A top star in the Chinese entertainment industry, but also a Taoist priest.

Chen Shouyi heard this, looked down at her, and then hugged her again.

Chen Yao trembled slightly, then slowly relaxed and buried her face in his shoulder.

No one around made a sound. She cried on his shoulder for a long time, so long that the lighting technician quietly turned down the brightness of the softbox by one level, so long that Xu Huikang silently turned off the playback on the monitor.

Even as she gently released her grip, her eyes were still red and brimming with tears as she looked at Chen Shouyi.

Chen Shouyi released his hand, looked down at her, and then gently brushed away the stray hairs from her forehead.

Xu Huikang blinked, and the staff around him exchanged glances, but no one said a word.

After a while, Xu Huikang finally came to his senses, his voice much softer than usual:

"Um...cut. This one's done, it's done."

Chen Yao slowly opened her eyes, her eyelashes glistening with tears.

She slowly withdrew from Chen Shouyi's embrace and quickly wiped her face with her hand.

"Thank you, director," Chen Yao called out towards the monitor, her voice slightly nasal, but she tried her best to sound normal.

Then she turned and walked away, her steps quickening, her skirt billowing in the night wind before falling back down, without looking back.

The surrounding staff started moving things around, some moving props, others adjusting the lights.

At 9 p.m., Chen Shouyi officially wrapped up filming.

The entire crew gathered in the studio. Zhao Mingyuan held up a cake with "Congratulations to Zhuo Yun on wrapping up filming" written on it in chocolate sauce.

Guo Hu led the applause and whistling, while Zhang Ruoyun tapped the edge of the lunchbox with her chopsticks, creating a completely arrhythmic farewell tune.

Xu Huikang smiled and raised the cake: "Daoist Master, if there's another opportunity in the future, we'll definitely cooperate again."

Chen Shouyi cupped his hands in thanks to everyone: "May the Heavenly Venerable grant me boundless blessings. Thank you all for your help these past few days."

After finishing his toast, he glanced at Chen Yao in the crowd. Chen Yao smiled and raised her drink to him, looking no different than usual.

The crew members have already come to greet us.

Some people were saying, "The Taoist priest is amazing," some were patting him on the shoulder, and others were stuffing bouquets of flowers into his arms as a wrap party.

Zhao Mingyuan rushed to the front, his eyes red and he gripped his hand tightly, muttering something incoherently with excitement.

Chen Yao stood still.

The surrounding noise seemed to be blocked by a layer of water, shut out by her senses. She could hear her own heartbeat, which was faster than when the director yelled "cut."

She slowly raised her hand and touched her lips with her fingertips.

The lipstick she'd touched up in the dressing room was long gone, but the chill lingered. Not Hua Yue's chill, but her own.

It was already dark when we finished work.

Chen Shouyi returned to his room, placed the bouquet of flowers for the wrap party on the table, and just as he plugged his phone in to charge, the screen lit up.

Chen Yao's WeChat messages lay quietly in the notification bar.

"Master, are you in your room?"

"Open the door."

Chen Shouyi looked at the message on the screen, which was exactly the same as the one she had sent him when she invited him to have hot pot before.

He put down his phone, walked to the door, and opened it.

Under the corridor lights, Chen Yao stood at the door.

She had changed her clothes, and her hair was loose, indicating that she had obviously gone back and then come out again.

She was different from usual; she didn't smile, nor did she have that usual awkwardness that she carefully hid. She just looked at him quietly.

"I have something to tell you."

Chen Shouyi stood at the door, and Chen Yao stood in front of him. The corridor was quiet.

Chen Yao took a deep breath, as if she had rehearsed it many times, but her voice still trembled when she spoke.

"I wasn't planning to say this before, really, but I knew you'd have to leave after filming."

She clenched her hands, her gaze fixed on Chen Shouyi's collar, not daring to look up.

"But I couldn't help it. When we were filming the last scene today, I was thinking that I wouldn't be able to see you again for a long time."

These past few days I've just wanted to spend more time with you, but I didn't dare stay too long, afraid you'd notice. But I feel like you already knew.

Chen Yao paused here, looking down at his feet.

