Chapter 17: Lip-Syncing?

For a moment, the other artists exchanged glances, their faces clearly spelling out the words "envy, jealousy, resentment." Garen, especially, looked utterly indifferent. Gao Zishan questioned him, but he replied with only a few words, his attitude bordering on aloof, which was enough to infuriate anyone.

“Oh, Garen, let me tell you! My scene happened to be when I received a text from my rival in love. During filming, I just couldn’t get the emotion right, and we had to redo it several times. Even when it was finally done, I still felt there were flaws. But when I saw the sample footage, and your song started playing, suddenly I thought my acting was absolutely perfect!”

Gao Zishan, excited, grabbed Garen’s wrist, just a few centimeters shy of holding hands, making Garen feel awkward. She seemed completely oblivious, and instead, broke into song.

At that moment, the makeup artist Xiao Song walked over, “Sister Shan!”

Gao Zishan turned her head, her expression shifting, “What is it?”

“Ah, um… Garen needs his makeup done!” Xiao Song stammered, quickly explaining.

“Oh!” Gao Zishan’s face softened considerably. “Alright, go ahead! I need to hurry too!”

Garen’s makeup was simple; after all, he was only a minor supporting character this time. A quick adjustment to his hairstyle and a bit of powder would suffice.

No sooner had his makeup been completed than Wu Chaoyang entered right on time. “Garen, finished?”

“I just finished! You really have impeccable timing!” Garen replied with a grin.

Gao Zishan, seeing Wu Chaoyang, couldn’t help but call out, “Brother Wu!”

“Hey, Xiao Shan! You’re getting your makeup done here too!” Wu Chaoyang smiled. When he first joined the company, Gao Zishan was the first artist to come looking for him, hoping to switch to him as her agent.

But Liu Xiahui had intervened, blocking the request and leaving Gao Zishan furious, insisting on terminating her contract. After much persuasion, the conflict was finally resolved.

It wasn’t that Liu Xiahui cared about losing one artist, but Gao Zishan had several ongoing projects. If she left, those projects would likely collapse, creating a heap of trouble. Moreover, she was currently rising in the entertainment industry, and after so long cultivating her, the company was reluctant to let her go.

Even more importantly, Liu Xiahui understood Gao Zishan’s temperament—her tantrums were fleeting. Sure enough, she was obedient again now.

“Brother Wu! Are you Garen’s agent now?” Gao Zishan asked.

Wu Chaoyang nodded, “Yes! Director Liu asked me to mentor the newcomers. Garen is a promising talent.”

“Ah! I never had such luck. I truly envy him!” Gao Zishan still harbored resentment from last time, pouting as she spoke.

The other artists present, except for Garen, were dumbfounded. Was Sister Shan turning over a new leaf today? She didn’t seem at all like her usual self.

Previously, because Liu Xiahui wouldn’t let Wu Chaoyang manage Gao Zishan, the group dynamics had been tense. Gao Zishan even quarreled with Liu Xiahui, and everyone thought she’d be sidelined, worrying about her for quite a while.

Seeing this scene today, they realized they barely understood Gao Zishan at all.

After a few words, Wu Chaoyang glanced at his watch. “Oh, it’s almost time. Garen and I will go ahead. See you at the premiere!”

“Alright, you two go first!” As soon as Wu Chaoyang left, Gao Zishan’s expression darkened again, urging her assistant, “Hurry up! I’m running out of time!”

…

The premiere of "That Graduation Year" was held in the studio owned by Yida, where they recorded their in-house programs—a venue of considerable grandeur.

The drama cast the nation’s top actor Huang Daming as the male lead, and the female lead was played by Zhang Peiyu, a three-time winner of Best Actress.

Aside from the fact that both leads guaranteed high ratings, the show itself was adapted from a popular best-selling novel, with an existing fanbase.

The investment in the entire series was no less than that for a blockbuster film.

Garen followed Wu Chaoyang out of the car. As they approached the entrance, they saw a crowd of reporters and media clustered around, snapping frantically at those arriving. Security struggled to keep them at bay.

With their work IDs, they passed smoothly to the door. Garen peeked inside—just as he expected, the male and female leads, Huang Daming and Zhang Peiyu, were there.

Big stars were just that—flashes fired incessantly, never stopping.

The reporters bombarded them with questions, not giving the two celebrities a moment to respond, leaving them rather helpless. Still, their faces remained bright with smiles.

“Master Huang, we heard the original theme song for this drama was supposed to be yours, but was replaced at the last minute. What’s your opinion?” A reporter shouted through a megaphone. Garen caught the question instantly, his heart skipping a beat. So the song replaced was actually the leading man’s?

