Chapter 14: The Overlooked Nobody

The streets of Hengdian were lit only by streetlights deep into the night. The scene appeared lonely and desolate, completely devoid of the daytime hustle and bustle. Ji Yu, walking alone, carried a bag of takeout barbecue. He lowered his hat and slipped in through the side entrance of the hotel. He wanted to test out his stealth skills. Having just acquired a new skill, he couldn’t resist trying it out. When he returned to his room, he felt quite satisfied. Few people had noticed him along the way, and even if they had, they hadn’t seen his face. This would be perfect for secret rendezvous in the future! The only problem was—who exactly would he be sneaking around with? Ji Yu didn’t bother pondering that too much and decided to continue filming with the crew the next day. There were no scenes scheduled for the morning, so he planned to disguise himself and take on some minor roles to level up his skills.

The following morning, Ji Yu went to play extra roles.
[Notification: Task Incoming!]
[Notification: Task Incoming!]
After playing two minor parts, he unlocked two tasks: “Foot Soldier” and “Bodyguard.” Both tasks upgraded his combat skills. A few more upgrades in combat skills would likely lead to a level increase. Ji Yu figured he might as well make the most of this time running minor roles; once he became famous, such opportunities would vanish.

In the afternoon, he resumed his role as the Bat Demon. He rarely interacted with the lead actors since they were in different groups, so they seldom crossed paths. After four consecutive days of filming, he finally had a scene with Lin Zhiying and Guo Jing’an. The entire scene lasted less than two hours, and once it was over, they left immediately. Ji Yu didn’t even get a chance to make eye contact. Well, not every star was as approachable as Teacher Li. He missed Teacher Li dearly.

In the following days, Ji Yu performed other duties and calmly finished filming before preparing to return to Modu. However, the day before his departure, Lao Cai called him, inviting him to join Li Yapeng and Jiang Qingqing for dinner. The project “Detective K Lan” had been finalized, with the leads being Li Yapeng and Jiang Qingqing, Ji Yu as the second male lead, and Sun Li as the second female lead. This dinner was also a publicity stunt, scheduled quite late on purpose to stir rumors. Ji Yu wasn’t sure how effective it would be, but he decided to go along with it.

[Notification: Task Incoming!]
[Disguise as Jiang Qingqing’s rumored boyfriend and protect her safety!]
[Reward: Anti-surveillance skill fragment *1, Exposure +20]

Ji Yu raised an eyebrow, surprised that even publicity tasks would trigger the system. So any time a role involved acting, a task would appear? This was something to try more often. The anti-surveillance skill reward was good—any reward was better than none. A wealth of skills never hurt.

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Time to pick up Jiang Qingqing! Lao Cai had arranged for Ji Yu to meet Jiang Qingqing first, while Li Yapeng would meet Sun Li. After getting Jiang Qingqing’s number, Ji Yu contacted her and drove the company’s borrowed car to the hotel where she was staying. Their actions were aboveboard, yet their gestures and expressions were furtive. When Jiang Qingqing stepped out of the hotel, Ji Yu got out, greeted her, gave a brief hug, then opened the car door for her. The purpose was to create suspicion. Li Yapeng and Sun Li did the same on their side. Two big names taking two lesser-known ones—each paired up to maximize the effect.

As Ji Yu drove Jiang Qingqing, he apologized, “Sorry about earlier, Teacher Jiang.”
“No problem, it’s all work. Nice car,” she said.
“I borrowed it.”
“Hmm... nice.”

Jiang Qingqing glanced at his handsome profile and was fairly pleased; Ji Yu looked good and had a great sense of style. This publicity stunt wasn’t embarrassing at all. Ji Yu had felt embarrassed initially, but seeing Jiang Qingqing so composed, he had no reason to be. Besides, the hug was purely formal, nothing inappropriate.

Ji Yu relaxed and smiled, “Teacher Jiang, I’m glad to be working with you this time.”
“Me too,” Jiang Qingqing replied briefly and fell silent.

