The Beautiful but Obscure Star Is Targeted by a Scheming Movie Star - Chapter 1

“Smash!”

Splinters of shattered glass grazed Tang Jingran’s cheek, accompanied by sharp, piercing verbal abuse.

“Who do you think you are, Tang Jingran?”

“The company gives you resources because they think highly of you. Do you think you’re some big shot? Refusing to go!”

“If it weren’t for this company, you wouldn’t be worth a damn right now!”

Tang Jingran blinked: I’m actually not “damn nothing”; I’m a cat—a dignified Li Hua cat beastman.

But they wouldn’t believe him if he said it, so Tang Jingran simply found a comfortable spot to continue standing while humming a song in his heart.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

Tang Jingran’s manager, Yan Jun, pushed the door open, finally interrupting the one-sided tirade from the CEO of Xingyu Entertainment Group.

Yan Jun gave Tang Jingran a look signaling him to leave. To his surprise, Tang Jingran wasn’t in a hurry at all; instead, he strolled out slowly, pacing like a cat.

Yan Jun: “…”

Yan Jun shook his head, turned to comfort the CEO, and simultaneously pulled out a file for a newly received variety show.

Stepping out of the building, Tang Jingran went to the only mint-flavored ice cream shop downstairs, ordered an ice cream sundae, and sat in the sunlight.

Although it was only just past April and the weather wasn’t very hot yet, Tang Jingran loved eating cold things.

As he ate, he pondered how to terminate his contract with the company.

Tang Jingran wasn’t actually from this world; he was originally a Li Hua cat beastman from the Beastman World. For reasons unknown, he had arrived in the human world in the form of a child.

He heard that when the orphanage found him, he was wrapped in a simple, thin cloth, gazing at the world with innocent, confused eyes. The director of the orphanage named him Tang Jingran.

In the Beastman World, he had never seen his parents. The “mothers” at the orphanage had given him a lot of love, and to repay them, Tang Jingran worked hard to study and earn money. Right after graduating from university, he was scouted by Yan Jun. Hearing that being a celebrity paid well, Tang Jingran stepped into the entertainment industry.

As a manager, Yan Jun treated him quite well and kept him in mind. The problem lay with the company—it was a black-hearted corporation that constantly exploited its artists, treating them differently based on their status.

The resources the company gave Tang Jingran were always the lukewarm leftovers others didn’t want, or events that paid very little. Consequently, even after two years with the company, his fan count was still in the single digits.

Yan Jun had wanted to sneak Tang Jingran into better projects whenever he had the chance, but in the end, he couldn’t win against the higher-ups.

Just as he was thinking this, Yan Jun called.

“Hello, Uncle Yan,” Tang Jingran answered.

“Yeah,” Yan Jun responded, handing the documents tucked under his arm to a passing intern. “You’re not at the company. Where are you?”

“The ice cream shop downstairs.”

“Come up for a bit. I need to talk to you about a variety show.”

“I haven’t finished eating yet.” Tang Jingran shifted slowly further into the sunlight. “Besides, the sun here is very comfortable.”

“…” Yan Jun sighed. “Wait there, I’ll come to you.”

A moment later, Yan Jun arrived at the shop and opened the door to see Tang Jingran sitting in the sun, eating his favorite mint ice cream.

The sunlight hit Tang Jingran’s jet-black hair, making him look lazy and casual. Honestly, most artists in the company didn’t have looks as exquisite or unique as Tang Jingran’s. With hair like ink, snow-white skin, and dark, spirited eyes, he should have looked round and cute by logic. However, he was quite the opposite.

The combination of his features gave him an almost sharp beauty—cold, glamorous, and inviolable. He looked like a feline hiding in the dark: charming yet dangerous.

Thinking of felines and the upcoming variety show, Yan Jun felt that Tang Jingran’s moment in the spotlight was quietly approaching.

“It’s only spring; eat less cold stuff. You’ll regret it when you’re older,” Yan Jun sat down and nagged out of habit, pushing the file toward Tang Jingran. “This is a cat cafe variety show. The traffic and buzz are quite good. I heard the surprise mystery guest is a big deal.”

“Because of this mystery guest, the show has been at the top of Weibo’s trending searches for several days.”

