Demon Consort Runs into the Beijing Crown Prince - Chapter 2

Regent Hotel, private dining room.

Tonight’s dinner was a project launch banquet for the historical romance drama Pear Blossom Falls. Chu Muyun had learned that the production budget was modest, the cast and crew weren’t particularly prestigious, and the project lacked the potential to become a major hit. Still, it was the best opportunity he could find at the moment.

This was just the project launch, not the start of filming. Many roles remained unfilled, including supporting characters, and Chu Muyun hoped to secure one.

The designated female lead, a second-tier actress, was the center of attention. Chu Muyun, a relatively unknown actor, was there to serve as a supporting player—or rather, a breathing prop, barely more significant than the room’s decor.

Sometimes, he thought, this entertainment industry feels as feudal as the ancient world I came from. They don’t treat people like people.

Upon entering the private dining room, Chu Muyun instinctively settled into a corner. He remained silent, quietly surveying the room, offering polite smiles to anyone whose gaze met his. His demeanor was unassuming, but his appearance was anything but. The entertainment industry was filled with handsome men and beautiful women but compared to the mass-produced faces churned out by cosmetic surgery, Chu Muyun’s beauty was strikingly distinctive and captivating.

He had a way of shining even in a crowd.

He wasn’t just handsome, he was alluring. When he smiled at others, his eyes shimmered like a pool of spring water.

Before long, a middle-aged man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses plopped down beside him. Introducing himself as Deputy Director Chen from the production crew, he fixed a blatant gaze on Chu Muyun.

“You look familiar. Are you new here? Which company are you with?” Deputy Director Chen asked.

Several other Little Nobodies nearby, also hoping to catch a break, shot envious glances his way. They were all dishes on the table, yet he was the first to be chosen. So what if he’s good-looking?

“I’m currently with Tiansheng, but my contract expires at the end of the month. I wouldn’t call myself a newcomer—more like half-new, half-old,” Chu Muyun replied with a practiced smile. He didn’t bother hiding the truth. These things were easily verifiable anyway.

“Oh, so you’re planning to go independent?” Deputy Director Chen’s smile widened knowingly. Tiansheng wasn’t renewing his contract, he hadn’t found another agency, and despite several years in the industry, he remained virtually unknown. The deputy director had instantly grasped his predicament. He chuckled knowingly and placed his thick, sweaty palm over Chu Muyun’s porcelain-white hand.

“Yes, I plan to work for myself from now on,” Chu Muyun said, barely suppressing his irritation.

“Working for yourself is great—you control your own destiny. Have you booked your next role yet? No? Perfect! We haven’t cast the fourth male lead in our series, and I think you’d be a great fit…” Deputy Director Chen stroked Chu Muyun’s hand, beginning to spin his web of promises.

The dinner guests hadn’t all arrived yet, so the meal hadn’t started. Those who were present mingled in small groups, exchanging pleasantries. Tucked away in a corner, they went largely unnoticed, such scenes were commonplace and rarely drew attention.

“Yes, exactly… You…” Chu Muyun smiled softly, playing along with the conversation. He desperately needed this opportunity.

Then, Deputy Director Chen’s hand slithered beneath the table and onto Chu Muyun’s thigh. The clammy, snake-like hand roamed brazenly across his leg.

Chu Muyun froze. His smile faltered. He grabbed the man’s wrist and yanked his hand away.

“Little Chu, what’s the meaning of this?” Deputy Director Chen’s face darkened instantly.

When Chu Muyun remained silent, the deputy director’s voice dropped to a paternal tone, “Little Chu, as an actor, you must understand sacrifice, seize every moment, and grasp every opportunity. Newcomers flood the entertainment industry every year. With so many vying for success, how do you expect to stand out if you don’t seize every chance?”

“I’m sorry, your words are too sophisticated for me to understand,” Chu Muyun said, turning his face away to end the conversation.

In the end, he still couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He sighed inwardly.

Before coming, he’d thought he could handle anything as long as he didn’t have to share a room. But he simply couldn’t bear the thought of some old man with a musty scent groping him. Even a light touch made him want to vomit.

Chu Muyun’s expression went blank as he recalled his childhood friend back home, who owned a chain of roast duck restaurants. His friend had told him that if he ever quit being a celebrity, he could come work for him as a live streamer… Would he really end up selling roast duck on live stream? Family, this is the Imperial Consort’s secret recipe, passed down for a thousand years! The Imperial Consort wept tears of joy, and even the Tyrant gave it his seal of approval! Now just 31 yuan! 31 yuan! Juicy, crispy, vacuum-sealed, and free nationwide shipping!

By the time the banquet began, Chu Muyun was still distracted.

Deputy Director Chen, having been rebuffed by Chu Muyun, wore a dark expression. Another washed-up celebrity seized the opportunity to approach him with a wine glass, and the two began chatting animatedly. The remaining washed-up celebrities quickly found their own targets and eagerly flocked to them.

Only Chu Muyun remained untouched. A dish that doesn’t know its place will naturally be left cold.

He could only eat in silence.

“Oh, right, you wanted to meet my cousin, didn’t you? He just finished a dinner nearby and should be free now. I’ll call him over to join us,” Zhou Wei, the young man seated at the head of the table, said to the second-tier actress he was intimately embracing.

