In front of the watching eyes of the crowd, Jing Yuanqi calmly began to interact with Shi Qing. It must be said that his talent was indeed remarkable.
For ordinary people, it's challenging enough to multitask, but he managed to multitask even further. Specifically, his face was filled with innocent concern while both of his hands were engaged in their respective actions.
These actions seemed a bit too daring.
Jing Yuanqi thought that the gloomy emperor standing in front of him might push him away or discreetly distance himself from the situation. However, Shi Qing, though his body was stiff, did not resist but allowed him to continue with his actions.
As Jing Yuanqi became more audacious, he realized that traditional Chinese robes, unlike modern attire, were not easy to open casually. However, instead of opening them, he followed the white sash, moving slowly downwards in a gentle, suggestive manner.
"Um..."
Shi Qing, who was standing in front of him, moved his waist slightly and let out a rapid, shallow breath.
Jing Yuanqi could clearly see a faint blush slowly spreading on his cheeks.
With an anxious look, he asked, "Shi Ge?"
The Emperor quickly concealed the expression that shouldn't have been there on his face. From Jing Yuanqi's perspective, he could see the shimmer in his deep, dark eyes, and the petals of his lips, colored like amaryllis, parted and closed as he said in a low voice, "I'm fine."
Jing Yuanqi subtly narrowed his eyes and, wearing an innocent smile, decided to stop. He slowly released his grip and nonchalantly moved away from Shi Qing's side.
"It's about time; I need to use the restroom. Shi Lao Shi, would you like to join me?"
Shi Qing did not respond but remained silent, lowering his head to continue reading the script.
Gao Zhi quickly saved the situation, saying, "I'm really sorry, Mr. Jing. Shi Ge gets fully immersed in his role like this as soon as he finishes a scene."
"No problem," Jing Yuanqi responded with a sunny smile. "I often find myself in the same situation; I understand."
Gao Zhi only returned to Shi Qing's side after seeing Jing Yuanqi walk away briskly. As he handed Shi Qing a glass of water, he muttered in a low voice, "Shi Ge, it seems like Mr. Jing has a good temper. He didn't seem to mind what just happened. Maybe he's not holding a grudge from before?"
Shi Qing remained silent, taking several sips of water in succession.
[He's really flirtatious; I'm getting all heated up.] Since there were no explicit scenes, the system was a bit concerned, "Host, aren't you being taken advantage of?"
"No," Shi Qing replied firmly. "How can we call it taking advantage when it's about flirting?"
The system pointed out, "But his resistance level hasn't decreased."
While the system watched the two of them heating up, the resistance level remained unchanged.
"It's alright," Shi Qing took another gulp of water, suppressing the rising heat within him. He gazed into the distance in the direction Jing Yuanqi had left. "It will decrease soon."
The night shoot proceeded without any issues, possibly due to multiple cameras capturing various angles, and Jing Yuanqi's hands remained well-behaved throughout. They both continued to act as usual.
After the shoot ended, instead of going to his private dressing room for makeup removal, Shi Qing went to the larger shared makeup room and waited for someone to assist him. Although the room was spacious, there were only a few people inside.
Jing Yuanqi was also present, but his makeup was not as complex as Shi Qing's. By the time Shi Qing had changed his clothes, Jing Yuanqi had not yet finished removing his makeup. He sat there, watching with the same melancholic expression as always. When Shi Qing got up and walked toward him, it seemed strange because there was no door in that direction for him to exit, so it could only mean he was coming toward Jing Yuanqi for some reason.
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Jing Yuanqi's lips as he was about to call out to Shi Qing when the Emperor's cold voice interrupted him.
He called out a name, but it wasn't Jing Yuanqi's:
"Cui Yunqing."
The smile disappeared from Jing Yuanqi's face, and there was a momentary flicker of dissatisfaction in his expression. However, he quickly returned to normal, turning naturally to look behind him, as if he were merely curious.
Shi Qing was standing in front of a young boy who appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. When the boy showed a fearful expression, Shi Qing spoke in a cold, soft voice, "Tonight, come to my room for rehearsal."
