He Asked If I Had Kiss Scenes—Then Said He’d Go Home With Me

Ning Shixue hadn’t slept last night.

He was so tired he could barely open his eyes.

As soon as he got in the car, he wrapped himself in a blanket and caught up on sleep.

The old butler kept Xie Yaoyao and the others company nearby.

He took out a box of bear-shaped cookies and had them practice counting.

First, he poured out a few cookies and asked Ji Xiao.

Ji Xiao answered correctly without any trouble.

He got a few bear cookies as a reward.

They were even chocolate-filled ones.

Xie Yaoyao anxiously raised his little hand.

“I want too!”

“Young Master,” the old butler, in his sixties with white temples, poured out a few more cookies and asked Xie Yaoyao with a smile, “How many little bears are these?”

Xie Yaoyao’s dark eyelashes drooped.

His profile was fair and soft.

He stretched out his chubby little hand and pressed it in the air a few times, then said firmly, “This is three little bears!”

The old butler gave him three bear cookies, quite appreciatively.

“Very smart.”

The old butler didn’t dare let them eat too many.

For the rest, he just had them count without giving them any to eat.

He gradually increased the difficulty.

He put several on the left and several on the right, adding up to over ten.

Then he asked them, “How many is that altogether?”

Xie Yaoyao propped his chin in his hands, his soft, white cheeks puffing up.

He had to count them one by one.

But he always got little red flowers in kindergarten, and this time he didn’t count wrong either.

Then it was Ji Xiao’s turn.

Xie Yaoyao finally couldn’t sit still.

Without any cookies, it wasn’t fun at all.

He kicked his little feet, leaned over to bother Ning Shixue, and even stuck out his little bottom, trying to lie in Ning Shixue’s lap.

But he was trapped by the seatbelt and couldn’t crawl over.

Xie Yaoyao the Great Demon King was very unwilling to admit defeat.

He had learned a new skill last night.

He leaned close to Ning Shixue and shook his little head vigorously.

He could shake it lots of times in a row.

Ning Shixue: “…”

Ning Shixue wasn’t completely asleep, but he was too lazy to open his eyes.

Xie Yaoyao didn’t manage to disturb Ning Shixue.

Instead, Ji Xiao beside him couldn’t help looking over at them.

While counting, he got mixed up.

Then he earnestly started counting all over again.

Even though he had a good memory, he didn’t know addition and subtraction yet.

He could only count like this.

No matter how he counted, he couldn’t finish.

He was still obediently counting from the beginning.

He looked both pitiful and amusing.

“Alright, alright,” the old butler said, laughing so hard he cried, unable to bear it anymore.

“Let’s stop counting. How about watching some cartoons?”

Ning Shixue slept halfway through the journey.

Only when He Lin sent him the script did he finally open his eyes.

When he opened it, his gaze couldn’t help but pause.

The cover was plain, black text on white, reading I See the Immortal Lord.

It was a two-male-lead period drama.

The male leads were the Immortal Lord Yun Shangchen, and the Demon Lord Yu Li.

Ning Shixue was to play the second male lead, the younger version of the protagonist, Demon Lord Yu Li.

But the problem was, this drama was adapted from a novel.

The original novel was called After Transmigrating as the Antagonist Immortal Lord’s Dao Companion.

“…”

What was this?

Reading a novel within a novel?

In the original story, the Demon Lord Yu Li fell in love with the Immortal Lord at first sight.

He stubbornly wanted to become his dao companion.

He didn’t expect the Immortal Lord to be a great antagonist.

He ended up dying very miserably.

Then the male lead transmigrated into the book.

He transmigrated on the night the Demon Lord and the Immortal Lord got married.

He originally wanted to divorce the Immortal Lord.

But when he looked up, he saw that he was like the eternal snow on the mountain peak.

Those eyes were as clear and cold as the moon.

He also fell head over heels.

He tried every way to prevent the Immortal Lord from walking down the path of the antagonist.

He was even deceived by the Immortal Lord, mistakenly believing the Immortal Lord loved him.

In the end, he still almost died by the Immortal Lord’s sword.

The Demon Lord Yu Li completely turned to the dark side and became the Immortal Lord Yun Shangchen’s sworn enemy.

Ning Shixue: “…”

He knew it.

Feeling sorry for the antagonist would bring bad luck.

In the original setting, the appearance of the demon clan’s youth was completely different from their adulthood.

So Ning Shixue only acted until the beginning, when he was killed.

After that were the real two-male-lead scenes.

The original novel was just a melodramatic angst story.

