Unable to be Arrogant [Entertainment Circle] | Chapter 15 | The Speakerphone Trap | Novela.app

Averting his gaze. This was the solution Jiang Siyang had devised. Naturally, there were better ways to portray a "fake" state, but in such a short window of time, this was the only concept that had leaped into his mind. Since this was a matter of "eye acting," it was a technique typically reserved for close-ups. From a distance, an audience generally focuses on the overall composition rather than the eyes. Given the distance Zhang Jin’an was sitting at, he was undoubtedly filming a full-body shot, making this a risky gamble. If Zhang Jin’an only focused on the big picture, Jiang Siyang’s performance would have been a simple death scene, devoid of subtext. So, when Zhang Jin’an mentioned he hadn't looked at the lens, Jiang Siyang was genuinely thrilled. But upon reflection, it wasn't surprising. This was Zhang Jin’an, after all. How else could he have earned the nickname "Detail Freak"? Using small gestures to flesh out a character was Zhang Jin’an’s forte. Beyond his ability to move people with his authentic acting, Zhang Jin’an was famous for never missing a single character detail. In any scene he appeared in—even a cameo lasting only a few seconds—he never broke character. It wasn't strange that Zhang Jin’an noticed his subtle movements, but... "You actually counted the number of times?" Jiang Siyang asked, looking at the man before him with a sense of wonder. It was one thing to notice the avoidance, but to know exactly how many times he had looked away? That was truly impressive. Seeing the expectant look in Jiang Siyang’s eyes, Zhang Jin’an couldn't help but chuckle. He could roughly guess what the younger man was thinking. "Oh, that," Zhang Jin’an said, resting a hand on Jiang Siyang’s shoulder as he showed him the video he had just recorded. "Observing other actors' movements and expressions, counting their repetitions, and noting what they do at specific points—that’s a habit I’ve had since I was a rookie. You don’t need to force yourself to learn that." "Oh..." Jiang Siyang watched himself in the video. He could hear the tension in his own voice. He couldn't help but regret being so nervous. If he hadn't been so tense, and if he’d had more time, he surely could have performed even better in front of Zhang Jin’an. After the video played for a few more seconds, Zhang Jin’an put his phone down and patted Jiang Siyang’s shoulder. "I’ve already sent this clip to Director Tang. Barring any accidents, he’ll give you an answer by tomorrow." "You already sent it? So fast?" Jiang Siyang was stunned. "Of course. Look who you're talking to," Zhang Jin’an said, walking back to the sofa with an air of pride. "I even finished typing the message." "Ah... then what should I do now?" Jiang Siyang stood there, feeling a bit lost. "Is there anything else?" "Huh? No, that's it," Zhang Jin’an said, checking his phone as he patted the empty spot beside him. "Sit. Let's wait for the boxed lunches." Jiang Siyang obediently sat back down in his previous spot. Noticing the distance, Zhang Jin’an looked up from his phone and asked bluntly, "Why are you avoiding me?" Jiang Siyang was clearly startled. His eyes darted elsewhere, not daring to look at him—a complete departure from the confident, bold persona he’d displayed during the acting. He was truly a different person on and off the stage. Zhang Jin’an heard Jiang Siyang reply in a voice that wasn't exactly quiet: "I don't dare." *Then look at me, at least?* Zhang Jin’an found it hilarious; the man was simply too interesting. "Then sit closer." Jiang Siyang shook his head. "...I don't dare do that either." "Pfft..." Zhang Jin’an finally lost it and laughed. "What are you doing? Why are you so scared of me? I’m not going to eat you." "I'm nervous," Jiang Siyang admitted, his voice dropping. Zhang Jin’an understood the feeling. If he were suddenly in a dressing room with a veteran like Teacher Liang Zhongcun and got to talk to him, his heart would be tied in knots too. He didn't know exactly how high he stood in Jiang Siyang’s heart, but judging by the reaction, it wasn't low. This was getting fun. At that moment, Li Qiang’s face popped into Zhang Jin’an’s mind. Li Qiang would be glaring at him, snapping: *Zhang Jin’an, doesn't your conscience hurt when you bully a junior?* Zhang Jin’an scoffed inwardly. How could his conscience hurt when he didn't have one? Ultimately, however, Zhang Jin’an decided against causing more trouble. Not because of Li Qiang, but because he was afraid that if he teased Jiang Siyang any further, the man might stop being his fan. It wasn't easy to gain a male fan, after all. To help Jiang Siyang relax, Zhang Jin’an struck up a conversation. "Siyang, did you see the photos from your mall event today?" Jiang Siyang shook his head. "No, I haven't had the chance." "I saw them," Zhang Jin’an said. Jiang Siyang snapped his head up, surprised. "You saw them? When did you have the time?" "While you were memorizing your lines," Zhang Jin’an said candidly. Jiang Siyang looked utterly shocked, emphasizing every word: "While. I. Was. Memorizing. My. Lines?!" "Yeah," Zhang Jin’an said, confused by the intensity of the reaction. