Chapter 72: Liu Shishi: Why Again?

“Let’s accept our bets and their consequences,” Lin Gengxin thought, though feeling somewhat down. Yet he had no intention of going back on his word. Starting tomorrow, I’ll take care of your breakfast.

“Breakfast can easily be handled at the hotel’s self-service restaurant; it’d be a waste to go picking it up.” Zhang Yang’s eyes swept past Tang Yan’s cake nearby, and he had a new idea. “How about we switch to afternoon snacks?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t have afternoon snacks every day. You still stand to gain from this deal.”

With such assurances, Lin Gengxin, of course, couldn’t refuse.

But he felt it wasn’t fair for him to be the only one feeling down. He began searching within the filming crew for Jiang Jinfu’s figure.

“Shidi, we lost our bet,” Lin Gengxin said as he approached Jiang Jinfu.

“Lost?” Jiang Jinfu had just returned from the restroom and was unaware of what had transpired.

“Sis Tangtang sought out A-Yang…” Lin Gengxin narrated the situation, omitting his own “nosiness.”

“It’s understandable, really.” Jiang Jinfu’s emotions remained calm; he had anticipated such a result for some time.

Zhang Yang’s performance on the set was even better than when he was at school.

Both Nazha and Liu Shishi sought Zhang Yang’s guidance, and he himself often asked Zhang Yang for pointers.

Tang Yan, witnessing the growing gap between their performances and those of the newcomers, could no longer contain her frustration.

She had been dreading the moment when Zhang Yang would offer acting advice again, knowing it might be at the expense of her professional dignity. She longed to heed Jiang Jinfu’s advice and bide her time until her contract was up in seven days, but fate seemed to be against her.

“That young man didn’t tell the whole story,” Zhang Yang suddenly appeared beside Jiang Jinfu. “To be honest, my win was mostly due to luck…”

As he spoke, he recounted how Lin Gengxin had provoked—or perhaps more accurately, hinted—him to challenge.

Had it not been for this incident, Tang Yan might have waited a few more days before pursuing acting lessons from him.

Jiang Jinfu glared at Lin Gengxin, his resentment palpable.

So it was a loss at the hands of a incompetent teammate!

“Cough.” Embarrassed, Lin Gengxin rubbed his nose and shot a subtle glare at Zhang Yang. “Mistakes happen,” he said. “If A-Yang tells you to treat him to dinner, I’ll foot the bill this once.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” Jiang Jinfu said, accepting the gesture without further comment.

It was a small matter, and he wouldn’t hold it against Lin Gengxin. With his senior brother taking responsibility, he chose to move on.

“Why not seize the moment and grab dinner tonight?” It had been a while since Zhang Yang had had a good barbecue, and he saw an opportunity to “share the wealth” with his new friends.

Lin Gengxin and Jiang Jinfu both agreed, leaving the arrangements to Zhang Yang.

So after wrapping up the night shoot, Zhang Yang instructed his driver to take the three of them to a barbecue restaurant and invited Tang Yan, Liu Shishi, and Nazha—the three women along with their personal assistant—to join them.

“Doesn’t your conscience ache?” Lin Gengxin asked, clutching his chest dramatically.

Of course, he was feigning concern. It was just ten people having some barbecue, and even the beer they’d chosen was ordinary. How much could it possibly cost?

“I don’t have a conscience,” Zhang Yang replied sarcastically. “How could it ache?”

Lin Gengxin immediately gave him a thumbs-up, impressed by the humor.

Maybe that’s why he’s such a great actor—because he’s completely shameless?

Suddenly, Zhang Yang turned to Tang Yan and the others. “Sis SweetSugar, Sis PoShi, Palmer says you two eat too much. He doesn’t want to treat you.”

The eyes of the two women instantly turned as sharp as knives, shooting towards Lin Gengxin.

“Oh, come on!” Lin Gengxin immediately denied it. “I’m very happy to treat you. Consider it an honor for me.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jinfu couldn’t help but add, “Sis SweetSugar, Sis PoShi, feel free to grab more food. Let your shixiong earn more honor.”

Lin Gengxin was left speechless.

After everyone finished eating their fill, Zhang Yang excused himself to use the restroom, and while away, he paid the bill beforehand.

If it had been him alone letting Lin Gengxin or Jiang Jinfu treat him, he definitely wouldn’t have been so courteous.

However, since he had invited others to join the fun, he couldn’t possibly let them foot the bill.

