Demon Consort Runs into the Beijing Crown Prince - Chapter 17

While a storm raged online, Chu Muyun was enjoying his beauty sleep. When he woke up, he sent his boss a “good morning” message and a flirty WeChat message.

Life continued as usual.

The die-hard Luo Yi fans who had been attacking him frowned, sensing something was amiss.

How had they not only failed to force Shu Meijia to issue an apology and remove the photos, but also inadvertently boosted the popularity of the Misaligned production team and this obscure celebrity?

Meanwhile, their own negative hashtags kept trending: #LuoYiFansCyberbullying, #TopCyberbullyLuoYi, #DisgracedArtistLuoYi.

Although they paid to have them removed, Weibo’s response was sluggish. The hashtags lingered for an hour or two before disappearing, only to be replaced by new ones. At one point, three of these negative hashtags occupied top positions on the trending list simultaneously, Luo Yi’s name juxtaposed with derogatory terms.

His public image was already in tatters, and this would only worsen his standing with brands. The “battle” had backfired spectacularly, leaving them worse off than before.

Wait a minute, the fans thought. This 18th-tier obscure celebrity might have landed some resources, but Misaligned was just a replacement role after someone else’s scandal, and Shu Meijia is a cheap domestic brand with no prestige. Even if they’ve had a stroke of luck recently, how could they possibly wield such influence?

After puzzling over it, the fan leaders suddenly realized the truth! It must be their long-time rivals—the team of a certain top-tier male star, former teammate turned enemy—secretly intervening! They were stirring up trouble and sabotaging their efforts!

Luo Yi’s fan base was highly organized. At their leader’s command, they turned their guns on their long-standing rivals, with whom they’d shared a love-hate relationship for years and tore into them.

Meanwhile, Shu Meijia’s official Weibo account fell silent, quietly deleting comments. Even the activity under Chu Muyun’s Weibo posts subsided somewhat.

Realizing the battle was going against them, they retreated. But they’d already noted everything down for future reckoning. Once the public’s three-minute attention span faded, they’d return for a final reckoning.

Elsewhere, in a conference room, StarJoy’s newly hired Director of Online Operations was giving a report, with Chu Muyun’s manager, Jin Ming, present.

StarJoy was merely a subsidiary, and it was rare for anyone to meet the big boss. Even the battle-hardened director couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Addressing the young CEO with a furrowed brow, he solemnly pledged to protect the company’s artists and assured him that this matter wouldn’t be dropped. With Chu Muyun soon joining the same production team as the CEO, future conflicts were likely. For now, they’d pause the online skirmish and prepare contingency plans.

Both sides tacitly agreed to a temporary truce, and the Weibo trending topics returned to normal.

At the same time, Chu Muyun was sprawled on his sofa at home, petting the rabbit and teasing his boss via WeChat.

The day before Chu Muyun’s first day on set arrived in the blink of an eye.

Clutching a massive bouquet of flowers and lugging a huge bag, Chu Muyun entered the Lu Group Headquarters for the first time.

He waited in the lobby on the first floor. The receptionist couldn’t help but steal glances at him. The radiant bouquet of orange roses, as bright as the sun, and his even more dazzling face made her secretly think, Whoever receives these flowers must be incredibly happy.

“Mr. Chu, you’re here,” Li Weide came down to greet him, swiped a special access card to call the elevator, and escorted him to the executive floor. With a nod, he left Chu Muyun to enter the president’s office alone.

Chu Muyun pushed open the door and gazed around curiously.

This is practically the Imperial Study! he thought. I used to play here with the Great King all the time, even getting ink on his official documents.

The office was spacious, and the solid wood executive desk was impressively large. The moment Chu Muyun’s eyes landed on it, his imagination ran wild with possibilities.

Hehe.

Sneaking around in this office with the Great King, who’s so proper and innocent now, would be even more thrilling.

Lu Hanzhang sat behind the desk, maintaining a composed posture, but his gaze softened as he watched Chu Muyun, “What brings you here?”

“I just came to see you. I’m starting filming tomorrow, and we won’t see each other for a while,” Chu Muyun said, casually setting down the bag and thrusting the bouquet into Lu Hanzhang’s arms.

“Take good care of these. Don’t throw them away. I spent my last thousand yuan on them.” He flashed the balance notification on his phone. Only three digits remained in his account, not even enough for a 520 red envelope.

Lu Hanzhang couldn’t help but ask, “How…?” He knew Chu Muyun was struggling financially, having mentioned he couldn’t even afford rent, but he hadn’t realized the extent of his poverty.

