The rain from the previous night didn't last long; by the time the morning sun hit the ground the next day, every trace of it had evaporated.
This morning, the Movie King wasn't woken by an alarm, but by a chaotic pounding on his door.
"Wake up! Every time it rains, you stay in bed. If I didn't know better, I'd think you'd gone into some kind of estrus hibernation."
"Xiao Zhang bought crab roe soup dumplings. If you don't get up, the two of us are going to eat them all."
"If you don't get up now, I'm coming in. Anyway, you gave up that habit of sleeping naked a long time ago for Duo Duo's sake."
"Fine, I'm coming in... Duo Duo?"
Julia’s hand had just settled on the doorknob, but before she could turn it, the door opened from the inside.
She stumbled slightly, nearly losing her balance. When she steadied herself a second later, she saw the "Movie King" standing inside the doorway, clutching the lapels of his pajamas, head bowed with a shy, bashful expression.
"Sister Julia..."
"What’s wrong? Duo Duo, why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?" Julia’s demeanor shifted instantly, her personality switch every bit as fast as Zhou Shu’s.
Her sudden gentle tone made Xiao Zhang, who was sitting on the sofa, shudder. However, he didn't dare look toward the room; after all, the person inside was currently a sweet little Omega.
Julia pulled Zhou Duo back into the room and closed the door, helping him sit on the edge of the bed.
She scanned the room, her gaze finally landing on the window. "Damn it! Zhou Shu didn't close the window again last night. Is he crazy? What if you both catch a fever? I’d like to see what he’d do then! Wait... what’s this?"
Julia’s attention was suddenly captured by the glowing tablet on the bed. She blinked, shaking her head as if to confirm what she was seeing on the screen.
Before she could finish processing it, Zhou Duo explained frantically, "No! I wasn't the one watching that! I... I didn't watch it!" As he spoke, his entire face turned a deep crimson. "When I woke up to your knocking, I found the screen resting on my face. Maybe Brother Zhou Shu fell asleep watching it last night..."
His voice trailed off at the end, making him sound like an innocent child being framed for someone else's mistake.
Julia took a sharp breath.
*Sigh,* she hadn't expected that ice-cold, grumpy freak Zhou Shu to have such a lovely, bashful side. Zhou Duo was truly soft and sweet; it was such a pity that such a top-tier Omega personality was attached to Zhou Shu’s body!
She clicked her tongue inwardly and lightly pinched Zhou Duo’s nose. "Why are you so eager to explain, cutie? Don't be nervous. Let me see what new things your Brother Zhou Shu was studying last night." She swiped the screen, her mouth falling open. "Holy... this is way too intense!"
Julia stared at the screen, stunned for a few seconds, before her laughter shook the room.
After a moment, Zhou Duo interrupted her softly. "Sister... please stop laughing. Brother Zhou Shu seems really angry..."
"Angry? Angry about what? Is he mad that I didn't act as his life mentor yesterday?" She laughed even harder, her ring fingers unable to smooth out the wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes. "So, he’s started self-directed learning? Well, a Movie King is a Movie King after all; his spirit for study is quite different from us common folk."
As her laughter echoed, Zhou Duo swallowed hard. "Sister..."
"Hmm? What is it?" Julia asked, clutching her stomach and struggling to speak.
"Brother Zhou Shu asked me to give you a message..."
"Oh? He’s awake?" Julia arched an eyebrow, her lips still twitching.
"Yes... he's awake."
"Well, what did he say?"
"He said... 'Get lost'..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, both Zhou Duo and Xiao Zhang silently covered their ears.
Judging by Julia’s laughter, it was unlikely Zhou Shu would be making another appearance today.
The fact that this body hadn't boarded the earliest rocket to flee the planet before dawn was already a testament to his superior psychological resilience.
Truly worthy of a Movie King.
"Alright, I've laughed so much I'm starving. Let's go, Duo Duo. We’ll go eat first and ignore him."
Zhou Duo nodded and followed her out obediently.
"Good morning, Brother Xiao Zhang."
Xiao Zhang, who was mid-bite into a soup dumpling, choked and started coughing.
Although Zhou Duo wasn't a stranger to him, Xiao Zhang still got the chills every time he saw his boss—with those cold, sharp features—speaking in such a sweet manner.
"Cough, cough... Morning, morning. Uh, come and eat something." He suddenly slapped his forehead. "Damn, I forgot you're allergic to seafood. Drink some wonton soup first, I'll boil a bowl of noodles for you."
