Demon Consort Runs into the Beijing Crown Prince - Chapter 52

Before Lu Hanzhang’s arrival, the days hadn’t felt so unbearable. But now that he had come and gone, Chu Muyun suddenly felt time dragging on endlessly, each day stretching into an eternity. Fortunately, Lu Hanzhang had promised to visit the set again over the weekend, like a carrot dangling before him, giving him something to look forward to.

Between filming scenes, Chu Muyun bombarded Lu Hanzhang with over a dozen “I miss you so much” messages daily, each one receiving an immediate reply: [I miss you too.]

Filming for Snow Moon’s Intertwined Radiance continued as scheduled.

Today’s scenes involved Bu Chongxue infiltrating the villain’s manor to gather intelligence. He had to disguise himself as a woman, impersonating a minor female character, and perform a zither recital at the villain’s banquet.

The stylist gave him a completely different look from his usual appearance.

With his naturally sharp jawline and delicate features, Chu Muyun’s cross-dressing looked surprisingly natural. Butterfly-shaped gold ornaments adorned his temples, his features were as exquisite as a painting, and his crimson gown trailed across the floor, outshining even the pomegranate blossoms.

As soon as his full transformation was complete, Xiao Xing gasped dramatically, “Oh my god, Teacher Chu, even your female disguise… hiss, it’s absolutely stunning!”

*Off-topic, that very night, Chu Muyun saw a scene in the entertainment industry fanfic he’d been urging the author to update: [Consort Chu, having transmigrated as a minor celebrity, stunned the entire production crew with his cross-dressing. There was even a bonus scene of him in drag, locked in passionate embrace with the Great King.] Wait, who is this guy? The smut is surprisingly good.

Chu Muyun sent the cross-dressing photo to Lu Hanzhang. This time, Lu Hanzhang paused for two seconds before replying: [A bit unexpected, but you look good in anything.]

Heh, no instant reply. Looks like he really was surprised.

Next up was the scene where Bu Chongxue plays the qin at the banquet. Bu Chongxue actually knew a bit of qin technique, having learned from the Old Qin Demon during his time with the Demonic Sect. This scene required him to play a few notes, with close-up shots focusing on his hands and the qin’s surface.

Chu Muyun had already told the director he didn’t need a hand double, he could handle it himself.

As filming was about to begin, the director still seemed skeptical, “You really know how to play the guqin? You could just fake it for the cameras, we’ll dub the sound in post-production anyway.”

“Yeah, I do.”

Chu Muyun walked over to the prop zither and sat down. He casually plucked a few strings, remarking, “Out of tune. Needs adjusting.”

He then deftly turned the tuning pegs, bringing the strings into perfect pitch. The entire production crew watched in stunned silence, awestruck by his professional and composed demeanor.

Wait, you’re actually serious?

Once the zither was tuned, Chu Muyun’s slender fingers settled on the strings. He plucked.

The entire set fell silent as the ancient melody of Guangling San, a piece from a thousand years ago, drifted through the air. It flowed like tranquil moonlight, yet when the music shifted to a rapid, impassioned tempo, it surged like crashing waves, churning up a thousand piles of snow.

Even after he stopped playing, the lingering notes seemed to linger in the air. Chu Muyun raised his head, offered a faint smile, and nodded to his audience.

“Absolutely stunning!” the director exclaimed, leading the applause. “You’re at an expert level! I’m truly impressed! We need to give you more close-ups in the next scene!” The rest of the crew joined in the cheers and applause. They were used to actors who couldn’t do anything, didn’t bother memorizing their lines, and relied solely on their looks. This was the first time they’d encountered an actor with genuine talent.

“Expert level is an exaggeration,” Chu Muyun said modestly. “I’ve just practiced a bit.”

It’s been a while since I last played. My fingers are still a little rusty.

“And you don’t need a hand double for the calligraphy and painting scenes either, right? I believe you now,” the director said. “In a few days, it’ll be Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects). The Official Weibo Account wants to release some promotional material to engage with fans. How about we have you write a piece of calligraphy for them?”

“That’s right, I’ve practiced that too,” Chu Muyun replied readily. “Sure, I’d be happy to.”

