Jiang Lin packed up his belongings that very day and moved into Li Qianxing’s home.
Li Qianxing lazily reclined on the bed, propped up by a pile of pillows, bolsters, cushions, and back supports. A projector screen hung opposite the bed, and he casually browsed video sites on his phone, occasionally directing Jiang Lin where to store things.
In fact, Li Qianxing had long prepared for Jiang Lin to move in. He’d cleared space in the wardrobe and bought not only new pajamas but also towels, toothbrushes, and rinsing cups. As he laid them out, they were all perfectly matched couple sets.
Previously, Jiang Lin had rarely entered Li Qianxing’s bedroom, partly because it was such a private space, and partly because he feared losing control. Now, having put away his things and looking around inside and out, he finally felt the reality of their living together, his heart both warm and tender.
Jiang Lin changed back into his previous set of pajamas and went to the kitchen to fetch a glass of juice and a glass of beer. He climbed onto the bed, snuggling close to Li Qianxing.
He handed the juice to Li Qianxing, then clinked his beer glass against it.
“To celebrating the start of our life together.”
Li Qianxing returned the toast and slowly sipped from his glass. It was still deliberately warmed, and though the flavor was slightly compromised, it felt comfortably warm in his stomach.
As Jiang Lin drank, he mused, “I never imagined you’d have everything prepared. I thought we might buy things together.”
Li Qianxing replied, “If you’re not satisfied, we can buy new ones together.”
Jiang Lin turned and kissed his cheek. “It’s not that. They’re all couple sets—I couldn’t be happier! I’m just surprised you thought of all this, considering you have a housekeeper.”
Li Qianxing chuckled, returning the kiss. “I’ve lived on my own since I started college, so buying daily necessities is, of course, a basic skill. The housekeeper just cooks and cleans.”
After finishing their drinks, Jiang Lin took Li Qianxing’s glass and leaned over to place both on the bedside table.
As he bent, he felt something in his pocket dig into him. Sitting back, he reached in and pulled out the small jar and box he’d stuffed there while changing clothes.
He’d kept these items since buying them, carelessly shoving them into his pocket earlier without a proper look. Now, examining them, they seemed oddly familiar.
Jiang Lin placed them next to Li Qianxing’s opened ones and found the packaging identical.
He laughed, “We didn’t happen to buy from the same store, did we?”
Li Qianxing glanced over. “I ordered delivery. Don’t remember which store.”
Jiang Lin thought about it, then asked, “Was it the night after we finished recording the variety show, when you agreed to be with me?”
Li Qianxing nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
Jiang Lin pulled him into an embrace, his chest shaking with laughter. “The mystery’s finally solved. Not just the same store, but the same delivery person. I wondered how they got into the complex and straight to the elevator without me getting a security alert.”
As they cuddled, Li Qianxing suddenly received a WeChat notification from Xiao Zhu.
Li Qianxing immediately felt Jiang Lin tense against him, the arm around his shoulders loosening slightly as if unsure whether to let go.
He smiled, shifting to a more comfortable position. “No need to hide. I have nothing work-related to keep from you, let alone anything personal.”
As soon as he said this, Jiang Lin relaxed again, kissing Li Qianxing’s temple. “I don’t either. It’s just that production teams always have confidentiality agreements. I was worried about accidentally seeing script content and such.”
Li Qianxing replied, “As long as you don’t spread it around, it’s fine. Those agreements are rarely enforced strictly. Sometimes I see staff blatantly taking proxy photos. You’ve probably seen more of that than I have.”
Jiang Lin chuckled, “That’s true.”
By now, Li Qianxing had opened Xiao Zhu’s message.
[Xiao Zhu: Li-ge, have you seen the trending topics? Li Mingsi has been shelved by his company! [laughing emoji]]
Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin exchanged glances before switching to Weibo.
Neither of them usually paid much attention to social media, and lately, they’d been so focused on their relationship that they felt almost disconnected from the world.
Now, three trending topics about Li Mingsi topped Weibo’s hot search list: #Li Mingsi Company Statement#, #Li Mingsi Huang Zongxin and Other Celebrities Attend Risqué Party#, and #Li Mingsi Sleeps with Fans#.
The last one was self-explanatory, so Li Qianxing skipped it and clicked on the second to investigate.
It was indeed a very risqué party, with large areas of each photo blurred out. Judging by the colors, the attendees were all scantily clad men and women, many embracing each other.
Moreover, several celebrities’ faces were clearly visible in multiple leaked photos, including Li Mingsi and Huang Zongxin.
Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow, zooming in on one photo and pointing to a man in the corner kissing someone. “That looks like Qian Chang. This must be the leverage Li Mingsi had over them.”
