Chapter 103: Old Photos (1)
Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path Chapter 103: Old Photos (1)
On the day of Zhao Yao’s birthday, Pei Mingzhan announced his relationship, sparking heated discussions online for over a month. At first, Pei Mingzhan’s studio released a public statement, but afterwards, they remained silent, allowing netizens to discuss freely. Meanwhile, the two most important figures vanished without a trace, neither updating their Weibo nor encountering many fans in their daily lives.
This coming-out announcement undoubtedly had a significant impact on Pei Mingzhan’s popularity. Some fans expressed support, while others chose to unfollow, but the majority of responses were positive. Even Brother Lao seemed somewhat surprised because both parties had highly accepting fanbases. It was expected that there would be a flood of negative news after the announcement, but surprisingly, there was minimal negativity. Instead, there was an increase in people regularly checking the studio for updates.
As for Mr. Zhao, it goes without saying that he rarely showed up at Huihua for work, and it was not uncommon for him to skip work for over a month. Pei Mingzhan, who was known in the industry for being difficult to capture, used to frequently appear with Mr. Zhao, but after the public announcement, he disappeared from the public eye, leaving fans who were shocked by their relationship at a loss. They could only reminisce about their past interactions.
【Did Pei Mingzhan update his Weibo today? No.】
【What’s up with this man? He used to flaunt his relationship with Zhao everywhere before going public, and now that they’re out, not even a single Weibo post!!】
【My mood has changed from Oh shit, they’re actually real’ to ‘Why haven’t they posted on Weibo yet?’ Normally, wouldn’t they be flaunting their love after making it public?】
【Zhao Zong hasn’t even shared Huihua’s announcement on his Weibo. I’m so frustrated! Why did they go public if they’re not going to do anything?!】
【How did this happen? Pei Mingzhan has changed.】
Fans have transitioned from their initial shock to a current state of despair. According to common expectations, publicly coming out should lead to further sweet moments, but these two people, after making their relationship public, seem to have disappeared without a trace.
However, some fans, while reminiscing about past interactions, have uncovered rich content from the past year when the two were frequently seen together. The most abundant source is the behind-the-scenes footage from the set of the drama “Mi Ying”, and the most mysterious are the candid moments of them encountering each other while traveling to various places. As they look through these materials now, fans experience a mixture of emotions.
【Why was I so blind initially? This is just too sweet, sob sob.】
【I didn’t know Pei Mingzhan was into guys before. He used to behave like a straight man, but now I know that he just didn’t meet the right person….】
【When I was with Jimei Amway, Pei Zhao was all about bromance. Now, all I can ship is their absolutely beautiful love.】
【I’m tearing up too.】
【Remember those photos of a carousel someone shared a long time ago? Recently, a girl went to the amusement park to scout it out, and she heard something from the staff at the haunted house.】
【Hmm? Sister, be clear, what haunted house are you talking about?】
【Wow, is this new information? Spill the tea quickly.】
【It’s not exactly new information, just a story from an amusement park in the city center of S City. The staff at the haunted house mentioned an unusual encounter with two visitors. While he was in character, trying to scare people, these two visitors hid in his designated spot, startling him. It wasn’t until later that he found out one of them was Pei Mingzhan.】
【Two men! Connecting the timelines now. Wasn’t there a girl who claimed to have taken a photo outside the carousel before? It was just a silhouette, and at that time, netizens didn’t believe her.】
【【Image】 I intentionally searched for pictures of the haunted house online, and it seems like there isn’t much space to hide. Squeezing in two guys… damn, I didn’t notice the beauty back then!】
【Crap, the haunted house also has a carousel???】
【So, were they already together at that time!!! Damn!! I always thought it was just a bromance, but turns out they hooked up so early!】
This revelation immediately piqued the interest of fans of other pairings, and even fans of Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao themselves became curious. A wave of fans began to dig into the details, and they discovered that the details of their relationship were truly unguarded.
For example, during the period when the two went to the amusement park and the aquarium, Zhao’s Weibo was filled with strange topics related to couple dates, romantic venues, haunted house reviews, and the like. After this realization, fans suddenly became aware that they might have misunderstood something before. This was not at all about the big boss having a wide range of interests. There was another reason.
