Chapter 77 The Dog Emperor

The production team shows no signs of stopping their efforts to create romantic pairings. Just inviting Qi Xiuxiu, Jiang Wenxi, and Yu Shuling is already quite a spectacle, so you can only imagine the fierce competition that will ensue when it airs.

Despite having received instructions from her agent before appearing on the show, Yu Shuling found it difficult to restrain herself when faced with Jiang Wenxi, who had come to her door.

Especially when the other person acted like a dog deliberately trying to attract her attention, pretending to be restrained but actually jumping around, Yu Shuling still couldn't hold back.

Of course, the original male lead's dog is completely different from You Jingzhou's cute and sincere dog; it's the kind of dog that you just want to kick to death.

After suffering a major setback, Jiang Wenxi returned to being a popular idol after some time, but he had a strange, deliberately aloof attitude towards women. Logically, in normal interactions, no one would make such a big deal out of sensitive skin; only Jiang Wenxi seemed to take himself so seriously, acting as if no woman in the world could get close to him.

If he cares so much, he should castrate himself to prove his innocence to his fans, and then no one will spread rumors about him and any female celebrities anymore.

Yu Shuling didn't give him a hard time throughout, but she kept Jiang Wenxi speechless, which actually created a lot of entertainment, just like the "Secret Wilderness" episode. The production team was quite satisfied. Their goal wasn't entirely to create a CP (couple pairing) image; as long as the buzz was enough, that was fine. If they really went for it, they might not be able to withstand the fans' fighting spirit.

After filming wrapped, Lyra rested for two days and then received more good news from her manager. Sister Qian excitedly told them that they had landed a group endorsement deal with a trendy sportswear brand, a style that perfectly suited Lyra.

Lyra is jokingly called a female model group. None of the members are particularly tall; they are all within the common height range for girls. However, they have good proportions and are relatively tall and slender, making them very suitable as print models. Their sporty yet fashionable designs are very eye-catching.

In the past, they would never have had such good resources. Besides Sister Qian's hard work, her rising popularity recently has also played a significant role in her success.

After the entire group flew to another city to shoot promotional photos and videos, they could now wait patiently for the official announcement. The trip lasted two days, neither too long nor too short. They were too tired from catching the flight that night, and their current managers don't like making them rush around even when they have nothing to do, so they simply stayed in the city. They could rest and explore properly the next day.

Two nights later, at a banquet, someone behind the scenes specifically asked to see Yu Shuling, saying their surname was Xiao and they were her fans. That person was a wealthy and influential young man. It's normal for young people in the industry to want to meet their favorite stars and ask for introductions. Sister Qian's main concern was whether it was genuine fandom.

However, after she told Yu Shuling, Yu Shuling didn't object and even showed a slightly amused expression:

"The one surnamed Xiao? Then let's meet him."

Sister Qian asked in confusion, "You know him?"

"I guess you could say we've met before, it's nothing."

Yu Shuling's reply was somewhat vague, but because she was always reliable, Sister Qian didn't say anything, gave Yu Shuling Xiao Lin's contact information, and reminded her to be careful.

There are some restless people among the artists, but Sister Qian has been leading the team for many years and has a sharp eye. She can tell that Yu Shuling is definitely not that kind of person, so she is more at ease.

Yu Shuling had previously received a friend request from Xiao Lin, which she rejected at the time. Instead, he arrogantly sent her a second friend request, and his condescending tone immediately reminded Yu Shuling of the old emperor.

The names are only one character different. The dog emperor's full name is Xiao Mulin, which means to rule the world and be bathed in imperial grace. But in Yu Shuling's opinion, this man is not only not a good husband, but also not a wise ruler.

He is hesitant and timid in dealing with external affairs, and deeply suspicious of his own people. He wants to take advantage of her power but will also betray her once he has served his purpose.

From the moment she learned that she would be married into the royal family, Yu Shuling never thought of becoming a loving couple with the prince. She thought that everyone should have some dignity and leave themselves a way out, but she never expected that this would be the outcome she would get.

Regardless of what Yu Shuling thought, Xiao Lin was somewhat excited to learn that she was finally willing to meet him.

He traveled from the Great Jing Dynasty to this place and it took him a long time to adjust to the change in his status. Now, although he is an investor with power in his hands, he can no longer see the scene of people kneeling and shouting "Long live the Emperor" in the court, which makes Xiao Lin very unwilling.

When he ran into Yu Shuling last time, he wasn't sure, but after going back and searching for her information, he was certain from the changes in her over the past six months that it was definitely not just a coincidence of names.

That evening, Xiao Lin finally spotted that familiar figure in a corner of the banquet hall.

Unlike his memory, twenty-year-old Yu Shuling was even more radiant than he had imagined. Because she was attending a formal occasion, her makeup made her features even more delicate, and her eyes were lively, with a charm he had never seen before.

Men and women were constantly coming and going around Yu Shuling. It wasn't long before there was a moment when You Jingzhou spotted her and seized the opportunity to go over.

