Chapter 22: Gods Part 2

“Hahaha, my heart has melted too.”

At the long table sat several men in military uniforms. They were excited and carried away, discussing it to the point of obliviousness—so much so that they didn’t notice Ian’s arrival.

Ian’s footsteps were heavy. He cut directly into the pointless chatter, saying with a dead serious face, “Finished with all your work? If you’re so idle, go help load fuel on the lower deck.”

The men immediately shut their mouths, sheepishly calling out “Colonel Ian,” then got up, shoving each other as they left.

The topic was forcibly cut short, creating some awkwardness. The ladies and gentlemen couldn’t continue either, and all changed the subject.

Ian undid two buttons, then with a grim expression, turned and headed elsewhere.

Inside the room, Celine, the subject of all the gossip, was engaged in a silent standoff with the maidservant.

The reason was this: after regaining his strength, Celine had come to find Devin. Noticing that Celine was still barefoot, Devin ordered someone to find a pair of shoes. They had barely managed to find a pair in the right size, but Celine couldn’t put them on—or rather, didn’t want to. His refusal was written all over his face. The maidservant was terrified, biting her lip and trembling, afraid that Devin would make things difficult for her.

So fussy. Devin, who was normally called fussy by his own servants, shot the maidservant a look. She breathed a sigh of relief, grateful and tearful, having escaped a calamity.

“Not wearing them?”

Celine neither shook his head nor nodded, but the shoes, as if they had grown legs of their own, scooted far away on their own.

Devin laughed, his mood inscrutable as to whether he was truly amused. But the words he spoke held no mercy: “Fine, don’t wear them. Then get yourself onto the mainland.”

Celine thought about it seriously. Two seconds later, the shoes returned to their original spot.

He bent down, picked one up, fiddled with it, and then tried to put his foot in. Since it was his first time, the movement was clumsy, and he nearly tore it.

His legs, transformed from a fish tail, felt extremely uncomfortable being stuffed into two shoes. He was a bit unhappy. Besides, the color was ugly—not in keeping with the aesthetic of an Orchid Stem Land god.

His slight unhappiness did not escape Devin’s eyes. For some reason, Devin was very patient today, and comforted him with unusual compassion: “Throwing a little temper tantrum?”

“Endure it a while. Once we reach the mainland, I’ll get you a prettier pair.”

Celine immediately stopped minding and even took a couple of steps. Though the shoes were still ugly, it no longer stopped him from getting used to them.

The moment the mainland was mentioned, Celine reacted strongly. Devin’s gaze narrowed; he wondered what on the continent attracted Celine so much that he would obey so readily.

The dinner banquet was held as usual at six in the evening. Male and female servants wove back and forth through the opulence: resplendent lights, exquisite candles, and delicate desserts.

The ladies wore luxurious long gowns, held lace fans, and their jewels sparkled with brilliance. Every gesture was elegant.

When Devin’s figure appeared at the banquet, most eyes turned to him, only to find he was alone. Curiosity inevitably turned to disappointment. Among them, Ian was especially crestfallen, as if his soul had been stolen away.

Celine had no need to eat; from birth, he had been nourished by the spiritual power of heaven, earth, and ocean. He was wholly uninterested in human banquets. Devin paid him no mind—he himself always had to eat.

Twenty minutes into the banquet, a sudden commotion broke out. Faintly, people could be heard saying things like “Someone’s lost their mind,” “Sitting on the railing,” “Too dangerous.”

After a while, it fell silent again.

Devin set down his cutlery and sipped the mellow red wine. After eating his fill, a curly-haired middle-aged man approached him hesitantly. “Your Grace… you… shouldn’t you go take a look?”

“That seems to be the guest you rescued, sitting on the railing. It’s very dangerous. We can’t persuade him to come down, so…”

Impressive. In just the time it took for a meal, Celine had caused this much uproar. Devin twisted the ruby ring on his thumb. “It’s fine. He won’t fall. Let him be.”

Huh?

Huh???

The middle-aged man couldn’t understand why the Duke was so calm. Mrs. Aide, who had little appetite, had gone for a stroll outside with her maid and mistakenly thought someone was trying to end their life. Sitting on the narrow railing, the silhouette seemed to sway precariously when the wind blew. Her face instantly paled, and she started yelling for help.

To be honest, Celine’s appearance was highly distinctive. It wasn’t hard to guess he was the very protagonist everyone had been talking about from yesterday until today. People took turns kindly trying to advise him. It took great effort before Celine finally turned his head and granted them a glance, then turned back again as if annoyed by the noise.

…

So it wasn’t that he wanted to end his life.

In this situation, they had no choice but to seek Devin out, only to find Duke Devin so indifferent. But if even he thought it was no big deal, then it must indeed be fine.

The middle-aged man suddenly felt a sense of helplessness. They had all made a fuss over nothing.

By all logic, this little episode should have ended there. But Devin calmly adjusted his collar, then walked out toward the central hall, his pace neither hurried nor slow.

Since I have nothing else to do, he thought, I might as well admire how this merfolk attracts so much attention.

The setting sun fell at the world’s edge, dyeing the entire sky red. Even the sea’s surface shimmered with golden light. Flocks of seagulls circled in midair, carrying a sense of magnificent melancholy and a romance that transcended time—a scene so beautiful it took one’s breath away.

