Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 11-15

Shang Mingyu thought she had misheard, but still instinctively looked up to find the speaker. She had drunk too much, her vision completely blurred, and everything looked doubled. There seemed to be a person standing outside the door—or maybe two—blocking that bastard inside from closing it.

 

“Miss, are you still conscious? Do you need help?” the person asked again.

 

That figure didn’t seem very tall, even looked a bit thin, but his voice was really pleasant to the ear—strangely reassuring, as if carrying a calming strength.

 

“H-help me,” Shang Mingyu called out, her head spinning and speech somewhat slurred.

 

“Where did this little bastard come from, sticking his nose into my business!”

 

“Xiao Wu, what the hell are you doing? Hurry up and drag her in! Wang Xiong, go deal with that little punk at the door—if he doesn’t want to leave, then he can stay! Drag him in too. I’m in a good mood tonight, perfect time to teach him a lesson. Rescuing the damsel in distress isn’t that easy!”

 

In her hazy state, Shang Mingyu vaguely remembered there were many people in the room. Aside from those disgusting ones, the rest were their accomplices—all tall and fierce-looking. Meanwhile, there seemed to be only one person at the door. She wasn’t stupid; she knew how to choose wisely.

 

“You leave… call my brother, 188…” She tried hard to speak clearly, reaching out to grab the doorframe, trying to block the door—even if she could only delay by a second, it would be worth it.

 

Before she could finish her sentence, she felt the grip on her hand suddenly vanish, and then an arm slipped around her waist. In the next second, her whole body was swept into a warm embrace. A soft chuckle sounded by her ear, “It’s best to call your brother yourself to report you’re safe.”

 

Shang Mingyu remembered nothing after that. The alcohol finally took over, swallowing her consciousness. She vaguely recalled the sound of someone falling and screams of pain. Was it the person who helped her? Please, please don’t let anything happen to him…

 

With that thought, she completely blacked out.

 

—

 

Jing Ling had been gone for quite a while and hadn’t returned, making Jiang Sijin a bit worried. Just as she was about to send someone to look for him, she received his call.

 

“Miss Jiang, something’s come up on my end. Could you do me a favor? I’m in Room 3109—can you bring Li Yi over with you? Thanks!”

 

“Alright.”

 

Jiang Sijin calmly hung up the phone and said to Li Yi, who was sitting diagonally across from her, “Xiao Yi, come with me to the restroom.” She was still immersed in the dish in front of her, but at the sound of her name, she looked up instinctively, glanced at Jiang Sijin, then quickly finished her food, wiped her mouth, and stood up. “Let’s go.”

 

The two left the banquet hall and followed the corridor to Room 3109. From a distance, they saw Jing Ling standing with his back against the wall. As if sensing their approach, he suddenly turned and gave them a smile. The hallway lighting was a bit dim, and the boy stood backlit, his face half-hidden in the shadows, but his eyes seemed like a starry night sky—deep and captivating.

 

Jiang Sijin was momentarily dazed. After coming back to her senses, she walked over. Li Yi behind her had a similar reaction. When she snapped out of it, she started wondering: weren’t they going to the restroom? Why did they come this way? And why was Jing Ling here?

 

“This way.” Jing Ling straightened up, reached out to open the door next to him, and walked in first.

Jiang Sijin and Li Yi followed, and were instantly stunned the moment they entered. The room was a mess—tables and chairs overturned, plates shattered on the ground, and seven or eight people were piled like dominoes against the wall, completely motionless.

 

“Jing Ling, are you okay?” Jiang Sijin was the first to collect herself. She scanned the room and asked, “What happened?”

 

Jing Ling shook his head. “I’m fine. They’re the ones who aren’t.” He pointed at the group of people by the wall. “I accidentally hit a bit too hard just now—they’re all unconscious.”

 

Jiang Sijin was in disbelief. “You did this alone?” Jing Ling nodded. It took her a long while to process it. 

“You called me here to help with what, exactly?”

 

Jing Ling stepped aside and pointed to the sofa behind him. “This young lady is drunk, and it’s inconvenient for me to take care of her alone, so I wanted to trouble you for help, Miss Jiang.”

 

“Whoa—hero rescues the beauty!” Li Yi suddenly piped up.

 

Jing Ling chuckled. “Something like that. Li Yi, could you go to the front desk and get a room? Miss Jiang and I will wait here.”

 

Li Yi nodded and left. Not long after, she returned with a keycard. Jing Ling walked to the sofa, bent down, and carried the person on it into his arms. The three of them left Room 3109 and headed to Room 5116 on the fifth floor.

 

After placing her gently on the bed, Jing Ling stepped out. Soon after, Jiang Sijin also exited. She looked at Jing Ling, who stood with hands in pockets, leaning against the wall, and asked, “Do you need my help handling things in Room 3109?”

 

In the end, Jiang Sijin didn’t need to step in, because Jing Ling had found the drunk girl’s phone. After unlocking it easily, he found her contact list and got in touch with her family. About half an hour later, a man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses arrived with two bodyguard-looking men. After asking what had happened, he thanked Jing Ling and the others, left his contact information, and said he’d handle the aftermath and pay a personal visit another day.

 

Once the man’s identity was confirmed, Jing Ling handed the drunk girl over and left with Jiang Sijin and Li Yi. Neither he nor Jiang Sijin took the matter to heart, but Li Yi felt the man looked familiar—though no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember where she’d seen him. After a bit of frustration, she let it go.