"Rehearsal?" The boy's fear deepened, as he was just a minor supporting character with very few scenes. Including today, he had filmed less than ten scenes since joining the cast. He was only eighteen years old, a mere child in Shi Qing's eyes.
Why would an Emperor like Shi Qing want to rehearse with him?
As the boy thought about the rumors in the industry regarding Shi Qing's intolerance toward newcomers, he became even more afraid. Going to someone else's territory in the middle of the night, if anything happened, he wouldn't even be able to seek help.
Thinking about various horror stories about being undermined in the industry, Cui Yunqing dared not go. He cautiously observed Shi Qing's icy expression and said, "Teacher Shi, can we do it tomorrow during the day? I'm a bit tired today."
"No," the Emperor's voice was stern, his expression cold. "You must come tonight."
The way he looked and sounded, anyone with an active imagination might think he was coercing someone into something illicit.
At least Jing Yuanqi had a vivid imagination.
Today, he tasted the sweetness with Shi Qing, and he was feeling quite pleased with the feeling of having the usually cold and distant Emperor in the palm of his hand. After all, apart from him, no one dared to act this way towards Shi Qing. He also believed that, at least within the entire cast, he held a special place in Shi Qing's eyes.
However, it didn't take even a day for him to be proven wrong. The ever-so-"I'm above all of you" Shi Qing had initiated an invitation to a minor supporting actor to come to his room tonight. Note that the words in [] are emphasized.
Even though he considered this celebrity teacher as a pastime to pass the time, there was a hint of displeasure building up inside him. It was somewhat like discovering a beautiful river clam, feeling like it was his treasure to keep, slowly dragging it back to his nest, intending to savor it. But in the blink of an eye, the clam had opened its shell and gone into someone else's nest.
It was frustrating. Jing Yuanqi had always been a carefree person. When he wasn't pleased, he wouldn't let others be pleased either. Feeling uneasy, he stood up, took long strides, and confidently walked over to the two people who were talking.
"Shi Laoshi, Yunqing is still a kid, he needs to sleep early. If he doesn't want to go, just let it be."
As he spoke, he naturally placed his hand on Shi Qing's shoulder, showing a brotherly demeanor. "We have scenes together tomorrow; how about rehearsing with me?"
"No need."
The Emperor frowned lightly, and the lines on his face seemed to harden due to Jing Yuanqi's actions. "You perform very well, and there's no need for you to rehearse with me."
"But I feel like there's still room for improvement." When Jing Yuanqi wanted to achieve a goal, he could be quite thick-skinned.
"Shi Laoshi, you're an Emperor, and I need to be careful when rehearsing with you. How about this: I'll come to your room tonight, and we can rehearse tomorrow's scene properly."
When he mentioned "scene," Jing Yuanqi's hand, which had seemingly innocently rested on Shi Qing's shoulder, began to wander on his back. His fingers were long enough to easily reach the area around Shi Qing's scapula, teasing and tantalizing with every touch.
Shi Qing felt an electric shock surge through his body and immediately moved away, throwing off Jing Yuanqi's hand.
Jing Yuanqi's initially smiling expression darkened because of Shi Qing's reaction. After a second, he reluctantly tugged the corners of his mouth up and showed the same cheerful smile as before.
"Just now on set, you let me support you, but now, in front of Yunqing, you don't even want me to touch you."
He turned to look at Cui Yunqing, who was trembling with fear, and said with an ambiguous tone, "It seems like Shi Laoshi really cares about Yunqing and his image in front of him."
Cui Yunqing didn't see what Jing Yuanqi's hand had done and thought he was trying to smooth things over. Seeing the awkward situation, he hurriedly said with a dry smile, "I'm sorry, Shi Laoshi. I'm just too tired today. I'm afraid I'll have to decline your kind offer."
Since Cui Yunqing had spoken to this extent, Shi Qing didn't insist further.
"Alright."
The Emperor responded coldly and turned to leave. From behind, he still appeared as brooding as ever.
"Jing Ge."
Seeing him leave, Cui Yunqing finally relaxed and hurriedly thanked Jing Yuanqi. "Thank you so much for just now."