After He Lin adapted it, the script was solid and full of feeling.

This drama had another name, called Time, Time, I Offer You a Cup of Wine.

In the original story, Yu Li and Yun Shangchen drank three nuptial cups of wine together.

These were all crucial scenes in the drama.

Ning Shixue hadn’t even finished reading the script before they arrived at the set.

He Lin was still behind the monitor, watching the extras film pick-up shots.

When he saw Ning Shixue, he waved him over.

“Xiao Ning, go for a fitting first. Then try a scene and we’ll take the promotional photos.”

Ning Shixue acknowledged.

The promotional photos required two outfits.

The Demon Lord’s black robe, and a set of bright red wedding clothes.

He definitely wouldn’t have time to officially act today.

The promotional photos would take a long time.

And He Lin hadn’t definitively decided to let him act yet.

Even if Xie Zhaozhou came, if the audition was completely unsuccessful, it wouldn’t work.

Ning Shixue went to the makeup room.

The old butler stayed on the set with Xie Yaoyao and Ji Xiao.

This was a xianxia drama.

The production team had built their own set in the film and television city.

Tonight, they were filming pick-up shots of the demon realm.

So most of the people there were extras playing demon realm little demons.

They were heavily made up.

On their heads were demon clan horns.

They were draped in black robes, walking back and forth in front of the demon palace.

Xie Yaoyao was extremely shocked.

His dark eyes widened.

This place had so many monsters!

Ning Shixue followed the stylist and first changed into the Demon Lord’s robe.

The Demon Lord Yu Li looked completely different as a youth compared to his adult self.

Ning Shixue was playing a delicate, beautiful youth.

The makeup artist had worked on him for a long time, pressing his features to make them more delicate and feminine.

The corners of his eyes were slightly upturned.

There was also a prosthetic horn on his forehead, a small protruding horn.

He was also wearing colored contact lenses.

He was supposed to wear red ones, so now his pupils were deep red, contrasting with his snow-white, jade-like skin.

Ning Shixue spent almost three hours on makeup.

He left the makeup room to find He Lin.

When he walked onto the set, many staff members turned their heads and were suddenly stunned.

He Lin looked up from behind the monitor and couldn’t help being startled.

Ning Shixue’s face was naturally suited for the big screen.

It was a striking kind of beautiful.

And the previous actor had been too delicate and feminine.

But Ning Shixue, as a person, didn’t have that delicate and feminine feeling.

Even if the makeup deliberately toned it down, his eyes were still cold.

Eerie and beautiful.

It was more in line with the original character’s persona.

“Good, the makeup is good like this,” He Lin was very satisfied with this makeup.

His attitude became serious.

“Try scene three for me.”

Scene three was the first time Yu Li saw Yun Shangchen.

He had to convey that feeling of admiration.

Ning Shixue had already forgotten the feeling of acting.

Lines and blocking were all unfamiliar.

But this kind of scene was exactly what he was best at.

He wasn’t blind.

He knew he was good-looking.

Even though he didn’t care about this face, he had to admit it had helped him a lot.

When Ning Shixue looked up, He Lin knew it was right.

He even began to wonder if the problem with Ning Shixue’s past acting was his own fault, or the director’s.

The original host, even though he had a good face, would become stiff as soon as he was in front of the camera.

His features would go everywhere.

His acting was quite terrible.

Ning Shixue wasn’t stiff at all.

He Lin also listened to him deliver a few lines.

The lines had some issues.

They sounded unfamiliar, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time.

But He Lin thought he could teach him.

“Pass,” He Lin smiled.

“Go take the promotional photos. Let’s see if we can film one scene tonight.”

Ning Shixue’s first scene was the Demon Lord marrying the Immortal Lord.

He just had to sit in the bridal sedan chair.

No lines at all.

Ning Shixue first went to take promotional photos in this outfit.

Xie Yaoyao and Ji Xiao were playing in the lounge.

The butler grandpa had gone to the film and television city to buy them some good food.

A staff member was with them.

Xie Yaoyao was holding two little monsters, having them fight.

His small pink lips pouted as he made “da da da” sounds.

He even taught Ji Xiao to “da da da” along with him.

But before he could finish “da da da”-ing, his kids’ watch suddenly rang.

His chubby little face was full of excitement.

“Big Daddy!”

Xie Zhaozhou called Ning Shixue.

He couldn’t get through.

He called the old butler, but still no one answered.

His brow furrowed.

His face darkened.

Had something happened?

He turned and walked quickly toward his car.

