Crew
“Where to?”
This was the second time He Zhouyan asked. This time, Lu Congxing instinctively gave the address.
Raising an eyebrow in surprise, He Zhouyan opened the car door without hesitation. “It’s on the way. Let’s go together.”
But how could it be on the way when he was heading to the film set today? With that thought, Lu Congxing immediately shook his head in refusal.
He had already pushed past his inner hesitation and allowed himself to get closer to He Zhouyan in the elevator just now.
Now, his whole body carried Bai Ze’s scent—like the first snowfall—and even absorbed some of his spiritual energy. There was no need for further contact today.
He Zhouyan was always measured in his actions. Hearing the rejection, he didn’t insist. His gaze remained indifferent, as if being turned down didn’t affect him in the slightest.
Lu Congxing, on the other hand, felt like a heartless player who used someone and walked away without hesitation. He turned and left, not lingering for a second.
Before heading out, the film crew still needed to finalize preparations. As soon as Lu Congxing got out of the taxi, Di Jiang led him straight to the director.
The director, with a small ponytail, spoke bluntly. “Didn’t expect you to be this young. Are you really an exorcist?”
Di Jiang responded naturally, “Of course. You know Boss Xiang, the investor in the production next door, right? He’s one of our Xing Cub’s clients.”
The director’s expression relaxed, and he burst into laughter. “Good. Di Jiang, you’ve got potential. I trust you—and your friend too.”
Di Jiang smiled calmly and said, “Thank you, Director, for giving me this opportunity.”
This was the best and most significant role he had ever gotten after playing minor background characters for so long.
The two of them were chatting happily, but Lu Congxing, who was caught in the middle, keenly sensed an unfriendly gaze.
He turned in that direction and locked eyes with a man whose sharp features carried an air of defiance.
The man seemed momentarily surprised to see such a youthful face staring back at him. He froze for a moment but quickly shifted his gaze away, as if uninterested.
Di Jiang finally finished his conversation with the director. Lu Congxing tugged on his sleeve and pointed at the man surrounded by a crowd of admirers. “Who is that?”
“That’s Film Emperor Gu—Gu Hanyin!” Di Jiang exclaimed. “How do you not know him? He’s the youngest actor to ever win the title!”
“I don’t follow the entertainment industry,” Lu Congxing said, even more confused now.
As far as he remembered, he had never offended this so-called film emperor.
Thinking about it carefully, though, he realized he had seen that face often in advertisements.
“The film emperor has a bit of a temper, but he never makes things difficult for small-time actors like us. Just stay away from him, and you’ll be fine.” Di Jiang patted Lu Congxing on the shoulder.
The crew arranged for several large vehicles to transport everyone and the equipment to the mountains. Just as Di Jiang had mentioned, the director seemed to value Lu Congxing’s expertise as an exorcist. He deliberately arranged for them to sit together in the same vehicle so he could consult Lu Congxing on the script’s supernatural elements.
As soon as Lu Congxing got into the car, he noticed the man sitting in the front passenger seat.
Gu Hanyin didn’t seem inclined to acknowledge him, sitting silently with his sunglasses on. That subtle air of rejection only confirmed Lu Congxing’s suspicion—the film emperor didn’t seem to like him very much.
Not wanting to invite trouble, Lu Congxing minimized his presence and sat as far away from the man as possible.
Once the director got in, he cheerfully checked that everyone was on board before signaling the driver to start the journey.
“Master, take a look at this part of the script…” The director pulled out a notebook filled with handwritten notes and handed it to Lu Congxing.
The script told the story of a girl who was almost sold into the mountains as a ghost bride but was rescued by the protagonist, a member of an expedition team. The two fell in love in a small village, but the other team members were killed one by one in revenge by the villagers. In the end, those villagers faced supernatural retribution. The story’s central theme was opposing superstition and the human trafficking.
It was clear the director had done his research—some of the details about ghost marriages were quite accurate.
Lu Congxing carefully examined the sections the director pointed out and corrected a few small errors.
“You mentioned that the villagers make offerings to the mountain god every year for protection. It would be better to replace the sacrifice with sheep…”
As he spoke, the director quickly jotted down notes.
“Tch.”
