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Chapter 56 – Fanfiction
The next morning, on the set of ⟪Eternal Bell⟫.
The three lead actors had finished their styling and were taking turns shooting promotional photos.
Jiang Liusui had two different looks. The first depicted Ling perched on a pear tree in the Crown Prince’s residence, shrouded in mist and dusted with snow, casting a fleeting, elegant glance downward. He wore a set of light-colored robes, with red threads wrapped delicately around his slender ankles, and on his bare feet, bells hung—one on the left, one on the right.
His performance was captivating. The photographer couldn’t stop praising him, and the first set of stills was completed in no time.
The second outfit was a stunning and intricate red outfit. Jiang Liusui first changed into the clothes, then had his hair and makeup redone. The makeup artist slowly took down his bun, letting his jet-black hair flow down like water, then gradually adjusted his makeup, enhancing his already captivating eyes and brows to appear even more ethereal and alluring.
When she finished, she stared at him for a long while, unable to hide her admiration: “This look is stunning!”
She admired her work once more, growing more and more satisfied: “Yes… this might just be the most perfect piece I’ve ever done.”
Jiang Liusui laughed at her teasing. Seeing him smile, the makeup artist chattered even more excitedly: “I can’t wait to see the feedback when the promotional photos are released tonight. There’s bound to be lots of praise!”
The second look required shooting at the palace located at the other end of the film studio. On the way, he ran into Qin Yi, who had just finished his shoot. The latter was dressed in a black imperial robe embroidered with gold thread, his tall and straight figure accentuated by the attire, making his already cold demeanor appear even more imposing.
Qin Yi also had two promotional looks: one as the restrained and profound Crown Prince in the early stages, and the other as the emperor who unified the realm in the later stages.
Jiang Liusui playfully blocked Qin Yi’s path and greeted him with a teasing expression: “Your Majesty.”
Qin Yi glanced at him and smiled helplessly.
“That red outfit looks good on you.”
He had thought from the start that this role suited Jiang Liusui. Not just in appearance—Ling’s whimsical, unpredictable nature might come off as awkward if portrayed by someone else, but Jiang Liusui brought an effortless, innate charm to such a spirited, mischievous character.
“I think so too,” Jiang Liusui agreed, then immediately turned the tables, “But what are you staring at the weapon for? Isn’t that inappropriate?”
Memories of He Yujing’s repeated teasing surfaced at that moment, and Qin Yi’s expression turned odd: “How come you…” …sound like a certain someone?
Having joked enough, Jiang Liusui remembered what Shang Qingzhi had asked him to do last night and said to Qin Yi, “I’ll come find you after I finish shooting.”
Qin Yi nodded.
Shang Qingzhi was currently shooting her photos in the Crown Prince’s residence. Her progress was slightly slower. After taking the final shot, her assistant handed her a water cup with a straw.
She sat down to rest and unlocked her phone. A long chain of messages from Xu Miao, along with several links, awaited her. The two had grown close during their variety show recordings and often chatted. Xu Miao had been the first to notice her early crush on Qin Yi.
Thinking Xu Miao was discussing makeup and pretty clothes as usual, she was surprised to find that the links led to fanfiction from a super topic.
『 #SuisuiHaojing#[mfn]岁岁好景 (SuisuiHaojing) – He Yuing and Jiang Liusui’s CP name, which literally means “May there be beautiful scenery year after year” or “May the good times last every year”[/mfn] scheming for love, HE, completed.
In this setting, A’Jing is the Crown Prince who possesses the Soul-Binding Chain, and Suisui is the Bell. The high-ranking crown prince and the humanoid weapon, from a youthful crush to winning the beauty’s heart.
After reading the derivative works based on the original ⟪Eternal Bell⟫. Just a casual one-shot, OOC—don’t associate with real people! 』
Xu Miao: Quick, look! I just discovered Yu-ge and Suisui have a CP fan community—so many people! And there’s tons of fan content!
Xu Miao: Oh right, let me explain—”fan content” means fanfiction and fanart.
Shang Qingzhi clicked to take a look. Unexpectedly, the setting of this fanfiction was quite similar to the movie, except the male lead had been replaced by He Yujing, forcibly turning their serious supernatural horror film into a romance.
