Chapter 27: Ji Xiuya in the Flesh
Once the verbal sparring between the two directors subsided, Lu Xu finally pieced things together. Liu Chunfeng had brought him to the Supreme set to audition for the role of the Demon Lord, Ji Xiuya.
It wasn’t that Director Liu had “sold him off,” nor that Jiang Wangshu had a habit of coveting actors from other productions. The two directors were close friends and often visited each other’s sets. During one such visit, Director Jiang mentioned that the actor playing Ji Xiuya had walked off the project and lamented how difficult it was to find a suitable replacement.
“Someone good-looking, with strong acting skills, and a commanding yet brooding aura—where on earth am I supposed to find that kind of actor?”
Liu Chunfeng, hearing all the keywords, immediately thought of Lu Xu and locked eyes with Director Jiang.
“What are you staring at me for?” Director Jiang sighed. “I don’t have your kind of luck. Finding actors isn’t as easy for me as it is for you.”
“You don’t know Lu Xu?” Liu Chunfeng asked.
“Lu Xu? Who’s that?” Jiang Wangshu looked utterly confused.
“Then why do you keep mentioning him?”
And so, Lu Xu’s name was firmly etched into Jiang Wangshu’s memory. He found out that Lu Xu was the actor Liu Chunfeng had specially chosen to play Crown Prince Qin Zhao.
One day, Director Jiang happened to observe a scene where Lu Xu was acting opposite Cheng Yun.
From that moment on, he frequently pestered Liu Chunfeng, urging him to let the Supreme crew borrow Lu Xu for a while. But at the time, Qin Zhao’s scenes weren’t finished yet. How could Liu Chunfeng possibly lend him out?
Fortunately, there weren’t many scenes left for Qin Zhao.
Jiang Wangshu bombarded Liu Chunfeng with one nuisance call after another, pestering him so much that Director Liu’s head nearly exploded. But he couldn’t bring it up with Lu Xu beforehand—Lu Xu was still deeply immersed in Qin Zhao’s emotional state.
Finally, after a few days of waiting, Qin Zhao’s scenes wrapped up, and Jiang Wangshu eagerly welcomed Lu Xu.
Ji Xiuya, the Demon Lord, was the main antagonist in the Supreme script. Though the character didn’t have many scenes, his presence was pivotal. He was the ultimate boss that even the male and female leads couldn’t defeat despite their combined efforts. To vanquish him, the male lead sacrificed himself for the greater good, leaving the female lead to wander the mortal world alone.
Casting Ji Xiuya wasn’t too challenging—Jiang Wangshu wasn’t as picky as Liu Chunfeng. He figured a passable actor would do. Unfortunately, after testing several candidates, none of them seemed suitable.
After all, according to the script, Ji Xiuya was more handsome than the male lead, He Ziqing.
The Demon Lord’s allure lay in his unparalleled, breathtaking looks, capable of mesmerizing anyone.
That raised a question: the actor playing the male lead, He Ziqing, was a rising star named Zheng Xiao, who was fairly well-known in the industry.
Typically, actors young and talented enough to take on a leading role in a drama also tended to be highly attractive. If their looks were even slightly above average, they’d usually be the focal point of their agencies’ promotional efforts, poised for a breakout. It was almost impossible for such actors to have the free time to play a supporting role in a series like Supreme.
On top of that, as the antagonist and boss character, Ji Xiuya couldn’t have a weak presence. The actor needed to be capable of carrying the weight of such a pivotal role.
As Jiang Wangshu laid out the criteria, he realized just how difficult it was to find someone suitable.
He couldn’t help but feel frustrated. The original actor cast for Ji Xiuya, Chen Ye, had been perfect in every way, but midway through filming, he broke his contract and joined another production.
Paying the penalty to breach the contract just to leave? Clearly, Chen Ye had decided that Supreme was a small-scale project with little chance of success.
But casting is always a two-way street, and it wasn’t uncommon for either side to terminate an agreement. Chen Ye’s decision was understandable—after all, the project he switched to had a much stronger ensemble cast and offered him a role no less significant than Ji Xiuya.
Jiang Wangshu couldn’t help but feel fortunate, though. If he hadn’t come across Lu Xu by chance, who knew how long he’d have had to wait to find the right actor?
