Chapter 44

Zhang Chengyuan had not yet had the chance to attend classes properly at Seoul National University when he took leave to shoot a TV drama. This time, he was to shoot a youth romance idol drama called "A Beautiful Life." Surprisingly, he was cast as the male lead. It was unclear whether it was due to a stroke of luck or the prestige of Seoul National University, but Zhang Chengyuan unexpectedly rose to the position of the male lead, which even he found hard to believe. Originally, he had just gone to the audition as a matter of routine.

Of course, this was just his biased view.

In Park Byung-ryeol's opinion, the identity of a Seoul National University student alone could not achieve much. The main reason was Zhang Chengyuan's perfect appearance and his usual hard work and diligence. With the accumulation of his efforts and a bit of luck, he managed to become the male lead of this small-budget TV drama. According to Park Byung-ryeol, there was nothing surprising about this, as the female lead of the drama was also a newcomer who had only debuted a few years ago, and the other supporting actors were not particularly famous.

The female lead of the drama was played by the up-and-coming actress Ha Ji-won. According to Park Byung-ryeol's insider information, Ha Ji-won debuted in 1997, two years before Zhang Chengyuan. She studied at Dankook University's Department of Film and Acting. Although her talent was not particularly high, she was a representative of those who achieved success through hard work. Before this, she had participated in four or five TV dramas, initially playing minor roles. It wasn't until 1999, when she starred in the school drama "School 2," that she began to gain recognition. The high ratings of the youth drama "Secret" she starred in the following year significantly increased her fame, and her acting was highly praised. Overall, she and Zhang Chengyuan were of different types, and her current achievements were a step above his.

When Zhang Chengyuan met Ha Ji-won at the script practice site, he immediately took a liking to her. Although Ha Ji-won's appearance might not be as stunning as Kim Tae-hee's or as endearing as Sung Yuri's, she was still very graceful and beautiful. Her humility, calm demeanor, and bright, generous smile made it hard for anyone to treat her coldly.

Zhang Chengyuan also noticed from Ha Ji-won's deep gaze and subtle actions that she had a very strong will, like a resolute and indomitable female general. He believed that as long as nothing went wrong, Ha Ji-won's future would be very bright.

In Ha Ji-won's eyes, Zhang Chengyuan was handsome and polite, and being younger, she found him very cute. Perhaps because they both had a good impression of each other, they quickly became familiar with each other.

Ha Ji-won was 24 years old this year, four years older than Zhang Chengyuan, but her appearance was beautiful and her skin was smooth. After makeup, it was hard to tell who was older. This was also because Zhang Chengyuan looked much more mature and steady than his actual age. If he grew a bit of stubble, he would look even older. Therefore, there was no worry that they would look mismatched as a couple.

The TV drama soon began shooting. When the shooting started, Zhang Chengyuan suddenly realized that being the lead was not always an easy task, especially when the director was strict or the actor wanted to perform well.

Just a few days into the shooting, Zhang Chengyuan and Ha Ji-won encountered a significant challenge: a diving scene. The difficulty arose because neither of them had ever been involved in underwater activities, and Zhang Chengyuan couldn't even swim.

When the assistant director suggested using stunt actors, Zhang Chengyuan, who liked to do everything himself, and Ha Ji-won, who was serious and hardworking, immediately rejected the idea. The director then decided to shoot other scenes first and gave them three days to practice diving skills, requiring them to master a certain level of diving techniques. They had to at least look like experienced divers, not beginners. If they failed, the director would use stunt actors.

Learning diving skills in three days, especially after completing each day's shooting tasks, was no easy feat.

Of course, for Zhang Chengyuan, who had extraordinary learning abilities, it was not too difficult. He was intelligent and agile, and could quickly learn almost anything. Moreover, his internal breath was long, allowing him to hold his breath for over an hour, which was a great advantage for underwater work. Therefore, he could learn swimming and diving in three days, or even one day. However, for Ha Ji-won, a regular woman, learning a difficult underwater skill in a limited time was a real challenge.

Many people privately believed that the director made this decision just to save face for Ha Ji-won and Zhang Chengyuan, hoping they would back down to avoid affecting the shooting schedule. However, the director did not realize Zhang Chengyuan's extraordinary learning ability or Ha Ji-won's strong will.

Ha Ji-won never gave up on anything she set her mind to and liked to do things to the best of her ability. Before her debut, she had been rejected over 200 times in auditions. To reduce her weight from 53 kg to the standard 46 kg for actresses, she ran every morning, wrapping her entire body in thick plastic wrap except for her face to sweat more. She had done many such things to realize her dream of becoming a successful actress. Therefore, she did not back down this time either. Her goal was simply to show the audience her dedication to her work and gain their recognition.

After three days of almost sleepless effort, Ha Ji-won succeeded. As for Zhang Chengyuan, he had already mastered various diving skills, including underwater inspection, salvage, and emergency handling, in just one day. He could even stay underwater for a certain period without professional equipment. The professional diving instructor hired from a diving company thought he had already learned diving and was at a similar level.

After mastering the skills, Zhang Chengyuan did not leave but stayed with Ha Ji-won every day, observing her movements, discussing technical points with her during breaks, and sharing the insights he had gained. He also massaged and treated her when she was exhausted, helping her recover quickly. Ha Ji-won's rapid progress was due not only to her own hard work and determination but also to Zhang Chengyuan's significant contribution. After three days of shared hardships, their relationship advanced rapidly, as if they had known each other for decades.

Because the two leads had excellent chemistry and acting skills, there were fewer retakes, and the TV drama was shot faster than expected. This gave the crew more rest time, and the crew members became even more fond of the humble and capable Ha Ji-won and Zhang Chengyuan. Unconsciously, the two received better treatment within the crew.