Not only were there kissing scenes, but further down, it even got a bit steamy.
Shang Qingzhi’s heart raced as she read, completely captivated, but reason made her hesitate:
Shang Qingzhi: ls this appropriate?”
Xu Miao: We’ll read it secretly—they’ll never know.
Xu Miao: Trust me, it’s seriously amazing!
Xu Miao: Remember when all those girls called me a matchmaker? That’s when I started looking into their CP stuff—it’s super interesting!
“Qingzhi-jie?”
Shang Qingzhi was just reading the scene where Jiang Liusui was pinned under a pear tree being kissed in the fanfiction when she suddenly looked up and saw the real person. Flustered, she hurriedly turned off her phone: “S-sorry! My apologies, Suisui!”
“Huh?” Jiang Liusui was taken aback. “What are you apologizing for?”
“N-no, it’s nothing…” Shang Qingzhi quickly changed the subject. “Did you come to see me for something?”
Seeing her flustered state, Jiang Liusui found it somewhat strange but didn’t press further.
“I asked Qin-ge for you.” As Shang Qingzhi sat in her chair, Jiang Liusui leaned in and lowered his voice. “He’s single.”
Shang Qingzhi’s eyes lit up.
Jiang Liusui said mysteriously again: “I just pretended to ask him casually whether your look for today’s promotional shoot was nice, and whether he was looking forward to filming scenes opposite you.”
Shang Qingzhi immediately lowered her voice like him and pressed: “What did he say?”
“He said it looks good.” Jiang Liusui grinned as he noticed Shang Qingzhi’s eyes widen slightly. “Based on my understanding of Qin-ge, if it were just any ordinary female co-star, he’d tell me to stop talking nonsense.”
“Go for it! I think you two have potential.”
Shang Qingzhi quickly thanked him, just as the production assistant called everyone for lunch. Ding Yan came rushing over to find Jiang Liusui.
After he left with his assistant, Shang Qingzhi wrestled with her conscience briefly before giving in and opening the link Xu Miao had sent her earlier.
Jiang Liusui had helped her inquire about Qin Yi, yet here she was reading about him kissing He Yujing.
But… it really was quite interesting.
She’d just read it secretly—absolutely wouldn’t disturb the actual people involved.
Lunch had been ordered from the crew’s designated restaurant. While Jiang Liusui was eating, Ding Yan came over to speak.
“Suìsuì, I just heard the crew members chatting. They mentioned Xie Chen.”
Because of Jiang Liusui’s conflict with Xie Chen, and also because Xie Chen had also auditioned for ⟪Eternal Bell⟫, those with good sources were discussing Xie Chen’s recent situation.
Hearing that name after so long, Jiang Liusui paused briefly and motioned for Ding Yan to continue.
“Apparently, he recently terminated several endorsement deals, either because they were about to expire or for other reasons,” Ding Yan said, pulling out his phone. “I checked Weibo—it’s true! Multiple official brand accounts have posted statements.”
“And one more thing…” Ding Yan lowered his voice, “I heard the drama Xie Chen was previously confirmed for suddenly replaced its male lead.”
Jiang Liusui’s expression shifted slightly.
Losing one or two endorsements could be written off as coincidence, but if even a production team was replacing him, it was probably intentional—someone was doing this on purpose.
Ding Yan felt a sense of vindication: “After how he framed you before, this is truly karma for the wicked!”
Jiang Liusui smiled, but his heart was unsettled.
Someone capable of doing something like this, specifically targeting Xie Chen—could it be…
As Jiang Liusui was lost in thought, his phone suddenly vibrated, notifying him of a new message.
Opening it, he saw a deposit notification. It had been two or three months since his last living allowance, and as usual, his mother had transferred 100,000 yuan into his account.
Memories of the past and fragments from last night’s dream flickered through his mind. He stared at the notification for a long moment, then switched off his phone and resumed his lunch.
After a short lunch break, filming for the movie officially began.