 

When the three returned to the banquet hall, the dinner was almost over. Other than those at their table, no one had noticed they had left. And their tablemates, like Director Liu, were tactful enough not to ask anything. Everyone simply continued eating and chatting until the meal ended and they left.

 

The next day, the crew resumed filming.

 

That afternoon, two unexpected visitors arrived—it was the drunk girl from last night and her brother. Director Liu immediately recognized them. “President Shang, what a surprise. What brings you here?”

 

The drunk girl’s brother was named Shang Mingcheng. He was the heir of Hongguang Films, known as the top talent agency in the Southern Administrative District, and had held the top spot for years on the “Most Powerful Backers in Entertainment” list.

 

Shang Mingcheng once again thanked Jing Ling and the others, then stated his intention: he wanted to help the production. Jing Ling didn’t mind and left the decision to Jiang Sijin, since she was the investor. Jiang Sijin didn’t stand on ceremony and asked Shang Mingcheng to help with the distribution platform.

 

This was a trivial matter for Shang Mingcheng. After understanding the situation of Song of Everlasting Joy, he offered two options. One was the traditional model of completing filming before broadcasting, where he could help connect with television stations. The other was the newer online platform weekly release model—filming and airing simultaneously. He personally recommended the second and even suggested a basic marketing strategy based on the characteristics of the drama.

 

Jiang Sijin said she needed to think it over. After an afternoon of discussion with the director and marketing team, she ultimately decided to accept Shang Mingcheng’s suggestion.

 

From that point, the crew shifted from a normal schedule into super-busy mode. The publicity team went ahead, launching a sweeping online campaign. Meanwhile, the crew had to both shoot and start post-production simultaneously.

 

Chapter 12

 

After dinner, Yang Rou crouched in front of the computer. The screen was split into two windows—one was the Nanzhou platform, and the other was the entertainment gossip section of the platform’s built-in forum.

 

It was exactly 19:30, still half an hour before Song of Eternal Joy would start airing.

 

Yang Rou replayed the official trailer while replying to posts on the forum.

 

Topic: Anyone wanna chat about that Song of Eternal Joy all over Weibo for a dime?

 

no.0 Tanuki: recently there’s been an overwhelming amount of marketing on Weibo, even flooding into the homepage of my life account. I was bored out of my mind and took a stroll through the official Weibo—what was pinned at the time was the character styling photo, and at a glance, it actually looked pretty decent. Especially the male and female leads—crazy good looks. But my first thought was, damn, that photo editor’s skills are out of this world. Then I read the comments below, and suddenly I didn’t feel so good. The male lead is actually played by a girl! [photo]

 

no.1 Zhiqiu: The one in the photo is a girl playing the male lead? So handsome!

 

no.2 Drinking Alone Among Flowers: So handsome +1. But my attention’s on another aspect. The two leads in this drama are both female. Is this… yuri? No clue, but it looks impressive!

 

no.3 Moe Nana,: Whoa, yuri?! They’re really going there!

 

no.56 a4: Don’t mislead everyone, okay? I’m sort of half a fan of the novel. I saw the title and came in. Let me give a quick explainer. The original isn’t yuri—it’s your standard palace intrigue power play story. But yeah, the main characters are a little dramatic. The female lead crossdresses as a man (that’s the photo in the main post), and the male lead crossdresses as a woman. I saw the official styling photos too—probably couldn’t find a male actor who could convincingly play a woman, so they got a girl to do it. Gotta say, the girl playing the male lead is seriously beautiful! Here’s a photo for everyone to admire [photo]

 

no.57 Qiao Qiao: Totally get the girl’s beauty—makeup is on point. No idea when this weird trend started, but lately all the historical dramas have those thick straight brows from Korea. Totally breaks immersion!

 

no.1398 Tanuki: Whoaaa anyone seen the official trailer yet?! Tell me—is the actor playing the male lead really a girl???

 

no.1399 Deep Sea in the Clouds: I wanna know too, tt. The male outfit in the trailer is insanely handsome. I only thought of one phrase after watching: “A refined gentleman, gentle as jade.” Feels like I’m about to become a fan of this girl. If it’s actually a guy—never mind my knees, take my whole wallet!

 

no.1400 admin: Feels unlikely it’s a guy, right?

 

no.2596 Did Juan Eat Today: Has no one noticed how suspicious the official account’s silence is? So many people asking whether the male lead is a guy or a girl, and they haven’t replied. No way they haven’t seen it. I think there’s a good chance the actor really is a guy!

 

no.2597 Half a Cabbage: Just finished reading the whole thread—one question: doesn’t the male lead have a Weibo? If we dig around, we should be able to find it, right?

 

no.2598 a4: Replying to upstairs, no, there isn’t one. Otherwise it would’ve been dug up long ago.

no.5368 Half-Finger Sand: Why’s everyone so hung up on the gender thing? The show airs in just a week—we’ll all know soon enough. Let’s talk about whether this show might blow up instead?

 

no.5369 Qingqing: I went and read the original—really exciting stuff, but the Mary Sue vibe is a bit overwhelming and kind of cringe. Still, with the actors in mind, it’s super immersive! Personally, I think as long as the screenwriter doesn’t mess it up and the visuals of the leads stay on par with the trailer, this could be a hit.

