There Will Always Be Protagonists With Delusions of Starting a Harem-Chapter 22
Edited by
Character's name info :
He Zhenheng : Mu Tian's agent and manager of Zhang Xinran
Hu Zongze : Mu Tian's director
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This was the fifth year since Ouyang Zhi's debut. In order to repay his fans, he - who never sang a love song before - decided to record a warm love song, planning on release it on Qi Xi Festival, as a gift for fans.
{T/N: Qi Xi or Qiqiao Festival is a Chinese Valentines Day on July 7th. It's called Tanabata in Japan}
Everything was going well at first, but when the time came to discuss who should be the leading role, they had a disagreement. Some people wanted to invite the movie queen, some wanted a newcomer, and some felt that it was best to let Ouyang Zhi himself star in it. Everyone kept quarrelling, and it was only after Director Zhang Zhu held a couple of meeting that everyone gradually calm down. Not compromising under the proposal was useless, so he let Ouyang Zhi choose. Seeing that Ouyang the Movie Emperor was sometimes unreliable, Zhang Zhu deliberately designed the basic criteria in advance, such as: sweet, adorable, young, intellectual, strong, positive image, soft, and a girl.
However, this Movie Emperor brought someone who didn't match those standards at all.
Zhang Zhu held his chest, standing still with a black face, tilted eyes and a sneer, "Young Master Ouyang Zhi, do you have hearing problems, or are you blind?
"Please believe me." Ouyang Zhi looked at him seriously, paused, then added, "Also, I'm the second son, Young Master is my big brother; you should call me Second Young Master."
The commoner Zhang Zhu almost vomited blood at the natural aristocrat air. Firmly staring at him then at Ye Zhizhou, Zhu's ruthless words got choked in his throat, and he just coldly snorted before angrily leaving.
Ye Zhizhou watched the young director run far, finally finishing his soymilk. He poked Ouyang Zhi, "Big Nephew, are you not afraid I will fail your MV?"
"Afraid." Ouyang Zhi was unexpectedly honest, tone gradually changing as he spoke, "But I'm more afraid that Uncle will smash my funding... Aunt," He turned around and held Ye Zhizhou's hand earnestly and seriously said, "For my fans, please be sure to work hard!"
"I'll try." Ye Zhizhou withdrew his hand and put the soymilk cup into Ouyang Zhi's hand. Gripping it tightly, he said with a more serious tone, "If you call me Aunt again, I'll go complain to your Uncle; said that you covet me for my charm and took advantage of me while shooting this MV."
Ouyang Zhi immediately took his hand and put it behind his body.
Mu Tian's shared team for Ouyang Zhi were the best. One hour later, Ye Zhizhou's sticking-up, disordered hair and homey clothes all disappeared - and as if he was walking out from a magazine, Ye Zhizhou stood in front of the camera.
Brown hair, a face that became even more handsome after a bit of make-up, very fine skin, a gentle air, sweet and sexy smile, also with that outstanding youthfully light sweater... Damn! So handsome, ah! How can there be this much handsomeness, ah!
Surrounded by faint female screams, Zhang Zhu forcefully coughed to press down the commotion. Stooping down to see through the lens of camera, he saw Ye Zhizhou standing in front of a small castle. His dark face eased down, and standing upright, he asked, "Have you seen the script?"
"I have." His smiling face when answering looked really cute - suppressed screams came out once again.
Zhang Zhu angrily looked at the staff, waiting for them to quiet down, then waved his hands and motioned to start shooting. There was no detail explanation, there was also no trial - as if the one on the stage was not a newcomer but a veteran actor.
Ouyang Zhi slightly frowned with worry in his heart, but it turned out to be unfounded.
With the director cueing action, Ye Zhizhou quickly entered his state. He imagined the camera as Yun Ke and automatically revealed a sweet and depending-on smile. Holding out his hands, he made an invitation gesture, and slowly, a happy and intimate air revolved. Zhizhou turned his body around, as if pulling the heart of his lover and running towards the castle in happiness.