…
Liu Chunfeng brought Lu Xu over. “If you’re willing, do me a favor and help out Old Jiang. He might not seem reliable, but when it comes to filming, he knows what he’s doing.”
Liu Chunfeng left the decision entirely to Lu Xu. He had no intention of coercing him.
“I need to see the script first,” Lu Xu said.
Without hesitation, Jiang Wangshu handed over the complete script for Ji Xiuya’s character.
After reading it, Lu Xu nodded. “I’m fine with it.”
He didn’t have much going on anyway. Staying home was boring, so he might as well spend some time on set to pass the time.
Having already seen Lu Xu’s acting, Jiang Wangshu was confident that once Lu Xu agreed to take the role, Ji Xiuya was as good as his. Jiang Wangshu never even considered looking for anyone else.
Lu Xu was taken aside by the makeup artist to get his makeup and styling done. Meanwhile, the assistant director and a few crew members gathered around Jiang Wangshu.
“Director, did you borrow someone from the neighboring set?”
Jiang Wangshu nodded. “Yeah, I’m letting him try out Ji Xiuya.”
The role of Ji Xiuya had remained unfilled for a while. Although it didn’t hinder the ongoing filming of Supreme, the prolonged uncertainty was worrisome. They couldn’t exactly wait until the show was nearly finished to finalize such a critical role.
Jiang Wangshu had decided on letting Lu Xu play Ji Xiuya, but nearby, the male lead, Zheng Xiao, frowned deeply as he rested.
While others didn’t know Lu Xu, Zheng Xiao certainly did.
Though they had never worked together, Zheng Xiao had witnessed Lu Xu single-handedly stir up chaos within Lin Ge Entertainment. Not that he was particularly fond of Gu Sinian either—there had been an incident where Zheng Xiao and Gu Sinian wore the same outfit, and Gu Sinian’s fans had berated him online for half a month, leaving him mildly traumatized.
Now, Zheng Xiao was genuinely worried. With someone like Lu Xu joining the set, could they even continue filming peacefully?
His face showed his concern. Glancing over, he noticed the female lead, Wei Yi, wearing a similarly conflicted expression. Their eyes met briefly, and they both sighed, shaking their heads.
Just then, a commotion erupted at the entrance. Both Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi turned to look.
In their line of sight appeared a face so striking it was hard to discern whether it leaned more masculine or feminine.
From a distance, one’s attention was drawn first to his posture—his strides were languid and relaxed, seemingly devoid of any ominous air. Yet as he drew closer, his face came into view, and his looks alone seemed to captivate the very souls of those watching.
Was it the makeup artist’s sudden surge in skill, or was it simply that this face was uniquely suited for a villain’s look? The eyeliner was slightly extended, giving his eyes a narrow and alluring appearance. His makeup seemed paler than usual, but when his brows arched and his gaze lifted, there was no mistaking it—this was the Demon Lord capable of mesmerizing the masses.
“Lu Xu?” Zheng Xiao finally regained his composure after a long pause.
“…That’s Lu Xu?” Wei Yi’s jaw dropped. “He looks like this?”
You couldn’t blame her. As a self-proclaimed internet gossip expert, Wei Yi had three alt accounts dedicated solely to staying updated on celebrity drama. She never posted love declarations or musings about romance—her sole focus was devouring juicy gossip. Even her manager once said they had never met a celebrity as nosy as her.
During the recent “Verse Battle,” Wei Yi had followed the drama obsessively, consuming all the negative press and unflattering photos of Lu Xu. So much so, she could barely remember what Lu Xu actually looked like.
But now, seeing him in person with this face, she was convinced—Lu Xu playing the Demon Lord was absolutely viable… if his personality weren’t taken into account.
Actors often privately mocked modern scripts for throwing around titles like “the most beautiful in ten realms” or “the most handsome man in the celestial world.” Unless you had absolute confidence in your looks, no one could deliver those lines without feeling awkward.
After all, audiences weren’t blind.
But standing here, Wei Yi genuinely believed that Lu Xu was one of the rare few who could live up to the title of “most handsome.”
…
Lu Xu, however, thought his makeup was a bit too heavy. The makeup artist explained that Chen Ye’s look had been just as exaggerated, emphasizing that Ji Xiuya was a character with an androgynous and slightly twisted vibe, so a dramatic style was appropriate.
Jiang Wangshu, on the other hand, waved it off. “Tone it down. It’s too heavy.”
