The Movie Emperor's Underwear—Is It Too Tight?

The wind at the film studio was fierce, tossing Shen Huai's carefully styled silver hair into disarray.

The national movie emperor's expression was uglier than if he had swallowed a fly. His soulful eyes were fixed on Jian Ning, but after a long while, he could not force out a single word.

"Y-you... what nonsense are you talking about?" Shen Huai instinctively clamped his legs together. The awkwardness of being seen through made him afraid to even take a full stride.

Jian Ning shrugged innocently and even kindly pointed at the side of Shen Huai's extremely fitted period robe. "Don't be nervous, Movie Emperor Shen. I just noticed that your walking posture seemed a little strange, so as a former c-o-l-l-e-a-g-u-e, I thought I'd show some concern. After all, it's easy to leave marks if you put underwear on backward. What if it split open during an action scene later? That would make for quite the trending topic."

[Hahahaha! System, give me a close-up! I can see his face turning green! He really is secretly adjusting it!]

[Oh my, when Shen Huai dumped the original owner three years ago, he said, 'We must devote ourselves to art and not be held back by romantic entanglements.' Then he turned around and slept with the producer's daughter? Is that how he devoted himself to art?]

[Now that he sees I'm involved with Huo Si, he wants to play the devoted lover again? Pah! The greasy stench on this scumbag is making me want to puke!]

Shen Huai gritted his teeth and warned him in a low voice, "Jian Ning! I'm warning you, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have someone backing you now. The entertainment industry runs deeper than you imagine. A man like Huo Si will toss you away like garbage once he gets tired of playing with you. Only I truly care about your future..."

"Stop right there!" Jian Ning made a timeout gesture, his face full of disgust. "Movie Emperor Shen, filming hasn't even started yet. Don't practice your lines on me. It's really greasy. Really."

With that, Jian Ning ignored the movie emperor standing frozen in place and headed straight for the director's tent.

Though the surrounding crew members did not dare listen openly, every pair of ears was perked up straighter than a rabbit's.

"What did Jian Ning just say to Movie Emperor Shen? Why does Movie Emperor Shen look so awful?"

"I think he said something about... underwear? Holy shit, that's a lot to unpack!"

Inside the director's tent, Li Ping, the director of Azure Cloud Legend, was so worried that he was pulling at his hair.

Lin Zixuan had been exposed in a scandal, leaving the second male lead role vacant. Although Huo Corporation had ordered Jian Ning to take the role, Li Ping was not confident. Jian Ning's reputation had not been great before. Other than his face, his acting was basically on the level of a wooden plank.

"Director Li, I'm here to report in."

Jian Ning walked in and greeted him politely.

Li Ping looked up, and his eyes brightened slightly.

Jian Ning was wearing nothing more than a simple white T-shirt and jeans, yet the bold aura radiating from within him unexpectedly suited the drama's wicked and domineering second male lead.

"Jian Ning, President Huo... ahem. Since you're here, go get your makeup tested first." Li Ping's tone became much more polite.

Jian Ning had barely turned around when a man with an enormous beer belly and a face full of flesh blocked his path.

This was the production team's chief producer, President Wang.

An unruly gleam shone in President Wang's beady eyes as he looked Jian Ning up and down. He even reached out as if to pat Jian Ning on the shoulder. "Jian Ning, I put in quite a bit of effort to get you back as the second male lead. There's a gathering tonight, with several of the main creative staff attending. You should come too, and we can discuss the script 'privately.'"

He said the word "privately" in an exceptionally sleazy tone.

Jian Ning felt a wave of nausea and was about to step back when the system's voice rattled off like a machine gun.

[Ding! Urgent juicy gossip detected! Scans show that President Wang not only possesses the "wandering hands" attribute, but is also carrying a major family crisis!]

[Gossip: President Wang's wife is the daughter of the coal tycoon next door. She is currently on her way to the production set with her two biological brothers, each over six foot three, and they are carrying wrenches! Estimated arrival time: three minutes!]