Pei Wen gathered the three main actors together and explained the first scene to be filmed that day. Pei Wen’s direction wasn’t overly detailed, but he pinpointed key points with precision. In just a few sentences, he highlighted the traits each main actor needed to embody in this scene:
“…We’ll fine-tune the details after the first take. I want to see your own interpretations first—too much direction might limit you.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jiang Liusui couldn’t help feeling somewhat nervous.
Compared to the experienced Shang Qingzhi and Qin Yi, he had only acted in one movie before. Jiang Liusui focused completely, slipping into character the moment the clapperboard snapped, becoming Ling.
The film ⟪Eternal Bell⟫ primarily revolved around the story of the male lead Li Heng seizing power and proclaiming himself emperor. The old prince plotted a rebellion while needing to choose an heir between his eldest son Li Heng and second son Li Yan. Beyond the princely title, the final heir would also inherit the family’s century-old humanoid weapon—the stunningly beautiful and formidable Ling.
The first scene they filmed conveniently picked up where Jiang Liusui’s audition had left off.
The unfavored Prince of Zhenbei, Li Heng (played by Qin Yi), married Ming Zhao (played by Shang Qingzhi), the daughter of a wealthy merchant family, to consolidate power. Ming Zhao had encountered Ling for the first time the previous night, coincidentally witnessing him apprehend an assassin. She was terrified by his excessively brutal methods yet found herself unconsciously drawn to the young man’s sinister aura.
“Young Master!” Ling called out to Li Heng from behind. Bathed in sunlight, his eyes curved into smiles, and the inhumanly strange aura around him had weakened considerably. “I met your wife last night.”
Hmm.” Li Heng slightly slowed his pace, allowing Ling to catch up.
Ling moved sluggishly when walking. Apart from the gentle chime of the bells on his ankles, he was as silent as a cat.
His bare feet touched the ground yet left no traces, his skin like white jade untouched by dust.
“Is everything taken care of?”
Ling’s Soul-Binding Chain was in the Old Prince’s possession. Whoever held the Soul-Binding Chain commanded Ling’s obedience. The Old Prince guarded that fragile little lock more preciously than his own eyes. Li Heng only knew his father had given Ling a command last night but wasn’t clear on the specifics.
“I killed them all. I even hanged each one of them, all on the pear tree,” Ling described vividly, then frowned slightly. “I think I scared your wife. When you go back, you’d better talk to her properly—I’m not a bad person.”
Li Heng gave a slight nod.
The next instant, Ling, who had been lagging a few steps behind, appeared like a ghost in front of Li Heng. The nearby guards couldn’t even clearly see his movements.
“Why have you been so quiet all these years?” Ling asked, standing on tiptoe, hands clasped behind his back, tilting his head as he stared at Li Heng.
The guards at his side changed expressions, feeling his behavior was already bordering on disrespect. Yet Li Heng remained calm: “And so?”
For a hundred years, everyone in the family had been drawn to Ling—but this heir was an exception.
“You’ve never liked talking to me since you were little. In comparison, the Second Young Master clung to me much more.” Seeing Li Heng’s indifferent expression, Ling lost interest and said, “Forget it, I won’t bother you anymore.”
After he left, Li Heng stood in place, watching his retreating figure gradually fade into the distance.
Inside the room, Ming Zhao had witnessed everything outside the window. Her identity as a merchant’s daughter was fake; in truth, she was a death envoy sent by the one in the palace. Marrying the heir Li Heng was solely to secure a suitable identity to enter the prince’s mansion.
The current emperor had already sensed the Old Prince’s treacherous ambitions, but with the prince deeply rooted in the court for years and backed by numerous followers, the emperor was temporarily powerless. Moreover, the Old Prince had Ling by his side, a fighter of extraordinary skill. According to intelligence from previously dispatched death envoys, Ling had been secretly passed down within this lineage for over a century—an ageless, undying monster.
Ming Zhao’s mission was clear: find Ling’s weakness and destroy this extraordinarily sharp weapon.
Ming Zhao’s personal maid, who had accompanied her, whispered about the rumors she had recently gathered among the servants: “They say the young prince is acting like he’s possessed, constantly hovering around Ling. But the heir has never shown any interest in him.”
