Male Sing and His Pet Owner: Chapter 38

 

The shot ended, the director called cut.

Zhao Jingran reined in his expression, said “hard work” to Zhan Hang, and went off stage. Zhan Hang nodded to the surrounding staff in acknowledgment. Zhao Kaile went over to straighten his clothes, his eyes secretly glancing at Zhao Jingran.

“Do you think he’s very handsome?” Zhan Hang asked calmly.

“……..” Zhao Kaile said alertly, “No no no, he’s not as handsome as you!”

Zhan Hang hmphed in satisfaction.

Zhao Kaile breathed a sigh of relief, having escaped disaster. He took out his phone to look at the various scrolling group messages on WeChat, and followed him as they walked out, “Time is a bit tight, Hang-ge. We’ll have to eat lunch in the car. What do you want to eat?”

“Whatever.” Zhan Hang lowered his head, wiped his eyes, his eye sockets a bit red.

Zhao Kaile knew at a glance that his old problem was acting up again. He fished out eye drops and applied them for him. Zhan Hang wasn’t so particular either, casually sitting on a chair in the corridor, tilting his head back and letting him do as he pleased.

After countless rounds, Zhao Kaile was already a seasoned eye drop applicator. He wasn’t nervous anymore, his hands didn’t shake, and he finished applying the drops in a few swift motions. Then he stuffed the bottle back into his bag, lowered his head to find tissues to wipe the overflow.

Behind them, Zhao Jingran’s assistant team of several people walked by in a whirlwind, with the air of handling myriad affairs daily. The staff in the corridor all sensibly made way. A female assistant carrying clothes accidentally bumped into Zhao Kaile, knocking him off balance.

Zhan Hang was quick eyed and quick handed, grabbing Zhao Kaile’s arm in one move, so Zhao Kaile could barely steady himself.

He turned back angrily to find the perpetrator.

The female assistant sized up Zhao Kaile from top to bottom, then saw Zhan Hang sitting there with an unfriendly face. She just casually straightened Zhao Jingran’s jacket, not showing even half an apology, and walked off as if nothing happened. That gaze even seemed to blame Zhao Kaile for wrinkling her artist’s clothes.

Zhao Kaile couldn’t believe it, and said angrily, “Hey!”

His voice was quite loud, directly stopping Zhao Jingran who was walking in the middle. The whole group turned around accordingly.

Several people’s gazes focused on him. Zhao Kaile couldn’t hold it together, and still chickened out.

He said timidly, “N, nothing.”

Zhan Hang: “……..”

He rubbed his temples, stood up and pointed at that female assistant with his sunglasses, “You, come here.”

That female assistant was stunned, then asked righteously, “What is it?”

“Amnesia?” Zhan Hang smiled but not quite, slowly walking to stand in front of Zhao Kaile, and said to her, “Didn’t you bump into someone? Don’t you know you should apologize?”

Female assistant, “I…….”

So the onlookers’ gazes shifted to her, beginning to whisper. Some who couldn’t hold back already started taking out their phones.

Zhao Jingran completely didn’t want to create any unnecessary scandal with Zhan Hang over such a trivial matter, so he said impatiently, “Apologize to the person.”

The female assistant wore an angry face, unwillingly glaring at Zhao Kaile, “Sorry!”

Zhao Kaile: “……..”

Could you be any more perfunctory!

Very obviously, her ability to act so arrogant and domineering toward Zhan Hang and Zhao Kaile was to some degree influenced by Zeng Jun. Zeng Jun himself indeed didn’t have a good expression either, only saying disdainfully, “Alright, we’ve already apologized to you. Let’s go Jingran, don’t delay work.”

Zhan Hang sneered, and unceremoniously mocked, “A dog bullying people on its master’s power.”

After he said these four words, everyone’s face changed. The surroundings were completely silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The bystanders went from shock to schadenfreude. Zhao Jingran went from impatience to disbelief. Zeng Jun and that female assistant became furious beyond measure.

Countless phone cameras aimed at the few people in the scene, all eagerly anticipating what big move they would make next.

Zhao Kaile’s mouth hung open. He completely didn’t expect Zhan Hang to be this confrontational. The other party was Zhao Jingran!

He was wildly waving flags and cheering for Zhan Hang in his heart, excitedly.

Hang-ge is awesome!! Awesome!!!

However, after Zhan Hang finished saying these words, he didn’t give them any chance to react either. He called Zhao Kaile to squeeze through the middle of them, and walked away with his head held high. Zhao Kaile hurriedly followed, his heart pounding wildly with nervousness, completely not daring to look at what expressions they had.

Zeng Jun took several heavy breaths, rushed out a few steps, and shouted, “Zhan Hang! What do you mean!”

Zhan Hang didn’t respond at all, quickly got into his own car, finished his verbal thrashing with satisfaction, and left arrogantly with his little assistant.

The news spread very quickly. A few hours later, the trending topics of Zhan Hang angrily cursing Zhao Jingran’s assistant and agent were already flying all over the internet. Bai Li nearly fainted when she found out, and called to give the two of them a severe scolding.

Zhao Kaile regretted it after the thrill wore off, and sat there obediently listening to the lecture, “Yes yes yes, too impulsive. I should have gone up and covered his mouth at the time, yes yes yes……..”

“Things aren’t as simple as you think, Zhan Hang.” Bai Li said earnestly, “You cursed Zhao Jingran’s assistant, but after it circulates online it might become you cursing Zhao Jingran. If you and Zhao Jingran had a physical altercation, would his fans let you off?? You’re really too impulsive in your actions, think more before you speak!”

