Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 111-115

The so-called “doing good ideological work” was actually maintaining stability. The petition and stability maintenance work was already strictly managed on a daily basis. Whenever there was some meeting to be held above, related documents would come down one after another, requiring strengthened shifts and daily reporting of all kinds of information. Strictly speaking, this was originally the work of the Mass Work Station, but because the target of concern was rather special, it was handed over to the Women’s Federation to handle.

 

In a remote mountain village of a remote township, the roads were unimaginably difficult to walk. The concrete road only reached the village entrance, beyond that was the original dirt road. At a glance, one could still see many old tiled houses, walls built by irregular stones wrapped with mortar, and clumps of wild grass growing by the walls occasionally. There were old-style double wooden doors, a wooden threshold, and faded door god posters pasted on the door.

 

From time to time, the barking of dogs echoed out.

 

It had rained in the morning, and water had accumulated in the potholes of the road.

 

Accompanying Yunshu this time was a colleague who had previously worked in the Women’s Federation. Before they came, the colleague had already warned Yunshu that the mountain roads were hard to walk and it was best to wear sneakers. Although she was mentally prepared, it was only after arriving at the place that Yunshu realized how terribly difficult these mountain roads were to walk.

 

The person they needed to comfort, Zeng Li, did not live in the populated part of the village, but far up on the hillside, surrounded by forest. A small path led upward, the weeds along the path almost reaching knee-height. It hadn’t been long since it rained, the road was slippery, and the dewdrops on the grass were heavy. After climbing up from the foot of the mountain to Zeng Li’s house, the pants below their knees were so wet they could almost drip water.

 

On the road, Yunshu walked while asking the colleague about the specific situation.

 

“Zeng Li’s situation is a bit special. She originally married her current husband Liu Dachao’s older brother, Liu Dakun. The two were together for five years, then Liu Dakun slipped while carrying corn in the fields and rolled down from the mountain, falling to his death. The two had a son, Liu Facai. When Liu Dakun died, the child was only three. The villagers thought it would be tough for a widow with a child to survive, plus the Liu family was poor, and Liu Dachao, the younger brother, couldn’t settle his marriage for years. After some discussion, they just paired the two together. But whether with Liu Dakun or Liu Dachao, they never got a marriage certificate. It was only in recent years, when free compulsory education became widespread and school enrollment required household registration, that they thought of getting the marriage certificate and registering the child.”

 

“Zeng Li and Liu Dachao also had children, but both were girls. She injured her body during the second birth and couldn’t have any more children after that. That’s the root of the problem. Liu Dachao wanted a son, but his wife couldn’t give birth anymore, and he didn’t have money to marry another woman. The only son was his brother’s. Because of this, villagers privately ridiculed him, saying he was incapable. Liu Dachao endured long-term psychological torment and later became addicted to alcohol. When he wasn’t drunk, he was okay, but once drunk, his mind would get muddled, and he’d hit Zeng Li.”

 

Hearing this, Yunshu interrupted the colleague, “What kind of psychological torment did Liu Dachao endure?”

 

The colleague replied as they walked, “Wanting a son isn’t wrong. He’s usually an honest farmer. Only when he gets drunk does he hit her, and it’s just a couple of light pushes. The next day, when he sobers up, he’ll apologize to Zeng Li.”

 

“Even if it’s just a couple of light pushes, that’s still domestic violence! Do you know domestic violence is illegal?!” Yunshu stopped walking at once.

 

The colleague didn’t take it seriously. “Illegal? In this kind of remote countryside, it’s not like the cities where everything’s so particular. What family doesn’t have some quarrels?”

 

“If there are disagreements, can’t they talk it out? What’s the mouth for? They’re not animals that only know how to hit people. Even if Zeng Li did something wrong, he still has no right to hit her!”

 

The colleague was visibly displeased hearing this. She also stopped walking, looking at Yunshu with some impatience. “You’re just a young girl, what do you know? Once you’re married, you won’t talk like that.” After speaking, she pointed ahead. Amidst the trees, there was a somewhat dilapidated tiled house. “That’s Zeng Li’s house. Liu Dachao went to the town to work, only she and the children are at home. You go by yourself. I’ve got things to do, I’m heading back. When you’re done, call Da Lei. If you don’t know him, let Zeng Li take you down.”

 

After speaking, the colleague really turned and left.

 

Yunshu watched her figure disappear around the bend, then curled her lips indifferently and walked toward Zeng Li’s house.

 

Approaching, she saw a thin woman sitting under the eaves, wearing outdated, shabby clothes. Her face was expressionless, her eyes vacant, as if she were lost in thought.

 

Yunshu walked closer and softly asked, “Hello, are you Zeng Li?”

 

The woman snapped back to her senses. Seeing a stranger, she seemed nervous, pursed her lips, and looked at Yunshu.

 

“I’m a staff member from the Women’s Federation office of the Chashan Government…” Yunshu introduced herself, but before she could finish, Zeng Li’s eyes widened abruptly, and her emotions flared up instantly. “Get out! Get out of my house! I’m not crazy! What happened to Hu Wei is real! Don’t even think about making me change my statement!”

 

On the road, Yunshu and the colleague had already argued over the domestic violence issue, but the real reason Zeng Li needed comforting was because of a girl named Hu Wei.

 

“Zeng Li, calm down. I’m not here to make you change your statement. I just want to know what exactly happened back then.” Yunshu retreated a few steps, standing a meter away from Zeng Li.

