Chapter 31: The Troublemaking Duo

"Yang is here, sit down."

Wallace Huo gestured to a spot not far away.

Zhang Yang sat down directly, reached out to grab the wine from the coffee table, poured himself a glass, and downed it in one go.

"Refreshing."

Zhang Yang leaned back against the sofa and said casually, "I heard you’re interested in that person?"

He and Wallace Huo became friends while filming *Chinese Paladin 3*, and their bond was even closer than the "Hu-Huo" relationship often hyped online. The "If it’s Hu, it’s not Huo" sentiment was nothing compared to their "Trouble-Making Duo." After all, there are three things that cement a brotherhood: whoring together, splitting loot together, and sitting in a jail cell together. While he and Wallace hadn't split loot or sat in a cell, and hadn't exactly whored together, they had certainly partied together. Furthermore, he had once blocked a paparazzi photographer for Wallace, and the latter owed him a favor.

"I had a bit of a crush on her before. She’s pursuing me now, but I don’t want to settle down just yet," Wallace Huo admitted without pretense.

He and Zhang Yang didn't keep in touch when they were busy, and even less so when they weren't, but they always met up whenever they were in the same city. They were "drinking buddies" who were compatible, sincere, and mutually trusting. Whenever they gathered, he was accustomed to confiding his worries to Zhang Yang.

"Then keep it at arm's length. Given her personality, if you reject her outright, she’ll probably only get more aggressive. But if you agree, you’re the one most likely to get hurt."

Zhang Yang, viewing the situation from an objective perspective, knew Ruby Lin's personality well. After the success of *The Glamorous Imperial Concubine*, she became even more narcissistic and self-righteous, leading to her split with Wallace. However, not long after, her career began to decline, while Wallace maintained a steady level of popularity, eventually returning to the top tier with the phenomenal success of *The Journey of Flower*, causing his commercial value to skyrocket and offers to flood in. Back then, when Ruby Lin turned back to him, the two went through a period of entanglement before finally getting together. If Wallace agreed now, he would only end up hurt; but if he didn't, Ruby wouldn't be satisfied, and it would devolve into a messy entanglement.

"That’s exactly what I’m thinking. I’m just stalling," Wallace Huo said, sitting up and raising his glass to Zhang Yang.

*Clink!*

Zhang Yang picked up his glass to toast, and they both drained their drinks.

A moment later, the private room door opened again, and two women walked in—cute in appearance but with fiery figures. To use a term that would become popular in the future, they were both pure and seductive. The two women were sweet-talkers and began pouring drinks for Zhang Yang and Wallace.

Zhang Yang and Wallace chatted, standing up to sing when the mood struck, or letting the hostesses sing. They drank until nearly 11:00 PM before leaving the room together, the women left behind. For them, they followed the rules of the house; they never crossed the line.

"It’s still most comfortable with you; everything hits the spot," Wallace Huo said, draping an arm over Zhang Yang’s shoulder.

"Ha, are you sure it’s not because our taste in women rarely overlaps?" Zhang Yang teased.

"That’s fate, too," Wallace Huo laughed brightly. He had seen many landscapes, from Angela Zhang to Joe Chen. In his view, Zhang Yang’s preferences were still too green.

The two rambled on all the way back to Wallace’s business van. The driver, accustomed to such scenes, drove them back to the hotel. As they stepped out, Wallace rubbed his temples. "As long as you don’t offend Ruby Lin on this set, you won’t have any trouble. For small matters, go to Yan Yikuan; for big ones, come to me."

This was exactly what I was waiting for.

Zhang Yang pulled a few sheets of paper from his jacket and handed them to Wallace. "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Brother Hua, to pass this to Ruby Lin. If she disagrees, I’d appreciate it if you could secure me a chance to have a meal with her and persuade her."

Favors are meant to be used, otherwise, they expire. It was just a small favor; he wouldn't ask Wallace to give up the lead role in *The Journey of Flower* to him in the future. Even though Wallace didn't want to do another fantasy drama and had been rejecting that script for over half a year.

"You want to add scenes?" Wallace Huo scanned the contents of the paper and rubbed his temples. "To be honest, I don’t think you need to put so much effort into the role of Zhao Kuangyin; I don’t feel like it’s going to stand out."

