Huayu: Tianxian Qianmeng

"Have you heard? Ling Yuan has defeated Tianlong Xuzhu!"

"Shu Chang plays Tong Lao! Liu Yifei plays Wang Yuyan!"

"My God! Xu Zhu?! One of the three main characters!"

"Ling Yuan, that kid... he's got guts! He gets things done quietly!"

The rest area instantly erupted in chaos.

Chen Kun was drinking water when he heard this and choked on it with a "pfft." His eyes immediately lit up, and he slapped his thigh and stood up abruptly: "Good lad! Awesome!" He excitedly spun around on the spot, even happier than if he had won an award himself. "I knew he was destined for greatness! Xu Zhu? That naive and honest air suits him perfectly!"

Not far away, Dong Jie was touching up her makeup with a small mirror when her fingers suddenly stopped, and her face froze instantly in the mirror.

Xu Zhu? Wang Yuyan? These two newcomers she disliked have suddenly landed roles in Zhang Dahuzi's big-budget production, and even in key positions?

A surge of bitterness mixed with resentment rushed into Dong Jie's heart. She slammed the mirror shut, her fingertips turning white from the force. Her eyes swept darkly over the murmuring crowd, her heart a jumble of emotions, growing increasingly annoyed. Why?

Envy, jealousy, amazement, blessings... all sorts of gazes intertwined.

When Ling Yuan, Shu Chang, and Liu Yifei returned to the film crew, they were immediately overwhelmed with enthusiastic congratulations.

……

Beijing Film Academy, student dormitory.

Wang Luodan stared at the computer screen, her eyes practically bulging out of their sockets: "Holy crap! Ling Yuan is playing Xu Zhu?! Really?!"

Huang Shengyi quickly moved closer, rapidly scrolling the mouse, and gasped, "Hiss... there are still promotional photos! My god, it really is him! That big oaf?"

Zheng Luoxi and Zhao Ke also came over, their faces full of disbelief.

"She played a minor supporting role in 'The Story of Yanxi Palace,' and then landed the lead role in 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'? That's cheating, isn't it?"

"Teacher Cui didn't recommend any this time..."

"But speaking of which, Ling Yuan's Xu Zhu costume is really handsome! He must be the most handsome Xu Zhu in history, right?"

"Indeed! His demeanor and presence are no less than those of the other two lead actors, and may even surpass them."

The boys' dormitory was also a sensation.

A classmate who wasn't particularly close to Ling Yuan said sourly, "Seriously?! Xu Zhu?! What makes him so special?! No background, no experience..."

"This luck...it's unbelievable!" Jia Nailiang wailed, his eyes red with envy. "One of the three main characters! Once this show airs, won't he ascend to godhood?"

Of course, he was happy for Ling Yuan and immediately called to congratulate him! He clamored for Ling Yuan to come back and treat him to a meal!

Ling Yuan said no problem, he would wait until he was free another day.

This isn't just polite talk; I genuinely want to invite you.

The news spread like wildfire across the Beijing Film Academy campus.

"Ling Yuan from Class of 01 wins over Tianlong Xuzhu, and Liu Yifei from Class of 02 becomes the most beautiful Wang girl!" became the hottest topic.

The teachers in the office were also discussing it, surprised but also relieved.

Especially Teacher Cui Xinqin, whose face lit up with a smile upon hearing the news, nodded repeatedly: "Excellent! Excellent! Xu Zhu is excellent! That child possesses a rare purity and righteousness, he's perfect! This is a brilliant move!"

It even reached the Central Academy of Drama.

Lingyuan's hometown, the vegetable market at dusk.

"Xiufen! Sister-in-law Xiufen!" Aunt Zhang, who sells vegetables, had sharp eyes and grabbed Lin Xiufen (Ling Yuan's mother), who was carrying a vegetable basket. Her voice was loud and clear. "Your little Yuan has made something of himself! He's a big star! He played that...that monk! They even showed his picture on TV! He's so handsome!"

"Yes, yes!" Old Li, who was selling fish nearby, chimed in. "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils! A big production! My son talks about it every day! Your Xiao Yuan is the lead! Amazing!"

"Sister Lin, you'll have to treat us next time!"

"Exactly! The mom of a big star!"

The neighbors gathered around, chattering amongst themselves, their faces full of genuine smiles and envy.

Surrounded by congratulations, Lin Xiufen was initially a little dazed. But when she came to her senses, a surge of joy and pride welled up inside her, and she couldn't stop smiling, waving her hands repeatedly, "Oh dear, it's all thanks to the child's hard work... Please, please!"

In the evening, Ling Yuan's father, Ling Jianguo, returned home from get off work, his face still glowing with excitement.

The elderly couple had just picked up their chopsticks when the phone rang.

"Feeding? Son!" Lin Xiufen answered first, her voice brimming with undisguised joy. "Have you eaten? Your dad and I were just talking about you! The whole neighborhood knows, congratulations! Xu Zhu? You acted so well! You look so energetic in the photo!"

