"How was the filming for 'Back to the Countryside'?" asked Niu Jiangxue. This was the first time she'd attended a shoot without a personal assistant, so she felt the need to check in.
The sun blazed overhead. Their shadows stretched long on the pavement, and from a distance, Chu Zhi's figure looked even taller and leaner.
"Standard recording. Nothing unexpected," Chu Zhi replied.
After a brief hesitation, Niu Jiangxue said, "This year, the studio's income might be lower than last year, or at best, just about the same."
"I know. It's not your fault," Chu Zhi answered calmly. "I already expected the consequences when I broke ties with Adidas."
"Don't overthink it. The team's doing great. We've done everything we can."
In theory, higher fame should bring in higher profits. Niu Jiangxue had meant to comfort him, but instead, she found herself being reassured by the artist.
Back at the studio, they had just stepped through the door when Lao Qian suddenly sprang up.
"Okay, everyone, eyes on me, eyes on me!" Lao Qian shouted, raising his left hand. "I've got an announcement. A big one!"
The staff—Qi Qiu, Wang Yuan, and the rest—turned at the commotion. Chu Zhi also paused, waiting to hear it.
"I'm getting engaged!" Lao Qian beamed. "The engagement banquet is in a few days. You all better come!"
The reaction was instant. It hit like a bombshell. The studio erupted into chaos, as if a neighboring world leader had just been assassinated.
"Who the hell managed to tame Lao Qian?"
"The last time I heard something this outrageous, my dad apologized to me."
"Wait, it's not April Fools today, right?"
"Are you sure about this?" Wang Yuan asked seriously.
After all, Lao Qian had a history of frequent breakups—breaking up in the morning, dating someone new by afternoon. He was never a cheater, but even so, having a fiancée and still playing the field was a different level.
"I'm sure," Lao Qian said. "This is the first time I've ever wanted to wake up and still see someone the next morning. She's the one."
"Wait, don't tell me it's Xiao Bing?" Qi Qiu asked, clearly suspicious.
"It's Bingbing," Lao Qian nodded. "She and I are like two peas in a pod. Same hobbies, same weird tastes, we can talk about anything."
Two peas in a pod? Weird tastes? That's… certainly a way to put it.
Fei-ge, Chen Shu, and even Niu Jiangxue looked skeptical. But Qi Qiu wasn't surprised—after all, his own mother had introduced them.
Qi Qiu's mother was a renowned matchmaker in the heart of Shanghai. She had successfully matched countless couples. And now, Lao Qian had found true love thanks to her… yet her only son, Qi Qiu, was still busy being a simp.
"If it weren't real love, why else would I do this?" he often told his mom.
"Especially you, Jiu-yé," Lao Qian added, glancing at Chu Zhi. "No matter how busy you are, you have to come."
"Of course," Chu Zhi nodded.
"Is the announcement over now?" asked Fei-ge.
"Okay, done. Just make sure to free up your schedule," Lao Qian grinned.
The excitement died down, and everyone went back to work. But Lao Qian could still feel the suspicion in the air. As if he, the self-proclaimed King of Devotion in Shanghai, couldn't change his ways. But he was determined. He'd grow old with Bingbing.
Of course, Lao Qian's redemption arc became the talk of the studio for a while, but deadlines still loomed.
They had to shoot twenty-seven sets of photos. Chu Zhi's endorsement fees weren't something average brands could afford. Licensing his image alone was more practical: just eight million yuan per set (six photos, three looks), valid for a year. What a bargain!
Photographer Chen Shu threw himself into the work with the fury of heartbreak. Why the fury? Well, that was a running joke during breaks.
When asked when he'd stop being single, Chen Shu would joke, "Why panic? Lao Qian's over thirty and still wild. I'm younger. I'll definitely settle down first."
It was a nice thought.
Reality: Chen Shu was still single.
They wrapped up the twenty-seven sets past ten at night. It wasn't just posing—everything had to meet the client's vision. On top of that, they had to record a celebratory VCR.
It was for Little Red Book's 18th anniversary. The company had invited a bunch of celebrities to send congratulatory videos.