Li Qianxing mused, “Now that Li Mingsi’s been exposed too, he surely didn’t leak this himself.”
Jiang Lin replied, “Definitely not. Must be one of his rivals. But it’s not just him—it’s a wide-ranging attack. Seems like whoever did this has considerable power. Could it be Mr. Qi?”
Li Qianxing shook his head. “My brother hasn’t mentioned anything.”
He exited that topic and switched to #Li Mingsi Company Statement#.
It was a very formal statement, expressing the company’s apology for their lax management of Li Mingsi and his behavior that violated public morals. Given Li Mingsi’s lack of professional ethics and failure to be a role model as a public figure, the company decided to temporarily halt all his activities for criticism and education until he showed genuine reform.
For an idol-type celebrity who relied on constant public attention, facing such a freeze meant it would be nearly impossible to make a comeback unless Li Mingsi could find a powerful backer willing to pay big money to whitewash his reputation and pile on resources.
This was Li Qianxing’s first time following such an incident, and he found it quite intriguing. “The information you leaked actually brought Li Mingsi down.”
Jiang Lin smiled, “That definitely wasn’t the only reason. I just paved the way.”
As he spoke, he tapped the search bar and looked up “Li Mingsi.” Instantly, a long list of topics appeared, with various exposés dominating the top results.
Jiang Lin continued, “He’s high-profile, so many people are watching him. Once I put that out there, everyone saw an opportunity and piled on. If these things had come out one by one normally, they wouldn’t have been too serious. The trolls could whitewash him, and everything would’ve blown over eventually.
“At most, the incident of him insulting fans might have been more serious. But those idol management companies are experts at manipulating fans. Given time, they could’ve continued brainwashing the fanbase. So his rivals really went all out this time, leaking so much at once.
“As long as they can keep his numbers dropping and the negative labels stick, investors will abandon him. Then his company naturally won’t bother trying to save him. After all, they’re in the business of creating stars—it’s faster to start fresh with someone with a clean record.”
Li Qianxing commented, “He brought this on himself. If he had worked hard to improve his skills and character after his initial rise to fame, and treated his fans sincerely, he wouldn’t be in this situation now.”
Jiang Lin nodded, “Right. We should just enjoy watching this clown’s downfall.”
He closed Weibo and pulled out his own phone.
“How do I connect to your projector? Let’s discuss how to renovate downstairs. I’ve taken some floor plan photos.”
Li Qianxing took his phone, connecting it to the projector as he spoke, “Let’s plan the renovation for my place too. We’ll be away for five months, so it’s perfect timing for construction. It should be ready to move in when we wrap up filming.”
The floor plan appeared on the screen, and Jiang Lin embraced Li Qianxing as they began discussing in low voices.
◇◆
Their blissful holiday passed in the blink of an eye.
The Mid-Autumn Festival fell just before they were due on set. Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin packed their bags and headed to C City, from where they’d depart for the filming location.
However, Li Qianxing stayed at a hotel near his grandmother’s house with his parents and brother’s family, while Jiang Lin returned to his parents’ home, forcing the young couple to separate temporarily.
Jiang Lin accompanied Li Qianxing to visit his grandparents. With full preparation, he was able to speak eloquently and quickly won over the elderly couple, especially charming Li Fengqin and Xie Wan, who couldn’t stop praising him.
Qi Jingnian was watching from the side and couldn’t help but whisper to Li Qianxing, “This partner of yours is quite the smooth talker. I’m tempted to poach him for business negotiations at the company.”
Li Qianxing glanced at him, “You weren’t listening carefully to what they were discussing. If Jiang Lin didn’t have unique insights into acting, Mom and Grandmother wouldn’t appreciate him so much.”
Qi Jingnian clicked his tongue, “Di-ah, there are no singles left in the family. Please stop feeding me this dog food.”
Later, Li Qianxing visited Jiang Lin’s family.
Jiang Lin’s parents were very easy-going. Though they didn’t have much in common with Li Qianxing, Jiang Lin kept the atmosphere warm, ensuring the meeting ended smoothly and pleasantly.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, both men shifted into work mode.
The new production’s first task was shooting promotional photos.
Earlier, Jiang Lin had consulted with Tang Yu about adding a role to invite Li Fengqin for a guest appearance. Tang Yu was excited and spent a week writing it thoughtfully. With Guangya’s abundant funding, they immediately approached Li Fengqin with the script and an offer.
Li Fengqin agreed readily. The plot and character were intriguing, and given Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin’s involvement, she was happy to participate.
To accommodate her, they decided to shoot the promotional photos in C City.
That day, Jiang Lin and Li Qianxing brought Li Fengqin to the studio early for styling.