Ling Yuan's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone: "Mom, Dad, just finished work. It's not that dramatic, I was just lucky. I worked well with Changchang during the audition, and the director thought I was a good fit."

Ling Jianguo leaned closer to the microphone, his voice steady yet tinged with joy: "That's good! Perform well! Don't let the director down. Is filming at 'Golden Powder' almost finished? How's it going?"

"It's going smoothly, almost finished filming." Ling Yuan said in a relaxed tone, "Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you. After filming 'Golden Powder' is finished, I'll probably get about 50,000 to 60,000 yuan after tax. I've signed with 'Tianlong', which pays much more than 'Golden Powder,' 8000 yuan per episode, for a total of 40 episodes, so I'll get more than 200,000 yuan after tax. You really don't need to worry about my tuition and living expenses from now on, so don't send me any more money."

Lin Xiufen and Ling Jianguo exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with relief. Their son had grown up and could earn his own money. The key was, he earned so much.

This is several times their salary?

"Okay, okay, you can make the arrangements yourself." Ling Jianguo nodded.

Ling Yuan paused, his voice tinged with longing: "Dad, Mom, once I get my paycheck from Tianlong, I'm thinking of... trying to make a low-budget film myself. I've already written the script."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiufen immediately said, "Making a movie? That's great! Do you have enough money? Mom has some left..."

Ling Yuan quickly interrupted, his tone teasing, "Mom! Stop! Don't touch your retirement money. This is my first film, a small-scale project, with a low budget, and the actors' salaries are enough. In case... I mean, in case, nobody watches it and we lose money, I can't let you two lose your life savings, can I?"

"You brat! Talking nonsense!" Lin Xiufen scolded with a laugh, but her heart was warmed. "Alright, it's good that you have an idea. Go for it! Your parents support you!"

"Okay! Thank you, Mom and Dad!" Ling Yuan's voice was firm and warm. After hanging up the phone, he looked out the window at the lights of the film studio, filled with anticipation for the future.

Having been given a second chance at life, I must live it to the fullest and reach the pinnacle of life!

……

Ling Yuan continued writing his novel, "My Brother Disappeared," that evening, and was writing about a classic scene from the comic:

To snatch the last piece of sausage from Shi Fen (his brother), Shi Miao (the younger sister) pounced on him and bit his wrist. The two rolled on the ground, writhing like two cats with their fur standing on end. He had a smile on his lips; this scene would definitely be hilarious in a movie.

"Done on this part!" He stretched, his bones cracking. That's the good thing about being reborn—his mind is full of treasures. Although the details might be slightly tweaked, the core humor remains the same, and he's confident the final version will be even more captivating than the original.

Afterwards, Ling Yuan also took the time to write a gossip article titled "The actresses in 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils' compete for beauty," which can be simply understood as a beauty ranking.

The number one spot has to go to be held by Sisi!

Wang Yuyan, the "Fairy Sister", gets 100 points!

The reviewer was generous with their comments: "Liu Yifei is indeed very beautiful, and Miss Wang is ethereal! Although Li Ruotong is very pretty, Liu Yifei is younger, which is Liu Yifei's advantage."

Youth is an asset, that's undeniable.

As for the second one?

Ling Yuan paused for a moment, then smiled and typed "Tianshan Tonglao" in a soothing voice.

While her looks might not rank among the most beautiful women in the world of Tianlong, in Ling Yuan's eyes, Xiao Changchang is second only to Xixi!

Lively, clever, and a good actor, she is also his partner, Tong Lao, with whom he "shared hardships".

The remaining beauties are:

A Zhu, played by Liu Tao, is described as having a "gentle and beautiful face with a touch of spirit," and is sure to become the most popular A Zhu.

A Zi, played by Cen Hao, was praised for her petite figure, bright black eyes, and quirky charm. A tidbit also emerged: director Zhou Xiaowen had initially intended for Cen Hao to play A Zhu, but she ultimately chose the quirky and clever A Zi, securing her desired role.

Mu Wanqing, played by Jiang Xin, is depicted in her official costume photo with a black veil covering her face and sharp eyes, perfectly capturing her cold and glamorous temperament.

Madam Ma (Kang Min) is played by the famous Christy Chung. Commentators believe that this femme fatale, who is "extremely gentle and extremely seductive," is someone that no one but Christy Chung can play.

Zhong Ling, Meng Gu, A Bi, Qin Hongmian, Madam Wang, Gan Baobao, Dao Baifeng, Ruan Xingzhu, Li Qiushui, Mei Jian/Zhu Jian (played by twin sisters named Bing Qing and Zou Yujie, who are a year younger than Liu Yifei and Shu Chang)...

Just as I finished saving the document, "knock knock knock," there was a light, quick knock on the door.

Ling Yuan opened the door.

Shu Chang carried a box containing several small cakes, her eyes shining like stars: "Brother Ling Yuan, my midnight snack is here! Strawberry mousse, your favorite!"

Ling Yuan stepped aside to let her in, but said, "Little darling, what time is it? You keep coming here, it's not a good look."