Tang Jingran picked up the file and looked through it carefully. It was indeed a good resource. Remembering his treatment at the company, he looked at Yan Jun with an expression that said: ‘How did such a good resource end up in the hands of an ultra-niche flop like me?’

Tang Jingran was not only exceptionally good-looking but also very smart—a fact Yan Jun knew well. Though he was naive when he first entered the industry, two years of tempering had changed him.

“Ahem,” Yan Jun coughed guiltily and spoke rapidly without changing his expression. “It’s because that ‘big star’ in our company just won some useless award. He’s been bragging so much he’s practically blown the cows into the sky, so he looks down on this little variety show. Coincidentally, the others have different shows, some are sick, and some are on vacation. So, after much thought, the most suitable person in the company is you—hardworking and motivated, a true representative of the new generation.”

“As long as you follow my lead, the next Best Actor might be you!”

Tang Jingran put down the file and propped his chin up with a smile. “Oh, so I’m just a seat-filler.”

Yan Jun shrugged. “If that’s how you want to think, I can’t help it. But I truly have high hopes for you.”

Although Yan Jun’s words were partly joking, he did have a talent for scouting. Aside from the foul company environment, the shows Yan Jun recommended usually achieved considerable success.

Since such a good resource was available, Tang Jingran wouldn’t be polite—especially since the pay was right. After all, he was a very career-oriented Li Hua cat.

Thinking of Yan Jun’s ‘next Best Actor’ comment, Tang Jingran laughed. “Being a Best Actor isn’t that easy. Uncle Yan, stop teasing me.”

“You kid, I’m being sincere.”

“Then if you ever start your own company, I’ll be your first artist.”

Yan Jun grinned. “You think too highly of me.”

“I’m sincere too.”

“Alright, enough talk.” Yan Jun smiled. “This show isn’t here; it’s in L City. It says here we depart the day after tomorrow. Just rest at home until then.”

“The weather there is unstable; bring more clothes.” Yan Jun checked his watch. “I’ll send someone to pick you up on the day we leave, and we’ll meet at the airport. I’ve got things to do—don’t stay out too late, go home early.”

“I’m not a child,” Tang Jingran smiled as he watched Yan Jun’s retreat.

After packing at home, Tang Jingran sat on the sofa looking up keywords related to cat cafes. Though he looked calm on the surface, he was actually nervous to death. After all, this was his first time on a variety show.

After giving himself a mental pep talk, Tang Jingran stretched and went to the bathroom to shower, only to be startled by his own reflection.

“Aaaah!”

Two furry cat ears were standing straight up on his head, and this time, even his sleek, glossy tail was out!!! It was wagging nervously from side to side.

Currently, he looked like a giant plush toy.

Tang Jingran’s features had appeared a few times before. He eventually discovered that he revealed beastman traits when he was nervous. In severe cases, he would fully transform into his animal form, so he usually took great care to stay calm.

He hadn’t expected it to happen now.

I have to be even more careful in the future, Tang Jingran thought.

Finally, the day of departure arrived.

“Here, eat something to fill your stomach.”

As soon as Tang Jingran got into the car, Yan Jun handed him a bun from the front seat. Tang Jingran felt a warmth in his heart.

“I wanted fish meat filling.”

Yan Jun let out a huff. “Just go to sleep.”

After a few bites, Tang Jingran asked, “Uncle Yan, I forgot to ask yesterday—how many people are in this variety show in total?”

“You’ve got me there,” Yan Jun laughed. “I don’t know either.”

“You don’t know?”

“Right. Now you see why the hype is so high,” Yan Jun looked back at Tang Jingran. “Because not only is there a mystery guest, but even the number of regular slots is still a secret.”

“Fine.” Tang Jingran nodded and went back to checking #CatCafeVariety tags on his phone.

When Yan Jun looked back, he caught Tang Jingran licking his wrist after finishing the bun. Honestly, it looked quite a bit like a cat grooming its fur.

Before long, they arrived at the airport and boarded the flight to L City.

Upon arriving at the cat cafe location, they saw a crowd of people outside holding high banners. As soon as they got out of the car, they were surrounded by a group led by the cafe’s director.

“Hello, hello!” The kind-looking director, Zhang Song, enthusiastically shook hands with Yan Jun and Tang Jingran.

