SABA Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Others Get Angry, I Don’t Get Angry. If I Die of Anger…

The five classes ended very quickly. Jiang Tiao could feel that Zhang Xuelan was teaching with great care, but for some reason, every time he was about to leave, her eyes would hold a hint of wanting to speak but stopping.

After the last class ended, Jiang Tiao expressed his gratitude. Before leaving, he asked Zhuang Xiang to bring a pot of Jade Orchid. Zhang Xuelan had a dead Jade Orchid on her balcony, which seemed to be something she cherished. Even after it died, she hadn’t moved the pot. Jiang Tiao saw a picture of it in full bloom on the table, so he asked someone to find a similar pot. He got one that was 99% similar, as a way to thank Zhang Xuelan for her meticulous guidance, in addition to the class fees.

Surprise, nostalgia, and emotion flashed across Zhang Xuelan’s eyes. She was silent for a long time. Finally, with a complex and sad expression, she said, “I’m sorry.”

Jiang Tiao didn’t understand and was about to ask again, but Zhang Xuelan didn’t say anything more. Jiang Tiao looked at the old anti-theft door that had closed and went downstairs to take a car home, puzzled.

…

Half a month later, Nie Jin’s high heels clicked as she walked into the office. Her expression was subtly angry, and she brought bad news. “The role Guan Qing mentioned has already been internally decided for Ye Yahan.”

Jiang Tiao felt like he had wasted his time and been tricked for the first time. “Was it Director Guan who decided?”

Nie Jin replied, “The casting director and producer decided, but I heard they had a casual meal together the day before yesterday. Guan Qing and Ye Yahan were both there, so it’s likely that Guan Qing also approved it.”

Ye Yahan had won the Best Actor award at a young age. Regardless of his status, influence, or past acting skills, he completely outshone Jiang Tiao. If she were the casting director or producer, she would definitely choose Ye Yahan if he was willing to condescend to play a non-leading role. But the problem was, if they were going to choose him, they should at least inform them, especially since Guan Qing had actively sought out Jiang Tiao. To allow Jiang Tiao to focus on honing his acting skills and understanding the character, she had pushed aside many variety shows and scripts for him during this period.

Jiang Tiao recalled Ye Yahan’s disdainful gaze when they first met, and his expression soured.

“Didn’t the casting director say they would arrange an audition?”

Nie Jin responded, “The casting director is also an alumnus of the film academy and had taken classes from Zhang Xuelan. You know your previous acting skills; he didn’t think highly of you from the beginning. I heard that after Guan Qing asked Zhang Xuelan to teach you, he inquired about Zhang Xuelan. Zhang Xuelan recommended Ye Yahan, so the casting director felt there was no need for an audition.”

Jiang Tiao fell silent. No wonder Zhang Xuelan had said “I’m sorry” in the end.

Nie Jin’s expression was grim. “Moreover, I think we were played by Zhang Xuelan. She used the opportunity of teaching you to inquire about the role and script from Guan Qing, and then turned around and told Ye Yahan, which gave Ye Yahan the advantage. Also, from what I gathered from the production team, several people with influence in casting seemed to believe that Zhang Xuelan taught you how to act based on the character, but you still couldn’t grasp or understand the role.”

No one expected a respected and well-known teacher to resort to such tactics. They had indeed stumbled into a ditch.

Jiang Tiao’s lips pressed together. If Zhang Xuelan had merely chosen Ye Yahan when asked who was more suitable for the role, it would have been understandable, as it was a subjective choice. However, using him to inquire about insider information and then spreading such false rumors completely eroded Jiang Tiao’s last bit of goodwill towards her.

He had never discussed the role with Zhang Xuelan, so how could Zhang Xuelan know if he could truly understand and grasp the role?

Nie Jin was angry for a long time. Seeing Jiang Tiao remain silent, she asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Jiang Tiao replied, “I’m thinking that all my effort in choosing this pot of Jade Orchid was wasted.”

Nie Jin: “…”

“Ye Yahan had always been involved in the film industry before, right? Why did he suddenly want to act in a TV series, and not even the lead role?” Jiang Tiao recalled Ye Yahan’s gaze and felt that it wasn’t the expression one would have upon meeting someone for the first time. “Could he be targeting me specifically?”

Nie Jin felt a bit speechless and wanted to say, “What’s your status that someone would deliberately target you? Don’t be so narcissistic.”

“After winning the award, Ye Yahan went abroad for further studies and originally planned to develop his career overseas. However, he hasn’t made much of a splash in the past few years.”

He knew that his first work back in China was crucial, but the film industry had been sluggish for the past two years, and there hadn’t been any good scripts.

“Guan Qing’s drama is an ensemble cast. Besides the male lead, the other main characters also have significant screen time, with independent and complete growth arcs. However, I suspect Ye Yahan’s initial intention was definitely to get the male lead role.”

Jiang Tiao understood. The male lead was a tough constable, burly, and fierce in appearance, which was completely incompatible with Ye Yahan’s image and temperament. His influence wasn’t great enough for the production team to change the script for him, so the role of Zhao Heng became his best choice.

