Chapter 50 Chapter 50 I know I can’t do anything to you,…
The next day, Chen Zhuo slept until almost noon.
When she opened her eyes, Shao Chengzhang was propping up his head on his elbows, looking at her with a smile. There was no trace of the aggrieved look he had last night when he had red eyes and begged her not to ignore him when the little pearl fell.
"Good morning, honey." He bent down and kissed her forehead. "Are you hungry? I'll ask someone to bring some food."
"What time is it..." Chen Zhuo turned over to reach for her phone on the bedside table. When she unlocked it, she saw it was already past eleven. She sat up with a jerk. "Why didn't you call me so late?"
"You are so tired and sleeping so soundly, how could I bear to wake you up?" He pretended to be considerate.
"Don't play along with me." Chen Zhuo rolled his eyes at him. "If you had just... if you had just been a little more restrained, I wouldn't have slept this long."
"But didn't you like it last night, too?" Shao Chengzhang said, leaning over and resting his head on her legs. His tone was sly, "It was you who said 'want' that made me—well."
Shen Zhuo quickly reached out and covered his mouth to stop him from speaking.
A short absence is like a new love. Chen Zhuo and Shao Chengzhang have been in a cold war for so many days, it would be a lie to say that he doesn't miss him.
The black night is a fig leaf that allows people to magnify all their desires and then pour them out without any scruples.
Shen Zhuo pestered him, seduced him, whispered countless sweet words in his ear, soft and gentle, each one more alluring than the last. Once seduced by her, Shao Chengzhang lost control and lashed out again and again.
But when he said it so openly in broad daylight, Shen Zhuo felt his face burning.
The palm of her hand suddenly felt wet and hot, and Shao Chengzhang stretched out his tongue and licked her palm.
Shen Zhuo immediately withdrew his hand and patted him on the shoulder.
Shao Chengzhang smiled triumphantly, and suddenly turned over and pushed her down, burying his head in her arms. His hair rubbed her chin, making it itchy and prickly.
"It would be great if it could always be like this. It would be even better if we could just stay glued to the bed and never have to go out again." He hummed, his voice muffled in her chest, as if he was acting coquettishly.
Chen Zhuo was pinned down by him, unable to move. He raised his hand and tapped his forehead: "Can you please stop having sex all day long?"
"What's wrong with me?" Shao Chengzhang looked up and stared at her. "Is it not okay for me to just hold you like this?"
Chen Zhuo snorted coldly: "You'd better be."
"Are you thinking about something?" He smiled, his chin resting on the middle of her chest, and he could feel the rise and fall of her chest when she breathed.
The beard he had just shaved in the morning didn't feel prickly to the touch, but if you rubbed it gently, it still felt a little prickly and itchy.
Chen Zhuo shrank back when he was pricked, and raised his hands to push him away while laughing. When he couldn't push him away, he simply held his head with both hands and held him down firmly.
Her stomach growled a few times, and Shao Chengzhang smiled, "I'll go get someone to bring some food."
As he spoke, he got up and went to order food, and Chen Zhuo also prepared to get up and wash up.
She was about to lift the covers when she remembered... she wasn't wearing any clothes. The floor was littered with her suit and hotel bathrobe, which had been thrown there last night. She had no choice but to cover herself with the covers and bend over to retrieve the bathrobe.
Even though they had been honest with each other, she still felt a little embarrassed to let him see her naked in broad daylight.
After Shao Chengzhang ordered the food, he walked in with two bags and handed them to her.
Chen Zhuo took it with a puzzled look on his face. He opened it and found that it was new clothes and a pair of flat shoes. He had even thoughtfully prepared underwear...
"you……"
Shao Chengzhang took credit and said, "Well, I asked someone to buy it this morning." He glanced at his hands and said, "The size should be suitable."
“…”
No, who asked him?!
Forget it, I can't dwell on this. The more I think about it, the more embarrassed I feel...
Chen Zhuo washed up, changed his clothes, and collected the clothes that were scattered on the ground.
Especially the piece of thin cloth, she picked it up and threw it directly into the trash can.
After a while, the waiter pushed the food cart up. Shao Chengzhang ordered Chinese food, not wine, but the waiter placed the bottle of Chilean Emerald Eye Dry Red on the coffee table, saying that it was ordered by Mr. Xiao Liang.
"Mr. Liang?" Chen Zhuo asked, "Is he your friend?"
