After two days of rest, Zhang Jin’an began his next scheduled event—a movie premiere. Unlike Jiang Siyang, he didn’t have to travel to another province; his work remained in Beijing, at Z University.
Since Z University was a school and not a professional venue, the conditions were modest. The dressing room was only a few square meters, furnished with two tables in front of a wall-mounted mirror, three chairs, and a sofa.
Zhang Jin’an sat in the middle chair, dressed in a suit. His styling was complete; he just had to wait for the screening to end and for the host to cue him onto the stage.
His hairstyle for the day was simple: a side part, the most popular look at the moment. It wasn't fussy or complicated, yet it looked good and made his face appear smaller. Zhang Jin’an had a sharp, handsome bone structure that suited this style perfectly, and he was quite satisfied with it.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he suddenly thought of Jiang Siyang’s slightly curly hair. If he put that hair on his own head... would he look like a total dork?
Zhang Jin’an got goosebumps and didn't dare think about it further.
When he had met Jiang Siyang, he’d noticed the hair immediately. At the time, he thought that such a hairstyle relied entirely on the face—if you were a beautiful youth like Jiang Siyang, it worked; if you were ugly, you’d end up looking like Zhao Si after an electrical socket mishap.
Zhang Jin’an affirmed to himself that he would never attempt that kind of hair in his entire life.
Aside from the small dressing room, the soundproofing was also poor. Zhang Jin’an’s room was the innermost one, yet he could hear the movie’s audio clearly. If it was like this for him, he could only imagine what it was like for Gu Yirou in the first room.
Thus, while playing games with Gu Yirou, Zhang Jin’an thoughtfully sent her a private message to express his "sympathy."
[Self—Jin: Sending a second of pity to Teacher Gu to show my respect, hahahahahaha.]
[Teammate—Gentle Blade: ...]
Consequently, in every subsequent round, no matter how many kills Zhang Jin’an racked up, he always ended up dying under the same person’s blade.
A few minutes into the fourth round, Zhang Jin’an’s screen slowly faded to gray. As his character collapsed, a line of red text appeared below his kill count: "【Gentle Blade】 accidentally injured teammate 【Jin】. 【Jin】 has died."
Sitting nearby and watching the whole thing, Li Qiang looked at the phone and then at Zhang Jin’an. "..."
Zhang Jin’an calmly set his phone on the table and took a sip of water.
Due to the game’s settings, only living players could use voice chat. Gu Yirou’s voice drifted from the phone: "Oh dear, another accidental injury. My bad."
Zhang Jin’an chuckled and typed back: "I didn't expect Teacher Gu’s hands to get so rusty after just a few days away from the game. How about this: apprentice yourself to me, and I’ll teach you a few tricks."
"..." Li Qiang slowly gave a thumbs up. "Zhang Jin’an, you’re truly brave."
Zhang Jin’an: "Thanks for the compliment."
Li Qiang clasped his hands in a mock salute. "But may I ask, Brother Zhang, do you remember that you have to go on stage with Gu Yirou in a moment?"
"I remember," Zhang Jin’an replied. He sent a quick "Logging off" to Gu Yirou and exited the game.
"Aren't you afraid she'll chop you up when you see her?" Li Qiang knew Gu Yirou reasonably well. She looked delicate, but she actually knew karate and often posted workout photos on Weibo; she was tough as nails.
Looking at Zhang Jin’an—while he had a good build and a small home gym, he only exercised when he had a TV drama role. His current muscles were mostly "lazy meat." If they actually fought, Zhang Jin’an likely wouldn't win.
Fortunately, Zhang Jin’an spoke up before Li Qiang could finish drafting an explanation for the media about why the "Best Actor had a broken bone for a month."
Zhang Jin’an: "It’s fine. We have a rule in our gaming group: what happens in the game stays in the game. Whoever brings it into reality has to treat everyone to a meal."
Li Qiang: "...I’m guessing you’re the one who made that rule?"
Zhang Jin’an patted Li Qiang’s shoulder, looking gratified. "Not bad, Qiang-ge. All those years together weren't for nothing."
Li Qiang gave a business-like fake smile. "Bullshit. It’s because there’s no one in the entire entertainment industry better at stirring up trouble than you."
However, no matter how much Zhang Jin’an liked to cause trouble, people still invited him to play because it had to be admitted: Zhang Jin’an was genuinely good at gaming.
Li Qiang had played with him before. His hand speed truly lived up to twenty-eight years of being single—fast, accurate, and ruthless. If his teammates were newbies, he’d carry the whole team and take all the kills. If his teammates were veterans like Gu Yirou or Su Zhiyang, he could still hold his own and snatch a few kills.
Realizing the last time he’d seen Zhang Jin’an play was two months ago, Li Qiang glanced at the phone. Zhang Jin’an had already exited the game and was opening Weibo.