[Reason: President Wang secretly used the money meant for his wife's anniversary gift to buy an apartment for an obscure young model.]

Jian Ning's eyes instantly widened.

[Holy shit! Wrenches? Biological brothers?]

[Three minutes? This isn't gossip anymore, this is an action blockbuster!]

Jian Ning looked at President Wang's wandering hand, which was about to touch his shoulder, and suddenly revealed a strange smile. He even leaned forward voluntarily. "President Wang, what's so interesting about discussing the script privately? How about... we discuss your apartment instead?"

President Wang's face changed sharply, and his hand froze in midair. "Y-you... what apartment?"

Jian Ning pointed toward the production entrance and spoke leisurely. "The apartment you secretly invested in for 'art' behind your wife's back. Oh, President Wang, look. Aren't those gentlemen holding wrenches at the entrance your wife's relatives? They're quite... robust."

President Wang followed Jian Ning's finger and looked over.

Three massive black SUVs came charging in and stopped at the production entrance. A woman dressed like the Black Mountain Demon descended furiously from one of the cars, carrying a designer handbag. Behind her stood two burly men like iron towers, each gripping a half-meter-long adjustable wrench.

"Wang Dafa! You dead fat pig! I'm going to chop you up!"

The woman's roar rang through the entire film studio.

President Wang's legs went weak, and he fell straight to the ground. "W-wife?! How did she find me?"

"Run, President Wang." Jian Ning crouched down and kindly reminded him, "Head for the back mountain. Maybe you'll still get to keep your life."

[Running won't help! The system says his wife installed trackers in every car, hahahaha!]

[It would be such a shame not to send this scene to President Huo.]

At the same time, in the president's office of Huo Group.

Huo Si sat behind his desk. On the computer screen before him was the live surveillance feed from the Azure Cloud Legend set—hidden cameras, of course.

Assistant Lin stood at his side, drenched in sweat.

Over the past hour, his president had rewound and watched the footage of Jian Ning joining the production three times.

Especially when Shen Huai had moved close to Jian Ning, the air pressure around Huo Si had dropped to freezing point.

"Are Shen Huai's recent endorsement contracts about to expire?" Huo Si asked coldly.

Assistant Lin immediately understood. "Understood, President Huo. I'll arrange it at once. We won't renew them."

Then President Wang's sleazy approach toward Jian Ning appeared on-screen.

Huo Si's fingers rapped heavily against the desk, his gaze dark and terrifying. "That Wang fellow..."

Before Huo Si could fly into a rage, Jian Ning began pulling his outrageous stunt on-screen.

As he watched President Wang get dragged away by the collar like a dead dog by his own wife, Jian Ning was even waving his little hand from behind, his smile dazzlingly bright.

Looking at that little fox-like thing on the screen, the corner of Huo Si's tightly drawn mouth unconsciously lifted.

"What is he saying?" Huo Si asked.

Assistant Lin hurriedly put on his headphones and listened for a while before reporting with a complicated expression, "Mr. Jian seems to be saying... he wishes President Wang and the wrench a wonderful date."

Huo Si laughed softly.

"Mischievous."

At those two words, Assistant Lin nearly lost his footing.

President Huo, you used to hate people this lively the most! What happened to your character setting?

Just then, Huo Si's private WeChat chimed.

Jian Ning had sent him a selfie.

In the photo, Jian Ning had just put on the second male lead's black period costume. His long hair was tied high, his gaze sharp, and he held a longsword in his hand. He looked breathtakingly handsome.

There was a message underneath.

[Mr. Huo, save me! Movie Emperor Shen keeps staring at me. I suspect he wants to steal the boxed meal I just received! [Puppy Eyes.jpg]]

Huo Si stared at that photo for a full three minutes.

His long fingers brushed over the screen before he replied with two words.

[Wait for me.]

Back at the production set.

