Men always had some damnable possessiveness.
Even though Xia Qiange and he hadn't defined their relationship, the moment he heard her mention her on-screen first kiss, Lin Ao surrendered outright.
Xia Qiange went over to tell the director.
The director and the others looked at Lin Ao like a pack of hungry wolves, then huddled together and resumed whispering.
"Just look at that build, that face. Tsk, tsk, he's bound to be a hit."
"Yeah, bet those muscles would drive people wild even with his clothes off."
"Will Qiange's male fans abandon her?"
"You think Qiange's like other women, relying on her looks? She's always let her talent do the talking, okay?"
"True. Anyway, this is definitely going to blow up. The nation's goddess gives her on-screen first kiss to a mysterious man. That's explosive enough, right?"
"I told Qiange before that she should add a little buzz when the time was right. Never thought she'd finally get it today."
"Well, I guess it takes a Mr. Lin to make her get it."
"Hey~ Some things are better left unsaid."
"Hehehehehehehehehehehe!"
Lin Ao's face went blank. You think I'm deaf? You're talking so loudly and laughing so lecherously.
"Director, get Mr. Lin's outfit ready. No need for makeup—his skin's already perfect. Just do something with his hair."
Xia Qiange rolled her eyes too. Did I bring you all here to ship us? Hurry up and get to work.
The group got busy again.
The music video they were shooting hadn't originally had a male lead. Lin Ao had been added at the last minute.
But that didn't matter. It was a love song, after all. Whether it was about heartbreak, passionate love, unrequited love, or grieving for a dead husband, there had to be someone on the other end of it.
So his part was easy enough to arrange.
They planned to have Lin Ao appear at the end, standing with his back to the camera on the beach as he faced the setting sun.
The male lead had lost his memory and appeared by the sea. The female lead, who had searched for him for ages, finally found him there. She ran up, embraced him, and they kissed in front of the sunset. Done.
It was a cliché plot, but as long as it had enough buzz, that was all that mattered.
They spent the whole day shooting other footage. Xia Qiange really did have a lovely voice. Her ethereal tone and gorgeous singing sounded beautiful even without lyrics—just a simple "ah."
No wonder she was called the "Sea Siren."
While waiting, Lin Ao got a few calls.
The first was from Lin Dad and Lin Mom, checking in on him as usual.
"You little punk, if you don't tell Wanqing where you are, just wait till you get back—I'll break your legs! How long has it been? You just wait! I've bought eighty or a hundred new belts!"
"Son~ Your dad and I are planning to have a second child. You'd better figure out what you're going to do!"
Pretty normal. Ever since Lin Ao had secretly left, they'd kept up their daily check-ins.
And, of course, there was Gu Wanqing.
"Lin Ao~ When are you coming back? Why can't you tell me where you are?"
Gu Wanqing asked him almost every day.
This time, Lin Ao gave her a definite timeline. He'd already begun cultivating the Sun God Art, so he could go back whenever he wanted. He'd only stayed away because he wanted a few more days of peace and quiet. After confiding in Xia Qiange the night before, he'd more or less untied the knot in his heart.
This time, he'd clearly seen a chance for things to turn around.
"About fifteen days. Maybe sooner. Don't waste your time looking for me. I'm in secluded cultivation."
Gu Wanqing let out a sigh of relief. She was very worried about Lin Ao, afraid he might suddenly get killed one day, so she insisted that he text and call every day to let her know he was safe.
Now that he'd given her a definite timeline, that was enough. All she had to do for the next few days was keep an eye on Xiao Fan.
On the third day after Lin Ao disappeared, they'd found out that Xiao Fan had shown up at the Qin Family. The Gu Family immediately joined forces with the Lin Family and the Liu Family to pressure the Qin Family, demanding that they hand over Xiao Fan or drive him out.
If they acted recklessly, the Qin Family would face pressure from all three families at once. They couldn't afford the consequences. Lin Ao still didn't know whether Xiao Fan had been kicked out.
"Fine. If you dare play me, I'll turn Jianghai upside down to find you, then tie you up and wring you dry!"
Lin Ao rolled his eyes. Is that a threat? Doesn't it sound more like you're delivering yourself right to my doorstep?
You think I'm still the Lin Ao I used to be?
Woman, you just wait for me!
After hanging up, it was time for his daily Douyin routine. He'd chat with Qin Yun now and then. Talking to her was when Lin Ao felt the most relaxed and uninhibited.
The contrast was seriously addictive. He couldn't quit, couldn't quit~
He just had no idea what would happen if they ever really met. Maybe it'd be better not to. Things were pretty good like this.
Scrolling through Douyin and chatting about nothing, time flew by.
Before long, evening was approaching. Little Assistant came over to tell Lin Ao to get ready.
The makeup artist quickly fixed Lin Ao's hair. She just gave it a quick tousle, and it already looked great. She kept complimenting him as she worked.
He changed into a white linen shirt, leaving a few buttons undone to reveal his well-defined chest, and paired it with black slacks. The women's eyes sparkled.
Lin Ao stood there as the makeup artist and Little Assistant kept taking liberties with him. If he hadn't held his ground, they'd have devoured him from head to toe.
In the end, the director came over to rescue him.
The director didn't explain the scene. Wasn't he supposed to give him a script and talk him through it?
The director gave Lin Ao a meaningful look and said there was no need. He'd understand once they started filming.
Xia Qiange walked over too. In the music video, she wore a white dress. Together with her flawless baby face and devilish figure, she instantly outshone every top female star. No wonder she was called the nation's goddess.
"Nervous, Mr. Lin? Looking forward to starring with me?"
Xia Qiange trotted over with a mischievous smile, like a little fox.
"What do I have to be nervous about? You're the one who asked me to appear. If anything goes wrong, don't blame me."
Lin Ao really had nothing to be nervous about. If anything, he was looking forward to it. He wondered how Xiao Fan would react when he saw the music video. Would his Dao heart shatter on the spot?
After the night before, Lin Ao had truly thought things through. If he couldn't avoid it, he'd face it head-on.
Just like that time at the amusement park—he'd land at least one punch, even if it killed him.
This time, it was anyone's guess who'd win.
"Great, let's get started. Think we can get it in one take?"
The director had been eager to begin for ages. This was going to be a shining moment in his career.
Lin Ao was led to the beach and positioned in front of the sunset, where he stood with the sea breeze blowing against him.
He had no idea what he was supposed to do, and the director hadn't told him whether they'd started yet. So he lowered his head, scuffed the sand with his feet, and stared ahead expressionlessly as the waves washed over them.
"Good, very good. Just like that. Natural. This is exactly the natural look I'm after."
The director excitedly chattered into his headset. They were already filming.
"Camera One, hold steady and capture Mr. Lin's close-up. Camera Two, start tracking along the rail. Camera Three, get ready to film Qiange's entrance."
The cameramen quickly adjusted their equipment according to the director's instructions.
"Excellent. Qiange, make your entrance!"
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