The Scummy Top Desperately Tries to Win Back His Ex After the Breakup - Chapter 5

The filming progress was swift. Jiang Zui’s major scenes had actually been completed early on, leaving only a small portion where he played a supporting role to the male and female leads. The conclusion of this segment would signal the end of the entire production.

During these few months, Pei Youting did not visit frequently. He was busy, only occasionally finding the time to send Jiang Zui a message saying he would drop by to see him.

Young Master Pei was a seasoned veteran of romantic games, a man who passed through a thousand flowers without a single leaf clinging to him. He knew that with someone like Jiang Zui, the biggest mistake was being too hasty. Consequently, during their few brief gatherings, he engaged in nothing excessive. He remained close but not overbearing, maintaining a perfect sense of restraint.

Ironically, it was Jiang Zui who found himself restless, caught in Pei Youting’s “slow-boil” approach. Sometimes, in the dead of night, the memory of Pei Youting’s smiling face from earlier that day would make his ears turn red, just as if he had returned to the first stirrings of adolescent love.

Love can make one lose their head, but fortunately, Jiang Zui did not have much idle time for idle thoughts.

Although the film had not been released yet, his time on set had allowed him to build some connections. Not long after his scenes wrapped, Director Chen called him again, asking if he was available to help a friend out of a tight spot.

Director Chen said, “Xiao Jiang, do you know Xu Xizhe? Yes, the Xu Xizhe who directed Sighing at the Willow River.”

Jiang Zui’s eyes lit up immediately upon hearing the name. Of course he knew it; even an ordinary citizen outside the entertainment industry would be familiar with Xu Xizhe.

His father was a famous domestic director, and Xu Xizhe had inherited both his father’s mantle and talent. At twenty-five, he won awards for Sighing at the Willow River, and his fame had only grown since. He was effectively the leader of the new generation in the film and television industry.

Director Chen continued, “It is like this: he has a television drama crew that is missing a third male lead. It was originally set for Yu Song, but because of that mess, his reputation is ruined, and he is currently sitting in a detention center. As soon as I heard Xu was short-handed, I thought of you. So, I am calling to see what you think.”

It was no joke; Jiang Zui never imagined such a golden opportunity would fall into his lap. This was Xu Xizhe, the director whom countless A-list stars would fight tooth and nail to work with.

Jiang Zui agreed immediately without a second thought. When he hung up, his heart was pounding with excitement.

On the other side, seeing how readily Jiang Zui agreed, Director Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He switched to the WeChat interface and found a contact labeled “President Pei.”

He tapped away at the keyboard, deliberating for a long while before sending, “President Pei, the matter is settled. He will likely join the cast in the next day or two.”

It took a while for Pei Youting to reply with three brief words, “I know now.”

Only then did Director Chen’s heart truly settle. Indeed, this was another of Pei Youting’s behind-the-scenes maneuvers. Once the third male lead role became vacant, every entertainment company was watching like a hawk. But when it came to background and methods, who could compete with Pei Youting?

What took others exhaustive persuasion, his subordinates could settle with a single phone call. Thus, the role fell effortlessly onto the head of the completely oblivious Jiang Zui.

Having just wrapped his previous project, Jiang Zui rushed to the airport with his luggage, feeling anxious the entire way.

Before he arrived, Director Chen called him several more times. Jiang Zui could tell the director was trying to manage his expectations, saying that Xu Xizhe had a bit of a temper, was extremely demanding about details, and sometimes spoke quite harshly. The implication was for Jiang Zui to be patient and enduring.

Jiang Zui naturally did not mind and repeatedly said it was no problem. Only then did Director Chen hang up, somewhat relieved. After the flight landed, someone came to pick him up. For some reason, the crew member kept glancing back at him, but would turn away before Jiang Zui felt uncomfortable, preventing him from noticing anything amiss.

After a bumpy journey, they arrived at the set. A young assistant led him to an inner lounge, saying Director Xu was inside and wanted him to try out a scene and chat for a bit.

Jiang Zui suspected nothing. When the door opened, a tall, handsome man in his thirties was sitting inside. He was leaning back on the sofa, a cigarette between his fingers, and ash was falling into the ashtray. Hearing the door, he looked up at Jiang Zui with an expressionless face.

“Sit,” the man said.

