From unemployment in crosstalk to top star in Chinese entertainment

Regarding Guo Qilin's cameo appearance, what role do you think would be suitable for him?

Yu Liang pondered for a moment, thinking that there weren't many suitable roles for him in "Raging Storm".

A moment later, Yu Liang paused in picking up food with his chopsticks. The first person who popped into his mind was Li Hongwei from Mang Village.

After all, he is the character with the most daring scenes in the entire series.

He had seen the meme "Kiss Chengcheng first, then touch her legs, I am Li Hongwei from Mangcun" countless times in his previous life.

The title of the show, "Wild Speed," is said to have been given by the father and son, one being "wild" and the other "speedy."

Li Hongwei was so arrogant that he never explained where the "Mang" in Mang Village came from. He died without ever knowing that the fishmonger he was talking about was his elder brother's elder brother's elder brother.

Yu Liang weighed the options in his mind.

Forget it, Li Hongwei's arrogant, spoiled rich kid attitude just doesn't suit Guo Qilin's temperament. Forcing him to act like that would only make things worse.

Don't make things difficult for him.

But Dalin came to support me without receiving any payment, so I can't let Dalin suffer a loss.

His gaze swept across the table and landed on Zhang Yi, who was peeling shrimp with his head down, and suddenly he had an idea.

"Teacher Zhang Yi," Yu Liang put down her chopsticks, "has the role of your apprentice Lu Han in the drama been finalized?"

Zhang Yi looked up, still clutching the shrimp shell in his hand. He thought for a moment, then looked at Xu Jizhou.

"Not yet." Xu Jizhou shook his head.

"Then let Dalin play Lu Han." Yu Liang wiped his hands. "It'll be a good opportunity for him to learn more from Teacher Zhang Yi. They'll be master and apprentice in the play, and he can also mentor her off-screen."

"If you teach him properly, even Lu Han could become a top star."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone at the table burst into laughter.

Everyone is familiar with the script of "The Storm".

Lu Han is An Xin's apprentice. He is a regular character in the early part of the story, but his presence is conveyed through flashbacks in the latter half.

Young and impetuous, he worked tirelessly on cases, but ultimately disappeared while investigating one.

That spirit of running away from home and refusing to admit defeat actually matches Guo Qilin's personality quite well.

After all, Guo Degang often reminisces about Da Lin's past at Deyun Club.

"Okay." Zhang Yi nodded, placing the shrimp shells on the side of the plate. "Then tell Qi Lin that I'm willing to bring them if he agrees."

"Then it's settled." Xu Jizhou took out his phone to jot it down, then looked up and smiled, "But Yu Liang, Da Lin is your junior brother, and Teacher Zhang Yi is his master in the play. How will the seniority be calculated from now on?"

Yu Liang picked up his teacup and said, "Let's each talk our own thing."

"What? You want me to call Brother Zhang Yi 'Uncle-Master'?"

Yu Liang then took out his phone and recorded a video for Guo Qilin.

"Dalin, look how much I love you. I found you a mentor on set. Your mentor is amazing. He's not Zeng Yi or Zeng Yike. He's Zhang Yi, who always carries a thermos cup."

Guo Qilin quickly replied, "Brother, this is Teacher Zhang Yi! It's wonderful to be his apprentice!"

"Alright, alright," Zhang Yi was amused by Yu Liang. He raised his glass to Yu Liang and said, "For your mouth alone, I'll take you on as my apprentice. Tell Qi Lin to come here and memorize his lines before joining the crew. If he can't memorize them, he can forget about getting a role."

"No problem." Yu Liang picked up her teacup and clinked it against his. "I'll accept on his behalf."

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, Zhang Yi, who had drunk two glasses tonight, became much more talkative than usual. He began to recount some embarrassing incidents he had experienced on set.

"You know what—" Zhang Yi put down his chopsticks, scratched his head, "In the movie I filmed the year before last, there was a scene where Teacher Gao Lu and I were eating boxed lunches. That one scene made me a laughing stock on Douyin for a whole year."

"Which one?" Xu Jizhou immediately asked, "Is it the TV series 'Good Man'?"

"That's it." Zhang Yi sighed. "The script says that Teacher Gao Lu told me, 'Eat it while it's hot, or it'll get cold.' But when I opened my lunchbox, the crew had prepared it that was already cold."

"Then what will you do?" Wang Churan asked curiously.

"What else could I do but eat it?" Zhang Yi shrugged. "But I couldn't help it and burst out laughing. And that was it, the director said, 'Cut! Let's do it again.' We did it again, and I laughed again. I laughed about seven or eight times in total, and Gao Lu was almost driven to tears by me."

"And then what happened?"

"Later," Zhang Yi picked up his wine glass and took a sip, his tone tinged with a hint of smugness, "the later version still used the one where I laughed the first time."

Everyone at the table burst into laughter again.

Yu Liang was the happiest.

