Capturing My Demon King Costar

Filming resumes, the dust settles enough for the media to leave them alone. Faster than Yao Shen expects, they finish shooting the drama. They come up with a convoluted scene in which Rong Zi becomes disfigured to justify the mask the actor who substitutes Gao Wu uses.

Speculation online about the fate of the drama rages on, with many guessing it won't pass review after being embroiled in so many scandals.

Yao Shen has no way to guess either way, and it will be several months of post-production before that's relevant. 

In the meantime, Xin Hulei announces his retirement. 

He posts the announcement on his official weibo account, marking one of the first times he has written anything besides an official announcement sent over from his agency.

Yao Shen is with him as they read through the reactions of his disgruntled fans.

[I want to thank you all for your continued support over all these years. I've had a very long and fulfilling career but now I think it's time I focus on other things. Of course I want to thank everyone involved in making it possible for me to be here now, saying goodbye to all of you...]

He goes on to list the names of all the personnel in his agency, as well as a few actors he has worked with regularly.

It's as dry and impersonal as Xin Hulei's public persona, and his fans are pissed about it.

Yao Shen is in Xin Hulei's Beijing apartment reading some of the comments out loud as they roll in.

[LeiLei's wife: This can't be happening, I refuse to believe this. I'm having a nightmare, I'm going to wake up soon and everything will have returned to normal.]

[LeiLei's husband: Is this punishment because I haven't been a diligent fan? I said I would divorce LeiLei because of all those dating rumours but I didn't mean it! I didn't mean any of it! I'll always be LeiLei's husband, groveling at his feet no matter how many times he cheats on me. I only beg for the privilege of seeing his beautiful face on my screen, huge!]

[LeilLei supremacy: I think this might actually be a matter of national security. He's the most famous actor in the country, shouldn't the government have a say in this? He can't just quit.]

[Melon eater: ^ I'll pay you 1000 yuan to make that complaint and send it through the appropriate channels, really want to see how that one plays out]

[Rusty nail: ^^ don't do this, stop being crazy. Maybe this is just a publicity stunt?]

[Dog vs Cat: I don't know why, but I have a feeling this is all that Yao Shen's fault.]

That last comment makes Yao Shen laugh out loud, and Xin Hulei wrap one arm around his shoulder, reeling him in against his chest.

"They're right," he presses a kiss to Yao Shen's lips. "This is all your fault."

Yao Shen smiles against his lips, happy beyond words.

---

Xin Hulei decides that he needs to give one final interview in order to clear the air around his retirement announcement. Lots of people are still under the impression this is just something temporary he'll return form when a big director wants to work with him.

Some are calling it the 'Crimson Promise' curse. 

They're convinced that both the novel and the drama are based in reality, and that overturning the stones of the past has caused ripples in the present that have led to the death of several people, and multiple arrests -- or something like that.

Yao Shen has to admit that particular theory does make some sense, all things considered, which is why Xin Hulei insists the interview where he officially announces their upcoming wedding (date uncertain) and his plans for retirement is necessary.

He goes alone on the talk show, but Yao Shen watches everything live from their home -- and it is their home now, not just Xin Hulei's apartment.

The host is a young woman, very green and inexperienced, but glad for the opportunity to be interviewing Xin Hulei in such a momentous occasion. As always, Xin Hulei is kind with her, but gives no quarter.

"Xin laoshi can understand, of course, his fans shock at the announcement of his retirement. While laoshi's career started when he was very young, and in that sense has been longer than most other actors' in the public eye right now, laoshi is still in his prime." She smiles, leaning across the seat. "Could it be that there's something behind this sudden decision?" 

Xin Hulei is leaning comfortably on his chair, his right ankle folded over his knee in a insouciant sprawl.

The host won't ask him any sensitive questions, everything has already been pre-agreed to, but it doesn't mean she won't try to word the agreed upon questions in the most suggestive way possible.

"It isn't sudden, I've been thinking about it for some time," he steeples his fingers together, tilting his head to the side with a small smile, "but young miss is right that something pushed me to finally make it official," his smile widens, "I'm getting married."

The host gasps, her eyes drifting minutely towards the camera filming them, but she gets herself under control quickly -- a consummate professional.

At home, Yao Shen chuckles out loud, shaking his head at Xin Hulei's theatrics. He can stop acting all he wants, but he'll never stop being an actor.

"Congratulations Xin laoshi, may I ask who is the lucky person?"

Xin Hulei nods. "I'm going to marry Yao Shen."

He says it just like that, without offering any other explanation. It's a good thing Yao Shen isn't there with him or he might have been tempted to do something obnoxious like climbing on his lap and turning to the cameras and saying: "suck it motherfuckers, he chose me."

The host is clearly excited by all the material she's getting out of him, and stammers out some more well wishes and congratulations.

"And what does the future hold for Xin laoshi, beyond the wedding and honeymoon of course?"

Xin Hulei's smirk digs deeper into his cheeks, standing out starkly. "Well, I'm looking forward to fully dedicating myself to cooking, and relaxing at home most days. There's a lot of books I've meaning to read but have had no time to get to." He turns his head, looking almost straight into the camera filming him. "I can't wait to be a househusband, I think this final role will really suit me."

---

Xin Hulei's announcement goes over as well as one would expect. Some people write thinkpieces about it. Among it all, some people come to the wise conclusion that it's Xin Hulei's life and he can do what he wants with it, and no one else has anything to do with it.

Both him and Yao Shen are very unaffected by all of it. Yao Shen has two more dramas lined up, but that's still months away. Thankfully both contemporary, he'll be playing a rookie police officer in one of them, and a revolutionary soldier in the other. That last one might hit too close to home in some senses, but that's exactly why Yao Shen wants to do it.

No more xianxia biopics in the horizon, thankfully. Although maybe Yao Shen would like to revisit the genre, as long as someone can attest to all events being 100% fictional.

In the meantime, he and Xin Hulei use the free time they have to enjoy each other's company with the luxury of no life threatening dangers lurking in the horizon.

"Do you think we should have the wedding in Youdu?" Yao Shen asks, drawing circles with his finger on Xin Hulei's bare chest.

"Why?"

"No paparazzi," Yao Shen says. Besides, everyone they know in the mortal realm can attend a ceremony in the Underworld, but the same isn't true the other way around.

It makes sense. Also, no paparazzi.

"Sure, why not, I bet it will be a first," Xin Hulei says, smiling a little, his red demon eyes filled with stars.

There's something they haven't talked about, it's a bit of a sore subject for Xin Hulei, but the idea keeps rattling around in Yao Shen's mind.

"Do you think Yan Jiang's kid can be Yan Shuyi's reincarnation?"

Xin Hulei tenses. "Could be."

The thing that makes the conversation a sore subject isn't that, but instead the bitter realisation that the kid called 'Xie Huan' can't be his reincarnation. 

Yao Shen knows how much it would mean for Xin Hulei if both Yan Shuyi and Xie Huan got a second chance at happiness -- like he did.

"Maybe...there's a lot we don't know," Yao Shen starts, trying to find an opening where reasonable doubt can fit.

Xin Hulei brings his fingers to his lips, kissing the knuckles softly. "Let's not talk about that."

He distracts Yao Shen with his kisses, and then with something else. After some time, when they're both tired but sated, Yao Shen brings up something that's been taking up space in his mind too, especially with the wedding on the horizon.

"I think there's something I need to do."