~The face under the mask~RP

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All of this was bullshit. Yi was well aware of that. Therapy will help him, his ass. Yi knew he was in too deep while he was still doing his previous job. Painting was his hobby first and his job second. Now, if it was just normal painting, no one would mind it, but that wasn’t the case. Even then, though, Yi was pretty sure he can control himself to stick to just normal painting now that he was an actor and a public figure with no one else’s help, not minding the hobby of collecting ‘cursed’ paintings that followed after the decision to not work at the black market anymore. A psychologist was just going to be in his way and won’t do shit, in Yi’s opinion.

But the CEO of the company he was a part of insisted on it, so there he was, sitting in the waiting area to get called to meet the psychologist, Hannibal was the name, if he remembered correctly. What Yi hoped for the most is that Hannibal guy doesn’t end up being a whistle-blower, there’s a reason the company and Yi agreed to pay the guy way more than what he’d usually charge. But even if he was, there were multiple ways to shut someone like that like suing him for defamation or something else depending on the situation.

With light tapping on his portfolio bag, Yi gave a nod when worker here called his name and the psychologist was waiting for him. He got up and walked towards the door the worker mention the other was in and knocked on it before entering. “Dr. Hannibal, right? I’m Wang Yi, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He started off with introducing himself once he entered the psychologyst’s office.  

Nathan nodded along, mentally noting down what Yi, up until the school part.

“Why? Actors don’t have to know literature. That’s not an acting requirement unless- Well, no, I don’t think I’d be the type they hire for any Shakespeare plays.” Nathan thinks about it and yeah, there’s no point in literature classes. He’s made it this far in life without them and he can go even further without knowing what an allegory is. It’s a fancy metaphor from what he understands and that’s it. He doesn’t need to know the specifics of it. 

“Pay checks are nice,” Nathan acknowledges, “Though I don’t imagine mine will be all that high since I’m new. I mean, how much are you getting? A few thousands?” Nathan’s brain couldn’t comprehend anything higher. Large wages just seemed so unrealistic, one of those things they amp up in movies to emphasize how rich someone is, but people don’t actually get that, at least not people Nathan talks to. All those celebrities with their millions were often times born into it, working of hooks they already had in the industry, and to be honest, if Nathan had a million, he’d probably have a heart attack. So, he undershoots his estimate, because if the movie’s pulling in people like him, it’s not going to be that big. 

“How many years you and the guy I, uh, replaced been in the industry anyways? Don’t think I’ve seen your face before in film.” The comment is not at all meant as a slight against Yi. In fact, it might be a compliment considering Nathan’s experience with movie and shows involved either fishing something out of the discount bin or seeing what soap opera was up on the free channels. Nathan’s simply curious about how long Yi’s been here because the more knowledge Yi has, the more knowledge Nathan could potentially leech off of him. Plus, doesn’t hurt to see how far down stream he stands compared to others in The Biz. 

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“Good luck with your role, then. If you don’t understand what the hell the director is saying to you, then you’re on your own and good luck with finding a new job in any kind of field afterwards.” This was a big project. Many people around the world are waiting for the movie's projection. Yi wasn’t worried about his role. He knew how to get in character to the point where one might think he wasn’t portraying the character, but the character’s spirit had possessed him and that Yi was just their vessel. In a way, that was also one reason many people haven’t yet figured his own character, the Yi in the flesh; that also helped him keep his private life to himself while still having a huge fanbase. But for Nathan, if he doesn’t do a good job, the public will ruin him. Yi cared little about that in particular, that wus just how it was, but he surely didn’t want the movie to be ruined just because the new second lead was an idiot.

Yi couldn’t contain the laugh that bubbled up at the other’s guess of how much he was getting for starring in the movie. “Don’t make me laugh. If they offered me only a few thousand to play the lead character for the movie, I wouldn’t be here.” Didn’t the casting people tell him how much he could get if he does a good job at his role? We’re talking millions of dollars here, not just mere ‘a few thousands’. Sure, Nathan’s salary will probably be less for this movie compared to Yi’s and the other actors’ since he’s new, but the pay for their roles in this movie was high. The movie director and producers weren’t yesterday's, they’ve been in the industry for a long enough time to know what they are doing and what the majority of the public likes to see. Add in worldwide known actors and you have a highly anticipated movie.

“I’ve been acting for 4 years and I’ve starred both in movies and in TV series. And the guy who should have been the other lead has been an actor for over 10 years. You understand now why you should do an absolute amazing job with your role?” Yi glanced at Nathan to see his reaction, but then his attention went to his script. “If you fuck up, good luck with even being able to get out of your house.” He grinned. In this scenario, the grin looked almost sinister, but Yi was only speaking facts. He still didn’t understand why Nathan was cast for the role. Maybe someone wanted to give him a chance for a breakthrough, but was it a good idea to make such a gamble?