Chapter 24

The two returned to the group to gather. Luo Li didn't know what happened last night, so he pulled Xiao Ziyu and asked, "Brother Xiao, my master said that you are willing to sign with Yuantai?"

"Yeah," Xiao Ziyu nodded.

"My master is going to prepare the contract," Luo Li brought him a breakfast, "Don't worry, Brother Xiao, I will definitely try my best to get you the resources."

"You should get a permanent job first," Zheng Hong appeared behind the two of them holding a cowhide bag. "Mr. Xiao, please take a look at the contents of the contract. If there is no problem, we can go through the follow-up procedures."

Xiao Ziyu ate custard buns and read the contract carefully.

It was similar to what he understood. The agency was essentially very similar to the ancient opera theater. Provide them with training, plan their future growth direction, help artists obtain resources, and at the same time extract money from their earnings.

Xiao Ziyu took a look at the share ratio, which was 40 percent. From then on, he could only take 40% of the money he earned for himself, Yuan Tai got 30%, and the remaining 30% was used for miscellaneous management such as his costumes, props, and photography. The specific use of the money depended on the negotiation results between the company and the artist.

He chewed the custard bun into pieces and swallowed it, secretly making a plan in his mind.

It is not as easy to be an artist in modern society as it was in ancient times. Apart from not having to redeem themselves, their every word and action is basically decided by the company. And looking at the profit sharing ratio, unless an artist becomes extremely popular, he or she will not get much in the end.

This mode of operation determines that being an actor is bound to be a highly polarized profession. If you cannot become the leader, you will just be like everyone else and become a tool for exploitation by the company. What Yuan Heng said was absolutely correct.

He understood why Huang Wei could easily control the fate of those popular young actors and actresses. In ancient times, people relied on rich men to redeem themselves, and now they rely on rich men to seek resources, which is essentially the same.

After breakfast, Xiao Ziyu signed his name neatly at the bottom of the contract. Simplified Chinese characters are written with vigorous strokes and clear intentions.

No matter whether the entertainment industry is easy or not, he wants to give it a try.

As the sun rises, everyone packs up and prepares to set off. The road into the mountains was difficult to travel on and the nanny car could not drive in, so the crew chartered four seven-seater off-road vehicles, and the filming environment suddenly became difficult.

Xiao Ziyu was in the same car with two other stunt actors and a martial arts director. Halfway through the journey, everyone was drowsy from the shaking, except Luo Li, who couldn't stop talking.

"When you become a formal actor and join the crew, the company will also provide you with a nanny car." Luo Li was even more excited than him, "When I become awesome in the future, I will also be given an agent assistant."

"Then you should take a good rest now," Xiao Ziyu advised gently, not having the heart to suppress his passion, "you will be busy in the future."

His original intention was to ask Luo Li to shut up and take a nap, but the guy didn't understand at all. Instead, he was excited and said, "You're right. I have to get a permanent job first... Brother Xiao, don't forget to post on Weibo!"

Xiao Ziyu failed to calm people down, but was instead supervised to post on Weibo. There are no people outside the window. All I can see is the overwhelming green, the rocky mountains towering into the clouds, and a chilly vitality.

Xiao Ziyu held the phone steadily and took a picture of the scenery outside the window. The outline of the car window was like a picture frame, capturing the scene. He posted it on Weibo, activated the Pinyin keyboard and slowly added the text: I hope this is a good start.

I didn’t expect that as soon as I clicked send, a bunch of people popped up in the comment section.

"My wife posted on Weibo!"

"Brother's position has changed. Is he going to a new place to film?"

"A new beginning, is it possible that my brother has taken on a new role?"

"Why doesn't my wife post selfies? There isn't even one official photo to date."

"Turn the screen to the brightest and look at the car window! There's my wife's reflected silhouette inside!!"

"The high-definition photo editing is here! The bone structure is so beautiful! Yu Yu is so beautiful..."

Xiao Ziyu didn't expect that the majority of netizens were so idle that they would surf the Internet and follow him all day long. He also underestimated the fans' sensitivity and that they could capture so many details with just one photo.