“Boss Zhang’s generosity is legendary,” Lin Gengxin mused, feeling quite pleased. He took the initiative to suggest, “Tomorrow, I’ll treat you all.”

With the late-night feast settled, everyone made their way back to the hotel.

After a shower, Zhang Yang performed some simple exercises to tone his body before sinking into bed.

Feeling comfortable with the recent filming experience, he decided it was time for his second dream immersion.

“Dream On!”

In a blur, familiar faces and situations reappeared.

Zhang Yang transformed into Yu Wento, single-handedly annihilating the Chen Kingdom’s ruler and his vast army.

Eighteen years later, to rescue his mother from Yang Su’s imprisonment, he planned to gather the five great sacred artifacts.

Tatpar Yuer and others became pawns in his game, subtly guided by him onto the path of collecting these artifacts.

There was a girl named Xiaoxue, a descendant of Nüwa, who possessed the Nüwa Stone within her heart.

To obtain this stone, Zhang Yang sealed away his malevolent spirit and some memories, adopting the guise of Sword Fervor. He found an opportunity to join the protagonist’s group, continuing to steer them towards the artifacts while cultivating a bond with Xiaoxue.

In one illusion, Jing Chou, Sword Fervor, and Nüwa joined forces against the Heavenly Scar. Recognizing their potential, Nüwa entrusted the salvation of the world to them, saying, “The method to obtain the Nüwa Stone is…”

“The immortal spell to awaken Xiaoxue is…”

Having imparted everything, Nüwa vanished.

Jing Chou and Sword Fervor together roused Xiaoxue, who slowly opened her eyes, recognizing Chen Jingqiu as the Great Earth Sovereign.

Yet her pure, innocent heart trusted Sword Fervor more, and she felt a budding affection for him: “Sword Fervor-dage, I believe in you.”

By then, Nazha could no longer distinguish reality from dreams. Sword Fervor’s image had perfectly overlapped with Zhang Yang’s in her mind. She felt as if she were Xiaoxue herself, experiencing Xiaoxue’s trust towards Sword Fervor.

Amidst the bustling lantern festival, she presented her carefully prepared gift: “This is for you.”

Zhang Yang, fully embodying the role of Sword Fervor, accepted the gift solemnly, his smile radiant. “This is the first gift I’ve ever received, thank you.”

“As long as you like it.” Xiaoxue and Sword Fervor gazed at each other.

In truth, it was Zhang Yang and Nazha looking into each other’s eyes.

Witnessing this scene through magic, Dugu Ningke could no longer remain composed. Consumed by jealousy, she disguised herself and appeared before Sword Fervor, casting a hypnotic spell: “I don’t want anyone else in your heart. You must not develop feelings for anyone, even if it’s just pretend! No!”

The word “No!” echoed relentlessly in Sword Fervor’s mind.

Days passed, but before long, unable to bear it any longer, Dugu Ningke decided to awaken Zhang Yang ahead of schedule.

She believed that Yu Wento loved only her this time around, but the Sword Fervor might not have been the same.

“Go and extract her heart.”

Under Ning Ke’s prodding, Yu Wento was about to make a move on Xiaoxue.

Yet, at the final moment, he couldn’t bring himself to do it and had no choice but to give up.

“There’s still a place for her in your heart!” Dugu Ningke growled furiously.

“No, I have my own plan,” Yu Wento said.

Dugu Ningke feigned belief, but in truth, she secretly used the crystal ball to control Xiaoxue, forcing her to cut open her own chest and extract the Nüwa Stone.

At that critical moment, a figure calling himself “Yu Wento” materialized, saving Xiaoxue and driving away Dugu Ningke.

After settling Xiaoxue, “Yu Wento” ascended to the stage, facing off against Dugu Ningke.

“Why did you save her?” Dugu Ningke demanded. “Could it be you still love her?”

“You’ve misunderstood,” Yu Wento began, intending to deny it.

But Dugu Ningke lashed out, landing a resounding slap across his face.

Yu Wento’s expression remained unchanged as he asked earnestly, “Does this make you feel better?”

“You can’t let go of her!” Dugu Ningke spat.

Yu Wento’s response was swift and unyielding—he pulled her into a fierce embrace, capturing her lips in a bruising kiss.

Moans escaped her parted lips…

Time slipped by unnoticed.

The sky outside was already bright.

Liu Shishi jolted awake, bolt upright in bed.

“Why am I having these dreams again!?”

Her underwear would barely hold up at this rate!

She’d need to stock up on more pairs.