I Rely on My Versatility to Reach the Top of the Entertainment Industry [Ancient Times to Modern] - Chapter 22 (Part 1)

Gym.

During the break, Jing Yi kept staring at Lu Yuzhi’s arms and chest.

Lu Yuzhi looked quite slender when dressed, but after taking off his clothes, he unexpectedly appeared so powerful. Moreover, unlike the terrifyingly overdeveloped muscles of his martial arts brothers in the Luohan Hall, his muscles were just right.

Jing Yi lowered his head to look at his own sleeveless shirt.

His shoulders, arms, and chest had some muscle definition, but it wasn’t particularly noticeable.

Jing Yi continued to watch Lu Yuzhi, his eyes clearly conveying the word “envy.”

A pleased smile curved Lu Yuzhi’s lips as he encouraged, “If you keep at it, you can achieve this too.”

“Mm!” Jing Yi nodded earnestly.

Following Jing Yi’s movement, Lu Yuzhi caught sight of his shiny bald head and couldn’t resist suggesting, “Why not grow out your hair?”

Remembering Jing Yi’s stubbornness in certain matters, Lu Yuzhi added, “With your current look, it might be troublesome for styling in future acting roles.”

“Huh?” Jing Yi touched his head. “Would it be troublesome?”

“Didn’t the stylist specifically ask you when you wore a wig before?”

Jing Yi immediately recalled the stylist frowning during his previous role as an ancient person and replied, “Alright, I’ll grow my hair out.”

After all, there was also the concept of practicing Buddhism with hair.

Besides, in this world, men didn’t need particularly long hair, so it should be fine.

After their brief conversation, they continued with another session of upper body training. By noon, the two left the gym, showered, and sat on the first floor, opening their phones.

Their phones were flooded with messages.

Jing Yi opened WeChat—several people from Seduce the Monk crew whom he had added on his private account had red notification dots.

He tapped on the top one from Xue An.

“Awwww, Xiao Yi, are you already with Lu Yuzhi? Hurry up and sign with an agency, will you? Then I can apply to work by your side and stay close to my idol again.”

Without hesitation, Jing Yi replied, “Mm, I am with him, but what does that have to do with signing with an agency?”

Then there were messages from others—aside from Guo Lin, almost everyone asked the same question as Xue An: whether they were together.

Jing Yi frowned. While waiting for replies, he opened the app with the most notifications—Weibo. Finally, from some reposts that mentioned him, he grasped the other meaning of “together.”

It turned out that photos had exposed him being at Lu Yuzhi’s house late at night, and fans had spent the whole morning waiting for a response and speculating about their relationship.

“Must be blind to stan this minor celeb. A D-list will always be D-list. How dare you lay a finger on my Lu Shen?” No wonder there was a nationwide apology—turns out he’s latched onto my Lu Shen.

“Has Lu Shen lost his mind? How could he bring this kind of person home? Can this person even put on makeup? Relied on his face to cling to an even bigger shot?”

“I’m just waiting to see if the next step is signing with Galaxy. Lu Yuzhi has been single since birth—his standards are high. What level of skill does Jing Yi have to even dare try and latch onto him?”

Among all the comments, only a few were moderate.

“Whether they’re together or not is the celebrities’ own business. Besides, although Lu Shen doesn’t usually bring people home, maybe there’s a special reason this time?”

“I think as long as both parties are fine with it, that’s what matters. Though the status gap in the industry is pretty big—Jing Yi should work hard on improving his acting skills!”

Scrolling further, there was even an account with the name “Leader of Lu Yuzhi’s Fan Club” that had posted a long, detailed essay.

She first expressed her views on Lu Yuzhi being in a relationship, then shared her thoughts about Jing Yi, and finally waited for both to respond on Weibo.

Such a major incident required a response.

Just as Jing Yi was about to post on Weibo, Lu Yuzhi spoke up beside him: “Sorry, my momentary carelessness has caused you trouble.”

Jing Yi turned his head to see Lu Yuzhi’s eyes filled with remorse: “I’ll handle this properly. Please don’t respond yet.”

Lu Yuzhi dialed director Gu Guochang’s number.

“Xiao Lu,” Gu Guochang’s voice even carried a hint of schadenfreude, “So even you can have such a misstep?”

