The Cannon Fodder Became a Superstar After Joining a Dating Show with the Film Emperor [Transmigration] - Chapter 4

Huang Ying felt a bit dazed.

The next moment, a dark figure was thrown past her.

Yin Beilin tossed the clothes he had brought for her to Lu Ren.

“Put them on before you come out.”

Through the gap in the bathroom door, Huang Ying saw Lu Ren scratching his head. His expression was awkward, and he looked nothing like a “slutty” person instead, he seemed somewhat pure and obedient.

“Thanks, Brother Lin.”

Huang Ying: “…”

He’s calling him Brother now?

She instinctively looked at Yin Beilin, but he had absolutely no intention of explaining.

He sat on the sofa with a casual air, unhurriedly brewing a cup of tea for himself.

Catching her gaze, he even raised an eyebrow at her as if to say, “What are you looking at me for?”

Huang Ying: “…”

From inside the bathroom came the rustle of Lu Ren changing clothes.

Thinking back to the previous scene, Huang Ying was still a little disoriented.

What is going on?

It was one thing for them to be at the same hotel, but Lu Ren and Yin Beilin were actually in the same room…

Could she still be dreaming?

Last night, the topic #LuRenYinBeilinIntimateRelationship# had suddenly appeared on the Weibo trending list.

This trending topic had shot straight to seventh place on the rankings.

The search index kept climbing, and almost every refresh of the real-time feed revealed over a hundred new posts.

Minutes later, the topic hit the number one spot on the trending list.

Clicking into it, one found a series of candid photos of Lu Ren and Yin Beilin waiting for an elevator front, side, and back views. The paparazzi had clearly come prepared, posting not only photos but also a GIF of the two waiting together.

Yet, despite the photographic evidence, the real-time comments were a barrage of collective mockery.

Here we go again.

“Close relationship”? Look at Master Lin’s face does he even want to acknowledge you?

Newbie question: Who the hell is Lu Ren? Why is he always on the trending list?

You don’t know about “Road-Clout-Chaser”? Has your village still not got internet? Hahaha.

“Road-Clout-Chaser,” hahaha, I’m getting a lawyer’s letter just for saying that.

Flop, please know your place. Yin Beilin is way out of your league, okay?

Support Yin Beilin in defending his rights.

Lu Ren is really busy, huh? He’s had “close relationships” with twenty male celebrities in one year. Damn, I can’t even switch stans as fast as he switches targets.

And get this, he only targets the popular ones. He wouldn’t even glance at anyone who isn’t A-list.

The most snobbish clout-chaser in the entertainment industry.

His team actually had the nerve to post a GIF? LMAO, can’t you see Yin Beilin barely says a word? The more you watch, the less “close” they look.

Although the trending topic had been raging all night, Lu Ren’s reputation was so abysmal that Weibo was flooded with posts mocking him.

Huang Ying didn’t take him seriously at all.

After all, Lu Ren had a “close relationship” with far too many male celebrities. It was obvious his PR team had leaked this news. The “boy who cried wolf” had done it so many times that even reporters couldn’t be bothered to cover it.

Not a single industry insider had contacted her all night.

So, Huang Ying didn’t see Lu Ren’s antics as a major crisis.

After managing Yin Beilin for all these years, what kind of storm had she not weathered? Lu Ren was just the most common type of clout-chaser the kind who tried to ride someone else’s fame.

Still, she utterly detested this kind of “mud-slinging” attack. Mud was impervious to blades; if you stabbed it, you only got your own blade dirty.

If she tried to explain Yin Beilin’s relationship with Lu Ren, the other side would inevitably chime in with some nonsense, making it seem as if there really were something going on.

But if she didn’t explain, even though most netizens and fans were rational enough to understand, the incident would be like stepping in shit the stench would cling to you, continuously attracting more flies.

It was annoying, low-class, and disgusting.

So, when Luo Jiuge’s side suggested a set visit, Huang Ying thought it was a pretty good idea.

Luo Jiuge and Yin Beilin joined forces. With their combined PR teams and massive fanbases, they had more than enough power to completely scrub the mess clean.

But Yin Beilin refused.