 

But a person in an agitated state was usually hard to reason with. Zeng Li sat on the small stool under the eaves, cursing non-stop, cursing everyone, but gradually, her voice weakened, eventually turning into sobs.

 

“I didn’t deliberately stay silent. It’s that they wouldn’t let me talk, or they’d drive my whole family out…”

 

Yunshu spent a long time comforting her before Zeng Li finally recounted what happened back then.

The road connecting the village to the outside was only built in recent years. Years ago, Shan’ao Village only had a narrow, rugged dirt road leading outside. People could only go in and out on foot or using oxen and horses. Moreover, Shan’ao used to be an independent village called Liu Family Village because everyone there had the surname Liu. Such remote and backward places were so hard to access that you might not see two outsiders in an entire year.

 

About nine years ago, a young couple came to the village. The man was called Lin Peng, the woman was called Hu Wei. They weren’t locals, rumored to be from a neighboring prefecture, saying they came to support mountain area education. They brought some books and stationery, taught for a few days, seemingly serious about it, but not long after, something happened. One morning, when Hu Wei woke up, Lin Peng was gone. The villagers searched everywhere but couldn’t find him.

 

“Of course they couldn’t. He left Liu Family Village overnight. How could she find him in the village!”

 

It wasn’t the first time Zeng Li had seen Lin Peng. But the previous times he came, although his name always included “Peng,” his surname kept changing, and the girls beside him were never the same. The only constant was that he always left in the end, and the girl stayed behind, becoming some villager’s wife, locked in a dark room, tamed like livestock.

 

Lin Peng was a human trafficker. Relying on his somewhat handsome face and slick tongue, he tricked one girl after another into being sold to these remote mountain villages. Liu Family Village was probably just one of his many hideouts for unloading the “goods.”

 

“Hu Wei was really pretty, I heard she was still in university. Lin Peng asked for a lot of money, most villagers couldn’t afford it. In the end, the village chief’s family took the goods, using up half their family savings.”

 

The village chief had a son in old age, but he was a fool who only giggled when meeting people. But the chief was unwilling to accept that. He still wanted to find a wife for his son. But who would want to marry a fool? So the chief personally contacted Lin Peng and asked him to bring the “goods.” At that time, several years had passed since Lin Peng’s last visit.

 

Hearing this, Yunshu’s heart clenched. “Hu Wei, she…”

 

“What else? Dead, of course. That little girl had a lot of pride, tried to run away several times but failed. Ended up pregnant. Old Liu may be old, but he’s ruthless when beating people. But after he found out she was pregnant, he didn’t dare lay a hand on her.”

 

But just because Old Liu didn’t dare hit her didn’t mean Hu Wei would submit. Her pregnancy reactions were strong, but she knew that child was her only shield. She tried desperately to escape, but in the end, she never made it out of this place. Harboring hatred that ran to her bones, she jumped off the cliff, ending her life.

 

“Old Liu spent half his family’s fortune to buy her to be his fool son’s wife, and she really did get pregnant. It looked like the Liu family would finally have a descendant, but Hu Wei took that child with her when she died. Do you know how much Old Liu hated her?”

 

He hated her so much he didn’t even leave her a complete corpse—fed her body to the dogs!

 

“Why… didn’t anyone call the police?”

 

“Call the police for what? Back then Old Liu was the village chief. Several other families’ daughters-in-law were bought through his connections. Besides, this was the Liu family’s business. Why let outsiders interfere?”

 

“Then why are you telling me this now?”

 

Zeng Li’s change in attitude was too dramatic. When the government people didn’t believe her, she got agitated, but when talking about the incident itself, she was indifferent, as if it were just a casual matter, not a heinous crime of human trafficking and murder. Of course, that’s assuming what she said was even true. No wonder the government people didn’t believe her—the story sounded far too unbelievable.

 

“Because they want to take my family’s land! Dakun is dead, but Facai is still here. Why shouldn’t that land go to Facai?” Zeng Li got emotional again. “Old Liu is dead, and they think no one remembers their filthy deeds? I saw it with my own eyes back then. When Old Liu wasn’t around, they bullied that girl plenty! The child Old Liu couldn’t stop thinking about, the one that made him die with regrets—who knows whose child that even was!”

 

At this moment, Zeng Li truly looked like a madwoman.

 

Chapter 112

 

By some inexplicable instinct, Yunshu actually felt that what she said was true. People could turn a blind eye to things that didn’t concern their own interests, but once it involved them personally, they would be more anxious than anyone else. This unbelievable matter might have been something Zeng Li made up, or it could have been a desperate move driven by personal interest.

 

“Even if I believe what you’re saying is true, you have no evidence!” Yunshu probed.

 

“Who says I don’t!” Zeng Li got agitated again. “I’ve seen Hu Wei sneaking off to the same place before, acting all suspicious. She definitely hid something there!”

 

But no matter how Yunshu asked, Zeng Li refused to say where that place was.

 

“Don’t think I don’t know you’re in cahoots with them, breathing through the same nostril! Unless you give me back my family’s land, I won’t tell you! There’s going to be a meeting soon, I’ll go cause trouble there. If the county can’t handle me, I’ll go to the state. Let’s see if they’re afraid then!”

 

Yunshu kept trying to extract information from Zeng Li, using indirect questions and side remarks. It took a long time before she managed to get a small clue. 

