Specifically, there was this person named Kong Xiaoyun. The ship name fans had given him and Zhang Jin’an was "Tajin Yunxiao," and the number of people discussing them was only a few dozen fewer than those following "Zhang-Yang."
[A pair of gold-rimmed leather shoes appeared before Zhang Jin’an’s eyes. In his dazed state from the beating, Zhang Jin’an slowly looked up from the shoes, past the straight legs and the waist, until he finally saw the face of the person looking down at him against the light.
the man crouched down and grabbed Zhang Jin’an’s hair, forcing him to look at him.
Only then did Zhang Jin’an see what the man looked like—he had an aristocratic aura.
This man possessed an arrogance that placed him above all things; his eyes held room for no one.]
This was the first story Zhang Jin’an had read where he was the protagonist and got beaten half to death. While he thought the author was quite ruthless, he was also curious about what an "aristocratic aura" actually looked like. It sounded rather impressive.
"Is there a video of their performances? Can I take a look?" Zhang Jin’an asked.
"Of course." Tang Shang snapped his fingers at his assistant. "Xiao Wen, play the video."
Xiao Wen immediately stood up and turned on the projector. Everyone turned their attention to the screen.
After a few seconds, the video appeared on the white screen. Zhang Jin’an sat upright facing the screen, his right hand resting on the table to prop up his chin as he watched with full concentration.
The video showed an empty room with three people standing at the very edge of the frame.
Tang Shang provided a commentary from the side. "All three of them are performing the same scene. I won't go into the specific plot details leading up to it since you've read the book. This scene is Cui Chi’s great battle from six hundred years ago, specifically the moment right before his death."
Zhang Jin’an knew this scene. In the original novel, it was interspersed as a flashback, but in the script, it had been moved to the very beginning.
*Hidden Shadows* primarily told the story of a month plagued by frequent serial killings. Each victim had two puncture wounds on their neck, leading many to speculate that a vampire had appeared. The protagonist, Chen Yijun, was an ordinary office worker who didn't believe in such superstitions—until one day on his way home, he took a shortcut and ran into Cui Chi, who was slowly sprouting bat wings. Chen Yijun bolted immediately, only to discover that his new neighbor was that very same person. Cui Chi’s original name was Andrei Jason; he had changed it to blend into modern life. He was a vampire who was very content with the status quo and had never intended to kill anyone. At the time, he had only sprouted wings to stretch his muscles while preparing to investigate who was slandering his kin, only to be spotted by someone who happened to be his neighbor.
The early part of the novel was lighthearted and pleasant, revolving around the many laughs caused by their cultural differences, with a focus on friendship and romance. The female lead was the police officer handling the case, while the second female lead was a girl Cui Chi liked.
The later part of the story grew progressively heavier as the truth behind the serial killings and the past slowly surfaced.
This particular scene was arguably the heaviest in the novel. Six hundred years ago, Cui Chi had sought to root out a traitor within their clan. Cui Chi’s endurance, shrewdness, and kindness were all manifested through this segment; it was a pivotal moment.
"The first one is Ping Yang, born in 1991," Tang Shang introduced the first young man to walk out and stand in the center.
From the video, Ping Yang looked very capable. He wasn't the type to be called handsome at first glance, but he was the type you wouldn't tire of looking at—the "easy on the eyes" type. His most distinctive feature was his mouth; his lower lip was relatively thick.
"Are they all younger than me?" Zhang Jin’an asked.
Tang Shang nodded. "Yes, they’re all post-90s. Ping Yang is the oldest, born in '91. The other two were born in '94."
"Oho, Zhang Jin’an, you’re the old man here," Li Qiang gloated from the side.
Zhang Jin’an sighed. "It’s good to be young."
Then, Zhang Jin’an heard Tang Shang say "Start," and the performance officially began. Zhang Jin’an focused his mind, his expression becoming serious.
Since this was a death scene, the actor naturally had to lie down, but since it would be hard to see him that way, he stood while pretending to be lying down. This significantly increased the difficulty.
"In this life... I clearly did nothing wrong, so why... why treat me like this? Forget it... there’s no use saying these things now, I’m already dying... I don’t ask for anyone’s apology, I only want you to be well... to live on well," Ping Yang said his lines to the empty air. He spoke very, very slowly. Once finished, his hand dropped, his head tilted to the side, and he closed his eyes, signifying death.
"Good," Tang Shang’s voice said off-camera. "Thank you for your hard work. Next."