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." "Ah, you..." Jiang Siyang’s mouth opened and closed as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just shook his head. "It's nothing." Today, Jiang Siyang finally understood why the internet called Zhang Jin’an a "miraculous man." Zhang Jin’an was repeatedly opening doors to new worlds for him. Was this really what the private lives of Film Emperors were like? He thought they would be more serious, more intense... but it was like this? Zhang Jin’an naturally didn't know what was going through Jiang Siyang’s head. He found the reaction odd, but didn't dwell on it. He simply continued, "Those Fansite Masters of yours took some great shots. The captions were well-written, too." "..." Jiang Siyang took a deep breath, his tone returning to normal. "...Brother, what does 'Fansite Master' mean?" "Fansite Master?" Zhang Jin’an began to explain fluently. "They're the fans who follow you to events to take photos. But they're different from others; their equipment is professional, they produce high-definition images, and they handle all the post-processing themselves. Their skill level is high enough to run a dedicated fan site, hence the name." After Zhang Jin’an finished, Jiang Siyang’s eyes and tone were filled with admiration. "You... you really know a lot about this." Zhang Jin’an smiled. "That’s because my sister is a Fansite Master." Jiang Siyang: "Huh??" Zhang Jin’an wasn't surprised by the reaction. Everyone knew he had two sisters, but he had never spoken much about Zhang Shuyu’s hobby of chasing stars, nor had he ever shown her photos to others. It was only through the internet that people discovered Zhang Shuyu was a star-chasing Fansite Master. It was normal for someone like Jiang Siyang, who didn't spend much time online, not to know. Actually, the story of how Zhang Shuyu was discovered was quite surreal. There was a trending topic list on Weibo that posted new prompts every day. One day, the topic was "Strangers you've met with stunning looks." Someone posted a photo of Zhang Shuyu holding a camera, filming a boy group. That photo hit number one in the comments. Once it went viral, the comments were full of people asking which group she was a Fansite Master for. Eventually, a helpful netizen pointed the way to Zhang Shuyu’s Weibo. That afternoon, her follower count jumped from five thousand to twenty thousand. With more followers came people who recognized her. The comments on her Weibo shifted from "Master, your photos are amazing" and "Ugh, Master is so good at photography" to "Sister, please debut!" and "I'm okay with Sister's visuals! Center debut!" and even "My ultimate bias's sister is my side-bias's Fansite Master." The title changed from "Master" to "Sister" overnight, making her sound much younger. Zhang Shuyu remained calm despite the sudden fame. she kept taking photos and posting as usual. She even posted a Weibo saying, "My opinions have nothing to do with my brother," which touched Zhang Jin’an—until he realized she had added a comment below: "But if you're going to scold someone, scold my brother. Don't blacken my name." Zhang Jin’an said, "Didn't I mention it? My sister is a fan of yours. She chases stars. Before you, she followed other celebrities too. She has a whole drive on her computer full of photos she took of a certain boy group." "I see..." Jiang Siyang nodded thoughtfully, but curiosity got the better of him. "But aren't you a star too? So she..." Zhang Jin’an anticipated the question. "You want to ask if she's a fan of mine?" Jiang Siyang nodded. Zhang Jin’an laughed. "Of course not." "Why?" Jiang Siyang asked. Zhang Jin’an’s overall stats were superior to almost anyone else’s—he had the acting skills, the looks, and a decent personality. He had more female fans than anyone. Jiang Siyang had assumed Zhang Jin’an’s sister would definitely be his fan, but she wasn't. This genuinely surprised him. Zhang Jin’an thought for a moment. "How about this? I'll give her a call. It’s a good chance for her to see you and fulfill one of her wishes." Jiang Siyang couldn't help but get nervous, his posture straightening significantly. "Ah, won't she... won't she be busy?" "Don't worry about that. It's July; students are on summer break." Zhang Jin’an opened his phone and dialed. After a few rings, the call connected. Zhang Jin’an didn't turn on the speakerphone yet, holding it to his ear first. Zhang Jin’an calculated that he hadn't been home in about three months, which meant he hadn't seen Zhang Shuyu in three months either. Her voice was the same as ever, not changed one bit. Zhang Shuyu asked bluntly, "Brother, what's up?" "What are you doing?" Zhang Jin’an asked. "Ah, I'm on my way to dinner with a friend," she said. No wonder Zhang Jin’an could hear background noise. He immediately asked, "Which friend? Male or female?" In contrast, Zhang Shuyu’s attitude was casual. "What does it matter if it's a guy or a girl? None of your business." "If it's a girl, I'm relieved. If it's a guy, I'm worried," Zhang Jin’an said, glancing at Jiang Siyang. "Pass a message to those boys for me." Zhang Shuyu was indifferent. "Oh? What message?" "Tell them that when a boy goes out with you, he must make sure to protect himself." Having said that, Zhang Jin’an pulled the phone away from his ear, placed it on the coffee table, and switched to speakerphone. He pointed at the phone and signaled the number "three" with his fingers to Jiang Siyang. Jiang Siyang watched as Zhang Jin’an lowered his final