Chapter 69: Diligently Training to Become a King

As soon as Lin Xi put down her phone, her face fell halfway, and she looked at Lu Yuxiu with dismay. “Oh my god, oh my god, the game I’m worst at! And I actually have to memorize commentary lines—why didn’t I see this coming?”

She wore a woeful expression, resting her forehead on Lu Yuxiu’s shoulder, then hurriedly sat up to find some game commentary videos on her phone, making Lu Yuxiu laugh in spite of himself.

He patted her head reassuringly, pinching her cheek between his fingers. “Don’t worry, you’ll get through it.”

“You knew all along and didn’t tell me!” She glared up at him suddenly with accusation.

Lu Yuxiu’s lips curled into a smile. “I just wanted you to have a day off, so you wouldn’t come home only thinking about work and forget everything else.”

“Hmph!” Lin Xi lowered her head and continued watching her phone, her tone half-pouting. “Telling me a day earlier wouldn’t have made a difference. You just wanted to see me make a fool of myself.”

“How could I dare?” Lu Yuxiu quickly raised both hands, looking utterly innocent.

He pointed at her phone with a hint of grievance. “See? That’s the difference. You’re so absorbed, you’ve even forgotten about your boyfriend.”

“As if,” Lin Xi replied, her cheeks flushing. Honestly, if he wanted alone time, he could just say so, no need to blame her.

“Oh, is the All-Star match going to be broadcast live?!” A sudden realization dawned on Lin Xi, and her eyes widened.

Lu Yuxiu nodded slightly, confirming her worst fears.

“Aaah!” Lin Xi clutched her head in despair. “I’m doomed, doomed! My elementary-level gaming skills are about to be exposed to the whole country!”

“Hurry, hurry! Get online and play with me, I need to practice right now, boohoo.” She grabbed her phone and started up the game.

And so, on the very first night of their vacation, the two of them embarked on a grueling journey through the gaming world. But Lin Xi remained a newbie, her skills hardly improving even after a few extra rounds. Gaming, after all, required a touch of talent.

The next day, Lin Xi made a point to visit the company to find Zhou Xin, leaving Lu Yuxiu behind at home.

As Lin Xi stepped into the Starry Sky office building, many people greeted her with nods, to which she responded with a smile.

Some chatted quietly, “Ever since He Wen, our company’s top star, terminated her contract, the top spot has been vacant. I think it’s Lin Xi now!”

“Obviously! With their close relationship, the boss is bound to promote his own sister. She’s the undisputed leading lady.”

Lin Xi only smiled at this. She didn’t care for such titles; real strength was all that mattered.

“Sister Zhou,” she called as she pushed open Zhou Xin’s office door, poking her head in.

“Hey, Lin Xi? What brings you here? Aren’t you supposed to be resting at home?” Zhou Xin was surprised and got up to greet her.

“I wanted to ask you something. It’s too complicated for text,” Lin Xi said, joining Zhou Xin on the guest sofa.

Zhou Xin assumed she had a work-related request and responded seriously, “Go ahead.”

Lin Xi pressed her lips together with a smile. “Sister Zhou, what would happen if I went public with him?”

Zhou Xin was momentarily taken aback, then quickly realized the real reason for the visit.

She knew Lin Xi was worried about the public and fan reaction. If there was backlash, their reputations could suffer, and any dramas or films they were in could get caught up in the storm.

But in Zhou Xin’s view, this could only be a good thing.

With a smile, she told Lin Xi, “From what I’ve observed of your fans lately, not only won’t there be any negative impact if you go public, it’ll probably send your fans into a frenzy and gain you even more followers.”

Lin Xi opened her mouth in surprise.

Tapping her finger on the table, Zhou Xin continued, “If my information is correct, Lu Yuxiu has been preparing your fans for the announcement.”

“How so?” Lin Xi’s eyes grew round with curiosity.

“He’s been handing out cash gifts—thousands at a time—in his Weibo fan group, telling his followers to support you,” Zhou Xin said, giving her a meaningful look.

Lin Xi’s mouth formed an O. So he’d been doing all this behind the scenes? He really was thoughtful.

She couldn’t help but laugh, telling Zhou Xin, “In that case, I’ll announce it when the time feels right. He really is relentless.”

“Lucky you! Most girls can only dream of having someone like him,” Zhou Xin teased, glancing at the carefree young woman before her.

“He’s conniving, that’s what!” Lin Xi retorted, her cheeks reddening. She definitely wasn’t moved!

Zhou Xin looked at her with a knowing smile.

On her way downstairs, Lin Xi ran into Gu Yao.

“Hey, Lin Xi. What brings you to the office today? Didn’t you just finish filming? You should be resting,” Gu Yao exclaimed, as if seeing a rare creature.

“I came to see Sister Zhou. It’s been a while since I last saw you—what have you been up to? Make sure to spend more time with Xiao Jin,” Lin Xi said, adopting the tone of an elder sister.

Gu Yao chuckled. “As if I need you to remind me, little miss. I’ve just been busy with work, but I’ll be over at her place soon enough.”

Lin Xi nodded approvingly. “Good, you’re teachable.”

“By the way, Fourth Brother, whenever you have free time, get online and play with me. Let’s queue up as a five-man team,” she said, blinking at him. This guy was a top-notch player—what a waste not to use him.

“Alright,” Gu Yao replied, helplessly. “You only ever call me ‘Fourth Brother’ when you want something.”

