13

Zhou Wenyu looked at the two one-yuan coins before him, trembling with rage. With a slap, he knocked Ning Luo's hand away. "Get lost! Who wants your stinking money?!"

The coins spun around on the ground a few times before landing flat with a plop.

Ning Luo was incredulous. "There are actually people in this world who don't love money."

Zhou Wenyu trembled even harder.

[What lofty, noble character! It commands our utmost respect!]

Ning Luo slowly rose to his feet, his face filled with tragic resolve.

[In that case, go in peace. I will inherit your last wishes, reclaim our lost lands, face the heavens...]

"Enough." Xu Ling could no longer bear listening to the crazed little drama playing out in his head. She told Zhou Wenyu to take care of himself, then dragged Ning Luo out of the company and back to the car, leaving behind Zhou Wenyu, who was nearly furious enough to pass out, and the production crew, who had eaten their fill of gossip.

Xu Ling shoved him into his seat. Their eyes met as she studied him seriously.

Ning Luo shifted. "Sister Ling, what's wrong?"

[Sister Ling, what are you doing? I haven't even picked up my two yuan yet. I was going to use that to buy a starch sausage by the set!]

He had not expected things to get so complicated before coming here. He had skipped breakfast and was hungry enough to eat a cow.

Xu Ling wanted nothing more than to smack him upside the head.

Was that the important part?

Shouldn't the important questions be how Ning Luo knew about Wang Jiang and Zhou Wenyu, and why she could suddenly hear his thoughts?

Xu Ling looked grave. "Ning Luo, let me ask you something. Have you noticed anything unusual around you lately?"

"Huh? What kind of unusual?"

Ning Luo felt that Xu Ling was standing too close to him. That was not good. He turned his eyes aside to avoid looking directly at her, and his gaze happened to land on a huge billboard on a building outside the window.

The male model was showing off his neat eight-pack abs and muscular body, holding a can of protein powder as he smiled at the camera.

Ning Luo swallowed, his eyes fixed on that body full of muscle.

[What a, what a textbook bullfrog!]

Xu Ling followed his gaze to the model's bulging muscles. After a moment of silence, she quietly released Ning Luo and wore a grave expression.

Ning Luo had already imagined the steaming, fragrant, spicy bullfrog hotpot entering his mouth. When he suddenly realized the person beside him had gone quiet, he looked over in confusion and met Xu Ling's hesitant gaze. Tilting his head, he blinked his wide eyes. "Hm? Sister Ling, what do you want to say?"

Xu Ling slowly shook her head and chose her words carefully. "Nothing. I have no more questions. Ning Luo," she called, hesitating slightly out of fear of provoking him, "being a celebrity really is mentally stressful. You need to get regular counseling. If anything upsets you, make sure you tell me, understand?"

Ning Luo did not quite understand why the topic had suddenly shifted there, but he obediently answered, "I understand."

He looked well-behaved. His eyes were round and youthful, his gaze clear and soft, making him seem even younger. His confused yet obedient nod was enough to make people's hearts melt, leaving them wishing they could place the best things in their hands before him and let him choose whatever he wanted.

Xu Ling was no exception. Her heart softened, and she added another reminder. "Don't take the bad comments online to heart. No celebrity goes without being criticized. Haters are fans too."

Ning Luo's eyes darted around. "Okay, I understand, Sister Ling."

Xu Ling leaned back and told the driver to take them to the magazine shoot.

If she had known Ning Luo better, she would have realized that expression was anything but simple.

While she was not paying attention, Ning Luo pulled out his phone and searched his own name.

He had only briefly looked through what this account had posted and how many followers it had. In his previous life, he had been an actor rather than an idol, so he had never cared much about this and rarely went online.

Three million followers, with barely over ten thousand comments and reposts. There were probably quite a few bot accounts and fake followers mixed in.

Ning Luo opened the comments section to see what his fans were saying.

