He simply didn't have time to think about these things.
Chen Xingting is very strict. Although he initially agreed to "just make a cameo appearance", after tricking the sugar daddy into coming, Chen Xingting immediately revealed his sinister side. He not only forced the seedlings to grow, but also wanted to give him some mutated water.
For example... requiring Zhang Chaohe and Zhang Xijing to work together on the exam paper.
Zhang Chaohe: Although we all share the surname Zhang, what merit do I possess to be compared to the TV King?
At this moment, Chen Xingting was sighing with worry, trying to guide Zhang Chaohe into the situation through a hypothetical scenario: "Xiaohe, don't be so reserved. This scene was filmed after Gu Yinqiu had just annexed the Nanhuai Army. Now he not only has to balance the internal infighting within the army, but also has to withstand the covetous allies from the outside world... Let me give you an example."
"If you suddenly acquired Mr. Zhang's Shengjing Group right now, how should you feel?"
Zhang Chaohe tried to lighten the tense atmosphere on set with a witty remark: "I should be in a state where I directly hand over the group to a professional asset manager and then travel around the world."
Chen Xingting: He doesn't buy into the sponsor's act at all: "You should be outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense, not showing any anxiety but always letting the audience see that you are under a lot of pressure."
Cheng Jixue chimed in, "Director Chen, take a break and let President Zhang think about it some more. After all, it's a career change, and he might not be used to it yet."
After Director Chen went to the back to get a drink of water while tapping on his script booklet, Cheng Jixue quietly said to Zhang Chaohe, "President Zhang, just treat him like Li Ye, pretend that Li Ye is making a greasy speech in front of you and confessing his feelings in public in an attempt to morally blackmail you."
This scene does indeed have that implication. After Gu Yinqiu swallowed up the Nanhuai Army, he urgently needed to rebalance the power within the army, while other forces were also eyeing the opportunity to cause trouble.
He ostensibly came to meet with the commander of an allied force, but in reality, he had entered a dangerous situation alone, and it remained to be seen whether he could suppress the others in this attempt.
Upon hearing Li Ye's name, Zhang Chaohe's body trembled. He instantly thought of the money lost by Liandong and the punch Cheng Jixue had taken. He immediately revealed a sinister smile that was both hidden and filled with murderous intent.
Chen Xingting, who had somehow wandered back, walked with a ghostly gait: "Yes, yes, very good! Keep it up!"
Chen Xingting was afraid that Zhang Chaohe's hard-won performance would slip away like sand in the wind, so he quickly called on all departments to start preparing. This time, he got it right in one take, and the actor who was acting opposite him even joked with him, "President Zhang's eyes are too scary. I almost thought I had offended President Zhang in some way."
Cheng Jixue privately told Chen Xingting about this new directing method, and Chen Xingting looked at Zhang Chaohe thoughtfully for a while—and then his directing style changed to this:
"This person is a spy infiltrating your company. He is sending confidential documents to rival companies behind your back."
"This person used underhanded tactics to steal your land at the bidding conference."
"This person is Chairman Zhang's long-term business partner."
Zhang Chaohe seamlessly transitions between a variety of emotions, sometimes unfathomable, sometimes glaring coldly, and sometimes smiling sincerely, with a smoothness comparable to Dove chocolate and a speed at which he goes from scene to scene as fast as having diarrhea.
The staff present were amazed, all feeling that Mr. Zhang's acting skills were even more unpredictable than the rise and fall of stocks.
In the next scene, when Gu Yinqiu had to pretend to endure humiliation and compromise to let Chang Xiaoyue sing for the officers present, the nitpicky Chen Xingting once again nitpicked about her eyes—this time, it was Cheng Jixue who was the one being nitpicked.
"Don't look at me so affectionately, you two aren't lovers!"
"I want you to feel a little resentful, not to seduce him!"
Cheng Jixue sincerely apologized for this, and then diligently presented Chen Xingting with new questions next time.
Chen Xingting was frantic with frustration. He couldn't understand why his prodigy had suddenly underperformed today, like a model student being led astray by a naughty classmate. He lamented, "Manager Zhang, you're in such good form, what's wrong with you!"
Cheng Jixue sneered inwardly: I still want to know what's going on with him!
Although he had no intention of slowing down the filming schedule, Zhang Chaohe stood there like a cold piece of wood, dutifully acting opposite him—all his restraint and shyness disappeared completely, as if the soft Zhang Chaohe he saw that day was a dream.
Cold-blooded and ruthless, always handling business strictly by the book, without a trace of personal feelings.
Even with his extensive acting experience, Cheng Jixue couldn't contain his shock and anxiety. He couldn't understand what went wrong again. Why had Zhang Chaohe become as cold and indifferent as an old monk who had been in meditation for many years after only a few days apart?
Is it because he has too much work that he goes into a cold mode?
After they get together, is he really going to abandon all his work and make Zhang Chaohe a millionaire's wife...?
He found it absurd to think about it, and his lips involuntarily pursed. Chen Xingting couldn't bear to see him so self-reproachful, so he offered to rest for a while longer.
