"Forty-eight stations along the Xiliang River, I'll take all the men for the army, no money required." Zhang Xijing raised an eyebrow and glanced at Cheng Jixue, his usually upright features now showing a flirtatious and teasing expression.
The students watched with even greater enthusiasm, and several eager viewers had already stood up and shouted "That's good!"
“I will go to the Prime Minister’s residence and tell my father that I will have a few servants bring you here,” Cheng Jixue said, pointing with his right hand as if to roll up his sleeve, “and send you to the yamen to be beaten with a cane and put in shackles. It will teach you that it is easy to think back but difficult to back down!”
"Sister-in-law, there's no need for clever arguments. Even if you're a soldier and end up before an official, I'll take care of things inside and outside the government office. I'll make sure you break off the relationship with us!"
"Sir, your words are unreasonable and you are deceiving people as if you were deceiving Heaven. I, Wang Baochuan, a chaste and virtuous woman, am here at Wujiapo!"
“What a chaste Wang Baochuan! All your attempts to seduce her are in vain.” Zhang Xijing stepped forward, bowed, and placed a silver ingot on the ground. “I took out a silver ingot from my waist and placed it on the ground.”
“This silver ingot is three taels and three fen. Give it to my sister-in-law as a dowry,” Zhang Xijing counted on his fingers. “Buy silk and satin to make clothes, jewelry, and hairpins. We’ll live out the years we were married in our youth!”
Cheng Jixue covered his face and backed away, feigning shame and indignation. Although he looked like he could easily beat Xue Pinggui, his demeanor was perfectly natural: "I don't want this silver ingot. Give it to your mother to make money for a stable home!" He strode forward and pointed at Xue Pinggui: "Buy white cloth, make white shirts, buy white paper, paste white banners, and earn the reputation of a filial son throughout the world!"
The audience burst into laughter—indeed, cursing is a popular art form, and everyone understood this part.
“A virtuous woman should not leave her boudoir, so why is she by the main road, serving the army—with ill intentions!” Zhang Xijing took a step back, took a breath, and said, “Come, come, mount your horse, let’s ride to Xiliang!”
After the two finished their performance with great enthusiasm, they bowed and took their bows. Zhang Xijing left the stage, and the cheers from the audience almost lifted the roof off. It was impossible to tell where the cheers were coming from. He did not hold back his praise: "I haven't seen such a bright and clear male female role performer in a long time. I'm not in good condition. I'm ashamed."
Cheng Jixue also smiled and said, "It is my honor to work with Teacher Zhang."
Zhang Xijing immediately gave it a high score, and jokingly bowed to the other judges, saying, "I'm so happy, please forgive me!"
The other two judges were more objective in their evaluations, but they couldn't hide their satisfaction and praise: "Not only did Teacher Zhang empathize, but I also think this performance deserved this score. First of all, I was shocked to see that this piece, 'Alas,' is an original work by Teacher Li Yimao! Secondly, the traditional cultural elements incorporated into the piece didn't feel stiff or forced at all. If I'm not mistaken, it should be considered one of the most outstanding attempts in the field of traditional Chinese style in the past two years!"
"Too conservative," the lead singer said, turning his chair around. "You could say this is the best, it's truly outstanding. From the production, the singing technique, to the coordination, every aspect is excellent!"
Li Yimao was a little embarrassed: "I finished writing this song a long time ago. It was my brothers who helped me incorporate new elements and techniques into the first draft. This is not my achievement alone."
“Yes,” Zhang Chaohe said, subtly nudging him, “His music teacher said he has several good songs that haven’t been released yet, so the company recently decided to release an album for him. We hope he can seize this opportunity and quickly become Jiasheng’s star singer.”
Li Yimao's fans were so excited they almost wanted to rush up and hug President Zhang!
Mao Mao, you've finally made it! Sing! Sing for me! Everyone can hear you singing!!
“I hope that ‘Lament’ will become a big hit,” the mentor sincerely commented. “Peking Opera really needs fresh blood and promotion. Many people think that Peking Opera is high in the temple, but it can also enter thousands of households. Perhaps ‘Lament’ can become the key for more people to get started.”
Cheng Jixue calmly stepped off the stage, while Li Yimao and Mei Jinghan continued to showcase their solo performances. With their previous outstanding stage performances, their popularity soared, and their solo performances were also flawless, securing them a decisive victory in this challenge.
