The Entire Entertainment Industry Knows the Best Actor Has a Crush on Me - Chapter 2

“Wait, Zhiyu you’re actually going to contact Film King Pei?!”

Qiao Zhiyu gave a nonchalant hum. “Just trying my luck.”

“But that’s Pei Yuan, Who would ever imagine someone of his stature would downgrade himself to act in a TV drama, especially a low-budget B-tier one?” Gu Jiao thought about it and felt it was impossible. “It sounds like a bad horror joke.”

“Is it really that terrifying? It’s just a question. Send the info to my WeChat.”

Seeing his persistence, Gu Jiao had no choice but to send him the email address and phone number.

“I have to remind you, though. Big stars like him are usually incredibly busy. Your message will likely sink into the ocean without a trace, so don’t come crying to me when it happens.”

“How old do you think I am? I’m past the age of crying.”

“That remains to be seen. Anyway, I have to go to a meeting. Handle it yourself.”

They exchanged a few more words before hanging up. Qiao Zhiyu opened his WeChat and stared at the two strings of unfamiliar digits on the screen, a strange emotion stirring in his heart.

In his previous life, after they became neighbors and grew close, they had exchanged contact information. Back then, the number Pei Yuan gave him was different from the one his manager had just sent.

But technically, that was a matter from fourteen years in the future; it was only natural for a phone number to change. Besides, there was always a distinction between work and private life.

This was exactly why he had asked Gu Jiao for the contact info. He remembered the old number, but in this life, they were currently strangers.

Qiao Zhiyu let out a silent sigh. The memories of his past life were far from pleasant. He spent the first half of his life as an orphan making his own way, and the second half blinded by a worthless romance. Even his only period of stability was marred by the torture of illness.

What a literal piece of trash life…

Qiao Zhiyu steadied his thoughts and sent an email first. As expected, it vanished into the void. He then dialed the phone number.

“We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later…”

He curled up on the bed, clutching his blanket, feeling a surge of inexplicable disappointment. If it weren’t for Pei Yuan taking the initiative to approach him in the past, truly getting close to the man was a daunting task.

But it’s okay. I’ll get through eventually.

The room was quiet. After lying down for a while, Qiao Zhiyu got up, dressed, and headed out.

In his previous life, when he and Song Yuanjia first got together, the man had given him a cat to make him happy. For many years after that, the cat was his most constant companion. Since the timeline of this life didn’t match the last, he didn’t know if he would encounter that same cat early.

He planned to try his luck at the old pet shop. If he didn’t find it, he would just keep waiting. Even if someone else bought it, he wouldn’t mind though he’d be sad, he only wanted it to be happy.

He was fully “armored” with a mask and hat, yet his presence still turned heads on the street. Qiao Zhiyu felt the vitality of his young body, and his heart felt significantly lighter. It had been a long time since he could walk with such speed and ease.

He took a taxi to the pet shop. There were no other customers, so he looked around on his own. However, after a full lap, he couldn’t find his target. Qiao Zhiyu stood before a glass cage, looking disappointed as he watched a small kitten tilt its head at him. He reached out to tease it through the glass, and the kitten lunged forward, its head hitting the glass with a soft thump.

Pfft…

“Hello, is there anything I can help you with?”

Qiao Zhiyu turned around, and his appearance startled the clerk. This aura this stature oh my god!

The clerk’s smile practically reached her ears. “Do you have a specific breed in mind? I can give you some recommendations. All our cats are healthy and high-quality.”

Qiao Zhiyu thanked her politely. “The cat I’m looking for is very ordinary a small Dragon Li (tabby).”

The clerk, who was still marveling at how pleasant his voice was, suddenly looked troubled. They had every breed imaginable, except for common house cats. “I’m sorry… we don’t have any Chinese Li Hua cats at the moment.”

Qiao Zhiyu shook his head with a smile. “That’s all right. But could you keep an eye out for me? It’s a small tabby with a bit of pink on its back paws and lips.”

“If you see it, please contact me. Here is my information.”

The clerk was dazed by his gentle, soft-spoken manner and took the business card in a trance. The chime of the door brought her back to reality; by the time she looked up, he was already gone.

Qiao Zhiyu stood at the shop entrance and checked his phone. Still no messages. No return calls, no emails. He put the phone in his pocket and decided to walk back to the apartment.

It was nearly autumn, and the weather was refreshingly cool. Qiao Zhiyu strolled leisurely, breathing in the crisp air and listening to the sounds of the bustling city. In this moment, the reality of his situation took shape—he truly felt his rebirth as a new life.

The pet shop was a bit far from the apartment; the walk took nearly half an hour. He stopped at a supermarket on the way to pick up a few things. After putting the groceries in the fridge and washing his hands, he sat on the sofa and dialed the unfamiliar number once more.

Another long string of ringing. Qiao Zhiyu couldn’t help but think that this would be another unanswered call. But just as he was about to hang up, the call was connected.

“Holy crap!”

The voice was somewhat familiar, but it wasn’t him. From the reaction, the person clearly hadn’t intended to answer. Qiao Zhiyu took a deep breath to steady himself and spoke softly.

“Hello, am I speaking with Teacher Pei Yuan?”

The assistant, Bai Chao, stared at the timer on the screen. He didn’t know whether to hang up or keep listening. While he was hesitating, a large hand took the phone from him.

“This is he. May I ask who is calling?”

Qiao Zhiyu thought he was prepared, but the moment he heard that voice, his heart instinctively constricted. It was a voice he had heard countless times in his previous life yet now, it was so polite and distant.

“Hello, Teacher Pei. My name is Qiao Zhiyu. You probably haven’t heard of me.”

“I have. I know who you are.”

Qiao Zhiyu froze, his eyes suddenly stinging with heat. He adjusted his breathing and spoke again. “It’s like this: I have a TV drama currently in pre-production, but we haven’t been able to cast the second male lead. I wanted to ask if you would be interested in taking a look?”

He remembered Gu Jiao’s words about “downgrading his status” and added an explanation:

“It’s perfectly fine if you aren’t interested. I just felt your temperament and image were perfect for the role. If you’re curious, I can send you the script to look over.”

There was a long silence on the other end. Qiao Zhiyu felt inexplicably anxious. He hadn’t actually expected the man to agree; the call was meant to be a feeler, yet he couldn’t help the nerves. His heart pounded in his chest, a vibrant reminder that he was no longer in that “old and decaying” body.

“What role are you playing?”

Hearing the voice, Qiao Zhiyu let out a breath of relief. “The first male lead,” he answered with a mix of politeness and guilt.

Another silence followed, though shorter this time.

“Are there many scenes together?”

Qiao Zhiyu paused, then answered honestly. “Quite a few. The screen time is roughly equal to the first lead.” At this, he let out a low, soft laugh. “If the Film King plays the second lead, we’ll have a lot of scenes against each other.”

The soft laughter traveled through the receiver into Pei Yuan’s ear. He seemed to be contemplating, as he didn’t speak immediately. Bai Chao stood nearby, his expression difficult to describe. This guy has some nerve, asking the Film King to play second lead. If he isn’t rejected immediately, I’ll walk backward for the rest of my life.

Unfortunately for the assistant, reality rarely aligns with expectations.

“Send me the script.”

“Shall I send it to your email?”

“…That works.”

Qiao Zhiyu knew when to stop. He said a polite goodbye and hung up. He worked quickly, finding the digital script and sending it over. This time, the email was received almost instantly. The man even sent a reply: [I’ll get back to you after I’ve read it.]

Qiao Zhiyu was in an excellent mood, and the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.