Getting killed off was supposed to be an incredibly sad affair, so there was no need for everyone to spam 6s. It would make Xi Nian think his fans were a bunch of disguised haters.

After their scene together that day, Yan Du seemed to have belatedly realized that Xi Nian was not someone to be trifled with. Although his gaze would still uncontrollably drift toward Lu Xingzhe, he at least restrained himself from actively trying to talk to him anymore.

Xi Nian wasn't too worried. He had plenty of fight scenes with Yan Du. Taking care of him would be a matter of minutes.

The drama Assassination was neither long nor short. After editing, it came out to be just over twenty episodes. The entire filming process took more than half a year, wrapping up just as spring arrived the following year. Director Chong paid out of his own pocket to treat everyone to a wrap-up banquet. No one was polite; after being yelled at for half a year, they had to replenish their spirits and mercilessly bled him dry.

After finishing this drama, Xi Nian was visibly thinner. He was even hospitalized for an injury at one point, and after just a few days, he had to brave the severe cold to return to the set and continue filming. The hardships he faced were not for outsiders to know.

At the dinner table, everyone was drunk. Having spent more than half a year together, it was inevitable that they were reluctant to part. Director Chong sat next to Xi Nian, patting his shoulder as if he wanted to say something. After a long while, he finally managed to stammer out with the help of the alcohol, "You all..."

He seemed drunk, yet not entirely. He muttered to himself, "You all think Duan Haiyang is the main character because he has more screen time, because he's the good guy..."

Xi Nian paused, subconsciously looking at Chong Wenxin, but the other man didn't continue on that topic. Instead, he gulped down a glass of wine, letting the spicy liquid burn his throat, and sighed with his eyes closed, "I've never praised anyone, or told any artist that their future is limitless. Because acting well now doesn't mean they'll act well in the future. Having an unchanged original intention now doesn't mean it will stay unchanged in the future. So I just don't say anything."

He patted Xi Nian's shoulder forcefully, truly forcefully. "I'm over fifty this year. If I live to sixty, most of my life is already gone. I don't know what kind of work I'll be able to film next time. Only heaven knows..."

Director Chong usually yelled at people on set with a voice like a booming bell, making it easy to forget that he was already an old man with graying hair. Xi Nian paused for a moment before saying, "It will get better and better."

"Things like that are uncertain; the ups and downs are never fixed," Director Chong shook his head, then leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette, sighing in a low voice, "...Don't think that just because this assassin has few scenes and is a villain, he can't be the main character. Xi Nian, I won't praise you. I've never praised anyone in my life. If there's a chance, let's work together again on the next drama."

In the circle, there were very few people to whom Director Chong would take the initiative to say such a thing.

Xi Nian toasted him with a glass of wine. "Perhaps it will be even better than this time."

Just as he had finally begun to believe in this life, as long as one lived earnestly, things, whether people or matters, would eventually get better and better.

After the banquet ended, Xi Nian was seventy to eighty percent drunk. Lu Xingzhe helped him into the back seat of the car. Just as he was about to get up, Xi Nian pulled him into his arms. The car door slammed shut with a bang, disappearing into the night.

Xi Nian's breath was heavy with alcohol. He pressed Lu Xingzhe down on the back seat and kissed him thoroughly until the man's fair skin was tinged with a faint red. Only then did he nibble on his earlobe and say in a muffled voice, "It's finally over..."

Lu Xingzhe let out a muffled grunt, then panted as he climbed onto Xi Nian's back. His five fingers slowly ran through his dark hair as he kissed his lips. "You can finally rest well for a while."

The weather had already turned warm. He was wearing a white t-shirt, his body as thin as ever. Xi Nian only needed to measure his slender waist to know that this person hadn't gained much weight.

Xi Nian seemed to be talking in his sleep. "You're too skinny."

Lu Xingzhe seemed to be coaxing him. "Alright, I'll get a little fatter."

After he said that, seeing that Xi Nian was half-drunk and half-asleep, he gently pulled his hands away, settled him down, and walked around to the driver's seat. Remembering something, he checked his phone and saw that Assassination had officially released its promotional stills. He logged into Weibo with Xi Nian's account, liked and retweeted it, and only then drove home.

This drama had been in preparation for over half a year. Just with the trusted names of Yan Du and Chong Wenxin, many people were willing to buy in. When it started broadcasting, the tight and exciting plot of the first few episodes already had people completely hooked. Some even predicted that Yan Du would win another Best Actor trophy for his role as Duan Haiyang.

