Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

“Qin Yi to Star in Gu Lenian’s New Film: A Strong Alliance to Create an Espionage Legend”

“Qin Yi’s New Work Lands on Maple Leaf TV”

“After Seven Years, Qin Yi Returns to the Espionage Genre”

Throughout the day, Qin Yi’s management agency and Maple Leaf TV acted as if they had choreographed their movements, flooding various marketing accounts with press releases about their collaboration. However, in these releases, neither side mentioned a single word about the fact that Sunrise TV had invited Qin Yi to star in their new drama first.

Primarily, Qin Yi did not want to become the center of a topic on Lin Ji’s Weibo. That was a “privilege” reserved for the likes of Xiao Cheng and Gu Lenian.

Qin Yi was tall and possessed a face that exuded a gentle, upright aura. His image was perfectly suited for serious dramas. In recent years, he had used the momentum of the “Uncle Circle” craze to turn his career around, and movie offers had been pouring in ever since.

However, only those within the industry knew that the “Uncle Circle” was not an easy place to survive. There were simply too many middle-aged actors with talent who hadn’t yet achieved stardom. Everyone was trying to squeeze into this path, and with even the slightest misstep, the popularity one had worked so hard to accumulate would vanish instantly.

Qin Yi had always been cautious in selecting his projects. He wasn’t the type of actor to pick up scripts randomly. To him, while the platform was important, the quality of the script mattered more. It was precisely because of this attitude that he had managed to carve out a path for himself in the cutthroat entertainment industry.

In truth, Qin Yi had really liked the new script sent by Sunrise TV. If Maple Leaf TV hadn’t suddenly appeared, he would have inevitably chosen the former.

Even now, with the press releases already circulating about him starring in Gu Lenian’s new work, Qin Yi still felt a lingering sense of unease. “Luo-ge, do you think I made the wrong choice?”

Comparing the two scripts, the scales in Qin Yi’s heart actually tipped slightly toward Sunrise TV.

“How could it be the wrong choice?” his agent consoled him with a relaxed tone. “Just think about it. Both are espionage themes, but between Gu Lenian and Lin Ji, who has more experience?

“You’ve read both scripts. Gu Lenian’s draft isn’t bad at all.

“The problem with Lin Ji’s script is that it uses a real historical figure as the protagonist. Real people are hard to play. No matter how big a star you are, you’ll end up getting cursed by someone after the performance is over.”

It was true. Thinking it over, Qin Yi felt there was some logic to that.

Initially, he had already decided to accept Lin Ji’s script. But before he could even head to Sunrise TV to negotiate, Maple Leaf TV and Gu Lenian had come knocking on his door. The scales in his heart slowly began to tilt.

According to his agent, he was, after all, a figure of some standing in the “Uncle Circle.” If he went to play the lead in a Sunrise TV drama, it would be as if he were lowering himself beneath his competitors for no reason.

His peers were all competing for lead roles on Dajiang TV or Xingzhou TV. Even if they failed there, they would at least aim to take the lead on a top-ranked B-tier station. Sunrise TV simply didn’t count among the B-tier stations, while Maple Leaf TV was far superior.

Besides that, Qin Yi also considered himself an alumnus of the National Film Academy. During their last class reunion, the faces of his teachers and classmates didn’t look very good when Lin Ji’s name was mentioned.

Right now was precisely when the school had the most grievances against Lin Ji. If he blindly went to act in Lin Ji’s drama, it would affect how the school and his teachers viewed him.

Yet, for some reason, even though he had found all these justifications for himself, Qin Yi still felt a strong sense of instability whenever he thought about this decision.

Qin Yi didn’t know Lin Ji personally, but he had heard the name long ago.

Regardless of what his alma mater or his agent thought of Lin Ji, Qin Yi himself had experienced the low points of a career. He knew very well that making a comeback was no easy feat. His rise to fame wasn’t because he was fully prepared, but rather because he happened to play a role one day and became famous for it out of nowhere.

Qin Yi didn’t actually feel that that specific role was played better than his previous ones.

Actors were just like that. Some might film dozens of movies without becoming famous, and then one day, luck arrived, and their career shot up in a straight line.

As a screenwriter, making a comeback was even harder, especially after experiencing a hell-level disaster like Snow in Early May. Not to mention anything else; before that show aired, the young idols starring in it had quite a bit of fame in the industry. But once the drama flopped so spectacularly, both of them lost their popularity simultaneously, and now they couldn’t even land roles in decently produced idol dramas.

Yet Lin Ji had managed to stage a comeback in a field where one must rely on genuine talent and learning to win.

Having experienced the low points himself, Qin Yi could empathize.

Therefore, he felt that Lin Ji must be a very capable screenwriter.

The timing this time was truly unfortunate. If there was a chance in the future, he would be willing to collaborate with Lin Ji once more.

Qin Yi suddenly remembered something. After choosing Maple Leaf TV, he had told his agent to notify Sunrise TV. He didn’t know if his agent had actually done it.

His agent wasn’t around at the moment, so Qin Yi sent him a message. Seeing the reply “I’ve notified them” on his phone, Qin Yi felt a bit more at ease.

Even if the collaboration didn’t work out, Qin Yi didn’t want to offend Sunrise TV too much. The frequency of an actor needing a platform was still much higher than a platform needing an actor.

* * *

Sunrise TV was furious that their finalized lead had been intercepted halfway by Maple Leaf TV. If Qin Yi had just rejected them outright from the beginning, the station staff wouldn’t have been so angry.

There was nothing wrong with “riding a donkey to find a horse,” but no one enjoyed being the donkey.

“I’ll go try one more time,” Lin Ji suddenly spoke up while everyone was discussing.

The producer looked at him silently. “Hasn’t Qin Yi already refused over there?”

