"Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one..."
Zhou Yachen recited the numbers unhurriedly, while those around him seemed unfazed.
The director signaled with his eyes—it was Rong Yu's turn to step in.
Rong Yu tossed the prop book onto the table and spoke coolly, "Filming resumes only when the lines are memorized."
With that, she turned and walked back to her dressing room, pulling out a few scientific journals to read leisurely.
Only after she left did Zhou Yachen snap out of his daze. "W-what did she just say?"
The crew members were equally stunned.
In this industry, "Number Actors" were commonplace—young idols juggling endless schedules, barely finding time to sleep, let alone memorize scripts.
Directors usually tolerated these high-profile stars, allowing them to recite numbers on set and leaving the dubbing for post-production. It wasn’t considered a big deal.
But this was the first time someone had openly challenged the practice.
The director felt a surge of satisfaction.
The industry had been rotting for too long—it needed someone to shake things up.
Yet, he knew newcomers held no sway. This young woman was about to learn a harsh lesson.
Zhou Yachen let out an incredulous laugh. "Who does she think she is? A rookie who hasn’t even properly stepped into the entertainment world, daring to lecture me?"
"Mr. Zhou, she’s just inexperienced," General Manager Zhao quickly interceded. "Makeup team, touch up Mr. Zhou’s look. I’ll go talk to Miss Rong."
This commercial had been planned with Zhou Yachen as the lead endorser from the start.
The female idol selected from the audition was merely his supporting act—a secondary role. Never before had a supporting player dared confront the lead.
Newcomers were always like this—unpolished, unaware of their place.
General Manager Zhao knocked on Rong Yu’s dressing room door and stepped inside. "Miss Rong, here’s the situation—Mr. Zhou has a fan meeting later, and his schedule is packed. There’s no time to memorize lines, so we’re using numbers as placeholders. Post-production will handle the dubbing. It won’t affect anything—"
"His tight schedule isn’t my concern," Rong Yu replied without looking up. "All I know is that professionalism matters. I won’t work with someone who lacks it."
General Manager Zhao was at a loss.
Taking a deep breath, he pressed on, "Miss Rong, this ad must wrap today. Editing and dubbing are tomorrow, and it airs with the show the day after. Time isn’t on our side—"
"Instead of persuading me, why not hire a coach to teach him his lines word by word?" Rong Yu checked her watch. "If he hasn’t memorized them by 10:30, I suggest replacing him."
General Manager Zhao froze.
A rookie, daring to make such demands?
Then it struck him—President Ji had personally escorted Rong Yu here this morning.
Was her boldness backed by his influence?
Wiping sweat from his brow, General Manager Zhao retreated to Zhou Yachen’s makeup room.
He found the star engrossed in a mobile game.
Frankly, he despised these so-called idols—time for games, but not for work. They were the ones ruining the industry.
But with their massive fanbases, crossing them was out of the question.
Approaching cautiously, he suggested, "Mr. Zhou, how about this? We’ll trim the script—just three lines for you to memorize..."
"What, am I supposed to rehearse lines with some rookie now?" Zhou Yachen's expression darkened. "Just because she placed third in a talent show, she thinks she's hot stuff? Either shoot the scene properly or get out."
General Manager Zhao: "..."
Why was everyone so full of themselves these days?
Stuck in the middle, he was the one left feeling like the bad guy.
Zhou Yachen said coldly, "Let me finish this game first."
General Manager Zhao thought he had come around and smiled. "Alright, I’ll have the crew reset the scene in the meantime."
Once he left, Zhou Yachen closed the game and made a call.
The phone rang for a while before a deep, slightly hoarse male voice answered, "Weren’t you shooting the Ji Group’s commercial today? Did something happen?"
"Bro, it’s a disaster," Zhou Yachen whined, his voice turning pitiful. "The actress I’m working with is throwing her weight around, criticizing my lines, refusing to cooperate. I’ve got a fan meet this afternoon, and she’s just dragging things out on purpose..."
The man on the other end replied, "A lot of veterans in the industry have their quirks. As a newcomer, you shouldn’t take it personally. Learn from them instead—"
"If she were a veteran, I’d endure it. But she hasn’t even debuted yet, and she’s already acting like a diva. It’s ridiculous." Zhou Yachen gritted his teeth. "Bro, get the Ji Group to replace her."
"It’s not that simple," the man’s voice turned cool. "A commercial shoot takes a day at most. Just tough it out for the sake of work."
"Why should I be the one to tough it out? What if it makes me sick? Who’ll take responsibility then?" Zhou Yachen’s eyes darkened with malice. "You promised Mom you’d take care of me for life. Is this how you keep that promise? Watching me get bullied and telling me to endure it? How is Mom supposed to rest in peace like this?"
Silence stretched on the other end.
"I’ll come over."
---
Rong Yu had finished three magazines in the break room.
Once she started reading, she lost track of time. Without realizing it, it was already past 10:30—now 11:10.
A few simple lines—how long did it take to memorize them?
She stood and walked out, only to find the entire crew still waiting in the studio. Through the glass, she spotted Zhou Yachen lounging in the rest area, playing a mobile game.
Well, this was a first.
Just as she was about to call for General Manager Zhao, the entrance doors swung open.
A man strode in, dressed in a sleek navy-blue suit, impeccably tailored without a single wrinkle. His presence was magnetic, his features striking—the moment he appeared, all the light in the room seemed to bend toward him, and every gaze instinctively followed.
The crew erupted in whispers.
"It’s Yan Ting!"
"Yan Ting, the award-winning actor? What’s he doing here?"
"He’s not just an actor—rumor has it he’s also a shareholder in the Ji Group. It makes sense he’d show up."
"..."
General Manager Zhao froze for a second before hurrying over. "Mr. Yan!"
The man scanned the room, his voice low. "Where’s Zhou Yachen?"
General Manager Zhao quickly pointed toward the rest area.
Zhou Yachen was completely absorbed in his game, fingers flying across the screen.
The man’s eyes darkened briefly before he asked, "And the actress working with Zhou Yachen—who is she?"
General Manager Zhao pulled Rong Yu forward. "This is Ms. Rong."
Rong Yu studied the man before her, narrowing her eyes.
For some reason…
Had she seen him somewhere before?
She searched through the memories of the original host—it turned out to be the youngest Best Actor winner in history, Yan Ting.
Debuting at the age of twelve, he had remained a top-tier superstar for over a decade, excelling in film, television, and music. He had swept every major award there was...
"Miss Rong, may I have a word with you in private?"
The man's voice was deep yet impeccably polite, drawing gasps of admiration from the female staff nearby.