Jing Yuanqi withdrew his gaze from Shi Qing's retreating figure and turned to appraise Cui Yunqing, who had a pretty face but still looked a bit scared due to the recent shock. The displeasure in his heart grew stronger.
Even Shi Qing, who was known for his aloofness, had said "Yes" to him, but with Cui Yunqing, he just said "Alright."
Did he prefer it this way? That someone was weaker and he could take advantage?
Despite the irritation growing in his heart, Jing Yuanqi suppressed it. His voice still had a hint of chill as he asked, "Did he give you chili to eat?"
"Chili?" Cui Yunqing shook his head in confusion. "No, what chili?"
Maybe it was his imagination, but Cui Yunqing felt that after he denied the chili, the aura around the young man in front of him eased up. The slightly cold feeling suddenly returned to the cheerful senior he knew.
Realizing that Cui Yunqing couldn't compare to him even after being saved from the "terrifying Emperor," Jing Yuanqi reverted to his mischievous self.
"It's nothing. Go on, tell me what happened. He ruined your audition, and then?"
"Then, my teacher helped me make connections to get into the cast. My assistant sister quietly told me that Shi Laoshi is like that. It wasn't the first time he took away a newcomer's hard-earned audition opportunity. She also told me to be careful around him when I joined the cast."
Confessing everything, with a trace of lingering fear in his eyes, Cui Yunqing seemed to view Jing Yuanqi as his lifesaver, freshly plucked from the jaws of the "terrifying Emperor."
"Jing Ge, what should I do? What if Shi Laoshi comes looking for me again? How can I refuse him?"
Jing Yuanqi comforted the naive Cui Yunqing for a few more words. Realizing that he couldn't dig up any more information about Shi Qing here, he "suddenly" remembered that he hadn't finished removing his makeup. He made a courteous exit and returned to continue removing his makeup.
However, deep inside, there was still a lingering mystery. Logically, Shi Qing, a renowned movie star with a stable position and connections, shouldn't feel threatened by either him or Cui Yunqing. Why would he ruin their chances of joining the cast? If such a thing were exposed, even a movie star like Shi Qing would see his reputation plummet. Jing Yuanqi thought he wasn't a fool, so why would he engage in such foolish actions?
In the past, Jing Yuanqi might have assumed that Shi Qing was just narrow-minded and jealous of newcomers. However, after reevaluating things, he was certain that Shi Qing wasn't that kind of person. Someone who would innocently give his favorite "Devil Pepper Sauce" to others and had clear black eyes wouldn't commit such acts. So, what was the reason behind it?
Jing Yuanqi realized that his interest in Shi Qing had grown stronger.
Note: The text provided includes passages that hint at explicit content or potentially sensitive topics. These have been appropriately edited to conform to content policies.
"Look, his jealousy is way too strong. Just in my memories, he used the same method to sabotage the chances of more than twenty people."
"Cui Yunqing is considered lucky to have a good teacher willing to help him regain his role."
The system was puzzled: "Doesn't that mean he dislikes the host? Why should we actively approach him?"
"Because he's just like Jing Yuanqi."
Shi Qing comfortably reclined on the sofa, pouring himself a glass of red wine. Although the production team had provided individual rooms, Shi Qing had booked a luxurious suite at his own expense, and even the sofa was exceptionally comfortable.
"He's targeted just like Jing Yuanqi. It's like killing chickens to scare monkeys. If you can tease chickens, you can certainly tease monkeys too."
Shi Qing took a sip of wine, opened his phone, and looked at the photos from the cast gathering in the group chat.
"Wasn't Cui Yunqing exposed for scandalous photos when he was at the peak of his career at twenty?" He tapped on a photo on his phone. "It was this assistant director. He got drunk, entered Cui Yunqing's room, and since Cui Yunqing is essentially still a child, he couldn't escape. Then, he was drugged and assaulted. The scandalous photos were taken during that time."
The system, who had been with Shi Qing since birth and had a fundamentally pure nature, expressed its anger: "This assistant director is wicked! Will you help him?"
"Yes, of course I will."
Shi Qing lazily settled deeper into the soft sofa. "Keep an eye on things for me. Remind me when they come back."
In the early hours of the morning, the members of the production team returned from their drinking outing.
