Male Sing and His Pet Owner: Chapter 27

Zhao Kaile had always slept alone, and completely didn’t know he could be so restless when sleeping at night. He died of social embarrassment on the spot.

He looked at Zhan Hang with a face full of regret and guilt, feeling so ashamed he didn’t know what to do.

Zhan Hang turned over as if deflating, closed his eyes and said: “Forget it. Go buy me breakfast and coffee. Wake me up at eight on the dot. I want to sleep another hour. Starting now, don’t make any sound at all.”

Zhao Kaile pressed his lips tight and nodded repeatedly, then tiptoed out the door.

When they arrived on set, Zhan Hang’s condition was indeed not as good. Though he tried his best to explode with emotion while delivering lines, Zhang Zheng was still not very satisfied. A simple emotional scene was stubbornly filmed for several hours.

When he came off set he sat in the chair with an exhausted face, tilting his head back and letting the makeup assistant pat and tap on his face.

Zhao Kaile’s heart was beating drums and gongs, thinking that last night he might as well have slept on the floor……

Zhan Hang said: “Eye drops.”

Zhao Kaile returned to his senses, leaning sideways to rummage in his bag.

The assistant girl finished her task and left. Zhao Kaile stood to one side, looking at Zhan Hang face to face. Zhan Hang hugged his arms and looked at him numbly: “Come over and drip them. Do you want me to deliver my head to you?”

Zhao Kaile walked over, bent down and pulled open his eyelid.

The two of them were very close, almost able to feel each other’s breath. Zhao Kaile inexplicably felt a bit nervous, and slightly furrowed his brow.

Zhan Hang openly examined him, his eyebrows moving.

Zhao Kaile tried hard to control his hands from trembling, and finished the dripping without incident, slowly standing straight.

Two staff members carrying equipment cases passed by, shouting make way make way with their mouths, but their bodies squeezed over without any restraint. Zhao Kaile was completely unprepared, and was bumped into a stagger by one of the older men with his backside, suddenly lunging forward.

Zhan Hang was startled, and hurriedly reached out to catch him, but unexpectedly caught empty air. Zhao Kaile reacted very quickly, bending his knee, both hands steadily propping on the chair armrests, his head almost about to bump into Zhan Hang’s chest, looking like he was about to immediately kneel down to Zhan Hang.

Zhan Hang: “……..”

He nonchalantly withdrew his hand, and before Zhao Kaile noticed, quickly resumed his original posture.

Zhao Kaile stood up still in shock, turned back to look at the two instigators. The two older men just laughed heartily at him, said sorry sorry and walked far away. So even if he had anger he couldn’t vent it, and could only secretly curse shit under his breath.

Yao Min’er watched all this clearly from not far away, came over holding a cup of water, and laughed directly at Zhao Kaile: “What were you two doing just now? Which drama’s emperor and minister are you acting?”

Zhao Kaile’s face was speechless: “Sister Min’er……”

“Oh you poor little thing.” Yao Min’er was already quite familiar with him, and took a stool to sit down on her own, clipping the fallen fake broken hair behind her ear, and said to Zhan Hang: “Why do you seem a bit off today, shidi, what’s wrong?”

Zhan Hang propped his chin and said weakly: “Nothing.”

Zhao Kaile said with shame: “Hang-ge had insomnia last night, so……”

“Oh, why insomnia again?” Yao Min’er asked: “When I first met you, you were listless every day, also saying it was insomnia. How is it still not better now, have you been to the hospital to check?”

Zhan Hang said: “The doctor says my body is fairly healthy. It’s a psychological problem.”

Yao Min’er: “What psychological problem?”

Zhan Hang smiled, and didn’t say explicitly.

Yao Min’er didn’t ask further, and said on her own: “Drinking milk before bed, getting a massage or something, might all be somewhat useful.”

While speaking she looked at Zhao Kaile, and Zhao Kaile nodded with a sincere face: “All have been tried.”

But none were very useful.

Zhan Hang’s expression was indifferent. Actually his sleep quality during this period had improved a lot, at least much better than the period before Zhao Kaile came.

Maybe because during the day he was already exhausted enough from lecturing this clueless little brat, so he slept very soundly at night.

Over there Zhao Kaile and Yao Min’er had somehow chatted to somewhere else. By now she had already opened her phone to show Zhao Kaile photos of her child. Zhan Hang felt slightly speechless. He truly admired Zhao Kaile’s magical ability. From elderly people in their fifties down to three year old children, he could find common topics with all of them. In between he was especially a friend to women, invincible.

“Right, those few who cut in line will be coming this afternoon.” Before going on set Yao Min’er gave him a heavy news: “You take a nap at noon, no more NG. Look at Director Zhang’s face, even I’m a bit scared.”

Zhan Hang covered his face with both hands, and said quite painfully: “I’ll do my best.”

Seeing Yao Min’er walk far away, Zhao Kaile asked curiously: “Who are the ones cutting in line?”

Zhan Hang said: “The investors’ seventh aunts and eighth grandmothers.”

Zhao Kaile asked: “Why are they cutting in line?”

Zhan Hang: “To show their faces.”

Zhao Kaile asked again: “Are they also celebrities?”

Zhan Hang: “They’re all marginal figures…… why are you asking so much?”

Zhao Kaile hesitated looking at him.

Zhan Hang lost his temper: “Speak.”

“Is Li Siyi among them?” Zhao Kaile asked what he cared about most.

Zhan Hang finally realized something, propped his chin and examined him: “Are you still afraid of her?”

Zhao Kaile said: “No, I’m just asking.”

Zhan Hang showed a mocking smile.

Zhao Kaile honestly made a gesture, indicating just a tiny bit.

