Jing Li stared at the message Gu Tingshen sent on the screen, feeling a bit confused for a moment. He couldn’t understand how the topic had taken such an absurd turn.
Even though he was puzzled, he could still sense that Gu Tingshen was not happy and quickly replied: [It’s not what you think. I had reasons for asking you to investigate him.]
Realizing it couldn’t be explained in a few words, and unwilling to disclose the Dark Forest’s approach, Jing Li struggled to find the right words. However, investigating the man in the painting was a task best suited for Gu Tingshen. He added: [I’ll explain the rest to you later. Let’s focus on the matter at hand for now, okay?]
After sending this message, there was a pause with the status displaying “The other party is typing…” for a while, followed by a questioning response.
[Gu Tingshen: So you think I’m being unreasonable?]
Jing Li: “…?”
How did it come to this again?
Jing Li stared at the screen, unsure how to respond. Before he could, a video call request came through. Without much thought, he accepted it.
Gu Tingshen’s familiar handsome face appeared on the screen. It had been nearly two weeks since they last met, and with the late filming schedules, they hadn’t even had a chance for a video call.
Seeing his face, Jing Li couldn’t help but smile and greet him, “Shen-ge.”
“Why didn’t you reply to my messages?” Gu Tingshen didn’t respond, his expression blank as he glanced around, seemingly inspecting Jing Li’s surroundings.
Jing Li: “…?”
Jing Li’s smile froze as he realized Gu Tingshen was referring to the earlier exchange. Though it had only been a few seconds, he explained, “I was about to reply when you called.”
“So it’s my fault again?”
…What was happening?
Jing Li was utterly confused, but seeing Gu Tingshen’s serious expression, he couldn’t tell if he was joking. Unable to hold back, he asked, “Are you angry?”
Ignoring his question, Gu Tingshen’s expression darkened as he demanded, “Who is that man?”
“…I don’t know him. I sketched the painting based on my memory of his appearance.”
Upon seeing Gu Tingshen abruptly shift the topic back to business, Jing Li didn’t think much and continued, “You should have someone investigate his background first— his name, identity, places he’s been, everything he’s done in detail, and compile…for me…”
As Jing Li spoke, Gu Tingshen’s expression darkened with each word until he was silently glaring at him, radiating a resentful aura that seemed to seep through the screen.
His gaze was like catching a scumbag cheating right in front of his partner.
Jing Li inexplicably felt more guilty the more he explained, finally stopping to ask, “…What’s wrong?”
“You even drew a portrait of him?!” Gu Tingshen felt his chest might explode from jealousy. “You’ve never painted one for me!”
Oh, and not for Jing Yu either.
At this thought, Gu Tingshen strangely felt a sense of balance?
Nonsense!
He was Xiao Jing’s legitimate boyfriend – of course, he should be more important!
Gu Tingshen stared fixedly at his boyfriend on the screen, his eyes a mix of love and anger.
Jing Li: “…”
“…Should I draw one for you when I get back?” Seeing Gu Tingshen’s raised brow, he hurriedly added, “No, not just one! I’ll draw as many as I can whenever I’m free, even one a day!”
His survival instincts kicked in strongly.
But it was also highly effective. As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Tingshen’s expression finally softened. “You said it yourself.”
“Yes, I did, and I won’t go back on my word!” Jing Li felt an inexplicable relief.
With the conversation diverted, Jing Li didn’t dare bring up the topic of the man again. However, Gu Tingshen took the initiative to ask about it.
“Is there an issue with that man?” He looked at Jing Li on the screen. “Or did he do something that could harm you?”
Gu Tingshen wasn’t ignorant. He didn’t believe Jing Li would randomly ask him to investigate a stranger’s information. His earlier displeasure stemmed from Jing Li showing more concern for another man than him after such a long time apart.
“He hasn’t harmed me yet.” Jing Li carefully observed his expression before continuing, “But he deliberately approached me, and I sense there’s something off about him.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Tingshen’s eyes narrowed as he immediately said, “I’ll message my men right away to investigate his identity.”
“It’s better if you find someone reliable tomorrow morning,” Jing Li hurriedly stopped him, then cautioned, “Remember to be careful – he’s likely not an ordinary person.”
Not an ordinary person?
Gu Tingshen looked at him, understanding the implication in his eyes. His expression turned grave, but he also realized the situation’s severity and nodded in acknowledgment. Then, with concern, he asked, “Are you safe over there? Could it be unsafe for you?”
“Don’t worry, he can’t harm me that easily.” Jing Li smiled reassuringly, finally putting Gu Tingshen somewhat at ease, though he remained vigilant.
After chatting for a few more moments, they ended the video call as it was getting late.