“Exactly, you’re not stupid,” Lin Xi grinned, turning to wave. “Bye, Fourth Brother!”

“Brat!” Gu Yao muttered, grinding his teeth.

For the next three days, Lin Xi holed up at home, glued to her phone, playing game after game. Eager to understand every aspect, she tried out every role—top lane warrior, mid lane mage, bottom lane marksman, jungle assassin, roaming support.

She experimented with all sorts of heroes in just three days, memorizing equipment builds, skills, and runes by reading guides and watching livestreams.

Lu Yuxiu, Gu Yao, and Wen Jin were all dragged into her training sessions, creating new accounts to help her practice.

The more Lin Xi played, the more absorbed she became. Games really were addictive. But with Lu Yuxiu keeping a watchful eye, she didn’t dare overindulge lest he accuse her of caring more about games than him.

Finally, on the last night, a triumphant shout rang out from Lin Xi’s villa.

Double kill!

With a slap of both hands, Lin Xi cried out excitedly, “I’ve got it!”

“What is it?” Lu Yuxiu, amused, walked over to her.

“I finally know which hero suits me!” Lin Xi’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him.

Lu Yuxiu raised an eyebrow. “Which one?”

“Top lane! Warrior!” She showed him her screen, where her character, Cheng Yaojin, strode confidently with two massive axes.

Just then, the character’s voice rang out: “A true man’s strength comes from both body and spirit!”

Lu Yuxiu couldn’t help but laugh—he hadn’t expected this. His girl was truly one of a kind.

“Come on, come on, log in and play another round with me as Cheng Yaojin,” Lin Xi said, her brows arched in delight, looking utterly harmless.

“Alright.” He agreed, opening the game, his eyes filled with indulgent helplessness.

On the screen, the two of them controlled burly warriors—Kai and Cheng Yaojin. While other couples boasted about unbeatable duos, theirs was all about brute force and dominating the battlefield.

Indeed, his girl was different from all the rest.

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March 30th dawned clear and cloudless.

“Polaris” began filming quietly at the Jinghong Garden in Dragon City’s film base. Since Lu Yuxiu and Lin Xi’s villa was nearby, they arrived early to wait for the director’s instructions.

Soon, Shu Yunyi and Fan Haoxuan arrived, followed by the rest of the crew, each greeting the others in turn. Seeing the close bond between Lu Yuxiu and Lin Xi, everyone secretly acknowledged the rumors—they were true; seeing the legendary Lu Yuxiu in love was a rare sight indeed.

Yan Mei’s assistant handed each person a red robe with the words “Polaris” emblazoned across the back.

Lin Xi found it amusing. With everyone donning the same red robe, there was a palpable sense of unity and team spirit.

The incense ceremony surprised her even more.

The director stood at the front, with Lu Yuxiu, Lin Xi, and the other cast members behind him. Each person held a stick of incense, and Lin Xi copied Lu Yuxiu’s slight bow.

The atmosphere was deeply reverent.

Afterward, everyone received a red envelope, each with a different sum. This was a traditional gesture for good luck, praying for a smooth shoot—a standard ceremony in domestic productions.

The offering table was draped in red velvet, with a statue of Guan Yu in the center, incense burners and fruit offerings flanking either side.

Usually, the camera was covered in red cloth. Once everyone had paid their respects, Yan Mei pulled off the cloth and announced the start of filming in a loud voice.

“May the shoot be auspicious! May it flourish!” someone cheered.

Having experienced the opening ceremony, Lin Xi couldn’t help but feel she had learned something new.

The ceremony ended near noon. Yan Mei let everyone take care of lunch on their own, with shooting to begin in the afternoon. The crew went ahead to prepare the set.

Miya had informed Lin Xi of the scenes for the day, and Lu Yuxiu had already rehearsed with her, so there wasn’t much left to prepare. Lin Xi invited Shu Yunyi to have lunch together.

The two girls walked arm in arm ahead, while Lu Yuxiu followed alone, hands in his pockets, feeling a bit helpless—now that she had a friend, she’d forgotten all about him.

“Lin Xi, I need to swing by the hotel to pick up my brother. He hasn’t eaten yet either,” Shu Yunyi said hesitantly, worried Lin Xi would mind.

“Of course, bring him along,” Lin Xi replied without a second thought.

“Thank you, Lin Xi!” Shu Yunyi whispered, gesturing furtively to Lu Yuxiu behind them.

Lin Xi covered her mouth to hide a laugh, whispering, “Don’t worry about him—his opinion doesn’t matter,” as if to reassure her.

Linking arms with Shu Yunyi, Lin Xi thought to herself that Yunyi was a little too considerate, always thinking of others and rarely herself.

The three of them picked up Shu Yunyi’s younger brother, Shu Yiran, and booked a private room in a nearby restaurant.

While waiting for their food, Lin Xi struck up a conversation with the boy. She noticed how well-behaved Shu Yiran was, sitting quietly without asking questions or glancing around, which made her like him immediately.

“You’re Yiran, right? I remember you,” Lin Xi said with a warm smile.

Shu Yiran looked at her and answered politely, “Hello, Sister Lin Xi.”

“You’re such a good boy,” Lin Xi said with a gentle smile, reaching out to pat his head.

At this, Lu Yuxiu’s eyes flashed—he was about to tug her sleeve when, as if she had a sixth sense, Lin Xi caught his hand behind her back without even turning, leaving him speechless.