The Entire Entertainment Industry Knows the Best Actor Has a Crush on Me - Chapter 1

“Zhiyu… Zhiyu…”

“Open your eyes and look at me…”

“Please don’t sleep… don’t leave me alone…”

He wanted to open his eyes to look at the speaker and tell him not to be sad, but his eyelids felt as heavy as lead.

I’m sorry… this coward has to go first…

The man’s voice echoed in his mind. Although it was growing faint and indistinct, it brought him an immense sense of peace.

“Zhiyu… Zhiyu…”

“Zhiyu-ah…”

“…”

“QIAO ZHIYU!!!”

The man on the bed turned over groggily, instinctively throwing a sleepy tantrum. “Five minutes, just five…”

Qiao Zhiyu’s voice faltered. He froze instantly.

“Five minutes my ass! What kind of person falls asleep in the middle of a phone call?! Are you the God of Sleep?!”

The voice made his heart tremble. He sat up abruptly, staring in dazed shock at his surroundings everything was both strange and familiar.

It was familiar because this was his home; it was strange because this was the home he had lived in nineteen years ago.

This apartment was company housing provided by his agency. He had left that company ages ago—how could he be back here? And wasn’t he already…

He looked at the caller ID on his phone and heard the familiar voice. His voice felt dry as he croaked, “Sister Jiao?”

The woman on the other end paused, her tone turning hesitant. “What? Look, I admit I was a bit harsh just now, but I’m truly anxious…”

Thinking she had been too blunt and hurt Qiao Zhiyu’s feelings, the woman began to explain herself earnestly.

“You finally have some momentum in your career, and the company is giving you a chance to play the lead role. But the production can’t find a second male lead, and the crew can’t start filming without one.”

“Do you know how important this drama is? If it fails or if any accidents happen, the company might give up on you if they don’t see any value! Do you understand…?”

How is this happening… how can this be?

Qiao Zhiyu couldn’t sit still for another minute. He was desperate to confirm his suspicion. He cut the woman off, his voice urgent.

“Sister Jiao, I suddenly feel unwell, so I have to hang up. I’ll figure something out about the crew. That’s all for now…”

Ignoring the woman’s shocked and confused protests, Qiao Zhiyu hung up and rushed into the bathroom.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Qiao Zhiyu reached out with trembling hands to touch his reflection.

It wasn’t that sickly, deathly face covered in fine lines around the eyes…

Instead, it was a face that was youthful, vibrant, and exceptionally beautiful.

Qiao Zhiyu almost didn’t recognize himself. Is this me? Was I really this beautiful when I was young?

Cold, elegant features, porcelain-white skin…

He pinched his cheek with some force. The slight sting told him that none of this was a dream.

He had become young again. He had, been reborn.

At the realization, cold sweat broke out across his entire body.

He washed his face with cold water, his hands shaking. The stray hairs on his forehead got wet, and water droplets tapped rhythmically against the countertop.

He leaned against the sink, struggling to suppress the excitement and shock in his heart.

He was reborn. He was currently twenty-three years old.

His manager’s words brought back memories that had grown blurred in the depths of his mind.

In his previous life, he had ignored the warnings of his close friends and insisted on being with a male actor from his film crew. He even gave away the hard-earned resources he had fought for to that man.

He had busied himself for the sake of that person, even neglecting his own career.

He had retreated behind the scenes and cut ties with his friends, all for the sake of a ridiculous “first love”…

Fourteen years of devotion and sacrifice were met only with loathing and betrayal. Qiao Zhiyu used to be so smug, priding himself on having a same-sex partner of fourteen years.

Now, it seemed utterly farcical.

Thinking of this, his racing nerves suddenly plummeted.

Wasn’t I just as bad? He had wasted five years of that other man’s life, only to end up dying right in front of him.

His heart suddenly ached with a sharp pain.

He was a coward who didn’t dare to face the truth, but fortunately, the Heavens were merciful and gave him, Qiao Zhiyu, a chance to start over.

He would get his career back on track, and he would find the things he truly cared about.

