"Incredible." That was the only comment Zhang Jin’an could offer in his mind.
He had thought the previous author was good enough, but this one was on another level. There was a reason for those high retweet numbers. With just a few strokes of the pen, the author had sketched the story of a newcomer who had just entered the industry falling for a legendary Film Emperor. It didn't feel jarring at all; in fact, several parts felt incredibly grounded, blending seamlessly with reality.
As Zhang Jin’an read, there were a few moments where he almost believed this Jiang Siyang actually liked him and was truly agonizing over a secret crush.
Enthralled, Zhang Jin’an wanted to keep reading, but unfortunately, there was no more. There were only twenty chapters so far.
He glanced at the author’s pinned post. It seemed they were a fan of Jiang Siyang, which explained why so many details were included. The author even posted the reference photos they used in the comments under each chapter.
For instance, in the most recent Chapter 20, the author began like this:
*【As soon as the phone buzzed, a bleary-eyed Jiang Siyang picked it up. This specific notification sound was for a post from someone he followed. Opening Weibo, he saw that Zhang Jin’an had posted a picture.*
*It was a photo taken while he was in Toronto.*
*Jiang Siyang blinked hard to clear his vision and leaned closer to the screen to examine the image. In the reflection of the window, a man in white was faintly visible.*
*It was Zhang Jin’an! Jiang Siyang’s face instantly flushed crimson. He apologized to Zhang Jin’an in his heart more than once, but he still saved the picture.】*
Zhang Jin’an clicked on the Weibo profile of [Has Zhuoyin Drawn Today]. The account had very few posts—only a few dozen—but every single one was an illustration, and they were all of men.
Most of them were tagged with #ZhangYangBuXia. Zhang Jin’an clicked on the latest one.
[Has Zhuoyin Drawn Today]: #ZhangYangBuXia @SystemLimitTuanYuan, congrats on Chapter 19 where Four Sheep meets Big Brother (even if it was just a passing glance). This tells us that hard work pays off [not really]. So looking forward to the next award scene. Zhang-Yang, go for it!
The stage background in the drawing was identical to the one at the awards ceremony. A man in a black suit stood on stage; the surroundings were all in black and white, with him alone bathed in light. He had his eyes lowered, holding a trophy, a slight smile playing on his lips.
This was likely Jiang Siyang.
Zhang Jin’an had seen plenty of fan art. Every time he received some, he thought how wonderful it must be to know how to draw. They could project their own hopes onto the people they liked; every piece was a story.
"Kids these days are really something," Zhang Jin’an muttered as he exited and returned to Tuan Yuan’s Weibo.
He had intended to see if there were any side stories to read, only to find that the author had just posted a new update.
[System Limit Tuan Yuan]: I’m afraid I’m really going to drop this story [aggrieved face]. There’s absolutely zero interaction between the two of them. It’s all relying on the OOC in my head. It’s so hard. Plus, I got more DMs today [aggrieved face]. I really want to stop.
Zhang Jin’an: ? I just started following this, and you’re stopping?
It was one thing to stop, but to be bullied into stopping? That made Zhang Jin’an a bit annoyed.
It was just entertainment, and they were keeping it within their own circle. Why were they being attacked?
Zhang Jin’an had witnessed what fan wars were like. He had once observed a massive "catfight" where someone claimed a singer had plagiarized a song from an obscure artist. The comments section became a battlefield.
One side said there was no proof of plagiarism, while the other said the proof was undeniable.
What Zhang Jin’an admired most was that these kids could hurl three hundred insults without repeating a single one—"Your attending physician has lost all patience and ordered your mother to take you back to the womb," "Your mouth is so foul I suggest you spray some pesticide to deodorize it," "To those supporting plagiarism, I hope you excitedly go out to buy a designer bag only to end up with the second-hand one your mother sold off."
However, upon reflection, Zhang Jin’an realized the main reason the author was being criticized was because of him. It was because he rarely interacted with others that people called it a "crackship."
Well, that was simple. Wasn't it just interaction? If he interacted with him a few dozen times later on, there would be plenty of material to read, wouldn't there?
With that thought, Zhang Jin’an switched accounts and searched for Jiang Siyang’s name, finding his Weibo profile.
Jiang Siyang’s handle was "Jiang Four Sheep." It was an amusing name. Looking at his bio, he was under Zhongye Media.
Then he looked at the posts.
Good grief. There were only thirteen posts in total.
Zhang Jin’an: "..."