Though Li Fengqin was only making a guest appearance and didn’t need promotional photos, Guangya wanted to capitalize on her presence for publicity, so they asked her to shoot a few scenes.
Her costume was the most elaborate: a dazzling dress adorned with colorful feathers, a towering white wig styled into a high bun, and adorned with luxurious hairpins.
Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin supported her on either side as they walked to the set, with assistants following, holding her dress train and hair.
Li Fengqin said cheerfully, “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve avoided challenging roles. It’s been years since I’ve played such a fantastical character. This is quite a thrill.”
Jiang Lin chimed in, “With your grace, you embody divinity just by standing there. When the film is released, you’ll surely captivate a new wave of fans. As they discover your earlier works, those view counts will skyrocket. Don’t forget to negotiate some ad revenue with the streaming platforms.”
Li Fengqin pointed at him, smiling at Li Qianxing, “Did he drink honey before leaving this morning? His words are so sweet.”
Li Qianxing replied, “Jiang Lin’s right. Your makeup’s just done, but I can already see the character in your eyes.”
Li Fengqin winked, lowering her voice, “Qianxing, did you two sneak off for a kiss earlier? I can taste Xiao Jiang’s honey on your lips.”
Jiang Lin chuckled, “Grandma, you see right through us. Li-ge’s shy; he might start avoiding me in public.”
Li Fengqin laughed heartily at the young couple.
However, once in front of the camera, she immediately slipped into character. No matter what feeling the photographer or director wanted, she grasped and delivered it instantly. In the end, the shoot took less than half the time spent on her styling.
The director bowed repeatedly in delight, “Teacher Li, your skills are as sharp as ever!”
After Li Fengqin finished, Li Qianxing had Xiao Zhu escort her home.
Then Jiang Lin and Li Qianxing each had two looks—one historical and one modern—with the modern outfits comprising three different sets. The entire shoot was time-consuming, and they didn’t leave the studio until nightfall.
As they left, they encountered the three lead actors—two men and a woman. All were currently popular young stars.
In the car, Li Qianxing remarked, “They’re just arriving now. They’ll be shooting through the night.”
Jiang Lin smiled, “That’s how it is with commercial films. Every minute burns money, so it’s non-stop work.”
Li Qianxing added, “I hadn’t expected a month of closed training before filming begins, though.”
Jiang Lin replied, “Guangya has a long-term vision. To build a reputation, you have to put in the work.”
The next day, they flew to the closed training site.
This film was an urban fantasy with supernatural abilities, with action scenes comprising over half the content. Guangya had invested heavily in a renowned martial arts choreography team and wouldn’t allow the actors to slack off. For the best results, they mandated a month of closed training.
Of course, that was for the three leads. As key supporting actors, Jiang Lin and Li Qianxing had substantial roles but still differed from the main cast.
Originally, they weren’t required to start training so early. Given their experience, the production team had asked them to arrive half a month before filming to familiarize themselves with their fight sequences.
However, with no other commitments, they decided to come early. Moreover, each character’s fighting style was designed to reflect their personality, so practicing would help the actors get into character. Starting early could only be beneficial.
The only downside for Jiang Lin was the grueling nature of the training.
It wasn’t that he feared hard work, but rather that despite sharing a room with Li Qianxing due to limited accommodations, they could only manage kisses and hugs, nothing more.
Physical stamina was Li Qianxing’s weakness, and his fight scenes required extensive wire work. Every night, he’d collapse into bed, too exhausted for anything else.
Fortunately, the bed was wide enough for them to sleep comfortably in each other’s arms.
*
After enduring a month of training, which included evening script readings, the “Xuanji1玄机 (xuán jī) – profound theory (in Daoism and Buddhism) / mysterious principles: Transformation” production finally kicked off in the crisp mid-October weather.
To accommodate Li Fengqin, her scenes were scheduled first while the weather was good. Thus, she attended the opening ceremony. Qi Jingnian, also attending, detoured through C City to personally escort her and would see her home after filming.
Guangya livestreamed the opening ceremony, followed by brief interviews with the director and actors.
The promotional campaign had begun days earlier, and as soon as the livestream started, eager 99CP fans flooded in.
[99 has a second collaboration so soon!]
[The first film isn’t out yet, but the second is already filming. It feels like they’re running hand-in-hand ahead while we chase after them, shipping.]
[I think I’ve found another shipping point – isn’t this Qianxing’s first repeat collaboration with someone he’s done romantic scenes with?]
[Look at Lin-ge’s hand, it hasn’t left Qianxing’s shoulder! Tsk tsk tsk.]
[Hey— Lin-ge— do you remember that Teacher Li is your senior?—]
When Qi Jingnian appeared on screen with Li Fengqin, the livestream chat exploded.
