Chinese entertainment started with male models

Chapter 521 Just in Time to Help Take Care of the Kids

I've used it. No problem, things are meant to be used, right?
Zhao Jinmai's manager was in a pretty good mood at the moment. Although he had cursed Bai Liang in his heart for being such a beast, and wondered how old he was when he had slept with that little girl, he was still the kind of guy who would turn his back on her after he had his fun.

It's worth it.

"MaiMai, get some rest early, and do your best when filming officially starts."

"I know~ But I'm worried that filming this drama will take up my time during the start of the semester." Zhao Jinmai quickly said, remembering this.

She was admitted to the Central Academy of Drama, where the management in this regard is a bit stricter.

For example, first- and second-year students are basically not allowed to take on acting roles; they have to focus on their studies at school.

The story of Tong Yao is a product of this regulation.

The agent said there was no need to worry about such things, after all, rules are just rules, and there are plenty of people who can circumvent them.

Furthermore, the statement that freshmen and sophomores cannot take on acting roles is just a figure of speech; how could students be completely prevented from taking on acting roles if they have good opportunities?

They can usually only handle those who have no connections or whose production crew doesn't help them ask for leave.

With Daylight Entertainment and Tencent behind the show "The Beginning," and Bai Liang joining the cast, it would be truly unbelievable if they couldn't even get a break.

After explaining it to Zhao Jinmai again, the agent thought that the little girl was still just a little girl, actually worrying about such things.
Only a student with clear, innocent eyes and a touch of naivety would consider missing class a huge deal.
The agent reached out and pinched Zhao Jinmai's cheek before preparing to leave.

Zhao Jinmai: Did I overact? I feel like I was a bit too forceful.

Just as her manager was about to leave, she suddenly turned around and looked at her with a slightly puzzled and scrutinizing gaze.

This action made Zhao Jinmai's heart tighten, thinking to herself that she had indeed overacted. There was really no need to pretend to be such a foolish child.
However, the agent was not suspicious because she was overacting.

Rather, it was because a common-sense error was indeed discovered.

"MaiMai, have you used up everything I gave you?"

"Huh? Hmm!"

"That's not right~ You only need one of those two," the agent said, puzzled.

"Ah? Really?"

MaiMai was truly bewildered; she didn't know anything about it, having never used it before.

This girl, who sometimes likes to play dumb but is actually quite clever, ultimately revealed her timidity in areas she didn't understand.

The consequences are as follows.
There are no consequences.

After all, this isn't some strange rule that means you'll be kicked out if your agent finds out.

On the contrary, it made the agent quite embarrassed, even feeling very awkward.

So Bai Liang really didn't do anything bad to the girl after all. We misunderstood him!
However, if the other party is a gentleman, then someone like me, who gives a virgin girl "tools for committing crimes," is a real "beast."

Anyone who didn't know better would think she was the kind of pimp or agent who sends artists to the bed of powerful men.

The agent's thoughts raced, and she even started to worry. What kind of image did she project to Bai Liang?
The other party has been so kind to Zhao Jinmai, they might just turn around and ruin her career, making it impossible for her to stay in this industry.
"MaiMai, can I ask you for a favor?"

Zhao Jinmai smiled and her eyes lit up. "Okay!"
-
"This little girl is quite clever."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Liang pondered for a moment with his super brain and couldn't help but sigh slightly.

He just received two phone calls, one from Zhao Jinmai's agent apologizing.

Naturally, she apologized for stuffing those "tools of the crime" into Zhao Jinmai's bag.

Afterwards, Zhao Jinmai called again to help explain a little, basically saying that the agent had misunderstood, blah blah blah.

But she had actually said this to Bai Liang once before.

Otherwise, he might have stopped eating beef altogether.

The fact that they said it again suggests they're likely trying to gain more say in the matter.

While artists, agents, and agencies work closely together, there is also competition and rivalry.

Some agents wield considerable power and have complete control over the artists under their management.

From choosing roles to career development, everything is decided by the agent.

Occasionally, the role of an agent overlaps with that of the company behind them, but there are also cases where agents and artists collude to cause trouble for the company.

The specifics depend on the cooperation model, or rather, the style of the company and the agent.

Of course, some agents have complete control, while others are in control of the artist and their agents are merely tools.

Hmm. Swallows are actually like this.

At first, she was basically doing the work of an assistant, but Bai Liang was rather lazy, which forced her to study and improve like crazy, and she became more reliable.

Zhao Jinmai's current status is clearly not high enough to make a mature agent listen to her.