Just then, Li Qiang woke up beside him. Squinting, he asked, "Do you need the bathroom? Why do you look so constipated?"
Zhang Jin’an: "?"
Zhang Jin’an put his phone down and asked, "Qiang-ge, do you know Jiang Siyang?"
"Jiang Siyang?" Li Qiang rubbed his eyes. "He’s one of the people Little Liu is managing now, right?"
Zhang Jin’an: "Liu Wenping-jie?"
Li Qiang nodded. "Yeah."
Liu Wenping used to be a manager at Jiahua as well. Later, when her contract expired, she jumped to Zhongye Media to become a star manager. She had managed Zhang Jin’an for a few months during a hand-off period. Though strict, she was a good person. They were still in touch, but they never discussed work—after all, they were at different companies, so neither knew the other's current situation.
He hadn't expected Liu Wenping to be Jiang Siyang’s manager. By that logic, weren't he and Jiang Siyang actually quite close?
Zhang Jin’an asked again, "Jiang Siyang is the one I gave the Best Newcomer award to, right?"
"Yeah, that’s him," Li Qiang said, sounding somewhat relieved. "Not bad. I thought you wouldn't remember that."
Zhang Jin’an waved a hand. "My memory is decent enough."
"Sure, you just choose what you want to remember," Li Qiang leaned back and sighed. "It’s a pity, though. Since winning that award, the roles Jiang Siyang has taken haven't made much of a splash. His acting is good, but he’s in his rising phase, and you know Zhongye—lately they’ve been obsessed with churning out idol heartthrobs, so they pay much less attention to actors. The roles he gets are only because Little Liu fights for them. They’re all... well, you know the kind of scripts. If he had a good script, he’d probably be famous for a while."
Zhang Jin’an couldn't argue with that.
A mismatch between talent and fame was a common occurrence in the entertainment industry. It was regrettable, but there was nothing to be done.
Cruel as it was, luck was sometimes more important than talent in this business. Zhang Jin’an’s talent was outstanding, but he knew that what made him a superstar wasn't just his skill, but the luck of landing the excellent script for *The Best World*.
Originally, the lead wasn't supposed to be Zhang Jin’an; it was another actor. Later, that actor had a scheduling conflict, so the opportunity went to Zhang Jin’an, who had placed second in the auditions.
Anyone else might have been happy, but Zhang Jin’an couldn't bring himself to be. From the moment he received the notice, he had only one thought: "I was just the backup, not the first choice. I only got it because someone else didn't want it."
Consequently, Zhang Jin’an poured his heart into that movie, agonizing over every movement and expression, acting until he was almost possessed. In the end, he achieved those impressive results and became famous overnight.
Everyone said Zhang Jin’an had a casual attitude, but when it came to acting, he was never sloppy. The speed at which his acting improved was visible to anyone with eyes, especially in *Brilliant Flame*. When it was released, it became a household name; the theme song could be heard playing on loop in every street and alley. This led to him becoming a Film Emperor at a young age, and yet no one had a word of complaint.
Some said, "There is no *Brilliant Flame* without Zhang Jin’an," but Zhang Jin’an knew deep down that if he were to play it again now, he wouldn't be able to capture that same feeling.
"Qiang-ge, didn't you go to Zhongye once last month? Did you see him?" Zhang Jin’an asked.
"I did," Li Qiang said. "He’s three years younger than you."
"So he’s just a kid." Zhang Jin’an smiled.
Zhang Jin’an was in the habit of calling anyone younger than him a "kid."
Li Qiang added, "He might be younger than you, but he’s much more obedient, and he has a good temper."
Zhang Jin’an said, "Is his dad a soldier? A real 'red-blooded' family background?"
Li Qiang was surprised. "How do you know? Did you look him up?"
Zhang Jin’an hadn't looked him up, of course; it was all thanks to that fanfiction. It hadn't just mentioned his father; it had detailed Jiang Siyang’s other family members with a precision that rivaled an online biography.
Zhang Jin’an lied with a straight face. "Back at the awards, I overheard some people talking."
"Oh... but why are you suddenly curious about Jiang Siyang?"
"I saw a poll. I was first and he was second, so I was just curious," Zhang Jin’an said.
"Oh—you’re afraid he’ll catch up to you, so you’re scouting the competition?" Li Qiang smirked. "I didn't expect this, Zhang Jin’an. You actually..."
Zhang Jin’an: "What?"
Li Qiang: "...finally care about rankings."
