Chapter 27: Ji Xiuya Himself

Chapter 27: Ji Xiuya Himself

After the heated debate between the two directors finally stopped, Lu Xu understood that Liu Chunfeng had brought him to the Zhizun crew to try out for the role of Demon Lord Ji Xiuya.

It wasn’t that Liu Chunfeng was trying to sell him off, nor was it that Ji Wangshu had been eyeing actors from other crews every day. The two directors were close, occasionally visiting each other’s sets. Ji Wangshu had brought up the fact that the actor playing Ji Xiuya had run off and lamented how hard it was to find a suitable replacement.

"The person needs to be good-looking, highly skilled in acting, and exude a dark, commanding presence. Where am I supposed to find someone like that at the drop of a hat?"

Liu Chunfeng immediately caught all the key points and locked eyes with Ji Wangshu.

"Why are you looking at me?" Ji Wangshu sighed. "I’m not as lucky as you, who can find actors so easily."

"Don’t you know Lu Xu?" Liu Chunfeng asked.

"Lu Xu, who?" Ji Wangshu looked confused.

"Then why were you mentioning his name?"

——And just like that, Lu Xu stuck in Ji Wangshu’s mind as the actor Liu Chunfeng had specifically chosen to play Crown Prince Qin Zhao.

One day, Director Ji caught a glimpse of a scene between Lu Xu and Cheng Yun.

From then on, he really did start to bug Liu Chunfeng relentlessly, asking to borrow Lu Xu for the Zhizun crew for a while, but at that time, Lu Xu still had scenes left as Qin Zhao. How could Liu Chunfeng lend him out?

Fortunately, there weren’t many Qin Zhao scenes left.

Ji Wangshu bombarded Liu Chunfeng with calls until he was at his wits' end—he couldn't have mentioned it to Lu Xu beforehand, as Lu Xu was still in the zone for Qin Zhao.

By the time Qin Zhao’s scenes were completed (it actually didn’t take long), Ji Wangshu finally got his wish and welcomed Lu Xu.

The Demon Lord Ji Xiuya is the primary villain in the Zhizun script. Although his role doesn’t have many scenes, his presence is weighty. He is the final boss that the male and female leads cannot defeat, despite their best efforts. In the end, the male lead sacrifices himself for the sake of the world, leaving the female lead alone in this mortal realm.

Finding an actor for Ji Xiuya wasn’t as difficult as it seemed, but Ji Wangshu wasn’t as picky as Liu Chunfeng, thinking that a passable actor would do. Unfortunately, after trying out several actors, none of them fit the role.

First of all, according to the script’s setting, Ji Xiuya is supposed to be even more handsome than the male lead, He Ziqing.

The reason the Demon Lord can bewitch others is because he possesses an otherworldly beauty.

And here was the problem: Zheng Xiao, who plays the male lead, is a fairly well-known young actor in the industry. Typically, actors who take on lead roles at a young age have good looks, and those with even better looks are heavily promoted by their agencies, waiting for their big break. They wouldn't clear their schedules for a supporting role in Zhizun.

In addition, as the villain boss, Ji Xiuya’s presence couldn’t be weak. They needed an actor who could carry the weight of the role.

With these conditions laid out, Ji Wangshu realized just how hard it was to find the right actor.

He couldn’t help but feel frustrated. The original actor for Ji Xiuya, Chen Ye, was perfect in every aspect, but he had breached his contract midway through filming, running off to another crew.

Chen Ye was willing to pay the penalty to breach his contract, all because he saw that the Zhizun project was smaller and less likely to become a hit.

But casting is always a two-way street. It wasn’t unheard of for actors and crews to part ways. Chen Ye’s desire to leave was understandable—the role he took was no less significant than Ji Xiuya’s, and the project’s lineup was far better than Zhizun’s.

Ji Wangshu couldn’t help but feel lucky that he had chanced upon Lu Xu. Otherwise, he wouldn’t know when he’d find the right actor.

…

Liu Chunfeng led Lu Xu over. "If you’re willing to help, do Old Ji a favor. He may not be the most reliable person, but he’s solid when it comes to filming."

Whether Lu Xu took the role was entirely up to him. Liu Chunfeng had no intention of forcing the matter.

"I need to look at the script first," said Lu Xu.

Without hesitation, Jiang Wangshu brought over the entire script for the role of Demon Lord Ji Xiuya.

After reading it, Lu Xu nodded and said, "I'm ready."

He had nothing else to do, and staying home was getting boring. It was better to stay on set and pass the time.

Jiang Wangshu had seen Lu Xu's performances, and since Lu Xu agreed to take on the role, Ji Xiuya was essentially his. Jiang Wangshu hadn't considered anyone else.

Lu Xu was led away by the makeup artist for hair and makeup. On set, the assistant director approached and asked, "Director, did you borrow someone from the neighboring set?"

Jiang Wangshu nodded and said, "Yes, I'm having Lu Xu try out for Ji Xiuya."

The casting for Ji Xiuya had been undecided for a while. Though it hadn’t affected the current filming of *The Supreme*, it was still a worry that the role hadn’t been filled yet. They couldn’t have the main characters almost done with filming while the actor for this role was still missing, right?

Once Jiang Wangshu decided on Lu Xu for Ji Xiuya, the male lead Zheng Xiao, who was resting on the side of the set, furrowed his brow.

Most people didn’t recognize Lu Xu, but Zheng Xiao did.

Although they had never worked together, Zheng Xiao had seen Lu Xu cause chaos at Ling Ge Entertainment. Although he wasn’t fond of Gu Sinian—he had once worn the same outfit as Gu Sinian and was hounded by Gu’s fans for half a month, which left him with a psychological shadow—Zheng Xiao was quite worried. With someone like Lu Xu joining the cast, would they even be able to keep filming?