“We don’t need to discuss dancing—I saw you on Dance Storm and know you’re skilled,” the director added, still visibly impressed. “Amazing! A true polymath! Once the promotional period for the drama starts, we’ll definitely highlight all your talents!”

“Alright,” Chu Muyun replied with a modest smile, though inwardly he was beaming with pride.

In the past, he had been an unvalued playboy in his family, his father disdaining his lack of aptitude for both literary and martial pursuits, and his effeminate fondness for dressing up. He had learned the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and dancing during his time as a male consort in the palace, solely to please the emperor. He never imagined these skills would actually prove useful now.

Later, he forwarded the short zither-playing video Xiao Xing had filmed to Lu Hanzhang.

[You can play this too? I don’t know much about the zither, but it sounds quite good.]

[Of course! There’s so much more I can do! I can even play “Phoenix Seeks Its Mate,” though I won’t play that one for the production crew. I’ll play it for you privately sometime~]

[Alright.]

With just one video and a single sentence, the Little Demon Consort had convinced the Great King to take the Crown Prince for a stroll after work. Their walk led them to the neighboring villa in the exclusive residential area, where they stopped to take a look.

Though technically neighbors, the vast size of each estate meant a twenty-minute walk was required to reach the next house. The owner of this particular villa had recently suffered a catastrophic business failure, plummeting overnight from a top-tier tycoon to being deeply in debt. All his properties were now listed for sale. Lu Hanzhang had made up his mind: he would buy this place.

Of course, he hadn’t bankrupted the man just to acquire the property. He wouldn’t stoop to such tactics. But with his keen business acumen, the Lu Clan had swiftly moved in to acquire the man’s prime assets, tearing the most succulent piece of meat from the carcass of a once-mighty behemoth.

Lu Hanzhang’s primary interest lay in the villa’s proximity to his home and its expansive grounds. He planned to demolish the existing structure and rebuild it as a Chinese-style courtyard modeled after the palaces of the Yu Dynasty. This way, he and his Little Canary could alternate between residences whenever the mood struck them. Their current European-style garden villa would be too cumbersome and inconvenient to renovate, and after settling in, he didn’t want to make the Little Canary move around his other properties.

Standing outside the villa he was about to acquire, Lu Hanzhang mentally sketched a palace complex with carved beams and painted rafters, complete with artificial mountains, ponds, and a winding, covered corridor garden. He even planned to build a zither platform for his Beloved Consort, wondering whether to plant a peach tree or a phoenix tree beside it. He could discuss the details with his Beloved Consort later.

He also remembered to instruct his assistant to find a way to purchase a top-quality guqin, eager to hear the melody of Phoenix Seeks Its Mate.

As Lu Hanzhang stood lost in thought by the roadside, the Crown Prince, bored, began nibbling on the grass. Lu Hanzhang quickly tugged on the leash, “Don’t eat that!”

If the Crown Prince could speak, he would have retorted with a question mark, ? They’re going to bulldoze the whole place and rebuild it anyway, and you haven’t even paid me for mowing the lawn!

That night, after catching up on the latest updates on the forum, Chu Muyun fell asleep and dreamed he had become a woman, taken to the palace as the Imperial Consort by the Great King—a dream that mirrored his real-life experiences. When he woke up, he sat on the bed in a daze for a long while.

In truth, whether he was male or female, once he became a consort of the Late Emperor and then the Great King, enjoying the Great King’s exclusive favor, he was destined to be labeled a “Demon Consort.” Gender mattered little, historical Demon Consorts weren’t all women.

Their first encounter was fraught with errors that the world would never condone.

Yet Chu Muyun didn’t see it as a mistake. He had clearly met the right person, someone he would still yearn for a thousand years later.

His only regret was not meeting the Great King sooner. How wonderful it would have been to grow up together as childhood sweethearts, or to have started as the Imperial Prince’s consort.

Composing himself, he sent Lu Hanzhang a message: [Good morning!]

[Morning.]

It didn’t matter. At least he had lived a lifetime longer than the other man, and so had the person he loved. They still had many years together ahead of them.

As he rode to the film set in the RV driven by Xiao Xing, Chu Muyun browsed the Forum again. The fanfic writers hadn’t updated yet—it was too early for smut—so he clicked on a thread in the Watercooler Zone.

