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Dear All,

Thank You to everyone who supported the June donation event for Doctors Without Borders!! With everyone’s amazing and beautiful support, we have achieved $105 USD in donation funds. Including the $50 matched by SurrealSky, the total donation amount is $155 USD! The donation has been sent out and processed. Screenshots of the receipts can be viewed on the event page!!

Donation bonus chapters will be posted soon!

Thank You, Lauren, for you wonderful and lovely Ko-fi donation!!!

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     Lotus Seed Paste and Orange Stuffing’s fans had long become accustomed to her PDA Weibo posts.

     In addition to checking in daily to confess to Rong Xu and endlessly forwarding Rong Xu-related Weibo posts, the only thing this Divine wealthy fair maiden did was flaunt a mysterious male god. However, the flaunting this time was fairly simple, and the fans merely teased and poked a bit of fun, not really saying too much. In the past, Lotus Seed Paste and Orange Stuffing’s posts had no limits to showing off.

     【Hmm hmmm hmmm. We know that you like him, and he likes you too.】

     【Now, if I don’t see the PO (post) owner show affection for a day, I will feel sick all over. 】

     [Speak honestly, Tyrant Orange, when will you let us see a picture of this male god? So curious. Cute, handsome, suave, and gentle……. such a male god, what does he look like_(:з」∠)_】

     However, the fans’ comments were destined to never be answered by Lotus Seed Paste and Orange Stuffing because the car already entered the hotel parking lot. Qin Cheng put both of his cell phones back into his pockets, and the four of them alighted from the car and rode the elevator back to the rooms.

     Luo Qian and the assistant’s rooms were on the same floor. When they arrived (on their floor), Rong Xu and Luo Qian determined the wake-up time for the next day before they said goodbye.

     The atmosphere suddenly quieted down when the elevator doors closed. At this moment, the sound of the steel cables pulling (the elevator) was particularly harsh on the ears while the numbers on the elevator constantly climbed. Qin Cheng raised his gaze and looked at the camera in the corner of the elevator. He examined it calmly for a while before turning his gaze away and moving to stand side by side with Rong Xu, not making any other random moves.

     After getting out of the elevator, there were also cameras everywhere in the corridors.

     Qin Cheng led the way in front while Rong Xu walked behind. The two initially set a smooth and consistent pace, but, gradually, Qin Cheng’s footsteps started accelerating. Seeing this, Rong Xu looked at the man’s back with a hint of surprise. But, he didn’t say much, only similarly speeding up.

    Take out the room card, swipe the card, enter the room, and close the door.

    When the main door closed with a “Ka-da–“, Rong Xu had just planted his feet in a firm stance and before he could even raise his head, he was suddenly wrapped in a hug and pressed against the door panel with a “Bang“. The loud sound didn’t come from Rong Xu’s body (hitting the door), but rather Qin Cheng’s arms. He held the young man firmly in his arms, burying his face in Rong Xu’s shoulders. His arms tightened slowly, as if he wanted to ingrain Rong Xu into his very being.

    Everything happened so quickly. Qin Cheng had yet to insert the room card into the electric  card slot, so the room was completely dark. Only the faint moonlight shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

    Rong Xu temporarily couldn’t adapt to the deep darkness for a while, so his sight was still dim, and he subconsciously reached out and grabbed the man in front of him. At first, he just held on gently, but gradually he, too, hugged (the other) tighter and closer. He breathed in the cold air and couldn’t help but curl his lips.

     Neither of them knew how much time had passed. A hundred years seemed to have elapsed before Rong Xu’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he laughed softly while saying in low voice: “(You) clearly wore sunglasses during the audition and refused to look at me. Qin Cheng……you being like this so randomly is quite strange.”

     They had been living together for almost a year now, but only three months had passed since they affirmed their feelings.

     Rong Xu knew that Qin Cheng had always had a very restrained personality. He was unsure when this man had fallen in love with him, but even after he confirmed the other party’s intentions, this man could actually still hold himself back and use Auntie Qin as his excuse for everything.

     This kind of Qin Cheng was inexplicably cute, so Rong Xu never exposed him.

     Time flew quickly. 

     A year ago, Rong Xu would never have thought that one day he would embrace this man and fall in love with this man. However, the world worked in mysterious ways. 

     Rong Xu embraced the other man for a while and then wanted to let go, but Qin Cheng didn’t allow him to leave.

     Thinking, the young man raised his lips and joked: “I didn’t get thinner. I even gained a pound while working with the crew, so you can let go now. Could it be…… that this time Auntie Qin asked you to come see if I’ve gotten thinner? ?” His clear voice was mixed with an undeniable smile. It was as if they’d returned to the time before they’d confessed their feelings to each other.

     Qin Cheng lowered his gaze and looked at the young man in his arms.

     The dim lighting made him unable to see Rong Xu’s face clearly. He frowned, deliberated briefly, and reluctantly released his left hand to take out the room card and insert it into the electric card slot. All the lights turned on abruptly, and Rong Xu squinted, the brightness stinging his eyes with discomfort. 

     Qin Cheng’s sonorous voice sounded softly in the next moment: “En……”

     Unexpectedly, the other would answer like this. Rong Xu was stunned and looked up at Qin Cheng.

     The two’s gaze met in midair. Looking into the man’s deep and solemn eyes, Rong Xu was dazed for a while before he smiled.

     “Then, Mr. Qin, you can tell Auntie Qin that I really haven’t lost any weight. Now……can you let go of me?”

     Qin Cheng pursed his thin lips and looked at Rong Xu: “Then, did you grow taller?”

     Rong Xu was baffled: “I can still grow taller?”

     Qin Cheng nodded: “En, you can.”

     Rong Xu reflexively said: “At this age, how can I still grow……” His voice stopped midway when he suddenly realized he was only nineteen years old right now. The young man shook his head helplessly: “……It seems I really can grow taller.”

     Rong Xu was currently 185 cm, but Qin Cheng was 190cm. No matter how tall he grew, it would be difficult to become taller than this man. Thus, the thought of “not knowing whether or not he could grow taller” only briefly flashed through his mind before he dropped it and returned to the original topic: “Can you let go now?”

     Qin Cheng kept his eyes closed and said nothing, expressing his attitude with his actions.

