I Rely on My Versatility to Reach the Top of the Entertainment Industry [Ancient Times to Modern] - Chapter 11

On the night he told Shi Long the truth, Jing Yi had a dream. In the dream, the original Jing Yi watched him with resentful eyes all night long.

Waking up late in the morning, Jing Yi sat on his bed gently massaging his temples.

He rarely dreamed.

Could it be that the original Jing Yi was dissatisfied with how he handled the situation?

After washing up, Jing Yi solemnly walked to the memorial tablet and sat in meditation, chanting sutras for the soul of the person on the tablet.

After chanting nine times, he opened his eyes to hear shouting outside his door.

Opening the door, he found staff members outside preparing to use a spare key to unlock it, along with colleagues from the film crew.

Jing Yi asked groggily, “What brings you here, benefactors?”

Xue An’s eyes were red-rimmed: “Xiao Yi, you scared me to death! You didn’t answer your phone or respond to knocking. What were you doing?”

“My apologies.” Jing Yi looked embarrassed. “This humble monk was chanting sutras and was too focused to hear.”

The crew had heard Jing Yi chant before and knew his concentration was truly intense. They didn’t think much of it, assuming Jing Yi was preparing for today’s scenes early in the morning.

After everyone expressed their concern a bit more, they ended up leaving late for the filming location.

Lu Yuzhi and his assistant were already waiting in the makeup room.

“Why are you all so late today?” the assistant asked curiously. “The entire crew is running behind.”

“Apologies for making you wait. It was this humble monk’s fault.” Jing Yi directly repeated what happened and expressed his regret again.

Hearing that Jing Yi hadn’t slept well and woke up late, Lu Yuzhi asked with concern, “Is something troubling you?”

Jing Yi nodded. Afraid Lu Yuzhi would ask for details, he lowered his gaze and said, “It’s a private matter.”

Since Shi Long and the original Jing Yi had emotional entanglements, telling Shi Long the truth was natural. But Lu Yuzhi hadn’t known the original Jing Yi, so there was no need to mention it and bother him.

After the brief conversation, Jing Yi changed clothes and got his makeup done.

Today’s main scenes depicted the tiger demon gradually transforming from unruly to obedient over forty-nine days, regularly attending morning lessons with Liao Chen, chopping wood, carrying water, growing vegetables, and gathering herbs.

These scenes shared similarities with the interactions between the fox demon Shui’er and later Xuan Kong.

However, while the fox demon Shui’er harassed Xuan Kong to seduce him, the relationship between the tiger demon and Liao Chen was more pure.

Felines all share the same curiosity.

Thus, Jing Yi’s gaze and tone when looking at Liao Chen were particularly important. He needed to frequently stare at Liao Chen, with actions and postures even bolder and more peculiar than Shui’er’s.

And because of their contract, when the tiger demon got angry, he had to comfort himself by muttering about eating the eminent monk, resulting in numerous soliloquies.

After completing the first temple scene, during a short break for makeup touch-ups, Jing Yi took a sip of water when a cup of coffee suddenly appeared on the table before him.

He looked up.

Lu Yuzhi, with a slight smile curling his thin lips, was watching him: “Have some coffee to refresh yourself. Get proper rest tonight.”

Seeing that everyone around had coffee, Jing Yi didn’t refuse: “Thank you, Mr. Lu.”

The original Jing Yi never drank such beverages to save money.

Jing Yi turned the cup around, studying how to open it so he could drink the coffee like a staff member had earlier.

He stared intently at the coffee lid.

The way his eyes were practically glued to the coffee cup was truly adorable.

Seeing this, Lu Yuzhi raised a hand to his lips and gave a light cough. Meeting Jing Yi’s bright, inquisitive gaze, he suppressed a smile and spoke calmly, “Let me help you.”

“Alright, thank you.”

Jing Yi readily handed the cup to Lu Yuzhi.

Lu Yuzhi sat down, his slender fingers opening the lid and slotting it into the groove before passing it back to Jing Yi.

Jing Yi thanked him again, took the cup, and tilted his head back to gulp down a large mouthful.

