Chapter 8: Persuading You to Play Second Female Lead

“Where did I give it away?” Hu Ge sat across from Zhang Yang, his face a picture of dejection.

“You didn’t,” Zhang Yang replied, leaning back in a relaxed posture. He pointed at Liu Shishi with a grin. “But Po-shi-jie here does. She was about to burst out laughing.”

Hu Ge fell silent.

Liu Shishi awkwardly tilted her head, clearly uncomfortable.

“You guys convinced that old stubborn K-sis in just half an hour? You’ve really impressed me,” Zhang Yang said, paying them a compliment.

The three had known each other for over six years. Considering the time they spent together on set, they might have interacted more than some family members. They understood each other’s personalities well and were close friends who shared everything.

So when facing Hu Ge and Liu Shishi, Zhang Yang appeared very casual, despite both being significantly older than him.

“Well, you should thank your big brother’s silver tongue,” Hu Ge said with a self-satisfied smile. “I told K-sis we wanted you to play the lead, but she wasn’t keen on the idea at first.”

Not exactly “not keen,” thought Zhang Yang. More like she outright rejected it without giving it any thought.

Cai Yining’s exact words had been: “If he doesn’t renew his contract, there’s no way I’ll continue supporting him. Besides, this show needs a male actor with high popularity to carry the main role; otherwise, it won’t be easy to sell.”

There was some truth in her words, but Hu Ge and Liu Shishi both knew it wasn’t as serious as she made it sound.

After all, on the female lead side, with Liu Shishi and Tang Yan—the two beauties from Sword and Fairy III—the marketing potential was immense.

“K-sis,” Hu Ge said earnestly, “for this male supporting role, I really think you should give it to Zhang Yang. It’s crucial for our entire company.”

His reasoning left Cai Yining unable to argue back.

“Zhang Yang is a veteran of ours,” he continued. “It’s understandable if he still harbors resentment after being stood up by you years ago, K-sis.”

“You know very well how much Xu Changqing’s role in Sword and Fairy III opened up the mainland market for Huo Jianhua. To Zhang Yang, that opportunity should have been his.”

“Now you’ve signed a new actor—a classmate of Zhang Yang’s—and not only did you make him the male lead, but you didn’t even offer the male supporting role to Zhang Yang. How will the other artists in the company feel?”

“Forget about everyone else; just consider Lin Gengxin. You promised him the leading role in Step by Step, but after partnering with Taiwanese investors, you gave it to Wu Qilong instead. Lin Gengxin couldn’t even secure second or third male leads. He’s still bitter about that, isn’t he?”

“We can’t let this kind of thing happen again.”

At these words, Cai Yining glanced at Liu Shishi, her mouth moving slightly but no sound emerging.

She recalled the early days of filming Sword and Fairy III. Tang Yan was supposed to be the female lead, with Liu Shishi as the second female role. However, not long after production began, Yang Mi was brought in as the new lead actress. Tang Yan became the second female role, and Liu Shishi ended up third.

To say there were no hard feelings would have been disingenuous.

If such practices continued unchecked, it could lead to a breakdown of trust between artists and their companies—making for an increasingly difficult working environment.

Moreover, while signing new talent might still be possible, finding truly promising prospects would become significantly harder if word got out about such treatment.

Reaching this point in her thoughts, Cai Yining said, “If you take on the male lead, I’ll arrange for Zhang Yang to play the second male role. Jiang Jinfu will prepare a leading part for him in his next project—that way, all our promises will be fulfilled.”

“I want to do modern dramas!” Hu Ge insisted stubbornly.

The two engaged in a spirited battle of wits over this matter, with Liu Shishi remaining silent throughout, content to watch from the sidelines.

However, as Tangren’s undisputed top star, her mere presence put pressure on Cai Yining to tread carefully.

In the end, Cai Yining relented, saying she’d need to discuss matters with the board—a convenient way to save face and buy time.

“Thanks for standing up to K-sis on my behalf,” Zhang Yang said with mock seriousness, cupping his fist in a traditional gesture of respect. “I’m forever grateful, bro.”

