***
Chapter 64 – Jealousy
This little episode completely wiped away Jiang Liusui’s drowsiness. He sat up and watched as He Yujing finished the photoshoot.
After it was over, He Yujing went to change his clothes. When he came out, he was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and a baseball jacket. He hadn’t removed his makeup, and the styling from the magazine shoot emphasized the sharp lines of his eyes and brows. Jiang Liusui propped his chin on his hand and gazed at him, complimenting sincerely, “Teacher He is really handsome today.”
He Yujing nodded, a hint of teasing in his tone: “So handsome you fell asleep watching me.”
“……” Jiang Liusui thought about how he had insisted on tagging along early in the morning, only to doze off at the scene. It really was a bit disrespectful.
He was still wearing a mask, and his bright, dark eyes curved beneath the brim of his cap as he said apologetically, “I was just a little tired. It’s my problem, not yours.”
As he spoke, he stood up from the chair and walked over to He Yujing. “I want to see the finished photos.”
“I’ll send them to you later.” He Yujing checked the time. “Do you have to leave now?”
Jiang Liusui hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed. He had a scene to film that evening, and it was already close to two in the afternoon. Thinking it wouldn’t be convenient for He Yujing to see him off, Jiang Liusui said considerately, “Then I’ll take a taxi back.”
Confirming that Jiang Liusui was serious, He Yujing laughed. “Aren’t you afraid of being recognized?”
He called Lin Chong over and asked him to arrange for a driver to take Jiang Liusui back to the set. After Lin Chong left, He Yujing and Jiang Liusui chatted as they walked toward the elevator lobby.
The sound of high heels approached from a distance. The woman wore a cocktail dress and seemed to have just finished a shoot as well. She smiled and called out He Yujing’s name.
Jiang Liusui recognized her. Her surname was Tong, a rising star among actresses and one of Shengyun’s leading ladies.
Tong Yu smiled. “I heard you were shooting a magazine here, so I came to take a look.”
He Yujing nodded in acknowledgment.
Used to his indifferent demeanor, Tong Yu continued on her own, “Is it for their anniversary issue? I shot for this issue too, but just for the inside pages.”
Jiang Liusui sensed something subtle in her attitude. He Yujing cut her off. “Do you need something?”
Tong Yu pouted playfully: “Can’t I come to see you if I don’t need anything?”
Then, without waiting for a response, she added, “Actually, I just wanted to ask if you have time to grab a meal together.”
Jiang Liusui had been unsure before, but now his eyes widened in surprise. Hearing such a blatantly flirtatious advance, He Yujing remained unfazed and instead gestured to Jiang Liusui beside him. “No, I already have plans.”
Tong Yu was taken aback, her smile fading slightly.
She had seen them from afar earlier. Even though the person next to He Yujing was bundled up tightly, their figure was striking, and the two seemed unusually close.
But then again, He Yujing had never gone public with anyone. Who knew who this person beside him really was? She decided to play dumb and ask him out anyway.
Hearing him say it outright, Tong Yu couldn’t help feeling a pang of jealousy.
She had tried so many times to get his attention, yet he had never once looked at her properly. Where did this person come from? How did they manage to get close to He Yujing?
Feeling resentful, Tong Yu said deliberately, “Oh, I thought this was your assistant.”
She didn’t dare be too direct, so she could only hint at it indirectly. He Yujing, however, was blunt: “Is your eyesight that bad?”
Tong Yu froze, startled by the sudden coldness in his voice, and fell silent.
The young man who had remained silent until now reached out, affectionately pulling He Yujing closer as his slender fingers intertwined with his, locking their hands together.
After doing this, Jiang Liusui looked at her with a hint of curiosity. “Surely you can’t mistake this now?”
His eyes were smiling, yet carried a trace of mockery. Tong Yu’s face flushed and paled under his gaze. Muttering an apology, she quickly turned and walked away.
After Tong Yu left, Jiang Liusui let go of He Yujing’s hand. He Yujing spoke up on his own, “I’m not close with her. We’ve barely spoken.”
Jiang Liusui gave an “oh” but said nothing more. He Yujing couldn’t tell if he minded or not. Just then, Lin Chong called to say the driver had arrived, so He Yujing said to Jiang Liusui, “I’Il walk you down.”
They took the elevator to the underground garage. Once in the car, Jiang Liusui settled into the back seat and suddenly asked the man outside the vehicle, “Do I really look that much like your assistant?”
He had a rough idea why Tong Yu had approached him.
Forget those who fawn over power and influence—plenty were drawn to He Yujing himself.
Thinking about how such scenes might play out repeatedly in his absence, Jiang Liusui felt displeased. “Maybe I should just change careers.”
He Yujing was momentarily surprised, then suddenly laughed out loud.
“Who said that? You’re a big star.” Leaning against the car door frame, He Yujing bent down closer to Jiang Liusui, coaxing him gently. “The big star needs to head back to the set now.”
Seeing no one around, Jiang Liusui cupped He Yujing’s face and made a serious request. “When I’m not around, you have to take good care of yourself outside.”