Jiang Zui was somewhat surprised for two reasons. First, Xu Xizhe rarely appeared in the public eye, and Jiang Zui had not expected this world-renowned talent to be such a young and handsome man. Second, the other man did not seem particularly welcoming.

The smoke was thick, making Jiang Zui’s breathing feel labored. He coughed twice. The other man lifted his eyelids and gave him a lazy glance, flicking the ash but not extinguishing the cigarette. “Do you not like the smell of smoke?”

His tone was unpleasant, so Jiang Zui simply gave a soft “Mm” and did not follow up.

Xu Xizhe ignored him, let out a cold snort, and pulled out a stapled document, tossing it in front of Jiang Zui with a sharp thud. “Page twenty-four, the underlined part. Try it.”

It was sudden, and Jiang Zui froze for a moment. Seeing no response, Xu Xizhe spoke with a hint of mockery, “What? Tinnitus from the flight? Or can you just not hear people talking?”

His tone was truly foul, but Jiang Zui cherished this opportunity and was not about to get angry over such a thing. “No, I…”

Xu Xizhe clicked his tongue and continued to blow smoke. “Stop wasting words. Read it.”

Jiang Zui took the document and flipped to the folded page. It was a scene for his character. After a quick scan, he saw it was a segment requiring intense emotion.

With such short preparation time and a scene like this, he met Xu Xizhe’s expectant, mocking gaze. He realized then that whether it was the tone of voice or the overall attitude, Xu Xizhe was trying to intimidate him.

Fortunately, he had looked over the script once before coming. Taking a few deep breaths, he shifted into character as quickly as possible and read the lines from the page.

“Why? Simply because this world is mine, and mine alone.”

“If I want you to be a high official, you shall be above tens of thousands. If I want you dead, you shall not keep your life!”

The explosive power was excellent, exceeding Xu Xizhe’s expectations. He dropped his casual, dismissive attitude and began to play the opposing role against him.

“Does Your Majesty truly disregard our old ties? My Li family has shed blood for Great Liang for generations; our loyalty is as clear as the heavens!”

“You!” Jiang Zui began to laugh hauntingly. “Li Xunfu, you truly are a fool.”

“Today, I shall teach you a truth. If I say you are innocent, you are innocent, even if you are guilty of the most heinous crimes. If I say you are guilty, you are guilty, even if your heart is as pure as ice.”

“All of this, simply because I am the Son of Heaven!”

It ended there. Jiang Zui stopped abruptly after the last line. When he looked up, the way Xu Xizhe looked at him had momentarily changed, though it quickly reverted to that previous look of disdain.

“Not too eyesore,” Xu Xizhe said. “Only, the emotion was a bit forced in some places. It needs more polishing.”

He stood up, his voice turning harsh again. “Remember, I do not care what connections you have or who is behind you. On my turf, you listen to me. If I feel you are hindering the progress of the shoot, you can pack your bags and get out. Do you understand?”

Actually, when these words were first spoken, Jiang Zui was a bit confused. But he quickly reasoned that since Director Chen had introduced him, Xu Xizhe was likely warning him not to use that connection to act like a tyrant on set.

“I understand, Director Xu,” Jiang Zui replied.

With such a good attitude, Xu Xizhe could not find anything to nitpick. Thinking he had established the rules and said what needed to be said, he handed the contract to Jiang Zui. “Sign it.”

After saying that, he walked out. Suddenly, Jiang Zui was the only one left in the lounge. He finally let out a relaxed breath, his fingers rubbing the thin paper, and a delayed sense of joy washed over him.

He was going to be in a Xu Xizhe production?

A few months ago, this was something Jiang Zui would not have dared to dream of. But the contract felt heavy in his hand, despite its physical weight. Even now, he felt lightheaded, as if none of this were real.

Jiang Zui pinched himself hard. The pain brought him back to reality. He was happy, truly happy, and he could not stop smiling. His hands shook as he pulled out his phone. He typed a familiar number and sent a text.

“Mom, I have good news. I am going to be in a television drama by Xu Xizhe.”

But very quickly, this newly sent message sank into the void. Jiang Zui scrolled up; the message screen was filled with dense, long green boxes. There was not a single response from the other side.

He felt a bit stifled, yet it was exactly what he expected. He stared at the phone screen for a long time before turning it off and walking out.

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