After President Wang had been taken away, Director Li was not angry at all. Instead, he felt that a cancerous tumor had been removed.

Coupled with Jian Ning's earlier "precognitive" ability, Director Li looked at Jian Ning as though he were some great immortal.

"Jian Ning, let's shoot the first scene first. It's the scene where you and the male lead, Shen Huai, break apart at the cliff. Any problem?"

Before Jian Ning could speak, Shen Huai, now changed into costume, had already walked over.

He had taken the opportunity amid the chaos to change his underwear, and he had regained that arrogant air. With a cold snort, he said, "Director Li, I have no problem. I'm just afraid certain people won't be able to keep up with my acting and will waste film."

Jian Ning smiled and casually spun his longsword in a flourish. The movement was so dashing and crisp that even the action choreographer was stunned.

"Whether I can keep up or not, won't we find out by trying?"

Filming began.

Jian Ning entered character instantly. His clear eyes turned sinister, a cruel smile curled across his lips, and his longsword pointed directly at Shen Huai's throat.

"Lord Shen, I want this vast kingdom. And your life... I want that too!"

Shen Huai froze.

He had originally thought Jian Ning would be as nervous as before and forget his lines, but the overwhelming pressure crashed down on him so hard that he forgot his lines in an instant!

"Cut!"

The director called a halt.

"Shen Huai! What is wrong with you? That was killing intent! You should be angry. Why are you standing there like an idiot?"

Shen Huai's face turned red. "Sorry, Director. I... wasn't in the right state just now."

Jian Ning lowered his sword and sighed.

[Great Movie Emperor Shen, it's not that you weren't in the right state. You're feeling guilty, aren't you?]

[If you knew I had the hotel room numbers for all those female celebrities you secretly met with, you'd probably have a heart attack on the spot.]

Just as Shen Huai was about to retort, a commotion suddenly arose at the production entrance.

A row of black sedans drove in one after another, creating an even grander spectacle than President Wang's wife had earlier.

The Rolls-Royce in the center had a license plate number so flashy it nearly blinded everyone.

Jian Ning's eyes lit up.

[Holy shit! Why did that old Huo come in person?]

[Could he really be here to help me steal boxed meals?]

When Shen Huai saw that car, his once-proud head instantly lowered, and his eyes filled with jealousy and panic.

The car door opened.

A pair of gleaming black leather shoes touched the ground.

Huo Si stepped out in a black overcoat, carrying an icy aura with him. Ignoring the director and producers crowding around him, his gaze passed over the sea of people and landed precisely on Jian Ning.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, the most distinguished man in Beijing strode over to Jian Ning.

He reached out and straightened Jian Ning's crooked collar. His voice was not loud, yet it carried across the entire set.

"I heard someone wants to steal your boxed meal?"

Huo Si cast Shen Huai a cold glance.

"I'm taking you to eat French cuisine. Let's go."

The entire production crew turned to stone.

Jian Ning looked at Huo Si's big-shot posture of coming to support him, and he felt utterly delighted.

But then he caught sight of Shen Huai's expression, as if he were about to faint from rage, from the corner of his eye, and a plan suddenly came to him.

He wrapped an arm around Huo Si's and pressed himself almost completely against him, his voice syrupy sweet.

"Mr. Huo, French cuisine is too expensive. I can't bear to let you spend that much. Unless... you feed me."

Huo Si's body visibly stiffened for a second.

But immediately afterward, Jian Ning's inner voice began flooding his mind like mad.

[Cooperate with me! Cooperate with me! Piss this scumbag off!]

[President Huo, you're the best! President Huo, you're the most handsome! You are electricity, you are light, you are my one true love!]

Huo Si gave a helpless yet indulgent sigh. In front of the entire production crew and Shen Huai, he bent down and pressed a dragonfly-light kiss to Jian Ning's forehead.

"Fine." Huo Si's voice was low and husky. "I'll feed you."

The prop sword in Shen Huai's hand fell to the ground with a clang.