I Rely on My Versatility to Reach the Top of the Entertainment Industry [Ancient Times to Modern] - Chapter 7

Since he needed to portray a tiger demon, Jing Yi’s appearance had to be altered.

The stylist, Xiao Liu, fitted Jing Yi with a wig, adjusted it, then stepped back to examine him from head to toe.

To embody the ruggedness of a tiger demon, the wig was a short style. The soft bangs now draped over Jing Yi’s forehead, while the strands framing his cheeks softened his features, making him look much younger.

His face, already lacking sharp or aggressive lines, appeared even more boyish with the hair.

Xiao Liu stared, her heart swelling with delight. “Xiao Yi, you look so adorable in this getup! Oh my, can we take a photo together?”

“Mm.” Jing Yi wasn’t quite used to having hair, and a faint blush tinged his fair cheeks.

Amid the sound of the camera shutter, two more people entered the dressing room.

“Morning.” Lu Yuzhi greeted the staff present, his gaze subtly scanning the small space.

The production team of Seduce the Monk had limited initial funding and saved wherever possible. Though called a dressing room, it was merely a storage shed in the filming base.

After a quick look around and failing to spot anyone with a bald head, Lu Yuzhi frowned slightly.

“Ah, so boyish, so adorable—my heart can’t take it!” Xiao Liu admired the photo gleefully, locked it to prevent accidental deletion, then shot a disdainful look at Xue An beside her. “I say, Assistant Xue, your artist’s new look is so handsome. Why aren’t you taking photos to promote him?”

Xue An, who had been reading the news, sighed mournfully. “You think I don’t want to promote Xiao Yi? It’s just the company’s rule—he’s strictly forbidden from posting on Weibo during filming…”

“But Murong Yi, the center of Dream Chasers, has been actively promoting himself. What’s up with your company?”

As she spoke, Xiao Liu put away her phone, picked up the prepared black satin ribbon from the nearby table, and walked behind Jing Yi to tie it for him.

Suddenly, a deep, magnetic male voice sounded beside them. “Morning.”

Xiao Liu turned and immediately stammered, “Ah, Lu, Lu… Lu…”

“Good morning, Film Emperor Lu!” Xue An tossed aside the newspaper and rushed over to Lu Yuzhi, his face alight with excitement.

Jing Yi turned and, seeing it was Lu Yuzhi, his eyes brightened slightly. Today, he would be acting opposite Lu Yuzhi, and Lu Yuzhi was going to play a monk!

“Good morning, Mr. Lu.”

“Good morning, Jing Yi.” Lu Yuzhi replied, the corners of his lips curling slightly. With hair, Jing Yi seemed even gentler, even a bit… exceptionally cute and well-behaved.

Their gazes met—Jing Yi looking up from his chair, Lu Yuzhi looking down—creating a harmony that seemed impenetrable to outsiders.

Even though it was only their second meeting.

“It must be what they call… kindred spirits at first sight!” Xue An whispered to Xiao Liu.

Xiao Liu glanced sideways at the clueless straight guy beside her, itching to shout: I’ve found a new CP! The warm-hearted, caring elder X the adoring, puppy-like junior!

Of course, such self-indulgent fantasies were best kept to herself.

While onlookers might not notice, Lu Yuzhi could sense it. Jing Yi’s first glance had indeed been at his face, but afterward, he was simply staring at his hair.

As if… he was thinking about something?

Jing Yi was actually picturing in his mind what Lu Yuzhi would look like without hair.

The temple had many fellow disciples, and some of the idle ones even came up with a so-called “beautiful head” ranking. Everyone is born with a different head shape, and not everyone can have a round and pleasing appearance after shaving their head.

In private, some fellow disciples even discussed the abbot’s head. The abbot’s head was protruding in the front and flat in the back, directly winning the title of the ugliest.

Who knows what kind of “lightbulb” Lu Yuzhi would become if he shaved his head?

As he stared, Jing Yi realized his gaze might be too obvious and silently recited in his heart: Sin, sin, Amitabha.

He lowered his eyes and turned away.

Lu Yuzhi raised an eyebrow slightly and turned to Xiao Liu, saying, “I won’t disturb your work. I’ll need your help later too. Well, I’ll go change first.”

Xiao Liu covered her mouth and nodded vigorously.

With the small crew’s limited budget, she was indeed running around all by herself.

Jing Yi’s bangs were held back by a headband. Xiao Liu picked up a powder puff and said, “The tiger demon’s appearance needs to be sharp and fierce, so I’ll add some details around your eyes.”

“Very well, benefactor, please proceed.”

Jing Yi silently recited the Heart Sutra, allowing Xiao Liu to apply his makeup. When she said she was done, Jing Yi looked into the mirror.

In the mirror, the corners of his eyes were elongated slightly with eyeliner, creating a sharp and slightly fierce curve. Shadows were appropriately applied to his face, making his originally soft and rounded facial contours more angular and defined.