     Rong Xu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “……but my phone is vibrating.”

     Qin Cheng: “……”

     Letting go of the younger man regretfully, Qin Cheng watched as Rong Xu took out his cell phone and pressed the answer button, saying: “Brother Luo”.

     The man’s eyes darkened as he silently noted down “Luo Zhentao” in his heart. (RIP Luo Zhentao, you will be missed)

     It was already June, so today Rong Xu was only wearing a simple white undershirt with a thin gray jacket. The knitted jacket was tightly form fitting to the young man’s body, (drawing out the beautiful curves of his body), and his long legs were wrapped in tight black jeans. As Rong Xu moved forward slowly, the jacket would sway and occasionally reveal a sliver of his waistline hidden behind the white shirt.

     After Qin Cheng let go of the young man, he still stood by the door, watching Rong Xu walk into the room step by step.

     Over the phone, Luo Zhentao seemed to be talking about the contract signing for The Embroiderer. He, himself, was still in B city dealing with Rong Xu’s next endorsement; it was impossible for him to come to Hengdian in person. Thus, he worked overtime that night to read through the contract given by the crew, and decided to modify one or two details before talking it over with Rong Xu on the phone. 

     This responsibility (of contract details) was generally given to Luo Qian, but Luo Zhentao still had to tell Rong Xu.

     Like so, the two talked for more than ten minutes. Meanwhile, Qin Cheng stepped into the room, removed his coat, and put on simple pajamas. After he washed up briefly, he walked out and saw Rong Xu sitting on the hanging chair beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, swinging on the chair while talking to Luo Zhentao.

     His silhouette was thin and lanky. The hanging chair continued to swing back and forth, making creaking sounds. It was like he’d returned to his childhood years, youthful and innocent.

     As if hearing Qin Cheng exiting the bathroom, Rong Xu suddenly swiveled his head around and waved to Qin Cheng with a grin.

     Qin Cheng walked to the sofa and sat down beside Rong Xu.

     Rong Xu turned his head to look at Qin Cheng with a smile while still talking to Luo Zhentao. It was merely an innocent smile and glance, but he didn’t know how alluring this image was in the eyes of a certain man at that moment.

     After removing his coat, the thin shirt could no longer hide the young man’s beautiful body. He sat on the hanging chair, occasionally swinging to and fro. When he turned his head to the side, fine scattered hair dropped from the other side, slightly covering his crystal clear eyes, (making him appear) serene and ethereal.

     This Rong Xu was truly nineteen years old.

     He hadn’t even really passed his nineteenth birthday. Strictly speaking, he was truly an eighteen-year-old youth.

     There was none of the warmth and elegance that was associated with Wan Siyao; none of the coldness and ruthlessness that radiated off Huo Xi; none of the mature gentleness that exuded from Ling Xiao; and none of the indifferent seriousness that belonged to Xue Jiazhe. 

He was Rong Xu, not the (High EQ) and calm rising star of the public eye, but just simply Rong Xu.

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

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Dear All,

Thank You to everyone who supported the June donation event for Doctors Without Borders!! With everyone’s amazing and beautiful support, we have achieved $105 USD in donation funds. Including the $50 matched by SurrealSky, the total donation amount is $155 USD! The donation will be processed within 3 business days.

5 sponsored posts have also been added to the queue!! There will be 4 sponsored SA posts and 1 full sponsored Koi chapter posted as soon as I finish editing them!!

Thank you Wuxiawoohaha and Anonymous (E.) for your incredible and lovely donations!

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

      (As soon as the audition ended,) Rong Xu immediately stood up, walked to the center of the room, and bowed towards Old Liu. The originally tense and heavy atmosphere instantly vanished.

     The producer was the most immersed in the scene. When the audition ended so suddenly,  he was momentarily taken aback before he recovered and applauded. Under his lead, several other audition viewers also began to applaud. Only Old Liu and Qin Cheng didn’t move.

     Old Liu looked at Rong Xu with a complicated expression. There was no longer the same enthusiasm from the first meeting.

      Meanwhile, Qin Cheng still wore his sunglasses and sat silently among the crew, seemingly as if he didn’t exist at all.

     After a long time, the screenwriter said: “I think it was pretty good. Rong Xu, you didn’t sit at the beginning. Was it to reflect Zhu Molang’s character? He is someone who’s deferential to sages and courteous to scholars, and has high prestige in court. Presenting it this way was superb.”

     This particular screenwriter was a well-known first-tier screenwriter in Huaxia. He was in his sixties and had a positive, widespread reputation.

     Even after listening to his senior’s flattery, Rong Xu was not overly self-effacing and said with a smile: “Yes, when I was studying the script this afternoon, I felt that in regards to Zhu Molang’s character, even if he was waiting in Kong Chao’s house, he wouldn’t casually sit and make himself at home. The Elite Guards is the most difficult force he needs to win over. He desires to win over Kong Chao, so of course he has to give Kong Chao a good impression.”

      Hearing this, the screenwriter satisfactorily gave a few more words of exaggerated flattery.

     However, seeing that Old Liu still hadn’t said a word, the others also stopped talking. No matter how satisfied they were (with Rong Xu), the final decision was still in Old Liu’s hands. This film was practically Old Liu’s domain. With Old Liu’s prestige within the circle, even the producer wouldn’t dare interfere with his decision.

     There was a period of long silence that fell through the room, but then a deep, magnetic male voice sounded out: “Old Liu, what do you think?”

     Everyone simultaneously glanced towards Qin Cheng and then swept their eyes towards Old Liu.

     At this time, the only one who could speak with Old Liu was the one who had the best relationship with Old Liu, Qin Cheng.

     Rong Xu turned his head to look at Qin Cheng only to see that the latter had also turned his head to look at him. Through the sunglasses, Rong Xu couldn’t see Qin Cheng’s expression, but Qin Cheng could see his very clearly. Seeing this situation, Rong Xu raised his eyebrows and gave a certain man a side glance.

     Qin Cheng: “……”

     A moment later, Qin Cheng silently removed his sunglasses.

      The miniscule exchanges between the two were not noticed by others. After all, everyone else’s attention was focused on Old Liu. They watched as Old Liu opened his mouth, and then closed his mouth repeatedly for a while. After going back and forth and hesitating several times, the old man finally laughed helplessly: “I now feel like we shouldn’t have used this scene for the auditions.”

