Chapter 360 Together

“Only Lu Yanhe can pull off such a Versailles. Anyone else would be criticized.” Huang Kairen laughed.

“They have the right to be so arrogant, and what they said is true.” Zheng Huai-ren from Aurora Video sat opposite Huang Kai-ren. “However, you certainly have the right to say the same thing.”

Huang Kairen immediately waved his hand, "I'll pass. I know my place; I'm not as thick-skinned as him."

Zheng Huai-ren smiled.

"The TV series 'My Own Swordsman' will further solidify your popularity among the people."

Huang Kairen said, "I didn't expect that Yan He wouldn't reserve a role for himself."

Zheng Huai-ren: "We also asked this question, and he said that firstly, there was no suitable role, and secondly, there was no need for it."

"no need?"

“He said the script was great, and anyone who played the role would become a star.” Zheng Huai-ren finished speaking, then shrugged with a smile. “That sounds arrogant, but as I said before, he has the right to be arrogant.”

Huang Kairen said, "I read the scripts for the first few episodes, and they are indeed well-written, with very vivid characters."

“Yes, after the script came in, we immediately recognized that it was a script that could be developed into an S+ level drama, and we approved a very high budget, but Yan He did not think that such a large budget was necessary.” Zheng Huai Ren smiled and said, “After making dramas for so many years, this is the first time I have ever met someone who said that they have more money than they can spend and do not need so much money.”

Huang Kairen: "Yan He has a pure heart. I have this impression of him in my cooperation and contact with him. Such qualities are rare and precious."

“Indeed.” Zheng Huai-ren nodded. “But sometimes I also have a headache with him. For example, with your role, he initially thought you were too handsome and didn’t fit the character’s image, so he didn’t want you to play the role.”

Huang Kairen was taken aback.

"Yeah?"

“Hmm.” Zheng Huai-ren nodded. “If we’re talking about recreating the character from the script one-to-one, then you might indeed be much more handsome than Bai Zhantang in the script, and you have too much of a star quality. However, when we’re filming, we always have to face a lot of real-world issues. Besides, I believe that with your acting skills, you can definitely make up for these shortcomings.”

Huang Kairen said, "Yan He had a movie that they said was very suitable for me and wanted me to act in it. I hesitated for a long time and still refused."

"Oh? Is that so?"

“He’s the kind of person who makes decisions based on whether you’re suitable for the role,” Huang Kairen said. “There must have been a reason why he initially thought I wasn’t suitable for the role of Bai Zhantang.”

Zheng Huai-ren nodded.

“Actually, we’ve been in this industry for a long time, and we know that there’s no such thing as a role that only one actor can play. It’s just that many roles have become classics, and that’s why they’re so beloved by the audience and irreplaceable,” Zheng Huai-ren said. “The role of Bai Zhantang is perfect for you.”

“I will show Yan He that I have no problem playing this role,” Huang Kairen said. “President Zheng, thank you for insisting on choosing me. I have high expectations for the show ‘My Own Swordsman’ and I believe we can definitely create a classic work.”

Zheng Huai-ren nodded and said, "I believe it can definitely be done."

-

Two hours later, Xin Zixing, wearing sunglasses, walked into the hotel. At Huang Kairen's room, she first looked around to make sure no one was there before knocking on the door.

Huang Kairen opened the door from the inside.

Xin Zixing took off her sunglasses after entering the room.

“Every time I come here, it’s like filming a spy movie,” Xin Zixing complained.

Huang Kairen hugged Xin Zixing from behind, smiled, and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Huang Kairen told Xin Zixing about his conversation with Zheng Huairen.

Xin Zixing pouted and said, "His intentions are as obvious as Sima Zhao's. Why bother trying to sow discord between you and Lu Yanhe and make you feel indebted to them for your role in 'My Own Swordsman'?"

Huang Kairen smiled and looked down. "They have other projects they want me to act in."

What play?

"It's an ancient costume drama," Huang Kairen said. "The main purpose is to help them mentor newcomers."

"It's just a favor," Xin Zixing asked. "Did you agree?"

