Chapter 38

After finishing his mural copying class in the afternoon, Ji Wei, still feeling inspired, went to the library to borrow a set of Chinese Grottoes. The books contained colored sculptures and murals from 26 caves dating from the Northern Liang to the Northern Zhou dynasties, along with related academic papers. It would cost over a thousand to buy on the market.

Hua Ting was not far from the south gate of the university. He put the books in his backpack and walked out of the campus gate. At the entrance of Hua Ting, he ran into someone.

Luo Na walked into the residential complex, arm in arm with her father. She was a little surprised to see Ji Wei. “Ji Wei, you live here too?”

Most of the students at Yan University came from well-off families, but very few had the means to buy a place in Hua Ting.

Ji Wei wasn’t close with Luo Na, so he just nodded slightly and walked towards Building A.

Luo Na’s father suddenly asked, “Is he the Ji Wei you were just telling me about?”

Luo Na mumbled a “mhm.” “I heard he became an internet celebrity after being on a variety show. He probably earned the money to buy the apartment.”

“He seems to be heading towards Building A,” Luo Na’s father said, looking in the direction Ji Wei had left.

“Building A?”

Luo Na’s eyes showed surprise. Hua Ting’s Building A faced the river and was next to the lake, offering excellent scenery. Its price was several times higher than the other buildings. It had been completely bought out by a big shot before it even went on sale. It was said that the big shot liked peace and quiet.

“I won’t object if you want to pursue an academic career,” Luo Na’s father said, noticing his daughter’s astonishment. His tone was earnest. “But you still have to deal with people. I’ve learned one thing from my years in business: don’t look down on anyone because of your own sense of superiority.”

“Who can predict the ups and downs of life?”

Luo Na was silent for a moment, then nodded.

When Ji Wei got home, Lu Shenxing was out. He went to the study and began to copy the Dunhuang murals from the art album. Without mineral pigment paint on hand, he temporarily used sketches to outline the shapes. Many people would find copying tedious, but he didn’t. The fixed lines and colors gave him an inexplicable sense of peace. He just needed to draw them stroke by stroke without overthinking.

It was already eleven o’clock when he finished painting. Just as he put down his brush, his phone suddenly rang.

—Fanzhou Games.

Fanzhou Games could be said to be the best standalone game company in the country. While other domestic standalone game companies were still focused on small-budget games, it had already begun to venture into major 3D productions.

He answered the call. A young woman’s voice came through the phone. “Hello, Ji Wei. I’m Qu Wei, the marketing director of Fanzhou Games. The company would like to invite you to endorse our upcoming new game, The Age of Great Contention. I was wondering if you’d be interested?”

The Age of Great Contention? Ji Wei couldn’t help but stand up from his seat. This game was slated to be the best domestic game of the second half of the year. It was rare for a game to be set in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, an age of great contention where a hundred schools of thought flourished.

He had been looking forward to this game for a long time.

There was no answer from the other end of the line, and Qu Wei grew a little worried. Someone had previously recommended Ji Wei to Director Wang, and Director Wang thought he was a good fit. At that time, Ji Wei only had a little over a million Weibo followers, so he was just a minor streamer with some popularity. No one thought he would refuse. But after the marketing department went through its evaluation process, Ji Wei’s Weibo follower count was now close to four million. She didn’t know if Ji Wei would agree.

“We’re planning to shoot a commercial. The endorsement fee is five hundred thousand. If you’re not satisfied, I can ask if we can raise it to six hundred thousand,” Qu Wei offered hesitantly.

“No need to raise the price,” Ji Wei shook his head. “But can I make one request?”

Qu Wei was overjoyed. “Go ahead.”

“Can I get an early access copy to play?”

Ji Wei asked embarrassedly.

Qu Wei chuckled. She had thought it was something serious. “Of course, you can.”

After agreeing with Qu Wei to shoot the commercial tomorrow morning, Ji Wei washed up and prepared to rest. He checked the guest rooms and saw that the custom-made blankets had not yet arrived, so he had no choice but to sleep in the master bedroom. He lay in bed for a long time before he started to feel sleepy. In a daze, he heard the bedroom door slowly open, followed by the sound of a wheelchair rolling over the wooden floor.

Squeak, squeak—

Then, he smelled the faint scent of alcohol on the man. He closed his eyes and unconsciously asked, “Did you drink?”

“Half a glass of sweet champagne.”

“Was it good?”

Ji Wei was half-asleep.

“Want to find out?”

Lu Shenxing’s breath was low.

Ji Wei gave a very faint “mhm.”

“Open your mouth.”

The man suddenly said.

