The next day, gossip spread that Director Zhang Chenze, known for his strict casting standards, was actually interested in collaborating with Fu Juncheng. Comments underneath the post mocked him:
“Is Fu Juncheng trying to create hype again? Did he not even spare Director Zhang?”
“Speechless. Is it fun to constantly latch onto others for attention every single day?”
Originally, no one cared about this post, but by evening, Director Zhang Chenze was a guest on a certain live-streaming show. When a netizen casually brought up the rumor, he unexpectedly gave an implied confirmation.
A barrage of comments flew across the screen:
【？？？？？？？？】
However, before long, the topic returned to normal, and the matter suddenly became a mystery.
When Fu Juncheng accidentally clicked into Weibo, at a glance, he saw the frantic questioning amid the countless insults. Scrolling through casually, they were all berating him for being shameless and using a sugar daddy to steal someone else’s role.
How absurd.
Does a role like this even need to be stolen?
After reading a few more comments, Fu Juncheng finally figured out the trick behind it.
Turns out, another actor had also hosted a personal live stream right after Director Zhang’s, and under the guise of chatting with fans, accidentally spilled his inner thoughts.
“I went to audition again yesterday, but I can not tell you the specifics.”
“I suddenly feel like hard work is so difficult these days. No matter how much you persevere, it is still… you know.”
“What can you do? Some people have sugar daddies supporting them. No matter how poor their acting is, they still get roles and trending searches just the same.”
“Bad publicity is still publicity anyway, at least it is better than being a complete nobody.”
“Sorry for suddenly being a bit negative, it is my fault.”
“I am not implying anything about anyone, so please do not talk nonsense.”
Originally, there were not many people in the live stream, but as a result, someone lifted the clip and posted it in the gossip thread. Once linked with the words “Zhang Chenze Casting,” it instantly blew up.
Fu Juncheng looked at this person, finding him familiar, and it took him a good long while to remember.
Isn’t this the exact same guy he ran into during the auditions, the one right before him?
The actor’s name was Hu Feng, who had played supporting roles for seven or eight years and had even starred in popular nationally broadcast dramas. His most famous role was the little eunuch he played when he first debuted.
Yet, that was all.
He had never truly blown up, and the people who could actually name him were few and far between. Nine times out of ten, it was: “I have watched your shows! You played a little eunuch before, right? So cute!”
Everyone in the industry knew that Hu Feng harbored a love-hate relationship with that role.
He neither wanted to hear others call him that, yet every time during promotions, he could only rely on that gimmick to introduce himself.
Fu Juncheng switched to a burner account he had registered not long ago and quietly played the role of a melon-eating spectator.
Abruptly, someone knocked symbolically on the bedroom door a few times and, without caring whether he answered or not, pushed it open directly.
Fu Juncheng’s hand trembled, and he instantly bounced up from the bed.
Right after that, he saw a netizen’s comment update to show [Like + 1].
Fu Juncheng instinctively fixed his gaze on that Weibo post.
@HugMyZhou: “Fu Juncheng is trash! He does not even compare to a single hair of my Yaozhou brother!”
Fu Juncheng: “……”
At the exact same time, Wu Jin’s assistant’s voice rang out from beside his ear: “Xiaocheng, President Wu wants you to get ready and head out.”
Fu Juncheng was left speechless.
If he had committed a crime, please let the law punish him instead of leaving him without even a functional door lock.
Seeing that Fu Juncheng’s expression was not looking too good, the other person kindly tried to comfort him: “I heard it was Director Zhang’s idea. It should be about your matter. How is it? Are you happy?”
Fu Juncheng nodded with complete indifference.
It was alright, actually.
However, just hearing Wu Jin’s name prevented him from feeling happy at all.
The assistant smiled: “You must not tell President Wu that, or else he will blame me for being a busybody again.”
The location was set at a private teahouse.
By the time Fu Juncheng arrived, Wu Jin and Zhang Chenze were already waiting inside the private room.
Seeing Fu Juncheng walk in, Wu Jin’s gaze lingered on his black hoodie for a few extra seconds. True to form, his brows furrowed heavily, but against all odds, he did not say anything more.