Nie Jin continued, “Forget it. Since they’ve already finalized Ye Yahan, we don’t need to waste any more effort on this role. Fortunately, your recent popularity is high, and several good scripts have found their way to me. We can start by picking and choosing.”

Jiang Tiao remained silent.

“You’re not still thinking of trying to fight for it, are you?” Nie Jin expressed her disagreement for the first time on this matter. They had spent too much time on this role. In the information age, there was a new hot topic every day, and netizens’ attention shifted very quickly. Many artists disappeared from public view simply because they couldn’t seize the momentum and follow-up resources weren’t available.

Jiang Tiao argued, “Shouldn’t a truly great actor be able to portray anything they play? Since he doesn’t dare to take on a tough role that is completely incompatible with his image, doesn’t that prove his acting isn’t as miraculous as people say?”

Nie Jin retorted, “Even if it’s not miraculous, it’s more than enough to crush you!”

Acting, to a certain extent, became a subjective matter. Even if the audition results were similar for both of them, the production team would definitely choose Ye Yahan. Jiang Tiao’s attempt to compete would only result in self-humiliation, and no amount of effort would be useful. Moreover, people in this industry liked those who were aware of the situation and knew when to advance or retreat.

Nie Jin tried to persuade him for a long time, but seeing Jiang Tiao unmoved, she asked in confusion, “I’ve analyzed the pros and cons so clearly for you, why are you so determined to stick to this role?”

Jiang Tiao recalled Ye Yahan’s gaze and felt that it wasn’t the expression one would have upon meeting someone for the first time.

Nie Jin struggled to suppress her anger. “Do you have a grudge against Ye Yahan?”

Jiang Tiao put on a forced smile and said, “I didn’t before, but I do now.”

Nie Jin was furious. She pressed each knuckle of her fingers, barely managing to suppress the urge to beat Jiang Tiao. “Fighting for roles, having roles snatched away… these things are very common in the entertainment industry. They might not be specifically targeting you, but it just happens that this role is suitable. Besides, your status and Ye Yahan’s status in the entertainment industry are vastly different. At a red carpet event or banquet, you wouldn’t even have the qualification to dine at the same table as him. If he wanted to target someone, why would he target you!”

Jiang Tiao responded noncommittally with a “Heh.”

Nie Jin was splashed with the sarcasm in Jiang Tiao’s tone and flew into a rage, slamming the door as she left her office.

Others get angry, I don’t get angry. If I die of anger, who will be happy! [Note]

Never mind, she’s emotionally unstable after losing a role, I should be understanding!

……

The next day, at the 《ELEGANT》 fashion magazine photoshoot, Nie Jin, who had said she should be understanding, finally started to lose her temper after Jiang Tiao waited for a full three hours.

She called over the photography assistant and politely asked, “The shoot was scheduled for seven o’clock, and it’s already past ten. Could you tell me approximately when our artist’s styling will begin?”

《ELEGANT》 was the most influential fashion magazine in China, bar none. Many people who started working there felt superior and often looked down on others.

He didn’t recognize Nie Jin but knew that Jiang Tiao was a relatively unknown small celebrity, so his attitude was extremely perfunctory and his tone was impatient.

“You’re only taking a couple of inner pages, what’s the rush? The set and props are definitely prioritized for the cover shoot. Teacher Ye Yahan hasn’t arrived yet. Even if the stylist does your styling now, it will still need to be modified based on the effect of the cover shoot. Alright, since you have nothing else to do, just wait a bit longer.”

Nie Jin’s expression was very displeased. What did he mean by “you have nothing else to do”? As if their time wasn’t time!

The cover for this issue had been decided for Ye Yahan a long time ago, but they hadn’t found a suitable candidate for the inner pages’ sports fashion section. Coincidentally, Jiang Tiao’s surfing video from the variety show had gone viral, so someone from the editorial team recommended Jiang Tiao.

Normally, Nie Jin wouldn’t have needed to accompany Jiang Tiao to such a photoshoot involving just a few photos for the inner pages. However, due to the role loss incident from yesterday, Nie Jin was worried that Jiang Tiao and Ye Yahan might run into each other and cause a conflict, so she specifically pushed aside other matters to accompany Jiang Tiao to the shoot. She had repeatedly instructed Jiang Tiao all morning, telling him to be polite when he met people and not to put on a grumpy face just because of any underlying feelings. Well, it turned out he didn’t even bother to show up.

Jiang Tiao sat aside playing with his phone as if nothing had happened, without even looking up. “See? I told you he’s targeting me.”

Nie Jin angrily retorted, “You shut up!”

Jiang Tiao fell silent, deliberately took off his earphones, and used the background sound effects of Candy Crush to express his silent protest.

To prevent herself from dying of anger, Nie Jin decided to leave Jiang Tiao in the lounge and go inquire about the situation herself.

The coordinator responsible for liaising with artists was named Chen Wa, a man dressed even more exquisitely than Nie Jin. He and Nie Jin were old acquaintances. Upon receiving Nie Jin’s message, he arranged to meet her in a corner of the garden.

