Chapter 57: Gods and Buddhas Must Respect Me by Three Parts

Ling Wu and Qi Yu returned to the dressing room, where Yang Wanyue and the others were tinkering with props for the stage play, mostly swords, magical artifacts, and the like.

Qi Yu: "I'll take you to change your clothes."

"Okay." Ling Wu nodded.

After coming out of the changing room, several makeup artists and stylists crowded around, scrambling to do Ling Wu's makeup and styling: "Your skin is so delicate, it definitely won't cake."

"Have you ever worn makeup before?"

Ling Wu answered truthfully: "I've worn lipstick."

Yang Wanyue walked by carrying several swords, glanced at his side, and said to the makeup artist: "We're in no rush, Ling Wu is the last to appear, there's still time, you can make the styling more refined."

The makeup artist drew a beautiful line of eyeliner at the corner of the youth's eyes: "Don't worry."

"That's good." Yang Wanyue: "Ling Wu, we're going to the backstage to wait; there are instructors there, just follow what we did in the rehearsal later."

Ling Wu: "Okay."

An hour later, the stage play was about to begin, and Ling Wu's makeup and hair were finished. Footsteps echoed in the empty corridor. The makeup artist looked up to see Yin Huaiyu leaning against the door frame, his peach-blossom eyes staring at her with a look that was half-smile, half-not, and he made a gesture for her to leave.

The makeup artist froze for a moment.

Then she left silently.

In the mirror, Ling Wu saw Yin Huaiyu's androgynous face; the other party's gaze landed on him with extreme aggression, staring at Ling Wu through the mirror just like that.

Ever since the incident at the restaurant, Ling Wu had blocked and deleted him from his friends list, and the two had had no further contact until Yin Cilan came over yesterday and they crossed paths.

Ling Wu tidied up the items on the vanity, got up to leave on his own, and even deliberately went around the other side of the chair to avoid Yin Huaiyu.

As if he were some kind of flood or wild beast.

"Heh."

Seeing him avoid him like a snake or scorpion, Yin Huaiyu couldn't help but sneer.

His peach-blossom eyes stared at his back, even the faint light deep within his pupils chillingly grim.

Want to leave?

Yin Huaiyu moved, grabbed the flowing sash at his waist, and pulled him in with his arm. His forearm crossed behind Ling Wu's neck, and his palm clamped onto his shoulder from right to left, pressing him firmly into his embrace.

He leaned down to his ear, resting his chin on Ling Wu's shoulder, his gaze tracing the youth's cold, clear side profile, his tone like a bewitching demon: "Why do you want to leave as soon as I arrive?"

Ling Wu: "Why aren't you staying properly in the judges' seats? What are you doing backstage?"

"Are you concerned about me?" Yin Huaiyu blew a breath toward his ear, mimicking their stage play performance: "Bodhisattva, of course I came to find you."

The atmosphere was silent for several seconds.

Ling Wu clearly did not want to engage in a war of words with him.

Yin Huaiyu's tone was resentful: "Why did you delete me?"

Ling Wu did not answer this question, his voice cold and clear: "Let go of me."

"The performance is about to start."

Yin Huaiyu was unconcerned: "And what if I don't? Is the Bodhisattva going to show his great divine powers to subdue a flood or wild beast like me?"

The hand he held on Ling Wu's shoulder gradually tightened, as if silently forcing him to give an answer.

Ling Wu: "What exactly do you want to do?"

Yin Huaiyu's tone was playful: "Stop performing the stage play. I really want to... lock you up so no one can see you."

His fingertips lifted the plain white hem of his clothes, and what appeared in his mind was the temple hall, the entire hall filled with gods and Buddhas: "What am I doing? I am blaspheming the gods."

Absurd!

Ling Wu's tone was dangerous: "Does your uncle know you harbor such disrespect for the gods and Buddhas?"

"Respect the gods? What a joke!" Yin Huaiyu's eyes were filled with contempt and arrogance, and he said disdainfully: "He respects the gods and Buddhas out of the desires in his heart; I have no desires, the gods and Buddhas must respect me by three parts!"

His tone was low, and that sense of oppression and aggression was almost to the point of being tangible.