His words came so unexpectedly that Ji Wei subconsciously parted his lips. In the next second, the man’s warm lips covered his. Lu Shenxing’s kisses were always extremely aggressive, a stark contrast to his usual cold and ascetic demeanor. Ji Wei let out a muffled whimper, but the only response he got was an even deeper kiss. He was constantly pressed and taken from, and the air grew thin.

In the darkness, he couldn’t see anyone. He could only hear the wet sounds of their lips and tongues intertwining. “Do you know now?”

After an unknown amount of time, the man finally released him. His warm breath fanned across his neck as he asked slowly in his ear. Finally able to breathe fresh air, Ji Wei didn’t even hear what he asked, just “mhm-ed” in a half-dreaming state. He thought it was over, but unexpectedly, the man’s lips landed on his neck again.

The next day, when Ji Wei woke up with dark circles under his eyes, only one thought filled his mind: raising the legal age of marriage was absolutely necessary. Otherwise, he had to study during the day and “study” at night. Ji Wei sighed sorrowfully.

***

Nine o’clock, Jimei Building.

Ji Wei walked into the elevator. Fanzhou had sent him a text message informing him that the commercial would be filmed on the 41st floor of Jimei Building. There were two other people in the elevator. Just as he was about to press the button for the 41st floor, he saw that it had already been pressed. He retracted his hand and waited for the elevator to ascend slowly.

“You’re Ji Wei, right?”

Suddenly, a handsome young man recognized him. His tone was very familiar, but Ji Wei couldn’t remember where he had seen him before.

The young man seemed to notice his unfamiliarity and extended his hand to introduce himself. “I’m Gu Huaiyi from Bilibili. I really like your game videos.”

This was the first time Ji Wei had met Gu Huaiyi. His looks weren’t stunning, but he gave off a very friendly vibe, and his speech and mannerisms were as refreshing as a spring breeze.

“Sorry, I didn’t recognize you at first.”

Ji Wei shook his hand.

Gu Huaiyi shook his head and said it was fine. He glanced at the elevator floor indicator and suddenly asked, “Are you also here to shoot a commercial on the 41st floor today?”

“Yes.”

Ji Wei nodded.

“What kind of commercial?” the other person asked curiously.

“This is…”

Ji Wei looked at him.

Gu Huaiyi said naturally, “He’s my agent.”

Ji Wei greeted him. “I’m here to shoot a game commercial.”

“What a coincidence, we’re also here to shoot a commercial,” Gu Huaiyi’s agent said, also having a friendly personality. “But it’s for a Hanfu commercial.”

“It is a coincidence.”

As they spoke, the elevator arrived. Gu Huaiyi and his agent parted ways with Ji Wei. When they arrived at the commercial shooting location and Gu Huaiyi was changing into his Hanfu, his agent chatted with the photographer. “What company is shooting a game commercial on this floor?”

The photographer adjusted his lens and asked with confusion, “A game commercial? There’s no one shooting a game commercial here. There’s only a micro-business commercial being shot. You know the type, a bunch of foreign names.”

“A micro-business commercial?”

Gu Huaiyi’s agent was surprised.

At that moment, Gu Huaiyi came out after changing his clothes. His agent walked over and lowered his voice. “Ji Wei isn’t here to shoot a game commercial at all. He’s shooting for a micro-business. He was probably too embarrassed to say it.”

“I don’t think so,” Gu Huaiyi said, not quite believing it. “He doesn’t look like someone who’s short on money.”

The agent raised his voice slightly. “Even celebrities are endorsing micro-businesses these days. He’s just a college student who hasn’t graduated yet. It’s normal for him to be dazzled by money. I think he’s about to play a good hand badly.”

A photographer nearby suddenly remembered something and said to them, “Speaking of game commercials, there is one, but it’s not on this floor. Fanzhou is shooting a commercial for their new game on the 51st floor.”

“Fanzhou is really rich. They booked the entire floor,” he said with a hint of envy. “The real money is in making games.”

Could Ji Wei be endorsing Fanzhou? The agent quickly dismissed the thought. Fanzhou’s reputation was too big; even people who didn’t play games had heard of it. He shook his head and said, “Fanzhou’s previous endorsers were all popular esports players they’ve worked with, worth over ten million. Why would they choose a streamer with no connection to them?”

Gu Huaiyi also nodded slightly. However, he and Ji Wei were in different sections, one in gaming and one in lifestyle, so they had no connection. He didn’t say any more and focused on today’s shoot.

Meanwhile, Ji Wei searched the entire 41st floor but couldn’t find Fanzhou. Just as he was about to call Qu Wei, he received a text message from her.

