Chapter 55: Nazha: I Can’t Bear to Leave Sister Yifei

“Uh, Xingzi.”

Although a sense of unease gnawed at him, Huang Bo still mustered the courage to call out once more.

To his surprise, Zhou Xingchi, who was usually meticulous and serious, actually smiled. “From now on, just call me that in private. It sounds nice.”

After saying this, Zhou Xingchi glanced distantly at Zhang Yang before taking the script to find the emblem.

Huang Bo, being a smart man, immediately understood.

Zhou Xingchi liked being called “Xingzi” because it made him seem younger and even complimented his looks.

But officially, everyone still had to call him Director since he was in charge of managing and coordinating the entire crew.

“Unexpectedly, Master Xing is a bit of a restrained show-off,” Huang Bo chuckled quietly, glancing toward where Zhang Yang was standing.

“Xiangwan, Sister Wang, Xiaotao, Brother Liu, I look forward to working with you all,” Zhang Yang was getting acquainted with his small team. Mo Xiangwan was the assistant manager newly assigned by Cai Yinong and would be his executive agent. Xiaotao was his personal assistant, Sister Wang the makeup artist, and Brother Liu served as both driver and bodyguard, a veteran in his thirties.

Their salaries would be paid by Tangren, but if Zhang Yang ever set up his own studio, he would pay them himself, reducing the company’s share.

Zhang Yang intended to carefully assess their character and ability; if they met his standards, he might recruit them later.

After becoming familiar with each other, Zhang Yang looked at the somewhat sullen Naza beside him. “Junior sister, you’re relieved now; you don’t have to be my personal assistant anymore.”

“I don’t mind,” Naza muttered softly, lifting her chin. “I think you’re just happy to get rid of this burden.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Zhang Yang laughed, “K姐 arranged for you to be by my side to learn. Being a personal assistant is just a role. From now on, you need to study even harder.”

“Of course, if you’re not willing, you can learn from Xiaotao how to be a personal assistant.”

Xiaotao was a cute, round-faced girl with average looks, who had studied nursing at college, possessing some knowledge of first aid and medical theory.

She was lively in personality and smiled at Naza, revealing two prominent canine teeth. “If Naza wants to learn, I can teach you step by step.”

Xiaotao had met Naza on her first day at Tangren and helped her with a small favor, so they were acquainted.

Naza’s eyes lit up. “Teach me acupuncture, and I’ll use it on him later.”

Zhang Yang: “...”

Two girls of similar age moved aside, whispering to each other.

Zhang Yang explained his situation to Mo Xiangwan: “I have to join the crew for The Four Great Constables. In a few days, we’ll head to Xiangshan. The contract states that until Mu Panlong finishes his recovery, I can’t shoot in the Journey to the West: Demon Chapter crew.”

Speaking of this, Zhang Yang thought Cai Yinong, the agent, was somewhat useful. To ensure he could join the Xuanyuan Sword crew immediately after filming, she had secured many favorable conditions and reduced his workload, while his pay remained high.

It was undeniable that agents and artists were mutually beneficial.

“The Xuanyuan Sword starts shooting on May 15. I want to join the crew on time, so I hope my scenes as the Void Prince finish before then,” Zhang Yang expressed his thoughts.

Mo Xiangwan understood. Zhang Yang wanted to concentrate on filming his Void Prince scenes between finishing The Four Great Constables and starting Xuanyuan Sword, avoiding schedule conflicts.

“Got it. I’ll inform K姐,” Mo Xiangwan nodded.

When Cai Yinong arrived at the crew, she promptly explained the situation.

“Ah Yang’s idea is excellent, totally aligns with mine,” Cai Yinong said approvingly. “In any case, the scenes can’t be arranged before May. If absolutely necessary, we can allow some overlap during Xuanyuan Sword filming. Our schedule will adjust accordingly. Ideally...”

After discussion, Cai Yinong negotiated the contract with the Journey to the West: Demon Chapter producer.

Since this concerned the third male lead, it wasn’t resolved quickly, but Zhou Xingchi had insisted, “Zhang Yang must be used,” so the crew made many concessions.

Zhou Xingchi was notorious for paying actors poorly. Now that Zhang Yang’s fame and popularity weren’t high, Cai Yinong didn’t push hard for minor gains here.

Only after dinner was the contract finally signed. Zhang Yang and Cai Yinong signed together, and the contract would take effect the next day.

“All the stars involved have tight schedules. It’s difficult to adjust for you,” Cai Yinong told Zhang Yang. “We can only make adjustments within the rules. We promise you can shoot the Void Prince scenes from May 3 to May 9, effectively concentrating the filming.”

“If you can finish your scenes in this period, you can rest afterward and then focus on Xuanyuan Sword.”

“If not, our crew will have to accommodate your schedule, prioritizing the movie.”

This result was exactly what Zhang Yang wanted, and he silently praised Cai Yinong’s ability again.

“K姐, don’t worry. Seven days is enough for me to finish,” Zhang Yang said confidently.

With Luo Zhixiang’s successful version as a reference, he was sure he could do even better—or cheat if necessary!

“No pressure,” Cai Yinong smiled warmly. “There’s also the Xuanyuan Sword script. The director and screenwriter have made some changes. I’ll have someone send it to you.”

“Thank you, K姐. I won’t let you down,” Zhang Yang’s eyes flashed with determination.

He had only recently learned that Xuanyuan Sword had three versions of the script.

If Hu Ge played Chen Jingchou, Yuwen Tuo would be a pure villain, with most scenes focusing on the male lead.

If Hu Ge didn’t appear, the drama would become an ensemble piece, emphasizing mentorship between old and new characters, with similar screen time, aiming to recreate the glory of The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3.

If Hu Ge played the second male lead, it would become a story of two heroes, combining mentorship with better marketability.

Since Zhang Yang was playing the second male lead, he received the second script.

From Cai Yinong’s tone, they intended to use the third version.

In terms of quality, Xuanyuan Sword was average, but considering all TV dramas over twelve years, its ratings, influence, and buzz made it quite successful.

Yuwen Tuo was the most outstanding character in the drama.

This perfectly matched Zhang Yang’s expectations.

Everything was moving in a good direction, and Zhang Yang felt elated.

But over the next month, his mood dimmed.

After following The Four Great Constables crew to Xiangshan, he couldn’t find a single opportunity to advance his career—not one!

Several times, he considered spending three character points to unlock opportunities just to see.

“Ah Yang, why do you look so down?” Liu Yifei poked Zhang Yang’s arm with chopsticks. “Are you sad to leave when your role wraps?”

“Of course.” Before Zhang Yang could answer, Naza spoke first, “I’m going to miss Sister Yifei and Aunt Liu.”

Zhang Yang smirked. “Are you sure it’s not Aunt Liu’s cooking you’re going to miss?”

“Lately, you’ve gained weight and can’t even fit into your jeans, right?”

Naza: “!”