A tiger demon—one that feeds on flesh and blood, harboring evil intentions…

Jing Yi recalled the time when he traveled around practicing medicine and followed his uncle into a bandit den. The bandits had threatened to boil and skin them alive if they couldn’t save their leader.

Greed, hatred, and delusion, revealed in the heart and reflected on the surface.

Jing Yi slightly lowered his gaze, and when he raised his eyes again, the original warmth and harmlessness in his expression were replaced by cruelty and malice.

Xiao Liu had also been admiring her work in the mirror but was caught off guard by the change in Jing Yi’s expression. She shuddered, and goosebumps rose on her arms.

Was this still the gentle “little puppy”? It was more like a vicious wolf crawling out of a pile of corpses!

Noticing Xiao Liu’s frightened expression, Jing Yi quickly dropped the imitation.

“Sin, sin, it seems this humble monk has frightened you,” he turned and clasped his hands in a formal bow.

Xiao Liu snapped back to reality and waved her hands hurriedly. “No, no, it’s fine. I know you were getting into character. Haha, it was so convincing, like you’d really eaten people before!”

Jing Yi smiled, using his gentle appearance to ease Xiao Liu’s fear. “It’s all thanks to your excellent eye makeup. Well, I’ll go change now.”

He stood up and headed to the dressing room.

He happened to run into Lu Yuzhi and nodded with a smile in greeting.

The tiger demon’s costume was black with gold trim, and the boots were the common long-tube style. After changing, Jing Yi went straight to the set.

Lu Yuzhi was already there. Standing out in the crowd due to his height, his bald head was particularly noticeable.

Guo Lin stood in front of him, laughing exaggeratedly. “Well, well, even you, Lu Yuzhi, have a day like this. I’m taking a photo to show our master. Hahaha~”

“Director Zhou isn’t far away. Director Guo, you can call him over if you want,” Lu Yuzhi said generously. After all, as an actor, he had to play various roles. In his younger days, he had even performed cross-dressing roles.

“Ah, the other lead for today is here too. Alright, alright, no more joking. All departments, get ready to start work.”

Following Guo Lin’s words, Lu Yuzhi turned to look.

Just as a gentle breeze began to stir, the black ribbon tied behind Jing Yi’s head fluttered in the wind. Those eyes, deliberately elongated at the corners, somehow took on a subtly alluring quality in Lu Yuzhi’s heart.

Startled by such thoughts, Lu Yuzhi stopped deliberately analyzing Jing Yi’s appearance.

Jing Yi, on the other hand, made no attempt to hide his curiosity, openly scrutinizing Lu Yuzhi from head to toe. Lu Yuzhi’s head shape would suit a shaved look quite well, and the placement of his facial features was perfectly balanced.

With a smile, he praised, “Mr. Lu looks really good.”

Lu Yuzhi noticed once again that Jing Yi’s gaze lingered on his head.

Understanding the implication, Lu Yuzhi smiled knowingly, pressed his palms together, bowed his head, and performed a Buddhist salute: “Amitābha, this humble monk Liao Chen pays his respects.”

The gesture gave Jing Yi an even clearer view of his head.

Seeing how flawlessly Lu Yuzhi executed the Buddhist salute, Jing Yi finally shifted his gaze to Lu Yuzhi’s face.

For his role, Lu Yuzhi had softened the sharp peaks of his originally sword-like eyebrows and applied a touch of lipstick to alter the lines of his lips.

Jing Yi returned the salute with pressed palms, saying nothing but smiling.

With both lead actors present, all departments quickly sprang into action.

Guo Lin called Jing Yi over, his tone stern. “Your portrayal of Monk Xuan Kong was very convincing, which is why Screenwriter Li and I immediately agreed to revise the script. Now, the tiger demon you’re playing is also inspired by your heroic act yesterday, but the essence of the tiger demon is completely different from Xuan Kong’s. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand.” Jing Yi’s jet-black eyes sparkled brightly under the sunlight as he looked at the director sincerely. “If my performance falls short, please guide me thoroughly.”

Seeing Jing Yi’s earnestness, Guo Lin patted his shoulder. “Well, for guidance, you should turn to the person beside you. He debuted at 13 with The Great Son of Heaven—a true veteran. He values talent, you know. Perform well, and you might even get into his company.”

Jing Yi turned to Lu Yuzhi, bowing politely. “Please guide me, Senior.”

“I’ve seen your previous videos,” Lu Yuzhi said with a smile. “Your interpretation of Xuan Kong was spot-on. I believe in you.”

Lu Yuzhi had always been more encouraging toward newcomers he admired, often guiding them intentionally during scenes. No newcomer disliked working with Lu Yuzhi; some even fought fiercely for minor roles in his TV dramas and films.

