In the livestream chat:
[LMAO, Jian Yuanjia really is scared of his junior sister! How can someone be so adorably spineless!]
[Huh, is it just me? Why did I feel like Film Emperor Chu was jealous just now?]
[Then it's definitely just you. Film Emperor Chu, jealous over some unknown nobody?]
[AAAAAH, Nanchen is so handsome!! Nanchen, I love you AAAAAAH!!]
[Nanchen, Nanchen, I love you! I want to have your babies!!]
[To the person three comments up, I think Chu Gouzi really was jealous!]
[Honestly, with looks on Ji Nanshu's level... it doesn't seem impossible!]
[What's there to like about a kept mistress like Ji Nanshu? Do you people have any morals?]
[What's it to you who I like!]
The hotel was about a two-hour drive from the filming location. The show's director was also on the bus. He said, "Why don't you all introduce yourselves and tell us your special talents first?"
Yu Lu raised his hand first. "Hello, seniors! I'll get us started, then~ My name is Yu Lu, and I'm an actor. Please look after me!"
As he spoke, he gave a playful wink.
Li Lan said, "And your special talent!"
"What special talent do I have?" Yu Lu's eyes widened, and his face immediately fell. Then he glanced around at the other guests and suddenly said, "My mom says my face is especially long. Does that count?"
The bus fell silent for a moment before Jian Yuanjia suddenly burst into a henlike cackle. "Hahahahaha, your face really is long, hahahahahaha..."
The corner of Cen Yan's mouth twitched. She covered her senior brother's big mouth. "Sorry, Mr. Yu. As you all know, my senior brother was diagnosed with brain damage syndrome at birth."
Jian Yuanjia: "?!"
Seriously, why did his junior sister keep insulting him!
Yu Lu's face fell on the spot. "Ha. Haha... it's fine."
Li Lan covered her mouth and chuckled. "We know, we know~ So it's my turn now, right? I'm Li Lan~ As for special talents... I suppose acting is the only thing I can show off."
The third to introduce himself was Jian Yuanjia. Wearing a miserable expression, he said, "I'm Jian Yuanjia. My special talent..."
Cen Yan suddenly cut in. "His train of thought is especially long."
She didn't want to listen to her senior brother's long-winded speech. If the company hadn't repeatedly warned her not to beat up Jian Yuanjia on camera, she could have given him two solid punches right then.
He was such a handful!
Jian Yuanjia's aggrieved expression as he kept quiet and Cen Yan's look of disdain successfully made everyone on the bus laugh.
How had they never known Jian Yuanjia was so afraid of his junior sister!
After Cen Yan quickly finished her introduction, it was Jiang Yue's and Bai Nanchen's turn.
Jiang Yue yawned. With dark circles under his eyes and a sleepy look, he introduced himself briefly and quickly.
Bai Nanchen was different. He had even more pointless things to say than Jian Yuanjia.
"I'm Bai Nanchen, a singer and dancer. Since we still have plenty of time, why don't I sing you a song?"
Without waiting for anyone's agreement, Bai Nanchen opened his mouth and started singing. "Your faint smile is like plum sauce, I taste the mint on your lips, it's sweet, sweet love..."
(The lyrics above are from Li Ronghao's "Plum Sauce.")
Apart from Ji Nanshu, Chu Mo, and Jian Yuanjia, all the other guests obligingly applauded.
To be fair, although Bai Nanchen's character was poor, his singing was decent.
At least it wasn't lethal.
After he finished singing, Bai Nanchen even shot Ji Nanshu a provocative glance. He asked, "I wonder what special talents you have, Teacher Ji?"
Ji Nanshu blinked and tilted his head. "Special talents... I can tell fortunes."
Chu Mo: That strange answer wasn't surprising at all.
The guests: "..."
Did that count as a special talent?
The livestream chat reacted much the same way.
[What kind of special talent is that?!]
[Is Ji Nanshu trying to create a mystic persona to get attention because his reputation is so bad?]
[Muttering quietly: he looks so cute tilting his head and blinking!!]
[So cute + my ID number!]