The system immediately provided a prompt.
Shi Qing got up and, just before heading out, remembered something. He paused.
The system couldn't understand: "Aren't you going?"
"Just wait a moment."
Shi Qing checked his phone to ensure the location information was active, then put it back in his pocket. He pushed open the door and walked out.
In the neighboring room, Jing Yuanqi's computer screen lit up with a small red dot, accompanied by alert sounds.
The young man, who had just finished showering, walked out while chuckling at the alarm. He watched as the red dot moved to the far right and started to descend. He closed his computer only when it reached the bottom, then opened his room door and walked out.
Near the elevator, he could see that it was currently moving downwards and had just stopped on the eighteenth floor.
Jing Yuanqi paused his hair-drying actions, and his displeasure deepened. The eighteenth floor was exactly where Cui Yunqing's room was located.
He was in a very good mood right now. The river clam had truly entered someone else's nest this time.
Without any hesitation, Jing Yuanqi extended his slender hand and pressed the button. If the clam had strayed, he would simply retrieve it. After all, could Cui Yunqing compete with him?
Shi Qing, after exiting the elevator, didn't immediately move forward. Instead, he turned around and checked the elevator's floor display. He continued watching until he saw the other elevator stop on the thirtieth floor, their floor, before raising an eyebrow and proceeding forward.
"It's a catch," the text read on the net, "He went straight to Room 1805 and knocked on the door."
Sure enough, when Cui Yunqing, who had just been happily gaming, opened the door without any wariness, he was immediately dumbfounded. "Shi... Shi Laoshi..."
"Hmm."
Shi Qing's face remained cool, but his movements were natural, as if he had been invited, and he walked in as if nothing had happened. It wasn't until he naturally sat on the small sofa and placed the script he was holding on the table that Cui Yunqing fully realized what was happening.
The Shi Qing who had previously targeted him, the movie star, had actually come to his room in the middle of the night!
Thinking back to how he had said he was too tired to stay up late and was just gaming... Cui Yunqing was flustered.
"Shi Laoshi, I actually took a nap just now, and when I woke up and saw nothing going on, I started playing games."
"Hmm."
Shi Qing calmly flipped open the script. "No problem. Let's rehearse your lines."
Only then did Cui Yunqing dare to sit down, still trembling. Before he could muster a few words to ease the inexplicable tension, they heard a noise from outside the door. It wasn't a knocking sound, more like the sound of the door being unlocked.
Cui Yunqing, looking bewildered, got up to check. He saw the doorknob turn, and Jing Yuanqi entered the room.
Entering and seeing Cui Yunqing staring at him in a daze, the young man greeted him with a sunny smile and extended his hand naturally, "Xiao Cui, I came to check on you. Did you sleep well?"
Cui Yunqing replied dully, "Not too bad, I guess."
"Uh, Jing Ge, what's in your hand..."
"Oh, you mean this?" Jing Yuanqi nonchalantly tucked the wire he had in his hand into his pocket. "No worries, I was just afraid that knocking on the door would disturb your sleep, so I let myself in."
Cui Yunqing remained silent.
However, Jing Yuanqi didn't pay much attention to him. He casually passed by Cui Yuanqing and sat down next to Shi Qing.
"Shi Laoshi is here too! Are you going over the script? What a coincidence, I came too. How about we rehearse together?"
Shi Qing frowned, "You brought the script?"
"I brought it, I brought it." Jing Yuanqi indeed took out a script folded several times from his pocket and tossed it onto the table. "Come on, let's rehearse."
The movie star appeared puzzled on his fair face, his delicate lips slightly pursed, as if he couldn't quite fathom Jing Yuanqi's actions. Nevertheless, he didn't say anything and just looked at Cui Yunqing, his clear and cold voice suggesting, "Let's rehearse the lines."
Only then did Jing Yuanqi notice that Cui Yunqing was still standing there. He smiled and waved at him, "Xiao Cui, why are you still standing there? Come and rehearse the lines with us. Don't be shy; just treat it like you're at home."
Cui Yunqing was baffled, but he walked over, looking equally puzzled.
So, here's the current situation: his two seniors came to his room in the middle of the night to rehearse lines with him, and now they were suggesting he leave them and do his own thing?
