Chapter 51: The Assistant’s First Shift

On Mu An’s first official day on the job, Jiang Yan was filming with the second male lead on the set. Mu An sat on a chair to the side, legs crossed, observing from a distance.

To be honest, after becoming Jiang Yan’s assistant, his work had become significantly easier. He didn’t have to run around anymore; his only responsibilities were handing Jiang Yan water and his mirror. Even the makeup was handled by a dedicated stylist who kept a close eye on Jiang Yan’s look, leaving Mu An with absolutely nothing to do.

His gaze shifted toward Su Jicheng, who was performing opposite Jiang Yan. The man’s facial contours were somewhat blunt, and his eyes were rather narrow, giving him an incongruous look. Even with the platform shoes he was wearing, he barely reached Jiang Yan’s nose.

Su Jicheng played the murderer with the most screen time in the drama. He hid among the protagonist’s team, posing as a righteous forensic pathologist by day while acting as a psychopathic killer by night.

If a character were purely evil, it would often generate a negative reception from the audience, but if the character were sufficiently complex and pathetic, a good performance could make him a very attractive character to fans.

Su Jicheng was playing exactly that kind of role. Arguably, the male lead’s character design wasn’t even as compelling as the second lead’s, yet Su Jicheng’s acting skills were somewhat underwhelming.

When the director called “cut” for the tenth time, members of the crew, including the props team, felt utterly exhausted. A small segment was being filmed over and over again, and they had no idea if they would even manage to clock out on time today.

The director’s expression turned distressed, and he couldn’t help but point at Su Jicheng and scold him, “I’ve told you eight hundred times already, don’t look like a thief! You’re portraying restraint and craftiness, not begging people to suspect you’re a thief!”

At this, Su Jicheng’s face flushed red, a look of defiance flashing in his eyes, “How does it look like a thief! Don’t be so overly critical, alright?”

“Cough… critical?” The director was so enraged he coughed several times. In all his years of filming, he had rarely encountered someone who dared to talk back to him so bluntly, not fearing who he might offend.

Su Jicheng, banking on the fact that the Su family—who were shareholders in this production—was backing him, had zero fear of the director.

“If it’s not filmed well, just reshoot it! Why are you yelling!” Su Jicheng turned his back, glaring at Jiang Yan, who remained calm, feeling as though the other man was mocking him.

“Reshoot!” Su Jicheng commanded, ready to perform the scene again.

But the director didn’t believe for a second that he could deliver a better performance in such a careless state; it was nothing more than a waste of film.

He looked up at Jiang Yan, “Jiang Yan, you and Gu Zhen, prepare for the next scene.”

“Su Jicheng, you go down and properly find your vibe first!”

Hearing this, Su Jicheng bit his lip in fury, glaring fiercely at Jiang Yan.

Seeing Jiang Yan return to rest, Mu An immediately stepped forward to hand him a water bottle, “Good work!”

Jiang Yan met Mu An’s caring gaze, and his heart stirred. Although he wasn’t thirsty, he obediently took a sip.

“Are you bored?” Jiang Yan asked with concern.

Mu An shook his head repeatedly. His eyelashes fluttered gently, and his affectionate eyes seemed to ripple with emotion, “How could I be bored when I can stay in the same place as you and watch you act up close?”

Jiang Yan’s fingers curled slightly, his eyelashes lowering. Mu An felt so overwhelmed by his gaze that he was the first to look away. Jiang Yan’s lips curved up slightly, “No need for honorifics. Call me by my name, or… Yan-yan.”

Yan-yan?

Mu An felt a tremor in his heart. Although it was the nickname fans used for Jiang Yan, saying it to his face felt far too intimate.

“Alright, Jiang Yan.”

A flash of disappointment flickered in Jiang Yan’s eyes.

“Jiang Yan, let’s run through the scene.” A woman with waist-length hair walked over carrying a script.

Her makeup was extremely light, and the corners of her eyes drooped slightly; when she looked at someone quietly, she exuded an inexplicable sense of melancholy.

She was the female lead, playing a criminal psychologist. There was no romantic subplot between her and the male lead, but the director and others wanted to create a sense of chemistry between them; after all, in some dramas, characters without a clear romantic arc were often the most satisfying to ship.

“Alright.” Jiang Yan nodded slightly. They sat on chairs, running through lines while discussing facial expressions and reactions.

Mu An had also been an actor in the past; sitting to the side and listening wasn’t boring at all, and he even felt an urge to participate.

He suddenly agreed with Chen Xi’s comment that the two had chemistry. Gu Zhen spoke in a low-key manner, and Jiang Yan’s voice was exceptionally gentle; the two of them looked incredibly harmonious together.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the corner of his eye. Chen Xi was waving at him from not far away.

Mu An immediately found an excuse to stand up and leave. Jiang Yan’s gaze followed his figure toward Chen Xi.

The girl wore a sharp ponytail, looking spirited and full of life.

He remembered that she often hung out with Mu An and had even spoken up for him yesterday.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Zhen asked, noticing his gaze had suddenly turned heavy.

Jiang Yan snapped out of it, “Let’s continue.”

Yet, his voice lacked the gentleness he had displayed when Mu An was around; it could at best be described as polite.

Seeing him return to his usual attitude, Gu Zhen felt relieved. Just a moment ago, she had thought Jiang Yan was trying to “ship” a couple with her, suddenly acting all soft-spoken and acting like a gentle big brother.

On the other side, Chen Xi pulled Mu An aside, “Big Brother! Do me a favor!”