Chapter 10 – An Unexpected Situation

“Why don’t you just ask your cousin directly?”

Zhang Hang shrugged. “You don’t know my cousin? Except for that Xiao Qi, isn’t he a big shot in front of everyone? I don’t have the guts.”

“If you don’t have the guts, then why are you so curious?” Xiao Fang retorted sarcastically. He was just picking on him because he was easy to bully, wasn’t he?

Zhang Hang smiled triumphantly. “Well, there’s still you. I don’t think you’re as annoying as my cousin says. You’re pretty good at acting too. I think I have a big misunderstanding about you. It’s time we had a good talk.”

Xiao Fang looked listless. He didn’t want to talk at all. So this kid had been pretending to be a spectator these past few days.

“I just explained the recent misunderstanding between him and my brother.”

“Why are you speaking up for your love rival?” Zhang Hang asked, puzzled.

A vein throbbed in Xiao Fang’s forehead. This guy really dared to say anything!

He subconsciously glanced at Que Jiang, who was looking at him thoughtfully. This was the prelude to death!

“I’ve long since lost interest in your cousin. Kids shouldn’t talk nonsense,” Xiao Fang interrupted sternly.

Tch, Zhang Hang didn’t believe him at all.

Damn it. Xiao Fang was so exasperated he didn’t know what to say.

“Are you always this aggressive? Our Brother Xiao said he’s not interested in your cousin anymore. Don’t think our Brother Xiao has no one else. Yesterday…”

“Xiao Ma!” At the critical moment, Xiao Fang roared.

It’s not the god-like opponents you should fear, but the pig-like teammates!

“Ah, ah, what is it, Brother Xiao?” Xiao Ma was startled by Xiao Fang’s shout and couldn’t come to his senses.

“Go, go buy me a carton of milk!” Xiao Fang’s eyes shot daggers at Xiao Ma!

Pfft.

The invisible Que Jiang in the corner let out a very unfriendly snicker.

“Brother Xiao!” Xiao Ma felt that his position was in unprecedented crisis. Where did the feeling of bullying others with a powerful backer go!!!

“Go,” Xiao Fang said through gritted teeth. If he kept this guy around, all his secrets would be exposed.

“Don’t stop now. Who is your Brother Xiao taken by?” Zhang Hang, seizing the opportunity, looked on with great interest.

Xiao Ma picked up his wallet, gave Zhang Hang a humiliated look, and then left.

Zhang Hang leaned back in disappointment. “Aww, this is no fun.” Although Zhang Hang was younger than Xiao Fang, he was still half a head taller. When he wasn’t acting, he wore a pair of glasses and had a scholarly look. But beneath this scholarly surface was a demon.

“Anyway, I have no interest in your cousin anymore. As for my love life, you shouldn’t ask too much. If you have the time, you should go and persuade your cousin not to always get stuck on things. Be careful he doesn’t get so wrapped up he can’t get out.” Xiao Fang automatically went on the defensive whenever it came to Fei Xiangnan.

Seeing that he couldn’t get any information out of Xiao Fang, Zhang Hang didn’t struggle anymore. He just sighed again. “Why did you give up so early? I was hoping you and my cousin could create some more sparks.”

Heh, if there were any more sparks, his life would be over.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” Xiao Fang said, picking up his script again to study it carefully.

Zhang Hang observed Xiao Fang, unwilling to give up. He didn’t have the flamboyant looks of Xiao Qi. When he was quiet, he exuded a kind of elegant temperament. His handsome features could be said to be carved from jade, especially his eyes, which were truly captivating when he looked at people.

Suddenly, a cold glint shot at Zhang Hang. Zhang Hang sensitively looked up. The inconspicuous assistant who had been standing in the corner met his gaze without flinching. It felt like being stared at by a poisonous snake.

The assistant gave him a warning look, then walked to Xiao Fang and calmly packed up the dishes, as if the person just now wasn’t him.

Zhang Hang’s probing gaze fell on Que Jiang again. He felt like he was being kept in the dark about a huge scheme.

***

Wen An’an, who had missed yesterday’s banquet due to her mood, only found out the next day what kind of big shots she had offended. Both of them had become masters she couldn’t afford to offend. After yesterday’s lesson from Xiao Fang, even the last bit of her arrogance had been worn away. When she was seen again the next day, she had already become a quiet girl who was serious about acting. She no longer picked at the crew’s bento boxes and would study her character in a corner after eating.

Xiao Fang treated it as a normal state of affairs and didn’t interrupt. And although Zhang Hang was a troublemaker, he was very serious when it came to work. Now, the most anxious person in the crew was Director Hu.

His original intention for filming this drama was just to earn some of Xiao Fang’s investment fee and to ride on the bit of popularity from Wen An’an’s comeback. He had even prepared himself for how the fans would curse him after the drama aired. He never expected things to take a turn he had never imagined.

With such good actors and such low pay, what reason was there not to make this drama well?

So he held meetings overnight, contacted the screenwriter, and started rewriting the script as they filmed. He removed all the bizarre plots and turned the drama from a piece of unpresentable fluff into something more substantial.

He also incorporated many of Xiao Fang’s suggestions, adding a lot of national sentiment and character personality, which made the plot much richer.

Due to the actors’ professionalism and the crew’s hard work, the entire drama’s progress was a full two weeks ahead of schedule. The people in the crew also became more and more familiar with each other.

In his original world, Xiao Fang was someone who got along well with others, especially with the staff. He was not pretentious, would help out whenever he could, and didn’t have the bad habits of a rich second generation. Sometimes, when he didn’t have scenes, he would even help out with the props masters. Everyone’s attitude towards this rumored arrogant and domineering rich second generation had improved significantly.