     As soon as these words landed, the screenwriter asked in surprise: “Old Liu?”

     Old Liu sighed with regret: “Should’ve directly asked him to act out the final scene. This scene wasn’t enough at all.”

     Hearing this, the producer suddenly realized: “Old Liu, you mean……”

      Old Liu smiled kindly, but his eyes glowed with an impish light. He stared at Rong Xu with a smile, and said: “Let’s sign the contract tomorrow. In the following two weeks, we’ll film all of your scenes first. Is that okay, Rong Xu? I heard from Old Xu that his movie won’t start until two weeks later. If it really won’t work. I’ll call him and ask him to postpone it a bit! There’s absolutely no issue!”

     The faint feeling of anxiety in his heart completely dissipated at this moment, and Rong Xu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Old Liu, Director Xu specially chose an auspicious day (to start filming)……”

     Old Liu waved his hand: “Don’t mind him, Old Xu doesn’t believe in that at all. He’s just playing it up for the outsiders.”

     Like so, things were finally settled.

      Old Liu truly was the epitome of someone with great leaps in their train of thought. Before, when Qin Cheng was able to talk the old man into forgetting to urge Rong Xu to go do styling. Now, Old Liu switched to talking with the screenwriter and producer about Director Xu’s new work. Perhaps it was due to age, but Old Liu didn’t even notice that Rong Xu was still standing in the middle of the room wearing the weighty costume.

     Qin Cheng calmly pushed his chair back and walked to the center of the room, dragging Rong Xu away.

     When Old Liu finally reacted, the two of them had already long disappeared. Old Liu said in amazement: “They left just like this? Qin Cheng brought him away? This is simply overprotecting the cub.”

     The producer by the side said questioningly: “I heard that this Rong Xu was recommended by Qin Cheng. They have such a good relationship? Qin Cheng also co-stared with Rong Xu in Black Clouds and then presented awards to him. This relationship is really too good, ba……”

      In this world, same-sex marriage had long been legalized. Although there were also many heterosexuals in this society, there were also countless who identified as homosexual. This was especially the case in the entertainment industry where homosexuality was a dime a dozen in prevalence.

     The producer had already begun to think in that direction, but Old Liu shook his head: “Don’t overthink it. I have known Qin Cheng for many years now. You guys aren’t clear about it, but I am. His older generation and Rong Xu’s older generation are familiar with each other. They should’ve asked them to look out for each other.”

     Only then did the producer remember a certain rumor in the circle: Rong Xu was the young master of B City Rong family.

     The people nearby stopped thinking about it further. 

      After talking a bit more, the screenwriter laughed and said: “This kid is so sharp. The Zhu Molang he presented was even better than the one I created. I kind of want to change a few scenes now……”

      Several crew members continued to chat until one o’clock in the morning.

     On the other side, Qin Cheng led Rong Xu to remove his makeup before taking him to the hotel.

     Just as he was about to leave the set, the assistant director in charge of logistics ran over to report: “I already helped Rong Xu book……”

     “He can sleep in my room for now.” The man calmly interrupted. He looked towards the surprised assistant director and said lightly: “I remember there’s only one room left in the hotel. Did you want his assistant to squeeze into a room with others and arrange a single room for him?”

     That assistant director’s face was painted with a “how did you know” expression. He gave a quick nod: “En, one room will be vacated tomorrow. I wanted assistant Luo and Xiao Xia to temporarily share a room for a day before arranging another room for her the next day.”

      Rong Xu watched Qin Cheng negotiate with the assistant director. His delicate, tender face was full of smiles as he stayed silent, simply standing behind Qin Cheng and watching on.

     Qin Cheng lowered his gaze and said firmly: “You can arrange a room for him tomorrow. He can sleep at my place for today.”

     The hotel booked by the crew of The Embroiderer was some distance away from the Film and Television City (HengDian World Studios). Qin Cheng’s assistant drove Rong Xu and Luo Qian together. Rong Xu and Qin Cheng sat in the back while Luo Qian sat in the passenger seat.

     Along the way, Luo Qian kept cautiously glancing at the two through the rearview mirror. On the other hand, it was unknown if it was from experience or if he had simply been with Qin Cheng for too long, but Qin Cheng’s assistant looked straight ahead and continued driving honestly, never once looking back.

     In the back seat, Qin Cheng was looking at the back of the driver’s seat while Rong Xu was looking down at his phone.

      After watching for a while, Luo Qian’s excited gaze moved away, and the man expressionlessly looked up and glanced at the passenger seat before gently sliding his hand towards the right. He moved inch by inch, got closer little by little, before he finally slid over and touched another slightly cold hand.

     When he touched the little finger, Qin Cheng curled his lips and slightly slowed his movements. But he hadn’t had any time to move further when suddenly!! Rong Xu flipped his hand over and directly clasped onto his hand, intertwining their fingers!

     Qin Cheng: “!!!”

     Five seconds later, Qin Cheng’s phone vibrated. He took out his cell phone and realized that he must have grabbed the wrong one, so he took the other one out of his pocket and turned it on.

     [Rong Xu: Are you wearing sunglasses deliberately to not let me see your expression? 】

     Qin Cheng: “……”

     This sentence seemed to be a very casual question, but it was clearly ‘settling an account after autumn’! 

     Feeling his right hand being held in a death grip, Qin Cheng pursed his lips and replied: 【Avoiding suspicion. 】

     The more you say, the more you might lose. Less was better.

      Seeing these two words, the young man’s lips curved subconsciously. He stopped sending messages, and instead turned his head directly to look at the man (beside him). Through the tan tinted windows, the faint yellow of the street lamps wasn’t too bright and could only faintly illuminate the younger man’s clear and bright eyes.

     Qin Cheng didn’t expect Rong Xu to suddenly turn his head to look at him and was a little startled. He looked at the young man’s uptilted chin, and something seemed to have been let loose in his heart. The corners of the man’s lips curved upwards and he desperately wanted to embrace this person into his arms. However, at this moment, he could only tighten his hold on the (other’s) fingers.

     As long as he continued to hold on like this, as long as he continued to look at this person, he could willingly see ‘forever’.

