Chapter 134: This Is Nothing!

Thus, the promotional trailer for "Quest for the Way" was released, and even before the public beta began, it had already earned its first pot of gold. Those who had recently been tightening their belts to make ends meet sighed deeply with genuine admiration.

No one knew who started it, but someone expressed extreme frustration and hoped that Xiao Jingxuan and Chu Luoxi could collaborate on a project. Others chimed in and the idea spread until, somehow, it evolved into a widespread hope for a joint work between Xiao Jingxuan and Chu Luoxi. Whether it was the old "Dragon Roars the World" or the music video for "Wholeness and Emptiness," their past collaborations always felt elusive, like flowers in the mist, leaving people unsatisfied.

Some said their teamwork and on-screen chemistry were exhilarating, and they hoped to satisfy fans’ wishes by bringing forth another classic—a drama that could truly thrill and captivate.

Chu Luoxi, aware of these rumors, was somewhat taken aback. How had the topic shifted so drastically? “Is this... just hype? But ‘The Plum Blossoms’ hasn’t even started filming yet. Isn’t it too early to be generating buzz?”

She was not opposed to positive publicity, as long as it was honest and not exploitative. Promotion was necessary nowadays, and hype was merely one form of it. Her concern was that excessive hype might tire the audience and backfire.

“It’s not that,” Xiao Jingxuan said, eyes fixed on his computer with a faint narrowing, exuding an irresistible confidence. “This is all fan-driven. We don’t really know how it escalated like this. Things on the internet are unpredictable. But it’s still manageable. You don’t need to worry.”

Nodding, Chu Luoxi suddenly recalled something and asked with some curiosity, “By the way, Senior Brother Xiao, how did you come to find Bai Yun?” It turned out that Bai Yun’s mention of making some extra money was connected to Xiao Jingxuan—what a small world.

She still went home to sleep every night but sometimes stopped by Xiao Jingxuan’s place to grab a meal, enjoying a life of quiet comfort.

“Bai Yun? Didn’t you mention him before?” Xiao Jingxuan’s eyes flickered as he spoke the truth. He wasn’t very familiar with the online world, and Bai Yun was just starting out; even if he wanted to find someone, it wouldn’t be directly through Bai Yun.

“Oh? Did I say that?” Chu Luoxi thought for a moment and couldn’t recall. Then, without hesitation, she said something she probably shouldn’t have: “Do I mention him often? Well, yes, he gave me this laptop. Come to think of it, he’s quite generous.”

She didn’t remember what she’d said and hadn’t really said much, so she let her guard down completely.

Hearing this, Xiao Jingxuan suddenly looked up, eyes darkening with a sharp glare directed at the laptop in front of Chu Luoxi. “He gave this to you?”

“Yes, he did!” Chu Luoxi nodded enthusiastically, smiling brightly. She intended to praise Bai Yun’s loyalty and ended up recounting the whole story without noticing the deepening darkness in Xiao Jingxuan’s eyes. She concluded cheerfully, “He’s definitely going to become a great master in the online literature world. I believe in him...”

As Chu Luoxi spoke animatedly, Xiao Jingxuan’s murderous aura instantly retracted and buried itself deep within his eyes, brewing a storm. “You believe in him?” he asked, though what he really wanted to know was, “You like him?”

“Yes, I do!” Chu Luoxi nodded. To her, it was obvious—he was already a master in her eyes.

With eyes as dark as ink, Xiao Jingxuan pressed his lips together, paused for a moment, then casually moved closer to Chu Luoxi. Seeing her still playing the beta of "Quest for the Way," he seized the moment when her character logged off and snatched her laptop away.

Facing her confused gaze, Xiao Jingxuan tossed her his own laptop and said calmly, without so much as a quickened heartbeat, “Use my computer. It has better specs. The game won’t lag.”

He said it so naturally, his face not even flushing a bit. Truly, a master.

Chu Luoxi glanced at the brand and model of the laptop in her hands and her eyes lit up. Then, puzzled, she said, “My computer isn’t outdated. It doesn’t lag either! Besides, I’m used to my own; switching suddenly means I’d have to readapt.”

Xiao Jingxuan hesitated, then said, “My laptop has a touchscreen. You can try gaming with the touchscreen...” This was a sign that the argument was unwinnable.

Yet, somehow, Chu Luoxi believed him and even grew interested. “Really? Then I’ll give it a try!” she said, bustling with enthusiasm.

Most importantly, after trying it, Chu Luoxi even complimented him, “Senior Brother Xiao, this must be the latest model. The responsiveness is really impressive.”

With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Xiao Jingxuan smiled silently.

The end result was that when Chu Luoxi left, she was carrying a different laptop—and was delighted about it.

The next day, when Lan Lun saw Chu Luoxi’s laptop, he paused for a moment, expression unchanged but his eyes flickering with confusion. When had she gotten a new, top-of-the-line laptop? How come he hadn’t known?

On the way to training, Lan Lun watched her poke at the screen with her fingers and finally couldn’t hold back. “When did you get this new laptop? If you’re going out alone, it’s best not to be so low-key. There’s been a lot of buzz about you recently. Be careful not to get recognized.”

In the eyes of the media and public, Chu Luoxi remained quite mysterious. Aside from her works and her appearance at the last film festival, she was rarely seen. The paparazzi’s failure to find her was astonishing to many. If she got recognized, it could cause a commotion. At the very least, a swarm of media would chase after her.

The rarer the news, the higher its value. And with topics about Chu Luoxi so hot, if she appeared without protection, it could be dangerous.

“Go out? Do you think I have the energy to go anywhere after going home every day? It’s Senior Brother Xiao’s,” Chu Luoxi sighed deeply, admiring soldiers even more—they were simply superhuman!

“Uh...” Lan Lun twitched a brow, annoyed at his own failure to keep things clear. These two were incredibly destructive forces.

“Is something wrong?” Chu Luoxi found Lan Lun’s pointed question strange.

“No.” Lan Lun’s eyes flashed. He thought it best not to tell her. There was no way Xiao Jingxuan’s equipment was something you could buy on the open market. The visible brand was just a disguise.

He hadn’t expected Xiao Jingxuan to casually give something like that to Chu Luoxi—especially a laptop. Just the thought of her treating it like an ordinary device made his head ache. It was simply a waste of treasure.

As for Chu Luoxi, she hadn’t given it much thought. All the computers she’d used were practically antiques. Since Xiao Jingxuan took her usual one, she naturally needed a replacement. Exchanging devices was no big deal!