Chapter 61: Sweet Sister! You Don't Want Your Best Friend to Be Insulted Either, Right?

“It’s probably that Taiwanese director’s fault,” Zhang Yang mused, his eyes gleaming with anticipation for the spectacle he was about to witness.

After half an hour, he drove to Macang West Square, northwest of the West Lake Wetland, and found a parking space.

Then, equipped with his gear, he walked along Wensi Road West. Five minutes later, he arrived at the northern entrance to the West Lake Wetland, noticing a large crowd gathered there. A security team was directing traffic, preventing cars from entering but allowing pedestrians to walk in.

Zhang Yang blended into the crowd, entering the West Lake Wetland. Around him were groups of young people, some holding posters of Yang Mi or Feng Shaofeng, others clutching joint posters of Yaye and Qingchuan.

Yang Mi had skyrocketed to fame earlier this year after the massive success of Palace Locks of Jade, catapulting her into the ranks of top-tier female celebrities. The “Mipeng” pairing between her and Feng Shaofeng had amassed a dedicated fan base. Today’s shoot for the TV series Symphony of Destiny at the Xixi Creative Industrial Park marked their third collaboration, following Great Cold Peach Blossoms and Palace Locks and Pearls. The announcement of this project had drawn widespread attention from the moment it was made public.

“Hey, handsome, are you a photographer?” A young girl, appearing to be in high school, approached Zhang Yang. After receiving an affirmative response, she asked, “Could you take some pictures of us? We’re all Yang Mi fans.”

Zhang Yang readily agreed; this was precisely the purpose behind his camera display.

Drawing upon his expertise as a professional photographer, he successfully infiltrated the inner circle of Yang Mi’s fans.

An increasing number of Yang Mi fans approached him for photos. Leveraging both his photographic skills and sociable demeanor, he effortlessly befriended the official fan club manager.

“Mimi went to Xiangjiang yesterday for a magazine shoot,” the manager disclosed. “Due to the photographer’s fault, she missed her flight. This morning, there was another hour-long delay, and now their car is stuck in traffic. They’re likely going to be late…”

From this fan group manager, Zhang Yang gleaned valuable insights. As he prepared to leave, the manager suddenly extended an invitation: “With your exceptional photography skills, you’re clearly not a paparazzo. Would you be interested in a long-term collaboration? We could invite you to official fan events to capture photos.”

Initially, Zhang Yang was inclined to decline outright. However, remembering that the manager had contact information for Yang Mi’s personal assistant, Zhao Ruoyao, he reconsidered. This connection could prove useful for gathering intelligence and seizing future opportunities. He nodded and said, “I travel across the country regularly. If you need someone, feel free to reach out. Or, if I’m in the area, I’ll let you know. No charge either way—it’s just for the love of the art.”

She’s the Great Honey Pot—slapdash with news. She’s definitely an opportunity trigger. It’s wise to pay her plenty of attention.

Speaking of Panic Island, it aired on July 8th. Back then, he only learned about it later and watched on his computer. This time, he’d go to the movies to enjoy the big-screen experience.

“I’m off,” he said.

Zhang Yang packed up his camera gear and headed out. Using his agile skills, he snuck into the cordoned-off industrial park.

After some careful observation, he found a suitable target, slipped on an employee badge around his neck, and nonchalantly made his way to the main studio. He stood in a concealed spot, where he could clearly hear Director Ke Han Cheng cursing inside the studio.

“They’re already an hour late! What kind of attitude is this?”

“You say Yang Mi had a flight delay, but what about Feng Shaofeng?”

“Is it just their car that gets stuck in traffic? Why couldn’t they have left earlier?”

“They’re so green they can’t stand this show? Acting like big shots over a minor role? I absolutely won’t tolerate this…”

Mixed in with these words were occasional curses in the local dialect, sounding rather threatening.

Another half-hour passed when Zhang Yang heard a commotion from outside the studio,

Glancing at the time, he immediately opened his camera and aimed it in a particular direction.

