Chapter 55: The Dagger Revealed

Lu Feng was also studying the blue figure before him.

Under the island’s anonymity effect, all he could see was the silhouette sitting there, looking obedient.

But Lu Feng scoffed inwardly. If this person were truly docile and harmless, they wouldn’t be here — knowing full well this public service promo already had a lead actor cast.

Truth be told, Lu Feng hadn’t been entirely willing to do this public service shoot. He had to admit, he still couldn’t face beastmen without any reservations.

He had thought he could rely on his acting skills to make up for the emotional deficiency. He never expected to be stuck by the Director for a full seven days.

Lu Feng recalled the scene just now of the Director pointing at his nose and savagely berating him. Aside from the humiliation of being publicly humiliated, one sentence was deeply engraved in his mind:

“If you don’t understand, go ask someone who does!”

As he spoke, the Director glanced over in Ming Ruan’s direction.

Lu Feng was very displeased.

From the moment he saw this person being led over by Ye Fu, he knew — this was probably some newcomer Ye Fu’s company was cultivating.

Seeing the figure do nothing but deliberately attract those beastmen, Lu Feng was even more certain: This person was just here to try their luck and poach his role. Currently in the entertainment industry, this kind of beastman-friendly persona was very popular.

Lu Feng hated these types the most. One face in public, another behind the scenes. It disgusted him to watch. He could go ask others for advice, but asking someone like this — he couldn’t stomach it even if he held his nose.

So here Lu Feng was, standing in front of Ming Ruan, yet looking as if he’d come to pick a fight.

Shi Huai had just been pulled aside to shoot an extra segment separately. After finishing one scene, he found the atmosphere on set strange. Everyone was silent, uniformly looking in one direction.

The fox’s round little brows furrowed. He squeezed through the crowd and saw the lead actor, that Lu Feng, blocking Ming Ruan’s way, looming over him. He had no idea what was going on.

“Yip!” The fox immediately ran over and planted himself in front of Ming Ruan.

Lu Feng didn’t want to clash with Shi Huai. In the end, he still couldn’t force out a single word. He could only nod stiffly and return to the hotel, full of pent-up anger.

He’d barely finished listening to his agent’s nagging about cooperating properly when there was another knock on his door.

Lu Feng’s assistant squeezed in. He first placed a bag of fruit on the table, then sat down close to Lu Feng and started performing “I want to say something but I’m holding back,” then “I’m holding back but want to say something.”

“Spit it out.”

The assistant said carefully: “Actually, bro, you could try interacting with that person, right? I saw that he really does get along pretty well with beastmen. It doesn’t look like pure acting. And,” the assistant leaned in and lowered his voice: “Maybe it’s that person.”

Lu Feng’s brow furrowed tightly.

“‘That’ who?”

Assistant Nie Ru: “You know, that Executor. Ming Ruan.”

Thud. Lu Feng smacked the fruit he’d just picked up back onto the table, startling the assistant. He thought, could it be that bro doesn’t like Ming Ruan?

Lu Feng: “Ming Ruan is someone those people dare to ride the coattails of?”

?

Lu Feng himself couldn’t emotionally accept beastmen, but rationally, he understood this wasn’t right. Precisely because of this, Ming Ruan had become someone he deeply admired.

In Lu Feng’s view, Ming Ruan could do it himself, and could even lead everyone to do it together. That was truly rare and commendable.

Though due to his busy work schedule, he hadn’t watched Ming Ruan’s live streams or delved too deeply. But that didn’t stop him from liking and appreciating Ming Ruan after hearing those news reports.

It could be said, his dissatisfaction with those putting on a beastman-friendly persona was also partly because the shining example of Ming Ruan existed prior.

Lu Feng suppressed his temper, grabbed a fruit, and got up to leave.

But as he opened the door and turned the corner, he saw that blue figure.

Lu Feng: “…”

At that moment, the hotel hallway window was wide open. Ming Ruan held a small rice ball in one hand; on his other hand rested a Swift.

The little swallow was tilting its head, nuzzling his palm, even spreading its wings so its whole body lay flat against his hand like a thin little biscuit.

Startled by the sudden sound of footsteps, both Ming Ruan and the swallow jolted.

Instinctively, they dodged.

“What are you two doing?” Lu Feng asked suspiciously. He worried this person was also the type to bully smaller beastmen behind their backs.

Ming Ruan squirmed: “I promised to treat him to my homemade snacks today. So…” He displayed the “Mealworm Rice Ball” in his hand.

Seeing the swallow not taking the chance to flee, but instead hopping over, opening its beak to grab the food, Lu Feng was slightly surprised. His opinion of Ming Ruan shifted a little. This coincidental encounter — it probably couldn’t be faked.

Watching Ming Ruan interact with the beastman so naturally and routinely, Lu Feng couldn’t help but be curious: “Don’t you find it strange?”

“Strange?” Ming Ruan was puzzled. “What’s strange about it?”

Lu Feng: “I mean, looking at how they are… their mouths, feet, things like that — all different from us.”

He hadn’t expected Lu Feng to be talking about this. Ming Ruan thought for a moment: “But, when you treat them well, they’re happy, and they’ll treat you well too. When you like them, they like you back. When you don’t like them, they’re sad… those things are all the same, right?”

