Within two hours, Qin Guan had become the prince of the gossip section. Some mighty girls had even found reports on the New Face compet.i.tion. Finally, they focused on New Silk Road.

The next day, the telephone operators of New Silk Road nearly died of exhaustion. Crazy fans were calling them all day long, asking for information about a model named Qin Guan.

When the director of the Marketing Department was informed, he thought he was going to go crazy, too. This was not an entertainment company, so they were not capable of receiving so many calls. They had to set up a special telephone line just for Qin Guan.

Qin Guan became really famous. With such popularity, his level had to be upgraded as well. Many top level brands wanted a good model and actor to promote their products.

The director was so depressed, he was thumping his chest and stamping his feet. Why didn't I insist on the contract? I wasted such a good opportunity. It would be much more difficult for him to sign a formal contract with Qin Guan now.

Qin Guan received so many calls from friends that his phone was about to explode. So was Sister Xue's. She got calls about brand endors.e.m.e.nt, magazines, interviews, TV auditions...

She was both miserable and happy. There was a great difference between a film and TV agent and a model agent. She would have to be in charge of publicity, selecting roles that fit Qin Guan's characteristics, and rus.h.i.+ng to the frontline to fight for opportunities.

Sometimes, she preferred being lazy, just like Qin Guan said. She wasn’t resigned to be just a model agent though. With a success in film or TV, Qin Guan would enjoy better domestic development without waiting a long time or fighting to stand out among countless models.

So long as he was famous, famous brands would approach him. Waking up from her daydream, Sister Xue decided to check the script notices carefully.

In 2000, the domestic market for TV series was flouris.h.i.+ng, and many cla.s.sic TV plays were emerging, such as "Kangxi Dynasty", "The Grand Mansion Gate", and so on.

Those were out of Qin Guan’s league though. A man couldn’t be lucky forever. The scripts in Sister Xue's hand were not cla.s.sics.

There were still some decent works though, including "Romance during the Tang Dynasty" and "The Legendary Swordsman" (directed by Zhang Jizhong), which were worth an audition. As for the stranger ones, such as "Happy Encounter in the East and West" and "Royal Babies", even Sister Xue couldn't bear to read them.

Looking at the thick pile of scripts, Qin Guan was surprised by her abilities. In such a short time, she had managed to create a good relations.h.i.+p within the film and TV circles. In spite of the quality of the scripts, the chance to audition was valuable for plenty of actors.

Qin Guan had good taste. He wanted to partic.i.p.ate in the two TV series that had been famous in 2001 and had aired on CCTV for over 10 years. It was a pity that Sister Xue was not as shameless as him. He had to be content with the second best one, which would be shooting in the summer.

He would be playing Bianji in "Romance during the Tang Dynasty". Another toy boy and a monk? Qin Guan was left speechless by the role. He would be playing another heartbreaker, Yang Lianting, in "The Legendary Swordsman". Why did he always get such roles? He would rather be a co-star and have less lines. Why was he always the toy boy? Once for the princess, then for the leader of the martial arts circle... It was unbearable!

Sister Xue ignored his complaints. She told Qin Guan to practice by himself. It seemed like his roles in ancient costumes would only be increasing, so he had to study with Teacher Rong in his spare time.

Fortunately, Fayuan Temple, the temple with the longest history in the capital, was not far from Qin Guan's college. He could learn about the Buddha Doctrine there.

Qin Guan was good at acting. Before he left, he promised Sister Xue that he would find a martial artist for training.

Sister Xue was quite worried about Qin Guan, as martial art movements in film and TV were quite different from traditional Chinese kung fu. One focused on shape and style, and the other stressed on real fighting. Forget it. It's better for him to learn more.

...…

Qin Guan headed directly to the Fayuan Temple.

Located on the south end of the Jiaozi Hutong outside the Xuanwumen Gate, the Fayuan Temple had been founded during the 19th Year of the Zhenguan Period by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. The Buddhist Academy of China had been established in the temple in 1965.

Unlike the Lama Temple, where incense smoke was all around, the ancient temple was simple and dignified, with red walls, grey tiles and green trees.

The stone praying incense burner in the square was surrounded by smoke. There were several wintersweet trees standing beside it, which made the temple look n.o.ble and unsullied in the winter.

The students of the academy were doing their matin in brown frocks. The pilgrims didn’t disturb them. They just burned their first incense stick for the day.

That year, the book "The Fayuan Temple in Beijing", written by the famous Taiwan writer Li Ao, had been published and become widely popular, both domestically and overseas. As a result, the quiet temple had become famous all of a sudden, attracting countless Buddhism followers and visitors.

Unlike the pilgrims, Qin Guan headed to the guest receiving hall. Scanning the exquisite corridors, he realized that the hall had to be for VIPs.

A young acolyte in a grey frock greeted him. "What are you looking for, my benefactor?"

"I would like to get some primary Buddhist texts. Instruction books would be even better."

Smiling, the young acolyte guided Qin Guan to a shed nearby. He pointed to the books on the shelves and said, "These are all books donated by followers. They are sold for charity. If you like, just put the money in the box according to the prices on the tablets."

The grand temple is really considerate! Qin Guan saluted the young acolyte before going into the book shed.