After wrapping up filming and returning home, Jing Li finally had some free time.
With no more troublesome matters, he occasionally went out with friends to learn more about the world. He would also take his assistant out to enjoy good food and then post some food photos on Weibo to get his fans excited. Life was carefree and leisurely.
During this time, he received some scripts, either because people noticed his recent popularity or wanted to flatter him after finding out his background. The roles offered were usually not too important but good for attracting fans, quite similar to his previous role as the young sect master.
Jing Li was not very satisfied. Since playing the role of the young master was almost natural, he did not find the new roles challenging enough.
To take on other roles, he would need to learn more about acting. So, he decided to take this time to improve his skills.
Jing Yu naturally supported his decision, even feeling a little proud.
“Teacher Jiang Hua, who previously taught you, happens to be free now. You can schedule more classes with him if needed. Or I can also contact the schools to get you an auditing spot.” After a pause, Jing Yu added, “Or go to Gu Tingshen? He has a professional training team there and is well-known in the circle…”
“Teacher Jiang will be good,” Jing Li interjected without hesitation.
He thought Jiang Hua was very good. He was also a well-known professional tutor in the circle, and he also liked his teaching method.
And although Jing Li was not super famous yet, he had been trending online frequently lately, so public places might not be convenient. Learning at home would be more convenient.
Also, he had repeatedly declined Gu Tingshen’s invitations before, so it would be awkward to now take advantage of his studio’s resources.
“Alright, I’ll have someone contact Teacher Jiang,” Jing Yu always respected his brother’s choices, so he immediately agreed to arrange it.
After settling the matter, he looked at the person across from him and solemnly asked, “I heard your current drama is also wrapping up soon. Will you need to do promotions after post-production?”
“Mm,” Jing Li nodded. “I got a call this afternoon. Director Li said the drama will air early, so promotions will probably happen this month.”
As a supporting character with limited scenes, he wouldn’t normally need to participate in promotions, but his character had become overwhelmingly popular online. Plus, he often appeared on hot searches recently. Naturally, such natural traffic popularity would not be let go. So, he was included in the promo team.
“Then you’ll be traveling all over again.” Jing Yu meaningfully said, then glanced at him and added, “Year-end is approaching, and the company will be very busy, too. I may not be home much to accompany you then.”
“It’s fine, Ge, you focus on your work,” Jing Li looked understanding. As if afraid his brother would feel guilty, he voluntarily added, “After the drama airs, I’ll be on a variety show too, so I probably won’t be home much either.”
He paused, then supplemented, “But I’ll definitely video call you when I’m free.”
Jing Yu: “…”
Jing Yu looked at his innocent little brother, lips twitching, but ultimately only gave a light “Mm” in response.
The living room suddenly became quiet.
“Ge, do you like eating crab? The crabs now seem pretty good,” Jing Li abruptly said.
The abrupt topic change happened so quickly that Jing Yu was stunned for a moment before his eyes instantly lit up. But his tone remained composed, “Mm, not bad. If you want to eat them, I’ll have someone buy them now.”
He paused, then added, “It’s better to buy fresh seafood and cook it ourselves. It’s cleaner and tastes fresher.”
He looked expectantly at Jing Li, trying not to seem too eager.
“Anything is good. You can also buy some dishes you like, and I’ll personally cook for you this afternoon since I’m free.” Jing Li was barely containing his laughter. He had guessed earlier, and this confirmed it.
His brother was just too cute, wanting Jing Li to cook personally but was too embarrassed to say it directly, so he chose such a roundabout way instead.
If not for being used to Senior Brother’s mensao1闷骚 (mēn sāo) is a colloquial term that originated from Taiwan or Hong Kong. It describes people who appear quiet, cold, or even dull on the outside, but are actually passionate, charismatic, hot, and sexy on the inside. It may also imply that they have a duplicitous or mysterious personality, but mostly in a positive sense. This is similar to tsundere in Japanese. personality, Jing Li might not have caught on so quickly.
Thinking of ‘mensao’, Jing Li couldn’t help but chuckle again.
He had only learned this word after coming to this world, but it was surprisingly fitting for someone like Senior Brother.
Jing Yu didn’t think so much. Hearing Jing Li would personally cook, he eagerly had people prepare everything.
While waiting for Jing Li to cook, he amiably chatted with his friend, bragging proudly as if video calling to livestream it all. This left Gu Tingshen helpless yet also somewhat envious.
When Jing Li came out with the stir-fried dishes, he saw Jing Yu talking spiritedly yet calmly on the phone, clearly hiding some pride. He couldn’t help but smile and casually called out, “Ge, dinner is ready.”
“Coming,” Jing Yu immediately responded. He then said to his friend, “I need to go. Xiao Jing is calling me to eat.”
Then he briskly hung up.
Gu Tingshen, on the other end, without getting a word in: “…”
Seeing his brother so happy, Jing Li casually asked, “Talking with a friend?”
