The Vicious Cannon Fodder Despised by Everyone Really Doesn't Want to Go Viral - Chapter 12

There was no other way to put it: Lin Zhiyu’s delivery was unexpectedly brilliant.

This particular scene was the first time the protagonist, Xie Zhuoyu, recalled his elder brother, Xie Yunce, during the first major arc of the main storyline. In his memory, the young man had gentle features and a refined, elegant demeanor. Amidst the blood, rain, and mountains of corpses where Xie Zhuoyu currently stood, this memory felt like a tender dream under the misty rains of Jiangnan.

As the anchor of this entire flashback, Lin Zhiyu’s performance was crucial. Whether the character of Xie Yunce could truly take root in the audience’s hearts depended entirely on this startling first glimpse.

Although they were only reading lines and Lin Zhiyu’s face did not show much emotion, his articulation was so clear that one could feel the character’s movements and rhythm just by listening. One could almost visualize the scene of Xie Yunce brewing tea under the veranda. Even Shen Chengyi could not help but prop up her head and look over, her face filled with disbelief.

Lin Zhiyu wondered why she was looking at him and signaled for her to keep going.

Jiang Yubai cleared his throat. “Who else could it be? Is it not just Yun Qi, who follows you around all day? I think it is better to just send me to the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and let her return to the Xie family with you instead.”

Whether due to nervousness or something else, his momentum had notably dropped when he spoke.

“She has been troubled lately because she cannot master the Heart Hiding Incantation. Why must you provoke her?” Lin Zhiyu paused, his tone suddenly lifting. “Let me see. This turtle drawn on the back of your neck… she did not draw that too, did she?”

“I provoked her? She was clearly the one who mocked my swordsmanship first! And this turtle… I do not know what kind of ghostly trick she used, but I cannot get rid of it no matter what!”

The two went back and forth for over half a page. Perhaps influenced by Lin Zhiyu, Jiang Yubai’s emotions gradually became more active, as if he had returned to his arrogant and unrestrained youth alongside Xie Zhuoyu.

Shen Chengyi listened intently. If her assistant had not nudged her in time, she would have almost forgotten her next lines.

“I am telling you, Brother Xie, why do you not just take me back instead? My self-taught version of the Xie family swordsmanship is performed much better than Xie Zhuoyu’s.”

The memory was eventually shattered by a prairie fire and a sky full of aggrieved souls. Jiang Yubai’s character stood at the intersection of reality and memory, gazing at Xie Yunce in the bamboo forest. His hand gripping the sword turned white, and his eyes blurred with a thick mist of tears.

“Go on, A-Yu. Did you not already promise the young masters of the Jiang and Chen families that you would go to the Sea of No Return to find the Night Luminescent Pearl?” Lin Zhiyu looked at him with a gentle gaze. “By the time you return, this flower I planted will be in bloom.”

“I am not leaving, Brother!” Jiang Yubai shouted hysterically. “I do not want to leave! Let me look at you one last time!”

As soon as the words fell, a single tear actually rolled down his cheek and splashed onto the script. Lin Zhiyu was startled. He wondered if this was a bit too much real emotion.

“Sorry, I lost control,” Jiang Yubai said, taking a tissue to wipe his eyes.

Director Zhao Jinyu, however, was very satisfied. She spent a long time discussing things with the screenwriter and then called over the head of the costume department to give some instructions before letting everyone go for a mid-session break.

The crowd’s perception of Lin Zhiyu had completely shifted. His command of dialogue was comparable to most professionally trained actors in the industry. It was not hard to imagine how brilliant this character would be once filming started, complete with a classical aesthetic and makeup.

As Jiang Yubai stepped out, Lin Zhiyu was also considering going out for some fresh air. Just as he stood up, he saw Shen Chengyi striding over toward him. Lin Zhiyu’s heart skipped a beat, and he tried to move faster to escape.

To his surprise, Shen Chengyi’s attitude was much kinder. She spoke up immediately. “I came to apologize. I previously thought you were brought in through financial backing, and I said some unpleasant things. I am sorry.”

Lin Zhiyu thought that with his lack of support, she was really overestimating him if she thought he had the ability to get in through financial backing.

“It is fine. I know my reputation precedes me. I am used to it.”

“I have seen your previous acting. To be honest, even watching a summary video was annoying. So when I heard you were playing Xie Yunce, I was completely against it because I love this character and was afraid you would ruin him,” Shen Chengyi said. “And both Jiang Yubai and I have poured so much heart into this project. Yet as soon as the cast was announced, all the attention went to you.”

Lin Zhiyu nodded. “I understand.”

He was not afraid of people like Shen Chengyi who were straightforward. If they liked someone, they said it; if they did not, they made it known. Dealing with someone like her was much more comfortable than dealing with two-faced hypocrites.

“I hope we have a pleasant collaboration moving forward.”

“Of course.”

Shen Chengyi continued, “But your delivery just now really surprised me. Can you secretly tell me which teacher’s class you enrolled in?”

“What?” Lin Zhiyu looked blank.

“You are not a drama school graduate, so you must have studied under someone. I want to improve myself, too. My fans always say my delivery lacks a bit of punch.” She was not afraid of being overheard and spoke quite openly.