Within ten minutes of the Weibo post being published, someone posted a retouched picture in the comment section. His silhouette was reflected in the thick green, and the outline of his eyebrows and eyes could be vaguely seen. It was his first time taking a photo and posting it on Weibo, and he was a little nervous. His eyes were slightly raised and gradually became transparent in the picture. This vague and dull feeling made him even more eye-catching.

"Wow, Brother Xiao still has to look at you." Luo Li came over excitedly, "This photo is much better than the selfie. The face is there but it's not clear. Let them discover the sweetness themselves. Brother Xiao, you know how to fish."

Xiao Ziyu didn't understand: "What fell?"

"It's nothing," Luo Li turned his head away mysteriously, "Just keep going."

Xiao Ziyu felt puzzled and looked back at the comment section, only to find that the tone of the comments had become indescribable after the retouched photo was posted.

"What is this? Wife! Lick it for me! What is this? Wife! Lick it for me!"

Xiao Ziyu frowned and typed slowly to advise: "I am not your wife, please don't talk nonsense."

"My wife's hair is so long, it looks so nice to touch! Pervert.jpg"

Xiao Ziyu: "It's just ordinary hair, there's nothing different."

"Damn it! Why hasn't it grown yet? I must grow one in my next life!"

Xiao Ziyu was puzzled: "What is going to grow?"

He is not opposed to communicating with fans, and can take the opportunity to learn simplified Chinese characters and understand the context of modern people. The girls are chattering and it is very lively.

However, after he replied to a few messages, the comment section was refreshed twice as fast, and the fans who had not spoken could no longer hold back.

"Hahaha our Yu Yu is an honest man."

"You are my wife! That's right!"

"Don't bully him anymore, hahahaha"

"Hubby, are you really from this century? You didn't travel through time!"

Xiao Ziyu's typing speed was not as fast as theirs. In the end, his hands were sore. He felt powerless and unable to refute. He finally realized the huge gap between the different eras and couldn't help feeling depressed.

We are all young people, but he couldn’t understand what the comments online were saying.

The off-road vehicle drove into a rugged road. Xiao Ziyu turned off his cell phone and closed his eyes to rest. It was not until three or four in the afternoon that they finally arrived at the village where they were staying.

The final shooting location was on the mountain, and the crew had to climb up and set up tents before dark. Tang Lin had filmed a documentary here before and was familiar with the villagers. He hired a few people to help move the equipment, and the group headed up the mountain again.

After just sitting in the car for several hours, everyone should be very tired, but everyone was whispering about something. Xiao Ziyu got his backpack and asked Luo Li: "What's wrong?"

Luo Li was still immersed in shock, his eyes almost glued to the phone screen: "Brother Xiao, check the hot searches! Forget it, let me tell you, Chaoyang Culture's stock price has plummeted!"

"What do you mean?" Xiao Ziyu frowned slightly. He had a feeling that something had happened. It was Chaoyang Culture. Could it be that Yuan Heng had already taken action?

From last night till now, both of their time has been fully occupied. Where does he get the energy?

"Huang Wei's nude photo scandal! His wife went to the Chaoyang Culture Company's entrance to hang a banner!" Luo Li shouted at him in a low voice, but because he had to suppress his voice, his saliva sprayed a meter away.

The industry is quite sensitive about the investors, and this matter is still gradually fermenting. On the surface, Chaoyang Culture’s stock price has plummeted, but secretly, related projects may be affected. Chaoyang Culture is one of the largest investors in "Maple Grove Evening", which is definitely not a good thing for the crew.

Tang Lin obviously also received the news. He kept making phone calls along the way with a gloomy face.

"Where did he get the photo of his wife?" Xiao Ziyu's heart moved. He originally thought that Yuan Heng would use the evidence at hand to negotiate with Huang Wei, but he didn't expect that the other party would directly use Huang Wei's wife. What a good trick to kill someone by taking advantage of the situation, saving time and effort.

"There must be a private detective, or the rival is deliberately targeting him," Luo Li said. "Some time ago, there was a rumor that Huang Wei was in the process of getting a divorce. For a whore like him, there's no guarantee that he'll be bitten back by his mistress. It's not unfair at all."

"Is it just photos?" Xiao Ziyu opened his phone to check the news, "Is there any other evidence?"

