Capturing My Demon King Costar

MY COSTAR IS POPULAR

A wave of speculation bubbles up after Xin Hulei's comment, which if nothing else, at least draws the heat off Yao Shen for being wholly unfit to play Yan Shuyi in the eyes of the original novel's fans.

So...success?

Yao Shen doesn't get another call from Bi Jialu or Boss Huang, so at least it can't have been terrible.

It does make him wonder what Xin Hulei's gameplan is. Can he be really so attached to his role as Xie Huan? It just doesn't seem like him, he gives off the impression of such a mature actor.

[He's a demon king, Host should be suspicious of his motivations.]

Yao Shen nearly trips on his own feet at hearing that rough disembodied voice inside his mind.

"Can you stop doing that? At least give me some warning," he curses, clutching at his chest.

[...Would Host be less startled if I said, 'I'm going to say something' before saying something? Doesn't that just amount to same thing?]

It does, but Yao Shen doesn't want to concede that point.

"What do you want me to do about him, though? How am I even supposed to capture him or whatever?"

[Host needs to devise a way to get close enough to him that he'll find the location of his spirit stone. The spirit stone allows one to control the demon who it is bound to.]

Yao Shen sighs, sliding his hands down his face. "I'm guessing he doesn't just leave it hanging around."

The system doesn't answer him for a while.

[No.]

Yao Shen has the impression it wishes it could have a different Host.

In that case they're in the same boat, because Yao Shen wishes he didn't have a system at all.

"Listen, I'll see what I can do, but sending him back to where he came from can only happen after the drama finishes shooting," Yao Shen says, sitting back down on his tiny sofa.

He has to be pragmatic about this whole deal.

His career is at stake, the thing he has been working towards and sacrificed so much for.

Xin Hulei has been a Demon in the public eye for some time and the earth has yet to spiral out of orbit.

So Yao Shen guesses it can hold on a little while longer.

[Host shouldn't put his own goals and ambitions in front of the well-being of the human realm.]

"Yeah? Watch me," he says with a snort.

A foreboding sense of disapproval follows him the entire day, hanging over his head like a dark cloud.

---

As the day of the drama's opening ceremony approaches Yao Shen finds that he can breathe a little easier.

People on the internet lose focus quickly, and some of the initial excitement regarding the casting announcement has faded.

Everyone knows the drama is still half a year, if not a full year, away from airing, and they have currently airing dramas to keep themselves busy with -- not to mention, the actual news.

He's probably not going to be kicked out of the production.

Most likely.

Almost certainty.

There is still the table reading ahead of the opening ceremony, where some of the actors will meet in a round table kind of set up and read some scenes from the script so that the directors can see how they all bounce off each other.

That's the last and final hurdle.

If Yao Shen does a good job there, and strengthens their confidence in picking him to play Yan Shuyi, then there's nothing people online can do to pry this role away from him.

---

On the day of the table read, Bi Jialu comes to pick him up with a HuaHua driver -- ten minutes late.

They're going to be holding the table reading in one of the production company's studios, for privacy and safety reasons since the hotel where they held the casting calls, complained about paparazzi trying to sneak in, and billed them for the damages they caused.

Yao Shen dresses in casual clothing, some light wash jeans and an oversized red jumper with a hood, from some big brand or another -- one of the few endorsements he got early on at the time of his debut, and that have since completely dried up.

He still doesn't know who the rest of the cast is, and is not prepared for some of the faces he sees once Bi Jialu guides him towards the massive conference table.

Everyone turns around to look at him, some with curiosity, most of them with boredom.

Yao Shen bows quickly before murmuring a hushed, "Hello everyone, sorry for the delay" and taking the only empty seat next to Xin Hulei, who barely lifts his eyes from his script.

Bi Jialu bows deeply to the director and says, "I'm sorry to everyone, we got stuck in traffic on the way here."

The director, an older man in his late forties waves off her apologies. "Don't worry about that, who can predict that kind of thing? Please everyone, take your seats."

Yao Shen hides behind his script as he scans the actors sitting around the round table.

Not everyone is here, obviously, some people will only be joining them in Hengdian but the people Yao Shen can see are no less intimidating, in terms of star power, than Xin Hulei.

Directly across from him, sits a beautiful woman with wide sparkling eyes, a small nose, and rose button lips, laughter like tinkling bells and the grace of a fairy out of an ancient myth. Her long chestnut hair cascades in artful waves down her back and bounces fetchingly every time she turns her head.

Yao Shen might be a little mesmerized, he never thought he would get to see the legendary beauty Tan Liansi in person.

What kinds of strings did this production team pull to get such a star-studded cast? Himself not included, of course.

He has no idea what role Tan Liansi is playing, but she can only be either Frozen Peak's sect leader, or Xie Huan's betrothed, who comes looking for him after years pass and he's still in Frozen Peak, and no closer to getting the artifact that will save their realm.

Frozen Peak's sect leader appears earlier on in the drama, but the scorned bride, Chao Yue, is a meatier role, with more screen time, and then an eventual romance of her own.

Tan Liansi catches Yao Shen staring at her and waves and winks at him, making him blush furiously.

The director clears his throat, saving Yao Shen from his mortification. "If we're all ready, let's start by having everyone go around and introduce themselves and their characters."

Tan Liansi sticks her hand in the air. "Me, I'll go first!"

She doesn't wait for an answer before pointing towards Yao Shen and Xin Hulei. "I'm Tan Liansi, and I'll be playing the lovely Chao Yue, who'll do her best to tear you two lovebirds apart."

Yao Shen doesn't understand Tan Liansi's excitement about that part of her character, especially considering it doesn't take up that much of her arc.

He hears a noise from his side, and is surprised to find Xin Hulei with his head lowered and eyes closed, chuckling in fond amusement.

Tan Liansi opens up a wide grin and makes handgun motions at Xin Hulei with her clasped hands. "I'm on to you, ge! (1)"

Oh.

Yao Shen thinks he knows what's going on.

Well, that explains why Tan Liansi agreed to join a production where she isn't a lead actress.

She's dating Xin Hulei!

---

(1) means older brother, can be used for any older guy, sometimes in a flirty manner, although that's usually "gege" instead of just "ge"