Li Qing scratched his head, feeling confused and unable to make sense of it: “Are none of my teammates normal people? Oh, wait there were two who never bullied me. They usually just focused on singing and dancing practice and never got involved in the backstabbing in the dorms.”
Li Huai spun the fountain pen in his hand, his glasses obscuring the coldness in his eyes: “They were merely silent perpetrators. I haven’t done anything to them; whether they can continue in this industry depends on their own fate. Have fun this month and relax for a while. I’ll set up a studio for you, and I’ve already arranged the personnel. You won’t lack resources in the entertainment industry from now on, which will inevitably cause controversy. Whether you want to reveal your identity as the youngest son of the Li family is entirely up to you.”
Li Qing looked at the sunlight outside the window and let out a huge yawn. “Let’s hold off on that for now. I’ll reveal it when the right opportunity arises.”
After chatting with his brother, Li Qing checked his phone and noticed a message from Si Muchen.
【Qingqing, are you awake?】
It had been sent just after 10:00 AM. He hadn’t replied, and Si Muchen hadn’t sent another, likely fearing he would disturb Li Qing’s sleep.
Li Qing stretched and collapsed back onto the bed, cooing and squirming in his quilt as he started a video call with Si Muchen. They chatted until he fell asleep again, and Si Muchen watched his sleeping face with doting eyes, refusing to hang up the call for a long time…
Li Qing didn’t stay idle during his month at home. His life was colorful and far from boring. The manor had a small vegetable garden, a gym, a swimming pool, a small movie theater, and lavender as far as the eye could see… He often worked out with Li Huai in the mornings, played chess and drank tea with Li Shanhai in the evenings, spent his free time watching movies starring Si Muchen, or lay in the sea of flowers to bask in the sun.
Occasionally, he went out to chat with the busy Si Muchen or accompany his mother shopping. Zheng Yazhi’s maternal instincts were overflowing, and she successfully filled his closet to the brim…
Living such a comfortable life, Li Qing felt himself becoming lazy and wanted to retire immediately. Alas, he still had wishes to fulfill, so he had to drag himself up to work.
Under his brother’s protection, Li Qing moved to the apartment above Si Muchen’s, using the excuse of “convenience for work,” while promising his parents he would still find time to visit them often.
With Qitian Entertainment acquired, Li Qing’s boy band was disbanded on the spot. It was a group that had already hit rock bottom, so not many people cared. After the recent scandals, the seven of them combined had less than five million followers. Moreover, their individual “solo fans” outnumbered the “group fans,” and they were even celebrating, feeling that their favorite idols were finally free from the group’s constraints. After the breakup, two members tried to terminate their contracts with the company and got into lawsuits, but nothing came of it.
Li Qing’s personal studio was established. His new manager, Lu Si, was ten years his senior. At that moment, Lu Si was standing outside Li Qing’s apartment. He froze for several seconds when he saw Si Muchen open the door, and reflexively apologized: “I’m sorry, I knocked on the wrong door.”
He stepped back twice, preparing to bolt, when he accidentally caught a glimpse of the house number. That’s not right; I didn’t knock on the wrong door!
Si Muchen opened the door wider. “Are you here to see Qingqing? Come in.”
Hearing the noise, Li Qing walked out, yawning repeatedly. He was still wearing loose-fitting pajamas, and the marks below his collarbone invited all sorts of imaginative thoughts.
Lu Si: “!!!” It seems I’ve stumbled upon a massive secret!
Please, my life is precious too! Don’t just suddenly spring such a earth-shattering scandal on me!
“Brother Yuan, you’re here so early!”
Lu Si quickly regained his composure, pretending to know nothing, and hurried inside to urge him: “It’s not early. The auditions last for three days, and we’re scheduled for the first day, starting at 10:00 AM. It takes two hours to drive to the site; you need to get ready now.”
As Li Qing went inside to change, Si Muchen poured Lu Si a cup of tea, and then… both of them fell into a heavy silence.
A moment later, Lu Si spoke first: “Li Qing just debuted, and he doesn’t have any decent works to his name. It’s not appropriate for him to have a romance scandal right now; your fans will scold him to death.”
Si Muchen was an actor of substance, but he was also incredibly handsome, with a massive following of fans who were there for his looks. Not to mention his “girlfriend fans” and “wife fans” they were a fanatical bunch; one spit from each of them could drown Li Qing.
“Mm. For the time being, our relationship won’t be made public.”
Si Muchen didn’t care about losing fans; he was planning to retire from the industry eventually anyway. He didn’t want the relationship exposed mainly because he feared Li Qing’s parents would step in to intervene. He couldn’t go up against the Li family yet, and he had no means of escape. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. When will that island finally be bought? When will I be able to be with Qing’er openly?
Half an hour later, Li Qing left in Lu Si’s car. Si Muchen stood upstairs and watched them go. Once the car vanished from sight, he called He Xiao: “Come pick me up.”
Their destinations were the same: the audition site for the television drama Mountain of Imperial Spirits. The difference was that Li Qing was going to audition, while Si Muchen was going to be a judge.
Ling Xiao, the current CEO of Qitian Entertainment, had invested 50 million yuan to get Li Qing a role as the third male lead. Unfortunately, Director Che was very principled and never accepted people pushed onto the set by investors. If they wanted to, they could but they had to participate in the audition. If they were suitable, they’d be in; otherwise, forget it! He didn’t care if he lost the investment; he didn’t value that kind of money!
Si Muchen was the male lead personally chosen by Director Che. This was his first time filming a television drama, as he had previously only done films. He knew Director Che disliked people being pushed onto the set, so he had used the 50 million yuan investment to get Li Qing a chance to audition.
Both Lu Si and Si Muchen wanted Li Qing to play the third male lead it was a likable role that didn’t require much acting skill, so he could handle it but Li Qing wanted to play the little fox in the show…
This was an Xianxia tragedy adapted from a novel, titled Mountain of Imperial Spirits. The heroine was a princess whose country had been destroyed; she went to the Mountain of Imperial Spirits to seek immortality and learn skills to seek revenge. The male lead was the heroine’s master. As they spent time together, they developed feelings, but the immortal sect could not tolerate a master-disciple romance, and various supporting characters caused trouble, leading to many tragic plot points.
The role Li Qing wanted to play was a spirit beast the male lead had accidentally tamed as a child a red fox that could take on human form. He grew up alongside the male lead, and they shared a deep bond. Unfortunately, he was later possessed by the Demon Lord, his consciousness trapped, and no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t reclaim his body. The Demon Lord used him to commit many evil deeds, serving as a catalyst for the romance between the hero and heroine.
One day, he suddenly discovered that the Demon Lord who had been suppressing him was gone. He opened his eyes in excitement, only to see the male lead strike at him with a sword. Without even a chance to explain, he dissipated into smoke.
When he first saw this plot, Li Qing felt like crying. Why is the fox tribe so miserable everywhere? In the past, there was Daji, and now, “fox spirit” isn’t a compliment either. For the sake of their shared kind, Li Qing wanted to portray this character well…
At the audition site, the stars’ staff members were all asked to leave and wait outside. The auditionees sat together in a large room, waiting for their numbers to be called. Director Che was very strict about art and his critiques were exceptionally sharp. Ten people would go in, and three would come out crying. Those waiting felt only agony and nervousness.