12 Don't fondle the Male Lead Actor

Xi Zirui doesn't talk Liao Min into shooting another hundred takes of the fight scene.

The best he gets is a confused look, one raised shapely eyebrow, and, "I'm glad you've decided to be serious about your acting, though."

Which is both ruder and nicer than he expected.

"Do you know my manager, Li Siqi?" he asks, Liao Min, apropos of nothing.

Her puzzled look intensifies, and her right eyebrow joins the left up on her hairline. "We've met."

Xi Zirui nods. "You should continue to meet, there's a nice restaurant in Dongyang, I went there with Su Xueyi once, maybe you should take her there."

Liao Min crosses her arms over her chest and snorts. "And why would I do that?"

Xi Zirui shrugs. "I just think she would like it."

Suspicion doesn't leave her sharp features. "And what would you get out of that?"

Of course, she's under the impression that Xi Zirui is a lazy idol committed to doing only the bare minimum to get the job done.

"She seems stressed, I think it would be nice for her to unwind." He plasters on his most innocuous smile, and hopes she buys it.

It's not like he can say, 'My bracelet, who I sometimes talk to, told me to set the two of you up'.

Some of the apprehension melts of her frame, and she runs one hand up the back of her close-cropped hair. "You think she would like that?"

He nods enthusiastically. He can't believe this is working. "I'm sure she would."

Liao Min bites her lower lip in an oddly self-conscious and girly way, for a woman who looks like she carries a butterfly knife on her person at all times, and nods at Xi Zirui once before moving away with her fists shoved inside the pockets of her tight jeans.

Well, that went better than expected.

Xi Zirui spares a discreet glance down at his wrist, but Ni Ni is silent. That's odd, does that mean he hasn't fulfilled the 'quest' yet?

Does it only count when Liao Min actually takes Li Siqi on the date?

He doesn't have much time to ponder over that, because Su Xueyi approaches him with a sheepish smile.

"My guess is that you aren't looking forward to the interviews," he says.

Xi Zirui rolls his eyes. "That obvious, uh?"

Su Xueyi hums. "You did look pretty desperate talking with Liao laoshi, I assume it didn't go well."

"Can you believe she didn't think we should reshoot the scene well into the afternoon, and perhaps the next day."

His dazzling smile widens. "Of course I can, you did great."

His easy praise leaves Xi Zirui a little flustered. He doesn't think he did that well. Acting is such an alien thing to him, completely outside of his realm of expertise, he feels like a kid in primary school, still trying to learn all his characters.

Still, it does feel nice being appreciated. Su Xueyi's company always settles some of his restlessness, makes him feel as if he can get through the crazy world the Transmigrator 4000 thousand threw him in and come out of the other side in one piece.

"I assume you have to escort me to the interviews?" Xi Zirui says with a sigh, changing subjects to avoid handling the warmth spreading over his middle.

"I'm afraid so, I feel like a jailer." He laughs when Xi Zirui pouts. "Don't be like that, you make me feel like a criminal kidnapping the pure hero to have his wicked way with him."

That's...an interesting turn of phrase. Su Xueyi seems to notice too, because he goes pale all of a sudden and lowers his eyes.

So he really was flirting with Xi Zirui, earlier.

That's almost cute, Xi Zirui can't help teasing him. "Really? Does that mean you want to have your wicked way with me, then?"

Su Xueyi's face goes from deathly pale to crimson, and the stammers while trying to explain himself. "That's no...I mean...I didn't..."

Xi Zirui decides to put him out of his misery. "Well, dashing bandit, I'm at your mercy." He extends his wrists towards Su Xueyi as if expecting him to put a manacle on them.

Su Xueyi smiles shyly and wraps his right hand around both of Xi Zirui's wrists. "Come on, you don't want to leave the press waiting...who knows what they'll say about you."

Xi Zirui is so distracted by how easily one of Su Xueyi's hands can easily span two of his wrists that he follows after him blindly, not even remembering to put up a fight like he initially wanted to.

---

A table has already been set up in a quiet corner of the communal room, and Han Yu is already sitting behind it, looking bored out of his mind.

He perks up when he sees Xi Zirui walk in, and motions him forward with a smirk.

Xi Zirui lets out a long-suffering sigh and joins him behind the table, and the red cloth covering the front of it, where several microphones have been set up.

The journalists are all sitting in a circle of chairs in front of the table, most of them fresh-faced and clearly not long out of college. Xi Zirui wonders if they expected to be covering fluff pieces about the entertainment industry after graduation, but on the other hand, he was a glorified errand boy at his company before the whole thing with the Transmigrator 4000, so maybe he should hold his sympathies until further notice.

Su Xueyi takes his place a few steps back, next to a burly man who can only be Han Yu's own bodyguard and shoots him an encouraging smile and thumbs up.

He's so silly, Xi Zirui can't help but smile. He feels some of the tension drain off his shoulders.

"We can begin," Han Yu says, nodding towards one of the journalists in the front, a short guy with spiky hair.

"Thank you for seeing us Xi laoshi and Han laoshi, I'm Liu Fei with DailyStarNews," the guy says, setting up his network's microphone in front of them, and tapping a few buttons on the camera mounted on a tripod at his side. "I know you're really busy, so I'll jump straight into the questions some of our audience has asked."

