Chapter 783: An Old Hand

What followed was much simpler. One had to admit that talent could sometimes be truly disheartening. At least Zhao Fusheng felt that a naturally gifted actor like Sun Honglei made one sigh with emotion. Talent was something you couldn't ignore; perhaps even ten times the effort couldn't catch up to someone's innate ability.

For three consecutive scenes, Sun Honglei nailed each one on the first take, never giving Gao Qun a chance to yell 'cut.'

'So, what do you think? Pretty good, isn't he?' Ye Jing said smugly to Zhao Fusheng.

'Of course. I think he'll do even better in the future.'

Zhao Fusheng smiled and said seriously.

He knew, of course, that from this drama onward, Sun Honglei was officially embarking on the brilliant path of his acting career.

'Alright, I'll take off now. I've got things to do, so you keep an eye on things here.' Ye Jing patted Zhao Fusheng on the shoulder. 'We're not strangers, so I won't say much. Just handle whatever comes up.'

Zhao Fusheng nodded. 'I know. Go ahead and take care of your business.'

After seeing Ye Jing off, Zhao Fusheng returned to the set and once again became invisible, quietly watching Gao Qun direct.

One had to admit that whether it was Sun Honglei or Shi Zhaoqi, who arrived later, both had their own advantages in acting. Zhao Fusheng couldn't help but worry about his girlfriend.

After all, compared to these old hands, Fan Baobao was far too inexperienced.

Three days later, the actresses joined the crew.

But to Zhao Fusheng's surprise, during the filming, although Fan Baobao performed immaturely, neither Jiang Shan nor Sun Honglei showed any impatience. In fact, Jiang Shan even privately gave Fan Baobao some tips, helping her quickly get into character.

Curious about this, Fan Baobao secretly sent Zhao Fusheng several text messages, asking if he had revealed their relationship.

Zhao Fusheng quickly denied it. He really hadn't done that. It wasn't that he didn't want to help Fan Baobao, but he didn't want her to be misunderstood as having gotten into the crew through the investor's connections. After all, it was never a good thing for an actress to have that kind of reputation.

Not everyone was Tiantian.

Zhao Fusheng knew very well that given Fan Baobao's personality, if she were subjected to such gossip, she would likely explode on the spot.

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed, and Zhao Fusheng had spent that month with the crew in Shijiazhuang. During this month, all the actresses' scenes were completed. Fan Baobao reluctantly left, though she wanted to stay with Zhao Fusheng longer. Unfortunately, some things were beyond her control.

In the entire Conquest crew, the biggest star was Jiang Shan. She had other work commitments, so Gao Qun had to shoot all her scenes first, and Fan Baobao's scenes were conveniently scheduled alongside hers.

Before leaving, the crew arranged a dinner, and Jiang Shan specifically toasted Zhao Fusheng.

'Baobao is quite talented, but she needs polishing. For her age, her acting skills are decent,' Jiang Shan said with a smile, holding her glass.

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback, then finally understood why Jiang Shan had been looking after Fan Baobao during filming. Anyone who could carve out a place in this circle was no pushover. No matter the occasion, making others remember you was a skill. Otherwise, when choosing actors for a new film, who would remember who you were?

In this regard, one had to admire Sun Honglei. In just one month, Gao Qun had become his sworn brother, pouring out his heart. The two were so close they might as well have shared a pair of pants.

After seeing off the reluctant Fan Baobao, Zhao Fusheng finally devoted his full attention to the crew.

Of course, 'full attention' meant just hanging around the set every day and reviewing various receipts. The company and Ye Jing had hired professional accountants to oversee things, so he was essentially just a mascot.

'Are you saying Sister Jiang Shan knew about our relationship all along?'

Fan Baobao asked Zhao Fusheng in surprise over the phone.

'What, surprised?' Zhao Fusheng smiled calmly.

'Yeah, I thought she was really nice, always teaching me how to act.' Fan Baobao's mood immediately soured as she grumbled. Clearly, she hadn't realized before that Jiang Shan was being so warm to her because she knew about her relationship with Zhao Fusheng.

'She is nice, just a bit self-interested,' Zhao Fusheng said with a smile. 'Don't overthink it. Just give her a call or send a message during holidays. Nothing else to worry about.'

Zhao Fusheng saw this more clearly than Fan Baobao. Jiang Shan's actions weren't about being calculating; she was simply building a good connection.

After all, more friends meant more paths. That was how the entertainment industry worked.

'Alright, I understand,' Fan Baobao said, agreeing with Zhao Fusheng's words. She also realized that not everyone could treat her like Jiang Wen and Yu Feihong did. Even Jiang Wen and Yu Feihong were only so good to her because of their relationship with Zhao Fusheng.

'How are things on your end? Has Sister Hua assigned you any work?' Zhao Fusheng hesitated for a moment, then asked Fan Baobao.

For some reason, he felt that Wang Jinghua's arrangements for Fan Baobao seemed too lax.

Fan Baobao was taken aback, then shook her head. 'No, just some ads and calendars. Almost nothing in film and television.'

Frowning slightly, Zhao Fusheng's heart sank. Instinct told him that Wang Jinghua must have a reason for doing this. He just didn't know whether it was her own idea or Huayi's.

Could it be that Huayi had guessed his intention to take Fan Baobao away?

'Do you think it's because my acting is too bad?' Fan Baobao's voice came through the phone, seeing that Zhao Fusheng remained silent.

Zhao Fusheng nearly burst out laughing. Suppressing his amusement, he said, 'Uh, why would you think that?'

'Don't even mention it. You saw it on set—I had the most NGs. If it weren't for Sister Jiang Shan and Brother Honglei guiding me, I'd probably have been cursed out by the director...' Fan Baobao said dejectedly.

Zhao Fusheng sighed. In truth, Fan Baobao didn't realize that even with Jiang Shan and Sun Honglei guiding her, her acting was barely passable. If Gao Qun hadn't known about her relationship with Zhao Fusheng, he would have been cursing her out long ago.

There was no helping it. How could a student who hadn't even graduated compare to seasoned veterans who had been immersed in the craft for years? After all, not everyone was like Xia Yu, who won a Best Actor award before even graduating.