"You're... so amazing..."
Yanran came back to her senses then, too, her beautiful eyes full of curiosity as she looked at Chen Zheng.
"Humph! It's only the first scene!"
Lu Yun snorted.
He was deeply displeased. He was a popular young traffic star and considered himself a guarantee of ratings. He had taken this drama partly to curry favor with Qin Yi-after all, she was a famous, popular author and a seasoned investor-and partly to get close to Yanran. Who knew how many people, both inside and outside the industry, had their eyes on a stunning beauty like Yanran, hoping something might happen between them.
Although Lu Yun knew nothing could happen between him and Yanran, if he could play the male lead and film a few intimate scenes involving physical contact with her, it would have been worth it.
But now, this complete newcomer Qin Yi wanted to promote had actually passed the audition just like that!
Was he really going to play a supporting role to a complete newcomer like this?
Was this Chen Zheng even worthy?
"Let's go straight into the second scene, the wall pin. Chen Zheng, conquer Yanran with that peerless master's bearing you had just now!"
Director Xu recovered from his surprise. He was a little excited now. He looked down on so-called young traffic stars like Lu Yun. If not for another investor, he would never have hired a traffic star for a drama.
Although Chen Zheng was a complete newcomer, the presence he had shown just by standing casually and giving a single look made Director Xu feel as though he had found a treasure! With proper cultivation, he might well turn Chen Zheng into an internationally acclaimed best actor!
"Why do I suddenly feel a little nervous..."
Just before filming began on the second scene, the wall pin, Yanran suddenly spoke.
"It's just acting. No need to be nervous."
Chen Zheng smiled faintly and glanced at Yanran.
"Mm."
Yanran answered softly, adjusted her gear, and the wall-pin scene began.
"That cheating pair..."
Seeing this, An Jing leaned close to Su Cheng's ear and whispered.
Su Cheng couldn't help smiling when she heard that, thinking that Sister An really seemed to have fallen for Chen Zheng. As for the acting talent Chen Zheng had displayed, she didn't think it was acting talent at all. He was simply playing himself.
In Qin Yi's script, the male lead was a master who had returned from cultivating immortality. Wasn't that exactly who Chen Zheng was? So Chen Zheng really was just playing himself! Just as he had said earlier, playing a master was easy, because he was a master himself, and a master among masters at that!
"You!"
The fight scene over there was finished in an instant. The choreography had been simple to begin with, so it was over in a few seconds. Now Chen Zheng had forced Yanran into a corner, pinning her against the wall!
Yanran's lovely face flushed slightly, her large, limpid eyes fixed on Chen Zheng. Her eyes held both anger and bashfulness, her expression absolutely spot-on!
As for Chen Zheng, he rested one hand casually against the wall, a wicked smile on his face. His whole presence differed from his earlier peerless master's bearing, with a wicked, roguish edge mingled into that peerless air!
"Mm..."
Yanran suddenly closed her eyes and tilted her beautiful face up slightly. With that soft moan, she seemed to be asking Chen Zheng to kiss her, as though waiting for his kiss!
"Kiss her! Go in for the kiss!"
Seeing this, Director Xu lowered his voice until it was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Chen Zheng! If you dare kiss her, don't expect any more perks from me!
An Jing said fiercely in her heart.
But!
But in the very next second, Chen Zheng leaned down slightly and actually kissed her!
Fuck!
It was as though wild horses were roaring in An Jing's heart!
"Perfect!"
Director Xu couldn't help shouting.
"Huh? How did that happen?"
Yanran's eyes flew open. Looking at the man right in front of her, her eyes filled with astonishment. Beyond that astonishment, the crimson on her lovely face deepened. She gave Chen Zheng an embarrassed look and pulled free of his arms.
"Sorry... I... I might have gotten nervous..."
Yanran apologized to Chen Zheng.
At that moment, she was utterly astonished. She was a professional actress, and not just a professional actress. Unlike ordinary female celebrities, she could control her emotions perfectly, adapt perfectly to almost any role, and slip into or out of character at will.
Yet in that scene just now, that innate ability of hers had actually gone out of control, to the point that she had taken the initiative to close her eyes and let Chen Zheng kiss her! Now that she had come back to her senses, even she found it unbelievable!
That had been her first on-screen kiss!
And her first on-screen kiss had also been her actual first kiss!
"Damn it! We said this was acting! Obviously, you're supposed to fake a kiss with camera angles! Do you even know what you're doing? All you know is how to take advantage of girls!"
An Jing couldn't hold back anymore and looked at Chen Zheng with contempt.
"Shameless!"
Lu Yun cursed as well, his expression ugly as he glared at Chen Zheng. He was extremely displeased now. In his view, Chen Zheng had stolen his leading role and now taken Yanran's first on-screen kiss, too, when all of that should have been his!
If he had gotten Yanran's first on-screen kiss, just a little publicity would have sent him straight to the top of the trending searches, and his traffic would surely have soared!
Damn it!
This Chen Zheng ruined everything!
"Shameless? How is that shameless? When feelings lead you there, there's nothing wrong with a kiss, is there?"
Hearing that, Chen Zheng merely smiled faintly.
"You! How can you be so shameless! Sister Yanran, turn this drama down. Don't act with someone like him!"
Lu Yun grew furious. He raised a hand, his thumb and middle finger pinched into an orchid gesture, and pointed angrily at Chen Zheng.
"Lu Yun! What are you saying! If you don't want to act, you can leave yourself. Don't cause trouble! You're just a traffic star. What qualifies you to tell Chen Zheng what to do!" Director Xu was displeased when he heard that. He thought very highly of Chen Zheng now. In his eyes, Chen Zheng was a true genius, a born actor.
"..."
Rebuked by Director Xu, Lu Yun froze, his face alternating between red and white, his expression utterly gloomy. He had wanted to storm out and slam the door, but remembering Director Xu's standing in the industry, he could only grit his teeth and endure it!
But now he hated Chen Zheng to the extreme. It was all because of this Chen Zheng that Director Xu had scolded him and left him so humiliated!
"Actually... I quite like acting with Chen Zheng..." Yanran's lovely face flushed slightly. After stealing a glance at Chen Zheng, she looked toward Qin Yi. "Sister Qin Yi, I never expected the Chen Zheng you found to have such a gift for acting. I couldn't help getting drawn in just now."
"My judgment has always been right. The first moment I saw Chen Zheng in the café that day, I knew he was the male lead I'd written, as though he'd transmigrated back from a xianxia world."
Qin Yi said with a smile as well.
"..."
Hearing that, Su Cheng couldn't help looking at An Jing.
Probably only Sister An and she knew Chen Zheng's identity here. Chen Zheng really had returned to the city after cultivating immortality. But she felt this was probably just a coincidence: Qin Yi had happened to write a clichéd transmigration story that happened to match Chen Zheng's experiences.