"Brother Zhang Yi, do you know what?" Yu Liang leaned back in his chair, his eyes full of smiles, "I've been laughing at your short video on Douyin for two years now, and today I've finally met the real person."

"Sometimes I think it's a shame you don't make comedies."

---

The next day, on the film set.

The crews of "The Storm" and "Joy of Life 2" were both filming, and in order to finish the scenes of veteran actors Wu Gang and Li Jianyi as soon as possible, the call sheet was full of their scenes.

Yu Liang didn't have any scenes to film today, but he still came to the set.

The afternoon in Jiang City in February was warm and humid.

Several stagehands were squatting next to the monitors, distributing breakfast. The aroma of steamed rice noodles mixed with the bitterness of coffee filled the entire rest area.

Yu Liang sat in the rest tent, scrolling through his phone listlessly.

When he got to the tenth video on how to flirt with an introverted girl, he suddenly turned his eyes away and closed Douyin.

He glanced at the other end of the film set.

Several actresses were gathered together waiting for their scenes.

Wang Churan sat on a folding chair flipping through the script, while Zhang Ruonan and Long Ni, who played Gao Qilan, huddled together discussing the two scenes for the afternoon.

Zhang Yuqi leaned back in her seat, looking down at her phone.

Yu Liang stood up and walked over there.

"Come on, Ruonan," he said, sitting down in the empty seat next to Wang Churan.

"Would you like me to read your palm?"

Zhang Ruonan was stunned for a moment, then looked up at him.

"Don't be afraid, I'm a professional." Yu Liangmian remained unfazed. "I learned a few techniques from Uncle Nanpai in 'Reboot.' Ever heard of 'Dragon Seeking and Gold Divination' and 'Mountain Entanglement Analysis'?"

Zhang Ruonan was stunned by his words, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out her hand.

Yu Liang grasped her fingers and looked down at them carefully.

Zhang Ruonan's hands are slender and soft.

"Hmm, a long life line, indicates a long lifespan." Yu Liang traced the lines on her palm with his finger. "A clean and sharp wisdom line, indicates an intelligent person. As for the heart line—"

He paused, then raised his eyelids and glanced at Zhang Ruonan.

Zhang Ruonan felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

"Your romantic storyline has diverged," Yu Liang clicked her tongue. "This means you'll be torn between two outstanding men in the future."

Zhang Ruonan blushed slightly and withdrew her hand. "You're talking nonsense."

"I never talk nonsense." Yu Liang said seriously, turning to look at Long Ni. "Sister Long Ni, how about we do one too?"

Long Ni was much more generous than Zhang Ruonan. She directly stretched out her hand, spreading it in front of the cold noodles: "Come on. Don't even think about leaving until you've calculated it correctly."

Yu Liang looked down at her palm.

Long Ni's hands were slightly plumper than Zhang Ruonan's, and the lines on her palms were deeper.

"Look at your palm—" Yu Liang pondered for a moment, "Your career line is exceptionally strong, indicating you'll achieve success before the age of thirty. However, your wisdom line bends in the middle, suggesting that when making important decisions, you tend to think three steps ahead."

Long Ni raised an eyebrow: "Is this a compliment?"

"Of course it's a compliment. Thinking three steps ahead for every one step you take is a skill in this industry."

Long Ni withdrew her hand with satisfaction and nudged Wang Churan beside her with her elbow: "Churan, aren't you going to do one?"

Wang Churan raised his head, glanced at Yu Liang, and said, "Should we let him calculate it, or forget it?"

"Really not coming? That's a rare opportunity, it's free today," Yu Liang said.

He'd been laying the groundwork for so long just to take advantage of her, and this little girl still wouldn't take the bait.

"No." Wang Churan looked at him, a slight smile playing on her lips. "How about I calculate it for you?"

"What do you mean?" Yu Liang was taken aback.

"I'd say you have eight-pack abs."

Wang Churan originally intended to tease Yu Liang, but unexpectedly, her ears turned red before she even finished speaking.

Zhang Ruonan and Long Ni exchanged a glance, sensing that there was something fishy going on between the two.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuqi glanced at Yu Liang's abdomen, then looked down two inches.

"Yu Liang, then take a look at it for me."

Zhang Yuqi walked over at some point. Today she was wearing a white fitted top and a black fishtail skirt. The waistline was perfectly cinched, and when she sat down, the skirt flared out slightly, perfectly accentuating her hourglass figure.

She sat down on the chair next to Yu Liang.

"I didn't know you could tell fortunes."

Yu Liang looked at the hand laid out in front of him. Zhang Yuqi's fingers were long and fair, with distinct but not abrupt knuckles, and her nails were painted with nude pink nail polish, which shimmered with a warm luster in the afternoon sunlight.

"Sister Yuqi, you really underestimate me." Yu Liang snapped out of her thoughts, straightened her expression, and said, "I have learned real skills from Uncle Nanpai."

"Oh?" Zhang Yuqi raised an eyebrow, clearly disbelieving. "Uncle Nan teaches this?"

