Chapter 8: Deleting the Statement, What a Slap in the Face

Lu Hui recalled a saying—“He’s so ordinary, yet he’s so confident.”

Of course, Sheng Zhaoming was a bit more good-looking and capable than the average man, but the arrogance he carried was truly irritating.

Lu Hui’s round eyes carefully scanned him from head to toe.

He was a full head taller than her, with a well-proportioned physique—long legs, a narrow waist, a perfectly tailored shirt and trousers. He was practically a walking mannequin. His features were deep-set, his lips red and teeth white, with a rather refined aura.

In truth, Sheng Zhaoming was usually quite kind to others—a considerate, gentle, mature, and steady man.

He doted on Sheng Lian immensely, always protecting her. Even after starting university, he would come home every weekend to see his sister and would bring her and his roommates out for a meal.

Lu Hui had never experienced fatherly love, nor had she ever enjoyed motherly affection. She envied Sheng Lian. In the past, she had even been a little envious of this stepbrother, longing to know what it felt like to be cared for.

She admitted it—she had been foolish in the past.

She said, “I really don’t understand where you men get this baseless confidence from.”

Sheng Zhaoming released her wrist. “You better not have anything to do with Xie Ran. He already has a fiancée. Don’t come crying to us when things blow up and you need someone to clean up your mess.”

Lu Hui almost laughed. Since when had Sheng Zhaoming ever been kind enough to clean up after her?

When she fell ill and was strapped for cash, she had sobbed her heart out before swallowing her pride to call Sheng Zhaoming for a loan. This heartless man hadn’t given her a single cent.

She had no desire to continue bickering with him, so she pretended not to hear and stepped onto the balcony to enjoy the night breeze.

Sheng Zhaoming leaned lazily against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers. The smoke rose quickly, making his vision hazy. Through the shifting light and shadows, he saw a silhouette as dreamy as a flower in a mist.

After repeatedly testing her, Sheng Zhaoming started to believe that Lu Hui wasn’t just playing hard to get—perhaps she truly was done groveling for his favor.

He used to find her annoying, unbearably so. She always did thankless, humiliating things that couldn’t see the light of day. Now that this nuisance was seemingly disappearing, he should have been relieved, yet instead, there was an inexplicable sense of frustration.

His fingers twitched as he tapped off the cigarette ash. Then, he coldly shifted his gaze away from the balcony, extinguished the cigarette, and tossed it into the trash before heading back to his room.

Lu Hui only stewed in irritation for one night. By the next day, she had already returned to normal. She had practically engraved the phrase “Go with the flow” into her lungs.

—

The next day, the Seeking Immortality in the Demon Realm crew officially started filming.

This was Lu Hui’s first time joining a large-scale production. The behind-the-scenes team had been brought in from Hong Kong, and both the male and female leads were trending celebrities. The novel had a massive fan base, so the first day of filming attracted a great deal of online and offline attention.

Just the number of “sister fans” who had paid scalpers to sneak into the set exceeded twenty. Most were there for the male lead, who had skyrocketed to fame through a recent fantasy romance drama. Cameras clicked wildly, capturing him from every possible angle.

The flashing lights made Lu Hui’s eyes ache. She was standing slightly off to the right, so it was inevitable that she got caught in some of the shots.

Lu Hui was beautiful. Her beauty wasn’t aggressive—it was the kind that quietly demanded attention. Her posture was impeccable, her slender waist straight, and the sunlight lent her an effortless air of languid grace. Even standing beside the male lead, a man with godlike looks, her presence remained undiminished.

Both she and the male lead were in ancient hairstyles but dressed in modern clothing, creating an intriguing sense of temporal dissonance.

They held incense sticks, facing the sun with their eyes slightly narrowed, their expressions nearly identical. Their shoulders brushed, standing just a little too close.

Some of the sister fans inevitably captured Lu Hui in their photos. The softened sunlight made the scene look ethereal, and the two of them together exuded undeniable chemistry.

One of the fans hurriedly posted the unedited photos on Weibo.

“Fresh shots of our gege! Wishing for a successful filming!”

Fortunately, this particular fan club wasn’t very large. After a few fans gently reminded her, the poster quickly cropped Lu Hui out of the pictures.

However, a marketing account reposted the photos, and soon they began to gain traction.

The comments section exploded:

— “Holy crap! Is Yu Li making his relationship public?”
— “Are you blind? They’re obviously filming. They haven’t even removed their makeup.”
— “But there are no other photos! Who is this woman?! They’re so good-looking together! I totally thought they were dating for a second. I’m losing it.”
— “Give me three minutes! I need a CP (couple) name! Is there a fan forum? Any more content? I need to ship this. No one can stop me.”
— “If they have this kind of chemistry in the drama, it’s going to be a hit. If the CP takes off, the show has an 80% chance of becoming a blockbuster.”
— “Uh, guys, she’s just the third female lead, not the official pairing.”

Lu Hui’s search volume skyrocketed, and she managed to ride the wave of the trending topic. However, her haters were quick to flood the internet with her so-called “black history,” while disinterested bystanders dismissed them outright—

— “I don’t care what she did in the past. Shut up. I just want to see attractive people together.”

Others, however, questioned why a mere third female lead got to stand beside the male lead. Was Lu Hui deliberately hogging the spotlight?

She hadn’t stolen the spot—it was offered to her after others declined, too shy to stand beside the male lead. Since she was pushed forward, she simply took her place with confidence.

The female lead, seeing the trending topic, wasn’t too pleased. Her manager was even more upset. “Lu Hui really has no sense of boundaries.”

The female lead, who had worked her way up the industry ladder, remained composed. “Forget it. It’s not a big deal.”

Her manager, however, was relentless. “If she’s bold enough to steal the limelight on day one, what will she do once the show airs?”

Though the female lead defended Lu Hui outwardly, she internally placed her in the “not worth befriending” category.

Meanwhile, Yu Li’s team wasn’t pleased either. Male idols dreaded scandals, and even more so, being forcefully paired in a CP.

Yu Li’s manager warned him, “Be careful around her. You don’t need CP marketing. If this CP blows up, it’ll be endless trouble.”

Yu Li glanced at the trending photos. “Are you overreacting?”

“You’ve had a smooth ride so far—you don’t know how messy this industry can be. There are plenty of people who would do anything for fame.” His manager turned to him. “Did Lu Hui intentionally move closer to you?”

Yu Li chuckled. “How would I know?”

Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t. He couldn’t tell.

But one thing was for sure—this girl was stunning. Even in an industry filled with beauties, her looks were something special.