Shao Chengzhang said: "It's Liang Yuchen. Kunting is their family property."
Shen Zhuo took a deep breath. It turned out that the friends of rich people are also rich people.
"Hey, but I didn't seem to see him at the wedding yesterday?" she asked.
"Well, he doesn't want to take over these things at home, and he seems to have a new bed recently - a girlfriend." Shao Chengzhang said.
Shen Zhuo heard that Shao Chengzhang wanted to say bed partner before he changed his words, but it had nothing to do with her, so she didn't ask again.
After lunch, the two drove directly back to Yuelan Bay.
*
Antoine's team finally responded. He will be coming to Asia in July for auditions, first visiting several Southeast Asian countries and finally arriving in China.
Chen Zhuo glanced at the schedule sent by the other party. Guan Siyu would join the crew at the end of June and would have ten days of filming in early July. It would not conflict with Antoine's schedule, so she breathed a sigh of relief.
Guan Siyu's birthday was at the end of the month. Twenty-five wasn't a particularly special age, and Chen Zhuo knew that the reason the old man had specifically instructed him to clear his schedule on his birthday so he could go home and celebrate was simply because Guan Siyu wasn't home all year round.
The next day after his birthday, Chen Zhuo personally sent Guan Siyu to the crew of "Wild River".
The play has a solid cast, a reputable director, and several of the leading actors are experienced veteran actors, so she stayed with the crew for three days, paying close attention to every step, from the final makeup photos, the opening ceremony to the first press release.
Recently, Guan Siyu walked the red carpet at the Qingyun Awards and attended a film festival. Chen Zhuo reached out to a fashion blogger he's collaborated with and published a celebrity makeup analysis video highlighting the fashion sense and brand sensibility of Guan Siyu's look. The response was positive, with comments and comments alike.
Then, the film "No Fog in the South" was set for a mid-July release date. She began planning supporting publicity, including photo shoots and interviews with magazines. Guan Siyu had debuted only two years earlier and was still relatively new in the industry, with relatively little experience. It was too early for her to break into the top tier, but with a few awards and nominations from second-tier fashion magazines, she wouldn't have any trouble getting published in them. She discussed with Nadia whether she could even secure a spot in a smaller magazine.
Just as she was sorting out the notices and arrangements at hand, her phone rang. It was Chen Yi, the actor and assistant director of the "Wild River" crew.
The other party said that Guan Siyu went on strike because he was dissatisfied with the plot, which directly delayed the crew's progress for an entire day.
Chen Zhuo frowned. She didn't believe that Guan Siyu could do such a thing.
"I'm sorry, Director Chen, is there any misunderstanding here?" Shen Zhuo apologized first.
Chen Yi's tone was not very polite. "What kind of misunderstanding could there be? He disrupted the entire filming schedule today. Is the crew just revolving around him? Who will cover the costs of this day?"
"Director Chen, let me first say sorry on behalf of Guan Siyu. No matter what the reason is, if it affects the normal filming of the crew, we will definitely take responsibility to the end." She paused, then added: "But I know Guan Siyu, he is not the kind of person who handles things emotionally. I will rush over immediately, and we will discuss the specific situation face to face. Please stabilize the crew first, and don't worry, I will give you an explanation."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, but no one said anything else. He just said in a harsh tone, "Hurry up, the whole team is waiting for you, the 'big star'."
After the call ended, Shen Zhuo's face darkened. She quickly opened her phone to check the flight and high-speed rail schedules. There was another flight to Q City at 9 pm, and she placed an order without hesitation.
There were still more than three hours before boarding. She sent messages to Guan Siyu and Xiaoyun to confirm the situation while driving home, packing a simple suitcase and heading straight to the airport.
At around eight o'clock in the evening, Shao Chengzhang returned home and found the house empty. Shen Zhuo had not returned yet.
He played with Ares in the living room for a while, then went into the study to do some work. It was not until half past nine that he looked at his cell phone and realized something was wrong.
He sent a message to Shen Zhuo: "Are you still working overtime?"
When Shen Zhuo didn't reply, Shao Chengzhang called, but was hung up. He frowned. Shen Zhuo almost never lost contact. If there was a meeting or event, she would send him a message in advance and reply after she was done.
Shao Chengzhang called twice more, but was hung up again.
