Chinese entertainment: Top stars started being pursued by young actresses

Chapter 171, Section 170: Zhang Jingyi Discovers Lin Shaobai and Zhou Ye's Ambiguous Relationship (6K)

When Lin Shaobai opened his eyes in the morning, he saw Chen Duling sitting next to him.

Chen Duling had her back to him, her posture upright and elegant, her long, black hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall.

It seems they've finished washing up.

She was wearing a white dress at the moment, exuding a cool and aloof aura.

The surrounding environment seemed to become quiet and peaceful because of her.

It was completely different from the fierce battle last night.

After a moment, Chen Duling turned her head and smiled slightly: "You're awake?"

"Ah."

Lin Shaobai nodded.

"Did you sleep well, Kobayashi?"

"not good."

"Ok?"

"Sister Duling always seems to be not enough."

"..."

Chen Duling's face flushed red.

"You, you, you shouldn't use such words."

Chen Duling immediately turned her head to the side, not wanting the blush on her face to be noticed.

Lin Shaobai stood up and hugged her: "Okay, I won't say anything more, alright?"

"You really aren't going to talk about it anymore?"

"I won't talk about it now."

"Then you'll have to say more later."

Chen Duling was somewhat exasperated. After hesitating for a while, she said, "Xiao Lin, actually, there's something else I need to say."

"Hmm? What's going on?"

"..."

"Just say it directly."

“I…I want to collaborate with more brands.”

Chen Duling directly expressed her thoughts.

Lin Shaobai was stunned for a moment.

Chen Duling took a deep breath and continued, "I've always been quite lacking in endorsement deals. Could you... could you help me?"

"can."

"Really?"

Chen Duling clearly didn't react.

This went very smoothly.

"Don't worry, Sister Duling, I'll keep everything you said in mind."

"That's great... thank you."

"There's no need for us to be so polite."

Lin Shaobai cupped Chen Duling's face and kissed her, his hands gently pushing her away as they began to wander.

"No, Kobayashi, I'm... all dressed. If... I have to start all over again..."

Chen Duling blushed as she spoke, but when she looked up at Lin Shaobai's face again, she felt a little reluctant.

"Is it really not working, Sister Duling?"

"..."

Chen Duling is a few years older than Lin Shaobai; their relationship is purely that of an older woman and a younger man.

She simply couldn't resist Lin Shaobai looking at her like that.

"I just can't do anything with you. Fine..."

……

……

For the past few days since returning from Hainan Island, Lin Shaobai has been busy filming "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

During his free time, he made a special trip to Huace Company to have an in-depth conversation with his father.

"Dad, the contract is about to expire, and I don't plan to renew it."

Lin's father was completely bewildered after hearing this.

"What...what happened to you? What's bothering you?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted a change of scenery. I want to work for myself."

The company's top guy, my dear son!

Lin's father had a bitter pill to swallow.

In fact, Lin Shaobai knew this very well.

From the very beginning, they were just using the large company platform of Huace to obtain resources.

He knew he would become famous, so he discussed with his father and signed a short-term contract.

It's not the kind of contract that lasts 8-10 years.

Tian Xiwei and Wang Churan also signed a one-year contract, after which the company and the individuals will consider whether to renew the contract.

Companies generally don't bother with these short-term contracts and won't allocate any resources to them.

If it weren't for Lin Shaobai's recommendation, they wouldn't have been able to get any good roles.

One of them signed in September 2018 and the other in October 2018; their contracts expire this year.

Lin Shaobai rose to fame with "Ashes of Love" and became a top star with "Go Go Squid!"

As a singer, he has also produced well-known songs such as "Mohe Dance Hall", "If the Moon Didn't Come", "Young and Promising", "Quietly", "Late September", "Love That Will Never Be Lost", "Guest", and "Mojito".

He debuted in 2017 and won the Best Male Singer award in 2019.

These are all experiences he has gradually grown up through, and the capital he has accumulated.

Now is the right time to start my own company, which will give me more freedom.

He doesn't need to worry about film and television resources at all. Even if he's not on the Chinese side, his parents are always there for him.

Moreover, the big directors value his popularity and acting skills; he's the one choosing the projects, not the other way around.