A sudden scoff from the front interrupted their discussion.
Lu Congxing tilted his head, his clear, glassy almond-shaped eyes filled with confusion. “What are you laughing at?”
He wasn’t nitpicking—getting the details wrong in rituals could invite unwanted consequences.
“You charlatan, can’t you at least make it look more convincing?” Gu Hanyin deliberately spoke in a harsh tone. “This is the first time I’ve seen such a young swindler.”
Clearly, the film emperor wasn’t on the same wavelength.
“I’m not a swindler,” Lu Congxing said, frowning slightly.
He wasn’t the type to curse or argue. Instead, he just stared at Gu Hanyin with his round, innocent eyes.
Gu Hanyin, with his usual rebellious demeanor, found himself momentarily speechless when faced with those wide, earnest eyes.
As if realizing that picking on a kid wasn’t all that fun, he ultimately just pressed his lips together and fell silent, his sharp features remaining stiff.
The director cleared his throat to ease the tension and leaned in to whisper to Lu Congxing, “Ignore him. He’s a notorious hardcore materialist in the entertainment industry.”
Many celebrities were deeply superstitious—some even raised ghost familiars at home.
The director had worked with Gu Hanyin before and knew his prickly personality all too well.
“Okay,” Lu Congxing nodded obediently.
His well-behaved demeanor was enough to soften anyone’s heart.
The director clutched his chest. After years in the entertainment industry, it was rare to come across such a naturally gifted talent. This face, even without makeup, looked better than the heavily edited photos of celebrities.
Excited, he eagerly asked Lu Congxing if he was interested in taking on a role in the production. Even after being rejected, the director showed no signs of disappointment—in fact, it only made him admire Lu Congxing’s demeanor even more.
Spending time with him, one would soon forget his youthful appearance and instead be drawn to the depth of his inner composure.
After just a few hours on the road, the director had completely let go of any doubts about Lu Congxing’s professionalism, now calling him “Master” with the utmost sincerity.
When the car finally stopped, everyone hurriedly got out, eager to breathe in the fresh air.
“We still have to walk the rest of the way,” the director said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“Walk? We can’t take a car?”
The girl standing next to Lu Congxing asked unhappily.
Her assistant tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “No, Wenwen. The mountain path is too narrow—we have to walk. If you complain too loudly, people might say you’re acting like a big shot.”
Wen Yi immediately covered her mouth, accepting her fate with a resigned expression.
As the group began their hike, Wen Yi soon noticed the exquisitely handsome young man walking beside her.
Curious, she asked, “What role are you playing? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
“I was invited by the director as an exorcist,” Lu Congxing replied politely.
“That’s amazing!” The girl’s eyes sparkled with youthful excitement.
“I play the villainous second female lead, but I don’t have that many scenes,” Wen Yi added. She was a self-proclaimed admirer of good looks, and after seeing how stunning Lu Congxing was, she immediately decided—at least on her end—that they should be friends.
As a rising starlet, her company had crafted a controversial “black and red” persona for her, meaning much of the online criticism against her was exaggerated. In reality, she was just an innocent young girl.
Di Jiang also joined in on their conversation. Wen Yi pointed at Gu Hanyin with an expression full of admiration.
“That’s my idol! Getting to act alongside him is honestly a dream come true.”
Then, she secretly pointed at the actress playing the female lead and whispered, “That’s Chen Xiangxiang. I don’t like her. I originally heard that the role was supposed to go to Goddess Hu, but somehow, she got replaced. She’s clearly not as good as Goddess Hu, yet her studio is trying to make her follow the same career path.”
Lu Congxing didn’t expect to run into a little fangirl of Hu Jiujiu.
Wen Yi was straightforward and talkative, quickly getting familiar with them after just a short trek up the mountain.
But after walking for a while, she started to feel exhausted—after all, she was just an ordinary human. She had even carried her own luggage out of sympathy for her assistant, but the more she talked, the more tired and slow she became.
Lu Congxing pulled out some talismans and handed them to both Di Jiang and Wen Yi. Wen Yi instantly felt a wave of coolness wash over her, dispelling the heat and easing her fatigue.
She was so exaggerated that she nearly hugged Lu Congxing’s leg, calling him boss.
