Chapter 15: Zhang Songwen

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“Find a teacher? Acting?”

Gu Qing asked in confusion, “Sister Li, shouldn't my future career path be as a singer?”

That was clearly stated in his contract.

Even the original owner of this body had never had any intention of acting.

“You know what the domestic entertainment industry is like,” Li Li explained patiently. “There are no professional music broadcast stages, and no market audience. What’s the point of being purely a singer?”

“Look at Wu and Lu who have already returned from abroad—which one of them hasn't filmed a movie?”

In the domestic entertainment industry, or indeed in the entertainment industry of any country, ‘film and television resources’ are always at the top of the pyramid!

Compared to the entertainment industries of other countries, the domestic industry has one aspect that makes artists very comfortable: it is very easy to develop a multi-hyphenate career.

Music, TV dramas, even movies—as long as you are popular, you can do whatever you want. There are no barriers!

“Sister Li, but I don't even know what acting is.”

Gu Qing had a premonition; he was afraid he would become the exact type of person he used to despise in video essays by entertainment commentary YouTubers in his past life.

A useless, pretty-boy idol with no face and no talent!

Wait, no—at least he had a face.

Hearing this, Li Li snorted. “Do you think Wu and Lu actually know what acting is? Or which pretty boy actually knows how to act?”

She finished with a sneer, took Gu Qing's hand, and gently patted the back of it. “As for lines, you just need to be able to count 1, 2, 3, 4; the dubbing teachers will handle the rest in post-production. What you need to learn is how to find a good camera angle and how to sell that pretty little face of yours in front of the lens. Anyway, there are plenty of fans willing to pay for it.”

As the little assistant finished packing the luggage, Gu Qing boarded the plane to Shanghai with Li Li.

Thus began the first leg of his journey to apprentice and learn the craft.

……

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived at their destination.

The moment the cabin door opened, a humid autumn wind carrying the briny scent of the Huangpu River rushed toward him.

Gu Qing pulled his hoodie down lower. The autumn sun reflecting off the glass dome of Hongqiao Airport made him squint.

The moment he passed through the jet bridge and entered the waiting area—

“Ahhh!! Gu Qing!!”

“Qingqing!! I love you!!”

The ‘fans’ who had come to pick him up immediately swarmed forward, crowding toward him frantically.

WTF!

Again?!!

Gu Qing’s eyes widened. He glanced sideways in disbelief at Li Li, who was looking serious as she directed bodyguards to protect him.

“Qingqing, I’ve liked you since you were a trainee! Can you give me an autograph?”

“Qingqing, I’m a long-time fan!!”

“Fifty! Fifty!!”

In addition to the majority of female fans, there was also a dark, thin teenage boy who looked ready to shove a photo directly into Gu Qing's face.

“Fifty people?”

“This part-time job is a total rip-off.”

“When I worked part-time as a mascot, I started at a hundred.”

Amidst his wandering thoughts, Gu Qing finished all the autographs. He squeezed out a practiced professional smile for the cameras and finally survived the siege of the ‘wage seekers.’

Once outside the airport, Gu Qing boarded the car arranged by Li Li. His destination was the company.

With Zhao Ya placed in the passenger seat, only Li Li and Gu Qing remained in the back.

Despite the spacious interior, Gu Qing was still pressed toward the window by Li Li.

“Baby, are you getting used to the dormitory the company arranged?”

Li Li leaned close to Gu Qing's ear, her warm breath brushing against him. Her meticulously maintained skin was still smooth as it lightly pressed against the side of the boy's face in an intimate gesture. “Do you want to... come live at sister's place?”

“Sister's place is... very big, you know.”

The driver in the front seat tactfully tilted the rearview mirror upward.

As for Zhao Ya in the passenger seat, she lowered her head to play with her phone, not daring to make a sound.

“Sister Li, can you put my name on the property deed?”

Gu Qing grabbed the hand that was wandering over his thigh, his eyes sparkling as he looked directly at Li Li.

“Uh...”

This immediately caused Li Li's brain to stall, causing the ambiguous atmosphere to vanish instantly.

*I just wanted to flirt with you, and you've already thought about your name being on my property deed?*

He was trying to break up half a real estate empire in one go.