“I said I’d take a look at the script first.” Huang Kairen smiled. “I’ve been acting in serious dramas for the past two years, and I’ve been thinking about whether I should take on another drama aimed at my fans.”

"It's something we can consider, but we still need to see the script. We don't want it to turn out to be a disaster and ruin the reputation you've worked so hard to build over the past two years."

“Hmm.” Huang Kairen nodded. “I ultimately rejected ‘Rouge’ before, and Yan He might have some issues with me as well.”

“You’re overthinking it. Yan He isn’t that kind of person. He wanted you to act in this show because he genuinely thought you were suitable. If you didn’t act, you naturally have your reasons. He’s an actor himself, and he knows that whether or not you can work together isn’t something that can be decided in a few words,” Xin Zixing said. “Besides, aren’t you about to act in ‘My Own Swordsman’ again? He’s also one of the screenwriters and producers of that show, so it’s another collaboration.”

Huang Kairen, holding Xin Zixing, was a little jealous and asked, "Why is it that every time I hear you speak of him, you give him such high praise? Doesn't he have any flaws at all?"

“It’s mainly because I’ve dealt with all sorts of people in the entertainment industry, and there are so many strange and eccentric people. Meeting someone like Yan He, who is both academically excellent and talented, is like finding a rare treasure,” Xin Zixing said. “You have no idea how many oddballs there are in your entertainment industry.”

"Don't generalize. What industry or circle doesn't have oddballs? Am I an oddball?" Huang Kairen hugged Xin Zixing, kissed her on the cheek, and asked with a laugh.

Xin Zixing calmly pushed him away and said, "How dare you say that?"

Huang Kairen was taken aback, looking at her with confusion, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xin Zixing said, "How long are we going to keep dating like this, secretly? It's like an underground war."

Huang Kairen suddenly realized, and a helpless smile appeared on his face.

“I said, we’re ready to go public anytime you want,” he said. “My agent was worried that announcing my relationship would affect my career, but my situation has stabilized in the last two years and it hasn’t had much of an impact.”

“Then let’s make it public,” Xin Zixing said.

Huang Kairen was taken aback.

Xin Zixing said, "I don't want to keep going undercover like this anymore. We're both getting busier with work, and if we have to feel guilty and hide from others every time we meet, it will only make our already tiring lives even more exhausting."

"Zixing, have you been a little tired lately?" Huang Kairen stepped forward, grabbed Xin Zixing's arms with both hands, and said, "You don't look very well."

“I am very tired, but that’s not why I’m not in good condition. I’m just thinking, why can Lu Yanhe, a young artist with so many female fans, openly announce his relationship, but you can’t?” Xin Zixing spread her hands. “I’m not complaining to you. I’m seriously telling you, Huang Kairen, let’s go public. If you’re not willing, let’s seriously discuss how our relationship should develop.”

Huang Kairen was stunned, seemingly not expecting Xin Zixing to suddenly react to this matter today.

In the past, whenever this issue came up, Xin Zixing only wanted his attitude, but today it seemed like he had made up his mind.

Huang Kairen hesitated and struggled. "Zixing, my situation is a little different from Lu Yanhe's. It's fine if you want to go public, but give me some time. I'll discuss with my agent how to go public in the most appropriate way to minimize the impact, okay?"

When Xin Zixing heard Huang Kairen say that, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, at least the situation is much better than the worst-case scenario she had anticipated.

At least Huang Kairen neither refused nor evaded the issue.

"Okay, three months, is that enough?" Xin Zixing looked directly at Huang Kairen. "No matter what you need to deal with, three months should be enough, right?"

"Okay." Huang Kairen nodded.

-

It was late at night, and the lights were off.

Xin Zixing was already asleep, lying next to Huang Kairen, her breathing even.

Huang Kairen looked at Xin Zixing's face, which was so close to his own, and felt somewhat helpless.

In fact, after being with Xin Zixing for so long, Huang Kairen had long regarded Xin Zixing as the love of his life, the one he would marry in the future.

These past few years have just happened to be the most crucial years for his career development.

His popularity reached its peak, but his acting career was undergoing a transformation.

Starting with "The Golden Era," two consecutive dramas helped him reduce his anxiety and realize that he still had the ability to go further.