     During the ten-minute drive, the two people in the front didn’t notice the movements of the two in the back.

     When the car was parked in the hotel’s parking lot, Qin Cheng retrieved the phone he previously misgrabbed and sent out a Weibo post.

     [Lotus Seed Paste and Orange Stuffing: I like him so much, like him so much, like him so much…… I like him so, so much. 】

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

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Hi all! The June Donation Event is up and running! For every 10$ exceeding $100 total ($50 donation plus $50 matched by SurrealSky), there will be a sponsored chapter scheduled! All proceeds will be going to Doctors Without Borders! For more information, check out the event page!

Thank You, Frauleinfrog and LurkingReader for your amazing and lovely donations! With this, we have reached 120% of the original $50 goal!! Which means there’s currently 1 sponsored chapter in waiting, and I am churning them out as fast as I can so I can post them all in July, when the Doctors without Borders Donation Event ends!

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     Old Liu took this audition very seriously, and it was obvious from the way he directly asked Rong Xu to do his makeup and change into costume (for the audition).

     Many cast auditions simply asked for the actors to act out a snippet without having them change costumes or do makeup, only to get a general feel (of their capabilities). Of course, when Rong Xu went to audition for Vie for Supremacy and Black Clouds back then, he also had to change into costume and put on makeup. However, Wan Siyao’s and Ling Xiao’s styles weren’t as cumbersome as Zhu Molang’s.

     The prince’s python robes, triple layer brocade robes, and jeweled embellishments were all gorgeous and luxurious. Compared with Qin Cheng’s flying fish robes, Rong Xu’s costume was a few degrees more extravagant. 

     Old Liu grew more satisfied the longer he looked. The elderly man didn’t say anything out loud, but the wrinkles that appeared at the edge of his eyes couldn’t hide his happiness.

     With the assistant director leading the way, Rong Xu entered a room not far away. Originally, this was the director’s private resting lounge, but once Old Liu started filming, he refused to take any time to rest. Thus, after having to change actors, the crew directly converted (the room) into an audition room.

     Old Liu, the screenwriter, the producer, several associate directors…… and Qin Cheng, all sat in the audition room. Inside the spacious room, Rong Xu walked in wearing a golden silk python robe. He first introduced himself politely and greeted everyone before preparing to start the audition.

     Everyone here was an experienced individual. There was no need to say more; they could just start the audition directly.

     Perhaps it was to avoid suspicion, but it was true that auditionees did not need to purposely avoid relatives (on set)^[1]. However, as Rong Xu’s recommender, it was already quite inappropriate for Qin Cheng to appear (at the audition). Thus, (Qin Cheng) had changed into his costume and even wore a pair of obscure sunglasses to blend in as he sat next to Old Liu.

     Rong Xu couldn’t see (Qin Cheng’s) expression, but he could faintly feel that the man’s gaze was fixed upon himself.

     Inside this small room, there was only one table and one chair placed in the center of the room – all made of exquisitely carved and hollowed wood. On the table was an empty, plain white, porcelain tea cup, quietly placed near the chair. This was the audition prop for The Embroiderer.

     Zhu Molang’s first appearance was set in the emperor’s palace. As a filial prince, he personally served his father medicine and was respectful and humble. At that time, Kong Chao would just be returning to the capital after having completed his mission. Originally, he entered the palace because he wanted to give the emperor (a briefing of the mission). But, unexpectedly, the emperor was seriously ill and fell into a long slumber. The prince was considerate of Kong Chao’s long wait and asked him to return first.

     After the emperor woke up and learned of his son’s filial piety, he took his hand and said earnestly: “The Elite Guards will belong to Lang’er sooner or later^[2]. Just this time. You don’t need to try to avoid suspicion next time.” ^[3]

     Therefore, Zhu Molang’s second appearance would be a year into the movie’s plot line, where he would directly meet with Kong Chao at (Kong Chao’s) residence.

     And today, Rong Xu’s audition segment was the scene of Zhu Molang’s second appearance.

     Previously, when the other auditioning actors tried this scene, Qin Cheng did not act with them. Thus, for the sake of fairness, Qin Cheng naturally didn’t (enter the scene) with Rong Xu either. This scene would be performed by Rong Xu alone, but it was, in fact, a two-person scene.

     Rong Xu slowly walked to the chair and to Old Liu with a smile: “I’m ready.”

     Old Liu nodded: “Then, let’s start.”

     Rong Xu lowered his head, lifted his hands and picked up the teacup. Everyone watched his movements very calmly, and saw him hold the cup saucer with his left hand. He used three fingers on his right hand to gently lift the tea cup lid, his movements gently revolving around this white porcelain teacup. His actions were extremely passive, doing every motion slowly. But, from beginning to end, he stayed standing and never once sat down.

     Seeing this scene, Old Liu gradually sat up straight, and Qin Cheng’s lips curved upwards.

     The following scenario should be Kong Chao returning home. He had heard someone relay that a distinguished guest had come, so he quickly entered the house. However, he never expected that the person he would see would be the crown prince.

     As if hearing the sound of a door opening, Rong Xu’s actions of examining the tea set stalled, and he lifted his head to look forward. There was a hint of a faint smile in his clear and gentle eyes. He put the tea cup down, lowered his gaze to the ground, and smiled lightly: “Commander Kong need not be polite. Coming here without forewarning today is this prince’s lack of propriety.”

     Saying this, Rong Xu paused briefly, as if listening to someone else speaking. His line of sight also slowly tilted upwards, as if the person he was looking at had stood up.

     After listening to the other party’s reply for a while, Rong Xu smiled: “Since there were some difficulties…… why don’t you give This Prince a briefing (of the situation)?”

     Rong Xu’s voice was mellow and soft, like a spring breeze blowing across the lake, rippling the waters, and making others unable to resist rekindling their favorable impressions.

     The producer and screenwriter both looked at the youth in the center of the audition room and couldn’t help but glance at each other and nod. Just based on appearances and the brief performance, the benevolent prince character, Zhu Molang, was portrayed very realistically by Rong Xu, and he definitely passed the audition. But they didn’t know…… if he could act out Zhu Molang’s real face hidden deep underneath his public facade.