Without external interference, she still has to listen to the company and her agent more often.

However, the young girl is also quite opinionated. Although she doesn't have much ambition at this stage, her actions clearly indicate that she wants to gain more influence within the team and have her words carry more weight.

Game theory exists everywhere, and it doesn't necessarily mean you have to fall out with someone.

The power struggle between her and her agent can be considered relatively benign.
That's why Bai Liang said she was smart—she played the situation quite well.

At the same time, she also seemed to be trying to prove to Bai Liang that she had really grown up!
"Who's smart? Me?"

A beautiful face appeared in Bai Liang's line of sight, and the owner of the face couldn't wait to claim Bai Liang's praise for herself.

Bai Liang:
He didn't say anything, just stared at the tassel.

The other person immediately blushed and muttered, "I'm smart too!"

Some people can outwit their agents as early as eighteen, playing both sides, feigning ignorance and leveraging their influence—they can do it all.

Some people are 28 years old and still act like Makka Pakka, mainly because they are good at acting cute and coquettish, and even get jealous of their own pets.

Today, Bai Liang met with Na Zha. Because he touched Xiao Bao first but not her, she stood there with her arms crossed, looking like she was saying, "Come and comfort me, or I'll get angry."

I previously said that Da Tian Tian was a fool worthy of being put in a museum, and that Zha is no less so, they're evenly matched.

These two could even debut as a group, called the Museum Duo.

Add to that Sister Meng, who seems to have normal intelligence but actually has a peculiar way of thinking, and the trio's nickname becomes: Stupid, Silly, and Foolish.

"Ah, yes, yes, so clever, so clever."

“Your eyes tell me that you don’t think that way, that you don’t genuinely think I’m smart,” Nazha complained sweetly.

Bai Liang: Do I have to genuinely feel that way? That's asking too much. Just give me a couple more kisses, okay?

Fortunately, Naza has a unique characteristic: her attention is easily diverted.

Bai Liang ushered her into the car, and once she was inside, he had her sit on his lap and kissed her a few times. Immediately, she wouldn't worry about whether he was smart or not; she'd only care about how her face smelled good and how pretty she looked.
The two of them went to make a cameo appearance together in the TV series "Your Era, My Era".

As a sister series to "Go Go Squid!", this drama will definitely have some scenes where the two of them make a brief appearance.

However, his main role actually appears in the last episode of the series.

Hmm. Wedding.

"Hey, another wedding!"

Naza happily shook her head, and although the word "again" sounded strange, she didn't really mind.

What difference would it make if we did it again?
No matter how many times you get married, it's always with the same person!

Moreover, last time it was a wedding in Xinjiang, but this time it's a more common wedding, so she wants to experience both kinds!
So Naza was very enthusiastic about this special appearance.

Forget about paying her; she'd go even if she had to pay herself.

It's unclear whether the producers of the TV series "The Era" were unaware of Naza's situation or simply were being particular about their work.

If they first win over Nazha and get her to make a special appearance, then Nazha will take the initiative to win over Bai Liang, which is a super cost-effective buy-one-get-one-free deal.

However, contacting Bai Liang first and confirming things with him before contacting Na Zha is indeed a more careful approach, laying the foundation for future cooperation.

"Sister Zha~"

"Shake it!"

After Nazha and Chen Yao met, they hugged each other affectionately and then held hands. The two top actresses from Tangren seemed to have a pretty good relationship.

Even their cats are very familiar with each other. When they meet, they touch heads and immediately start a grooming battle.

Bai Liang, however, seemed somewhat like an outsider when he poked at him.

Fortunately, the sensible crew couldn't let him stand there, and someone immediately came over to check on him.

After all, Bai Liang came here to help, and his and Na Zha's special appearances might, to put it bluntly, be one of the biggest highlights of the show.

While riding on the popularity of its predecessor gives this drama a natural advantage, it will inevitably be compared to it.

If the difference isn't too big, it's fine. But if the difference is too large, then it might be a bit troublesome.

Let alone another hit drama, that would be too difficult. After all, the phenomenal popularity and viewership of "Intimacy" was due to the combined benefits of many factors, something that most dramas simply cannot achieve.

Add to that the combination of top-tier male and female stars, and the sheer number of stars alone creates a huge gap.

Just like the pressure Liu Shishi faced when she left Tang Ren and Na Zha took over as the top female star, Chen Yao faces even greater pressure. The contracts of the previous two top female stars expired at their peak, when they were both A-list celebrities!
Naza was even more exaggerated.
It would be too difficult for her to catch up, especially since Tang Ren is now lagging behind.

