Chapter 34
"Chang Yi?" Lu Zixi hadn't heard this name for quite some time. For a moment, he was stunned. When he finally realized what was happening, he felt deeply helpless. "Hey, I mean, why is this person haunting me so much..."
"I'm sorry," Song Yang said with a somewhat uneasy look on his face, "We didn't pay attention to our partner's movements..."
"Working with him isn't a big deal. I'm not afraid of him, so it's okay. Besides, you can't be blamed for this." Lu Zixi frowned. "The casting news couldn't have been kept secret so tightly. The most likely scenario is that it was a last-minute addition. I just don't understand. Young Jun Ye is already a supporting role, and his brother is an even more supporting role. It's no problem to use a relatively unknown newcomer, so why did Chang Yi..."
"Everyone in the TV industry wants to get into the film industry. There's always a first step to transition from the small screen to the big screen." Seeing that Lu Zixi wasn't upset by this incident, Song Yang felt a little relieved and explained, "Since we can't get the role of Young Master, then settling for the next best thing is also feasible."
After saying this, Song Yang revealed a hint of confusion: "I'm just a little curious why he had to hang himself on a tree. If he didn't play in 'Clinic No. 58', he could have many other choices. He would have had more roles than this one, and he wouldn't have to deal with Yuanhong's people..."
"Who is the producer?" Lu Zixi asked.
"It's a joint production." Song Yang listed the names of several film companies and added, "One of the sponsors is Qingming Real Estate, which is owned by Liu Qingming, the man who harassed you before. It's said that after that, Mr. Liu found the equally handsome Chang Yi as a replacement. So... Chang Yi might have found his own path this time."
Lu Zixi recalled Chang Yi's limping appearance that day, and thought of the rumors he heard in his previous life, that Liu Qingming liked to use some special ways to play when supporting young artists, or the kind of unprofessional way that was purely to satisfy his own sadistic desires. He immediately understood why Chang Yi looked at him as if he wanted to eat someone.
No matter who is used as a stand-in, especially such a crappy stand-in, there will be a feeling of suffocation.
But Lu Zixi had no sympathy for him. Chang Yi had brought what he had become today upon himself.
If he hadn't been unwilling to hone his acting skills at Yuanhong because he couldn't stand the loneliness, and instead chose to jump to Tianhan, whose main strategy for star-making was to hype up popular young actors; if he hadn't cooperated with Tianhan to incite fans and falsely accuse Lu Zixi of stealing his opportunity, only to be refuted; if he hadn't chosen the "shortcut" of finding a patron after being refuted and his fame declined, he would still be that popular young actor now, and he and Lu Zixi would have gone their separate ways. To have done such a series of things and then put all the blame on others is really unreasonable.
"I understand." Lu Zixi took a deep breath. "When the enemy comes, we will fight him; when the water comes, we will block it with earth. I have done nothing wrong, so I am not afraid of ghosts knocking on my door. If Chang Yi doesn't plan to play any tricks, then everyone will be happy. If he wants to do something shady, don't blame me for being rude."
The final makeup photos were still taken in the indoor studio of the Yuanhong International Building. Once the filming officially began, they would have to move to the film and television city. Since Lu Zixi had been a very prolific artist in his previous life, filming at least seven or eight months out of the twelve months, living in the film and television city was not difficult for him to get used to. His only regret was that he could no longer do food broadcasting.
Ever since he got the Gourmet Red Packet, he'd mastered his cooking skills. He discovered that cooking was actually quite enjoyable, and sharing the joy of cooking with others was a wonderful thing. So, he picked up the food streaming he'd been planning to give up. He had to eat every day anyway, so he'd just stream it whenever he had time, and he'd made a small fortune from tips. The only thing that irked him was that since he still hadn't terminated his contract with Changxing, he had to share a portion of the tips with that shameless company. The money wasn't the key; the key was that it was hard for anyone to swallow this.
One day, he would make Changxing pay back everything he and the original owner owed him, including principal and interest.
While thinking this, Lu Zixi followed Song Yang who was leading the way into the company.
After many days, when he walked into the building again, everything was different. The staff who had not noticed him before began to follow him, and when they found that the person leading the way was actually Yan Yunzhen's personal assistant, their shock was beyond words.
Lu Zixi couldn't help but frown slightly as he listened to their heated discussion.
It seems that the last incident in which the company publicly tore up the nude photos of its artists and the news of filming "Clinic No. 58" has greatly increased his exposure recently and caused an uproar on the Internet, so much so that even the company's front desk staff can recognize him. This is both a good thing and a bad thing.
In the entertainment industry, exposure is a never-ending source of success, whether it's good or bad. Making others remember you is success. Meanwhile, Lu Zixi has been thrust into the spotlight by this high exposure. Online speculation is already underway about his background. For a newcomer like him to be so favored by Yuanhong, there must be something extraordinary going on. And even Yan Yunzhen, a star so utterly detached in the entertainment industry, condescended to secure a role for him. If it weren't for Yan Yunzhen's usual charismatic demeanor, some would have suspected something shady was going on between the two.