“Hello, Mr. Yan.” He then turned his gaze to Tang Jingran. “As expected of Mr. Yan’s artist, he’s truly handsome. I saw him on TV just a couple of days ago.”

Hearing this blatant lie, both Tang Jingran and Yan Jun rolled their eyes mentally. He hasn’t been on anything.

Out of habit, Yan Jun followed up, “Is that so? Does Director Zhang remember my boy’s name?”

Director Zhang stared at Tang Jingran’s face for a long while, thinking, ‘With a face this handsome, I shouldn’t have any impression of him.’ After struggling for a while, he finally blurted out, “Haha, let’s not stand outside talking. Come in, come in!”

When they entered, three people were already waiting. Yan Jun went off to chat with the other managers. Since Tang Jingran didn’t know anyone, he simply sat on his suitcase to read the news.

“Hello, I’m Bai Wensheng from Panyu Entertainment.”

Tang Jingran looked up to see a gentle young man with dyed white hair standing before him.

“Hello, I’m Tang Jingran from Xingyu Entertainment.”

“You’re really handsome.” Bai Wensheng sat down on his own suitcase next to Tang Jingran. “What projects have you been in?”

Sensing he might sound like he was prying, Bai Wensheng quickly explained, “I don’t mean anything by it.”

Tang Jingran thought of the zombies and corpses he had played with. For the first time, he felt a sense of bashfulness. He coughed lightly. “Behavioral art specimens.”

Bai Wensheng: “Huh?”

“Don’t mind it; just obscure roles.”

“I’m in a similar boat,” Bai Wensheng continued. “I heard the mystery guest arriving today is a massive deal.”

Interested, Tang Jingran asked, “Tell me about it.”

“I heard it’s—”

Before Bai Wensheng could finish, he was interrupted by Director Zhang, who rushed in looking visibly agitated. “Everyone, everyone! The mystery guest has arrived. Please, everyone, come out to welcome him.”

Tang Jingran asked as they walked, “Who is it?”

Bai Wensheng shook his head. “The teacher is right up ahead. Let’s go see for ourselves.”

The other two artists in the room followed unhurriedly.

When Tang Jingran stepped out, he saw a tall figure with his back to them. Beside him, Bai Wensheng was excitedly grabbing Tang Jingran’s arm and shaking it.

Before Tang Jingran could ask why, the person turned around.

The new generation’s mega-influential Best Actor, a top-tier figure of the year: Gong Yingxiao.

He was on a completely different level from those relying solely on looks or viral traffic. Having debuted only five years ago, he had swept countless domestic and international awards thanks to his sharp acting and stunning looks. Even with all those honors, he was only 28 years old.

Rumor had it the Best Actor was polite and approachable—he would answer any artist who spoke to him—but he always carried a sense of distance. There were rumors he planned to move into behind-the-scenes work, so no one expected him to participate in a cat cafe variety show.

The two artists who had been trailing behind with reluctant faces immediately rushed up to him the moment they saw Gong Yingxiao.

Setting everything else aside, Gong Yingxiao’s looks alone were enough to stun anyone. It was an appearance of pure, aggressive handsomeness. His facial lines were fluid with almost no buffer; his brow and bridge of the nose formed sharp, striking angles.

His eye sockets were deep, and his dark, profound eyes scanned the crowd. They lingered for a few extra seconds on Tang Jingran, who was standing a few steps behind the group, looking fair-skinned and spirited.

Tang Jingran had naturally heard of Gong Yingxiao’s fame, but given his own low status and the crowd currently surrounding the man, he didn’t join the frenzy. He figured he’d just offer a greeting when they passed by; it didn’t matter if he got a response or not.

Just as he was thinking this, a shadow fell over him.

Gong Yingxiao, who had looked indifferent with a neutral expression while surrounded, suddenly pushed through the crowd. With a smile as pleasant as a spring breeze, he stood directly in front of Tang Jingran.

“Hello,” Gong Yingxiao reached out his hand toward Tang Jingran, his voice low and pleasant. “I’m Gong Yingxiao.”

Tang Jingran hadn’t expected the man to greet him. In his sudden nervousness, his grip was a bit too forceful. A loud “Slap!” echoed as their hands met, making everyone present twitch their lips in shock.