Chapter 131: A Topic for Two

"But what? Can't you finish a sentence all at once?" Chu Luoxi stared at Lan Lun, her gaze less than friendly, silently grumbling to herself. For an iceberg of a man, how could he be so irritatingly obtuse? He truly lived up to his reputation as the legendary Agent Lan who changed his demeanor based on the occasion.

"However, 'Blood Phoenix' isn't just inviting you; there are quite a few other candidates. I'm afraid it will be decided through auditions." Lan Lun, having finally caught his breath after that dramatic pause, spilled the rest of the story in one go.

"Oh!" Chu Luoxi replied calmly. Her simple, indifferent reaction left Lan Lun bewildered. Just a simple "oh"?

"Is there a confirmed date for the audition yet?" Chu Luoxi genuinely didn't have any strong feelings about it; auditions were a standard part of the competition. She wasn't afraid of auditions; she was more afraid of relying on connections. If she hadn't had Lan Lun, she suspected she would have crashed and burned quite miserably.

"It should be next week. As for the specific day, we'll have to wait for notice." Lan Lun regained his composure, feeling speechless at her seasoned reaction. She really was the person Xiao Jingxuan had taken a fancy to—just as unpredictable and difficult to deal with as he was. How could a typical newcomer have such a sophisticated reaction? She acted as if she had been immersed in the entertainment industry for years, handling everything with such propriety and grace that she seemed more experienced than even he, her own agent.

It was no wonder Chu Luoxi had said she didn't need an agent; Lan Lun finally believed her. If she hadn't lacked the personal connections within the industry, she probably wouldn't have needed him at all, but rather just a high-level assistant.

"Next week?" Chu Luoxi raised an eyebrow, calculating that since today was only Tuesday, there was still some time.

When Yan Han received Chu Luoxi’s call, he was quite surprised. When he heard her say she needed help to better understand the atmosphere of the military, he was stunned. And when she finally mentioned wanting to learn some specific military skills, Yan Han was completely petrified, wondering if his sharp ears had malfunctioned and hallucinated.

"Why?" After being stunned for a long time, Yan Han finally managed to ask. His usual decisiveness and iron-fisted authority had vanished into thin air. A young soldier who had just entered the room, ready to report, was struck dumb—could their boss really have a side like this?

"Pfft, there's a revolutionary drama I've got my eye on, but the lead role requires an audition, and there are many people competing for it. You know how it is—I want to look like a real soldier," Chu Luoxi said with a cheerful laugh, seeming quite satisfied with Yan Han's reaction.

If she didn't know someone like Yan Han, she might have had to rely on her own experiences from her past life to figure it out, but since she knew him, how could she waste such a resource? As long as it didn't interfere with his missions or training, this was self-improvement. In her past life, she had filmed a drama about female soldiers, but the director had been mediocre and she, as an actress, had been mediocre too, leaving her no chance to interact with real soldiers. Although she had finished the project, she couldn't even bring herself to watch the final product. It had the form but lacked the soul—that was not what Chu Luoxi wanted, nor was it something she would ever be satisfied with.

"Blood Phoenix" was a classic; relying on mere tricks would certainly not work and would be a desecration of the work. The version from her past life had chosen a cultural troupe performer for the role, which had given them an inherent advantage—a performer is still a soldier, and that distinct aura had made that version of "Blood Phoenix" closer to reality, causing the audience to overlook her lackluster acting skills.

Natural essence had compensated for the lack of skill, but now, Chu Luoxi was trying to do the reverse, which was a hundred times harder. It was nearly impossible to use acting to compensate for a missing inner spirit, especially that distinct "soldier vibe"—no matter how you faked it, it would never look genuine.

The only way was to experience it firsthand. Knowing a powerhouse soldier like Yan Han was the best possible stroke of luck. At the very least, she wouldn't have to trouble Lan Lun, and even if Lan Lun had the means, he might not be able to find an "instructor" who could compare to Yan Han. Chu Luoxi was certain that the unit Yan Han led was the elite of the special forces—it would be a waste not to use him!

Despite his surprise, Yan Han agreed and even felt a sense of relief. Making someone look like a soldier and making them *be* a soldier were two completely different things. The latter was difficult, but the former? What could be difficult about that? He knew Chu Luoxi was only doing this for a television role; as long as she had the basics, that was enough. Seven days? More than enough.

Only Yan Han would dare to make such a guarantee. Chu Luoxi wasn't a novice, but if she had been taught by an ordinary soldier, who would dare say that? Therefore, when Lan Lun learned that Chu Luoxi was going to train with a soldier, his iceberg face cracked again, but he could only nod in agreement. After meeting Yan Han, he had to admit that he could never have found someone like him.

Just as Chu Luoxi was off living a grueling life with Yan Han—and incidentally getting some exercise—"Seeking the Way" finally prepared for its public launch and simultaneously kicked off its first wave of publicity.

Compared to the bleak and lonely reception in her previous life, "Seeking the Way" had taken its first step perfectly. The most intuitive sign of this was the five-minute promotional video. With "The Empire" still hot and Xiao Jingxuan’s new album trending, the joint endorsement of the "Great God" Xiao and Princess Rou was immensely eye-catching. Before the promotional video even dropped, the topic was already heating up, garnering significant attention.

At the same time, the two previous romantic collaborations between Xiao Jingxuan and Chu Luoxi were dug up again, even including the red carpet appearance at the College Student Film Festival on New Year's Day. For a time, many people were speculating.

However, these were spontaneous actions by fans who loved the pair. They chatted, laughed, and made various guesses, but there were no malicious remarks. Although some fans were possessive and aggressive and didn't want the two to turn their on-screen chemistry into a real relationship, there was no confirmation, so they didn't resort to smearing them.

What stunned many onlookers even more was that this vibrant news topic was not reported by a single entertainment media outlet. This kept all the various guesses and deductions confined to the fans on the internet, effectively controlling the situation. Those who didn't understand were baffled—had the entertainment media collectively gone blind? Otherwise, why would they, who usually had the noses of cats catching the scent of fish, lose their sense of smell this time? Instead, they kept reporting on the game "Seeking the Way" and the two stars' endorsements. When had the media ever been so well-behaved?

Of course, some perceptive individuals caught a whiff of something unusual and were shocked by the methods and power of the person behind the scenes. Controlling the direction of media public opinion—how many people and companies longed for that? Yet, those who could truly pull it off could be counted on one hand. It left people wondering: was this due to the power of Xiao Jingxuan, or the mysterious background of this newcomer, Chu Luoxi? Or perhaps, both?

Regardless, this incident made many people wary of Chu Luoxi, which could be considered an unintended benefit. Being someone others had to tread carefully around was always better than being treated with reckless disregard.