The young woman watching the camera angle chuckled. Chen Xingting glanced at her and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Zhang Chaohe seemed to be saying something to Cheng Jixue over there. Seeing that they weren't paying attention to them, the young lady whispered to Chen Xingting, "Didn't you notice, Director Chen? They're having a fight!"
Chen Xingting: Why are you making things difficult for me, a 52-year-old director, when you're having a falling out?
The young woman whispered her analysis: "Look how well Brother Cheng was doing before, he could hold his own against Teacher Zhang in their scenes, so why does he keep getting stuck on that eye contact in this scene?"
"Because he was acting opposite Director Zhang! You don't know Qiuyue, do you?"
Chen Xingting's expression was one of utter devastation: "Isn't that just a publicity stunt?"
The young woman didn't say anything, but simply answered his question with two "tsk tsk" sounds.
Seeing Cheng Jixue secretly kicking pebbles on the ground while talking to Xiao Zhang, Chen Xingting called out to him. Cheng Jixue glanced at him and obediently followed him to a secluded spot.
Chen Xingting asked worriedly, "You two aren't together yet?"
Cheng Jixue, suddenly attacked by the director, helplessly pinched the corner of his eye: "When did you figure that out?"
Chen Xingting thought to himself, "In the words of young people, I could be considered a veteran CP fan of the two of you. When it comes to acting, no one can escape my discerning eye!" He coughed and said, "Well... it was that time when we went to President Zhang's house for dinner."
This time, it was Cheng Jixue's turn to be puzzled. He widened his eyes slightly and asked, "Why so early?"
Chen Xingting: ?
Cheng Jixue: ?
The two stared at each other, their expressions filled with disbelief, like two bewildered frogs gazing at each other.
Chen Xingting was the first to give up. He patted Cheng Jixue sympathetically and said, "Although I've never gotten married in my life, I've always had a girlfriend. I can only give you one piece of advice—you have to strike first, especially with someone like President Zhang who's seen it all."
Cheng Jixue pressed on earnestly, "So, how should it go?"
"Don't rush things; wait until the relationship is stable before taking the initiative!"
The student in last place is tutoring the student in second to last place. It's truly a case of one daring to teach and the other daring to listen. Cheng Jixue went through the process in her mind and humbly asked, "So, should we strike first or wait for the right opportunity?"
Chen Xingting suddenly realized that what he had said earlier seemed to have some nonsense, so he immediately straightened his face and changed the subject: "Be flexible and adaptable - try not to bring your personal emotions into the play later. Look at how well President Zhang did it."
Cheng Jixue felt even more troubled. If Zhang Chaohe hadn't done a good job, he probably wouldn't have cared so much.
"Let's try again. I'll photograph him as if he were you."
Chen Xingting hesitated and said, "Actually, it's okay to add a little emotion, since the character of Chang Xiaoyue is heavy and sad."
Enough with the bullshit! Upholding heavenly principles doesn't mean extinguishing human desires!
Cheng Jixue stood there for a while to calm herself down. As soon as she returned to her position, she noticed that Zhang Chaohe not only had the jubilant look on his face, as if he had surpassed the person in first place, but also extended a warm invitation to her: "Shall we go check on Caiye later? It had a bit of diarrhea a couple of days ago, but it's gotten better now."
With just this one sentence, Cheng Jixue inexplicably felt that Zhang Chaohe's favoritism towards him had returned—he was now experiencing the anxiety of unrequited love, constantly worrying about gains and losses, and could only use all the little bit of observation skills he had figured out before on Zhang Chaohe.
But Zhang Chaohe has maxed out all kinds of resistances and doesn't fall for the tricks of normal people at all.
Cheng Jixue felt as if he had finally landed after falling from a great height for a long time. He smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll treat you to dinner tonight?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered that there was only a canteen in the film crew... Zhang Chaohe waved his hand mysteriously.
Cheng Jixue was in good form this time. Although her eyes still held a hint of lingering affection, overall she didn't exceed Director Chen's expectations.
He also called the two of them over and said earnestly, "Although the outside world is hyping up Qiuyue, I hope you can not be influenced by the market and make our own drama. They can interpret it as they please, but we are a historical drama and we cannot win the market by playing on the edge."
"Try not to bring your personal emotions into the play. There are no scenes between the two of you tomorrow, so go back and adjust your state."
Although Chen Xingting was vague and did not explicitly name the person, both of them felt guilty and said in unison that they knew.
The two exchanged a glance as soon as they finished speaking—both wondering why the other had agreed.
In reality, Zhang Chaohe was far less composed than Cheng Jixue had imagined. The only way he managed to stay focused today was by mentally replaying various war movies he had watched before to lower his excitement levels.
It's too cruel, so incredibly cruel. Just one look from Cheng Jixue, with her hesitant, melancholic gaze, made Zhang Chaohe feel as if someone had twisted a thin thread in his heart, causing him both heartache and sorrow.
But he had already made up his mind yesterday to secretly like her, so he absolutely couldn't show any weakness, and he absolutely couldn't let him notice this ridiculous clue—
Zhang Chaohe had no choice but to resort to the cold-face tactic and forcibly distort that tiny flutter of the heart using the imagery of a war film.
