Chapter 42: Ji Xiuya’s Appearance

Chapter 42: Ji Xiuya's Appearance

While Lu Xu was busy filming *The Path of Bones*, *The Supreme* quietly went live on its scheduled date.

As soon as *The Supreme* aired, the whole crew, from Director Jiang Wangshu to the lead actors Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi, focused all their attention on the premiere data.

The genre of *The Supreme* falls somewhere between idol drama and fantasy, not overly serious but not as uniquely eccentric as *The Noble Son*. Therefore, after its premiere, Jiang Wangshu set a goal for the show to achieve a popularity rating of 7000.

While *The Son of Heaven* managed to turn things around purely through its plot, *The Supreme* would find it difficult to follow the same path.

Although Jiang Wangshu had high demands for acting, the storyline and characters of *The Supreme* made it impossible to rely on a cast of skilled actors, unlike *The Son of Heaven*.

"Let's aim for 7000+!"

When Lu Xu opened the group chat in the morning, he saw everyone engaging in superstitious practices, including Director Jiang Wangshu.

Lu Xu copied and pasted the same message.

As soon as he appeared in the chat, Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi caught him: "Don't leave! Let me get some of your luck!"

"I forgot to do it on the day we wrapped up filming, so I'm making up for it now!"

Lu Xu: "...It costs 500 per try."

"Sent, sent! Don't be so distant!"

In *The Supreme* crew, Lu Xu currently had the best performance in terms of series ratings, with both *The Noble Son* and *The Son of Heaven* delivering impressive results—*The Noble Son* faced off against *Watchmen*, while *The Son of Heaven* rose from its lowest point to its highest peak, which could be described as nothing short of a miracle.

Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi thought that, without aiming for a popularity rating of 10,000+, they could at least hope for 7000+ with their luck.

Lu Xu had also reposted the *The Supreme* trailer on his Weibo early on. Seeing the sudden increase in reposts, Lu Xu gradually realized that his popularity might be higher than he had imagined.

Then, the next day arrived.

Jiang Wangshu woke up at 7 a.m., waiting for the premiere data to be released—while each platform had its own calculation methods, the competition between platforms still relied on official authoritative data.

Jiang Wangshu was both nervous and anxious. The moment the data refreshed, he almost held his breath.

The latest data showed that among all the currently airing series across platforms, *The Supreme* had achieved a popularity rating of 8000+, ranking second!

"Not bad at all!!"

"We made it!"

The group chat erupted in cheers: "Are we really this amazing?"

Several new series premiered during this period, and *The Supreme* was by no means the most anticipated one. Although the crew had generated some hype before the premiere, it wasn't enough to push *The Supreme* to the second spot.

According to the crew's expectations, making it into the top five in premiere popularity would already be a victory.

Jiang Wangshu was somewhat surprised. Just as he was about to investigate where this unexpected boost in popularity came from, he soon found the answer—

First, in the comment area of *The Supreme*—

"Coming from *The Son of Heaven* to see Lu Xu in historical costume!!"

"Fans of Ji Xiuya are here, waiting for the Demon Lord to appear!"

"Waiting for Ji Xiuya, not worried about being scammed, Lu Xu is the best forever!"

"Just two more episodes until Ji Xiuya appears!!"

The premiere of *The Supreme* hit a popularity rating of 8000, and the subsequent episodes didn’t drop in popularity as outsiders had predicted. Objectively speaking, the plot of this drama is solid, and the performances of the lead actors, Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi, are above average. Once you start the first episode, the plot is engaging enough to keep the audience hooked.

"Whenever I watch a show with Lu Xu, I always spot a few new faces."

"+1, but Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi aren’t exactly newcomers. Have you seen *Decryption Game*? The guy with green hair in it is Zheng Xiao."

"?? That’s Zheng Xiao? His acting has gotten so much better!"

Zheng Xiao happily screenshotted the comments praising his acting and sent them to his agent: "People are noticing my hard work!"

Working alongside Lu Xu, he felt a ton of pressure, you know? Later, he and Wei Yi stayed behind to reshoot some scenes. Wei Yi seemed to have a sudden breakthrough, and her performance in the following scenes was divinely inspired. Naturally, Zheng Xiao felt even more pressure. To avoid being the one dragging *The Supreme* crew down, he really gave it his all.

After *The Supreme* aired, Zheng Xiao dreaded seeing comments about him not being as handsome as Lu Xu. But after several episodes, no one brought it up. Instead, the audience found his portrayal of He Ziqing really gripping.

Like Jiang Wangshu, Zheng Xiao also realized the influence of Ji Xiuya’s character on *The Supreme*—the episode where Ji Xiuya first appeared saw the drama’s popularity soar to 9500!

Hitting 10,000 is just a matter of time!

This Ji Xiuya is arrogant and flamboyant. He’s not the kind of villain who holds grudges against the world; he’s just a born villain. No one knows his true thoughts, but he’s powerful and fearsome.

In *The Supreme*, Ji Xiuya hasn’t yet appeared, but his reputation has already spread far and wide. They say he’s more stunning than the most handsome man in the immortal realm, yet he’s erratic and unpredictable, earning him the title of the great demon.

The first scene where Ji Xiuya appears takes place after He Ziqing and Yun Hui have just endured a fierce battle. By then, the two are too weak to even face a single soldier. He Ziqing is severely injured, and Yun Hui, who’s healing him, has also drained most of his inner energy.

At that moment, Ji Xiuya steps through space and arrives.

