Luo Cheng’an lazily lowered his eyelids, concealing his eyes.
His agent, however, failed to notice his gloomy mood. Hearing him say that, he exclaimed excitedly, “Things are different now! Unparalleled Secret Realm has gained you countless fans. Everyone online feels sorry for you now. And Director Zhang’s new drama has specifically named you as the male lead! That’s Director Zhang we’re talking about!”
Although it was a dual male-lead drama, with Director Zhang’s reputation and Luo Cheng’an’s current popularity, there was practically no chance of it becoming a flop.
“I have a feeling you’re going to become a huge star!”
Even the agent didn’t know how Luo Cheng’an had caught Director Zhang’s attention. Although Luo Cheng’an was his own artist, he couldn’t honestly praise his acting skills.
Immersed in the joy of potentially producing a top-tier celebrity, the agent chattered on, “Who knows, maybe you’ll become the next Lu Zhixing, and become one of Huaguo’s—”
“Don’t let me hear that name again.”
Luo Cheng’an interrupted him. The corners of his lips pressed downward, and his expression turned cold and indifferent.
The agent froze. He couldn’t understand why two people who had seemed to get along quite well on the variety show couldn’t even have their names mentioned together now.
But when he met Luo Cheng’an’s eyes, his back stiffened. A faint, creeping sense of fear spread through his nerves.
Fear…
Before the agent could get a closer look, Luo Cheng’an had already closed his eyes. He figured he must have seen things.
Luo Cheng’an was famous for having a bad temper, but only he knew that it was all Luo Shujing’s doing. In reality, Luo Cheng’an had an exceptionally good temperament.
When he had first entered the industry, he had been lucky enough to be chosen by Luo Cheng’an. Although Luo Cheng’an had the Luo family backing him, he had never acted like some vicious young master.
But after taking a break for a while, when Luo Cheng’an contacted him again and said he wanted to accept a script, the agent felt that something about him had changed whenever they interacted.
The agent couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Luo Cheng’an still treated him the same way as before, as an exceptionally good employer—generous and easygoing. But at times, he sensed a faint pressure that had never existed before.
The agent thought about it and decided that perhaps the matter of the real and fake young masters had made Luo Cheng’an mature considerably.
The agent gave an awkward chuckle and changed the subject.
“Funny how things work out. Director Zhang had been unable to find a suitable actor for the second male lead for quite some time. Then, just a few days ago, he came across an unknown newcomer he really liked. He only finalized the second male lead today. Director Zhang wants everyone to have dinner together tomorrow to get acquainted first. After all, you’ll be working together for several months.”
“No need. Just tell Director Zhang I’ve signed up for an acting class. He can call me when it’s time for the script reading.”
Luo Cheng’an got up from the sofa and waved dismissively at his agent, showing very little courtesy.
“Remember to close the door when you leave.”
The agent wanted to persuade him a little, but Luo Cheng’an had already shut the bedroom door.
After the main creative team was finalized, the agent sent Luo Cheng’an a text with the dates for the script reading and filming. He also reminded him to memorize the script.
Luo Cheng’an agreed, but he didn’t even touch the script. He had already memorized the lines while looking through it, so there was no need to spend any effort learning them.
Luo Cheng’an didn’t feel like moving at all, nor did he want to act. He curled himself up in his room, lying there like a corpse, until his agent called to hurry him along. Only then did he emerge from beneath the covers.
The moment his feet touched the floor, his pajamas dissolved inch by inch and transformed into casual clothes. As he walked downstairs, the wind billowed his camel-colored wool coat. Beneath his black trousers was a pair of long, straight legs, and his waist, secured by a matching belt, was slender yet supple.
His agent was practically staring. When Luo Cheng’an got into the car, he praised him.
“Handsome guy.”
Luo Cheng’an smiled gently. “Thank you. I’m gay.”
The agent curled his lip, thinking that Luo Cheng’an was really getting into character, and handed him breakfast.
The fried dough sticks were wrapped in a paper bag. Oil had seeped through, making the paper translucent. Luo Cheng’an frowned slightly.
“I’m not eating.”
“Skipping breakfast makes you prone to gallstones. You have the kind of metabolism where you can eat as much as you want without gaining weight. There’s no need to worry.”
Luo Cheng’an refused, adding that if his agent tried to persuade him again, he would shove the fried dough sticks into his mouth.
Today wasn’t just the script reading. They also had to take promotional character photos.
By the time Luo Cheng’an arrived with his face bare and as white as jade, everyone else had already gathered.
As countless pairs of eyes turned toward him, one particularly heated and excited gaze remained hidden among the crowd.
The other male lead was an actor on the verge of becoming a top-tier star, someone Luo Cheng’an had worked with before. Seeing Luo Cheng’an, he greeted him familiarly and invited him to sit beside him.