Xi Zirui bites down on a groan, this can't be good.

Liu Fei clears his throat and reads from his mobile. "One fan wants to know if either of you are familiar with the original novel on which the drama is based."

Well fuck, it couldn't have started much worse.

He shoots Han Yu a panicked glance, who nods minutely before answering the question with a smile. "Ah yes, I'm familiar with the source material, I read it some time ago. I've always felt like Xiu Xianren was a really compelling character, and I'm glad for the opportunity to portray him on screen. Even though romances where the lovers start as rivals aren't uncommon I think 'Demonic Sect Leader, I'll make you fall in love with me', brings its own unique twist on a popular and beloved trope."

Well shit, that's actually a good answer. Xi Zirui should have expected it, considering Han Yu has been a professional actor for a long time, but it still throws him for a loop. The image of the seductive, shameless Han Yu is still too fresh in his mind. It's hard to reconcile it with the suave professional sitting next to him.

Liu Fei nods, and turns towards Xi Zirui. "And what about Xi laoshi?"

This time, Xi Zirui doesn't even have time to panic, before Han Yu answers for him. "I remember that didi commented with me that his favourite chapter was when Xiu Xianren and Hai Yaomei bathed together in the hot springs, during the Inter-sect Conference."

Han Yu continues to smile politely at the interviewer, but Xi Zirui can feel the chaotic energy coming off him in waves.

He tightens his lips and nods stiffly, he feels stupid for entertaining charitable thoughts about Han Yu a moment ago. And to think he almost admired his professionalism, of course he wouldn't miss the chance to drop some candies for their CP.

"Should fans expect to see that scene in the drama as well?" Liu Fei asks, directing his question at Xi Zirui, who has yet to say a word.

"They'll have to watch the drama to find out," he says, skirting the shallows with a vague answer. Honestly, he has no idea if they're going to shoot that scene or not, but he sincerely hopes not, Han Yu is having too much fun as it is.

Liu Fei continues to ask them some more soft-ball drama related questions from fans, for which Xi Zirui is grateful, as they allow him to answer from time to time, without being afraid to sound like an idiot, and too obviously like someone who became an actor three days ago.

Then it's time for another journalist to take his place. This time, a girl with pig-tails, and the kind of mischievous smile that gives Xi Zirui uncomfortable flashbacks of the girl who strapped him to the Transmigrator 4000.

If she starts popping bubblegum he might break out in a cold sweat.

"Thank you for having me, Xi laoshi, Han laoshi, I'm Mei Li with SugarRush media," she flips a few pages on her notebook and crosses her legs a few times before raising her head to fix Xi Zirui with a positively devilish smirk. "I'm sure you're aware about the rumours online about your relationship. I'd just like to know if Xi laoshi, and Han laoshi have something to say on the matter."

Ah, he was expecting this.

Xi Zirui needs to think fast before Han Yu opens his mouth and makes the situation even more uncomfortable for him.

"What rumours? I haven't heard any rumours, we're too busy filming the drama to spend much time online, isn't that right Yu-ge?" he says, sparing Han Yu is best 'friendly coworker' smile.

Han Yu nods, and hums in agreement, the very picture of innocence, at least until, "That's right, Zi-di is so focused on his work, he rarely takes a break, even when we're alone, I really admire his diligence, especially considering he's so young."

Bastard. Xi Zirui has to tamp down the urge to step on his foot under the table.

Of course, Mei Li picks up on Xi Zirui's breadcrumbs like a blood hound. "Does that mean that Han laoshi and Xi laoshi spend a lot of time alone?"

"It's normal for actors to have some time for themselves between takes," Xi Zirui cuts in, before Han Yu can say anything.

Of course that doesn't stop him. "Mn, true, true, I really appreciate Zi-di's company during that downtime, there's never a moment of boredom when didi is around."

He smiles at Xi Zirui then, a completely fake, indulgent smile, that is meant to convey, to the camera recording them, all the non-existent camaraderie and intimacy between them.

Xi Zirui hopes that his own answering smile conveys to Han Yu all the steps he will take to ensure that his body is never found.

Han Yu only smirks wider.

"What are some of the things you usually do together?" Mei Li asks, her eyes shining with the hope of a promotion in her near future if they manage to say something compromising.

Han Yu is of course much smarter than that. He knows the real money is in keeping the speculation alive for as long as possible.

He rests his face on his open palm and balances his elbow on the tabletop, completely turning his body around to face Xi Zirui. His eyes crinkle at the corners, and his steep cupid's bow twists to the side when his upper lip curls up in a smirk. "That's something I, and Zi-di would rather keep private, isn't that right, didi?"

His words are dripping with so much innuendo it would almost be better if he just said they fucked during their free time.

Xi Zirui has fantasized about Han Yu's death so often in the past ten minutes alone, that it feels like a memory.

For a moment yesterday, he had the impression that he and Han Yu had reached some sort of agreement, and that he would stop with this blatant CP bating.

He guesses he thought wrong.

But if Han Yu is determined to embarrass him in front of the press, Xi Zirui doesn't mind turning the tables on him.

Taking advantage of the cloth covering the table, he walks his fingertips over Han Yu's thigh, and digs in with his blunt nails, close to his crotch.

Han Yu squirms in place, and this time it's Xi Zirui who smiles sweetly at him. "That's right, Yu-ge."