The Old Hu Was There to Be Sold

"Fuzi, don't worry. Your big brother here will tell you everything, holding nothing back."

Jiang Jinfu: "."

"Being on set feels completely different from being at school. I'll tell you all about it when the time comes."

Jiang Jinfu: You'd better not tell me anything.

"Fuzi, you could say we're master and apprentice now, right? If we ever get a chance to go on a variety show, we can bring it up as a talking point."

"If you end up doing better than me, I can ride your coattails and say you've graduated from my tutelage. I'll be so proud."

Jiang Jinfu: I'd rather die out there than take you as my master.

"If we're brothers, we should have each other's backs. I'll look after you on set."

Jiang Jinfu: I'd like to stab you twice.

"Sister Shishi is busy, so Nazha will have to learn from Old Hu. Don't let her outshine you when the time comes. I have to beat Old Hu at teaching someone."

Jiang Jinfu: No. You're bound to lose!

As Zhang Yang went on taking credit and making promises, Jiang Jinfu returned to the dorm with him.

If Zhang Yang's expression and tone hadn't been so sincere, and he hadn't seemed like he was deliberately showing off or trying to get under Jiang Jinfu's skin, Jiang Jinfu thought he might have lost his temper and hit him.

But even so, he was still seething with frustration.

How could he beat Zhang Yang if he "became his apprentice"?

He had to find a way to change things.

Jiang Jinfu lay in bed, thinking it over again and again, until he drifted off to sleep.

"Fuzi, Fuzi, Fuzi!"

Jiang Jinfu was dreaming that two award ceremonies had announced him as Best Actor. Zhang Yang, seated behind him, was applauding enthusiastically. He even got up to give Jiang Jinfu a hug, showering him with praise and saying how he "couldn't compare."

The corners of Jiang Jinfu's mouth lifted all the way to his ears, but then Zhang Yang's annoying voice rang in them.

He jolted awake. His bloodshot eyes flew open, and he shouted instinctively, "Couldn't you wait until I've won Best Actor before waking me up!?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Jinfu met Zhang Yang's "clear and innocent" gaze.

"You won Best Actor?" Zhang Yang's eyes twinkled with amusement, but his expression was earnest. "I'm impressed. Truly impressed."

Jiang Jinfu's face turned bright red. If there had been a crack in the floor beneath him, he would have crawled right into it.

He wanted Zhang Yang to admire and praise him, but not like this.

"Tell me, what was so important you had to wake me up this early!?" Jiang Jinfu asked through gritted teeth.

"Fuzi, it's not early anymore. Second and third year are already in class." Zhang Yang showed Jiang Jinfu the time, then said, "We talked about it over a late-night snack yesterday. I'm going to make a cameo on the set of A Forest of Experts today, and I'll take you and Nazha along to get a look around."

Jiang Jinfu had been too busy feeling frustrated last night to listen to much of what Zhang Yang said.

But he did vaguely remember that part.

He was about to refuse, but then he thought of something and changed his mind. "Got it. I'll get up now."

Zhang Yang immediately gave him an approving look. "Fuzi, the lessons start today."

Jiang Jinfu wanted to tell him there was no need, but he knew how stubborn Zhang Yang could be, so he didn't bother wasting his breath.

As someone who liked to work out, Jiang Jinfu was fairly disciplined in daily life. Once he'd fully woken up, he got out of bed and washed up, then went with Zhang Yang to get breakfast near the school.

After breakfast, Zhang Yang called Nazha and found out she was already in a taxi and would arrive in about ten minutes.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" Zhang Yang asked.

"Not yet," Nazha answered honestly, patting her stomach.

"Can you eat pork?" Zhang Yang asked.

"I'm not religious," Nazha replied.

In other words, she had no dietary restrictions.

"The shengjian buns near our school are really good. Want to try some?" Zhang Yang asked.

"Thanks, senior," Nazha said, not standing on ceremony.

