Jing Li didn’t expect that he would suddenly ask such a question. His heart skipped a beat as he instinctively turned to look at the other man. Gu Tingshen was staring at him with utmost seriousness, his dark eyes seeming even more unfathomable in the night, as if they could see through everything.
Could he have noticed something off about Jing Li? Is that why he offered to drop him off at the set, so he could find an opportunity to ask?
Jing Li felt uncertain and couldn’t guess the intention behind the question. He tried to think back on his behavior during the meal but couldn’t recall anything out of the ordinary.
Besides, even if there was something wrong with his expression at that time, given their limited interactions, it seemed unlikely that Gu Tingshen would go out of his way for this. Unless…could Gu Tingshen actually be a demon too, and sensed the spiritual energy fluctuations within him?
Jing Li instinctively glanced over the man enveloped in purple-gold aura, but without any spiritual powers, he couldn’t discern if Gu Tingshen had any demonic energy. In fact, without cultivation bases, the only way to tell humans and demons apart was if the demon openly exuded demonic energy or retained behaviors from its former life. Otherwise, he really couldn’t distinguish them.
If Gu Tingshen was a demon, given his status and accumulated merits and fortune here, his cultivation level should not be underestimated. If he wanted to conceal his identity, Jing Li would have no hope of uncovering it. Still, anyone who could befriend his brother must have an upright character, so Gu Tingshen was likely just testing him on his brother’s behalf.
In an instant, countless speculations raced through Jing Li’s mind, but none seemed to bode well for his current situation.
“I must have chanced upon some fortune that destabilized my demonic core,” Jing Li said lightly, forcing a smile. “Does Tingshen-ge believe in the existence of demons?” He held Gu Tingshen’s gaze steadily, not missing the slightest change in his expression.
Admittedly, it was a gamble, but better to take a risk than let the other seize control.
“Demons?” Gu Tingshen raised a brow, seeming genuinely surprised by the answer.
He looked Jing Li up and down with an inscrutable smile. Suddenly, he turned to face Jing Li directly, staring intently until Jing Li’s eyes widened in response. Only then did Gu Tingshen nod solemnly and state in utter seriousness, “If all demons look like you, they don’t seem too bad.”
The lights outside cast shifting shadows on his face, accentuating his handsome features. Even without undergoing muscle refinement, his skin had a refined luster. Though his expression was as stoic as ever, it evoked an entirely different sensation.
When met with those earnest dark eyes, Jing Li’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
But the feeling passed in an instant. Compared with these, the oppressive feeling caused by being looked directly at by the other party made his scalp tingle. In a trance, it actually reminded him of the depressing feeling of being suppressed by heaven during the tribulation. Jing Li’s heart pounded frantically, as if it might leap from his throat at any moment. This unfamiliar yet thrilling reaction to someone’s attention made Jing Li’s back tingle alarmingly.
Were he still in the Spiritual Realm, his scales would likely be bristling in response.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly in that moment.
Then Gu Tingshen let out a soft chuckle, as if teasing his poor excuse and relishing Jing Li’s discomfort. Finally, he pulled away, settling back into his seat.
Jing Li let out a shaky breath, sagging weakly into the chair.
But fortunately, he won the bet. It seemed that Gu Tingshen was not a demon. He probably just saw a strange look on his face during dinner, so he asked this question.
As for why the man would suddenly show such consideration for him, Jing Li couldn’t think of any reason besides their mutual connection to his brother.
The realization eased some of the tension within him. It seemed he had been overthinking things.
“Sorry, I was just trying to joke with you, Tingshen-ge, but it doesn’t seem to be successful,” Jing Li said politely. “I’m not used to such an intense filming schedule yet. My legs started cramping badly during dinner and I didn’t want to worry my brother, so I went to rest in my room.”
Jing Li could sense the subtle shift in Gu Tingshen’s emotions, but he offered no further explanation. Jing Li had deliberately mixed truth with fiction, even changing the location of his supposed discomfort from his arms to his legs. It was his usual approach when dealing with unfamiliar people.
Naturally, Gu Tingshen noticed his wariness, but made no move to expose it. He simply glanced at Jing Li with an inscrutable smile and a noncommittal murmur. Someone of his standing surely had exceptional emotional intelligence and perception. Since Jing Li clearly wished to avoid the topic, Gu Tingshen would not pry further.
Though he certainly hadn’t expected the boy to come up with such an outlandish excuse just to evade his questions. Demons? It was almost…cute, in a way.
Gu Tingshen had never encountered anyone with such a temper in his twenty-seven years of life, and he couldn’t find a more suitable adjective.
The little interlude only made him fonder of the boy.
Sensing no further interrogation, Jing Li inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He truly wouldn’t have known how to explain himself if the man kept asking.
With both harboring their own secrets, the car ride passed in silence. Only when they reached the set did Jing Li turn to the man beside him. “Tingshen-ge, I’ll head in first. Drive home safely.”