He sent the recording file to Yuan Heng last night. It was solid evidence and there was no reason not to use it.

"There are only photos at the moment," Luo Lichong was at the forefront of the discussion, "but this is enough to make Huang Wei suffer. At the very least, his reputation will be damaged and the company will suffer losses. In serious cases, he could go to jail."

"Who knows if the people he slept with were willing?"

Xiao Ziyu had already looked up the news online. The pictures exposed by the media were all censored, and only Huang Wei's ugly appearance was exposed. But it can be seen that the people who go in and out with him are both men and women, with different body shapes. Some netizens even matched them to several idols based on their manners and clothing. The entertainment industry was in an uproar, and several studios issued notices to refute the rumors and denounce the black fans.

"Chaoyang Culture was founded by Huang Wei and his wife. After they had a child, his wife retreated to the second line and only held shares in the company." Luo Li was a little short of oxygen while walking on the mountain road, but he still spoke intermittently, "Now Huang Wei will definitely leave the company with nothing. It's hard to say what will happen to the company."

Purify yourself? Xiao Ziyu widened his eyes slightly, feeling that it was unbelievable but also somewhat reasonable. Since I can't control that thing under me, I might as well get rid of it.

Seeing that Luo Li was panting heavily, he said, "How about I carry you on my back?"

"No, no," Luo Li waved his hands, also feeling puzzled, "Brother Xiao, you are not strong, where do you get so much strength?"

Fortunately, Tang Lin quickly announced a rest on the spot, and everyone sat together in groups of three or five to discuss the gossip.

Xiao Ziyu did not gather in the crowd. He looked around for a moment and saw Yuan Heng talking to Tang Lin. The corners of his mouth were slightly tense and his face looked very serious.

As soon as he saw his expression, Xiao Ziyu knew that he was thinking, so he didn't go up to disturb him. Not until the team started moving again did he casually come to Yuan Heng's side and looked up at him.

Yuan Heng saw that his fingers holding the backpack straps were turning white, as if he was secretly exerting force, "What's wrong? You can't carry it anymore, so you come to me to act cute?"

Xiao Ziyu ignored his teasing and asked directly: "Did you do what happened to Huang Wei?"

Yuan Heng said: "Didn't you guess it last night?"

"I didn't expect it to happen so soon," Xiao Ziyu pinched the backpack strap again, "You didn't use the recording I gave you?"

"I've been investigating Huang Wei and have some evidence," Yuan Heng said. "Whether the private recording can be used as testimony depends on the judge's judgment. It won't have a good result for you if you rashly publish it."

Xiao Ziyu was stunned and felt a chill down his spine.

If that recording were released, it would confirm the dispute between him and Huang Wei. No matter what his original intention was in recording this audio, the divergent thinking of netizens is uncontrollable.

Since they have already talked about such private issues as the price of keeping a sugar daddy, why did he suddenly change his mind? Was he dissatisfied with the low price? Did he ever hang out with Huang Wei? Did he even look for someone else before Huang Wei? These are all likely to become hot topics for people to discuss.

Since ancient times, actors have been easily framed in romantic affairs. If someone with ulterior motives uses this to make a fuss, it would be like tying a time bomb to oneself.

"So you want to avoid leaving any hidden dangers for me." Xiao Ziyu said in a low voice.

"Don't flatter yourself," Yuan Heng raised his eyebrows, showing a bit of arrogance, "You are Yuantai's artist now, I have to consider your commercial value first."

"The commercial value of an artist should be the level of discussion," Xiao Ziyu knew clearly, "If this matter ferments, there will be no problem of lack of traffic."

Yuan Heng choked, as if his safety was violated. Although it was not obvious on his face, the corners of his eyes and eyebrows were tense.

It would have been fine if he had gone to someone's room late at night because of a headache, but he had to stay in bed with him for half the night last night, and his bones are still sore. He felt that some of his principles were being broken by his own hands, and he even felt a little offended.

Yuan Heng has always been accustomed to being in control and has a great sense of boundaries. He doesn't trust anyone and only relies on his own judgment. This kind of vigilance made him never arrange a driver or a personal assistant. Even Zheng Hong, who was with him every day, had no idea what Yuan Heng's private life was like.