     In this segment of the plot, Kong Chao would hesitate for a while. It wouldn’t be until Zhu Molang took out the Elite Guards medallion given by the Emperor would he finally express his concerns.

     The Elite Guards were only loyal to the Emperor, and the crown prince will be the next Emperor. Since the current Emperor already thought of the crown prince in such high regards, then as the commander of the Elite Guards, (Kong Chao) could naturally report his findings (to Zhu Molang).

     Kong Chao’s lines for this segment would be very long, and Rong Xu listened on with a faint smile. Even Old Liu didn’t notice when he slowly sat down on the Eight Immortals chair. Rong Xu raised his left hand and stroked the smooth,white edge of the porcelain tea cup. His movements were slow and deliberate, and the smile in his eyes grew deeper and deeper. He kept his gaze lifted as he watched the Elite Guards commander who had stood up to speak. The speed of which he was stroking the porcelain cup gradually slowed down.

     When his movements fully came to a stop, Old Liu was suddenly taken aback, as if he had only then noticed that Rong Xu had sat down.

     Under the bright lights, this handsome young prince chuckled and the corner of his lips curved upwards. A dark light flashed across his eyes. He lifted the white porcelain cup and took a sip, and then he raised his head and smiled softly: “Since this is the case, then, Commander Kong, I must burden you…… to go find the truth about the bizarre deaths of the Elite Guards.”

     As soon as his words fell, he gently placed the cup back onto the table, making a noise that was neither loud nor quiet.

     His voice gradually became colder as Rong Xu narrowed his eyes and said, still smiling: “My Ming Country’s Elite Guards are people of the Imperial family. No matter who, if they touch the Elite Guards, they are touching the foundation of My Imperial land. If you catch the true perpetrator who is hiding behind the scenes, you must place him in front of This Prince, This Prince……”

     The pair of phoenix eyes glanced over, and Rong Xu’s thin lips opened: “Will kill without mercy.”

     Like this, the audition came to an end.

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

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Hi all! The June Donation Event is up and running! For every 10$ exceeding $100 total ($50 donation plus $50 matched by SurrealSky), there will be a sponsored chapter scheduled! All proceeds will be going to Doctors Without Borders! For more information, check out the event page!

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     Being embraced by this man, Rong Xu could only smell the scent of fake blood through his nose, but he couldn’t help lifting the corner of his lips. Thousands of unsaid words could only be summarized into one sentence in the end: “Long time no see.”

     It was the same as the most ordinary meeting between good friends. Although a hug might be a bit strange, the staff didn’t think too much about it.

     Old Liu quickly noticed the situation. When he saw Rong Xu, his two eyes suddenly lit up, and he strode over: “Rong Xu? Old Xu praised you before. I heard that you just finished (a film) yesterday. Do you still have the energy to audition right now? It just so happens that the makeup team has time and can directly help you with styling.”

     As soon as Old Liu opened his mouth, he had already blocked off the other’s path of retreat, and Rong Xu couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry.

     After all, since Old Liu already walked over, Rong Xu naturally couldn’t keep hugging Qin Cheng anymore. Thus, he let go and laughed: “Director Xu Sheng?”

     Old Liu chuckled: “Not bad, I heard you’ll be working with Old Xu for your next work. I called him this afternoon.”

     Although this sentence was said lightly, it also implied that Old Liu had long since gathered detailed information on Rong Xu. He had never watched Rong Xu’s works – he hadn’t watched either Vie for Supremacy or Ambush. He originally wanted to watch Black Clouds, but ended up having something going on. Later on, he was further preoccupied with the preliminary preparations for The Embroiderer and had even less time.

     During the past two days, Old Liu had auditioned seven or eight film newcomers. However, for all of them, either their image wasn’t suitable, or their acting skills didn’t pass (his standards).

     Although Qin Cheng recommended Rong Xu, Old Liu also didn’t agree rashly. He was only relieved when he learned that Rong Xu’s acting skills were good and had even been acknowledged by Xu Sheng. These referrals saved them time by getting Rong Xu to audition. If his acting skills were poor, it would be a waste of everyone’s time.

     Rong Xu was about to agree, but Qin Cheng snorted softly and said: “What did Director Xu say?”

     Old Liu replied: “Old Xu said that Rong Xu is a decent talent. He decided to work with you after watching Black Clouds.” After a pause, Old Liu smiled and said: “When Qin Cheng recommended you, I already thought it was (a pretty good option). How about it, Rong Xu, can you do the styling now?”

     Qin Cheng nodded: “Director Xu spoke well and has a good eye. Last year’s Depths of the Courtyard was also very good.

     Hearing this, Old Liu turned his head back and began chatting with Qin Cheng about Xu Sheng’s Depths of the Courtyard which had been nominated for the Golden Phoenix Award, and temporarily forgot to urge Rong Xu to go do his makeup. He continued talking to Qin Cheng, and Qin Cheng (responded by) nodding from time to time, and then the old man started to talk about his movie from last year.

     Taking this opportunity, Rong Xu was finally allowed to take a breather.

     As soon as he got up at noon today, he received a call from Qin Cheng, packed his luggage, and arrived at Hengdian World Studios. Not to mention the exhaustion he built up along the way, if he really went to do his makeup without stopping to take a break, he’s afraid he wouldn’t be able to do the audition in his best condition.

     Once Old Liu finished speaking, he picked up his cup and took a sip of water. Qin Cheng turned to his assistant and said: “Take him to my place to rest up.”

     The little assistant quickly nodded, and Old Liu finally remembered: “Hey, wait a minute, weren’t you going to go do styling?”

     Qin Cheng lightly smiled and curled his lips and said, “When I met Lilov in Berlin last year, he mentioned that this year he was planning to film……”

     Old Liu’s attention was once again diverted. After the two chatted for another half hour, Old Liu suddenly realized his error and hurried Rong Xu to finish his makeup and prepare for the audition. Qin Cheng furrowed his brows and was about to speak up, but he saw Rong Xu smile and shake his head, so (Qin Cheng) could only agree.

     While doing his makeup, Rong Xu received a text message from a certain man.