An actor, especially a male actor, must know at this point whether he or she has the ability to portray more complex and nuanced characters.

Huang Kairen also considered when to announce this news to Xin Zixing.

However, his agent and company have consistently been unsupportive, and he cannot disregard their opinions entirely.

But he himself felt that if Xin Zixing cared so much about this matter, then he had the ability to do it, so he shouldn't make any more excuses to avoid it.

How much impact will the public announcement have on his career?

Huang Kairen had no idea what to do.

Actually, something Xin Zixing said today stung him a little.

Xin Zixing questioned him: "Why can Lu Yanhe, an artist with so many young female fans, openly announce his relationship, but you can't?"

Huang Kairen wants to say that because Lu Yanhe doesn't need to rely on fans for a living, his most loyal fans are not young people, but passersby who have a good impression of him because of his college entrance examination scores and his status as a student at Zhenhua University. His greatest confidence is not his achievements as an actor, but his resume as a key figure in a hugely popular work like "Friends".

But when I say these words, they all sound like excuses.

Therefore, Huang Kairen did not say a word.

He knew that Xin Zixing had already suffered a lot because of this incident, and he couldn't bear to make her suffer any more by putting himself in a difficult position.

-

"It's really true?!"

Lu Yanhe stared wide-eyed at Huang Kairen in disbelief.

Huang Kairen was surprised and asked, "You already knew?"

That day, Huang Kairen invited Lu Yanhe out to discuss this matter, but Lu Yanhe's reaction surprised Huang Kairen.

Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "I had a guess before. It's mainly because I ran into you and Sister Zixing in the same place several times. Then one time, Siqi and I saw you two together, and your reaction made us feel that it was a bit... well, not quite like a working relationship."

Huang Kairen lowered his head and smiled, saying, "So that's how it is. I thought we had done a good job of keeping it a secret."

Lu Yanhe said, "You two did a really good job keeping it a secret. It was purely by chance that I found out."

Huang Kairen smiled for a while, then sighed and started talking to Lu Yanhe about his problems.

“I’ve thought about this a lot, and you’re the only one I can talk to.” He told Lu Yanhe about the problem he was facing. “Zixing wants to go public, and I also feel that we’ve been together for a long time, and it’s not fair to her if we don’t go public because of my work.”

Lu Yanhe said, "Before Siqi and I went public, we lived like this for a long time. It was really inconvenient. We were afraid of being photographed wherever we went."

“Then we’ve been hiding it for much longer than you have.”

"Brother Huang, what's the part you're hesitating about?"

“It’s not that I’m hesitating; I’ve already thought it through. No matter how much of an impact it has, I have to give Zixing an explanation,” Huang Kairen said. “I just came to ask you, when you decided to go public, weren’t you worried?”

What are you worried about?

“It will affect your work,” Huang Kairen said. “After all, in our industry, relationships will more or less affect how fans perceive us.”

“Yes, I am worried.” Lu Yanhe nodded in admission. “But I think it’s good to go public now, because I’ve been focusing on my studies these past few years and never thought about focusing on acting. Even if it has an impact, it won’t be a big one. I had already started writing scripts by then, so I didn’t have that much psychological burden.”

Huang Kairen said, "Then are you worried... that your fans don't like your girlfriend?"

"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback.

Huang Kairen sighed, “On the one hand, my agency doesn’t want me to go public; they want to maintain the status quo. On the other hand, many celebrities face a lot of scrutiny and even detective-like investigations once their relationships are made public. Many things that could have been easily resolved are blown out of proportion and end up dying in the light. I’m not so worried about anything else, but I’m worried about people picking on Zixing and magnifying her flaws. She’s not a public figure, unlike us, who have been trained to face public evaluation since our debut. Once it’s public, she will face a completely different world.”

“It’s something we’ll have to face eventually.” Lu Yanhe didn’t hesitate at all. “Brother Huang, unless you retire from the entertainment industry, as long as you want to be with Sister Zixing, you can’t keep it a secret forever. She’ll have to face the world eventually, sooner or later.”

Huang Kairen was stunned.