Li Qiang asked, "Zhang Jin’an, what’s your rank now?"
"What? In that game?" Zhang Jin’an skillfully opened the Hot Search list. "Top 7% on the national server."
Li Qiang was surprised. He remembered Zhang Jin’an was only in the top 15% two months ago. He’d improved again.
"If you keep improving, you might as well become an e-sports player. Do you spend every break playing games?" Li Qiang asked.
"No, didn't I go out during my break yesterday?" Zhang Jin’an didn't look up.
Li Qiang: "Heh, you have the nerve to say that? Would you have gone out if I hadn't made you?"
Zhang Jin’an: "I would. To walk the dog."
Li Qiang: "..."
No matter how many times it happened, Li Qiang was always left speechless by that matter-of-fact tone.
After taking a deep breath, Li Qiang saw Zhang Jin’an staring intently at his phone and asked curiously, "What are you looking at?"
Zhang Jin’an replied, "Checking out the latest news and hot searches... Oh? Sister Liying got an endorsement deal; she’s already at number fifteen on the Hot Search list."
Li Qiang glanced over. "If you had been recognized yesterday, you definitely would have been on the Hot Search list too. Speaking of which, it’s been two days and there hasn't been a ripple. Were you really not recognized?"
"I definitely was," Zhang Jin’an finally looked up at Li Qiang. "But even if I was, I imagine the comments would be very few."
Li Qiang blinked. "Huh? Why?"
"First of all, it was a commercial event. Most of the audience was there for the guests on the official list. They can barely focus enough on their own idols; why would they pay attention to a random person in the crowd?" Zhang Jin’an explained logically. "Even if I was spotted and they posted about it in their Super Topics, what are the odds of my fans being dual-fans of those specific guests? Aside from Jiang Siyang, I’m not familiar with any of the other guests. How close could our fanbases be?"
Li Qiang nodded in agreement. "Thinking about it, that makes sense. Unless you have a deep connection with one of them, their traffic is relatively small. It’s a case of you bringing them exposure, not them bringing you onto the Hot Search."
"I didn't go there to get on the Hot Search anyway," Zhang Jin’an added.
"I know," Li Qiang smiled. "With the natural buzz you carry, the company wouldn't bother buying a Hot Search for you anyway."
Zhang Jin’an smiled. "But I looked, and there were actually quite a few topics about me that day."
Li Qiang was confused. "I thought you said not many people noticed you?"
"It’s not about my identity; it’s about Jiang Siyang." Zhang Jin’an held the phone up to Li Qiang’s eyes.
Li Qiang took the phone.
[@JiangSiyang’sLittleCardigan-Zhizhi]: #JiangSiyang# 20150719. It’s confirmed, he’s a total fanboy of the Big Boss hhh. Siyang, watch out, everyone’s looking! Your fanboy attributes are totally exposed! Hhh, I’m dying. It started with the guest introductions where everyone had a little showcase, but when it got to our boy, the vibe totally changed.
Host: I heard you really like Teacher Zhang Jin’an’s dramas.
Yang: *Nods.*
Host: Then let me test you. I have some lines here; tell me which of Zhang Jin’an’s films or dramas they come from.
It was a massive fanboy moment. What’s even crazier is that I couldn't even read the lines clearly before Yang blurted out which drama it was. A true Fanboy-Yang.
(I don't think it was scripted because Siyang clearly panicked for a second when the host mentioned the game, and reporters have tested him in many interviews before—he really does memorize them.) [Image] [Image]
The Weibo post was accompanied by two photos of Jiang Siyang.
Li Qiang looked up after reading. "They had that segment? Are you sure it wasn't scripted?"
Zhang Jin’an tapped his finger on the table. "It wasn't scripted. I asked Siyang yesterday. The program crew knew I was in the audience and knew Siyang followed me, so they secretly prepared that segment. Siyang didn't know; he just answered the questions."
"Then he’s pretty impressive. I doubt you could even name a few of your own," Li Qiang said, handing the phone back. "Over a thousand comments, not bad."
"Yeah, the comments are quite interesting. Most people were charmed by him. Although some said he was just riding my coattails, the majority were positive." Zhang Jin’an scrolled down.
[@SmallMoodBigDespair]: A Big Boss stan here who was lurking on the livestream. Siyang-stan-wannabe here to say Siyang is seriously impressive. I could name a few, but not as fast as him, and he even knew the niche ones like *The Watch* and *Three Screams*.
[@ZhangYangForeverIsReal] replied to [@SmallMoodBigDespair]: It’s true, I’m a dual-fan, and I was so impressed. Siyang has always been a fan of the Big Boss. I hope the Big Boss’s fans go easy on him; he’s just a junior actor being a fanboy, not trying to leech off the fame.