     [Qin Cheng: If knew earlier that there would be such a long traffic jam today, I would’ve picked you up tomorrow.】

     Traffic jams were an extremely tiring matter. If Rong Xu arrived in Hengdian at four or five o’clock in the evening, he wouldn’t necessarily have been this tired and naturally wouldn’t have an issue with styling and auditions. But right now, he had only arrived after eight o’clock and was already exhausted. Meanwhile, in order to finish faster, Old Liu was constantly urging him.

     [Rong Xu: Earlier is better. If it can be finalized by today, if it doesn’t work out, I can still take the plane back tomorrow.】

     After a brief moment, Qin Cheng replied with a text message:【……You won’t stay here for a few more days? 】

     Stay a few more days? Meaning staying beside someone for a few more days?

     Directly seeing through the other party’s intentions, Rong Xu asked grimly:【You really think I will fail the audition just like this? 】

     Qin Cheng, who saw the text message: “……”

     En, I fell into the trap.

     Following that, Qin Cheng went back to filming, and Rong Xu put down his phone to do his makeup with peace of mind. Zhu Molang’s costume was a very cumbersome but gorgeously intricate dragon gown, and three makeup artists had to join hands to arrange the gold and jade inlaid gown. Then, the makeup artists carefully helped Rong Xu put on a wig cap before delicately pulling the long black hair to the back of his head.

     Perhaps because the artists had plenty of experience from helping the recent auditioning celebs with their makeup for the past few days, these makeup artists were clearly very skilled in (Zhu Molang’s styling), and they took care of Rong Xu’s styling in a matter of seconds. When the makeup was complete, one of the older artists suddenly thought: “Oh yes, where is the red mole? Yesterday the director said that the middle of the eyebrows wasn’t (a good location), where should we change it to?”

     Another makeup artist thought for a while: “Director Wang said that the ends of his eyes are suitable, or is it right there?”

     “Okay, let me try…… hmm? There’s a smudge at the edge of Rong Rong’s eyes!” As if realizing his mistake^[1], the makeup artist suddenly blushed before regaining a serious expression and said: “I….…I’ll dot it here.”

     While talking, the makeup artist took the cinnabar color pen and lightly dabbed a dark red mole at the edge of Rong Xu’s eyes.

     When everything was finally complete, the makeup artist who had exposed his own fangirl attribute was so shy that he stepped aside and didn’t dare look at Rong Xu again. However, Rong Xu stood up and handed his phone to Luo Qian, and instead of immediately leaving the dressing room, he looked at the makeup artists with a smile and said: “Hello, I am Rong Xu. Please kindly advise.”

     All the makeup artists were taken aback.

     The next moment, four makeup artists leaned in and said in unison: “Rong Rong! Can I get a signature! I reallyreallyreallyreally like you!!!”

     Rong Xu: “……”

     Suddenly…… so many people.

     Only after signing for every makeup artist did Rong Xu walk out of the dressing room. Outside, Qin Cheng had already finished (filming) today’s scene and was still wearing his makeup while talking to Old Liu. When they heard someone accidentally yell “Rong Rong”, they simultaneously turned their heads around. Instantly, Qin Cheng was stunned, and Old Liu’s eyes also widened as he stared dumbfoundedly.

     For Zhu Molang’s good looks, the screenwriter had used a whole list of complicated and magnificent words to describe it and even added the phrase “words could not express (his beauty)” at the end.

     However, when he walked out of the dressing room, Rong Xu’s appearance was akin to the brightest existence in the world, attracting the eyes of all existences in the world.

     Those phoenix eyes were long and thin, devastatingly charming, as pure as jade, and unmatched in beauty^[2].

     The small dark red mole at the edges of his eye was akin to a smoldering flame. Rong Xu lifted his eyes and looked at Qin Cheng with a light smile. The latter couldn’t help but purse his lips, and his throat gradually became dry. Their eyes crossed five or six meters and met in the air.

     Qin Cheng opened his mouth slightly and was just about to speak, but he hadn’t spoken yet before he heard Old  Liu laugh and say: “Good! Today’s filming is over, so let’s quickly do the audition now. This is truly wonderful!”

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

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Hi all! The June Donation Event is up and running! For every 10$ exceeding $100 total ($50 donation plus $50 matched by SurrealSky), there will be a sponsored chapter scheduled! All proceeds will be going to Doctors Without Borders! For more information, check out the event page!

Chapter Potential Trigger Warning: Blood

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     The film, The Embroiderer, was based upon reality, yet was also divergent from reality ^[1]. For example, the prototype of Rong Xu’s role, the Prince, was a highly evaluated (individual) in history. Not only were his abilities strong, but the main point was that he was exceedingly beautiful.

    Just that point alone gave Old Liu a headache: Both good acting skills and good looks. Where would he go to find such a good seedling in the short amount of time?

     On the way to Hengdian, Rong Xu worked on studying the script. This was the first time he’s read the script. Originally, he just wanted to analyze the script rationally as an outside party would, but while reading through it, he became immersed in the plot. At the end, when all the foreshadowed events were revealed one by one, a plot twist turned the tides, and the truths all came to light. Rong Xu couldn’t help but feel his heart stir.

     Seeing Rong Xu’s scrunched up eyebrows, Luo Qian asked in a soft voice: “Xiao Xu, is the script good?”

     Rong Xu rarely showed any expressions when he read through scripts, and this was the first time Luo Qian had ever seen his current appearance.

   Hearing this, Rong Xu locked his phone screen. He smiled as he looked up and asked: “Sister Xiao Qian, what do you think of Qin Cheng’s movies?”

     Hearing his Boss’s name, the little assistant sitting in the driver’s seat immediately pricked his ears and listened as Luo Qian said without an ounce of hesitation: “God Qin’s movies are all great! Extremely great! I enjoy watching every single one of them; I watch them all at least three times!”

     The praise obviously wasn’t for him, but Rong Xu couldn’t help but beam: “En, so, do you think this script is any good?”

     Luo Qian nodded fiercely.

     Rong Xu never once doubted Qin Cheng’s ability to select scripts. In fact, he, himself, was also highly picky about scripts. However, the scripts he received now were far fewer than Qin Cheng, and there weren’t that many options for him to choose from. It was the same for The Embroiderer. Rong Xu was also very interested in Qin Cheng’s role, but it was absolutely impossible for Old Liu to let him take on that role.

