Chapter 40: Zhao Chen’s Change
When Jiang Yu arrived at the set, everyone was having lunch.
From a distance, he could hear Zhao Chen chirping incessantly:
“Brother Hai, do you like chicken drumsticks? Mine’s all yours—I haven’t touched it.”
“Brother Hai, do you like spicy food? I have chili powder in my bag, made by my grandma. It’s delicious—I’ll bring it to you after work tonight.”
“Brother Hai, your muscles are so solid! I want to work out too. Could you teach me some exercises when you have time?”
In just a short walk, Zhao Chen had already called “Brother Hai” three times.
“My trainer is a private coach. You won’t be able to keep up with my current routine. If you want to work out, you should hire a private coach to design a plan based on your own condition,” Jiang Yu heard Kou Dehai say helplessly as he walked closer.
“Jiang Yu, have you had lunch? Here, take some,” Qi Sheng called out as soon as he saw Jiang Yu, handing him boxed meals and loudly interrupting Zhao Chen, who was still trying to cling to Kou Dehai.
Zhao Chen seemed to have lost his mind. On the set, he was obsessively chasing Kou Dehai. Even a fool could see what he was thinking.
This kid had a sponsor. If he flirted on set and his sponsor found out, that old man’s temper would be even worse than Zhao Chen’s.
Even though the old man hadn’t invested much, there was no way he would let it slide. So Qi Sheng would never allow Zhao Chen and Kou Dehai to develop anything beyond a professional relationship on his set.
Luckily, Kou Dehai had no such intentions. Qi Sheng just needed to keep an eye on Zhao Chen.
When Zhao Chen looked up and saw Jiang Yu, his coquettish smile instantly darkened.
Jiang Yu immediately thought of a saying: “Little boy, you have two faces.”
“No need, I already ate before coming. I just wanted to come early to rehearse lines with Brother Hai.”
“Oh, your scenes might be delayed in the afternoon. There are a few shots from the morning that haven’t been done yet,” Qi Sheng said casually, glancing at Zhao Chen sitting next to Kou Dehai.
Zhao Chen, who had been glaring at Jiang Yu, lowered his head at Qi Sheng’s words.
It looked like he was slowing down the schedule again. Jiang Yu’s smirk stayed on his face, staring directly at Zhao Chen, unashamed.
Even with his head down, Zhao Chen could feel Jiang Yu’s gaze. Looking up, he saw Jiang Yu’s mocking smile and got angry, clearly about to start a fight.
Kou Dehai immediately stood up: “Jiang Yu, we have a scene this afternoon. Let’s go over our lines over there.”
“Sure,” Jiang Yu nodded.
Kou Dehai picked up his boxed meal and walked to another table with Jiang Yu.
He opened the script: “Our lines aren’t many. Let’s go over them first.”
“Brother Hai, you eat first. Zhao Chen can’t come over,” Jiang Yu said, raising his chin slightly. Kou Dehai looked toward Zhao Chen, who was being pulled to sit down by Qi Sheng, clearly unhappy.
Seeing Kou Dehai look at him, Zhao Chen immediately brightened up and waved.
Kou Dehai frowned impatiently and lowered his head, eating heartily.
It was obvious there was something going on between the two, but Jiang Yu didn’t pry.
Kou Dehai finished his meal, gnashing his teeth in frustration. Perhaps he wanted someone to talk to, to vent. He actively spoke to Jiang Yu:
“I really regret getting involved with that kid. Last night, he snuck out without his staff knowing, got drunk at a bar, and a few people tried to take advantage of him. If I hadn’t been there and noticed in time, he would have been taken.
It’s not that I care about him being played—he’s not some pure, virtuous guy—but if photos got out, his career would be over.
Because I saved him, that kid thinks we… you know… were involved, and now he keeps clinging to me. He doesn’t listen when I explain, he’s not scared of threats—I really can’t with this guy.”
“He already has a sponsor. Of course he knows whether you slept with him or not. He’s just trying to cling to you.
Brother Hai, maybe you have something he wants—something even better than his sponsor—that makes him willing to offend his sponsor to stick to you.”
Kou Dehai fell silent, thinking, his expression darkening.
Seeing that he seemed to have formed an idea, Jiang Yu didn’t press further. They rehearsed their lines for a while before the director called to start filming the afternoon scenes.
Jiang Yu sat nearby, watching Zhao Chen get scolded by Qi Sheng again and again. After being scolded so many times, Zhao Chen’s skin had thickened.
Whenever he was reprimanded, he’d run to Kou Dehai, pouting and acting spoiled. Since all of Zhao Chen’s unfinished scenes were with Kou Dehai, it was obvious to everyone that he was deliberately trying to spend more time with him.
Qi Sheng was furious and warned Zhao Chen that if he didn’t focus on filming, he’d tell Zhao Chen’s sponsor about his behavior with Kou Dehai.
Zhao Chen actually hoped Qi Sheng would tell the sponsor so the old man would scold him.
When Qi Sheng saw this tactic didn’t work, he switched threats: “If you don’t take this seriously, get out of the set. I’ll replace you and rehearse with Kou Dehai myself.”
This finally worked. Zhao Chen obediently finished his scenes for the day.
After filming, Zhao Chen could shamelessly stick to Kou Dehai. The next scene was being set up. Jiang Yu and Kou Dehai sat together, with Zhao Chen sitting between them.
Even when they rehearsed lines, Zhao Chen would interrupt and provoke Jiang Yu.
Luckily, their lines were few, and Kou Dehai, for some reason, kept a calm, detached attitude toward Zhao Chen’s meddling.
It wasn’t indulgence—it was more like watching Zhao Chen have his last flail.
Jiang Yu only knew that Kou Dehai was a method actor. He hadn’t looked into Kou Dehai’s background, but his calmness now gave Jiang Yu a hint of the kind of meticulous, almost ruthless calculation that Han Cheng would use in front of others.
While Zhao Chen busied himself clinging to Kou Dehai, Jiang Yu did a quick search on him. There was no background information on Kou Dehai even on Baidu Encyclopedia.
Jiang Yu looked up at Zhao Chen, who was diligently peeling an orange and trying to force Kou Dehai to eat it. With such attentiveness, maybe Zhao Chen knew something.
“Let’s go check out the set,” Kou Dehai said, frowning from annoyance as he stood up and dodged Zhao Chen’s orange, turning to Jiang Yu.
“Okay,” Jiang Yu said, meeting Zhao Chen’s hostile glare as he followed Kou Dehai to the outdoor set.
Qi Sheng was already there. Zhao Chen, still afraid of Qi Sheng, didn’t dare come closer. He just stayed far away, glaring at Kou Dehai and Jiang Yu while eating his orange viciously.
“Brother Hai’s charm is really something. If looks could devour people, I’d probably be reduced to bones by now,” Jiang Yu said, deliberately leaning closer to Kou Dehai. Immediately, he felt Zhao Chen’s murderous glare slicing toward him.
“Don’t worry about him,” Kou Dehai said coldly, glancing at Zhao Chen. Jiang Yu thought Zhao Chen might actually be dangerous.
Jiang Yu’s acting might not impress a top director like Qi Sheng, but he followed instructions. With the movie’s filters, the final footage looked decent.
“Well done,” Kou Dehai said sincerely, giving Jiang Yu a hug after a morning of Zhao Chen’s meddling, genuinely praising him.
