Glimpse of Light - Chapter 1
When agent Gao Liang received the time and address for the interview from Director Zhong, he immediately started a video call with Xie Shiye.
At that moment, Xie Shiye was running. He had just wrapped up filming his last movie, for which he had lost twenty pounds. Right now, he was strictly following the nutritionist and fitness trainer’s plans to get back in shape.
Wiping sweat off as he stepped off the treadmill, he placed his phone on the kitchen island and said, “What’s up?”
Gao Liang’s face appeared tense on the screen. “Wanli Hotel, August 19th at 3 PM.”
Xie Shiye smiled. “An interview?”
Gao Liang, with a grim expression, said, “Yes, an interview. I just don’t get it. Shen Zhoujian specifically wanted you as the male lead of his movie, a big IP with a ninety-million fee, but you didn’t take it. Instead, you chose Director Zhong’s movie. That movie has dual male leads, with no guarantee of being released domestically and forget about even getting paid. Say, what are you aiming for really?”
Wiping his sweat with a towel, Xie Shiye casually said, “I’m after an international award. Director Zhong’s films are highly sought after, and it’s normal for his standards to be high.”
Gao Liang retorted indignantly, “You know Director Zhong’s efficiency in making films. A delay could easily last six months, if not several years. Others can afford to spend that long on it, but you can’t. Why don’t you try calculating how much popularity you’re likely to lose?”
Xie Shiye lowered the phone volume a few notches, letting Gao Liang roar on the other end, while he remained unmoved. In fact, Gao Liang’s concerns were not without reason.
Xie Shiye was twenty-nine that year. He had been popular since he debuted at the age of twenty-two, becoming inexplicably famous, proving the saying ‘great fame depends on fate.’
Despite not having particularly famous works, he relied solely on his looks and a few IP dramas to become immensely popular, catapulting him into a top-tier traffic star*
*(traffic stars aka liuliangs are actors/actresses who have extremely big, dedicated fanbases capable of generating online traffic/data.)
Endorsements and advertisements flooded in, and he frequently trended online.
He was twenty-nine years old at the time, and would be turning thirty in another year. For a traffic star, that age was a bit too old, putting him in an awkward position. With wave after wave of young fresh faces entering the industry, even Xie Shiye felt overwhelmed.
Xie Shiye now had no choice but to face the need for a career transition. He had wanted to be a proper actor since the beginning of his career.
Twenty-nine might be too old for a traffic star, but for an actor, it was just the beginning.
He paced around the kitchen island counter, making himself a simple sandwich and milkshake. Gao Liang saw that no one was in front of the screen anymore. Realising he couldn’t persuade Xie Shiye, he decided to try a different approach.
Sure enough, when Xie Shiye heard that name, he paused his leisurely movements, put the sandwich back on the plate, turned the phone towards himself, and raised an eyebrow saying, “Fu Xu? Didn’t he retire from the industry?”
Gao Liang quickly said, “He recently made a comeback. He’s Director Zhong’s go-to actor, and this time in this dual male lead film, the other lead is definitely him.”
Gao Liang saw immediate displeasure on his artist’s face at the mention of Fu Xu.
Xie Shiye usually maintained a smile, had high emotional intelligence, and rarely commented on others or gossiped about others, earning him a great reputation in the industry.
It was rare to see him express an opinion about anyone, whether positive or negative. The only exception being Fu Xu, whom Xie Shiye particularly disliked.
Xie Shiye had even asked Gao Liang to block any news about Fu Xu so he wouldn’t see or hear anything about him.
Gao Liang wasn’t fully aware of what had happened between Fu Xu and Xie Shiye, only knowing they attended the same university. Fu Xu was Xie Shiye’s senior by two years and had debuted eight years before him.
Fu Xu debuted at the age of sixteen, and at eighteen, he won the Best Actor award at major film festivals for his role in “Waiting for the Wind.” Despite his young age, he caught the eye of renowned director Zhong Changming, who praised Fu Xu multiple times in interviews, saying that Fu Xu could perfectly portray what he envisioned and calling him a genius.
His early success as a Best Actor carried significant weight, and Fu Xu’s debut was at its peak. With the backing of Zhong Changming as well as his own talent, coupled with abundant resources, Fu Xu’s career progressed smoothly, accumulating awards effortlessly.
However, four years ago, Fu Xu abruptly came out publicly, announced his retirement in a high-profile manner, and moved with his partner to the United States to marry. On that day, Weibo programmers had to work overtime regardless of personal circumstances.
Fu Xu’s company was caught off guard, having no idea about this.
Ordinary news wouldn’t cause such a stir, but this was Fu Xu!
Though he didn’t market himself much or follow the traffic star route, his popularity was undeniable.
Years ago, when the internet wasn’t as prevalent, five out of ten TV dramas broadcasted on television featured Fu Xu.
Some curious individuals approached Zhong Changming and asked for his opinion on the matter concerning Fu Xu. Zhong Changming sighed deeply, shook his head, and declined to comment.
Director Zhong’s reaction seemed more like regret and heartbreak than blame.
Later, it was revealed that Fu Xu’s marriage partner was a man, Si Nan, who had played Le Chun, a classmate with ambiguous feelings for Fu Xu’s character Lin Feng in “Waiting for the Wind.”
Everyone then understood why Director Zhong felt so regretful and heartbroken.
Fu Xu was too deeply immersed in his role to know any better, and no one knew when he and Si Nan got together.
