Reborn in the Entertainment Industry: This Top Star Has Real Achievements

His hand had just touched the doorknob when a slow, deliberate voice came from behind him: "Young man, you've got quite a temper..."

Li Xiang turned around and saw Wang Jing leaning back in his chair, his fingertips lightly tracing names on the table: "However, do you think you can just refute Elder Xie's request so easily?"

"Was Teacher Wang's remark a reminder or a warning?"

"What I mean is, I didn't choose this role; it was Mr. Xie who nominated me."

"You're refusing to perform with just one sentence. Do you think Mr. Xie's words are worthless, or do you think you're so powerful that you can bear the consequences?"

"Teacher Wang, you flatter me." Li Xiang's tone also deepened, but his eyes showed no sign of yielding.

"What you're saying is true. If I were to actually grit my teeth and continue acting, that would be a real slap in the face to Elder Xie."

Is it possible that in the future, when audiences mention this movie and this character, their first reaction will be, "Oh, this is the character that was stolen?"

If that happens, it won't just be me who suffers, but also your masterpiece and Mr. Xie's reputation.

"That's your business." Unexpectedly, Wang Jing shrugged, acting as if it were none of his concern.

"You earned the favor with Elder Xie yourself; now you should bear the trouble yourself."

He glanced at Li Xiang, his tone flat, "I can't refuse him for you."

Seeing his attitude, Li Xiang's last remaining politeness vanished.

So, from beginning to end, this director had no intention of taking any responsibility whatsoever.

We're just waiting to see if he'll either swallow his pride and take on the role, or he'll tear off the mask and back out, so that he can legitimately give the position to someone else.

"Then please rest assured, Professor Wang, I will personally speak with Professor Xie, so you don't need to worry about it."

Wang Jing leaned back in his chair, his fingertips pausing on the table. His face was expressionless; he neither tried to persuade him to stay nor offered any further advice, simply saying, "Whatever."

These two words were spoken lightly, yet they seemed to draw a deep line in the air—

If you want to leave, then leave. That will suit him better. If Xie Lao asks about it later, he'll just say it's because you didn't know what was good for you, and it has nothing to do with him.

Li Xiang was too lazy to talk to this kind of person anymore, so he turned around, opened the door, and left.

The door clicked shut, completely blocking out Wang Jing's disgusting, indifferent expression.

The corridor was quiet, but Li Xiang did not stop walking.

He realized that the king was actually hoping he would make some moves.

And those words just now, seemingly a warning, were actually a provocation.

This will provoke him to the point of losing his temper, making his refusal to perform even more resolute, so that there is no room for maneuver in the matter.

Phew! That's fine too.

Li Xiang touched his phone in his pocket; the screen was dark.

Then, he remembered Huang Lei saying that "Wang Jing was not satisfied with him."

Now it seems that this wasn't just dissatisfaction, it was hatred. Perhaps from the very beginning, Wang never intended for him to be able to act in the role.

So, he, Wang, was just watching the show from beginning to end.

Watch him get provoked by Lin Hao, watch him get subtly tricked by County Li, watch him be swept along by public opinion—

Now that he has voluntarily withdrawn, it's probably just what everyone wanted.

They probably forgot that Li Xiang dared to back down, and he had the confidence to do so.

He took out his phone, found Xie Fei's number, hesitated for a moment on the dial button, and finally pressed it.

"Mr. Xie, I'm sorry to bother you. I'm Li Xiang."

Xie Fei's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone: "You're rare, kid. You wanted to talk to me?"

Li Xiang took a deep breath, his tone becoming serious: "There's something I want to tell you. You might not have been paying much attention to the news online these past few days—"

There have been some things going on at the school these past few days, and I just found out that Director Wang actually already had a preferred candidate for the supporting male role.

He deliberately emphasized the words "supporting role," "but the matter wasn't explained clearly, which caused me to get caught up in a lot of public opinion."

"What's more troublesome is that the photos of me meeting you on the day of the school anniversary were posted online, and now many people are watching and gossiping."

He paused, listening to the sounds on the other end, and continued, "Actually, all of that is fine, the main thing is..."

I just went to Teacher Wang's office and talked to him. From what I could tell, he wasn't particularly interested in my participation.

Xie Fei was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "So, you don't want to act in 'A Thousand Arrows Piercing the Heart' anymore?"

"Yes." Li Xiang answered readily, "If I insist on acting, firstly, I will be letting you down, and secondly, if word gets out, it will seem like you are suppressing Director Wang's intentions for my sake."

Besides, if the director doesn't approve, my acting will feel awkward, and I'm afraid I won't achieve the effect you want.

He lowered his stance, his tone carrying a student's candor: "Besides, I'm still a student, and I can't withstand so many storms."

After much thought, I still feel that not performing is the most appropriate course of action, and I hope you can understand.

The conversation was brief and to the point, subtly conveying Wang Jing's attitude, highlighting Xie Fei's reputation, and concluding with the student's perspective—a perfectly balanced approach.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Xie Fei slowly asked, "What did Wang Jing say to you?"

"He didn't say anything, except that when I mentioned not wanting to act, he didn't object."

Li Xiang didn't report anything to his subordinates.

"I've figured it out myself. You can't force things. And I don't want to ruin this great show because of my joining the crew."

Xie Fei chuckled, his tone unreadable: "Alright, I got it. You're not that old, but you think a lot."

"There's no other way; being in the bureau, you have to consider everything carefully," Li Xiang continued, picking up where he left off.

"But I have failed to live up to your good intentions, Mr. Xie."

"What's this talk of letting others down?" Xie Fei paused.

"Since you've made up your mind, then let's leave it at that. I'll tell Wang Jing that you don't need to worry about him."

"Thank you, Mr. Xie."

After hanging up the phone, Li Xiang stood by the window, clutching his phone, finally feeling a weight lifted from his heart.

Some things don't need to be explicitly stated. Xie Fei, a shrewd person who has been in the industry for most of his life, can immediately understand the intricacies of the situation.

Wang Jing probably thought he wouldn't dare to break off relations, so he decided to make the other party think twice—whether Li Xiang dared to do it or not.

As for whether he would offend Elder Xie, Li Xiang thought about it for half the night, and the answer was clear: no.

Even disregarding the fact that he could barely be considered Xie Lao's disciple or grand-disciple by seniority, his role in facilitating the collaboration between the school and Huace has genuinely helped the Beijing Film Academy and its students.

With that old man's influence, once he finds out the truth, he will surely be able to understand his difficulties and even guess Wang Jing's hidden intentions.

Ultimately, what Mr. Xie values ​​is the artwork and the rules, not anyone's face.

By taking a step back, he preserved the quality of the play without putting Mr. Xie in an unfavorable position, which was the most dignified approach.

Li Xiang squeezed the phone, and the coolness on his fingertips dissipated a little.

This move wasn't particularly risky, but it was enough to show some people with ulterior motives that he wasn't someone to be easily manipulated.