 

The so-called “evidence” Zeng Li mentioned was actually just her own guess. The place she was talking about was a cave. But it was already getting late today, and Yunshu didn’t have any lighting equipment with her, so she had no choice but to give up for now.

 

The next day, Yunshu came to Shan’ao Village again, bringing the driver along to that cave. It wasn’t very deep inside, but there were many crevices all around. If something was really hidden here, it would indeed be difficult to find.

 

Zeng Li had definitely looked for it herself before, just not seriously. At first, it might have been pure curiosity that brought her there. Years later, when her own interests were damaged, she thought of this again, hoping to stir things up with it. But so much time had passed, and she didn’t even know if there was anything to find, so this time the search still ended in failure.

 

It was just as difficult for Yunshu to search herself, because she didn’t know what was supposed to be here either—or whether anything was here at all. Fortunately, heaven never disappoints the determined. After thoroughly conducting a carpet-style search of the cave, she finally found something that had been buried for many years.

 

A notebook and a photograph. The notebook documented everything that happened back then, and the photograph was the source of all the misfortune.

 

Those people thought that transferring Yunshu to such an insignificant post would make everything go away. Little did they expect that this move to “maintain stability” would instead create even more trouble.

The human trafficking case in Chashan Town exploded across the internet, and Yunshu also stepped into the public eye for the first time.

 

Meanwhile, Jing Ling had already started filming. The production plan for The Ode to the Rivers and Mountains was to shoot the indoor scenes first, followed by the outdoor scenes. The indoor scenes were set at Junshan Film and Television Base.

 

The character Jing Ling played, Xie Changqing—seventh son of the royal family—had a historical prototype. The entire drama could be described as an imperial biography. Apart from the overall plot being written based on historical facts, the costumes and props also required a certain level of authenticity. It couldn’t be like some fantasy dramas that were a mess—flashy and chaotic, mixing ancient and modern, East and West. During the Warring States period, the overall attire was very different from what’s commonly seen on television today. Both the colors and styles might not align with modern aesthetic preferences. What’s more, Jing Ling was truly too young. Before the costume fitting, the production crew had been worried that he couldn’t carry off this style.

 

But once he put on the costume and makeup, there seemed to be no other word to describe the effect but stunning.

 

This outfit was the ceremonial robe worn by Xie Changqing after he swept through the six states and unified the world, establishing the Xie Dynasty and creating the imperial system. It was modeled after archaeological findings of the First Emperor. He wore a mianfu—a ceremonial robe—with a crown on his head. Beaded curtains, called liu, hung from the front and back, obscuring the emperor’s face and making his majesty seem even more unfathomable. The mianfu was entirely black, with slight modifications that added red trim. At his waist hung a jade pendant, following the custom of the time: “A gentleman never goes without jade.”

 

Jing Ling sat on the dragon throne in costume. Though his posture seemed casual, there was nothing improper about it. The beaded curtain hung down from the crown, almost completely covering his face. Looking straight ahead, only the faint curve of his lips, poised between a smile and a smirk, could be seen, inexplicably creating a sense of pressure.

 

Xie Changqing was only thirty years old when he unified the world and proclaimed himself emperor. Jing Ling was much younger in age, and although modern makeup techniques could help bridge that gap, the director had still been concerned.

 

But now, it seemed that not only did the costume suit him, his aura was flawless. The entire plot of The Ode to the Rivers and Mountains revolved around Xie Changqing. One of the reasons the production had chosen Jing Ling was precisely his acting skills. The director had confidence in his abilities, having seen his performances in The Song of Eternal Joy and The Island. There hadn’t been much time between those two projects, yet his acting had improved significantly. If the first project revealed a faint brilliance like an unpolished gem, the second already showed the captivating beauty of a roughly sculpted treasure. Given time, he was destined to become a rare jewel, shining with brilliance.

 

Aside from Jing Ling, the other cast members—including the female lead—weren’t particularly famous. Since this was a heavily male-centered drama, popular actresses in the industry weren’t going to come just to play supporting roles. With the leads being this way, the supporting cast naturally wasn’t any better.

 

After Jing Ling’s costume fitting photos were taken, the others followed one after another.

 

These days, the standard way to release costume photos was one by one, like a countdown with one photo per day. But this production deliberately imitated a minority of other shows by releasing a nine-grid collage all at once.

 

Official account TV Drama The Ode to the Rivers and Mountains V: The long-awaited costume photos are here! No teasing, all served up at once! Hurry and jump for joy and give me a kiss! (づ￣3￣)づ

Jing Ling was no longer the unknown, invisible figure he once was. As soon as the costume photos were released, the official account’s comment section exploded. Of course, it wasn’t just Jing Ling’s fans, but also fans of the other actors.

 

Xia Xia Xia Tian: Holy crap, Meng Er is devastatingly handsome! I’m so tired of the emperor’s bright yellow. Now that I see this black outfit, it seriously feels amazing!

 

Sunny Day Good Sleep: All I saw was the mouth under the beaded curtain. The lip color is absolutely perfect. Can someone skilled figure out the brand and shade? I’ll sell everything I own to buy it! Honestly, after all this talk, I just want to kiss him, no one stop me!

 

Not the Changing Clothes Nuan Nuan: First, let me kiss him, then I’ll get serious. Congrats Jing Bao on going from empress to emperor, hahaha. Before, he was one of the three thousand beauties. Now, he can have three thousand beauties of his own. Such a fast promotion and salary increase, he’s reached the peak of life!

