To Be A Star - ZhanYi

Chapter - 10

The plot of the story is purely fictitious, any similarity to reality is purely coincidental.

Fool. Xiao Zhan thought to himself when he was moving around the street set. The director yelled "Cut" and he rushed to find a place to sit among the actors. Actors. Yes, there were a group of actors sitting and talking to themselves.

They didn't need to practice any dialogues, they didn't need to show any expression because they were just eighteenth-line actors. No one would see them, no one would notice them.

How could he even consider standing beside Wang YiBo and protecting him in this situation? He should have been more aware of how a director would hesitate to recruit an actor without witnessing their abilities first-hand.

ust obtaining an actor's certificate didn't automatically make him a true actor. Even if he managed to show expressions on his face, they wouldn't receive much focus. After all, he was just an eighteenth-line actor.

Why did I come here? He scolded himself silently. Nevertheless, he kept mumbling the words persistence, endurance, and Wang YiBo, seeking solace in them amidst his inner turmoil.

He believed he could climb up the ladder and find opportunities to become a star. Yet, he couldn't tell if he was more fixated on seeing Wang YiBo or achieving stardom.

He observed the main actors and actresses, sheltered under umbrellas and wearing sunglasses. The makeup artists meticulously touched up their appearances, while set assistants catered to their needs, providing food and drink. They diligently studied their scripts.

But here he stood, just one among the hundreds, all of them aspiring to make it big. He noticed the technicians whispering among themselves, preparing for a retake due to an actress forgetting her lines. However, the director, cautious not to upset the A-line actress, blamed the technicians instead. He felt sympathy for the technicians, caught in a difficult situation.

If someone didn't perform their job well, it could impact the entire production, and he grasped that reality. He also understood that luck wouldn't always be on his side, the chance encounter with Tang Jia had been a one-time stroke of fortune. Without Tang Jia's support, he struggled to stand on his own now.

He longed to talk to LeiLei and Jia-ge, but it seemed impossible at the moment. The crew had collected the extras' mobile phones, citing security reasons to prevent scene leaks before the official release.

As the actress prepared for the scene, the camera started rolling, and he, too, strolled through the streets. The group of kids he had come with was also wandering around like him.

That night, he headed to a street stall and had a meal there. Before going to bed, he messaged the YiBo fanboy to find out which filming YiBo was involved in. Surprisingly, it turned out to be the same series set he was on.

However, he learned that the role YiBo was supposed to play had been given to a newcomer. The reason cited was that the newcomer's face was more suitable for the role.

This news shattered his heart. The very purpose of his journey seemed to vanish, leaving him questioning why he was there at all. Despite the disappointment, he was determined to give it a try. He aspired to become someone who could inspire others and protect YiBo. So, he decided to stay on the set. He wanted to see the newcomer who took the role that was once destined for YiBo.

Ke ChunXi, that was his name. The next day, Xiao Zhan spotted him. Ke ChunXi appeared younger than Xiao Zhan, and he displayed a polite attitude, unlike the arrogant main leads. Sitting across the leads, Ke ChunXi earnestly read his script.

One of the assistant directors called Xiao Zhan over. "He looks fit, maybe we can use him," she remarked to the other assistant director, who nodded in agreement.

"You," she pointed at Xiao Zhan, "Change your costume. We'll give you a soldier outfit and have you memorize this dialogue," she instructed him. Xiao Zhan nodded enthusiastically. He felt elated, the luck he once doubted would be on his side seemed to favor him after all.

His group rejoiced for him. Not everyone would get such an opportunity, especially on the second day itself. He owed it to the days of hard work at the fitness center. With a change of costume and a different wig, he looked the part.

The dialogue he had to deliver was simple: Bai gongzi, the emperor has discovered your identity. If you don't hurry, he will kill you. Surprisingly, the character Bai gongzi was none other than Ke ChunXi. Xiao Zhan couldn't help but curse his fate. It was supposed to be Wang YiBo's role, and he could have been in the same frame as Wang YiBo.

The assistant director briefed him that after delivering the dialogue, he had to run. He was to portray the role of a spy for Bai gongzi. He mentally prepared himself, aiming to embody the character just like Wang YiBo did in all his movies. Even though it was a simple role, he wanted to execute it perfectly.

The director called out, "Rolling, action!"

Bai gongzi and his secret lover, the princess of the kingdom, were strolling in disguise on the streets, engaged in conversation. Now it was Xiao Zhan's turn. He ran towards them, taking a moment to catch his breath before delivering his dialogue. Bai gongzi nodded, and Xiao Zhan ran back the way he came. However, to his surprise, Bai gongzi also ran after him.

The director yelled, "Cut," and let out a sigh of frustration. He pointed at Xiao Zhan and said, "If you see him coming this way, why do you run back the same way?" He raised his voice in frustration. Xiao Zhan felt the director's comment was unreasonable since he was the one who ran first. Nevertheless, he apologized for the confusion.

They all took a break and dispersed. To Xiao Zhan's surprise, Ke ChunXi approached him. Xiao Zhan wasn't in the mood to be scolded in front of everyone again, but instead, Ke ChunXi apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, it was my fault. I should've gone the other way, but this being my first drama, I got confused. Sorry, ge."

Xiao Zhan was taken aback. Among everything Ke ChunXi said, one thing stuck in his mind: if it was Ke ChunXi's first drama too, then why did he get a significant role, while I ended up as an eighteenth-line actor?

"How come you got such a big role?" he blurted out, but then his eyes widened with regret. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to say that. Actually, it's fine even if I get scolded by the director. What I meant was, this is also my first time here, but I'm just an eighteenth-line actor... sorry, sir, I shouldn't have asked."

Ke ChunXi laughed and shook Xiao Zhan's hand, saying, "Ah, it's okay, ge. Welcome, fellow newcomer. And to answer your question, I first joined an agency and did some modeling for a few years."

Xiao Zhan was astonished by Ke ChunXi's down-to-earth nature. So, the key is to get into an agency, he thought. Ke ChunXi approached him and whispered, "You know, my acting skills are even poorer than yours. I'm afraid if my aunt finds out, she'll kick me out of the country."

Before Xiao Zhan could inquire about his aunt, the director called them to assemble. The scene turned out to be perfect.

That night, he called LeiLei and told him about being in Hengdian. The reaction he received was just as he had expected.

"Xiao Zhan! Why didn't you tell me before making this decision? If you wanted to be an actor, I could have helped you join MingXing through my father. Why didn't you inform me, idiot?" LeiLei scolded.

"lao Lei, I can't keep depending on you forever. I wanted to learn on my own. I made a mistake, but now I know the right steps to take without making any more errors. I need your help with something," Xiao Zhan explained.

"What is it?" LeiLei asked.

"I want you to find out whose nephew Ke ChunXi is," Xiao Zhan replied.

××××××

A/N:

老 (Lao) - old, it doesn't mean the person is old, people would call their friends either as xiao or lao along with their surname, it's a form of intimacy and it can also be used with given names (mostly given name with single character would be used in the form of repetition like ZhanZhan, BoBo)