[He's so charismatic and alluring, Cheng has that refined, aristocratic feel, while he's the kind of materialistic, decadent type. prprpr]
Zhang Chaohe blushed with pride at the compliment, barely able to suppress the smile on his face. He unexpectedly experienced the sense of accomplishment that celebrities feel when others like them, and he was so happy that he almost went to buy another million-dollar lottery ticket.
As for Li Yimao, with General Manager Zhang personally overseeing the project and the absence of his exploitative manager's covert suppression, more viewers were able to witness his talent. Many immediately went to learn about his previous works, exclaiming that they had discovered a hidden gem of a singer.
Mei Jinghan's fans were also very satisfied—they are rational fans who have survived the test of time, and they clearly know that their idol has some shortcomings. They praised Mei Jinghan's performance this time, saying that she seemed to have broken free of some kind of shackles and was full of passion.
Before fans could even rejoice, Mei Jinghan had already posted her pre-prepared farewell message to the singing and dancing stage. Although a small number of fans felt regretful and chose to say goodbye quietly, the sheer volume of attention and online traffic meant that new fans quickly filled the void.
Mei Jinghan felt apologetic; these fans were like old friends, accompanying him through many ups and downs over the years. But as Sister Cheng said, today was the best time for him to announce this news. His path was different from his two friends, and he would likely face both fame and controversy in the future. Parting ways with his fans gracefully sooner rather than later was also a personal consideration for him.
Jiasheng's official Weibo account also reposted a short clip—in which the host joked that everyone at Jiasheng, from the president to the artists, was handsome. The camera focused on Zhang Chaohe, who seemed incredulous and asked in a clear and articulate voice, "Isn't being handsome a standard requirement for idols?"
The official Weibo account enthusiastically reposted the post with the hashtag #Jiasheng'sArtistStandard, and Jiasheng's artists rushed to ride the wave of popularity. The hashtag, which combined the efforts of many, actually managed to climb to the top of the trending searches thanks to the fans.
The entire night after the show aired was a celebration for Jiasheng, and the hype didn't subside even on the second and third days. Cheng Jixue's empty Weibo account gained over two million followers, while Zhang Chaohe easily surpassed ten million Weibo followers thanks to the audience he attracted through several million-dollar giveaways and the show's broadcast!
Mr. Zhang was devastated to discover that his Weibo follower count was among the top ten of all artists at Jiasheng Entertainment... Apart from the top two male and female artists whose follower counts were relatively exaggerated, the other artists that Jiasheng Entertainment could boast about were just ordinary second- or third-tier artists with around ten or twenty million followers.
Not to mention that some of these are fake fans that companies bought for their artists out of desperation...
Moreover, with the company's top male star defecting and its top female star relying on variety show appearances to make a living, Jiasheng may seem thriving, but its roots are already rotten, and restructuring its resources is urgently needed.
Fortunately, Jiasheng capitalized on this wave of popularity by launching several new artists, who were then incorporated into different projects invested in by the company.
Cheng Jixue didn't stand out too much among these hardworking newcomers. Cheng Xuelan tried having her operations assistant publish some press releases about Cheng Jixue, which received heartwarming praise from fans.
Everything seemed to be in good order until one day when Zhang Chaohe was browsing Weibo on his alternate account, he discovered that his followers were actually named "Millionaire's Beloved Wife"... He painfully put down his phone, vaguely feeling that he was at risk of a heart attack.
He finally caught his breath and looked down again, only to find that a fan had shared a clip from a pink fan site related to him. Zhang Chaohe was overjoyed. Ignoring the obvious "multi-person" words in the video title, he clicked on the video without hesitation.
However, in the next two minutes, he was willing to spend his entire life healing him.
This content creator used incredible editing skills to create fan-made pairings of Zhang Chaohe with all the other guests based solely on footage from one episode of a variety show.
In every story, he is an arrogant and aloof CEO who has lost love. Cheng Jixue, Li Yimao, Mei Jinghan, Zhang Xijing, and even Fu Ziming and Zhao Qin could not escape his clutches. They all fell at the feet of CEO Zhang and all met tragic ends.
Zhang Chaohe almost choked up... The scariest thing was that there were actually netizens in the comments section who shipped him with Cheng Jixue, and they even circled the deep affection in Cheng Jixue's eyes as he silently watched him from the waiting area, to prove that their own CP was real—
Don't you ever pay special attention to your boss? Aren't you always ready to be on the front lines for your boss?!
