Not Needed

Rather than continue discussing Zhong Mohan, Wen Chengze asked, "Did you come over this late just to see me?"

Though he had signed with the Cheng Household's company, wasn't Cheng Liang visiting him a little too often?

"Of course I didn't come to see you. I have business to discuss this time. We'll talk once your agent gets here."

"Mm."

Zhuo Wenyu returned five minutes later. When he saw Cheng Liang, surprise flickered in his eyes as well.

"President Cheng?"

"Now that everyone's here, let's discuss the variety show Xiao Ze will be appearing on next."

Only after hearing that it was business did Zhuo Wenyu relax. He knew Young Master Wen had a good relationship with Cheng Liang, but Cheng Liang coming to see him every few days made things difficult for him to explain.

"Xiao Ze can simply follow the program's process during filming. However, the production team has set a requirement for the first episode: teams of at least five people must put on a short play as their debut performance. So Xiao Ze needs to choose what kind of short play he wants to stage. I had someone prepare several short scripts. Look them over as soon as possible. Once you decide, I'll have them begin rehearsals right away, and the company will arrange the rest of the supporting cast for you."

"Understood, President Cheng. Xiao Ze and I will give you an answer tomorrow."

Wen Chengze did not object either. He was not foolish enough to ask Cheng Liang whether such an arrangement was appropriate.

This was the entertainment industry. Capital and connections were forms of strength in themselves. There was nothing wrong with that.

There were only a few days left before filming began, so Wen Chengze and Zhuo Wenyu did not delay. They began selecting a script that very night. Wen Chengze had no experience, so he left the matter entirely to Zhuo Wenyu.

Zhuo Wenyu was, after all, a professional agent. At a glance, he could tell that every one of these scripts was top-notch. For President Cheng to bring them out for Wen Chengze's debut short play, he was truly willing to spend a fortune.

Zhuo Wenyu knew Wen Chengze had zero experience in acting. Even with teachers guiding him, he would not undergo any dramatic transformation by the day of filming. So he simply chose the script that suited Wen Chengze best.

The script told the story of the master of Rose Manor dying unexpectedly, leaving the young master to struggle to protect the family fortune while investigating the truth behind his parents' deaths.

The play was titled Stare. After weighing it up, Zhuo Wenyu felt that if Wen Chengze played that young master, it would practically be a perfect portrayal of himself. Cold and proud, arrogant and refined—when he looked at you, a fear of offending him rose from the depths of your heart. It was practically tailor-made for Wen Chengze.

Once the script was finalized, Cheng Liang arranged the casting, then the costumes and props.

That was the advantage of a major company. Even for a variety show debut, they could create the grandeur of a big-budget film production in minutes.

Wen Chengze did not idle around either. He diligently studied acting under his teachers.

The teachers taught attentively, Wen Chengze learned attentively, and the role had been carefully selected for him. There was no need to worry about this at all. At least, Zhuo Wenyu believed the debut performance would pose no problem.

Zhuo Wenyu had been too busy lately to pay much attention to Wen Chengze, but the two teachers who had spent the most time with him were genuinely astonished.

Wen Chengze's excellence had exceeded their expectations.

On the first day they taught Wen Chengze, they had asked him to perform a scene. His acting could only be described as a complete mess. Yet in just a few short days, when rehearsing scenes from the script now, Wen Chengze had practically undergone a qualitative leap. His acting could even rival that of many current top-tier actors.

This was not due to their teaching. It was Wen Chengze's own talent. His talent was among the best they had seen in recent years. What a pity that he was a genuine wealthy young master with no real interest in acting.

Over this period, the two teachers had also come to understand that although Wen Chengze worked hard and put in the effort, he was actually not very interested in acting. One could even say he had no interest in it at all. He worked so hard more to avoid letting others' efforts go to waste.

Today happened to be the final lesson before the program's recording. After class ended, the two teachers exchanged glances. They still could not help wanting to persuade Wen Chengze.

But they did not say it outright. Instead, they began chatting casually with Wen Chengze.

"Xiao Ze, have you watched Film Emperor Zhong's dramas?"

"Zhong Mohan? No." Wen Chengze was a little surprised, not understanding why they had suddenly brought up that person.

"Mm. Xiao Ze, if you're interested, you should watch Film Emperor Zhong's work. You ought to gain something from it."

The two teachers knew that forcing someone would only produce the opposite effect. It was better to let Wen Chengze experience it for himself.

Zhong Mohan's works were teaching materials at many drama and film academies. Aside from his excellent acting, there was another distinctive quality to watching his performances: they could awaken one's innate sense for acting. Someone had once compiled statistics showing that one year, applications to drama and film schools surged. Thirty percent of those students said they had watched Zhong Mohan's work and found acting to be incredibly compelling.

So they also wanted Wen Chengze to experience that appeal.

"Alright. I'll watch them when I have time." Wen Chengze agreed, but did not take it too seriously. He was biased against Zhong Mohan now and did not want to watch him for the time being, not even in films.

"The two of you have put a great deal of effort into taking care of Xiao Ze lately. I had someone reserve a table at a restaurant and carefully select some red wine. I hope you enjoy your meal." Zhuo Wenyu politely saw the two teachers off.

"You'll be taking promotional photos tomorrow. Go home early and get some rest tonight." Zhuo Wenyu sent Wen Chengze home, reminding him carefully.

After a good night's rest, Wen Chengze was in exceptionally good condition when he took his promotional photos the next day.

In the image, the young master wore a European-style aristocratic high-collared shirt, with a beautiful bow at the collar. Below that were black knee-high stockings and small brown heeled leather shoes. He looked lazy and carefree.

The disdainful look in his eyes made those around him feel faintly unable to breathe.

Looking at the beautiful young master, Zhuo Wenyu thought for a moment before messaging Zhong Mohan.

[Mr. Zhong, should I send you Young Master Wen's promotional photos?]

[No need.] Zhong Mohan replied quickly. Though he was somewhat interested in Wen Chengze, he was not some obsessive stalker. There was no need to report every little thing to him.

Zhuo Wenyu could not fathom his boss's thoughts, but he obediently followed the instruction and did not meddle further.

But Zhuo Wenyu was not the only one watching Wen Chengze. There was also Lu Wen, who loved nothing more than to stir up trouble.

He was far too curious about the relationship between Wen Chengze and Zhong Mohan. So, when his people were investigating, they happened to see the young master's promotional photos.

As a straight man, even Lu Wen's heart stirred when he saw the photo. He somewhat wanted to pin down that noble young master and watch his cool face flush red as he pleaded softly when he could no longer bear it.

So he immediately called his friend.

"You really aren't going to watch that Young Master Wen's debut performance in person?"

"No. What's there to watch in a child's performance? Besides, I board in half an hour. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."

"Hey! Wait. Then get me a staff pass. I'll go see the excitement when the time comes."

"Mm. I'll have someone arrange it for you. Hanging up."

Looking at the disconnected call, Lu Wen gave a sly smile. He had a feeling that Zhong Mohan would definitely regret not going!

Tomorrow, he would go see that captivating young master in person!