Chapter 143: Stop Bringing My Face Into This

After exchanging a few more polite pleasantries with Zhang Hong, Chu Luoxi returned to her assigned dormitory, while Zhang Hong left happily to busy himself with other matters.

Not long after, Ding Ju and Lan Lun arrived one after the other. As for what Lan Daji had gone off to do, she had no idea, so she ended up dragging Ding Ju for a stroll around the campus under the guise of "getting familiar with the environment."

Because of the holiday, the university cafeterias were all closed, and the remaining students had to go outside to eat. However, the university cafeteria was hardly a place one would miss. Fan Li had hired a dedicated catering crew for the production team, which moved straight into the cafeteria and kept the facilities clean. This saved everyone from having to eat boxed lunches. According to rumors, this arrangement would last only during the filming period at the school, while other plans remained undecided.

Having their own catering crew was genuinely wonderful. The expenses might be comparable to boxed lunches, but the dishes were far superior. Moreover, when shooting late into the night, the cast and crew could still enjoy a hot dish and a warm bowl of soup.

Leaving the cafeteria with a sense of satisfaction, Chu Luoxi and Ding Ju returned to their dorm to go online. As long as conditions permitted, the production team provided internet access. The directors made a point of showing consideration for the actors' mental well-being and entertainment.

As soon as she got online, Chu Luoxi caught the Great God Baiyun. Since he was no longer working a regular job, as long as he wasn't sleeping, he was basically online—unless, of course, he had stepped out away from his computer.

Recently, the topic the two of them discussed most often was Peach Blossoms of the Plum, which, after all, was the masterpiece of the Great God Baiyun. To an author, every single work was like a child that needed to be carefully nurtured.

Although the female protagonist of Plum Blossoms was provided by Xiao Jingxuan, she had been shaped by Baiyun. Moreover, Baiyun had known from the very beginning that this role would be played by Chu Luoxi, which made him all the more dedicated and earnest.

Chu Luoxi chatted with Baiyun partly to gain a deeper understanding of her character. She always felt that when Xiao Dashhen invited Baiyun on board, pulling the entire storyline closer to the realm of web novels, Scenery Entertainment and Xiao Jingxuan were walking at the absolute forefront of the times. Perhaps they would spark a grand era of online novel adaptations ahead of schedule. As the pioneers of this movement, how could they afford to lose face?

"When can we start filming Peach Blossoms of the Plum? I feel so impatient!" the Great God Baiyun exclaimed with great excitement. Just the thought that a work originating from his own hands would star two heavyweights like Xiao Jingxuan and Chu Luoxi made it all worthwhile to him. Consequently, the said Great God's update volume had surged dramatically over this period, leaving his readers gasping in astonishment. They were utterly delighted, bombarding him with questions about whether he had encountered some wonderful fortune.

"Just wait slowly, it's still way too early!" Chu Luoxi replied with composure. "Senior Xiao has to shoot his first movie and hold concerts. Tsk tsk, and I am also taking on the female lead in a TV drama for the very first time—neither of us has any free time!"

As she spoke, Chu Luoxi thought to herself that Xiao Dashhen was truly formidable; his very first film landed him straight in the leading role, matching the aura of an international superstar indeed.

Once Xiao Jingxuan's movie was released, he would thoroughly cement his title as the Heavenly King Xiao. With his new album already out, demonstrating his immensely powerful pulling power, many people already considered him a Heavenly King without needing further proclamation. Right now, it was merely a matter of everyone's expectations and outlook.

"You guys..." Baiyun struggled immensely, hesitating for a long time before finally typing out: "You guys are such bad guys..."

"Pfft—" Chu Luoxi burst out laughing. "Tell me, Baiyun, which tsundere beauty has possessed your soul? Even if your face looks ridiculously tender and youthful, you shouldn't act so childish."

"Get lost, stop bringing up my face!" Baiyun exploded, clearly having been poked in a sore spot.

"Hehe..." Chu Luoxi chuckled mischievously.

While other people would envy an ageless face to no end, Baiyun utterly despised his. Because he looked far too youthful, he was constantly mistaken for being underage—the kind who hadn't even turned eighteen. He felt this severely compromised his masculine charm.

She remembered in her past life, after Baiyun became famous, merchants had approached him to endorse anti-aging or skincare products, offering exceptionally high compensation. That price had made many people in the industry green with envy, yet Baiyun had simply kicked them out the door, cursing them out with a dark expression. It left many onlookers and media members completely baffled.

They had no idea that this had struck a raw nerve for Baiyun, nor did they understand why he was so furious. Ultimately, they could only conclude that the Great God possessed an unpredictable temper and a volatile disposition.

After teasing the Great God Baiyun for a while, Chu Luoxi's mood index shot straight up. Ding Ju was long used to this. She merely pitied that poor fellow on the internet for being so tragic, always serving as Chu Luoxi's emotional stabilizer with monumental contributions.

The next day, although some people had yet to arrive, Fan Li held the opening ceremony right on schedule. The auspicious time had already been calculated; if they missed it, they would have to consult the almanac all over again.

Since it was a secret production and no opportunity was given to the media for interviews, it didn't matter much if a few people were missing. As long as the first scene was shot smoothly, that was considered an auspicious sign.

Although it sounded a bit superstitious, people in the industry paid close attention to this. Even if many didn't truly believe it, it provided peace of mind. If things went poorly from the start, some people would develop a mental knot. Even harmless situations would easily go wrong, and once a problem arose, it would be blamed on bad luck. With everyone panicking, the cohesion of the entire crew would disintegrate.

Therefore, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Even those who harbored inward disdain would still go through the motions for everyone to see, ensuring that all staff members maintained a positive state of mind, which naturally made the work flow much more smoothly.

As one of the leads, Chu Luoxi had to tag along and go through the motions. In truth, she was already very familiar with the process, but both Fan Li and Zhang Hong worried she might not understand, so they constantly had someone by her side to remind her.

When Lan Lun arrived today, he brought someone else along with him—Liu Yun—and directly informed Fan Li that this was Chu Luoxi's personal makeup artist.

Situations like this were common, and Fan Li simply nodded in approval. This was how things were supposed to be normally, which explained why he had been so surprised and taken aback when Chu Luoxi had shown up all by herself initially.

Curious, Chu Luoxi asked, "Brother Liu, how much did Lan Daji pay to hire you back? It seems to me that I'm quite poor." Knowing the market rate for top-tier professionals like Liu Yun, she felt a bit nervous. Lan Daji was far too ruthless; she was afraid she wouldn't be able to afford someone of his caliber.

"Pfft, and you're afraid you can't afford me?" Liu Yun said with amusement, not minding it in the least.

"I really can't afford you. Lan Daji is working for free right now... and assistant Ding Ju is being paid by someone else..." Chu Luoxi counted on her fingers with a dark expression, realizing after all this that she seemed to have taken advantage of enough free favors to last a lifetime.

"Cough, cough. Someone else is paying my salary too, so you can rest easy," Liu Yun said with a peculiar expression, feeling that Chu Luoxi was still just as interesting as when they had first met, seemingly completely untouched by the muddy waters of the entertainment industry.

"Eh? Who's paying you?" Even though she was getting another freebie, Chu Luoxi felt deeply unsettled.

"Xiao Jingxuan," Liu Yun stated calmly, watching with great amusement as Chu Luoxi's expression instantly shifted.