     Nevertheless…… the character, Zhu Molang, was actually no less than Kong Chao.

     The Elite Guards wore flying fish patterns and used the finest cloud brocades crafted by Jiangnan’s skilled Sewing Women and Embroiderers. They wore finely embroidered silk and fabric, paired with an Embroidered Spring Sword^[2]. Kong Chao was the veritable protagonist, but Zhu Molang was a key figure throughout the entire plotline.

     Rong Xu closed his eyes and carefully contemplated the plot of the entire movie. Ten minutes later, he turned his phone back on and re-read the script. When reading the script this time, he didn’t immerse his own emotions, but rather analyzed it from an objective perspective.

     Good script writers made sure that every line had carried a purpose.

     Rong Xu first read through all the scenes with Zhu Molang’s appearance before specially selecting to study Zhu Molang’s lines thoroughly. The car ride was bumpy, and he could only hold onto his cell phone and study silently in his head.

     Because of the traffic jam, it was already eight o’clock in the evening by the time they arrived in Hengdian Studios.

    Rong Xu followed Qin Cheng’s assistant through the crew and didn’t see a single idle person along the way. Every staff member was rushing to and fro in a hurry. There were some staff members who saw Rong Xu and excitedly asked for a signature, but they only hastily asked for a signature before immediately heading back to their work.

     Luo Qian said warily: “They are all so busy.”

     Rong Xu didn’t respond. He heard the piercing and dense sound of colliding metal, (a noise that made) even the air tremble. It sounded like the noise of colliding heavy iron. The entire crew was silent and only the clanging echoed on continuously.

     Luo Qian also closed her mouth and stopped talking as she approached the set. 

    That was when Rong Xu lifted his gaze and saw him—

    He wore a woven azure flying fish suit, a wide black belt tightly drawn across his waist, and a pair of jade-embellished official boots were worn on his feet. As he swiftly flew through the building, he pierced a knife through the heart of a black clothed man.

     Qin Cheng’s icy and deep expression on his face was similar to that of a sculpture’s, and his black eyes were soaked with cold light. He quickly dashed among a dozen masked assassins, and with each slash, a life was taken. With each slash, another streak of blood landed on his cheek. However, he never stayed still, slaughtering lives coldly and indifferently before finally landing on one knee. The Embroidered Spring Sword was drenched with blood. By the time he braced himself against the ground, there were already more than ten corpses strewn behind him.

     On the desolate road, the shops on both sides of the street had long since closed, and only the bleak moonlight shone upon the earth, similarly lighting up this gory and blood-scented world. The glistening river of blood flowed down from beneath the corpses, slowly spreading along the cracks of the bluestone slabs, making the scene appear horrifying and gruesome.

    Seeing this scene, Luo Qian couldn’t resist covering her mouth, while Rong Xu narrowed his eyes and gazed at Qin Cheng calmly.

     Qin Cheng borrowed the strength of the narrow Embroidered Spring Sword to slowly stand up. A trace of blood gradually seeped through his lips. 

When he lifted his head, his gaze met Rong Xu’s, but his expression didn’t change. It was as if he hadn’t seen Rong Xu at all. He stood up calmly and decisively left the alley step by step.

     A powerful and icy aura instantly diffused through the air, making everyone unable to move.

     “CUT!”

    The moment Old Liu’s voice sounded, the crew finally started to move again.

     The extras who were playing corpses on the ground gradually stood up one by one, and the props crew walked over to help them out of their suspension wires. The leader of the props crew also hurriedly stepped forward to help Qin Cheng untie his wires. At the same time, the makeup artist walked over with quick steps and picked up the brush to help Qin Cheng touch up his makeup.

     Unexpectedly, Qin Cheng gently shook his head and said: “My friend is here.”

     The makeup artist was taken aback, and subconsciously stepped away, letting Qin Cheng walk off the set with long strides.

    Under the gaze of countless crew members, Qin Cheng walked off the set step by step and passed by seven or eight cameras before standing in front of Rong Xu. He bowed his head slightly. There were still splotches of fake blood on the corner of his lips, and he was also wearing the icy, deep blue flying fish brocade costume. His long-haired wig was tied up high behind his head, and when he lowered his head, strands of hair slid down his cheeks, which made him appear even more beautiful and extraordinary.

     Qin Cheng stared at the young man in front of him seriously, and Rong Xu looked up at him.

     The man’s deep phoenix eyes were filled with an impenetrable coloration, his thin lips were slightly pursed, and his lips opened and closed as if he had something to say. But, after a pause, in front of the eyes of dozens of staff members, he could only open his arms and gently embrace Rong Xu, saying calmly: “You are here.”

     He couldn’t say any more, only those three words.

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

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Hi all! Thanks for your patience. Because of my self-destructive clumsiness, I managed to hurt my hand by crushing it against a wall……….. I worked through the translations with one hand so it took quite a bit longer than I expected Orz. It’s all better now though. I should be able to cram out the entire chapter in a week.

The donation event will kick off beginning June 1, 2021 and run for 1 month on Ko-fi! There’s still time to cast a vote!!!

Chapter 90 is 2x longer than the average chapter length and will be posted in 3 parts. Enjoy!

    Xiangshan and Hengdian World Studios are both located in Zhe Province (Zhejiang Province), with a distance of only approximately 100 kilometers^[1]. At noon that day, Rong Xu directly told Luo Qian about the situation and asked her to cancel his flight back to B City for that evening.

     At three o’clock in the afternoon, Qin Cheng’s assistant arrived at Xiangshan Film and Television City, and the group headed back together towards Hengdian.

     Rong Xu also called to update Luo Zhentao, but he hadn’t finished speaking before Luo Zhentao laughed and interrupted: “I already knew by this morning. Xu Jin specifically called me first to ask about your itinerary. Xiao Xu, I heard Xu Jin say that there aren’t many scenes for that particular role. If the shoot goes smoothly, you should be able to finish in a week. Director Xu’s movie won’t start filming until two weeks later. Although I also want you to get some more rest beforehand, this movie…… is truly spectacular.”

     Rushing to another cast audition without a pause just after finishing one movie was considered a bit of an overload for any actor.

