“Wow, Master’s followers are increasing again!” Hu 79 reported excitedly. She had become Lan Heโs part-time assistant, earning some pocket money to play cards.
Actually, Lan Heโs Weibo comments were never low, but most of them were from mom-fans discussing things. Sometimes, Hu 79 would also answer questions.
This time, however, the latest Weibo post was filled with praise from those who had watched the trailer, many of them mesmerized by Lan Heโs brief appearances and expressing their anticipation for the full movie.
Even Bai Wu couldnโt help but sneak a peek.
Bai Wu wasnโt very familiar with the internet, but he had a favorable impression of it. Imagine, thousands of people gathering in one place to discuss and chat, without having to meet face-to-face, and when you feel uncomfortable, you can leave the group chat at any timeโฆ
“Someone even asked about the ‘Pigeon King,’ wondering why Chen Xingyang attracts pigeons?” Hu 79 read another comment aloud, “Chen Xingyang, thatโs Xingyu’s little brother, right?”
Lan He was confused: “Does Chen Xingyang attract pigeons? Forget it, we donโt need to respond. Maybe itโs just part of the film crew’s marketing strategy…”
Since there were many scenes with pigeons in the film, some marketing around the human-bird relationship seemed reasonable. After all, Liu Chunyangโs film had plenty of budget for promotion. At the time, Lan He didnโt realize that this question was actually about him.
The “truth” behind this question didnโt come to light until the promotional push intensified, and Liu Chunyang started taking the actors on various programs.
After the trailer had been out for a while, it was time for the cast to promote the movie. Apart from Lan He and Chen Xingyangโs recording of *Yan Jing Chronicles*, they had to run through a series of promotional activities with the film crew.
As the second male lead, Lan He wasnโt that famous, so though he tagged along, most of the attention was on Chen Xingyang and Liu Chunyang. Lan He mostly acted as a prop, occasionally chiming in when needed.
During one live interview, the host asked a pre-discussed question: “Director Liu, pigeons play an important role in this movie. We know that shooting with animals can be quite challenging. Were there any difficulties or interesting stories you can share?”
Liu Chunyang replied, “It wasnโt too bad; our pigeons were well-trained, and we hired a seasoned handler. But we did face some challenges. These pigeons primarily interacted with Chen Xingyang and Lan He, but the pigeonsโฆ they were all scared of Lan He.”
Host: “What do you mean??”
Liu Chunyang: “They were just scared. When they saw him, they would run away…”
The host glanced at the comments section, which was filled with question marks, with a few viewers speculating that pigeons are naturally skittish and maybe the actor had startled them. “Why was that?”
“Thatโs still a mystery, but we recorded it on video.” Liu Chunyang, always eager to show off, directed the crew to play the clip. Due to concerns about spoilers, they didnโt show later footage where the pigeons had supposedly ‘fallen in love’ with Lan He after the shoot wrapped. Instead, they played a clip of the pigeons trembling in fear at the sight of him.
On screen, the busy film set showed pigeons calmly resting in their coop, unaffected by the movement of staff walking by.
Then, as Lan He approached under Liu Chunyangโs direction, the pigeons frantically scurried to the farthest corners of their cage, pressing their feet against the bottom, squeezing together so hard that their bodies tilted. It was a stark contrast to the way they reacted to other passersby, and it was clear Lan He wasnโt intentionally trying to scare them.
This didnโt happen just once; there were multiple clips from different scenes, showing Lan He dressed in costume, trying to approach the unwilling pigeons.
The live audience and viewers in the comments erupted in laughter. The scene was so cartoonish.
And this actor, who looked so cute and lovable, was left at a loss, looking helpless after being rejected by the pigeons. How pitiful! Why were the pigeons treating him like this?
Lan He flashed a resigned smile: “I donโt know why either. The pigeon handler said it might be a clash of vibes.”
Liu Chunyang added, “Yes, so during filming, Lan He had to act quickly to finish certain movements before the pigeons reacted, or else they would end up like this.”
The viewers finally understood:
So this was the “Pigeon King”!
Because of the pigeons’ funny behavior, coupled with the promotion, the video spread everywhere.
[Liu Chunyang: Making movies is so hard]
[Pigeons: Itโs hard being a pigeon. Why didnโt they tell me he was in the cast during the audition?]
[LMAO, why is this even a thing? There were rumors that Chen Xingyang was the Pigeon King, and everyone thought he had a special connection with pigeons, but it turns out this is the real Pigeon King?]
