Chapter 15

When Qi Linyuan heard from his agent that He Ransheng wanted him to play the secondary male lead in his new drama, he doubted either his own ears or He Ransheng’s mind—one of them must be malfunctioning.

“Actually, it’s a pretty good opportunity,” the agent sighed. “If you weren’t currently riding a wave of popularity, and if the male lead weren’t He Ransheng, the company would really want you to take this role.”

As he spoke, the agent flipped through Qi Linyuan’s recent statistics. Before the broadcast of “The Free Script,” Qi Linyuan was already the most popular contestant on “Ultimate Actor.” After the show aired, his fame only soared higher.

The agent used to worry that his cash cow might break before it matured. After all, the previous actor for the character Yun Jian, Zhang Junke, was mediocre in both appearance and acting, yet had amassed a loyal fanbase. Before the voting ended for “The Free Script,” Zhang Junke’s fans clashed with the voting audience, declaring they wanted to see what sort of “celestial being” the audience would pick.

The outcome? Not only were viewers dazzled, but even industry insiders began calling to ask about Qi Linyuan’s future projects. Book fans and fans of the character were ecstatic, particularly the latter—eager to announce to the world: “This is Yun Jian! The Yun Jian who enchants and breaks hearts!” As for the previous actor, he was quickly forgotten.

Zhang Junke’s fans couldn’t stomach this. A full-blown battle erupted. Surprisingly, Yun Jian had many fans, and Qi Linyuan’s growing popularity from “Ultimate Actor” made the fight evenly matched—until the general audience joined in, leaving Zhang Junke’s fans overwhelmed.

The agent had never imagined that, in just over a month, Qi Linyuan could achieve such stature. Now, he pondered daily which project would best capitalize on Qi Linyuan’s momentum.

Qi Linyuan understood both his agent’s and the company’s intentions. In his view, accepting the script chosen by the short-sighted company was less appealing than playing second to He Ransheng. At least He Ransheng’s connections weren’t much stronger than the drama’s director and writer, and neither would compromise their work’s integrity for a lead role.

If he took the company’s drama, he’d endure He Ransheng’s mockery for a few months—nothing compared to being dragged down by the company for five years.

“I think taking this drama is a good choice,” Qi Linyuan decided quickly.

His skepticism about He Ransheng’s mind wasn’t because He Ransheng thought he’d accept, but because He Ransheng dared to offer him the secondary part at all.

Since He Ransheng dared, and even persuaded a director and writer Qi Linyuan couldn’t yet reach, he had no reason to shy away.

The agent hadn’t expected him to agree and frowned. “From a business perspective…”

“Negative publicity is still publicity, isn’t it? As long as I take this role, there’ll be no shortage of discussion until the drama airs. It saves the company marketing costs—what’s not to like?” Qi Linyuan argued, fearless and seemingly “considerate of the company.”

The agent’s brow relaxed a little.

Qi Linyuan continued, “For a drama with this setup, quality will speak for itself once it’s released. The marketing will be handled by the companies of the male and female leads. But if we take a low-budget idol drama as the lead, not only will the final product be questionable, but marketing falls entirely on us. If the show flops, I’ll have wasted half a year—and after that, who will even remember me? Can the pay difference really make up for that?”

The agent’s expression relaxed further as he pondered this logic—it did make sense.

Qi Linyuan delivered the final blow: “He Ransheng has strong backing, but so do the director and writer. As long as the script isn’t altered and my character and screen time are guaranteed, the rewards of a high-quality drama will be greater once it airs. I still have five years left on my contract, and I’m only twenty-two. One or two dramas won’t make much difference.”

The agent fell silent for a moment, then resolved, “Alright, if you’re willing, I’ll talk to the company.”

Qi Linyuan smiled and agreed. Seeing the agent’s delighted expression, he felt calm inside.