 

no.5370 Love Zhongqin: upstairs +1, but I think one more thing needs to be added—just a little bit of acting skill would be nice. As long as it’s not disfiguringly bad, I see a hit coming.

 

no.5371 Wan, Yiyue: Speaking of acting skills—I’m not so sure. Both leads are newbies. The female lead, Li Yi, is okay—currently a sophomore in the acting department at China Film Academy, so barely counts as professionally trained. But we can’t dig up any info at all on the male lead—definitely not someone from the industry. Still, just based on that face… a breakout hit might be a stretch, but gathering a bunch of appearance fans? No problem. I think they have a bright future!

 

no.8215 Willow Fluttering: Twenty minutes to go! Anyone watching together?!

 

no.8213 a4: Yup.

 

no.8214 Deep Sea in the Clouds: Me me me, I’m in!

 

Yang Rou’s fingers clacked away on the keyboard. Between chats, she rewatched the trailer again. Suddenly, a knock came at the door, and her mom’s voice sounded from outside: “Xiao Rou, can I come in?”

 

“Mhm.” Yang Rou quickly agreed.

 

Yang’s mom pushed the door open, a bit surprised to see her daughter not playing games today. “Why aren’t you gaming today?” she asked, walking over.

 

Yang Rou replied, “Not playing. What’s a game compared to a boyfriend!”

 

“You have a boyfriend?!” Her mom’s voice shot up in pitch.

 

Yang Rou pointed at the computer screen. “Look, my boyfriend. Handsome, right?”

 

Her mom followed her finger and saw the screen paused right on the male lead’s look in menswear: white robe, blue sash, jade hairpin, tied-up hair. His features were refined, with a naturally noble air—hard to look away from. Even Yang’s mom, despite her age, was stunned for a few seconds. Then she came back to her senses and lightly smacked the back of Yang Rou’s head. “Teasing your mom again! But this young man really is good-looking. What show is this?”

 

Yang Rou reflexively launched into selling the show.

 

In a flash, twenty minutes passed. As Yang Rou talked, she kept refreshing the page. When the episode appeared on the right, she clicked play without hesitation.

 

“Mom, get ready to see your handsome son-in-law!”

 

As expected of a weekly drama, the opening was short—just a few seconds. A segment of classical music played over silhouettes of the main cast. Finally, the title Song of Eternal Joy appeared, with smaller text crediting the original author Jin Nian and director Liu Tonghe.

 

The first scene was a gloomy prison cell. In the bottom right corner: “13th year of Jian’an, autumn.” In a dark corner, someone curled up on a hay-covered bed. A person in official garb reached out to check their neck for a pulse, then stood up to report, “Reporting, sir, the suspect is dead!”

 

The scene changed to a grand palace hall.

 

“Your Majesty, the main culprit in the embezzlement of relief funds in Caozhou, Zhao Lingxian, committed suicide in prison.”

 

The next scene was a refined courtyard, a group gathered at the entrance of the main house. At the front stood a man in a purple robe embroidered with a dragon and python, dignified in bearing. The timeline jumped to three years later—16th year of Jian’an, spring.

 

The tightly shut door suddenly opened. A woman came out holding a bright yellow swaddled baby, saying as she walked, “Congratulations, My Lord, it’s a noble son!” Though she said this, her expression held some unease.

 

The man took the baby, peeked under the cloth, and said solemnly, “A grand reward!” Then summoned a servant. “Laifu, report the good news to the palace.” 

 

The screen faded to black, with a flash of white text—another jump in time.

 

14th year of Yongning, spring.

 

A new emperor on the throne after a change of dynasties.

 

In the palace, the Empress and the Crown Prince discussed going to Wanfo Temple to pray for blessings the next day. Elsewhere, in an ordinary household in the capital, Zhao Zizhen and his mother were discussing the same thing. Two threads, running in parallel—the plot diving straight into the action.

 

Yang’s mom saw the male lead dressed in women’s clothing and commented, “This girl is really beautiful!”

 

Yang Rou smiled without answering.

 

The plot progressed rapidly. By the end of the first episode, the male and female leads had already met at Wanfo Temple. Zhao Zizhen accidentally uncovered Li Yu’s secret identity. Their first meeting erupted into conflict—Li Yu tried to silence him, and Zhao Zizhen quickly came up with a plan to save himself.

 

The first episode ended there. The preview for the second episode followed.

 

Zhao Zizhen was carried in a small sedan chair into the prince’s manor, where a cold, secluded courtyard and a servant ordered to monitor him awaited.

 

After several seconds, Yang’s mom turned to her daughter. “That’s it?”

 

Yang Rou sighed, “That’s it for today. Another episode tomorrow.”

 

As she spoke, she quickly switched to the show’s official Weibo. The latest post was from three minutes ago.

 

Song of Eternal Joy TV Series v:  

We know you’re curious about the male lead’s identity.  

 

Jing Ling—second most handsome under the heavens—take it, no thanks needed. [dog emoji]

Yang Rou froze for a second, then realized,  

“Finally using Weibo, huh?!”

 

She followed the link to Jing Ling’s Weibo. There was only one other post, from half an hour earlier.

 

Jing Ling—Second Most Handsome Under the Heavens v: 

I know what you want to ask.  