“Director Gu, please don’t tease me,” Lu Yuzhi replied politely. “Could I ask for your help in issuing a statement?”

“Of course, I can help with a statement. But…” Gu Guochang drew out the word, “You said you wanted to take a break these two years, to limit acting roles and focus on personal growth, yet you went to make a cameo in Old Zhou’s ‘Desperate Rescue.’ I know all about it.”

Lu Yuzhi was a top-tier star in the entertainment industry. Any movie featuring him was guaranteed to top the box office.

“Coincidentally, I have a role here that would suit you perfectly. What do you think?”

How could Lu Yuzhi not understand what Gu Guochang meant?

His previous agreement to make a cameo in Director Zhou’s film was to repay a favor. Additionally, whenever Lu Yi performed, Lu Yuzhi would accompany him, fearing that Lu Yi might have an accident or make mistakes that could harm others.

As for “Seduce the Monk”…

Lu Yuzhi glanced at Jing Yi, who was still browsing Weibo beside him.

“I think it sounds excellent,” he replied to Gu Guochang, still maintaining his polite tone. “Thank you, Director Gu, for your willingness to help.”

“Small matter, small matter, haha.” Gu Guochang hung up the phone.

Lu Yuzhi then contacted Cao Yang.

They were all smart people who didn’t need lengthy explanations. Cao Yang directly agreed to help issue a statement, with the only condition being the opportunity to promote public service advertisement works simultaneously.

Next, Lu Yuzhi called Guo Lin.

Once all the announcements were released, all the details would connect, revealing to netizens that he had played the role of Liao Chen in “Seduce the Monk.”

“No problem. I also saw what your fanatical fans said under Jing Yi’s Weibo posts – it’s truly excessive.” Guo Lin no longer insisted on maintaining secrecy. “Exposure might actually be good timing. ‘Seduce the Monk’ is airing tonight, and the buzz will probably go through the roof.”

Then came the contacts with Lu Yi’s keeper and the zoo director.

After reaching all relevant parties, Lu Yuzhi finally turned his full attention to Jing Yi.

If a newcomer was suspected of having overly intimate relations with an established actor, the newcomer’s career path would become much more difficult. On the other hand, Lu Yuzhi feared that the netizens’ excessive comments might harm this innocent young man, and he was even more concerned that it might make Jing Yi develop resistance to the idea of “being together.”

“Are you okay?” Lu Yuzhi asked in a deep voice. “You don’t need to pay too much attention to those comments.”

Jing Yi put down his phone, his clear eyes showing confusion.

“Why should I care? What they’re saying isn’t true. We just need to explain the situation – as long as we have clear consciences, that’s what matters.”

Lu Yuzhi was taken aback.

Jing Yi’s perspective was so straightforward, as if this were just a trivial matter.

Realizing this, Lu Yuzhi couldn’t help but ask: “If one day you were with someone, and netizens discovered it, with most opposing like this, how would you feel?”

Jing Yi blinked and shook his head. “I won’t be with anyone. Mr. Lu’s assumption doesn’t exist.”

“Why?”

“I want to achieve the same level of success as you in this industry. After I retire with my accomplishments, I plan to become a monk at a temple.”

After honestly expressing his thoughts, Jing Yi smiled faintly.

Lu Yuzhi was completely stunned. “Why would you want to become a monk?”

This time, it was Jing Yi’s turn to be taken aback. He thought for a moment and vaguely replied, “Because I enjoy being Xuan Kong.”

Lu Yuzhi fell completely silent.

He looked at Jing Yi’s clean, almost ethereal face and his determined eyes that seemed to have already transcended worldly desires, feeling a complex mix of emotions. What lay before him seemed like a towering mountain called “Buddhism,” one that was clearly difficult to climb.

Still, he had to try.

“If you had someone you loved, would you still want to become a monk?” Lu Yuzhi asked again.

Jing Yi frowned, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.

Love?

Who would he love?

But the question was hypothetical—if such a person existed…

“I can’t imagine it,” Jing Yi said, his fair face full of difficulty. “I’ve never been in love, but I can’t rule out the possibility.”

“What would you do then?”

“Take it one step at a time,” Jing Yi smiled again. “Everything in the world follows its own destiny. You can’t force it, nor can you refuse it.”