Before long, Feng Shaofeng entered, surrounded by a group of people. He immediately approached the director: “Apologies, Director Ke. I’m late. There was a car accident on the road, which caused me to get stuck in traffic. Please calm down; tonight I’ll treat you to a good meal.”

Feng Shaofeng didn’t grovel, but his words were pleasant and seemed sincere.

Ke Hancheng said nothing, simply instructing him to go prepare.

Not long after, there was even more commotion outside the set.

Yang Mi, dressed in jeans, a short blouse, and wearing a mask, arrived late. Her face showed a resolve to appear cheerful, though the weariness etched in her brows was unmistakable.

She approached Ke Hancheng first, offering a brief apology. Her current manager, Zhao Ruoyao, spoke to Ke Hancheng with genuine sincerity: “Director Ke, yesterday in Xiangjiang, Miss Yang was shooting for a magazine. It was supposed to be from 7 PM to 9 PM, but due to the photographer’s tardiness, the shoot ended up lasting until 1 AM.”

“We took the earliest flight departing at 9 PM from Xiangjiang and arriving in Macang this morning. Unfortunately, there were traffic jams at the airport and on XX road, which led to our delay.”

“I’m truly sorry for causing a work delay for Director Ke and everyone else on the set today.”

The people around them turned their gazes towards Ke Hancheng.

He was clearly the one with the strongest opinion on the matter.

Truth be told, the others didn’t really mind; working an extra day just meant an extra day’s pay.

“Let’s start filming,” Kobayashi Hanlin said coldly, his face unreadable.

Seeing this, everyone assumed the matter was settled.

To be honest, although Yang Mi and Feng Shaofeng’s tardiness was inappropriate, it was understandable. Their attitude towards correcting the mistake had also been good.

Moreover, both actors were currently at the height of their popularity. No one thought Kobayashi Hanlin would make a big deal out of it.

Feng Shaofeng and Yang Mi evidently thought so too, relief plain on their faces.

Zhang Yang, however, had a different opinion. His gaze swept across Feng Shaofeng and Yang Mi’s faces. “These two think it’s too simple. We’re in for some good entertainment next!”

What happened next promptly slapped the face of every crew member on set, confirming Zhang Yang’s suspicions.

“Aikson… Cut!”

“Yang Mi, your expression here should be…”

“Aikson… Cut!”

“Feng Shaofeng, add a bit more expression. You’re like a prince, not a real one.”

“Cut! Cut!”

“Yang Mi, this outfit is incorrect. Have the props team fetch me a leather jacket.”

“Cut! Cut! Cut!”

“Feng Shaofeng, Yang Mi, you two need to get your emotions in gear. You’re a couple, not a pair of bitter adversaries, got it?”

”…”

“Cut! Yang Mi, your mental state looks terrible. Shooting for the magazine and rushing to catch your flight has worn you out. You’d better bow out early and go back to rest. I don’t want people saying the production is bullying the actors. If the female lead can’t shoot, we’re done for today. We’ll pick up again tomorrow!”

Having left these words hanging in the air, the director set down his megaphone and stormed off without another word.

Feng Shaofeng and Yang Mi both wore dark expressions, well aware that Ke Hancheng was deliberately trying to rattle them. But he was operating within the bounds of his role as director, and while his final message had been delivered in a grating tone, it wasn’t exactly a problem.

“A director has plenty of legitimate ways to discipline an actor,” Zhang Yang observed, having anticipated this turn of events.

“Mimi, since the director said so, you should head back to the hotel and get some rest,” Feng Shaofeng said, his forced smile playing out on his face as he stepped up to Yang Mi. “Once you’ve rested properly tomorrow, the director’s temper will have cooled, and everything will be fine.”

Fine? Zhang Yang scoffed inwardly. You wish.

Tomorrow is when the real show begins.

Hefting his camera, Zhang Yang slipped away unnoticed, melted into the shadows as he left the set. Back at his apartment, he opened his laptop and began to edit his footage.

With the video handled, Zhang Yang gave Tang Yan a call.

“Tangtang-jie, you wouldn’t want Miss Yang to be publicly dogged, would you?”