I’m a guy. Don’t believe me? Check the photo. [photo]

 

Yang Rou stared at the selfie,  

completely forgetting her mom was still next to her,  

and swore out loud:  

“Holy sh*t, he is a guy!”

 

Chapter 13

 

Yang Rou got smacked on the back of her head by her mom again. “You child, what kind of talk is that!”

“I was just too excited…” Yang Rou gave a small explanation, then suddenly her gaze froze on a certain spot in the photo. After staring for a few seconds, she suddenly howled up at the sky, “Oh no, my boyfriend isn’t even of age yet!”

 

Her sudden outburst startled Yang’s mom, who landed a slap precisely on her forehead. “Always making a fuss!” After scolding her daughter, she leaned over to take a look at the photo on the computer screen as well.

 

It was a simple ID photo. The parts showing the address and ID number were covered with two lollipops, but the rest of the information was clearly visible.

 

**Name: Jing Ling**  

**Gender: Male**  

**Ethnicity: Han**  

**Date of Birth: May 1, 1995**

 

“I thought he looked a little too young when I saw him before, but I didn’t expect he’s only 17.” After reading it, Yang’s mom looked at the photo on the right side. “But this child really is good-looking. Even his ID photo turned out this handsome. Unlike yours—I’m embarrassed to admit that’s my daughter!”

Yang Rou’s face was blank as she replied, “Mom, I seriously doubt I’m your biological child!”

 

—

 

Just like Yang Rou, many people who were curious about Jing Ling’s gender followed the trail from the Song of Eternal Joy official Weibo account. Although most already had their guesses, they still couldn’t help being surprised when speculation turned into reality.

 

“Oh my god, he really is a guy!”

 

“I knew it! This kind of cuteness must be a boy!”

 

“Male god, do you need a girlfriend? One who’s three years older? As the saying goes: a woman three years older is like a golden brick!”

 

In just half an hour, the comments under Jing Ling’s Weibo post had shot up to five digits. The number of shares and likes was also quite impressive. Looking back at his follower count, it had already risen from a single digit to a six-digit number starting with a six—the growth speed was nothing short of astonishing.

After that, Jing Ling received another notification—it was the official account of the drama tagging him, along with a few of the main actors.

 

TV Drama Song of Eternal Joy V:  

 

#TVDramaSongOfEternalJoy has surpassed 40 million views just one hour after airing on the Nanzhou platform. Thank you all for your support!  

 

@JingLingSecondMostHandsomeUnderTheHeavens @LiXiaoweiGoodLuckForever @ZhangQianqian @Meng Lan @Lin Zitao… [photo]

 

The Republic is the most populous country in the world, with a total population of around 1.7 billion. Internet users account for 60%, roughly 1 billion people. Compared to that, 20 million might seem like the sky and the ground—completely incomparable. But in fact, this number was already quite impressive. After all, the entire cast of the drama were newcomers, complete nobodies. Before the premiere, barely anyone was paying attention. Even though some marketing and promotion were done later, it only lasted a little over a month. It could be said that as long as the drama maintained its current momentum, it would definitely secure a place in this year’s top 10 web dramas.

 

(TL note: I don’t know why in the beginning views were 40 million, but then 20 million, but it was written like that in the raws.)

 

Right after Jing Ling reposted the Weibo, the director pulled him away to shoot a scene. Since he would soon be reporting to school for his first year and had to undergo a one-month military training, he wouldn’t be able to film during that time. So lately, the production team was doing everything they could to finish shooting his scenes in advance.

 

While the crew worked overtime rushing production, discussions about Song of Eternal Joy sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain—countless threads popped up overnight.

 

The overwhelming marketing campaign before the broadcast brought in the first batch of viewers, and the drama’s fast pace and high-quality production kept them watching. After the first episode of Song of Eternal Joy aired, it quickly sparked a wave of discussion on platforms like Weibo and forums. This wave, in turn, attracted even more viewers. By the time the second episode aired the next evening, the drama’s view count had successfully surpassed the 100 million mark.

 

Without a doubt, this drama was a hit!

 

Among the main cast, Jing Ling was the only one who hadn’t signed with a management agency. For a time, almost every company in the industry was trying to get his contact information. After multiple failed attempts to reach him, many people started squatting outside the set like paparazzi.

 

But they soon found out that someone within the production team had already beaten them to it.

 

As the beauty rescued by a hero, Shang Mingyu had her eye on Jing Ling the very first time they met after she regained consciousness. She immediately wanted to sign him to her own company—not only out of a personal desire to repay him, but also because with looks like his, fame was only a matter of time. It would be killing two birds with one stone. What happened previously had made her truly realize how dirty this industry could be. She had guarded herself against that sanctimonious beast but failed to guard against the female companion who came along—who slipped something into her drink when she wasn’t paying attention. Signing Jing Ling was also her way of providing him with protection. After all, he was so good-looking that it was hard to guarantee no one would have bad intentions toward him.

 

However, after careful consideration, she didn’t bring up the matter with Jing Ling right away. Instead, she warned him not to rush into signing with any agency and to at least wait until after the show aired to think about it.

 

The reasoning was simple: natural jade and jade that begins to shine after being polished are completely different in value. Agencies were never in the business of charity. Even though she was the little princess of Hongguang Entertainment, she wasn’t the one in charge and couldn’t offer Jing Ling the best treatment. The only thing she could do was remind him to raise his own bargaining chips.

