Chapter 9: When There's Drama, Sleep Instantly Vanishes! (Please Keep Reading)

[One massage session from Lucy Liu grants you +1 Strength / +1 Massage Technique]

Hearing this, Zhang Lixin felt both delighted and somewhat speechless.

The delight came naturally—he hadn’t done anything; just lying on the bed enjoying himself earned him benefits.

The speechlessness arose because he was the one being massaged, yet it was his massage skill that improved. Shouldn’t the credit go to Lucy Liu instead?

“Well, having this skill is good. Next time Sister Qianqian asks me to give her a massage, it’ll come in handy.”

Zhang Lixin’s mind conjured up the face of Lucy Yi Fei. Since he was about to star in a Tang Dynasty drama, this senior actress had been ignoring him for quite some time.

But he knew how to coax a woman, so he wasn’t worried about drifting apart.

“I’ll wait until you need me.”

[One massage session from Lucy Liu grants you +1 Strength / +1 Massage Technique]

Zhang Lixin’s mind wandered, and he was nearly asleep when the same voice suddenly echoed again in his head.

Startled, he opened his eyes and glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table.

It was 12:34 a.m.

“The first upgrade comes after ten minutes of massage.”

“The second upgrade comes after twenty minutes of massage.”

Zhang Lixin thought quietly to himself: indeed, the difficulty level of these upgrades is increasing.

The same thought crossed Lucy Liu’s mind.

“Supernatural ability.”

“I really have it!”

Joy sparkled in Lucy Liu’s eyes.

Since that strange voice appeared yesterday afternoon, she had been experimenting nonstop.

She acted seriously in scenes opposite other actors, volunteered to help Tang Yan and others with makeup touch-ups.

She approached the production assistant to help the script supervisor distribute boxed lunches and drinks, and later, they even cleaned together.

She did all this to confirm the authenticity of the voice in her mind: that effective actions could enhance abilities.

After a busy half-day, all she earned were countless thanks and compliments from everyone.

She began to doubt if the voice was just auditory hallucination.

Yet the emotional impact of the words was unmistakably real.

This question troubled her until Zhang Lixin asked if she wanted to go for a late-night snack together.

She recalled the voice in her mind from that afternoon, which specifically said: [You and Zhang Lixin have effective sweet talk exchange, Language Emotion +1].

“I have effective sweet talk exchange with Zhang Lixin, Language Emotion plus one.”

“Could it be that only doing things for Lixin triggers this supernatural ability?”

Lucy Liu had a secret hobby known only to herself—reading male-oriented web novels.

The worlds built in those novels were wildly imaginative, and the male protagonists possessed all sorts of unique powers.

Some of these powers required specific conditions to activate.

At first, she thought “effective XX” was such a condition.

Could “with Zhang Lixin” be another specific requirement?

With this doubt, she decided to experiment.

Hence, coming to give Zhang Lixin a massage in the middle of the night.

Now, her hypothesis had been verified.

“I want to enhance my abilities through a cheat-like method, and I must rely on Lixin.”

“More precisely, by doing things for him and with him.”

Lucy Liu looked at Zhang Lixin’s back, her eyes shining brighter.

Back when they filmed "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," she had gradually fallen for him, and after their first kiss was taken away, her feelings only intensified.

But a woman’s restraint kept her from making a move, especially since Zhang Lixin was only seventeen and not yet an adult, while she was twenty—still hesitant.

Yet tonight, seeing Zhang Lixin’s close interaction with Yang Mi, she could no longer suppress her feelings.

Coming to massage him late at night was not only to test her “cheat ability” but also to flirt a little.

Besides, in the crew, she could always find reasons to cling to him under the guise of learning acting.

Not to mention, Zhang Lixin was now part of her cheat code.

“Lixin, have you ever thought about what kind of girlfriend you want in the future?” Lucy Liu asked casually.

She wanted to gauge his feelings and see what he thought of her.

After waiting for a while, she heard no response.

“Lixin?”

She raised her voice.

Still nothing.

“Could he have fallen asleep?”

Stopping the massage, Lucy Liu leaned close to Zhang Lixin’s face.

His eyes were tightly closed, his breathing calm and steady—he was definitely asleep.

“You’re really something,” Lucy Liu chuckled.

Does he think I’m just a therapist?

“Forget it.”

She decided not to rush feelings.

Zhang Lixin had only just come of age; he probably wasn’t thinking about these things yet.

Besides, she could cling to him with the excuse of asking for acting advice.

Spending time together daily, she was confident he would eventually feel something.

“Like a child.”

Lucy Liu stared at Zhang Lixin’s sleeping face, suddenly mesmerized.

His delicate features were flawless from every angle, and his long, thick eyelashes made him look like a sleeping prince from a painting.

“Gulp!”

Her eyes sparkled as she leaned forward and kissed Zhang Lixin on the cheek.

[You stole a kiss from Zhang Lixin: Lips Shape +1 / Secret Admirer Aura +1]

Lips Shape: The most fitting lip contour complementing facial features, radiating feminine charm.

Secret Admirer Aura: Quiet love and an ambiguous atmosphere.

“Swish!”

The sudden voice startled Lucy Liu upright.

She hadn’t expected that sneaking a kiss on the cheek would earn her a reward.

This is much easier than massaging Zhang Lixin for thirty minutes.

Though it felt like being caught doing something naughty.

After glancing at Zhang Lixin’s face, Lucy Liu decisively turned and left.

“Bang!”

The door slammed shut.

Zhang Lixin opened his eyes and touched the spot where Lucy Liu had kissed him.

He hadn’t been pretending earlier—he truly had been asleep.

But the reward notification sound had awakened him.

“Looks like I’m not just being vain; she really likes me.”

“No wonder she came looking for me this late.”

Zhang Lixin threw back the covers and headed toward the bathroom.

Since he was awake, he might as well shower and clear his mind.

“Getting kissed can earn rewards…”

“What if it goes a bit further? What would happen?”

“Lucy, you better step it up.”

“...”

The night passed quietly.

The next morning.

Zhang Lixin called Yang Mi to wake her up, and the two met at the buffet restaurant.

This was Yang Mi’s task for her “annoying little brother.”

Old Hu was absent, and Yang Mi was the only familiar face Zhang Lixin had on set.

“Why the constant yawning? Didn’t sleep well last night?” Zhang Lixin asked, looking at Yang Mi’s youthful, dewy face.

“Yeah, I lost track of time memorizing lines,” Yang Mi nodded. “Make me a cup of coffee later. It’s a lifesaver.”

“No problem,” Zhang Lixin agreed readily.

He pushed open the door and walked into the restaurant with Yang Mi.

Immediately, he felt many eyes upon him.

He was used to it and maintained a calm expression, taking a tray and selecting breakfast while casually chatting with Yang Mi.

After finishing, Zhang Lixin looked for a table and spotted Lucy Liu and Tang Yan by a window.

“Mi Jie, Sister Tang, and Lucy are there. Should we join them?” Zhang Lixin whispered.

Yang Mi had no objections.

The two approached Lucy Liu and Tang Yan’s table.

Zhang Lixin sat beside Lucy Liu; Yang Mi sat next to Tang Yan.

“Lucy Jie!” Zhang Lixin noticed Lucy Liu dozing and nudged her.

“Lixin?” Lucy Liu finally noticed him beside her.

“You look pale. Did you stay up late last night?” Zhang Lixin asked, puzzled. “What time did you leave my room?”

Tang Yan: ?!

Yang Mi’s eyes widened: !

Instantly, she was wide awake.