Lin Zhiyu said, “I did not enroll in any classes.”

“Then it cannot be that you are just naturally gifted, or that you suddenly had some sort of spiritual awakening, right?”

Lin Zhiyu forced a smile and played dumb. “Maybe an Oscar winner visited me in a dream?”

Shen Chengyi asked, “Do you think I am stupid?”

“I am going out for some air,” Lin Zhiyu said, quickly making his escape.

His college roommate had once praised his delivery, saying his unique voice and natural sense of rhythm were gifts from God and that he could enchant fans just by taking a few voice-acting gigs. It was a pity that the Lin Zhiyu of that time only thought about what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, politely declining all his roommate’s suggestions and never taking those compliments seriously. He never expected that after all this time, he would end up on a similar path.

Lin Zhiyu sighed and followed the signs in the hallway toward the restroom. Suddenly, the scent of smoke hit his nose. He pushed open a slightly ajar fire door, and the creak of the hinge exploded in Jiang Yubai’s ears. Jiang Yubai spun around as if startled. A clump of ash fell from his cigarette, burning the back of his hand and making him frown.

“I wondered who it was. It is you,” Jiang Yubai said.

Lin Zhiyu poked his head out from behind the door, his eyes darting toward him.

“You…” Jiang Yubai momentarily forgot whether he should put out the cigarette first or grab Lin Zhiyu to keep him from telling anyone.

In an instant, Lin Zhiyu guessed his thoughts from the complex expression on his face. Since his debut, Jiang Yubai’s persona had always been that of the gentle, considerate white moonlight next door neighbor. Smoking was completely off-brand. If a stranger saw it, it might be fine, but being seen by a vicious cannon fodder like him meant the story would surely be blown out of proportion. Lin Zhiyu thought he should not have pushed this door open.

“I will not tell anyone, do not worry,” Lin Zhiyu quickly promised. He immediately pulled his head back and even thoughtfully closed the door for him.

Jiang Yubai was silent.

Actually, this job really is not for humans, Lin Zhiyu thought as he leaned against the fire door. Even a top-tier, sunny, cheerful youth like the protagonist has to run out during breaks to smoke away his sorrows. It would be better to find a way to retire early.

Perhaps because he had been discovered, Jiang Yubai lost the mood to continue smoking. After a short while, Lin Zhiyu felt the door behind him open. He turned around and met Jiang Yubai’s surprised gaze.

“Why are you standing here?”

“Keeping watch for a bit, in case someone else as blind as me comes along. Although being seen is not exactly a huge crime, I figured it would be difficult for you to explain,” Lin Zhiyu said, pulling two mints from his pocket. He unwrapped one for himself and handed the other to Jiang Yubai. “Work is stressful, right? But smoking is not good for your throat. Make sure no one hears it in your voice later.”

Jiang Yubai hesitated for a moment before taking it. “Thank you.”

“No problem, we are colleagues.”

If he could not avoid the messy plotlines in the future, having a good guy like Jiang Yubai speak up for him in front of Mu Yunji or Mu Sui so he could safely run away would be enough. Lin Zhiyu thought that people really have to handle workplace relationships everywhere.

The break was over, and the two returned to the conference room one after the other. Perhaps because such a sight was rare, Jiang Yubai’s assistant nearly bugged his eyes out when he saw them sit down together. Everyone else kept stealing glances in their direction.

Weren’t the rumors saying Lin Zhiyu and Jiang Yubai would start fighting the moment they met? How could they be this harmonious? Had they already finished their fight outside? The public said Lin Zhiyu had a perverse and overbearing temper, but looking at him today, that did not seem to be the case.

The script reading for the second act of the flashback began. With the emotions from the first half carrying over, all the actors synced up quickly. Shen Chengyi even pulled out a prop sword provided by the crew, scaring Jiang Yubai into running around Lin Zhiyu. By the end, everyone felt as satisfied as if they had watched a high-quality stage play.

Jiang Yubai took a sip of water, feeling as though the person in front of him was strangely unfamiliar. Lin Zhiyu leaned over to tell him that his previous lines could be delivered with a slower tempo. In the flashback, it is hinted that the protagonist, Xie Zhuoyu, had feelings for the female lead that he did not even recognize yet. He delivered a competitive line with such tenderness, each word seemingly lingering between his teeth, yet with the specific stubbornness and greenness of a youth. It sounded beautiful.

Jiang Yubai could not help but remember those affectionate eyes from the audition, but Lin Zhiyu had already packed his things and was called over to Director Zhao’s side. He was like a gust of wind that could not be caught.

Jiang Yubai shook his head to clear the confusing thoughts and followed his assistant to the garage. Outside, it was raining as if the heavens had opened, and thick dark clouds covered the night sky.

When Lin Zhiyu reached the ground floor, there were over a hundred people in the queue on the ride-hailing app. The car headlights made the torrential rain look like solid white lines. Holding the umbrella Zhao Jinyu had lent him, he cursed Xu Dongdong several times for not arranging a car. Just as he was contemplating the possibility of walking home, an SUV stopped in front of him. The dark window rolled down, revealing the refined face of his savior.

“Do you need a lift?”