 

Of course Jing Ling understood this reasoning, but he was still grateful for her kind intentions.

 

And so, Shang Mingyu successfully teamed up with an outsider to screw over her own brother a little.

 

Shang Mingcheng was a successful businessman. From the moment he laid eyes on Jing Ling, he had wanted to sign him. During their first encounter, he received this reply: “Thank you for your appreciation, Mr. Shang. I’ll consider it.” At that time, he already knew the idea of getting a bargain was out the window. From then until Song of Eternal Joy aired, he never brought it up again—he was waiting, and also watching.

 

After two episodes of Song of Eternal Joy, the view count exceeded one hundred million, and Jing Ling’s popularity indexes skyrocketed overnight. All these factors combined pushed Shang Mingcheng to finally make the decision to sign him.

 

So during a break in Jing Ling’s filming schedule, both sides sat down at the shooting location to begin negotiations.

 

Shang Mingcheng had someone bring over the management contract—a thick stack of A4 paper that was pushed in front of Jing Ling. Jiang Sijin and the others had originally worried he might be tricked and offered to get him a lawyer, but he declined. As a joke—under the system’s pressure, he had practically worked every job under the sun, and of course that included being a lawyer. Although he was in a different world now, he still had the photographic memory skill he had exchanged from the system, and he had already made time to finish reading all kinds of legal texts.

 

Forget a small contract—he could go to court and win a case if needed.

 

Right in front of Shang Mingcheng, Jing Ling picked up the contract, skimmed through it at lightning speed as if playing, then directly picked up a pen and marked out all the sections that needed revision. “Here, here, and here. Also, the most important point must be added: all activities, including selecting scripts, endorsement deals, and variety shows, must receive my explicit approval before proceeding.”

 

Upon hearing this, Shang Mingcheng narrowed his eyes slightly and said coldly, “Where do you get the confidence to propose conditions like that? I admit you have the potential to become famous, but don’t forget—you’re currently a nobody.”

 

Jing Ling shrugged nonchalantly. “Confidence is something you don’t need others to give you. I know you’ve done background checks on me, though I suppose you didn’t find anything useful. I’ll just tell you directly. This coming September, I’ll be reporting to school—Yizhou Transportation University, one of the top 10 in the country. I know that’s not really anything special since a lot of students get into that school every year. But I’m different. I got in with the sixth-highest score in science in the whole province, and I chose this school over Shuimu and Dida.”

 

“I’m not saying this to brag—just to let you know that, for me, making money is not a problem. As for the adoration and worship of millions, that doesn’t really tempt me. If I can’t do things the way I want, then I don’t need to stay in this entertainment industry—because compared to that, I value freedom more.”

Shang Mingcheng had to restrain his urge to jump up and beat this arrogant little punk in front of him. He took a deep breath and calmly said, “Even if everything you said is true, don’t forget—I’m running a management company, not a charity. What if I spend a fortune to sign you and you slack off using the contract as your excuse? How do I calculate my losses then?”

 

Jing Ling rested his chin on his hand and looked at him. “That’s what negotiations are for, right? If the terms you offer satisfy me, I’m still quite interested in bringing blessings to the masses through the entertainment industry. After all, I’m so good-looking—it’s my duty to help cleanse the public’s eyes that have been blinded by mediocrity.”

 

Shang Mingcheng: Damn it, how do I stop myself from punching this guy?!

 

But in the end, his excellent self-restraint triumphed over the devil named Impulse. The two sides began a negotiation that lasted for several hours. Shang Mingcheng brought two professional negotiation lawyers and joined the discussion himself. Even so, he was gradually forced into retreat by Jing Ling alone, who managed to probe out all their bottom lines and won decisively.

 

The assistant soon delivered the revised contract, and both parties signed on the spot. Afterward, Shang Mingcheng extended his hand to Jing Ling. “Looking forward to working together!”

 

Jing Ling smiled and shook his hand. “Looking forward to working together!”

 

Shang Mingcheng secretly increased the force of his handshake, trying to get one over on Jing Ling—only to be countered immediately, leaving with a twisted smile on his face.

 

Chapter 14

 

Signing a contract with Hongguang Film & Television was as ordinary to Jing Ling as eating or drinking. Before signing, he had taken the time to look into related information, but once it was done, he no longer concerned himself with it and continued filming as usual. They shot the indoor scenes first before moving to the outdoor ones, with night scenes still to be filmed in the evenings. Almost every day, he had to get up before dawn to prepare, and staying up until eleven or twelve at night was a regular occurrence.

Day after day, it was as if he didn’t know what fatigue was.

 

The crew was so busy following his pace that they were like spinning tops. After putting in such effort, they finally managed to finish filming before the new semester began.

 

On the day the director announced the wrap, everyone’s first feeling was a sense of relief. After the wrap party, Jing Ling quickly rushed to report to school. However, upon arriving in Yizhou, he first accompanied Jing Qiu to register at Yizhou Normal University. After the airing of The Song of Eternal Joy, he was considered someone who had entered the entertainment industry. Coupled with his excessively outstanding appearance, to avoid causing any trouble for Jing Qiu, he made a simple disguise before going out.

