Chapter 91

The day after the Blue Dragon Film Festival, as soon as the sky began to brighten, Zhang Chengyuan drove back to the filming crew still hard at work in Namyang City. Although the director hadn't urgently urged him to return to filming, he still conscientiously reported back to the crew as early as possible. After all, the other actors were all currently filming, and he was the only one who could frequently take leave to return to Seoul. Even though this was due to his hard work and outstanding performance, if he acted too smugly, it would certainly make others uncomfortable and affect his relationship with the other crew members.

Moreover, he also wanted to continue to leave a good impression on the director so that he could smoothly take leave in the future.

When Zhang Chengyuan returned to the crew, it happened to be during lunchtime. He handed over the food he had bought at 6 a.m. in Seoul to the production staff, asking them to distribute it to everyone. He then took a portion to Han Chae-young and ate with her.

Zhang Chengyuan said, "Sister Chae-young, here, I bought these chicken skewers specially for you. They've been grilled to your taste." In fact, Han Chae-young preferred beef, pork, and other meats, but it wasn't easy to find grilled beef or pork in Seoul early in the morning, so he bought a few chicken skewers to show his sincerity. After all, chicken is a type of meat.

Han Chae-young glanced at Zhang Chengyuan and said enviously, "Only you, this crazy actor, can so easily return to Seoul. We can't leave unless we have something extremely important to attend to." She then picked up a chicken skewer and started eating, not even saying thank you.

Zhang Chengyuan laughed and said, "It's very easy, as long as you go crazy like me."

Han Chae-young glared at Zhang Chengyuan and said, "Then I'll just stay in the crew. If I want to eat something, I'll have you bring it for me." Their relationship had become closer since the start of the drama, so she didn't need to be too polite with him.

After lunch, they didn't rest for long before the director called the actors to prepare for filming. Then it was time for Zhang Chengyuan, this crazy actor, to speed up the entire crew's shooting process and "torture" everyone's nerves.

This routine continued day after day until December 24th, the day before Christmas, when the crew gave everyone a break to return to Seoul for the holiday. This was because the shooting progress was much faster than expected, and taking a day or two off wouldn't be a problem. Moreover, "Heroic Spring" was set to air on January 3rd of the following year, and the crew planned to hold a new drama press conference on the 26th to promote it, which required them to return to Seoul.

The crew was very happy about the director's kindness. They had been cooped up for a long time and were finally able to relax.

Although Zhang Chengyuan could often take leave to return to Seoul, he was still delighted to have more holiday time, especially during Christmas. These extra two days would allow him to do many things he wanted to do.

On the evening of the 24th, he returned to Seoul and immediately went to Xiao Shuijing's house to pick her and her sister Jeong Seo-yeon up to go out and play. This time, he learned from past experiences and dressed up as Santa Claus, with a white and bushy beard and mustache, thinking that with so many Santa Clauses on the busy streets, no one would recognize him.

After dressing up, he looked at himself in the mirror, feeling quite pleased and amused. He took a photo of himself with his phone and sent it to his sisters and younger sisters to admire. When he sent it to Cheng Youli, he suddenly remembered that she had no work and no classes that day, so he called her to invite her to join him.

Cheng Youli was bored and, upon hearing Zhang Chengyuan's idea of dressing up as Santa Claus and playing in the streets, thought it was a great idea and was immediately interested.

That night, Zhang Chengyuan, Cheng Youli, Jeong Seo-yeon, and Xiao Shuijing all dressed up as Santa Clauses and played merrily on the streets of Seoul, not stopping until around 10 p.m. Zhang Chengyuan then drove Xiao Shuijing and Jeong Seo-yeon back to the Jeong family's house, and he and Cheng Youli had a romantic night together for a couple of hours.

The next day, at 9 p.m., Zhang Chengyuan went to Li Xiaoli's house. As he expected, the busy Li Xiaoli still hadn't returned home. She had been very busy all year, and Zhang Chengyuan was truly worried that she would one day collapse from exhaustion. Although the "health cultivation technique" he had taught to Li Xiaoli and the other three had reached a level where it could automatically operate, enhancing their physical condition and recovery ability to some extent, it was still a very basic technique and couldn't make a person as tireless as a robot. Even robots need regular maintenance to keep running. If this continued, Li Xiaoli might one day fall ill from overwork.

In the past, he could often use his true qi to help Li Xiaoli improve her blood circulation and recover, but now that he was filming away from home and couldn't return frequently, he was even more concerned about her health.

Zhang Chengyuan sat on the sofa and watched TV, waiting for two to three hours before he heard Li Xiaoli's familiar footsteps and the sound of the door opening. Just by the sound, he could tell that her steps were weak and her spirit was somewhat listless. He immediately went to greet her, took her handbag, helped her take off her coat and shoes, put on slippers for her, and carried her to the sofa to rest, gently massaging her.

After resting for a while, Li Xiaoli's spirits slightly revived, and she asked, "Why did you come today?"

Zhang Chengyuan said, "The crew gave us a holiday for Christmas, so I came back. Yesterday, I dressed up as Santa Claus with Sister Youli and played in Gangnam and Hongdae all night. I also came to look for you in the evening, but you weren't home. Sister Xiaoli, where were you?"