Xiao Hong Shu didn't have the same traffic as Douyin or Weibo, but anyone who'd been a content creator knew: when advertisers came calling, Xiao Hong Shu fans were gold.
Nicknamed the world's most trusted review platform, it held serious sway. Most celebrities recorded their VCRs for free, hoping to build goodwill.
But not the Emperor Beast.
His VCR? Four million yuan. And that was the friendship price.
The indoor set was quickly transformed into a living room. Chu Zhi sat on a sofa while Chen Shu filmed. The idea was to make it look like a casual shoot at home—something intimate, a sign of how close Chu Zhi was with Xiao Hong Shu.
"I'm a user too. Xiao Hong Shu's Red Friday helped me find some great things. Congratulations on turning eighteen. Wishing you even greater success ahead."
They shot it twice. Done. Off the clock.
Chu Zhi and Chen Shu stepped out of the building. It was late. Even the security guard had changed shifts. The night shift guy, Xiao Ke, was on duty now.
"Working late again, Mr. Chu? Don't wear yourself out," Xiao Ke called out. "If my wife knew, she'd be heartbroken."
That was a strange comment. Xiao Ke's wife was a Little Fruits fan, and Chu Zhi had once given her an autograph.
"Stay safe," Chu Zhi replied.
There had been a recent string of burglaries nearby, so the warning was genuine.
They didn't go to the parking lot. Instead, they stood by the roadside, waiting for a car. Chu Zhi wore a mask.
"You didn't drive?" Chu Zhi asked.
"Nope. Just hailed a ride," Chen Shu replied.
He sounded chipper. Chu Zhi picked up on it.
"You sound happy. Something good happen?"
"Nothing special. Just glad to be off work," Chen Shu said. "Aren't you happy?"
Chu Zhi didn't get it. They finished work every day. What was so exciting about today?
"My happiness builds up little by little. Wrapping up work makes me happy. A smooth shoot makes me happy. No traffic in the morning makes me happy. That way, I get to feel joy every day."
That made sense. People who found joy in the little things didn't fall into depression easily. Chu Zhi couldn't do that. As the Emperor Beast, his joy was always delayed.
Chen Shu's ride arrived first.
"Get some rest when you get home," Chu Zhi told him.
"You too, Jiu-yé. You're flying out tomorrow," Chen Shu reminded him.
Moments later, Chu Zhi's car pulled up. He washed up, read, took notes. Now that filming for 'Back to the Countryside' had ended, he finally disabled his "simulated sick leave" mode. Maybe tonight, he could sleep peacefully. For the past week, he'd been woken by nightmares four times.
The next day, the sky was clear.
The first episode of 'Back to the Countryside 4' would air in five days. With a week until the next shoot, Chu Zhi returned to Seoul to resume filming 'My Love From the Stars.'
Most actors would be booted for taking a twelve-day leave mid-shoot, but Chu Zhi had enough clout to get away with it.
Before heading to the airport, Chu Zhi found Qi Qiu.
"What kind of person is Lao Qian's fiancée?" he asked. "I don't think he's the type to get scammed, but still, it's a sudden change."
If Chu Zhi had the best reputation in the company, Lao Qian came second. Wang Yuan and Fei-ge had also come asking.
"She's got a great personality," said Qi Qiu. "I haven't met her, but my mom's mentioned her. She's a moonlight clan type—spends all her earnings investing in her content creator side gig."
"Wait, don't UP creators make money?" Chu Zhi was confused. He'd posted musical instrument covers with no commentary and still made enough for a few ice creams—cheap ones, not the fancy ones.
"She bought a small courtyard on the outskirts of Shanghai. Tore out the interior to redesign it completely. Wants a place with flowers, grass, cats, and dogs. Plans to open a niche bakery too—one of those 'open when I feel like it' shops," said Qi Qiu. "It's not done yet, but she's posting renovation videos on Bilibili."
Clearly, being a UP creator wasn't her main thing.
Nothing sounded off. As for the moonlight clan… weren't they all like that?
Chu Zhi didn't ask more. This was enough. He left the studio with Xiao Zhu.
