Chapter 142 142 Gossip

Chapter 142: Behind the Scenes

Lu Xu didn’t dwell much on Qi Di’s troubles. Though Director Liu Rennong, who backed Qi Di, was highly capable, Zhao Yifan’s agency, Enne Entertainment, was no pushover either.

The two companies were exchanging accusations, and the atmosphere on the set of *Reversal City* became frosty. Mu Lang wasn’t the type of director to joke around, and his serious demeanor could be intimidating. However, Lu Xu mostly managed to meet the filming requirements. Perhaps realizing the issues during the production of *Reversal City*, Mu Lang gradually began offering more detailed performance notes.

Lu Xu found it incredibly helpful.

The same scene could be interpreted differently from a director’s perspective versus an actor’s. This was why Lu Xu might feel his performance was sufficient, while Mu Lang still found it lacking.

“That last take was excellent.”

The more Mu Lang watched Lu Xu, the more satisfied he became. With just a slight hint from him, Lu Xu’s next performance would deliver even greater surprises. Every time Mu Lang thought Lu Xu had mastered the character to the fullest, Lu Xu would prove through his actions that he could do even better.

Luo Kun, noticing his expression, joked, “Do you think Lu Xu should’ve played the male lead role?”

Mu Lang shook his head. “Casting Lu Xu as Ji Chongyang would be squandering his talent. This character isn’t easy to portray—most actors can’t handle it. It has to be Lu Xu.”

Neither Mu Lang nor Luo Kun were talkative on set. Truth be told, if not for their careers in the film industry, neither of them enjoyed being in the public eye. This time, Zhao Yifan had dragged *Reversal City* into the spotlight, leaving both Mu Lang and Luo Kun quite displeased.

They didn’t show it openly, but during filming, Luo Kun had revised the script multiple times, aiming to reduce Ji Chongyang’s screen time without compromising the story’s integrity.

Zhao Yifan was aware of this but didn’t say much.

He knew very well that he was on thin ice as the male lead.

If not for *Reversal City*’s hefty budget and Mu Lang’s inability to secure funds for reshoots, given the director’s past tendencies, Zhao Yifan would likely have been kicked off the project.

Zhao Yifan no longer showed any dissatisfaction toward Lu Xu—all his resentment was now directed at Qi Di.

Both Qi Di and Zhao Yifan were tabloid favorites at the moment, but Zhao Yifan was holed up on the *Reversal City* set, where he could avoid reporters. Qi Di, however, wasn’t so lucky. The doorstep of Liu Rennong’s studio was swarmed by journalists, and on the day of the court hearing, numerous influencers even showed up to live-stream, hoping to catch a glimpse of the celebrity.

Eventually, Zhao Yifan heard that Qi Di had parted ways with Liu Rennong’s studio.

After the double-standard incident, Liu Rennong’s studio had already dealt with Qi Di’s scandal once and even cast him as the male lead in *Song of Tears*. However, *Song of Tears*’ expenses far exceeded its returns. Despite gaining some recognition overseas, it made no splash domestically.

Liu Rennong had both experience and standing in the film industry, but the problem was—he wasn’t running a money tree. No amount of funds could sustain such losses.

The studio had invested heavily in promoting Qi Di, and it was clear that if Qi Di continued down this path, the costs would only keep rising.

It was better to invest in a newcomer instead.

Qi Di was said to have acting talent, but the entertainment industry was full of actors whose talent—or lack thereof—could be manufactured through PR.

Qi Di was thus abandoned, with no agency willing to sign him.

Celebrities causing trouble wasn’t a big deal—in the eyes of the general public, even Lu Xu, who frequently trended, fell into that category.

But Lu Xu was wildly popular. His dramas drew attention, and his films performed well at the box office. Qi Di, on the other hand, tried to compete with Lu Xu in every aspect but couldn’t even earn a tenth of what Lu Xu did. Liu Rennong’s studio had invested far more in Qi Di than Feiyang Entertainment had in Lu Xu, yet the returns were paltry.

…

Meanwhile, the news of Qi Di’s departure from Liu Rennong’s studio initially made waves but was soon overshadowed by another major event—Wei Fangfei was embroiled in controversy.

Wei Fangfei was originally a big name in the film industry before slumming it by starring in *Nine Turns Decree*, but the series flopped so badly that the investors nearly lost their shirts. However, Wei Fangfei and the male lead Chu Tianshu still walked away with obscenely high paychecks.

After the failure of *Nine Turns Decree*, Wei Fangfei signed a lucrative contract with Ling Ge Entertainment, joining the same agency as Gu Sinian and others.

At the time, industry insiders analyzed Wei Fangfei’s investment patterns, noting that she seemed to lose money on everything she touched, with a weirdly consistent money-losing streak.

It was only recently discovered that Wei Fangfei had a hardcore gambling habit, losing tens of millions at the tables. When she was still popular, her high-quality projects kept audiences and investors happy, so she got away with it.

But after her career declined, her income could no longer sustain her extravagant spending. She began conning regular folks under her own name, and as the fraud snowballed, the jig was up.

Ling Ge Entertainment immediately announced its termination of Wei Fangfei’s contract, claiming that neither the company nor its other signed artists had any knowledge of her personal actions.

However, fans weren’t buying it. Long before this, users had dug up evidence that Gu Sinian, Xie Qingyang, and Meng Qin had all shilled for Wei Fangfei’s "business ventures."

Wei Fangfei herself has already been canceled, but there’s no clear industry standard on whether the celebrities who endorsed her should face the same fate. Still—Gu Sinian and the others are now persona non grata for formal public appearances.

This year, Ling Ge Entertainment had planned to hold a fan meet for the three under the banner of former Verse members. Though missing Lu Xu, the agency still held the rights to Verse’s past works, meaning they could still cash in on fan nostalgia despite the trio’s fading star power.