Help! Stop randomly touching things! There really is a bad boss who got killed by someone else's real husband!
Just then, Cheng Xuelan called, her first words being, "Cheng Jixue—"
Zhang Chaohe instinctively covered his face and immediately stopped him, saying, "Don't mention him!"
Cheng Xuelan: Cheng Xuelan wasn't buying it. She asked coldly, "Are you alright?"
Zhang Chaohe then realized that, given Cheng Xuelan's nature of never calling without a reason, she must have something important to say. He frantically shook off the jumbled thoughts in his mind and apologized repeatedly, "Sorry, I just finished browsing the supertopic, what did you say?"
Cheng Xuelan: "President Zhang, your mental fortitude still needs some work."
She assumed that Zhang Chaohe was simply having trouble calming down after seeing the trolls making a scene—as a top agent with over a decade of experience, she had seen this kind of thing many times and didn't care at all.
"The trending topics these past two days have had an effect. A director has taken a liking to Cheng Jixue, and the script has already been handed to me."
Zhang Chaohe was taken aback. It seemed that Cheng Jixue had received the first script of his life.
⚹
Chen Xingting stubbed out his fifth cigarette. He stood up from the steps at the entrance of the opera academy's teaching building, brushed the ash off his backside haphazardly, and said, "Let's go. If it doesn't work out, we'll just find an actor to teach us on the spot. Let's not look for anyone else."
The assistant sighed deeply. He couldn't bear to sit on the ground with his new trousers. He had been squatting for almost half an hour, and when he stood up, his legs were so numb that he almost fell over.
"Even if we're just looking for someone now, we need to find someone who can endure hardship." The assistant was still clutching the car keys in his hand. In the distance, car lights flashed—a Land Rover and a BMW 5 Series were parked next to each other, and the white Bora sandwiched in between looked dusty and gray.
"To play a role, one's appearance and temperament must be decent, right? This requires years of hard work and training. Where can you find someone like Bai Chen?"
“Don’t mention him,” Chen Xingting scoffed. “He’s bad luck.”
The assistant pursed his lips, dejectedly got into the car, and drove off. Students passing by looked curiously at the old car squeezed among the luxury cars. Chen Xingting's cold and repressed face was reflected in the car window, like a hard stone sculpture.
Chen Xingting, a renowned director who once produced TV Kings and Queens and created a legend in television dramas, reappeared in the public eye after five years of silence due to an economic dispute case involving his younger brother who absconded after owing a huge sum of money in a company project.
To pay off his debts, Chen Xingting had no choice but to return to public life.
However, the market changed drastically within five years. The once famous director was no longer sought after, and with some competitors intentionally suppressing him, he even found it difficult to attract investment.
The script in his hand was called "Zan Ying," a historical drama about feudal nobles, represented by Princess Minrong, accepting new ideas.
During the decline of the Qing Dynasty, Princess Minrong broke with her old aristocratic family after embracing new revolutionary ideas. Later, when Japan invaded China, Minrong joined the underground organization without hesitation and made outstanding contributions to the liberation of the new China.
However, throughout the princess's growth, there was a controversial supporting character who became a difficult point to portray – this person was the famous opera singer Chang Xiaoyue.
Chang Xiaoyue was once the leading actress in the opera troupe of Prince Jing's mansion. It is said that she was beautiful but not effeminate. When she was not dressed up, she was elegant and dignified, but when she was on stage, she was beautiful and charming, and had countless suitors.
Minrong Gege was no exception. She was deeply attracted to Chang Xiaoyue at first sight. Moreover, she had been rebellious since childhood and was influenced by new ideas, believing that everyone was equal. She did not have the inferiority complex of the old aristocracy who always looked down on actors. Therefore, Chang Xiaoyue also gave her heart.
But even Minrong didn't know how much of her feelings for Chang Xiaoyue were genuine, or how much was just a momentary act of spite—or perhaps, she was simply using Chang Xiaoyue as a way to rebel against her family.
As expected, when Prince Jing learned that his daughter had lowered herself to have an affair with a lowly actor, he was furious and wanted to beat Chang Xiaoyue to death. Just when Minrong's threat of suicide failed and Chang Xiaoyue was doomed, an adjutant from Marshal Gu's mansion arrived and rescued him from the jaws of death.