Xiao Wen was quick to hit the pause button.
Tang Shang asked, "What do you think of this one?"
"Hmm..." Zhang Jin’an thought for a moment and pointed at the screen. "He’s competent, but uninspired. He performed the scene, but it didn't go deep enough. Although Cui Chi is faking his death, these words are spoken from the heart, which is why they deceive everyone. But Cui Chi isn't an actor, after all; his acting shouldn't be perfect. There should be some flaws in his performance. This 'play-within-a-play' is quite difficult."
"If the difficult part is over, won't the simple part be easy?" Tang Shang nodded to Xiao Wen. Xiao Wen pressed the spacebar, and the video resumed.
"The second one is Xie Fujie," Tang Shang said.
Xie Fujie looked... sharper than Ping Yang. Zhang Jin’an searched for a while before settling on that word.
Indeed, Ping Yang was easy on the eyes because his features were rounded and soft, whereas Xie Fujie’s lines were rugged. He had upturned eyes, single eyelids, and a very straight jawline. He was handsome, but not exactly 'pretty' or 'easy on the eyes'; he fell somewhere in the middle.
Before the performance even began, Zhang Jin’an shook his head. "He’s at a disadvantage. This face is too..."
Li Qiang: "Heart-piercing?"
Zhang Jin’an: "..."
Zhang Jin’an felt relieved; at least he wasn't the only one with a limited vocabulary.
"Distracting," Tang Shang said. "Right?"
Finally, a suitable word was found. It was an accurate description; he truly was a director.
On screen, Xie Fujie closed his eyes, raised his hand, and then slowly opened them. With a deep frown, he said in a low, raspy voice, "In this life, I clearly did nothing wrong, but why..."
Unlike Ping Yang, Xie Fujie’s voice was louder and more filled with grit, as if he wanted to tear those people apart immediately. But by the final "why," his tone shifted abruptly, his speed becoming steady and slow: "...why treat me like this..."
This surprised Zhang Jin’an. "His acting is good, but he’s not suited for Cui Chi. What a pity."
"I agree," Tang Shang said. "He’s more suited for a war drama. I’ve already recommended him to Director You Mingwei."
Zhang Jin’an nodded in agreement.
You Mingwei was also a famous director who enjoyed directing war dramas. Xie Fujie was indeed a good fit for that.
After Xie Fujie finished, it was finally Kong Xiaoyun’s turn. Zhang Jin’an sat up straight, wanting to see what this legendary "aristocratic" look actually looked like.
"This is Kong Xiaoyun. He’s one of the younger ones," Tang Shang said.
A man stood in the center of the frame. Zhang Jin’an looked closely. He was indeed good-looking—not just "easy on the eyes" or "pretty," but purely handsome. He was tall with very straight shoulders; he could make a shirt look like a tailored suit.
It was quite impressive.
"His looks are very suitable for Cui Chi," Zhang Jin’an praised. "Cui Chi isn't exactly breathtaking, but he’s the kind of person who draws attention just by standing there. The previous ones were easy on the eyes, but this one is genuinely handsome."
"Yes, I also think he’s a good fit, it’s just..." Tang Shang hesitated. "Just keep watching."
Zhang Jin’an was puzzled. "Just what?"
In the video, Kong Xiaoyun bowed. "Hello, teachers."
"Begin," Tang Shang said.
Zhang Jin’an watched as Kong Xiaoyun slowly raised his hand, looking at the air as if someone were truly there. In a raspy, halting voice, he delivered his lines: "In this life↗ I clearly did nothing wrong↘, why↗—why↗ must you treat me like this↗—forget it↘—there is no use in saying these things now↘"
"...I understand," Zhang Jin’an said, his vocabulary failing him again.
If Zhang Jin’an hadn't known this was a death scene, he would have thought he was watching a model student giving a speech under the national flag in primary school.
...It was far too declamatory.
Suitable for a speech, but not for acting.
"If we choose him, it would be equivalent to spending several months teaching him how to act from scratch," Zhang Jin’an turned to ask Li Qiang. "Qiang-ge, what’s his background? He didn't graduate from an acting program, did he?"
"No, Kong Xiaoyun is from the music department. He debuted as an idol," Li Qiang said, looking at the screen. "He’s a popular 'traffic' star lately."
"No wonder." Zhang Jin’an waved his hand. "No need to watch further. I get it."
Xiao Wen immediately hit the pause button, stopping the pinyin teaching video.