Instead, Zhang Chenze was the first to greet him.
Fu Juncheng hurriedly acknowledged him, thought for a few seconds, and still chose to sit down in the seat right next to Wu Jin.
Zhang Chenze cut straight to the chase and asked, “You have seen the news online, haven’t you?”
Fu Juncheng did not hide it either, scratching his temple with his fingertip, and smiled: “I know a little. They are all saying Director Zhang is planning to work with me, and that I am not qualified enough.”
That remark was so terribly straightforward that it prompted Zhang Chenze to ask, “Then do you think you are qualified?”
Fu Juncheng did not show false modesty either: “Since I can sit here right now, I should be qualified enough.”
Those words made Zhang Chenze burst out laughing involuntarily, because just as Fu Juncheng claimed, he was indeed satisfied with that completely unprepared performance.
Actually, prior to this, his preferred choice was Hu Feng.
Hu Feng was experienced. When that person stood in front of him during the auditions, he knew that this guy was a villain beyond reproach. Such a vicious performance genuinely had no flaws to pick on.
However, compared to Fu Juncheng…
Hu Feng’s villain felt just a bit too textbook-perfect.
Every single movement and look was locked tightly into that mold, as if he were born to be shameless and depraved like that.
However, Fu Juncheng was different.
He was like a clown driven to desperate straits by life. This person had flesh and blood; once the seed of evil sprouted in his heart, it could no longer be controlled.
And that final accusation in the end, rather than saying he was shifting the blame to the male lead who stood like light, it was better to say those words were spoken to himself.
He was the chief culprit.
He was an absolute beast.
If it were possible, who would not want to stand openly under the clear sky?
Yet a mistake was a mistake.
One wrong step, every step wrong.
In an instant, Zhang Chenze could be said to have determined that Fu Juncheng had found the exact feeling he wanted.
Otherwise, he would not have been in such a rush to invite him out.
Zhang Chenze: “Basically all the actors have been finalized, and the main leads can enter the crew next week. If you agree to this on your end, I will notify publicity to make arrangements as early as possible.”
Wu Jin calmly took over the conversation: “Being spotted by Director Zhang is Xiaocheng’s honor.”
Fu Juncheng felt inexplicably puzzled.
Ever since the audition, because of him, Wu Jin was clearly very unhappy; otherwise, he would not have made him take a taxi back by himself at the time, and even for this meeting with Zhang Chenze, he had sent his assistant to notify him.
Fu Juncheng had originally thought this role had definitely fallen through.
Yet, things were still following their original trajectory?
The only difference was that he had actually participated in the casting audition.
Even though Fu Juncheng could not say he particularly liked this role, it was not enough for him to reject Zhang Chenze over it.
They did not talk for long before Wu Jin stated he had matters to attend to and needed to leave first.
Meanwhile, Zhang Chenze seemed to have appointments with someone else as well, and did not try to keep them any longer.
After walking a few steps, Fu Juncheng suddenly realized that his phone had been left behind in the private room where Zhang Chenze was.
Wu Jin glanced at him, signaling him to hurry back and forth.
Once he walked away, Wu Jin sat inside the car, watching from afar as Fu Juncheng’s figure disappeared into the rosewood-carved doorway of the teahouse.
After lingering for a few seconds, Wu Jin said in a deep voice to the assistant beside him: “Director Zhang seems to really fancy Fu Juncheng.”
The assistant followed up on Wu Jin’s words: “Xiaocheng is good-looking and photographs well. It is his blessing that Director Zhang is willing to give him a chance.”
Wu Jin’s brows twitched slightly. He pulled a cigarette from the cigarette case and lit it; the spark at his fingertip flickered on and off amidst the curling smoke.
Wu Jin rarely smoked in the car.
He was probably feeling annoyed inside.
Seeing this, the assistant rolled down the window a crack and hurriedly shut his mouth.
“Have someone replace Fu Juncheng.”
Wu Jin spoke up suddenly.
The assistant was puzzled: “But, this…”
“Do not say it is my idea.”
