Capturing My Demon King Costar

MY COSTAR WANTS ME TO FLY

Yao Shen's schedule over the next few days passes by in a flurry. He has a lot of minor scenes in which Yan Shuyi mostly lies in bed, recovering from his injuries.

He and Ye Fang have a short scene together in which Mei Shuang worries over her shizun, and blames her unworthy pair of shidi all over again for Yan Shuyi's bad luck.

Yan Shuyi asks her not to tell anything to Xie Huan about the reason behind his 'secluded cultivation' once they return to Frozen Peak. If Mei Shuang wonders why him in particular, she doesn't voice her questions.

In one of the many scenes where Yao Shen is laid up on his back, pretending to be unconscious, Rong Zi sneaks in once again.

He looks on as Yan Shuyi slumbers restlessly, his brows knit in pain. Once or twice his hand reaches towards Yan Shuyi's face as if to wipe the sweat off his brow, but it always falls away at the last moment.

Yao Shen is glad for the break in high intensity scenes. For once it's good to kick back and relax while everyone else acts around him.

It means that several days go by before he has any scenes with Xin Hulei again.

He takes the time to get his thoughts in order.

He reaches a sobering conclusion: it's possible he doesn't hate Xin Hulei, despite his best efforts to remain bitter over the events of the acting survival show.

More concerning: it's possible that he is even a little fond of Xin Hulei, because he's looking forward to acting alongside him again.

There's something endearing about seeing him switch so effortlessly between Xie Huan's bluster and self-possesed verve, and his own clipped and frosty speech.

Xie Huan doesn't dislike something, "he fucking hates it," likewise, he doesn't think something is great, but instead "it's incredibly amazing."

On the other hand, Xin Hulei describes everything as either "unpleasant" or "okay".

The difference is almost comical.

Their first scene together in several days is just a short training segment, in which Xie Huan realizes, for the first time, that something isn't right with Yan Shuyi.

Having pushed himself to leave his bed before being fully healed, Yan Shuyi struggles through a few simple sword exercises.

Xie Huan catches sight of a bright slash of crimson on his back as he leaves with the excuse of an upset stomach.

As soon as they're done shooting, Xin Hulei approaches Yao Shen with a decisive look in his eye.

"Today is Wednesday. Do you want to go back to the restaurant to talk with Gong Tao?"

Yao Shen is momentarily stunned by the deep baritone of his voice. So different from when he speaks as Xie Huan, whose voice is higher and more aggressive.

"Sure, I'll meet you later?" Yao Shen asks, keeping his tone casual in case someone overhears them.

"Don't, I'll pick you up," Xin Hulei says, leaning in towards him as he walks past in the opposite direction.

Yao Shen remains rooted in place, trying to tell himself that Xin Hulei's words only sounded suggestive in his imagination.

---

Yao Shen goes back to his hotel room and changes from his nondescript running shorts and t-shirt into something a little nicer.

He's only doing it because he wants Sun Yi's fiance to take them seriously, and not because he thinks he and Xin Hulei are going on a date or something.

He's well aware that Xin Hulei doesn't see him that way.

And Yao Shen doesn't see him like that either, so they're perfectly aligned in that sense.

At best, he's reluctantly fond of him.

He's finishing getting dressed in some high waisted loose fitting jeans and tshirt when his phone vibrates.

[Cute didi: Does gege want to come over to play video games?]

Yao Shen bumps his phone against his forehead. Now of all times?

He and Gao Wu have continued flirting over texts, and it has been fun, but it hasn't really progressed past that stage yet. They sometimes exchange coy smiles on set, which sends a little irreverent thrill up Yao Shen's spine, but nothing more serious than that after their 'date'.

It makes sense that Gao Wu would ask him out again, a week after their first official outing, and this time with no chance of Xin Hulei intruding.

[Little Ghost: Sorry didi, something came up. Tomorrow maybe?]

[Cute didi: Sure. Have a nice night heart.png]

Yao Shen looks fondly at Gao Wu's reply. He's such a nice person, he never tries to pry into Yao Shen's private life, or ask him any indiscreet questions.

Unlike that Xin Hulei, who reveals nothing about himself but looks at Yao Shen as if he has X-ray vision and can see beneath his skin.

There's a knock at Yao Shen's door. He rolls his eyes at Xin Hulei's sudden propriety. Why not just teleport directly into his room?

As expected, Xin Hulei is standing on the other side of the door when Yao Shen opens it, tall and clad completely in black, a sleek leather jacket hanging from his frame, the long strands of his hair pulled back into a small messy bun.

"Let's go," he says, tilting his head towards the elevators.

"Go where? Just do your thing and make us show up outside the restaurant, or something."

Xin Hulei shakes his head. "I have something else in mind."

---

"No, absolutely not," Yao Shen says, as soon as he sees Xin Hulei's cursed bike.

Ignoring his complaints Xin Hulei straddles it gracefully and holds out a helmet for Yao Shen.

"The wind will feel good on your skin," he says simply, as if that has anything to do with why Yao Shen doesn't want to go along for another ride.

"You drive like a madman."

"I'll go slower, I promise," he holds out the helmet again. "Riding a bike feels like flying, when you let yourself go. I'll teach you to like it."

The intensity in his dark eyes makes something inside Yao Shen's chest lurch.

He bites back a curse and takes the helmet from Xin Hulei's hands.