That name seemed to hold some kind of terrifying power.
Meng Qi suddenly felt a chill run through her entire body. Instinctively, she reached for the protective charm around her neck.
It was gone!
In an instant, even her lips lost their color. Ignoring her assistant’s urging to hurry, she bent down to search. In the second before the scene descended into even greater chaos, she desperately snatched the small paper pouch from the ground!
Thank goodness, she hadn’t lost it!
The van was driving towards the hotel where they would stay temporarily. It was already night, and passing through the suburbs, the darkness was a bottomless abyss.
Meng Qi rested for a moment, then inexplicably opened the little red pouch to check the charm.
Only by seeing it could she feel at ease.
But the moment she unfolded the talisman paper, her pale lips began to tremble uncontrollably, as if plunged into an ice cellar.
The talisman…
The talisman had… a hole torn in it?
Worried that the thin paper might be damaged, she hadn’t taken it out at all these past few days!
—Yet it was still damaged!?
Her hands began to shake violently, so much so that she couldn’t even hold the talisman. Such a light object, yet it fell straight to the floor, defying gravity!
Meng Qi bent down to pick it up, but just then, the car suddenly malfunctioned. A sudden, sharp brake nearly threw her forward!
The world around her plunged into boundless darkness, devoid of all sound.
Every hair on Meng Qi’s body stood on end. She didn’t dare move a muscle.
Her assistant and the driver were in the car; it couldn’t possibly be this silent. But as she stiffly turned her head, there was nothing but impenetrable darkness on all sides.
It was as if she had been sealed inside a narrow, black hole.
Her heart felt like it would leap from her chest. Terrified of screaming, she clamped a hand over her mouth!
What…
What was happening?
Tears of regret streamed down her face. At that moment, Meng Qi didn’t want to be anywhere else. She just wanted to return to the recording base, find Yun Yueming—he would surely be able to help her!
Just as she was trembling with fear and feeling faint, several abrupt, childlike giggles suddenly rang out, ethereal and eerie.
“Hehe…”
“…Heehee, hehehe…”
Her eyes slowly widened. She seemed to locate the source of the sound and looked down in disbelief.
Her normally flat stomach, which she could easily wear crop tops with, was now grotesquely distended. She wasn’t pregnant, yet it looked as if she were about to give birth, the veins on her belly threatening to burst.
“…!”
The sound—
The sound was coming from inside her stomach!
Several small hands were slapping against her belly from within, their grotesque shapes clearly visible through her skin.
“Heehee!”
“Mommy, heehee!”
Meng Qi could bear it no longer.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!”
·
“I heard Mentor Meng collapsed from exhaustion while traveling and was hospitalized last night. She still hasn’t woken up!”
“She really is the ultimate girl group leader! So dedicated! So inspiring!”
After training ended the next day, the trainees were gossiping on their way.
Hearing this news, Yun Yueming wasn’t surprised. He shook his head.
If you don’t listen to the fox, you’ll suffer right before your eyes.
He had warned Mentor Meng earlier: only the base was truly safe.
Because his master, who could reappear out of thin air even after death, was stationed there. No matter how severe things got, they wouldn’t become fatal. Outside, however, was a different story.
Because of all the singing and dancing, Yun Yueming was getting hungry especially fast. He could barely make it to the cafeteria.
“Wahhh…”
“I want to transform into my original form and have someone carry me… so tired…”
The recording base was separated from the adjacent film studio base by only a single iron fence.
The evening weather was mild, perfect for dining outdoors. The enticing aroma of charcoal-grilled meat wafted over—sizzling skewers dripping with fat.
“Whoa, you scared me!”
A crew member from the neighboring production looked up to see a figure in a desperate state, both hands clutching the fence, staring longingly at them.
Looking closer, it was a trainee in training sweatshirt.
Flawless, translucent skin, a delicate and refined small face, unforgettable presence, and a pair of alluring yet clear peach-blossom eyes.
The crew member’s eyes went wide.
“This is way better-looking than those ugly kids the investors force on us…”
Before he could react, his colleague had already beaten him to it.
Like offering a bouquet, they presented a large bundle of freshly grilled skewers along with a personal business card, fawning obsequiously: “Little bro, you’re a trainee on Idol 101? Interested in acting later? Whether you are or not, please accept my card and these skewers!”
