Chapter 20: A Terrifying Realization

Glancing lightly at his own manager, Xiao Jingxuan truly had no desire to waste words with him. People who love to talk—well, the more attention you pay them, the more spirited they become. Besides, now with Chu Luoxi here, Leng Lu could fend for himself! Anyway, he seemed to care quite a lot about his image; sometimes even Xiao Jingxuan wondered who exactly was the artist and who the manager.

As for Chu Luoxi, she was, of course, staring at Leng Lu in utter disbelief, completely confounded. Xiao Jingxuan’s golden manager, within their circles, was in his past life almost as famous as the great Xiao himself—indeed, in the eyes of many artists, he was a coveted prize. It was a pity that Leng Lu, who had appeared as Xiao Jingxuan’s manager, seemed exclusively his—never taking on any other artists, loyal from start to finish. Even later, as Xiao Jingxuan gradually faded from the entertainment scene, Leng Lu vanished along with him.

Apparently, his presence was only ever glimpsed when Xiao Jingxuan released new work, as if he had only become a manager to pave the way for the great Xiao. It had been said that half of Xiao’s eventual success could be credited to his manager’s efforts.

So of course Chu Luoxi knew of this illustrious manager. But then, who could tell her—who was that man who’d just, like a disgruntled wife, muttered and grumbled on and on? Was this truly the legendary, strikingly handsome, cold, and concise Leng Lu, whose very presence chilled the air and whose aura pressed down like an iceberg?

Suddenly, reality felt too startling, and legend too unreliable! Had she left the house today only to run into ghosts, forgetting to check the almanac?

She stared wide-eyed at Leng Lu, watching his expressions shift from bewildered to speechless, then to a touch of annoyance, and finally to a hint of plaintive resentment. His face was so animated that Chu Luoxi nearly thought she was watching a silent comedy, one that won applause solely for its facial performances.

Studying his features carefully, Chu Luoxi finally confirmed she hadn’t mistaken him for someone else, and looked at the composed Xiao Jingxuan beside her in disbelief. “He’s your manager?”

“Yes,” Xiao Jingxuan’s eyes shone like stars, a flash of brilliance as he glanced at the crestfallen Leng Lu before looking at the still-stunned Chu Luoxi. “Don’t mind him—he just talks too much.”

Talks too much? The corner of Chu Luoxi’s mouth twitched. Her heart truly wasn’t resilient enough for this. So much for legends—how could they ever compare to reality? The famously poker-faced manager of past life, now described by his own artist as talkative? How could those artists who’d rather freeze than not have Leng Lu as their manager bear this?

Having his true nature exposed to outsiders, Leng Lu felt an overwhelming urge to smash his head against a wall. But since the secret was out, there was no point in hiding anymore. After a moment’s self-reproach, he quickly perked up and, on the verge of striking up a conversation with Chu Luoxi, suddenly lit up as if making a new discovery. “Hey, aren’t you Jingxuan’s junior? The second-year student in the acting department at Imperial Shadows?”

At those words, Xiao Jingxuan shot Leng Lu a glance sharp as a blade, startling him into shrinking his neck, immediately realizing he’d said something he shouldn’t have. This wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny—he’d be exposed in no time.

Now it was Chu Luoxi’s turn to be utterly astonished. She leaned in to look at the would-be-escaping Leng Lu. “You know me? Since when? How come I don’t know about this?”

So, it wasn’t just Xiao Jingxuan who had a strange, inexplicable knowledge of her—even this formidable manager knew her? Chu Luoxi found it all so mysterious; she simply couldn’t understand how, in her previous life, they’d never met despite being close in proximity, but now, after being reborn, things had become so bizarre.

“Don’t pay attention to him, he’s always talking nonsense,” Xiao Jingxuan said in a clear, unhurried tone that had a particular rhythm to it. “How did you get to know Ji Yanjin?”

He was thinking of how familiar Chu Luoxi sounded earlier when speaking to Ji Yanjin on the phone—it didn’t seem like they’d just met. Xiao Jingxuan remembered well that he’d snatched this person from Ji Yanjin, who’d seemed quite agitated about it.

“During Spring Festival, he was on a live entertainment show that picked a fan at random, and I was the one chosen.” Chu Luoxi, having regained her composure, recounted her acquaintance with Ji Yanjin matter-of-factly, though it did sound rather unreliable.

Both Xiao Jingxuan and Leng Lu were momentarily taken aback. They hadn’t expected that. The show was hugely popular, but with so many celebrities appearing, no one had heard of any of them striking up a revolutionary friendship with a chosen fan.

“Jingxuan, you’d better go get your makeup done or the artist will lose it. Your junior—I’ll take care of her.” Leng Lu’s eyes gleamed with interest, clearly intrigued by Chu Luoxi.

Xiao Jingxuan fixed Leng Lu with a three-second stare before nodding at Chu Luoxi. “If there’s anything you want to see, let him take you. Don’t be shy. If you’re bored, you can spend time in the makeup room.”

Chu Luoxi nodded obediently. She understood the rules on set well enough.

As soon as Xiao Jingxuan left, Leng Lu transformed, nearly throwing himself at her to cling on. “Hey, hey, Chu junior, aren’t you an acting student? How did you end up getting involved with an entertainment show? You must be lucky—did you try buying a lottery ticket? And what brings you to the film city today? How did you run into Jingxuan? Are you here to visit the set or to watch him perform? Though his turn’s not until the evening—it’s still early! So, where do you want to go? I’ll take you…”

Chu Luoxi was beyond exasperated, drenched in sweat. Deep down, she finally agreed with the great Xiao’s assessment—this was truly the most talkative of the talkative! She wondered if his questions would outnumber a hundred thousand, and he didn’t even seem to expect answers—just firing them off in one breath.

How such a personality had developed was a marvel. Could it be that, in private, he was making up for all the words he never got to say publicly? After all, in front of the media and the public, Leng Lu was even more sparing with words than Xiao Jingxuan, always so concise that reporters hoping for a scoop would leave wringing their hands.

“By the way, is your manager always like this?” Dizzy from Leng Lu’s barrage, Chu Luoxi lost interest in touring the set and slipped back to Xiao Jingxuan, leaving Leng Lu to torment someone else. She simply couldn’t handle it.

And thinking of the contrast between Leng Lu’s public and private selves, she couldn’t understand—if someone isn’t an actor, why live such a split existence in life?

His hair now styled, Xiao Jingxuan let the makeup artist work on his face. Hearing Chu Luoxi’s question, he couldn’t help but smile, replying leisurely, “You’ll get used to it.”

In truth, Chu Luoxi knew that Leng Lu only showed this side to his own people. Most had no idea he could be so talkative; otherwise, she would have heard rumors in her past life. She’d simply stumbled upon this, so Leng Lu no longer bothered to hide.

Casting a glance at the focused, busy makeup artist—also Xiao Jingxuan’s personal exclusive—Chu Luoxi knew she could speak of Leng Lu without worry.