Lu Yanhe said, "Moreover, Brother Huang, I think you shouldn't underestimate Sister Zixing. She's one of the most amazing women I've ever met."

Huang Kairen was surprised that Lu Yanhe would comment on Xin Zixing in such a way, which made him laugh.

Lu Yanhe said, "Brother Huang, don't think I'm lying. When I was reviewing things with Sister Ziyan, we both said that if it weren't for Sister Zixing's documentary series 'City Travelogue,' I wouldn't have been able to gain such a large fan base in the first place. My fame came from the college entrance exam, but my first real fans were actually accumulated over those few months through live streaming, 'City Travelogue,' and other things. They especially thought I was a somewhat artistic star. Although I don't think so myself, that's how many people see me. Sister Zixing was very decisive and efficient when she was working with me on 'City Travelogue' or helping me with 'Jump Up.' She did it without any compromise. She helped my career a lot."

After listening to Lu Yanhe finish speaking, Huang Kairen nodded thoughtfully.

“Actually, Brother Huang, Sister Zixing definitely cares about you a lot,” Lu Yanhe said. “I can clearly feel that many of Sister Zixing’s jobs are moving closer to the entertainment industry. She has been trying to make her work more relevant to you and provide you with more help.”

"Yes, I know."

Lu Yanhe said, "She's been with you for so long, and she's not completely ignorant about the entertainment industry. I believe Sister Zixing must have been mentally prepared for your situation."

"Hearing you say that, I feel relieved." Huang Kairen looked at Lu Yanhe earnestly. "Thank you."

He added, "I'm sorry, although you offered me the male lead role in 'Rouge,' I ultimately decided not to take the part."

Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "It's okay, Brother Huang. We'll have other opportunities to cooperate in the future, like with 'My Own Swordsman'."

Huang Kairen nodded.

"I've finished reading the script. I will do my best to play the role of Bai Zhantang well. Don't worry, I will definitely live up to the good script you wrote."

Lu Yanhe laughed and nodded, "Brother Huang, apart from the fact that you're too handsome, I've never worried about you for anything else."

Huang Kai-ren asked, "Can you act?"

Lu Yanhe said, "I think I will play a role in one of the episodes."

"I heard you're joining the production team next month?"

"Yes, it's Chen Lingling's new film, 'The Silent River'."

"Shall we act together with Zeng Qiao?"

“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded.

Huang Kairen said, "I have also seen the script for this play, and I tried to persuade the director to let me play the role. However, the director said that Zeng Qiao had already been cast, which is a pity. Otherwise, we could have acted opposite each other this time."

“There will be other opportunities in the future, Brother Huang.” Lu Yanhe smiled at him. “Didn’t I promise you? There will definitely be a movie where the two of us work together in the future.”

"Okay, then I'll wait for your script to come out," Huang Kairen said with a smile.

-

After Lu Yanhe finished talking with Huang Kairen, he went to a newly opened French restaurant for dinner with Chen Siqi, who had returned from Jiangguang.

Chen Siqi saw a recommendation for this restaurant on a WeChat official account and wanted to try it out, check it out, and then write a review on the popular food recommendation account.

Lu Yanhe told Chen Siqi about Huang Kairen and Xin Zixing.

Chen Siqi's eyes lit up, "Sure enough, I knew it!"

Lu Yanhe asked, "Do my fans usually come to criticize you?"

“Not many, just a few, I can handle them. Anyway, when I’m bored or in a bad mood, I just chat with them and it’s a good way to vent my emotions,” Chen Siqi said nonchalantly. “You’re lucky, you don’t have many female fans, they’re not that aggressive. You probably don’t know, but your casual fans and career fans make up the majority of your fan base, unlike other artists who have so many die-hard fans.”

Lu Yanhe: "Really?"

“It’s probably because you don’t follow the usual idol fan-attracting route,” Chen Siqi said. “You may not even know that you have a major flaw in your image among young people.”

"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was stunned and asked, "What black spots?"

“You’re the kind of kid that everyone admires, someone who’s often used as a role model to inspire young people today. But as you know, many young people don’t like role models.”

"Okay." Lu Yanhe hadn't expected that he would have such a flaw.