"Of course." Yu Liang said seriously, "Identifying the tides, observing the soil color, smelling the odor, and locating the dragon vein! These are all practical tips."

"I have some knowledge of palmistry and face reading."

Zhang Yuqi looked at him with a half-smile.

Having been an expert in relationships for many years, she had been observing this young man since joining the crew. In her view, to see a man's true character, one should not look at his performance in big situations, but rather at his reactions in small matters and details.

If a man comes from a privileged background and has seen the world, he will be neither arrogant nor humble when interacting with women. He will act naturally and will neither try to please them nor distance himself from them.

If a man is self-made and climbs up from the bottom, even if he appears confident, he will still unconsciously show awkwardness or restraint when he is in close contact with a beautiful woman.

This is the real reason why Zhang Yuqi reached out her hand.

It wasn't that I believed his fortune telling; I just wanted to see how he acted when he held my hand, to see what kind of person Yu Liang really was.

"Then take a look at it for me," she said.

Yu Liang smiled.

He reached out and grasped Zhang Yuqi's fingers.

The texture was warm and smooth, slightly cool to the touch, but the temperature in his palm was warmer than he had expected. He didn't look down at the lines like he did with Zhang Ruonan, but instead looked up and met Zhang Yuqi's gaze.

In Yu Liang's view, the young girl seeking his fortune-telling was ambiguous, while the young woman seeking him was a provocation.

He gently pulled forward.

This pull had a significant effect.

Zhang Yuqi, who was already leaning slightly forward, leaned even further forward with the force, instantly shortening the distance between them by half an arm's length.

Zhang Yuqi's eyelashes twitched, but she didn't pull her hand back.

Yu Liang lowered his head and slowly traced the lines on her palm with his fingers. The movement was neither too fast nor too slow, and the pressure was neither too light nor too heavy.

A moment later, Yu Liang had had enough.

"Actually," Yu Liang suddenly spoke up, "I'm more professional at reading faces."

Zhang Yuqi snapped out of her daze and raised an eyebrow: "Really? Then take a look at my face."

As she spoke, she turned her face slightly to face him.

Yu Liang leaned forward, squinting as he carefully examined her for a moment. His gaze began on her forehead and slowly moved down—her brow bone, eye sockets, bridge of her nose, cheekbones, jawline, finally settling on her lips.

The whole process took less than five seconds. But Zhang Yuqi could sense that every place his gaze swept over seemed to be him seriously analyzing something.

"Sister Yuqi," Yu Liang withdrew her gaze and said seriously, "I see something about your face."

"What's the problem?"

"Your face—" Yu Liang hesitated, his expression serious as if he were carefully choosing his words.

Zhang Yuqi's curiosity was piqued by his appearance, and she subconsciously leaned forward: "What's wrong?"

Yu Liang took a deep breath and lowered his voice so low that only two people could hear him.

"I see a very ominous sign on your face."

Zhang Yuqi was stunned for a moment.

Then she looked down at her chest.

The neckline of her white fitted undershirt sat just two fingers below her collarbone, not low, but her figure was so striking that the curves it created appeared exceptionally full in the afternoon light.

Zhang Yuqi's face darkened visibly.

"Yu Liang".

Her voice turned a degree colder.

"Hey—" Yu Liang looked completely innocent. "I was talking about facial features. What are you thinking, Sister Yuqi?"

"What do you mean by 'ominous sign'?" Zhang Yuqi asked, emphasizing each word.

"It's a matter of face reading," Yu Liang blinked. "The location of this mole on your cheekbone is considered a 'very unlucky omen' in face reading. It indicates that you will have a benefactor in your life. It's a good omen."

He pointed to the spot on his cheekbone, looking very serious: "Look, right here. The mole in this spot is called a 'Dragon Pearl,' a sign of natural nobility. If you removed this mole, Sister Yuqi, your luck wouldn't be as good as it is now. I'm talking about proper physiognomy knowledge; you can look it up if you don't believe me."

Zhang Yuqi stared at him for a full three seconds.

Then she burst out laughing.

"Yu Liang," she laughed so hard her fishtail skirt trembled slightly before she finally stopped, then pointed at him with her finger, "you're the most tactful person I've ever met."

"I don't deserve such praise." Yu Liang cupped his hands in greeting. "It's mainly because of the excellent teaching of Third Uncle of the Nan School."

Zhang Yuqi shook her head, stood up, and prepared to leave. After taking two steps, she turned back and glanced at him again.

Although this guy was talking nonsense, his flirting skills were surprisingly natural.

Zhang Yuqi stared at Yu Liang's handsome face.

Look and look.

How could Yu Liang not know about Zhang Yuqi's probing earlier?

"What, Sister Yuqi, are you looking for me to help you out of trouble?" Yu Liang said with a double meaning.

Zhang Yuqi whispered, "Okay, but if you don't take as long as me to do your makeup, you're dead."

Yu Liang smiled and said, "Is that so? If you weren't as strapped for cash as I am, you'd be dead meat too."