*Fine, refuse if you must,* Huang Ying thought. *But why the hell was Lu Ren in Yin Beilin’s bathroom?*

*And completely naked, no less?!!!*

Huang Ying stared at Lu Ren, her face a mask of numbness.

A Weibo post she’d read yesterday flashed through her mind:

Let’s be real, Master Lin would never lay eyes on Lu Ren. With Master Lin’s personality, if Lu Ren actually managed to get close to him, they’d definitely be secretly married and have an adopted kid by now!!

Huang Ying: “…”

A sudden headache throbbed in her temples.

***

The black business car glided smoothly along the highway, weaving through the stream of traffic. Its curtains were drawn tight, sealing the interior from view.

In the backseat, Lu Ren felt an awkward chill under Huang Ying’s gaze.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stole glances at him through the rearview mirror.

Lu Ren felt a shiver run down his spine, feeling like a frog pinned to a lab table. Unconsciously, he pressed his knees together and rested his hands on his thighs, sitting as primly as an elementary schooler.

Beside him, Yin Beilin’s lips quirked into a fleeting smile at the sight of Lu Ren’s posture.

Unlike Yin Beilin’s unflappable composure, Huang Ying’s face remained a mask of calm, but her mind was a whirlwind of strange thoughts.

It wasn’t just discomfort, it was the sheer absurdity of the situation. The very man she had just been cursing as “scheming” was now sitting in her car.

And he was wearing Yin Beilin’s clothes.

Lu Ren wore a black button-down shirt and matching black trousers. The outfit was slightly too large for him, so the pant cuffs were rolled up, revealing a glimpse of the white fabric with its branded lettering.

He had just finished showering, and his hair, only roughly dried with a towel, still held a faint dampness.

A few strands of black hair fell across his temples. A black mask hung from his chin, making his small face look exceptionally fair.

From this angle, Lu Ren’s bare face actually looked a bit innocent.

…He didn’t look like the type to cause trouble.

Huang Ying signaled right and changed lanes, her expression impassive, but her mind wandering.

Come to think of it, she had rarely seen Lu Ren without makeup.

Lu Ren was always surrounded by drama, and he wore bizarre outfits whenever he went out, always trying to grab attention and stand out.

But now, with his hair damp and him sitting there obediently, it was hard to connect him to the eccentric persona he usually projected. Besides, his embarrassment was written all over his face as he shyly scratched his cheek.

He looked a bit dopey.

Easy to manipulate.

Easy to coax information out of, though he might just be faking it.

Huang Ying quickly reached these three conclusions in her mind.

Lu Ren swallowed hard.

Huang Ying continued to study him with a scrutinizing, probing gaze.

Under her stare, Lu Ren could only manage a dry, awkward smile.

He watched as she finally looked away and turned the steering wheel.

He had just let out half a sigh of relief when, the next second, Huang Ying asked with a deadpan expression, “Did you two sleep together?”

Lu Ren: “…”

Lu Ren: “…”

The half-sigh he had just released instantly choked in his throat. He stared at Huang Ying with a look of utter horror. “How is that even possible?!”

*Why would Huang Ying even think that?!*

*To be honest, wouldn’t she and Yin Beilin be a more likely pair than me and Yin Beilin?!*

Huang Ying snorted. “Then what were you two doing last night?”

Lu Ren’s expression immediately turned awkward. Last night… could he even talk about what happened between him and the male lead? And what about that toy agreement?

How could he possibly say any of that out loud?

At this thought, Lu Ren couldn’t help but glance at Yin Beilin beside him.

Yin Beilin happened to be looking at him too. Their eyes met squarely, neither averting their gaze.

Staring into those unfathomably deep, dark eyes, Lu Ren reflexively pulled his lips into a wry smile, then hurriedly looked away.

The male lead isn’t saying anything… Looks like it’s up to me to handle this.

Huang Ying tapped her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. “Speak.”

Lu Ren could only offer a vague, half-hearted explanation. “Last night… we just drank too much, and we happened to be in the same room…”

Hearing this, Huang Ying took a deep breath.

Seeing her reaction, Lu Ren hurriedly added, “Even though Brother Lin and I were in the same room, we really didn’t do anything.”

“Really, we were just lying there.”

