Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

Tianxing Entertainment, top-floor office.

Fei Zhao was holding his forehead with one hand and flipping through the newly printed script proposal in the other, which still smelled of ink. He was lost in a long and profound period of self-doubt.

The cover of the project proposal prominently displays eight large characters: "Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms".

"Lin Yuan..." Fei Zhao rubbed his temples, looked up speechlessly at Lin Yuan, who was leisurely twirling around in his office chair opposite him, "Are you filming another TV series?"

"That's right." Lin Yuan stopped spinning, took a sip of black tea, and said confidently, "Recently, viewers all over the internet have been leaving comments on my Weibo saying that my previous works were too tragic, and they're sending me razor blades and keyboards every day. I value fan feedback the most, so I've decided to respond to everyone's calls and make a 'healing' fantasy drama full of love and peace!"

"Healing system?!"

Fei Zhao opened the script to the first page, pointed to the plot outline, and raised his voice eight octaves:

"You call this a healing story?! The female lead's first life is that she becomes an apprentice to a master who marries; in her second life, she is reborn as a mortal and has her eyes stolen, ultimately jumping off the Execution Platform in despair; in her third life, she completely loses her memory and forgets the male lead?! And there's also the sealing of the Eastern Emperor Bell and Su Jin's framing... Lin Yuan, do you have some extremely terrible misunderstanding of the word 'healing'?!"

"Sister Fei, this is what you don't understand."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow and said with a straight face, "Look, although the process was a little bit tortuous, the ending is perfect! The male and female protagonists were entangled for three lifetimes, and in the end, they lived happily ever after. Isn't that healing? Besides, how can you experience the joy of ascending to immortality without going through the pain of jumping off the Execution Platform?"

Fei Zhao's lips twitched violently. Looking at Lin Yuan's handsome face, which seemed to say, "I'm going to keep torturing the audience," he sighed deeply.

Well, who can blame us when this guy is the absolute core of Skywalker and the ultimate guarantee of box office and viewership ratings?

"Fine, I can't argue with you." Fei Zhao closed the script, resignedly picked up the pen, and said, "Tell me, for a Tianxing exclusive production, what's your budget? Have you got any ideas about the actors?"

"There's no upper limit to the budget, but the costumes, props, and special effects must be top-notch. I want to make Qingqiu and Ten Mile Peach Blossom Spring the pinnacle of Eastern aesthetics." Lin Yuan slapped the table, his eyes bright. "As for the actors... I already have the most suitable candidate in mind for the female lead."

"Who?"

"Yang Mi, whom I previously worked with in 'Chinese Paladin 3'!"

Half an hour later, at a private coffee shop owned by Tianxing Entertainment.

Yang Mi, who had just finished filming a GG (Girls' Love) segment, rushed over. She was wearing a sharp white suit, her long legs in high heels, and sunglasses, and sat down opposite Lin Yuan with great charm.

"Director Lin, what a rare guest!" Yang Mi took off her sunglasses, her large, bright eyes revealing a hint of wariness. "It's usually harder than climbing Mount Everest to get you to come out for coffee, so why are you suddenly asking me out today? Are you trying to trick me again?"

Having played Xuejian in "Chinese Paladin 3" and endured a lot of torment from Lin Yuan, the "torture novel maniac," Yang Mi now has an extremely keen professional intuition for accepting Lin Yuan's invitations.

"Look at what you're saying, Sister Mi, do you think I'm that kind of person?" Lin Yuan pushed a hot latte in front of her with complete ease, smiling like a docile white rabbit. "I just have a top-tier fantasy IP in my hands, and you were the first person I thought of!"

"Come on, stop trying to sweet-talk me." Yang Mi crossed her arms and gave a coquettish snort. "Give me a heads-up first, how tragic is the female lead this time?"

"Absolutely not!" Lin Yuan patted his chest solemnly, guaranteeing, "This role is practically tailor-made for you! The Empress of Qingqiu! The most beautiful woman in all the realms! The most senior figure in hundreds of thousands of years! In the entire God Realm, whether it's a prince of the Celestial Clan or an ancient Celestial Venerable, everyone must respectfully address you as 'Auntie'!"

"Really? That sounds pretty impressive!" Yang Mi's big eyes lit up, clearly attracted by the "most beautiful woman in all the world" and "aunt" settings.

"Of course! And in this drama, you play three roles—the handsome Si Yin in men's clothing, the gentle and lovely mortal Su Su, and the domineering Bai Qian of Qingqiu!" Lin Yuan continued enthusiastically, "Just imagine, all the gods in the entire drama have to follow your lead. How exciting would that be to act!"