Xiao Ziyu was someone Xue Jinling had placed next to him. Regardless of whether he could be trusted, he himself had a long criminal record. Yuan Heng felt that he was going astray from his mistakes again, and said without any emotion: "You just need to obey the company's arrangements."

He didn't want Xiao Ziyu to notice his emotions, so he felt he had concealed them well. Xiao Ziyu seemed to have noticed something and automatically distanced himself from him: "I'll just follow your instructions, why are you angry?"

"..." As if trying to get back at the opponent, Yuan Heng said, "I'm not angry."

Xiao Ziyu didn't say anything, but the corner of his mouth curled up slightly, obviously he didn't believe it.

Yuan Heng did not want to get entangled with him: "I will not make the recording public, but I will give it to the judge privately as evidence of Huang Wei's extramarital affair."

Xiao Ziyu: "Oh, so Mr. Yuan wants to help people settle marriage lawsuits."

"Huang Wei's wife Du Qian is upright and decisive," Yuan Heng said. "Chaoyang Culture will develop better in her hands."

Xiao Ziyu understood: "You want to help her and cooperate with her."

Yuan Heng's work style emphasizes cutting the Gordian knot. He will basically stick to what he has decided on, regardless of the opposition. However, Xiao Ziyu still disagrees: "What if things don't go so smoothly and Chaoyang Culture withdraws its investment? How can we shoot "Maple Grove Evening"?"

A small stand-in actor actually showed concern for the crew's affairs. Yuan Heng glanced at him and said, "In that case, I will continue to invest in my own name."

Xiao Ziyu stopped talking again and just walked away with his head down.

Yuan Heng walked side by side with him for a while, and finally burst out in silence: "What's wrong with you? Who are you trying to show off to?"

Xiao Ziyu looked up at him blankly: "I'm a little tired and out of breath, it's not that I'm ignoring you."

Yuan Heng was speechless for a while. When I glanced down, I found that Xiao Ziyu's lips were a little pale. Maybe his body had not fully recovered after the intravenous drip.

"Give me the bag," he said.

The road into the mountain was difficult to walk on. Even the actresses around him had to carry their own luggage. Xiao Ziyu didn't want to embarrass himself: "No need."

"Is your face more valuable than your body?" Yuan Heng saw through him at a glance. He reached out and hooked the strap of Xiao Ziyu's backpack. He easily fixed him in place and took off the backpack.

Xiao Ziyu had no choice. Even though he could not agree with his behavior of attacking others at the slightest disagreement, he could only follow his actions and let go of his hands to avoid making another big noise.

Without the burden, Xiao Ziyu's steps gradually became lighter, and he began to ask questions again: "So Huang Wei will be kicked out of the house with nothing?"

Ancient people knew a lot. Yuan Heng said, "It depends on what Du Qian means. She probably knows."

Xiao Ziyu's eyes widened: "How do we clean it? Go to the hospital?"

Yuan Heng had a feeling that he was thinking something else: "What are you thinking about?"

Xiao Ziyu sensed something was wrong: "Purification..."

"It means that after a couple divorces, they cannot obtain their common property." Yuan Heng said, and asked again in a friendly manner, "What are you thinking about?"

Xiao Ziyu felt ashamed in his heart, but he refused to show his weakness, otherwise Yuan Heng would definitely take advantage of him. He said expressionlessly, "If we divorce in the future, will you have to leave the house with nothing?"

"You want a divorce now that you've got the marriage certificate?" Yuan Heng sneered, "If you want a divorce so badly, just come with me to Europe and get the marriage certificate first. Don't say I forced you later."

It turns out that men can get married in Europe. Xiao Ziyu readily kept his mouth shut. He forgot that Yuan Heng was now an arrogant modern man who always had new knowledge that he could not imagine. He decided to conserve his energy, otherwise he would always suffer losses.

The trees in the mountains blocked the view and darkness fell before five o'clock. The camp was in an open space on the mountainside. There were quite a few film crews coming to shoot, and the villagers were very skilled in setting up the tents. We finally settled down before dark.

It is almost the middle of April and the weather has warmed up completely, but the wind on the top of the mountain is still a little chilly. For many people, it was their first time to shoot this kind of pristine outdoor scene. They all found it bizarre and clamored to have a bonfire party.