Lu Ren didn’t want Huang Ying to think he and Yin Beilin were involved. “It was just two men no, two straight men lying on a bed, just chatting as good bros. There was absolutely nothing else going on…”

Just then, Yin Beilin, who had been silent, suddenly let out an “Oh?”

He turned his head, his sharp, dark, phoenix-like eyes sweeping over Lu Ren with a hint of mockery as he repeated the second half of Lu Ren’s sentence.

“Just chatting as good bros, with absolutely nothing else going on?”

Lu Ren let out an awkward, nervous laugh, startled by Yin Beilin’s gaze. “…I-Isn’t that right?”

*O-Otherwise… what else could it be? We were just good bros chatting under a blanket, what else is there to say?

“Was the little toy just drunkenly babbling nonsense?”

Yin Beilin chuckled softly, his tone ambiguous. “It seems you have a very short memory.”

Lu Ren couldn’t tell what the male lead meant by that.

In the video, didn’t I just throw up at the end?

There really wasn’t anything else.

But since Yin Beilin had said that, Lu Ren could only lower his head sheepishly, not daring to speak.

Huang Ying: “…”

Seeing how Lu Ren sat there like a little lamb cowering and completely still after a single word from Yin Beilin, she suddenly found the whole scene incredibly strange.

The roles seemed reversed. Yin Beilin looked more like the villain than Lu Ren did.

After a moment, Huang Ying sighed. “Alright, enough.”

“I’m not interested in whether you were just chatting under the covers or doing something else,” she said, taking a deep breath, her expression grim. She pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand, pausing for two seconds. “Beilin, is this why you rejected Luo Jiuge?”

Lu Ren: “…?”

Yin Beilin replied noncommittally, “Something like that.”

As soon as Yin Beilin spoke, Lu Ren was met with a complex glare from Huang Ying through the front-facing camera.

Lu Ren was utterly bewildered.

*But then again,* he thought, *Yin Beilin probably rejected Luo Jiuge for the sake of the third female lead in “Blade.”*

Connecting this to Yin Beilin’s earlier comment about his “short memory,” Lu Ren finally understood.

Yin Beilin must be reminding him to always remember his place as a mere sidekick and a toy to serve as a good distraction in front of Huang Ying.

Got it.

Unconditionally cooperate with the male lead? That’s easy.

Meeting Huang Ying’s gaze, Lu Ren wiped the confusion from his face. He nodded with feigned seriousness, his expression practically screaming, “I’m on Yin Beilin’s side.”

Huang Ying stared.

She let out a long sigh.

By now, the car had nearly reached the filming location for *Blade*. Huang Ying pulled over to the side of the road.

She turned back, glaring at Lu Ren with a grim expression.

“I don’t know what—” Huang Ying paused, “—*channels* you used to get to know Yin Beilin recently.”

Lu Ren swallowed hard.

*She was about to say what “means” I used, wasn’t she…*

“Since you two are so close now,” Huang Ying continued, “I expect you to watch your words and actions carefully.”

“Yin Beilin has spent five years cultivating his public image. If you have even a shred of affection for him, you’d best not be the one to ruin it.”

As expected of Huang Ying, the male lead’s perfect agent!

Hearing her words, Lu Ren had the sudden, absurd impression of a fierce mother-in-law instructing her new daughter-in-law.

The thought made him shudder. He shook his head violently. What the hell am I thinking?

But after shaking his head, Lu Ren heard Huang Ying’s cold voice: “What do you mean? You don’t understand what I’m saying?”

“No, no,” Lu Ren nodded frantically. “Sister Ying, I understand, I understand.”

“If you understand, then give me your contact information,” Huang Ying said coldly. “And your manager’s and assistant’s contact information too. I have something to say to them.”

Luly Ren obediently handed over his WeChat.

But at this moment, the phone was snatched away.

Lu Ren froze for a moment, seeing Yin Beilin adding himself to the contact list.

Then he even pinned himself to the top.

Lu Ren: “…”

Huang Ying: “…”

Yin Beilin turned his head to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

After saying that, he returned the phone with the settings changed to Lu Ren.

Huang Ying: “…”

Huang Ying covered her face with one hand, then rubbed her furrowed brow hard.

