Chapter 36: The Polaris Cast Dinner

Once the scene was finished, everyone took their places.

“Let’s get ready to shoot,” Qiu Yan said, sitting in front of the camera. “Action!”

The enchantress entered the frame, alluring and seductive. The scholar, the traveler, and even the monk were caught by her gaze, bewitched and spellbound.

“Come closer~” Her lips were as delicate as jade, her voice silky and soft, pulling souls into her web.

Those strong, robust men stared fixedly at the distant cave, their bodies moving forward as if willingly, yet also as though compelled by some invisible force.

One by one, they entered the cave and vanished from sight. Only then did the enchantress cover her lips and laugh gently, her face radiant like morning clouds.

With that smile, the world seemed to lose its color—stunningly beautiful, a hundred charms in one glance.

“Cut!” Qiu Yan called, marking the scene as complete.

“One take! Lin Xi, that was excellent!” Qiu Yan praised her without hesitation.

“Thank you, Director.” Lin Xi replied with a smile. She had felt anxious, never having played such a role before, but it seemed to have turned out well.

“Xiao Xi, you were amazing!” Qi Qi, who had been watching from the side, gave her a thumbs up.

In just a few seconds, Lin Xi had embodied the enchantress perfectly.

Lin Xi smiled shyly.

“Change the set! Let’s see if Cheng Lin is ready,” Qiu Yan instructed the crew.

Lin Xi sat aside, reviewing her lines for the next scene as the set changed.

Her phone vibrated; a message from Lu Yuxiu on WeChat: Fish: How did it go? Are you finished?

Brook: Went smoothly, about to shoot the second scene.

Fish: I’ll be there soon.

Lin Xi was startled—so early? Had the schedule changed?

“Xiao Xi! Are you ready?” Qi Qi’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Ready!” Lin Xi responded quickly.

She looked up and saw a pair of beautiful people—the boy handsome and upright, the girl lively and clever, so captivating you couldn’t look away.

“A perfect match!” Lin Xi propped her chin in her hand, sizing them up.

“Of course!” Qi Qi replied proudly.

Xu Chenglin lowered his head, hiding the blush on his cheeks.

“All right, let’s rehearse!” Qiu Yan called the three over, beginning to walk them through the scene.

The enchantress—Lin Xi

Xiao Ming—Xu Chenglin

Ning Ling’er—Qi Qi

Once everyone was in position, the director gave the command: “Okay! Second scene, ready! Action!”

The light in the cave flickered between bright and dark.

The enchantress was grasping at the lifeless men, eyes narrowed as she sucked out their souls, seeking eternal beauty.

Suddenly, a faint sound came from the cave entrance. The enchantress immediately turned, alert, waving her hand to hide the men with an illusion.

She also concealed her own presence carefully.

The male lead, Xiao Ming, entered. He stepped into the cave, and the enchantress, seeing his handsome face, felt her heart flutter—she wanted to make him hers.

“What a handsome gentleman you are!” The enchantress’s voice floated through the air, enchanting.

Xiao Ming frowned, looking around warily.

“Sir, once you’ve entered my Lotus Cave, you’ll never leave~” The enchantress finally revealed herself, her slender waist swaying, more beautiful than any flower, winking seductively at Xiao Ming.

Behind the camera, Qiu Yan nodded approvingly, not noticing the newcomer behind him.

Lu Yuxiu arrived at that moment, his face darkening completely, a hint of hidden malice in his eyes, the bright gaze now clouded.

Lin Xi continued, unaware.

“Enchantress, surrender now!” Xiao Ming, impatient, drew his sword.

The enchantress remained calm, strands of hair brushing her cheeks in the wind, adding to her allure, flawless in her beauty.

“You really don’t appreciate romance, do you~” she teased, but before she finished, Xiao Ming attacked.

They fought, the enchantress still seducing, spinning and twirling, her skirt swirling, every movement full of grace.

Like a true enchantress, she was always beautiful—so beautiful it was hard to look directly at her.

But Xiao Ming had no interest in prolonging the fight; he wanted to capture her quickly, lest she continue to harm others.

“Brother Xiao, are you inside?” The female lead, Ning Ling’er, entered, calling loudly at the cave entrance.

Xiao Ming grew anxious—what if Ling’er misunderstood? He resolved to finish the enchantress, his sword aimed straight for her life.

The enchantress realized something was wrong; she was no match for Xiao Ming and decided to flee.

But Xiao Ming saw through her plan, blocking her escape.

“Please spare me, sir!” Seeing his sword about to fall, the enchantress pleaded weakly, dizzy and terrified, cold sweat streaming down.

“Brother Xiao!” That voice sounded like a death knell, and Xiao Ming hesitated no more, his sword falling swiftly.

“Ah—” The enchantress’s soul was scattered, dying with great resentment.

“Cut!” Director Qiu was extremely satisfied—two scenes, both in one take! Lin Xi was truly a natural actress.

“It’s a wrap!” Qi Qi shouted excitedly.

