Chapter 54: The Little Princess of Fortune

After the rehearsal, all the actors took their places, and with a single command from Lu Jin, filming began immediately.

Earlier, Ye Mochen had been poisoned by Qi Tian’s venomous curse, and Ruan Wushuang’s hair had turned white overnight as she confronted Qi Tian. At that moment, Ye Mochen, miraculously unscathed, rose to his feet.

A dazzling golden light flashed before everyone’s eyes. Ruan Wushuang, ever sensitive, sensed Ye Mochen’s profound power—far stronger than before.

When the golden light faded, everyone turned to look, stunned: Ye Mochen, who had seemed lifeless, now stood before them, whole and unharmed!

“Mochen!” Ruan Wushuang was the first to react. She brushed aside every obstacle and rushed into Ye Mochen’s arms.

Ye Mochen smiled indulgently, holding her tightly. “Wushuang, I’m sorry I made you worry.” He lifted his sleeve and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Everyone around gasped. That was venomous magic! Yet Ye Mochen was completely unaffected. What an incredible, almost monstrous power!

Qi Tian was so shocked he couldn’t utter a single word. How? How could this be? Ye Mochen should have been dead! Why?

Ye Mochen gently patted Ruan Wushuang’s shoulder, and she straightened with understanding.

“Qi Tian, is this all you’ve got?” Ye Mochen’s tone was so calm, as if nothing mattered in his eyes.

Qi Tian’s expression was dazed, his gaze fixed on Ye Mochen, uncertain and hesitant.

Ye Mochen let out a cold, mocking laugh, then revealed his even richer and more powerful profound energy, confirming Qi Tian’s suspicions.

Ruan Wushuang’s eyes sparkled; just as she had anticipated, Mochen had successfully broken through to the divine rank. It seemed she herself would have to work hard.

Qi Tian took a sudden step back, his eyes wide in disbelief. “You… you actually… actually advanced… to the divine rank!”

“Hahaha!” Qi Tian suddenly laughed madly. “Ye Mochen, you truly are a genius one cannot help but envy. I’ve lost, utterly and completely.”

“Go ahead!” He closed his eyes in resignation, obviously unwilling to resist further.

“No! Master, Wushuang, please, don’t!” Feng Changge, face streaked with tears, rushed forward, pleading with them.

Ruan Wushuang couldn’t bear the scene and hurried to comfort her. “Changge, don’t be like this.”

Ye Mochen smiled lightly. He had no intention of pursuing the matter to the bitter end. “If you turn back now, I won’t kill you.”

“What did you say!” Qi Tian opened his eyes and stared directly at Ye Mochen, meeting his deep gaze.

“The grudges of the past generation have all faded away. There’s no need to dwell on bygone things. From now on, do honest work, and don’t tread these crooked paths.” Ye Mochen did not blame him; avenging his father’s death was not wrong.

Then, he took Ruan Wushuang’s hand, swept his black robe, and an ancient Candle Dragon descended from the sky in a blaze, roaring loudly. The two of them ascended lightly, side by side atop its enormous wings, gradually leaving everyone’s sight.

“Cut!” Lu Jin shouted through the walkie-talkie.

Lu Yuxiu and Lin Xi were lowered by wire, and the crew helped them out of their harnesses.

Lin Xi could barely contain her excitement. “Flying on wires is the most fun!”

Lu Yuxiu smiled helplessly, “Be careful!” His hand hovered protectively behind her.

Lin Xi ignored him, hopped off the platform with Mia’s offered hand.

“Hey, you’re so cheeky!” Lu Yuxiu followed her down and flicked her forehead with his finger.

Lin Xi tilted her head, squinting and sticking out her tongue at him. Lu Yuxiu pinched her neck and led her to the makeup room.

The night “Legend of the Phantom Moon” aired, the internet erupted.

“Lin Xi cameo,” “Lin Xi’s stunning look in the show,” “Lin Xi’s acting”—these topics shot to the top of Weibo’s trending list, even surpassing the leading actress Qi Qi.

Many fans and viewers left comments:

@BowlOfSpicyBeefNoodles: Incredible! When Lin Xi suddenly appeared, I nearly bit my tongue! My head almost fell off! Lin Xi actually made a cameo in Qi Qi’s new drama! Is this the ‘little surprise’ they hinted at?!

@IWantToRaiseATeddy: Ahhhhh, I screamed like a groundhog again! Our Lin Xi is absolutely gorgeous, okay? That look, that acting, so seductive, so stunning! She’s a living enchantress!

@Don’tWantToBeANun: I just want to say one thing—she’s so beautiful she doesn’t seem human. I’m so ugly I’m barely distinguishable from animals. [smile]

@NanZhuSu: Hahaha, the comment above made me laugh! Those keyboard warriors got slapped in the face. Is Lin Xi’s acting good or not? Now they have nothing to say!

“Legend of the Phantom Moon” broke a rating of 1 on its first day, and its popularity only grew. Director Qiu Yan even posted on Weibo, tagging Lin Xi and calling her his little lucky charm.

Lin Xi hadn’t expected that a cameo as a demoness would earn her titles like “human enchantress,” “queen of trending searches,” and “little lucky charm.” She shrugged—her talent speaks for itself, there’s nothing she can do.