    Of course, there were also some actors who preferred to blaze through multiple dramas at the same time and rush from cast to cast in order to secure more works, make more money, and receive more exposure. However, this type of behavior was typically deemed shameless by others within the circle.

     Due to an actor cramming in multiple shoots (at the same time), crews would often have to adjust the filming schedules according to an actor’s availability, which was highly inconvenient (for everyone else). Moreover, cramming shoots could also easily cause problems for the actor’s state, making it so they couldn’t switch between the different roles.

     Normally, Rong Xu wouldn’t go around cramming shoots, and if he filmed The Embroiderer, he wouldn’t have any days to rest. However, as Luo Zhentao said, this film was a great opportunity. Having a chance to cooperate with international big-name directors, Film Emperors, and Film Empresses was truly a rare chance.

    Luo Zhentao said: “It was Mr. Qin who recommended you for this film.”

     Male No. 3 in The Embroiderer was originally a Chinese-American individual who had quite a bit of fame in the United States. In addition to his image and acting skills, He was chosen (for the role) because Old Liu wanted to borrow his popularity to gain access to the United States’ market.

     No one would complain about having too much money. Since this little fresh meat was quite famous in the United States, then they could let him act a bit, ba.

    Of course, Old Liu never expected that this little fresh meat would actually make anti-Chinese remarks on an American TV show two days prior. He was clearly born in Huaxia, and the blood in his body was of Huaxia origin, but after being nurtured to adulthood by the motherland, this ungrateful villain went and (switched his) nationality to another country’s without hesitation, and even dared to slander his motherland.

     “His parents are still in Huaxia. That little bastard brat isn’t afraid of being struck by lightning for his words!” Old Liu directly swore up a storm with the crew.

     Xu Jin told Luo Zhentao that, at that time, Old Liu was so angry he directly called up several of his industry friends, and many of them worked together to completely ban this little fresh meat from Huaxia’s Entertainment Industry. However, the other party’s anti-Chinese remarks had already long spread across Huaxia. Hundreds of millions of netizens scolded him, but he didn’t care, sporting a “I don’t even want your money” temperament.

    This was a prime example of “know one’s face but don’t know one’s heart”. The crew for The Embroiderer had given the other party a nice lump of signing bonus in the beginning. But now, the other party had broken the contract, flung the glass bottle into irreparable pieces, and it wasn’t known if the (other’s actions were) stimulated (by something).

     However, whatever stimulation (the previous Male No.3) received, Rong Xu naturally had no clue. Rong Xu only knew that Old Liu must have been stimulated into exploding.

     Originally, that little fresh meat should have arrived at the crew the day before, but now, his role was suspended and they had to recast for a new actor. For a large-scale production crew like this with thousands of people in the crew, every single day of delay costs another lump sum of money. But, how could Old Liu nitpick the costs? He continued to urge the producer to reach out to actors. He already auditioned three times yesterday. But, he wasn’t satisfied, so he continued to audition today.

    Though, how could it be easy to find an actor who fit his heart’s ideals and be able to start filming immediately. Many first-tier newcomers who met (the role’s) requirements responded to the recruitment one after another; everyone desired to be in Old Liu’s film, but Old Liu was strict in not allowing actors to cram multiple films together.

     Therefore, when Qin Cheng mentioned Rong Xu’s name today, Old Liu’s eyes lit up: “He has time?!”

     Qin Cheng nodded lighty, seemingly just mentioning it casually: “En, they just finished yesterday.”

     Old Liu hesitated when he heard this: “……just finished, isn’t that a bit too rushed?”

     The handsome and innocent appearing man smiled and asked in reply: “Old Liu, can you still find someone better than him?”

     Old Liu: “……”

    After thinking for a while, Old Liu suddenly felt like he’d been caught in the other party’s trap. The old man furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at Qin Cheng, saying: “You didn’t deliberately set me up just now, did you? Qin Cheng, I heard about the situation where you went to present an award to Rong Xu. You must have specially gone to present him that award. Your relationship is so good, you’re obviously recommending him on purpose, right?”

     Old Liu and Qin Cheng had known each other for many years and their relationship could be considered long-time friends.

     It stood to reason that after being exposed, a normal individual would not only panic, but also feel guilty. However, Qin Cheng just raised his eyebrows and quietly curled up the corners of his lips. He gave a smirk and asked: “So… did you not want me to go invite him over?”

    Old Liu: “……”

     Xu Jin, who was watching silently from the side: “……”

     Finally, there was someone else in this world to share in his pain!

     After making the phone call at noon, Qin Cheng sent over the script of The Embroiderer to Rong Xu. In fact, since a long time ago, Qin Cheng had already revealed some of the script’s overarching plotline to Rong Xu. Simply put, this was a chaos-filled wuxia story taking place in the last few years of the Ming Dynasty.

     In the last years of the Ming Dynasty, wars infested the four seas, and the reigning dynasty of more than two hundred years was exhausted.

    Qin Cheng’s role was the commander of the Jinyiwei troops (Elite Guards)^[2], Kong Chao,  who, after returning to the imperial court from an intel collecting mission, discovered that the brethren comrades around him began mysteriously dying off one by one. Everyone died from otherwise normal means. Some died from accidents and some died from mission failures. However, within a year, eleven of them died one after another, making Kong Chao feel a sense of abnormality.

     Then, one day, when Kong Chao returned home, a seriously injured comrade fled to him and died in his arms. Before dying, this man pointed at Kong Chao’s heart, but his tongue had already been cut off, so he could only stare at Kong Chao, dying with his eyes wide open.

    Following that, in order to discover the truth, Kong Chao began an in-depth series of investigations, but eventually became another piece in this intricate game of chess.

    Rong Xu’s role would be Zhu Molang, a prince of the current dynasty. Kong Chao’s Elite Guards’ loyalties lay with the Emperor, but the Emperor was getting on in age and the responsibility of Empire’s supervision and control was passed down to the prince. Before Kong Chao could find the source of the truth, Zhu Molang summoned him and asked about his recent bizarre behavior. After learning that the members of the Elite guard had been repeatedly dying one after another, he formally assigned Kong Chao to inquire about the truth of the situation.

     And so, from that moment on, Kong Chao dove deep into the waters, searching for the truth in an expanse of mist, and was unexpectedly directed towards an inconceivable direction.

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