Zhan Hang said, “That’s interesting. When others are riding all over my face, am I supposed to swallow my anger? These lowlifes only dare to bark at me a couple times when their master is around. If Zhao Jingran weren’t here, would they dare to yap at me?”

Bai Li, “I’m begging you, in the future when we see their people, let’s try to walk around them, okay? Originally ‘The Guest in Green’ should be able to air before the new year. With you pulling this stunt, I’m afraid his fans will rush over to give you negative ratings.”

Zhan Hang, “Heh.”

“Hang-ge, think thrice!!” Lu Jiayin’s voice came from the other end, “I still want to have a peaceful engagement banquet at the end of the year!”

Zhan Hang: “……..”

Zhao Kaile leaned in and asked, “Sister Jiayin?? You’re getting engaged at the end of the year? Where are you holding it??”

Lu Jiayin said, “We’re holding it in our city. I’ll send you invitations then.”

Zhao Kaile, “Great great great!”

Zhan Hang couldn’t bear it anymore, and said angrily, “If you two want to chat, use your own phones! Get lost!”

Zhao Kaile’s hair practically stood up from his roar, and he hurriedly rolled to the side to quietly squat in the corner.

“I’ve said everything I need to say, Zhan Hang. You really need to change.” Bai Li sighed, “Fortunately Dacheng is willing to sell us a favor. Zhao Jingran will post on Weibo to help us clarify. You can’t be so unrestrained with your words in the future.”

Dacheng was Zhao Jingran’s management company, Dacheng Entertainment.

Zhan Hang’s anger hadn’t subsided, and he said irritably, “Got it. Anything else?”

Bai Li shook her head, gave a few more instructions, and hung up with a headache.

Zhan Hang threw his phone to the side, “Damn it.”

Zhao Kaile watched him timidly from the side. Xiao Li was still driving silently, not saying a word.

The car was quiet for quite a while.

Zhao Kaile remembered that the trending topics he had been on these past few months all seemed to have some connection to him that he couldn’t shake off, so he felt even more guilty. After struggling for a while, he said, “Hang-ge, actually I don’t mind taking a bit of loss. You don’t need to stand up for me……. What I mean is, I’m very grateful to you, I’m especially grateful to you, but this isn’t good for you yourself.”

“I stood up for you??” Zhan Hang looked incredulous, “I did it for my own face! Don’t be so full of yourself, okay??”

Zhao Kaile hurriedly said, “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”

Zhan Hang crossed his arms with a dark expression, seemingly not wanting to talk to him.

Zhao Kaile was on the verge of tears. Not long ago he had felt he somewhat understood Zhan Hang’s temper, but now he didn’t know how to coax him anymore.

Zhan Hang originally had his own set way of dealing with people and handling matters. However, Zhao Kaile had suddenly barged in and disrupted all the rules and frameworks in his life. He wore a sour face, repeatedly denying the thoughts that kept popping up in his mind, thinking how could that be? Impossible, absolutely impossible.

A moment later, Zhao Kaile’s stomach growled, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

Zhan Hang wasn’t so angry anymore, and only said, “Eat.”

“Yes!” Zhao Kaile felt as if he had been granted a great pardon, happily taking out the lunch box, carefully unfolding the table in the car, and setting out the dishes for him.

Xiao Li parked the car under a shady tree, and ate his boxed lunch by himself.

Zhao Kaile as usual took the leftovers that Zhan Hang had picked through and put them into his own bowl. Then he leaned over to look at Xiao Li’s lunch, and shared the extra portions with him. After lunch they took a short nap before getting back on the road.

When they arrived at the “Langya Pavilion” set, Zhao Kaile found out that this production had already been filming for a week. It was just that Zhan Hang’s scenes were relatively fewer, so it didn’t matter that he came a few days later.

The staff as usual led him over for makeup testing, changing clothes, and taking promotional photos. Zhao Kaile had just experienced the graphic designer’s suffering life that morning, so this time he wisely didn’t talk too much, only affirming, not negating, to avoid them gossiping about Zhan Hang behind his back.

The assistant director and martial arts director were filming fight scenes on set. Wang Hua had some free time, so he came over to talk to Zhan Hang.

Wang Hua was over forty this year. Compared to other directors of the same generation, he had maintained his physique quite well. It was said that he was also an actor before, and switched to directing very early, considered a handsome guy among his peers.

“Director Wang.” Zhan Hang stood up and shook his hand, smiling.

Wang Hua only sized him up a few times, and nodded in satisfaction, “Not bad, Zhan Hang. Very suited for period costume.”

Zhan Hang said modestly, “No no.”

Wang Hua said, “Haha, I’m a bit tempted to have you play the lead now. Too bad the investors aren’t willing.”

Zhao Kaile looked shocked, thinking can this kind of thing be said directly?!!

Zhan Hang knew he was joking, and said awkwardly, “Please don’t praise me like that.”

“Alright alright, no more joking.” Wang Hua said seriously, “The role you have involves the most martial arts scenes in the production. You can understand it as a shadow guard for the male lead. The male lead needs to hide his identity, so in the early stages he doesn’t fight much. He needs you to protect him. He’s in charge of the brains, you’re in charge of the brawn.”

Zhan Hang nodded, “I don’t have many dialogue scenes, right?”

Wang Hua, “Not many. I know your dialogue scenes are a bit lacking, let’s just say it directly, right.”

“Yes.” Zhan Hang smiled, not arguing.

Zhao Kaile listened attentively from the side, thinking the male lead is in charge of brains and Zhan Hang is in charge of brawn……. Does that mean Zhan Hang doesn’t use his brain much? Is it really appropriate to play a brainless character in a political intrigue drama!

Hang-ge playing a brainy character would definitely be super handsome!