I Want to Become the King of the Silver Screen [Entertainment Industry] Chapter 5

 Chapter 5: Caramel Pudding

Jiang Yin had a good night’s sleep.

Early in the morning, Chen Dan brought breakfast and woke up Jiang Yin. After finishing their meal, they went to meet the director together.

The director’s name is Liang Yan, famous for directing historical dramas. His most well-known work is the “XX Emperor” series, which has portrayed famous emperors throughout history, as well as biographies of renowned figures from the Han, Tang, and Song dynasties. He has won numerous awards. However, with the rise of the internet, historical dramas have gradually declined in popularity, and he has also directed fewer projects. He only collaborates with CCTV to produce one drama per year.

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When the two entered, they realized they were not the only ones there. Other actors were present as well, each holding a script, gathered around a small table discussing something with the screenwriter.

Jiang Yin’s entrance didn’t attract much attention from the others. He glanced briefly and then averted his gaze, allowing them to continue their discussion.

However, one of the young men wearing a red hoodie kept looking at Jiang Yin, giving him a few extra glances. When Jiang Yin looked back, the young man forced a smile with a mysterious meaning.

Jiang Yin furrowed his brows.

Director Liang was neither enthusiastic nor cold towards them. He simply said, “The scenes for you young people will be filmed next week. This week, just observe on set with your eyes. Can you do that?”

“I can,” Jiang Yin understood Director Liang’s intentions and nodded in agreement.

He was good-looking, and by presenting himself as an obedient and well-behaved individual, he made it difficult for others to be overly critical. Director Liang waved his hand, letting the matter go, while Chen Dan took care of the remaining arrangements with the crew.

After leaving the room, Jiang Yin mentioned the young man to Chen Dan, who furrowed his brows and went to inquire about him.

Indeed, half an hour later, Chen Dan returned with an unpleasant expression. He said, “The person you mentioned is called Zou Yan…”

Since the production has already started, most of the roles have been more or less finalized. Although there are still a few roles that are undecided, the hesitation lies among the invited actors, such as Liu Ying, a minor supporting role.

Before Jiang Yin appeared, the director and screenwriter were deliberating between Qi Baijia and Zou Yan for the role of Liu Ying. The director favored Qi Baijia’s acting skills, but his appearance didn’t quite fit the role. After all, Liu Ying’s main scenes are concentrated during his youth. On the other hand, the screenwriter favored Zou Yan, but he was slightly older and his acting skills were not as good as Qi Baijia’s. However, adjustments could be made to his appearance through makeup, considering that there are actors in their thirties portraying teenagers nowadays, and historical costume dramas don’t necessarily emphasize age. Acting skills can also be trained and improved.

Therefore, overall, Zou Yan had a higher chance of getting the role.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yin suddenly joined the production, turning the tables. Qi Baijia narrowly avoided a crisis, and there was also a backup role, Liu Ruyi, for Qi Baijia. Zou Yan almost left the production, but in the end, the screenwriter spoke up for him, and he ended up playing Liu Ying’s older half-brother, Prince Qidao of Liu Fei.

However, compared to the other roles, the character of Liu Ying had more room for development.

“…It is said that he is related to Zhao Bian. Well, we have already offended two people before even joining the crew. I went to inquire about the news last night, and there were a few who seemed delighted as if they were looking forward to a good show. These people, they take pleasure in others’ misfortunes. They are all waiting to see how things unfold…”

Jiang Yin recalled Zou Yan’s smile, which now seemed obviously malicious.

“But we shouldn’t back down either!” Chen Dan rolled up his sleeves, displaying a confident stance as if ready for a fight. “Since we’ve secured the role, let them envy us. So what if someone was parachuted in? We shouldn’t fear them with our abilities. But Yin, you have to earn us some respect. If we can’t hold our own against the seasoned actors, it’s fine, but when we appear alongside Zou Yan and Qi Baijia, we mustn’t lose the battle. I’m not saying we have to surpass them, but at least don’t be too far behind…”

Jiang Yin also felt a surge of fighting spirit. Although his throne was unstable in his previous life, he was, after all, an emperor. No one in the palace dared to underestimate him. Even when he was a prince in the cold palace, the palace maids didn’t dare to insult him recklessly.

“I know, don’t worry. I’ve learned a lot from my teacher these past few days. I’ll sneak a few moves on set this week to learn from others. I’m definitely not inferior to them.”

Chen Dan said, “You said it, and I’ll remember it. Don’t disappoint us later.”

Jiang Yin knew that Chen Dan was deliberately provoking him. The original personality was like this—despite being on the verge of adulthood, he still sought encouragement like a child.

Perhaps it was because he had experienced a reversal in family and career here, Jiang Yin realized that modern people generally matured later. The original body was five years older than him, but his thoughts and actions were still quite immature, even less mature than his three princess sisters in his previous life who were not even ten years old. At least they knew how to maximize their own interests and avoid harm, making their lives better. They each had their own skills in managing the palace maids around them.

Meanwhile, the original body relied on Chen Dan for everything, and even his sister Jiang Ai, although relatively mature compared to the original host, still fell short in terms of behavior and dealings with others compared to his three princess sisters.

Of course, perhaps it was because he matured too early, but most of the people around him had always been like that. From the eunuchs and palace maids in his childhood to the attendants and siblings, hardly anyone showed genuine innocence and childlike behavior. Even the three-year-old eldest grandson of the emperor knew how to please their father.

However, it was quite a novel feeling to be treated like a child who needed coaxing. Jiang Yin pondered in his heart for a moment and enthusiastically responded, patting his chest, “I said it, just wait and see!”

