Almost all celebrities share a common trait, which is that no matter how gentle and polite they appear outwardly, there are still some minor quirks of possessiveness in certain aspects, especially when it comes to autographs.
Most celebrities enjoy signing autographs for fans; after all, it’s a way to showcase their self-worth. However, it depends on where the autograph is placed. If it’s on a poster featuring their own photo or a limited edition CD of their work, there’s no issue at all. Even signing a blank notebook or clothing poses no problem.
But the problem arises when the clothes being signed have other people’s signatures on them… Xi Ze quietly gestured to Zhou Yang, and silently lit a candle for him in his heart! The heavenly king wouldn’t kick him away directly with a single blow?
Fortunately, Xi Ze was overthinking it.
Arnold held a pen in his hand, observing the graceful and fluid strokes on Zhou Yang’s back for a moment. He hesitated briefly, then removed the cap from the pen and drew a line through the characters “Xi Ze” (…).
His wrist then twirled, and with a carefree manner, he signed his own name in the blank space beside it. Those characters were prominently large. Xi Ze’s signature, which was originally just the right size, now looked as if it was “bullied” into a corner.
After finishing, Arnold passed the pen to the front, nodded, and Zhou Yang, still unaware of what had transpired, thought Arnold had also signed his name and excitedly jumped up.
Zhou Yang was very intelligent. He might not have much acting skill, and his rise to fame within three months was largely thanks to Jia En and the company’s packaging. The young actress in front might be acting clever, but Zhou Yang truly understood his strengths and weaknesses. He chose to position himself as a small fan, and Arnold remained the superior King of Heaven. This way, all he had to do was idolize the male god.
However, expecting other people to do the same was a difficult feat. Ninety-five percent of artists wouldn’t be able to do it. After all, they were all in the same circle, all artists and celebrities of varying levels. They could look up to Arnold and discreetly seek his favor, but having them “idolize” like Zhou Yang would likely be met with resistance.
The other auditioning artists below the stage watched the relatively smooth interaction between Arnold and Zhou Yang. Their hearts were a mixture of unwillingness and a hint of disdain for Zhou Yang. The director and Zhang Kai, on the other hand, were rather satisfied. They thought Zhou Yang’s audacity and cleverness were praiseworthy.
Xi Ze observed the interaction between Arnold and Zhou Yang, this duo of male god and fan, a mix of genuine and acted exchanges. The more he watched, the more interesting he found it. Unlike the other auditioning artists who looked down on Zhou Yang, Xi Ze felt that Zhou Yang was exceptional. He knew his own strengths and weaknesses, positioned himself accurately, and was daring. Only individuals like him could rise higher and farther in the entertainment industry.
At this moment, Zhang Kai shouted, “Cut! Excellent, excellent.”
Zhou Yang scratched his nose in embarrassment, politely bowed to Arnold, and blushing, walked off the stage from the center, returning to Xi Ze’s side. With a bitter expression, he said, “I’ve embarrassed myself too much! I think I’d rather go back and continue singing.”
Xi Ze patted Zhou Yang’s shoulder and stood up, saying, “I think it’s great.”
Zhou Yang was already cheerful and fond of Xi Ze. When he heard this, he smiled happily, squinting his eyes into slits, “Really? That’s fantastic!”
Zhang Kai had actually shifted his gaze toward Xi Ze’s direction. He had some personal expectations for Xi Ze and hoped he would finish his audition soon. After all, no one knew how long Arnold’s patience would last. Zhang Kai decided to address Xi Ze, calling out, “Are you up next, Xi Ze?”
Xi Ze raised his hand slightly and nodded.
Zhou Yang chimed in from the side, “Good luck.” At this moment, almost everyone’s gaze subconsciously fell on the Asian youth who stepped onto the central stage with confident strides.
Seated in his chair, Arnold squinted his eyes, his gaze casually sweeping over Xi Ze’s face. He looked composed, observing Xi Ze’s demeanor without any particular difference from how he looked at others.
Xi Ze positioned himself and displayed no sign of nervousness. Zhang Kai had high hopes for Xi Ze and directly inquired, “Your role?”
Xi Ze looked at him and replied, “Aurelius in ‘The Sovereign,’ specifically, I’d like to perform the classic scene where Aurelius has a confrontation with Adonis.”
Aurelius in ‘The Sovereign’?!! The instant Xi Ze’s words left his lips, the entire room was abuzz! Everyone’s reaction ranged from astonishment to hushed discussions. The general sentiment was that this was audacious. ‘The Sovereign’ was Arnold’s breakthrough work back in the day! And now Xi Ze was suggesting that anyone could play Aurelius? This chapter was copied from novelping dot com without permission.
Arnold leaned against the chair’s backrest, one hand propped on the armrest. His amber eyes flickered slightly, and a meaningful smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He found this intriguing.