 

But by his standards, “simple” wasn’t quite the same in others’ eyes. For instance, Jing Qiu didn’t even recognize him until he walked up, patted her on the shoulder, and called out, “Sis.”

 

Only then did she react, though she still seemed unsure. She tentatively asked, “Xiao Ling?”

Jing Ling nodded. “You’re not mistaken. It’s me.”

 

Jing Qiu looked at him in astonishment. “Xiao Ling, your face… and your hair?”

 

Jing Ling took her hand and placed it behind his ear. “Can you feel it? Just a wig and a human-skin mask. They sell these online. Your little brother is so good-looking, and there are so many girls at Normal University—I just want to quietly accompany you to register.”

 

Jing Qiu laughed at that, not arguing, since what he said was the truth.

 

The two siblings arrived at Normal University at 9:00 a.m. By around noon, Jing Ling had helped Jing Qiu complete the entire freshman registration process—enrollment, payment, dormitory assignment, setting up the bed, and buying daily necessities. Afterward, he rented a bicycle at the school gate, gave her a simple tour of the campus, and only then dropped her off at her dormitory building.

 

“We’ve been running around all morning. Go get some rest,” Jing Ling said, handing her the snacks he had bought earlier and giving her some reminders.

 

Jing Qiu nodded. “Mm. You’d better go report now—don’t be late.”

 

Jing Ling waved to her and rode off on the bike.

 

Jing Qiu’s dorm room was on the fifth floor, Room 502, at the end of the hallway. Just as she turned onto the second floor with her belongings, she saw a girl ahead of her drop something. Jing Qiu picked it up for her and noticed the other girl was carrying a lot, so she helped share the load. After asking about their floor and room number, they discovered they were roommates.

 

In college, the closest relationships are often with dormmates, since they live together day and night for four years. As the two of them climbed the stairs carrying things, they started chatting and soon reached the fifth floor. Since Jing Qiu was carrying less, she went ahead to unlock the door. In that moment, the other girl suddenly asked, “Oh right, Jing Qiu, I saw you downstairs earlier. Was that handsome guy on the bike your boyfriend? I only saw his side profile, but he looked so handsome—and so considerate too!”

Jing Qiu chuckled. “That’s my younger brother.”

 

The girl exclaimed with envy, “I want a considerate and handsome little brother like that too!”

 

—

 

After leaving Normal University, Jing Ling didn’t rush to return the bike. Instead, he rode around the campus for a bit, and only returned it once it was close to working hours. After completing the full registration process, it was already past five and almost six in the evening. Actually, he could have finished earlier, but he was recognized while waiting in line to pay his fees. His appearance was already eye-catching, and while most people only stole glances, once someone recognized him, the line suddenly stirred—several girls came over asking for autographs and photos.

 

To avoid disturbing others, Jing Ling promised the girls he wouldn’t leave right after paying and would wait nearby instead. This delayed things. Even so, he had to rush off quickly; if more people had shown up later, who knows how long it would have dragged on.

 

The other three people in his dorm hadn’t arrived yet. After unpacking, Jing Ling took a quick shower and went to bed early. And while he was asleep, what had happened that afternoon quickly became a trending topic on the Nanzhou Forum.

 

—

 

Thread title: Ran into my idol at school this afternoon—SO EXCITED AHHHHHHHHH!!!

 

no.0 RabbitLittleJin: I went to register at school today, and while I was in line to pay, I noticed someone diagonally across from me who looked really familiar. After a few more glances, I realized it was HIM—my idol! I got so excited I couldn’t control myself and just bolted out of line to ask for his autograph and a photo. His voice is so nice, and he looks even better in real life than on TV. When he smiled at me, my knees went weak. After getting his autograph, I suddenly realized how silly I’d acted and, under the surprised stares of those around me, I totally chickened out. I didn’t have the courage to ask for a photo and just blushed and thanked him before fleeing back to the line.

 

no.1 zzzzZZZZ: So jealous, OP. I saw him once at the airport, but I’ve never had a random encounter like this.

 

no.2 AhHua: Sharing your good fortune! I hope I get to bump into him too!

 

no.3 CreamRoll: Just a passerby eating popcorn here—curious who OP’s idol is.

 

—

 

no.27 RabbitLittleJin: Just got back—continuing now. After me, several other girls also asked him for autographs. One of them was even braver than I was—she didn’t care what others thought and asked for a photo. I was SO jealous and regretful! But he didn’t take the photo then—he said earlier that we were all in line and there were too many people, so he was worried about disturbing others. But he promised to wait after paying and take photos then. HE’S SO SWEET! Thanks to that girl’s bravery, I got my photo too. I instantly made it my wallpaper and I still feel like I’m floating!

 

no.28 HulaHoopNoTears: Curious who OP’s idol is. Checked all entertainment news, and none of this year’s new students at the big arts colleges have debuted, right?

 

no.29 YouCanHearMe: Lol, maybe it’s just some nobody trying to hype himself up.

 

—

 

As the thread went on, the tone got stranger. Some people started making veiled personal attacks and throwing around negativity.

 

The original poster had just wanted to share her happiness but didn’t expect things to blow up like this. Outraged, she posted the photo she took that afternoon—thankfully remembering to blur her own face.

no.536 RabbitLittleJin: Since some people insist I’m just clout-chasing, let’s make it official. Here’s the photo. My idol really is this handsome. If you can’t handle it, too bad! [Image]

 

no.537 YouCanHearMe: See? Couldn’t hold it in after all. Some nobodies these days are so thirsty for fame it practically oozes off the screen.