His teacher hadn't taught him what to do in this situation.
In the end, Shi Qing solved the problem by standing up. "Go to the bed; there's more space."
Jing Yuanqi immediately followed suit, getting up and giving Cui Yunqing an ambiguous smile. "Shi Laoshi is right, there's more space on the bed. We can fool around without any problems."
This innocent statement sounded suggestive because of his tone. He followed Shi Qing into the inner room but turned to wave at the puzzled Cui Yunqing, indicating that he shouldn't come over.
Cui Yunqing's room was designed with a small living area outside and a small room inside, separated by a partition. Whatever happened on the bed inside couldn't be seen from the living area.
Just as Shi Qing and Jing Yuanqi entered the inner room for less than a second, Cui Yunqing outside heard a "thud," as if someone had laid down on the bed.
Cui Yunqing was at a loss for what was happening, so he obediently stopped in his tracks, not moving forward.
Inside, the young man forcefully propped himself up on both sides of Shi Qing's body, trapping him on the soft, large bed, their faces inches apart. This almost non-existent distance filled the small space with an ambiguous atmosphere.
"Shi Laoshi..."
Jing Yuanqi lowered his head slightly, bringing himself even closer to Shi Qing. He drew out his words, deliberately prolonging the sounds and gazing at Shi Qing with seductive peach-blossom eyes. He said softly, "If you're interested in me, just say so. Why do you need to make suggestive comments like 'on the bed'?"
With that, he slowly raised his right leg, playfully brushing against Shi Qing with his knee, one up and one down.
Shi Qing: [...]
He was genuinely provoked and even started to feel his blood boiling.
[Seriously, if it weren't for the fear of ruining my character, I could have this little playboy pinned to the bed right now, making him beg for mercy.]
System: [Maintain composure, Host!]
Eventually, Shi Qing maintained his icy demeanor, pushing Jing Yuanqi away with his hand, who complied by losing his grip, allowing his body to slide to the side. Only his knee continued its teasing motion.
With one hand supporting his head, wearing a teasing smile, Jing Yuanqi looked at Shi Qing. "Why so ruthless?"
"You're different from me, I know." Shi Qing replied indifferently.
In the midst of Jing Yuanqi's efforts to exude seduction, another knocking sound came from outside.
Cui Yunqing, who had been visited by consecutive guests tonight, had lost his patience. He opened the door, looking at the middle-aged, balding director with a big belly standing outside, "Director Ma?"
What luck does he have? In a single night, the movie emperor, the popular young actor, and even the director came to find him.
"Xiao Cui, don't you have a scene tomorrow? They say there's been a change in the script, so I brought it for you to take a look."
The chubby director walked in with a boozy demeanor and casually closed the door behind him. The assistant director, surnamed Ma, was already married with children, but his heart hadn't aged a day. He often tried to exploit newcomers due to his position.
He had indeed set his sights on Cui Yunqing but hadn't dared to make a move. After all, even though Cui Yunqing was young and naive, he had some connections in the industry because of his teacher. If he mishandled this, Assistant Director Ma might not only fail but also create a scandal.
However, today, after a few drinks, his unscrupulous side couldn't be suppressed any longer. He also remembered the pills he had obtained through a friend, and that made him more daring.
Anyway, this was a young man, and even if Cui Yunqing resisted, threatening him with a few photos should work. Haven't many artists been forced into silence after being taken advantage of?
It was all because they were celebrities; did they really have any self-respect? If compromising photos were leaked, their careers would be over.
Assistant Director Ma felt this plan was quite feasible, and with the combination of alcohol and the pills in his pocket, he found the courage to deviate from his planned path. Instead of going to his own floor when he entered the elevator, he pressed the button for Cui Yunqing's floor.
After entering without any issues, he saw that there was no one else in Cui Yunqing's room, thanks to the partition. Once he locked the door behind him, he felt relieved and approached the young actor, intending to hold his hand.
"Cui, they made some changes to the script for tomorrow. Let's take a look together," he said as he started to reach for Cui Yunqing's hand.