Lu Yuzhi almost laughed again.

As the coffee entered his mouth, the young man—whose eyes appeared narrow due to his makeup—widened them in surprise.

The coffee puffed out his cheeks, making him look like a tiny hamster storing food in its mouth.

Today’s dose of cuteness!

Jing Yi hadn’t expected the coffee to taste so… indescribable.

Bitter and astringent, with a hint of sourness.

Holding it in his mouth for too long wasn’t good.

Jing Yi discreetly glanced at Lu Yuzhi beside him, confirming he wasn’t watching, before reluctantly swallowing the coffee.

Only then did the aftertaste emerge—a subtle sweetness following the bitterness.

Jing Yi suddenly thought of tea.

He… didn’t like tea.

Although coffee shared some similarities with tea, this coffee had been given by Lu Yuzhi, and Lu Yuzhi was still sitting nearby.

Jing Yi obediently took another sip of coffee and forced it down.

Lu Yuzhi, having held back his laughter for a while, turned and saw Jing Yi drinking as if enduring torture, taking small sips. He reached over and took the coffee. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to drink it. It’s fine.”

His thoughts exposed, Jing Yi felt his face heating up again. How could he not finish something given to him out of kindness?

“It’s alright, this humble monk can manage. Fang… mustn’t waste it.” He nearly said “abbot” again and pressed his lips together in frustration.

Hearing Jing Yi refer to himself as “this humble monk” again, Lu Yuzhi’s eyes brimmed with amusement.

“How could it be wasted?” Lu Yuzhi said, taking a sip of the remaining coffee. “This humble monk will finish it for you.”

Jing Yi replied without thinking, “Oh, that works too.”

As long as it wasn’t wasted!

Jing Yi smiled at Lu Yuzhi and took a sip of plain water from his cup.

Compared to tea and coffee, plain water was much better. If possible… adding a sugar cube would be even nicer.

Watching Jing Yi drink water while smiling innocently at him, Lu Yuzhi suddenly wondered if he was being too harsh.

Why was this little one so genuinely clueless?

After finishing the coffee, they resumed filming.

The scenes for the forty-nine-day period were done, leaving only the finale, which was being shot ahead of schedule to accommodate Lu Yuzhi’s schedule.

Jiang Wenwen took her place, the evil cultivator’s fellow disciples appeared, and Jing Yi, once again dressed as a monk, stepped onto the set. Everyone got into position, and the clapperboard signaled the start.

“Cut! NG!”

“NG!”

“Again!”

“Jiang Wenwen, the final scene requires intensity, intensity! Do you understand? Once more!”

After several retakes, Guo Lin lost his temper and began shouting again.

Jiang Wenwen, stunned by the scolding, was led away by her assistant in tears to rest on the side.

Guo Lin continued complaining to Lu Yuzhi, “The earlier scenes were fine. Jiang Wenwen’s usual personality is quite similar to the fox demon Shui’er’s. But at this crucial moment where she sacrifices herself for the one she loves, why is she so ineffective?”

“No emotion in her eyes, no presence in her posture.”

“If this airs, where will that leave your reputation as the Film Emperor?”

Lu Yuzhi hadn’t really considered that issue.

The script for Seduce the Monk has been adapted and is no longer the simplistic story of love and hatred it once was. The fox demon Shui’er’s feelings for Xuan Kong, the entanglement between Xuan Kong and Liao Chen—past lives, karma, and emotions intertwine.

It guides people toward goodness and provokes deep thought.

Though the series is short, its topics are bound to spark discussion.

He had his reasons for participating; what others thought had nothing to do with him.

“I’ll give it a try.”

Lu Yuzhi walked toward Jiang Wenwen but stopped just before reaching her.

Jing Yi had already approached Jiang Wenwen.

He handed her a tissue and said softly, “Benefactress, extreme joy, sorrow, or anger are all harmful to the body.”

Jiang Wenwen smiled bitterly, “I don’t want to be like this either, but… sigh, the director’s criticism really got to me. I debuted earlier than you and was more popular, so how did I become the queen of NG? Was my performance not loving enough toward Xuan Kong?”

