Chapter 20: Everyone Starts Acting Up

“You chose Jiang Jinfu?” Cai Yining was utterly astounded, suspecting she had misheard.

She thought Zhang Yang mentioned so much precisely because he didn’t want to bring Jiang Jinfu along, instead preferring to spend time alone with Nazha.

Given the choice between a rough-looking man and a super beautiful woman, most normal guys would naturally choose the latter.

Why wasn’t Zhang Yang playing by these rules? Was this some sort of reverse psychology?

“Is there something wrong with my choosing Jiang Jinfu?” A genuine look of confusion crossed Zhang Yang’s face as he said, “I know what you’re thinking, K-sis. Jiang Jinfu, Nazha, and I are all main members of Xuanyuan Sword.”

“There are still nearly two months before filming begins for Xuanyuan Sword. During this period, having them both follow me around on set can help them adapt early to the daily routine of acting. It also gives us three a chance to gel together beforehand, and as someone with more experience, I can even offer guidance on their acting skills.”

“However, trying to mentor two people while needing to act myself is definitely too much for one person. From your perspective, K-sis, letting Nazha learn from Po Shi makes perfect sense—it avoids any appearance of favoritism and allows him to start adapting ahead of schedule.”

“Jiang Jinfu is my dorm mate; he calls me Big Bro Yang. Taking care of him won’t require much effort on my part, nor will it interfere with my own acting duties.”

“This is the optimal solution.”

After Zhang Yang’s thorough analysis, even Nazha felt like applauding.

Cai Yining was tempted to praise him, “You’re right on the mark, just as I thought.”

“If Shi Shi had time, do you think I’d assign you to mentor Nazha?” Cai Yining shook her head. “Before joining Xuanyuan Sword, Shi Shi needs a two-month break.”

The corners of Zhang Yang’s mouth twitched slightly.

Yesterday during lunch with Liu Shishi, he’d gotten a rough idea of her upcoming work schedule.

From Cai Yining’s arrangements, he’d already guessed that she intentionally chose Jiang Jinfu.

“That leaves us with no choice but to have Old Hu mentor Nazha,” Zhang Yang said without hesitation. “Old Hu’s manager and personal assistant are both women, so there’ll be no issues with having Nazha join him. He can focus on observing and learning by listening, building a solid foundation.”

“I’ll personally mentor Jiang Jinfu one-on-one; it will yield better results.”

Seeing that Zhang Yang wasn’t feigning ignorance, Cai Yining fell into deep contemplation.

After a moment, she waved her hand. “Go ahead and leave for now. I need some time to consider this. I’ll give you my decision tomorrow.”

She indeed wanted more time to ponder, but the Prestige Imperial Concubine production team was pressing urgently.

“Alright, K-sis. We’ll take our leave then,” they replied respectfully.

Without hesitation, Zhang Yang promptly agreed to accompany Nazha as they bid their farewells.

As they reached the break room area together, noticing Nazha’s hesitant demeanor, Zhang Yang reassured her, “Nazha, it’s not that I’m dissatisfied with you. Any normal guy would choose to bring a beautiful junior sister along.”

“Why then did Shixiong select Jiang Jinfu?” Nazha asked, staring intently at Zhang Yang.

It wasn’t that she insisted on being chosen by Zhang Yang; however, as a girl, it was inevitable to feel slightly uneasy when outdone by another woman in a head-to-head comparison.

“Because even if I picked you, I wouldn’t be bringing you,” Zhang Yang explained, shrugging nonchalantly. “From Miss K’s reaction to your dormitory arrangement, it’s clear she values you more highly—probably grooming you as potential top female talent.”

“In such circumstances, there’s no way she’d let me take you alone, avoiding any… unfortunate incidents.”

“Since the outcome is already decided, I thought it better to speak up now rather than make things awkward later.”

Though often bewildered and lacking quick wit, Nazha was far from foolish. With Zhang Yang’s explanation, she immediately grasped the situation.

“You mean Miss K wants to cultivate me as future top female talent?” Nazha’s attention shifted instantly towards this revelation.