Topic: If you could represent your favorite couple with dishes, what would they be?

OP: Just a random thought! Looking forward to everyone’s discussion~

1st Reply:

[The Martial King is definitely the Coiled Dragon Dish. That was my first thought.]

2nd Reply:

[Consort Chu would be a sweet rice cake shaped like a little white rabbit. Historical records say he loved eating these. Just imagining it is so cute!]

3rd Reply:

[Hmm… I just read Mrs. CC’s story, and she nominated the Demon Consort for the Fruit Basket award (not).]

4th Reply:

[I think the Martial King would be Buddha Jumps Over the Wall—expensive ingredients, complex preparation, and imperial-level prestige.

But this dish seems a bit too “righteous” to capture his rebellious spirit. Maybe we should toss in some facing-heaven chilies? (May the God of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall drag me out and beat me senseless!)]

5th Reply:

[The Demon Consort is definitely Sweet Steamed Pork Belly!

Here’s why: He drove the Great King mad with infatuation—that’s definitely sweet. And being a Demon Consort, he’s definitely “steamed” (as in, hot and alluring). Historical records describe him as “delicate, fair, and pure white”—his skin must have been so pale it practically glowed!]

6th Reply:

Replying to 5th:

[Ah, that makes perfect sense. I can’t even argue with that. I’ll never be able to look at this dish the same way again…]

Chu Muyun also found the logic disturbingly sound. He searched for recipes for Coiled Dragon Dish and Sweet Steamed Pork Belly, memorizing them.

His hotel suite had a kitchen, so on weekends, Lu Hanzhang would come over and cook for him personally.

Chu Muyun was a man of action. After finishing filming for the day, he ordered fresh ingredients for delivery on his way back to the hotel. As soon as he returned, he headed straight to the kitchen to start preparing the dishes.

Sweet Steamed Pork Belly was relatively simple. He sliced the pork belly into thin slices, brushed them with sauce, and sandwiched a layer of red bean paste between two slices. He then topped the layers with soaked glutinous rice and steamed the dish until cooked through.

The Coiled Dragon Dish was more intricate. First, he prepared the meat filling. Then, he made a thin dough from eggs and flour, spread the filling over the dough, and rolled it into a cylindrical meat roll. This roll was also steamed until cooked. Finally, he sliced the roll into rounds and arranged them on a plate in the shape of a coiled dragon.

Since this dish was meant to be shared with the Great King, Chu Muyun took extra care. He even carved the dragon’s head, tail, and four claws from carrots.

Hmm, looking at the solitary dragon coiled on the plate, Chu Muyun had another idea. He quickly made three steamed buns shaped like white rabbits—one large and two small. The large one represented himself, while the smaller ones represented the Crown Prince and Princess. He nestled the rabbit buns within the dragon’s coiled body.

Hehe, this dish should be renamed “Family Portrait”!

In the midst of his busy work, Chu Muyun’s WeChat buzzed.

Lu Hanzhang: [Are you asleep?]

Chu Muyun wiped his hands and replied: [Not yet. I’m hungry, so I’m making a late-night snack on a whim.] He attached a photo of himself in an apron, smiling sweetly like a little chef.

To keep the surprise for the Great King, he didn’t reveal what he was cooking.

[I want to eat your cooking.]

[Mm-hmm, there will be opportunities~]

In truth, Lu Hanzhang also wanted to tell his Little Canary about the villa he’d bought next door and his plans to renovate it in the style of the Yu Dynasty imperial court. But he held back, wanting to surprise Chu Muyun. He decided to wait until Chu Muyun returned and take him there in person.

Each harboring their own thoughts, they chatted about trivial matters before saying goodnight.

The dishes were ready.

Chu Muyun tasted them. Not bad at all—no disasters this time.

The Sweet Steamed Pork Belly was tender, fragrant, and sweet, rich but not greasy. The Coiled Dragon Dish had a springy texture and a savory flavor.

Having worked so hard, he was quite hungry, so he decided to eat everything for his late-night snack. After all, he couldn’t freeze it for the Great King to eat later—that would be stale. He’d have to make it fresh then.

Waaah, tomorrow’s the weekend, right?