[233333 Look at the pigeonsโ little feet, theyโre really trying so hard, their whole body screams ‘I donโt want to be near him.’]
[OMG, the actor looks so pitiful, haha, and he still has to act like heโs really good with pigeons.]
[Is this actor secretly a nagging deadline-enforcer? Maybe thatโs why the pigeons tremble when they see him!]
# ใPigeon Peaceใ
ใMake it a GIF right away: Bowing to the forces of deadline pressure.gifใ
ใThree-step procrastination defense.gifใ
ใ”Donโt come near me, Iโll never turn in my draft” gifใ
Not only were fans creating GIFs, but even comics emerged. One comic artist, named Lily, had recently gained popularity on Weibo with her ongoing cute series *My Underworld Partner*. However, due to her busy work schedule, updates were slow, earning her the nickname “Pigeon Queen.”
As it turned out, readers had sent her the pigeon GIF many times, so Lily saw it too. Unable to resist, she drew a fan comic: chubby, teary-eyed pigeons squished in a corner, with an innocent-looking boy nearby. The caption read: “What a coincidence, I passed by the film set while working and saw this actor and the pigeons’ ‘intimate’ (but disastrous) interaction. I couldnโt stop laughing back thenโฆ and I just had to draw it.”
The comments were filled with fans excitedly urging her to draw more of this gag, gushing over how cute it was. But they also warned that this wasnโt an excuse for her not to update. Some were shocked to learn she had visited the set in person, asking, “What exactly is your job, Lily?”
The comic was even shared by the official *Chase* account, which tagged Lan He.
Lan He read it, opened the artist’s profile, and stared at her name and work for a long time: “โฆโฆโฆโฆโฆโฆ”
โฆMight as well share it.
…
Around the same time, the first episode of *Yan Jing Chronicles* aired, and its viewership was quite high. On one hand, it benefited from the promotional push for *Chase*, which worked synergistically, and on the other, there had been rumors that the famous Xuan Guang would make an appearance.
But in the episode, Xuan Guang didnโt get a single clear shot. He had only a few lines of narration, with all his screen time being side or back shots. Occasionally, the camera wasnโt on him at all, and even in the few group shots, his face wasnโt visible.
ใI feel cheated! How can the Beijing station promote this as Xuan Guangโs first TV appearance when we saw more of him in leaked footage than in the actual show!ใ
ใSo that handsome guy really is Xuan Guang? Why didnโt they show his full face?ใ
ใThe real question is why isnโt he acting in more shows? He looks so good!ใ
ใItโs almost like he didnโt even participate. Did he owe Beijing TV a favor or something? Is that why he showed up?ใ
ใ?? I almost thought Xuan Guang was a voice actorใ
ใTo be fair, his voice is really nice, and the narration is beautifully written. Did he write it himself?ใ
ใHahahaha, voice appearance by: Xuan Guangใ
As for Lan He, most viewers just saw him as an adorable little brother.
Chen Xingyu took good care of him, and he completed his tasks obediently, sometimes throwing in a playful comment to keep things lively. In the teaser, he even jumped in fright at the sight of a clay statue, which reinforced the image viewers had from the *Chase* trailer.
Even those who hadnโt seen the trailer had probably encountered the widely circulated GIF. Many thought this actorโs appearance and personality were adorable and youthful, and with the persona of a parenting blogger, he seemed even more gentle and warm.
*Chase* released a few more teaser trailers, but none directly spoiled the fact that Lan He was the big villain. Even the pigeon whistle scene didnโt give much away.
So, when new fans flooded Lan Heโs Weibo, they were still calling him “little brother,” declaring how sweet and delightful he was and promising to watch *Chase* because of him, pleading with him not to disappoint.
Before Lan He could reply, Liu Chunyang suddenly popped up in the comments, saying, “You have to watch it, heโs even sweeter in the movie!”
Lan He: “โฆ”
โฆIsnโt this kind of fraudulent, Director Liu?
.
With all the recent exposure, even when Lan He went downstairs to throw out the trash, neighbors in the community recognized him. Aside from the teasers being aired, the viewership of *Yan Jing Chronicles* in Beijing was higher than in other regions, likely contributing to this recognition.
When filming new episodes of *Yan Jing Chronicles*, more onlookers recognized not only Chen Xingyu and Chen Xingyang but also called out to him, with some young girls even shouting, “Goodbye, little brother Lan He!”
When Lan He got into the car during a scene change, it was just him and Song Futan inside. Outside, the young girls waved and shouted again, “Bye, little brother Lan He!” It left him both amused and a bit awkward, as some of them didnโt even seem younger than him.
