Jing Li was momentarily stunned upon hearing his words. He looked up to see Hu Li staring at him with a probing gaze.
“What nonsense are you spouting!” He immediately glared at Hu Li, but his heart skipped a beat uncontrollably, flustered as if desperately trying to conceal something.
“How is it nonsense?” Hu Li, however, remained unperturbed by his denial, handing him a glass of water as he spoke, “You probably haven’t noticed your own expression just now. It’s no different from those who’ve fallen in love and just finished a call with their lover, with a silly grin almost spilling over your face.”
Upon hearing this, Jing Li froze, taking the glass with one hand while unconsciously raising the other to touch his cheek, indeed feeling the obvious upward curve.
His face flushed slightly, yet he vehemently denied, “We’re friends, and it’s perfectly normal for friends to smile during a phone call.”
“Say what you will,” Hu Li rolled his eyes at him wordlessly, sitting back down on the edge of the bed as he continued, “But even if you do like him, it’s no big deal. Just think it through. After all, he’s only human with a limited lifespan. Unless you convince him to start cultivating from now on, you’ll end up alone a century later.”
“However, with the current scarcity of spiritual energy, stepping into cultivation isn’t easy, especially for human cultivators. I haven’t seen many in these past few hundred years.”
“With the dense purple-gold aura surrounding him, he might just make it if he starts cultivating,” Jing Li unconsciously retorted, only realizing afterward that he had subconsciously acknowledged the feasibility of the other party’s cultivation.
Hu Li gave him an amused look, as if to say, “See, you still dare claim you don’t like him.”
Jing Li averted his gaze, seeming too lazy to continue the conversation. He finished the water in one gulp, handing the empty glass back to Hu Li before lying down again. Using the excuse of fatigue, he pulled the blanket up slightly to cover his neck, leaving only his flushed ear tips exposed.
Hu Li glanced at him but said nothing more. Taking the empty glass, he left the room after setting it back on the coffee table.
As a friend, he could only offer a word of advice; the rest was up to Jing Li’s own thoughts.
Once Hu Li left, Jing Li lowered the blanket slightly, gazing absentmindedly at the setting sun outside the window.
Did he like Gu Tingshen?
He had never considered it before, but after Hu Li’s remark, he couldn’t help but notice his different attitude towards Gu Tingshen.
To say he treated him as a friend wasn’t wrong; Gu Tingshen treated him well and sincerely. His heart wasn’t made of stone, so it was natural to have a reaction.
Thus, treating Gu Tingshen better didn’t seem inappropriate.
Yet, even as friends, if Gu Tingshen were replaced by Wang Lele or Hu Li, although he would still treat them well, the feeling was evidently different.
He wouldn’t constantly think about them, nor would he feel dejected by their occasional indifferent remarks due to busyness. He definitely wouldn’t have a racing heart from a simple exchange or become excited and agitated by a mere phone call…
At this thought, Jing Li froze, finally realizing the irregularity of the situation.
Constantly thinking about someone, experiencing joy or sorrow based on their attitude, heart racing upon seeing them…
Weren’t these precisely the manifestations of liking someone, as described online?
Jing Li’s eyes widened, his heart pounding uncontrollably again as he realized he might genuinely like Gu Tingshen, even causing his breathing to quicken.
So this was what liking someone felt like.
He unconsciously clenched his toes, his face flushed red with excitement, while a sweet smile unknowingly graced his lips.
However, the smile on his face soon froze.
He suddenly remembered Hu Li’s words from earlier.
As a human and a cultivator, they were different. If they were to be together, there was still a long way to go, starting with convincing the other to embark on cultivation.
Moreover, although he now understood his own feelings, he was unsure of the other’s thoughts. What if Gu Tingshen treated him well solely out of respect for his brother?
The more he thought about it, the more hopeless it seemed, and his smile gradually faded.
Jing Li took a deep breath, resolving to recover quickly and explore Gu Tingshen’s intentions upon his return.
With this in mind, he temporarily suppressed those thoughts, forcing himself to sit up and start meditating.
*
After a few more days of recuperation in the Green Forest, Jing Li’s condition gradually improved.
With the close contact over these days, Hu Li also gained a better understanding of the entire forest. His previous hostility and dissatisfaction from Jing Li’s collapse slowly dissipated.