 

no.538 SunshineEarlySummer: These days anyone dares say someone’s handsome. I’m starting to forget how to write the word “handsome.”

 

—

 

no.666 AhNi: Seriously, do some people upstairs need their eyes checked? If this guy isn’t handsome, I really don’t know what “handsome” even means anymore.

 

no.667 ZhiZhu: OMG! The guy in the picture is Jing Ling! So jealous, sob sob sob! Tell me what school this is—I want a chance to bump into him too!

 

—

 

Jing Ling had no idea about the drama unfolding on the forum. After the new student registration ended, the month-long military training began. At Yizhou University, the training was always held within the military unit itself. On the morning of September 5th, the campus was packed with buses that transported the new students in batches to the base. After getting settled in, the training began the next morning.

After a full morning of drills, Jing Ling realized something—his instructor seemed to be targeting him. But it didn’t make sense. They had no prior contact, didn’t even know each other. There was no reason for him to be singled out. Because of this, Jing Ling wasn’t sure if he was imagining things.

 

But something that happened that afternoon confirmed it: the instructor was targeting him.

 

The weather that day was perfect—clear skies, no clouds, and a blazing sun that felt like it could roast someone alive.

 

The girl standing in front of Jing Ling couldn’t handle the heat and suddenly fainted. Reacting quickly, he caught her before she hit the ground, picked her up in his arms, and rushed her to the shade while shouting, “Reporting, Instructor! Someone’s fainted from heatstroke!”

 

After delivering the girl to the medical room, Jing Ling returned to continue training—only to be called aside by the instructor.

 

“Kid, you’re pretty good at playing the hero, huh? Ran real fast just now. Since you like running so much, go do 20 laps around the training field. You can rest when you’re done. If you can’t finish, don’t bother eating dinner.”

 

Twenty laps wasn’t a big deal to Jing Ling, but he wasn’t about to let it slide. Smiling faintly, he looked at the instructor and asked, “Instructor, even when interrogating a prisoner, you still need to sign a statement. You’re targeting me like this—you could at least give me a reason, right?”

 

Chapter 15

 

“No need to ask why. You just need to obey!” the instructor said expressionlessly.

 

“Are you sure?” Jing Ling slightly raised his head to look at him.

 

The instructor stood at 185 cm tall, his posture straight as a pine, towering over Jing Ling as he looked down coldly. “Enough nonsense! Stand straight. Take your hands out of your pockets. What kind of attitude is this, slouching around like that!”

 

“Oh.” Jing Ling lazily responded, but his movements were sharp and precise. He lifted his chest and pulled in his abdomen, brought his heels together, legs straight, shoulders level, arms naturally hanging down, fingers together and slightly bent, thumbs touching the second joint of the index fingers, and middle fingers aligned with the seams of his camouflage pants. His eyes looked straight ahead, his voice loud and clear, “Awaiting your instruction, Instructor!”

 

It was a textbook-perfect military stance. Even with the most critical eye, the instructor couldn’t find a single flaw. He snorted with displeasure, raised a hand, and pointed toward the training field. “Twenty laps. You rest when you’re done. If you don’t finish before mealtime, forget about dinner this afternoon! And don’t even think about slacking off or running just half a lap. I’ll be right here watching you the whole time! Now, scram!”

 

“Sorry, I know how to walk, run, and jump, but I don’t know how to ‘scram’. Why don’t you demonstrate it for me, Instructor?” Jing Ling couldn’t help throwing in a jab as he turned to leave. Seeing the instructor’s thick brows knit together instantly and his muscular arms raise, the camouflage short sleeves unable to hide the bulging muscles, Jing Ling took off running at once. As he ran, he waved mockingly behind him, deliberately provoking. Sure enough, moments later, the instructor’s furious roar came from behind, “You little bastard!”

 

The military training field had a standard 400-meter track—20 laps meant 8 kilometers. These days, most students would be panting like dogs just from running 800 meters, so increasing the distance tenfold was basically murder. But for Jing Ling, this was no problem at all. After all, his body had been enhanced by the system and was abnormally strong. Plus, one of the heroines he once guided had aimed to become a track and field queen, and as her coach, he had mastered every kind of training method. He could even run a marathon, let alone a mere 8 kilometers.

 

Normally, you should do proper warm-ups before long-distance running, but the instructor had already been provoked into irritation, so Jing Ling skipped that step. He maintained a steady jogging pace along the track, arms swinging forward, breathing evenly—three steps inhaling, three steps exhaling.

 

Mobile phones weren’t allowed in the military, and he didn’t have the habit of wearing a watch. But earlier, after dropping off a girl at the infirmary, he had glanced at the wall clock on his way back—it was 3:50 PM. After chatting with the instructor for a bit, it could be counted as starting the run at 4 PM. Dinner time in the military was at 6 PM. That meant he had two full hours, or 120 minutes—plenty of time.

 

Jing Ling wasn’t in a hurry at all. One lap of slow jogging took 5 minutes. When he passed the instructor, the man sneered, “You’re so slow, are you a turtle or what?”