After getting in the car, Lan He asked Song Futan to block him a bit. He had brought Hu 79 and Bai Wu with him today, so they could help with the heavy lifting. Apparently, they were heading to Juehui Temple this time.
Song Futan asked, “Why?”
Lan He pulled a matchbox out of his pocket, waved his hand mysteriously over it, and said in a deep voice, “Release the beast!”
Three seconds passed, and the matchbox didnโt move.
Another three seconds passed before Bai Wu finally crawled out with some effort.
Song Futan: “โฆ?”
Lan He: “โฆWrong one, it’s the other.”
Song Futan: “โฆโฆโฆโฆ”
Lan He had intended to call for Hu 79, but unfortunately, the effect wasn’t quite what he wanted. Lan He fished out another matchbox and roused the dozing Hu 79, “Wake up, it’s time to get to work.”
Hu 79 yawned as she crawled out, “When will we finally find Hu Si? I dream about scratching her face.”
“Stay alert.” Lan He advised, watching them slip out of the car window and disappear into the crowd.
The production crew relocated to another site, continuing the recording until nightfall, nearing the end of their shoot.
Only a few scenes remained, and Chen Xingyu had already left. Lan He, Chen Xingyang, and Song Futan rested together, waiting for the director to call them.
Song Futan remarked, “Because of Chase, you two probably wonโt be able to go home for Spring Festival, right?”
Chase was slated for a Lunar New Year release, less than a month away. During that time, the main cast would undoubtedly be busy with promotions and events.
Chen Xingyang sighed, “Yeah, Iโll probably just have a quick New Yearโs Eve dinner, but no time for a real break…” He looked over at Xuan Guangโs indifferent expression and quickly added, “Sorry, I didnโt realize when you said ‘you guys,’ you actually meant just Lan He.”
Lan He: “โฆ”
Lan He chuckled, “I already told my family I wonโt be going home for the New Year. Looking at the schedule, thereโs just no time. Theyโre fine with it and said if anything, they might come visit me after the holiday.”
His parents were understanding, knowing this was a critical time in his career, especially since this was his first role in such a major movie. They merely promised to send him some New Yearโs goods, like cured meat, and reminded him to take care of himself.
“Want to come to my place for New Yearโs Eve dinner?” Song Futan offered, thinking that Lan He might feel lonely, unable to spend the holiday with his family.
Chen Xingyang’s eyes widened as he turned to look at Lan He.
“That wonโt be necessary. Iโll spend it with friends, and Iโll come to wish you and Director Song a happy new year afterward.” Lan He said, though by “friends,” he meant Hu 79 and Bai Wu. As much as he liked Song Futan’s family, he still felt it might be awkward spending such an intimate holiday with them.
“Alright,” Song Futan replied, seemingly deep in thought. In truth, the suggestion had come from Grandfather Dou behind the scenes. Even though Lan He declined, Song Futan had already decided to bring something over to Lan Heโs place after his own familyโs dinner.
When Song Futan stepped away to film his scene, Chen Xingyang clicked his tongue in surprise, “Wow, did you two develop that kind of bond over WeChat? You really are an expert in online relationships.”
Lan He: “โฆโฆโฆโฆ”
Chen Xingyang was half-joking, though he did harbor some suspicions. After all, Xuan Guang had always come across as so serious. “By the way, speaking of online relationships, what about your ‘online friend’? Have you two met yet?”
Lan He was about to respond when a distant “dong” resonated through the airโa deep, heavy bell toll.
“Hey, isnโt that the bell from Juehui Temple?” Chen Xingyangโs attention shifted immediately.
He had heard it before during previous New Yearโs celebrations, and the tolling could only be from the giant bell of Juehui Temple. Chen Xingyang was puzzled, thoughโwhy was it ringing out of the blue when it wasnโt even close to the Lunar New Year? This was the second time it had happened this year.
Upon hearing the bell, Lan He immediately stood up and put down his water bottle.
“Lan He? Where are you going?” Chen Xingyang called after him, bewildered, but Lan He didnโt hear him anymore.
The moment the bell tolled, Lan He was reminded of Song Futan. The last time the Juehui bell had rung, it had been to summon Song Futanโs soul. Panic rising within him, he hurriedly searched the area and soon spotted Song Futan, who had just finished filming his scene and showed no signs of his soul leaving.
Lan He breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he had overreacted. Just because the Juehui Temple bell tolled didnโt necessarily mean it was for summoning Song Futan. After all, it was one of the Five Great Temples of Beijing!