Lu Yuzhi felt somewhat relieved.

The fact that Jing Yi didn’t outright reject the idea was a good sign.

Lu Yuzhi steered the conversation back to the Weibo photo incident.

The people he had asked for help had already posted relevant statements on Weibo. Following their lead, Lu Yuzhi posted one as well.

[I met Jing Yi on the set of “Seduce the Monk.” Lu Yi was the connection that brought us together. I admired this newcomer’s courage in stopping a tiger barehanded and took the initiative to befriend him.]

[Jing Yi collaborated with me in the web series “Seduce the Monk.” His acting skills are solid, and he possesses the ability to intimidate Lu Yi. I recommended him for the lead role in the “Dashing Swordsman Xie Qiyun” TV movie series. The character Xie Qiyun has a lean and muscular physique. To secure the role, Jing Yi needs to work out. As a senior in the industry, I offered to help him with special training at my home.]

[The above is my full response. Thank you for your attention.]

After posting his statement, Lu Yuzhi checked what Jing Yi had written.

[I was working out at Mr. Lu’s home. The photos were dark last night because the evening session required soft lighting, and I forgot to turn the lights back on afterward. This morning, I was exercising and didn’t check my phone.]

A straightforward explanation.

Lu Yuzhi nodded in approval, and Jing Yi posted it.

The two parties involved posted similarly styled response posts on Weibo one after another. After reading them and the explanations from industry insiders, netizens finally realized they had blown the situation out of proportion.

Their Lu Shen was clearly still the same kind-hearted veteran in the entertainment industry, making way for—and even paving the way for—promising newcomers with good character!

Their relationship was purely innocent!

Other same-sex celebrities had also stayed overnight at each other’s homes due to work or close friendships. People usually viewed such situations rationally and didn’t jump to sordid conclusions like they had this time.

It was strange—why had everyone suddenly assumed the two had come out as a couple, following the crowd’s narrative?

Lu Yuzhi’s fan club began digging into the posting histories of the gossip-hungry netizens. In the end, they uncovered a newly registered alternate account.

The account’s posts superficially urged everyone to be rational, but the content almost entirely consisted of in-depth analyses of Jing Yi’s personality. It even linked back to the “Dream Entertainment Dinner” incident.

Originally, this kind of small Weibo account with no followers wouldn’t be noticed by anyone. The strange thing was that reposts quickly appeared under the post, and they were all from accounts registered for many years.

This was where the narrative got twisted!

It seemed someone who hated Jing Yi wanted to make him fade into obscurity again!

Lu Yuzhi’s fan club began reviewing and reflecting, determined to trust their film emperor’s character more in the future. From now on, for any gossip, unless the film emperor officially announces it himself, they absolutely won’t believe it!

On Weibo, the trending topic about an 18th-tier celebrity clinging to the film emperor’s coattails dropped down, but the hashtag #LuYiMama# was pushed to the front again.

At the same time, fans were frantically tagging the official account of “Seduce the Monk.”

“Release some stills! We’ve never seen our Lu Shen play a monk!”

“We want to see Lu Shen’s stills, banging our bowls eagerly.”

“Am I the only one different? I want to see how Jing Yi intimidated the big tiger!”

There were many requests, but the official account of “Seduce the Monk” remained silent. Its latest post, wishing the drama a successful premiere tonight, made every netizen both love and hate it.

Some with skewed focus went to Lu Yuzhi and Jing Yi’s Weibo pages to leave similar comments: “Can you show us some workout photos? Lu Shen hasn’t played a tough guy role in so long, wuwu.”

This netizen even added a pitiful emoticon.

Following her lead, everyone started rushing to Jing Yi’s Weibo to ask for photos.

Mainly because Jing Yi’s previous actions of satisfying fans made everyone feel they had a chance with him.

“They all said they want to see you.” During another rest break from working out, Jing Yi directly said to Lu Yuzhi, “Can I take a photo?”

Lu Yuzhi was wiping sweat and thought for a moment before saying, “Sure.”

Solid proof of them working out shouldn’t cause any problems. And… the thought of Jing Yi’s Weibo having his photo actually gave him a strangely sweet feeling?

Jing Yi took a photo of Lu Yuzhi and showed it to him.

