Chapter 440: Heard You Got Shelved (45)

Li Yunze was a second-tier artist under Glory, and his sudden appearance in the World of Mortal Jianghu production was clearly orchestrated by the company.

He played the third male lead in the drama, a character who transitions from being the male lead’s enemy to becoming his close friend.

World of Mortal Jianghu tells the tale of intertwined grudges, love, and vengeance.

Shen Mubai plays the female lead, and Yu Jingchen plays the male lead, with their characters starting as strangers and eventually falling in love.

Although acting in romantic scenes with him felt a little awkward, Shen Mubai still did her best to ensure Yu Jingchen could shine even brighter.

Even Director Xu praised her, saying she had improved significantly compared to Immortal Journey.

He even joked about whether Director Wang would feel envious upon hearing this.

In contrast, Li Yunze appeared far more mediocre among the cast.

Acting had never been his focus, and his frequent NGs outnumbered those of others.

However, not everything in the production was solely up to Director Xu; otherwise, Li Yunze might have been kicked out long ago.

Li Yunze endured humiliation daily.

But since the director was the one giving him a hard time, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and endure it.

He called his new manager, Zhao Yong.

“I can’t take this anymore. What’s so great about this drama? It’s all fighting and killing—do audiences even like this stuff?”

Ever since Yu Jingchen had been poached by Starshine, Zhao Yong’s other minor celebrities had failed to gain any significant success.

After flattering the higher-ups, he finally managed to secure this second-tier artist under his wing, and he was desperate for Li Yunze to achieve something.

“This is Director Xu’s work. Even though it’s his first historical drama, he already has a dedicated audience base. Do you know how hard I fought with upper management to get you this role as the third male lead? If you don’t perform well and gain some popularity, don’t expect good resources in the future.”

Suppressing his frustration, Li Yunze replied impatiently, “But Director Xu only has eyes for Yu Jingchen. He keeps giving me a hard time and comparing me to him.”

After Zhao Yong’s previous failed attempt to smear Yu Jingchen backfired, his hatred for him had only deepened.

Calculating something in his mind, he sneered, “Well, what can you do? The guy’s got backing.”

“What do you mean?” Li Yunze asked.

Zhao Yong chuckled coldly.

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. Weren’t you involved with Tang Xiaoxing before?”

The mention of that woman annoyed Li Yunze.

On set, whenever he tried to talk to her, she ignored him completely.

To make matters worse, Yu Jingchen always happened to appear at just the right time to interrupt, making everything unbearably frustrating.

He couldn’t understand how someone could change so much.

Not long ago, she had been utterly infatuated with him, yet now she pretended not to see him and even looked at him with disdain.

Thinking of this, Li Yunze said irritably, “Yeah, I dated her for a while.”

Zhao Yong sighed in exasperation.

“Do you have any idea how important she is in Starshine?”

Back then, Li Yunze had relied on his good looks and smooth talking to flirt with countless women.

He had been so consumed by his own vanity and games that he never paid much attention to Tang Xiaoxing.

Their meetings were often perfunctory, and if it weren’t for his inflated ego, he would have ended things much sooner.

Seeing him remain silent, Zhao Yong said angrily, “Do you realize that you didn’t just lose a woman—you might have lost a mountain of gold and silver?”

Li Yunze sensed something deeper behind Zhao Yong’s words and quickly asked, “What do you mean by that?”