In contrast, Wen An’an and Zhang Hang became much more reserved, only doing their own jobs. But their gazes were often drawn to Xiao Fang. For example…

“I’m not eating it!” Xiao Fang said with a dark face, looking at the contents of the white porcelain bowl.

“No, this is very nutritious,” Que Jiang said from the side, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Xiao Fang looked like he didn’t want this kind of nutrition at all.

At this moment, Que Jiang calmly took out his phone from his pocket and held it in front of Xiao Fang. The refusal in Xiao Fang’s eyes disappeared as the phone screen lit up. Then, with a look of complete willingness, he drank everything in the bowl in one gulp, without even chewing.

The two people who had been quietly observing: What’s in the bowl? What did Xiao Fang see?

It was so frustrating!

But the main character, Xiao Fang, didn’t give them a chance to uncover the mystery. A props master carrying a box greeted Xiao Fang.

Xiao Fang mysteriously asked Que Jiang to take the bowl back. The poor two of them had their heads stretched so high they almost grew two centimeters, but they still didn’t see what dregs were left in the bowl before Xiao Fang ran off to help the props master.

From his omniscient perspective, Xiao Ma thought: It’s just bird’s nest soup. Why are these people so dramatic?

“Uh, can the main actors come here for a moment?” Director Hu came over from a distance, his face looking a bit grim.

Xiao Fang gave the props master an apologetic look and walked over. Wen An’an and Zhang Hang followed behind him.

“What? Xiao Qi’s crew needs to use the set first?” Wen An’an repeated in surprise. It was impossible for her not to know of Xiao Qi’s fame, and she also knew that Xiao Qi was filming nearby recently. But she never expected them to use the same set.

“Yeah, although we just booked it, but…” The rest didn’t need to be said. As soon as they heard Xiao Qi’s name, they knew what choice had to be made. Although it was a bit domineering, it was the truth.

“Can’t we film other parts first?” Xiao Fang didn’t want to step on the protagonist’s toes at all. When a big shot was filming, you had to let him film to his heart’s content!

“Hmm?” Wen An’an and Zhang Hang turned their heads at the same time.

??

“What? Is there a problem?” Xiao Fang looked at the two people staring at him, puzzled.

“Uh, it’s just, don’t you have anything else to say?” Shouldn’t there be a satisfying showdown? Zhang Hang thought with great disappointment.

Xiao Fang shook his head obediently. But if he could, he would have liked to bring some small firecrackers to cheer Xiao Qi on while he was acting. The crowd would never have guessed Xiao Fang’s little scheme.

“The other sets are all booked,” Director Hu said, troubled. Everyone had already prepared to be here today. To just give up would be too much of a waste of resources.

“Then Director Hu, did you ask them what time they’ll be done filming?” Xiao Fang thought of a flexible solution.

“Around two in the afternoon should be about right. But even if the time works out…” Director Hu frowned. This scene was about the three of them officially breaking up.

Because the Crown Prince’s ruling philosophy differed from that of the prince and princess, their secret struggle was brought out into the open. During an autumn hunt, their conflict officially intensified.

This was a major scene that relied on the actors’ skills.

At this, Wen An’an, who had been holding out hope, was suddenly speechless. Over the past few days, she had gained a clear understanding of herself. At the same time, she had become more cautious in her actions. To back out now would just be wasting everyone’s morning.

Zhang Hang also frowned. This kind of scene really couldn’t be filmed in just one or two hours.

“I think it’s no problem,” Xiao Fang, who had been in a state of retreat, said unexpectedly.

“Huh? How is that possible? It’s better to be safe,” Wen An’an couldn’t help but say.

“Ten hours is still filming, and two hours is still filming. Let’s just follow our usual pace. I think everyone is very capable. What if someone else books it tomorrow? How long will we have to wait for this scene?” Except when bowing to the big shot, Xiao Fang usually followed the pace of his previous life.

“Well, is that really possible?” Director Hu asked uncertainly.

“It is. Anyway, we shouldn’t let ourselves be idle for a day. If it doesn’t work out, we can just treat today as a rehearsal.” Xiao Fang’s eyes shone with confidence. Besides, he still had some words to deliver to his brother.

“I have no problem,” Zhang Hang said with a slight smile, stepping forward.

Hearing the word “rehearsal,” Wen An’an felt a sense of relief. She now had absolute trust in Xiao Fang’s acting skills. So, “We can try.”

Director Hu felt as if the three main actors in front of him were radiating the light of saviors. Forget it, even if it was just for these few people, he had to give it a shot, right?

He gritted his teeth. “Alright then, let’s go and prepare.”

The crew then marched towards the set like a group of pumped-up creatures.

Que Jiang, following behind, sighed. This was definitely the worst-off Young Madam Fei he had ever seen. No BMWs or luxury cars, only a loser’s desperate struggle.

***

Fei Xiangnan snickered at the good morning text Xiao Fang had just sent. Did this guy really think he was an emperor? He even had to send a good morning greeting every day.

For the nth time, Fei Xiangnan, who didn’t reply, felt inexplicably comfortable as he put down his phone to prepare for the day’s work. At this moment, his phone suddenly rang at an inopportune time.

Looking at the words “Chairman Fei” on the screen, Fei Xiangnan’s nerves tensed, and he answered the call.

“Hello, Grandpa.”

“Anan, can you explain to Grandpa in person why you didn’t go to the blind date last week?”

Fei Xiangnan lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes hiding the last bit of light in his eyes. Then, in a calm and unhurried tone, he said, “Okay, I’ll go back to the main residence after work today.”

“Mm, that’s how it should be. This is what a harmonious family looks like.” The old man’s voice sounded aged, but it carried an absolute authority.

Fei Xiangnan’s face showed no expression. “Grandpa is right.”