However, due to Jing Li’s condition, he spent most of his time meditating and regulating his breathing in the room. Consequently, Hu Li didn’t wander aimlessly either. Aside from sleeping at night, he remained in Jing Li’s room, lying on the sofa scrolling through his phone while Jing Li meditated, which wasn’t too boring.
That afternoon, after completing his final circulation, Jing Li felt his condition had mostly recovered. Aside from a slight deficiency in spiritual power, he could live and work like a normal person without any issues.
He sat on the edge of the bed, slowly exhaled, put on his shoes, and decided to go out for some fresh air.
“Whoa,” Hu Li suddenly exclaimed, catching Jing Li’s attention. He glanced over to see Hu Li raising his eyebrows, staring at his phone screen with a mocking expression, as if he had seen something outrageous.
“What’s wrong?” Jing Li casually asked, walking towards him.
“…Nothing,” Hu Li instinctively tried to hide and put away his phone upon hearing Jing Li’s voice, but Jing Li was quicker, snatching the device from his hand and glancing at it. It displayed a Weibo page titled, “#Fans Claim Jing Li is Destined for Best Supporting Actor at Feitian Awards#”
The title alone revealed the malicious intent behind the post.
As one of the three most prestigious and authoritative television awards with the highest honor, the Feitian Awards ceremony was highly anticipated by fans and a grand occasion for celebrities to showcase their beauty.
Since the beginning of the year, there had been ongoing discussions online, but at most, people speculated about potential nominees and likely winners. No one had dared to boldly proclaim any individual as a definite winner.
The title directly awarded the Best Supporting Actor to Jing Li, essentially pushing him into a pit.
Looking at the content of the Weibo post, the blogger had compiled clips of all the popular dramas from the past two years, analyzing the performances of each supporting actor before extensively praising Jing Li, as if he was undoubtedly the best candidate for Best Supporting Actor from every angle.
However, with the multitude of hit dramas in the past two years, many supporting roles were portrayed by veteran actors.
Not to mention other productions, “The Last Remnant” alone had an abundance of talented supporting actors.
Under such circumstances, at this sensitive time, this person’s behavior of crazily promoting Jing Li was clearly not to boost him but more like a setup for failure.
Those unaware of the truth would not only fail to view Jing Li favorably after seeing this, but the unrestrained praise would ironically breed resentment. It would also provoke attacks from fans of other celebrities.
Sure enough, scrolling down to the comments section revealed a barrage of insults directed at Jing Li.
“Destined to win? Just who do you think you are? Why don’t you take a good look in the mirror first?!”
“Clout chaser, have you seen yourself? How dare you compare yourself to a group of veteran actors!”
“If you had even a peanut’s worth of sense, you wouldn’t be so delusional. ‘Destined to win,’ I advise you to just go home and sleep it off!”
“Damn, do you think you’re something special just because you have some money? The Feitian Awards can’t be bought with connections. Know your place and scram before I really let you have it!”
“Has the nomination list even been announced? You’re already shamelessly claiming the win for yourself. Be careful, you might not even make it to the nominations, I’m embarrassed for you.”
“Typical of a small-time traffic star, willing to do anything for fame.”
…
Comments like these were everywhere, some even more offensive.
Although many of Jing Li’s fans tried to control the narrative, how could they possibly stand against the vast numbers of rival fans, not to mention the countless trolls stirring the pot.
Indeed, while those trolls seemed well-disguised, those in the know could easily identify them.
In the entertainment industry, benefits reign supreme. At such a critical juncture, any potential competitor for the prize would be seen as a thorn in one’s side.
So, this time, it was no different; someone felt Jing Li was in their way and wanted to tarnish his reputation first.
And it wasn’t just this analysis post; scrolling further, someone had dug up Jing Li’s past affair with a scum, followed by accusations of suppressing fellow artists, acting like a diva… a series of true and false scandals played out in turn, almost devaluing Jing Li to nothing.
The accompanying comments were even more unsightly.
“Some people always get overly excited around award shows. Don’t take those lies to heart.”
Seeing Jing Li’s prolonged silence while staring at the screen, Hu Li couldn’t help but console him before observing his expressionless face and adding, “If it really bothers you, we could expose and deal with those behind this.”
“Someone capable of such despicable acts must have a lot of dirt on them. We’ll release their scandals and see who comes out on top.”
Jing Li scanned the screen without a word.
Hu Li glanced at him, about to speak further when his phone suddenly chimed, indicating an update from someone he followed on Weibo.
He leaned over to check and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
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