Chapter 36: The Argument
Wang Huan investigated quickly. When Jiang Yu learned the reason Zhao Chen was targeting him, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
He took out the script and read it again. The fourth male lead was written as hot-blooded and impulsive, but not very smart. Several times he almost ruined things, yet it was also because of him that the later plot was pushed forward.
The only likable thing about the fourth male lead was that on the surface he was a thug, but in private he was a righteous, passionate young man.
The fifth male lead was completely different: a delicate young master confined to a wheelchair. Though physically weak, he was steady and intelligent.
Always wearing a gentle, smiling expression, he was actually full of schemes—a textbook sickly, yandere, black-bellied young master.
Relying on his brains, he thwarted the enemy’s plots several times. In the end, to protect the third and fourth male leads as they escaped, he—being the slow one—stayed behind and perished together with the enemy.
The fifth male lead’s character was indeed more appealing than the fourth’s. Jiang Yu couldn’t help but sigh that Zhang Anquan had really given him a standout role.
During the meal, Qi Sheng added everyone to a group chat. Just as Jiang Yu lay down, Qi Sheng sent a message in the group saying they’d already rented the house used for Jiang Yu’s character, and that tomorrow they would start by filming Jiang Yu’s scenes. Anyone without scenes with Jiang Yu wouldn’t need to come in tomorrow.
Everyone agreed, except Zhao Chen, who jumped out again: “As expected when you’ve got a backer—your scenes get shot before the first and second male leads. No matter how much you grab for yourself, without the acting skills, you’ll always just be the fifth male lead.”
Jiang Yu rolled his eyes, too lazy to bother with him. They all had patrons anyway. He’d even looked up Zhao Chen’s boss—a stereotypical businessman, short and plump. Compared to Han Cheng, they looked like grandfather and grandson.
Jiang Yu suddenly felt a bit fortunate. Thankfully, the one who had taken an interest in him back then was Han Cheng. If it had been someone like Zhao Chen’s boss, he might have already stabbed someone with a knife.
He really was that shallow—he only cared about looks.
The character Jiang Yu played, Yang Xiaotian, was a rich second-generation heir. In the Republican era, a rich second generation was truly wealthy. Yang Xiaotian’s family estate was like a castle, complete with artificial mountains, lawns, and fish ponds, covering an unknown number of acres.
On the massive iron gate were the words “Yang Residence.” The stone-paved road was clean and wide, with lush flowers and trees on both sides. Greenery shaded the sun, and upon entering the Yang Residence, it felt as if the temperature dropped several degrees compared to outside.
The environment here is genuinely nice.
The car pulled up and stopped in front of the castle. It really was a castle—pointed towers, rounded domes, narrow windows, semicircular arches. The four-story structure looked solid and imposing, steeped in a strong ancient Roman architectural style.
On the first floor, the living room was already being dressed by the crew.
Inside, aside from Ji Xu and Zhao Chen, none of the other lead actors had arrived yet.
When Zhao Chen saw Jiang Yu, he immediately let out another cold, sarcastic sneer. “Oh wow, the big shot finally shows up. We little nobodies have been waiting on you for ages.
Brother Xu, even a top-tier star like you knows to arrive early. Some people, just because they’ve got someone backing them, start throwing their weight around.
So unprofessional. No wonder after all these years they still haven’t made a name for themselves—unlike you, Brother Xu, who’s only been back for two months.”
“I’m only popular because of Han Cheng,” Ji Xu said, wearing a sweetly troubled smile as he shot a provocative glance at Jiang Yu. “I don’t actually have many works. You can’t rely on romance alone to be a star—I still want to depend on my own abilities.”
The character Jiang Yu played, Yang Xiaotian, had interactions with Ji Xu’s underground Party member (the third male lead), and it was Zhao Chen’s fourth male lead who connected them.
The three became good friends. In the end, Yang Xiaotian was discovered secretly funding the organization. To cover the escape of the third and fourth male leads, he detonated a grenade he had hidden in advance and died together with the enemy soldiers who came to arrest them.
Most of Jiang Yu’s scenes were either with Ji Xu or with Zhao Chen. Looking at the two of them, Jiang Yu felt a surge of irritation. If he’d known, he would’ve gone to sing instead—why bother acting in this damn movie?
“My patron and I are truly in love,” Jiang Yu shot back with a cheerful smile. “Even when his first love came back, my patron still comforted me, saying they were just friends and telling me not to overthink it.”
Whether it was true or not didn’t matter—if it disgusted Ji Xu, that was a win.
Sure enough, Ji Xu’s expression darkened immediately after hearing Jiang Yu’s words.
Han Cheng had cut off all other romantic entanglements for him, leaving only Jiang Yu—this lingering old flame—which Ji Xu cared deeply about.
Although Han Cheng had explained that his family wasn’t too keen on the two of them, and that he’d kept Jiang Yu around to pressure his family—saying he’d stay with Jiang Yu if they didn’t agree—the result had been unexpectedly good. The threat worked, and the Han family had no choice but to accept their relationship.
