Chapter 45: Entertainment World (1)

After completing his mission, Lin Yuetian left the Wizard Tower under the excuse of “this humble disciple is unworthy and has no face to meet the elders of Tower.” He then continued studying attack magic while working as a freelance assassin. By the time he left this world, he had already earned the title of “Shadow Slayer” on this continent.

Given a few more years, he might have even advanced to something like “Night Stalker Demon.” Lin Yuetian roamed this world freely for nearly a hundred years before finally announcing his departure. If it weren’t for the original body’s lifespan running out, the system believed he could have enjoyed himself even longer.

“If there’s a next time,” the system said gloomily, “I beg you, please don’t perform those horrifying operations that make me feel like I’m on Mount Kongtong¹. I’m a system designed for pure love scenarios! How am I supposed to hold my head high in front of my colleagues like this…”

“You can do it,” Lin Yuetian encouraged the system. “Keep going. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Do you have any suggestions for me this time?”

“You never listen even when I do give advice, so why act so humble now… If I must say something, how about giving a warning before you crack a cold joke next time?” The system sighed. “I really can’t tell when you’re joking and when you’re serious. It’s freezing me to death! You even solved the issue of sea levels rising. Thank you, Mr. Assassin.”

———

Lin Yuetian opened his eyes once more, waking from unconsciousness, and found himself lying in a bedroom exuding an air of wealth.

“Did I get kept as a sugar baby again?” Lin Yuetian confidently guessed.

“Guess what?” the system replied. “This time, you’re the one keeping someone else.”

“Oh? What a pleasant surprise.” Lin Yuetian played along without a hint of emotion. “Let’s go ahead and receive the memories, then.”

“That’s my line, big bro,” the system grumbled but still transmitted the original body’s memories into Lin Yuetian’s mind. By now, Lin Yuetian had gradually grown accustomed to the discomfort of his brain feeling like it was about to explode. Lying on the comfortable, luxurious bed, he closed his eyes and slowly sorted through the memories.

In this world, Lin Yuetian was an actor—an outstanding one. A young man who had already earned the prestigious title of Best Actor.

The original host had striking looks. At seventeen, he was scouted by a talent agent on the street and landed his first film role, playing a supporting character.

Perhaps not even the talent scout had expected that some people were simply born with extraordinary talent in a certain field—so gifted it was as if the heavens themselves were feeding them opportunities with a silver spoon.

The original host was one of those people. Despite having no formal training, his acting skills were so instinctive and natural that he could bring a character to life without the director having to explain much.

With his exceptional acting and stunning looks, the original host won the Best Newcomer Award for that supporting role, skyrocketing to fame. His acting career was smooth sailing—one peak after another. He won countless awards, and by the age of twenty-seven, he had claimed the title of Best Actor. That was three years ago.

At the pinnacle of his glory, however, his dazzling fate took a sharp turn. On set one day, he had a fateful encounter—love at first sight—with a background extra fresh out of university.

That extra’s name was Gao Yan, a recent graduate from a drama academy, working as an extra along with his classmates, hoping for a breakthrough opportunity. The gap between their statuses was vast. The original host didn’t even know if Gao Yan liked men. He had entered the industry at seventeen, growing up sensitive and melancholic, and had never been in a serious relationship in thirteen years. By the time he realized it, he had already completely fallen for Gao Yan’s sunny smile and his calls of “senior” and “teacher.”

Despite his agent’s objections, the original host secretly pursued Gao Yan with intense passion. Gao Yan, though initially surprised, didn’t hesitate for long before accepting his advances, and the two began a secret relationship. Over the next three years, the original host invested massive resources into Gao Yan—securing him advertising deals and variety show appearances to boost his exposure, and later, arranging audition opportunities.

Gao Yan had decent skills and seized these chances well. Within three years, thanks to real money, solid connections, and tangible resources, the original host had personally elevated Gao Yan to the top tier of the industry.

Two weeks ago, Gao Yan won Best Actor in the television drama category for his performance in a drama series. During a post-award interview, a reporter asked about the rumors between him and the original host. Gao Yan flatly denied them.

The original host felt a bit disappointed but didn’t take it to heart. After all, unlike himself, Gao Yan had many female fans, and hiding relationships for the sake of maintaining one’s image was common in the industry.