"It's mainly because you hold such a high position in your parents' hearts," Chen Siqi laughed. "Your image as a top student is as solid as a rock and unbreakable."

"All right."

"By the way, guess how many copies of this summer special edition sold?" Chen Siqi asked.

Lu Yanhe guessed: "140,000 copies?"

This is based on the usual sales figures of "Jump Up" plus some speculation.

But Chen Siqi shook her head and said, "It's even better. So far, it has sold 160,000 copies."

"so much?"

“Yes,” Chen Siqi nodded. “Finally, it’s been two years.”

"Let's raise a glass to celebrate that our 'Jump Up' is still growing stronger."

"cheers."

The smiles on their faces were reflected in each other's eyes.

Chen Siqi said, "I hope that one day 'Jump Up' can break the sales mark of 200,000 copies per issue."

Lu Yanhe asked, "Including the electronic version, it's already exceeded the limit, right?"

"Including the e-book version, it has already exceeded that," Chen Siqi said. "In fact, the e-book version sells faster than the physical book, but according to our survey, the completion rate of physical books is much higher than that of e-books. Nearly half of the readers who buy e-books do not finish reading them."

Such a high percentage?

“Yes,” Chen Siqi said. “So, in fact, the reader retention rate of the electronic version is not very high. A large proportion of the buyers of each issue are based on which celebrities have articles and interviews, and whether there are new works by authors they like.”

Lu Yanhe understood and nodded.

“We’ve done some data analysis, and Liu Zhiyin can bring in between 2,500 and 4,000 readers who buy her ebooks. This is a readership that basically only buys the issue with her column. The ebook version does have this advantage: it allows for a lot of data analysis,” Chen Siqi said with a smile. “Li Zhibai, on the other hand, can bring in about 8,000 new sales.”

Lu Yanhe was extremely surprised.

"Is data analysis really that accurate now?"

“Yes,” Chen Siqi nodded. “But only people like Li Zhibai and Liu Zhiyin, who publish articles from time to time, can make effective statistics. People like Teacher Jia Long, who have only appeared in one episode, cannot make accurate comparisons.”

Lu Yanhe: "Will this kind of data... affect which authors we invite to write articles for us in the future?"

Having such precise data doesn't just mean you can analyze which authors and works readers like, but you can precisely analyze which authors have the most die-hard fans. This is almost a completely quantifiable way to "boost sales."

Chen Siqi said, "Yes, but I didn't share this data with all the editors. I mainly kept it in my hands because I was afraid that after everyone got this data, they would use it to rate the authors in different categories."

"That's not good."

“Yes, we must continuously cultivate new authors and support those who are already creating. Many authors need to be nurtured gradually. Judging them by current reader purchase numbers will make people overlook their future growth potential. Our magazine, Jump Up, is one that hopes to continuously discover and cultivate new authors,” Chen Siqi said. “Therefore, I don’t plan to share this data with all the editors. I will keep it to myself so that I can make some judgments and decisions.”

Lu Yanhe nodded.

Chen Siqi: "Oh, by the way, Liu Jiazhen came to see me a couple of days ago."

"Hmm?" Lu Yanhe asked, "What's wrong?"

The author of "Nineteen Years of Crime Records" is now a rising star in the publishing industry.

Chen Siqi said, "It seems that the filming of the movie 'Nineteen Years of Crime Records' has encountered some problems. He wants to know if it is possible to get the copyright back."

"Huh? What happened? Why would he have such a thought?"

“It seems like the script has been drastically altered,” Chen Siqi said. “I also asked the legal department to help review his contract, and Jiangyin Publishing House also helped communicate with him, but it didn’t make much of a difference. There’s nothing we can do. The terms in the adaptation contract are very clear: script adaptation is a normal creative process and does not constitute grounds for the contract to become invalid.”

Lu Yanhe said, "The original story of 'Nineteen Years' is so good, why did you have to drastically change it?"

"I heard that some actors wanted to change the script on set, and after one actor changed it, another actor wanted to change it too," Chen Siqi said. "I don't know the specifics, but the matter got to Liujia Town, and that's when he found out."

(End of this chapter)