After Huang Ying got the contact information of Lu Ren’s manager and assistant, Lu Ren saw her expression turn darker and darker, and he awkwardly said, “Um, Sis-Sis Ying…”

“What is it?” Huang Ying said with a stiff face.

“How about I get out of the car here first?” Lu Ren said cautiously. “I’ll put on a mask and get out first, to avoid getting into trouble when I come out with Brother Lin later?”

“No need.”

“…You didn’t actually let the reporters take pictures of you here, did you?”

Two voices rose in unison.

Huang Ying stared at Yin Beilin, who had just said “No need.” This time, the disbelief on her face was almost impossible to conceal.

Lu Ren glanced at the two of them and said weakly, “I didn’t call any reporters, really!”

Huang Ying sneered, but before she could speak, Lu Ren slapped his thin chest twice. *Pat, pat.*

The next second, he held up three fingers and spoke rapidly.

“I know you have a lot of complaints about me, and there’s… uh… a little bit of a misunderstanding here. But ever since yesterday, I’ve already changed, really.”

Lu Ren declared righteously, “I know Brother Lin’s reputation is paramount. You can rest one thousand one hundred percent sure I really didn’t call any reporters.”

As he babbled on, he grabbed his phone and put on his mask.

“I will personally ensure that I maintain a clear boundary with Brother Beilin in public. I absolutely will not use him for publicity or ride on his coattails. You can rest assured.”

Lu Ren, desperate to escape, failed to notice that the moment he uttered the words “maintain a clear boundary,” Yin Beilin raised his head.

Those sharp, phoenix-like eyes, now slightly narrowed, watched him with a trace of amusement.

“If I run into any reporters asking about it, I’ll be sure to clarify those same-sex rumors too. Sister Ying, don’t worry. I promise not to cause Brother Beilin any more trouble!”

He spoke in a single breath, then swiftly pulled open the car door and stepped out in two strides.

Once outside, Lu Ren gave the two of them a deep, sweeping bow. “Alright then, you two can continue your discussion. I’ll just walk over myself so I don’t disturb you any further… Goodbye, goodbye!”

Before they could react, Lu Ren slipped away.

***

After getting out of the car, Lu Ren followed his memories, walking step by step toward the *Blade* movie crew.

*He really had to get out of there fast.*

Huang Ying’s face had turned completely green. *Help me.*

Recalling Huang Ying’s expression from moments ago, Lu Ren shuddered violently.

*The comment section was right. Huang Ying really is like a furious homeroom teacher…*

He’d almost had the illusion of being curled up under a desk, getting scolded by a teacher!

*Good thing he ran off quickly…* Lu Ren patted his chest.

Now that he had escaped the high-pressure, terrifying male lead and Dean Huang Ying, Lu Ren walked with his hands in his pockets, his steps feeling much lighter.

If his memory served him correctly, the *Blade* production was already entering its final wrap-up phase, with only the last few scenes left to film.

And these final scenes were all set on a desolate highway in the middle of nowhere. The crew had set up a filming site nearby on a relatively barren stretch of road.

It took two hours to drive here from Linjiang. Where Huang Ying had just dropped him off, there was absolutely no one on either side of the road.

But perhaps that was exactly why she felt safe parking the car right there on the street.

Lu Ren walked for about ten minutes.

The scorching midday sun hung in the sky. As he walked along the edge of the highway, his hair dried in no time.

The further Lu Ren walked, the more things he began to remember.

If he recalled correctly, he played a cross-dressing assassin in *Blade*.

Strangely, his scenes should have been finished by now. He had no idea why Yin Beilin had brought him here today.

Recalling Yin Beilin’s earlier command not to get out of the car, Lu Ren couldn’t help but shrink back.

He had actually heard Yin Beilin’s words, but fortunately, his acting was good enough to feign deafness. He should have been able to fool him.

Still, he wondered what Yin Beilin was really after…

*Whatever. Huang Ying doesn’t want me interacting with Yin Beilin anyway.*

*And I don’t want to be around him either!*

The memory of Yin Beilin’s half-smile as he watched him earlier still sent a shiver down Lu Ren’s spine. He felt like a rabbit being stalked by a snake.

The thought made him shudder violently again.