Yun Yueming was already possessed by hunger.
He said from the bottom of his heart, “Thank you, big brother and sister. You’re so kind.”
Little did he know, on the path of making a living with one’s looks, while others either walked or ran, he was already zooming around in a spaceship, obliterating the competition.
His way of eating was so adorable that the film crew gradually gathered around, the “visiting hours at the prison” vibe becoming increasingly strong.
“Oh, you poor thing…”
“Who’s your head director? Not feeding the kids? That’s heartbreaking!”
“Let us grill some more for you. Take them back to eat!”
·
Ji Song was strolling back to the hotel at a leisurely pace. He made it a habit to listen to the sounds of all things every day; early morning and dusk were two ideal time slots.
At these moments, his mind was always clear and tranquil.
Back then, when Peach Garden Immortal Mountain had crumbled and all his temples in the mortal realm had been destroyed, he had defied heaven and died without a trace.
He was a mountain god abandoned by fate—who would have thought he would suddenly be resurrected later on?
Even Ji Song himself couldn’t figure it out.
The handsome, otherworldly man raised his hand, feeling the abundant spiritual energy flowing through his meridians.
Now a film emperor, he had only regained his powers by being admired and looked up to by the world. Could it be that before his residual consciousness was about to dissipate, there had been someone who held deep faith in him?
…Who could it be?
“Teacher Ji.”
Li Rang had appeared beside him at some point, his expression gloomy. “No, Ji Song, what exactly do you want?”
Ji Song hadn’t expected this man to be so persistent.
“I should be asking you that.”
Li Rang didn’t hold back. Seeing no one around, he grew bolder.
“Heh, I’m a direct person. I don’t do things just to grab attention. I only care about tangible benefits.”
The insinuation was clear, implying that Yun Yueming was exactly the type to seek attention.
“I just want Film Emperor Ji to pay some attention to me.” Li Rang found it hard to look directly at him—the man’s presence was too imposing. “Even if…”
His face flushed red. “Even if it’s just as someone to keep you entertained when you’re bored.”
Ji Song frowned in disgust, his handsome face darkening.
“Your brow is shrouded in black, surrounded by a negative aura. If you don’t stop this absurd behavior, you will surely face disaster.”
Li Rang had long heard that Film Emperor Ji was aloof, cold, and unwaveringly principled.
His reaction must mean he already knew about Li Rang’s sleazy dealings—dining and sleeping with executives to exchange for resources.
Li Rang couldn’t help but raise his voice.
“I curry favor with those powerful people to get on more shows and debut earlier. I want the benefits they bring!”
“But trying to win you over… is just because I, I like you!”
Ji Song was like a piece of ice that wouldn’t warm. Not only was he completely unmoved, but he also claimed Li Rang would face disaster. Li Rang had never felt so humiliated and absurd.
His mental state shattered.
“I can’t believe you look down on me so much. You didn’t even react when I tried to give you a key card!”
Ji Song’s tall, upright figure paused slightly, his expression suddenly turning grim. “What?”
The key card…
So it wasn’t Yun Yueming who sent it?
All along, he had been misunderstanding that pretty vase.
·
Yun Yueming was looking for a secluded spot to finish his barbecue before heading back to the dorm, when he unexpectedly overheard the argument between Ji Song and Li Rang.
He was hiding behind a grapevine.
When he heard Li Rang’s confession, his eyes widened as he chewed on a skewer.
—Oh my god!
Was his master, that old iron tree, finally blooming?
And what a frosty bloom it was—saying someone would face disaster!
If it weren’t for the risk of being noticed, he would definitely transform back into a fox and roll on the ground, struggling to hold in his laughter!
However, as Yun Yueming happily ate his melon and his skewers, the unmistakable aroma of barbecue gave him away.
A large, strong hand suddenly grabbed him by the scruff of his hood.
His fate sealed by the grip on his nape, Yun Yueming had no chance of escape!
The man hoisted him up as easily as picking up a small animal, showing no mercy.
With chili powder still clinging to the corner of his mouth and a handful of skewers in his hand, Yun Yueming stared wide-eyed at Ji Song.
Caught in a dire situation, his mind went completely blank.
The man’s cold, pitch-black eyes narrowed. Instead of looking angry, he gave a chilling smile.
“E-n-j-o-y-i-n-g t-h-e s-h-o-w?”