I Rely on My Versatility to Reach the Top of the Entertainment Industry [Ancient Times to Modern] - Chapter 31

While the fans were thinking this, Lu Yuzhi’s voice came from the phone that had been silent for a long time: “I’ll go to the living room instead.”

Jing Yi shook his head.

It was normal for Lu Yuzhi to come stay over after having a conflict with his family and thinking of him, his friend. The only issue was that the bed was too small. If they squeezed in together, it wouldn’t be proper hospitality, which was why he suggested going to the living room to meditate.

How could he let Lu Yuzhi go to the living room?

Seeing Jing Yi’s disagreement, Lu Yuzhi had no choice but to continue, “I only came because I wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with you. But if it means you’ll suffer from the cold because of this, that’s not my intention.”

“Oh.” Jing Yi smiled. “I was afraid Mr. Lu would find my humble abode too small.”

He took Lu Yuzhi’s cold hand in his.

Lu Yuzhi stared at the pale, warm hand covering his, completely stunned.

Jing Yi, who had been so aloof just moments ago, was suddenly making such an intimate gesture—had he finally come to his senses?

Lu Yuzhi felt his face grow warm, and Jing Yi’s voice sounded in his ear again: “Is this humble monk’s hand very warm? Trust me, I won’t be cold tonight.”

This…

Lu Yuzhi lifted his gaze to Jing Yi.

Jing Yi looked back at him. “Mr. Lu’s hands are cold. Let me warm them for you.”

Jing Yi took Lu Yuzhi’s other hand as well, channeling his inner energy.

A steady stream of warmth transmitted through their palms.

Lu Yuzhi felt a tingling sensation in his heart. The first part of him to grow warm was his hands, and soon, his entire body began to heat up.

Jing Yi was concerned about him, even if Jing Yi didn’t understand his true feelings.

Lu Yuzhi smiled faintly.

The two remained silent for a while. Only when Lu Yuzhi’s hands had warmed up did Jing Yi release them.

He picked up his phone and saw that the livestream was still ongoing. Apologetically, he said, “Sorry, everyone, I forgot about you.”

Fans quickly typed responses: “It’s fine, it’s fine!”

It didn’t matter if he forgot—as long as they could still hear such delightful developments on the livestream, he could forget as many times as he wanted.

Only then did Lu Yuzhi realize Jing Yi was livestreaming. His expression shifted slightly, and he opened Weibo to check.

Sure enough, people were already spreading related news on Weibo.

Some of Jing Yi’s anti-fans had resurfaced, recording their earlier conversation and starting to make vulgar reinterpretations.

“It’s almost midnight,” Jing Yi gently reminded the fans. “After the New Year countdown, everyone should get to bed early. Let all the unpleasant things fade away with the passing of the old year.”

Upon hearing this, the fans responded enthusiastically and began a spontaneous countdown.

As for the anti-fans jumping around and spamming disgusting comments, the fans simply reported them without paying much attention.

The anti-fans who had been stirring up trouble on Jing Yi’s Weibo before had only grown more delighted when they were acknowledged. This time, the fans decided to follow Jing Yi’s example and ignore them as much as possible.

After going through so many incidents, Jing Yi had effectively nurtured a group of loyal, zen-like fans.

The midnight chimes for the New Year rang out precisely on time.

The livestream chat filled with “Happy New Year” messages, and Lu Yuzhi’s magnetic, deep voice sounded again: “Jing Yi, Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year, Mr. Lu.”

The two smiled at each other.

Some fans in the livestream began clamoring to see Lu Yuzhi, so Jing Yi pointed the phone camera at him.

Lu Yuzhi wished the netizens a Happy New Year as well, then saw Jing Yi suddenly turn the phone back toward himself.

“The fans asked me to point the screen at you,” Jing Yi explained.

Lu Yuzhi looked puzzled at the live stream screen that had switched to the front camera, his face flushing red from the barrage of comments flooding the screen.

Fans, for reasons unknown, typed suggestions on the screen: “Go for it, Lu Yuzhi! Ask Yi Zai to sleep with you!”

“Sleep together, sleep together! The bed might be small, but there’s always room if you squeeze in.”

“Yi Zai is so well-behaved, he’ll definitely agree.”

“If you like someone, be brave! Since you’re already at his place, how can you not share a bed?”