[Fanzhou Qu Wei] I’m so sorry, the shooting location has been changed to the 51st floor. I forgot to inform you. My sincere apologies.

[Ji Wei] Okay.

He took the elevator to the 51st floor. The entire floor was bustling with staff. Qu Wei, with her hair in a neat ponytail and dressed in a meticulous professional suit, walked towards him. “Hello, I’m Qu Wei.”

“Hello, I’m Ji Wei.”

He shook hands with Qu Wei. Qu Wei only chatted with Ji Wei briefly because she had a tough battle to fight today. The advertising agency Fanzhou had chosen was one of the top in the industry. Top-tier also meant arrogant. She had dealt with this company before, and getting them to change their proposal was harder than climbing to the heavens, requiring long and repeated negotiations. Although the company was very satisfied with the final product, it made her reluctant to deal with any advertising agency for a long time. If it weren’t for the importance of The Age of Great Contention, she would have sent the deputy director instead.

She watched the young man getting his makeup done. He was already very good-looking without makeup. The makeup artist’s attempt to draw on ancient-style upturned eyebrows was not as stunning as his natural brow shape. She walked over. “I don’t think you need to change his brow shape. The lipstick color is also too strong and doesn’t quite match his temperament.”

A few people from the advertising agency started whispering among themselves. Qu Wei was already prepared to be challenged. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Unexpectedly, the leader nodded. “Okay, no problem.”

Qu Wei was actually a little flattered. After Ji Wei’s makeup was done, he changed into the attire of an official from the state of Qin during the Warring States period and walked out. The young man’s features were picturesque. He wore a tall mountain-like cap, a black wide-robed, large-sleeved garment, a writing knife at his waist, and held a tablet of authority in his hand. He looked exactly like a young man who had walked straight out of the Warring States period.

The look suited him perfectly. The air was instantly quiet, and everyone present held their breath. Especially Qu Wei. Fanzhou was a game company, and most of its employees were young people. The company atmosphere was so free that it bordered on lax. The company’s owner, Director Wang, was only twenty-eight. He had heard someone say Ji Wei was good and had decided on him. It was their marketing department that insisted on completing the full research process, and the conclusion was that Ji Wei would increase game sales by 15%. Although the increase in sales was not high, considering his endorsement fee was also not high, the cost-effectiveness was pretty good.

But the moment she saw Ji Wei, she decisively overturned the research results. Just based on that face alone, she dared to guarantee that he could increase sales by at least 30%! In the following shoot, she was even more strict and meticulous. The people from the advertising agency also seemed to have had a change of heart, listening to her suggestions seriously and speaking softly even when they disagreed.

After the shoot, she couldn’t help but say to the advertising agency’s team, “Your service attitude is truly the best I’ve ever seen.”

The team leader just glanced in Ji Wei’s direction and smiled shyly. “Sister Yu has taken him under her wing. Of course, we have to take good care of him.”

Sister Yu? Qu Wei had an impression. She was a very famous person in the advertising industry who had led her team to win the Best Advertising Award in America. It seemed she was also the one who recommended Ji Wei to Director Wang…

Ji Wei changed his clothes, said goodbye to Qu Wei, and was about to leave when Qu Wei called out to him and thanked him. “Thanks to you, everything went so smoothly today. You must be very close with Yu Bei.”

“Who is Yu Bei?”

Ji Wei asked with confusion.

Qu Wei was even more confused than he was. Seeing that Ji Wei’s expression didn’t seem fake, she took out her phone and opened Yu Bei’s encyclopedia profile picture. “This is her. Do you know her?”

Ji Wei took the phone and looked. Wasn’t this Yu Xiaonan’s mother from the streamer meet-up? She was actually a big shot in the industry. He nodded. “I’ve met her once. We’re not that close.”

They’ve only met once and she’s helping him this much? Qu Wei originally wanted to ask more, but looking at Ji Wei’s youthful and energetic face, she thought that if it were her, faced with such a face, she couldn’t help but help within her means either.

Ji Wei didn’t think much of it. He said goodbye to Qu Wei and got into the elevator. Ji Wei pressed the button for the 1st floor. The elevator stopped on the 41st floor. There was no one outside the elevator. He was about to press the close button when he suddenly saw Gu Huaiyi and his agent, who had also just finished their shoot, walking towards the elevator.

So he waited for a moment. Gu Huaiyi and his agent were talking as they walked. They were also quite surprised to see him when they looked up. After exchanging a glance, they walked in.

Gu Huaiyi’s agent looked at Ji Wei’s calm expression and couldn’t help but probe, “I didn’t seem to see any game commercials being filmed on the 41st floor just now.”

