Arc 1.16

Shen Jiyu leaned up the tree before he opened his eyes. His eyes were extremely indifferent without a trace of emotion. He looked down from above, sweeping his gaze towards the direction of Mu Ze. he paused for the tiniest of seconds before he looked away.

The entire shooting scene was quiet before the sound of a cup crashing on the ground broke the silence.

The Director looked at Nian Zhen, the cup of water which an assistant had just handed over had spilled on the floor. The noise broke the spell that Shen Jiyu's silent acting had held over the crowd.

"Cut! Passed!" The director yelled. 

He was not sure how to explain the acting just now,

He felt as if Song Li had come out of the book. Aloof, indifferent to the affairs of the mortal realm- it should look like this. The acting of most newcomers was outward and more exaggerated. He never imagined that Lu Yan had such acting skills, or was it just luck? Either way, he capitalized on it and waved for an assistant to take care of the mess on the ground.

"We would start the Song Li final scene immediately. Mu Ze, hurry and change your clothes." He looked at Shen Jiyu and wanted to jump down, "Stay there. Close your eyes, don't change your state of mind." 

Mu Ze closed the cap of the bottle of water and asked the director, "Is the next scene not with sister Mei." He too had been surprised by the expression in Shen Jiyu's eyes when he opened but was all the fuss for that a newcomer4 had acted his role well. Even Zhen had not said a word to him and just stared at Lu Yan. The plastic bottle in his hand made a creaking sound as he squeezed it tighter.

The director had been handling stars for more than forty years so he could recognize the look On Mu Ze's face and added, "Both of you are in very good shape today. I would like to shoot all your scenes together first."

Mu Ze nodded. His acting was very good today. He glanced at Nian Zhen who was not even looking at him and swore in his heart. It could be better, he would refine his acting even more for the final scene with Lu Yan and let Nian Zhen know where the difference is between the both of them, a gap that Lu Yan can not cross yet without years and years of training.

Mu Ze changed and came out again. The blood had been cleaned from his face and his make-up gave him a more solemn and wicked aura. 

This Chu Yan was not the more innocent Chu Yan that the immortal had met in his sect. Chu Yan had undergone different adventures, he had been betrayed several times and had stained his hands with blood.

Mu Ze wore a black uniform and when he stood before the immortal in white, the contrast was even more apparent.

His eyes were filled with concealed wiring and his left hand that was hidden in his robes held a concealed dagger, "Who are you? Why are you following me?"

"My name Is Song Li. Come with me back to the Shaolin Mountain. You can follow me and become my disciple."

Mu Ze showed a confused look, before disbelief and amazement filled his years, "Isn't Shaolin Mountain in the Upper realms? Are you...are you an immortal?"

"Yes. Chu Yan, come with me and worship under my tutelage?"

Mu Ze swallowed and involuntarily stepped forward before he paused and asked quietly, his tone filled with nostalgia, "If I go with you now, can I still come back and visit someone?"

"No"

Mu Ze looked into the distance and his eyes were filled with the image of someone. His eyes were both soft like water and extremely complicated, "I...I have someone here. We made a promise to..." He seemed to hesitate, unable to voice the promise he had made with his senior sister, Zhi Ruo.

Shen Jiyu's gaze was apathetic and he intoned, "To be an immortal, you have to leave no bond in the mortal realm. All relationships and bonds bring only agony, they would be distractions on your path to immortality. Are you willing?"

Mu Ze stared at this immortal being in front of him and he slowly forgot his plan to overwhelm Lu Yan. He was drawn into Shen Jiyu's acting, it was as if he was an ordinary martial artist and the person in front of him was immortal. He trembled with both fear and greed, his mind was stretched taut with reluctance, he wanted to take a step into eternal glory and at the same time, his mind was filled with the memories of his life.

The people who had died for him and the attachment he had made through life and death situations. How could he just forget? 

At this moment, the sound team released the sound of thunder cracking and lightning.

Mu Ze's voice was hoarse and his eyes were red. "They said to be immortal is to be indifferent. But if I become a creature without emotions, without love or hate, am I truly Chu Yan? Why should I break my bonds to attain immortality. If it is the only way, then I.. I would rather be a demon. Hahahahaha!!"

He laughed for a while before the director yelled, "Cut! Passed."

He smiled at both of them and nodded, "Well done."

Mu Ze took several deep breaths to dredge himself away from the character of Chu Yan while Shen Jiyu watched gleefully to where Nian Zhen sat.

"Shocked? Amazed? How was my acting?" He grinned as he plopped down on the seat where the director just exited.

However, he got no response from Nian Zhen. He bent forward to shake Nian Zhen who blinked as if his spirit was just returning to his body. 

Nian Zhen reached out and held Shen Jiyu's right hand.

His movement was so sudden that Shen Jiyu was a little surprised, his eyebrows lifted slightly and he wondered out loud, "Did you suddenly think that I am capable of making a lot of money for you and the Agency so you can't bear to let me go." 

Nian Zhen's hand that was wrapped around Shen Jiyu's trembled slightly before he pulled away and rubbed his head, "I am sorry. I was a little distracted just now." Just now, his mind had been filled with images that he could not remember watching in real life. Images that in no way seemed real and yet he did not feel like they were illusions either."

Shen Jiyu gritted his teeth, a little angry, "So you were not watching my scene. What was it, what were you thinking about?"

"You!" The word slipped from Nian Zhen's lips causing a smile to appear on Shen Jiyu's face.

Shen Jiyu leaned back on the leather chair, like a cat that has just been pleasantly stroked, "Of course, after such a performance; who else would you be thinking about?"

He was really so simple. Quick to get angry, quick to forgive. Maybe he should let him go.