The Entire Entertainment Industry Knows the Best Actor Has a Crush on Me - Chapter 11

Bai Chao looked left and right before choosing to remain silent.

Damn, thank goodness I didn’t call him “Wife” just now. Turns out he’s the male lead…

This world is too terrifying. “Wife” is no longer just a simple wife.

Before Pei Yuan could even get his seat warm, he was called away by the director to get into makeup. As the saying goes: time is tight and the task is heavy get moving!!!

Pei Yuan went to makeup, and Qiao Zhiyu was hauled along with him to change clothes, intending to film their delayed scene together in a bit.

In the dressing room, the two huddled together chatting.

“Have you been busy with work these past two days?”

“Yes…” Pei Yuan closed his eyes, not daring to face the “peeled egg” version of himself in the mirror. He asked, “Which segment are we doing later? Let me see the script.”

Due to conflicting schedules, he had been working like crazy to clear time for this shoot. Getting three hours of sleep a day was considered a luxury. However, if he stayed up, the staff had to stay up with him. Since he made a living this way, he accepted it calmly even though he could do absolutely nothing and still have enough money to last several lifetimes.

Qiao Zhiyu opened the script and held it up for him, making it easy for him to do some last-minute cramming.

“Did taking this role… cause you trouble?” He leaned forward slightly, looking at the man with concern. Under the lights, the dark circles under Pei Yuan’s eyes were even more prominent.

Pei Yuan opened one eye to look at him, a trace of a smile appearing on his otherwise expressionless face. “I took it of my own accord. If I die of exhaustion, I brought it on myself.”

Qiao Zhiyu’s handsome brows furrowed in disapproval. “It’s just filming a movie; why talk about life and death?”

Pei Yuan let out a light, hooked laugh.

The makeup artist next to them didn’t dare say a word. Her lips were pressed tight, not allowing even a sliver of a gap.

[Is this a case of a gay man racking his brains only to be outdone by a straight man’s casual fanservice? Love it, love it.]

“…”

Staff members scurried back and forth across the set, confirming every prop and detail.

“That’s about right. If there are no issues, let’s do a run-through.”

The two took their positions. With a “Clack,” the scene officially began.

[Scenario: Today is the Emperor’s birthday. It should be a day of universal celebration, but the Zhaoyang Palace is exceptionally desolate.

The servants and maids have all run out to watch the fireworks, leaving Chu Mingxin, the unfavored master, to starve in this pitch-black palace. However, he has long grown accustomed to this. As long as an unfavored “Princess” doesn’t die, no one will spare him a glance.

The Emperor’s birthday is naturally a grand affair. Even the servants in his palace received rewards, yet he, the Princess, can only go hungry, unable to even get a hot meal.

With everyone busy attending to the Emperor, he plans to try his luck at the Imperial Kitchen, perhaps to steal something to eat. It’s a joke that a dignified Princess has to steal food to survive.

Red lanterns are hung throughout the palace, and fireworks burst in the sky. The light from the lanterns hits Chu Mingxin’s face; his brows are like distant mountains, his eyes like autumn waters. Dressed in a pale green ruqun, he stands in sharp contrast to the bright red palace walls.

His long, loose hair sways with his movements. His eyes reflect the fireworks in the sky, yet his face remains emotionless.

After a moment, Chu Mingxin withdraws his gaze, lifts his skirt, and walks forward. The Emperor lives a life of pleasure while his own flesh and blood can’t even fill his stomach. People say the Imperial family is heartless, but in his eyes, it’s just a selfish villain sitting on a throne that doesn’t belong to him.

Chu Mingxin’s palace is remote; to get to the Imperial Kitchen, he has to bypass a large portion of the palace. Along the way, he passes “Star Tide Lake.” The surface ripples with light, but the depths are dark and silent, hiding an unknown number of corpses… His mother… also once slept here.

The memories are unpleasant. As the distant festivities reach his ears, he closes his eyes to clear his thoughts. Turning back, he suddenly hears the sound of heavy objects falling into the water nearby.

This is followed by the clashing of swords and several more “plop, plop” sounds of bodies hitting the water. Chu Mingxin stops dead in his tracks. Someone is killing people up ahead…

Chu Mingxin wants to go back the way he came, but the area is brightly lit. Aside from the artificial rockery beside him, there is nowhere to hide. If he leaves directly, he fears he will be discovered on the spot and lose his life…

He purses his lips and steps lightly behind the rockery.

Who is so bold… to make a move during the Emperor’s birthday?

Chu Mingxin doesn’t even dare to breathe heavily, listening intently to the movement ahead. Strange—there was noise just a moment ago, but now it’s eerily silent. He thinks for a moment and cautiously peeks out.

No one…

He doesn’t dare go over. Gritting his teeth, he decides to head back. Hunger is better than death. Chu Mingxin turns to leave, but in his haste, he accidentally steps on his own skirt. He falls straight down.

Damn this skirt…]

Qiao Zhiyu’s fall was very spontaneous. He truly stepped on his hem, and his skirt actually billowed open…

This wasn’t in the script… so the panic in that moment required zero acting as he hit the ground hard. A searing sting radiated from his palms, but the director didn’t shout “Cut,” meaning the scene was still going. He forced himself to stay in character and continued the plot.