Fortunately, Chen Yao had a good attitude. If she couldn't catch up, so be it, it's okay.

While discussing with Naza what delicious food to eat tonight, she secretly glanced at Bai Liang, who was holding two cats in his arms, and couldn't help but smile.

He didn't favor one over the other; he liked both cats very much.

Yes, the cat likes him too!
Bai Liang: They must like me, I'm so good to them!
Looking at the two cats, Bai Liang couldn't help but think of the big fish he had caught on the Yangtze River.

"You all know that I caught a fish that was over ten meters long and weighed more than ten tons?"

"Meow?"

Bai Da Guanren is simply taking advantage of the kitten's inability to speak, allowing him to spout nonsense.

"It's a pity you two aren't here, otherwise that fish would have been great for you!"

Cai Yinong: The first thing I heard when I arrived was someone making empty promises. And they were making empty promises to cats!

She actually came yesterday to visit Chen Yao on set.

She'll soon be Tangren's top female star, so in some ways, this kind of visit can be seen as a way of expressing the company's attitude.

By the way, let's keep an eye on Bai Liang and Nazha. Even though Nazha is leaving, their contract has expired, so their relationship can continue.
Tangren is a film and television company. Perhaps there will be suitable projects in the future, so it's best to part ways amicably and there will be opportunities for cooperation again.

When she arrived, she saw Bai Liang holding his phone, showing photos of the two kittens.

I couldn't resist taking a peek and found that this kid was still the same scoundrel as always.

They were actually showing the cat pictures of fish.
However, Cai Yinong, who was about to greet them, hesitated slightly, mainly regarding how to address them.
After thinking for several seconds
"Xiaobai~"

"Hey~ Mr. Cai, what are you doing here?"

"What, did I come at the wrong time?" Cai Yinong looked at Bai Liang's smile, which was almost the same as it had been a few years ago, and felt relieved.

Actually, she was just thinking about whether or not to call him "President Bai".

Although Nazha kept saying that Bai Liang hadn't changed at all, Cai Yinong hadn't interacted with him for quite a long time and didn't know if he was still the same guy who would buy her a small toy as a thank-you gift.

"No, you've come at the perfect time! Perfect for helping out with the kids!"

"What are you bringing?"

The good news is that Bai Liang hasn't changed at all; his years of experience in the world of fame and fortune seem to have had no effect on him.

The bad news is that Cai Yinong feels she's getting old.
Looking at the baby in her arms, she had a strange feeling of being forced to take care of her grandson.
When I saw her, I gave her one of my cats – what a wonderful way to reconnect!

Before that, Bai Liang and Na Zha were too busy to take care of Xiao Bao, so what about the time when she helped take care of him?
Are elderly people living alone taking care of left-behind children?
"The fish you just showed them was the big fish you caught before, wasn't it?"

Holding the cat, Cai Yinong remembered the pie Bai Liang had just drawn for the two kittens and casually asked a question.

"Huh? Mr. Cai, you also know that I caught a fish that's over ten meters long and weighs more than ten tons?"

"Huh? It's that big? When I watched the show yesterday, it seemed to be only about two meters tall," Cai Yinong said, frowning.

"You watched the show? That's two meters tall and weighs over 200 kilograms," Bai Liang immediately corrected himself.

Cai Yinong: Damn it, so you were just bragging to me?!
The latest episode of "Chinese Restaurant" aired yesterday, and the number of views exploded.

Too many people went to watch the footage of Bai Liang fishing for that white sturgeon.

The production team was really honest; they barely edited anything, yet managed to create a fishing segment that lasted over half an hour in one episode of "Chinese Restaurant," even though an episode is only about an hour and a half long in total.

Almost a third of the time, people watched him fishing.

This naturally meant sacrificing many other shots.

To be precise, it sacrificed the screen time of the other male guests.

After all, all the girls went to accompany Bai Liang fishing, serving him hand and foot, holding umbrellas, bringing chairs, and even helping him bait the fishing spot.
Being right next to him the whole time, I naturally got a lot of screen time.

However, Cai Yinong wasn't particularly interested in the fish; she just remarked on it briefly.

But he was more interested in the girls around Bai Liang; to be precise, he was a little impatient.

Oh, you swaying ...

As one of Bai Liang's early on-screen partners, Chen Yao is doing better than before, but her presence with Bai Liang is much less noticeable.