Xiao Ziyu was wandering outside the crowd. He could not see the city scenery from here. In the afterglow of the setting sun, a hint of rusty red appeared on the horizon again. It seemed that fog had risen in the mountains, casting a layer of blue shadow on the surrounding view.

He walked along the path for a while and heard a rustling sound under his feet. Xiao Ziyu stopped suddenly and found that it was a pile of fallen leaves, forming a thick layer.

He looked up and saw, as expected, a withered camphor tree. Its trunk was thick and covered with knotty tumors as big as bowls. There were still a few dead leaves on the bare branches, which looked particularly sad against the misty blue sky.

In April, when spring comes, this camphor tree is the only one withering away amidst the lush green surroundings.

Xiao Ziyu checked all around and found no insect bites and no external damage, as if the camphor tree had suddenly given up on spring and left quietly. He felt inexplicably sad and could not help but reach out and touch the dead tree trunk, feeling the rough texture. He then exerted force with his palm and scurried up as lightly as a cat.

The stars in the sky gradually became clearer, and Xiao Ziyu leaned against a withered branch, gradually becoming lost in thought.

The night sky has not changed. It is still the night sky of Daliang. But he no longer has a home in Daliang, and he doesn’t know what he misses.

"Brother Xiao! It's time to eat!" Luo Li was holding two boxes of self-heating hot pot when he suddenly found that Xiao Ziyu was missing.

"I was here just now." He took out his cell phone and dialed Xiao Ziyu's number. The ringtone rang nearby. That was Xiao Ziyu's backpack, and he didn't carry his cell phone with him.

"Did he go to the toilet?" Luo Li muttered quietly. Just as he was about to shout a few more times, he saw Yuan Heng coming towards him and held back his words: "Mr. Yuan."

Yuan Heng glanced at the self-heating pot in his hand, which contained a bowl of spicy crayfish and a bowl of mushroom soup. "Are you not going to eat yet?"

The generation gap between the intern and the president was too big. Luo Li was very nervous and told the truth: "I don't know where Brother Xiao went. I didn't see him."

Yuan Heng looked around. It was already completely dark and he couldn't see clearly more than five meters away. Next to the campfire, Lu Yan was singing and playing guitar, the heroine and several supporting actors were clapping in response, and the director team was discussing tomorrow's scenes. Everyone was lively and in order, and there was indeed no sign of Xiao Ziyu.

He was here to annoy him just now, but now there is no one here.

"Let's go look for it." Yuan Heng said and walked into the woods.

"Ah? Ah!" Luo Li didn't react for a moment, and didn't know whether to call for help. Seeing that Yuan Heng was almost gone, he quickly put down the self-heating hot pot and chased after him.

He turned on the flashlight on his phone and said, "Mr. Yuan, do you think Brother Xiao couldn't find the toilet and got lost?"

Yuan Heng thought to himself, with Xiao Ziyu's clever brain, he was able to find his way back even after Luo Li got lost three times.

So he was not worried, but just a little curious. Since Xiao Ziyu neither liked to be in crowds nor liked to be alone, where would he go?

Yuan Heng was tall and strong, and he could walk on the rugged mountain roads as if they were flat ground. Luo Li followed behind with one foot deep and one foot shallow, and suddenly his feet went weak: "Damn, how can there be fallen leaves in this season?"

He looked up and found that Yuan Heng in front of him had stopped moving and was just looking up at the top of the tree. The light from the mobile phone's flashlight was not strong enough to only vaguely illuminate a figure. It was clear that there was a person leaning against the sparse tree trunks!

"I C..." He subconsciously wanted to shout, but swallowed it back after being looked at by Yuan Heng. Luo Li suddenly realized that Xiao Ziyu might have fallen asleep in the tree, and if he woke him up rashly, he might fall down.

Although he had seen Xiao Ziyu hanging on a wire before, and it was indeed extremely exciting, but he was tied with a rope after all. The tree in front of him was tall and straight, and there was not even a place to stand. How did this person get up there?