Lin Xi stepped out of character, looking up to see Lu Yuxiu staring at her with a dark expression.

“!” Lin Xi’s scalp tingled, her heart beating faster. She felt as if she’d been caught red-handed, guilty to the core.

A cold wind blew, and Lin Xi felt a chill to her heart, shivering involuntarily.

“Brother Yuxiu...” she looked at him cautiously, inching closer.

Lu Yuxiu, proud as ever, ignored her, casting a cold glance toward Director Qiu and Xu Chenglin.

Lin Xi felt his oppressive mood, trembling even more.

He finally noticed Lin Xi shivering, frowned, took off his coat and draped it over her, then handed her the hand warmer from his pocket.

The two seemed like a young couple, leaving the crew baffled.

“Yuxiu, what brings you here?” Qi Qi was the first to react, stepping forward to ask.

But Lu Yuxiu merely glanced at her indifferently, offering no reply. Qi Qi, confused, touched her nose—when had she offended this genius?

Director Qiu was busy wrapping up and didn’t notice, but Xu Chenglin saw Lu Yuxiu’s displeasure and quietly moved to shield Qi Qi behind him.

Qi Qi patted her chest in relief.

“Oh wow! Isn’t this our Yuxiu? What are you doing on our set?” Director Qiu’s eyes lit up when he saw Lu Yuxiu—they’d worked together before and got along well.

Lu Yuxiu nodded coolly, glancing at Lin Xi. “I’m here to pick someone up.”

Director Qiu was no fool; after so many years in the industry, he immediately understood.

“Hahaha! Good! Excellent!” Qiu Yan looked very pleased, patting Lu Yuxiu’s shoulder.

Qi Qi snickered behind Xu Chenglin, while Lin Xi stood there, dazed, not understanding what had happened.

“Lin Xi! Well done! If I get another chance, I’ll cast you again—no backing out!” Qiu Yan seemed to envision her being fought over by directors in the future, making an early reservation.

“Absolutely! I’d love to!” Lin Xi was happy to work with Director Qiu.

“Count me in!” Qi Qi jumped in, and the three chatted enthusiastically.

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Soon, everyone dispersed. Lu Yuxiu escorted Lin Xi to the hotel they had arranged.

They sat in the back of the car.

Lin Xi fidgeted awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

Lu Yuxiu reflected: Lin Xi wasn’t even his girlfriend yet, so what right did he have to be angry? In the end, he almost wanted to laugh at himself.

“Next time, check the script before accepting a role.” Lu Yuxiu finally spoke, ending his silent sulking.

“Okay, okay!” Lin Xi agreed without hesitation. Of course, he thought her careless for taking the role—what an actor plays can have a big impact.

Then she asked nervously, “Are you not angry anymore?”

“Heh.” Lu Yuxiu chuckled softly—so she’d noticed his anger after all.

Lin Xi’s eyes sparkled with tenderness, blinking as she gazed at him.

Sunlight poured through the car window, bathing her in its glow. She seemed to be shining herself—a ray of dawn within reach, yet impossible to grasp.

“Mm.” Lu Yuxiu replied, quickly turning his head away.

Seeing he was no longer cold, Lin Xi relaxed and started browsing Weibo without a care.

The car slowly stopped at the hotel.

They were led to a private room. Lin Xi took her seat, with Lu Yuxiu beside her, chatting idly.

After a while, a slender, sweet-faced girl sat next to Lin Xi. Her features were delicate, eyes soft and lovely, but her complexion was pale—even with makeup, she looked unwell.

They nodded to each other; Lin Xi had done her homework and recognized her as Shu Yunyi, the actress playing the second female lead.

Within minutes, the main creative team and director and assistant director arrived.

Lin Xi, having heard plenty of industry gossip from Miya, glanced around, recognizing most of those present.

Director Yan Mei, known in the industry as the Iron Lady—a famous female director specializing in youth dramas with many acclaimed works.

Assistant Director Su Chen, recently returned from overseas, with a wide network thanks to his father, now studying under Director Yan.

Fan Haoxuan, a child star turned idol, now a member of a boy band, playing the second male lead, Shang Zhe.

Shu Yunyi, a few years into her career, neither hot nor cold, playing Jiang Yuan’er, the second female lead.

The script began much like other idol romance dramas: the main couple are the shining stars of the competitive world, a model pair admired by all, with limitless futures.

But an international competition in Country H shattered everything. Due to equipment issues and a series of scandals, the highly anticipated match was unexpectedly lost. Everyone blamed the male lead, Qin Zexing.

Under immense pressure, he left alone, leaving the female lead, Mu Beibei, in despair. They parted without a word.

Years later, they met again, changed by time, each with someone else by their side. Ironically, they met as owners of rival teams. Qin Zexing lost once more—to the Chinese team, losing his pride and stubbornness built over years.

The script was very realistic, depicting couples who love deeply but cannot stay together due to many obstacles. Not every love story is perfect.