finger. Immediately, a girl’s furious voice erupted from the phone, loud enough to shake the room: "Zhang Jin’an! Do you have to be such a jerk?!" Jiang Siyang: "..." "What did I do?" Zhang Jin’an said to the phone. "It's the truth. You're the one who can't walk straight when you see a handsome guy, my visual-obsessed sister." The voice on the other end weakened slightly, but remained loud. "It's not that I'm visual-obsessed, it's that they're handsome! Have you ever seen an idol who looks like a real estate agent? Visuals are the bare minimum for an idol, okay? I love them for their talent." Jiang Siyang: "..." The more heated the voice on the phone became, the more calm and composed Zhang Jin’an appeared. Once she had finished her rant, Zhang Jin’an said unhurriedly, "Then what about Jiang Siyang? Don't you always say you love his face?" Hearing his name, Jiang Siyang’s ears perked up. "That's just the truth! Siyang has talent, but his face is universally acknowledged as beautiful. Are you going to deny that?" Zhang Shuyu suddenly coughed, her voice becoming high-pitched and arrogant. "Oh, right. You've never even seen him in person. You just followed him on social media. How would you know? My shut-in brother—" That last part was incredibly flippant, dripping with provocation. If he ever used that tone with Zhang Jin’an... Jiang Siyang shuddered at the thought. Looking at Zhang Jin’an again, he saw the man was actually smiling. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly—not in anger, but with the confidence of a master strategist who had everything under control. Zhang Jin’an asked, "Sounds like you've seen him?" "Of course I have! The chocolate brand event in May. I was there and took several photos." Zhang Shuyu’s tone was triumphant. Zhang Jin’an leaned closer to the phone. "But he's right here next to me." "He?" Zhang Shuyu clearly faltered. "Who?" "Jiang Siyang," Zhang Jin’an said. As expected, Zhang Shuyu didn't believe him. "Stop joking. You're probably playing video games right now. Don't I know you? When would you have time to go out? If Jiang Siyang were next to you, I'd..." Zhang Jin’an had dug so many pits just for this sentence. He knew Zhang Shuyu too well. Whenever this kid thought something was impossible, nine times out of ten, she would start a bet. "You'd what?" Zhang Shuyu huffed. "If he's next to you, I'll use my account to vote for you." Zhang Jin’an: "? What, you didn't vote for me before?" "Of course not. Why would I waste my votes on you? They all go to my 'brothers'..." While Zhang Shuyu was in the middle of her self-righteous, rambling speech, Zhang Jin’an pushed the phone toward Jiang Siyang and winked. Jiang Siyang understood immediately, leaned toward the phone, and said softly, "Hello." "They..." The non-stop chatter on the other end ceased instantly. The dressing room fell into a sudden, heavy silence. If not for the call timer ticking away on the screen, Jiang Siyang would have thought time had stopped. He waited a few seconds, and seeing no response, he greeted her again. "Hello, I am Jiang Siyang." The voice on the other end had lost all its previous arrogance. It was as if she had become a different person—gentle, elegant, and much quieter. She was extremely polite. "...Hello, Siyang. Could you please let my brother take the phone?" "Sure," Jiang Siyang replied. Zhang Jin’an leaned in and asked, "What's up?" As if by magic, the moment Zhang Jin’an spoke, the voice on the phone became incredibly loud and excited again: "Is it really Jiang Siyang?! Brother!! You're really next to him! Dammit! Why didn't you say so earlier?!" "I did say so, you just didn't believe me," Zhang Jin’an said with a laugh. "Let me tell you something else, then." Zhang Shuyu said, "Yeah, yeah, go on." Zhang Jin’an: "I have you on speakerphone." Silence again. After a few seconds, she asked, "Since when?" Zhang Jin’an: "Since you said it was the truth that Jiang Siyang is handsome." "Zhang Jin’an!" Jiang Siyang clearly heard the girl take a sharp breath before screaming, "Are you a demon?!" Zhang Jin’an remained perfectly calm, even admitting to it. "Yes. I always use speakerphone. Didn't you know?" "I know! I... ugh, I forgot!" Jiang Siyang heard her stammer, then grit her teeth. "Zhang Jin’an, how about we end our relationship right here? When can we go and legally dissolve our sibling bond?" Seeing Zhang Jin’an covering his mouth, struggling to hold back a loud laugh, Jiang Siyang finally understood why his sister chose to chase other stars instead of her own Film Emperor brother. It was truly tragic. *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 细节狂魔 | Detail Freak | A nickname for someone obsessed with minute details (Zhang Jin'an). 站姐 | Fansite Master | Literally "Station Sister." A fan who runs a dedicated site, takes professional photos, and follows a celebrity's schedule. 太太 | Master | A respectful term used in fandom for high-quality content creators (photographers, artists, etc.). 墙头 | Side-bias | A celebrity one likes casually, as opposed to their main "stan" focus. 正主 | Ultimate bias | The main celebrity a fan follows/supports. 颜控 | Visual-obsessed | Someone who is primarily attracted to or follows celebrities for their physical appearance. 免提 | Speakerphone | Hands-free mode on a phone. 宅男 | Shut-in / Otaku | Used here by the sister to tease Zhang Jin'an about his private life.