Lu Yuzhi nodded and reminded him to also take a photo of the workout plan on the wall, including his own, and post them together.

After posting, instead of being satisfied, the fans howled even louder.

Male fans also joined the comments: “Jing Yi looks less powerful than me, how could he possibly intimidate a fierce tiger? And this plan doesn’t seem logical—how could anyone schedule muscle gain all day without issues?”

But within a few days, these male fans were proven wrong.

Jing Yi posted his latest workout check-in photo on time, and the muscles on his arms were already beginning to show definition.

Meanwhile, the official account of “Seduce the Monk” timely released the scene from the camera where Jing Yi intimidated the fierce tiger.

The monk in green robes leaned back slightly, lifting the tiger’s upper body. Despite his somewhat slender frame, he accomplished the seemingly impossible.

The video also included Jiang Wenwen, who played Shui’er, sitting on the ground with a terrified expression, clearly stunned from fear.

No one could doubt the authenticity of this behind-the-scenes footage, as the video was shaky, proving the cameraperson was also panicking and running away.

After this video, it probably showed the scene where Jing Yi forced the tiger to retreat.

The camera must have been placed on the ground, so it only captured the tiger and Jing Yi’s feet.

“I always thought this newly popular Jing Yi was a pretty boy, but it turns out he’s not!”

“Wow, a hero saving a beauty. Good thing our Shui’er was rescued.”

“Speaking of which, what exactly happened with the nails on set back then? I saw Lu wrapping his paw for a long time.”

“Hahaha, let me recommend you the Ultraman petting tiger video, check Cao Yang’s Weibo for the link.”

Cao Yang had obtained Lu Yuzhi and Jing Yi’s consent before posting this video.

Mainly because the public service advertisement had passed review and would be released on the national website that evening. He needed to accumulate popularity to get votes for his work.

But how could it possibly lack popularity?

“Seduce the Monk” had twelve episodes total, with two episodes released daily. VIP members on Yunwu Network could advance stream one additional episode. This meant the entire series could be watched in just four days.

Yet the view count for “The Temptation of the Monk” continued to grow steadily, with overwhelmingly positive reviews flooding the comment section below.

Several influential drama critics also published lengthy Weibo posts discussing the series’ plot.

“I always thought ‘Seduce the Monk’ was just a fantasy romance drama, never expecting it to delve into themes of reincarnation and karma.”

“Shui’er continuously tried to tempt Xuan Kong, yet he remained unmoved, his Buddhist faith firm. Just when we thought he was naturally an enlightened monk, the plot twisted – Xuan Kong’s true identity was actually a Tiger Demon!”

“The addition of Liao Chen’s character felt natural and further emphasized the theme. Xuan Kong’s ascetic detachment tempted Shui’er to develop feelings, making her become more virtuous. Meanwhile, Liao Chen’s sacrifice of feeding his body to the tiger tempted the Tiger Demon, transforming it into another version of himself.”

“If some scenes were trimmed to adapt this series into a movie, I believe the box office performance would be no less impressive. Not because of award-winning actor Lu Yuzhi’s participation, but because the other two leads’ acting skills were equally outstanding.”

“The stark contrast between the Tiger Demon portrayed by Jing Yi and the monk Xuan Kong, along with Jiang Wenwen’s liberated acceptance of death for love. These details deserve the audience’s careful appreciation.”

“Finally, rookie director Guo Lin’s camera work was also wonderfully executed. Looking forward to these newcomers’ future works.”

Seeing these positive reviews, Guo Lin grinned from ear to ear.

He sent several red packets in the group chat, tagging the three main actors while showering them with lavish praise.

Jing Yi replied modestly, not forgetting to campaign for Cao Yang in the group: “Everyone, please support the official public service advertisement competition. Vote fairly.”

Indeed, after screening by National Television, the qualified public service advertisement videos would be announced that evening. The selection power would then be completely handed over to the audience to choose the winner.

The voting required real-name registration, with each person allowed only one vote.

The public service advertisement competition wasn’t for profit or to boost anyone’s popularity, but to convey the concept of environmental protection to everyone.

All major celebrities in the entertainment industry spontaneously shared the webpage link, hoping netizens would carefully select the work that resonated most deeply with them.

With the voting rules well-publicized, netizens visiting the webpage became more rational.