Niangao still remembered the fan war from more than half a year ago. They were noncommittal upon hearing this, merely forwarding posts everywhere to help Xi Nian promote the new show and secretly looking forward to his appearance. At the same time, they were a little troubled. Hubby said not to spam 666, so what should they spam?

#This is hard#

#This is so fucking hard#

Yan Du's fans were also clearly holding a grudge. While promoting their own idol, they didn't forget to trample on Xi Nian. It was one thing to play the male lead or second male lead, but what was the point of harping on about playing a small supporting role? He'd be killed off in a few episodes, what a waste of time.

With old hatreds in the past and new ones now formed, it was impossible to stop them this time. The two fanbases started fighting again. Perhaps due to preconceived notions, netizens felt that most handsome actors couldn't act. Coupled with Yan Du's established public reputation, the tide of public opinion unconsciously leaned in his favor.

Although Xi Nian's performance in Wolf Smoke was brilliant, there wasn't much room for him to display his full potential. You could say he had acting skills, but whether they were good or not was debatable. At least, most people currently didn't think he could outperform Yan Du. Just as the online debate raged on, Assassin 19, played by Xi Nian, finally made his entrance.

Under the dim setting sun, the camera first focused on a hidden house. Then, the faint sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor, and a tall, slender figure gradually became clear before everyone's eyes, revealing the man's appearance.

Fierce!

This was the first thought the audience had when they saw Xi Nian's eyes clearly. It was obviously the same face, but in Wolf Smoke, he was a bandit warlord, whereas here, he was like a ferocious desperado, portraying a complete disregard for human life to the extreme.

Xi Nian made no superfluous movements, with most of his face hidden under his upturned collar. He went upstairs, and when someone on the way questioned him, before they could even speak, he had cleanly slit their throat, more effortlessly than killing a chicken. It wasn't until he broke into the safe house to assassinate the undercover agent and fought with Yan Du's Duan Haiyang that his aura showed no signs of being inferior.

The latter had been in the industry for many years, possessing both experience and skill, and his fight scenes were famously neat and crisp. Yet, Xi Nian seemed to have the upper hand against him. Every punch landed solidly, and he moved with ease. Even after being stabbed and escaping wounded, he didn't show the slightest hint of disarray.

Accompanied by the sound of shattering glass, Xi Nian leaped out of the window. He seemed to feel no pain. The moment he landed, he was already on his feet, and then he quickly disappeared into the crowd.

His face was expressionless. Behind him, the sunset was brilliant, yet his eyes were empty and dead, one could even say numb. On the back of his neck were two tattooed numbers—19.

This was his name.

When the audience saw this, they first breathed a sigh of relief after the exhilarating fight scene, then had to praise Xi Nian for his transformative acting. But they also felt that this kind of assassin image was still too one-dimensional and simplistic. Just as they were about to comment, they saw Xi Nian on screen hiding in a private residence.

The beastly stepfather, the violated and dazed girl—even through the screen, the audience felt a huge impact.

But that had nothing to do with Xi Nian. He opened the refrigerator, searching for food inside. He swallowed the cold canned luncheon meat in just a few bites, and the leftover rice was also quickly polished off.

Xi Nian was like a robot; the quality of food made no difference to him. This scene was a long take, with no cuts or transitions. The audience could clearly see his chewing and swallowing motions. Even a layman could tell how much this part tested one's acting skills.

[Oh my god... he's actually eating it. I was afraid he'd choke to death. Xi Nian has completely thrown away his idol baggage.]

[I honestly couldn't connect him with He Xiaoyun. This acting is incredible.]

[Emotionless doesn't mean deadpan acting. Although Xi Nian was expressionless from beginning to end, he just gave off a fierce vibe. Some of those pretty boys should really learn from him.]

[I used to think his acting couldn't surpass Yan Du's, but seeing this, I'm suddenly a little unsure emmm]

On screen, Xi Nian finished all the edible food, then walked to the bedside. When his gaze met the girl lying on the bed, for a moment, the emptiness and numbness in their eyes were a perfect match.

With the previous foreshadowing, the audience all thought he would kill the girl. But the assassin only dressed her, then sat on the floor for a night. The dim light falling on his face actually revealed a hint of handsomeness.