[@SmallMoodBigDespair] replied to [@ZhangYangForeverIsReal]: As a Big Boss fan, I think it’s adorable hhh. We’re happy people like our Big Boss. Plus, the Big Boss followed Siyang too, so there’s nothing to complain about!
[@BadEyesightWang] replied to [@ZhangYangForeverIsReal]: Big Boss fan here. Siyang is legit; we’re all put to shame. (Seeing your name makes me want to ship them too, I’m down.)
[@ZhangYangForeverIsReal] replied to [@BadEyesightWang]: Join us! Ever since the Big Boss followed Siyang, our ship has been resurrected! This is basically canon! The Big Boss even liked his 200-word essay, sob sob.
[@VisualAceBigCoco]: Damn, I was searching for the Big Boss’s name and saw this picture. This kid’s face is insane?! I saw the Hot Search about the Big Boss following him a few days ago. Can someone give me the lowdown on this guy?
[@XiaoDaiXiaoDaiReadyAndWaiting] replied to [@VisualAceBigCoco]: Thank you, Big Boss fan, for checking out our boy!! [Moved] This is Jiang Siyang, nickname Siyang (Four Sheep). Thank you so much for the Big Boss’s attention to our junior actor. Stanning Siyang is worth it; he’s not just a visual, his acting is solid and his personality is great. He even sang during the livestream, it was amazing. I’ve looped it 180 times and I’m still not tired of it.
Zhang Jin’an had seen this Weibo post a few days ago; it was one of the top posts under Jiang Siyang’s topic.
He knew very well that Jiang Siyang had been on the Hot Search recently, and people were curious about this newcomer. Naturally, his own fans were the most curious. Therefore, among those charmed by the post, his fans made up the majority.
Because of this post, the number of people in the #ZhangYangForever# topic had increased by dozens.
What Zhang Jin’an found most satisfying was that Tuanyuan had updated her Weibo over the past few days with new stories and some of her own rants.
Zhang Jin’an clicked on Tuanyuan’s profile. The latest post was a story from last night.
[@SystemLimitedTuanyuan]: I’m literally dying. What kind of 'beautiful rookie youth has a crush on the top-tier Best Actor and watches his dramas every day' plot is this? And the Big Boss liked the Sheep’s little (word-count-padding) essay!! I wouldn't even dare write this in my head! It’s too good, too real!! In comparison, my imagination is trash! *Meeting the Light* is posted! Still OOC, read at your own risk.
This installment of *Meeting the Light* was exactly what she had teased: a scene where "Jiang Siyang" finishes a shoot and runs into "Zhang Jin’an" at the airport.
The writing was classic "Tuanyuan"—not professional-grade, but gentle, like a breeze brushing against the cheek. It was soft and made one’s heart itch to keep reading.
It made Zhang Jin’an wonder again how old Tuanyuan was. Were kids these days all this good at writing?
[He’s walking over. He’s walking over.
Jiang Siyang didn't even need to look closely to know who it was.
This man was like a flame; as he drew closer, Jiang Siyang felt his heart beginning to melt.
“Jiang Siyang?” the man spoke.
Not wanting to lose his manners, Jiang Siyang immediately reached out his hand. He was too awkward to look at him, terrified of saying the wrong thing. “Hello, Senior Zhang.”
Zhang Jin’an smiled. Before Jiang Siyang could react, his hand was enveloped in warmth. “Hello, Siyang.”
After a brief handshake, Jiang Siyang lowered his head and whispered, “I didn't expect to run into Senior Zhang here.”
Zhang Jin’an paused, then laughed. He said softly, “What’s so surprising about that? I’m a human, not a god. You think too highly of me.”
Jiang Siyang took a secret deep breath to bolster his courage. He looked up and met Zhang Jin’an’s eyes.
Watching his videos every day had made him familiar with every part of this man. He fantasized every day about seeing him in person—not from a distance like at a film festival, but close like this.
But today was too sudden. Jiang Siyang even felt like heaven was playing a trick on him. It had granted his wish, yet left him at a loss, wanting to look at the actor he admired but unable to hide his affection in time.]
Even reading it a second time, Zhang Jin’an liked it just as much as the first.
Holding his phone, he shook his head slowly. "At this moment, I can only compose a poem: Amazing, amazing, amazing. Necks to the sky they sing, opening the window to the fields, red palms stroke the clear ripples."
Hearing this, Li Qiang looked up, utterly exasperated. "?... What kind of gibberish is that?"
Zhang Jin’an turned off his phone and said unhurriedly, "Nothing. I just read an article that was very well-written. I’m composing poetry to express my admiration."
"Whatever. You only have a few days of leisure left. After this, you’ll have to start looking at the script for *Hidden Shadows*. The filming schedule might be moved up," Li Qiang said. "Oh right, is Siyang confirmed for the second male lead?"
"Yeah, he told me yesterday," Zhang Jin’an said.