 

Aomr First Meeting: @Xu Miao Miao is super gorgeous! Give the costume and makeup team a chicken drumstick! [Love you]

 

Strawberry Watermelon Tree: Never thought Pinecone looked so handsome in historical costume too! @Y_Yan Yun Song

 

Of course, the costume photos had been meticulously retouched. There were always people ready to make a fuss over this, spreading the photos from Weibo to major forums, claiming it was to let everyone “see the real standard,” but their true intentions were anyone’s guess.

 

When Jing Ling landed the role in The Ode to the Rivers and Mountains, tall forum threads were built in discussion. Now that the costume photos were out, they instantly triggered more chatter. Jing Ling’s looks absolutely aligned with mainstream aesthetic preferences, but of course, you couldn’t please everyone. 

Once the threads were posted, the people clicking in generally fell into three categories: fans, curious onlookers, and haters. The fans naturally showered praise, the bystanders clicked in out of curiosity, and the haters sneaked in, ready to stir up trouble. But the moment they clicked in, they were stunned for two seconds.

 

Most of the criticisms they had prepared were useless—because that face in the costume photos was almost entirely covered. But it didn’t matter; if they couldn’t mock the face, there were always the clothes, the photography, the editing. If someone really wanted to nitpick, they could find fault down to a strand of hair. But the general public wasn’t stupid—blatant, excessive smear attempts were easy to spot.

 

As the forum threads gained traction, they unexpectedly echoed the hot topics from Weibo, with people asking about the lipstick brand and shade. Eventually, the discussion derailed entirely, and everyone really started digging for the answer.

 

Among celebrity fan circles, there was never a shortage of talented individuals. 

 

Normally, the ones identifying lipstick brands were all focused on female stars. It was the first time they were trying to identify a male star’s lipstick. Lipsticks had countless brands and shades, plus the images were retouched, making it even harder to figure out. But from morning till night, with famous beauty bloggers on Weibo and forum users taking turns investigating, perseverance paid off, and they finally discovered the answer.

 

Chelsea’s latest color-changing lipstick, shade 035!

 

And it was officially confirmed.

 

The reason everyone was so enthusiastic about uncovering it was simple—there were just too many people paying attention. Whether on Weibo or the forums, countless people were instantly tempted to buy it, shouting “buy, buy, buy.” But such hype was common, and no one took it seriously.

 

Yet a few days later, when unsuspecting bystanders tried to buy the lipstick on Taobao, they found that reliable shops were almost entirely sold out of shade 035.

 

Bystanders: “???”

 

Chapter 113

 

As one of the innocent onlookers, Ren Xiaoxiao had just been recommended Chelsea’s latest color-changing lipstick by her roommate last week, shade number 035. The price wasn’t too bad, only 199 yuan. But at that time, she had just splurged on a figurine and had been eating dirt for nearly a week. She originally planned to place the order after receiving her new week’s living expenses, but when she went to the shop recommended by her best friend, she saw that all the other shades were available, except for 035, which was out of stock.

 

Ren Xiaoxiao didn’t think much of it. She searched around herself, clicked into the shop with the highest combined number of buyers and best reputation, ready to place the order, and then… it was out of stock again.

 

She was the type of person who fixated on things. Once she set her sights on something, as long as it was within her financial means, she would find a way to get it. Besides, only this particular shade from the entire series was out of stock—didn’t that just prove it was the most popular one!

 

Apart from a few people, most people have a herd mentality—if everyone thinks it’s good, then it must be good. That kind of thinking.

 

So, Ren Xiaoxiao kept switching shops. One, two, three, four, five…

 

“What the hell is this? Popular is one thing, but this is ridiculous. Are you not going to let me buy it or what?!” Ren Xiaoxiao angrily threw her mouse aside.

 

Her roommate was lying on the bed with a face mask on. Hearing her, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

 

Ren Xiaoxiao turned her head and replied, “The lipstick you recommended to me last week is out of stock!”

 

Her roommate was particularly calm. “Chelsea’s lipsticks have always sold pretty well. If the shop I recommended doesn’t have it, just try another one. Vivi-An Purchasing, Sunny Day Shop, Love of Lips—these shops are all pretty reliable.”

 

Ren Xiaoxiao had a good memory. She remembered the shop names she had just checked, and she had visited all the ones her roommate mentioned. “No, no, no, all out of stock!”

 

“…Huh?” Her roommate only reacted after a few seconds. She was lying down but suddenly sat up. “You’ve got to be kidding me. That lipstick sells well, sure, but it’s not like it’s gone viral. How could every shop be out of stock?!”

 

As she spoke, she opened Taobao on her phone and searched for it. It turned out to be true. She clicked on one of the customer service chats to ask about the situation.

 

—Boss, may I ask what’s going on with Chelsea’s shade 035? It’s selling out this fast?

 

The reply came quickly.

 

—Dear, it’s like this. That shade is the same as what a celebrity uses, so it’s selling especially well~

 

Her roommate typed swiftly.

 

—Don’t lie to me. Chelsea’s latest color-changing lipstick doesn’t have a spokesperson!

 

—It’s not an endorsement, dear. It’s just the same shade as the celebrity uses. You can search “Jing Ling Chelsea” for the keywords~

 

After thanking the customer service, her roommate opened her browser and searched. The first result was exactly what she wanted. It was a post from the entertainment gossip section of the Nanzhou Forum.

