Male Sing and His Pet Owner: Chapter 33

Early September, and the weather was still scorching hot. Every day before leaving the room, Zhao Kaile had to slather Zhan Hang from head to toe in sunscreen, or by the time filming wrapped he would have turned into a lump of charcoal.

While Zhan Hang was on set filming, Zhao Kaile sat fanning himself frantically with a handheld fan, feeling on the verge of heatstroke.

His phone buzzed with a notification. Li Wenyao was complaining again: I seriously can’t stand my dad’s temper anymore! Damn it! I’m running away from home!

Zhao Kaile replied: Give it a rest. In this heat, where exactly are you planning to run to?

Li Wenyao: Anyway, I don’t want to stay at this crappy company anymore. Where are you right now? My sister said you went out of province.

Zhao Kaile: Yeah.

Then he sent a location pin.

Li Wenyao: Oh, so that’s where you are. I know this place well. My mom and I used to come here for vacation during summer break a couple years back.

Zhao Kaile asked: Really? Any good food or fun spots? Recommend some.

Li Wenyao rattled off a whole list, then replied with concern: What’s the point of recommending them to you? Do you even have time to go out and have fun?

Zhao Kaile: …….

He had a point. The production crew was pushing the schedule so hard that Zhan Hang was already exhausted to the point of collapse just from filming during the day, let alone going out at night. The shoot was scheduled for half a month, and they’d probably only get one day off at most. And even if they did get a break, Zhan Hang might not even be in the mood to go out. Thinking further ahead, once filming wrapped successfully, according to Bai Li’s plans, Zhan Hang could go straight from this set to preparing for the next one, as if they were trying to squeeze every last drop of vitality and value out of him while he was still young.

After mulling it over, Zhao Kaile decided to pretend none of this had ever crossed his mind.

He sent a prayer hands emoji: Hope everything goes smoothly.

Li Wenyao expressed sympathy: Forget it. Looks like you’re not doing much better than me.

The two of them chatted about random nonsense for a while, and Zhao Kaile couldn’t hold it in anymore. He spilled everything that had happened over the past few days.

Li Wenyao got worked up after hearing it: He actually laid hands on you?? This is outrageous!

Zhao Kaile hurriedly said: No no no, he just pushed me a little, not even hard. Can you not focus on these weird details!

Li Wenyao scolded him: And you apologized to someone with violent tendencies? You should have turned around and left, you know?? And you just stood there waiting for him to come back. You’re not his dog. He only pays you ten thousand a month, so why are you acting so loyal and devoted!

Zhao Kaile: You’re not a dog!

(Recall)

Zhao Kaile: You are the dog!

Li Wenyao: Heh.

Zhao Kaile: Listen to me, Yao-ge. Hang-ge really isn’t what you think. If you spent some time with him, you’d definitely develop a proper understanding of him.

Li Wenyao: Once there’s a first time, there will be a second. This time he got angry and pushed you, you apologized and forgave him. What about next time? Next time he might just hit you directly, and the time after that he might pull out a knife. Would his apology still matter then?

Zhao Kaile broke out in a cold sweat: Hey! You’re getting more and more ridiculous!

Li Wenyao: My dad is looking to hire an administrative clerk recently. The pay isn’t as good as what you get now, but the work would definitely be easier than what you’re doing. Want to come?

Zhao Kaile: …….. No no no, you’ve completely misunderstood him. Forget it……. No matter what I say now, you won’t believe me. Let’s talk when I get back mid-month.

Li Wenyao: Sigh.

Zhao Kaile’s mind was completely scrambled. He had been trying to express that Zhan Hang treated him incredibly well and indulged him so much, but somehow by the time it reached Li Wenyao’s ears, Zhan Hang had transformed into an irredeemable demonic villain who oppressed him daily and used him as a punching bag.

A break was called on set, and Zhan Hang came off stage. Zhao Kaile didn’t have time to think about all that anymore. He quickly put away his phone and grabbed a towel to wipe Zhan Hang’s sweat.

Zhan Hang sat there motionless, letting him wipe the sweat, while holding his phone up to his face. On the screen was clearly the latest chapter of the novel Zhao Kaile was currently serializing. Zhao Kaile caught a glimpse and was instantly so embarrassed he could dig a hole in the ground with his toes.

“With a face as wimpy as yours, how do you manage to write something so……..” Zhan Hang squinted at the screen and said, “Really strange.”

Zhao Kaile laughed awkwardly. Although he had long known that this man’s mouth only produced eloquent poetry when insulting people and became linguistically disabled when giving compliments, it still made him angry every single time.

“Do these characters you write have real life prototypes?” Zhan Hang asked. “Who’s the prototype for the Snake Woman?”

Zhao Kaile stiffly said, “The Snake Woman’s appearance is based on Medusa…….”

Zhan Hang asked, “Then what about the female lead? Did you model her looks after Zhang Wenqian?”

Zhao Kaile: “…….C, caught you.”

Zhan Hang asked a bit angrily, “I’m this handsome, why don’t I have any scenes.”

“……” Zhao Kaile was caught between laughing and crying: “I started writing this book before you existed……. No, I mean, before I met you!”

Zhan Hang accepted this explanation, made a noncommittal sound, and after reading a bit more said, “If Zhang Wenqian knew you wrote her like an idiot, she’d definitely be furious.”

Zhao Kaile panicked instantly: “Y, y, you absolutely cannot tell her.”

“Fine.” Zhan Hang said. “Then cut some of the female lead’s scenes. I want to see the Snake Woman and the male lead get a happy ending.”

Zhao Kaile: “……………………”

Was this the legendary power of capital!

