Capturing My Demon King Costar

MY COSTAR AND I, DRESSES IN RED

Despite his exhaustion, Yao Shen can't sleep after reading Bi Jialu's messages.

He spends the entire night twisting and turning, tangling his sheets around his legs, with no sign of sleep.

The idea of seeing Xin Hulei again thrills him as much as it terrifies him.

What will he do when he looks into Xin Hulei's eyes tomorrow, and instead of the warm indulgence he always seemed to reserve for Yao Shen he finds nothing but coldness?

He doesn't know if he can't withstand Xin Hulei's indifference after having experienced his affection.

---

In the morning, Bi Jialu calls him to clarify the details of the photoshoot. "A car will come pick up laoshi around 2 p.m. Be sure to eat well, because the shoot can drag well into the evening. There will also be an interview portion."

That's going to to suck. Yao Shen can already imagine the awkwardness of trying to sit next to Xin Hulei while answering fluffy questions about their time as costars and their expectations for the second half of the drama.

He spends the entire morning in a state of restless anxiety. Unable to do anything with himself, and yet watching the time he has to leave for the photoshoot approach like a convict facing the gallows.

He warns Xie Bian through the two-way mirror that he'll be unreachable for the next few hours. Xie Bian is confused as to why he would feel the need to tell him that.

"Are you under the illusion that I'd prioritise you over Wujiu's full recovery?"

Yao Shen refrains from mentioning the two of them would probably still not be talking to each other, due to Xie Bian's stubbornness, if it wasn't for him.

Bi Jialu texts him warning that the car is outside waiting for him. Filled with trepidation, Yao Shen goes down to meet it.

---

The ride to the magazine's studio is painfully short, giving Yao Shen very little time to get his thoughts in order before seeing Xin Hulei.

He's escorted to hair and makeup as soon as he walks inside the building, and doesn't cross paths with Xin Hulei at any point.

He doesn't know if it's a coincidence that they ended up with separate changing rooms or if Xin Hulei requested it, in an attempt to reduce the time they spent interacting.

The stylists hover around him like a swarm of bees, but Yao Shen's thoughts are too scattered to pay attention to their conversation.

Which is why he's surprised when a long red wedding robe is rolled in on a rack.

"Why am I wearing that?" Yao Shen asks, looking at the red and gold brocade silk like it's trying to kill him.

One of the stylists, a young guy with a shock of blue hair gives him a confused look. "We were just commenting that we're going to switch up the hairstyling for the two themes of the photoshoot. For the ancient wedding Yao laoshi and Xin laoshi will have modern hairstyles, and for the modern day looks will be wearing wigs with headpieces."

Next to him a tiny girl with a short bob nods enthusiastically. She gestures with her fingers, bringing them together in front of her chest, saying only: "Thematic coherence."

Dumbly, Yao Shen says, "Uh, uh," his brain still snagged on the word "wedding" like a frozen screen.

---

'Shizun, this disciple will have to kill you', does have a wedding scene, in one of the extra chapters. A completely indulgent piece of fanservice that serves no purpose other than to show the readers how happy Xie Huan and Yan Shuyi are.