 

Topic: The color-changing lipstick that the underage household uses has almost sold out within a few days. What level is this?!

 

no.0 Lili: As the title says, anyone want to chat about this? I remember not long ago, Zhucheng Daily’s e-version boasted nearly a million copies sold in one day, the website even crashed. Back then, people said it was artificially inflated because each copy only cost fifty cents, so it was easy to boost. But now it’s Chelsea’s color-changing lipstick shade 035. This price isn’t cheap, nearly 200 yuan. It can’t be artificially boosted, right? And there’s no point boosting for a same-shade product anyway, is there?

 

no.1 Miaomiao: Front row eating melon!

 

no.2 Shengse Li: You’re already using a derogatory nickname in your title, clearly the OP is a hater of my idol’s fandom!

 

…

 

no.59 Bai Yun Duo Duo: I’m neither a fan nor a hater, just here for the gossip. Here’s my take: Jing Ling’s fans have crazy purchasing power, but I think this lipstick selling out isn’t just driven by the fans. Regular folks probably contributed to the sales too. I got influenced myself and bought one. It arrived yesterday. I tried it—it’s actually pretty good.

 

no.60 Ru Zhu Ru Yu: Idol works hard, fans put in the effort, so enviable! Hope my idol can be like this someday!

 

…

 

Her roommate kept reading and ended up getting “influenced,” not by the product, but by the person. “I want to kiss him!” She stared at the promotional still that was being reposted in the thread, sharing her thoughts.

 

So her browsing journey went from Taobao to the forum and then to Weibo. She started with the latest post and scrolled backward.

 

Poor Ren Xiaoxiao trusted her completely, waited and waited, only to see her roommate glued to her phone, addicted to scrolling, occasionally letting out suspicious giggles. Ren Xiaoxiao was suspicious. She kicked off her shoes, stepped onto the stool in front of the bed, and leaned over to see what was going on—just in time to see her roommate scrolling to a related still from the web drama The Song of Eternal Joy.

 

A young man dressed in white robes with a hint of green, reclining lazily beneath a peach blossom tree. The tree full of brilliant flowers couldn’t compare to the charm between his brows.

 

Ren Xiaoxiao mixed in the domestic anime community and her ultimate weakness was beautiful young men in ancient-style outfits. The moment she saw that picture, it hit her right in the heart. “Damn, so handsome! Is this a cosplayer? What’s his name?!”

 

Her roommate was happily scrolling when a voice suddenly rang out next to her ear, startling her so much that she almost dropped her phone onto the blanket. After a moment to calm down, she turned her head and glared at Ren Xiaoxiao. “You nearly scared me into a heart attack!”

 

Ren Xiaoxiao grinned widely. “I just got too excited. You know this is totally my type. Come on, tell me!”

 

“It’s not a cosplayer. It’s a still from the web drama The Song of Eternal Joy. That’s the male lead, Zhao Zizhen, played by Jing Ling.” Her roommate explained while picking up her phone and tapping a few times on the screen, then showed it to Ren Xiaoxiao. “This is a recent still from the TV drama Ode to the Rivers and Mountains. He’s using Chelsea’s color-changing lipstick, shade 035—the celebrity same-shade version, completely sold out.”

 

Ren Xiaoxiao’s first reaction was, “Holy crap, male god!” The still had the actor’s name and character name on it. With the name Xie Changqing and that look, she instantly recognized him as the first emperor in history—her ultimate male god!

 

As a straightforward looks-driven fangirl, Ren Xiaoxiao was instantly drawn in. So now the situation was: her male god was playing her male god, and the promotional stills looked so on point. This feeling couldn’t be described as anything short of overwhelmingly intoxicating!

 

“No, I need to go downstairs and run a few laps to calm down!” Ren Xiaoxiao felt it was all too unreal.

Her roommate rolled her eyes at her. “You’ll collapse after half a lap at most. Don’t overestimate yourself, thanks!”

 

Ren Xiaoxiao: “…We’re breaking up as friends!”

 

As a qualified manager who basically took on every possible role, Shen Ze had once been exhausted to the bone. And his teammate Jing Ling, who was stuck on the same boat as him, would stir up trouble and prank him on that very boat from time to time. It was hard enough to steady the ship and keep moving forward, but once that unreliable teammate finally won the Bauhinia Award for Best Supporting Actor and also secured the male lead role in Ode to the Rivers and Mountains, Shen Ze felt that he could finally take a proper break.

 

So, he booked a flight for a one-week island vacation. Before leaving, he gave Jing Ling all the necessary instructions and then directly turned off his phone — well, only the work phone. His personal number still stayed on 24/7. After all, in modern society, if you really dared to turn off your phone for a whole week, you’d probably be reported missing.

 

Shen Ze had pictured it all so beautifully, but reality was far from ideal.

 

In this industry, so-called “personal numbers” were only relative. If someone really wanted to find you, hopping on the next available flight was no big deal, let alone making a call. When the Chelsea lipstick Jing Ling used sold out completely, Shen Ze’s phone hadn’t stopped ringing. At that time, he was sunbathing on the beach, having a pleasant chat with a girl beside him. But call after call came through, and before he could even finish a sentence, it rang again. The girl was well-mannered; she smiled and nodded at him, “You go ahead.” Translation: Goodbye.

 

Shen Ze: “…”

 

He must’ve owed that little bastard Jing Ling in a past life!