【The more I look, the more I feel like I was blind before.】
【Uh-oh, I feel corrupted now. Whenever I see Zhao Zong discussing kissing topics on Weibo, I just think they must be kissing.】
【So, how did they get together… Did these two people who clicked immediately search for guides online and put them into practice?】
【…Xiao Zhao is so curious.】
【I’m dying of laughter. I even saw Xiao Zhao debating with netizens about whether it’s worth it to hold hands in a relationship. Is he too serious?】
【I feel unclean too. That bathtub review, could it be related to that?】
【Why haven’t I seen it with my own eyes, but the picture is already looping in my mind?】
【Sister, let me into your mind. I’ll pay the entrance fee.】
【So why is Zhao Zong searching for these things online? Who can’t handle it between the two of them?】
【【Exhales smoke】 Probably two inexperienced guys in a relationship, poor them, having to look for adult guides on the internet.】
【Damn, these two men are both bold and straightforward.】
This gap in information lasted for half a year.
The old materials were enjoyable to revisit, but fans still longed for new content from the main characters. Unable to locate them, they resorted to going to Pei Mingzhan’s studio for answers.
Pei Mingzhan’s studio typically only shared his work schedule, and this was the first time so many fans had come asking for updates on Pei Mingzhan’s daily life. Brother Lao found it both gratifying and challenging. The reason behind the two’s month-long disappearance became evident. Shortly after Mr. Zhao’s birthday, they packed up and traveled abroad.
It’s no wonder fans couldn’t bump into them. Pei Mingzhan, a busy individual, rarely found time to accompany Mr. Zhao on a trip, let alone showcase their affection online. The two were too engrossed in each other during their travels to bother with public displays of affection on the internet.
After their return, Pei Mingzhan arranged work matters in advance for joining the drama crew at the year-end, while Mr. Zhao focused on the strategic expansion of Huihua. Despite being busy professionals during the day, they surprisingly became even more domesticated in the evenings than before coming out, leaving Brother Lao with a surreal sense of déjà vu.
Because of the waves caused by their coming out, Pei Mingzhan’s studio and Huihua strengthened their collaboration. After discussions, they decided to sign a cooperation agreement. Pei Mingzhan delegated full authority to Brother Lao to handle the studio affairs. Without needing to ask, Brother Lao knew and wholeheartedly supported the collaboration. Huihua had been prolific in producing works in recent years, making the cooperation mutually beneficial in terms of resource exchange. It could be said to be a win-win situation, but online discussions somehow framed it as a strategic alliance between the two companies.
Lele blushed and shut down a certain type of strategy fans sent through the studio’s private messages. Fans even sent various love lists, planning marriage routes for them. From north to south, domestically and internationally. Some even suggested having two wedding ceremonies.
Because Pei Mingzhan had a large number of overseas fans.
“Lao Ge, Yao Zhu is calling, saying that Zhao Zong will be moving to a new home in a couple of days and specially invites you to visit,” Lele informed Brother Lao as he just came out of the meeting room. “The day after tomorrow, Yao Zhu insists that you free up your schedule.”
Brother Lao just entered the meeting room without his phone when he received the call directly at the studio phone from Yao Bai. He paused slightly and responded, “Okay, I should be free the day after tomorrow.”
Lele added, “There’s one more thing. Mr. Chen also called, saying there’s a new project to focus on at the beginning of next year. He asked if our studio has anyone new who wants to give it a try.”
Huihua has been thriving recently, and Mr. Chen Zong, in particular, is riding high. YThey can always see him flaunting in his circle of friends.
The achievements of “Li Meng” far surpass “Mi Ying.” The series garnered significant attention during its airing. Unexpectedly, after it ended, its reputation skyrocketed, with ratings and positive reviews flooding the entire internet. Zhang Qi, in a recent domestic television award ceremony, clinched the title of Best Actor at the prestigious Golden Roland Awards. Additionally, a newcomer from Huihua won the title of Best New Actor of the Year, and “Li Meng” was crowned the Best TV Drama of the Year.