But before the plan could be executed, it went up in smoke.

Initially, none of this had anything to do with Lu Xu.

Though Qi Di’s lawsuit came from him being salty over Lu Xu landing the villainous role in *Reversal City*, reporters interviewed Xu Wen about it.

Xu Wen’s response was basically Zhao Yifan’s line: *"He didn’t get the role—who else is there to blame?"*

But as Qi Di and Wei Fangfei crashed and burned one after another, and Verse’s trio failed to hold their event, netizens suddenly realized—

*"Wait, didn’t all three of them have beef with Lu Xu?"*

*"?????"*

*"Now that you mention it, Lu Xu really has a perfect KO record."*

*"Seriously, if this were just a fluke, I’d call it absurd. But looking back, there’s literally no one Lu Xu can’t take down."*

Lu Xu: *"... lol"*

Honestly, he really did nothing.

He didn’t even know Wei Fangfei was gambling.

Besides, Wei Fangfei was an opponent from way back—he never even considered her a rival.

After all, the show that competed against *Nine Turns Decree* was *The Supreme*, and his only grudge was with Chen Ye. In *The Supreme*, he only played the bit-part baddie Ji Xiuya.

Wei Fangfei, on the other hand, was the lead actress of *Nine Turns Decree*.

This wasn’t a mess he should be blamed for.

Why couldn’t Chen Ye take the fall?

Maybe it was Chen Ye, who jumped ship mid-production to join *Nine Turns Decree*, who brought the bad luck—not only did Wei Fangfei suffer, but Chu Tianshu’s career also went down the tubes afterward.

But—none of this stopped netizens from piling all sorts of wild nicknames onto Lu Xu.

From *"entertainment industry curse master"* to *"spring demon reborn"*, *"like 'Tai Sui"*, and *"the human bad luck charm"*.

*"Share this Lu Xu for lottery luck tonight."*

"Printed a poster of Lu Xu and made it into a ring, specifically to repel incompetent bosses."

"Heh, starting today, I am invincible."

Lu Xu: "..."

First of all, he is a very serious actor who doesn't believe in superstition.

He absolutely does not think he has some kind of "talent for repelling weirdos," because that would mean he has to encounter them in the first place. He'd rather think of himself as someone who attracts oddballs.

That had to be it.

...

As online controversies continued, the filming of *Reversal City* gradually approached its conclusion.

In *Reversal City*, Lu Xu played the villain, the mastermind behind the scenes. As his lover, Guan Sha's character was equally complex.

The script included many sexually charged scenes between them.

Luo Kun only found out when the two were already in costume, making small talk on set: "You've never done love scenes before?"

Lu Xu shook his head honestly.

Luo Kun was completely floored.

Among today's popular actors, how many made it big without love scenes? The bigger the star, the more likely they are to have a controversial ship—along with equally stormy factions of "solo fans" and "shipping fans."

And yet Lu Xu... had never done a love scene?

Soon, he would be performing a toxic, seductive interplay with Guan Sha.

"Can he pull it off?" Luo Kun shot Mu Lang a look.

Mu Lang shrugged.

The screenwriter could only silently look at Guan Sha and say, "When we start filming, remember to go easy on him."

He meant for Guan Sha to tone it down for Lu Xu.

Actresses at Guan Sha's level could be incredibly intense when performing, especially since the role of the femme fatale fell squarely within her comfort zone—she had played many such characters before.

But once filming began—

Guan Sha's expression was sultry and captivating, her gaze at Lu Xu smoldering with desire.

Her fingers traced provocative, wandering touches, her red lips lingering near Lu Xu's neck... Yet the scene Luo Kun had imagined—Lu Xu frozen like a startled goose—never happened. In fact, throughout the performance, Lu Xu was never overshadowed by Guan Sha.

His eyes skewed slightly toward her, his dark eyes showing no sign of uncontrolled desire. Despite the palpable chemistry, everyone on set could see that Lu Xu was holding all the power.

It must be said, Guan Sha proved why she's an award-winning actress. Since joining *Reversal City*, the discomfort Lu Xu felt while acting opposite Zhao Yifan completely disappeared when working with Guan Sha.

Even a second before filming began, Guan Sha seemed not in character at all. But the moment the cameras rolled, she instantly immersed herself in the role.

One could say that while Guan Sha's personality seemed laid-back, she approached acting with her own intense dedication.

"Actors who reach a certain level are never simple," Xu Wen summarized. "They definitely have solid skills."

His fingers closed around Guan Sha's fingertips. When he chose to indulge in desire, he could immerse himself, and when he chose to withdraw, he could withdraw—none of this was up to Guan Sha. The reins were firmly in Lu Xu's hands.

In the script, Guan Sha’s character was supposed to fear the character Lu Xu played. She had assumed she would need to interpret, imagine, and then express that fear herself.

Yet, the moment her gaze met Lu Xu's, the instant his fingertips brushed her skin, the feeling of darkness staring back at her enveloped her thoughts. His fingers against her skin turned ice-cold in that instant.

She could practically feel how terrifying he was, and fear arose naturally. There was no need for interpretation or imagination—she simply had to follow his rhythm in the performance.

Once filming ended, Guan Sha remained somewhat unsettled.

Unable to resist, she sent Xu Wen a message: "Now I understand why you signed Lu Xu."

Her studio was handling talent too now, and if she encountered someone like Lu Xu, she would sign him without hesitation.

Guan Sha hadn’t felt this kind of pressure from a young actor in ages.

The other side was typing. After a moment, Guan Sha saw a line of text: "My guy’s something else, huh?"

"What’s there to brag about?" Guan Sha couldn’t help but laugh.