Chapter 9: Are You Really Not Talking?

Why did Zhang Yang encourage Liu Shishi to play the female supporting role?

Firstly, it certainly wasn’t to leverage their on-screen relationship for any ulterior motives.

He simply considered their closeness and wanted to give Liu Shishi a helping hand.

After Xuanyuan Sword: Heaven’s Scar aired, the female supporting character’s design and performance attracted more fans than the protagonist. Additionally, the lead actress exhibited several off-putting traits throughout the series.

Secondly, Zhang Yang could provide Liu Shishi with an advantage.

In short, by seizing these opportunities, Zhang Yang not only gained friendships or leverage against figures in the entertainment industry but also accumulated opportunity points. These points enabled him to experience characters’ lifetimes within dreams.

Based on compatibility, he could potentially inherit a certain percentage of a character’s abilities—could this grant him extraordinary powers?

That’s why he suggested Liu Shishi play the female lead; given their relationship, there was a high chance she might enter his dreams.

Liu Shishi was an experiential actress—one dream immersion would be like activating cheat codes for her, making her embody the role completely.

In contrast, Zhang Yang felt it would be nearly impossible to get Tang Yan into his dreams.

However, these reasons were not something he could explain to Liu Shishi.

“You think I should just agree because you want to act opposite me?” Zhang Yang’s gaze made Liu Shishi’s heart skip a beat. She subtly turned away, saying, “There’s a world of difference between the second female lead and the main heroine.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yang didn’t press further.

Enough is enough!

Besides, they had already arrived at Cai Yining’s office.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Zhang Yang knocked three times on the door.

“Come in,” Cai Yining’s voice echoed from inside.

Zhang Yang opened the door and stepped in, with Liu Shishi following closely behind.

“Greetings, K-sis,” Zhang Yang took the initiative to greet her.

He was no longer the naive youngster he’d been a few years ago.

With three more years ahead at Tangren, using it as a stepping stone to become at least a second-tier star, playing along with the boss wasn’t such a bad idea.

A wise man knows when to yield and when to stand firm.

“I’m not doing well at all,” Cai Yining said with feigned displeasure, though she might have been genuinely upset as she continued, “Not a single one of my artists can give me any peace.”

“Miss K, do you mean Old Hu, Yuan Hong, or Lin Gou?” Zhang Yang asked indignantly. “It couldn’t possibly be Jiang Jinfu whom we just signed, right? Tell me who it is; I’ll help you scold them soundly.”

Cai Yining fell silent.

It’s only been a few months since we last met. How did Zhang Yang become so shameless?

Once a man loses his principles, he may indeed reap success.

“Don’t get cheeky with me.” Cai Yining’s expression hardened. “I’ll lay it out plainly: This role is compensation for not giving you Xu Changqing back then. If you want more roles from the company in the future, you need to extend your contract beforehand.”

“Of course, you’re also free to find work outside. However, the company will only support you within the bounds of our agreement.”

“I hope you use this filming period to carefully consider your options.”

Zhang Yang’s smile remained unfaltering as he replied, “I assure you, I’ll think it over carefully and seize every opportunity.”

Tangren will soon be digging their own grave with ‘Fate of Wind’. I have absolutely no interest in this show that insults a national hero. Not being cast in it would be ideal.

“Just sign the actor contract,” Cai Yining said, her tone leaving little room for negotiation as she slid the document across the table towards Zhang Yang.

He picked it up and began to review it carefully, focusing on the compensation, breach of contract clauses, and obligations he would need to fulfill.

At this point, actors’ fees hadn’t yet skyrocketed, but they were starting to rise. There was also a growing trend of calculating pay based on the number of episodes. After Palace aired, Big Mimi’s fee per episode reportedly reached 400,000 yuan.

Zhang Yang couldn’t compare with Big Mimi; as one of Tangren’s own actors, his fee per episode was only 20,000 yuan. For thirty-six episodes, that amounted to 720,000 yuan. After splitting it 40/60 with Tangren, he’d end up with less than 500,000 yuan, and taxes still needed to be paid.