Seeing how persistent Lin Shaobai was, Lin's father didn't say anything more.

"Okay, whatever you do, Dad will support you. If you have any difficulties, just tell Dad, and Dad will definitely help you."

"Ah."

Lin's father is now a major shareholder of Huace and has a certain degree of influence.

He was also aware that he felt deeply guilty towards his son because of the chaos his family had experienced due to his divorce years ago.

All I want now is to make amends.

After finishing his work at the company, Lin Shaobai returned to the film set to continue filming.

He acts as the male lead Zhang Wansen during the day and writes songs and registers copyrights at night.

I originally planned to release a single, but then I thought it would be better to write several songs and release an album.

He's incredibly busy every day; it feels like every single minute is part of his plan.

That evening, Lin Shaobai sat at his desk writing a song.

The song "If I Could" was very popular, and it topped the charts on various platforms as soon as it was released.

It's still the theme song of the movie.

It became a hit song of the year, was covered by many online celebrities, won the Top Ten Chinese Songs of the Year Award, the Top 100 Singles of the Year Award, and most importantly, was nominated for the Golden Melody Award for Song of the Year.

Zhang Jingyi was taking a shower in the bathroom.

She washed up unusually quickly this time, and came out early to grab something to eat.

She happily carried a plate of crystal grapes to Lin Shaobai's room.

She first secretly opened a small gap, and through this small space, she saw that Lin Shaobai was working intently.

He was extremely careful throughout, so Lin Shaobai didn't notice anything unusual behind him.

Zhang Jingyi thinks Lin Shaobai is most charming when he's working.

I liked him before, but seeing him like this makes me like him even more!

If you get closer, you can hear Lin Shaobai humming a song.

Zhang Jingyi occasionally suffered from insomnia during the filming of the TV series.

She put herself into the role of the female character and sometimes thought that if she hadn't been reborn, Lin Beixing would have really missed Zhang Wansen.

I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about it.

When Lin Shaobai noticed that she had insomnia, he would sing her calming songs to lull her to sleep.

Whenever Zhang Jingyi thinks of these memories, a smile involuntarily appears on her lips, her heart and eyes filled with the sweetness of their courtship.

"Forget it, let's not bother him."

But just as she turned around, she heard Lin Shaobai pick up his phone and say, "Senior Sister."

"Sister?"

Zhang Jingyi froze on the spot, feeling a chill envelop her.

"Yes, I know it's your birthday soon. May 20th, 520, easy to remember."

"I know I know."

Lin Shaobai's voice drifted over on the wind.

It felt light and airy, yet it struck Zhang Jingyi's heart like a heavy hammer blow.

Senior sister...

Lin Shaobai said something about his senior sister?

Which senior sister?

Which other senior sister could it be!

Only Senior Sister Zhou Ye could use such gentle and doting words.

Only that one senior sister could make Lin Shaobai call her that!
He didn't seem to say anything explicit, but the way he spoke, like he was coaxing his girlfriend, made Zhang Jingyi feel a pain in her heart.

It felt like someone reached into my heart and squeezed it hard, as if they were going to burst it.

Zhang Jingyi couldn't help but recall the scene when she questioned Zhou Ye.

Wasn't that clearly explained back then?
They said it was just a working relationship during filming.

If there were no relationship, why would someone use this tone?!
And since he's already dating Lin Shaobai, shouldn't he keep his distance from Zhou Ye?!
Was Zhou Ye lying all along?

Is she lying?
Zhang Jingyi stood there, feeling her mind go completely blank.

Lin Shaobai, who was inside the room, chatted briefly on the phone before hanging up and putting it aside to continue working on the song.

He didn't have time to talk much.

There are things to do today, and things to do tomorrow. They must be dealt with quickly, otherwise, things will pile up and cause even more headaches.

They're still preparing to establish a new company; there's so much to do.

Zhang Jingyi turned sideways and looked at Lin Shaobai through that tiny gap.

She wanted to rush in and ask why he had said that.

Birthday?

Why do you remember Zhou Ye's birthday?
Isn't this unnecessary?
I'm your girlfriend!

Are you a fan of hers?
Do we have to celebrate her birthday?
Or is it some other kind of relationship?
Why use that tone!
Zhang Jingyi grew angrier the more she thought about it. Her hand had already reached the door, but she slowly pulled it back.

