gaze was making his back go cold!

In that instant, Eric Lewis knew—he was the one.

With this kind of aura, if Eric Lewis hadn’t seen Ashley Grant’s resume—clean, professionally trained, never mixed up in shady circles—even he would have thought Ashley Grant had spent over ten years in prison.

And Ashley Grant still retained some of his public persona’s traits, like that sweet smile. This way, the disguise and the reality weren’t completely separate, making the character all the more chilling.

Eric Lewis was a bit surprised that someone as young as Ashley Grant could deliver such a performance.

……

“I’ll have someone contact your company to sign the contract. If Old King’s schedule conflicts with mine, drop him! Also, I haven’t decided on the lead yet. When the time comes, you’ll work with me and read with the candidates at the audition.” Eric Lewis had found his character and was in a great mood.

An actor’s skill isn’t enough—they also need chemistry with their scene partners. He’d been hesitating about the lead, but now that he’d found the right counterpart, he had some ideas.

“Thank you, Director Lewis!” Ashley Grant couldn’t hide his happiness.