Unable to be Arrogant [Entertainment Circle] | Chapter 56 | A Sudden Flutter | Novela.app

Jiang Siyang couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "What do you think? Personally, I think the people in here are all pretty decent." Hearing Zhang Jin’an speak, Jiang Siyang set his phone down. Jiang Siyang nodded. "They seem very nice." Zhang Jin’an continued, "Aside from gaming, you can discuss other things—like acting—in there too. Everyone is quite enthusiastic; they’ll reply whenever they have a moment." "Mhm, thank you, Ge." Jiang Siyang expressed his gratitude sincerely. Zhang Jin’an merely smiled and didn't reply. When Jiang Siyang looked at his phone again, he saw that Su Zhiyang had sent him a friend request. [Jiang Siyang]: Hello, Zhiyang-ge. [Su Zhiyang]: Just marking my spot here before you get famous! [Jiang Siyang]: ?? What? [Su Zhiyang]: You’re probably on the *Hidden Shadow* set, right? Zhang Jin’an has this 'star-making' aura—whoever he acts with ends up blowing up. If you hit it big in the future, don't forget about me. We’re fellow disciples of the same sect, after all. [Jiang Siyang]: Mmm, okay, I won't. [Su Zhiyang]: Hey! What a good kid! Truly my junior brother, haha. Jiang Siyang couldn't help but marvel, "I didn't expect everyone to have such great personalities." Hearing this, Zhang Jin’an arched an eyebrow and set his own phone down. "Don't let your guard down around others just because of our group," Zhang Jin’an cautioned. Even though he knew Jiang Siyang was smart and well-versed in the ways of the world, he couldn't resist reminding him. "The entertainment industry is a microcosm of society; there are plenty of people with crooked intentions and deep schemes. You still need to be wary and not tell everyone everything." After a pause, he added, "Of course, upright people are the majority. It’s not all constant infighting." Jiang Siyang nodded. "Mhm, I know. Sister Liu has told me about many incidents, and I remember them all. Plus, since I had such a long hiatus, I haven't actually interacted with many people. Most were newcomers like me, and some of them aren't even in the industry anymore. There are only one or two I still talk to." Zhang Jin’an nodded. "Who have you been talking to the most lately? Let me see if I know them; I can help you avoid any pitfalls." As he spoke, he pulled out his phone to check his blacklist. His blacklist wasn't long—only five or six people—all of whom lacked integrity. They were the types who tried to use the back door, put on celebrity airs, or were obsessed with maintaining fake personas. Zhang Jin’an pressed a hand to his forehead and muttered, "Honestly... just seeing these names brings back bad memories." "Lately?" Jiang Siyang asked. "Yeah, just recently. There's no need to worry about people you haven't contacted in a long time," Zhang Jin’an said. Jiang Siyang pondered for a few seconds, then looked at Zhang Jin’an. "Then that would have to be you, Ge." Zhang Jin’an’s arm stiffened for a moment. He slowly looked up and met Jiang Siyang’s faint smile. He suddenly felt a strange dryness in his throat. "Me?" Jiang Siyang nodded. "Right. Sister Liu even said that the number of times we chat is way more than when I talk to her. She said even people who are dating don't have that much to talk about." He laughed after saying it. Zhang Jin’an: "..." Zhang Jin’an didn't respond, but Li Qiang grew interested and chimed in, "What, is Little Liu actually jealous?" Jiang Siyang immediately turned to Li Qiang and answered with a smile, "I don't know, but Sister Liu’s expression when she said it was very interesting." Li Qiang nodded. "Is that so? I'll have to ask her later." Just as Li Qiang finished speaking, a knock sounded at the door. Everyone looked toward the entrance, Zhang Jin’an included. Two young women entered one after the other. The one in front was slightly taller, wearing a short-sleeved utility jumpsuit cinched at the waist with a belt. Even in a one-piece outfit, it was clear from her arms and waist that she was very thin. The girl behind her wasn't heavy either, just not as thin as the first. She had a gentler look, wearing an A-line skirt that fell just past her knees and a high ponytail. Seeing so many people, the girl in the back looked startled and asked cautiously, "...Ah, is everyone already here? Are we late?" Li Qiang reacted the fastest, being the first to stand up, and the others followed suit. Jiang Siyang explained, "No, no, we just arrived early. There are still five or six minutes left." The two girls exchanged a look and seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. "That’s good, that’s good..." "Then let's introduce ourselves," the tall girl said, walking up to Zhang Jin’an to shake his hand. "Hello, Big Brother! I'm Yuan Yuan. I’ve truly admired you for a long time; I’ve watched so many of your dramas and movies." Zhang Jin’an gave a polite smile. "Hello. I know you; you’re a member of that girl group, the leader of JUC2, right?" Yuan Yuan’s eyes lit up with excitement. "I didn't expect Big Brother to actually know our group! Our members, seriously, we all binge-watch your shows together! When they heard you were the lead and that I’d get to meet you, they all had so much they wanted me to tell you!" Realizing she was perhaps too excited and talking too much, Yuan Yuan wrapped it up quickly. "This is my second time participating in a TV drama. I hope we can work well together!" Zhang Jin’an smiled. "Mhm, I look forward to working with you." Once one introduction was finished, it was time for the next. As Yuan Yuan moved to introduce herself to Jiang Siyang, the other girl came over to shake Zhang Jin’an’s hand. Her voice was much softer than the previous girl's. "...Hello, Teacher Zhang Jin’an. I am Ge Xianxu... a rookie actress. If I do anything poorly later... I’ll have to trouble Teacher to correct me..." Zhang Jin’an said with a smile, "It’s alright. We’ll all improve together. I might even have something to learn from you all." After the introductions were made all around, everyone found a seat. Although there were more people now, the atmosphere was a bit more awkward since they were mostly strangers. Fortunately, Yuan Yuan seemed quite cheerful and initiated some small talk about recent events. Since everyone was friendly and didn't want to leave her hanging, they chatted about this and that. The atmosphere improved considerably. During this time, the one who spoke the least was actually Zhang Jin’an. Zhang Jin’an wouldn't have believed it himself if someone told him; usually, when meeting newcomers, he was the one who livened up the room. But that was the reality. From beginning to end, unless a question was directed at him, Zhang Jin’an spent the time reflecting—his heart had actually skipped a beat when Jiang Siyang said, "even people who are dating don't have that much to talk about." He had even entertained the thought: *It wouldn't be so bad if that were the case.* "What the hell do you mean 'not so bad'..." Zhang Jin’an muttered under his breath, leaning his head on his hand. This... must be a side effect of reading too much fanfiction. Zhang Jin’an thought. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 火钳刘明 | Marking my spot | Internet slang (huǒ qián liú míng), a homophone for "leave a name before it gets popular." 带火体质 | Star-making aura | A personality or quality that brings fame to those around them/co-stars. 袁媛 | Yuan Yuan | Name of a female character, leader of JUC2. 葛纤绪 | Ge Xianxu | Name of a female character, a rookie actress. JUC2 | JUC2 | The name of the girl group Yuan Yuan belongs to. 同人文 | Fanfiction | Stories written by fans using characters from existing works (CP stories).