He had no intention of staying at this company for five years like in his previous life. Once Ji Yuchen’s entertainment company was established, he’d find a way to join them. The less the company invested in him, the easier his departure would be, and the easier it would be to win the public relations battle. He didn’t want to bear the reputation of being ungrateful for this company’s sake.

—

The moment Qi Linyuan’s company signed with the production team, the news broke out.

At first, his fans were thrilled: Wow! Big production! Second male lead! Our idol is amazing!

But when they learned the male lead was He Ransheng, confusion washed over them: If it were a complete newcomer with no connections, playing second to them would be better than to He Ransheng! Though the two had never directly competed, it was undeniable that Qi Linyuan outperformed He Ransheng in every way on “Ultimate Actor.”

[Stunned? Thought you were supporting a superstar, turns out he’s just a nobody.]

[I’ve heard about the search for a second male lead for this drama. To put it nicely, he’s a pretty face; to be blunt, he’s a beautiful waste. Plenty of screen time, not much glory, high demands from the crew—no wonder they struggled to find someone. Who’d have thought Qi Linyuan would end up with the role.]

[Hmm, I was wondering why he’d take this part. Seeing the words ‘beautiful waste’ suddenly made sense—it’s always been his style!]

[Honestly, supporting a nobody with no connections, ambition, or vision isn’t as good as supporting He Ransheng! The young master has all the resources!]

[Forget it. Face fans refuse. Qi Linyuan may lack ambition, but he’s gorgeous! Plus, a big production with plenty of screen time for a newcomer’s first project—it’s already pretty good. What more could you ask for?]

—

The latest discussions about Qi Linyuan were far from positive. These reviews, along with the audience’s praise for Yun Jian, were compiled and handed to Ji Yuchen by his staff.

Besides Qi Linyuan’s profile, Ji Yuchen’s desk held a dozen other actors’ profiles. He flipped through them, his expression unreadable, and addressed the director of the marketing department, “These are the people you’re interested in?”

The director was unfazed. “Yes. These are the actors I’ve found who are willing, whose contract termination costs are low, and who have potential.”

Ji Yuchen was noncommittal, “Qi Linyuan too? He’s not the same type as the others, yet you included him.”

Qiao Shi laughed, “Why not? Low termination costs, plenty of potential—except for uncertainty about his willingness, he fits all my criteria. Besides…”

Qiao Shi deliberately paused, “If you’re interested in him, I don’t believe he’s lacking.”

Ji Yuchen rubbed his forehead, his businesslike tone softening, “Qiao Shi, you’re letting your emotions get involved.”

Qiao Shi was unfazed. “I know you purely admire his acting. When you went to that reality show’s recordings, it was no different from going to a concert to relax. But someone who can charm and relax you, I don’t think he’s ordinary. I even watched his performances myself. If this young man can maintain his composure, his future is boundless—he’ll become the signature of our new company.”

Qiao Shi flipped to the first page, “Regarding his latest project, public opinion thinks he lacks vision, but I believe the opposite. I’ve looked into his company—it’s extremely short-sighted. When an artist becomes popular, they push them into shoddy idol dramas for quick money. So this choice is unlikely to be the company’s decision. It’s more likely his own. If so, he’s chosen a better script and team, even if it means playing second to someone who recently undermined him on a reality show. That resolve and courage aren’t common.”

He concluded, “We’ve been debating whether to start an entertainment company, mainly because we weren’t sure if our vision could survive in the current environment. But after seeing the results of the reality show our group sponsored, I believe—and I’m sure you do too—that our company can thrive in this industry. Qi Linyuan’s success is the best evidence.”

Ji Yuchen had been reflecting on this lately.

He glanced again at the profiles on his desk. Qi Linyuan’s photo stood out, so much so that, upon seeing it, he recalled the young man performing on stage, and his radiant smile.

He tapped his fingers on the desk for a while, then finally made up his mind, “Go ahead and start preparations! As we discussed, once everything is ready, you’ll be the executive director of the new company.”