Chang Xiaoyue not only survived, but after recovering from his injuries at the Marshal's Mansion, Marshal Gu also promoted him to become a famous actor—not only did later generations have many different opinions about their relationship, but people at the time also thought so. However, Chang Xiaoyue didn't care about the rumors and slander, after all, his performances were always sold out, and he was extremely popular. Even Prince Jing had to smile and beg when he saw him again.
But this period of peace was short-lived. The Japanese invaded China, and Commander Gu was assassinated on his return journey after a defeat in battle. Liucheng fell. Soon after, Chang Xiaoyue also disappeared in the chaos of war, never to be heard from again. Some say she died for Commander Gu, others say she was betrayed and murdered by Prince Jing, still others say she was captured by Japanese officers—the accounts vary.
Chang Xiaoyue's tumultuous life ended amidst much speculation, but as a traditional opera actor, his artistic achievements are undeniable, and to this day, his singing style still occupies an important position in the world of traditional Chinese opera.
Faced with such a complex role, Chen Xingting hoped to find an actor with a background in traditional opera to portray it—and there just happened to be a second-tier star named Bai Chen who was a traditional opera actor specializing in young male roles!
Finding a suitable male lead for a female role is difficult, but a male lead will do! Chen Xingting excitedly contacted the other party's agent. When the agent heard that it was Chen Xingting who had invited him to act, he immediately agreed to seriously consider it and even hinted several times that a contract could be signed at any time.
But just when Chen Xingting thought he had solved a major problem, Bai Chen called him personally, saying that he was an auditioning actor he had rejected years ago, and even mocked him for dreaming of making a comeback.
Not only did she not care about acting in his low-budget, shoddy production, she had already taken on the role of "Chang Xiaoyue" in another TV series of the same genre directed by another director!
Chen Xingting was so stunned that he didn't even have time to react. He drank heavily for two days and started going to each opera academy with his assistant yesterday, squatting at the entrance of the teaching building every day to search for suitable actors.
Still nothing.
The car stopped at an intersection. The assistant glanced at the nearly two-minute countdown timer on the traffic light, then secretly picked up his phone from under the steering wheel and opened Weibo. Chen Xingting, in the passenger seat, covered his face with his hands, trying to smooth his furrowed brows with his fingertips, as if that would sweep away all the frustration in his heart.
He was lost in thought when his assistant next to him let out a sharp "Ah!" which startled Chen Xingting so much that he almost slipped and bumped his face on the glove box in front of him.
He was about to explode in anger when he saw his assistant frantically patting his arm and shouting at an even louder voice, "Director Chen, look at the trending topics! Look at the trending topics! Chang Xiaoyue is pregnant!!"
Chang Xiaoyue is now the radish that pulls the mule forward. Chen Xingting quickly took out his phone and opened it. He was so excited that he almost shed tears - this guest performer was simply the Chang Xiaoyue in his mind who had come to life!
Chen Xingting watched that stage segment carefully several times, and even went to find Cheng Jixue's solo cut. The more he watched, the more excited he became. He tugged at his assistant's sleeve and shouted, "Damn, even God is on my side! Isn't this my Chang Xiaoyue?!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The assistant gritted his teeth and floored the gas pedal. He hated Bai Chen's smug face so much that he gritted his teeth in hatred. "He's so arrogant, isn't he? Good thing he didn't act! We don't care!"
Chen Xingting immediately begged and pleaded to find a way to send Chang Xiaoyue's script to Cheng Jixue's agent. He clasped his hands together, took a deep breath, and his gloomy and cold face actually showed a hint of unease and anticipation.
Chen Xingting prayed frantically for several minutes before finally slamming his keyboard down and clicking send!
A note from the author:
Of course, we need Mr. Zhang to join the script too! Then, for future award-winning films, Mr. Zhang will only be able to barely be listed alongside Mr. Cheng as a production company, lol.
Chapter 17
Zhang Chaohe originally wanted to call Cheng Jixue directly to come up, but considering that he should maintain his CEO demeanor, he specially called the internal line and asked his assistant to notify Cheng Jixue to come to the CEO's office.
The mere thought of that video made him incredibly uneasy, as if ten spiders were crawling all over him, making it difficult for him to calmly face the other party. Considering Cheng Jixue should be in acting class at this time, and that his home was more than half an hour's drive from the company, Zhang Chaohe decided to personally make himself a cup of instant coffee to process his negative emotions.
Then, as he opened the office door, he ran into Cheng Jixue, who was raising her hand to knock. The two stared at each other, separated only by a door panel.
Zhang Chaohe: Holy crap!