Si Nan, in contrast, had faded into obscurity after “Waiting for the Wind.” Although he played the third male lead in “Waiting for the Wind,” he didn’t get any better opportunities after the movie. His acting was mediocre at best and he couldn’t reach the height of his acting in “Waiting for the Wind” again.
Si Nan was the typical case of an actor who relied on the production team to shine. Once he’s away from the script and the director’s support, he’s completely useless. With the situation with Fu Xu blowing up, speculations arose that Si Nan’s performance might have been partially due to real feelings.
The scandal was huge, and neither party responded. Within days, news of their marriage certificate emerged, garnering another wave of public interest.
At that time, Gao Liang had just started managing Xie Shiye, who had recently starred in the hugely successful costume drama “My King,” becoming the top star in the company. The company assigned their best agent to Xie Shiye, showering him with resources.
Initially, Gao Liang feared Xie Shiye might be difficult to manage, but he soon realised his concerns were unfounded.
Xie Shiye was easy to handle, friendly, professional, and naturally charismatic.
Gao Liang witnessed Xie Shiye losing self-control for the first time at the celebration banquet for “My King.” Midway through the event, many people’s phones started buzzing. As everyone checked their phones, a sense of restlessness spread through the venue, with whispers and murmurs signalling that something significant had happened.
While Gao Liang raised his glass to compliment the director, his eyes stayed on Xie Shiye to prevent him from drinking too much. Unexpectedly, even the director picked up their phone to check. Upon seeing the news on his phone, Xie Shiye grabbed a bottle of wine and left.
The main protagonists of the celebration had all left, while the rest of the cast and crew were absorbed in discussing the earth-shattering gossip. Even the director and producers continued talking, unaware of the departure of their lead actor.
Gao Liang hurriedly followed after Xie Shiye, pulling out his phone to find out what the gossip was about and who it involved.
As soon as he saw the news on his phone, Gao Liang was stunned.
Fu Xu? Is it that Fu Xu?? Came out? Retired from the entertainment industry, and got married???
Good grief, the gossip was too huge! How was one supposed to digest it!
When Gao Liang found Xie Shiye, he hadn’t gone far. He had hidden himself in a private room in the clubhouse. He had turned on a little lamp and was drinking silently. Gao Liang had wanted to turn the lights in the room on, but Xie Shiye spoke up to stop him. Silently, Gao Liang took a seat on another leather sofa nearby, and taking advantage of the faint illumination, he started observing Xie Shiye.
Xie Shiye had a remarkably handsome face, and from certain angles, he bore a slight resemblance to Fu Xu. Even in the dim light, his features were refined and impeccable. Beautiful people often shared similarities, but each had their own unique charm and aura. Xie Shiye had an exceptional temperament and compared to Fu Xu, his appearance was more handsome and cheerful; a quality that had its advantages and disadvantages.
In the entertainment industry, being strikingly attractive was advantageous and could open new doors, but it could also limit from getting roles that required depth and complexity.
Unlike Fu Xu, who was not only handsome but also a genius capable of portraying numerous characters flawlessly, to the point that people would often ignore his good looks, Xie Shiye at the moment didn’t possess the same versatility.
Hence, up until now, he was only approached by IP dramas seeking to capitalise on his popularity. He’s hardly ever considered for serious, in-depth movies.
Right now, with his hair slightly dishevelled and his expression forlorn, Xie Shiye had drunk most of the wine in the bottle, his whole demeanour languid and filled with the scent of alcohol. Gao Liang had barely looked away for a moment and Xie Shiye had already consumed so much alcohol.
Gao Liang gently and cautiously expressed, “The banquet isn’t over yet. Do you want to go back?”
Xie Shiye remained silent.
“If you don’t want to continue, how about going and apologising to the director in a while? Just say you’re not feeling well and need to leave early,” Gao Liang suggested.
Normally, leaving early from such a banquet was not allowed, but Xie Shiye’s current status allowed some leeway.
Xie Shiye took another sip of wine and finally spoke.
His voice, tinged with alcohol, carried a hint of hoarseness that was oddly seductive and made one’s ears warm with its appeal. His tone was soft but his words were harsh.
He said, “I hate Fu Xu. Don’t let me see him again.”
Gao Liang was stunned. He thought Xie Shiye might be speaking under the influence of alcohol and quickly glanced around, afraid someone might overhear or record them. Even in Fu Xu’s current situation, he wasn’t someone Xie Shiye could afford to offend.
Thankfully, after saying this, Xie Shiye slumped into the sofa and fell asleep.
The next day, when he woke up, Gao Liang cautiously asked if he remembered what happened last night.
Xie Shiye raised an eyebrow, smiled lightly, apologized politely, saying he might have been a bit too happy last night and apologised for any rudeness.
Gao Liang shook his head. “You said you hate Fu Xu…” He hesitated, unsure whether to continue the topic or pretend he hadn’t heard anything.
But as an agent, he needed to understand his artist. Otherwise, if something happened in the future, he wouldn’t know how to handle it.
Upon hearing this, Xie Shiye looked slightly surprised, then nodded frankly.
“Yes, I hate him.”
“He’s irresponsible.”
“Talented but reckless to the extreme.”
Storyteller Kara J.'s Words
I've been a reader for many years. Since my ORV arc has yet to come irl, I decided to become a translator in the meantime. (-_-メ) This is my first time translating so please Go Easy on Me(in Adele's voice)~~~~ Support me on Ko-fi if you like what I'm doing. Feel free to request any other novel you wish to be translated. Lmk if there's any grammatical error in the chapter. Release schedule may change in the future, but for now new chapters will be released on Friday. XOXO╰(^3^)
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