Chapter 37: Amateur
None of the three were professional actors, and all of them carried resentment. Lines that were supposed to be spoken by three good brothers somehow came out sounding like dialogue between mortal enemies.
Listening from the side, Qi Sheng frowned deeply in worry. If they filmed with this kind of atmosphere, he might as well have Zhang Anquan rewrite the script and turn the three into enemies. Perhaps these three, playing their true selves, would even outperform Wang Yifeng and Qiao Miao.
The set was quickly finished. Qi Sheng walked over and asked, “So, are you ready?”
“No problem on my end,” Ji Xu said, putting down the script and nodding.
Zhao Chen shot a glance at Jiang Yu. “I’m fine too. Just hope someone doesn’t drag us down.”
Jiang Yu rolled his eyes so hard they nearly hit the ceiling, then nodded to Qi Sheng. “I’m fine too.”
“Then let’s begin.”
The first scene was the three characters’ initial meeting. Jiang Yu sat in a wheelchair while Zhao Chen brought Ji Xu over to meet him, introducing the two to each other.
As soon as filming started, Zhao Chen’s lack of professionalism showed. It was just an introduction, but he failed to deliver the lines properly three times in a row. Each time he messed up, he laughed and joked with Ji Xu.
It was like those blooper reels some movies show at the end, where everyone laughs after an NG. It made the atmosphere seem good, but in the entire crew, only Ji Xu reluctantly laughed along with him.
They say there’s a first and a second, but no third or fourth. Qi Sheng endured Zhao Chen three times. On the fourth time, when Zhao Chen messed up again and bared his big white teeth, about to laugh, Qi Sheng’s face turned cold. Grabbing the loudspeaker, he shouted, “Zhao Chen! Did you even memorize your lines? If you didn’t, go memorize them again. Don’t waste everyone’s time.”
Zhao Chen’s smile had just begun to form when it froze at the corner of his mouth. Jiang Yu couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.
“What are you laughing at?!” Zhao Chen snapped in anger.
“Laughing at how unprofessional you are,” Jiang Yu said, sitting in his wheelchair with one leg crossed over the other, smiling in a way that could infuriate anyone.
“Are you picking a fight?!” Being called out by Qi Sheng in front of so many people had already made Zhao Chen lose face. He couldn’t offend Qi Sheng, so Jiang Yu became his outlet.
Seeing Zhao Chen’s hand coming toward him, and Ji Xu even stepping back, Jiang Yu’s expression hardened as he raised a hand to defend himself. Qi Sheng’s furious shout boomed through the loudspeaker: “Zhao Chen!”
The shout stunned Zhao Chen into stopping in place. He glared at Jiang Yu, unconvinced.
Qi Sheng tossed aside the loudspeaker and rushed over, shoving Zhao Chen hard and scolding him, “What do you think you’re doing? Acting terribly and now you want to hit someone? Don’t you know exactly how you got into my crew? Don’t force me to replace you!”
“He was the one who mocked me first,” Zhao Chen protested stubbornly, craning his neck and pointing at Jiang Yu.
“So what if he mocked you? You couldn’t even get through one introduction after four tries. Did I bring all these people here to rehearse lines with you?”
“It’s my first time acting—can’t you be more tolerant? I’m going to tell my dad!” Zhao Chen was so angry his chest was about to puff up into pecs. Pouting, tears welled up as he threatened to go cry to his father.
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow. What kind of kindergarten kid was this—still running to daddy at this age? And who exactly was his father? Li Gang?
“Go on, hurry up and go,” Qi Sheng snapped back angrily. “Go tell your dad that there are plenty of people lining up to invest in my films—I don’t need him. Next time he tries to force someone in, tell him not to shove a moron at me.”
So that was the kind of ‘dad’ he meant. Hearing Qi Sheng’s words, Jiang Yu immediately understood.
“You’ve gone too far!” Zhao Chen finally couldn’t take it anymore. Tears streamed down his face as he shouted at Qi Sheng, then turned and ran out.
“Come back here!” Qi Sheng yelled after Zhao Chen’s retreating figure and chased after him.
In his heart, though, he was muttering: it would be best if Zhao Chen made a fuss with his “dad” and quit on his own. He really couldn’t stand this kind of amateur idol.