And it was a house in Shanghai! This kid really has some nerve!

Li Li swiftly withdrew her hand, then lightly tapped Gu Qing's nose with her fingertip, teasingly saying, “Then you'll have to ask your future brother-in-law if he agrees.”

“Alright then...”

Gu Qing nodded, feigning disappointment.

For the rest of the journey, Li Li did not touch Gu Qing again. Clearly, after weighing the pros and cons, she decided her house was more important.

Upon arriving at the company, Li Li arranged for Gu Qing to meet his teacher for the next few days.

As for resting?

That was impossible!

For artists and companies, time was literal money, not just an empty phrase.

“Teacher Zhang, sorry to keep you waiting.”

Li Li knocked on a door and led Gu Qing inside.

“Teacher... Zhang Songwen?!”

Gu Qing blurted out in shock when he saw the middle-aged man on the sofa.

“You know me?”

A look of surprise crossed Zhang Songwen's kind face. This was the first time an artist he was teaching had called him by name.

“I've seen your work.”

Gu Qing's mind raced. “Last year, your performance in *Modern Era* was excellent.”

*Modern Era* starred the bald actor Xu Zhen and his sister Zhang Zifeng.

Zhang Songwen had played the villain, Wei Jian.

He had played the role as both sleazy and perverted, looking nothing like the kind, neighborly man sitting before him.

“Is that so? Thank you, thank you.”

Zhang Songwen was quite pleasantly surprised that Gu Qing actually remembered his work.

Although his reputation in the industry was decent, this was the first time an outsider had called him by name and praised his acting.

To a minor actor, this feeling was as sweet as honey.

“You should follow Teacher Zhang and learn well during this period.”

“Usually, Teacher Zhang charges 5,000 per lesson. You must cherish this opportunity.”

Although Li Li was surprised, she had many things to attend to and left hurriedly after a few words.

Only the three of them remained in the room.

“Teacher Zhang, is my assistant leaving?”

Gu Qing couldn't help but keep his eyes on Zhang Songwen.

Although he had met A-list stars like Deng Chao and Wang Baoqiang before, he had only watched their movies or dramas as a child, so the memories weren't deep.

But Zhang Songwen's performance in the 2023 drama *The Knockout* was the first time Gu Qing had truly felt the charm of binge-watching a series.

That drama had become a massive hit across all generations—young, middle-aged, and elderly.

It had turned the unknown Zhang Songwen into an overnight sensation across the country and earned him the 'Best Actor of the Year' honor at the television awards.

It was nothing short of "terrifying."

“No need, just let her sit to the side and listen. Just try not to make noise and disturb us,” Zhang Songwen said kindly. “May I ask, what is your name?”

“Gu Qing. Gu as in the Gu family, and Qing as in the water radical,” Gu Qing replied.

“Is it alright if I call you Ah Gu from now on?”

“Of course, Teacher Zhang.”

“Ah Gu, I want to ask, do you have any specific understanding of the acting profession?” Zhang Songwen asked seriously.

“No.”

Gu Qing shook his head. “To be honest, I'm afraid you'll laugh at me, but I only found out today that I am to develop as an actor.”

“I see...”

Zhang Songwen sighed softly. He felt no contempt for Gu Qing; on the contrary, he felt great sympathy.

In the past, his teaching had mainly targeted students of acting schools or newcomers sent by film crews to gain experience.

They were either already actors or had experience as extras and had struggled through the ranks; they simply lacked systematic knowledge.

But since last year, he had gradually begun to encounter batches of 'newcomers' who were almost like blank sheets of paper—or more accurately, 'laypeople.'

These children were scouted by talent agencies that instilled only one idea in their minds: "As long as you are good-looking, it's fine!"

No one told them what they would have to sacrifice to enter this circle!

Not knowing how to act, not knowing how to sing, and blindly reciting numbers—they were actually destroying the ecosystem of the entertainment industry!

But these were things that a mere teacher like him could not change.

“Ah Gu, what kind of roles do you want to play in the future?”

Since he was a pure newcomer, Zhang Songwen abandoned long-winded lectures and decided to teach a few practical acting tips directly.

……

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(End of Chapter)