Occasionally, a few dissenting opinions also appeared: “Our Yi Zai is only nineteen, and Lu Yuzhi is already twenty-nine. An old cow trying to eat tender grass—how shameless!”

“Our Yi Zai is as beautiful as a painting. Even though the film emperor is great, he shouldn’t lay a finger on him.”

Lu Yuzhi was both amused and exasperated by these fans. Meanwhile, Jing Yi, who was completely unaware of the situation, asked, “Have you finished chatting with your fans, Mr. Lu? It’s time for us to rest.”

To celebrate the New Year, he hadn’t followed his usual routine today.

Lu Yuzhi nodded. “Yes, I’m done.”

Jing Yi then bid farewell to the fans. Seeing the unanimous “Goodnight” messages, he replied before turning off the live stream.

“I’ll head outside now,” Jing Yi said, closing his book and standing up.

A faint, meaningful smile curled at the corner of Lu Yuzhi’s lips. “How about this—we both meditate in the room? The ancients would talk through the night; we can discuss Zen all night.”

After all, he wasn’t sleepy! There was no way he would fall asleep tonight!

If he could stay awake until Jing Yi fell asleep first, he could ensure Jing Yi remained in the warm bedroom.

Lu Yuzhi was brimming with confidence.

Jing Yi’s eyes lit up.

It had been a long time since he had meditated with someone else, and Lu Yuzhi’s suggestion was too tempting to refuse.

“Alright, then please assume a comfortable posture, Mr. Lu. You can go take a shower first.”

Lu Yuzhi nodded and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

Jing Yi fetched the original owner’s spare pajamas for Lu Yuzhi to wear.

It was a red set with a cartoon cat design, complete with perky ears and a long, trailing tail.

Lu Yuzhi, being taller, found the pajamas rather tight-fitting.

Jing Yi invited Lu Yuzhi to wait on the bed while he went to take a shower himself, changing into a matching blue cat-themed fleece pajama set.

When he returned to the bedroom, he found Lu Yuzhi already leaning against the headboard.

Jing Yi turned off the main light, switched on a small nightlight, and sat cross-legged. With a smile, he asked Lu Yuzhi, “Mr. Lu, do you like the Buddha?”

Lu Yuzhi’s expression turned serious.

This question was too well-posed—he couldn’t possibly brush it off. If he answered poorly, Jing Yi might get upset.

“Of course I like the Buddha. How could I not?” Lu Yuzhi gazed at the young man before him, who now had hair but still retained an ethereal, serene aura. “The Buddha holds infinite depth—both tangible and intangible. The tangible Buddha is like the statue you gave me; the intangible Buddha resides in my heart.”

Jing Yi’s eyes sparkled even brighter at Lu Yuzhi’s words.

He hadn’t misjudged him—Lu Yuzhi truly had an affinity with the Buddha!

“Please continue,” Jing Yi encouraged with a smile.

Lu Yuzhi had no choice but to keep improvising. “The Buddha in my heart is dignified and majestic, solemn and unsmiling, serene and compassionate in dealing with the world. He dares to befriend a fierce tiger and sit alongside the Vajra guardians…”

Jing Yi listened to Lu Yuzhi’s description, feeling immensely pleased.

“Befriending a fierce tiger”—wasn’t that a reference to the story of the Buddha offering his body to feed a tiger? “Sitting alongside the Vajra”—perhaps that alluded to the legend of Sun Wukong?

But as Lu Yuzhi spoke, his voice gradually deepened, carrying a husky tone as he posed the question: “Yet during my journey with Buddhism, I occasionally find the Buddha too rigid, while at other times exceptionally endearing. I often wish to pull him down from his lotus throne and keep him by my side. I wonder if that’s possible?”

Lu Yuzhi’s amber eyes were filled with profound meaning.

Jing Yi nodded: “Mr. Lu’s idea is feasible. The Buddha exists everywhere, so of course he can accompany you.”

Lu Yuzhi smiled, suddenly struck by a better idea.

“If such thoughts are permissible, then why can’t Jing Yi sit beside me?”

“Hmm?” Jing Yi tilted his head.

Lu Yuzhi extended his hand: “My hands are cold.”

Jing Yi nodded, once again taking Lu Yuzhi’s hand to share his warmth.