"Ah, okay. Thank you, Brother Xiao Zhang," Zhou Duo agreed with a grateful smile.
"Cough... No, no, no, don't say another word. I'm going to lose years off my life." Xiao Zhang fled the scene.
Julia popped a crab roe soup dumpling into her mouth. The fresh, sweet crab meat exploded in her mouth along with the broth. The skin, thin as a cicada's wing, had a delightful chewiness—it was truly the signature dish of a time-honored brand.
These crab roe dumplings were Zhou Shu’s favorite, but unfortunately, Zhou Duo couldn't appreciate the flavor.
"Sigh, what a pity. Honestly, how did you manage to develop a personality that even inherited Jin Yan’s annoying traits?" Julia said this while simultaneously opening the portion that was originally meant for Zhou Shu.
Zhou Duo pouted, looking a bit aggrieved. "I want to try them too, but every time I eat seafood, I break out in hives." He watched Julia eat with such gusto that his eyes sparkled. "Maybe... just one tiny bite?"
"Stop right there!" Julia quickly moved the "dangerous goods" away from Zhou Duo. "Don't mess with me, my little ancestor. We have a magazine cover shoot today."
"Oh..." Zhou Duo looked down, responding softly. "Okay then..."
Julia ruffled his hair a few times, coaxing him into eating the fresh noodle soup Xiao Zhang brought out.
As noon approached, the three of them headed to the studio. In the car, Julia gave Zhou Duo a general overview of the day's schedule and offered a few instructions.
Zhou Duo was highly experienced in "impersonating" Zhou Shu. He had handled the entire filming process of *Rouge Intoxication* as well as the subsequent promotional photos, so Julia wasn't worried.
"By the way, you'll run into Duan Xingyi later. He’s shooting in the studio next door. Once he’s done, you two have a few joint posters to shoot."
"Mhm, that shouldn't be a problem." Zhou Duo thought for a moment and smiled. "Brother Xingyi is still very good to me."
Julia shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Alright, whatever you do, don't say that in front of your Brother Jin Yan. Otherwise, I'm afraid your Brother Zhou Shu won't be able to get out of bed for months."
The temperature in the car plummeted to sub-zero instantly.
Xiao Zhang’s hand on the steering wheel wavered slightly. Zhou Duo frowned and pressed a hand to his forehead, only opening his eyes again after a long moment.
"Sister Julia, stop talking... My head hurts from Brother Zhou Shu’s vibrating rage."
Julia burst out laughing but managed to restrain herself. With a mirthful tone, she said to Zhou Duo, "Fine, fine, fine. I'll stop. For your sake, I'll stop."
About forty-five minutes later, the car pulled into the studio's underground parking lot.
Without the usual treatment of being "flanked" by bodyguards in public, Zhou Duo looked much more relaxed.
He had just retracted his sparkling, playful gaze when they encountered the very person they had been discussing while waiting for the elevator.
"Zhou Shu, you're here." Upon seeing Zhou Shu, Duan Xingyi’s eyes lit up. He quickened his pace toward the elevator, his face filled with uncontrollable joy.
Zhou Duo felt a surge of nervousness at the familiar voice. He quietly adjusted his breathing, then turned his head toward Duan Xingyi and gave a slight nod. "Mhm."
Julia immediately held her breath, nearly laughing out loud.
Zhou Duo really was a clever little copycat.
Duan Xingyi didn't feel hurt by the cold treatment. After all, Zhou Shu had always maintained a distant, aloof demeanor with everyone; he had long since grown used to it.
As the elevator ascended to the third floor, Duan Xingyi turned to Zhou Shu. "I'm heading to the next studio first. See you in a bit."
"Mhm, see you."
Julia followed behind with light steps as Zhou Duo entered the studio's dressing room.
As soon as the door opened, they saw a row of people standing there, every single one of them with glowing eyes...
"What's going on here?" Julia stepped forward, shielding Zhou Duo behind her.
The makeup artist sitting nearby stood up and warmly took Julia’s hand. "Oh, Sister Julia, they’re mine and Joe’s assistants. They absolutely adore Zhou Shu and came specifically to admire the Movie King’s visage."
Julia arched an eyebrow, choosing not to comment on terms like "assistants" or "admiring his visage." Her gaze turned cold, though a smile remained on her lips. "Vivian, I’m afraid this isn't very convenient. I thought I made our mutual rules and requirements clear during the briefing. It seems I’ve made a professional oversight."