Luo Cheng’an’s public image had now completely turned around. Even those who had looked down on him in the past were eager to flatter him. Director Zhang introduced everyone, then finally let his gaze settle on the person sitting opposite Luo Cheng’an.
“This is Shen Tan. He’s an amateur.”
Only then did Luo Cheng’an deign to raise his eyes. He saw the newcomer his agent had been chattering about all the way here—the one Director Zhang had praised endlessly, even boldly declaring that Shen Tan was like a bright, shining moon with an unlimited future ahead of him.
A bright, shining moon? Luo Cheng’an sneered inwardly. In the Three Realms, there was only one moon.
“Senior, I’m your fan.”
Shen Tan smiled and extended his hand. A small red mole rested on one of his knuckles against his fair skin.
Meeting Shen Tan’s gentle smile, Luo Cheng’an’s gaze gradually darkened.
Only after a moment did he slowly raise his hand.
“Hello.”
Their hands clasped together. One was a god, the other a demon. Their auras repelled each other.
Luo Cheng’an thought, What a persistent ghost. He actually managed to find me in the mortal realm.
…………………………….
“Deception. Betrayal. Mockery.”
Inside the dimly lit torture chamber, the sickly-sweet smell of blood was so thick it seemed almost to condense into a dense mist.
A man dressed in white was restrained against a wooden cross. His clothes were riddled with bloodied holes, and his eyes were half-covered, making it impossible to see the emotions hidden within them.
Standing before him was a tall, slender man holding a soft whip. He slowly approached the man who was on the verge of unconsciousness, grabbed him by the throat, and pressed his thumb against his chin.
His dark eyes glimmered with a faint, chilling light.
“You treated me like a fool and deceived me. All to save your beloved, hmm?”
As he uttered the final syllable, his grip suddenly tightened.
When the sensation of suffocation struck, the man in white lifted his eyes and rasped, “Don’t hurt him.”
Even with death staring him in the face, he was still pleading on someone else’s behalf. What a touching display of devotion.
But the love of the man before him had been built upon trampling his heart, crushing it inch by inch.
“How foolish. The more you act like this, the more I want to tear him limb from limb.”
As their gazes met, one was filled with bone-deep hatred, while the other was as indifferent as dust.
“Cut! That’s a wrap!”
“Very good! We just need one more shot of the back view later.”
As the crew members rushed over, the pressure on Luo Cheng’an’s neck was finally released.
Shen Tan, whose gaze had been so vicious just moments ago that he seemed ready to devour someone alive, suddenly became extremely apologetic. He repeatedly bowed while reaching out to touch Luo Cheng’an’s neck.
“Are you okay, Senior? I didn’t hurt you just now, did I?”
Luo Cheng’an leaned back slightly to avoid his hand and accepted the water handed to him by his assistant.
“I’m fine.”
Shen Tan’s hand came away empty. On his fingertips was still some of the fake blood from Luo Cheng’an’s chin, damp and sticky.
Watching Luo Cheng’an’s retreating back, Shen Tan’s lips curled into a smile so subtle it was almost imperceptible.
After watching the playback, the director was still extremely excited. He called out to Shen Tan loudly.
“You were born for this profession!”
The other people on set nodded in agreement. A young woman said, “My heart was in my throat just now. I got so immersed in the scene that my eyes actually started to sting.”
Shen Tan smiled shyly. “Maybe it’s because I’ve been deceived before. I got a little too immersed just now.”
Luo Cheng’an was sucking on his straw. His drinking motion paused briefly, but he quickly returned to normal.
He didn’t want to participate in this conversation at all.
He even vaguely regretted accepting this drama.
It was a xianxia drama with two male leads: an enduring and devoted Heavenly Emperor, and a cool, detached Divine Venerable.
The two had grown up together. The Divine Venerable died to save all living beings and was reincarnated. In order to resurrect him, the Heavenly Emperor tricked the Demon King into giving up his heart’s blood. After his beloved was brought back to life, the Demon King realized he had been deceived and launched a frenzied revenge against the two of them. But in the end, he was moved by the Heavenly Emperor, abandoned slaughter, and withdrew from the world.
When Luo Cheng’an had accepted the script, he had only thought that the background of this pair of lovers was remarkably similar to his own situation with Lanxing.
If they couldn’t have a happy ending in reality, then he would use this drama to deceive himself for a little while.
But he hadn’t expected Mingye to appear halfway through.
By the time filming ended, it was already the middle of the night. The production crew had booked a nearby hotel.
Luo Cheng’an walked back alone, wearing a mask. The footsteps behind him were hurried. Feeling somewhat irritated, he stopped in front of a street stall.
“One grilled sausage, please.”
“One costs three yuan, two cost five. How many would you like?”
“He’ll have two. Thank you.”
While Shen Tan was scanning the payment code, the vendor had already handed a grilled sausage to Luo Cheng’an.
Luo Cheng’an took one, paid three yuan, and immediately turned to leave.