Without much hope, he called Xie Yaoyao.

He never expected Xie Yaoyao to pick up.

Xie Zhaozhou asked in a deep voice, “Xie Yaoxing, where are you?”

Xie Yaoyao didn’t actually know what place this was at all.

But whenever Baby went out, he had to go with Baby.

He lifted his little head, vigilantly looked around, then told Xie Zhaozhou, “Big Daddy, we’re at the monster cave!”

Xie Zhaozhou: “…”

What nonsense was this?

Ji Xiao couldn’t help speaking up.

He told Xie Yaoyao, “We’re at the film studio.”

When Ji Qing acted in films, he had come here many times.

Xie Zhaozhou heard Ji Xiao’s voice.

He asked, “Ji Xiao, where are you?”

Ji Xiao’s small body trembled in fear.

Xie Zhaozhou’s voice was naturally cold.

And since the variety show had started, this was the first time Xie Zhaozhou had spoken to him.

Ji Xiao usually stuttered a bit when talking to people.

Scared, his speaking speed actually increased.

He didn’t know the exact location either.

But his little mouth quickly recited a string of store names he had memorized to Xie Zhaozhou.

On the way to the film studio, Grandpa Butler had been reading out all the signs on the street for them.

Xie Zhaozhou knew the Yan City film studio very well.

He also knew He Lin was filming here.

His knuckles gripped the steering wheel, turning white from the pressure.

A thin sweat broke out on his palms.

Finally, he slowly relaxed his hands.

Then he hung up the phone and drove over.

Halfway there, he got a call from the old butler.

“Sir, we’re at the film studio,” the old butler said, quickly telling him so Xie Zhaozhou wouldn’t worry.

He had originally meant to tell Xie Zhaozhou that Ning Shixue was going to act in a film, and they were all going along.

But he had never taken care of two children at the same time before.

Picking them up and putting them down, he was flustered and forgot.

Ning Shixue finally finished taking the promotional photos.

He went to the set to find Xie Yaoyao and the others.

Tonight, the crew was filming night scenes.

When he walked over, he saw Xie Yaoyao holding his chubby little face in his hands, staring at one spot without moving.

He asked curiously, “Xie Xingxing, what are you looking at?”

“Baby, scared,” Xie Yaoyao said, using all four limbs to hug Ning Shixue’s leg, his voice tearful.

“There’s a big black wolf monster!”

Then he looked up and met Ning Shixue’s deep red eyes and the black horns on his head.

Xie Yaoyao: “…”

Wuwuwu.

Xie Yaoyao was tearful.

Baby had been eaten by the rabbit monster too.

This rabbit monster was pretending to be Baby to trick him.

But Little Mantou and Grandpa Butler were still here.

Xie Yaoyao forced himself to be calm.

He walked over toward Grandpa Butler and the others on his little short legs.

Halfway there, he couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Scared, he started to run.

Ning Shixue was completely confused.

He ignored Xie Yaoyao.

He looked up in the direction Xie Yaoyao had been staring.

Under the night sky, Xie Zhaozhou was wearing a black suit, leaning against that Mercedes.

Those deep eyes looked cold no matter how you saw them, thick and dark as ink.

Across the noisy crowd on set, he looked directly into Ning Shixue’s eyes.

His face was indeed a bit dark.

Xie Yaoyao was still crying to Grandpa Butler about the big black wolf monster that was staring at them.

It must be because Xie Yaoyao was too cute and the monster wanted to eat his soft little flesh.

Ning Shixue: “…”

You’d better hope Big Daddy doesn’t hear that.

Your little bottom might be in for a world of hurt.

Ning Shixue walked toward Xie Zhaozhou.

Feeling a bit guilty, he asked, “Second Brother, why are you here?”

He suddenly had a bad feeling.

Could it be that Xie Zhaozhou had come home tonight?

He had originally struggled over whether to tell Xie Zhaozhou he was going to the set.

But then he thought, Xie Zhaozhou didn’t come home at night anyway.

Maybe by the time he finished filming, Xie Zhaozhou still wouldn’t know he had acted at all.

So he didn’t send a message.

He Lin heard from the assistant director that Xie Zhaozhou had arrived.

He went to find Xie Zhaozhou and the others.

The moment he saw Xie Zhaozhou’s face, he immediately realized.

Xie Zhaozhou had just found out Ning Shixue was filming here.

He couldn’t help but feel smug.

He hadn’t told Xie Zhaozhou.

He had assumed Ning Shixue would definitely tell Xie Zhaozhou.