The next morning, Xi Nian prepared to leave. He untied the ropes on the girl's wrists and then dragged the stepfather's body out.

The girl didn't speak, looking dazed and silly. For some reason, she followed him barefoot. Wherever Xi Nian went, she went. When Xi Nian noticed, he expressionlessly grabbed her by the neck, pinned her against the wall, and warned word by word, "Don't follow me."

The girl couldn't speak. Her delicate face looked a bit foolish. Then, she opened her palm, revealing a White Rabbit Candy inside. "Eat..."

She spoke indistinctly, "For you to eat..."

Xi Nian stared into her innocent eyes, his fist silently clenching. For some reason, he loosened his grip, then viciously dragged her back to the previous room, changed her out of her tattered clothes, and put shoes on her.

An assassin couldn't stay in one place for too long, but for the first time ever, he stayed in that place for three days. Although the girl was slow-witted, she knew how to do everything and could cook hot meals every day.

It was much tastier than the canned meat from the refrigerator.

As netizens followed the drama, they could almost feel two lonely hearts growing closer through the screen. This character, when acted out, was far more fleshed out and vivid than the male lead, Duan Haiyang.

[I don't know why, but I really want to cry. The two of them have to be together.]

[This performance is making my heart ache.]

[Getting together is impossible... I heard Xi Nian's character gets killed off in the end.]

One stone stirred a thousand waves. Netizens then realized that Xi Nian was playing a supporting villain, and villains usually don't have happy endings. They all clutched their hearts, nearly suffocating. 'Please don't die! I can keep shipping this! Really!!'

But things often go against one's wishes. As the plot progressed, the assassin was pursued by the police and was forced to flee with the girl. When he killed her with his own hands midway, the netizens were already a crying mess.

The assassin was covered in blood, and the girl was covered in blood as well.

He had been shot several times in the leg and couldn't stand up, so he could only drag the girl through the muddy alley to continue their escape. The mud and blood mixed together, staining them both filthy.

The girl had been following him every step of the way, but at this moment, she patted the assassin's shoulder, pushed him away, her gaze fading, unable to speak from the pain. "Run..."

She said, "Run..."

Xi Nian paused, then looked bewildered. He staggered up from the ground, wanting to pick up the girl. "Let's go together."

They had promised to go together.

The girl shook her head, tears falling. "It hurts... It hurts so much..."

The netizens watching the drama had cried their eyes out. They watched as Xi Nian killed the girl with his own hands, then staggered up from the ground, took off his own coat to put on her. He still had the same expressionless face as when he first appeared, but his eyes revealed a barely perceptible hint of helplessness.

Audience: [Wuwuwu damn it! I'm going to mail Chong Wenxin a razor blade! It wasn't easy for them to get together, wuwuwuwu!]

Niangao didn't spam 6s this time; they were all spamming 5555s. The pairing of the assassin and the girl wrung out all the audience's tears. Even Duan Haiyang's sacrifice for justice later on didn't cause such a huge reaction.

At this point, if anyone still said Xi Nian couldn't act, they would just be forcefully slandering him. Yan Du's fans had originally started watching the drama to support him, but many of them ended up falling for this tragic CP. The joke about mailing razor blades to Director Chong even trended on the hot search list at one point.

Xi Nian had no activities during this time and was resting at home. If you had to say he was doing something, it was fooling around with Lu Xingzhe, from the bed to the floor, and then from the floor to the sofa, completely exhausting the latter.

Lu Xingzhe couldn't help but swear, his eyes red as he gasped, "You fucking..."

Xi Nian deliberately teased him, his eyes lowered, his voice slow and deliberate. "If you don't like it, then I won't do it."

Lu Xingzhe immediately hugged him and refused to let go, nuzzling in his arms for a long time before finally opening his moist eyes and whimpering, "No, I like you."

Xi Nian looked at him, wanting to say something more. The words were on the tip of his tongue, ready to come out, but for some reason, he just couldn't say them. So he could only lower his head and kiss Lu Xingzhe's lips, then give a muffled 'en'.

Lu Xingzhe hugged him, thinking to himself that Xi Nian was so outwardly cold but inwardly passionate.

The quality of domestic dramas was uneven. There were few of the same genre that could compare to Assassination. As the plot neared its end, some had already predicted it would be a strong contender for the Best Television Drama award at this year's Starlight Gala. As for Yan Du's Best Actor award, it became somewhat awkward.