"You two are quite close," Li Qiang remarked.
Zhang Jin’an nodded. "It’s good. We get along quite well."
Li Qiang was surprised. "Get along with you? That doesn't seem right. I know Siyang too; your personalities are like heaven and earth. How do you get along?"
"It’s not about personality, it’s about certain things... hard to explain. But the kid is pretty good. His acting is a bit unpolished, but it’ll do," Zhang Jin’an said with a smile. "I’m looking forward to acting with him."
"Not bad. Every sentence is a compliment. It seems you really favor him," Li Qiang said, patting Zhang Jin’an’s shoulder.
Favor?
Zhang Jin’an looked at himself in the mirror and remembered Jiang Siyang’s words, spoken with such conviction.
—*I want to become you.*
Zhang Jin’an smiled and said softly, "It’s not favor. It’s anticipation."
Li Qiang pulled his hand back. "What did you say?"
Zhang Jin’an shook his head. "Nothing. The movie’s almost over, right? I can hear the ending theme."
Li Qiang pricked up his ears, listened for a few seconds, and nodded. "Yeah, that’s the ending theme. Get ready, we’re up next."
Zhang Jin’an stood up, fastened one button of his suit jacket, and picked up his phone. As he was about to put it in his pocket, his hand stopped.
He thought for a moment and opened WeChat.
[Jiang Siyang: Thanks for the advice, Brother. You’ve worked hard.]
[Zhang Jin’an: It’s nothing.]
[Jiang Siyang: Sleep early, Brother. Isn't the premiere press conference tomorrow?]
[Zhang Jin’an: You know about that?]
[Jiang Siyang: [Big Grin] I know.]
[Zhang Jin’an: Are you going to watch it?]
[Jiang Siyang: Of course, I already bought a ticket.]
[Jiang Siyang: Wishing you a smooth premiere and huge box office success! [Confetti]]
[Zhang Jin’an: Not bad. That’s one ticket sold.]
[Jiang Siyang: Haha.]
[Zhang Jin’an: You should sleep too. If you have dark circles, the makeup won't hide them for your poster shoot.]
[Zhang Jin’an: Bye.]
[Jiang Siyang: Goodnight.]
Time: 17:35
[Zhang Jin’an: About to go on stage.]
[Jiang Siyang: Yeah, Sister Gu told me.]
Zhang Jin’an froze, several question marks popping up in his head.
Could this "Sister Gu" be...?
Li Qiang noticed the change in Zhang Jin’an’s expression. "What happened? Why the surprised look?"
"Nothing, just personal business." Zhang Jin’an unbuttoned his jacket and sat back down.
[Zhang Jin’an: ?]
[Zhang Jin’an: Sister Gu?]
[Zhang Jin’an: Gu Yirou????]
[Jiang Siyang: Yeah. She told me to call her Sister Gu.]
This explanation only added more question marks.
These two were even more unrelated than he and Jiang Siyang had been. How did they know each other?
Zhang Jin’an looked at Jiang Siyang’s reply. Because of his confusion, Jiang Siyang was starting to doubt himself.
[Jiang Siyang: Isn't it *Equal Difference*? Did I remember it wrong?]
Zhang Jin’an could imagine how flustered Jiang Siyang was right now, so he replied with a smile.
[Zhang Jin’an: You didn't remember it wrong. I’m just a bit surprised.]
[Jiang Siyang: About what?]
[Zhang Jin’an: You know Gu Yirou??]
[Jiang Siyang: Yeah.]
[Zhang Jin’an: Since when?]
[Jiang Siyang: Since last year.]
[Zhang Jin’an: ?]
[Zhang Jin’an: How do you know each other? Did you film a drama?]
[Jiang Siyang: No, it was a variety show.]
[Jiang Siyang: You don't follow variety shows, Brother, so you probably don't know. Sister Gu was a guest on our show; that’s when we met.]
Zhang Jin’an realized why he didn't know.
If Gu Yirou had a new drama, it would definitely have been discussed in their gaming group. If it was a variety show, even if it was mentioned, he wouldn't have watched it.
Plus, it was last year. He didn't even know Jiang Siyang then, so he would have known even less.
Zhang Jin’an looked at the words on his phone and rubbed his chin.
If the person chatting with him right now wasn't Jiang Siyang but someone else, he would have just given a disinterested "Oh" and let it go.
But because it was Jiang Siyang, things were different now.
[Zhang Jin’an: *Friday Morning*?]
[Jiang Siyang: Yeah.]
[Zhang Jin’an: Okay, I got it.]
Li Qiang sat there, watching Zhang Jin’an’s expression shift from surprise to confusion, then to realization, and finally to him looking up and saying something that made Li Qiang think he’d been brainwashed by a phone scam for days—
"Qiang-ge, I want to go on a variety show."
***
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