But it doesn’t stop there. The various buzz surrounding “Li Meng” continued and did not diminish. There have even been discussions with Huihua regarding the film adaptation rights of “Li Meng.” Under Mr. Zhao’s suggestion, Huihua had already acquired the full rights to the IP from the original author. Huihua is keen on crafting the IP into a high-quality production. So far, only the TV series has been released, emphasizing quality over profit.
Now, Mr. Chen is discussing collaboration with Brother Lao on an urban romance drama. The original IP and scriptwriters are internal talents at Huihua. Rumor has it that the primary storyline comes from a recently graduated new scriptwriter. This drama will be a focal point for Huihua’s development in the latter half of the year.
Brother Lao was pleasantly surprised after reading the script because the story was unconventional and exceptionally innovative. In today’s urban dramas, it’s hard to escape cliché plots, but this story had numerous highlights, with almost every episode featuring innovative elements. Brother Lao could easily go through ten scripts in one sitting.
“This script is really good. Just send it to other agents. if there are suitable roles, let it be a fair competition,” Brother Lao suggested after glancing at the scriptwriter’s name. “Qiu Miao, is this a newcomer? Huihua really knows how to scout talent. This drama might turn out to be a hit. The plot is amazing.”
As they were discussing the script, a sudden phone call interrupted them.
The call was from another director. After seeing the name, Brother Lao paused slightly, expressing his surprise. “Already preparing so early?”
By now, it was already October, and Pei Mingzhan’s primary job had completely settled into a normal routine. In consideration of spending more time with Mr. Zhao, Pei Mingzhan was even contemplating assembling a professional team to manage the company’s affairs. The director calling him now was related to a script Pei Mingzhan had recently taken on. It has been consulted by Mr. Zhao and backed by Huihua, ensuring a reliable production team.
Originally, the commencement date for this project was expected to be later, but unexpectedly, the call came sooner than anticipated.
This film is a period piece with a mystery and detective theme. Frankly, in today’s commercial film market, such genres tend to struggle financially, and well-known actors seldom take on such roles. It’s a very traditional mystery detective drama, without any supernatural elements, centered around a young master who has not recovered from a long-term illness and becomes embroiled in a murder case. To save his own life, he embarks on a journey to unravel the mystery.
The overarching plot revolves around a case spanning over a decade, involving various prominent families in the capital city and also delves into the protagonist’s mysterious background… With multiple plot twists and a mix of emotions, the story is well-crafted but also prone to misdirection.
At first, Brother Lao wasn’t particularly inclined to suggest that Pei Mingzhan attempt a role like this, especially considering that, based on the original script, the film might face difficulties in domestic release because of content restrictions. However, Pei Mingzhan took the script seriously and explicitly requested effective communication with the team.
“Director Li, are things ready on your end?” Brother Lao asked as soon as he answered the call.
Director Li had prepared for this project for a long time. Originally he offered the script to Pei Mingzhan with a mindset of giving it a try. He wanted Pei Mingzhan to play the male lead because the character’s appearance required a young and outstanding look, along with the demand for exceptional acting skills to handle the numerous plot twists. Few actors in China fit these criteria for such a role.
He had actually prepared himself to abandon the project if he couldn’t find a suitable actor. He thought his script would be rejected, but to his surprise, Pei Mingzhan accepted the role. What’s even more important is that, after Pei Mingzhan agreed, before he could go out to seek investments, Huihua reached out to his team expressing their interest to invest. They even offered a substantial investment, directly raising his budget to the maximum.
Director Li didn’t frequently browse the internet, so it wasn’t until the preparation stage of the production that he discovered the behind-the-scenes financier for his project was Pei Mingzhan’s significant other. This became one of the most discussed topics online. Many people, aware that his new male lead was a friend of Pei Mingzhan in the industry, approached him to ask about potential investments. Some even came for business collaborations.
His production hadn’t even started, but it had already become a highly sought-after project among investors.
Director Li said, “Everything is ready. I’ll reach out to Teacher Pei to set a schedule. Once Teacher Pei confirms the production timeline, we can start planning ahead on our end.”