"Cut!"
The camera stopped, and everyone who was intoxicated from Ye Zhizhou's charm finally sobered, held their faces and screamed. Aaaah! Dear, come and hold my hand! I'll follow you! Marry me, marry me!
Zhang Zhu was also stunned by this performance. He finally moved with a bit of uneasiness at the enthusiastic atmosphere, and repeatedly looked at the clip. Seeing that there really was no mistake, he held his breath, then opened up his puckered mouth, "It's over, next preparation." Where did this evil newcomer come from? It was too hard to find fault...
The crowd couldn't help but cheering. Ouyang Zhi's heart fell back down to his belly, and regaining his smiling face, he touched his chin, took out his camera and aim at Ye Zhizhou - recording a video.
At Mu Tian's building, 34th floor, He Zhenheng was flustered by Hu Zongze shouting. He threw down a document and asked, "This is the newcomer you think highly of? Just joined and finished her first drama, she dares to dig a hole in the lead actor! Her mind is very poisonous."
He Zhenheng picked up the document in confusion then turn it over, his face gradually snaking. He immediately admitted his mistake, "I'm sorry Chief Hu, it's my mistake." A poisonous spider who thought herself a hardworking white rabbit didn't need to be worried about.
{T/N: poisonous spider = someone evil and dangerous, white rabbit = someone pure and even naive}
"First, let's just give this newcomer the cold shoulder." Facing his trusted subordinate, Hu Zongze's anger was also quick to go. He kneaded his forehead, sighing, "In the meantime, don't give her any contracts, also don't let her know about this, there are other arrangements from above."
"Above?" He Zhenheng was surprised, then hesitated asked, "Is it...the Head Office/HQ?"
Hu Zongze looked at him helplessly, and nodded, "I will tell you this, after you handed over that in-the-pit-hole newcomer, Manager Zhao took him to the 35th floor and signed him an assistant contract - a special assistant, directly hired by the HQ. Towards this special assistant status, think about it yourself."
He Zhenheng gasped. This special assistant status, isn't it about the same level as the Vice President? He, he still thought that the other person was called upstairs because someone took a fancy of him, and want to keep him (as a mistress)...
"In short, you need to pay more attention to that newcomer, don't let her blindly go crazy again." Hu Zongze said with a sneer, face full of sarcasm, "Please keep the naivety to yourself, borrow someone else's hand to splash the black material - the drama has not finished broadcasting, just hold her hand on the "A" label. This newcomer's method is not like some girl who just entered the entertainment industry. Lao He, be careful not to turn over the boat in the hands of a little girl."
{T/N: 老 (lǎo) means old, it is also used to show respect, but in this context it conveys the idea of a close relationship}
{Ed. Notes: The above paragraph was a bit weird in wording, not too sure if it got the actual meaning across. It means something like Zhang Xinran is a cunning newcomer - and that they shouldn't let her have too many privileges. But also to not let her know as this as she may do something to affect broadcasting view rates}
He Zhenheng pushed down his words to thought. His heart was cold, and his back exuded cold sweat.
After a whole day of fermentation, the public opinion on Weibo was completely reversed. Along with the quickly washed white Yao Cheng, Zhang Xinran's perfect reputation gradually got a layer of ash.
After flipping through all the cast and crew's Weibo, the fans found out a magical phenomenon. That even though on Zang Xinran's Weibo, she seemed to have a good interaction with the others, there weren't any pictures of her in the others' dinner group posts. On the contrary, even though Yao Cheng never showed much on his Weibo, and didn't interact much with the other cast and crew, his figure still could be seen in the background of the others' posts - clearly having a quiet and good relationship in private. The most interesting thing was that in Deng Jun's daily post, Zhang Xinran's bag and clothing appeared in the corner, and on Weibo, their interaction seem very official.