Gu Tingshen murmured an acknowledgement, then jokingly added, “Don’t forget you still owe me a reply.”
Jing Li froze briefly before hurriedly exiting the car without a backward glance. Watching his rather flustered departure, Gu Tingshen couldn’t help another soft chuckle.
He was discovering that teasing the boy grew more entertaining by the day.
*
Back at the set, Jing Li resumed the daily filming routine – observing others act, joking around with Wang Lele, and snacking in free moments. Time passed quickly.
Over a month later, Jing Li finally wrapped up his scenes and officially finished shooting. During his time on set, he had gotten along very well with the cast and crew, even befriending many. On the night of the wrap party, he received piles of gifts from people, big and small, making for quite a spectacular sight.
Even Director Li congratulated him with a smile and jokingly invited him to reserve a role in his next production. For someone of the director’s stature to take such initiative was a huge honor – many would be too excited to even sleep.
“Jing Li, getting personally invited by Director Li is a rare opportunity. Shouldn’t you treat us all to a nice meal for this?” someone cheekily suggested.
Hearing this, the others chuckled and chimed in.
“That’s right! When you make it big in the future, we can brag about dining with the famous Jing Li!”
“Hahaha, then I’ve even acted with him before!”
…
The lively banter instantly diluted the sadness of parting.
“I don’t mind treating you,” Jing Li glanced sideways at the speaker with a raised brow. “As long as Director Li lets us off, you’re all welcome to join.”
“That’s what you said!” Director Li also laughed when he heard this, and then waved his hand and said directly, “Since Jing Shao is being so generous, let’s take tonight off and eat him poor!”
“Hahahaha, Director Li is flexing his power!”
“It’ll be hard to eat Jing Li poor, but I can still empty his wallet!”
“Don’t scare him off, you hungry wolves, or we’ll be left doing dishes to pay!”
…….
Everyone joked wantonly, and after helping the staff collect the equipment, they headed towards the nearest restaurant.
It was a farmhouse inn, usually catering to tourists, but the off-season made it convenient for their rowdy group of people to move around.
The entire crew spread over three tables, with Jing Li, the director, and main cast at the center and everyone else to the sides. As they waited for food, Director Li raised a toast to congratulate Jing Li’s wrap, and the others followed suit. Those closer to Jing Li also came over to offer a toast.
Despite his strict working style, Director Li was easygoing in private, so no one felt constrained. The spirited toasting quickly lifted the mood. After a few rounds of wine, some even started singing in high spirits, inciting cheers and boos all around.
Wang Lele had also drunk quite a bit tonight. Jing Li was one of his few friends in the circle and he also liked him very much.
After working together for two months, Wang Lele was closest to Jing Li out of everyone, so he felt the most reluctant to part.
“Jing Li…” Wang Lele wobbled over with a wine cup, eyes already red before he could speak.
Seeing this, Jing Li patted his shoulder with a chuckle. “What’s with you? It’s not like we’ll lose contact just because filming ends.”
“You can’t forget about me. Message me often when you’re back home,” Wang Lele mumbled tipsily, then blurted out, “Can I treat you to a meal when we’re both back in the capital?”
Not waiting for Jing Li to respond, he rambled on, “I know so many private kitchens in Beijing, lots that aren’t open to the public. Ming Ji, Tai Cai, Starlight…oh right, Green Forest! You definitely haven’t been there!”
Wang Lele’s eyes lit up as he leaned in conspiratorially, like a child showing off a treasure. “Let me tell you, the food at Green Forest is amazingly delicious. The owner grows all their own organic produce and livestock.”
As he said that, he suddenly frowned, “But get this – the taste isn’t even that incredible, but the food tastes very fresh and tender. It looks juicier than the ones bought outside. It’s like the ingredients grew on immortal energy! The place would be super famous if the owner wasn’t such a recluse.”
“That owner is so eccentric too. He judges guests on intuition and will kick people out if he doesn’t like their looks. Bizarre, right?”
Now this piqued Jing Li’s curiosity. It was his first time hearing of such a place. “What does he mean by intuition? How does he judge people?”
“That’s the strangest part,” Wang Lele said incredulously. “He claims to see colored auras around people’s heads – gray, white, black, all sorts of nonsense. If he likes your aura color, you get in. I bet he’s just too lazy to entertain guests…”
Though Wang Lele spoke casually, his words made Jing Li’s heart stir. Over the past months, he had been observing the crew, not just their acting but also for any hidden demons. But after two fruitless months, he could only confirm the actors with stronger faith energies were still ordinary people, albeit famous ones.
Hearing about this aura-viewing owner sparked a glimmer of anticipation within Jing Li. Judging guests by aura colors did seem like something a demon would do.
With this thought, he slung an arm around Wang Lele’s shoulders with a smile. “It’s settled then. Take me to this Green Forest place after you wrap up filming!”
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