She'd looked it up on Qiandu the night before. It was fine to accept a small kindness like this, as long as she found a chance to return the favor later. That way, they could gradually get to know each other.

"Milk or soy milk?" Zhang Yang asked.

Nazha chose milk.

Zhang Yang hung up and said to Jiang Jinfu, "Fuzi, it's your turn to shine."

Jiang Jinfu: "."

He didn't say anything, but obediently went to buy breakfast, like a timid little rabbit being bullied at work.

A few minutes later, Nazha got out of the taxi. Her delicate features, set off by her fair skin, gave her an ethereal, almost otherworldly beauty. Her slim figure was just as striking, and she instantly became the center of attention on the street.

Nazha was used to it by now and felt nothing.

She glanced around and quickly spotted Zhang Yang, who stood out just as much.

They met at the intersection up ahead. Zhang Yang handed over the breakfast and said, "The car the company sent should be here soon. You can eat once we're in."

"Okay, senior." Nazha smiled, keeping her manner reserved.

"Jinfu bought this for you. I heard you two met the day you signed your contracts." Zhang Yang smoothly shifted the conversation to Jiang Jinfu, and the three of them chatted comfortably.

Many passersby kept glancing their way, occasionally discussing them.

"That girl's gorgeous. Is she from an ethnic minority?"

"The guy in black standing beside her is pretty good-looking too."

"They're probably acting students from Shanghai Theatre Academy next door."

"I've had a shop here for thirteen years and seen plenty of Shanghai Theatre Academy students. Those two rank near the top in looks."

"..."

Zhang Yang and Nazha tuned out the comments drifting their way.

Jiang Jinfu's inner thought: If I don't hear it, it can't bother me.

A few minutes later, a business van pulled up in front of the three of them.

It was one of Tangren's company vehicles, usually used to ferry people around.

Zhang Yang wasn't important enough to have a car assigned to him, and Nazha and Jiang Jinfu were newcomers with even less clout. But getting permission to use a company vehicle was easy.

The filming location for A Forest of Experts was in Jinling, so the three of them had to drive there.

A little over two hours later, the van pulled into the underground parking lot of an office building. Zhang Yang had led the conversation throughout the trip, and the three of them had gradually become more familiar with one another.

Some crew members were waiting by the elevator in the parking garage. The A Forest of Experts crew had rented an entire floor of the building for filming, and half of the day's scenes were scheduled to take place there.

The show was nearing completion, so the atmosphere on set was relaxed.

When Zhang Yang brought Nazha and Jiang Jinfu over to find Hu Ge, he found him caught in the middle of a tag-team attack by Tang Yan and Qi Wei. Qiu Ze, who played the second male lead, was nowhere to be seen, while Dong Xuan, who played the second female lead, was having her makeup touched up.

"Old Hu, Sister Tangtang, Brother Qi."

Zhang Yang walked over with Jiang Jinfu and Nazha and greeted them.

From the way he addressed them, it was clear he knew all three.

He'd met Tang Yan while filming Chinese Paladin 3, and he'd met Qi Wei through Tang Yan, who'd introduced him to help her find a male lead for a music video.

"A'Yang, long time no see!" Tang Yan and Qi Wei heard him and turned to greet him with smiles.

Hu Ge seized his chance and escaped from behind the sofa, slipping behind Zhang Yang. "A'Yang, you got here just in time."

"Tangtang and Brother Qi are ganging up on me. I can't take on four hands with just two of my own. Help me get even."

At that, Tang Yan and Qi Wei said nothing. They simply crossed their arms and watched Zhang Yang, their expressions somewhere between a smile and a smirk.

Without hesitation, Zhang Yang turned around and grabbed Hu Ge, then said to the two women, "Sister Tangtang, Brother Qi, I'll always be your most loyal underling. I've caught Old Hu for you. Do with him as you please!"

Hu Ge: "?"

Was that really how you used the phrase "do with him as you please"?

Everyone around them: "."

Jiang Jinfu: I've learned something.