Chapter 55: Nazha: I Can't Part With Sister Yifei

“Uh, kid.”

Despite his intuition screaming that something was off, Huang Bo steeled himself and tried again.

To his surprise, Zhou Xingchi’s usually stern expression broke into a rare smile. “You can call me that in private from now on. It feels nice.”

With that, Zhou Xingchi cast a glance towards Zhang Yang before picking up his script and heading off to find Wen Zhang.

Huang Bo, quick-witted as always, immediately grasped the situation.

Zhou Xingchi enjoyed being called “kid” - it made him seem youthful and handsome. But on the surface, he had to maintain the director’s authority, managing the entire crew.

“Who would’ve thought? Under that gruff exterior, Xing Ye is secretly a romantic at heart,” Huang Bo chuckled to himself, shooting a look in Zhang Yang’s direction.

“Xiangwan, Sister Wang, Xiaotao, Brother Liu, I look forward to learning from all of you in the future.”

Zhang Yang was in the process of getting acquainted with his small team. Mo Xiangwan, recently promoted by Cai Yining, would serve as his executive agent. Xiaotao handled his personal needs, Sister Wang was the makeup artist, and Brother Liu, a thirty-something former military man, drove and acted as bodyguard.

Their salaries were currently paid by Tangren. However, if Zhang Yang decided to establish his own atelier later, he’d reduce the company’s dividend and take on their wages personally.

He planned to thoroughly assess their character and abilities. If they met his standards, he’d make a move to recruit them for his own venture.

After everyone had gotten to know each other, Zhang Yang turned to Nazha, who was sitting off to the side looking a bit glum. “Shimei, from now on, you’ll have it easy. You won’t have to act as my personal assistant anymore.”

“It’s not like I minded,” Nazha muttered softly, then lifted her chin. “Looks to me like you’re just glad to be rid of me as deadweight.”

“Nonsense,” Zhang Yang said, amused by her words. “K-sis assigned you to be at my side to study. Being a personal assistant was just your role. Of course, now you’ll be learning even more.”

“Of course. If you don’t want to, you can always learn how to be a personal assistant from Xiaotao instead.”

Xiaotao was a plump girl with a round face and an adorable appearance, scoring around 70 points on the looks scale. She had a nursing degree from a community college and knew some basic first aid and medical theory.

Xiaotao had a naturally lively personality, and she grinned at Nazha, revealing two charming canines. “If Nazha wants to learn, I’d be happy to teach you hands-on.”

Xiaotao had encountered Nazha on her first day working for Tangren, when she even helped her with a small task. Thus, the two had already become acquainted.

Nazha’s eyes lit up. “Teach me how to needle him. Then I’ll do it to him in the future.”

Zhang Yang was momentarily at a loss for words.

The two girls of similar age moved off to the side, chattering excitedly.

Zhang Yang took the opportunity to explain his situation to Mo Xiangwan. “I have to join the production team for the Four Great Detectives series. We’re leaving for Xiangshan in a few days. The contract I signed states that I’ll be with them until Mu Panlong finishes his convalescence. There’s no way I can film scenes for Western Journey: Demon Subduing during this time frame.”

Speaking of which, Zhang Yang felt that his agent Cai Yining was somewhat useful. To ensure he could join the Xuanyuan Sword set as soon as filming began, she not only secured many favorable perks from the production team but also reduced his workload. Surprisingly, despite this, his pay and compensation remained high.

One must admit that agents and artists truly do complement each other.

“Xuanyuan Sword starts shooting on May 15th, and I want to join the crew on time. So, my scenes as Emperor Kongxu should ideally be finished before that date,” Zhang Yang expressed his idea.

Mo Xiangwan understood. Zhang Yang hoped to concentrate his filming for the role of Emperor Kongxu between the end of work on Four Great Detectives and the start of Xuanyuan Sword, avoiding scheduling conflicts.

“I’ll pass this on to Miss K,” Mo Xiangwan nodded.