Moreover, as one artist becomes popular, a wave of bolder artists will inevitably follow suit, taking risks to ride on the hype or resorting to fraudulent practices. Their actions aren't just for their own hype; they're also testing Yuanhong's limits, or, more accurately, Lu Zixi's importance. They're betting that Yuanhong, with its vast resources, doesn't have the energy to care about whether a smaller artist is being marginalized. They'll intervene to address major issues, but leave minor ones alone. If this is true, then their fraudulent practices are a surefire way to make a killing.
Lu Zixi suddenly had a vague guess in his mind.
Chang Yi...the reason she insisted on filming this drama, wasn't it because she wanted to fight him to the end and had to ride on this wave of popularity?
This is... a bit disgusting.
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When Lu Zixi followed Song Yang through the staff elevator, the studio was not yet fully prepared and was in a mess. The floor was littered with long wires and terminal blocks piled together. Crew members were running back and forth with different props, moving them while constantly glancing at Lu Zixi who had just entered.
It was obviously a little early to arrive, but Lu Zixi didn't care much. He even took the initiative to help because he had nothing to do. The staff who were assisted were surprised at first, but soon they had an unstoppable liking for them.
Working in the entertainment industry, they've seen a wide variety of people, having worked with celebrities of all levels. According to their experience, it's easy to avoid the devil, but it's the little devils who are the hardest to deal with. It's often these young artists on the rise who are the most arrogant and bossy, as if they've finally made a comeback and can't help but want to show off to someone. But the young man before them didn't have that. Not only that, he was incredibly humble in his interactions, without forcing himself into any airs. He was just as sunny and cheerful as he was on camera, which made people like him even more.
"Brother Lu, no need. I can do it myself, really." The young man, who had been helped several times, felt a little embarrassed. "This is our job. You can just rest on the side."
"It's just a piece of cake," Lu Zixi said with a smile as he worked with him to move the heavy equipment. "I'm just sitting here, so there's nothing else I can do anyway."
"Some people have plenty to do," the stagehand curled his lips in dissatisfaction. "They have so many chores, one after another asking people to bring tea and water, acting like they're all supposed to worship me. They're clearly just short-sighted, deaf-blind people who jumped ship from Yuanhong."
Just as Lu Zixi was about to ask who he was talking about, he saw another staff member immediately wink at the young man at the stage. The young man seemed to realize something and swallowed his words back in disappointment.
As ordinary staff members, they should not talk about artists, especially in front of another artist. This should be considered a matter of professional ethics, but Lu Zixi's easy-going attitude made him forget about this for a moment.
But Lu Zixi also almost realized who this person might be.
Chang Yi.
Logically speaking, Chang Yi should have been a good boy during his time at Yuanhong, otherwise Yuanhong would not have trained him. How come he became like this after going to Tianhan?
"Everyone has different choices. If he chooses Tianhan's star-making model, that's his business." The staff member who had just winked at Lu Zixi was obviously older and seemed to have suffered losses before. He glanced at Lu Zixi cautiously and walked forward and said, "Yuanhong trains actors, while Tianhan trains stars. It's hard to say who is better or worse. In the industry, the two companies are evenly matched. Let's just take what we need."
After hearing this, Lu Zixi just smiled and said, "Who said it wasn't true?"
He bent down and put away the heavy equipment with the groundskeeper. Just as he was about to stand up to see if there was anything else he could help with, he heard a cry of surprise from behind: "Hey! You! Little brother! Lu Xiaoyang!"
Lu Zixi was almost instantly reminded of Yan Yunzhen by the sound of "lamb". When he turned around, he couldn't help but feel a little numb: "Hey, hello, it's me."
"Sorry, sorry, I'm so excited! I'm an intern here," the girl said, her words a little incoherent with excitement. "Can you, uh, give me an autograph? Um, can we take a photo together? Can we post on Weibo?"
"Sure," Lu Zixi smiled gently, "but don't reveal the work location. Too many people visiting the set might affect the order of filming."
"I know! Thank you! Bro, I love you so much! I've watched every episode of your eating show! You're so cute, and you're ten thousand times prettier in person than on live!" The girl excitedly pulled her phone out of her bag. "Can I hold your arm? Actually, I wanted to hug you, but..."
Lu Zixi didn't really mind. Whether it was a real fan or a fake fan, he could tell it clearly after so many years in the entertainment industry. Fake fans might take advantage of his hug to make trouble, but if it was a real fan, it would just be fulfilling the other person's wish. It was not a big deal and there was nothing wrong with it.
However, just as he was about to express that it was okay to hug him, a familiar voice came from behind him: "Sure."
Lu Zixi turned around abruptly and saw the man standing by the window, backlit by the sun. He looked at him with a half-smile and suggested casually, "But if you happen to be a fan of mine too...why don't we take a photo together?"
...Yan Yunzhen?
The author has something to say: There should be another update today, so the thanks list will be merged into the next update 030
And I didn't forget the plot! Actor Yan said he wouldn't come back, but he did come back~ surprise!
The transition chapter is over, and the next chapter will start to show off my acting skills and slap qvq in the face. I also found that some little angels have forgotten who Chang Yi is. He is the guy who suffered a lumbar muscle strain after jumping from Yuanhong and unilaterally arguing with Xiaoyang...__
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