He looked troubled, and when he glanced over, Wei Yi, the actress playing the female lead, had a similarly complicated expression. Their eyes met, and they shook their heads simultaneously.

At that moment, a commotion came from the entrance. Both Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi looked over and saw—a face that defied gender norms.

From a distance, his posture was the first thing to catch the eye. His steps were languid, betraying no hint of threat. But as he drew closer and his face came into view, his appearance was so captivating that it seized the attention of everyone around him.

It was hard to say whether the makeup artist’s skills had suddenly improved or if that face was just made for the villainous look. With the eyeliner slightly extended, his eyes appeared narrow and gleaming. The pale foundation seemed a bit much, but when his brows and eyes arched, it was clear he was the Demon Lord who could captivate anyone.

"Lu Xu?" Zheng Xiao took a moment to react.

"Is this... Lu Xu?" Wei Yi's mouth fell open. "He looks like this?"

It wasn’t her fault. As a level-10 internet surfer, Wei Yi had three side accounts where she didn’t post about relationships or love; she just gossiped. Even her agent said she had never seen a female celebrity as gossip-hungry as Wei Yi.

During the recent Verse war, Wei Yi had been endlessly eating up the gossip about Lu Xu, and she had almost forgotten what he actually looked like.

But with this appearance, Lu Xu was definitely suitable to play the Demon Lord—if they didn’t consider his personality, that is.

In private, actors also liked to complain. Nowadays, scriptwriters often described characters as "the most beautiful in the ten thousand realms" or "the most handsome in the immortal world." No one would seriously claim to be the most handsome or beautiful unless they were incredibly confident in their looks.

But at this moment, seeing Lu Xu in front of her, Wei Yi felt that this man truly deserved the title of "the most handsome."

...

Lu Xu himself thought the makeup was a bit heavy, but according to the makeup artist, this was the same makeup used for Chen Ye. Ji Xiuya was a character who was both male and female, somewhat perverse, so it was normal for the makeup to be exaggerated.

Jiang Wangshu, however, waved his hand and said, "Tone it down a bit. It can’t be this heavy."

Chen Ye’s makeup was heavier because his looks weren’t enough, and his presence during filming wasn’t strong enough, so the makeup had to compensate for his character.

Lu Xu’s face fit the role perfectly. His eyes and body language already embodied Ji Xiuya. Adding too much more makeup would just be overdoing it.

Jiang Wangshu also admitted that after seeing Lu Xu with the makeup, he felt that Lu Xu was absolutely perfect for the role of Ji Xiuya.

"I wasn't exaggerating, was I?" Liu Chunfeng appeared out of nowhere.

Jiang Wangshu: "...Where are you coming from? Has the filming finished?"

"I'm right next door, can't I come and watch?" Liu Chunfeng looked at Lu Xu's makeup. "This really should be changed. It's making his face look like a gorilla."

Jiang Wangshu: "...Cut the crap."

On set, Liu Chunfeng likes to act like a big shot director, but privately, he’s a total goofball with a face that’s surprisingly intimidating.

Not exaggerating, if Chen Ye had signed a contract with Liu Chunfeng's crew, he probably wouldn’t dare to breach it.

Jiang Wangshu wasn’t as intimidating as Liu Chunfeng and had a much calmer demeanor.

"I’ll just take a quick look and leave. But trust me, Lu Xu is perfect for the role," Liu Chunfeng said.

...

After tweaking his makeup, Lu Xu’s new look made an even stronger impression on the crew.

Zheng Xiao could already picture how he’d be totally outshone once the show aired. Fortunately, the character Ji Xiuya was supposed to be better-looking than He Ziqing. Since Lu Xu was indeed better-looking, even if he was overshadowed, he could admit it.

"It’s not just you; I’ll be overshadowed too! Look at everyone snapping pics!" Wei Yi sighed and joined in, taking a few shots herself.

The two weren’t jealous. In fact, because of Chen Ye's departure, they were eager for Jiang Wangshu to find a "Chen Ye Plus Max" version of Ji Xiuya—sorry, your looks weren’t enough, so the crew replaced you. Now with the better-looking Lu Xu, who would still look at you?

Chen Ye’s departure had ripple effects. They had to reshoot large chunks of the script. Additionally, because Ji Xiuya's actor had been undecided for so long, they didn’t know how long they’d be stuck in *The Supreme* crew, affecting many of their future schedules.

Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi had deliberately turned down some commercial activities.

"Wei Yi, why are you taking photos from there? Come here to take them!" Jiang Wangshu waved at her and Zheng Xiao. "Zheng Xiao, come over too!"

At the director’s call, they both eagerly responded.

Filming was still underway, and they were still in costume. Jiang Wangshu positioned Wei Yi on one side and Zheng Xiao on the other, then called over Lu Xu and had the photographer take several consecutive shots of their current poses.

Shortly after, *The Supreme*’s official blog posted the first batch of behind-the-scenes photos from the production.

*The Supreme* was adapted from a novel, but the original work wasn’t very well-known. It wasn’t the kind of work that caused a storm after casting announcements. Even after Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi were confirmed as the leads, there wasn’t much of a stir online.

Still, Ji Xiuya stood out among similar characters thanks to his unique traits.

When Chen Ye was initially cast, many fans of the character were dissatisfied.

Chen Ye wasn’t bad-looking, but he didn’t quite live up to the stunning beauty of Ji Xiuya in the original story.

Among current male actors, few could match it.

But then, the photos dropped—

"Ahhhhhhhh, Ji Xiuya, right?"

"How can he be so good-looking!!!!!"

"Conquered at first sight! Demon Lord, look at me, look at me!"

"Officially confirmed: This IS Ji Xiuya!!!"