Chapter 70: The Fairy's Mysterious Trust in Zhang Yang

“I knew it.” Zhang Yang tilted his head, his gaze sweeping across Nazha’s face.

She’s definitely the one who can’t keep secrets, he thought. Posting photos on Moments to show off—she must’ve been spotted by Liu Yifei.

Liu Yifei bit her lip, feeling dejected.

Ever since Zhang Yang left with Nazha, she found the time on set increasingly hard to bear. Thankfully, wrapping up soon brought her some cheer—until she saw Nazha’s WeChat post, that is.

“I’d never make such a rookie mistake,” Zhang Yang thought, holding back a smile.

Liu Yifei was a coffee lover and drank it almost daily on the Four Great Detectives set.*

Unlike Tang Yan and the others, Liu Yifei preferred her coffee black—no sugar, no milk.

“Excuses!” Liu Yifei pressed her lips together, her slender fingers quickly typing out a response.

Zhang Yang: Fool you? No way, Yifei-jie! I just assumed you prefer your coffee black, like you always have.

“Hmm?” Liu Yifei’s eyes flickered.

She was surprised that Zhang Yang had noticed this detail; he was more observant than she’d realized.

Before she could respond, Zhang Yang sent another message.

Zhang Yang: If I tried giving you a “coconut latte” like I did for Tangtang-jie and the others—sweet and full of milk—you’d probably think I was pulling a prank or trying to poison you. Then you’d probably give me a beating.

“Nonsense! I’m not that unreasonable, nor do I have any inclination for violence,” Liu Yifei’s face broke into a smile.

Liu Yifei nodded contentedly.

After chatting a bit more, she set down her phone and picked up the script.

As she looked up, she saw Liu Xiaoli’s face right next to her, filled with disdain.

“Mom, why are you looking at me like that?” Liu Yifei asked, hugging Liu Xiaoli.

Liu Xiaoli’s face remained expressionless as she replied, “After that cheap little show you put on just now, how do you expect me to look at you?”

Yifei, who had been in a great mood moments ago, suddenly became angry. She initially thought something serious had occurred, but it turned out to be because of a cup of coffee.

Despite her initial anger, after logging onto QQ and exchanging just a few messages with Zhang Yang, she couldn’t help but start smiling again.

She began suspecting that perhaps she had been too strict before, leading to Liu Yifei’s naivety.

“Who’s being cheap? I was just having some fun with A-Yang, feeling him out a bit,” Liu Yifei retorted, her words mirroring her stubborn expression. She even made little gestures with her fingers to emphasize her point.

Had anyone captured that moment and shared it online, Liu Yifei would instantly lose all marketability in the peninsula region.

“Who’s feeling whom out?” Liu Xiaoli sighed softly. “Given A-Yang’s current popularity, when do you think you’ll get to star in a movie together again?”

Liu Yifei’s smile froze on her face, leaving her momentarily speechless.

Liu Xiaoli continued, “When you approach your next script, you might even find yourself actively trying to bring you two together.”

Liu Yifei’s brow furrowed unconsciously. “Mom, I think you’re overthinking it. A-Yang wouldn’t scheme against me.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Liu Xiaoli had a differing opinion. “A-Yang gave me a very good impression - highly capable and talented. But that doesn’t mean he lacks strategic calculation.”

“A-Yang is exceptionally intelligent, skilled in social affairs, and adept at guiding events to his advantage. When I say he knows how to scheme, I don’t mean in a selfish or harmful way. Rather, he excels at seizing opportunities and going with the flow.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei’s expression immediately improved, her gaze turning serious. “Mom, I believe A-Yang wouldn’t scheme against me, even if it was just going with the flow.”

“I’ll prove it to you,” she declared with conviction.

Changchun Film Studio and the Imperial Capital Light Film Company were preparing to produce a movie called Tongque Terrace. They had already sent representatives to invite her to play the female lead, with Zhou Runfa as the male lead. Other notable actors like Su Youpeng and Yineng Jing were also set to star in the film.