Occasionally, some longtime fans will dig up old materials of her "dating" and "shopping" with Bai Liang and sigh: Our Yaoyao and Da Xian were quite sweet back then, but why did she disappear from the public eye?

Not proactive, not assertive, not involved.

No wonder there's no story to tell if you do it like that!
Only when some marketing accounts create a list of scandals involving Bai Liang will they mention Chen Yao, but she's ranked very low. If you don't have the patience to read, you might not even see her.

Cai Yinong saw this and was very anxious about it.

So I felt I should also think of a way to help out, even just a little.
The first thing I did after joining the crew was to pick out a wedding dress!
Filming can't happen right away. There were some details and minor regrets from the last wedding that I missed, so I'll make up for them this time.
She even had several sticky notes in her bag, all filled with things that hadn't satisfied her at her previous wedding.

A truly perfect wedding is probably very difficult to achieve. Huang Xiaoming's wedding to Angelababy involved a lot of brand sponsorships, making it almost like a press conference.

But Nazha thought, if we can't make up for it with quality the first time, then let's make up for it with quantity!
Why not just do it a few more times?
Taken together, it's absolutely perfect!

Once she has enough footage from the wedding, she'll find someone to compile and edit it herself.
Bai Liang was quite impressed with her brilliant idea. Oh right, she had just come up with this idea in the car.

The inspiration came from kissing.

This afternoon, the cast and crew of "The Era" gave everyone a day off; to be precise, the lead actress was given a day off.

Chen Yao was going to accompany Na Zha to pick out a wedding dress, and Cai Yinong naturally went along as well.

Naza was very happy about this; having her good older and younger sisters accompany her made it feel more like the proper thing to do.

"It's so similar, so incredibly similar," Cai Yinong exclaimed.

"What does it look like?" Nazha asked curiously.

"It's like a real wedding. What's the difference between you two and a young couple going to a bridal shop?"

"Yeah!"

Na Zha was overjoyed to hear Cai Yinong's words and almost kissed her.

That really hit the nail on the head.

However, just as Na Zha went to change into her wedding dress, Cai Yinong found Chen Yao wandering around with her hands behind her back.

"Yaoyao, why don't you go look at wedding dresses too?"

"Huh? Me?" Chen Yao was a little surprised. "My wedding dress is already prepared."

The wedding in the drama involves two couples, so the costumes and props were prepared well in advance.

However, Nazha only asked him to choose another set.

The production team naturally agreed.

Chen Yao naturally didn't have such a need, since she was only filming a wedding scene, which wasn't that important to her.

“You can change it if you’re ready. Let Xiaobai give you some advice,” Cai Yinong suggested directly.

Chen Yao was a little unsure how to respond to this. She glanced at Bai Liang, who was sitting there petting the cat, and couldn't help but whisper, "Sister Cai, what if Sister Zha notices something's wrong?"

"You'd better be a little bolder! That little rascal Bai Liang has been acting strangely for a while now. He's been fighting with that guy for years, and there are other girls who've gone crazy and are clinging to him. One more or one less won't make a difference."

Chen Yao shook her head again, feeling that it wasn't good for her to act so openly. She preferred to be secretive, and she also felt that she couldn't handle the kind of chaotic fighting and infighting.

Not really interested in participating
However, Cai Yinong then dropped a bombshell, "We're going to take wedding photos later, don't you want to take some too?"

Chen Yao was stunned.

she thinks.

"I'll go ask Brother Xiaobai."

"Do we really need to ask him that?"

Cai Yinong was speechless. If Bai Liang wasn't an idiot, how could he possibly agree?
They'll definitely find some excuse to appease you, like saying something like, "I'll bring you here again next time to pick something special."

However~
“Sure, why don’t you go pick one out too?” Bai Liang readily agreed.

While he was petting the cat, he was actually thinking: Chen Yao must feel uncomfortable with how things were arranged. Now that she has taken the initiative to make a request, he naturally has no reason not to agree.

As for whether it will catch fire and cause an accident?

Master Bai never hesitates or looks back!

Cai Yinong: ? ? ? ?
So brave!

Unexpectedly, even after all these years, Bai Liang still manages to redefine her understanding of things.

Just as she was brainstorming and reflecting, Bai Liang noticed her strange expression.

I couldn't help but say, "Mr. Cai, why don't you go and pick out one too?"

Cai Yinong:
Just as she was speechless, Bai Liang quickly added, "But I won't take pictures with you~"

"Pooh!"

(End of this chapter)