Capturing My Demon King Costar

MY COSTAR CAN'T BE HIM

Yao Shen is having a terrible day.

It starts with the reality tv show he was going to star in, "Innocent Youth", being cancelled.

"What do you mean it has been cancelled?" he asks into his phone, holding it out while in speakerphone, so that his assistant Bi Jialu can listen in too.

"Ahhh, Yao-laoshi, the tv show is called "Innocent Youth" but on account of the scandals surrounding four of the seven cast members, that name is somehow unfitting." On the other end of the line, Boss Hong sighs despondently. "People have been making all kinds of jokes and memes on weibo for the past week. How can production go on like this?"

What the fuck does that have to do with him?

"I'm not involved in any scandals! Just find new people to go on the show and replace the other guys," Yao Shen says, while his assistant pats his knee comfortingly.

The problem for Yao Shen is that he isn't involved in much of anything.

Ever since his debut in the entertainment industry four years ago, things have been terribly lackluster. A support role here, a second male lead in an unpopular drama there, but nothing that he can really sink his teeth into.

Four years of grueling work and sleepless nights, and Yao Shen is virtually anonymous.

This reality tv show was supposed to be his big break!

A feel-good show where D-list celebrities go on a series of dates with random, but attractive, anonymous people until finally finding "the one". The gimmick was that they were all inexperienced in love and that their focus on making their careers take off made them unable to date -- until the tv show came along.

Of course that if one of the cast members has been secretly married the entire time, the other has been found in the company of high end prostitutes, yet another one has a bitter foreign ex who is more famous than him, and whose fans google translate Twitter callouts into Chinese, complaining about what a two-timing bastard he is, and post them on weibo -- the "innocent" part is bound to be a hard sell.

And just like that, due to no fault of his own, Yao Shen's big break goes up in smoke.

He groans and thumps his head against the car seat.

If he doesn't find a paying gig soon, he's going to have to leave the entertainment industry.

His agency, HuaHua management has no confidence in him. He and his assistant are taking a didi to his first photoshoot in months, because they can't be bothered to waste one of their private cars on him.

"What am I going to do now, Boss Huang?" he asks, his eyes meeting Bi Jialu's downcast gaze over the phone.

They hear Boss Huang's crackling sigh from the other side, "There's one thing," he starts, "but I don't want you to get too excited, it's a long shot."

Yao Shen rolls his eyes -- his career is a long shot at this point.

"Have you heard of the webnovel 'Shizun, this disciple will have to kill you?'" Boss Huang asks.

Bi Jialu's eyes grow comically wide. "It's one of the most popular danmei novels of all time! They're turning it into a live action drama."

Yao Shen grumbles, "Who hasn't heard about it?"

It's the hottest ticket in the industry right now, and everyone who is anyone has been auditioning for a role. It's such a massive production that even being cast as Fruit Vendor #3 is bound to get some actors more exposure than a leading role in a smaller drama.

Of course, Yao Shen hasn't managed to land an audition for Dead Body #21, he would never have such lofty aspirations as Fruit Vendor #3.

Unless..."Have they opened casting calls for the secondary roles yet?" he asks, barely able to contain his excitement.