"I know it's silly of me, you'll be done filming and leave, and I'll still be here. But I just—"

She bit her lip hard: "I just don't want to let you go without saying anything."

Chen Yao looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, but she no longer avoided his gaze. The lamplight made the tears in her eyes shine brightly, and she just stared straight at him.

"Master, I like you."

In the quiet corridor, after those words were spoken, there was no other sound.

Chen Yao looked into his eyes, waiting for him to speak. Chen Shouyi listened quietly, then nodded.

"it is good."

Chen Yao froze, her eyelashes trembling:

"What's so good about it?"

Chen Shouyi reached out and gently pulled her into the room, closing the door behind him.

"This humble Taoist knew your thoughts, but never pointed them out. I thought the path of cultivation was long, but now that we've met..."

Chen Shouyi looked down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Our sect emphasizes the balance of Yin and Yang; solitary cultivation is not as good as cultivation with others."

Chen Yao stood there, stunned, her eyes still red. She looked up at Chen Shouyi for a long time, then suddenly smiled. As she smiled, tears streamed down her face.

"Didn't you say that eating and sex are natural things? Why are you bringing up this yin-yang balance now?"

Chen Shouyi also smiled: "That is indeed our sect's rule."

"You said everything," Chen Yao laughed through her tears, raising her hand to gently tap his chest. "Anyway, I can't argue with you."

"Of course, I'm the one who makes the rules in our sect."

Chen Shouyi took her hand, and Chen Yao looked up to meet his gaze.

Then, she stood on tiptoe.

Moonlight streamed in through the thin gauze curtains, bathing the entire room in a soft, silvery glow.

The curtains swayed gently in the breeze, and dappled light and shadow moved slowly across the wall, like ripples on the water's surface, broken by moonlight.

Chen Yao saw that Chen Shouyi's profile glowed with a warm luster under the moonlight, even more beautiful than the purple Taoist robe hanging behind him.

She took a deep breath, looked intently at his face, and closed her eyes.

When Chen Shouyi formed the hand seal, a faint light flashed from his fingertips, like fireflies on a summer night.

The wisp of spiritual energy that had been lingering in his dantian slowly awakened, flowing silently along his meridians. His aura calmed down, and a faint warmth emanated from his body.

Chen Yao felt as if the person in front of her had changed.

No longer the gentle and approachable young Taoist priest of the past, but a figure bathed in moonlight amidst pines and flowing spring water over stones—a tranquility that brings peace of mind and compels one to look up in awe.

A refreshing fragrance slowly wafted out from somewhere, like the incense that burns year-round in the main hall of a Taoist temple, or the natural scent of ancient trees in the deep mountains after being thoroughly sun-dried.

The room was quiet, with only the soft rustling of the curtains in the wind.

Chen Yao's hair was spread out on the pillow, and the moonlight shone on her profile.

Her eyelashes were tinged with a faint silver by the moonlight, and the tear stains at the corners of her eyes were not yet completely dry.

Her breathing was calm and deep; she had fallen asleep, sleeping soundly, and the anxious look that had often lingered between her brows was gone.

Chen Shouyi glanced down at her, making sure she was fast asleep before he began to assess his own state.

The spiritual energy in his dantian was several times stronger than before.

Previously, Fang Xu was so weak after just one acupuncture treatment that he had to lean back in his chair and catch his breath for a long time. Now, his internal energy is surging and his meridians are full, so he shouldn't be as embarrassed as he was last time if he encounters the same situation again.

[Daoist affinity binding complete]

[Chen Yao's compatibility: 87% - Significant benefits from dual cultivation, cultivation level breaks through to mid-stage Qi Refining]

[The Yellow Emperor's Inner Cultivation Techniques - Dual Cultivation Chapter has been activated]

[Main Quest: Accumulate the power of vows from all directions, repair the Zifu Temple, and revitalize the thousand-year-old Taoist tradition of Wenshi. The power of vows progress is now active; please speed up your collection.]

[Task Reward: Rubbing of the Purple Mansion Blessed Land - Part 1]

[New module unlocked: Basic Refinement, allowing you to refine protective magical artifacts.]

[Next stage task: Continue to accumulate vow power and bind more people with affinity to the path]