Chapter 30: The Divine Level Understanding of Nazha

“Legend of Jiang Yuyan?” Nazha’s delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Don’t say it! Don’t you dare say it! The name Jiang Yuyan rang a faint bell, but try as she might, she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

After racking her brain for a full thirty seconds, she decided to throw in the towel. “Brother Yang, which TV series is this? I have a vague recollection, but I can’t seem to grasp it.”

Zhang Yang, who had been waiting for her question, promptly replied, “The male leads were Xie Tingfeng and Zhang Weijian.”

“Impossible!” Nazha instinctively shot back. “I’m a die-hard fan of Xie Tingfeng, and there’s definitely no TV series or movie called ‘Legend of Jiang Yuyan’ featuring him—especially not alongside Zhang Weijian.”

Nazha shared Big Honey’s fandom; from before their debut until after they became famous, both remained devoted admirers of Xie Tingfeng.

Had Xie Tingfeng not become obsessed with cooking, coupled with the setback of the 2008 incident and the decline of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, he could have achieved even greater heights—though his accomplishments already stood tall.

“Well then, what TV series did Xie Tingfeng and Zhang Weijian star in together?” Zhang Yang countered.

“That’s easy,” Nazha responded swiftly, “Xiao Yu’er and Hua Wuge.”

“What’s the name of the biggest female villain in that TV series?” Zhang Yang continued.

Liu Xi’s name immediately flashed through Nazha’s mind, but she quickly realized he was a eunuch.

When it came to female villains, it had to be the ruthless and cunning Yao Yue. However, Jiang Yuyan ultimately absorbed her martial arts abilities as well.

“Jiang Yuyan!” Nazha finally reacted.

“It took you six seconds to answer,” Zhang Yang said with a smile, looking away from his watch. “Your reaction is a bit slow.”

Nazha suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and said, “It’s clearly Xiao Yu’er and Hua Wuge, so why did you say ‘The Legend of Jiang Yuyan’? Jiang Yuyan isn’t even one of the top two female characters!”

Zhang Yang felt like taking back his earlier words.

Nazha wasn’t just a little slow; she was quite dense.

However, she remained oblivious and continued asking herself questions aloud, “According to official pairings, the main female leads were Yuan Quan playing Su Ying and Fan Xiaobang playing Tie Xinlan. My favorite little fairy must be the second female lead, right? I think Yao Yue Lianxing also got plenty of screen time…”

Her unspoken implication being: How could Jiang Yuyan even compare?

Zhang Yang crossed his arms, staring intently at her face as he asked, “Out of all those people you mentioned earlier, which one was still alive by the end?”

Nazha suddenly stopped talking.

She recalled how Jiang Yuyan had left a lasting impression on her during their binge-watching days. In pursuit of Hua Wuge, Jiang Yuyan killed without hesitation—using seduction, manipulation, sabotage, and mass murder in every way possible. Her schemes were truly exhaustive.

In the end, though she failed to win over Hua Wuge, she managed to kill off nearly all the other female characters.

Hisss. Nazha realized with a start, “It’s like they’re saying only the title character survived.”

“That’s quite an apt summary,” Zhang Yang snapped his fingers, smiling. “A woman who slaughtered her way through the entire cast, even controlling the emperor—if it weren’t for her obsession with Hua Wuge, she wouldn’t have met such a demise herself.”

“From a bitter illegitimate daughter to wielding immense power—it’s no wonder this show could be titled ‘The Legend of Jiang Yuyan’!”

As a fan of Xie Tingfeng, Nazha naturally approached the series from a biased perspective, so missing this aspect wasn’t surprising.

Now that Zhang Yang pointed it out, Nazha had to admit his observation was quite accurate, but her confusion only deepened. “But what does this have to do with you going all out for Zhao Kuangyin, a minor character?”

“You’re so dense; I can’t help but wonder if you even think,” Zhang Yang chuckled at Naza’s expense.

Naza wanted to retort, And how exactly am I not thinking?

Xiao Yu’er and Hua Wuge were barely mentioned by name in the later parts of the show—it could’ve easily been renamed The Legend of Jiang Yuyan. Indeed, there seemed little connection between this and Zhang Yang’s efforts on behalf of Zhao Kuangyin.

Zhao Kuangyin isn’t Jiang Yuyan after all.

Wait!

