After arriving in Wuxi, Niu Yichen went to a familiar old restaurant, ordered the food, and then called Chen Yongge to ask him to bring people over.
Less than an hour later, as soon as the dishes were served, a group of people came over.
Niu Yichen opened the door and was immediately taken aback, exclaiming in surprise, "Why are so many people here!"
Directors Chen Yongge and Jiang Tian arrived. The Seven Fairies production team only had three directors, and two of them came at once.
Actresses Yang Rui, Huo Siyan, and Jiang Xin attended. Of the seven beauties, three of the more famous ones were present.
When the male actor Wu Yue arrived, he was followed by Liu Xiao Ling Tong.
Aside from Huo Siyan, Jiang Xin, and Jiang Tian, they are all acquaintances of Niu Yichen.
Liu Xiao Ling Tong and Wu Yue met last year when he made a guest appearance in "Lian Cheng Jue". At that time, he played Wang Xiao Feng and mainly had scenes with Shu Chang.
However, Wu Yue and Liu Xiao Ling Tong took good care of him because of his young age. Liu Xiao Ling Tong, in particular, is still known as the Monkey King, no matter what happened later. Niu Yichen even learned a monkey opera from him and his monkey stick skills are good enough to graduate.
Chen Yongge laughed and said, "I heard that I brought you back as a strong ally, and everyone wants to come and meet you!"
"It's good to meet! We can communicate in advance, but why didn't you say so? I didn't even order that much food!"
"Hey! It's just as well that we didn't prepare that much! I know you too well!" Chen Yongge said with a smile as he skillfully led everyone to sit down. "With your personality, if you had known so many people were coming, you would have booked the entire hotel!"
This is specifically to tease Yichen.
When Yichen first received his paycheck, he was incredibly arrogant. Since he didn't have to hand it over to his family, he simply treated the entire crew to dinner, booking an entire hotel by himself. He exuded an air of nouveau riche from head to toe.
Niu Yichen quickly said, "Don't bring up what happened back then! I'm not that generous now!"
Thinking back to that time, Niu Yichen felt his face burning with shame; he was young, impetuous, and ignorant.
After settling down, Liu Xiao Ling Tong smiled and said, "I heard you were here, so I came to see you!"
Niu Yichen said, "Don't worry, Teacher Liu, I'm still practicing the monkey show you taught me diligently!"
As they were talking, everyone else sat down as well.
Wu Yue, Liu Xiao Ling Tong, and several other men sat together, while Huo Siyan and Jiang Xin sat on either side of Niu Yichen. Notably, Yang Rui sat next to Chen Yongge, clearly indicating a close relationship.
Chen Yongge was a grassroots director who was very good at creating a lively atmosphere. In no time, everyone got to know each other and started eating, drinking, and chatting.
Niu Yichen specially chose this hotel, and the food was excellent. The table was laden with all sorts of delicacies, including the "Three Whites of Taihu Lake," steamed whitefish, and a hot pot of seafood. The food was so delicious that even several actresses who strictly controlled their diets couldn't help but eat a few more bites.
It's only the end of March, but the temperature in Wuxi has already risen. Before he could finish a few sips of his drink, Niu Yichen's gaze was drawn to the two actresses beside him.
Huo Siyan wore a red and white striped T-shirt and tight jeans. Her hair was simply tied into a high ponytail, making her look clean and neat. Combined with her pure and innocent face, she looked like a student still in school.
She was only 24 years old this year, still somewhat naive, without the thick worldliness that would later develop. However, she spoke her mind with grace and without any stage fright, and drank without hesitation. She already had the air of a social butterfly.
Jiang Xin was dressed similarly to Huo Siyan, wearing a light blue T-shirt on top, looking rather unremarkable, and jeans on the bottom. Overall, she wasn't as eye-catching as Huo Siyan.
Although Jiang Xin is only 21 years old now and hasn't gotten as 'fat' as she did later, she doesn't really have any advantage in terms of appearance. In fact, she doesn't look as young as Huo Siyan.
Strictly speaking, Jiang Xin's peak beauty was as Mu Wanqing. After Mu Wanqing, no other role has been as beautiful. Moreover, because of her youth, she speaks too bluntly and sometimes without thinking. If you didn't know her, you might think she was being sarcastic.
This is probably something innate, something that can't be changed; otherwise, Jiang Xin wouldn't have fallen out with Liu Tao over a single Weibo post.
Then there's Yang Rui. Because of her face shape, she looks the youngest, but she's actually 25 years old. She seems like a very lively person at first glance, but she just sits next to Chen Yongge like a mascot. She didn't say much during the meal, and even when she did, it was only to help Jiang Xin.
In just a few words, Niu Yichen clearly sensed the difference between this place and the set of the Legend of Sword and Fairy drama. Especially the three actresses, Huo Siyan, Jiang Xin, and Yang Rui. Although they appeared harmonious on the surface, there was a subtle undercurrent of hostility in their conversations.
Jiang Xin speaks very bluntly, but her fighting spirit is the weakest; she was quickly silenced and her face turned red.
