Chapter 33: Xu Yang

When Ruan Xingwen woke up, the rain had already stopped. He walked to the window and pushed it open, taking a deep breath, the corners of his mouth curving into a contented smile. He loved the air after the rain the most, carrying the fragrance of soil and the freshness of green plants, now he felt completely invigorated. Returning to bed, he extended his hand to grab his phone and saw the message sent by Yu Xiaozhe, three hours ago. !!! He had slept for so long! Would Mr. Yu be angry? His slender fingers flew quickly across the phone screen. [Wen Xingcui: Brother Ze! I just fell asleep, only now seeing your message, sorry! / Little Bear Bowing] [Wen Xingcui: You mentioned going to Huasheng, is it the meaning I think it is? / Little Bear Scratching Head] Mr. Yu listened to Yu Yue and plans to sign him? After all, with Yu Xiaozhe’s status at Huasheng, saying he wants to sign a newcomer is very simple. Waited for a few minutes, but there was no reply. Mr. Yu must be busy. Ruan Xingwen rubbed his somewhat hungry stomach, grabbed his phone, and walked into the kitchen. Mr. Yu was indeed busy. After sending the message to Ruan Xingwen, he waited for a while without seeing a reply, so he continued reading the script. Not long into it, the door was knocked again. He thought it was Li Mu coming to ask what he wanted to eat, so he opened the door without much thought, but it wasn’t Li Mu, it was Zeng Xu. Seeing him again, Yu Xiaozhe’s face was nonchalant, but his heart felt a bit impatient. Why does he keep coming around instead of reading the script? "Is there something you need?" Zeng Xu showed a slightly shy smile, "Mr. Yu, can I ask you for a favor?" Yu Xiaozhe didn’t speak, just looked at him indifferently. Zeng Xu had no choice but to continue with his purpose, "Could we run through the script together? I’m not quite getting the emotions right here." As he spoke, he spread out the script he was holding, pointing at a spot. Yu Xiaozhe decisively refused again. "I suggest you go through the script thoroughly if you’re unable to convey the emotions. As for rehearsals, forget it, I don’t have the time." Zeng Xu wanted to say something more, but Yu Xiaozhe didn’t give him the chance, closing the door on him directly. Getting a door slammed in his face, Zeng Xu’s expression turned gloomy, then suddenly a mocking laugh was heard. "Huh." Zeng Xu looked up swiftly, towards the source of the sound. From the staircase corner, a casually dressed, handsome young man with a mocking face and the extreme ridicule in his tone walked out. "Spend your time on the script, rather than pulling silly tricks. Do you think everyone is intrigued by what your sponsor is buying?" Hearing these words, Zeng Xu’s face changed instantly. "Xu Yang, you think you’re all noble? Do you know how you got that role? Just because you have some lousy money at home, doesn’t make you better than others! As for me, I also got my role by my skills, unlike you, relying solely on your family!" "Oh, getting a role by selling your ass is glorious? I remember this role wasn’t originally for you, but for some unfortunate Ruan guy who had secured it before you stole it. Pretty unlucky for him. Can you portray the innocence of a college student? Geez, what is the world coming to, really anyone can act these days." Knowing he couldn’t out-argue Xu Yang, Zeng Xu’s face turned various shades, angrily saying, "Humph, just wait and see!" before turning around and leaving. And Xu Yang didn’t bother with the verbal spat, being the kind of person who speaks his mind straightforwardly and snarkily. Even though he looked as unattainable as a high-mountain flower, once he opened his mouth, he could scold you until flowers bloom. For him, it’s better to speak openly than to be double-faced. Hence, he earned the nickname in the circle—Xu Duidui, Critic Brother. His fans were unique too, with their motto being [Critic Brother, you fly free, we’ll bear the blame.] Just as Xu Yang was about to step away, the door beside him opened once again. Yu Xiaozhe glanced at the person in the hallway, "Got something to ask, want to come in and talk?" The opposite Xu Yang looked at him too, nodded, and walked into the room. Neither of them knew that Zeng Xu had returned, and right at the staircase where Xu Yang had just walked out, snapped a photo of them entering the room together, "Xu Yang, Yu Xiaozhe, you two just wait for me!" and then left. Inside room 1206 Xu Yang unceremoniously sat on the sofa in the living room, speaking straight out. "What do you want from me?" "You mentioned that Zeng Xu’s role was snatched from a small star with the surname Ruan?" Xu Yang nodded, "Yes." Then he thought and added, "Originally, I wanted that role, but I heard someone was already confirmed, a small star with the surname Ruan, supposedly not too lucky, that’s all I know. Only when the schedule was officially announced did I realize the change and on a whim, investigated a bit." Yu Xiaozhe nodded, indicating he understood. "Mr. Yu knows that little star?" "Yeah, he’s a friend of mine. I knew about the incident, but he didn’t give details so I didn’t ask. Didn’t expect there’s more to it." Seeing the discussion wrap up, Xu Yang got up to leave, but at the doorstep, he turned back to remind Yu Xiaozhe. "I didn’t find much, just looked into it out of curiosity. If you want specifics, you’ll need to dig deeper. That Zeng Xu isn’t simple, he’s got people backing him. Be careful when you look into it." "Thanks, really sorry to take up your time." Yu Xiaozhe felt Xu Yang was quite alright, someone to befriend, possibly even collaborate with in the future. Xu Yang waved it off, "No big deal, I’m off," and left without letting Yu Xiaozhe see him out. Inside, Yu Xiaozhe quietly sat on the sofa, pondering whether he should inform Ruan Xingwen about this. However, he felt that telling him now might only add to his troubles without a real point. So he decided to conduct some investigations himself and then decide whether to tell Ruan Xingwen. By the way, it’s been a few hours, why hasn’t Xingxing responded yet? Is he reluctant to join Huasheng? What should be done then? Yu Xiaozhe mumbled to himself with a heart full of grievances, but then he pulled out his phone to check for messages, and this time, there was a reply from Xingxing! [Xingxing: Brother Ze! I just fell asleep, only now seeing your message, sorry! / Little Bear Bowing] [Xingxing: You mentioned going to Huasheng, is it the meaning I think it is? / Little Bear Scratching Head] Seeing the message, Yu Xiaozhe exhaled a sigh of relief, realizing that he had merely fallen asleep, not refused. From the expression at the end of the messages, he sensed Xingxing’s confusion about his words. So he opened the input box and started typing. [YU: It is the meaning you understood, I want to sign you to our Huasheng.]