Zhan Hang changed which leg he was crossing, and said faintly: “I’m still here, how would she dare.”

But no matter how much both sides resisted, this encounter still had to happen.

Past two in the afternoon, Li Siyi’s entrance was still as grand and extravagant as before, walking haughtily down the red carpet. Only this time she didn’t acknowledge anyone, and went straight into the makeup room, coming out past three.

Zhao Kaile pretended not to see. Zhan Hang was busy on set, so he sat playing mobile games, as if entering a realm with no one else.

After several days, Li Siyi confronted Zhan Hang head on again. Only this time it was under the watchful eyes of everyone, so neither side could easily act out.

Zhan Hang and the Mo Qianqian she played were cousins who hadn’t seen each other for many years. The two reunited, full of joy and delight, warmly embracing. When Zhan Hang leaned close to her ear he asked with a smile in a light voice: “Was it you?”

Li Siyi’s red lips slightly parted, and she smiled saying: “You guess.”

The two separated, and when they looked at each other there was already a bit of gunpowder meaning.

Zhang Zheng: “Cut!”

He held the megaphone and had the staff restore the set, then frowned and said to the two of them: “The eyes aren’t quite right. Siyi, I specifically told you about this scene before, did you forget again?”

Li Siyi slightly pursed her lips, putting on a pitiful expression, and said coquettishly: “Sorry, Director Zhang.”

Zhang Zheng: “Zhan Hang, your eyes aren’t passionate enough. One more take.”

Zhan Hang nodded, closed his eyes and brewed up some emotion.

The two returned to their positions. Zhang Zheng waved the clapperboard: “Action!”

Zhan Hang opened his eyes, smiling: “Qianqian! It’s you!”

“Cousin!” Li Siyi’s eyes were slightly moist, almost crying from joy: “It’s me! I’m Qianqian, you still remember me??”

Zhan Hang took a few steps forward. Li Siyi ran over like a flying flower butterfly, throwing herself into his arms, tightly hugging his waist, pressing her cheek against his chest. Zhan Hang placed one hand lightly on her back and waist, one hand supporting the back of her head, his eyes full of tenderness: “Of course I remember, how could cousin forget Qianqian?”

Not far away Zhao Kaile looked up watching this, his face full of shock. What is this, what is this?? Is this what they call an actor’s cultivation??

Honestly, anyone who saw this harmonious scene would never associate it with the fact that behind the scenes one called the other a plastic surgery face and lousy vase, while the other hired people to publicly pelt eggs at the other’s head.

This world is too fantastical.

Before Zhao Kaile finished being shocked, on set Zhang Zheng clapped and announced this take passed. They quickly began preparing the next scene, and actors came on set one after another.

Yao Min’er rubbed her eyes a few times, and her eye sockets quickly reddened. She lifted her skirt and took small steps into the courtyard. Seeing this scene, she immediately developed a misunderstanding.

“Shen Qing” looked at “Xiao Yao” with an unbelieving face, continuously shaking her head, and retreated a few steps back.

Xiao Yao realized his lover had entered, and reacted extremely quickly, pushing Mo Qianqian out of his arms in one go, and chased after Shen Qing: “Qing’er! Listen to my explanation!”

Zhao Kaile: “…….”

Melodramatic, too melodramatic. Was this script demonically modified in Aunt Qiong Yao’s style?? How come when watching the plot parts before they all seemed quite normal?

Mo Qianqian was pushed into a stagger, her back violently hitting a pillar, and she vomited a mouthful of blood.

Zhao Kaile: “?!!!?”

Zhang Zheng shouted cut again, dissatisfied saying: “The fall isn’t right! One more take! Siyi, let go a bit, your fall is too fake. Don’t be afraid, this pillar has padding inside, it won’t hurt very much.”

Li Siyi answered okay with grievance. The female assistant came over to wipe her blood, repadded the blood pack, and tidied her hair ornaments. She raised her eyes to look at Zhan Hang. Zhan Hang curved his lips in a smile, and Li Siyi’s spine inexplicably felt cold, always feeling some bad premonition.

Everyone finished preparations and began filming again.

Xiao Yao violently pushed Mo Qianqian out of his arms, turned to chase Shen Qing. Mo Qianqian banged into the pillar with a thud, puffed and vomited blood. However when hitting the pillar she used too much force, and her hair ornament fell crooked.

Zhang Zheng: “Cut!!! Again!”

Li Siyi: “……..”

The third time filming began, Xiao Yao shouted: “Qing’er!” Then pushed Mo Qianqian toward the pillar in one go. Li Siyan leaned against the pillar and slowly slid to the ground, wanting to vomit blood outside, but the blood pack wasn’t bitten open, and the fake blood didn’t flow out.

This time even Zhang Zheng was speechless, and could only suppress his temper saying: “Again.”

Zhan Hang looked at her with sympathetic eyes, only saying a word of hard work with his mouth, but his person didn’t move at all, completely with no intention of helping her up.

The fourth time filming began, she wasn’t pushed to the pillar. NG. The fifth time the position was pushed correctly, but the foam padded pillar couldn’t support it and actually tilted and fell over. NG again……

NG for nearly an hour, Li Siyi couldn’t take it, and sat on the stool throwing a tantrum.

But this opportunity was obtained by her boyfriend pulling strings everywhere, and with great difficulty she was squeezed in. She couldn’t act like other first or second tier stars and throw her weight around at every turn. On the surface she could only dryly endure this anger.

Zhang Zheng seemed to see something, and called Zhan Hang over to speak a few words alone. So near the time to wrap, this scene finally passed.

Translation Notes:

“NG” — “No Good,” a film industry term for a failed take that must be reshot. Common in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean film production terminology.