Wu Jin narrowed his eyes, pausing briefly: “By the way, leak the news to Xie Chen. He has never tolerated Fu Juncheng anyway.”
As his words fell, Wu Jin suddenly recalled Fu Juncheng from the auditions.
That face, which he had seen ten thousand times before, made him feel incomparably unfamiliar for the very first time.
Clearly, it was still the exact same prettiness.
Yet it felt vastly different.
It was as if he were no longer the obedient and well-behaved plaything in his impression, cowering and letting himself be manipulated at will.
Instead, he was a rose covered in thorns.
Wu Jin remembered how Fu Juncheng had looked at him straight across a table back then, his gaze unyielding and wildly arrogant.
It made one uncontrollably want to reach out and pinch that perfectly lined chin, as if fingertips could still feel that cool, soft skin.
Even those lips looked much ruddier than usual; if he were to bite down hard, they would definitely be very delectable.
“But isn’t this Xia,” the assistant changed his wording the moment he caught Wu Jin’s displeased glare, “isn’t this the role Mr. Fu set his eyes on long ago?”
Wu Jin replied coldly: “This is not something you should be worrying about.”
Only by plucking out the thorns could he hold the rose securely in the palm of his hand.
Besides, a pet that only knew how to circle around its master should not have thorns on it to begin with.
If one day it stopped obeying, it deserved to suffer a bit so it would learn who it ought to please.
It could only please him.
It could only rely on him.
Fu Juncheng retraced his steps. The moment he walked past the folding screen, he caught sight of a figure. That person was sitting face-to-face with Zhang Chenze, looking long-limbed, slender, and upright from afar.
Realizing he was being abrupt, Fu Juncheng slammed the brakes instantly and hurriedly said, “I am sorry, I did not know…”
Zhang Chenze looked at him in surprise: “Why did you come back?”
Fu Juncheng explained: “I left my phone here.”
Zhang Chenze nodded, having no intention of blaming Fu Juncheng, but upon second thought, remembering the temperament of the person sitting across from him, a somewhat troubled expression inevitably showed on his face.
If not for that, every time he met with him, it would always be in private without allowing outsiders to disturb them.
And on top of that, the person who suddenly broke in happened to be Fu Juncheng.
Who would have thought that the other person turned his head, froze for half a second upon seeing Fu Juncheng, and then flashed a smile at him: “What a coincidence.”
Fu Juncheng did not seem to expect he would see Xu Yaozhou here, and for a moment, he too was dumbfounded for a short while.
Xu Yaozhou curled the corners of his lips slightly, those peach-blossom eyes narrowing slightly because of the smile: “Just heard Director Zhang say he met an actor he really liked. I did not expect it to be Brother.”
Zhang Chenze was completely dumbfounded: “You guys… are close?”
He had originally thought that, given Fu Juncheng’s previous post-clout antics, it would already be considered good if Xu Yaozhou did not loathe him, and turning a blind eye could even be considered Xu Yaozhou’s magnanimity.
So where on earth did this buddy-buddy scene come from?
Fu Juncheng was stumped by the question for a moment.
Whether they were close or not, he did not know; anyway, this was only their second meeting.
However, as a fan-dad of the male lead Shou, he knew his little cub like the back of his hand.
Could this also be considered another kind of closeness?
Therefore, Fu Juncheng answered candidly: “It is alright, I suppose.”
Xu Yaozhou, however, did not beat around the bush: “Fu-ge helped me out once before.”
To Zhang Chenze, this sounded like a disguised acknowledgment and explanation.
On the other side, Fu Juncheng panicked and hurriedly said, “Do not call me that. Our ages are not actually that far apart, just call me Xiaocheng.”
If Xu Yaozhou called him Fu-ge, he would not be able to bear the weight of it!
If his fans overheard this someday, they would scold him for being shameless again!
Xu Yaozhou did not answer right away, as if thinking of something: “Right.”
Fu Juncheng: “Hm?”
Xu Yaozhou met his eyes: “It seems I also left something at Brother’s place, but I just have not had the chance to contact you.”