“After buying the bracelet and cufflinks for you, the hundred thousand yuan you gave me wasn’t enough. I had to chip in myself, and that’s how it is,” Chu Muyun said with a cheerful smile. “It’s fine, you don’t need to give me money. I’ll have plenty once I get paid for the new drama.” He glanced at the bouquet in Lu Hanzhang’s arms.

“I picked these out myself at the flower shop! I also saw this huge, adorable rose bear—it was so cute! I wanted to buy it for you, but I couldn’t afford it. Once I earn enough, I’ll get it for your office.” He spread his arms wide to demonstrate the bear’s size. Sitting in the shop, its head had reached his shoulder!

Looking into Chu Muyun’s sparkling eyes, Lu Hanzhang could almost visualize the rose bear in his mind—as vibrant and radiant as Chu Muyun’s affection, fluffy, oversized, and ostentatious. He couldn’t help but smile, a hint of tenderness flickering in his eyes. From that moment on, he too began to anticipate the rose bear’s arrival, even though he could easily afford thousands of them himself.

Hehe, has the Great King taken the bait? Chu Muyun secretly observed him.

The Little Demon Consort had a whole repertoire of cunning tricks. The Great King had always fallen for them. Even though Chu Muyun’s gifts were purchased with the Great King’s own funds, the Great King would be deeply touched if Chu Muyun claimed he had sacrificed a treasured item he originally wanted to buy. Afterward, the Great King would bestow even more precious gifts upon him.

Chu Muyun would also tell the Great King stories. If they weren’t an emperor and his consort but merely a poor couple in the countryside, Chu Muyun would gladly do the laundry, cook meals, and carve hairpins from osmanthus branches for the Great King. “Look, Great King, this hairpin I’m wearing? I carved it myself. Even though you lack nothing now, you mustn’t scorn my humble gift.” True to form, the Great King cherished the hairpin, often wearing it with casual robes instead of his imperial regalia.

Of course, Chu Muyun wasn’t entirely calculating. He genuinely liked the Great King. In this life, the Great King’s wealth and power were certainly welcome, but even if he were destitute, Chu Muyun would gladly support him.

“With so little money, how will you manage?” Lu Hanzhang asked, his voice tinged with concern.

“I’m joining the film crew tomorrow. I’ll be staying in a hotel and eating catered meals, there won’t be any expenses. I’ll be fine,” Chu Muyun replied. He opened the bag he’d brought and pulled out a large lunchbox. “I spent all morning making this. Let’s eat it while it’s still warm.”

“Alright,” Lu Hanzhang glanced at his watch. “In ten minutes.”

He couldn’t eat during work hours, as the boss, he had to set an example.

“Okay then,” Chu Muyun sat down opposite him to wait, his gaze drifting toward the wall behind Lu Hanzhang.

There was a door along the wall.

“If you want to look, go ahead,” Lu Hanzhang said.

“Sure!” Chu Muyun walked over and opened the unlocked door. Inside was a living area with a bedroom, a bathroom, and a small bar stocked with various liquors and beverages. It felt more lived-in than Chu Muyun’s own apartment, suggesting Lu Hanzhang often rested here.

This is perfect! Chu Muyun’s eyes lit up.

They could play in the outer room or retreat to the inner quarters. When tired, they could shower and nap. And the alcohol would add some fun to their time together.

Chu Muyun mixed two low-alcohol cocktails at the bar and brought them out to accompany their meal.

Ten minutes later, they opened their lunchboxes and sat facing each other.

Chu Muyun had prepared dishes that both he and the Great King loved. The aroma, transcending a thousand years, filled the office.

They chatted casually as they ate.

Lu Hanzhang asked where Chu Muyun was filming and how long the shoot would last.

“Shanghai,” Chu Muyun replied. “I have a substantial role, so I’ll be on set for two months.”

“Alright,” Lu Hanzhang said, as if asking casually, but he silently registered the information.

“Boss, can I stay in the office this afternoon?” Chu Muyun thought, Maybe if we spend more time alone together, two single men… sparks might fly!

“…I have visitors this afternoon,” Lu Hanzhang said.

“Then you’re busy. I’ll head out. Talk to you later!” Chu Muyun grabbed his empty lunchbox and left.

Lu Hanzhang, “…”

He wanted to suggest Chu Muyun could take a nap in the break area behind the door or play on his phone, but that wasn’t the kind of interaction Chu Muyun was hoping for.

Watching him leave, Lu Hanzhang pressed the call button for his assistant, “Find someone to make these into preserved flowers and buy a vase.”

This bouquet of orange roses was the first he hadn’t thrown in the trash.