Yang Rui helped Jiang Xin and was evenly matched with Huo Siyan. However, Yang Rui relied on Chen Yongge by her side and ignored Huo Siyan when she felt she couldn't win the argument. So after a few rounds, Huo Siyan was clearly at a disadvantage.
The reason for this is quite simple. They are all young, but they entered the industry very early and have witnessed all sorts of ups and downs on set. Even if someone is supposed to be clean-living, it's impossible for them to remain untainted by the filth of the entertainment industry.
Comparatively speaking, the main actors in the Legend of Sword and Fairy series were mostly recent college graduates, making them much easier to get to know.
The actors in the Legend of Sword and Fairy series are all too 'young'.
As Niu Yichen was thinking about these things, the system's voice suddenly rang in his ears.
NTR system tasks:
1. Because she sat next to your friend, you found yourself excessively focused on remembering her name—Yang Rui. Use your wit and body to win her over! Mission Rewards: Yang Attribute Points +10, Yin Attribute Points +60. Badge "Friend's Wife," Effect: Your friend's wife/girlfriend's favorability towards you +5 (upgradeable). Note: You've already discovered a bit of your own sexual fetish, haven't you?
2. A little lamb is on the verge of getting lost; she'll come to you on her own. How can you refuse? Train her to be your own personal sex slave! Quest Reward: Pet Item Shop unlocked. Note: When I'm lonely, I miss those little pets that can warm my bed.
Pure Love System Tasks:
You've encountered Huo Siyan, a woman on the verge of falling into despair! Guide her onto the right path! Quest Reward: Female Affinity +5, Yin Attribute Points +50. Note: A person of pure love cannot bear to watch any woman fall into despair.
'Why is this happening!' Niu Yichen couldn't help but feel a sharp pain in his teeth. Why!
The NTR system offers two tasks at once, and each one has such good rewards, while the Pure Love system only offers one task and the rewards are so poor!
Pure love stories are really becoming increasingly rare these days!
After reviewing all the tasks, Niu Yichen couldn't help but look at Jiang Xin.
We're both women, so why didn't she trigger the quest? Is it because she's not interested in me? Or is it because I'm not interested in her?
"Why are you looking at me?" Jiang Xin noticed Niu Yichen's gaze, and couldn't help but wipe her face, asking in confusion, "Is my face oily?"
"No!" Niu Yichen snapped out of his daze and said, "I just noticed you ate the most, so I paid extra attention!"
"Did I eat a lot?" As soon as she said this, Jiang Xin immediately felt embarrassed.
"Compared to us, it's not much at all, in fact, it's very little! But compared to them..." Niu Yichen said, pointing to Yang Rui and Huo Siyan, gesturing, and said, "It's almost as much as all of them combined!"
"Because our body types are different!" Before Jiang Xin could speak, Huo Siyan explained, "Yang Rui and I are both prone to weight gain, so we can't eat too much. Besides, we're both older. She's only 21, so eating more won't be a problem for her!"
"Where is it..." Jiang Xin put down her chopsticks, her face turning pale. She was the one who was prone to gaining weight, and she just couldn't control her eating.
"If you twenty-four or twenty-five-year-olds all say you're not young, then none of us can live!" Chen Yongge chuckled, then turned to look at Jiang Xin's face and said, "But actresses still need to take good care of their figures, otherwise they'll miss out on a lot of opportunities. Jiang Xin, your face looks okay now, but on screen, it looks a bit round!"
"Really!" Jiang Xin touched her face and said, "Luckily you reminded me, otherwise I might have gained two pounds when I got home today!"
Niu Yichen said, "Eating a lot doesn't really matter, as long as you exercise more! It just depends on whether you have the time!"
[Photo of Huo Siyan]
Niu Yichen put the mission aside and chatted with everyone for a while. Only after they were quite drunk did he start talking about his own affairs.
"The director already knows about my role, but you probably don't! I'll tell you all about it now so you won't overthink it."
Niu Yichen said, "The agent team at Huayi Brothers tricked me. They secretly raised the price without my knowledge, which resulted in me losing the role. And they didn't even notify me after that. Luckily, my work on the Legend of Sword and Fairy series was completed quickly, so I came here in advance. Otherwise, I'm afraid I would have been kept in the dark from beginning to end!"
As soon as Niu Yichen spoke, everyone present fell silent for a moment, and more or less looked at Wu Yue. Because if Niu Yichen came, Wu Yue would likely be the one most affected.
Wu Yue took a sip of wine but didn't say anything.
After a brief pause, Chen Yongge continued, "Yichen, I know the inside story here. The role you auditioned for was 'Yu Ri,' but unfortunately, the role of Yu Ri has already been given to someone else, someone you know quite well!"
After saying that, Chen Yongge patted Wu Yue on the shoulder.
Wu Yue also said, "Yi Chen, I'm really sorry, I really didn't know you were the one who chose this role. After this drink, I'll go with you to talk to the director! To be honest, you're more suitable than me!"