[Ji Yuli hadn’t left; he had only gone to other areas to ensure no one was missed. The sudden noise caught his attention. With a composed face and narrowed eyes, he walked toward the source.

It seems a little kitten is hiding here…

His pace was swift. Moments later, he reached the source of the sound. Ji Yuli gripped the soft blade hidden in his waistband, but when he saw the scene behind the rockery, he abruptly averted his eyes.]

This was Pei Yuan’s subconscious reaction.

A large expanse of fair skin was exposed. Under the moonlight, the shoulder blades looked like wings lean and fragile. Long, ink-black hair was scattered across his back, with the shoulder blades hidden beneath, looking as if they were about to break out of a cocoon…

He took a deep breath in his heart and shifted his gaze back.

[“Who are you? Why are you here?”

The man’s voice was cold and deep. The words hammered into Chu Mingxin’s ears, making him forget everything for a second. His palms were scraped, and his ankle throbbed with pain. The opponent had arrived so quickly… what to do?

Chu Mingxin clutched his chest tightly, preventing the fabric from sliding further down.]

This perfectly fit the setting of not being able to expose his identity. The director stared at the monitor, wishing he could press his eyeballs right into the screen. If this segment aired, the ratings would explode!

[Seeing the other party remain motionless, Ji Yuli grew impatient. His eyes darkened as he stepped forward, grabbed the person by the neck, and twisted them to face him.

The person before him kept their eyes downcast, not daring to look at him.

“Fourth Princess… This servant is calling you, why don’t you respond?”

Though his words were respectful, his grip didn’t loosen in the slightest. Being stared at by a eunuch like this, Chu Mingxin felt a sense of resentment. He never looked up, keeping his eyes lowered as he whispered: “I’ve sprained my ankle… can Lord Nine Thousand Years help me up?”

The man looked at “her” face and let out a scoff.

“Of course.”

Ji Yuli released his grip on the neck and withdrew his hand into his sleeve, respectfully offering it to Chu Mingxin. “Princess, please rise.”

Chu Mingxin swallowed his anger and placed his hand on the sleeve, allowing the other to pull him up. However, with this movement, the already loose dress threatened to fall off completely.]

Qiao Zhiyu didn’t dare move. He was wearing leggings underneath, but he had nothing on his upper body…

Pei Yuan was quick-witted. He exerted force and pulled the person into his arms without leaving a trace. His free hand circled the person’s waist. The arm held the crumbling clothes firmly in place.

“What is the Princess doing? Surely you aren’t trying to cling to this servant?”

Qiao Zhiyu understood the intent and went with the flow, continuing the scene. According to the script, Chu Mingxin should have lost his balance and fallen onto Ji Yuli, with both falling down. But clearly, they couldn’t play it that way now.

It was another unscripted moment… thank goodness their reactions were fast, or the whole thing would have collapsed.

[Chu Mingxin’s face was slightly flushed, a hint of irritation in his heart. The two were pressed close together. Feeling uncomfortable, he shifted slightly, but his thigh suddenly brushed against something. The man’s body tensed for a split second a detail Chu Mingxin quickly noticed.

His eyes widened as a suspicion flashed through his mind. A selfish villain sits on a throne that doesn’t belong to him… so why can’t I sit there too? He needed a chance to never go hungry again… and that chance was right before his eyes.

No one was more suitable than Ji Yuli, the man who was below one but above ten thousand… and it seemed he now knew the other’s secret.

He looked up for the first time at the man beside him. The other was undeniably handsome. Dressed in a dark purple round-collar robe, he looked exceptionally noble. His amber eyes held a chill, reflecting Chu Mingxin’s silhouette. The moonlight traced his features handsome, yet tinged with a touch of ruthlessness.

Chu Mingxin stared at him unblinkingly. “You are a man…”

“The Princess is joking. This servant was born a man.”

He looked up at the man before him and smiled tenderly. “You’re lying… I know Lord Nine Thousand Years’ secret… Is the Lord going to kill me?”

Ji Yuli didn’t move, but a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes. The person in his arms was restless, fingers moving strayly against his body. He grabbed the hand, his voice a warning: “If the Princess continues to fidget, it might not be certain…”

The dried blood on the man’s face told Chu Mingxin that if he failed, this would be his fate. The scraped palms throbbed with pain.

“I’m hungry… Would Lord Nine Thousand Years be so kind as to reward me with some pastries? If you reward me, I will listen to everything you say…”

The person in his arms seemed to have no bones, leaning softly against him, making him feel restless.

“The Princess overstates things. This servant is but a lowly slave; how can I be worthy of the Princess’s respect? And how can it be called a ‘reward’?”

He wanted to push the person out of his arms, but he didn’t know where to place his hands.

Chu Mingxin let out a low laugh. His voice sounded like it was laced with honey, sweet and enticing.

“Lowly? I think Lord Nine Thousand Years smells very fragrant…”

“Please reward me… consider it giving me a way to live……”]