"I see why it’s a hard choice," Zhang Jin’an summarized the problems he’d found. "One is competent but plain, one is good at acting but doesn't fit the role, and one fits the look but his acting... won't be fitting anytime soon."
"Yeah. So, what do you think?" Tang Shang asked.
"Me? I think... we can look a bit more," Zhang Jin’an had already made up his mind. "If there’s no one more suitable, then go with Ping Yang. At least his acting is up to par."
"Alright, I’ll take your suggestion into account. It’s been hard on you today, coming all this way just for this," Tang Shang said.
Zhang Jin’an immediately stood up. "It’s no trouble. It’s Director Tang who had the hard work, traveling all this way." Zhang Jin’an glanced at his watch. "It’s almost six. How about we grab dinner together?"
Tang Shang waved him off. "Let’s not. It’s rush hour, and walking around with a big star like you... I don’t think my old bones can take it."
"No need to worry about the crowds. I’ve already booked a place. we can just take a car straight there," Zhang Jin’an said.
Li Qiang chimed in, "That’s right, that’s right."
Tang Shang was stunned, then laughed. "And what if I insisted on not going? Wouldn't your reservation go to waste?"
Zhang Jin’an didn't panic, replying with a smile, "I haven't cried once this past hour. I said I’d treat you, and I’m keeping my word. Director Tang has to keep his word too."
Tang Shang patted Zhang Jin’an on the back, beaming with joy. "You brat. Who says you don't like using your head? You’re sharper than anyone. Let’s go, let’s eat."
Zhang Jin’an hadn't actually been certain, but he had a good relationship with Director Tang and figured the man would give him the face to go. Moreover, if Director Tang didn't go this time, all his efforts would have been for nothing.
When Tang Shang saw people pushing the door open one after another and saw those familiar faces, he was pleasantly surprised. The hand holding the pen to select dishes went limp, and the pen dropped straight to the floor.
These were all actors from *Plum Blossom Bones*. Tang Shang could call out every single one of their names.
Su Zhiyang, Jiang Mengxin, Chen Haicheng...
"Director Tang—" They walked up to Tang Shang and took turns hugging him.
Tang Shang accepted the hugs one by one, asking in a daze, "You... why are you all here?"
"Zhang Jin’an invited us. Isn't the day after tomorrow your birthday, Director Tang? We all happened to be in Beijing today, so we came over," Jiang Mengxin said.
"Zhang Jin’an?" Tang Shang looked at the mastermind sitting across from him.
The mastermind was checking the menu with the waiter as if no one else were there. "Just these for now. Serve them first; we’ll order more if it’s not enough."
"Alright." The waiter took the menu and withdrew.
Only then did the mastermind look over. Tang Shang saw a smile spread across that handsome face—a smile that, if seen by fans, would surely be captured in multiple photos for a keepsake.
"What is it, Director Tang?" Zhang Jin’an’s voice was deep, yet it stood out clearly even in the noisy private room.
Tang Shang remembered an interview from a few years ago when a reporter asked him who had given him the most surprises in *Plum Blossom Bones*.
He had chosen Zhang Jin’an back then.
If someone were to ask him now who had brought him the most surprises in his entire film career...
He would still choose Zhang Jin’an.
For no other reason than the fact that every word and action of this man was a surprise.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
暗隐 | Hidden Shadows | The title of the novel being adapted into a drama.
崔驰 | Cui Chi | The second male lead of Hidden Shadows, a vampire.
陈毅君 | Chen Yijun | The male lead of Hidden Shadows, a human office worker.
安德烈·杰森 | Andrei Jason | Cui Chi's original vampire name.
梅花骨 | Plum Blossom Bones | A previous hit drama directed by Tang Shang starring Zhang Jin'an.
踏尽云霄 | Tajin Yunxiao | The fan-given ship name for Zhang Jin'an and Kong Xiaoyun.
平阳 | Ping Yang | An actor candidate for the role of Cui Chi.
谢付杰 | Xie Fujie | An actor candidate for the role of Cui Chi.
孔宵云 | Kong Xiaoyun | An idol/actor candidate for the role of Cui Chi.
尤名为 | You Mingwei | A famous director known for war dramas.
苏志阳 | Su Zhiyang | An actor from the cast of Plum Blossom Bones.
蒋梦芯 | Jiang Mengxin | An actress from the cast of Plum Blossom Bones.
陈海城 | Chen Haicheng | An actor from the cast of Plum Blossom Bones.