Such a grand production, boasting an ensemble of top-tier celebrities, was one many first-line actors couldn’t refuse, let alone Zhang Yang.

She would certainly try to secure an audition for Zhang Yang, but she was firmly convinced he wouldn’t accept the offer.

Unless, of course, Zhang Yang had no interest in her and cared little for his pride.

“I’ll be eagerly awaiting this,” Liu Xiaoli managed a smile, guessing the general outline of Liu Yifei’s thoughts.

She was willing to eat her words; from now on, she would treat Zhang Yang like her own son.

Zhang Yang remained unaware of the conversation between Liu Xiaoli and Liu Yifei.

By this time, he had already arrived at the set with Tang Yan, San Yu, and Jiang Jinfu, among others, to begin filming.

“Today’s plan was only three scenes, but we ended up shooting five. Talk about frighteningly efficient!”

“Five scenes, all in one take. How could that not be efficient?”

“A-Yang’s acting was never bad before, but it’s never been this insane.”

“He was already gifted, but after concentrating on his studies at the Shanghai Theatre Academy for two years, he’s become even more incredible.”

“At least we can relax too. Win-win.”

”…”

As the day’s filming wrapped up, the cast and crew from Tangren Company watched Zhang Yang as if he were a monster, their gazes filled with both wonder and envy.

Whenever Zhang Yang’s scene came up, he aced it in a single take, often guiding his co-actors to perfection as well. He approached each scene as if he were making a prestige film, demanding nothing short of excellence from himself.

Even Hu Ge, the top actor at Tangren, never exhibited such efficiency and prowess on set. Zhang Yang’s performance left them all in awe.

In stark contrast to Zhang Yang’s smooth sailing, Jiang Jinfu and Lin Gengxin’s filming was riddled with mishaps, often requiring multiple retakes.

Jiang Jinfu, in particular, couldn’t have been further from Zhang Yang’s stellar performance. However, the production had only just begun, and the directors remained unperturbed. They patiently explained scenes to the actors, guiding them through blocking and instructing on the emotions and acting required for each role.

“No need to rush into the second dream just yet,” Zhang Yang mused.

After drafting some script on his computer, he lay down on his bed, gazing at the ceiling as he pondered.

He was currently in perfect acting condition, fully embodying the method acting approach. It made sense to first delve deeper into understanding his character’s psyche and refine his portrayal during the shoot. This would heighten the accuracy when enacting the second dream, ensuring he didn’t squander any opportunity points.

As these thoughts drifted through his mind, Zhang Yang slowly drifted off to sleep.

In the following days, he maintained an unwavering performance, his acting efficiency skyrocketing.

Even more remarkable, whenever Nazha and Liu Shishi acted alongside him, they effortlessly slipped into their roles, delivering standout performances.

Liu Shishi’s scenes were primarily with Zhang Yang, which made her performance during this shoot particularly noteworthy.

Nazha and Jiang Jinfu had plenty of scenes together, but she’d always turn to Zhang Yang for help when facing difficulties. This wasn’t a major issue.

Jiang Jinfu, lacking prior acting experience, was essentially a novice. Consequently, everyone’s expectations for him were low, and they were more forgiving.

In comparison, it was surprising that the most disappointing performance came from Tang Yan, the “seasoned actor.”

Her scenes with Zhang Yang were fine, but whenever she had to act opposite Jiang Jinfu, she lost her composure, failing to even match the novice’s level.

“Dandan, at this point, you should…” The director once again went over the scene with Tang Yan and Jiang Jinfu.

Lin Gengxin sidled up to Zhang Yang and said with a smirk, “Eeny, tomorrow is the seventh day. You’re going to lose.”

Zhang Yang shot him a glance. “If you didn’t remind me, I would’ve forgotten about that bet.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you later.”

“Regretful?” Lin Gengxin laughed confidently.

Tang Yan was too proud; how could she approach Zhang Yang for acting guidance after making it clear she didn’t want to learn from him?

“There’s no way, absolutely not.”