Unable to be Arrogant [Entertainment Circle] | Chapter 49 | A Future Best Actor | Novela.app

“How was it?” As soon as he finished his lines, Jiang Siyang looked at Zhang Jin’an with a face full of anticipation. “How was it?” “Hmm...” Zhang Jin’an rubbed his chin. “Since it was so sudden, the setting can’t compare to a filming location, and there was no lead-up in the plot. Because of that, the emotion was a bit thinner than the original, and your pace at the end was a little slow. But other than that, there weren’t any major issues. Your tone and cadence were excellent; they really draw people in.” “I see, I understand,” Jiang Siyang said thoughtfully. Seeing Jiang Siyang’s furrowed brows as he pondered, Zhang Jin’an couldn’t help but smile and shake his head slightly. He looked so much like himself from years ago, though this kid held himself to even higher standards. Being eager to learn was a good thing, but too much pressure could lead to problems. Thus, Zhang Jin’an offered more comfort: “You don’t need to be so hard on yourself. You aren’t academy-trained, and having this level of acting skill after only a few roles is already quite good. Isn’t your next script *Hidden Shadows*? You’ll be able to learn from the veteran actors there, and your skills will definitely improve further.” “Okay,” Jiang Siyang nodded. “With your potential, you’re bound to become a breakout star in the future,” Zhang Jin’an said, resting a hand on Jiang Siyang’s shoulder as they resumed their walk toward Jiu Chang. “When you’re famous, you’ll have to let me ride your coattails for some of that traffic.” “You’re joking again,” Jiang Siyang said with a laugh. Zhang Jin’an laughed too. “You can’t eat just anything, and you certainly shouldn’t say just anything. Who knows? Maybe at a future awards ceremony, the host will clear their throat like this—” Zhang Jin’an used his right hand as a makeshift microphone and gave two performative coughs, intentionally lowering his voice. “‘Please welcome our Best Actor... Jiang Siyang!’” Zhang Jin’an spoke with dramatic flair, sounding quite like a real presenter. Embarrassed by the praise, Jiang Siyang didn’t say a word, only looking at Zhang Jin’an with a sense of novelty. “And now, let’s invite Mr. Jiang Siyang to say a few words—” Zhang Jin’an said, extending his hand toward Jiang Siyang’s mouth. “Mr. Jiang, do you have anything to say about winning this award?” Jiang Siyang cooperated fully, leaning in and even lightly tapping Zhang Jin’an’s hand as if testing the mic. “Testing, testing—First, I’d like to thank the country and the people for their support, and thank everyone for their trust in me...” Zhang Jin’an was delighted and couldn’t help but tease him. “You sound like you’re joining the Party, not winning an award.” Jiang Siyang couldn’t keep a straight face either. His serious expression vanished instantly as he laughed and continued, “And again, thank you to the country and the people for their support.” Zhang Jin’an took the opportunity to fish for a mention. “No thanks for me?” “There will be. It’s coming later. The people you want to thank the most always come last,” Jiang Siyang followed up smoothly. “I also want to thank the director’s team, and Teacher Zhang Jin’an, for giving me so much help...” Once Jiang Siyang finished his rapid-fire speech, Zhang Jin’an withdrew his hand and critiqued, “I recall the speech you gave when you won the Newcomer Award was pretty much the same.” Jiang Siyang was genuinely surprised. “Brother, you actually remember that? Was what I said back then really that strange?” “No, what you said was very appropriate,” Zhang Jin’an said, looking at Jiu Chang, who was squawking and flailing in the distance. “It’s just that at every awards ceremony, the categories I pay the most attention to are Best Actor and Best Newcomer. Plus, I was the one who presented it to you that time, so I remember it clearly.” “That’s amazing,” Jiang Siyang looked at Zhang Jin’an with admiration. “To pay attention to such small details... no wonder your reputation among us newcomers has always been so good.” Zhang Jin’an felt a bit smug at the praise, and his posture straightened noticeably. Tuanyuan seemed to have written it like this—Siyang’s complete thoughts were as follows: *I am very honored to receive this Newcomer Award. I have many people to thank. I thank the country, the people for their support, the fans for their love, my parents for their companionship, the director’s team...