The Old Prince’s favoritism toward his two sons was completely undisguised. Compared to the reticent heir, the flamboyant and spirited young prince was far more beloved.. Everyone tacitly assumed that Li Heng only held his position due to his birthright, and with his birth mother deceased, it was even more unlikely he would secure the heir’s position. Barring any surprises, the title would ultimately pass to the second son, Li Yan.
Resting her chin in her hand, Ming Zhao inwardly disagreed with her maid’s assessment.
The heir did not seem disinterested at all; on the contrary, he could barely take his eyes off Ling.
She didn’t yet understand this deeply reserved husband of hers, but at the very least, on their wedding night, when she was adorned in a phoenix crown and robes, he hadn’t looked at her with such intensity.
Ming Zhao’s gaze involuntarily followed the retreating youth, as if chasing a delicate and beautiful butterfly.
“Cut—!”
Pei Wen called for a stop, and everyone paused their actions, turning their attention to him.
After all, it was the first scene, and no one wanted to make mistakes. Pei Wen’s gaze swept over the main actors one by one, and Jiang Liusui couldn’t help but straighten his back.
“Shang Qingzhi, the look in your eyes at the end isn’t right. Ling is your mission target—you harbor hidden killing intent but it’s mixed with curiosity. The demonic aura around him not only affects others but has already influenced you from the first encounter.”
Shang Qingzhi listened attentively and acknowledged each point.
“Qin Yi, Jiang Liusui.” Pei Wen nodded. “Good performance, keep it up.”
Jiang Liusui felt his nervousness ease slightly.
But he knew that compared to the roles of Qin Yi and Shang Qingzhi, Ling didn’t need to show deep emotions in the early stages, and the scenes he filmed were relatively simple. If he couldn’t perform well even now, the more intense parts later would be even more challenging to tackle.
Filming resumed, and at Pei Wen’s command, everyone quickly returned to their previous positions.
After a full day of intense filming, even though Jiang Liusui’s scenes weren’t particularly demanding, he still felt utterly exhausted by the end.
By the time the final night scene wrapped up, it was nearly ten o’clock. Jiang Liusui went back to his room to shower and only then noticed that the official account for ⟪Eternal Bell⟫ had already posted the character photos of the three main actors.
Remembering that the production assistant had personally asked the lead actors to share the posts after filming, Jiang Liusui logged into his main account.
『 Jiang Liusui: Ding ling ling~ 』
He deliberately added bell and red flower emojis to the post. Instantly, countless people flooded the comments section.
【Holy shi— even your Weibo posts are so adorable.】
【Baby’s finally online!! I’ve been obsessing over these photos all day!! Here I am again, drooling over them!!】
【The styling for the new movie is so gorgeous! The other two actors look amazing too, super excited!】
【Suisui’s expressiveness is incredible. I was stunned at first sight when I saw these photos this afternoon—they’re so full of storytelling.】
【Which sister was it that wanted to see the stunning beauty in red?! Well said, now you’re punished to say more! The first white outfit is beautiful too!! Pure yet with a bit of edge, love it!!】
【Who else gets it? That ankle with the bell tied to it is so suggestive…%……￥……￥%￥!! My cat jumped on the keyboard, it’s not me having weird thoughts!!】
【Waaahhh, Jiang Liusui, do you even have flaws? Your face is handsome enough, but why are your hands and feet so perfect too!】
The comments and likes surged at lightning speed. He hadn’t posted on Weibo in a long time, and seeing this reaction took him by surprise. A few days ago, Shen Sijia had told him that his fan count could already rival many popular young actors and actresses. Even his old posts were still gaining comments, and the number of people digging through past content was considerable.
“If you keep up this momentum, Suisui, you’re going to become the next big star!” Shen Sijia had said, half-joking and half-serious. “Once the movie finishes filming, even more people will notice you.”
Under the character poster Weibo, a bunch of young girls were enthusiastically showering him with exaggerated compliments, praising him from every possible angle. Jiang Liusui couldn’t help but smile as he read through them.
It was a bit exaggerated—but it sounded nice.
Satisfied, Jiang Liusui put down his phone and was about to go dry his hair when a new message came through.
E: Did you shoot the character posters?