“I’ll do some more work on him. Maybe he’ll have a change of heart?” Lin Ji smiled. “His image fits Lou Zhi the best. We’ve reached this step; I’m not willing to give up and pick someone else.”

Hearing this, the producer’s gaze toward Lin Ji became complicated.

Before collaborating with Lin Ji, he thought his personality was exactly like his online persona: arrogant and refusing to give anyone face. He had worried that Lin Ji would cause a heap of trouble after they started working together. But in reality, the only thing Lin Ji ever focused on was the script.

The producer had worked at the TV station for many years and had dealt with directors, writers, and actors alike. He had seen a whole basket of eccentrics. When he first started the job, someone had pointed at the sky and complained to him, “Your sky is too bright. The light makes my eyes hurt. Can’t anyone do something about it?”

Producer: “…”

It won’t hurt once you’re in the incinerator.

And Lin Ji, who seemed like the person least likely to lower his head, was someone who would absolutely settle a score tenfold if anyone made him suffer. Yet now, even though Qin Yi had already slighted him, he was willing to cast aside his own pride for the sake of finding the actor most suited for the role of Lou Zhi.

“If it doesn’t work out, we’ll think of something else. There are plenty of good actors,” the producer said, patting Lin Ji’s shoulder consolingly. “Worst case scenario, I’ll go look at the theater troupes or the acting schools.”

Lin Ji nodded. “Understood.”

Lin Ji had the address of Qin Yi’s management agency. He caught the nearest flight and took a taxi directly to his destination. Just as he reached the bottom of the building, he saw the agent approaching with a smiling face. “Screenwriter Lin, it’s a lot of trouble for you to make this trip. This time, it really is a bit unfortunate.”

“It’s no trouble. I want to meet with Qin Yi. We should talk more about the role.”

Among the many candidate actors, Qin Yi was indeed the most suitable. Before coming, Lin Ji had asked around in the circle. It was said that Qin Yi was an easy person to talk to. If he communicated more with the man and stirred his interest in the script, there might still be room for a turnaround.

The moment Lin Ji finished speaking, the agent’s face clouded with difficulty. “This… I’m really sorry, but we’ve already signed the contract with Maple Leaf TV.”

“The contract isn’t an issue. We’ll pay the liquidation damages.”

“Screenwriter Lin, please don’t make things difficult for us, alright? How can a signed contract be broken just like that? This isn’t just a verbal agreement.”

Lin Ji stopped in his tracks and glanced at the man. “Is Qin Yi not here? I want to talk to him face-to-face.”

Lin Ji wasn’t a fool. He could understand the agent’s attitude. It was nothing more than wanting to prevent this meeting to avoid any unexpected complications.

But Lin Ji wanted to persist a bit longer. This time, he hadn’t only brought the script; he had also brought several stories that had moved him during his research. This would make it easier for Qin Yi to deepen his understanding of Lou Zhi.

Regrettably, after hearing Lin Ji’s explanation, the agent only looked troubled but showed no intention of budging.

Suitable actors were indeed hard to find, but Lin Ji didn’t want to force it.

People were coming and going below the management agency building, and occasionally someone would look toward their corner. Since Qin Yi didn’t want to see him, there was no need for him to make things hard for the man.

“Screenwriter Lin, I’m sorry. You should know that sometimes we are also acting against our own will.”

A screenwriter like Lin Ji didn’t have a high degree of substitutability, but actors were different. Scripts were passed between different actors all the time. If they missed a good script once, they might not get that kind of chance again.

If the agent had to choose between Gu Lenian and Lin Ji, he would inevitably choose the former.

Lin Ji walked out of the main entrance. The agent escorted him all the way to the door and even called a car to send him back to his hotel, putting on a full display of courtesy.

However, after Lin Ji got into the car, the man looked at him with a strained expression. “Screenwriter Lin, although the collaboration didn’t work out this time, I must still ask you to be merciful.”

Lin Ji’s tongue was on the level of a fighter jet. Anyone he targeted was bound to have a rough time. Qin Yi’s breach of faith this time was essentially offending Lin Ji. Given Lin Ji’s temper, there was no telling what kind of nonsense he would say online.

Lin Ji only gave a faint smile. “Rest assured.”

Qin Yi wasn’t his enemy, nor was he a competitor. Naturally, he wouldn’t say anything right now. However, once the drama aired next year, if there was competition between the two shows, Lin Ji wouldn’t be polite either.

* * *

The agent returned upstairs and saw Qin Yi leaning against the window, looking out. He spoke up to remind him, “He’s gone.”

“Say, Lin Ji showed such sincerity. He must be very confident in the script, right?” Qin Yi asked suddenly.

“Don’t think about that now. Just focus on filming the Maple Leaf TV drama first,” the agent said.

Qin Yi didn’t take the bait. Instead, he asked, “Do you think Lin Ji is the type of person who would lower his head to others?”

Clearly not.

Yet a person with that kind of personality had specially flown all the way here just to find him, just so he would act in his script.

This meant, at the very least, Lin Ji had huge ambitions for this new script. Or rather, this script should be his masterpiece.

When Secretly in Love with You and the two short dramas became hits, Qin Yi had never heard any rumors of Lin Ji favoring a specific actor or fighting to secure one, even though the quality of those shows was quite good.

“I hope I didn’t make the wrong choice.” Qin Yi sighed. “I just hope I don’t regret it later.”

After becoming famous, Qin Yi had starred in several dramas. Although the ratings for those shows were decent, they lacked the kind of script that could stabilize his current position or allow him to surpass actors of the same type.

He had placed his bet on Gu Lenian. He only hoped he could give him what he desired.

NOTES

“Riding a donkey to find a horse” (骑驴找马): An idiom meaning to keep one’s current position/partner while looking for something better.

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