Li Xiaoli said, "I practiced the script at the company last night and stayed there to sleep because it was too late."

"Script? I heard from Sister Youli that you just took on a new drama?"

Last night, he heard from Cheng Youli that Li Xiaoli had recently taken on a new drama. As it was her first time leading a drama, Li Xiaoli was both excited and worried about not performing well, leading to increased pressure and several sleepless nights. Cheng Youli was very concerned and asked Zhang Chengyuan to help Li Xiaoli reduce her stress and adjust her mindset during the holiday. That night, Zhang Chengyuan and Cheng Youli went to find Li Xiaoli, but they didn't see her return. Tired of waiting, they slept at Li Xiaoli's house, and some intimate moments inevitably occurred.

The next day, Cheng Youli went to church for worship and left early, while Zhang Chengyuan, thinking Li Xiaoli wouldn't return during the day, went to visit the crew filming "Reversal" and then saw Yoo Chuhwan. After dinner, he returned to Li Xiaoli's house to wait for her, and fortunately, he finally waited for her.

Hearing Zhang Chengyuan's words, Li Xiaoli nodded and said, "Yes, I took on a new drama called 'Three Leaves.'"

Zhang Chengyuan said, "Let me see the script!" Without waiting for Li Xiaoli's nod, he took the script from her handbag and started reading it seriously. Li Xiaoli naturally didn't mind his actions. She leaned against Zhang Chengyuan, closed her eyes, and fell asleep quickly.

Zhang Chengyuan read quickly and finished the entire script in less than twenty minutes. After reading, he felt that the plot of the drama was too cliché, lacking any novelty, and the entangled love stories between the four main characters were depressing. If this had been four or five years ago when audiences' tastes weren't as refined, it might have been acceptable, but in the current era of increasing demand for innovation, it was really outdated. Hadn't the drama "The First Love of the Crown Prince," in which he and Cheng Youli starred, almost ended in a dismal failure due to its cliché plot?

Even with the immense popularity of Che Taehyun and Cheng Youli, they couldn't capture the audience's attention, and Zhang Chengyuan didn't believe Li Xiaoli could do it, even with her charm that could drive all Korean men crazy. Nowadays, the ratings of dramas were no longer controlled by one or two big stars.

Zhang Chengyuan was about to explain the situation to Li Xiaoli but found that she had already fallen asleep from exhaustion. He put down the script, gently picked her up, and was about to put her to bed. Just as he lifted her, Li Xiaoli woke up, murmured, "Hmm," and asked, "Did you finish reading? What do you think?" She valued Zhang Chengyuan's opinion, as he had shown them many amazing things.

Zhang Chengyuan said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow. Sister, you should get a good night's sleep." He knew that if he expressed his thoughts, Li Xiaoli would have a restless night.

Li Xiaoli said, "Tell me now, I want to hear! I'll sleep after that." She seemed very concerned about the drama and was eager to hear Zhang Chengyuan's opinion, perhaps hoping to hear encouraging words to boost her confidence and help her persist.

However, Zhang Chengyuan was about to disappoint her. He didn't think this was the time to comfort her with nice words. He said slowly and gently, "Sister Xiaoli, if possible, I hope you can leave the crew of this drama."

Li Xiaoli said, "You don't think it's good?" Her tone wasn't overly surprised, as if she had already prepared herself. After all, Zhang Chengyuan's expression had given her a hint.

Zhang Chengyuan said, "It's not good. The worst part is that the character you have to play is very different from the public's impression of you. Once the drama airs, most people will be very surprised and disappointed. The Li Xiaoli in their hearts can't be, and shouldn't be, a rustic image." If the audience is disappointed, the ratings won't be high.

Li Xiaoli smiled bitterly and said, "I thought the character's personality was similar to mine, so I thought I would be very suitable for it."

"It is a bit similar, both straightforward, fiery, and kind. However, this will only make it easier for you to play the role, but it won't help the ratings much. In my opinion, the success of a drama depends most on whether the plot can attract the audience. Sister, listen to me, leave the drama!" Zhang Chengyuan advised gently.

Li Xiaoli said, "That's impossible. This drama is produced by our DSP company, and we've already signed a broadcasting agreement with SBS. The company and the TV station won't let me leave." As an artist of DSP, Li Xiaoli couldn't go against the company's wishes. After all, the company had made her famous, and she had to make some sacrifices for the company. Moreover, if she left, the company might immediately ask Cheng Youli, who was currently idle, to take her place.

Zhang Chengyuan said helplessly, "Then you'll have to shoot it, but Sister Xiaoli, you need to be mentally prepared. The media might seize the opportunity to stir up trouble, which could affect your popularity and make you feel very upset." In Zhang Chengyuan's view, Li Xiaoli and her agency couldn't afford to offend SBS. Without a compelling reason, Li Xiaoli would have to tough it out. Besides, Li Xiaoli was a singer, and even if she didn't succeed in the film and television industry, it wouldn't significantly impact her career.

Li Xiaoli said, "Don't worry too much, I know what I'm doing! And you, you naughty boy, you just called me fiery. Do you want a beating?"

"I was just saying it casually, don't take it seriously. Besides, didn't I also praise you for being kind? How can you only pick on my faults?" Seeing Li Xiaoli's mood improve, Zhang Chengyuan was happy to play along.