Although Mei Jinghan wasn't mentioned much, he still slightly bowed towards Zhang Chaohe as he left the stage, harboring a selfish motive. After this show, he could try acting, and this opportunity was given to him by President Zhang. He bowed deeply, partly to express his gratitude and partly to say goodbye.
Jiasheng successfully concluded the recording of "Dream Training Camp". Zhang Chaohe once again organized a banquet. During the banquet, he mentioned opening a bottle of wine, but it was met with unanimous opposition. Everyone's opinion was very consistent. The staff did not know the reason, but followed suit and strongly supported it.
Zhang Chaohe loosened his dark red tie, looking utterly bewildered: "Didn't you say I had a good drinking habit?"
Li Yimao glanced at Cheng Jixue sympathetically: "Actually, the main reason is..."
He nudged Mei Jinghan from below.
Mei Jinghan's expression changed, and she stammered, "Tonight's celebration banquet, um..."
Cheng Jixue stood up and opened the bottle of Jack Daniel's in the middle of the turntable without hesitation. He lowered his eyes and poured the wine, saying, "Drink up, and I'll take you home after you're done."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chaohe became even more hesitant to drink. He was filled with suspicion and uncertainty, but since he had blacked out, he genuinely didn't know if he had done anything shameful that night. Zhang Chaohe moved his glass far away, and after holding back for a while, he couldn't help but ask in a low voice while Li Yimao was drinking with Mei Jinghan, "What exactly did I do that night? I didn't really do anything... very serious, did I?"
"Very capable?" Cheng Jixue looked at him in surprise—Zhang Chaohe had a serious expression on his face, which didn't seem like a joke.
On a sudden impulse, he rarely had the urge to play a trick. With his connections and resources, Zhang Chaohe's actions were as easy to expose as paper. He never believed that Zhang Chaohe really just wanted to rob him to make money.
Although Zhang Chaohe seems to have lost interest in him lately...
Cheng Jixue raised an eyebrow and stared at him, her smile as light as a breeze: "You really don't remember?"
Zhang Chaohe's heart sank into an icy abyss. In an instant, he felt as if he had been thrown out by a truck. Trembling, he asked, "Wh...what happened?"
"You said you wanted to keep me as your sugar daddy." Cheng Jixue said with a half-smile, her tone tinged with reproach, making it hard to tell if she was being genuine.
A fleeting, ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chaohe breathed a sigh of relief, his furrowed brows suddenly relaxing. He leaned back, his tone slightly smug: "You lied to me. Even if I said I would give you the company, it wouldn't be this."
Cheng Jixue was stunned for a moment.
Zhang Chaohe casually grabbed a wine glass and took a sip. He raised an eyebrow, his tone arrogant, his thin red lips still glistening with wine: "A wise man doesn't fall in love, he makes money to build the country—let me tell you, unless I want to go bankrupt, I would never want to keep you as a mistress!"
Just kidding, who would dare? If I dared to take you as my sugar daddy today, I'd be banging my head against the ground in the future!
Cheng Jixue subtly curled the corners of her lips, her smile half-serious and half-fake, her dark eyes fixed intently on Zhang Chaohe: "Is that so?"
Zhang Chaohe was as smug as a little fool: "If I break this oath, I, Zhang Chaohe, will wash my hair while doing a handstand and eat instant noodles without the seasoning packet!"
A note from the author:
In Yan Xingpeng's version of "Wujiapo", there is a line that goes, "Since ancient times, fine wine has reddened people's faces, and it is said that wealth moves the heart." Although this version was not used in the article, I still want to share it with you.
To avoid any conflict of interest, I will blur out anything related to singing styles. Just enjoy it for fun, and please don't associate it with real Peking Opera actors.
As usual, it's time for thanks!
And for all the babies who need paw massages! Let's all give your paws a little squeeze!
Chapter 13
When Zhang Chaohe woke up the next day, he had a splitting headache. He glanced at the familiar duplex apartment and had a feeling of "I knew it".
This time, at least he lay properly in bed, instead of hunching over on the sofa and letting the cold wind blow on him all night.
Zhang Chaohe stared blankly for a while, still unable to recall what had happened after he blacked out yesterday. Anyway, practice makes perfect, and he was already able to adjust his mindset well.
However, he felt a little... uneasy when he saw this small duplex.
After tidying himself up, he walked around the room a couple of times, when suddenly his eyes lit up and he dialed Cheng Jixue's number.