This thought flashed through his mind, and Yuan Heng next to him held onto the tree trunk and leaned upwards, like a giant bat in the night. After gaining leverage twice, he landed steadily on the thick branch that Xiao Ziyu was leaning on.

Luo Li realized it later and raised the flashlight, his face full of shock.

Feeling the branches beneath him trembling slightly, Xiao Ziyu opened his eyes. He was not actually asleep, but was just having a hysterical fit with his eyes closed. He was confused for a moment, and suddenly a figure appeared in front of him.

Yuan Heng's face looked a little cold in the moonlight, with a few dead leaves falling on his shoulders. Behind him, the shadows of the mountains were undulating and the bright moon was hanging in the sky. He was a little dazed and had forgotten which time this was an impromptu night trip out of the palace when Yuan Heng took him to see the moon.

Yuan Heng was looking at the innocent-looking person in front of him and was about to get angry when he saw Xiao Ziyu raising his finger and pointing at the top of his head. He turned his head and saw a clear voice behind him: "That's Ziweiyuan."

There is no light pollution in the mountains. The night sky is pure black, with stars weaving together to create a vast celestial scene. In fact, Xiao Ziyu had never studied astronomy, and the only few constellations he knew were taught to him by Yuan Heng.

He pretended that he didn't know martial arts, so Yuan Heng held him tightly against the tree and left the palace in a hurry without even having time to change out of his court robes. At that time, they were still addressing each other as king and subject, but their behavior had already exceeded the rules. Xiao Ziyu's mind was in a mess, thinking about his own mission and his fellow disciples whom he had not seen for more than a year. Yuan Heng thought he was not focused enough and gently pinched his waist.

"Zi Yu has introduced me to so many Shu Kingdom attractions. How about I tell you about this constellation?"

So he collected all his thoughts, and in the complete silence the only sound he could hear was the muffled thumping of his heart.

Yuan Heng looked at him, his eyes also filled with the moon: "If you can remember everything correctly, I will reward you with a gift."

Xiao Ziyu has always been smart. Even if his mind is in a mess, he can still remember the name of each constellation accurately.

"Taiwei, Tianshi..."

"That's Ziweiyuan, representing the emperor," he said the last one softly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the scent of ambergris suddenly approached, and Yuan Heng lowered his head and kissed him.

Xiao Ziyu's whole body stiffened, and he subconsciously grabbed Yuan Heng's shoulders. Before he could resist, his trembling lips and tongue were conquered by the other party. Yuan Heng's kiss was extremely predatory, as if it had been planned for a long time. He couldn't help but feel limp all over, forgetting that he knew martial arts, and was about to fall down as soon as his fingers loosened.

I have been in the opera world for so long, and the more I see, the more restrained I become. Xiao Ziyu had always been abstinent, and when he felt the tip of his tongue being sucked, he hummed like a cat.

Yuan Heng's arm was still around his waist, his breathing was just as heavy, with an imperceptible tremor: "Zi Yu, I'll give you the throne of the king, do you want it?"

Xiao Ziyu was in a state of uncertainty when he saw a leaf fallen on Yuan Heng's black robe. He wanted to raise his hand to remove it for him, but his hand ended up touching the side of his face.

He heard his own voice and answered before any calculations came to his mind: "Okay."

Yuan Heng still refused to let him go, the moon in his eyes burned: "The fortune teller said before that I have a lonely fate with Kui Gang, which will harm my relatives. Are you afraid?"

Xiao Ziyu nodded and shook his head, and finally hugged Yuan Heng's neck tightly, and said honestly: "A little bit..."

Today's moon is not as bright as he remembered, and there are not as many stars as before. However, Xiao Ziyu suddenly felt an urge to test whether Yuan Heng still remembered him.

Even if he was rude, out of control, and exposed his identity, no one else in this forest could hear him, and even if they heard him, they would not understand. He raised his voice and asked again: "That is Ziweiyuan, do you know it?"

Do you remember the kiss under the Emperor's Palace?

Yuan Heng turned his back to the moonlight, his expression hidden in a blurry shadow, only his voice remained cold: "I haven't heard of it."

If you pretend to have amnesia, you will lose your wife (pointing and pointing)

It’s two chapters in one again. The next chapter will be updated on Thursday. Mmmmm!