He quickly dodged to create some distance, but the cat-shaped coffee cup lid in his hand flew off due to inertia!
"Watch out—" Cheng Jixue lunged forward and grabbed the cup lid!
Luckily, he was quick-witted and managed to save the cat-head cup lid from destruction. Zhang Chaohe reluctantly took the lid back onto the cup, took a step back, and invited him in: "How did you get here so fast?"
Cheng Jixue reached for the coffee cup and glanced at the instant coffee powder inside. For some reason, Zhang Chaohe felt a sense of unease, like a homeroom teacher checking homework. Sure enough, he saw Cheng Jixue frown slightly.
"I have class downstairs."
Cheng Jixue glanced at the hand-cranked coffee grinder in the office, which looked like a decoration, and decisively poured out the instant coffee powder that Zhang Chaohe had just poured in.
Zhang Chaohe unconsciously followed him—most actors take acting lessons at home, and only those like Cheng Jixue who invite teachers to the company's training room can do so because it's inconvenient at home. He felt a little sympathy, and his voice unconsciously softened: "Didn't you move over there?"
He was referring to that small duplex apartment.
“I have some costume boxes and cut-up items at home that are not easy to move, so I didn’t move there,” Cheng Jixue explained while skillfully operating the coffee machine. “Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Zhang.”
Zhang Chaohe didn't press him any further, but instead stared intently at his long, beautiful hands as he gathered coffee beans and poured them into the mortar, his tone surprised: "You can make this? I thought you only drank tea."
Cheng Jixue glanced at Zhang Chaohe out of the corner of her eye. He was standing against the light, half of his face was in shadow. He had a sharp and stern appearance, but his eyes were bright and curious, like a large dog that looked fierce but was lively and affectionate.
Cheng Jixue chuckled and said, "I'm just a professional opera singer, not some old-fashioned person—my former partner used to dye his hair and go clubbing."
Zhang Chaohe sensed the teasing in his tone and changed the subject, feeling embarrassed: "How's your audition for Director Lu going?"
The beans in the mortar had been ground into a fine powder, the oil coating the powder and forming small, sour-smelling granules. Cheng Jixue remembered Cheng Xuelan telling him that he must kill Xu Shen and wanted to laugh even more, so he deliberately said, "The preparations are so-so."
Zhang Chaohe silently gasped.
"But I should put in more effort than Senior Xu Shen."
Zhang Chaohe exhaled silently again, and asked curiously, "Why did you insist on comparing yourself to him?"
"Weren't you competing with Manager Du?" Cheng Jixue glanced at him with amusement. "Sister Cheng told me that I must do my best to make General Manager Zhang happy."
Zhang Chaohe felt a little embarrassed, like a heartless parent forcing their child to compete with classmates. He touched the tip of his nose: "Aren't you angry?"
"Why would I be angry?" Cheng Jixue poured the ground coffee into the pot to brew. He lowered his eyes and focused on grinding the coffee, looking pitifully lonely. This made Zhang Chaohe feel even more guilty. "If President Zhang is willing to support me, I must live up to his expectations and make enough money for him to repay his kindness in nurturing me."
These words...for some reason, had a subtle tea fragrance about them, yet they precisely hit Zhang Chaohe's weakness.
Xiao Zhang's biggest flaw in life is his soft heart, especially his inability to bear seeing the weaker party show weakness.
A surge of heroic spirit welled up within him, and Zhang Chaohe grabbed Cheng Jixue's strong, lean wrist: "You don't need to feel guilty. You don't need to worry about Du Ze's affairs. Just focus on your acting."
Cheng Jixue glanced down at the hand dangling from his wrist; its fingers were long and slender, its skin pale, like a pampered plaster statue in an exhibition stand. He forced a smile, but his voice carried a hint of confusion and a perfectly timed unease: "President Zhang... why is President Zhang so good to me?"
Zhang Chaohe froze for a moment—he couldn't very well say that this was a good deed he was doing to accumulate merit for himself, just hoping not to be killed by the attack, so he could only force an explanation: "Because you are better looking than Xu Shen, if he can become famous, you definitely can too!"
This simple reason is simply impeccable, after all, it's common knowledge that Cheng Jixue is more handsome than Xu Shen.
Cheng Jixue remained silent. Zhang Chaohe earnestly hoped that he could be brainwashed and forget the absurd things the original owner had done—even if he didn't forget, it would be good if he could have a chance to explain before Master Ji made his move.