However, the very next day, the media broke shocking news, speculating about the original host’s sexual orientation. The entertainment world was in an uproar.

Amid the storm, Gao Yan’s PR team not only distanced him from the original host but even took advantage of the situation, exposing an old personal account from the original host’s pre-fame days. The account contained not only personal details that fans already knew but also numerous posts expressing emotions about his orientation—completely solidifying the rumors.

With his reputation taking a severe hit, the original host lost many resources and was in the middle of crisis management when he received a call from Gao Yan—demanding to “terminate their sugar daddy arrangement.”

Only then did the original host realize that, from start to finish, he had been the only one who thought they were in a relationship. The three years of sweet moments he had treasured as time spent with a loved one—were, to Gao Yan, nothing more than the hidden desires lurking behind the glamorous facade of the entertainment industry. Something he was desperate to scrub clean from his past.

The original host was naturally feeling down, but he never had any thoughts of suicide. He had been in the entertainment industry for over ten years and knew that as long as there were no photos of him engaging in intimate acts with another man, and as long as he didn’t admit to anything, it would remain nothing more than baseless speculation.

His resources were indeed dwindling at the moment, but this was only temporary. With proper PR management and a period of low exposure, he could make a comeback.

The original host was merely heartbroken over his misplaced affections and unreciprocated feelings. However, he had always suffered from neurasthenia and sleep disorders. Under excessive stress, his insomnia worsened, leading to increased dependence on medication. Then, just yesterday, he accidentally overdosed on sleeping pills.

And so, Lin Yuetian arrived in this world.

“The original host had two wishes,” the system explained. “First, to star in a movie alongside Gao Yan and win Best Actor again. Second, to have Gao Yan publicly admit to all his fans that he liked him.”

“Got it,” Lin Yuetian replied succinctly.

“? You’re not complaining this time about how the original host was too slow-witted to recognize the true nature of their relationship?” The system was puzzled. “Have you finally learned empathy? That’s weird—I’m not used to it.”

“It’s actually not that bad. Personally, I don’t think this was the original host’s fault,” Lin Yuetian patiently explained. “Judging from his memories, for the past three years, Gao Yan has always been acting high and mighty toward him. Even if it were me, I’d find it hard to tell if that was how a sugar baby was supposed to behave.”

As he spoke, Lin Yuetian opened the original host’s exposed private account and started browsing the posts he had written at sixteen or seventeen.

“I’m going to tell a joke,” Lin Yuetian suddenly announced.

“? Why are you listening to me so well in this world?” The system was intrigued. “Is it time for a cold joke? Go on, tell it.”

Lin Yuetian said solemnly. “Even in middle school, I never posted anything this cringe. Maybe the original host’s fan loss wasn’t just due to his orientation—his persona might’ve collapsed too.”

“You actually went to middle school?” The system was shocked.

“That’s not the punchline,” Lin Yuetian gently corrected. “You should be commenting on my joke.”

“A joke? You already told it?” The system didn’t get it.

Lin Yuetian sighed with deep regret. “You really have no sense of humor. I’m off to complete my mission now.”

“…Huh?”

Lin Yuetian made a call to the original host’s assistant to check on Gao Yan’s schedule. Since Gao Yan had been doing his best to distance himself from him lately, getting him to obediently star in the same movie was unrealistic. Instead, it would be better to snatch away his resources directly.

With clear reasoning and thorough investigation, Lin Yuetian finally found an opportunity—he discovered that Gao Yan had been cast as the male lead in a major art film. The movie was a big production, its director had spent years refining the script, and Lin Yuetian had previously worked with him and had a good personal relationship. It was clearly an awards contender.

“Alright, this is the one,” Lin Yuetian made his decision. “But…”

“But?”

“But first, I think I’ll go find some clients,” Lin Yuetian said seriously. “It’s been a while since I worked passionately in my main profession. I need to be more proactive in my job.”

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1. Mount Kongtong (崆峒山) in Gansu, China, is a sacred Taoist mountain known for its rich mythology, stunning landscapes, and ancient temples. Legend says the Yellow Emperor studied Taoism here. It remains an important cultural and tourist site today. ↩︎