“Senior, you’re always so gentle, courteous, and respectful to everyone else. Why are you so cold toward me?”
Shen Tan caught up with Luo Cheng’an and walked alongside him. He seemed troubled for a moment, but soon brightened up again.
“Though I suppose that just means I’m special to you, Senior.”
Luo Cheng’an bit into the grilled sausage, which had been brushed with a layer of chili sauce. He couldn’t handle spicy food, so his lips were a little red. He stopped walking and looked at Shen Tan.
“I thought that when someone realizes they’re disliked, they should have enough self-awareness to keep a reasonable distance.”
Shen Tan’s gaze fell on Luo Cheng’an’s flushed lips. He smiled, but rather than becoming distressed under Luo Cheng’an’s cold stare, he asked, “Why do you dislike me, Senior?”
“Do you really need to ask?”
“Wouldn’t it be fair to ask? Otherwise, that’s rather unfair to me.”
“Mingye.”
Luo Cheng’an tossed the wooden skewer into the trash can beside him.
“That’s enough. You don’t have any evidence proving that the person back then was me, do you?”
Mingye stared at Luo Cheng’an, seemingly deep in thought. But what filled his expression was more than that—a gloomy, conflicted, indescribable emotion. It weighed down on Huai Xi like a great mountain, making his heart tighten.
“It’s true that I don’t have much evidence. But I’ve been thinking… Zhili, who used divine bones to reconstruct Lanxing, probably doesn’t have enough power to transform himself into someone else and approach me. And in the Nine Heavens, the only person who would know about the method of reconstruction and the Soul-Transferring Jade is probably the Heavenly Emperor himself.”
“Do you really think someone of my status would disguise himself as a frail, helpless young man just to deceive you?”
Mingye bared his white teeth and smiled brilliantly. “How does His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor know that my runaway Demon Queen, who faked his death, was a frail and helpless young man?”
“The Demon King caused such a commotion throughout the Three Realms over an iris flower spirit. It would be perfectly normal for me to hear a bit of gossip about it.”
Huai Xi’s expression was too indifferent. In Mingye’s eyes, it was a kind of coldness that bordered on complete disregard.
He began to hope that it wasn’t Huai Xi. If it was, that would prove that this person had never had even the slightest bit of genuine affection for him from beginning to end.
“I see,” Mingye said. “Then it seems I’ve mistaken you for someone else. Actually, finding out who that person is would be very simple.”
Huai Xi looked at Mingye coldly.
Mingye pressed down on his shoulder. “I’ve been wondering where that little liar is hiding all this time. But today’s filming gave me an idea for the quickest way to find him. His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, you’d better watch carefully.”
Huai Xi had a bad feeling. That feeling only grew stronger when Mingye brought him to the rooftop of the Luo residence.
“I often think about how he used love to coax and deceive me. I imagine he must have been exceedingly fond of this Divine Venerable Lanxing. Now that the Execution Formation has dissipated, this Divine Venerable’s spiritual power is still suppressed. Guess how much force it would take me to kill him?”
“Mingye!”
Huai Xi’s expression changed drastically. He suddenly grabbed Mingye by the throat.
“How dare you!”
Mingye laughed wildly. He punched Huai Xi in the abdomen, knocking him away. The next moment, a curved saber appeared in his hand, its blade gleaming with a bleak, icy light.
“Don’t be in such a hurry, Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor. All I want is for that faithless person to show himself, so I can properly vent the hatred in my heart. If he comes out, I guarantee that Divine Venerable Lanxing won’t suffer so much as a scratch.”
After speaking, Mingye swung the curved saber toward the room. Dark green demonic mist surged forth, seemingly about to claim someone’s life, but before it could reach its target, golden spiritual power struck it apart in midair.
Huai Xi’s hand, which had intercepted the attack, trembled slightly. It was clear just how powerful that strike had been.
Madman, Huai Xi thought.
Mingye tilted his head, the smile on his face never fading.
“You may be able to stop me once, but what about the second time? The third? In any case, either Lanxing dies, or that faithless person falls into my hands. I have plenty of time and patience.”
The cold wind howled. Huai Xi remained silent for a moment before raising his eyes.
“It’s me.”
The smile on Mingye’s face slowly disappeared as Huai Xi admitted it. In an instant, he appeared right in front of Huai Xi and held the black curved saber against his neck.
“You really do love him that much? You admitted it without even putting up a struggle. You’re truly afraid of him suffering even the slightest injury, aren’t you?”
Huai Xi gripped the blade. Blood seeped from his palm as he spoke slowly.
“If anything happens to him, you and I will fight to the death. There will be no end between us until one of us dies.”
Mingye lowered his head. His falling eyelashes almost brushed against the side of Huai Xi’s face as his warm lips settled beside Huai Xi’s ear.
“Huai Xi, you and I have long been destined to fight to the death.”