Yang Mi was so impressed by Lin Yuan's words that she couldn't sit still any longer: "It sounds really good... Did you bring the script? Let me see!"

"I brought it!"

Lin Yuan smoothly pulled the script out of his bag and handed it over, silently adding in his mind: Of course, I've thoughtfully highlighted those dozens of pages about 'having his eyes gouged out' and 'jumping off the Execution Platform in a huge rage' in the outline with the smallest font size...

Yang Mi flipped through the beautifully crafted script, becoming more and more satisfied. She immediately slammed her hand on the table: "Okay! Director Lin, I trust your work! I'm definitely playing this 'Auntie'!"

"It's a pleasure working with you, Sister Mi!" Lin Yuan smiled and shook hands with her, a glint of triumph flashing in his eyes.

Having won over "Aunt Bai Qian", the next biggest headache is choosing the male lead, "Ye Hua".

Two days later, in the audition room of the Tianxing film crew.

As soon as the news of the casting of the male lead "Ye Hua" was released, the entire studio was surrounded by media and industry insiders who came to watch the spectacle.

In the original novel and the script, Ye Hua is described as "the most handsome man in the four seas and eight wastelands, a supreme being of Xuan Tian." Not only is his status extremely noble, but his appearance is also breathtakingly handsome.

Tianxing had originally recommended several popular young male celebrities, but Lin Yuan rejected them all.

When Lin Yuan circled "Mark Chao" on the final audition list, the production team was in an uproar!

"Director Lin! You're not kidding, are you?! Mark Chao?!"

The assistant director, holding up a photo of Mark Chao, was sweating profusely: "Mark Chao's acting skills are undeniable, but his looks... they're too rugged and sophisticated! What does that have to do with being 'the most handsome man in all the realms'?! Netizens will tear us apart!"

"Yes, Director Lin, good looks are the most important factor in period idol dramas! If the male lead isn't stunningly handsome, the audience simply can't get into the story!"

Faced with unanimous skepticism from the entire production crew, Lin Yuan remained remarkably calm. He waved his hand and smiled, saying, "Believe me, there are two kinds of handsomeness in idol dramas—one is 'static handsomeness' supported by looks, and the other… is 'transformative acting' that forcibly conquers the audience with acting skills and charisma!"

"A transformation-level acting performance?!" Everyone looked at each other, completely baffled by this unprecedented new term.

"Let Youting in," Lin Yuan instructed.

The audition room door opened, and Mark Chao, dressed in a black robe and with disheveled hair, walked in somewhat reservedly.

Looking at his somewhat heavy, ancient-style black robe in the mirror, Zhao Youting felt a little insecure. He touched his nose and looked at Lin Yuan somewhat awkwardly: "Director Lin... to be honest, I was stunned when I received the audition invitation. The 'Number One Handsome Man in All the Realms' setting puts a lot of pressure on me. I feel like if I look like this, netizens will call me a 'Black Mountain Demon'..."

"Youting, lift your head."

Lin Yuan stepped down from the podium, walked up to Zhao Youting, patted him on the shoulder, and looked at him with unwavering focus:

"Don't care what others think of your face. The soul of the character Ye Hua lies not in how handsome he is, but in his deep affection, restraint, forbearance, and the heavy burden he carries!"

Lin Yuan pointed to a page in the script: "Come on, try scene 24—the scene after Su Su jumps off the Zhuxian Terrace, when Ye Hua is distraught and frantically trying to extract his memories. Don't use exaggerated expressions; act it with your eyes and your breathing."

Mark Chao paused for a moment, then took a deep breath.

The moment he closed his eyes and opened them again, the restrained aura around him vanished instantly!

Instead, there is a suffocating despair and profound sorrow!

His eyes instantly reddened, his lips trembled slightly, and a trembling hand hovered in mid-air, as if trying to grasp the hem of his garment that had already drifted away. There was no hysterical roar, only a single tear slowly sliding down his cheek, and extremely suppressed sobs in his breathing…

That extreme pain and deep affection instantly enveloped the entire audition room!

The assistant director and producer, who had been furiously questioning the situation just moments before, were now completely stunned! Several female staff members were even caught up in the emotion and their eyes welled up with tears!

"good!"

Lin Yuan clapped his hands suddenly, his eyes blazing with intense light: "Did you see that?! That's 'transformative acting'! The moment he opened his mouth to act, he became the most handsome Ye Hua in the entire realm!"

After getting out of character, Mark Chao wiped away his tears with amusement and looked at Lin Yuan: "Director Lin... I really don't know if your evaluation is praising me or insulting me."

"That's absolutely a compliment!" Lin Yuan laughed and patted his arm. "You're the male lead! Get ready to join the crew!"