Is this... really a good idea?
Zhang Jingyi clenched her fist, her nails digging into her hand.

She wanted to use the pain to control her temper.

She is essentially a gentle and mild-mannered person; if it were someone else, they would have rushed in and asked her questions long ago.

Don't act impulsively, don't act impulsively, you absolutely must not act impulsively.

Zhang Jingyi silently recited it in her heart.

Should we pretend we didn't hear it?
Should I ask on another day?
Once, once the relationship between the two people is revealed, then...

It just broke, didn't it?

There's no going back.

Lin Shaobai recommended "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

Without Lin Shaobai, it would have been impossible for her to be the female lead in this drama.

Must be calm.

After thinking it through, Zhang Jingyi silently closed the door and left Lin Shaobai's hotel room.

I slowly walked down the corridor and returned to my hotel room.

Once inside, she leaned weakly against the door, the chill still lingering on her body.

"Kobayashi...you...you...oh."

Zhang Jingyi picked up her phone and kept scrolling through it, browsing Weibo and short videos, but she was still distracted.

Later, she opened the Beijing Film Academy student group and, through a series of clues, found Zhou Ye's QQ account.

On QQ, the space isn't fully visible because we're not friends.

Zhang Jingyi was originally thinking about whether she should add it using a secondary account.

But the smaller account would probably disagree even less.

Zhou Ye probably doesn't have the habit of adding strangers for no reason.

Why not just use the larger size?
Zhang Jingyi's phone screen remained stuck on the "Request to add friends" page.

She pondered repeatedly whether or not to add it.
Won't that be awkward?

Forget it.

A moment later, Zhang Jingyi put her phone aside and went to wash up as usual.

Get a good night's sleep first.

I couldn't fall asleep even after lying in bed for two hours.

Tossing and turning.

"Shaobai, why do you remember her birthday?"

Is she that important to you?

"I really want to ask... I really want to know your answer."

Zhang Jingyi slowly bent over, curling up into a ball, looking extremely insecure.

She covered her chest with her hand, feeling her heartbeat.

My chest feels so tight, like it's blocked with cement.

Actually, this matter can't be resolved right now because the two of them are still filming. She still needs to rely on Lin Shaobai.

Zhang Jingyi clearly understands that she is not strong at all right now.

We must not ruin the relationship between the two of us at this crucial point.

It was midnight when Lin Shaobai finally finished his work and left the room.

Looking around, I realized that Zhang Jingyi had already left.

She's probably going back to her own hotel room.

At this point, Lin Shaobai didn't realize anything was wrong until the next day when he discovered that Zhang Jingyi hadn't spoken to him since they were filming.

This is very strange.

Zhang Jingyi is rather socially awkward. During breaks, she either sits quietly by herself reading her lines or stays by Lin Shaobai's side.

But this time... it seems she's deliberately avoiding it.

Lin Shaobai found it strange.

Aside from filming, Zhang Jingyi and he never exchange a single word.

Lin Shaobai glanced at her from afar.

"Boss!" Assistant Xiao Liu came running from a distance, handing over two cups of milk tea. "Boss! I bought you milk tea, praise me!"

Lin Shaobai picked up the milk tea and walked towards Zhang Jingyi.

Assistant Xiao Liu looked completely bewildered.

what?
No?

Why was it given to someone else?

Lin Shaobai walked up to Zhang Jingyi with the milk tea in his hand: "Want some milk tea?"

Zhang Jingyi had been looking down at the script, but slowly looked up after hearing Lin Shaobai's voice.

"I don't want any. Thank you."

Zhang Jingyi didn't look at Lin Shaobai and seemed very unnatural throughout.

"...What's wrong with you?"

Lin Shaobai noticed the unease and asked directly.

Zhang Jingyi couldn't help but frown.

"Shaobai".

She suddenly stood up, her eyes as gentle as ever, but a closer look revealed a hint of sadness.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"..."

Zhang Jingyi pursed her lips, looked at the people coming and going around her, and finally gave up on talking about what happened yesterday.

"nothing."

"..."

Afterwards, the two continued filming as if nothing had happened.

Private emotions should not be displayed publicly.

