Chapter 6: Many Brain Cells Died Uselessly

Liu Shishi gazed at Zhang Yang, a subtle curve playing on her lips.

Their eyes met, sending ripples through his otherwise calm heart. Truly a future star of the first magnitude, he thought to himself.

Her long, jet-black hair was tied back, framing a face as lovely as a blossoming flower. There was an ethereal grace and innocence about her, with a smile that seemed to bathe one’s soul in warm sunlight. Her figure was impeccable, her bearing even more exceptional; she stood ramrod straight, like a celestial being stepped out of a painting.

The only criticism some might offer would be her eyes, lacking vivacity due to nearsightedness. After years of acting, she had earned the nickname “Blind Sister,” which is why she now wore contact lenses—adding an extra layer of allure to her appearance.

“Shishi-jie, what a coincidence!” Zhang Yang said, somewhat awkwardly pulling out a bag. “I’m heading to Macang for a camping trip with some friends. These are meant to go inside our shoes—it keeps us comfortable during long walks and helps keep things dry.”

This excuse was something he’d prepared earlier, knowing many college students used this method during military training to hide contraband items from the Buddhist Scripture Pavilion.

It was all to prevent Liu Shishi from forming any unfavorable impressions of him.

“This thing has that kind of use?” Liu Shishi tilted her head slightly, a note of confusion in her expression.

It wasn’t that she doubted Zhang Yang’s words; rather, she was genuinely curious. Given Zhang Yang’s appearance, it seemed highly unlikely that his intentions could be those of a scoundrel or pervert.

“Yep! I actually learned this trick last year while watching our junior students during military training. You can find it on Baidu too,” Zhang Yang explained, taking the opportunity to educate Liu Shishi further.

“I see. Thanks for the tip.” Liu Shishi wore an expression of enlightenment. Her heart skipped a beat as she extended her hand. “Actually, my feet have been hurting lately from wearing uncomfortable shoes for filming. Since you make these pads sound so miraculous, why don’t you give me one pack?”

Liu Shishi mentally applauded herself for her quick wit—she had managed to come up with such a plausible excuse without feeling embarrassed.

“Sis Liu Shishi, feel free to take as many as you like.” Zhang Yang promptly handed over a bag to her.

Inwardly, he felt somewhat pleased, thinking to himself that opportunities always favored the prepared. The pretext he’d concocted served two purposes: it allowed him to offer the footpads without seeming sleazy, and it gave Liu Shishi a way to accept them gracefully, sparing her the discomfort of asking directly and thus preventing any sense of indebtedness towards him.

“I’ll just take this one pack,” she said, referring to the bag already in her hands.

Liu Shishi opened the bag and discovered it contained her usual size and style of sanitary napkins, which delighted her.

She had always quite liked Zhang Yang, this young man ten years junior to her, but now she found him even more appealing.

Just then, a man’s teasing voice suddenly rang in their ears: “Oh ho, what sort of clandestine transaction are you two up to?”

Both Zhang Yang and Liu Shishi turned around simultaneously to see Hu Ge approaching with a smile.

As the top female celebrity at Tangren, Liu Shishi’s private lounge was directly opposite that of Hu Ge, the male lead actor. It wasn’t surprising to encounter each other here.

Hu Ge naturally knew there couldn’t be any shady dealings between Liu Shishi and Zhang Yang; after all, they were out in public. He’d only spoken from afar to tease them.

However, as he drew closer and saw what Zhang Yang and Liu Shishi were holding, his smile froze instantly, replaced by an odd expression.

It certainly wasn’t Liu Shishi giving Zhang Yang sanitary napkins—she must have asked him to buy them for her.

When did their relationship develop to this extent?

Hu Ge’s expression turned peculiar.

“Ahem…” Zhang Yang feigned embarrassment and turned away.

Liu Shishi, always thin-skinned, blushed instantly, her beauty becoming even more captivating.

This scene led Hu Ge to completely misunderstand the situation. He said, “Are you two dating? The company doesn’t prohibit that. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret.”

Liu Shishi was utterly confused.

Zhang Yang (OS): Nice job.

“Old Hu, you’ve got it wrong,” Zhang Yang spoke up before Liu Shishi could explain. “Po Shi-jie and I are as pure as a white sheet of paper.” He then proceeded to narrate the whole incident from start to finish.

There were two benefits to this approach:

If Liu Shishi understood the situation, she would think he was sensible and find him more favorable.