Jiang Liusui spoke softly, “Otherwise, I’ll be angry.”
“Alright,” He Yujing had never seen someone look so adorable while jealous. Chuckling, he agreed, “I’ll listen to you.”
Jiang Liusui couldn’t help but pull He Yujing further into the car, planting a kiss through the mask.
He Yujing glanced around—the driver hadn’t gotten in yet and couldn’t see them—o he simply removed Jiang Liusui’s mask and pressed him into a slightly rougher, deep kiss.
Jiang Liusui’s cheeks flushed faintly pink during the kiss. Before parting, he leaned in again, nibbling He Yujing’s lips gently with his pearly white teeth.
Jiang Liusui’s natural allure made it hard to break away, and his reluctance to let go made it almost impossible for He Yujing to send him away.
“Be good. I’lI come find you once I’m done with work.”
He Yujing pulled back slightly, tidying Jiang Liusui’s disheveled hair and hat before softly patting his cheek and making a tender promise.
***
That night, on the set of ⟪Eternal Bell⟫.
Jiang Liusui happened to be filming the scene he had rehearsed with He Yujing the previous night. To create a daytime look at night, the crew had spent considerable effort just on the lighting setup.
As pear blossoms drifted down like snow, Jiang Liusui delivered his final line to Qin Yi, his expression soft and filled with quiet anticipation.
“—Cut.” Director Pei’s voice carried a note of delight. “That’s a wrap!”
The atmosphere on set instantly relaxed. Pei Wen observed Jiang Liusui with a touch of newfound interest.
This scene not only required Jiang Liusui to display the innocent and gentle side of Ling but also to convey its morbidly dependent psychology. There were many subtle details, all of which had been Jiang Liusui’s consistent weaknesses. Initially, it seemed they would have to grind through it slowly, but unexpectedly, the shoot was completed smoothly in just one take. Compared to his previous stiff performances, Jiang Liusui’s transformation was almost like a rebirth—his eyes now brimming with emotion.
Pei Wen rarely asked an extra question: “How did you suddenly have a breakthrough?”
He knew that many actors break through their bottlenecks in an instant—scenes that were difficult before can suddenly click—but in the past few days, Jiang Liusui hadn’t gone through anything particularly extraordinary. Pei Wen couldn’t help but be intrigued.
Jiang Liusui smiled and gave an ambiguous answer: “I met a good teacher.”
Pei Wen instinctively glanced in Qin Yi’s direction: “Did Qin Yi teach you?”
“I couldn’t teach this,” Qin Yi roughly guessed who it was and also smiled. “There’s probably someone more skilled.”
Watching them speak in riddles, Pei Wen felt baffled for a moment. But considering that Jiang Liusui had now truly grasped the essence of Ling’s character, he decided that was enough.
“Remember this state you’re in,” Pei Wen said to Jiang Liusui before addressing everyone, “
Alright, get ready, let’s move on to the next scene!”
The filming of ⟪Eternal Bell⟫ was already more than halfway done. To build early momentum for the movie’s promotion, the PR team scheduled a meet-and-greet at this point. All the core creative staff would attend, including the main actors, director, assistant director, and screenwriter.
The fan meeting was set in a high-end hotel under Tianguang Media, held in a large conference room on the second floor. Several lead actors arrived early and were getting their hair and makeup done in the guest rooms upstairs.
Wei Zixiao was the last to arrive among them. He seemed to have just finished another event, arriving with accessories jingling noisily and his hair dyed pink-gold. He smiled apologetically at everyone, “Just finished recording for a music show, so I’m a bit late.”
“Teacher Wei, your hair might need some adjustments?”
As an idol crossing over into film, Wei Zixiao was already prone to attracting various comments. Sporting pink hair was far too eye-catching, but the makeup artists were hesitant to alter his styling during his music promotions, leaving them in a dilemma.
Seemingly sensing the staff’s concerns, Wei Zixiao said directly, “Please handle my hair as you see fit, with the production team’s needs as the priority.”
Hearing him voluntarily offer to change his styling, several makeup artists thanked him profusely and immediately busied themselves around him.
Staff members watching from a distance whispered among themselves, “His personality is so good—he’s the Crown Prince of Tianguang. His family invested in this movie, yet he’s still so polite.”
“He’s still young, hasn’t developed much scheming yet. Wait a few years and you’ll see,” one crew member commented.
A young woman gazed starry-eyed at Wei Zixiao and couldn’t help saying, “I think it’s just his good nature. When that other person debuted at eighteen, wasn’t he challenging everyone…”
“Shh! Can ordinary people compare to He Yujing?”
Jiang Liusui, having finished his hair and makeup, sat playing on his phone. He felt Wei Zixiao continuously glancing in his direction, and even Shang Qingzhi beside him noticed the subtle tension.
Shang Qingzhi quietly asked Qin Yi, who was sitting closest to her, “Is Xiao Wei looking at Suisui?”
