Chapter 48

"Alright, alright, thank you everyone for your support! We need to get ready now. Everyone, please be careful and don't catch a cold!" Lu Xiao said to the fans with a smile, then protected Zhuo Hua and, with the staff clearing the way, entered the film set.

Behind me came the satisfied and excited chatter of the fans:

"Xiao-ge is so gentle and handsome! Zhuo-hua-jie is so cool! They're a perfect match!"

"Waaaaah, did Sister Zhuohua just raise an eyebrow at me? Do I have a chance now?"

"Wake up, sisters! Didn't you see the way Xiao Ge is protecting his food? This is a match made in heaven!"

Stepping onto the set, shut out of the outside noise, Lu Xiao finally let out a long sigh of relief, rubbing his slightly burning ears: "Phew, it's really not used to being surrounded by so many people asking for autographs for the first time." He looked at Zhuo Hua and found her staring at him with a hint of...inquiry in her eyes?

"What's wrong?" Lu Xiao touched his face. "Is there something on my face?"

“No.” Zhuohua withdrew her gaze, her tone flat. “It’s just that your ‘embarrassed’ look…” She paused, as if searching for the right word, and finally, with a slight smile, uttered two words, “It’s pretty silly.”

Lu Xiao: "..." He was stunned for a second, then realized that Zhuo Hua was teasing him! Instead of being annoyed, he seemed to have discovered a new continent, his eyes instantly lighting up. He leaned closer and said with a grin, "Being a little silly is good, only a little silly is worthy of the fairy sister! And," he lowered his voice, with a hint of smugness, "a little girl called you 'husband' just now, and I saw your eyebrows twitch! Were you jealous?"

Zhuohua paused, turned her head to look at him, her eyes clear and sharp: "Does this lord need to be jealous of mortals?" Her tone was arrogant and self-righteous, but the suspicious, not-yet-completely-faded blush on her earlobe betrayed certain thoughts.

Lu Xiao couldn't resist the urge to kiss her. Taking advantage of the fact that the staff around them were busy and no one was paying attention to their corner, he quickly kissed her slightly red earlobe and then pulled away.

"Yes, the immortal is the most generous!" He smiled like a cat that had successfully stolen some fish.

Zhuohua was slightly taken aback by his sudden attack, and the lingering warmth on her earlobe stirred the ripples in her heart again. She glared at him, but her gaze was not powerful; instead, it carried a hint of coquettishness after being offended. Coupled with her cool Taoist robe, the contrast was so adorable that it melted Lu Xiao's heart.

"Nonsense." She muttered under her breath, flicked her whisk, and turned to walk towards the filming area, her pace slightly faster than usual.

As Lu Xiao watched her retreating figure, which seemed to be fleeing in disarray, he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. He could clearly feel that the once aloof and distant war god was being drawn back to the human world little by little by the warmth of everyday life, by his clumsiness and love.

On set, the lights and props were in place, and the director was directing the proceedings with a megaphone. The story of "Qingwei" and "Moyan" was about to begin another day of performance. Meanwhile, in a secluded corner unnoticed, the gentle murmur of flowing water emanating from the depths of the divine bones seemed even clearer and more joyful than yesterday.

Filming of "Dark Night Lantern" is proceeding smoothly, and the chemistry between Zhuohua and Lu Xiao is growing stronger every day in front of the camera. The aloofness and detachment of the Taoist priest Qingwei and the steady protection of the lantern bearer Moyan, under the director's skillful direction, create wonderful sparks, and applause for the two actors' brilliant performances frequently erupts on set.

The lunch break had just ended, and Zhuohua, having removed her makeup from the morning's scenes, was resting with her eyes closed in a reclining chair, her fingertips habitually twirling a copper coin. Lu Xiao, on the other hand, sat on a small stool next to her, holding a script, muttering to himself, his brows slightly furrowed, clearly working on a complex line of dialogue.

Zhuohua's agent, Wang Li, walked over quickly with her phone in hand and a professional smile on her face.

"Teacher Zhuohua, Teacher Lu, excuse me." Wang Li's voice was very soft and respectful. She knew that the seemingly aloof actress in front of her had a mysterious background, and even Young Master Lin listened to her and dared not be negligent in the slightest.

Lu Xiao looked up from his script, saw Sister Li, immediately put down his book, and gave her a gentle smile: "Sister Wang, is there something you need?"

Zhuohua slowly opened her eyes, her gaze clear and sharp as she looked at Sister Li.

“It’s Director Zhang from the ‘Chang Ge’ production team,” Wang Li quickly explained her purpose, her tone tinged with joy. “You two know how popular the show is; it’s practically a phenomenon. Director Zhang wants to capitalize on this success and has planned a large-scale offline fan meeting next Saturday at the Starlight Theater in the city center. He called specifically to sincerely invite you two to attend as special guests and make a grand finale appearance!”

As Wang Li spoke, she handed over her phone, which displayed a warm invitation from Director Zhang. The message was filled with gratitude (for Zhuo Hua's timely intervention in the fight scene) and earnestness (hoping to capitalize on the two's current popularity).