Ling Wu felt alarm bells ringing in his heart. He lifted his leg and stomped on Yin Huaiyu, and taking advantage of his pain, he slammed his elbow backward hard, quickly putting distance between them.

"Did you run into something filthy when you went out today?" Ling Wu's brows and eyes were full of cold detachment, his tone angry: "Do you even know what you're saying!"

"Do I need to remind you that you have a boyfriend!"

"Don't be so disgusting."

That blow was clearly not light; Yin Huaiyu clutched his chest, his expression somewhat gloomy.

"Disgusting?"

Yin Huaiyu was incredulous: "Ling Wu, you dare call me disgusting?"

"Fine then, I'll disgust you some more. Xie Qingge looks a bit like you, but he's far inferior to you. You'd be better off coming to my side."

Xie Qingge looks a bit like you?

Ling Wu roared: "He is him!"

"I am me!"

Seeing his poor expression and that he was truly angered, Yin Huaiyu thought that he hadn't actually done anything to Xie Qingge; he had just played with him for two days, got bored, and dumped him.

He softened his expression and tried to pull Ling Wu's hand to explain: "I didn't do anything to him, it was a matter of mutual consent..."

"Slap!"

Ling Wu shook him off, raised his hand, and slapped him: "Get lost, don't touch me!"

Yin Huaiyu touched the corner of his lips with his fingers, his tongue pushing against the cheek that had been hit until it burned. The excitement hidden deep in his eyes was revealed, completely ignited by the emotions other than calmness appearing on Ling Wu's face.

That prairie fire burned fiercely.

"Don't be angry..." Yin Huaiyu tapped his other cheek flippantly, dragging out his tone: "At least hit me symmetrically, Bodhisattva."

Silence is the Cambridge of tonight.

"..." Ling Wu turned and left: "You are simply unreasonable!"

【Does Yin Huaiyu have some kind of hidden attribute?】

【Brother So-Good-Again】

【Brother So-Good-Again +1】

【The male supporting character hits me, and I perform better than him】

【Wait... why would he slap you? Because your face is big? If the male supporting character came to slap me, I definitely wouldn't slurp and lick his hand (not that kind of thing)】

【It's over, the male supporting character has turned Young Master Yin into that sort of thing.】

【Yin Huaiyu, you must be furious inside, brooding for days over being deleted from the friends list, and then getting slapped by the male supporting character after sneaking backstage. Why did he delete you? Don't ask; if you ask, look for the reason in yourself!】

The auditorium.

The audience was whispering:

"This year's stage play is actually not bad, much better to watch than the fairy tale adaptations from before."

"Wasn't it said that Senior Ling Wu would be performing? It's almost over, how come we haven't seen him at all."

"It must be fake."

"I don't care, my camera is already raised, just waiting for one legendary shot to use as my phone wallpaper."

"Haste makes waste; I just asked someone backstage, Senior Ling Wu only appears in the last two minutes of the stage play."

"Ah? Doesn't that mean his screen time is very little?"

Ling Wu hurried to the auditorium and went on stage according to the instructor's prompt; the dry ice fog on the stage was ethereal, and he found a spot next to Qi Yu and stood still.

The white mist dissipated.

The stage lights converged on Ling Wu, and the blower lifted his plain white Dunhuang-style costume, the golden light on the hem flowing faintly; he was sacred and solemn, holding the Willow Branch in his right hand and the Purifying Bottle in his left, with the Silver Lotus Bracelet encircling his wrist bone, looking transcendent, peerless, and compassionate toward all living beings, as if he had flown out of a mural.

After he recited his lines, he used the willow branch to dip into the water in the Purifying Bottle and sprinkled it onto the crowd.

The Purifying Bottle represents the source of purity, compassion, and wisdom, and the water inside possesses the power of purification and healing, which can wash away the troubles and sins of all living beings to alleviate their pain or provide comfort.

The stage play came to an end here.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

The judges gave high scores one after another.

"Ahhh, I'm pregnant!"

"Senior Ling Wu! Look at me!"

"Senior, you're so handsome!"

In the end, the stage play won first place in the art festival, with Moonlight Sonata coming in second.