“What’s going on?” Nie Jin saw that Chen Wa hadn’t directly replied on WeChat but had asked her to meet outside, so she knew it wasn’t a simple on-set scheduling issue.

Chen Wa exclaimed, “Oh my, my dear sister, you have no idea! What’s going on? Your artist has offended someone!”

Nie Jin’s mind raced. If it was someone with influence within 《ELEGANT》, they wouldn’t have received the shooting invitation. “Don’t tell me it’s Ye Qinghan?”

Chen Wa replied, “It seems you’re not entirely clueless after all! Director Ye’s stance is very clear: he doesn’t want your artist to appear in the same magazine as him. We’ve communicated with them several times, and their attitude is very firm: it’s either you or him, but not both.”

Nie Jin held back her breath, finding the situation utterly absurd. “You are 《ELEGANT》, the ‘Fashion Bible,’ the ‘Compass of the Fashion World.’ How can you allow someone to trample on you like this? Don’t tell me you’re going to compromise internally?”

Chen Wa couldn’t help but let out a few “Ay, ay, ay” sounds. “Don’t praise me or provoke me. I spoke favorably for your artist during the internal discussions. But a coordinator is, after all, just a gofer. What say do they have in front of the editor-in-chief and the photographer?”

“I’m not afraid to tell you, within our group,” Chen Wa pointed his index finger upwards, “at the shareholder level, there’s a power struggle. Those below are either taking sides or trying to protect themselves. The entire company is in chaos, like a pot of porridge. At this critical juncture, no one dares to make a mistake, for fear of becoming the scapegoat.”

“The cover for this issue was decided a month ago with Ye Yahan. The list was reported long ago, and the news has been circulating on the internet in various forms. Now, if they have to replace someone for the cover shoot, how can the person in charge explain it to the higher-ups?”

One is the youngest Best Actor in the history of Chinese entertainment, with both good looks and fame. He’s shooting the cover, and the editorial department has even reserved a special interview slot for his personal growth story in the magazine’s layout. The other is an eighteenth-tier celebrity who has just gained some popularity and isn’t yet considered significant, only shooting a few inner page photos. The cost and impact of replacing one versus the other are clear.

“Still not popular enough,” Chen Wa sighed. “If it were your Luo Luo, our person in charge would definitely have to weigh the options more carefully.”

If it had been Luo Xingwen, Ye Yahan wouldn’t have dared to act like this. Nie Jin felt extremely wronged. “What kind of skill is it to pick on the softest targets?”

Chen Wa replied, “It’s human nature. Why should they go head-to-head with a rock instead of picking the easy one? They’re not stupid. Listen to my advice, you should find an opportunity to take your artist to apologize to them as soon as possible. Your artist is in a crucial rising period and can’t afford any delays. If he gets targeted a few more times and the public loses interest, it will be difficult for your artist to make a comeback.”

Nie Jin knew very well that Chen Wa’s advice was reasonable, but such matters were truly unfair and infuriating. Did having power and influence mean one could arbitrarily humiliate others? When she first entered the industry, she managed a female artist who offended a director by saying the wrong thing. That director used his network to subtly blacklist her for half a year, forcing her to apologize at a banquet. She watched helplessly as the artist was pushed to the point of drinking until she had a gastric hemorrhage and was hospitalized before it finally ended.

Nie Jin knew very well what Ye Qinghan wanted. He simply wanted to see Jiang Tiao bow and scrape before him, begging for mercy.

The thought of Jiang Tiao, who had done nothing wrong, having to lower his head and apologize to Ye Qinghan, begging for his forgiveness, made her furious. She hated such things! But back then, she was powerless to deal with such situations. More than ten years later, she realized she was still powerless!

Chen Wa looked at Nie Jin’s increasingly grim expression and sighed. He and Nie Jin had known each other for many years, chatting about gossip and work. They could be considered old friends. Although Nie Jin was always strict with the artists under her, she was very protective of them. Years ago, a producer tried to use unscrupulous means to harass an artist under her management. She immediately tore into him, with such a reckless demeanor that people thought she wouldn’t be working in the entertainment industry the next day.

Nie Jin asked, “Who is the editor-in-chief for this issue of the magazine? Sister Li? Or Sisi?”

Chen Wa replied, “Are you looking for connections to try and persuade them? It won’t be of much use. The photographer for this issue is Yang Min. He’s a fan of Ye Qinghan, and he was the first one to directly suggest replacing your artist during the meeting.”

“Think about it. Even if you could handle everyone else, can you handle replacing our chief photographer for this issue? If he casually takes a few ugly photos and tells the higher-ups that your artist is not good enough and can’t produce good shots, then how will your artist survive in the fashion circle from now on?”

Nie Jin opened her mouth, about to speak, when she noticed Jiang Tiao standing not far away.

Nie Jin tensed up, worried that Jiang Tiao might hear something and lose his temper. She quickly asked, “Why are you here?”