Unable to be Arrogant [Entertainment Circle] | Chapter 53 | Fixing the Collar | Novela.app

As the car turned into the underground garage, Liu Wenping gave Jiang Siyang her final instructions. "Don't be too nervous. Just perform as you usually do, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask. Zhang Jin’an is actually quite a good mentor; he doesn't lose his temper for no reason." She paused for a moment, as if recalling something. "As long as you don't go too far—not like *that* person." Jiang Siyang felt a flicker of curiosity at Liu Wenping’s vague words. "What happened? Who?" "It’s not important. Just someone who didn't get along very well with Zhang Jin’an back then... Thinking back on that time, it’s honestly both infuriating and hilarious." Liu Wenping waved her hand as if dismissing the matter. She turned slightly toward Jiang Siyang and added, "Anyway, I have faith in you. Even if you were ten times bolder, you wouldn't dare act like that in front of Zhang Jin’an." That was the truth. "Yes," Jiang Siyang smiled at Liu Wenping. "I’ll work hard on my acting. I won't hold the crew or Ge back." Having given his word, Jiang Siyang closed the video he was watching and sent a message to Zhang Jin’an. 【Jiang Siyang】: Ge, I’m downstairs. 【Zhang Jin’an】: Got it. Seeing Zhang Jin’an’s instant reply, Jiang Siyang immediately deduced that Zhang Jin’an was likely the only one who had arrived upstairs. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so bored that he was staring at his message interface. As Jiang Siyang was thinking this, two more messages popped up. 【Zhang Jin’an】: Hurry up. 【Zhang Jin’an】: Your Ge is bored to death. Jiang Siyang couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile. He typed a reply before gripping his phone and stepping out of the car. 【Jiang Siyang】: Coming right now. From the moment he received Jiang Siyang’s message to the moment Jiang Siyang appeared at the door, Zhang Jin’an calculated that barely five minutes had passed. Jiang Siyang was wearing a denim jacket over a striped shirt, the collar of which was slightly upturned. Zhang Jin’an raised an eyebrow. The moment Jiang Siyang saw him, he greeted him with a smile. "Ge, long time no see." "That was fast. You didn't have to wait for the elevator?" Zhang Jin’an pulled out the chair next to him and patted the seat. "Come, sit here." Jiang Siyang shook his head. "I got lucky today; the elevator arrived right away." "Then we’ll be heading out first," Liu Wenping said, giving Zhang Jin’an a knowing look before leading Xie Jie away. "Where is Sister Liu going?" Xiao Zhou asked. "Not sure, she probably has things to attend to," Jiang Siyang said as he sat down with a smile. "How long have you been here, Ge?" "Not long." Zhang Jin’an reached out and tucked in the part of Jiang Siyang’s collar that had been caught inside his jacket. "Maybe ten minutes or so." Jiang Siyang sat still, cooperatively allowing the adjustment. "That’s still quite early." *Perfectly straightened.* Zhang Jin’an nodded with satisfaction at the result of his handiwork. When he looked up again, his gaze happened to meet Jiang Siyang’s. Jiang Siyang wasn't wearing any makeup; the area around his eyes was clean, but his lashes were long and thick, and the charming folds beneath his eyes were particularly striking. Zhang Jin’an suddenly wondered how Tuanyuan would praise Jiang Siyang today if she could see him. "Siyang, you have no idea how boring it was here just now," Xiao Zhou suddenly chimed in from the side. Zhang Jin’an watched as those eyes flickered toward Xiao Zhou. When Jiang Siyang spoke, his lower eyelids curved upward and the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile. His voice was even more pleasant to the ear. "Is that so? Then I suppose I’ve arrived at the right time?" Xiao Zhou laughed. "You certainly did. If you’d come any later, we would have started wandering around aimlessly. We wouldn't have come back until we’d done at least four laps of the place, right, Boss?" Zhang Jin’an let his gaze drift away from Jiang Siyang, looking instead at his phone, which was lying face-down on the table. "Mm." Jiang Siyang was somewhat surprised. "Was it really that boring? How do you usually pass the time?" "Just browsing Weibo or playing games," Zhang Jin’an shrugged, starting to fiddle with his phone. "But for some reason today, there’s very little new content on Weibo, and none of those guys are online. Playing games alone is boring too." "Siyang, how do you pass the time?" Xiao Zhou asked. "Reading scripts, or chatting with friends," Jiang Siyang replied. Zhang Jin’an remained silent, watching Jiang Siyang and Xiao Zhou chat. The window was directly opposite Jiang Siyang; outside, the sky was a wash of grayish-blue, showing signs of impending rain that had yet to fall. In contrast, the lights in the meeting room were bright, seemingly enough to illuminate every pore on a person's skin. Zhang Jin’an remembered the first time he met Jiang Siyang; the lighting then had been a dim amber. He remembered when they stood on the mountain peak; the twilight then had been infused with a golden glow. He remembered the scene of Jiang Siyang reciting lines by the sea; at that time, Jiang Siyang had possessed a softness like moonlight. Regardless of the setting or the lighting, Jiang Siyang always remained the same. As Zhang Jin’an thought this, he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He hadn't realized that despite knowing Jiang Siyang for such a short time, they already shared so many memories. "This feeling of déjà vu... you’re exactly like Boss was when he first debuted," Xiao Zhou said, propping his chin on his hand as he reminisced. "In those first few years, Boss was reading scripts every waking moment. That’s why, have you noticed? Now, whether he’s playing on the computer or browsing Weibo, the company doesn't bother him no matter how long he spends surfing the web." Jiang Siyang immediately followed up, "That’s also because Ge is so capable. He does everything he’s supposed to do, so the company can rest easy..." Zhang Jin’an: "..." Looking at the way Jiang Siyang’s eyes were slowly lighting up, Zhang Jin’an knew exactly what was coming next. *Oh no, here comes the praise.* He knew Jiang Siyang; once he started complimenting someone, he couldn't stop. Before things could spiral out of control, Zhang Jin’an cleared his throat, interrupting Jiang Siyang. "Siyang, have you seen the Weibo posts for *Jiu Chang*?" Sure enough, Jiang Siyang stopped. "Ah... I saw them." Jiang Siyang thought for a moment, then turned back with a smile. "Ge, you’re truly popular. This is the fastest the audience has ever guessed a guest's identity in the history of the show." "Is it? I thought there were some fast ones in previous episodes too," Zhang Jin’an said. "No, none were quite this fast," Jiang Siyang chuckled. "I think when it actually airs, the viewership numbers might even surpass PD Jiang’s records." Zhang Jin’an laughed as well, lightly patting Jiang Siyang’s thigh. "You’re trying to dump all that pressure onto my shoulders, aren't you? If you want to stage a rebellion, just say it plainly." Jiang Siyang rubbed his thigh and let out a soft laugh, and Zhang Jin’an joined him. ***