Ji Yu shut up and focused on driving. Were all female stars this aloof? It was so dull. Teacher Li was better—he missed Teacher Li for the 520th time. He’d be able to dine with Teacher Li tomorrow; that made him happy.

Jiang Qingqing glanced at him once more, noticing the smile at his lips. She assumed it was because of their earlier hug and couldn’t help but frown slightly. Men, she thought, hmph! The fleeting expression of disdain on her face didn’t escape Ji Yu’s notice. Well, it was quite pretty, actually.

Ji Yu wondered if something was off—why was he attracted to a disdainful look? Could it be that deep down he was a bit of a pervert? That would be terrible. With his skills and a perverted mind, the entertainment industry was doomed.

Composing himself, Ji Yu soon drove to a hotel. He and Jiang Qingqing waited inside the car a few minutes, only stepping out once they saw Li Yapeng and Sun Li enter the hotel. The two pairs arrived one after the other. Paparazzi following them also bumped into each other at the hotel entrance.

“Hey, Lao Wang, you here too? Got any big news?”
“Of course not. It’s not that easy. How about you?”
“Me neither!”

The two paparazzi exchanged a smile and then turned around to leave in opposite directions. As if they’d share exclusive scoops about Li Yapeng’s late-night rendezvous or Jiang Qingqing’s secret meetings!

---

Inside a private room upstairs, the four finally gathered.

“Hey, long time no see, Qingqing,” Li Yapeng greeted Jiang Qingqing with a smile.
Jiang Qingqing returned the smile and exchanged pleasantries.

Sun Li and Ji Yu, the lesser-known actors, sat awkwardly to the side, zoning out. Sun Li was somewhat at ease, being fairly familiar with Jiang Qingqing from school and able to chat a bit. Ji Yu, however, felt more awkward, fiddling with the Snake game on his phone.

After an uneventful meal and some tea, the four split into two groups again. Li Yapeng left with Sun Li, and Ji Yu drove Jiang Qingqing back to her hotel.

Once Jiang Qingqing was safely inside, Ji Yu sat in his car and called Li Xiaoran. He felt a bit down; after all, he thought that signing with a company would earn him some respect. But even though he was about to work with them, they were indifferent toward him. Teacher Li was still the best.

The call connected quickly. Ji Yu asked gloomily, “Teacher Li, what are you up to?”
“Getting ready for bed, what time is it?”
Curious, Li Xiaoran asked, “What’s wrong? You don’t seem happy.”

Ji Yu sighed deeply and recounted the evening’s events. Li Xiaoran couldn’t help but laugh.
“Don’t take it to heart. Not everyone is as nice as me!”
“Yeah, I used to think your kindness was a hundred points, now I know it’s ten thousand.”
“Hehe, I’m glad you said that, but when you come back tomorrow, you owe me a meal!”
“Don’t worry. Teacher Li, what do you want to eat?”
“Hmm... the noodle shop from last time.”
“Huh? Not the Peace Hotel?”
“Don’t want to. It’s expensive and pretentious. You come pick me up tomorrow, no biking—too far from the set. I don’t want you to be exhausted.”
“Got it, I’ll take a taxi.”
“Okay, bye! See you tomorrow!”

Ji Yu hung up and instantly felt better. Who cared if no one paid attention to a small-time actor? He had Teacher Li!

The next morning, Ji Yu got up early, ate breakfast, and went to buy newspapers to read on the way back to Modu. Sure enough, several entertainment papers covered last night’s publicity stunt.

#Jiang Qingqing’s Late-Night Date with Wealthy Scion: Passionate and Intimate#
#Li Yapeng Suspected of Cheating: Late Night Meeting with Company Junior#

The headlines were bold, crowning Ji Yu with the title of “Wealthy Scion.” The car was borrowed, and his only vehicle was a bicycle—which he hadn’t ridden in half a month, not sure if it still worked. Thankfully, the papers included photos, and Ji Yu’s face finally met the eyes of the wider audience.