“Okay, Director Li, please send over the specific documents, and I’ll get back to you in a couple of days,” Brother Lao said, glancing at the time and confirming a few details with Director Li before hanging up.
Lele asked, “Is the new project confirmed?”
“Yes,” Brother Lao gloated, “Tsk, tsk, tsk, Old Pei was just about to settle into his new home, and now the filming business comes knocking on his door.”
-*
When Pei Mingzhan received Brother Lao’s call, he was in the study, helping Zhao Yao organize things.
After the new house was renovated, it remained vacant for almost half a year before the two finally tidied up and moved in. Although the two had been living together for a long time, some things hadn’t been properly organized, especially the trophies and medals in Pei Mingzhan’s apartment. Apart from some that Zhao Yao had seen during his last visit, there were also many things stored away.
Originally, Uncle Wang wanted to help organize these items, but Zhao Yao was quite particular about this matter, so he didn’t let others handle it.
But as they went through the items, they discovered some unexpected things, such as photos from Pei Mingzhan’s student days, and more…
Zhao Yao was a bit surprised to see these things. While the albums in their home had practically been turned inside out by Pei Mingzhan, Zhao Yao had never seen these photos before.
While Pei Mingzhan continued with the call, he gathered the remaining photo albums.
“When did you stop keeping a buzz cut?” Zhao Yao flipped through the photos and noticed that Pei Mingzhan had changed his hairstyle when entered his junior high.
“When I was little, I thought a buzz cut looked cool. In junior high, I was still figuring out my appearance, and I hadn’t experienced a sudden growth spurt,” Pei Mingzhan explained. “Keeping a buzz cut seemed kind of silly, so I changed it.”
Zhao Yao acknowledged with a sound. He still found a buzz cut cute and, thinking about it, he tilted his head to glance at Pei Mingzhan.
“Zhao Zong, put away your dangerous thoughts,” Pei Mingzhan, still on the phone with Brother Lao, noticed Zhao Yao’s gaze constantly hovering over his head, fearing that his partner would instruct him to get a haircut next week.
Zhao Yao regretfully withdrew his gaze, continuing to flip through Pei Mingzhan’s student photos, quickly reaching his high school years.
In high school, Pei Mingzhan had matured, bearing a slight resemblance to his current appearance. Although there was still a hint of youthful innocence in his features. During high school, it seemed that he spent less time at school. Compared to the rich extracurricular activities in junior high, Pei Mingzhan in high school appeared more composed. Group photos were mostly taken at school or on certain film sets.
“You were filming during high school?” Zhao Yao was a bit surprised when he saw stills from that period.
“No, I just went to observe through my brother’s connections. At that time, my family hadn’t agreed yet. Thinking about acting was out of the question. At most, they’d let you visit the set,” Pei Mingzhan explained.
There were quite a few photos related to film sets, and Zhao Yao asked in surprise, “You followed many film crews back then?”
“I went during holidays, just carrying a small stool to sit beside the staff,” Pei Mingzhan recalled. “It seems like I’ve watched quite a few productions.”
No wonder he had such a natural talent for acting. Pei Mingzhan had put in a lot of effort in the past.
As Zhao Yao continued flipping through the photos, he unexpectedly came across the familiar school uniform while turning a page.
He was slightly taken aback. It was the uniform from the high school department of his former school.
The author has something to say: The extra chapter will be updated~
It should be updated daily. If something happens, I will ask for leave in advance~
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Thank you to the little angels (Author-san thanking everyone for voting and giving them nutrient solution)
Welcome back everyone, I hope you are all doing well! It’s been almost 3-4 months since I updated. As I’ve said in my announcement, there has been a lot of things going on since March… I’ve graduated HAHAHA just waiting for my diploma and the graduation ceremony YAAY! Anywaaays after the semester ended I went to work just until last month. And for now, Im just helping my dad on some stuff TT I’ll try the links on other novels soon so I can also start uploading the chapters. So please be patient, right now Im just doing things one step at a time or I might just breakdown hahahaa
Also just realized how this has been on my draft since January (but edited on the next few months lol) Happy Reading ~~~
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