Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

When she said "truth," her tone was subtly suggestive. Zhang Yu's heart skipped a beat—was she mocking him? Mocking his current hypocrisy?

"And your personal relationship with Director Zhang..." the reporter wanted to press further.

"Next question," Zhang Yu interrupted promptly, his tone gentle but firm, "Please focus more on the work itself."

The reporter sat down reluctantly. The next few questions were relatively mild, concerning the shooting plan, historical context, costume design, and so on. The atmosphere gradually relaxed.

But soon, another pointed question arose—this time it was directed at Yang Mi.

"Ms. Yang Mi, I heard that you were vying for the role of Su Manli, the second female lead, but ultimately got the role of Fang Qing, the fifth female lead. Are you disappointed?"

Yang Mi picked up the microphone, her smile impeccable: "No. Although Fang Qing's role doesn't have as many scenes as the second female lead, it's very challenging, and I really like it. Besides..." She paused, glancing at Zhang Yu with a knowing look, "I'd be happy to work with Director Zhang, no matter what role I play."

Her words were ambiguous, and a murmur immediately broke out in the audience. Zhang Yu could feel Chen Chen's body stiffen slightly.

"And what about Director Zhang?" the reporter turned to Zhang Yu. "Why did you choose Yang Mi to play Fang Qing? What's so special about her?"

Zhang Yu maintained his smile: "Yang Mi is a very talented actress. She has the independence and intelligence of a modern woman, which is a perfect fit for the character Fang Qing."

"Is that all?" the reporter persisted. "I heard that you and Yang Mi are very close friends and often discuss scripts together until late at night. Is that true?"

This question was too direct. The audience fell silent instantly, all cameras focused on Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu could feel the gazes of the actresses around him—Chen Chen's nervousness, Zeng Li's disdain, Bai Bing's complex emotions, Li Xiaoran's worry...

Following Yang Mi's instructions, he gave a troubled yet courteous smile: "As a director, discussing the script with the actors is part of the job. Yang Mi is a very serious actress, and we do often discuss the characters, but only during working hours, and with other staff members present."

He spoke in a very official tone, but Yang Mi suddenly chimed in, "Director Zhang is too modest. Actually, we've met a few times in private, discussing acting in coffee shops. Director Zhang gave me a lot of guidance, and I'm very grateful."

When she said "in private," her tone was natural, but her eyes held a suggestive glint. Another commotion erupted from the audience. Zhang Yu could see Chen Chen's face palen, and his knuckles turning white as he gripped the microphone.

"Is Ms. Chen aware of these 'private discussions'?" The reporter immediately turned to Chen Chen.

Chen Chen picked up the microphone, his voice a little hoarse: "I'm not in a position to interfere with Director Zhang's work. I trust his professionalism."

She spoke politely, but everyone could hear the tremor in her voice. Zhang Yu felt a surge of intense guilt—he was hurting her in public, and she had no choice but to speak up for him.

“Alright, next question.” Zhang Yu interrupted again, his tone a bit colder than before.

The next questions were relatively mild, but the atmosphere had changed. The reporters in the audience were even more excited—they smelled gossip. The actresses on stage had different expressions: Zeng Li had a smile of anticipation, Li Xiaoran frowned slightly, Bai Bing's eyes were cold, Liu Shishi looked at Chen Chen with worry, and Shu Chang and Song Qian were somewhat bewildered—they were young and didn't quite understand the underhanded tactics of these adults.

The press conference concluded with a group photo. All the main cast and crew stood in the center of the stage, and flashbulbs went off everywhere. As is customary, Zhang Yu stood in the middle, flanked by the actresses. But positioning became a problem—who should stand next to Zhang Yu?

Chen Chen naturally stood to Zhang Yu's left, which was the female lead's position. But on the right... Zeng Li and Yang Mi stepped forward almost simultaneously, both wanting to stand in that position.

“Yang Mi, you’re young, please stand at the back,” Zeng Li said with a smile, but her tone left no room for argument.

“Sister Zeng Li, the positions should be based on the roles we play. I’m the fifth female lead, and you’re the second female lead, so you should stand further back.” Yang Mi didn’t back down either.

The two were locked in a stalemate, while reporters below the stage snapped photos frantically—perfect fodder for gossip. Watching this scene, Zhang Yu felt a surge of absurdity—these women would fight like this for a single spot on the stage. And all of this was because of him.

"Come stand here, everyone," he finally said, his voice calm but with an undeniable authority. "Chen Chen will stand to my left, Zeng Li to my right. The rest of you will be arranged according to your screen time."

He spoke, and no one dared to argue anymore. The final lineup was: Zhang Yu with Chen Chen on his left, Zeng Li on his right, followed by Li Xiaoran, Bai Bing, Yang Mi, Liu Shishi, Shu Chang, and Song Qian. Nine women surrounded him, like stars around the moon.

During the group photo, Zeng Li naturally took Zhang Yu's arm, their bodies very close. Her body beneath her burgundy dress was soft and warm; Zhang Yu could feel the curves of her chest pressing against his arm. Chen Chen, though standing beside him, maintained a polite distance, her body stiff.

"Director Zhang, give us a smile," the photographer called out.

Zhang Yu forced a smile, but his heart was ice-cold. He could sense the thoughts of those actresses—Zeng Li's smugness, Yang Mi's resentment, Bai Bing's disappointment, Chen Chen's pain... and he was at the center of it all, the instigator of it all.

The flashbulbs went off again, freezing the moment—a young director surrounded by beautiful women, his smile impeccable, his eyes deep and thoughtful. No one knew what storm raged within him.

After the group photo, the press conference officially ended. The reporters left reluctantly, while the cast and crew returned to their backstage dressing room.

As soon as he entered the lounge, Chen Chen strode to the sofa in the corner, his back to everyone. Zhang Yu wanted to follow, but Li Xiaoming stopped him.

"Director Zhang, you did a great job just now!" Li Xiaoming patted him on the shoulder. "Especially in handling the dispute between Zeng Li and Yang Mi, you were very tactful! Now the media will have something to write about, and tomorrow's headlines will definitely be ours!"

Zhang Yu forced a smile: "Mr. Li, you flatter me."

"No flattery, no flattery!" Li Xiaoming lowered his voice. "Let me tell you, those investors were extremely satisfied! They said you have the skills to keep these actresses in check! This film is a sure thing!"

After he finished speaking, he went to greet the investors. Zhang Yu stood there, looking at the actresses in the lounge—Zeng Li was talking to several reporters, her smile charming; Li Xiaoran was sitting quietly to the side drinking water; Bai Bing was standing by the window, looking outside; Yang Mi was walking towards him, a triumphant smile in her eyes.

"Director Zhang, how was my performance just now?" Yang Mi walked to his side and lowered her voice, "Did I fit the image of a 'pursuer' quite well?"

Zhang Yu looked at her; this intelligent woman was executing their deal in her own way. He nodded: "Very good."

“Chen Chen doesn’t look well.” Yang Mi glanced at Chen Chen in the corner. “Why don’t you go over and comfort her? According to the plan, you should act like you’re ‘annoyed by being bothered’ and then go to her to complain.”