“Mm-hmm,” Zhang Yang nodded. “Aside from Po Shi-jie, you’re the most promising female talent we have at the moment. Plus, since you’ve just signed with Tangren, investing in your development is highly cost-effective.”

“Po Shi-jie’s contract with Tangren is already halfway through. If she doesn’t renew, you’ll naturally step up into her position. Even if she does renew, as a foreign beauty, you can carve out a non-competing career path for yourself.”

“So it’s certain that you’ll be groomed as a star. Given K-sis’s personality, she’ll craft a persona for you and manage your image closely. And based on her usual approach, she’ll likely build around your debut role—that Xiaoxue character.”

“I’d guess they’ll package you as an innocent, youthful maiden. That means K-sis won’t tolerate any skeletons in your closet; if anything unsavory comes to light, you’d be forced down the route of ‘tainted fame’—not ideal for someone starting out.”

After laying out his analysis, Zhang Yang glanced at his watch and said, “I’ve got to get back to school. Let’s wrap up our chat here. See ya!”

“See ya.” Nazha instinctively waved goodbye.

Zhang Yang entered his dressing room, first stopping by the restroom before picking up his backpack from the sofa and leaving. He noticed that Nazha was no longer there.

Meanwhile, Nazha sat on the couch, lost in thought, her mind repeatedly echoing Zhang Yang’s words.

Cai Yining would cultivate her as the top female lead. If Liu Shishi didn’t renew her contract, Nazha would become the undisputed queen. Even if Liu Shishi did renew, Cai Yining would still chart a unique path for Nazha, distinct from Liu Shishi’s trajectory.

Didn’t that mean, as long as she didn’t screw up herself, success was inevitable in the future?

She had unwavering confidence in her looks and was certain to pass the Beijing Film Academy’s entrance exam too. When that time came, possessing both beauty and talent, there’d be no way she could fail.

I’m definitely going to make it big, Nazha thought fervently.

Just then, her phone rang.

Seeing who was calling, she unconsciously furrowed her brow.

Recalling Zhang Yang’s words about Cai Yining possibly molding her image, along with his “black-red” theory, her gaze gradually hardened.

She hung up immediately and sent a text message:

Wang Chenggang, I appreciate your interest, but right now my focus is on becoming a great actress. I’m not ready to consider personal relationships yet. It’s best if you don’t waste your time on me; let’s just stay as ordinary friends.

Moments later, she received a reply:

Understood. I won’t bother you anymore in the future. Wishing you great success in your acting career. I look forward to seeing you on the big screen someday.

Reading this, Nazha let out a deep sigh of relief.

She had genuinely feared he might persistently hound her, given his status as a wealthy scion with influence. Thankfully, things had ended on a positive note.

Business! Nazha silently cheered herself on.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yang had already returned to the Shanghai Theatre Academy campus.

He called Jiang Jinfu, smiling as he spoke, “Hey Fuzi, I’ve got something important to discuss with you about our new project. Let’s meet at our usual spot for a drink.”

In less than ten minutes, Jiang Jinfu arrived at XX BBQ near the academy.

As luck would have it, Zhang Yang’s skewers were just coming out of the oven, and they immediately dug in.

After three cups of wine, Zhang Yang draped an arm over Jiang Jinfu’s shoulders, grinning. “Fuzi, K-sis approached me earlier about work opportunities. Without hesitation, bro chose you.”

“Chose me for what?” Jiang Jinfu asked, puzzled.

Truth be told, he didn’t dislike Zhang Yang; rather, everyone around him constantly praised Zhang Yang’s excellence. This irked Jiang Jinfu, who was confident in himself. He wanted to surpass and defeat Zhang Yang in every aspect.

Regardless of whether it was academics, sports, or even relationships.

“Oh man, I’m so excited I forgot to tell you everything.” Zhang Yang smacked his forehead before recounting the evening’s events in detail.

At the end, he said, “Fuzi, if you haven’t seen her yet, Nazha is truly stunning. She and Huo Ba from our freshman year are neck-and-neck when it comes to beauty, hard to choose between them.”

“But bro still picked you without hesitation.”

“Once we’re both part of the production team, I’ll share all my knowledge with you.”

Jiang Jinfu remained silent, feeling conflicted.

No, you don’t have to pick me!