* Zhang Jin’an couldn’t remember the specifics, but it was followed by a long string of gratitudes; it was practically a template for an acceptance speech. “But, Brother, didn’t you already win the Newcomer Award? Why do you still pay attention to it? Do you want to win it again?” Jiang Siyang asked, puzzled. Zhang Jin’an: “Because the Newcomer trophies for the last few years have been quite pretty.” Jiang Siyang: “...?” Seeing Jiang Siyang’s hesitant expression, Zhang Jin’an couldn’t help but laugh. “Just kidding. The reason I pay attention to the Newcomer Award isn’t because I want to win it, but because I want to see which new faces have arrived this year.” “Oh...” Jiang Siyang replied, though his expression remained confused. Zhang Jin’an patted Jiang Siyang on the shoulder. “You’ll understand once you win Best Actor.” “I will.” Jiang Siyang’s gaze was incredibly firm, just as powerful as the day he said, “I will become you.” Jiang Siyang’s quick promise was exactly what Zhang Jin’an expected. After all, Jiang Siyang was that kind of person—once he set his mind to something, he would do his utmost to achieve it, never shying away from his desire for victory. Time would not betray such a person. Zhang Jin’an thought that perhaps it was because he saw himself in Jiang Siyang, or perhaps because he had never met someone like him before, that he always found himself placing more expectations and attention on the younger man. *You certainly will,* Zhang Jin’an answered in his heart, just as it was written in Tuanyuan’s story— *[They did not know that a few years later, Jiang Siyang would be wearing a white suit with a rose pinned to his chest. Bathed in the spotlights, he would stand on the stage like a prince, using that unique voice of his to deliver an acceptance speech into the microphone.]* After walking a dozen more steps, Jiu Chang approached them with a waddle like a duck. The three of them conferred and decided they had seen enough of the beach. They planned to spend the remaining time wandering elsewhere, so they took a few photos and headed back together. Jiu Chang’s pant legs were already soaked through; he nearly did the splits while climbing the stairs. He only felt comfortable again once they reached the pavilion and he could dry off with a cloth. After Zhang Jin’an received his refund, he treated them to watermelon juice. The three of them changed their shoes and sat on a nearby bench, holding their juices and drinking. The watermelon juice was icy and refreshing. In the distance, the small shops along the street were still open, but no one else was coming to this area. A car only passed by on the road every few minutes. Jiu Chang took two gulps and felt immensely satisfied. He sighed, “Looking down at the sea, looking up at the stars, watermelon juice in hand, and unlimited Wi-Fi nearby. If we just added an air conditioner, this would truly be the life of an immortal.” “You can go petition our government to install air conditioning on the streets,” Zhang Jin’an joked. Jiu Chang chuckled. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to say, I looked at the map on the way here and found that it’s really easy to get lost in this place.” Jiang Siyang was curious. “How so? I thought it was fine.” Jiu Chang clicked his tongue twice. “That’s because you didn’t look at the place names.” “Is it those four Nanshan Roads?” Zhang Jin’an asked. “Exactly!” Jiu Chang began counting on his fingers, explaining to a bewildered Jiang Siyang. “Let me list the names for you. Nanshan South Road is in the North, Nanshan North Road is in the South, Nanshan West Road is in the East, and Nanshan East Road is in the West... It’s bad enough the names are almost the same, but the locations are all completely backwards. What were they thinking when they named them?” Jiang Siyang understood now and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it would be very easy to get lost like that.” “As someone who has lived here for over twenty years, I can tell you this is normal. They were just too lazy to come up with names.” Zhang Jin’an pointed toward the sea in a wide arc. “Do you know what this sea is called?” “Let me think... Damn, I remember now. It’s called the Little South Sea,” Jiu Chang said, breaking into a laugh. “Unbelievable. They really are lazy with names. They just take one name and break it apart to reuse it.” Jiu Chang’s tone was so comical that Zhang Jin’an and Jiang Siyang laughed along. The three of them chatted for a while longer before eventually turning to their own phones. ---