Ch28 - Ready to film

The large force of the “Jian Jue Tianxia” drama crew proceeded up the mountain three days following Wu Youpeng’s departure. After the lighting, track, and other equipment were installed, the formerly tranquil location of bitter self-cultivation quickly became more noisy than a vegetable market. Following the staff to the mountain was the actor who played the series’ most important character—Bao Hui, the male lead.

The first ten episodes of “Jian Jue Tianxia” could be considered a standalone prequel. The tone was upbeat, and the plot was amusing. The plot centered around the male protagonist’s amusing everyday life with his master and his fellow apprentices in the sect, as well as the profound friendship between the small-fry male lead and his fellow brothers. The first ten episodes of the story took place in a Taoist temple, but in the TV series, the Taoist aspect was diluted, and a fictional sect was created. 

The eldest martial brother in the TV show was 60 years old and wrinkled. The third apprentice was a bigender with a mysterious character. Their master was a he fa tong yan who was unconcerned about worldly affairs… As a result, the bond between the male protagonist and the fourth apprentice, an enlightened dog demon who could assume human form, was the strongest of the four apprentices.

Bao Hui and Ling Xi had a deep grudge. Ling Xi disliked Bao Hui for trying to steal the end-credits song. Bao Hui, on the other hand, hated Ling Xi for refusing to give him the song as well as his promotional photos getting more attention. Ling Xi was irritated when he realized he’d have to act “bound by deep emotions” in front of the camera with this kind of trash next month.

An Ruifeng comforted him: “Don’t worry, most of your scenes are with me. The majority of the scenes between the male lead and the fourth apprentice are with the little ancestor. You and Bao Hui have only three direct scenes together. With a little patience, everything will be over in no time.”

Ling Xi examined the script thoroughly and saw that it was exactly as An Ruifeng had stated. As he discovered this silver lining, his face brightened. There were only three scenes, and Bao Hui couldn’t play any tricks in front of the crew, could he? 

The crew did not begin filming right away after arriving. The first two days were spent primarily organizing the site and allowing the actors to try on their makeup and costumes. The outfits worn by the actors were more intricate than in the earlier promotional photographs, and even the accessories were considerably more magnificent. The hair on the small ancestor’s body was blown till it was incredibly fluffy, and after putting on the sect uniform particularly designed for it, the female staff members who adored meng had hearts in their eyes.

“Don’t move, don’t move! The eyeliner will be drawn crooked!” The makeup artist who was applying Ling Xi’s make-up stomped their feet in anger: “What’s there to look at in a dog? Take a look at yourself!”

Ling Xi hurriedly turned his head back and sat upright, deluding himself that he wasn’t distracted, but the stiff prop tail behind his ass revealed his embarrassment.

The R&D department of the black technology company had produced fresh advancements in the recent few months. They developed a brainwave-controlled tail and ears that could distinguish six emotions, and some minor changes that could not previously be captured could now be exhibited well. Ling Xi dared not think about anything after putting on this piece of equipment, for fear of being unable to conceal his thoughts and making a fool of himself in front of the crew.

The small ancestor was intrigued by his newly acquired long tail, which resembled its own. After Ling Xi finished his makeup, it stuck close behind his butt and refused to leave. One person and one dog, both with large yellow-furred tails, went in and out, walked and stopped, at the same moment. They were so similar that many crew members took out their phones and snapped pictures secretly. When the director noticed it, he didn’t criticize them because even he couldn’t help but want to take pictures!

The director patted Ling Xi on the shoulder and said, “You must not fail to live up to the little ancestor’s trust in you. You still have time to learn to act like it!”

“…” Ling Xi had never encountered something so preposterous. Did he really need to learn how to act from a dog? “Learn what?”

“Learn its demeanor. You see, its expression is constantly full of excitement, it is extremely enthusiastic towards humans, and its cry is clear and high-pitched. You essentially have no lines in the play and merely bark. So you must learn to bark! Oh! By the way, the most important thing is that you must learn to act coquettishly like it…” 

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Ling Xi interjected: “Act coquettishly?”

“Yes, that’s right! The fourth apprentice’s favorite is the master. When he’s a dog, he always makes the master stroke his belly, but that’s not feasible when he transforms into a human. So, when you gaze at An Ruifeng, you must exude the ‘come, come and stroke me’ attitude all over your body!”