Once Cai Yining arrived at the set, she immediately approached to explain the situation.

“A-Yang’s idea is excellent, aligning perfectly with mine,” Cai Yining said, her eyes filled with praise. “In any case, your scenes definitely can’t be scheduled before May. If it comes down to it, we might need to juggle some filming during Xuanyuan Sword while adjusting our schedule accordingly. Ideally…”

After discussing it, Cai Yining went to talk contract details with the producer from the Proud Immortal Demon film crew.

Because he was the third male lead, things didn’t get settled quickly. But since Zhou Xingchi had told them to “definitely use Zhang Yang,” the production team made some concessions.

Zhou Xingchi was infamous for paying actors very little. Since Zhang Yang’s popularity wasn’t high enough yet, Cai Yining didn’t bother trying to negotiate higher compensation.

They finally signed the contract after dinner. Zhang Yang and Cai Yining both signed, and it would take effect the next day.

“We’re all big stars, so scheduling isn’t easy to adjust. They won’t bend just for you,” Cai Yining told Zhang Yang. “We can only make changes within the rules. They’ve promised that from May 3rd to 9th, they can shoot all the scenes related to the Empty Mansion Master—you know, the part where Zhang Yang plays the role. Consider it concentrated filming.”

“If you can wrap up your part during this time frame, then you’ll have a break afterward and can focus on Xuanyuan Sword filming.”

“But if you can’t, we’ll have to adjust our own schedule and let you prioritize the movie.”

This outcome was exactly what Zhang Yang wanted, and he secretly applauded Cai Yining’s skills once again.

“Don’t worry, K-sis. Seven days is more than enough time for me to finish my scenes,” Zhang Yang said confidently, trusting in his abilities.

With Luo Zhixiang’s successful version as a reference, he knew he could perform even better. If worse came to worst, he could always use his cheat abilities!

“There’s no pressure,” Cai Yining said with a warm smile. “There are multiple versions of the Sword and Fairy script. The director and writer have made some changes again, which I’ll send to you later.”

“Thank you, K-sis. I won’t disappoint you,” Zhang Yang replied, his eyes sparkling.

It was only recently that he had learned there were actually three different scripts for Sword and Fairy:

1. If Hu Ge played Chen Jingqiu, then Yu Wento would be a pure villain, and the focus would be on the male lead.
2. If Hu Ge didn’t perform in this series, the narrative would shift to a group showcase, primarily focusing on passing down stories between generations. The roles would be more or less equal among the characters, aiming for success similar to Sword and Fairy 3.
3. If Hu Ge played the second male lead, it would become a double hero film. Along with tradition and guidance, it would potentially result in higher advertising income.

Since Zhang Yang was cast as the second male lead, he received the script second. From what Cai Yining was saying now, it seemed like they were leaning towards the third idea.

Quality-wise, Sword and Fairy was only average. However, considering its viewership, cultural impact, and internet discussion compared to other shows in the twelfth year, it was actually quite successful.

Yu Wento, played by Zhang Yang, was indeed the most captivating character in the series.

This was exactly in line with his expectations.

Everything was heading in a positive direction, and Zhang Yang was in a wonderful mood.

However, over the next month and a half, his mood took a turn for the worse.

After joining the Four Great Detectives crew in Xiangshan, he failed to encounter a single suitable opportunity event—not one!

Several times, he was tempted to spend three character points to unlock an opportunity, just to see what might happen.

“A-Yang, why do you look so glum?” Liu Yifei prodded Zhang Yang’s arm with her chopsticks. “Is it because your character is wrapping up and you’re leaving the set? Missing us already?”

“Absolutely!” Na Zha cut in before Zhang Yang could respond. “I’ll miss Miss Yifei and Aunt Liu—and everyone else too!”

Zhang Yang’s lips curled slightly. “Are you sure it’s not just Aunt Liu’s cooking you can’t bear to part with?”

“Hey, have you noticed how your jeans have been getting a bit snug lately?”

Na Zha’s eyes went wide, unable to immediately reply.