Lu Xiao was somewhat surprised, then delighted. An offline fan meeting was a direct affirmation of an actor's popularity and a great opportunity to get up close and personal with fans. He instinctively looked at Zhuohua, his eyes filled with inquiry and anticipation. He knew the decision ultimately rested with Zhuohua.

Zhuohua's gaze swept indifferently over the phone screen, her face expressionless, showing no interest in such a noisy gathering. But when her eyes caught the clear expectation in Lu Xiao's eyes, the word "refusal" lingered on her tongue before finally settling into a simple syllable: "Mm."

Wang Li was overjoyed, knowing that this meant he had agreed! She immediately looked at Lu Xiao.

"No problem, Sister Wang. Please tell Director Zhang that we will definitely attend on time." Lu Xiao replied with a smile, his mood soaring. The thought of standing under the spotlight with Zhuohua and receiving the fans' love filled him with energy.

"Great! I'll go get back to Director Zhang right away!" Sister Wang happily took her phone and went to make the arrangements.

Lu Xiao leaned closer to Zhuo Hua, a little excited: "Hua Hua, it's a fan meeting! It's going to be so lively! What do you think we should wear? Should we prepare some small gifts for the fans?" He sounded like a child going on a spring outing for the first time.

Zhuohua glanced at him, twirling the copper coin between her fingers, and said indifferently, "Whatever." To her, it was just a matter of standing in a different place.

However, when Sister Wang returned with the meeting agenda shortly afterward and pointed to a special note, a very subtle, almost imperceptible, expression appeared on Zhuohua's perpetually calm face for the first time.

The process sheet clearly states:

[Special Interactive Segment: Impromptu Dance Performance by Lead Actors and Guests (Music Random)]

Zhuohua's gaze lingered on that line of text for a full three seconds, then she slowly raised her eyelids to look at Sister Wang. Her eyes were devoid of any emotion, yet Sister Wang instantly felt the temperature around her drop several degrees. She clearly saw Zhuohua's brows furrow almost imperceptibly.

(ー_ー)!!

A silent, enormous, speechless emoticon seemed to float above Zhuohua's head in a tangible form.

Dancing? Make her, the Goddess of War, dance in front of everyone?

Lu Xiao also saw the process. He was stunned at first, then almost burst out laughing. He quickly pursed his lips, his shoulders shaking from holding it in. He could perfectly imagine his immortal master's icy aura of "How dare you mortals offend me like this?" when he was asked to dance. The image was too beautiful for him to contemplate.

"Ahem... well... Director Zhang said the main thing is to liven up the atmosphere, nothing too professional, just a couple of simple twists will do..." Sister Wang explained, her voice growing softer and softer under the silent pressure from Zhuo Hua.

Zhuohua didn't speak, but the copper coin between her fingers stopped spinning. The air seemed to freeze.

Seeing this, Lu Xiao quickly tried to smooth things over, suppressing a laugh as he said, "Sister Wang, we understand about this part. We'll see how it goes. Hua Hua... well, she might not be very good at this."

As he spoke, he secretly observed Zhuohua's expression and noticed that although she remained expressionless, the hint of speechlessness in her eyes seemed to have faded a bit, which could be considered as acknowledging his statement.

Sister Wang felt like she had been granted a pardon and quickly slipped away.

"Pfft..." After Sister Wang walked away, Lu Xiao finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. He leaned close to Zhuo Hua's ear and whispered, "My dear immortal, I'll jump in front of you and you can just stand behind me and be a cold, aloof vase. How about that? I promise I won't let you lay a finger on me."

Zhuohua gave him a cool glance and didn't say anything, but her eyes clearly said: You know what's good for you.

Just as the two were feeling "gloomy" about the dance segment at the meet-and-greet (mainly because Lu Xiao found it funny), Sister Wang returned again, this time with a brighter smile on her face, carrying a stack of documents in her hands.

"Professor Zhuohua, Professor Lu, great news!" Sister Wang's voice rose several decibels. "You two are just getting more and more attention! In just a few days, several good business opportunities have already come knocking on our door!"

She spread the documents out on the small table in front of them and excitedly introduced them: "This is an endorsement invitation from 'Snow Skin,' a leading domestic skincare brand, to promote their new series. The image perfectly matches Teacher Zhuohua's temperament! This is a promotional collaboration for the national beverage 'Full of Vitality,' and they specifically requested that you two film the commercial together! And this is an invitation to be an experience officer for the emerging technology brand 'Smart Core,' and a brand ambassador for this high-end kitchenware brand 'Yupin'..."

A barrage of brand names and attractive cooperation terms overwhelmed Lu Xiao, leaving him both excited and apprehensive. This represented tangible commercial value and recognition! He instinctively glanced at Zhuohua, wanting to know her thoughts.

Zhuohua's reaction surprised everyone. She didn't look at the tempting offers and terms; her gaze simply swept calmly over the brand logos and product images. Her eyes seemed to possess a penetrating power, and she read very quickly.

A few seconds later, she extended her slender finger and lightly tapped on the promotional image of the latest "Smart Chip" smartphone and the image of a set of top-of-the-line cookware from "Royal Premium" that claimed to be made of rare metals, her tone flat and indifferent: "These two, we can talk about them."