The auditions concluded successfully, and the production team swiftly began shooting the first round of character stills.

Inside the photography studio, spotlights flashed incessantly.

Yang Mi changed into a light blue and white dress, reminiscent of Bai Qian, the Queen of Qingqiu. Her long hair cascaded down her back, exuding an ethereal aura. Standing under the peach tree, every gesture she made conveyed the nobility and domineering presence of the most beautiful woman in the entire realm.

"Beautiful! So captivating! Yang Mi's beauty is absolutely stunning!" The assistant director exclaimed enthusiastically from behind the monitor.

Yang Mi herself looked at the preview on the camera and couldn't stop smiling. She was extremely satisfied with her idea of ​​Lin Yuan as the "exquisite aunt".

However, when the photoshoot moved to the second look, "Ordinary Su Su," the stylist carefully handed over a soft white ribbon.

Yang Mi held the white cloth strip, her long, beautiful eyebrows furrowing slightly.

She glanced up at Lin Yuan, who was quietly packing his things to slip away, and her professional instincts kicked in instantly. She immediately snapped, "Director Lin! You stop right there!"

"Oh my, Sister Mi, the makeup photos are really great. I was just about to go get lunch..." Lin Yuan slipped and turned around with a dry laugh.

"Um... well..." Lin Yuan's eyes flickered, his brain racing. "Sister Mi, this is called 'fashion sense'! Do you understand? It's the most popular trend right now: a slightly tipsy, hazy, abstract aesthetic! Just think about it, covering your eyes and relying entirely on facial contours and lip lines to express emotions—that's such a test of acting skills! If this airs, the whole internet will absolutely rave about your god-like performance!"

"Stop lying to me!" Yang Mi crossed her arms, laughing angrily. "While you were explaining the scene to Mark Chao, I secretly looked through the filming stills and synopsis! It said 'Su Su's eyes were gouged out, and she was utterly despondent'?! Lin Yuan! You 'torture novel mastermind'! You call this a lighthearted, pure love fantasy drama? You tricked us into coming here just to torture us, didn't you?!"

"Misunderstanding! This is all paving the way for the tribulation and ascension later!" Lin Yuan retreated with a strong survival instinct. "Sister Mi, think about it, without experiencing the misery of jumping off the Execution Platform, how can you enjoy the satisfaction of tearing Su Jin apart later?! This is called building up tension before the climax! This is called an emotional outburst!"

"Lin Yuan, don't run away! You'd better explain yourself today! You have to prepare ten cushions for me the day I jump off the Execution Platform!!"

The costume studio erupted in chaos, with staff laughing so hard they nearly fell over, and the entire crew immersed in this joyful and wonderful atmosphere.

A week later, Tianxing Entertainment's official Weibo account officially released the project poster and main cast of "Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms"!

[Presented by Tianxing Entertainment! Director Lin Yuan's latest fantasy epic, "Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms," has officially been greenlit! Starring: Yang Mi (as Bai Qian/Su Su/Si Yin), Zhao Youting (as Ye Hua/Mo Yuan)! Three lifetimes of love and hate, ten miles of peach blossoms—stay tuned!]

As soon as the news broke, related topics on Weibo instantly and at an alarming speed dominated the top five of the trending topics list!

"Holy crap?! Lin, the Demon King, is filming another fantasy drama?! My tears from 'Chinese Paladin 3' haven't even dried yet, and he's already stealing my tears again?!"

"Yang Mi playing Bai Qian?! The most beautiful woman in all the realms? This is a great idea! Yang Mi's beauty in period dramas is absolutely stunning!"

"Wait a minute... who's the male lead?! Mark Chao?! Playing the most handsome man in all the realms?!"

"Lin Yuan, did you gouge your eyes out while reading the script?! Zhao Youting is handsome, but what does he have to do with being 'China's Most Handsome Man'?!"

"It's all over, it's all over! The casting for Lin the Demon King has failed for the first time! This ancient costume in black robes makes him look like the Black Mountain Demon!"

"Don't jump to conclusions too quickly! When has Lin Da Mo Wang ever misjudged anything? Didn't a bunch of people criticize Initial D before? Just wait and see them proven wrong!"

Faced with overwhelming doubts and heated discussions across the internet, Lin Yuan sat leisurely in his office, scrolling through funny comments on Weibo and chuckling to himself.

"Ding-dong."

My phone rang. It was a WeChat message from Gu Zhiwan, who was filming at the movie studio next door.

[Actor Gu]: I heard someone's new drama has been officially announced? The whole internet is criticizing your male lead as "Black Mountain Demon"~ (eating meme)

[Lin the Great Demon King]: This is called an artistic strategy. They'll know what it means to be popular when it airs.