The filming location was in Q City. The flight time was one hour and fifteen minutes. When the plane was landing and taxiing, Chen Zhuo turned off the flight mode and his phone was immediately flooded with messages.
The dialog box with the most unread articles is the one by Shao Chengzhang, which is pinned to the top.
Next comes news about producers Ming Chun and Chen Yi.
Her fingertips paused on the screen for a few seconds, and she wanted to click on the pinned dialog box, but she moved her finger away. She first replied to Mingchun and Chen Yi, telling them that she had landed and would arrive at the set later.
Traditionally, when an agent visits the set, the production team would send a car to meet them at the airport, but after Guan Siyu's outburst, she couldn't bring herself to speak up. Shen Zhuo dragged her luggage to the taxi stand and, following the location Xiaoyun had sent her, took a taxi to the hotel. While in the car, she texted Shao Chengzhang, saying she was still busy.
When she arrived at the crew hotel, Xiaoyun was already waiting at the door to pick her up. On the way, she had already sorted out the general situation: Guan Siyu was indeed dissatisfied with the changes to the script.
Guan Siyu plays the character Du Huaiqing, abandoned in an orphanage at the age of five. He is gloomy and withdrawn, relying solely on his older sister, Lin Yutang, who is five years his senior. When Du Huaiqing first arrived at the orphanage, he was bullied by the older children, but Lin Yutang protected him. In the cold winter, she secretly tucked him into bed and sang songs to lull him to sleep. He secretly hid her lost hairband, and she mended his clothes. They made a promise to each other, "When we grow up, we'll have a family."
Later, as the children grew older, the orphanage could no longer accommodate them. Lin Yutang was deceived by gangsters and sent to the south to work, but in fact she became a prostitute. Du Huaiqing was adopted by a wealthy family, and the two siblings lost contact.
Later, when Du Huaiqing grew up, he realized that his adoptive father's business was not clean, but he was grateful to him, so he helped his adoptive father to whitewash the business and slowly became a white glove for Hong Kong businessmen. At the same time, he did not forget his sister. On the surface, he was a playboy, but in fact he was always looking for his sister. When Du Huaiqing found Lin Yutang, he found that she was addicted to drugs. His sister did not dare to recognize him for fear of dragging him down, and even pretended not to know him, telling him that you recognized the wrong person. He forced her to quit drugs, but she eventually chose to jump off the building after she sobered up. The last words she left him were, I am too dirty and no longer worthy of having a home with you.
Du Huaiqing went completely mad. He used his connections to seek revenge on those who had forced her to sell her body and drugs. He was eventually apprehended by the police and died from a gunshot wound. Before dying, he saw the two of them from childhood, cuddling together, lighting a wish note they had written together. He could hear the song Lin Yutang hummed to lull him to sleep...
This was the plot setting that Guan Siyu got before filming started.
However, the director did not seem satisfied with this role, so he changed the role of the sister to be more selfish.
After his sister found out that Du Huaiqing had become a rich man, she took the initiative to recognize him, just to get money to buy drugs, and even had sex with the drug dealer. Du Huaiqing completely collapsed after knowing this. He tried to wake up his sister with his childhood memories, but his sister told him that she chose to take care of him just because it would save her from having to help the teachers at the welfare home.
In the new version of the plot, the sister was not sincere towards Du Huaiqing from beginning to end.
Chen Zhuo followed Xiaoyun upstairs and knocked on Guan Siyu's room.
The door was opened with a "click", and Guan Siyu stood behind the door with a tired look in his eyes. He didn't show any expression when he saw her. He simply greeted her and turned to walk into the house.
Shen Zhuo frowned slightly and followed him.
"Si Yu, what's wrong with you?"
Guan Siyu sat on the sofa, his palms pressed against his forehead, his voice low and tired: "I don't know... Sister Chen Zhuo, I really can't accept such a change."
Chen Zhuo frowned, but still kept his tone low, trying to remain calm. "I understand you're unhappy with the script, but changing the plot is commonplace, and it's not something the actors can completely decide. Director Wang is very experienced, and he must have his own considerations for adjusting the script this time..."
"No." Guan Siyu interrupted her, his eyes looking at her with a rare firmness, "Sister Chen Zhuo, I think... I am Du Huaiqing. Do you understand? I believe that sister loves him and would not treat him like that."