She had acted in romance dramas before and rose to fame through a historical web series.

“What kind of love does Director Guo want?”

Jing Yi fell silent.

He didn’t understand such emotions either.

While wandering, he had heard many stories.

“Perhaps this humble monk could tell you a story?” Jing Yi sat down beside Jiang Wenwen.

Though Jiang Wenwen didn’t understand why Jing Yi wanted to tell a story at this moment, she knew he was showing concern for her. Just like before, when she had looked down on him, he was still willing to save her and even urged her to get a medical checkup early.

What a good person…

Jiang Wenwen gradually calmed down.

The story Jing Yi told was simple.

The son of a county magistrate fell in love at first sight with a famous opera performer at the theater and sought to interact with them multiple times.

However, one was the son of an official, the other a lowly “entertainer”—their statuses were worlds apart.

Both knew this relationship could not begin, yet emotions are beyond one’s control.

They secretly enjoyed a period of happiness, but eventually, the affair was exposed and discovered by the magistrate.

The magistrate framed the performer with a false charge of theft and threw them into prison. The magistrate’s son pleaded multiple times to no avail and could only protest by refusing to eat.

The magistrate’s wife, distressed for her son, went to the prison to speak with the performer.

Knowing that staying with the magistrate’s son was hopeless, the performer agreed to never see him again. After leaving the prison, they smiled and threw themselves into the river.

When the magistrate’s son heard the news, he rushed to the riverbank, intending to end his own life, but was saved by his family.

His parents knelt and begged, and the magistrate’s son eventually relented. He passed the imperial examinations, married, and had children, as if the performer had vanished from his heart. Yet, after his youngest child grew up, he removed his official robes and shaved his head to become a monk.

“That’s also a tragedy,” Jiang Wenwen sighed. “The story of the fox demon Shui’er and Xuan Kong is a tragedy too. It was in the original script, and it still is now.”

Jing Yi pressed his palms together, lowered his gaze, and murmured, “Amitabha.”

Still immersed in the story, Jiang Wenwen thought for a moment and asked Jing Yi, “Why didn’t the magistrate’s son just marry the performer? He could have taken them as a concubine and not married a wife later—wouldn’t they still be together?”

Jing Yi smiled and shook his head.

“How could a performer become a concubine? The performer was also a man.”

Jiang Wenwen was stunned, finally understanding why this relationship could not begin.

Ancient people were not as open-minded as modern folk. Not only were their statuses different, but their genders didn’t match either.

The genders didn’t match…

A sudden realization dawned on Jiang Wenwen.

Didn’t the fox demon Shui’er also know that she and Xuan Kong were separated by the divide between human and demon?

When she resolutely went to her death, she had no idea that both she and Xuan Kong were actually demons.

Shui’er simply felt that if she died, the person she loved would no longer be threatened.

Such wholehearted devotion shouldn’t only contain affection in her eyes, but also the satisfaction of a wish fulfilled.

“I understand! Haha.” Jiang Wenwen grasped Jing Yi’s hand, laughing with particular delight. “Thank you, Jing Yi. You’ve helped me again.”

“If it was helpful, that’s good.” Jing Yi subtly withdrew his hand.

“I’m so happy. I’ll go touch up my makeup first, and we’ll shoot again later.” With that, Jiang Wenwen left.

Only then did Lu Yuzhi approach Jing Yi, leaning in to ask quietly: “Is there no continuation to the story?”

Jing Yi looked up at Lu Yuzhi, his clear eyes carrying a thread of amusement.

“There is. The county magistrate’s son and the opera performer meet at the temple.” Jing Yi touched his own smooth head, then glanced at Lu Yuzhi’s. “Wearing monastic robes, performing only Buddhist greetings.”

“Amitabha?” Lu Yuzhi bowed to Jing Yi.

Jing Yi quickly returned the greeting, saying: “Yes, Amitabha.”

When they looked up, Lu Yuzhi was smiling, and Jing Yi smiled too.

A click sounded nearby. Jing Yi looked over and saw it was Guo Lin.

“I’ll keep this one for promotional use. It’s quite suitable.”