Song Futan had also heard the bell. The two exchanged a glance and slipped into a secluded corner. Song Futan pulled out his phone and called Juehui Temple.
A few moments passed before the call connected. “Master Si Kong?”
Song Futan exchanged a few words with Master Si Kong on the other end, but his expression didnโt relax as he relayed the news to Lan He: “It seems a tourist broke into the bell tower and tried to pour corrosive liquid onto the giant bell. He was stopped, but in the commotion, his head struck the bell, causing it to ring. The police have been called.”
Lan He: “โฆ”
Lan He was stunned. How much force must that have taken? “Is the guyโs head okay?”
Song Futan shook his head, unable to properly describe the scene, only saying, “The man was likely under some sort of influence.”
Lan He’s heart skipped a beat. Could it beโฆ?
“Hu Si?”
Hu Si couldn’t enter the temple herself, but a fox spirit could easily confuse someone’s mind, which could explain how that person ended up acting so crazily, ramming their head into the bell.
“The monks at the temple are already looking into it. If it is Hu Si, she wonโt have gone far,” Song Futan said.
“Hu 79 and Bai Wu are over there too!” Lan He quickly wrote a message to the underworld officers, but his concern over Hu 79โs rashness made him reconsider. He decided to ask the director for leave.
The director asked, “Whatโs wrong?”
Lan He: “Iโm not feeling well.”
The director looked him up and downโLan He seemed perfectly fine, glowing with energy.
Lan He amended his statement slightly, “Iโm about to feel unwellโฆ”
The director: “…”
What did that even mean, about to feel unwell?
With a twitch of his mouth, the director relented, “Fine, thereโs only one scene left anyway. You donโt need to be in it.”
Lan He rarely asked for leave, and the director figured he must be exhausted from the constant promotions. He decided to let Lan He off the hook and shift the focus to Chen Xingyang instead.
The director was soon glad heโd made that decision because, shortly after granting leave, Lan He indeed looked pale and sickly. Instead of wandering off, he went straight to rest in Xuan Guangโs car, his face ashen.
The director, leaning through the car window, nervously asked Song Futan, “Teacher Xuan Guang, should we take him to the hospital? He looks terrible. Open the door so I can check on him.”
“โฆNo need, it’s just the cold. If I open the door, all the heat will escape.” Song Futan stubbornly refused to open the door, even pulling the blanket higher to cover half of Lan Heโs face.
Still worried, the director peered inside. “Iโll just slip in for a second. It wonโt be a problemโฆ”
Song Futan: “…”
…
As Song Futan and the director were locked in a silent standoff, Lan He had already left his body, his soul rushing toward Juehui Temple. When he arrived, he saw a crowd of underworld officers gathered outside the temple. Among them were Hu 79 and Bai Wu, both seemingly unharmed.
As for Bai Wuโฆ
Lan He rushed over and flipped him over, confirming that the hedgehog curled up in the corner was unscathed.
“Xiao Laiโs here.”
“Lord Lai.”
The underworld officers greeted Lan He as he approached. Due to the ritual, many officers were already patrolling the area, which was why they had arrived much faster than Lan He.
“Whereโs Hu Si? Werenโt we supposed to catch her? Have we found her?” Lan He asked.
Yan San replied, “We did catch her earlier, but she managed to escape.” He patted his official cap with a sigh, “At least I got my cap back, thoughโฆ”
Lan He felt a pang of regretโhow had Hu Si managed to slip away, despite so many officers being there? He noticed a small hole in the cap and asked, “Whatโs this?”
“Hu Si was using the cap to hide herself. One of the young monks at Juehui Temple burned it a little, and when we saw the dark hole in the air, we knew where she was and pulled her out,” Yan San explained.
The cap, being made of paper, had been charred during the incident. Though Yan San had already received a new cap, he continued to wear the singed one. “Iโm keeping the burn mark as a reminder. It’s good to have it as a lesson.”
Lan He glanced over at Hu 79, somewhat pleased. “Good job, you didnโt rush in alone.”
“I couldnโt even get close!” Hu 79 said regretfully. “The gear you made for the underworld officers armed them to the teeth, and with all those paper oxen charging around, I couldnโt even squeeze in to help. Hu Si was plowed over so many times, she lost a tooth. She was so mad she kept yanking at her ears. Even if she didnโt die, sheโs seriously injuredโฆ Hehe.”
She sounded regretful at first but lit up with glee as she described Hu Si’s plight, as if it were a festive occasion.