In a corner by the railing, Jennifer tucked her wind-tossed hair behind her ear. “It’s my first time at sea. This is unbelievable—truly beautiful.”

“I think so too. Ah!” Mrs. Aide gasped. “Jennifer, look quickly! What is that?”

“It looks like dolphins. One, two… five. Oh my! So many, I can’t count them all.”

Hundreds, even thousands of dolphins followed the ship, an awe-inspiring sight. As if summoned by someone, they leapt out of the water one after another, revealing their sleek forms, then dove back in less than two seconds, awaiting the next chance.

Facing the sunset, Celine had a seagull perch on his right shoulder, nuzzling his jaw affectionately before flying away reluctantly.

He had not seen an evening glow for a long time since his slumber. His heart stirred, and perhaps influenced by his mood, the living creatures of the world also came to pay homage.

The noise around them grew louder, all extolling the wonders of the sea. Celine identified Devin’s footsteps. One stood, the other sat.

As the sun sank halfway, Celine’s lips parted slightly. “Devin.”

That was what others called him, though they added “Duke” at the end. Hands propping himself up on the railing, he turned his gaze to the person behind him, waiting for a response.

“Do you know where the last person who addressed me by my full name went?” Devin moved closer to Celine, his voice as flat as if remarking on the weather. “Lying in a cold grave.”

Celine wasn’t frightened in the slightest. He lowered his eyes slightly. The wind lifted his robes and long hair. “Celine.”

“Mm?”

Devin’s right hand was lifted. Cool fingertips glided gently across his palm, stroke by stroke, plucking at the heartstrings.

C-e-l-i-n-e.

Their gazes met. Glimmering light reflected between them. The seagulls and dolphins followed tirelessly, as if calling out even more joyfully. The boundless orange-red afterglow stretched endlessly, and the cruise ship sailed steadily into the distance, traversing a thousand miles.

— From “Dream of the Blue Moon Night”

“Cut.”

This was the sixth time they’d been told to do it over. After calling cut, Li Ran sat silently behind the camera. The actors held their positions without moving until his deep voice sounded: “Pass!”

Everyone silently breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally done.

Lin Qinghe’s position was somewhat dangerous. The director, afraid he might fall into the shallow water pit, had secured him with a safety harness. He grasped Jiang Nian’s extended arm, and the moment his feet touched the floor, he felt at ease. He had to admit, the height still made him a bit nervous.

Because they had rehearsed, Lin Qinghe and Jiang Nian only got two NGs for their final scene.

Jiang Nian withdrew his hand and said, “Junior Brother acted very well. You’ve improved.”

The crew member came over to help Lin Qinghe out of the safety harness. Hearing Jiang Nian’s words, he was genuinely pleased. “Teacher Lin has improved a lot.”

“Jiang Nian, Little He.” Li Ran suddenly asked, “Did you two practice and get familiar beforehand?”

Jiang Nian joked, “Can’t hide anything from Brother Li’s piercing eyes.”

Li Ran looked rather pleased. “That’s good, isn’t it? Discuss things more in the future. Little He’s improvement is visible to the naked eye, right, Old Fan?”

Fan Wenbo lifted his head and smiled. “Yes.”

Lin Qinghe, encouraged, said, “All thanks to Senior Brother.”

“Hahaha.” Li Ran leaned back, his baseball cap tilting up to reveal graying sideburns. After a moment, his expression grew serious. “The next plot involves action scenes. We’ll be using wire work. Qinghe, you’ll need to overcome some difficulties.”

In the book, the cruise ship encounters a storm at sea. Celine exerts nearly all his spiritual power to calm the disaster and prevent the ship from capsizing. Immediately after, he plunges into the sea. Without hesitation, Devin jumps in to rescue him. It’s a turning point where their relationship heats up.

Lin Qinghe was already uncomfortable with the height of the prop ship from the ground. Any higher and he definitely wouldn’t be able to stand it. Still, he had to grit his teeth and go on.

“I’ll do my best to overcome the fear.”

Li Ran nodded and comforted him from an experienced perspective. “As long as you take that first step, it won’t be so scary afterwards. In the film, you’ll need to do wire work at least four times.”

Lin Qinghe lamented fittingly, “At least four times.”

The few of them were all amused.

Fan Wenbo added, “It’s fine. Apart from the chafing pain, being on wires feels like soaring through the sky, very free. If you like the feeling of being unrestrained, the discomfort from that pain gets overshadowed by the thrill.”

“I had the honor of experiencing it once. Director Fan makes sense.” Jiang Nian chimed in. “Anyway, Junior Brother, you don’t need to worry about safety.”

After being educated by everyone, Lin Qinghe didn’t resist it as much anymore.

“That’s it for today. Wrap it up. Tomorrow, we shoot the palace scenes. New members will be joining the crew. Qinghe, you can come and hang out as well. You didn’t get to interact with them at the opening ceremony; they just hurried through the incense ritual and left. Everyone should get to know each other, and when the atmosphere livens up later, it’ll be more fun.”

Li Ran was strict, but he was a good person. He wanted the crew to have a great atmosphere because only a good atmosphere allowed the actors to immerse themselves fully. He couldn’t stand messy situations, which was one reason he’d replaced Xu Anyu.

Lin Qinghe had no other plans for the near future, so he agreed to Li Ran’s invitation without much thought.