After steadying his emotions, Qiao Zhiyu went back to his room and picked up his phone, looking at the call log.

The second male lead. He remembered this incident.

In his previous life, he had gone out for a stroll and was photographed by a netizen who posted the picture online. Because his “god-tier” looks seemed to belong to a completely different level than everyone else, he quickly became a hot topic.

He was soon identified as an artist under “Yao Xing Agency.”

Sensing the direction of public opinion, the company immediately threw several mid-sized resources his way. Qiao Zhiyu didn’t disappoint; relying on those resources, he quickly gained fame. This led to his first role as the main lead in a drama.

In his last life, the second male lead had also remained uncast for a long time. Although the drama was only a B-tier production, the director was a stubborn perfectionist.

Even though Qiao Zhiyu was the “pre-selected” lead, the director only gave the nod after seeing his audition. If the director had been dissatisfied with his acting, both lead roles would likely still be vacant.

In his previous life, he had recommended a male artist he thought highly of: Song Yuanjia.

That was the man who would eventually betray him, call him an “old man,” and stay with him for fourteen years.

Qiao Zhiyu had met him at an event. They were both actors, but back then, Qiao Zhiyu’s career was already taking off while Song Yuanjia was still a lowly extra.

The man had approached him to strike up a conversation while Qiao Zhiyu was hiding in a corner stealing snacks. He had been eating too fast, afraid of being caught by his manager; the man’s greeting had startled him so much he almost choked.

He remembered they got along quite well that day, so they added each other on WeChat and stayed in touch.

The fact that the role remained uncast was affecting Qiao Zhiyu’s career, so he recommended Song Yuanjia to the crew. He originally just wanted to try his luck; even if the resource wasn’t huge, it was still an opportunity.

To his surprise, the man actually got the part.

Later, Qiao Zhiyu learned that Song Yuanjia had simply been incredibly lucky. The higher-ups had given the director an ultimatum: find someone now, or the investment would be pulled. Under pressure, the director chose the person who happened to be auditioning at that moment Song Yuanjia.

Qiao Zhiyu redialed the number from earlier. Listening to the ringing tone, his eyes turned cold.

In this life, he wouldn’t give that man any chances. Even if he didn’t recommend him, the position of the second lead would be filled soon enough.

From now on, whether that man lived or died, was rich or poor, had nothing to do with Qiao Zhiyu.

He would do his own work well and love the person he truly loved.

The call was picked up quickly, and the woman’s worried voice came through the speaker. “Where are you hurting? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

Qiao Zhiyu’s health had never been particularly good; he was the type of person who caught every virus that was going around.

He laughed softly and declined. “No need, Sister. I was just too tired. I felt a bit dizzy when I first woke up.”

“Is that so? Well, that’s good. You really need to take care of your body; these minor illnesses and disasters keep coming one after another.”

Qiao Zhiyu felt a surge of warmth in his heart. After he chose to retreat behind the scenes in his last life, Gu Jiao had been so disappointed in him that she cut off contact. He hadn’t heard such words of concern in a very long time.

His voice softened unconsciously. “Thank you for the concern, Sister Jiao.”

“Get out of here! Stop being so mushy. I’m your manager; of course I’m going to care about you.” At that, she changed the subject, letting out a long sigh.

“You just said you’d figure out a way for the production. What are you thinking?”

Qiao Zhiyu couldn’t say he had the memories of his past life and knew someone would be chosen soon. He could only say, “I have a feeling someone will show up very soon.”

“That’s your plan? Pure waiting?! My god, I’d have been better off if you hadn’t said anything…”

Qiao Zhiyu’s eyes crinkled with laughter at her antics. Just as he was about to speak, she spoke again.

“If only Film King Pei could participate, I feel like he’s perfect for this role.” However, Gu Jiao quickly dismissed the idea, sighing. “I’m so worried I’ve started daydreaming…”

Gu Jiao’s offhand comment struck a chord in Qiao Zhiyu’s heart.

“Sister Jiao, can you send me Film King Pei’s email and phone number?”

“Huh?”