The two continued their conversation, discussing until three in the morning despite their differing interpretations of “Buddha.”

Eventually Lu Yuzhi succumbed to sleep, and Jing Yi rose to cover him with the blanket, only to find their hands inseparable.

Lu Yuzhi was gripping too tightly – forcing them apart would likely wake him.

After much hesitation, Jing Yi used his foot to pull the blanket over Lu Yuzhi before leaning against the wall to sleep.

The night passed.

When Lu Yuzhi awoke, Jing Yi remained by his side.

Eyes closed, long eyelashes fluttering like captivating feather fans.

As Lu Yuzhi moved his hand, their connection broke.

Jing Yi opened his eyes, revealing pupils untouched by worldly dust.

“Good morning, Mr. Lu.” Rising as he greeted, Jing Yi asked, “I’ll prepare breakfast. What would you like to eat?”

…

Even during the New Year holidays, Jing Yi’s trending topics remained popular.

Mainly because fans from both sides were on vacation with ample free time, joined by followers of other celebrities.

The hashtag read: #ActorLuSecretlyLovesJingYi#.

Fearful this trending topic might spoil his plans if seen by Jing Yi, Lu Yuzhi guiltily paid to remove the trend and posted: “Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know – but he mustn’t know.” Please don’t tell. The Weibo post remained for half an hour before Lu Yuzhi deleted it.

But netizens had already seen it, especially Lu Yuzhi’s fans.

Though Lu Yuzhi typically maintained a respectable public image, this single questionable act followed by a posted-then-deleted Weibo made his intentions as clear as day.

Fans instantly understood when they couldn’t find the original hashtag.

One longtime fan even established a dedicated CP fan group.

After all, since their long-single idol finally had someone special and requested collective secrecy, they had to help.

While the trending topic faded, another celebrity’s name appeared under Jing Yi’s Weibo posts.

Xiaguang!

“Old friend, when shall we play music together again?”

Accompanying this repost, the usually inactive official account of “Xie Qiyun” released Jing Yi’s audition video along with his original voice explanation.

Was “Xie Qiyun: Wind Rises in the Capital” finally beginning its promotion?

Male netizens familiar with the original novel who followed the series’ official account commented after watching: “How can you not cherish life-and-death comrades? I adore my brothers too.”

“Exactly, I’d be lost without my bros.”

“That musical performance was absolutely breathtaking – moved me to tears.”

Under this wave of comments, girls were commenting one after another: “Such moving brotherly affection, but my fujoshi eyes see BL everywhere.”

Copy-paste enthusiasts were busy replicating the comments.

After a joint marketing campaign, Xie Qiyun and Yan Zihuan also became trending search terms.

Jing Yi, who had been receiving study guidance from Lu Yuzhi throughout the New Year holidays, saw Sheng Xiaguang’s message and replied with a smile: “When will our old friend have time?”

Jing Yi genuinely admired Xie Qiyun’s xun playing.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuzhi was also checking his phone and replied to the message: “Why not include me, young friend? I would still like to listen in on the performance.”

The three-way interaction of comments and replies directly sparked netizens’ gossip curiosity. When they checked the official blog again, they discovered it had tagged Jing Yi, Sheng Xiaguang, Lu Yuzhi, Zhao Mengyu, and the actor playing the Folk Prince without anyone noticing.

This wave confirmed that Jing Yi, Sheng Xiaguang, and Lu Yuzhi were all lead actors in the film.

But… all the regular male roles had been taken… Didn’t that leave only Hua Xiangrong for Actor Lu?

Wait, wasn’t that a eunuch?

The audience, who had been kept in the dark all along, was shocked. A new hashtag #XieQiyunAndYanZihuanAndHuaXiangrong squeezed into the top ten trending searches.

At this moment, Jing Yi suddenly received a call from Xue An.

“Xiao Yi, why haven’t you contacted me for so long?” Xue An’s tone was plaintive. “I’ve been waiting for you to sign with a company.”

“Sorry, I’m not signing,” Jing Yi said somewhat apologetically. “Have you found a job?”

“Yes, I have!” Xue An said happily. “I got hired at Galaxy, just waiting for you to join. The reason I’m calling today is that an outdoor variety show couldn’t find your contact information and reached out to me instead. I gave them your phone number, so remember to answer their call.”