If Liu Shishi was more narcissistic, she might react rebelliously: “By rushing to clear yourself from me, do you mean I’m not good enough for you?” This could leave a deep impression on Liu Shishi.

Regardless of which scenario played out, he stood nothing to lose.

“I see.” Whether Hu Ge believed them or not remained uncertain. He extended his hand and asked, “Then give me one pack too; I’ll try it out as well.”

Six? That’s quite a lot for Old Hu.

“Here you go.” Liu Shishi handed him a large pack before nimbly changing the subject, “I bet you haven’t visited Miss K yet, have you?”

After all, she had just returned from Cai Yining not long ago; if Hu Ge had gone to see her, their conversation wouldn’t have concluded so quickly.

“I’ll wash my hands first,” Hu Ge nodded.

“Go ahead then. I’ll put these away and find you when I need to talk about something.” Liu Shishi returned the bag to Zhang Yang and turned to open the door leading to her private room.

Just as she was about to close it again, her gaze fell on Zhang Yang once more. With a flicker of interest, she said, “Why don’t you come along too?”

Zhang Yang sensed that something exciting might be happening and readily agreed with a nod, “As you wish, Sister Po Shi.”

Liu Shishi’s beautiful eyes rolled slightly as she closed the door behind them.

Hu Ge draped an arm around Zhang Yang’s neck, grinning mischievously, “A-Yang, seriously though, is there nothing between you and Shi Shi?”

“Old Hu!” Liu Shishi re-opened the door, peeking out half-jokingly, “I’m still here!”

“Ahhh… damn!” Hu Ge feigned surprise, hastily pulling Zhang Yang into his own private room amidst laughter.

“Hey there, A-Yang! What’ll you have to drink?” Hu Ge greeted with his usual smile as he entered.

At Tangren, Zhang Yang was among the few individuals with whom Hu Ge shared the closest bond.

The two had attended the same acting class at Shanghai Theatre Academy, making them not just alumni, but also close disciples under the same mentor.

Moreover, in 2006, Hu Ge had been involved in a serious car accident. If it weren’t for Zhang Yang’s premonition that something was amiss and his timely reminder to “stay safe,” both Hu Ge and his assistant might have lost their lives instead of merely ending up injured and hospitalized.

During his recovery, Hu Ge’s girlfriend at the time—occupied with filming three dramas and two variety shows, plus her new contract with leading agency Huateng—had no time to care for him. They soon parted ways shortly after his discharge from the hospital.

It was during this period that Zhang Yang and Yuan Hong took turns looking after Hu Ge for several months in Xiangjiang, offering comfort and support throughout his ordeal.

As a result, Zhang Yang held a special place in Hu Ge’s heart.

“Longjing tea, I brought it for you,” Zhang Yang said, reciprocating Hu Ge’s hospitality without missing a beat.

“You certainly know how to treat yourself well.” Hu Ge retrieved the tea leaves and brewed a cup for Zhang Yang before they chatted briefly. Then, he excused himself to use the restroom.

After a few minutes, when Hu Ge returned, he found Zhang Yang engaged in conversation with Liu Shishi.

“Shi Shi, what did you need me for?” Hu Ge sat down on a separate sofa.

“The usual talk.” Liu Shishi took a sip of warm water before saying, “K-sis asked me to persuade you to play the male lead.”

“Why ‘persuade’?” Hu Ge’s handsome face instantly turned into a bitter gourd. “I really don’t want to do historical dramas anymore. Saying I’d be willing to play second male lead was actually hoping K-sis would back off. I thought she wouldn’t make me serve as supporting cast to newcomers, but I didn’t expect her to agree.”

“But if I absolutely have to act, I’d indeed rather be the second male lead. At least it’s a role that’s both right and wrong—starting as righteous then turning into an antagonist—which is more challenging.”

If not for feeling indebted to Tangren and owning shares in the company, Hu Ge might have gone straight to argue with Cai Yining.

He was already at this age; he no longer wanted to be called an idol actor.

“I just knew you’d say that,” Liu Shishi said, putting down her teacup. She glanced at Zhang Yang and continued, “Originally, I didn’t want to get involved, but seeing A-Yang suddenly gave me an idea.”

Hu Ge froze momentarily before looking at Zhang Yang, his eyes lighting up. “A-Yang, would you like the second male lead role?”

Zhang Yang hesitated, then thought to himself:

The way you two are going on, it makes all those brain cells I lost last night seem completely unnecessary!