“The staff informed me incorrectly. It was supposed to be filmed on the 51st floor, so I went up later,” Ji Wei explained.

The agent wanted to say more, but Gu Huaiyi quickly changed the subject. “Why did you come to the shoot alone? Didn’t you bring an agent or an assistant?”

“I don’t have an agent or an assistant.”

Ji Wei didn’t think it was necessary. Apart from being on the show on weekends, he spent most of his time at the university. Then, the elevator fell silent.

After Gu Huaiyi and his agent walked out of Jimei Building, his agent “tsked.”

“These days, which big internet celebrity doesn’t have a management company? He’s so skilled at shipping himself with Film Emperor Lu. Do you believe he doesn’t have an agent?”

Gu Huaiyi frowned, unwilling to discuss the topic further. “Let’s just have less contact with him in the future.”

***

Lu Shenxing sat in his wheelchair, flipping through a script, his face unreadable. A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties sat anxiously on the sofa, clutching a water glass tightly, waiting for Lu Shenxing’s reply.

“The script is good.”

Finally, Lu Shenxing closed the script.

Hearing his words, the middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, he became even more nervous. He stammered, “Are you willing to… play the role of Ninth Master?”

After speaking, he didn’t dare to look into Lu Shenxing’s calm eyes and quickly lowered his head. Because Ninth Master didn’t have many scenes in the script, just a supporting role, he didn’t know where he got the courage to visit and actually ask Film Emperor Lu to play a supporting role. Even a top director wouldn’t dare to make such a request. He just felt that the role was too complex, and no one but Film Emperor Lu could portray the character’s full depth.

The air was silent for a few minutes. His heart, however, was pounding like a drum. His hand clutching the water glass grew tighter and tighter, and he was seriously worried he would crush it in the next moment, but he couldn’t control his apprehension. But to his surprise… Film Emperor Lu agreed.

“If the schedule works.”

Lu Shenxing accepted the script. He didn’t see any difference between a leading role and a supporting role. He had only one criterion for accepting a role: whether the character was challenging for him. The middle-aged man was stunned for a few seconds, then became so excited he didn’t know what to say. Perhaps afraid that Lu Shenxing would change his mind, he praised Lu Shenxing from his acting skills to his character. Lu Shenxing just lowered his gaze, his expression gentle.

As the middle-aged man stood up to leave, he glanced at a piece of Slender Gold Style calligraphy hanging in the center of the living room and praised again, “The furnishings in your home are also very tasteful. Is that Zhao Ji’s Thick Fragrance Poem Calligraphy? The calligraphy looks extraordinary.”

The man in the wheelchair suddenly gave a very faint smile.

After the middle-aged man walked out the door, he couldn’t help but wonder which of his compliments had hit the mark. It must have been related to the calligraphy. That piece of calligraphy must be extremely valuable. The next time they met, he would have to cater to his tastes and prepare a copy of some calligraphy.

As he pondered, he walked out, not noticing that he had just brushed past the owner of the calligraphy. When Ji Wei got home from his evening class, he saw his idol sitting in a wheelchair, engrossed in a script, a hint of fatigue in his brow. His idol was still a patient.

Ji Wei walked over and couldn’t help but say, “If you want to read the script, I can read it to you. Don’t get too tired.”

Hearing his words, the man looked up at him, thought for a moment, and then closed the script. “I don’t want to read the script anymore.”

“Then you should rest early.”

Ji Wei advised.

“I want to read a book.”

The man suddenly said.

“Then I can also read a book to you.” Ji Wei put his backpack on the sofa. “What book do you want to read?”

His idol had a whole wall of books, of all genres, but most of them were biographies and poetry collections.

Lu Shenxing didn’t speak, but pushed his wheelchair to the study. A moment later, he came out with a thick book. It seemed to be a hefty volume. Ji Wei took the book. But when he saw the title, his face quickly heated up, his breathing became unsteady, and his expression was quite hard to describe.

—Seven-Day Prisoner.

Wasn’t this the fan work a fan had sent?

The man said faintly, “I’ve read up to page 275.”

Signaling for him to start reading from page 276, Ji Wei took a deep breath. Perhaps the rest of the book wasn’t as bad as the beginning. He turned to page 276.

—”Lu Shenxing felt that Ji Wei was trying to gain his sympathy, just as he had done before, but this time he would not be soft-hearted. He pressed forward… Ji Wei felt that his body no longer belonged to him…”

The rest of the book was worse than the beginning. It was terrible. Ji Wei closed the book, his face beet red, but the man in the wheelchair seemed not to have noticed at all. He asked calmly, “Why did you stop reading?”

“You promised you would read.”