"No, no, no, Sister Julia! Don't say that! How about this—I'll have them leave now, but can they watch from the sidelines during the shoot? I promise they won't say a word." Vivian made a gesture, and the crowd packed into the dressing room dispersed instantly. Before leaving, a few of the bolder ones even blew kisses at the cold-faced Movie King standing to the side.
The room was much quieter now, but the hallway outside remained bustling.
"Oh my god, Zhou Shu is so handsome! And that’s without makeup! His bare skin! How is his skin even more flawless than an Omega's?"
"Help, I have to get an autograph today!!!"
"Sigh, what a shame. I finally got close to my dream only to be kicked out. How disappointing!"
"Exactly! I finally used my dad's connections to get in for a glimpse of Zhou Shu. I at least wanted a photo together!"
Julia glanced at Vivian, who pretended not to hear anything as she enthusiastically invited the Movie King to sit down.
"Brother Shu, we have three looks today. The first two are solo—one modern, one ancient style. The last one is the joint shoot with Duan Xingyi. Is that okay?"
"Mhm, whatever."
Vivian was struck by how handsome the Movie King looked with that cold expression; she clearly had a thing for the "iceberg Alpha" type.
During the styling process, she tried to keep a conversation going with him, but the person sitting there was simply too cold. He only ever gave one-word replies, never exceeding three words, and the longest syllable he uttered was: "Julia."
"Julia," sitting on the sofa, stood up and walked over. "What is it, Brother Shu?"
Zhou Shu’s gaze shifted to the side. "Phone."
Julia understood and pulled Zhou Shu’s phone out of her bag. "Don't worry, I'll reply for you."
"..." Inside Zhou Duo’s body, Zhou Shu shuddered, and Zhou Duo trembled along with him.
"What’s wrong, Brother Shu?" Vivian leaned in with great concern.
Zhou Duo frowned, catching a faint, almost imperceptible scent of Omega pheromones approaching him.
His face darkened. He lifted his eyes, his gaze unfocused but filled with an unmistakable sense of displeasure and wariness.
Vivian’s hands froze mid-motion, and she instinctively backed away to a safe distance.
The Movie King’s aura was truly terrifying...
Her heart racing, Vivian didn't attempt any more small talk and instead quickened her pace.
Once the styling was finished, Julia didn't have the heart to refuse and had the Movie King sign an autograph for Vivian.
The two of them walked out of the dressing room as if granted a royal pardon. In a deserted part of the hallway, Zhou Duo lightly tugged on Julia’s sleeve.
"Sister Julia, I'm so nervous," he whispered into her ear.
Julia was amused by his cute behavior. "You're nervous? You were acting so cool just now. You were more like him than he is."
They both couldn't help but laugh. Before entering the photography studio, Zhou Duo suddenly stopped.
"Oh, Sister Julia, Brother Zhou Shu asked me to ask you if anyone sent him a message." He gave a playful wink. "A message from Brother Jin Yan."
"Actually, yes. I was just chatting with him for a bit."
Zhou Duo visibly shuddered again. He asked Julia somewhat helplessly, "What did you two talk about?"
"Well, he asked what your schedule was today. I said you were taking photos. He said he wanted to chat with you, and I told him that probably wouldn't be possible today. He asked why, and I said it was because you were caught by me and Duo Duo watching adult films until dawn last night."
The moment those words were spoken, Zhou Duo felt as if the entire universe had gone silent.
The hallway became as quiet as a time tunnel. The person inside Zhou Duo’s body likely never wanted to return to this planet again...
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 社死 (shè sǐ) | Social Death | Internet slang for extreme public embarrassment. |
| 影帝 (yǐng dì) | Movie King / Film Emperor | A title for a top-tier, award-winning actor. |
| 发晴冬眠期 (fā qíng dōng mián qī) | Estrus hibernation | A humorous term combining "heat/estrus" and "hibernation." |
| 蟹粉小笼包 (xiè fěn xiǎo lóng bāo) | Crab roe soup dumplings | A famous Shanghainese delicacy. |
| 朵朵 (Duǒ Duǒ) | Duo Duo | The nickname for Zhou Shu's Omega personality, Zhou Duo. |
| 靳言 (Jìn Yán) | Jin Yan | The implied love interest/Enigma character. |
| 段星移 (Duàn Xīng yí) | Duan Xingyi | Another actor/character in the story. |
| 胭脂醉 (Yān zhī zuì) | Rouge Intoxication | The name of a film or drama Zhou Shu starred in. |
| 看片 (kàn piàn) | Watching films/videos | Often used as slang for watching adult content. |