It seems to emphasize the presence of this Demon Lord. The moment Ji Xiuya bursts through the door, the whole vibe of the drama shifts.

The figure inside the door is relaxed, and even in a loose black robe, his striking looks are undeniable.

He’s a man, yet he can only be described as flamboyant.

It’s not heavy makeup, but the flamboyant and strange aura around him is unforgettable. His fingers are slim and pale, and when he looks at someone, the spark in his eyes is mesmerizing.

"...My husband has appeared!!"

"It’s Ji Xiuya in motion, ahhh! The flamboyant and arrogant Demon Lord and the timid Crown Prince don’t seem like they’re played by the same person."

"My husband is so handsome, no wonder he’s my husband!"

"Why doesn’t Lu Xu just become a male model?"

"Forget male models, Lu Xu hasn’t even done a magazine cover."

"I wonder which little rat it is—so it’s you." Ji Xiuya’s gaze first falls on He Ziqing lying on the ground, then shifts to Yun Hui, a playful smile in his eyes.

The next moment, he slowly steps forward, his pace deliberate, his eyes still smiling, yet somehow exuding an air of menace.

Whether it’s the title of Demon Lord or that overly striking face, it inspires awe.

As Ji Xiuya approaches, Yun Hui instinctively steps in front of He Ziqing, fearing Ji Xiuya’s advance.

"You’re afraid of me," Ji Xiuya states confidently.

As he gets closer, Yun Hui hears He Ziqing groan softly. The bloodstains on his body multiply, and the injuries he just sustained seem to worsen.

As if by some unspoken rule, with each step Ji Xiuya took, a new wound would appear on He Ziqing's body, his white robe was almost completely soaked in blood.

"Still not dead? You're quite resilient," Ji Xiuya stopped, as if he had done nothing to He Ziqing just now.

"What should this Demon Lord do?" Ji Xiuya showed a troubled expression as he spoke, "To spare you would be to break my own rules, but to kill you would make others think this Demon Lord is a bully."

His face was still radiant, as if pondering an answer, yet the more innocent his expression, the more terrifying it seemed.

"Since it's so, stay with this Demon Lord for a few days. If you can still live, this Demon Lord will spare you."

After Ji Xiuya finished speaking, Yun Hui's face turned as pale as paper, He Ziqing had already fainted, and only Ji Xiuya appeared completely relaxed. With a flick of his finger, He Ziqing, soaked in blood, was thrown inside the door.

"Rumors say Ji Xiuya can appear as either male or female."

"Honestly, if I were He Ziqing, I would probably have given in."

"Given in +1, a hug wouldn't hurt."

"Hey, you guys upstairs are really enough, dating Ji Xiuya would really be life-threatening, so let me do it."

"Step aside, I'll do it!"

When Ji Xiuya first appeared, the screen was filled with "Ahhhh" almost blocking him entirely. Other viewers protested too much, so Ji Xiuya's fans silently arranged the "Ahhh" into a convex shape, the edges of the "convex" just revealing Ji Xiuya's face.

Content creators quietly added Ji Xiuya to their compilations of handsome men in ancient costumes.

In "The Supreme", there are scenes where Ji Xiuya appears without makeup, also showcasing the flamboyant and radiant side of the Demon Lord. These contrasts make for easier editing—whether in white robes or black cloaks, he is impossible to look away from.

"Ji Xiuya and Qin Zhao are like night and day!"

"Ji Xiuya's face is indeed very handsome, but when he walked towards the main couple, the pressure was really terrifying. I almost thought He Ziqing was going to die."

"??? Is this Qin Zhao? Someone tell me, is this really Qin Zhao??"

Ji Xiuya's appearance not only boosted the popularity of "The Supreme", but clips of Ji Xiuya threatening He Ziqing and Yun Hui were wildly reposted on the homepages of major marketers.

Whether he's raising an eyebrow or smiling, it's impossible to look away.

"...It just hit me, when Verse first debuted, Lu Xu was indeed the visual, then somehow the visual became Gu Sinian."

"Lu Xu can't be the visual? With this face, can't be the visual?? Your standards for the band's visual are really strict."

Gu Sinian, inexplicably mentioned by the hashtag #Gu Sinian Lu Xu appearance comparison#: "..."

What the hell! He didn't do anything, yet he still got dragged into this.

Of course, Gu Sinian had forgotten, shortly after Verse disbanded, Lu Xu appeared on the hot search list about ten times a week, all comparing how he was not doing as well as the other three members of Verse.

Now the tables have turned.

...

The popularity of "The Supreme" climbed step by step, finally surpassing ten thousand on a certain day. Ji Xiuya is not a run-of-the-mill villain, nor is he the type of villain focused solely on his villainous career. To accurately describe, he should be categorized as a lunatic.

The kind that's not quite right in the head.

But as a villain, he certainly makes a strong impression.

"I can't imagine Chen Ye playing Ji Xiuya; he'd probably just come off as an ordinary villain, don't you think?"

A random comment from a netizen unexpectedly got tons of likes.

That evening, Chen Ye rarely posted on his Weibo: "Can you not link me to a specific character, please? I don't want to get famous because of that kind of role."

Half an hour later, Lu Xu logged on: "Got it."

"No skin was revealed, so how is that supposed to make me famous?"

#FamousActorHatesShootingScenesWithoutNudity#

#FamousActorWantsNudePhotos#

↑And just like that, fake news started spreading.