Persuading Qing to Play the Second Female Lead

"Where did I give myself away?"

Hu Ge sat down across from Zhang Yang, looking utterly dejected.

"You didn't give anything away." Zhang Yang leaned back tactically and pointed at Liu Shishi. "But Sister Shishi did. She was obviously about to laugh."

Hu Ge: "."

Liu Shishi awkwardly turned her head aside.

"You managed to convince that old stubborn Sister K in just half an hour. You two have really impressed me." Zhang Yang praised them.

The three had known each other for over six years. Including the time they had spent together on set, they might have spent more time with one another than with their own families, and they all understood each other's personalities well.

After spending a little time together, there was hardly any restraint in their conversations. So Zhang Yang appeared very relaxed around Hu Ge and Liu Shishi, despite the two being quite a bit older than him.

"Then you should thank your big brother's silver tongue." Hu Ge smiled smugly. "When I told Sister K I wanted to give the role to you, she didn't agree at first."

Actually, it wasn't that she hadn't agreed. She had opposed it outright without even giving it a thought.

Cai Yinong's exact words had been, "He won't renew his contract, so there's no way I'll keep promoting him. Besides, this drama doesn't have a male actor popular enough to carry it. It'll be hard to sell when the time comes."

There was some sense to that, but Hu Ge and Liu Shishi both knew it was not nearly that serious.

After all, on the female lead side, there were Liu Shishi and Tang Yan, two of the Paladin Trio. The gimmick alone was strong enough.

"Sister K, I truly recommend that you give the second male lead role to Zhang Yang this time. This is very important to our entire company," Hu Ge urged earnestly.

And the reasons he gave left Cai Yinong unable to refute him.

"Zhang Yang is an old hand at the company. It's normal for him to resent being stood up by you back then, Sister K."

"You know perfectly well how much Xu Changqing in Chinese Paladin 3 helped Wallace Huo break into the mainland market. In Zhang Yang's eyes, that role should have been his."

"Now you've signed a new artist, who also happens to be Zhang Yang's classmate, and he gets cast as the male lead right away. Yet you won't even give Zhang Yang the second male lead role. What are the other artists in the company supposed to think?"

"Take Lin Gengxin, for example. You promised him the male lead role in Scarlet Heart, Sister K, but after partnering with Taiwan capital, you had Nicky Wu play it instead. Lin Gengxin didn't even get the second or third male lead role, and he's still upset about it."

"This kind of thing cannot happen again."

Hearing that, Cai Yinong glanced at Liu Shishi. Her lips moved, but she said nothing.

She recalled the situation when Chinese Paladin 3 had first begun filming. Tang Yan had originally been meant to play the female lead, with Liu Shishi as the second female lead. But not long after shooting started, Yang Mi had been brought in as the female lead, Tang Yan had become the second female lead, and Liu Shishi had been pushed down to the third female lead.

It was hard to say they had no complaints.

If things like this happened too often, the artists would eventually become alienated from the company and harder to manage.

And if rival companies publicized these matters, signing new artists would not be a problem, but attracting promising talent certainly would be.

With that thought, Cai Yinong said, "If you play the male lead, I can let Zhang Yang play the second male lead. I'll prepare a new drama for Jiang Jinfu as male lead. That will count as fulfilling both promises."

"I want to do a modern drama!" Hu Ge was adamant.

The two sides argued back and forth over the matter, while Liu Shishi said nothing throughout, merely watching the show.

But as Tangren's undisputed Top Sister, her presence alone put pressure on Cai Yinong and made her choose her words carefully.

In the end, Cai Yinong compromised, saying she needed to discuss it with the board of directors. Really, she was just giving herself a way out.

"You went head-to-head with Sister K for me. Little Brother thanks his big brother and sister." Zhang Yang clasped his fists theatrically.

"Your acting is a little exaggerated there." Liu Shishi lightly teased him. She usually did not like talking much, but she could be quite chatty around people she knew well.