A cover up only makes things more capricious, certainly sly. This was the only idea that the fans had after reading these kinds of contrasting posts.
The popular 'Aesthetic Lord' topic still hung, but fans only felt sarcastic now. Really a top student, her scheming is also very deep. If those transfer records didn't flow out onto the internet, Yao Cheng probably would have been completely blackened away from the entertainment industry.
Although there were a variety of speculation, Zhang Xinran's helplessness and Deng Jun's cover was too good - aside from those clues on the photo's corner, they couldn't find any proof of interaction. The most frightening case was that even though fans dug deeply about Zhang Xinran, they couldn't find any dark about her, not even an ugly photo!
In this case - whether she was really kind and perfect from childhood till now, or someone erased her past history in advance - only her most perfect side was displayed on the internet.
Combined with Yao Cheng's dark past, fans were more likely to prefer the second.
Opening up her Weibo account, and rummaging through it again, fans thought that the former inspirational posts about 'appreciated by director', 'valued by agent', 'invited to XXX activities by XXX actor', and 'honoured at getting XX title' instantly became hypocrisy. The former excellent acting skill and greatly praise by media saying that she was someone born with a superstar nature also became proof of her profound mind.
Zhang Xinran was only 18, but all things were maintained and helped to create her perfect image, thinking deeply to the extreme.
Just when the atmosphere began to become awkward and delicate, Mu Tian officially issued a statement. The statement said that actor Deng Jun and Ms. Liu Chinxiu's recent improper actions toward Mu Tian staff, Mr. Yao Cheng, had caused a bad impact and serious damage to the latter. After much deliberation, the company had decided to entrust a lawyer to take legal measures against these two people. Hopefully, the two people will immediately stop all the smearing and slander against Mr. Yao Cheng after they'd seen this statement, and quietly wait for the court summons.
A stone stirs up a thousand layers of waves!
Yao Cheng also surprisingly signed a contract with Mu Tian! And now Mu Tian took the initiative for his sake! A neat and straight shot to the court, completely disregarding the public war on internet. Mu Tian was so cool! How bold!
The slightly dispirited fans cheered up, but were confused again soon after. Mu Tian sued Deng Jun and Yao Cheng's aunt, but what about Zhang Xinran? Was she really innocent?
We Fen were happy, one by one they all post that their family's Ran-Ran was certainly innocent. Otherwise, why was her name not on the list? And Ju Fen said that Zhang Xinran was certainly not white - her name was not on the list simply because they were both are Mu Tian members; the company wouldn't let them go and create an internal affair, let other companies see them as a joke. That much ugliness, surely it's the only way for an internal affair's solution.
{T/N: We Fen are solo fans who only like one person from a drama or an idol group, and Ju Fen are similar to fans who like the drama itself}
Having no place to vent out their subtle mood, fans began to vigorously fight with each other.
After finishing the shooting, Ye Zhizhou who was bored to death opened Weibo. One moment, he looked at the fan war, and on the other moment, he looked at the Mu Tian statement. He supported his chin whilst in deep thought. In the end, should he continue to use the golden thigh power to step on the protagonist and cut her off from entertainment industry...?
"What are you thinking?"
"Zhang Xinran."
The atmosphere around them suddenly sank, and realising this, Ye Zhizhou snapped out of it - looking back from his chair to see the man. *Blink, blink* That, this... why is the golden thigh standing behind his chair? Wasn't the one behind him Ouyang Zhi...?
"Who are you looking for now?"
"Ouyang...uh"
"Very well." Ouyang Chun lifted his hand onto Ye Zhizhou's forehead, brushing the bangs that covered the swelling. With his tone seriously cold, and his expression dark, "Yao Cheng, I really want to lock you up, only for me to see."
The hair on Ye Zhizhou's neck pricked up, and an alarm siren rang out in his heart.
It is risky hugging a thigh! One need to be cautious when completing this mission! One absolutely cannot take shortcuts and the like, ah!