Olcu Wl’r ojmf kfca ygluta gfv lc jc lcrajca. Lf tegglfvis gfragjlcfv tlr mbcrajcais kjuulcu ajli, “Ktlr, atlr vbfrc’a rbecv nfgs ubbv, gluta?”

Ktf vlgfmabg ogbkcfv, “Qtja’r yjv jybea la? Pa’r wfgfis wjxlcu sbe rfvemf tlw ab abemt sbeg yfiis, cba wjxlcu sbe rfvemf tlw.” 

… There is absolutely no difference between these two, alright?

While Ling “upright” Xi and the director debated whether or not to seduce, An Ruifeng finished his styling and exited the dressing room. As he stood upright holding a disk array, his silver hair was falling down and his sword-shaped brows were drawn to his temples. His entire body emitted an immortal qi that was both ethereal and inviolable.

… Of course, others did not dare to infringe, but Ling Xi did. ><

Po Olcu Wl’r rasif kjr ab wjxf fnfgsbcf kjca ab ajxf bea atflg qtbcfr jcv rcfjxlis rtbba qlmaegfr joafg rfflcu tlw, Cc Eelofcu’r rasif kjr ab wjxf qfbqif obgufa fnfgsatlcu joafg rfflcu tlw. Ktfs obguba ab ygfjatf, ifa jibcf ajxf mbnfga qlmaegfr. 

When the two appeared in their costumes, the screenwriter on the side exclaimed three times, “Good!” He was a gold-level scriptwriter who strove for perfection in casting in every drama. Initially, he was disappointed that An Ruifeng could not play the lead role in his script. But he was relieved to see that An Ruifeng’s master was likewise handsome and attractive.

An Ruifeng had previously collaborated with him on multiple occasions. He hurriedly greeted him when he saw him at the scene. An Ruifeng noticed that he was busy with something after a few words of pleasantries, so he brought Ling Xi to the side to converse.

They sat in a remote corner. Ling Xi couldn’t pull his gaze away from An Ruifeng’s more handsome-than-ever face after makeup. He had definitely been a good lad in his prior life, handing over even a picked-up coin to the police uncle. God awarded him with other people’s dream lover in this life precisely because he was good and honest. If other people had such a handsome boyfriend, they would be worried and suspicious all the time, but Ling Xi was eager for An Ruifeng to appear in more plays so that everyone in the world could see how attractive An Ruifeng was. They would all be able to see but not touch.

An Ruifeng stretched out his hand and pulled the dog ears on Ling Xi’s head. The large and pointed triangular ears were covered with a layer of extremely real-looking artificial fluff that was smooth and soft to the touch which made people want to continue stroking it. An Ruifeng had been thinking about these big ears ever since he saw them at the promotional photoshoot. And now that he felt them, he thought they were much better than he imagined. Ling Xi didn’t struggle, and obediently let him play with the big ears. After An Ruifeng caressed the one on the left, he allowed him to pet the one on the right to make him happy. 

“What did the director just tell you?” An Ruifeng inquired as he stroked the dog ears.

Ling Xi mumbled with a sly grin, “…He asked me to entice you into stroking my belly. How am I going to accomplish it?”

“Didn’t you do well last night?” said An Ruifeng, raising his brows.

Ling Xi clutched his tail tightly in his arms, concerned that his wagging was too rapid and might be seen by others. Because of the big army’s arrival, Ling Xi and An Ruifeng moved out of their kingsize room and into the double room that the young Taoists had arranged overnight. Ling Xi felt awful since there was no separate bathroom in the room and he had to share one with the others. An Ruifeng felt sad for himself as well since the beds in the double room were too small. They were crammed close, with nowhere for their hands and feet to rest. When they awoke this morning, they were both drenched in sweat. They couldn’t tell if they were fervent or worn out. 

They spoke in hushed tones and exchanged love phrases that only the two of them could understand. The scriptwriter, who was ten meters away, squinted at the two’s interactions, then bent his head to think for a few minutes.

He approached the director, smoking a cigarette, and stated, as if setting the world to rights, “Director, I want to revise the script for episode ten.”