“Mm. Gu Tingshen,” Jing Yu replied as he sat down at the dining table.
Jing Li’s hands paused briefly before he smoothly placed the dish on the table and lightly responded an “Oh.” He then turned back to the kitchen to bring out more dishes, seeming indifferent to the name.
Jing Yu didn’t notice anything off. His mind was already fully drawn to the dishes on the table.
Ever since tasting his brother’s cooking last time, he had been thinking about it and waiting for this moment. After waiting for Jing Li to bring out all the dishes, he immediately took out his phone, excitedly took pictures, and posted them on Moments.
With the previous experience, his friends, partners, employees, and more were clearly more adept this time. Almost as soon as Jing Yu posted, countless people quickly liked it and extravagantly praised every dish in the photos. Some even emotionally expressed extreme envy and desire to taste it themselves.
After browsing through it all, a satisfied Jing Yu closed his phone and used his eyes to urge his younger brother to post on Weibo.
After making sure Jing Li also posted on Weibo for promotion, he finally picked up his chopsticks to enjoy the fruits of his brother’s labor.
Long used to his ways, Jing Li patiently waited for him to be done before starting to eat as well.
The dining atmosphere was quiet yet warm. With no outsiders today, the intimate bond between the brothers was even more apparent.
Jing Li’s food pic whipped his online fans into a frenzy as usual, but perhaps numb from frequent teasing lately, they just efficiently saved the photos and drooled over them.
*
Time flew by quickly like this. Shooting for Immortal Road soon wrapped up entirely, and Jing Li rejoined the crew to travel to various cities and promote the TV drama.
At the same time, the highly anticipated Immortal Road began airing on Dolphin TV. The grand, magnificent opening scene and exquisite production value immediately won over viewers, not to mention the superb acting from leads to supporting roles.
On premiere night, Immortal Road broke Dolphin TV’s ratings record for a first episode and continued climbing as hype increased, sparking an online craze for cultivating immortals.
“Ahhh the visuals are so gorgeous, the production is awesome!”
“Yan-ge in ancient costume is killing me!!!”
“Yan-jie’s female lead styling is so beautiful!”
“As expected of Director Li, the costumes and details are just satisfying to watch!”
“Jing Li’s styling is too good! I was already shocked by the stills, but he looks even more ethereal in the drama!”
…
Comments poured in endlessly, with countless screenshots of character styles and highlight clips being shared.
The exquisite cinematography combined with the dream-like casting instantly attracted even those who hadn’t seen the drama yet. Curious, they started watching and soon became engrossed in the plot. They even started frantically calling on online streaming platforms to provide on-demand services, willing to pay to watch it as soon as possible.
As Immortal Road’s popularity skyrocketed, the actors portraying the protagonists and memorable supporting roles also gained more fans.
Especially the actors participating in promotions, who were warmly welcomed by local fans in each city. At every stop, enthusiastic crowds nearly flooded the streets, cheering and screaming loudly.
By the last promotional event, the number of fans reached its peak. Countless people held up supporter light sticks, feverishly cheering for their idols – the venue was a dazzling sea of flashing red and green. The spectacular scene was quite a sight to behold.
On stage, Director Li was being interviewed with his crew.
When asked what touched him most during filming, Director Li smiled and said, “I was probably most touched by seeing everyone diligently performing their best in every scene, day after day.”
“Because the filming time this time was relatively long, it took more than a year in total. Although there were many hiccups in the middle, the professionalism and dedication of each actor were clear to see. I’m sure audiences who have seen the drama can also relate.”
His smooth answer gave no leads for juicy gossip. Undeterred, the reporter followed up, “Director Li seems to praise every actor highly, but I heard one called Jing Li is a complete newcomer. What are your thoughts on him?”
“You mean Jing Li?” Director Li smiled. “Though he is a newcomer, Jing Li’s professionalism and other aspects are remarkable. I believe he will have an even better future ahead.”
…
As expected of an industry veteran, Director Li’s every word was watertight, not giving an inch. He even took the chance to promote Immortal Road more.
Getting nowhere with him after trying for half the day, the reporter switched targets.
His gaze swept past the mobbed main leads and landed on the relatively isolated Jing Li.
He was a newcomer, but his presence here along with the others was enough to show his special status. Moreover, his popularity online was also very high before. If they could dig out some valuable news from him, it would be a big scoop.
The most important thing was, Jing Li’s popularity was not very high right now, so even if they asked some tricky questions, they didn’t have to worry about him turning hostile.
With this thinking, the reporter squeezed through the crowd to Jing Li and bluntly asked, “Jing Li, there are rumors that you sacrificed yourself to save a co-star when you first joined. What were you thinking then? Was it deliberately done to gain attention for yourself?”
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Please consider supporting the author directly.
You can also follow me on Ko-fi to get the latest updates on my translation progress and new projects. I appreciate your love and feedback.