[Everyone, let's crowdfund Pinduoduo cuts! One more cut today means Ning Luo leaves the industry one day sooner. Do good deeds, earn virtue, amen.]

[Why did "July Is Not Far" replace Ning Xibai with Ning Luo? It's extremely unfriendly to my eyes. I need dish soap to get the grease off after watching him.]

[Ning Luo's practically dead lately. He doesn't even post selfies to keep up appearances. His looks fans are almost all gone.]

These were the passersby who came by every day to kick him while he was down.

[A resource-backed nobody still has the nerve to stay in the industry? Disgusting. 🤮]

[Flops really love stirring up trouble. Shallow ponds have lots of turtles. You green-shelled turtle really are standing out.]

[@TV drama "July Is Not Far," why haven't you posted to clarify the casting issue? Are you confirming that someone used shady means to steal the role? You and Ning Luo's crew can rot in the mud together. Stay tied together and die together.]

These were Ning Xibai's fans.

Ning Luo got a headache looking at their evaluations of the original owner.

He thought for a moment, then cautiously replied.

Everyone, let's crowdfund Pinduoduo cuts! One more cut today means Ning Luo leaves the industry one day sooner. Do good deeds, earn virtue, amen.

—[Ning Luo V: I'll help you out. I also want to retire early and enjoy a beautiful life.]

Why did "July Is Not Far" replace Ning Xibai with Ning Luo? It's extremely unfriendly to my eyes. I need dish soap to get the grease off after watching him.

—[Ning Luo V: Remember to use Baoshu dish soap. Natural plant formula, food-grade assurance, a ten-year promise, all for cleanliness.]

That was right, it was one of his endorsements.

Ning Luo's practically dead lately. He doesn't even post selfies to keep up appearances. His looks fans are almost all gone.

—[Ning Luo V: I only have eighty years left to live. Rounded up, you can consider me already dead. 🌹🫂]

Look at that polite, appropriate wording. That subtle promotion.

No fluff, just pure skill.

Ning Luo was extremely satisfied. By the time he had picked through the comments and finished replying, the car had arrived.

He put away his phone and prepared to work, completely unaware of the enormous uproar his replies had caused online.

The netizens he had replied to clicked into Weibo with bewildered expressions, then stared at the comments in speechless disbelief.

What the hell, was Ning Luo sick?!

While Ning Luo was putting on makeup and changing clothes, #NingLuo'sBeautifulMentalState# shot up the trending searches.

Meanwhile, Ning Luo was struggling to squeeze into his period costume in the dressing room.

Xu Ling had already explained the shoot's theme to him. Since he would be working with an award-winning actor, she was extra cautious and repeated, "You should have seen Teacher Lu's film. It was Black-and-White Twins, where he played two roles by himself. That's also the theme of this shoot."

"And you're the mute servant who causes the younger brother to fall to darkness. You have the fierce loyalty to die for your master. You are the purest and most intense form of goodness..."

After finishing, she asked Ning Luo, "Can you do it?"

It would be a lie to say he was not nervous. After all, he was acting alongside the youngest Triple Crown Best Actor.

Even if it was only a simple magazine shoot.

There was a rare seriousness in Ning Luo's eyes as he nodded. "I can do it. No problem."

The makeup and hair stylist working on him pursed her lips in a smile. Though she said nothing, her expression said everything.

What acting skill could Ning Luo possibly have? He did not even have camera presence. Saying there was no problem was just nonsense, pretending to be tougher than he was.

Only the secretary Ning Yang had sent to back him up nodded in complete agreement and adjusted his glasses. "If you say there's no problem, then there's definitely no problem."

Even if there was a problem, money could smash it into not being a problem.

The secretary swept a warning gaze around the room. Everyone who met his eyes quickly lowered their heads.

After Ning Luo was ready, he headed to the shooting location. Someone bold enough sidled up to the secretary and asked, "Is Ning Luo President Ning's distant relative?"

The secretary corrected him, "Not a relative. His biological younger brother."