It was a great success. Cheng Jixue never expected that the goose would be so cunning, and she was really fooled by it!
The two awkwardly bowed to each other, pretending the scene was going very smoothly, and then each put on a fake smile instead of a genuine one, like two mushrooms that had just met in the wild.
One mushroom tries its best to disguise itself as a non-toxic, ordinary mushroom, while the other cautiously extends a mycelium to test the waters, ready to run away at any moment.
Cheng Jixue racked her brains trying to continue the conversation, but then the production assistant called out, "The meal that Boss Zhang ordered for his visit to the set has arrived!"
It is said that Assistant Chen just drove into his own film set in a lively manner with two cars. The cars even had the logo of a famous hotel in the city on them, making the other film crews in the film studio extremely envious.
As soon as the car stopped, the two deliverymen jumped off and skillfully took out the food delivery box from the car, immediately displaying a row of exquisitely presented dishes!
Although actor Zhang Chaohe was on set working alongside everyone, the sponsor, Mr. Zhang, arrived late but not late, and without saying a word, he brought the solution that the people most wanted: to improve their meals!
The entire set was as excited as a troop of monkeys boiling in a primeval forest... Everyone was exhausted after a long day, and they were all thrilled to hear that tonight's meal wouldn't be stir-fried green peppers with pork or fried chicken strips.
Cheng Jixue joked in a low voice, "I thought we were going to have stir-fried green peppers with pork again today."
Zhang Chaohe's expression was serious: "With me around, how could I possibly let you eat stir-fried green peppers with pork!"
The reason why Chen, the special assistant, wasn't allowed to visit the set yesterday was because he was in special training. The instructor only allowed him to eat a quick boxed lunch before continuing to train... Today, after being released from prison, he immediately asked Chen, the special assistant, to come and rescue him!
Considering Mr. Zhang's peculiar hobbies and aesthetics, dressed like a second-in-command and even wearing sunglasses in the dark, Assistant Chen said to Zhang Chaohe in a serious and cold tone, "Mr. Zhang, everything is taken care of!"
Sure enough, the crew members on set all looked at Mr. Zhang with admiration and envy!
Chen Xingting, who was excitedly dismantling a lobster with his bare hands, secretly glanced at Assistant Chen upon hearing this: This wasn't how it was when the new assistant was discussing the details of Xiao Zhang joining the team before, was it? Is it true that getting close to Xiao Zhang makes you turn into a goose?
Assistant Chen had just mentioned that he had brought Caiye some small fish and shrimp that Caiye used to love, so that President Zhang could feed them to Caiye himself when he got back, showing their father-son bond, when Chen Xingting came over and asked with interest, "Did you bring the goose too?"
Zhang Chaohe thought to himself, "I don't want to either, but the Caiye variety is quite special. Everyone is afraid of geese and unwilling to help take care of it. In addition, he found out last time that Caiye is actually quite clingy, so it's not easy to entrust it to others. I have no choice but to take care of it myself."
Zhang Chaohe gave a casual explanation, and Chen Xingting immediately expressed his desire to meet the internet celebrity goose in person.
Cheng Jixue, who was originally looking forward to a wonderful world for his family of three, frantically tried to signal to Chen Xingting with his eyes, but Director Chen remained unmoved, pretending to be an ostrich and directly rejecting his strange glances!
I'm also curious to see what an obedient goose looks like. Chen Xingting, a simple country boy, secretly thought, "When I was a kid, I was chased and beaten by geese every day. I never thought I'd run into someone who keeps one of these things as a pet when I grew up."
Because Zhang Chaohe paid the full price, the service was exceptionally good. The Häagen-Dazs ice cream was protected by layers of dry ice, remaining icy cold and hard throughout the bumpy ride, showing no signs of melting. It was so comforting to hold and eat it on such a summer night.
Not long after, the lead actors from the crime drama filming next door also came over to join in the fun. After all, Assistant Chen had just made a high-profile entrance, which had been seen by several other film crews nearby, and they were incredibly envious. Unlike the situation with "Wild Geese Crying in the Wind," there was no tension between them, and there was no competition between them. Zhang Chaohe generously and warmly invited them to have dinner together.
By bribing their neighbors with delicious food, Zhang Chaohe unexpectedly helped the crew of the TV series "The Golden Hairpin" to improve their relationship with their neighbors.
The film set was bustling with people, like a New Year's celebration. Wherever Zhang Chaohe stood, that place was undoubtedly the center of attention. Cheng Jixue watched him bask in the admiring glances of passersby, but a dark thought suddenly popped into her head.
Why should everyone be able to see him?
Even though he knew perfectly well that he was brighter and more intense than the sun and would attract everyone's attention.
Why can't we hide him?
When I was little, my parents told me to learn to share with others. But as I grew older, they taught me that I didn't need to share anything. If I liked something, I had to possess it, hold it tightly in my hands, and use the most swift and decisive means to let everyone know—this is yours, and no one else can touch it.
He kept thinking about things that were going on and on, but when Zhang Chaohe turned his head, he only saw him staring blankly and forlornly at the ground, his long eyelashes obscuring his eyes.
It also obscured his deep and biased gaze.