You can't stop filming just because of your personal emotions.

First of all, we can't afford the compensation.

Secondly, a TV series is not just about the actors' efforts.

There were also makeup artists, lighting technicians, screenwriters, directors, and all sorts of staff, big and small; this was the result of everyone's hard work.

Zhang Jingyi held back because she was thinking about this point.

She was afraid of arguing, afraid that this would cause a conflict with Lin Shaobai and that their relationship would never be the same again.

If there were problems in their relationship, the film wouldn't be able to capture the love story between Lin Beixing and Zhang Wansen.

We've already filmed this far, we can't let all our previous efforts go to waste.

Zhang Jingyi could only sigh whenever she thought of this.

The date is May 20th, which is Sunday.

Coincidentally, today, tomorrow, and the day after are all days off.

After finishing filming, Lin Shaobai booked a flight from Xiamen back to Beijing to celebrate Zhou Ye's birthday.

Assistant Xiao Liu had packed his things for him early in the morning, so Lin Shaobai could just pick them up and leave.

But as soon as he stepped out of the room, Zhang Jingyi blocked his way.

She stood in front of Lin Shaobai, dressed in casual everyday clothes.

I've lost some weight recently, and I look very thin.

"Where are you going?"

Zhang Jingyi lowered her eyelids and asked in a calm tone.

"I'm going back to Beijing; there's something I need to do at the school."

"What's wrong at school?"

Lin Shaobai was stunned for a moment.

He and Zhang Jingyi were classmates, students taught by the same teacher.

If something happens at school, Zhang Jingyi, a good student, will definitely be the first to know.

Lin Shaobai understood that Zhang Jingyi knew he had lied...

It was obvious that the two of them were stuck in an awkward silence because of that sentence.

Even Xiao Liu, the assistant who had been carrying things behind them, sensed that something was off.

He held his breath.

Has the boss given himself away?

Xiao Liu thinks their boss is hiding it very well.

but……

There are no secrets that stay hidden forever.

Paper cannot hold fire.

Assistant Xiao Liu could only be an observer.

He's just a junior assistant, he can't handle much.

Lin Shaobai felt something was very wrong.

The Zhang Jingyi of the past would never have asked such detailed questions.

His tone was soft, but it seemed to carry a hint of anger.

"I understand. Shaobai, be careful."

Zhang Jingyi was torn between two options, but after a dozen seconds of internal struggle, she decided to back down.

The air had already turned freezing; if we continued talking, I felt we were going to argue.

Zhang Jingyi hates arguing with people.

I hate it so much.

"Okay. You should get some rest."

Lin Shaobai didn't say anything more and quickly left the hotel with his assistant, Xiao Liu.

Zhang Jingyi returned to her room and chatted with her best friend Li Tongtong.

This Li Tongtong is not only her best friend, but also her classmate at the Beijing Film Academy.

"Xiao Zhang, why did you suddenly decide to call me?"

Li Tongtong wasn't as lucky as Zhang Jingyi; no big star took notice of her or recommended her.

Despite constantly submitting resumes and auditioning, he could only manage to land a role that was practically indistinguishable from that of an extra.

Without connections, it's really hard to make it in the entertainment industry.

Presumably, every student studying at the Beijing Film Academy understands this principle before entering the entertainment industry.

"I have a question for you."

"Do you have any more questions for me? I don't know how I can help you."

At that moment, her best friend had no idea that it was a relationship problem.

"My boyfriend..."

"Oh, Lin Shaobai."

"Ok?"

Zhang Jingyi was stunned for a moment.

She wondered if she had told her best friend who this person was.

"Aren't you curious? Curious how I knew your boyfriend was Lin Shaobai?"

Zhang Jingyi, on the other end of the phone, gripped her phone tightly and nodded softly.

"Ah."

"You're such a fool. You're so good at studying, how come you're so slow in this area? I'm a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, you know. I can spot the slightest clues. I just haven't said anything yet."

"Then don't tell anyone, okay?"

Zhang Jingyi presents a well-behaved girl image.

"Okay, okay, of course no problem. I'll definitely keep it a secret, I'm your good friend."