“From today onward, you’re my idol too!”
Rejuvenated, Wen Yi hoisted her luggage onto her back and climbed the mountain at an impressive speed, almost reaching the destination alongside Gu Hanyin.
Meanwhile, a few crew members who had fallen behind due to carrying equipment whispered among themselves.
“This Wen Yi isn’t as delicate as the internet says.”
“Yeah, look at her carrying her own luggage.”
The one who said the last sentence suddenly looked awkward as he realized that Chen Xiangxiang, the female lead, was standing right behind him.
Chen Xiangxiang had a lot of luggage—all of which she had dumped on her assistant. The entire way up, she had been scolding her assistant to vent her frustration. Hearing what the crew member said, she couldn’t help but feel like he was comparing them, which only made her more furious.
Sure enough, her face turned stormy with anger.
. . . . .
Gu Hanyin glanced at Lu Congxing, originally prepared to make a sarcastic remark. But the moment his eyes landed on the boy’s slightly flushed, adorable face, he suddenly swallowed his words.
Maybe it was from the climb, but Lu Congxing’s cheeks were tinged with a rosy hue, making him look even softer—almost like a little fluffy animal.
Gu Hanyin stiffened. He absolutely refused to admit that, for a split second, the first thought in his mind was that Lu Congxing looked as cute as his own cat.
The film emperor kept a stoic face as he walked past him, though he seemed a little annoyed.
Lu Congxing tilted his head in confusion. Was he not even allowed to stand here and take a break?
Just then, the village chief and some villagers came out to welcome them. Some of the younger, kind-hearted villagers even helped carry their luggage and equipment, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.
The village wasn’t large, and many fields were planted with vegetables. Normally, a place like this would have guard dogs, but oddly, the entire village was silent—there wasn’t a single bark.
It was eerily quiet yet peaceful.
The village chief, dressed in tattered clothes, didn’t look too old but had trouble walking. A young girl with braided hair stood beside him, supporting him. The moment he spoke, the villagers—who had been chatting noisily—fell completely silent.
“I’ve prepared lodging for all of you. I didn’t expect such a large group, but luckily, we have enough houses,” the village chief said with a smile.
Even after excluding the crew members who were only there to transport equipment and would soon leave, there were still over twenty people left.
The director had even decided to cast some of the villagers as extras to keep the crew size down.
Before long, they followed the village chief to their accommodations. All the available houses were vacant ones left behind by former villagers.
These empty houses were scattered throughout the village, some even quite far apart.
“I can’t believe there are so many empty houses for us to choose from,” Wen Yi remarked.
A sturdy man from the village carrying her luggage chuckled, “Haha, it’s because many people have left the village to go elsewhere, so their houses are left empty.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” Wen Yi said, suddenly understanding.
Everyone was free to pick their own place. Lu Congxing chose a house with a courtyard and a well. He shared a room with Di Jiang, while the director and assistant director took another. Unexpectedly, Gu Hanyin also picked a room next door—meaning he would be living under the same roof as them.
Wen Yi, dragging her assistant along, quickly claimed the room closest to Gu Hanyin and Lu Congxing.
For demons, getting to share a house with a cub was like a dream come true.
Di Jiang eagerly laid out the bedding in advance and even set up a floor mat for himself.
“We can sleep on the same bed,” Lu Congxing said, trying to pull Di Jiang’s stuff up.
The bed was actually quite large, built to fit two people—it was just a little firm.
“No, no, I’ll sleep on the floor,” Di Jiang said, scratching his head awkwardly. “You smell weird today, and it’s making me nervous. I’m afraid I won’t be able to sleep.”
“Smell?”
Lu Congxing sniffed himself in confusion. There was a faint scent of fresh snow—probably from when he had brushed up against Bai Ze in the elevator this morning.
He hadn’t expected Bai Ze’s presence to be so powerful. Even a fearsome beast like Taotie didn’t scare Di Jiang this much.
Yet just the lingering scent of Bai Ze on him was enough to make Di Jiang avoid him.
As expected of the legendary being that could scare demons into revealing their original forms.
Author’s Note:
Next chapter: President He sells cuteness at full power!