His voice carried, reaching Chu Muyun in the corner, but Chu Muyun paid it no mind.

Zhou Wei was rumored to be a major shareholder in Huashi Entertainment, the production company behind the drama, and its primary investor. If a second-tier actress was eager to meet his cousin, the man must be someone of considerable influence.

But what did that have to do with him? As things stood, he was just here for a free meal, nothing more.

Zhou Wei made a phone call. Moments later, his face beaming, he rose to personally open the private room’s door. With the actress on one side and him on the other, they ushered the newcomer in.

“Ah, Cousin, Young Master Lu! What an honor to have you grace our humble gathering. Please, take the seat of honor. Your presence truly elevates this project launch banquet for our small production team.”

Chu Muyun took another bite of the fish-fragrant eggplant casserole. It was quite flavorful.

Nearby, two other 18th-tier nobodies whispered, “Who’s that? Why such airs?”

“Lu Hanzhang—the Beijing Crown Prince! You don’t recognize him?”

“Hiss…”

The atmosphere had been building, and Chu Muyun felt a flicker of curiosity. He casually lifted his eyelids for a glance. He’d met the real “Beijing Crown Prince” before, as well as the Second and Third Princes, and the Little Princess. He wondered who dared to use such a title now.

Clatter! His chopsticks fell from his hand, and he froze.

Great King???

Great King!!!

Thump, thump, thump. His blood rushed to his head, and his heart pounded. Chu Muyun had considered searching for the Great King in the modern world, but he hadn’t dared to hope too much. His own time travel to this era was already a bizarre anomaly; he couldn’t be sure if the Great King had experienced the same.

Part of his desire to become a celebrity stemmed from wanting to stand in the spotlight, where everyone could see him. If the Great King had also crossed over, finding him would be effortless.

Yet here they were, reunited in this unexpected place.

The man who entered was tall, his bespoke black suit accentuating broad shoulders and a lean waist. His expression was cold and sharp, his features chiseled with a handsomeness that rivaled any star.

His eyes were like polished obsidian, his bearing regal.

His gaze collided with Chu Muyun’s, who had dropped his chopsticks in shock, then moved on without a flicker of emotion. He strode past Chu Muyun and took the head seat Zhou Wei had vacated for him.

Chu Muyun, “……”

Damn it, the Great King doesn’t seem to recognize me. Am I the only one who slipped through the net and didn’t drink Meng Po’s Soup?

He lost his appetite and lifted his head, staring intently at the man’s face.

Lu Hanzhang… he vaguely remembered seeing that name in financial news, though he hadn’t paid much attention to such matters before. This was his first time seeing him in person. Lu Hanzhang was notoriously low-profile, rarely appearing in public.

A second-tier actress was enthusiastically chatting with Lu Hanzhang, who responded with polite indifference, his expression neither warm nor cold.

Chu Muyun continued to stare, his gaze tracing every familiar feature.

It wasn’t just a resemblance—absolutely not.

Apart from the change from imperial robes to a suit, his features and demeanor were unmistakably the same. The Beijing Crown Prince, Lu Hanzhang… it really was his Great King!

Waaah!

Chu Muyun’s heart, which had been sinking with resignation to return home and live-stream selling roast duck, now blazed with renewed fire. He refused to give up. If he became a top-tier star, wouldn’t he be the one sitting beside the Crown Prince?

“Well, well, if it isn’t the high-minded Little Chu. What’s this? Your heart’s aflutter? Thinking of cozying up to the Crown Prince?” Deputy Director Chen, still bitter from his failed attempt to seduce Lu Hanzhang, sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Plenty of people want to get into his bed. You’ll have to take a number and wait in line. Honestly, it’s best to keep your feet on the ground and ditch those delusions.”

Deputy Director Chen had seen it all before. These young stars would sell themselves to anyone. Lu Hanzhang, with his wealth, power, and youthful good looks, was the perfect Sugar Daddy target. But they needed to know their place. Did they really think the Crown Prince was so easily won over? After all his years in the Beijing, Chen had never heard a single rumor about the man. Either he hid his affairs impeccably, or his mind simply wasn’t on such things. In any case, he certainly wasn’t like Zhou Wei, who changed women like clothes.

“That’s none of your concern,” Chu Muyun snapped, too focused on Lu Hanzhang to waste words on the deputy director. His gaze burned with undisguised intensity, utterly abandoning any pretense of restraint.

The Crown Prince left after only a short while. Chu Muyun immediately rose and hurried after him, ignoring the knowing glances and exchanged looks of the people behind him.

Even Zhou Wei, who had his arm around a second-tier actress, remarked, “My cousin is always so aloof. He treats everyone like that. See? Isn’t Young Master me much more approachable? That little nobody who just ran after him has guts, but he’ll soon be crashing and burning, hahaha.”

Chu Muyun didn’t crash and burn. He had barely left the private room when an assistant-like man stopped him in the hallway.

The man was polite but distant, “Sir, the boss doesn’t see unscheduled guests. Please make an appointment if you have business.”

Chu Muyun’s eyes widened slightly. Wasn’t this… Xiao Dezi? The efficient little eunuch who used to serve the Great King so diligently.

He didn’t seem to recognize Chu Muyun either.

Setting that aside for now, Chu Muyun looked at the Crown Prince a few steps away and called out, “Can I have a word with you?”