[Seeing Grandma Li in such good spirits puts me at ease.]
[I hope she can guest star in more dramas, but her health is most important.]
During the interviews, after the director spoke, the reporters’ first microphone went to Li Fengqin.
“Teacher Li, can you tell us why you decided to make this guest appearance?”
Li Fengqin replied, “Because the role moved me. When the director approached me with the script, I thought—oh my, I’d love to play this part! So I agreed immediately.”
The director laughed heartily beside her.
Reporters eagerly followed up, “Can you tell us about your character?”
Li Fengqin winked playfully at the camera, “I’m a matchmaker for the young ones. When you get older, you just love seeing young people pairing up and living happily ever after.”
Her words made everyone laugh.
Viewers sent greetings in the comments while puzzling over her role.
[Matchmaker? A gender-swapped Yuelao2Yuelao (月老), also known as the “Old Man Under the Moon,” is a legendary figure in Chinese folklore. He is believed to be the god of marriage and love, responsible for “tying the red thread” between destined couples. In Chinese tradition, Yuelao is often portrayed as a matchmaker who predetermines and arranges marriages.?]
[Grandma Li, look at our 99, two handsome guys who need your red string!]
Coincidentally, a reporter jokingly asked, “So, did you match Teacher Qianxing and Teacher Jiang Lin?”
Li Fengqin chuckled, “Of course! Theirs is the reddest string of all.”
She then turned to the director, “Aren’t we showing the promotional video soon? Is it in there?”
The director nodded with a smile, “Yes, yes, everyone remember to check the official Weibo later.”
99CP fans immediately flocked to the official Weibo, eagerly waiting.
As the opening ceremony livestream ended, the official Weibo finally posted the promotional video—
[@Movie Xuanji Transformation V: Crisis emerges, mysteries abound. How to survive amidst change? Watch them—[Video]]
The video opens with flashes of earthquakes, rivers flowing backwards, and cities in perpetual darkness.
Then, ink spreads across the screen. A young man walks in from afar, performing several martial arts moves with lightning and thunder around him. He exits, followed by a young woman, then another young man, each showcasing their kung fu and supernatural abilities.
After the main cast, Jiang Lin enters carrying a sword nearly as tall as himself. He kicks the blade, executing a series of fluid moves, scattering silvery light.
[Ahhh! Lin-ge is finally doing action scenes again!]
[That combo is so cool!]
[The outfit is awesome too! There’s a dragon shadow on his right arm when the light hits it!]
[Lin-ge, if you don’t seduce Teacher Qianxing in that uniform tonight, I’ll be disappointed!]
Jiang Lin runs off-screen with his sword techniques, followed by Li Qianxing. His long hair is loosely braided halfway down his back, swaying gracefully with his movements.
Li Qianxing wears a slant-collared robe with a silk sash at the waist, twirling a folding fan. As he walks, he suddenly leaps into the air, performing a backflip and a full rotation, his fan spinning out. He lands lightly on his toes, seeming to float as he flies off-screen.
[Long-haired Qianxing, ahhhhh!]
[That flying figure is amazing, he is indeed a dancer.]
[Qianxing in action scenes, how precious!]
[Am I the only one who noticed how flexible he is, bending into a full circle? Already imagining 99 in N positions3Number of different positions lol (nosebleed).]
Finally, the three main leads run in from the left, while Jiang Lin and Li Qianxing enter from the right.
Almost simultaneously, a white-haired woman in elaborate dress appears above the center of the screen. She looks down at the five below, like an impassive deity observing mortals.
In an instant, she extends both hands, each releasing a thread.
One thread connects the three main leads, the other links Jiang Lin and Li Qianxing.
All five immediately show expressions of pain.
The two threads shimmer with light, gradually turning blood-red as if absorbing life force.
The woman smiles slightly, then fades away.
The five people on both sides collapse to the ground and fade out.
The film title—Xuanji: Transformation—appears in the center of the screen.
The comments pause briefly before resuming.
[Grandma Li… you call this… “matchmaking”?]
[Well, the thread is red, right?]
[Look here, folks! It’s the new-age Yuelao’s matchmaking—the kind that costs you your life!]
[That 99 thread really is redder.]
TL Notes
- 1玄机 (xuán jī) – profound theory (in Daoism and Buddhism) / mysterious principles
- 2Yuelao (月老), also known as the “Old Man Under the Moon,” is a legendary figure in Chinese folklore. He is believed to be the god of marriage and love, responsible for “tying the red thread” between destined couples. In Chinese tradition, Yuelao is often portrayed as a matchmaker who predetermines and arranges marriages.
- 3Number of different positions lol
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