His own strength was there for all to see, and playing Duan Haiyang was more than enough for him, but it was far from being as stunning as the role of Assassin 19. In comparison, he inevitably fell short. The people who had previously predicted he would win another Best Actor trophy also went silent.

A dark horse that appeared out of nowhere—this was how others evaluated Xi Nian.

It was just like when he had stunned everyone at the Star Games. This time, he had simply recreated that scene. If no accidents had occurred in between, everyone could already foresee a promising future for this newcomer.

Everything was proceeding step by step. Not long after, under Zhongxia's arrangement, Xi Nian participated in an ancient court power struggle drama, Flourishing Dynasty, playing the male lead, Cheng Jiao. His transition from a naive and immature prince in the early stages to a scheming emperor in the later stages undoubtedly brought a considerable surprise to the audience.

Unconsciously, the end of the year arrived, and preparations for the annual Starlight Gala began. There were rumors that Assassination had been nominated for multiple awards, but it was unknown if this was true. Xi Nian was also among the invited artists.

On the day of the gala, Xia Mingxue had originally planned to have Xi Nian walk the red carpet with another female artist from the company. But after much consideration, she decided against it. His current popularity was already enough to carry the show. Rashly arranging for a female artist to walk with him would inevitably lead to scandals.

To this day, when Xi Nian sat in the car and looked through the glass at the sea of fans outside, he would still have moments of confusion, unable to distinguish between his past life and his present one.

As his assistant, Lu Xingzhe was always by his side. Seeing Xi Nian in a daze, he reached out to straighten his collar, then asked with a grin, "Are you nervous?"

As early as when they got together, Lu Xingzhe had told Xi Nian he would no longer be a paparazzi, and he had been practicing this promise ever since, choosing to be an unknown little assistant, busy helping him with everything. Even the fans knew that Xi Nian had a close assistant by his side.

The paparazzi with the stinking reputation from before also seemed to be gradually forgotten by people, never to be mentioned again.

Xi Nian gazed at Lu Xingzhe's smiling eyes, then, avoiding the driver in the front row, he touched his brow. "I'm not nervous, it's just..."

Xi Nian paused before saying, "It just feels like a dream."

Both sides of the red carpet were crowded with reporters and fans from various fandoms. The flashing lights and cheers were enough to build a glory watched by all. He had received it in his previous life, but it always felt illusory and ethereal, not as down-to-earth as it was in this life.

The car stopped in front of the red carpet. Dressed in a black suit, Xi Nian had an extraordinary temperament. His handsome face had gained an indescribable charm with the passage of time. When he got out of the car, the media's cameras clicked nonstop, and the fans, as if on steroids, excitedly waved the support banners in their hands.

"Xi Nian! Xi Nian! We love you!"

"Hubby, I love you, ahhhh!"

"You're the best!!"

The waves of sound grew louder and louder. They had come to know Xi Nian through rumors and gossip, and had followed him all the way to the present. Xi Nian deliberately slowed his pace, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, wanting to remember each and every one of those faces in his heart.

Being a celebrity is the most deceptive profession. They wear a gorgeous mask and play the role the audience likes on screen, but no one knows what's underneath, not even the fans. Xi Nian had pretended in his past life, but later got tired of it, so he stopped pretending in this life.

He could pretend for a year or two, but not for ten or eight. Or perhaps, deep down, he also wanted to be genuinely liked.

Xi Nian didn't know how long the fans would like him, but they had accompanied him through both the most difficult and the most glorious days.

He wished that the person they liked was the same on the inside and out.

And hoped that their affection would remain constant.

Xi Nian smiled, then entered the venue.

Assassination was nominated for quite a few awards this time. Director Chong was also seated in the guest section, along with Yan Du and other major and minor actors. Xi Nian's seat was arranged together with them, right next to Yang Jin. He straightened his jacket, sat down, and greeted him.

Yang Jin glanced at him with a smile, then lowered her voice. "Congratulations in advance. You've been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. I think if there are no surprises, it's eighty percent likely to be you."

Xi Nian said, "I hope your good words come true."

He didn't know when it started, but to be precise, up until the last second, Xi Nian hadn't thought about the awards for a long time. His gaze was always uncontrollably drawn to the side of the stage, landing on Lu Xingzhe who was waiting there.

He was looking at him, and he was also looking at him. The moment their eyes met, they both smiled.

This is good.