He didn’t know Xie Zhaozhou had fallen this far.

His wife didn’t even tell him when she went out to film.

“You came just in time,” He Lin said, handing Xie Zhaozhou a script.

“Help me run lines with him.”

Xie Zhaozhou had already retired from the entertainment industry.

He probably wouldn’t act again in this lifetime.

But helping someone run lines shouldn’t be a problem, right?

He Lin was busy as a bee.

After giving his instructions, he quickly left.

He still had to oversee the extras shooting a few long takes.

Xie Zhaozhou’s expression was cold.

He took it and flipped through the script first.

Some directors only gave actors the parts of the script that corresponded to their roles.

Unless the role was very heavy.

But He Lin always gave the complete script to everyone, regardless of whether they were the lead or a supporting actor.

Everyone had to know the entire plot before filming could start.

Ning Shixue’s script was also complete.

But his scenes actually added up to less than ten pages.

Xie Zhaozhou wore a black suit, but he wasn’t wearing a tie.

His suit jacket was also open.

It was clearly a formal outfit, but he wore it with a sharp, aggressively imposing air.

He lowered his eyelashes and leaned lazily against the hood of the Mercedes behind him.

But his expression was very serious.

Ning Shixue pressed his lips together.

Xie Zhaozhou had almost never looked at him with such a serious expression.

Even at the beginning, it was only coldness.

And after all, Xie Zhaozhou was a Triple Crown Best Actor winner.

Ning Shixue hadn’t actually acted in many films.

Altogether, he had acted for less than two years.

Xie Zhaozhou was silent for a few minutes.

Ning Shixue was uneasy.

He thought Xie Zhaozhou was about to share some great insight.

Then he saw Xie Zhaozhou look up with a neutral expression and ask, “This script has no kissing scenes and no bed scenes?”

Ning Shixue: ???

Actually, there were.

But he wasn’t in them.

They were for the two main leads.

His most intimate scene was drinking a wedding cup with the Immortal Lord.

So Ning Shixue shook his head.

“I don’t have any.”

He Lin thought for a long time.

Feeling uneasy, he came back to see how Xie Zhaozhou and Ning Shixue were doing with the line rehearsal.

As he approached, he saw Xie Zhaozhou’s black eyes curving, his tone lazy.

He dragged out his words and asked Ning Shixue, “No kissing scenes, no bed scenes. What am I supposed to help you run lines for? Who wrote this terrible script?”

He Lin, director and screenwriter: “…”

Go to hell, you bastard!

Ning Shixue was taken aback.

Then he turned his head and ran right into He Lin.

The tips of his pale ears suddenly turned a bit red.

He lifted his foot and kicked Xie Zhaozhou’s shoe tip.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

He Lin and the others were indeed in a hurry to start filming.

Xie Zhaozhou didn’t tease Ning Shixue anymore.

He got serious and ran lines with him.

Ning Shixue hadn’t acted in so long.

His lines sounded unnatural.

His intonation and cadence were also a bit off.

Xie Zhaozhou took a pen from the car.

He lowered his head and marked the emphasis for the lines in Ning Shixue’s script.

Ning Shixue stood next to him, watching.

Suddenly, he couldn’t help asking quietly, “Teacher Xie, have you filmed bed scenes before?”

Xie Zhaozhou’s pen paused.

He looked up.

Ning Shixue thought he probably had, right?

Xie Zhaozhou had acted in so many films.

Hadn’t he ever filmed a bed scene?

He didn’t know why he suddenly asked this.

But meeting Xie Zhaozhou’s eyes, he realized he didn’t really want to hear the answer.

What if he really had?

Even though it had nothing to do with him, he still didn’t want to hear it.

He quickly refused. “Teacher Xie, just pretend I didn’t ask.”

“I never took those kinds of roles before,” Xie Zhaozhou said slowly, his eyes curving.

“But now I’ve changed. I have a family to support. I’ll take anything. What kind of scene does Teacher Ning want to film with me?”

Ning Shixue: “…”

Sorry, I can’t beat you at being shameless.

Ning Shixue held back.

His cheeks were even a little hot.

Finally, he forced out a few words.

“I can’t afford your fee.”

Who would have expected Xie Zhaozhou to shamelessly nod.

“That’s true. If I sold myself, it should be at least a hundred thousand, right?” Xie Zhaozhou’s dark phoenix eyes held a hint of a smile, his tone suggestive and tender.

He lowered his voice and said, “But since it’s for Teacher Xiao Ning, giving it away for free isn’t impossible… Should I go home with you tonight?”