He looked at Huang Daming, whose face subtly changed. Though he smiled, the smile was noticeably more forced than before.

“Haha, it’s just a rumor! Just a rumor!” Huang Daming answered with a fake smile. “My song was never chosen to begin with.”

“Master Huang, we heard that in the drama, you had a violent scene with the third female lead that was real, not staged. Do you have any explanation?” another reporter shouted.

Huang Daming smiled, “No explanation needed, because it’s simply not true!”

With that, Huang Daming waved to someone and began heading inside.

The reporters grew louder. “Master Huang, please wait! Master Huang…”

Once the leads had entered, the reporters were left disappointed, sighing one after another, clearly having gleaned nothing of value.

With no one ahead of him, it was Garen’s turn to enter.

He straightened his collar, wore a bright smile, and strode forward.

None of the reporters recognized him. Not only did they not ask questions, but not a single flash went off—not even one. Halfway through, Garen paused, unwilling to give up, but the result was the same.

“Sigh! Comparing oneself to others is truly maddening!” Garen shook his head and followed Wu Chaoyang inside.

The venue was divided into several areas. It was Garen’s first time in such a place, so he relied entirely on Wu Chaoyang’s guidance.

They entered backstage via a passage designated for cast and crew. Many people were already inside, but none of the main creative team was there—they all had their own private lounges.

“Find a spot to sit. I’ll go check things out. I’ll call you directly when it’s time,” Wu Chaoyang said before heading off to find the relevant staff.

Garen found a place at random, took out his phone, and listened to the soundtrack once more. This was his first time performing in front of so many media outlets—he couldn’t afford to mess up!

He waited for about ten minutes before Wu Chaoyang returned, waving him over. “Let’s go!”

Garen stood up immediately and followed Wu Chaoyang, weaving left and right until they entered a conference room.

Inside, many people were already seated—all members of the creative team for "That Graduation Year," from director to screenwriter, leads to supporting actors.

At the head of the table stood a man, glancing at his watch and pacing back and forth, visibly anxious.

Garen recognized him at once—it was a variety show host from Anxi Television. Was he to host the premiere?

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor, and a waft of perfume swept through the back door. A woman’s silhouette passed in front of Garen. “Sorry, I’m late!”

She made a playful face to everyone and found a seat near the front.

“She’s the second female lead, Yao Xiaotong! The investors’ pick for the cast!” a young man whispered near Garen.

“No wonder! That explains her tardiness!” his companion replied.

Then came the click of high heels—the third female lead, Gao Zishan, whom Garen had just seen, entered.

“Look, the third female lead is even more arrogant than the second! She doesn’t say a word about being late, just walks in and sits down!” the young man whispered again.

“Well, Yida is heavily promoting her now. She’s been given resources for several projects—she has every reason to be arrogant!”

“Ha! But no matter how arrogant, can she outdo Master Huang? The female lead has been waiting here for ages!”

“Tsk tsk, what can you do…”

The two chatted quietly, and Garen realized that among the creative team, only Huang Daming was missing.

A few minutes later, a middle-aged man at the front asked the staff, “Where’s Old Huang? Why isn’t he here yet?”

A staff member hemmed and hawed before finally saying, “Teacher Huang is still eating. He said he’ll come after breakfast!”

This drew a few disgruntled looks—everyone else was here hungry, yet he had time for breakfast.

Still, no one dared say anything. He was, after all, a big star.

But even among big stars, there were differences. Look at Zhang Peiyu, the Best Actress—she arrived early, waited patiently, remained cheerful, and chatted amiably with those around her.

The director frowned, “Go urge him again. It’s almost nine o’clock!”

“What’s the rush?” came a voice from outside. Huang Daming strolled in with a relaxed smile. “Director, I’m here now, aren’t I?”

The director pursed his lips, seeming to swallow his frustration. “Fine, as long as you’re here. Host, please explain the schedule.”

“Alright!” The host nodded. Once Huang Daming was seated, he began outlining the process.

Garen had no need to memorize the schedule for the premiere—he was to be the last one on stage, singing the theme song, “Gardenia Blossoms.”

According to the schedule, with the event starting at nine, he’d probably perform around eleven or even noon.

“Is the singer for the theme song here?” Finally, reaching the last segment, the host glanced around the room.

Wu Chaoyang nudged Garen, who was nearly falling asleep. Garen immediately stood up and declared loudly, “I’m here! I’m here!”

Laughter erupted throughout the room.

The host nodded, “Good, as long as you’re here. You’ll be up last. It’s just lip-syncing, and the main cast will all come out to appear with you. No problem, right?”

“What? Lip-syncing?” Garen was stunned.