Ming Ruan: “If that’s the case, then no matter what they look like on the outside, it really doesn’t matter, does it?”

The swallow lifted its head and chirped right on cue.

Lu Feng was stunned by this reasoning. He immediately wanted to argue: How is it the same?

But thinking carefully, it seemed there really wasn’t any difference.

Letting go of those earlier grievances against this blue figure, Lu Feng’s professionalism retook control of his mind.

Buoyed by that somewhat-half-understood speech, Lu Feng hesitantly reached out his hand. “Then let me try?”

What?

Watching the hand that reached over so unreasonably and directly,

Ming Ruan, still holding the little swallow, dodged aside. He leaned in and asked the swallow: “Do you want him to hold you, baby?”

The Swift spread its long wings, wrapped them around Ming Ruan’s wrist, and pressed its little chest close, clinging tightly.

Ming Ruan looked up at Lu Feng: “Sorry, he doesn’t want to.”

He quietly shared his secret: “Fluffies aren’t something you can just hold whenever you want, especially birds. You have to build a good relationship with them first.”

Lu Feng’s outstretched hand hovered in the air.

When he said “let him hold,” he felt he’d already put in enormous effort. He’d never imagined he’d be refused.

But, why couldn’t a beastman refuse him? They were equals.

In the end, Lu Feng slowly withdrew his hand and looked solemnly at Ming Ruan: “Thank you. I understand now.”

“No problem, no problem! If there’s anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to call me!”

Ming Ruan now felt this fieldwork assignment was too easy. Every day he just sat there eating, watching the show, and petting fluffies. He didn’t feel comfortable earning his salary.

If he could help the lead actor, that would count as contributing.

Recalling the pensive, slightly enlightened expression on Lu Feng’s face as he left, Ming Ruan felt the next shoot would surely go smoothly!

…

“What? Lu Feng quit?!”

A shriek pierced through the meeting room door.

Lu Feng was considered a top-tier star, first-rate in acting, with very good reputation both inside and outside the industry.

How could something like this happen?

“Quiet.” The Director pinched the bridge of his nose.

Lu Feng had quit, but not in a diva-throwing-a-tantrum kind of way.

Before leaving, he’d had a long, all-night talk with the Director. He expressed that he felt he wasn’t qualified to be the lead in a public service promo like this. Even if he could barely meet the Director’s demands later on, he’d be too ashamed to face the audience.

He handed the Director a letter of thanks and resolutely left with his agent.

So much to say, yet no words would come.

The Director truly didn’t know what to say. A thousand words stuck in his throat. He could only open that letter of recommendation first, to see who had prompted this change in Lu Feng.

Opening it and scanning a few lines, the Director saw.

Lu Feng was recommending Ming Ruan.

Director: “…”

After the letter circulated, and everyone now clearly knew the blue figure’s identity: “…”

Like we needed you to tell us.

Sure, it was just a short promo, but because it was an official request, this unpaid short film had become a hotly contested prime resource in the entertainment industry.

[Did you guys see the gossip about Lu Feng quitting?]

[Why though? I still can’t figure it out. Just because the Director scolded him? Or because one scene didn’t pass in seven days?]

[Actor Lu Feng has released a statement on StarNet explaining the situation. Please don’t spread rumors.]

Someone hit the key point: [Anyway, they have to recast, right?]

The bloody storm immediately returned. Everyone pulled each other’s platforms down, tore each other’s faces off. No one would admit that their favorite had the ability to secure this role.

Even as they tore each other apart, they still used Ming Ruan as the benchmark:

[LMAO, if your fave actually liked beastmen as much as Ming Ruan, I’d kowtow to you twice.]

[Please, if your fave could learn just one percent of Ming Ruan, they’d have blown up into the next Top Star already, okay? You still need to jump around here?]

Amidst the quarrels, a weak new voice emerged on StarNet.

[Since, I mean since things have come to this, then is there a possibility…]

[To have Ming Ruan film it?]

[??]

[!!!]

…

Filming had been halted for three days.

Because the fox couldn’t leave the crew, Ming Ruan hadn’t gone out exploring either. Honestly, it was somewhat boring.

So, when Ye Fu proactively came knocking, Ming Ruan was quite excited: “Is filming about to start? How is Lu Feng doing now?”

Ye Fu: …His state’s probably pretty good. He just quit. Ha.

Sigh.

Ye Fu sighed inwardly, squeezed into the room, then shut the door behind him, assuming the full posture of a long discussion.

He solemnly pulled up an electronic document and placed it before Ming Ruan.

Under Ming Ruan’s astonishment, Ye Fu went from explaining the ins and outs of the matter, to tearfully describing the crew’s hardships, then talking about reality and ideals. He brought out all the skills from over a decade as an agent. Finally, the dagger was revealed.

Ye Fu: “…Anyway, that’s the situation.”

He said carefully: “Would you like to try filming? It’s just a public service promo, free anyway. It’s not like they’re paying you a salary. No pressure, just for fun.”

As Ye Fu’s words fell, in Ming Ruan’s mind, the oppressive atmosphere of those seven days and the scene of the Director’s final eruption surfaced vividly, clear as day.

He swallowed.

Fun?