They thought he was a strong young man. Qin Guan was a reasonable man. A cool watermelon in a well was the best refreshment amid the scorching summer of South China.

Qin Guan rolled the wheel above the well to pull three watermelons up. They were all in the same bucket. That explained why the old men couldn't pull it up. They had just thrown them down and never thought about how they would pull them back up.

Qin Guan used a long knife to cut the three melons into six pieces.

"How should I divide them?"

"Just leave them there. Go get some rest in your room. Thanks a lot, Qin Guan."

The six old men took the melons and began to eat them in the shadows with spoons. The three melons were perfect for them. They needed no more or less. Qin Guan had been just a free labor worker.

Qin Guan was still confused as he returned to his room. Wang had cleaned it up for him while he was gone. Before he could get over the shock, Wang heard a knock on the door. She opened it and returned with a small watermelon.

"They brought this for you to express their gratitude."

At her words, tears started running down Qin Guan's eyes. He felt so grateful that he became confident once again.

Meanwhile, Jiao Huang was talking with another actor about the watermelons.

"Did you give him one?"

"Yes, Xiao Zhang said that he was really happy."

"He is a silly, but honest young man. We should be kind to him."

"My assistant said that the small one was not ripe, so I just gave it to him."

...

Satisfied, Qin Guan set out to film his first scene. All the old men gathered around the director to watch the idiot. Will the silly boy perform well?

When Qin Guan walked out in his first costume, everyone burst into laughter. The crew was composed of hundreds of people. Qin Guan's first scene was an outside Cuju game [1], so there was a big audience around.

Qin Guan, who was the younger brother of a concubine, was more beautiful than the prettiest lady in the palace. Before he went out, the stylist pulled him back and applied some powder and rouge to his cheeks. Then he let him go.

Everyone saw a funny-looking guy in a red robe and a red turban walk over. The director nodded in satisfaction. The older actors were in no mood to laugh though. Qin Guan looked sillier with that makeup on.

Thus, the first scene began.

Prince Liang arrived in the capital with Han, who liked to watch the occasional Cuju game. Tian Fen found the man, and Han saw Tian Fen and the dinner presented to him. Tian Fen wanted to become friends with Han.

The cameraman used the best film, so every little detail was visible clearly on the camera, which set higher standards for the actors' performances.

Qin Guan rushed up to Han in his costume with an uncertain expression in his eyes. As he got closer, he gave Han a flattering smile.

"Don't blame me, Your Excellency. I just wanted to greet you."

He cupped his hands eagerly. Everyone had forgotten about his looks by now. He was only a nobody trying to find a way out.

The proud man didn't pay any attention to him, even though he was still smiling warmly.

"Actually, I am related to Your Excellency. My sister is Prince Liang's sister-in-law..."

Han raised an eyebrow as Qin Guan finished his words after a pause. "She is a palace concubine."

A mere concubine... Han put his poker face back on. For the sake of the dinner and his splendid smile, he decided to give Qin Guan a condescending wave. "Take a seat."

Then he sat down with a splendid smile and gestured at the maid. "Bring the wine!"

Qin Guan just climbed up the social ladder. He clearly knew all about the power of a machinator.