“That acting was a bit much,” Liu Shishi gently teased. Though usually reserved, she could be quite talkative among close friends.

“Hu Ge often tells me how great your acting is—how talented you are. I can’t let that slide,” Hu Ge said with a smile, playfully ribbing him. “I’ll have to give him a call about this.”

Zhang Yang grinned, unfazed. “Go ahead, Hu Ge. Old Wang will just think you’re jealous and trying to smear my reputation.”

Hu Ge quickly placed his hand over his heart, feigning hurt. “I used to be Old Wang’s prized student once upon a time. Things sure have changed.”

Liu Shishi watched these two banter back and forth, her face as serene as an elegant orchid blossoming with delight, like rays of sunlight sweeping across winter’s chill.

The trio sat in the lounge, chatting idly and even discussing the script for a while.

Just as Hu Ge was convinced nothing would come of their meeting that morning and suggested treating everyone to lunch, Cai Yining’s call reached Zhang Yang’s phone. Her tone carried clear displeasure and gravity: “Get over here to my office immediately. We’re signing the contract.”

“Alright, K-sis, I’ll be right over,” Zhang Yang replied with an unusually warm tone.

On the other end of the line, Cai Yining’s expression stiffened slightly at this unexpected cordiality.

In truth, she had tried reaching out to Zhang Yang several times over the past few years to secure roles for him, but his responses were always distant and laced with resentment.

As a boss, despite recognizing his talent and potential, if someone doesn’t fit her needs or work well within her system, she simply chooses not to use them. If it weren’t for feeling somewhat indebted, she might have completely sidelined him by now.

Could today’s more amicable tone be because he was forced into accepting the role as male lead?

With this suspicion, Cai Yining composed herself and said, “Bring Shi Shi along too; her contract hasn’t been signed yet.”

“Understood, K-sis,” Zhang Yang responded courteously.

After hanging up, he relayed the message to Liu Shishi, and together they headed towards Cai Yining’s office.

Curious, Zhang Yang asked halfway there, “Shishi-jie, how come you still haven’t signed your contract so late in the game?”

He distinctly remembered Liu Shishi mentioning earlier that all new members would sign their first collective contract today. And Jiang Jinfu had also stated that Liu Shishi had already inked hers.

“I want to play the female lead,” Liu Shishi said, giving Zhang Yang an unexpected answer.

“You want to be Ning Ke?” Zhang Yang asked, puzzled. “Don’t tell me you’re also trying to challenge yourself with your acting?”

“Maybe half of it,” Liu Shishi replied, a slight curve at the corner of her lips. “I do want to try playing a villain with a unique personality. I’ve played many roles so far, but they’ve all been very stereotypical—either the obedient girl or the slightly lively one.”

“The other half is because Tangtang told me privately that she wants to play Tuoba Yuer. Her agency thinks this role will better suit her development path, making her the female lead instead of the supporting character.”

Zhang Yang was speechless.

The Three Daughters of Xia had already aired.

So Tang Yan had already enjoyed the benefits and decided to specialize in the sweet and innocent route?

In reality, Dugu Ningke was just like Violet—a character that Tang Yan had played infrequently but received praise from both casual viewers and fans alike. It truly showcased her as a mature actress.

However, Zhang Yang only had a nodding acquaintance with Tang Yan, so he didn’t plan on delving too deeply into their relationship.

But when it came to Liu Shishi playing the role of Dugu Ningke…

“Shishi-jie, I think this is great,” Zhang Yang said, his eyes flickering at the thought of what he’d just discovered in the entertainment industry opportunity handbook.

“What do you mean?” Liu Shishi didn’t immediately grasp his point.

Zhang Yang elaborated, “I’m talking about your role as the female lead.”

“Hm?” Liu Shishi seemed surprised. “What does our high-achieving student have to say?”

Zhang Yang smiled warmly, his gaze earnest. “It’s not really a critique.”

“I just think compared to Miss Tang Yan, I’d prefer acting opposite you, Shishi-jie.”

Shishi-jie, this could be your big break.

I hope you seize this chance!