[Ha, what's there to like about a mistress who sells his ass?]
[Exactly. So disgusting.]
[You haters just hate without using your brains!]
Director Yang, however, was intrigued. A gleam flashed through his eyes. "Then, Teacher Ji, could you tell a fortune right here?"
Well, wasn't this a perfect way to generate buzz!
Ji Nanshu gave a soft chuckle and crossed his legs. "Sure. I'm in a good mood today. I'll give... Mr. Jiang a free reading."
Jiang Yue, suddenly singled out: "?"
"No, there's no need, is there?"
Ji Nanshu propped up his chin. "Are you sure?"
Back in the Qiang Kingdom, many high-ranking officials and nobles would throw down fortunes just to obtain a single divination from him, and he still might not give them the time of day.
"I..."
Jiang Yue hesitated. He... did have something that needed a celestial master's help, but despite seeking out many people, none had been able to resolve it completely. Besides, he had never heard that Ji Nanshu could tell fortunes.
Before Jiang Yue could finish, Bai Nanchen interrupted him. "Teacher Ji—can't you see Mr. Jiang doesn't want to? Could you stop forcing him? And how come I never knew you could tell fortunes?"
Ji Nanshu lifted his eyelids. "Do I have to submit a report to you about everything I can do? What? Are you so eager because you want a reading too, Heavenly King Bai?"
His casual tone and expression successfully left Bai Nanchen at a loss for words. Bai Nanchen lifted his chin. "Fine, do it! If you get it wrong... ha!"
"Don't worry... my... Ji Nanshu's divinations are never wrong." Ji Nanshu gave Bai Nanchen a faint, ambiguous smile. "Born into a wealthy family, you should have enjoyed a smooth life. Though your parents can't be called loving, they get along harmoniously enough. You have an older brother and a younger brother..."
At that, Bai Nanchen impatiently interrupted again. "If you can't tell fortunes, could you stop embarrassing yourself here? Who doesn't know all that?"
"Are you in such a hurry to interrupt because you won't live long enough for me to finish?"
As he said this, Ji Nanshu was even smiling quite happily, as though it were nothing more than a perfectly ordinary question.
[What kind of idiot is this Mistress Ji! Why is he cursing my idol!!]
[He must be lashing out in humiliation because he can't tell fortunes!]
[Ji Nanshu, why don't you die! Die, die, die!]
[These Ji Nanchen fans are terrifying, telling people to die at the drop of a hat.]
[He cursed our Nanchen first!!]
[Honestly... I even think Bai Nanchen deserves it. Does he think nobody can tell he's targeting Ji Nanshu?]
[How dare you curse my idol!! You go die too!!]
[Idiot! I'm officially a Bai Nanchen anti as of today!]
"You're cursing me?!"
Ji Nanshu's words successfully left Bai Nanchen spluttering. The old Ji Nanshu had never talked back to Bai Nanchen's constant fault-finding and insults because he had held out hope for his "family." The current Ji Nanshu? Ha. Family? Hope? The fact that he hadn't gone up and slapped Bai Nanchen a few times was already proof of his good upbringing!
"I thought everyone with a proper upbringing knew not to interrupt others?" Ji Nanshu looked utterly innocent.
Pfft-
Who had failed to hold back a laugh?
Oh, it was Jian Yuanjia, with his especially long train of thought.
Jian Yuanjia blinked. "Ah! Sorry, let me apologize first. Sorry about that, Teacher Ji! I didn't mean to interrupt you."
Well, he had done it on purpose, but he had apologized! Besides, he wasn't laughing at Ji Nanshu. He was laughing at Bai Nanchen.
Ji Nanshu waved dismissively. "I haven't finished my reading yet. Your life should have gone smoothly, but unfortunately..."
"Starting five days ago, you've suffered one minor misfortune after another, with nothing going your way..."
Bai Nanchen was startled. Wasn't that the day of Xiaoyu's engagement?!
Of course, by Ji Nanshu's definition of no major calamities, as long as someone was still breathing, it didn't count as a major calamity.
"For example, a bloody calamity-"