These three words popped into Xi Nian's mind for no reason. He couldn't say what was so good, but he just felt that it was very good. When two people are together, they should pull each other up, living better and better lives, not trampling on each other and getting stuck in a mire, unable to escape.

Xi Nian was too engrossed in his thoughts, thinking about too many things. So much so that when the host on stage gave a long-winded, mysterious speech and finally read out the list of winners one by one, he didn't hear it. It wasn't until Yang Jin suddenly nudged him and whispered excitedly, "Xi Nian, you won! Go on up!"

On the big screen, there were four nominated works. The images kept changing, finally stopping on Assassin 19, played by Xi Nian. The female host smiled and said, "Congratulations to Xi Nian, thank you for the wonderful performance he brought us in Assassination, and for winning this year's Starlight Award for Best Supporting Actor. A round of applause for him—"

Xi Nian finally came back to his senses and walked onto the award stage under everyone's gaze. This wasn't the first time he had experienced such a scene, yet everything felt completely unfamiliar. The applause below the stage was thunderous. Xi Nian recited his thank-you speech as expected, and finally, his eyes scanned the crowd and landed on Lu Xingzhe.

The latter seemed even happier than him, his eyes crinkling with his smile.

After receiving the award, Xi Nian walked off the stage. Director Chong stood up to congratulate him, as did the other members of the cast and crew. He went up to them one by one, shaking hands and hugging, but he didn't return to his original seat. Instead, he walked towards Lu Xingzhe.

Everyone knew they had a good relationship, so they weren't surprised by this. After all, today's success was inseparable from the efforts of the behind-the-scenes staff. In previous years, there were quite a few artists who hugged their friends and shed tears on stage after winning an award.

When Lu Xingzhe saw Xi Nian walking over, he was a little puzzled. Just as he was about to say something, he was unexpectedly pulled into a familiar embrace in the next second. His body stiffened, and he didn't move, thinking Xi Nian would let go after a brief hug, but the man didn't let go for a long time.

Xi Nian hugged Lu Xingzhe tightly, then placed the trophy in his hand and asked in a low voice by his ear, "Is it beautiful?"

Lu Xingzhe was a little nervous and stammered, "Beau... beautiful."

Xi Nian's hug tightened, and then he said, "Then take good care of it when we get back."

They had both gone astray, they had both done wrong.

If there were ten parts of original sin in their last life, the two of them each bore five.

Lu Xingzhe was responsible for half of the sins of the past life, and he also deserved half of the glory of this life...

Just as Xi Nian was feeling a little dizzy from the gorgeous and psychedelic lights around him, a long-unheard and familiar mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his mind. Accompanied by a 'ding', a blue ball of light suddenly appeared in mid-air.

The small white wings on System No. 009's back fluttered gently. It flew a circle around Xi Nian and finally landed quietly in front of him.

[Ding, it has been determined by the interstellar auditor that the host's reformation is successful. All data has reached the qualified standard. Unbinding is permitted.]

It paused before saying: [I'm leaving.]

The System hadn't appeared for a very, very long time, so long that Xi Nian had almost forgotten its existence. Now that it suddenly sounded, there wasn't much of a ripple in his heart. For the current Xi Nian, its existence was no longer an obstacle.

Xi Nian looked at it. "Where are you going?"

System: [To another, very distant place.]

Xi Nian asked again, "Will we meet again?"

The System paused: [No.]

There are thousands upon thousands of small worlds in the vast universe. It has completed its mission. After it leaves, this world will be closed and will not be opened again.

009's blue body floated up and down as it said softly to Xi Nian: [So you must live this life well. If you make a mistake again, there won't be a next time...]

There was nothing wrong with climbing upwards, but Xi Nian had used the wrong method and shouldn't have been blinded by fame and fortune. May they meet at the peak one day, and may he be full of glory, with a bright future and a clear path, still able to feel gratitude as he did when he had nothing.

Xi Nian didn't speak. He felt something slowly peeling away from his body. The System's light blue form also gradually disappeared into the air, growing fainter and fainter.

[Ding! Extraction program initiated. Please prepare, host. Initiating self-check program. Self-check complete.

Unbinding in progress, 20%

50%

100%

Unbinding successful]

Xi Nian closed his eyes and silently mouthed two words: "Thank you..."

This life of his was two lifetimes for others. When he was first bound by the System, he only felt unlucky, but thinking back now, it was a blessing.