The director was taken aback: “We’re about to begin filming, and you want to change the script? We just do not have enough time.”

“It’s a minor adjustment. I merely want to change the setting of their deaths,” the scriptwriter said, pointing to Ling Xi and An Ruifeng in the distance. 

The director recalled the script’s contents, and remembered that in episode ten’s sect massacre, the demonic sect broke through the main mountain gate and slaughtered everyone indiscriminately. When the master was besieged by the evildoers, the fourth apprentice (as a dog) came up and bit the villain’s hand, but the evildoer kicked it away, sliced it open in its abdomen, and killed it on the spot. When he saw this scenario, the master’s eyes became red with anxiety, but in the end, he was outnumbered and pierced by a sword.

The scriptwriter came in close and whispered some fresh ideas into the director’s ear. The director’s eyes lit up and he made an OK gesture.

Hey! Nowadays, the more the scolding, the higher the rating. He wasn’t afraid of becoming a stepfather; he was afraid of the audience not crying.

Ling Xi and An Ruifeng, who were sitting in the far corner, were completely unaware of the alterations to their script. They continued to whisper, and no one could break through the atmosphere between them. The small ancestor initially followed them, sniffing here and there. It jumped right onto An Ruifeng’s lap and turned into a ball now that it was tired. 

Zhu Linlin had finished applying her makeup. She was sporting a complicated wig on her head, as well as a slew of jingling jewelry pieces dangling from her ears, neck, arms, and waist. She walked past them, looking gorgeously dressed. If they hadn’t known any better, they’d think the crew had invited her to perform as a Christmas tree.

Ling Xi waved his hand in greeting, causing her to roll her eyes haughtily, which was regarded as a greeting by action.

Ling Xi understood she had a bad temper and was not upset by her now that the two were becoming well acquainted. He purposefully pulled a face behind her when she turned and left.

It was just that, in the eyes of a certain someone with aspirations, playfulness between friends became evidence of their disagreement. 

Bao Hui’s eyes flashed and he realized that the enemy’s enemy could become a friend. He was petty. Ling Xi didn’t give him the ending song, which caused him to despise Ling Xi till now—he was just a little 12th tier singer. What kind of status did he have to decline his request? Bah! Was he under the impression that holding An Ruifeng’s thigh was extremely powerful?!

During the noon break, Bao Hui purposefully approached Zhu Linlin in order to “connect emotions” with her, expecting to collect dirt on Ling Xi from her mouth. However, the two of them had never met before. Bao Hui had never even heard of her. He didn’t realize she was the “Queen of punk hairstyle” who had sung multiple bubblegum pop songs until he got the cast and crew list.

“You’re Zhu Linlin, correct? I listened to your tracks, and they are quite enjoyable to hear.” Bao Hui raised his lips in a business smile: “I didn’t expect you to be so much more beautiful than your songs.”

“Thank you.” Zhu Linlin looked at him suspiciously: “Bao Hui, we haven’t met before, have we?” 

“Won’t we come to know each other as we chat more?”

Zhu Linlin badly wanted to tell him that she didn’t want to talk to any male.

When Bao Hui noticed Zhu Linlin’s silence, he quickly started another topic: “I just saw you ask your agent to give those little Taoist boys candy. You appear to like children very much.”

This sentence struck a chord in Zhu Linlin’s heart. In addition to the old and young Taoist priests, there were a few tiny children who had been sent by their families to study the scriptures in the Taoist temple. These children were dressed properly in robes, their hair combed into two small topknots, and they were adorably naïve. When Zhu Linlin saw them looking like young adults, she asked her agent to give them a few packs of sweets. 

Bao Hui was pleased when he noticed Zhu Linlin’s expression softening. He knew that no woman could deny him with his charm! “Linlin, you like children so much, why don’t you give birth to one to play with, ah?” he said, following the topic.

“……” Zhu Linlin gazed at him as if she were viewing a mental case and asked him: “An Ruifeng likes dogs. Why don’t you go ask him when he’s going to give birth to a puppy to play with?”

Zhu Linlin turned and escaped after dropping this sentence. Good God! she thought to herself. Why are the men in this crew so abnormal…

Bao Hui clenched his teeth in rage and glared at her back as she fluttered away. These unsophisticated little singers have no sense of shame.