No wonder TV dramas had been getting worse and worse these past few years. Because when the screenwriters were writing, way too many outsiders jumped in to point fingers and dictate things! And he had no choice but to change it!

For a full two weeks, Zhao Kaile suffered through his writing time under Zhan Hang’s forced interference. He trotted out one theoretical concept after another trying to convince Zhan Hang to give up.

However, he discovered these grand principles were completely useless on Zhan Hang, so he could only resort to crude threats: “If you keep this up, I! WILL! STOP! UPDATING!” Zhan Hang nodded along, raised an eyebrow, and said indifferently, “You can try. Then I’ll tie you up and not let you eat until you write.”

Zhao Kaile: “…….Hey! Are you a bandit or something!”

Zhan Hang hmphed, then revealed a triumphant smile: “Forget it, I’m not teasing you anymore. Write.”

“……..” Zhao Kaile averted his gaze and turned his back to him, clacking away at the keyboard.

Zhan Hang considerately closed the door for him and went back to his own room to scroll through videos.

A moment later, Zhao Kaile collapsed onto the keyboard in frustration, screaming internally, his mind filled with Zhan Hang’s smug expression of pointing fingers and giving orders. He couldn’t write a single word.

He hated how Zhan Hang barged into his spiritual world so overbearingly, yet he also kind of liked that inexplicable sense of intimacy Zhan Hang showed him……. Pfft pfft pfft, why, why exactly, was it because he discovered he was the author he had admired for so long…….. Oh, or maybe to him it wasn’t admiration but pity…….

And why did he smile at me just now, what was so funny! Was he mocking me!

Thinking this, Zhao Kaile wilted a bit again.

After mentally stabbing a voodoo doll of Zhan Hang repeatedly, he slapped the table and rallied himself, frowning at the computer as he started typing.

No matter what, the status of a literary circle respected author could not be trampled upon arbitrarily. So what if Zhan Hang was a male celebrity? He still had to chase after my back begging me to write, didn’t he.

In the room next door, Zhan Hang lay on his bed looking at the various passive-aggressive comments spawned beneath his hot posts, and suddenly he wasn’t as angry as he used to be.

After all, no matter how much these people jumped around, they would never get to see the true face of the one chasing the moon.

And he himself, not only could see the real Wang Tai in person every day, but could also barge into Wang Tai’s draft box anytime to investigate. Could anyone else in the room surpass that?

Anyone else??

Zhan Hang looked down at the crowd of antis with contempt, tutting and shaking his head, thinking pityingly in his heart, poor things, truly poor things.

Time flew by quickly. By mid-September, the filming progress for “The Guest in Green” was rapidly nearing its end. Zhao Kaile circled and marked the schedule, then scrambled to pack Zhan Hang’s things.

At the wrap party, the few people he had gotten along with fairly well came to say goodbye reluctantly, then their eyes all darted toward Zhan Hang. Zhao Kaile immediately understood.

Zhan Hang, to his credit, didn’t refuse. He took photos with each of them one by one and gave out signed photos. The few people got the gifts they wanted and were all very excited, thanking him and running off giggling.

Zhao Kaile looked at the crowd a bit melancholically: “We’re leaving already?”

“You don’t want to leave?” Zhan Hang said speechlessly: “Then you stay here. I’m going home.”

Zhao Kaile hurriedly caught up with him, caught between laughing and crying: “That’s not what I meant!!”

Zhan Hang said disdainfully again: “You’ve been out in the world this long and still can’t read people. In the future, there’s no need to get close to these people who only want my autograph, understand?”

Zhao Kaile was choked into speechlessness by him. He pretended not to hear and just mumbled perfunctory yeah yeahs.

After the wrap party ended, Zhan Hang only said a proper goodbye to Zhang Zheng and Yao Min’er, then took his assistant, driver, and bodyguard back home. Zhao Kaile hadn’t been back in so long he had almost forgotten what the bed here felt like. Looking at the spacious hall, he felt like he was dreaming.

Knowing they were back, Lu Jiayin came over immediately to give Zhan Hang the detailed script, getting scolded as usual, putting on a smiling face, and then coaxing him.

Zhan Hang exploded: “Is Bai Li crazy?? She really won’t let me rest??”

Lu Jiayin laughed awkwardly: “According to Sister Li, given your current situation, going straight into the next production is the only way to get the best exposure. Zhang Zheng’s first long-form costume drama can bring you quite a bit of buzz. We can’t slack off.”

“I want to rest. I want a vacation.” Zhan Hang covered his eyes with one hand, lying on the sofa half-dead and said, “I’m dying.”

Lu Jiayin looked quite sympathetic too, hesitating as she held up one finger: “Then I’ll talk to Sister Li, give you one day?”

Zhan Hang said, “Five days.”

Lu Jiayin: “…….Three days, not a day more!”

Zhan Hang put his hand down and raised his eyebrows at her: “Deal.”

Lu Jiayin: “……..”

The female assistant had been outplayed by the male celebrity, and left dejectedly.

Zhao Kaile watched her leave with sympathy and said quietly, “Sister Jiayin has it hard too. She must be under a lot of pressure coming to negotiate with you.”

“You’re so naive.” Zhan Hang leaned back expressionlessly and said, “Bai Li definitely coordinated with her beforehand. One of them plays the bad cop and one plays the good cop, betting that I won’t be able to harden my heart. And you actually believe it.”

Zhao Kaile: “……..”

Yeah yeah yeah, I’m the only idiot here, so what do you want!

Author’s Note:
Yao-ge, Hang-ge, hahaha