 

Jing Ling didn’t take it lying down and shot back, “Sorry, I didn’t study much, didn’t know ‘turtle’ was a Chinese zodiac. Also, are you stupid? I’m running 8 kilometers, not 800 meters. Running too fast is just a waste of energy.”

 

As expected, the instructor’s face twisted in fury again, eyebrows jumping and eyes glaring in rage.

Lap 2—still 5 minutes. This time when Jing Ling passed by the instructor, the man didn’t speak, just let out a cold snort to express his stance.

 

Lap 3, lap 4, lap 5… all the way to lap 12, Jing Ling maintained a perfect 5-minute pace per lap. His expression stayed calm, breathing smooth. Only a few strands of sweat-dampened hair on his forehead proved he was indeed exercising.

 

Finally, the instructor started taking him seriously. This time, as Jing Ling passed him, he asked, “Do you usually train? How long have you been keeping it up?”

 

The original host didn’t have the habit of training, but Jing Ling did. No matter how busy he was, he would find time to run a few days a week. “It’s been a few years,” he replied offhandedly, continuing to run laps around the field.

 

By lap 19, as he passed the class lineup on the other side of the field, he slowed his pace and greeted the female instructor there. Although the girls in the military weren’t as soft and cute as those outside—many people even equated them with men—in Jing Ling’s eyes, whether they were 3 or 80 years old, no matter where they were, they were all “girls.”

 

The female instructor was a strict one—rarely smiled more than twice a day. But when it came to someone like Jing Ling, with nearly perfect features, red lips and white teeth, and the ability to make those shapeless oversized camouflage uniforms look cool and stylish, even she was almost powerless. Seeing Jing Ling greet her, she tried to soften her expression and gave him a slight nod.

 

“Instructor, may I ask you something?” Jing Ling asked.

 

The female instructor nodded.

 

The final lap finished at 5:30 PM, just as everyone was dismissed for a break. The once strictly disciplined training ground suddenly became lively, with students gathering in small groups, chatting about all sorts of topics. Jing Ling walked through the crowd and came up to the instructor. “Instructor, there’s something I want to say to you.”

 

The instructor looked at him coldly. “Say it!”

 

Jing Ling smiled faintly. “Are you sure you want me to say it in front of all these people?”

 

Because of their earlier clashes, the instructor had already experienced how sharp Jing Ling’s tongue could be. Hearing this, he hesitated for a moment, then bent down and tilted his ear closer. “Go ahead.”

 

Jing Ling leaned in close to his ear and said, word by word in a low voice, “You, damn, sis-con!” Then, without waiting for a response, he immediately turned and walked away. By the time the instructor came to his senses, Jing Ling had already blended into the crowd, where everyone was wearing camouflage uniforms—it was impossible to tell who was who.

 

“Goddammit, I knew it, that little bastard was up to no good!” the instructor fumed, absolutely livid, his expression darkening. He was a large and burly man, with bulging muscles on his chest and arms. When he scowled and glared, he looked rather intimidating, enough that even passing girls instinctively gave him a wide berth.

 

Meanwhile, the culprit Jing Ling was already on his way to the cafeteria.

 

Without access to high-calorie foods, eating more rice was the best way to replenish physical energy. To maintain his stamina, his regular food intake was already astonishing. When he first arrived, he scared Jing Qiu with how much he ate. Later, during filming, the whole crew teased him for being a rice bucket, saying he must have been eating fake rice. And just now, running 8 kilometers had consumed a large amount of energy—he could already foresee the horrified looks people would give him shortly.

 

But it didn’t matter—he had thick skin.

 

In the military, food was self-served—you took as much as you could eat, and wasting food was forbidden. The dishes, however, were served by someone, and if they ran out, you could go back for more. While Jing Ling queued for food, he gave the auntie on the other side a brilliant smile, and just like that, the ladle in her hand seemed to grow eyes—everything she scooped into his tray was the good stuff, piling his tray high.

 

“Thank you, sis!” Jing Ling said sweetly, then, under the gaze of others—whether filled with contempt, indignation, or envy—he carried his tray away with pride.

 

He chose a seat in a corner, using both chopsticks and spoon, eating like a refugee from Africa. Describing his eating speed as a whirlwind sweeping away the clouds wouldn’t be an exaggeration. When he had finished about half the food on his tray, someone sat down across from him. Looking up, he saw it was their instructor.

 

The instructor also glanced at him, then lowered his head and started eating. After a long moment, he finally said, “How did you know my identity?”

 

He had, of course, asked—specifically, the female instructor from the other class on the training field. But Jing Ling wasn’t about to sell out a girl, so he started making things up. “I guessed. You were targeting me the moment training started—there had to be a reason. I was sure we had no prior contact, so I looked to recent people and events. Your surname is Jiang, and there’s a ‘Si’ character in your name—it wasn’t hard to connect you to Jiang Sijin. I don’t need to say the rest, do I?”

 

The instructor gave a cold snort. “Stay away from Xiaojin! Don’t even think about making a move on her!”

 

Jing Ling rolled his eyes. “This is the second time I’ve heard that. I admit Miss Jiang is very pretty, and I get that you all treasure your little sister, but isn’t it overkill to treat everyone like a thief? Take a good look at this face of mine—don’t you think, normally, it’s others who would want to make a move on me?”

Hearing that, the instructor accidentally bent the spoon in his hand.