"He really treats us like friends," Qi Qiu thought as he watched the artist leave. "He pays well. Treats us like equals. Why wouldn't we give our best?"
Chu Zhi and his assistant Xiao Zhu boarded a flight to Seoul around ten in the morning. Because of tight domestic schedules, Wang Yuan and Lao Qian didn't go along. The team was stretched thin.
"Why was the five-million-yuan image rights offer rejected?" Niu Jiangxue asked. She was checking emails from the ad department.
"There was no note?" Qi Qiu blinked. "Apologies, Jiangxue-jie. That's our fault. It was from Adolf Shampoo. We looked into consumer reviews on Xiao Hong Shu and Zhihu. The feedback was mostly negative. We were worried it'd affect Chu Zhi's reputation, so we all agreed to decline."
Adolf Shampoo? Niu Jiangxue hadn't heard of it, but the reasoning made sense.
"We'll submit the full report shortly," Qi Qiu added.
Niu Jiangxue nodded. "I'm not questioning your department's decision. Just make sure the reasoning is clearly written. It's standard protocol."
"Of course. No rules, no standards," said Qi Qiu.
It was clearly the assistant who forgot the note, but Qi Qiu didn't shift blame. He was the head of the ad department. If something went wrong, he took responsibility.
He was about to say more when her phone rang. A call from Japan. They urgently needed to expand their international manager roster.
It was Hōjō Koshi on the line. He explained that two of Chu Zhi's live stage recordings from the Fuji Music Festival had surpassed ten million plays. He wanted Chu Zhi to record a thank-you VCR to post on their site.
At seven yuan per play, revenue had passed seventy million yuan. Chu Zhi's cut was nearly fifty million. With that kind of return, shooting a thank-you video was hardly unreasonable.
Niu Jiangxue agreed right away.
From China to Korea, Chu Zhi arrived at Incheon University's Songdo campus, the main filming location for 'You Came from the Stars.' He changed and went through hair and makeup.
To showcase his looks, the director had prepared as many outfits for him as for the female lead.
Just the suits: CK with deep purple shirts, Burberry double-breasted, three-piece classic cuts, Sandro blues with striped ties, Hugo Boss custom tailored, APC, System.Homme, and over twenty brands in total. The number of outfits was staggering.
"We're filming the kiss scene today. Are you excited, Min Hee?" asked Cho Mina, clearly envious.
Song Minhee didn't answer. Saying she was excited would seem ungraceful, but pretending she wasn't interested would be a lie. Chu Zhi's looks and fame were hard to ignore.
"I read the script. There are ten kiss scenes in total. Dream kiss, elf kiss, snowy forbidden kiss, forehead kiss…" Cho Mina grinned. "You'll become South Korea's most beloved female star. This is the Great Demon King's first on-screen kiss, you know?"
The words "on-screen first kiss" made Song Minhee's heart skip. She hoped none of his obsessed fans would turn against her. She knew how extreme they could get.
Chu Zhi's posters and life-size cutouts had the highest theft rate across Japan and Korea—over sixty percent. Out of ten, at least six would vanish. No one had broken that record.
Today, he wore a smoky purple shirt and a perfectly tailored Burberry suit, paired with half-rimmed rectangular glasses. He glanced down at the script, his jawline sharp as a blade.
Song Minhee couldn't deny it. She was looking forward to the kiss scene.
"Some actors have to try really hard to get noticed. Others just stand there and command attention," sighed writer Yoo Taeseok. "The world isn't fair."
With Chu Zhi's face, success was practically guaranteed.
Filming went smoothly. Chu Zhi was professional and even brought in his secret weapon—Liao Dachong, his private acting coach.
Though the male lead, Professor Baek, was emotionless by design, blank didn't mean lifeless. Chu Zhi wasn't trying to win awards. His goal was simple: no cringe. He didn't want the audience pulled out of the story.
Without realizing it, five days passed. 'Back to the Countryside 4' was about to premiere.
Hunan TV's flagship show, combined with Chu Zhi's popularity, meant the promo campaign was in full swing.