The murmurs in the room grew louder. Xi Ze remained composed, standing there as if he didn’t think there was any problem at all. His calm demeanor made even Zhang Kai, sitting below, feel a bit anxious for him.
Zhang Kai didn’t want Xi Ze to end up unable to leave the stage later, so he proactively suggested, “This role… well, it’s actually quite challenging. Do you want to consider changing to a different role? You can…”
This suggestion wasn’t baseless criticism of Xi Ze’s audacity. It was because the role of “Aurelius” was difficult to manage. He was the secondary protagonist in ‘The Sovereign’ and the character that propelled Arnold to fame in the first place.
‘The Sovereign’ was adapted from an alternate-world novel. It narrated the story of a country named Aurelius on the Western Fantasy Continent. The story began with a war, in which the reigning monarch of Aurelius died on the battlefield. The 16-year-old prince, Adonis, succeeded the throne. After ascending, he rescued a slave in the palace, naming him Aurelius.
As Aurelius grew, he became a general clad in battle armor, fighting for the nation. He consistently supported Adonis and stood by his side. Adonis governed the country adeptly, guarding a portion of the country’s territory, resulting in the citizens of Aurelius enjoying a better life than those in other countries on the continent. However, another country on the Western Fantasy Continent, called “Marca,” suddenly launched a massive invasion against Aurelius. After nearly a dozen battles that nearly crippled Aurelius, at this juncture, Adonis and Aurelius experienced their first conflict.
Adonis couldn’t bear to see his people suffer from the horrors of war, and he understood that his country was ultimately bound to lose on the battlefield. He considered surrendering, but Aurelius adamantly refused, willing to fight to the death.
In ‘The Sovereign,’ Aurelius was an incredibly complex character. He was born into a high-ranking family, living a noble’s life as a child. However, due to political turmoil among the elders, his entire family was wiped out, and he became a palace slave. Two years later, Adonis saved him and kept him by his side, giving him the name Aurelius.
Aurelius harbored intricate feelings toward himself, his country, politics, the royal family, and Adonis. He detested the royal family that had massacred his entire clan and loathed the political struggles in his country. When he was young, he even despised the emperor. He abhorred his own slave status yet deeply loved his country and its land. Having grown up by the emperor’s side, he held a unique, unspoken sentiment for Adonis.
However, beneath the surface coursed blood that thirsted for revenge at any moment. He lived daily in the turmoil of contradictions and agony, his love for Adonis growing heavier over time. He used killing and bloodshed to numb himself and employed the battlefield to suppress the hate and love within his heart.
Such a complex character’s inner workings were not something everyone could handle. Arnold himself had taken time to master the role back in the day. And Xi Ze was just too young; Zhang Kai, relying on his years of experience observing people in the industry, felt Xi Ze was bound to fall short.
However, before he could finish his words, Xi Ze had already turned around, facing Arnold, and lowered his head, bowing deeply with one knee on the ground. The motion was particularly forceful; when his knee hit the wooden floor, Zhang Kai even heard a “thud.”
Following that sound, the entire room curiously fell silent. All eyes were fixed on Xi Ze in the center of the room. Zhang Kai was momentarily taken aback, swallowing the rest of his words. He slowly sat down, seemingly afraid of disrupting the scene between the king and his general.
At this very moment, Xi Ze lowered his arm, suddenly raising his head. His whole aura shifted in an instant. His thick black eyelashes lifted, and his gaze was as sharp as a blade cutting through the air. It carried an indomitable spirit. His focused gaze locked onto Arnold, whose typically distracted eyes met Xi Ze’s with a sense of enchantment.
As the gazes of the two met in the air, everyone present could feel it—Arnold had become engrossed in the moment. What was even more surprising was that Xi Ze had entered the scene with Arnold!
Xi Ze remained on one knee, both hands hanging by his sides. His back was ramrod straight, and his intense gaze fixated on the emperor seated on the elevated throne. He spoke with a deep, commanding voice, “Your Majesty, Marca’s forces have withdrawn from the city.”
Arnold’s gaze drifted far away, lost in thought. Shadows loomed in the creases of his brows and eyes, and he didn’t look at Xi Ze again. A soft “hmm” escaped his throat, a distant and ethereal sound, as if he had let down all defenses. It also carried an air of exhaustion, as if he lacked the energy for unnecessary words.
On the mobile screen, Zhang Kai’s secretary searched and found the script for “The Sovereign” from years ago. Flipping to that scene, she sent it to several directors from the production team present, and handed the screen to Zhang Kai. Speaking in a hushed voice, she said, “It seems Xi Ze has changed the lines.”
Zhang Kai had sensed that something was amiss and took the script to look. Sure enough, the scene was different. Although it was the first direct conflict between the two main characters, the author had pushed their conflict to its peak right from the beginning. In this duel between Adonis and Aurelius, their masculine dominance and spiritual battle were on full display. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
However, Xi Ze didn’t perform it this way. Arnold, who now played Adonis, seemed to have deviated from the original script. Once this realization dawned, the entire directing team was astonished. Xi Ze managed to lead Arnold in acting according to his rhythm?!