"You didn’t take any roles for the past few years, insisting on systematic study at school. Now that you’re willing to take roles, I can introduce you to a third male lead in a drama called *The Adjudicator*, which I’m starring in with Nicky Wu, starting production this October."

Zhang Yang was somewhat surprised by Wallace’s sincerity. He happened to know about *The Adjudicator*. It was considered a big production, but it made little splash domestically when it aired. However, it achieved remarkable results after being exported to various Asian countries, holding the record for the highest-rated Chinese drama in South Korea in 2013. If he wanted to increase his overseas influence, it was a good choice. If he didn't have a scheduling conflict, he would have done it. But he had confidence in himself and his own "cheat code."

"Only children make choices; can’t I have both?" Zhang Yang decided to play it safe.

"That’s so you," Wallace Huo laughed. He didn't say whether it would work or not, but he waved the script in his hand and turned to leave.

Zhang Yang didn't chase after him to say more; he believed Wallace wouldn't let him down. But he didn't expect Wallace to be so efficient, giving him a direct surprise.

At noon the next day, right after he finished lunch on set, he was called by Ruby Lin’s assistant to the sunshade next to her van.

"I’ve read the content. It’s not much, just highlights for the character of Zhao Kuangyin, and it’s well-written," Ruby Lin began with affirmation, then changed her tone. "But it has nothing to do with the main plot of our show. Adding it or not makes no difference."

The implication was clear: she had no reason to add these scenes to the drama just to give him a spotlight to boost his career.

Zhang Yang had already prepared for this. He sat upright and said, "Sister Ruby, it is precisely because it has nothing to do with the main plot that I felt comfortable asking Brother Hua to put in a word for me."

Ruby Lin: ?

Wasn't that contradictory?

"If it were related to the main plot, it would involve a lot of trouble," Zhang Yang continued. "The crew would have to reschedule, it might inconvenience actors who have already wrapped, or even increase the workload for you and the other leads, Sister Ruby."

"But this is just expanding a subplot for Zhao Kuangyin. You could easily arrange for an assistant director to take a crew and film it with me. It wouldn't affect the normal operation of the main set at all, and the cost wouldn't increase by much."

Ruby Lin, who was acting as a producer, certainly understood these points. That was the only reason she was willing to listen to Zhang Yang’s ideas. Otherwise, even with Wallace’s referral, she would have ignored him. In a word: both Zhang Yang and the character of Zhao Kuangyin were beneath her notice.

"It might not increase costs by much, but it’s still an increase, and it’s a hassle," Ruby Lin said again. "You still haven't answered my question: what benefit does adding this content bring to the show?"

Benefit? The benefit is that it makes the show look slightly less like a Mary Sue fantasy. But he couldn't say that to her.

"I can't guarantee what benefit it brings to the show, but it certainly won't do any harm," Zhang Yang looked into Ruby Lin's eyes, showing no hesitation. "But it will definitely benefit you, Sister Ruby."

"Do you remember what I said yesterday, Sister Ruby?"

"Zhao Kuangyin’s love for Ma Fuya is a secret, a deep admiration, a 'white moonlight' he keeps in his heart for a lifetime."

"But the problem is, how many people know who Zhao Kuangyin is? And how many people know exactly how capable he is?"

"Those who don't understand Zhao Kuangyin won't realize how exceptional Ma Fuya is to be his 'white moonlight'."

"It’s like if a random stranger likes you, Sister Ruby, people will just think it’s normal—you have many admirers."

"But if you say Brother Hua likes you, people will say, 'Sister Ruby, you truly are charming; even Brother Hua can't resist.'"

"..."

Ruby Lin understood what Zhang Yang meant. A red flower needs green leaves to set it off; only if the green leaf of Zhao Kuangyin is vibrant enough will the flower of Ma Fuya appear more radiant. By adding scenes for Zhang Yang without affecting the normal shooting, she, as the lead, would also benefit more. It was a win-win.

"You go ahead first. I’ll discuss it with the director and screenwriter," Ruby Lin waved her hand.

Zhang Yang knew that the matter was likely settled.

"Take your time to consider, Sister Ruby. I’m thinking for myself, but I know my place—I’m just here for the scraps."

Leaving those words behind, Zhang Yang returned to his spot on set.

"Brother Yang, what did Ruby Lin want with you?" Nazha’s face was filled with gossip.

Zhang Yang looked at her and smiled. "I secured a special guest role for you. How are you going to thank me?"

Nazha: ?