Qin Yi also noticed Wei Zixiao’s small movements, but Jiang Liusui showed no reaction at all, not even lifting his head. Qin Yi shook his head at Shang Qingzhi.
At 5 p.m., the movie meet-and-greet officially began.
The venue was filled with fans and media reporters. As the main cast and director took the stage one by one, waves of applause and cheers erupted from the audience. Pei Wen sat slightly left of center, followed by the screenwriter and assistant director to his left. Qin Yi sat slightly right of center, with Shang Qingzhi, Jiang Liusui, and Wei Zixiao seated beside him.
The host collected questions from the media, first directing them to the director and screenwriter about the film’s concept and pre-production preparations, before shifting focus to the actors.
The host asked Qin Yi, “Teacher Qin, your character in the film is decisive and profound, with the entire story revolving around Li Heng’s path to kingship. In Li Heng’s heart, is the throne truly the most important thing?”
“For the character Li Heng, what matters most is actually himself rather than supreme royal power. His pursuit of power is largely tied to his childhood experiences…” Qin Yi paused skillfully, promoting the film adeptly, Anything more would be a spoiler. Those interested will have to wait for the movie to be released and see for themselves in theaters.”
“However, relatively speaking, aside from Li Heng himself, the most special character to him should be Ling.”
As soon as Qin Yi finished speaking, Jiang Liusui cooperatively picked up his microphone: “Right here, present!”
The venue immediately erupted in laughter.
Before the event, the PR team had subtly suggested that Jiang Liusui and Qin Yi interact more frequently. Their characters… in some ways, shared a certain chemistry that could serve as a promotional strategy.
He Yujing’s casual remarks during variety show recordings had unexpectedly come true. Qin Yi and Jiang Liusui exchanged glances, both finding it rather amusing. They were so familiar with each other that there was no awkwardness. Besides, the PR team had only requested that they exchange a few extra lines, which wasn’t excessive. The two of them agreed.
After the laughter subsided, the host turned to Jiang Liusui: “We were just about to ask Teacher Jiang, and you spoke up first.”
“Teacher Jiang plays a highly popular character—a humanoid weapon passed down through generations of the royal family, deeply connected to the current Li family and also closely tied to the female lead Ming Zhao.”
“Ling himself stated that Ming Zhao was the kindest to him. So, does Teacher Jiang harbor different feelings for Teacher Shang’s character?”
Jiang Liusui picked up the microphone, deftly deflecting the question: “Actually, Ling’s relationships with everyone are quite nuanced. Whether it’s Ming Zhao, Li Yan, or Li Heng, they all hold significance in Ling’s heart. Precisely because of this, there’s no difference between them—”
“How could that be?” A voice suddenly interjected. “There clearly is a difference.”
Wei Zixiao held his microphone, locking eyes with Jiang Liusui, who had turned to look at him.
He stared directly at Jiang Liusui, stating unabashedly: “Li Heng and Ming Zhao merely have complex feelings toward Ling, but Li Yan loves Ling—loves him enough to betray his father and brother for him. Even on his deathbed, what he thought about most was not wanting Ling to take action himself.”
A few screams erupted from the audience, as if some fans had been hit right at their sweet spot, excitedly cheering.
Jiang Liusui’s smile remained on his face, but his eyes held no emotion.
He did not avert his gaze but instead looked directly at Wei Zixiao, speaking gently yet indifferently: “But Ling doesn’t like Li Yan, nor does she care about him. After Li Yan’s death, Ling quickly forgot about him.”
Without waiting for Wei Zixiao’s reaction, Jiang Liusui turned his head and continued looking at the host as he said: “So in a way, Ling should be considered a character without any romantic storyline.”
Seeing Jiang Liusui finish speaking completely unfazed, Shang Qingzhi couldn’t help but mentally give him a thumbs-up.
Although Xiao Wei looked somewhat pitiful… Suisui was really straightforward and decisive. Well done.
The host seemed to think this interaction had great potential too, and continued questioning Jiang Liusui: “What about Teacher Jiang himself? Among the three teachers, do you have a favorite?”
The host blinked playfully: “This is your second collaboration with Teacher Qin, right? Won’t you choose him?”
Qin Yi played along and said to Jiang Liusui, “We’ve known each other for so long, you should choose me, shouldn’t you?”
Shang Qingzhi also picked up her microphone: “I’m a bit curious too.”
Jiang Liusui looked at them and suddenly smiled, saying somewhat slyly: “All three teachers are wonderful, but none of them are my type.”
The host immediately followed up: “Then what type does Teacher Jiang like?”
As if anticipating the host’s possible follow-up question, Jiang Liusui quickly responded: “All three teachers’ acting skills are too good. I prefer the type who delivers lines without any emotion.”
His answer made everyone present freeze for a moment. The host paused blankly before repeating: “You prefer the type who delivers lines without any emotion? Wasn’t that basically a robot?”
Thinking of someone who had acted expressionlessly opposite him, Jiang Liusui’s eyes finally sparkled with genuine amusement. His gaze sparkled as if speaking to someone:
“I like people who’s bad at acting but charming.”
— — — —