The National Television website displayed the staff’s video screening process. To ensure fairness, a separate webpage was specially created to showcase the disqualified works.

Only five works passed the screening, including some featuring popular celebrities.

Netizens who carefully watched all five works discovered that each approached the theme from different perspectives, each with its own outstanding qualities.

But when it came to emotional impact…

Everyone’s attention focused on Cao Yang’s work and Gu Chen’s work.

Gu Chen’s work presented modern people’s daily lives before the audience’s eyes.

Pedestrians on the streets, stray cats and dogs rummaging through trash bins for food, people’s irritability during hazy weather.

Trees in the forest being cut down, scenes and videos rapidly changing, time passing.

Cities buried by yellow sand, animals reduced to dried bones. A surviving little girl stands despairingly on the only large tree not covered by sand, silently shedding tears.

This scene, like the final gaze between human and tiger in Cao Yang’s work, is equally shocking.

Only by protecting the forest environment can we save ourselves from disaster. Protect animals, because animals are flesh and blood and friends of humanity.

Two different emphases, both executed perfectly, yet there’s only one vote to cast.

Netizens grit their teeth and cast their votes for their favorite work.

The vote counts for both works gradually increase.

Jing Yi received the netizens’ comments on the advertisements and smiled slightly.

He watched the other works and felt each video was excellent. Because the original intention behind every video was to plant a seed of environmental protection in people’s hearts.

If this competition truly had to declare a winner, nature would undoubtedly be the victor.

No longer paying attention to the public service announcements, Jing Yi began preparing for the audition.

The “Dashing Swordsman Xie Qiyun” production team had sent audition segments to all actors in advance. The segments weren’t adapted script versions but were extracted directly from the original novel.

This segment contained only one sentence:

“Finally, Xie Qiyun buried Yan Zihuan in the bamboo grove where they first met, caressed the tombstone, and only left after a long while.”

Jing Yi hadn’t read the original novel, so during his spare time at the gym, he read the newly bound version of “Dashing Swordsman Xie Qiyun.”

The novel was divided into four volumes, each forming a complete story when separated. They were connected by subtle threads, though the connections weren’t deep.

The protagonist Xie Qiyun’s character remained consistent throughout: charming, fond of playing the flute, chivalrous, and intelligent. His self-created Qiyun sword technique was sublime.

The author borrowed the line “Ten steps, one kill; a thousand miles, no trace left behind” to describe his martial prowess.

The audition segment selected by the production team was the final passage of the last volume.

Veteran martial artists were being killed one by one, their deaths shrouded in mystery.

Xie Qiyun became interested in the matter and investigated, only to discover that the true culprit was his friend Yan Zihuan. Yan Zihuan offered no defense, merely recounting his childhood experiences and how his parents had been tragically killed by these people.

Xie Qiyun sympathized with Yan Zihuan but couldn’t condone his merciless killing of an innocent woman during his revenge—especially since she was Xie Qiyun’s newly acquainted confidante.

Blades clashed between them, and in the end, Yan Zihuan died by Xie Qiyun’s sword.

With this preceding plot, the act of caressing the tombstone before leaving after a long while made sense.

Jing Yi read the novel over and over, marking the scenes of their interactions with a pen to ensure he remembered every word clearly. Closing his eyes, he began to visualize the plot in his mind.

Their first meeting: Xie Qiyun playing the flute, Yan Zihuan playing the xun.

Their music harmonized, their hearts connected.

Later, they experienced various bizarre events together, facing challenges side by side and relying on each other. Even after brief separations, they remained familiar upon reunion.

Yet, in the very end, Xie Qiyun personally killed such a life-and-death friend, and the novel concluded there.

Jing Yi took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and smiled slightly.

…

The audition location for the “Dashing Swordsman Xie Qiyun” production team was at the Gleam Hotel next to the Ningcheng Feiyue Film and Television Base, with the audition scheduled for 8:30.

The morning of the first day, Jing Yi and Lu Yuzhi checked into the hotel together.

At 8 o’clock the next day, Jing Yi and Lu Yuzhi arrived at the hotel together.

Having been asked by Gu Guochang to play a role in the drama, Lu Yuzhi reluctantly took a seat on the judging panel, right next to Gu Guochang.