Chen Zhuo was silent for two seconds, took a deep breath, and his tone became calm. "I understand your empathy and understanding for the character, but you have to understand one thing: as long as you are here, the director is the director. The character will be whatever he changes. You are stuck here now, neither saying you will act nor not acting. The entire crew is waiting for you."
She checked the time on her phone and said, "I'm going to meet with Chun Ge and Director Chen later. I just want to ask you one question: are you still going to act in this play?"
Guan Siyu stared at her, his eyes moved, but after a while he just closed his eyes and leaned back on the sofa, whispering: "I don't know..."
Chen Zhuo didn't get a satisfactory answer, so his expression finally changed, and his words became a little anxious: "Si Yu, what's wrong with you? This is just a role, isn't it? Act as it is and complete the work, is it so difficult? There are only five days left, and then it's over."
"Are you too tired? Or did I do something wrong that made you uncomfortable? Did I neglect something? Tell me now."
Guan Siyu didn't move, but just shook his head vaguely: "No, Sister Chen Zhuo, it's my problem."
Chen Zhuo dropped all his gentle words and spoke rationally and restrainedly, explaining clearly: "If you don't want to act, I will talk to the director team right away and ask for a replacement. But you have to understand that this is not your decision alone. Do you understand how this will affect your future personality, popularity, and industry reputation?"
"The company will have to compensate the crew for today's losses, the media will report it, and colleagues will discuss it. Once you're labeled as 'a nominee for Best Actor acting like a big shot and refusing to perform,' everyone will just think you're bad-tempered and unprofessional, regardless of whether you have a valid reason."
"Next up for 'Fog in the South,' we're going to be asked about this at promotional roadshows, magazine shoots, and interviews. We've just contacted a small magazine, and 'INDIGO' has already agreed to be on the cover. Do you know how many newcomers can't get that opportunity?"
"There's also the audition for Director Antoine. Don't you want to go international and go to Hollywood? And then there's the filming of 'Fog Lights' in September. How can I guarantee this to Li Yaqi and Bu Fan?"
When he heard "Fog Lights", Guan Siyu's eyes flickered. He remained silent, but his fingers on his knees tightened little by little.
Chen Zhuo stood up and looked at him: "You have your persistence, but I have my responsibilities. I'm not forcing you, I'm just analyzing it for you. You've come to this point today not only by luck, but also by choice."
"You have a choice, and I have a choice. It's up to you to decide how to proceed."
After a long silence, Guan Siyu spoke: "I'm sorry, Sister Chen Zhuo." He lowered his head and said, "I'm too willful. I will act well."
Hearing him say this, Shen Zhuo finally felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay, then you should get some rest early and shoot well tomorrow. I'll go talk to Director Chen and Chun Ge."
Guan Siyu nodded weakly and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Chen Zhuo went to find assistant director Chen Yi and producer Ming Chun to apologize and invited them to have a midnight snack.
Mingchun and Chenyi were both more than a generation older than Chenzhuo, and could be considered seniors in the industry. Chenzhuo personally filled the glasses and raised them in greeting. "Brother Chun, Director Chen, today's incident was our fault. Coupled with poor communication, it delayed the filming progress. I'd like to offer you both a toast and apologize."
Chen Yi and Ming Chun were not the kind of people who would make a fuss without reason. They exchanged a few polite words and took a sip of wine.
Chen Zhuo struck while the iron was hot and said sincerely, "I just talked to Si Yu. We promise to respect the director's adjustments for the upcoming filming and finish it according to the schedule. There will be no more trouble."
Assistant Director Chen Yi took a few sips of wine, stopped pretending to be polite, put down his chopsticks, and spoke bluntly.
"Chen Zhuo, do you think we need Guan Siyu?"
Mingchun snorted, "With this crew, once the training is released, how many people will want to play this role? We are giving him a chance, not begging him."
"After acting in two dramas and receiving some nominations, I started to be picky. Nowadays, it doesn't matter whether you win an award or not. What matters most is the ability to make money. Only when the market recognizes you can you make a living and get a role!"
Chen Yi took a bite of fried bacon, took a sip of wine, and sighed, "Newcomers nowadays are so arrogant."
Facing a barrage of criticism and insults, Chen Zhuo took it all in, still smiling. "I've listened to everything Brother Chun and Director Chen said. I'm here tonight just to get scolded. But as for Si Yu, after just a few days of interacting with him, I've realized his dedication to the performance and the script. It's obvious. It's just that we might need to adjust our approach."