*Anyway, if I remember correctly, the male lead is about to see the third female lead from Blade. After they film their final scene together, they’ll go sign their marriage agreement.*

*Once that agreement is signed, Yin Beilin probably won’t have time for me, let alone remember that absurd toy agreement.*

*There are so many cannon fodder characters. I’m just one of the most common extras.*

*As long as I behave and don’t provoke the male lead, Yin Beilin will surely forget about me in a couple of days.*

Lu Ren was well aware of his place.

He just wanted to live his life naturally and had absolutely no intention of trying to ride the male lead’s coattails.

Besides, Yin Beilin’s coattails weren’t easy to ride anyway!! Lu Ren wanted to scream.

Huang Ying had just said it was it because of him that Yin Beilin had rejected Luo Jiuge?

Yin Beilin had asked him to act as a shield, and he had agreed in front of Huang Ying.

But, but… there was more than just Luo Jiuge who needed to be shielded in this world!

Luo Jiuge was an incomparably beautiful and seductive snake-like woman. Below her, there was the arrogant and ruthless heiress Xu Qingqing, and the gentle, elegant, yet decisive Su Xi. Then there was the newly added Third Female Lead, a pure-looking girl whose motives were completely unknown.

Holy shit, the male lead already had four women around him. How was he supposed to shield him from all of them?

Thinking of the countless cannon fodder who had been dragged out to be slapped in the face just because they were caught in the crossfire of jealous women, Lu Ren was almost in tears.

Acting as the male lead’s shield just now was enough, right…?

If a mere extra like him got involved in the rest of the plot, Yin Beilin might suddenly change his mood and wipe him out of the story, or one of the other female leads might take a dislike to him and send him to the cannon fodder pile…

Lu Ren let out a long sigh.

Seriously, I need to get out of here fast.

***

After walking for nearly an hour, he finally reached the entrance to the *Blade* movie set.

But just as he was about to enter, Lu Ren was stopped.

Two staff members eyed him warily. “Who are you? Unauthorized personnel are not allowed on set. Even reporters need to show their credentials.”

Lu Ren pulled down his mask.

The two staff members froze.

One was a young man, the other a woman.

The man, unable to hide his surprise, blurted out, “Are you Lu Ren?”

He immediately realized how disrespectful that sounded and hastily corrected himself, “I mean Teacher Lu?”

Lu Ren didn’t know what the original owner’s personality was like, so he simply nodded as naturally as possible.

Less said, fewer mistakes, he thought.

The two staff members stared for a moment, then quickly stepped aside, stammering apologies.

Lu Ren nodded, saying “It’s fine, it’s fine,” and walked past them.

Watching his retreating figure, the two staff members exchanged a bewildered glance.

“What the hell?” the man muttered. “What’s with Lu Ren? He’s dressed so plainly today.”

“I know!” the woman added, equally shocked. “He looks so different without his eyeliner. I didn’t even recognize him at first.”

“Same here. Holy shit, last time he showed up in fishnets, they practically blinded me!” the guy clicked his tongue. “And now he’s dressed so normally? He’s not even wearing any logos.”

“What are you talking about?” The girl rolled her eyes at him. “That whole outfit is ridiculously expensive, okay? These are runway pieces that even celebrities can’t get their hands on right now. What do you know?”

“Look at his clothes. The top is Hermès, this season’s newest arrival. And those pants see the white stripe on the hem? That’s Balmain’s new line for this year!”

The girl clicked her tongue in a dramatic fashion. “A pair without the stripe in this cut already goes for thirty thousand. The ones with the stripe start at fifty thousand, and his has the brand label. You can’t even buy it with money you have to wait for the brand to gift it to you. Even Du Huai doesn’t have one.”

The guy scoffed. “You’ve got to be mistaken. If Du Huai doesn’t have it, where did Lu Ren get it?”

“Bullshit. You’re the one who’s mistaken. I’d never mix up my Ultraman.”

The guy retorted, “…Who’s playing Ultraman? That’s Marvel.”

The girl’s lips twitched. She scoffed and glanced curiously at Lu Ren’s retreating figure, now sporting a completely different style.

…Lu Ren’s “scamming” was really paying off.

The girl shook her head in amazement.

But…

Now that Lu Ren had changed his style, he actually looked… kind of good?

…Was she just seeing things?

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