However, he was first blocked by a tall figure.

“A-Ling.”

Xiao Lin's voice was deep and not deliberately emphasized, but Yu Shuling detected a familiar ingratiating tone in it. Turning around, she indeed saw the same face as before.

To make a good impression at the banquet, Xiao Lin even styled his hair, meticulously applying hair oil to his slicked-back hair to create a mature and elite look. He wore a bespoke suit with impeccable taste, a stark contrast to his previous attire, yet retaining the same aura.

In the past, Xiao Mulin said that their names had a similar pronunciation, and he always liked to call her that, even though it wasn't Yu Shuling's nickname. Now, however, Yu Shuling found it somewhat grating.

Her gaze settled on Xiao Lin, and after confirming that he was indeed that dog emperor, she spoke calmly.

"Mr. Xiao, what's wrong?"

Sensing the distance in her tone, Xiao Lin's prepared spittle of sweet nothings instantly died in his throat, leaving him with the unsettling feeling of being choked. The contrast between this unexpected and smooth reunion was too great for Xiao Lin to believe. He frowned, took a step forward, his tall figure almost completely engulfing Yu Shuling.

"Ah Ling, you don't recognize... me?"

Yu Jingzhou felt increasingly uneasy as he looked around. He quietly put down his untouched wine glass and hurried through the crowd toward the corner. As soon as he got nearby, he saw that the two had already gone to a dark place hidden behind a screen. With his excellent hearing, he caught a slight movement and overheard this conversation.

Yu Shuling frowned, giving Xiao Lin a disapproving look, as if he were a lunatic. She didn't even ask "Who are you?", but blurted out:

"what do you?"

Xiao Lin's heart sank. He was about to suppress his temper and explain when he saw the girl in front of him raise her head playfully, her fingertips lightly tapping her chin. The mischievousness in her eyes didn't seem like she didn't recognize him. Yu Shuling crossed her arms, presenting a relaxed and carefree posture. Although she was looking up, she gave people the illusion of being high and mighty.

"Or rather, how do you see yourself?"

"The Qing Dynasty is gone. You look quite respectable now, so you must be someone important to be here tonight. But—" Her lighthearted, sarcastic tone paused, "If you have hysteria, go get treatment. If you're obsessed with being an emperor, invest in a few period dramas. You can't just act whatever you want, can you?"

In their world, the previous dynasty was the Great Jing, a place where she had poured her heart and soul, and Yu Shuling did not want to casually utter curses. Moreover, she had read through history books in this so-called modern world and found that there was no record of the Great Jing Dynasty at all; there were even countries weaker than the Great Jing, so she guessed that they had come to a completely different world.

Xiao Lin's expression changed upon hearing her words. He realized that Yu Shuling had not lost her memory and did not not recognize him. Instead, she was mocking him. His face burned with embarrassment, and his gaze suddenly sharpened.

His memory was still stuck before his death, when Yu Shuling took meticulous care of him. Little did he know that the Empress he trusted was the culprit who caused his death.

But Yu Shuling's mere offense was enough to make Xiao Lin tear off his mask of pretense and fly into a rage.

"Yu Shuling!"

He called out her full name, grabbed the girl's slender wrist, and stopped her from turning to leave.

“What, you can contact my agent for business collaborations, but if you’re down on your luck and want me to take care of you,” Yu Shuling glanced at him hastily, “then sorry, I’m not interested.”

Xiao Lin was quite strong and had already pulled her quite hard. Yu Shuling even suspected that her wrists were going to be rubbed raw. She quickly started thinking about whether she could just knock him to the ground and beat him up to release the anger that had been bottled up inside her.

However, the next moment, a familiar, warm, deep voice was heard:

"Shuling, Mr. Xiao."

Suddenly, one of the screens that had been blocking the view was pulled open, and the light from outside flooded in, revealing the slender figure of another young man in the shadows. The narrow space was immediately filled.

You Jingzhou's eyes were smiling, but there was clearly little genuine laughter in them. He called out the names of the two people with a clear distinction between those he was close to and those he was not.

After what had just happened, Xiao Lin had actually calmed down. He released Yu Shuling's wrist, but Yu Shuling grabbed his arm instead. She used a clever trick, and it was impossible to break free without much effort. However, as You Jingzhou gently patted Yu Shuling's shoulder, the girl seemed to sense it and regretfully released her grip on him.

Seeing the unspoken understanding between the two, Xiao Lin's gaze fell on You Jingzhou's handsome face, which he found extremely jarring.

He abruptly shoved Yu Shuling aside and walked out. Before leaving, he didn't say anything harsh, but he didn't forget to give them a warning look.

"Sigh." Yu Shuling sighed with regret, looked at You Jingzhou and shrugged, "Why did you come so early? You should have let me beat him up earlier."

You Jingzhou: "I'm not afraid that you'll beat him so badly that he'll end up in the hospital, and then it'll be difficult to handle."

Despite saying that, You Jingzhou's gaze fell on the girl's slender wrist.