Whether they were familiar with each other or not, Wu Yue was definitely unwilling to give up a chance. However, he knew his own limitations. In terms of appearance, the difference between him and Niu Yichen was too great. This was innate and there was no way to change it.
The same applies to fame acquired later in life.
Niu Yichen is a former child star, and one of the most popular ones at that. Unlike most child stars who have grown up to be less attractive, he is even more handsome than he was as a child, and his appearance on screen is sure to attract a lot of attention.
Song Zuer and Wu Lei are living examples. As long as they don't do anything reckless and have some decent works to show for themselves, they will definitely be more popular with the audience.
Moreover, Niu Yichen's current situation is better than Song Zuer's, because the TV series he starred in a few years ago were all very classic, and the roles he played were also classic.
Wu Yue landed the role of Yu Ri because she heard that Yi Chen had been blacklisted by Huayi Brothers, but seeing that both directors have come over now, it's clear that they don't care about it at all.
Therefore, the outcome is self-evident if Niu Yichen speaks up; it's better for him to say it himself, at least he can do someone a favor.
However, after Wu Yue spoke up, Niu Yichen immediately refused.
"No need! No need!" Niu Yichen said repeatedly, "You know my personality! I said no, and that means no!"
"This..." Chen Yongge knew Niu Yichen's personality well; once he said no, he meant no.
Niu Yichen toasted Wu Yue and said, "I appreciate your kindness, but you really don't need to give it to me. I have plenty of opportunities. Even if I don't get this drama, it doesn't matter. I came here in person to explain things to you, and most importantly, to apologize. After all, it was agreed beforehand that I didn't come!"
This statement sounds arrogant and could easily offend people, but it wouldn't be a problem for Chen Yongge. In fact, Niu Yichen had already made this decision after seeing Wu Yue. Because in the original TV series, Wu Yue played Yu Ri, and the effect was quite good!
Niu Yichen is not the type of person who would willingly steal his friend's screen time, especially after the role has already been confirmed.
After speaking, Niu Yichen filled his glass, toasted Chen Yongge and Jiang Tian, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Hey! Yichen! That's not how you drink!" Chen Yongge quickly said, "Don't worry about the role. You've already come all this way, we definitely won't let you leave empty-handed. The money we discussed before is still the same! I still have that much authority!"
After hearing Chen Yongge's words, Jiang Tian quickly replied, "Right now, we've only decided on one role, 'Yu Ri.' You can choose any of the others you like!"
Niu Yichen laughed and said, "There's no need to talk about the salary. Just like the cameo role before, if it becomes popular, give me a red envelope. If it doesn't, that's fine. After all, I'm here to apologize! But I won't be polite about the role. How about... I'll play the God of Cookery!"
"Happy Seven Fairies" is, frankly, a film for women. Even if you were to force a distinction, the first male lead is Yu Ri, the second is the jinx, the third is Dong Yong, then the God of Cookery and the others. Moreover, the so-called male leads are actually supporting characters! So choosing any of them doesn't really matter.
The reason I chose "The God of Cookery" is simply because I like Stephen Chow's movies and I'm just trying to ride on his fame.
Chen Yongge quickly replied, "Okay! Since you've said all that, I won't stand on ceremony! I'll definitely give you a big red envelope later!"
"Okay! I'll be waiting!"
With the roles finalized, the atmosphere at the dinner table became even more lively. Wu Yue, in particular, felt a complete weight lifted from her shoulders, and her relationship with Niu Yichen improved even further.
Moreover, from a broader perspective, Niu Yichen's addition is definitely a good thing for the Seven Fairies production team.
This drama is the result of the painstaking efforts of three directors. It concerns their future reputation and whether they can move forward, so the more insurance they take out, the better.
Without Niu Yichen, who would be the most famous male actor in this drama? The answer is Wu Yue. And how famous was Wu Yue at this time? He had played the male lead once! Not even close to being a second-tier actor.
The female lead needs no introduction; Huo Siyan is the most famous, but her fame is limited. She's at most a second-tier star, and she's only good at playing the type of girl from a modest family. Because of this image, she received a lot of attention, but also because of this image, many roles were lost to her.
Niu Yichen is a rising star! With proper promotion, he can definitely take the level of attention to the company to the next level.
...
After Niu Yichen said those words to the two directors, Huo Siyan and Jiang Xin couldn't help but look at him, their eyes practically shining.
"There are plenty of opportunities"—not everyone can say those words, especially when faced with two directors who turned down role offers from him.
But Niu Yichen did just that, and neither Chen Yongge nor Jiang Tian showed the slightest displeasure or disagreement. This is quite thought-provoking. It at least shows that Niu Yichen wasn't just boasting; he genuinely could easily obtain opportunities.
In the fiercely competitive entertainment industry, who could say something so easily? Huo Siyan and Jiang Xin couldn't help but wonder, but considering Niu Yichen's identity and actions, they were both unsure. However, one thing was certain: his identity was definitely not simple.
Regardless of what they thought, lunchtime passed quickly, and after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, it was time for them to part ways.