Shu Chang pouted, "Oh, what are you afraid of? I'm not afraid at all, why are you acting all coy like a grown man?"

As she spoke, she turned around nimbly and slammed the door wide open.

"Look! The door's open! It's perfectly aboveboard! Is that alright?"

"Alright." Ling Yuan naturally went along with her.

The two huddled around the small table, sharing the sweet mousse.

Shu Chang's cheeks were bulging from eating, and her gaze inadvertently swept over the lit laptop screen next to her.

The title of that gossip article was too eye-catching, and most importantly, she saw her own name in it!

"Huh?" Shu Chang leaned forward curiously and asked, "Brother, what are you writing? Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils... actresses... and me?"

Upon closer inspection, I burst out laughing.

"Wow! A riot of beauties? The Heavenly Child Granny is ranked second? Are you kidding me?"

Ling Yuan: "I'm not kidding. Seriously, you should be ranked number one."

Stop flattering me, I know my place!

Shu Chang read with great interest, nodding as she read: "Yes, well written! Qianqian's 100 points are well-deserved! But..."

She smiled slyly, snatched the mouse, and typed a few words, giving herself a score of 70.

Ling Yuan: "You're too modest. It should be 100."

Shu sang: "You're just kidding me. If I'm 100, then Xixi must be at least 120, no, 150!"

Ling Yuan: "Why are you being so modest? If you don't want to give 100, then you should at least give 85. 70 is too embarrassing."

So, I changed it to 85 for her.

Shu Chang glanced at the document, then at Ling Yuan, and asked, "Why aren't you rating the others?"

Ling Yuan: "Let's forget about the others. I'm going to post it online, and if people find out later that I posted it, it's easy to offend people by giving me a rating."

Shu Chang: "Alright, let the netizens rate it then. By the way, which website are you planning to post it on?"

Ling Yuan: "Naturally, it's Tianya, Mop, and Xici Hutong."

"Then send it quickly, send it quickly, I'll watch you send it!" Shu Chang exclaimed excitedly.

So Ling Yuan logged onto Tianya Forum and posted this gossip in the film and television review section. Then, he copied and pasted it and posted it on Mop and Xici Hutong forums.

"Let's see how it goes tomorrow, it's going to be a hit." Ling Yuan was very confident.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it!" It was getting late, so Shu Chang happily slipped out.

After Shu Chang left, Ling Yuan had an idea and posted his previously written novel, "Ling Dong: The True Story of Ghostly Shadows," on the "Lotus Pond Ghost Stories" section of Tianya Forum, starting to serialize and update it.

This is a hub for suspense and supernatural stories, and classic supernatural posts such as "Bus Route 375" have been circulating here since 2002.

The script for this novel has been revised, and in another six months, he will have enough money to film it. The online serialization now is also a way to promote the movie.

……

In the following days, this gossip article was widely reposted. The original three posts also became top trending posts on their respective website sections, with many people replying and contributing to the discussion.

Aside from Liu Yifei and Shu Chang, who received scores, the other beauties did not. As a result, many netizens took the initiative to participate, giving scores and comments to each of the beauties, expressing their opinions and arguing fiercely.

"Fairy Sister gets a perfect score! I wholeheartedly agree!"

"Shu Chang plays the Child Granny? 85 points? That's a bit high, isn't it? But the little girl is quite clever!"

"Ah Zhu Liu Tao! A gentle beauty, just my type! I give her a 95!"

"Ah Zicen is great! She's clever and quirky! 90 points isn't an exaggeration!"

"Jiang Xin's Mu Wanqing! Her black veil and mask are stunning! Absolutely gorgeous!"

"Kenneth Chung! A natural beauty with a captivating allure! The epitome of femme fatale beauty!"

"If everyone else gets 100, then the fairy sister must get 120, or even 150!"

……

Clearly, the majority of people agree that Liu Yifei ranks first on the list. Some even held a poll, and sure enough, Liu Yifei's votes were far ahead.

The post was widely reposted and screenshotted, and the discussion thread grew taller than a mountain.

This can be considered as adding fuel to the fire for the promotion of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".

Evening, in the hotel room.

Liu Yifei and Shu Chang were wearing matching cartoon pajamas and squeezed onto the same bed.

There was a small table on the bed with a laptop on it, and the two of them were browsing the internet together.

Liu Yifei also saw the article and couldn't help but smile slightly, saying, "This person writes really well, with excellent writing skills and insightful comments. How should I put it... well, it's like they can read my mind. Compared to Li Ruotong, youth is definitely my advantage!"

She had actually thought about it before, but had never mentioned it to anyone. Now, a stranger had written it down, and the feeling was strange. It was as if someone truly understood her.

Shu Chang asked, "Xixi, do you know who wrote this article?"

Liu Yifei: "How would I know? Is it the production team's publicity? Or some entertainment reporter?"

Shu Chang chuckled and whispered in her ear, "It's Brother Ling Yuan!"

"Oh?! It's him?" Liu Yifei exclaimed softly. Her eyes immediately lit up. Am I really that high in his eyes? 100 points...doesn't that mean perfect?