-------------------------------------

Days passed, and February arrived.

That day, Lu Yuxiu and Lin Xi traveled as usual from the hotel to the set. Lin Xi sat in the car, always gazing out the window, scanning her surroundings as if searching for something.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Yuxiu worried she might bump her head if the car started suddenly, so he pulled her back.

“Don’t you feel like someone’s following us?” Lin Xi turned to him, her expression serious.

Lu Yuxiu was surprised by her vigilance. Only yesterday had he asked paparazzi Lang and Xiao Wu to continue their work, and this morning Lin Xi had already sensed it.

There was no reason not to tell her. He didn’t want the matter to upset her, so he simply explained.

He smiled lightly. “Our Xi Xi is very alert.”

Lin Xi’s heart skipped a beat; she’d forgotten herself and acted too obviously, fearing danger. She couldn’t let anyone realize her true identity.

“Um…” Lin Xi hurriedly tried to change the topic. “You knew someone was following us?”

Luckily, Lu Yuxiu didn’t press further. He answered calmly, “They’re my people.”

“What?!” Lin Xi stared at him in shock. “You sent people to follow us? Are they bodyguards?”

Lu Yuxiu chuckled, glancing out the window. “They’re paparazzi.”

“Huh? Why would you send paparazzi to follow us?” Lin Xi was even more confused. What was his intention?

“We’re together now. I’m worried that when we make our relationship public, the fans won’t accept it. So I had the paparazzi follow us, photographing our daily life. When the time comes, we’ll release the photos to silence them.” His gaze was bright as he looked at her, deep like an ancient well, impossible not to be drawn in.

Lin Xi nodded in understanding. So that was it—he’d thought things through carefully.

“Who would have thought…” Lu Yuxiu said, taking her hand and hooking her pinky onto his knee, “Our Xi Xi is so beloved. We haven’t even announced anything, and the internet is full of support. Ah, my lucky little princess.”

The last words were spoken with tender affection. Lin Xi found herself locked in his embrace, her back pressed against his chest, feeling his heart beating wildly.

A faint blush bloomed on Lin Xi’s cheeks, like a flower about to open. She lowered her head and smiled.

“Do you want to see the photos they took?” Lu Yuxiu rested his chin on her shoulder.

Lin Xi tilted her head slightly, their breaths intermingling. “Do you have them?”

“Yes.” Lu Yuxiu handed her his phone.

Lin Xi took it, pressed the home button, and the screen lit up. She paused, startled.

The lock screen was a photo of her rolling snowballs in the snow, laughing happily.

“What? You took secret photos of me!” Lin Xi, seeing herself as his phone’s wallpaper and knowing it was taken by the person she liked, felt a surge of shyness. She put her hand over her heart, feeling it pound wildly. As soon as she opened the phone—there she was! How strange! Who could bear it?

“It’s an open and honest photo of my girlfriend,” Lu Yuxiu raised his eyebrows.

He opened the album—it was full of daily photos of the two of them, taken by Lang the paparazzo, all sorts of scenes…

“My goodness, so many! You saved them all!” Lin Xi couldn’t even finish scrolling.

Lu Yuxiu smiled. “I can’t bear to delete any of your photos; they’re my treasures.”

Lin Xi’s heart was overflowing with sweetness, wrapped in happiness. She turned to look at him; he wore a faint smile as he flipped through the pictures.

He seemed just as the fans described—aloof, yet not quite so. As if nothing in the world could disturb his heart, neither too warm nor too cold, his eyes never held unnecessary emotion, always calm and indifferent.

He was untouched by worldly dust, giving her all his favoritism.

Sometimes Lin Xi wondered if someone like him truly liked her, but he seemed so pure, reserving all his tenderness for her. With others, he was simply cordial, casual and kind, never leaving traces, letting everything follow its course.

For someone like this, to understand and cherish is to love deeply; all else is mere aloofness.

Fortunately, she had met such a person—and was slowly becoming one herself.

“How about it? Are you moved?” Lu Yuxiu saw her staring at him, and once again thanked his parents for giving him good looks; winning his wife was everything!

Lin Xi nodded dazedly, her hands instinctively wrapping around his neck.

She seemed born to seduce him, growing more radiant and lovely by the day. The unconscious gesture revealed her strong dependence, belonging entirely to him.

“So, Xi Xi, let’s go public.” Lu Yuxiu held her waist tightly, buried his face and bit her ear, his eyelashes as dark as ink, hiding his longing.

Lin Xi shrank her shoulders, enduring his bites. His actions completely unsettled her, sending tingles through her body like electric shocks. She panted softly.

“Hmm? I can hardly wait to tell the world you’re mine.” His low, hoarse voice was seductive.

“Alright… Let’s just let it happen naturally.” Lin Xi didn’t object to going public; it made no difference to her.

“Heh.” He chuckled softly. Sunlight streamed in, making his eyes gleam darkly, filled with laughter, barely containing his desire and excitement.

He knew she didn’t mind making their relationship public, and felt content. However it happened didn’t matter; if the media caught them, he’d admit it openly, and if not, he’d find the right time to announce it.