A realization struck Nazha as she scanned their surroundings. In a hushed tone, she asked, “Are you trying to create your own ‘Legend of Zhao Kuangyin’?”

“You’re overthinking it,” Zhang Yang shook his head. “I’m just an actor, not a big shot or investor. Zhao Kuangyin is merely a small supporting role in this drama—we couldn’t possibly add enough scenes to build such a legend.”

He recalled Prestige Imperial Concubine wrapped up filming on April 6th—just twenty days away. Many actors had already finished their parts and left the production, while the main cast members were also nearing completion of their roles. It would be highly unlikely for them to reshoot anything significant solely for Zhang Yang’s character.

“It can’t go that far… so you still want more screen time?” This time, Nazha seemed to have grasped the situation.

“Yes,” Zhang Yang nodded.

“Is that even possible?” Nazha felt this would be incredibly difficult, as Zhang Yang himself had already explained the challenges.

“Nothing is impossible if we put our minds to it.” Zhang Yang’s gaze was steady. “We must do our part, and then trust fate. Without trying, success will never come.”

If he could pull this off, when Prestige Imperial Concubine aired, his role might not be substantial, but he could potentially become a winner on par with the male leads—or possibly even surpass them in the long run. He had faith in Tangren’s marketing prowess, honed through years of managing fan communities.

Keeping his thoughts hidden, Zhang Yang visited Yan Yikuan after the actor finished filming for the day, subtly building rapport.

There were no night shoots scheduled today; even if there had been, they wouldn’t have involved Zhang Yang. After sharing a boxed meal with Nazha from the crew, he returned to his hotel room and began crafting new plotlines.

As the clock struck eight, his phone suddenly rang.

“Are you ready?”

A hint of a smile played at the corners of Zhang Yang’s lips.

He changed into casual clothes, grabbed his phone and room key card, and opened the door.

“Holy crap!”

The sight of Nazha standing at his door gave Zhang Yang quite a scare. “What are you doing here? Are you lost or something?”

Nazha hadn’t expected Zhang Yang to suddenly open the door; she was just as startled.

But seeing Zhang Yang flustered for once, she found it rather amusing.

Her gaze swept over Zhang Yang’s attire, puzzled. “Brother Yang, heading out somewhere?”

“Yeah, I’m meeting up with friends. Not really an appropriate gathering for you,” Zhang Yang said, effectively ruling out any chance of Nazha tagging along.

“It’s late at night. Even if you called me, I wouldn’t go.” Nazha thought to herself, Who’d be so eager? Yet deep down, she felt slightly disheartened.

Meeting Zhang Yang’s inquisitive look, she spoke candidly, “Today on set, I saw how much you had to do. It got me wondering… Do we really need to take all that seriously and learn everything?”

Perhaps due to her recent entry into the industry, she found those tasks awfully daunting.

Can’t we just keep things simple? she thought. Why can’t I just focus on being a beautiful vase—er, actress?

This question of Nazha’s reminded Zhang Yang of Huo Ba.

In 2024, Huo Ba had already been at the pinnacle of fame for some time. While other actresses around her age—or even younger ones from the ‘95 generation—had established their own production studios and struck out independently, Huo Ba remained contracted to Jiaxing Agency. On set, she couldn’t even order a stylist to attend to her needs.

The kind horse gets ridden; the kind person gets pushed around.

You can choose not to bully others, but you must have the strength to prevent being bullied yourself.

“If you only want to be an actor or celebrity,” Zhang Yang said earnestly, “then understanding is enough—you don’t need formal education. Just make sure you’re not getting taken advantage of without realizing it.”

“If you plan on becoming a manager or even nurturing your own talent in the future, then if conditions allow, go ahead and study. If your aptitude isn’t up to par and you struggle to learn, then content yourself with being just another star.”

Nazha nodded. “I get it now. So that’s why Miss K doesn’t like you much—she sees you as more than just an actor.”

Zhang Yang remained silent.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“Nope, enjoy your night out.” Nazha flipped his hair back and bid farewell.

Unfazed, Zhang Yang put on his mask and headed towards XX Queen Bar nearby. He entered a private room.

Inside, Huo Jianhua—who had been all aloof and reserved earlier that day—was singing karaoke while sipping alcohol. A few attractive women sat beside him, pouring drinks and offering fruits.

Zhang Yang took off his mask, smiling warmly. “Long time no see, Brother Huo.”

It certainly had been ages since they’d last partied together properly.