"Huh? Isn't the Ning Family's second young master Ning Xibai?"

The secretary saw through the person's thoughts at once and coldly said, "Young Master Ning Luo is the second young master now."

-

The moment Ning Luo arrived at the shooting site, he saw Lu Tingzhou beneath the spotlights.

Unlike his modern styling, the period costume fully brought out Lu Tingzhou's elegant bone structure. His long brows were like swords, his nose high and straight. His features were charming yet aloof, devoid of warmth, like a clear, cold moon soaking through an icy pool. Dressed in flowing white robes, he held a black chess piece over the board.

[When people ask me what in this world is perfect. Me: Lu Tingzhou.]

Lu Tingzhou's hand paused in midair for a second. He followed the sound, and when he saw Ning Luo, the corners of his lips curled soundlessly.

Oh, the little one was here.

When Ning Luo saw him look over, he immediately stood at attention, determined to leave the best possible impression. He wore a standard professional smile, revealing his little canine teeth, ten times brighter than sunlight. "Hello, Teacher Lu."

Lu Tingzhou smiled. "I'm not used to hearing you call me that."

"Huh?" Ning Luo scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Have I called Teacher Lu something else before?"

"Not exactly. It's just that you look like a friend of mine, so hearing you call me something so formal feels strange. Why don't you call me—" Lu Tingzhou deliberately paused there, drawing out the last word.

[Husband! I'll call you husband myself!]

"Call me Brother. I'm older than you."

Ning Luo obediently nodded. He pressed his rosy lips together, then smiled softly with those round kitten-like eyes. Looking shy and reserved, he called, "Brother Tingzhou."

[Brother Tingzhou, hahaha, Brother Tingzhou! One small step for me today, one giant leap for humanity tomorrow! Calling him brother is great. Crazy, completely crazy! I'm an elephant lifting its leg, I'm a spider bending at the waist, I'm Crow sitting on an airplane while a giant axe chops down a tree!]

Xu Ling, who had just entered, nearly twisted her ankle.

"Mm." Lu Tingzhou smiled.

Ning Luo was not sure if it was his imagination, but he felt as though Lu Tingzhou's smile had deepened slightly.

Xu Ling carefully observed Lu Tingzhou's expression and found nothing unusual. She let out a long breath of relief. It seemed only she could hear Ning Luo's thoughts.

Afraid something unexpected might happen, she gave Ning Luo a push. "It's starting. Go on."

They had chosen an unopened ancient village as the outdoor shooting location. After filming at the foot of the mountain, they still had to go up. There was a stunning waterfall there, but they first had to cross a wooden plank bridge made of ropes. A valley lay below it. The bridge was not long, but because it had fallen into disrepair, it constantly creaked as though it could not bear the weight.

The moment Ning Luo stepped onto it and glanced down, he immediately shut his eyes. His eyelashes trembled nonstop as he clenched his hands into fists and gripped the hem of his sleeve.

"Scared?" Lu Tingzhou noticed.

"How could I be?" Ning Luo stubbornly refused to admit it. "I'm just not used to suddenly leaving the ground and rising more than ten meters into the air."

What a fresh new definition of acrophobia.

Lu Tingzhou raised a brow but did not expose him.

"Walk on the inside," he said, his clear voice carrying concern. "Come here. I'll give you a hand."

Lu Tingzhou had always been gentle and polite in public, so the gesture was not abrupt. Yet Ning Luo felt uncomfortable. He did not want to be looked down upon or leave a bad impression.

He looked at the long, jade-like fingers spread before him and painfully resisted the temptation of male beauty. "No need. I can do it myself."

Then, somewhat irritably, he asked, "Is there only one way up the mountain? Isn't there another route?"

Lu Tingzhou said, "Not exactly. There are two paths. It's not as though there's no way forward."

Ning Luo's eyes instantly lit up.

Before he could ask further, Lu Tingzhou smiled and slowly added, "The other is a dead end."

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