Did you bring me home last night?
Cheng Jixue said, "Yes," and then added very familiarly, "You didn't act drunk, don't worry."
Aside from suddenly imitating his opera singing, singing incoherently and insisting on everyone's comments, and hugging the refrigerator and saying he had made a fortune, perhaps he could be considered not to have acted out when drunk.
Zhang Chaohe could no longer believe this blatantly perfunctory answer. With a blank expression, he went straight to the point: "Is your house rented or owned?"
Cheng Jixue realized that he was asking about the house in the old neighborhood. He gently scratched Guapi's chin—Guapi was so comfortable that he wanted to snore, but Cheng Jixue quickly grabbed his chin: "The house was left to me by the old troupe leader. It's my own property."
Zhang Chaohe's voice sounded impatient: "That's great. I think the safety hazards in your house are too great, and you'll need a house with good privacy for your future work. How about I give you this duplex on Sanhui Road? I'll have Assistant Jiang contact you, and she'll help you with the transfer. You can also tell her about any renovation needs you have."
Cheng Jixue's hand, which was pinching the melon rind's mouth, stiffened for a moment. He tried to decline his boss's well-intentioned but impulsive act: "President Zhang, there's no need to go to such trouble, I've already..."
Hearing that he was about to object, Zhang Chaohe immediately imagined the scene of Master Ji's furious reaction when he found out that his lover was living in a dilapidated old apartment building without security guards or streetlights. He immediately retorted, "No way! On the day we signed the contract, you asked the company if they provided room and board. Yes! They did!"
At that moment, the soul of the domineering CEO perfectly took over. Zhang Chaohe turned around and admired his own standard domineering CEO expression with tightly furrowed brows in the mirror. A surge of ambition, like owning a fishpond, welled up in his chest: "Don't you like this one? You don't want a house in my Longyu Tianfu, do you?"
Cheng Jixue fell silent—probably also stunned by his sudden outburst of madness. Zhang Chaohe belatedly realized his mistake, and a sense of shame finally returned to his chest. He softened his tone, trying to salvage his earlier accusatory one: "What I mean is..."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Zhang," Cheng Jixue nudged Guapi's long face, and Guapi tidied up and ran off. "I've been looking for a new place to stay lately."
"I will definitely work hard to make money for the company and pay back Mr. Zhang's mortgage as soon as possible."
Zhang Chaohe unconsciously pursed his lips, but he quickly realized—weren't the beautiful, strong, and tragic protagonists in old-fashioned romance novels all stubborn, self-respecting, and unwilling to accept handouts? Cheng Jixue's answer was exactly the right way to maintain her character!
Moreover, the original plan to give away a house has suddenly turned into selling a house. Who would refuse that!
He was secretly delighted, but still calmly encouraged Cheng Jixue not to slack off in the upcoming acting lessons, and then calmly hung up the phone.
On the other end of the phone, Cheng Jixue put down the phone. He stared at the words "General Manager Zhang" in the call log for a while, and then casually threw the phone onto the Italian custom-made handmade leather sofa. He stood up barefoot, the pure black floor beneath his feet was cold and icy.
That day, Cheng Xuelan talked to him and said she hoped he would hone his acting skills. "An actor who only has a superior appearance and good upbringing will not go far. If these determine your lower limit, your acting skills will determine your upper limit."
Cheng Jixue found it laughable. For more than a decade, he faithfully played the role of "Cheng Jixue"—using impressionistic performances on stage to depict the character and immersive performances off stage to depict the life of "Cheng Jixue." The instinct for performance was engraved in his bones.
He was accustomed to observing all sorts of people with different life trajectories, and he transformed himself into a sophisticated analytical instrument. He scrutinized each person with a dissecting gaze, then chose a way to make them feel comfortable in obtaining what they needed.
Until one day, he encountered Mr. Zhang, who was like a wild dog that had broken free. Mr. Zhang's actions were contradictory, his style was bizarre, and he did not play by the rules, making it impossible for Cheng Jixue to analyze him precisely.
The last subject he found so difficult to observe was a mental patient...
Cheng Jixue, having made up his mind to compete with the mentally ill reserve, sighed deeply: "Idiot—"
Guapi happily swung its legs and rushed out, grinning foolishly as it circled its owner wildly. Cheng Jixue bent down, rubbed its long face, and looked at it: "It's been a while since we've seen each other. Will you miss me?"
Can you?