Chen Ye’s makeup had been overdone because his features weren’t striking enough to convey the character’s presence. His performance also lacked the necessary intensity, so the elaborate makeup compensated for those shortcomings.
Lu Xu, however, had the face to carry the role. His earlier gaze and body language already aligned perfectly with Ji Xiuya’s persona. Adding such heavy makeup would only be overkill.
From just that one glance at Lu Xu in costume, Jiang Wangshu was certain—this man was born to play Ji Xiuya.
“I told you he’d be perfect, didn’t I?” Liu Chunfeng’s voice suddenly chimed in from the side.
Jiang Wangshu turned to him, startled. “Where did you come from? Are you done filming?”
“Next door. Can’t I come over to check things out?” Liu Chunfeng eyed Lu Xu’s makeup. “Yeah, definitely tone it down. Right now, his face looks like a gorilla’s.”
Jiang Wangshu sighed, “Speak human language.”
Liu Chunfeng had a habit of putting on airs as a director on set, but in private, he was a complete fool with an incredibly high tolerance for nonsense. Ironically, his imposing face made him very intimidating.
To be honest, if Chen Ye had signed a contract with Liu Chunfeng’s crew, he probably wouldn’t have dared to break it.
Jiang Wangshu didn’t have the same fierce look or temperament as Liu Chunfeng. His personality was more forgiving.
“I’ll just take a look and leave,” Liu Chunfeng said. “I can’t guarantee anything else, but when it comes to the role, you can trust Lu Xu.”
…
After the makeup was adjusted, Lu Xu reappeared, and his presence left an even deeper impression on the crew.
Zheng Xiao could already imagine the scene where he’d be overshadowed by Lu Xu when the drama aired. Fortunately, Ji Xiuya’s character was designed to be more attractive than He Ziqing, and Lu Xu, in reality, was better looking than him. Even if he was overshadowed, Zheng Xiao had no problem admitting it.
“You’re not the only one,” Wei Yi sighed. Seeing the crew taking photos, she quickly snapped a few herself.
Neither of them felt any jealousy.
In fact, after Chen Ye’s departure, they couldn’t be happier. They had hoped Jiang Wangshu would find an even better version of Ji Xiuya—someone like an upgraded, “Plus Max” version. After all, Chen Ye had been removed from the crew due to his lack of looks, and now with the more handsome Lu Xu, who would even remember Chen Ye?
Chen Ye’s exit had caused some setbacks for them. A lot of scenes had to be reshot, and because the role of Ji Xiuya had been left uncast for so long, they weren’t sure how long they’d be stuck with the Supreme crew. Many of their other scheduled events had to be rearranged.
Both Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi had to cancel some commercial activities.
“Wei Yi, why are you over there taking pictures? Come over here!” Jiang Wangshu waved at her and Zheng Xiao. “Zheng Xiao, you come too!”
The director had called, so the two of them immediately answered and moved over.
The shooting was still ongoing, and neither of the leads had changed their outfits. Jiang Wangshu positioned Wei Yi on one side and Zheng Xiao on the other, then called over Lu Xu. He instructed the photographer to take a series of shots of their current poses.
Soon after, the Supreme official Weibo account posted the first batch of behind-the-scenes photos since the start of filming.
Supreme was a novel adaptation, but the original work didn’t have a huge following, and it wasn’t the kind of project that sparked heated controversy after casting. When Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi were confirmed as the leads, there wasn’t much of an online uproar.
However, Ji Xiuya’s character stood out because of his distinct traits, making him memorable among similar roles.
When Chen Ye was originally cast for the part, many fans were dissatisfied.
While Chen Ye wasn’t unattractive, he didn’t seem to match the original description of Ji Xiuya’s beauty.
There were very few male actors who could truly match up to that standard.
But now, with the photos released—
[Ahhhhhh, this is Ji Xiuya, right?]
[How can he look this good!!!]
[Instantly conquered! Demon Lord, look at me, look at me, look at me!]
[Verified, this is Ji Xiuya himself!!!]
**TN
Ahhh! I also want to see the pix! I’m into Demon Lord MLs right now, thanks to Love Game in the Eastern Fantasy. After Love Game, I binge-watched Love Between Fairy and Devil. and then Till the End of the Moon. Right now, I’m watching Blossom, not demon lord ML but ML with white hair is so…!!! >0<
Haha,