Jiang Liusui, who had already placed his phone on the table, picked it up again and replied with a nodding fox emoji.
He Yujing didn’t say anything, so Jiang Liusui took the initiative to ask: Do they look good?
He Yujing still didn’t reply. Just as Jiang Liusui thought he had gotten busy again, a long message came through.
E: Wow, they’re absolutely stunning! The moment I saw them, my heart was struck, and I couldn’t breathe! Jiang Liusui, are you here to steal souls?! You’re the perfect blend of a passionate red rose and an ethereal white moonlight. With beauty like this, no wonder you’re a humanoid weapon! Others kill with blades, but you kill with your face.
Jiang Liusui’s heart skipped a beat, and the corner of his mouth twitched: Who did you copy and paste this from?
E: Every word is straight from the depths of my heart.
Jiang Liusui couldn’t help but laugh at his cheeky tone. He Yujing sent another message.
E: I’m returning to the country next month.
Jiang Liusui had saved his concert schedule and knew He Yujing would finish his Asia tour next month. If he remembered correctly, the domestic tour would follow immediately.
He Yujing mentioned a date, then said: I’ll be back that afternoon, and I need to have dinner at my parents’ house in the evening. Do you want to come?
Jiang Liusui froze for a moment, still trying to process the situation. He Yujing continued.
E: It’s basically a small celebration dinner my family is throwing after the first leg of my tour. My mom has been insisting I come home for a meal, but I haven’t had time.
E: I’ll leave right after dinner to catch a flight to Mingcheng.
He Yujing would only have one meal at home after returning before preparing for his tour, and there was no telling when they’d see each other next.
Jiang Liusui typed a reply.
Sui: I can make it, but wouldn’t it be inappropriate for me to attend your family gathering?
E: Chi Lianxi and Zheng You will be there too.
E: What’s inappropriate about it? If you come, my dad won’t be able to lecture me.
Jiang Liusui paused in surprise, and He Yujing went on.
E: Since he’s already too familiar with Chi Lianxi and Zheng You, bringing a new face will make him too embarrassed to nag in front of you all.
E: Teacher Jiang, come back me up here.
Jiang Liusui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry—this was the first time he’d seen someone bring guests home specifically to shut their own father up. He vaguely recalled industry rumors that He Yujing’s father wasn’t satisfied with his career as a singer and had always hoped he would take over the family business.
Turns out, this kind of drama-like plot really exists.
The young master stubbornly chasing his dreams in the entertainment industry…
Jiang Liusui couldn’t help asking: So when you first debuted, if you hadn’t become popular, would you have had to go back and take over the family business?
He Yujing seemed a bit speechless and didn’t reply immediately. Jiang Liusui sent a tilting-head fox emoji, urging him to answer.
E: His opinion doesn’t matter. I call the shots.
It really suited He Yujing’s personality—never bothering to listen to anyone, not even his own father.
For some reason, this message struck Jiang Liusui as particularly funny, and he found himself laughing at it for quite a while. He Yujing seemed busy and didn’t chat much longer before leaving, telling him to rest early and get proper sleep before going offline.
Jiang Liusui sent an early goodnight to end their conversation, then went to blow-dry his hair.
After finishing, he sat on his bed and glanced at the deposit notification message he’d received during the day, then found the number belonging to his mother—one he had never dialed even once.
Jiang Liusui opened the message thread for that number and saw every single “thank you” he had sent over the past four years after receiving his living allowance.
In a way, these regularly transferred living expenses represented his final connection to his mother, the last remaining tie to his birth family.
Jiang Liusui slowly composed a message, reflecting on what he had thought about during the day, and finally sent it:
Sui: Thank you, but there’s no need to send me any more living expenses.
Sui: I won’t disturb you in the future, and we don’t need to stay in contact either.
In the past, due to practical reasons and a bit of self-interest, he had never considered refusing his mother’s transfers. This time, however, he wanted to actively sever that connection.
After a while, the other side replied for the first time in four years:
Okay.
No resentment, no sadness.
Jiang Liusui felt even calmer than he had expected, as if something that had always bound him and subtly supported him had suddenly become insignificant. The past was finally confined to the past.
— — — —