 

When he was mad, he didn’t answer two of the calls. After cooling down and planning to call back, a familiar number called instead.

 

“Hello, Manager Gao!” He quickly answered the phone.

 

“Hello, Mr. Shen.” A slightly low female voice came from the other end.

 

Manager Gao was the marketing manager of Qiaowei. She called to discuss an advertising collaboration. Qiaowei was a new domestic cosmetics brand, a product under the Baicaotang Group. Qiaowei positioned itself as a high-end brand, but in the current market, with that price range, consumers were more inclined to buy established foreign brands. So for now, it remained rather niche. Naturally, the person at the helm wasn’t satisfied with this situation and had been trying various ways to promote it, but the results weren’t great.

 

Qiaowei’s new product was about to launch, and they were currently looking for a spokesperson. These days, lipstick endorsements were almost all taken by female celebrities, but all the actresses the company had their eye on already had endorsement deals. They couldn’t find a suitable A-lister, yet lowering the bar felt unacceptable. The search for a spokesperson led to constant internal debates, and several meetings later, they still hadn’t come to a conclusion.

 

Coincidentally, Jing Ling’s same lipstick had gone viral and sold out completely, providing the company with a new idea—if they couldn’t find a suitable female star, why not change their approach and look for a male star instead? Wasn’t there already a perfect example? And it was the first of its kind, with promising potential.

 

Thus, the marketing manager from Qiaowei reached out to Shen Ze.

 

Shen Ze: “…Alright, I’ll head back right away.”

 

Wasn’t this basically pie falling from the sky? He hadn’t even done anything, and the endorsement deal came knocking. And compared to those no-name, who-knows-if-they’re-legit brands he’d dealt with before, Baicaotang Group had significant domestic recognition. Though Qiaowei was still niche, its high-end positioning meant that being the first spokesperson was already an excellent starting point.

 

A one-week vacation, he’d managed to enjoy four days. Passing the halfway mark counted as a win. 

Besides, who would turn down money? When you can earn, you go all in; when you’re old, you can play however you like.

 

So, Shen Ze booked a flight for that very afternoon, flying back from the island, taking a night to rest, and planning to check in with Jing Ling. If there were no issues, he’d head to Qiaowei’s headquarters to discuss the advertising deal. They had agreed from the start that all final decisions were his to make; the manager’s opinion was just for reference. Shen Ze hadn’t forgotten that. Plus, it was the first time a male celebrity would be endorsing lipstick. Shen Ze wasn’t entirely sure if Jing Ling would agree.

 

But when he called and briefly explained the situation, the other side replied casually, “No problem. As long as you handle the quality check.”

 

Chapter 114

 

Shen Ze felt that he might have turned into a masochist. Jing Ling suddenly being so agreeable actually made him extremely unaccustomed to it. He couldn’t help but constantly suspect if there was some kind of scheme behind it. But in the end, he held back from saying anything. As long as Jing Ling confirmed there were no issues with the endorsement, he could go talk to Qiaowei. As for the quality concerns Jing Ling mentioned, even without saying it, Shen Ze would have strictly checked that himself.

 

Because the quality of the endorsed product was truly important — it wasn’t just lip service. In a market economy, there weren’t many things in life that were irreplaceable. In major categories like food, clothing, housing, and transportation, the number of related companies was countless, and people had plenty of choices. When two products were similar in all aspects, fans choosing the product endorsed by their idol was because of their fondness and trust.

 

After hanging up the phone, Shen Ze was ready to rest.

 

On the other side, Jing Ling was preparing to film a night scene.

 

Junshan was located at the border between the Northern Administrative District and the Central Administrative District. There were originally ancient ruins in this area. The local government seized the opportunity to develop tourism, preserving the ruins while expanding a batch of new buildings in a similar style. Eventually, it turned into a film and television city, and at the same time became the leading tourism industry of the area.

 

In November, the north was already very cold. Going out without full gear was practically impossible to survive.

 

Yet, Jing Ling was now filming a summer scene. To avoid visible white breath giving away the illusion during dialogue, the actors all held ice cubes in their mouths to lower the temperature inside the mouth.

 

Summer costumes were thin and naturally offered no warmth. While the props team set up the scene, Jing Ling and the others were wrapped in thick cotton coats, huddled around portable heaters, barely warming their fronts before their backs got cold again. So they’d turn around and repeat, just like grilling meat.

 

Everyone’s bodies were shivering nonstop, only Jing Ling sat there steady as ever, continuously making cracking sounds with his mouth. While everyone was holding ice cubes they wished they could spit out, he was chewing them like candy, one after another. When he started chewing the eighth one, someone beside him finally couldn’t hold back and whispered, “Jing Ling, can you stop chewing? Just listening to that makes me feel even colder!”

 

Hearing this, Jing Ling’s hand paused for a moment, then, acting like nothing happened, popped the ice cube into his mouth and nodded, “Sorry.” He had gotten lost in thought and happened to be sitting right next to the tray of ice cubes, so he habitually grabbed one and threw it into his mouth.

 

When Xie Changqing was a child, he was sent to the State of Wu as a hostage, suffering endless humiliation and several near-death experiences. The experiences of his childhood were an indelible shadow and disgrace in the depths of his heart. At the age of ten, he returned to the State of Wei. At thirteen, he was granted the title of prince. At twenty, the coronation ceremony was held in the royal capital Rongcheng, and he officially began to personally govern. From twenty to thirty, in those ten years, he successively wiped out six states and unified the Central Plains, establishing the first centralized state in history, using his surname as the country’s name, changing it to the Xie Dynasty.