Lan He: “…”
“This time, unfortunately, it was just another decoy. Hu Si’s transformation techniques are impressive, and she was using old objects imbued with spiritual energy.” Bai Wu walked over, holding a golden gatepost and shaking his head. “But we did manage to retrieve her tooth, and weโre seeing if we can use it to cast a spell to track her location.”
Teeth, like fingernails, carry a lot of spiritual energy, so while Old Bai was somewhat regretful, he became even more alert. Under his command, the other underworld officers scattered to continue searching for Hu Si’s whereabouts.
“Weโll definitely find her. Sheโs only got one golden mouse left, right? If she loses that too, there wonโt be much point in hiding,” Lan He remarked. After all, the main objective was to retrieve the golden mouse as a seal.
“Letโs hope so,” Old Bai said, showing him the golden gatepost. “As usual, you can give this to someone in the mortal world.”
“Just hand it to the monksโthey’re from the mortal world too,” Lan He replied, just as he noticed two policemen being escorted out of Juehui Temple by the monks.
Right, Song Futan had mentioned that the police were called about the man who hit the bell. That guy was now being loaded into an ambulance, and after chatting with the monks, the police were getting ready to leave.
Lan He squinted, recognizing one of the officersโit was Wang Lili. “What a coincidence, Officerโฆ Wang.”
This made things easierโhe could just give the door knocker to Wang Lili, who was already quite familiar with such cases.
Watching as the monks returned to the temple and Wang Liliโs colleague went to get the car, Lan He floated over to Wang Lili, signaling Hu 79 to swipe her hand over his eyes so that he could see ghosts.
“Wang Lili?”
Wang Lili had been standing idly, waiting for the car when he heard Lan Heโs voice. He spun around, startled, only to see Lan He, Old Bai, and Hu 79. He wasnโt exactly frightened, but he was confused. “What are you doing here? Am I dreaming? Damn, I knew something was off when I saw a guy headbutt the bell!”
Why was he so unlucky, even dreaming about being on duty?
“This isnโt a dream this time, itโs real,” Lan He said, gesturing to Old Bai to hand over the golden gatepost. “The usual routineโcould you return this to its owner?”
Wang Lili blinked, still a bit dazed. “I thought you brought another criminal over.” He shot a glance at Hu 79, who still radiated aggression from her earlier fight with Hu Si and looked like sheโd been up to no good. Then, looking at the door knocker, he added, “You found this too? Partner, youโre impressive, but youโve given me a problem. How am I supposed to explain this to my colleagues?”
Old Bai: “โฆโฆโฆโฆ”
Wang Lili reached out to take the door knocker.
But just as Old Bai was about to hand it over, he suddenly withdrew his hand, his ghostly face showing a peculiar expression. “Partner? Who are you calling ‘partner’?”
Wang Lili pointed at Lan He.
Old Bai: “???”
Old Bai was instantly enraged. “Xiao Lai and I are the real partners. Who do you think you are!”
Wang Lili froze for a second, then got angry too, standing his ground against the ghost. Luckily, being a police officer, he could handle the eerie presence and pressure. “Who do you think you are? Weโre the yin-yang detective duo! Weโre partners!”
Old Bai: “??? Youโve even got a team name?!”
“What the hell?” Old Bai protested, “I was here first!”
Wang Lili retorted, “Then why have I never seen you?”
Lan He: “โฆโฆโฆโฆ”
Suddenly, they were in the middle of a shouting matchโฆ
Hu 79 snickered, unable to hold back. “This is hilarious. Too funny.”
Lan He turned to her, “Funny, huh? Then consider this a warm-up. Just imagine what your reunion with your sister will be like.”
Hu 79: “โฆโฆโฆโฆ”
Meanwhile, Old Bai and Wang Lili continued bickering. Wang Lili insisted that he and Lan He had worked on several cases together, and during most of those times, Old Bai hadnโt been around. How could they be considered partners if they never even went on the same assignments?
Given Wang Liliโs experience at the police station, where he often had to mediate, persuade, and lecture people, his argumentative skills were top-notch. His point was clear: even if Old Bai and Lan He were partners, it was only in name, with a thin layer of workplace camaraderie.
Old Bai, now furious, shouted, “Shut up! You have no idea the depth of our father-son bond!”
Lan He: “โฆโฆโฆโฆโฆโฆโฆโฆ”
Friend, thatโs really not necessaryโฆ!
Authorโs Note:
Liu Chunyang: The viewers calling him “little brother” now will soon be calling him “big brother”!
This was so funny XD