After chatting with Gu Tingshen, Jing Li got ready for bed.
Recalling their conversation, he belatedly realized Gu Tingshen had been jealous. Remembering his darkened expression and forced nonchalance when asking about the other man, Jing Li couldn’t help but chuckle.
How adorable.
His Gu Tingshen, jealous because of him.
*
The next day, when Jing Li arrived at the set, he went straight to the dressing room to get ready.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror, dressed in a long white robe, he felt like he was back in the Spiritual Realm, suddenly struck by a sense of being worlds apart.
Without realizing it, he had been here for almost two years now.
Recalling his initial confusion and loneliness upon arriving, and his current happiness and comfort, he felt immense gratitude and appreciation.
Even the long years spent in the Spiritual Realm paled in comparison to these short two years and all he had experienced.
“Jing-laoshi truly suits these robes the most. Dressed like this, he looks just like a celestial master straight out of the script.”
The voice beside him interrupted Jing Li’s thoughts. He turned his head and saw the familiar face of the male lead, Wang Yanxu, whom he had just met yesterday. He seemed to have finished his makeup and couldn’t resist coming in to talk.
“Thank you for the compliment.” Jing Li smiled and nodded in greeting. He then handed his phone to his assistant and headed out.
“Jing-laoshi, you’re ready?” The outgoing Wang Yanxu smiled and invited, “I’m heading to the set too. Shall we go together?”
Jing Li smiled in agreement, and the two made their way to the set.
When they arrived, the preparations were almost complete. Director Yan was already waiting, and his eyes lit up upon seeing them, especially Jing Li. He walked over and circled Jing Li while exclaiming, “Perfect, just the look I wanted. My choice was spot on!”
“See, I told you Director Yan would be more excited than me,” Wang Yanxu chimed in.
“I hope our future collaboration will meet both your expectations.” Jing Li smiled humbly, showing no arrogance, which only increased their favorable impression of him.
The three chatted amiably until the other actors arrived, including Zhang Weixi as the second male lead. He greeted Director Yan with the rest.
“You look much better today!” Director Yan cheerfully patted Zhang’s shoulder. “Well done, keep it up.”
Others who were familiar with Zhang Weixi couldn’t help but join in the laughter and praise, joking that his beauty sleep last night had worked wonders, even better than those advertised sleep aids.
Some even playfully suggested Jing Li’s fabled lucky charm had rubbed off on Zhang after they returned to the hotel together yesterday, instantly reversing his fortunes. This sparked more laughter about Jing Li’s reputed auspicious nature.
Some people who wanted to flatter Jing Li even joked that perhaps Jing-laoshi’s luck had rubbed off on Zhang Weixi since they had returned to the hotel together yesterday, and his luck had instantly turned around, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
They then brought up the online rumors about Jing-laoshi being a lucky charm, with several people jokingly saying they wanted to get close to him to share some of that luck.
The group of people laughing and chatting animatedly attracted the attention of others nearby, who turned to look in their direction.
Zhang Weixi had initially thought Director Yan was just being polite. Although he did have a good night’s sleep and didn’t have any weird dreams like before, he didn’t think his improvement was as exaggerated as they were saying.
He had seen his own haggard reflection in the dressing room earlier. Although he looked better than yesterday, he still looked quite tired overall.
However, hearing everyone praising him made him hesitate a bit.
Could his change really be that significant?
Little did he know, although he still appeared somewhat tired in the eyes of others, his overall aura had indeed become more vibrant, exuding the vitality befitting his age. Up until today, he had emanated a sense of lifelessness, making him seem like a frail elderly person on the brink of death, despite being in his twenties.
While he may not have realized it, Zhang Weixi could sense a tangible change from the reactions of those around him.
When someone mentioned Jing Li’s lucky charm and the related incidents, Zhang Weixi’s gaze shifted towards Jing Li, while recalling the assistant’s description of the situation last night.
Could those things really have happened?
And was it just a coincidence that the lucky Jing Li happened to resolve them?
Recalling Jing Li’s serious expression as he patted his shoulder and said, “Starting tomorrow, everything will be better,” Zhang Weixi couldn’t help but feel as if Jing Li had been blessing him at that moment.
Although it all sounded somewhat absurd to him now, he couldn’t deny the gratitude he felt towards Jing Li.
With these thoughts in mind, he quietly stepped closer to Jing Li’s side, seeing that everyone was engaged in conversation and hadn’t noticed them. He turned to Jing Li, spoke softly but sincerely, “Thank you.”
Jing Li glanced at him and smiled back, replying, “You’re welcome. I look forward to your guidance on the remaining scenes, Zhang-laoshi.”
The two exchanged a smile, understanding each other without the need for words.
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