 

The scene tonight took place in the fourth year of his reign. The Wu envoy Yan Li attempted to assassinate King Wei, but failed. Not long after, Wei sent troops to attack Wu and broke through its capital. On this night, the capital was in chaos, flames illuminated the sky above the palace, the clashing of weapons rang endlessly, and arrows flew everywhere.

 

Xie Changqing accompanied the army on the expedition, waiting quietly outside the capital.

 

This scene wasn’t easy to act, so Jing Ling had been pondering it the whole time.

 

The person beside him quickly explained, “I wasn’t deliberately targeting you, it’s just that I really feel freezing. Hearing you chew on ice cubes, I can’t help but imagine them sliding into my stomach. My whole body feels cold, like my bl00d’s frozen.” After a pause, they continued, “Seriously, aren’t you cold?”

“I’m pretty resistant to the cold.” Jing Ling replied with a smile.

 

“So jealous…” The other person sighed, then carefully turned over to warm their other side.

 

Soon, the props team finished setting up the scene, and filming could begin. The first few scenes didn’t have much of Jing Ling, just a few short shots and lines. Originally, they all passed in one take, but Jing Ling himself felt unsatisfied. After consulting the director’s opinion, he wanted to reshoot. The director hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed.

 

It was obvious that this time was much better than the last.

 

After the scene was finished, the director patted him on the shoulder and said, “I knew I wasn’t wrong about you!”

 

But this wasn’t the most crucial scene. The real highlight was still to come.

 

In history, after Xie Changqing defeated the State of Wu, those who had once been his enemies all met the same fate — buried alive.

 

This was also tonight’s final scene.

 

After over a thousand years, no one knew what Xie Changqing had truly been thinking at the time. It could only be speculated. This was also one of the reasons why biopics were hard to film.

 

Lighting, props, and actors were all in position. This scene officially began.

 

Under the flickering flames, inside the irregular deep pit, people were packed tightly together. Cries and pleas filled the air, even louder than the sounds of battle in the distance. Soldiers in armor holding long spears surrounded the pit. Among the crowd, one person stood out the most.

 

Xie Changqing, dressed in plain attire, stood there quietly, watching the pit full of former enemies with an indifferent expression. Yet, his imperial aura was impossible to ignore. Four years into his reign, this was the third nation he had conquered, and one with special significance. The situation of the Seven States vying for supremacy had now turned into Wei’s dominance alone. He was no longer the humble hostage of his childhood, but an emperor holding supreme power. Showing too much emotion in front of his soldiers would diminish his status. Moreover, when one stood high enough, what they saw would naturally differ from before…

 

Time seemed to slow down at this moment. No one knew how long had passed when he finally waved his hand and said indifferently, “Bury them.” With that, he turned and left, paying no mind to the cries and curses behind him. His footsteps never faltered for even a moment.

 

It was as if the river of time had flowed in reverse, and the emperor who had swept across the six states, unifying the land and opening a new chapter of history, truly stood here. On this night, he completely cut away the shadows of his past, no longer bound by what came before.

 

Jing Ling had already walked far away when the director snapped out of it and called “Cut.”

 

The other crew members were the same. As for the actors, they had been fully drawn into the scene. Whether it was the prisoners in the pit or the soldiers at the edge, the fear and submission they showed at this moment were completely real, not just acting.

 

After this final scene was finished, it was already late at night. The crew began packing up props and equipment. The logistics team brought over a late-night snack, especially a large pot of soup. When the lid was lifted, hot steam poured out, and just looking at it made people feel warm.

 

The director, wrapped in a thick coat, squatted beside Jing Ling drinking soup. After slurping down a mouthful, he let out a long, comfortable sigh, looked at him, and said, “That last scene, it was really, really, really good!” He used three “really”s in a row, clearly sincere in his praise.

 

“I didn’t expect it myself.” Jing Ling replied. This wasn’t humility, but the truth. Even though he had traveled through many worlds and dabbled in almost every industry, it still wasn’t enough for him to easily handle such a character. Because for people living in peaceful times, it was hard to imagine what kind of person an emperor who could casually decide countless lives and deaths in a society where imperial power reigned supreme truly was.

 

“It’s like exams — usually I fail the practice tests, but when it comes to the real thing, I perform exceptionally well and score high. It’s really just luck!” Jing Ling summarized.

 

“That may be true, but your hard work is also an important reason. Keep it up!”

 

“Alright!”

 

Chapter 115

 

When the Chashan human trafficking case was at the peak of its online attention, it also happened to be the time when Jing Ling was busiest with filming. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was working day and night. As a result, he didn’t find out about it immediately, and over on Yunshu’s side, she deliberately kept it from him. During their occasional phone calls, they only chatted about daily life, rarely mentioning anything about work. By the time he found out, several days had already passed.

 

During a break in filming, Jing Ling found a quiet, secluded corner to call Yunshu. As soon as the call connected, before he could even speak, the voice on the other end spoke first, “Jing Ling, let me tell you something.”

 

Although unexpected, he smoothly responded, “Mm.”

