As the male lead personally chosen by the investors, Zuo Yuanliang didn’t have a ton of power, but he definitely had enough to slip in a few personal touches here and there. No big deal.
So, out of pure selfishness, he unreasonably changed the male lead’s surname in the script to match his own.
Yeah, it was a pretty slick move. And it actually worked.
After all, the Zuo family name is pretty rare.
When the main character and the actor share the same surname, it helps the role stand out right from the start.
As long as his acting was decent, the audience would remember him.
As for why Jiang Nian called him “Hero Zuo”? It was just him staying in character as “Du Gao,” using the name of the role Zuo Yuanliang was playing.
But Zuo Yuanliang thought Jiang Nian was actually talking to him. His heart tightened, and he looked up.
There he saw Jiang Nian pinching his fingers in an orchid gesture, covering his lips, and giving him a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
His half-closed eyes held an unreadable emotion. Like a snake sizing up its prey, waiting for the right moment.
That mocking expression, paired with his eunuch costume and makeup, seemed to be telling Zuo Yuanliang: beneath the Emperor, he was the ultimate authority.
Everything was under his control, no matter how much you struggled, it was useless.
Malicious, ruthless, and wielding immense power – these words uncontrollably popped into Zuo Yuanliang’s mind. He couldn’t help but swallow hard, feeling immense pressure, his scalp tingling.
On the other hand, Jiang Nian, noticing Zuo Yuanliang ignoring him, thought to himself, Wow, this guy has no manners.
He was just trying to say hello, and the guy didn’t even respond.
Completely forgetting that, from a moment ago until now, he’d also been ignoring the female lead, Zhang Wen, who was staring daggers at him.
“Du Gao, Scene Two, Section One, Take One – ready, and… Action!”
Once all the actors were in position, the director picked up his megaphone and shouted.
As soon as he finished, Jiang Nian reluctantly stepped in front of Zhang Wen, striking a pose like he was about to get handsy, playing the part of a rascal.
Normally, this would be the cue for Zuo Yuanliang’s character, the hero, to step in and save the damsel in distress.
But when the camera landed on Zuo Yuanliang’s face, he didn’t react at all.
He just stood there, frozen, staring blankly at Jiang Nian.
The director’s eye twitched.
“Cut!”
“Zuo Yuanliang, what are you doing?”
“Say your lines! Say them!”
The director was frantic. He couldn’t figure out what the hell Zuo Yuanliang was doing.
The camera is right in your face, and you just freeze up?
Snapping out of it, Zuo Yuanliang remembered they were acting and quickly stammered, “St-stop right there! In broad… broad daylight…”
“Cut!”
He didn’t even finish his sentence before the director stopped him again.
The director lit a cigarette, staring at Zuo Yuanliang with a frown so deep it could crush flies.
“Zuo Yuanliang, what’s going on with you?”
“Did you forget you’re playing the hero? You’re supposed to stop him. Be righteous.”
“Who taught you to hesitate and stumble over your words like that?”
“Show some authority! Do you understand what authority means?!”
The director’s face was full of frustration, like he was watching someone fail miserably.
Zuo Yuanliang, on the other hand, was silently cursing his bad luck.
He understood everything the director said.
He wanted to project the hero’s authority, to be righteous.
But the problem was, he was acting opposite Jiang Nian!
Never mind Jiang Nian’s actual fighting ability.
Just his presence alone – the way he stood there – made Zuo Yuanliang feel inferior.
It was as if the guy in front of him really was a high-ranking, notoriously evil eunuch, while he himself was just an ordinary person, with no real confidence, trying desperately to look like a righteous hero.
There was no comparison.
But he couldn’t just say that.
Because even if he did, the director would just think he was making excuses or being lazy.
Especially since something similar had already happened on the first day of filming.
“Dammit!”
Zuo Yuanliang cursed under his breath. He didn’t expect his own previous actions to come back and bite him so quickly.
But he soon came up with a solution – look away.
If looking at Jiang Nian made him feel insecure, then he just wouldn’t make eye contact.
Thinking this, he gave it a try.
And it actually worked.
As long as he didn’t look at Jiang Nian, not only did his lines come out smoothly, but his delivery also sounded much more natural.
Feeling pretty pleased with himself, Zuo Yuanliang thought he’d cracked the code.
But his confidence was short-lived.
Because after he finished his lines, it was Jiang Nian’s turn.
You know what they say: you can tell a real expert the moment they make a move.
As the most powerful eunuch under the Grand Eunuch, hearing someone dare to ruin his fun, Jiang Nian didn’t react with anger like the script suggested.
Instead, he glanced sideways.
Seeing that his challenger was just a hot-headed young man, he gave a cold sneer.
Then, he let go of the female lead’s chin, gracefully pinched his orchid fingers, pulled a silk handkerchief from his robes, and started wiping his fingers.
While wiping, he said casually, “Kid… you want to meddle in my affairs?”
And with that, he looked up.
As luck would have it, Zuo Yuanliang was looking right at him.
Their eyes met.
“!!!”
Zuo Yuanliang’s mind went blank.
It was just a look, but the overwhelming pressure from someone in power instantly made his back break out in a cold sweat.
And it wasn’t just him. Even the director, sitting far away, was stunned by Jiang Nian.
Arrogance, disdain, irritability, and the subtle femininity that comes after castration – all of these were perfectly conveyed through Jiang Nian’s eyes and subtle facial expressions.
“Wow…”
“He really can’t be an actual eunuch, can he?!”
The thought flashed through the director’s mind.
It might be rude, but watching Jiang Nian’s performance, it was hard not to think that way.
Because he had never seen anyone play a eunuch so convincingly.
Not even seasoned actors performed this well!
But his attention quickly shifted away from Jiang Nian.
Because he realized that after Jiang Nian’s line, that son of a bitch Zuo Yuanliang had gone silent again!
“Say your lines! Say them!”
The director urged impatiently.
But Zuo Yuanliang didn’t react at all.
Until the take was completely ruined.
“God dammit, Zuo Yuanliang, what the hell are you doing?!”
The director lost it.
He wasn’t exaggerating one bit. Jiang Nian’s look was absolutely legendary.
If they could have kept the scene going, that single shot alone could have made Jiang Nian a star overnight.
But because of Zuo Yuanliang, that shot was ruined!
The director was heartbroken and furious, practically itching to grab Zuo Yuanliang and punch his stupid face in.
For his part, Zuo Yuanliang felt pretty wronged.
He turned to the director and asked,
“Director, what was I supposed to say?”
“What could I say?”
“That line isn’t in the script! How was I supposed to follow that?”