As she said this, she toasted with another glass of wine.
She spoke sincerely and with measured judgment, her emotional intelligence evident in her balanced approach. Both of them were veterans, and Chen Yi had worked with Shen Zhuo before, so seeing her resilience, he felt it was best not to exploit the situation.
Some agents drag down the artists and ruin their reputation, while some agents are truly professional and can balance the relationship between the artists and the outside world such as the crew and fans. Chen Zhuo is the latter.
When Chen Zhuo returned to the hotel, it was already one o'clock in the morning. Shao Chengzhang called her on video, but she hung up the call. Only then did she remember to reply to him.
Chen Zhuo said that the crew had something urgent to do, so he came to Q City by himself.
As soon as the message was sent, Shao Chengzhang's video call came in again.
She picked up the phone and saw Shao Chengzhang's slightly gloomy face on the other side of the screen. He was lying on the bed, his chin resting on the pillow, a hint of grievance in his eyes.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Shen Zhuo was a little surprised. She stared at him carefully, noticing his mood, and asked, "Are you angry?"
"Of course I'm angry. Why didn't you tell me you were going on a business trip? Do you know how worried I was?" Shao Chengzhang curled his lips and complained, "I was scared to death. I thought something happened to you."
"I'm sorry, I'm used to being alone. I often leave on a whim, so I don't have the habit of reporting to anyone. Besides, I'm an adult, what could possibly happen to me?" Shen Zhuo smiled. She placed her phone on the table, propped up with a desk lamp, "There was just a temporary problem on the crew, so I came to take a look.
"Do you know that you are a family man now?"
"Yes, yes, I know." Shen Zhuo said in a good manner.
Shao Chengzhang snorted and joked with her, "I was so scared today that I thought you were kidnapped by a flower thief. If you get back to me later, I will call the police."
Shen Zhuo laughed and said, “How is that possible? But if he is more handsome than you, then I will definitely go with him voluntarily.”
Shao Chengzhang instantly raised his head and stared at the screen: "You know I can't do anything to you, so you're deliberately trying to piss me off, right?"
"I'm not angry with you. I can't wait to like you." Chen Zhuo chuckled and yawned softly, "Aren't you tired of waiting so late? Why don't you go to bed first?"
When Shao Chengzhang heard her say she liked him, he softened in an instant, with a smile on his face, "Have you finished your business?"
"Yeah, it's all settled." Chen Zhuo opened the suitcase, took out the toiletries bag, and changed into pajamas. "I took action, but you're still not at ease?"
"Of course my wife is reliable." Shao Chengzhang said with a little pride in his eyes, "When will you come back? I'll pick you up."
"No need." Chen Zhuo knew that Shao Chengzhang was also very busy. The two of them often only talked for a while when they returned home at night. "You go to sleep. I'm going to take a shower and go to sleep. It's too late."
"Can't I watch you take a shower? You even hide from me when you're changing into pajamas. How come your feelings have faded after just one day of not seeing you?"
“You’re so presumptuous.” Shen Zhuo smiled and picked up his phone, walked to the bedside, plugged in the charger to charge it, and took the opportunity to look at him for a while.
"Hmph, then don't hang up." Shao Chengzhang huddled under the covers like a spoiled child. "Go wash up. I'll wait for you to come out and say goodnight."
Twenty minutes later, Shen Zhuo came out of the bathroom after taking a shower and found that the video call was still going on.
On the screen, Shao Chengzhang was leaning against the headboard, looking down at his iPad, the camera pointed at his quiet profile. He heard the noise, turned to look at her, and smiled slightly: "Are you done washing?"
"Yeah." Chen Zhuo went to bed and turned off the main lights, leaving only a night light on the bedside. The orange light softly enveloped her face.
She lay down on her side, propped her phone against the pillow, and could hardly open her eyes: "I'm so sleepy, I'm going to sleep first... Good night."
"Good night." Shao Chengzhang leaned close to the camera and gently touched her cheek in the video with his fingertips. His voice was soft and gentle: "Go to bed early. I love you."
Chen Zhuo smiled gently and replied "I love you". She closed her eyes, and after a while, her breathing gradually became steady.
Shao Chengzhang on the other side of the screen didn't turn off the video. He watched her quietly until she fell asleep, then he whispered, "See you in my dreams."
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