Still, every time Ji Xu saw Jiang Yu, he felt uncomfortable.
Now, hearing Jiang Yu’s words, Ji Xu felt that he shouldn’t doubt Han Cheng, who had opposed the entire Han family for his sake. Yet the seed of doubt had already sprouted in his heart, and he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
“Tsk, tsk. Do you have delusions or something?” Zhao Chen snapped viciously. “Why don’t you piss and look at yourself in the mirror? Someone playing around with you should already make you secretly happy. You actually take sweet talk seriously? Your IQ isn’t great, but your fantasies sure are.”
Thinking of Zhao Chen’s patron, Jiang Yu let out a cold laugh. Mimicking Zhao Chen’s manner, he pursed his lips with a look of disdain. “My boss is tall, handsome, and charming—he just happens to like someone who looks like me.
But some people are skinny like a walking chopstick spirit. I really don’t know how they manage to bear two hundred pounds.
Were your ribs all regrown or something? Otherwise, why are you always twisting your hips with your hands on your waist, like you’ve got no bones? If you’re sick, go get treated. Actors need presence, you know.”
“You—you’re talking nonsense! Why would I need to bear two hundred pounds?” Zhao Chen suddenly felt guilty. Although he’d climbed into the industry by attaching himself to a patron, he really didn’t want people to know about it.
If his boss were as handsome as Han Cheng, he’d be flaunting it on Weibo every day.
Unfortunately, his boss didn’t meet that standard. All Zhao Chen hoped for now was that his boss’s hair wouldn’t keep falling out, and that he wouldn’t grow any closer to the stereotypical image of a coal tycoon.
With such a sorry excuse for a patron, Zhao Chen looked at Jiang Yu—just as thin as himself—and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He sneered, “You keep emphasizing how charming your boss is—could he be a short, fat, dark coal boss?”
“Short, fat, and dark—are you talking about your boss?” Jiang Yu replied coolly. “My taste isn’t that bad. My boss knows Ji Xu too. You can ask your Brother Xu whether my boss is charming and handsome.”
Zhao Chen stared at Ji Xu in surprise, secretly wondering. Anyone who knew Ji Xu, even if Zhao Chen didn’t know what they looked like, must be at least as powerful as his own coal boss.
That Jiang Yu could latch onto such high-quality resources made Zhao Chen purse his lips in resentment.
“All right,” Ji Xu said, glaring at Jiang Yu and changing the subject. “This isn’t something to brag about. Why are you two discussing it so openly? We’re about to start filming—let’s go over the script.”
“And I still have to act with someone like this. What bad luck,” Zhao Chen muttered unwillingly as he took out his script.
“A mistress mocking another mistress—some people really are 999, insanely impressive,” Jiang Yu shot back without restraint as he pulled out his own script.
Zhao Chen’s eyes widened and he was about to retort when Jiang Yu said calmly, “Say one more word and I’ll post pictures of your coal boss online, with a few headlines like ‘Coal Tycoon Dining with Young Idol.’ What do you think—will anyone figure out it’s you?”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Zhao Chen slammed down his script and glared at Jiang Yu.
“Try me,” Jiang Yu replied with a smile, completely unfazed.
“If you dare do that, I’ll expose your stuff too. Neither of us will have it easy.”
“Sure. Go ahead and dig into my boss. I warmly welcome it—just don’t know whether Brother Xu would agree.”
“What does Brother Xu have to do with it? Don’t drag others down with you. Brother Xu and President Han are already public. Why would they be afraid of you?”
“Oh? Not afraid?” Jiang Yu turned to look at Ji Xu.
“Enough. Both of you, behave yourselves and go over the script,” Ji Xu urged impatiently, not wanting to continue the topic.
“Brother Xu, he clearly started it,” Zhao Chen complained, habitually twisting his waist and acting coquettish toward Ji Xu. “And now he’s trying to drag you into it. He’s way too arrogant.”
That affected, wriggling pose made both Ji Xu and Jiang Yu shudder.
“Enough already,” Ji Xu said. “There aren’t many scenes anyway. Let’s just finish filming quickly so we won’t have to look at each other anymore.”
“Hmph. If it weren’t for Brother Xu’s sake, I’d definitely argue this out with you today.” Noticing that Ji Xu was unhappy, Zhao Chen picked up the script and, before finally calming down, still threw a harsh warning at Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu gave a disdainful smile and looked at Ji Xu, returning him a provocative smile just like Ji Xu’s.
Ji Xu’s face darkened, but in the end he said nothing more. If people found out about Han Cheng’s relationship with Jiang Yu, where would he put his face?
Qi Sheng watched the three of them trade barbs from the side. He had originally planned to step in and mediate, but after arguing for a while, the three of them actually started going over the script on their own.
Qi Sheng bared his teeth in a grin. Stars these days—truly impressive.
