Chapter 213: Chapter 165: What the Heck? I’m Playing Yin Zhiping? I’m Leading Luo Feifei’s First Passion Scene?

Since they were at the sports club, a trip to the shooting range was a must.

The three girls were incredibly excited. They’d tried it before and agreed it was the most thrilling activity they’d ever done. They just found the tactical gloves provided by the range a little hard, dirty, and ugly, so they had all gone online and bought their own.

Shooting for that long without tactical gloves would wreck your hands.

Zhao Xueqing bought purple ones, Lei Xiaohui went with white, and Yao Yao picked pink—all very girly.

The only downside was that there weren’t as many "skins" to choose from for the firearms.

Li Xiang said, "That’s a great idea. I’ll talk to Xu Xuan later about getting more paint jobs that appeal to a feminine aesthetic. You know, bring it more in line with video games."

While they were shooting, the four of them also filmed some videos, mixing business with pleasure.

After all, this kind of content was quite popular.

Men playing with guns are already captivating, so what about pretty girls doing the same?

They shot on and off until noon. Still not having had their fill, they went to the hotel’s Western restaurant for the buffet. After a short afternoon break, the group set out again to inspect equipment for the milk tea and coffee shops.

Over at the Holy Realm Garden, the National Style Tavern, National Tea House, milk tea shop, and coffee shop were almost fully renovated, needing only a few finishing touches. If they could open for business before the film version of *The Return of the Condor Heroes* arrived for filming, they stood to make a killing.

After all, the entire film crew was huge: actors, all kinds of staff, plus onlookers from the surrounding area and fans who had traveled from far and wide to see the stars and join in on the excitement. They were all potential customers.

After spending a full three days in the provincial capital handling various odds and ends, ordering plenty of equipment, and arranging for the manufacturers to deliver it directly to the shops at the Holy Realm Garden, Li Xiang and the three girls headed back.

This time, Li Xiang decided it was better to take the national and provincial highways. ’Having two new drivers on the expressway would be too much of a headache,’ he thought.

Besides, new drivers on the expressway are required to be accompanied by a driver with at least three years of experience. If they get caught without one, they get a fine but no points on their license, assuming no accident occurs.

Although Li Xiang’s skills were top-notch, he had only had his license for a few months.

The fine was negligible; Li Xiang could easily afford it. An accident, however, would be a major hassle.

’Best to let them get more practice on the local roads first,’ Li Xiang decided.

The three girls had all worked regular jobs before, so they’d all taken their lumps from the real world. They knew how hard it was to earn a living, which made them treasure the opportunity Li Xiang had given them.

In the provincial capital, many college graduates, even those with master’s degrees, couldn’t command their salary. Plus, working for Li Xiang was so easy! There was no strict system for clocking in and out. Every business trip, they stayed in five-star hotels—a luxury room for each of them—and the per diem for food was amazing.

If Li Xiang came with them, he would cover the costs. If he didn’t and they traveled alone for business, their accommodation budget was capped at 800 yuan per person per night. The meal allowance was 200 yuan per person per meal—not counting breakfast, since it was usually included with the hotel—totaling 400 yuan for lunch and dinner each day.

Of course, Li Xiang wouldn’t have cared if they went slightly over budget. But the three of them were very sensible and usually kept each meal under 100 yuan. Sometimes they would only spend thirty or fifty yuan on fast food, which was remarkably restrained.

Take Zhao Xueqing, for example. On her solo business trips, she always ate fast food like KFC or Pizza Hut. She ate sparingly, usually spending only forty or fifty yuan on a meal. She avoided small, roadside noodle shops because they couldn’t provide official receipts, whereas getting one from KFC or Pizza Hut was incredibly easy.

Chatting in private, Zhao Xueqing and Lei Xiaohui couldn’t help but marvel at the change. They used to think places like that were so fancy, the kind they only saw in TV commercials. They never imagined that after starting to work for Li Xiang, those restaurants would be their bare minimum.

As the three girls’ financial situations improved, so did their sense of style, fashion, and overall taste.