The last sound was almost a murmur, and it was gone in an instant.
⚹
Zhang Chaohe left all the company's tedious tasks to Assistant Jiang and Cheng Xuelan, and happily skipped three days of work.
However, on the third night, Jiang's assistant urgently dragged Zhang Chaohe out of the home theater and fried chicken and fries to attend a banquet hosted by a certain chairman. Du Ze had found a commercial film with a very good cast and crew for Xu Shen and was trying to contact director Lu Xun. Because this chairman and Lu Xun had a very good personal relationship, Lu Xun would definitely attend the banquet.
What Zhang Chaohe needed to do was bring Xu Shen in and give him a chance to recommend himself to Lu Xun. After all, although Xu Shen's acting skills were questionable, he was at least a popular actor. Last year, a small-budget commercial film that was so bad that nine out of ten people criticized it was saved by his box office appeal and managed to reach 350 million yuan at the box office. So, actors like Xu Shen were still favored by film companies.
Zhang Chaohe felt disgusted just looking at Xu Shen and Du Ze, those two scoundrels, but after thinking about it, he figured no one would turn down money, so he reluctantly decided to go. He specifically asked for information about the movie and was surprised to discover that it was the very commercial film that Cheng Xuelan had been so eager to get Cheng Jixue the third male lead role in!
Zhang Chaohe was shocked. He immediately called Cheng Xuelan and Cheng Jixue separately—the shameless, crooked-side boss Zhang had decided to steal the prize!
Du Ze needed Zhang Chaohe's introduction because he really had no way to get Director Lu to promote Xu Shen. Cheng Xuelan needed Zhang Chaohe's introduction because Cheng Jixue's resume was too empty. Director Lu might choose a popular actor with average professional skills, but he would never choose a newcomer who had never met him and had no works to his name.
Unless Cheng Jixue has the opportunity to directly gain Director Lu's approval.
Zhang Chaohe glanced at the information. It was an urban fantasy comedy film about a god who descended to the mortal world again after 1,500 years. He found that the human world had entered the modern era of technology at an unprecedented pace. With the help of mortals he met by chance, the god rediscovered the world and mortals and thought about the relationship between humans and gods in a lighthearted story.
Xu Shen wanted to play the second male lead, another god who descended to earth 1,500 years ago but failed to return to heaven. However, the second male lead did not uphold the god's compassion and later turned into a villain. Cheng Jixue, on the other hand, wanted to play the third male lead—the mortal who encountered the god and was eventually killed by the villain while trying to help the god, which made the god realize the value of friendship.
Although he was the third male lead, this ordinary human character was very likable. In addition, he was directed by a famous director and was part of a famous production team. It was understandable that Cheng Xuelan went to great lengths to get Cheng Jixue into the role.
Xu Shen was already waiting at the door before the banquet began. As soon as he saw Zhang Chaohe's Maybach pull up, he immediately greeted him warmly and politely: "Good evening, Mr. Zhang!"
As expected of a top star, Xu Shen used casual clothing to cover up his overly thin frame, and the small accessories he wore were also very tasteful handmade by famous designers, making him look like any other ordinary second-generation celebrity attending the banquet.
Zhang Chaohe nodded to him. Xu Shen was about to follow President Zhang into the venue when he saw that the Maybach did not drive away immediately. The front door opened and another man stepped out!
Xu Shen narrowed his eyes. The young man who had just come out smiled at him and said, "Hello, senior."
He instinctively met the other man's gaze, his eyes meeting a pair of shimmering, expressive eyes. The young man looked at him with a smile, and in an instant, he remembered where he had seen this striking face before.
It was the information that Brother Du sent him; it was about the newcomer that Xiao Zhang was going to promote!
Xu Shen's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was filled with turmoil and rage—what did President Zhang mean by bringing him here? It was clearly the role that his management team had their eye on, yet President Zhang still wanted to bring a newcomer to interfere? This newcomer looked quite ordinary on the resume, and was even a former opera singer. What kind of background could he have that would make President Zhang promote him so much?
Suddenly, the most likely possibility popped into his mind—he glanced at Cheng Jixue with a strange expression. The other woman was dressed in ordinary, cheap clothes from Taobao, but her outstanding appearance and demeanor made her look anything but shabby; although it should be her first time attending a banquet of this caliber, her expression was natural and composed, suggesting that she was already used to it…
Mr. Zhang is certainly not his first major client.