Zhang Jin’an: "..."
Li Qiang burst out laughing and patted Zhang Jin’an on the shoulder. "Just kidding, just kidding. Get some more sleep. You won't have time for it later."
Zhang Jin’an had wanted to check his phone again, but hearing that, he chose to go back to sleep.
This nap was peaceful, lasting until they reached their final destination: Beijing.
By the time they got off the plane, it was 4:00 PM Beijing time.
There were many people at the arrival gate holding signs. Even though Zhang Jin’an was wearing a mask and a hat, he was immediately recognized by a sharp-eyed fan who shrieked, "!! It’s Zhang Jin’an!!"
This caused people who were about to leave after picking up their friends to stop in their tracks and turn around. They pulled out their phones to take photos and even started following him. At first, there were only a few, but soon it turned into a crowd of over a dozen surrounding him, following him regardless of whether they were heading the same way.
Li Qiang was quick to react, using his arm to shield Zhang Jin’an while telling the crowd, "Don't get too close. Watch your step, everyone, be careful not to bump into anyone."
"Oh my god! It really is Zhang Jin’an!!"
"Big Brother is so handsome!!"
"Big Brother, who are we fighting today?"
Zhang Jin’an had publicly stated that he didn't like fans meeting him at the airport and had even sued someone who sold flight information. As a result, the crowds at the airport were usually within an acceptable range. Fans who ran into him really did so by chance, which made them even more excited. Zhang Jin’an didn't stop them; he just asked them to keep their voices down.
"Holy crap! It’s Big Brother in the flesh!"
"Pfft," Zhang Jin’an couldn't help but laugh at that last comment. He turned to the girl and asked, "What? Was I dead before?"
The people around them all laughed.
"Hahahaha, warning: you're about to be kicked from the fan group!"
"Sister, just leave the group now!"
The girl, afraid of being filmed, covered her mouth. "Big Brother, I was wrong. You’re an immortal, a total immortal."
A girl nearby asked, "Big Brother, where did you go?"
"Toronto," Zhang Jin’an replied honestly.
"Ah! To film a new show?"
Zhang Jin’an shook his head. "No, you’ll find out later."
Everyone let out a long "Oh—."
A girl wearing a headband asked loudly, "Big Brother, do you know you’re on the trending searches again?"
Before Zhang Jin’an could answer, someone else shouted, "Hey, who dares to compete with Big Brother’s internet speed?"
"Me!" someone yelled.
Zhang Jin’an gave a cupped-fist salute in that direction. "Then your hands must be pretty fast."
This drew more laughter from the crowd, and even Li Qiang couldn't help but chuckle.
After a bit more small talk, they reached the exit. This was the taxi pick-up area, where people were standing around. Many looked toward Zhang Jin’an.
Ignoring those gazes, Zhang Jin’an stopped and said to the people following him, "Alright, it’s getting late. You kids should head home. Stay safe."
"Goodbye, Big Brother..."
"Bye!"
"This is amazing, I actually ran into Big Brother..."
...
The people in front had mostly dispersed, leaving only a few who had been standing at the back. After some whispering, they pushed a girl with twin tails forward.
The girl looked only thirteen or fourteen. Her face was bright red. After being pushed out, she locked eyes with Zhang Jin’an and immediately tried to turn back, but the adults with her—who seemed to be her relatives—laughed and pushed her forward again.
Finally, having no other choice, the girl pursed her lips and walked shyly toward Zhang Jin’an.
Zhang Jin’an saw it all.
He didn't move, standing there waiting for her to approach.
Clutching a notebook, the girl said in a small, trembling voice, "Big Brother, can I have an autograph?! I really like you. I—I’ve seen all your movies and watched all your shows. I—I want to apply to film school later and become a director, so I can write scripts for you..."
Seeing the girl’s voice crack and her hands shake as if she were about to cry, Zhang Jin’an smiled and took her notebook.
It was a diary. On it was written: "8th Grade, Xue Xiaohui."
Zhang Jin’an opened to the last page and signed his name on the lined paper.
"Why are you crying? I’m not going to eat you. Company rules say I can't sign on blank paper, but since this was a chance encounter, you wouldn't have been prepared. So I signed on the lines; don't mind if it looks a bit messy," Zhang Jin’an said as he closed the notebook and handed it back to her. He then ruffled her hair. "Thank you for your courage and for liking me. I’ll be waiting for the day I see you on the big screen."
***
Glossary