"Old Wang is always telling me how good your acting is and how talented you are. That won't do." Hu Ge smiled and teased, "I need to call him and tell him."

Zhang Yang smiled unconcernedly. "Go ahead, Old Hu. Old Wang will definitely think you're jealous of me and deliberately trying to smear me."

Hu Ge immediately pressed a hand to his chest and put on an injured expression. "I used to be Old Wang's proudest student. Times have changed."

As Liu Shishi watched the two jokers chatting and laughing, a smile bloomed on her serene, orchid-like face, like shafts of sunlight sweeping away the winter cold.

The three sat in the lounge and chatted, even discussing the script for a while.

Just as Hu Ge was beginning to think there would be no result that morning and suggested treating them to lunch, Cai Yinong called Zhang Yang's phone. Her tone was displeased and stern. "Come to my office and sign the contract."

"Alright, Sister K. I'll be right there." Zhang Yang's tone was very mild.

That made Cai Yinong's expression stiffen slightly on the other end of the call.

Over the past few years, she had called Zhang Yang more than once to arrange roles for him, but his responses had always been blunt and distant, clearly still carrying resentment.

As the boss, even if she knew he was talented and capable, if he was not easy to use, she would simply choose not to use him.

If not for a trace of guilt, she might even have shelved him.

Yet his attitude today was decent. Was it because she had been forced to give him the second male lead role?

With that doubt in mind, Cai Yinong reined in her emotions and said, "Have Shi Shi come too. She hasn't signed her contract yet."

"Alright, Sister K." Zhang Yang's attitude remained excellent.

After hanging up, he relayed the news to Liu Shishi, and the two headed to Cai Yinong's office together.

On the way, Zhang Yang asked curiously, "Sister Shishi, why haven't you signed your contract yet? It's already so late."

He remembered Liu Shishi saying earlier that the first group contract signing had taken place here.

Jiang Jinfu had also said that Liu Shishi had already signed.

"I want to play the second female lead." Liu Shishi gave Zhang Yang an unexpected answer.

"You want to play Ningke?" Zhang Yang asked doubtfully. "Don't tell me you want to challenge your acting skills too?"

"That's half the reason." A faint curve tugged at Liu Shishi's lips as she replied, "I really do want to play a villain with a more distinctive personality. I've played many roles so far, but they've all been rather stereotypical—either obedient girls or girls with a bit of liveliness."

"The other half is that Tangtang told me privately that she wanted to play Tuoba Yu'er. She said it was the career path her agency had planned for her—that playing this role would be better for her, while playing the second female lead would go against that."

Zhang Yang: "..."

Xuan Yuan Sword: Scar of Heaven had already aired.

So Tang Yan had already tasted the benefits and was preparing to stick to the Silly Sweet route?

But in truth, like Zixuan, Dugu Ningke was one of the few roles for which Tang Yan had been praised by both casual viewers and fans. That was the path truly suited to a mature, commanding beauty like her.

Still, television dramas had their limitations in terms of the era. In recent years, Mary Sue dramas and Silly Sweet dramas brought in ratings, so naturally they were favored by investors. There was nothing more to say.

What mattered more was Liu Shishi playing the second female lead, Dugu Ningke.

"Sister Shishi, I think that could work."

Thinking of what he had just gained from the Entertainment Industry Opportunity Manual, Zhang Yang's gaze flickered.

"Could work how?" Liu Shishi did not immediately understand.

Zhang Yang answered, "I mean you playing the second female lead."

"Hm?" Liu Shishi was somewhat surprised. "What insights does a top student like you have?"

Zhang Yang smiled, his eyes serious. "I wouldn't call them insights."

"It's just that, compared with Teacher Tang Yan, I'd rather act opposite you, Sister Shishi."

Sister Shishi, this was a chance to cheat your way to success.

I hope you can seize it!