「The early hype for the film version of *The Return of the Condor Heroes* had already begun.」

The media reported that the scenes for the Ancient Tomb Sect would be a major part of the film, accounting for roughly a third of the runtime, and that the location chosen was near a small mountain village in Sichuan Province.

As soon as the news broke, many were surprised. It wasn’t long before someone dug up the two one-shot videos Li Xiang and his team had filmed, claiming that was the spot.

The media reached out to the production team for confirmation, and a staff member verified the story.

A reporter asked, "Why did you choose that location? It’s pretty obscure and wasn’t well-known before. From what I’ve seen, the scenery is just average."

After all, the area around Li Xiang’s home wasn’t a designated scenic area. While it had mountains and rivers, Sichuan Province has no shortage of famous landscapes. There were countless places far more beautiful than Li Family Village.

As for the cave... well, it was true that you wouldn’t typically find one so perfectly formed. That’s because the Ancient Tomb Sect’s base was, by definition, a manually excavated tomb.

Building it on a soundstage would sacrifice authenticity and diminish the overall quality of the film.

A crew member replied, "These decisions are all made by the higher-ups—the director, producers, investors, and so on."

Before long, another story broke: an actor who had originally been cast was filmed crying to a friend during a meal, complaining that Luo Feifei was a diva who bullied newcomers.

But the video—likely secretly recorded by his friend or a restaurant employee—was vague and lacked context, leaving netizens completely baffled.

This sparked a lot of gossip, with people trying to dig up more information.

Finally, the "truth" was exposed: Luo Feifei had indeed bullied a newcomer!

This was sensational news.

Apparently, the actor had been chosen for the role, but Luo Feifei took one look at him, seemingly disliked him on sight, and immediately demanded the director replace him.

"Isn’t Luo Feifei being too domineering? She may be a big star now, but she only debuted a short while ago. How can she already be acting like such a diva?"

"What role was the actor even playing for Luo Feifei to hate him that much?"

"He was supposed to play Yin Zhiping, I heard."

"Holy crap, in that case, I’m on Luo Feifei’s side. That guy is so ugly. If I were her and it was my first-ever intimate scene, I’d want to find someone handsome no matter what."

"Exactly! I support Luo Feifei’s quest for a handsome actor. Even I can’t accept someone that ugly!"

"So Luo Feifei is filming an intimate scene? I heard she’s never taken a role like this before and never will again."

"For real?"

"It’s true. I heard the director had to work on her for a long time to get her to do this Dragon Knight scene, and she only considered it after he repeatedly promised it would be filmed very conservatively."

"A crew member leaked that this won’t just be her first intimate scene, but quite possibly her last."

"I wouldn’t be so sure. Maybe it’s just because she’s still young and at the peak of her fame. Let’s see if she can still afford to be so picky when she’s in her thirties and her opportunities start drying up."

’In her thirties? The Apocalypse will be here long before that,’ Li Xiang thought, sneering at the news. ’By then, Luo Feifei will be a Saint Tier expert, capable of Flying wherever she pleases. You think she’ll still be shooting intimate scenes for you lot? Dream on!’

Still, there was a reason Luo Feifei avoided intimate scenes. Her immense popularity was built on her pure and innocent image. Taking on a scene like that would shatter her public persona.

The casting for the role of Yin Zhiping in the film version of *The Return of the Condor Heroes* became a massive controversy after the male actor’s tearful accusation that Luo Feifei was oppressing newcomers.

The production team was likely fanning the flames behind the scenes. It was all for publicity, after all. Without the buzz, how could they guarantee a box office smash?

Before long, another rumor began to circulate: the director had apparently recommended numerous candidates, many of whom were both handsome and famous, but Luo Feifei had rejected every single one with a simple, "He’s not right for it."

Netizens were in a frenzy. "Luo Feifei has that much power?"

"Of course she does. I heard she’s an investor in the film, plus she’s the female lead and the main draw for audiences. And get this—she can perform Divination, you know? There was one actor, a really handsome and famous one—you know who I’m talking about—who was willing to do a cameo as Yin Zhiping for free. But Luo Feifei did a Divination right then and there and said if he played the part, there would be a bloody disaster."