Meanwhile, Xi Ze in the center of the stage locked his gaze onto Arnold.
A hint of weariness appeared on Arnold’s face. He withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and nonchalantly said, “Rise.”
Yet, Xi Ze remained unmoving, still kneeling on the ground, staring fixedly at the king on the throne. At this moment, his gaze was sharp, devoid of any other emotions, as if in a silent confrontation with the emperor.
Seeing him kneeling and unyielding, the emperor finally regained his composure. Furrowing his brows, he coldly asked, “Aurelius, are you threatening me?”
Xi Ze remained kneeling, maintaining his unwavering gaze with the emperor. With resounding clarity, he spoke just two words, “Dare not.”
Arnold squinted, meeting the intense gaze of the kneeling youth. At this instant, both of them understood what was going on. The king knew the purpose behind his general’s kneeling, and the general understood the king’s thoughts. Yet neither retreated. The air around them seemed to be held in check, their auras suppressing each other, as if separated by a still-safe distance, mutually probing and testing.
Xi Ze’s gaze was the first to shift, a trace of reluctance evident in his eyes. It seemed as if he was suppressing other emotions. He stood up, not walking towards the emperor, but stepping aside. His gaze extended into the distance, as if he were looking at the endless land within sight. In that moment, a softness appeared in his eyes, as if telling others that he loved this nation, its people, the land, and the boundless blue sky above.
The tension between the two seemed to ease somewhat. The emperor propped himself up and turned to look at the figure by the window. “Aurelius, go.”
Xi Ze lifted a hand as if grasping at thin air, as if there was a window there. The previously softened gaze suddenly turned cold again. His five fingers gripping the window ledge even showed a hint of pallor, as if he were exerting great restraint. He coldly retorted, “Go? Go where? On this continent, where else would there be a second city of Olay?”
This statement struck a chord with the emperor’s vulnerability. Arnold suddenly rose from his throne, his gaze brimming with cold hostility, and he angrily roared, “Insolence!”
At this moment, the hearts of everyone present seemed to clench together, as if they were awaiting the eruption of a long-awaited conflict. The exchange between Xi Ze and Arnold was flawless—Arnold was the king determined to relinquish power for the well-being of his people and the land, while Xi Ze was the relentless general who pressed on step by step, enduring time and again.
Under the thunderous decree, Xi Ze almost immediately turned around, his expression completely transformed. At this moment, he appeared like a blood-soaked warrior, clad in armor, battling fiercely on the battlefield. His abyssal black eyes bore deep into the scene, veins pulsating on his temples. His countenance resembled that of a wrathful demon. Taking a bold step forward, he came nearly chest to chest with the emperor, confronting him with palpable fury. His outstretched finger pointed in the direction of the window, his gaze locked in a frigid standoff with the emperor. “You see this. This is Olay City! Where on this continent can you find such a pristine dawn? Where?! And now, with just a single word from you, you expect us to surrender?!”
Arnold let his hands hang, but he gripped them tightly, exuding the commanding authority of an emperor. He thundered with a voice that resonated with imperial dignity, “Let every soul fight until their last breath?! And then let Marca burn Olay City to the ground with a single blaze?!”
Xi Ze’s twin orbs blazed with crimson intensity, still locked onto the emperor’s gaze. Swallowing with difficulty, his throat clenched, but he couldn’t suppress his emotions. He shouted, “To fight or to die!! I’ve only heard of generals dying in battle; I’ve never heard of a general surrendering! Your warriors bleed on the battlefield for you, your subjects pay taxes and offer fealty to the royal family!! You can’t simply cast us aside!! The people of Olay will never surrender!”
Finally, Arnold erupted in an uncontrollable roar, “Enough!! Have you thought of anyone other than the sword in your hand? Have you thought of the countless subjects?! They don’t seek bloodshed; they seek to live!!”
Xi Ze, like a fierce demon, locked his gaze onto the emperor. This time, there was no bellowing, just a burning pain and contradiction etched into his eyes. Calmly, mournfully, he enunciated each word, “To live as slaves?!”
At this moment, everyone present seemed to sense the profound sorrow emanating from Xi Ze. He carried the burden of his nation, his homeland, and his emperor, entwined with his own identity as a slave. Hatred and fear gnawed at his soul, corroding his heavy love and protection. He had grown numb to his emotions through the bloodshed of the battlefield, yet he struggled to find a distinct purpose in the presence of Adonis. Holding the sword of war, he was adrift, unsure of his path…
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The author has something to say: Emperors often use the royal “we” in their speech, which has been omitted here. Ares and Olay address each other in an informal manner, so let’s not dwell on that detail ╭(╯3╰)╮
Susu, susu, susu, susu, susu! Susu in all kinds of happy ways, hihihihi.