Cui Yunqing, who was being touched, didn't sense anything unusual initially. After all, he was a man, and even though he was aware of casting couch practices, he subconsciously believed they only involved men with women.
However, as Assistant Director Ma continued talking and started pushing him toward the sofa with wandering hands, Cui Yunqing began to realize what was happening.
"Director Ma, what are you doing?!"
Goosebumps covered his body, and he shook off Assistant Director Ma's hand, trying to escape. However, he was lifted off the ground and thrown onto the small sofa.
"Xiao Cui, I genuinely like you. Your acting is good. If you have a good opportunity, you can become a big star in the future. Just be obedient and cooperative, and I'll reward you..."
"Director Ma, you're drunk, and I'm a man. Let go of me!"
Assistant Director Ma wouldn't let go easily. With plenty of experience in such situations, he quickly pinned Cui Yunqing down and reached into his pocket for the pills.
However, as he fumbled for the pills, he suddenly felt something was amiss. Why did he feel a cold breeze behind him?
Instinctively, he turned his head and made eye contact with two people – Shi Qing and Jing Yuanqi – who were silently watching him.
"Ahhh!!!"
Terrified, the chubby director fell off Cui Yunqing.
Cui Yunqing, who had escaped, had a pale face as he crawled off the ground and rushed behind the two of them.
Not knowing what to do, he heard Shi Qing's cold voice, "Now you're scared. Before joining the crew, didn't you investigate the kind of people here?"
The naive Cui Yunqing widened his eyes, "Shi Laoshi, did you snatch my role because of Director Ma?"
"Yes."
Shi Qing looked at Assistant Director Ma on the ground with disgust. "He had his eye on you for a long time."
Assistant Director Ma, who had been thrown under an imaginary bus, stammered, "What?! I never..."
Shi Qing applied more force to his foot, silencing him. "Scum."
"Ah!"
Assistant Director Ma's suffering caused by this seemingly unbearable pain forced him to close his mouth. He held the spot where he had been kicked, grimacing in agony on the floor.
Beside him, Jing Yuanqi narrowed his eyes. "So, you prevented me from joining the crew because of him?"
[Ding! Jing Yuanqi's hostility level: 78/100]
Thinking it was because of this reason, Jing Yuanqi felt a mixture of excitement and disappointment. Besides the realization that "Shi Qing is indeed not a bad person," there was also a sense of loss that "he wasn't against me just because he was interested in me."
"You're slandering me!"
Assistant Director Ma heard this and managed to struggle to his feet.
He wasn't stupid. How could he dare to force himself on someone with such a background, especially Jing Yuanqi, who didn't seem easy to deal with? Even if he had a handsome face, what use was it when there were at least five rich young masters supporting him from behind? He would be crazy to target him.
He stuttered in his defense, "I couldn't possibly... Ah!!!"
The gloomy movie star stepped on the tool Assistant Director Ma had planned to use with more force.
"Tell the truth."
"I didn't... Ah!!!"
Shi Qing increased the pressure on Assistant Director Ma's legs. His voice remained cold as he asked, "Did you or didn't you?"
Trembling, Assistant Director Ma, now fully aware that he wouldn't be able to live a happy life if he didn't confess, nodded vigorously. "I did, I did!"
Apologizing to Jing Yuanqi with tears and snot all over his face, he sobbed, "I'm sorry... I... I wanted to take advantage of you... Waaah..."
When a handsome man cried, it was delightful to watch. When a balding, chubby, middle-aged man cried, it was an eyesore.
Shi Qing withdrew his foot.
He said, "Apologizing to me is pointless."
Assistant Director Ma, tears and mucus covering his face, struggled to turn towards him. His heart was more bitter than bitter herbs, and he wished for a freak June snowstorm to prove that he hadn't dared to make advances on Jing Yuanqi.
But at this moment, under the threat of a life without descendants, he had no choice but to suppress the injustice in his heart and endure the pain in his body.
With tears in his eyes, he apologized to Jing Yuanqi, "I'm... sorry..."
He cried miserably, "I wanted to... to take advantage of you... Waaah."
Author's Note: Assistant Director Ma: I didn't want to take advantage of Jing Yuanqi.
Shi Qing: No, you did.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