On the flip side, if Lu Yuzhi ever treated a newcomer coldly, it usually meant that actor had some undisclosed scandal!

With the two leads for the day’s scenes in place and all departments ready, the day’s filming officially began.

The first scene depicted a woodcutter on the mountain encountering a tiger demon who suddenly strikes up a conversation.

For this scene, Jing Yi needed to wait in a tree beforehand.

A ladder was already placed beside the tree. Jing Yi climbed up and leaned halfway against the trunk.

The clapperboard snapped, and the camera zoomed in on Jing Yi’s face.

This scene didn’t require Lu Yuzhi’s presence, so he stayed by the monitor.

Under the perfect sunlight, the short-haired young man crossed his legs, a blade of grass tucked in his mouth, exuding an air of arrogance and roguish charm.

Suddenly, his left ear twitched.

It actually moved!

Guo Lin glanced at Lu Yuzhi, his eyes sparkling with pleasant surprise.

In older martial arts films, ear movements often required a stand-in, yet Jing Yi had mastered such a subtle skill!

The cameraperson was equally sharp, capturing a close-up of Jing Yi’s profile.

As the camera slowly advanced, the short-haired youth suddenly turned his face, looking directly into the lens.

His pitch-black pupils were like otherworldly voids that could captivate one’s soul, and the unique ferocity and excitement within them made the viewers hold their breath.

…A demon, a demon that kills and devours humans!

The scene transitioned, and a woodcutter appeared.

When the woodcutter walked beneath the youth’s tree, the youth suddenly parted his lips and spoke: “People often say that tigers can only climb trees but not descend from them. Guess, can I come down?”

“What tiger is here?” the woodcutter recited his lines, looking up. The moment his eyes met the gaze of the person in the tree, the woodcutter trembled violently and collapsed to the ground.

Guo Lin remarked, “This extra deserves a bonus. That expression of terror was truly well-acted.”

“Then give Jing Yi two,” Lu Yuzhi said indifferently.

In the split-screen shot, the instant Jing Yi and the woodcutter locked eyes, a faint smile spread across Jing Yi’s lips.

In nature, the more beautiful something appears, the more poisonous it often is.

At first glance, Jing Yi’s smile seemed innocent and pure, but when combined with his facial expression and eyes, it only evoked a bone-chilling coldness.

It was the excitement and greed bubbling up from the depths of his heart as he locked onto his prey!

It was the prelude to a feast, a celebration of satisfying his hunger!

Lu Yuzhi also felt a faint surge of excitement stirring within him.

Off-screen, he had been deeply impressed by Jing Yi’s calm demeanor when confronting the tiger. On-screen, Jing Yi’s gaze reignited a long-lost passion in him.

The first scene concluded so perfectly.

The act of devouring a human was conveyed simply with fake blood and a blood-stained garment on the ground—nothing more was needed.

Next up was the scene between Jing Yi and Lu Yuzhi.

The two had a chase sequence in the forest. The tiger demon, aware of Liao Chen’s prowess, dared not confront him directly. Instead, he resorted to cunning tricks, setting traps while fleeing toward the forest’s edge.

Scenes without dialogue tested an actor’s skill even more, as body language and facial expressions had to convey everything the lines would have!

Guo Lin sat before the monitor, observing their performance.

Lu Yuzhi had been praised for his strong screen presence since his debut, but who would have thought Jing Yi possessed it too!

The smugness in his eyes when setting small traps, the fleeting panic when nearly caught… it was as if he deliberately positioned himself to showcase his performance to the camera.

Before, without a point of comparison, they had only felt that Jing Yi, playing the monk Xuan Kong, had perfectly captured the innate kindness of a monk.

Now, watching Jing Yi portray the tiger demon, two vastly different character archetypes, he transitioned between them so naturally.

He had talent!

He must have been overlooked all those years playing third or fourth male leads in idol dramas!

Guo Lin thought to himself.

The chase scene soon concluded, and the pivotal moment arrived.

Liao Chen stood before the tiger demon, his expression radiating a compassion untouched by worldly concerns.

The tiger demon felt frustrated inwardly, but his eyes still held defiance. He began to argue Buddhist principles with the monk before him, his gaze and posture dripping with sarcasm.

Yet Liao Chen remained unmoved. His amber eyes, from start to finish, held the affectionate patience one would show a misbehaving child.

Facing Lu Yuzhi directly, Jing Yi experienced his acting skills firsthand.

He also understood why Jiang Wenwen had been so exasperated with him before… Honestly, immersing oneself in the character’s mindset, facing someone who remained unshaken no matter what you did, was truly infuriating.

“Cut… Xiao Yi, this take won’t do. Why did you zone out staring at Liao Chen mid-dialogue? The emotions in your eyes are off too—what were you thinking?”

Realizing he had been staring at Lu Yuzhi and forgotten to act, Jing Yi’s cheeks instantly grew warm.