Having made a big claim, Jiang Yin became genuinely serious. That afternoon, he entered the set to observe the seasoned actors performing their scenes.

In fact, during his intensive crash training in the past few days, he had already realized that acting was not as simple as he had initially thought. The various theoretical knowledge alone was categorized and diverse, not to mention everything else. So, it was not difficult to understand why the industry valued actors with a formal academic background, as they had received systematic training.

Of course, those who switched careers also had their advantages. Many of these actors had an edge in life experiences.

However, Jiang Yin did not belong to that category. He truly had zero life experience.

He was born into the royal family, where his needs in terms of clothing, food, shelter, and transportation were taken care of by palace servants. Although his mother fell out of favor even before his birth due to a conspiracy, by the time he was born, his father already had a new favorite and a new child. His mother was unpopular and had no chance for a comeback once she lost favor. By the time he was old enough to understand, the palace he lived in was no different from the cold palace.

In fact, the so-called cold palace was not a specifically designated palace. It was just a term used because the concubines living there had fallen out of favor and the main palace was too far away and lonely.

From birth until he transmigrated, he had rarely left the palace. He was an emperor, yet he hadn’t even interacted with a few of the people under his rule. He was always trapped within the confines of the imperial palace, with the regent and the empress dowager guarding against him, never allowing him the opportunity to interact with court officials.

If it weren’t for the memories of the original host, he wouldn’t even have a specific concept of money, let alone anything else. In modern terms, he was a complete novice when it came to daily life.

So, method acting wouldn’t work on him.

Even if he had the memories of the original host, it wouldn’t help. Although the original host was not ignorant of daily life, he grew up smoothly without facing any obstacles, and he had no relevant acting experiences to draw from.

After observing two scenes of the seasoned actors’ performances, Jiang Yin felt extremely fortunate that the role he obtained this time was that of an emperor.

“Hey, you came so early!”

Jiang Yin was engrossed in watching the performance when Qi Baijia brought a small stool and sat down beside him in a familiar manner. Qi Baijia propped open the stool and said, ” Zhang Lao Shi’s acting is quite impressive, right?”

Jiang Yin glanced at the woman who stood out among the stars in the scene. It was Zhang Ningli, playing the leading role of Liu Hou in “The Legend of Liu Hou.” If he hadn’t looked it up in an encyclopedia, he would never have guessed that this woman who portrayed the young Liu Hou so vividly was already forty-two years old. In his previous life, she was already the age of a grandmother.

He nodded sincerely, “Very impressive.”

Zhang Ningli was renowned for her acting skills. She had won two out of the three major awards for Chinese television dramas and was a recipient of the Best Actress title. In this drama, “The Legend of Liu  Hou,” she had to portray Liu Hou from her youth to her passing.

Jiang Yin had some doubts when he first arrived, but they completely vanished after watching her performance. Although she didn’t look like a teenager solely based on her appearance, her gaze and demeanor were that of a young girl. It perfectly compensated for the age gap that makeup couldn’t completely conceal, without any sense of incongruity.

Qi Baijia chuckled and said, “When I first saw Zhang Lao Shi act, I was just like you. Back then, she played my mother in a drama, and I almost forgot my lines…”

As if to prove his words, Zhang Ningli, who was getting her makeup done, glanced over, and Qi Baijia immediately waved at her. Zhang Ningli smiled and made a gesture back, showing a familiar connection between them.

Jiang Yin glanced at Qi Baijia.

“Don’t misunderstand,” Qi Baijia explained, lowering his hand. “I took advantage of acting early and played many sons and younger brothers. After some time, I naturally became familiar with them.”

No, that’s not what he meant.

“Jiang Yin” had also played many sons and younger brothers, but he hadn’t been able to achieve what Qi Baijia did. Qi Baijia had the ability to make these senior actors treat him with genuine smiles, not just polite pleasantries but genuine smiles that they would give to their own children or younger relatives.

Jiang Yin honestly expressed his feelings, “…You’re more impressive than me.”

It wasn’t just the original host; it also applied to him.

Being able to make people like him and be willing to be friends with him was also a skill. The original host couldn’t do it, and neither could he.

Qi Baijia seemed completely surprised by his words. He looked at Jiang Yin with a hint of astonishment in his eyes, blinked, and rummaged through his bag, pulling out two palm-sized boxes—one for each of them. “I made them myself.”

Jiang Yin lowered his head to take a look and found that it was a box of caramel pudding.

Caramel Pudding was a dessert that the original host had memories of and enjoyed eating. However, the one in front of him now looked a bit different from the store-bought ones he had in his memories. It had a layer of amber-colored crispy caramel on top.

“I like adding this layer on top of the pudding,” Qi Baijia handed him a small spoon. “Give it a try.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Yin opened the lid and found that the layer of caramel was thinner than he had imagined. It broke with a gentle tap, and the sensation at the moment it shattered was quite extraordinary.

He scooped a spoonful into his mouth, and his taste buds exploded with flavor.

The delicate and smooth pudding practically melted in his mouth, blending the sweet taste of caramel with the fragrance of milk. It was a captivatingly delicious treat.

And that thin layer of caramelized crust mixed with the soft pudding provided a different texture.

“It’s delicious,” Jiang Yin praised without hesitation.

Qi Baijia smiled happily, eating as he spoke, “Since we both share a love for pudding, would you like to hear some insider information?”

“What?” Jiang Yin paused.

Qi Baijia grinned, “Do you know who will be playing your Empress Zhang Yan?”

Jiang Yin remained calm, “Who?”

Qi Baijia replied, “Young master Zhao’s younger sister.”

Jiang Yin: “…”

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