However, when he considered that Jiang Jinfu, the male lead in this drama, was earning just 2,000 yuan per episode, Zhang Yang felt somewhat reassured about the compensation.

By competing with Cai Yining for the role, he might earn a few tens of thousands more, but there could also be unforeseen complications. As long as he wasn’t at too much of a disadvantage, performing well in the role and gaining fame quickly should be his top priority right now.

“No problem, I’ll sign.”

After confirming there were no issues with the contract, Zhang Yang decisively wrote down his name.

Cai Yining blinked in surprise.

She hadn’t expected Zhang Yang to agree so readily and found herself beginning to respect him more.

“Shi Shi, why don’t you sign too?” Cai Yining turned her gaze toward Liu Shishi.

Even she couldn’t quite grasp what Miss One was thinking.

“No problem.” Liu Shishi nodded slightly. “K-sis, after giving it some thought, let’s go with Dugu Ningke.”

The decision to play the female supporting role wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment choice for Liu Shishi; it had been weighing on her mind for some time.

Cai Yining preferred that she take the lead part but acknowledged playing the second female lead was also valid. In this version of Xuanyuan Sword: Heaven’s Scar Tangren planned to shoot, both the male and female supporting roles carried as much weight as the leads.

Meanwhile, thanks to The Three Daughters of Xia, Tang Yan now outshone even Liu Shishi in popularity, making her more capable of carrying such a project.

“Made up your mind?” Cai Yining confirmed.

“I have,” Liu Shishi said, reaching for the pen Zhang Yang offered.

“You’re all becoming increasingly headstrong,” Cai Yining sighed, yet still handed over the contract.

Both she and Liu Shishi’s manager had reviewed its contents already. Aside from the different roles, their compensation and other perks remained identical.

Star status largely determined one’s pay; Jiang Jinfu, being the male lead, would receive no less than ten thousand yuan for his role—a perfect example.

With a swift motion, Liu Shishi skimmed through the contract once more before signing her name.

Cai Yining carefully stored away two copies of the agreement and turned back to Zhang Yang. “I’ll inform the Shanghai Theatre Academy leadership and ensure you can secure the necessary leave.”

“The production team is already preparing. We’ll choose a date in May to begin filming officially. You’ll be notified when the time comes. Use this period to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the script—don’t embarrass yourself in front of your shidi.”

Humiliate myself in front of Jiang Jinfu? Never!

“Many thanks for your concern, K-sis,” Zhang Yang said, readily accepting advice. “I’ll certainly set a good example.”

Seeing his obedient demeanor, Cai Yining swallowed all her words.

“Go on—both of you,” she waved them away impatiently.

Zhang Yang and Liu Shishi left together.

As they walked towards Hu Ge’s private lounge, Zhang Yang suddenly turned to Liu Shishi with mock seriousness. “Lady Dugu, please enlighten me more in the future.”

Liu Shishi was momentarily taken aback before breaking into a smile. “A-Yang, I thought you’d call me Ning Ke.”

Blinking, Zhang Yang returned the grin. “Well, our relationship hasn’t quite reached that level yet. Otherwise, I would’ve delivered that powerful declaration straight from the script.”

“What declaration?” Liu Shishi’s lovely eyes sparkled curiously.

Since she hadn’t decided which role to play, she wasn’t as familiar with the script lines.

In an instant, Zhang Yang transformed his expression, staring at Liu Shishi with feigned anger. “Two great immortals avoid meeting face-to-face but dare to harm my Ning Ke here? Don’t you think that’s going too far?”

Liu Shishi felt her heart skip another beat.

This kid has impressive mastery over dialogue.

Just as she was about to respond, the door to the nearby lounge opened slightly, revealing half of Hu Ge’s face. “Hey, you two, seriously not discussing anything?”