"Then both the director and the star got spooked. Apparently, Luo Feifei has been right several times before. With something like that, it’s better to be safe than sorry."

"For real? What century are we in? People are still buying into that feudal superstition?"

"It’s absolutely true," a netizen from the Imperial Capital revealed. "At the end of last year, Luo Feifei was in the Imperial Capital and supposedly did Divination for a lot of bigwigs. Everything she predicted came true later. It was uncanny."

The netizen claimed to have been at a reception with Luo Feifei and many other VIPs and witnessed it firsthand. It was just the kind of event where photography was forbidden, so there was no video evidence.

This story was confirmed by a fairly well-known princeling from the Imperial Capital. Apparently, his own father had warned him never to offend Luo Feifei.

You never knew when you might need to ask a transcendent master like her for a favor.

"No wonder the production team listens to her! She possesses some kind of mysterious power!"

Then, someone online came up with an idea: let that pastoral vlogger, Li Xiang, play the part. He had saved Luo Feifei, they were on good terms, and he was handsome. If Li Xiang were to play the role, Luo Feifei would definitely agree.

At first, no one paid it any mind. But Li Xiang had tens of millions of fans on his side, and they all started making a fuss, with some even tagging the famous director’s account.

Yao Yao ran over, extremely excited. "Bro, I heard you’re going to play Yin Zhiping? And do an intimate scene with Luo Feifei?"

Li Xiang was speechless. He scolded her, "Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just online rumors."

Yao Yao pouted. "What are you so shy about? I’d be willing if I were you."

"You? Play Little Dragon Girl? Dream on!" Li Xiang retorted.

"No, I mean I’d play Yin Zhiping. In drag," Yao Yao said.

Li Xiang, who was drinking tea under the persimmon tree in the backyard, did a spit-take. Yao Yao immediately grabbed a napkin to help him wipe his face. "Bro, I’m serious! Dragon Knight... er, why can’t a woman in disguise do it? It’s just a movie, it’s not like it’s real. Why don’t you talk to Luo Feifei and ask her to let me do it?"

She was genuinely excited; Luo Feifei was just so gorgeous that she wanted to seize the chance to "take liberties" and "flirt" with her during the shoot.

It wasn’t just Yao Yao; many people wanted the role. The character was both hated and envied, and if played well, an actor could live off that fame for a lifetime. Otherwise, the whole affair wouldn’t have generated so much hype.

"Yin Zhiping wasn’t that seductive. If we really had to go with a woman in disguise, I think Xiaohui would be a better fit." Li Xiang actually gave it some serious thought and concluded that recommending Lei Xiaohui might be a viable option.

Lei Xiaohui, having heard the conversation, rushed over. "Bro, no way! I can’t act! Besides, there’s no way the production team would cast a woman in disguise for that part."

Casting a woman in disguise would ruin the gimmick.

"Luo Feifei’s first and last intimate scene" was a huge selling point. The production team wasn’t going to pass up such a golden opportunity for publicity, and it was one that Luo Feifei had tacitly approved.

If they cast a woman, the impact would be drastically reduced.

Just as the debate was raging across the internet, Li Xiang received an unexpected phone call from the director of the film adaptation of *The Return of the Condor Heroes*.

"What? You really want me to play Yin Zhiping?" Li Xiang was dumbfounded. ’The netizens were just joking around,’ he thought. ’Did the production team actually take it seriously?’

The director said: "I’ve seen a lot of your videos, especially that old short film, *The Saintess’s Desire, The Myriad Gu’s Feast*. Your acting and your image are both quite good. Especially your image—you’d definitely be the most handsome Yin Zhiping in history. What’s more, when I mentioned the netizens’ suggestion to Luo Feifei... she didn’t object."

She had rejected the other actors immediately. But when it came to Li Xiang, she went silent. The director was a man of the world; he couldn’t help but wonder, ’Could it be that Li Xiang was Luo Feifei’s choice all along? Was she just too shy to say it outright?’

’Tch, you should’ve just said so! I would have approached him directly. Oh well, it’s not all bad. After all this publicity, the movie’s buzz is even bigger.’