"I have something I want to ask you. The other day I overheard my boyfriend saying that he remembered another girl's birthday, and he remembered it very clearly. He also spoke to the girl in a very affectionate and gentle tone... I've thought about it for several nights and I still can't figure it out. Um, am I being too petty?"

Zhang Jingyi frowned slightly, holding her phone in one hand and a bowl of freshly poured hot water in the other.

Her pale face was reflected in the water.

"Wow."

"what?"

"You're not just petty, you're incredibly magnanimous. Aren't you going to press me about this?"

Her best friend didn't understand.

This is showing signs of life, shouldn't we seize the opportunity?!

It will be too late to wait for it to burn into a raging grassland!
"I know, that's what I wanted to ask, but... but aren't we filming together right now? What if we argue, will we still be able to film?"

"That's true. We can't let it affect filming. We've already signed the contract, we can't just stop filming halfway through, right? The penalty for breach of contract is too high for us to afford. So... listen to me, let's wait until filming is finished before you resolve this issue, okay?"

"That's what I was thinking too, but I feel really tight in my chest and want to talk to someone about it. Promise me you'll keep it a secret."

"Do not worry."

After chatting about other things, Zhang Jingyi hung up the phone.

The answer she received was the same as what she had expected.

Let's pretend we don't know for now.

We'll deal with it after the TV series finishes filming in July.

The filming of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" took only two months, which is a very short time.

It's already May 20th, just a blink of an eye.

Zhang Jingyi picked up her water glass and drank.

Sigh, I chatted with my friend for so long that the hot water turned cold.

……

That evening, Lin Shaobai flew back to his large apartment.

Assistant Xiao Liu placed the birthday gift on the ground in advance.

The gift contained a huge doll, which was inconvenient for Lin Shaobai to carry.

Before Zhou Ye arrived, he was sitting on the sofa dealing with work matters.

"The first album will contain six songs, mostly love songs... I originally started out singing love songs..."

While talking to my agent on the phone, Zhang Jingyi's image vaguely appeared in my mind.

That one moment left him stunned for a full five seconds.

"What's wrong, Shao Bai?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Sister Li, I have to go now."

Lin Shaobai lowered his head, recalling Zhang Jingyi's strange behavior during the past few days of filming.

This strange behavior isn't something that happened overnight.

And you still want to ask what exactly you came to the capital for?
Lin Shaobai closed his eyes and pondered for a while, then came up with a bold idea.

Could it be that Zhang Jingyi discovered Zhou Ye?

Otherwise, why would you ask about the capital?

Because the capital city has Zhou Ye.

They even asked why I was going back to school?
"jingle."

The doorbell rang suddenly, abruptly interrupting Lin Shaobai's thoughts.

He got up to open the door, and Zhou Ye's senior sister smiled brightly with her hands behind her back.

She first pretended to be reserved as she walked in, and then, once the door was completely closed, she suddenly threw herself into Lin Shaobai's arms.

"Xiaolin! It's been so long! I really, really, really miss you! I miss you so much! I miss you a thousand times over."

Lin Shaobai chuckled, annoyed, "It's not necessary to say something like that out loud."

"Do you know how happy I was when I heard that you were going to fly all the way here to celebrate my birthday with me?"

Zhou Ye gently rested his head on Lin Shaobai's chest, feeling his breath and strong heartbeat.

"I'm so happy~"

"You were born on a lucky day. I don't have any filming tomorrow or the day after."

Lin Shaobai picked up Zhou Ye and spun him around before gently placing him on the sofa.

"Come, come, let me see what birthday present you bought for me. It has to be something I'm happy with."

Zhou Ye stood with one hand on his hip and the other pointing at Lin Shaobai, whose face still held that same spirited charm.

"Oh? What can I do if I don't satisfy you?"

Lin Shaobai put down everything he was doing and looked at Zhou Ye intently.

"Um... if you don't satisfy me... if you don't satisfy me... then..."

Zhou Ye couldn't give a definitive answer either.

Then, with a cute but fierce stomp of her foot, she said impatiently, "Okay, okay! I want to see the gift you bought me. The gift is the most important thing; nothing else matters. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!"

It's so cute, like a spoiled Samoyed.

"Knowing you like Harry Potter, I bought you a Harry Potter hat first."

(End of this chapter)