 

What Yunshu wanted to say was exactly what he had been planning to ask about—the Chashan human trafficking case. After obtaining Hu Wei’s notebook that day, before submitting it to her superiors, she kept a backup for herself. She took photos of each page with her phone and uploaded them to a cloud drive. Better safe than sorry, and the facts proved this precaution necessary. Not long after handing over the materials, she was summoned for questioning.

 

The topic of the conversation was her reason for going to Shanao Village—maintaining stability. Recently, Songzhou, where Chashan Town is located, was holding government work meetings. Stability maintenance documents were being issued one after another, sometimes several in a single day, with largely identical titles and content.

 

No one had taken Hu Wei’s case seriously before. After the government received feedback, they handed the matter directly to the village, and the response they got was that Zeng Li was mentally unstable and, coupled with a land dispute, had fabricated everything. The police station had also received reports from Zeng Li about domestic violence, but not long after, she retracted her statement. Back and forth like that, the case was handed over to the Women’s Federation.

 

Domestic disputes—mediation is the priority. And since someone had to go there anyway, they decided to handle the appeasement work at the same time. That place was really too remote, the mountain roads were difficult to traverse, and the previous colleague had long been fed up. Just as the higher-ups kicked Yunshu over there, that colleague conveniently dumped the task onto her.

 

At the time, no one expected things would develop into what they are now.

 

“This matter actually doesn’t need to be pursued, and it’s hard to pursue anyway. First of all, the person involved, Hu Wei, has been dead for so many years. The former village head of Liu village and his mentally disabled son are both dead. There isn’t a single relevant person left. The trafficking and rape case mentioned in Hu Wei’s notebook, the perpetrator used the alias Lin Peng, and there’s only an old photo from ten years ago. No other information exists. How do you even find him? You also said it yourself, Hu Wei’s remains were never recovered. Without a body, you can’t even establish a murder, let alone rape.”

 

“As for the other trafficked women in the village, aren’t they all living well now? They have families and children. There’s no need to break them apart.”

 

All of this boiled down to one meaning—just let it go.

 

To this, Yunshu only wanted to ask—on what grounds?!

 

She tried reporting it to her superiors, but the responses were always the same, and even the evidence was confiscated. Moreover, she herself became a key target for stability maintenance. But it didn’t matter. The times were different now. One could learn about the world without leaving home, and likewise, news could be spread to the farthest corners of the earth.

 

That was why the Chashan human trafficking case went viral online.

 

Before doing this, she had already prepared for the worst. However, things developed beyond her expectations, surprisingly moving in the best possible direction, full of dramatic twists.

 

Hu Wei’s identity was not simple. She was the missing daughter of Hu Quanyi, the current governor of Songzhou. Of course, ten years ago, Hu Quanyi was not yet the governor—he was serving in Hucheng, the neighboring province.

 

“Though there are plenty of questionable points and coincidences, at least the matter has been resolved, hasn’t it?” Yunshu concluded.

 

Indeed, this case seemed to involve a lot of luck, but Jing Ling didn’t believe for a second that Yunshu hadn’t prepared backup plans—she just didn’t have to use them.

 

“I’ll say it again—do what you want to do, no need to be afraid. I’ll always be here.”

 

“Mm, I know.”

 

It’s not only sweet words that count as love talk. When hearts are connected, every sentence can be love talk.

 

The contract with Qiaowei was quickly finalized and signed. Once the commercial plan for the GG advertisement was set, Jing Ling would go to shoot it. At that time, Ode to the Rivers and Mountains definitely wouldn’t have wrapped yet. To avoid delaying the filming schedule, the production team compressed Jing Ling’s scenes and filmed them in advance.

 

After a busy period, around the end of December, Qiaowei confirmed the GG plan, and Jing Ling took leave from the crew to go film.

 

The studio, set, lighting, cameras, and model were all ready. The shoot officially began.

 

In front of the high-definition camera, the young man’s half-naked body lay there, his head tilted slightly as he slept soundly. Beside him, a graceful young woman was applying lipstick. The camera only captured her side profile, her fair, slender fingers holding the metal lipstick tube as she carefully applied it.

 

Suddenly, her movement paused. Then, still holding the lipstick, she leaned down towards the young man and gently applied the lipstick onto his lips.

 

The young man stirred awake, rubbing his eyes with one hand, looking drowsy and half-awake. Yet, a subconscious smile appeared at the corners of his lips. His long arm reached out, pulling the girl into his embrace, planting a kiss on her cheek.

 

…

 

“Cut!” The director called, “Nancy, can you make your smile more natural and not so lovestruck?!”

 

Nancy, the girl shooting the GG commercial with Jing Ling, blushed, but her tone was anything but gentle and polite, “It’s Jing Ling’s eyes that are too seductive, how is that my fault?! If it were you, could you resist?!”

 

The director was a straightforward person and responded without hesitation, “I couldn’t!”

 

Nancy: “…”

 

After this little episode, filming for the GG continued.

 

With the first experience under their belts and the photographer adjusting the angles, the second take went more smoothly than the first, but it still didn’t achieve the ideal effect. But that’s always how it is with GG commercials. Don’t be fooled by the final broadcast being only a few dozen seconds—it’s perfectly normal to shoot for several days.

 

According to the director’s instructions, the actors constantly adjusted their expressions and movements. The support team continuously changed the lighting and set arrangements. After three days of back-and-forth, the GG commercial was finally completed.

 

The final scene was the young man facing a mirror, applying lipstick to his lips, then gently pressing them together. His gaze and movements both embodied the word “seductive” to the extreme.