Chapter 55 – The Unusually Strange Cheng Yishu?

Recently, Da Lingzi had been floating on air, and even Chen Kai was grinning from ear to ear, convinced that the notoriously temperamental and difficult-to-communicate Cheng Yishu had suddenly developed a drive for professionalism. That was why he fully cooperated with every assignment handed to him, with no resistance at all!

Previously, even the trivial task of waking Cheng Yishu in the morning would leave Da Lingzi trembling in fear, needing to mentally prepare herself for a long while before she dared to try. Now, she no longer needed to repeat herself for the third time; Cheng Yishu would leap up immediately, and never with a sour expression!

The studio was hushed, the scene on the monitor was exquisitely romantic. To help the actors find their rhythm, the crew even played music filled with sweetness on set.

Eyes locked, the beautiful actress before Cheng Yishu gazed at him shyly and sweetly. Cheng Yishu returned her look with deep affection, gently caressing her shoulder... Then, he slowly leaned in, his lips moving closer...

The actress wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes lightly, waiting for his next move.

“Cut!”

Director Lu, seated behind the monitor, frowned and shook his head. Cheng Yishu dropped the arm he’d placed around the actress, both leads turning to look at the director.

“Yishu, remember that the person before you is your most beloved. Your body language should convince yourself and the audience of your relationship—not appear stiff in front of her. And look at your hand… shouldn’t you be holding her waist? Why have you kept it on her arm? This kiss scene is crucial, it’s a close-up so there’s no room for tricks... Xuanxuan, and Yishu... You both need to work harder... Let’s do it again.”

“Alright, Director Lu! Thank you for your hard work!” Cheng Yishu smiled at the director, leaving him momentarily stunned.

He muttered inwardly, “Has Cheng Yishu finally come around? He’s so much more cooperative lately.”

“Ah, hmm...” Director Lu cleared his throat awkwardly, returning to his monitor to continue working.

There was an event to attend tonight, so Chen Kai had arrived at the set early, ready to whisk Cheng Yishu away as soon as filming wrapped, moving him on to the next engagement.

He watched Cheng Yishu’s performance all morning, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, alternately shaking and nodding his head, deep in thought.

Da Lingzi, eager to take credit, smiled at Chen Kai. “Didn’t I say so? Cheng has been working so well lately, and he’s smiling much more! Even the costume and styling crew, who used to complain about his sour face and poor communication, are gossiping that he’s like a new person!”

“Hmm...” Chen Kai blinked repeatedly, nodding in approval at first, then suddenly muttered to himself,

“There’s something wrong.”

“There’s something wrong?” Da Lingzi shot Chen Kai a sidelong glance, her brows raised in confusion. “What’s wrong? Cheng’s always loved his work! He was just in a bad mood for a while—you know that, Kai. Now he’s finally out of the gloom, back to normal work and life. What’s the problem? I think it’s great!”

Having been by Cheng Yishu’s side for over a year, Da Lingzi naturally knew quite a bit about his relationship with Tan Jing. At first, it seemed to her that Cheng was hopelessly and openly infatuated with Tan Jing. But as time passed, it became clear that Tan Jing had always interacted with Cheng in a deliberately ambiguous way.

But Cheng, lost in the midst of it, was more than willing to be Tan Jing’s puppet. Apart from his reluctance to cooperate in work matters, he was endlessly attentive and trusting toward Tan Jing.

Now, however, Tan Jing had married someone else, and while Cheng Yishu had indeed been downcast for a time, even his new manager, Chen Kai, had deliberately reduced his public appearances and media interactions. Yet things had improved, and the clouds seemed to have cleared.

Da Lingzi watched Cheng Yishu listening to the director with a cheerful expression, unaware that Chen Kai was eyeing her with the look one might give a simpleton next door.

“That’s why Yishu insists on having you as his assistant. There’s a reason for it,” Chen Kai said suddenly, interrupting her contented smile.

“Why?” Da Lingzi eyed Chen Kai’s inscrutable expression, doubting his words were meant as praise.

Chen Kai’s always shrewd gaze swept left and right, confirming no one nearby was paying attention, before he lowered his voice and spoke, “Haven’t you noticed anything strange about Yishu?”

“...” Da Lingzi stared at Chen Kai, perplexed by his seriousness, pausing in confusion. Then, after feigning a moment of reflection, she nodded emphatically, as he’d hoped.

“No! Everything seems perfectly normal!” Chen Kai was utterly speechless, dropping his crossed arms and sighing before he spoke.

“Da Lingzi, think carefully—have you really fulfilled your duties as an artist’s assistant?”

Da Lingzi, thrown off by his sudden seriousness, felt awkward, but she reviewed her work in her mind and was sure she’d done well.

She kept the company updated on Cheng Yishu’s whereabouts and progress, always confirmed his schedule for the next day, provided wake-up calls in the morning, ordered lunch at noon, saw him safely back to the hotel at night, and even gave a final goodnight. If Cheng wanted her present, she appeared immediately; if he wanted her gone, she vanished without a trace.

In ancient times, even the maid who warmed the master’s bed couldn’t surpass this. And after all, she was just a low-paid assistant.

Of course, if Cheng wanted her to warm his bed, she wouldn’t even take the salary...

A slap came down on her head, breaking her daydream. Da Lingzi yelped, inevitably drawing attention from the others.

She rubbed her sore head, forcing an embarrassed smile and apologetic nod to the surrounding staff. Chen Kai coughed into his fist, pretending nothing had happened as he turned away.

After another satisfied “cut” from Director Lu, Cheng Yishu smiled and thanked him again, and even the director’s gaze toward Cheng began to change.

Cheng Yishu, having only changed his clothes and not yet removed his makeup, left in a hurry with Chen Kai and Da Lingzi.

Lately, the sharp-eyed fans had somehow learned that Cheng Yishu was filming there. Even in the scorching afternoon sun, they waited at the entrance with posters and banners, full of excitement.

That’s the nature of fandom—even knowing they can’t get close to their idol, nor hear him speak or catch his gaze, the fans are still willing to wait, believing that even a glimpse of his retreating figure makes all the waiting worthwhile.

The driver had parked outside long ago, and the fans, energized, crowded both sides of the entrance so tightly that only a narrow passage was left—just wide enough for one person to pass through.