"Master, the little gege is behaving weirdly," the golden caterpillar on Xin Hulei\'s shoulder says.

From the floor, Yao Shen watches in shock at Xin Hulei hums in acknowledgement of the caterpillar\'s words.

So, Yao Shen isn\'t going crazy.

Of course that means there\'s a talking caterpillar on Xin Hulei\'s shoulder so he doesn\'t feel all that reassured.

Xin Hulei gets up and walks around the table to help Yao Shen off the floor. "What happened?"

"Uh, I, I lost my balance," Yao Shen says, studiously avoiding the golden spikes moving back and forth on Xin Hulei\'s shoulder and focusing on a point somewhere in the distance.

"Master, I don\'t think he\'s saying the truth," the caterpillar says.

Yao Shen sets the chair upright and sits down again, still studiously avoiding looking in the direction of Xin Hulei\'s right shoulder.

This would be a great time for the System to tell him what the fuck is going on, but as usual it only talks when it\'s most inconvenient, or where when Yao Shen has figured things out on his own.

[I resent that.]

Now it speaks.

[The Night Vision upgrade allows Host to see ghosts, demons, monster and spirits -- beings that would conceal themselves in the human realm, either due to lack of a human form, or due to preferring their original appearance.]

"What?" Yao Shen says out loud, starling even the people in the tables around them.

Xin Hulei is giving him subtle weird looks.

"Uh, why are you looking at me funny?" Yao Shen asks, as it that\'s the real reason beyond his sudden interjection.

"Because you\'re behaving funny," Xin Hulei says deadpan.

Yao Shen looks down at his mostly empty bowls and plates, conscious of the golden caterpillar\'s unseen eyes fixed on him.

Just how many ghost and demons as he walked past throughout his life without noticing?

[A lot.]

Not helping.

"Uhm, I\'m going back to my trailer," he says, picking up his tray. "I\'m full."

"Master, he\'s lying," the caterpillar says, in its high squeaky voice. "His fingers are trembling on the tray and his heart rate is accelerated."

Yao Shen tries his best to pretend he isn\'t hearing anything, especially because he\'s pretty sure Xin Hulei is keeping a close eye on his reactions in order to test him.

"I\'ll see you later, on set," Xin Hulei says, with a curt nod.

If he knows Yao Shen can see the golden caterpillar, his cold eyes don\'t reveal anything.

---

Yao Shen looks behind his shoulders constantly all the way up to his trailer, half expecting ghosts and demons to pop up everywhere.

"Your rewards really suck, you know," Yao Shen says, pushing his back against the trailer\'s closed door once he\'s finally inside. "I could have gone my entire life without seeing a ghost, or a demon."

[Too late for that now...]

He has a sudden flashback of that little kid on the plane. He\'s sure of what he saw, that mouth filled with serrated teeth lives in his mind rent-free since that day.

That could have only been a demon or a ghost, but how could he have seen it before getting the Night Vision upgrade?

[I have no idea what Host saw back then, but ghosts, demons, and spirits can choose to display their original forms to humans, but it\'s usually against their best interests]

What was that creepy kid trying to accomplish then? Terrifying Yao Shen?

Yao Shen takes a deep, sobering breath. He\'s an actor, he knows how to behave under pressure, he\'s fairly certain he\'ll be able to keep his cool the next time he sees a weird creature.

Mostly.

He\'s sure he\'ll react better than the first time, at least.

Speaking of which, just why did Xin Hulei have a talking caterpillar on his shoulder?

[It\'s likely a lower level demon whose qi he siphons to fuel his own demonic cultivation]

All that Yao Shen got from that is that the golden caterpillar probably makes Xin Hulei more powerful.

[Essentially]

The big question is: what does Xin Hulei need all that power for, on set of a romance drama?

---

Eventually, Yao Shen must make his way out of his trailer in order to film the rest of his scenes for the day.

He\'s paying yet another visit to the hot springs, but this time, not only will Xie Huan be peeping, but Yan Shuyi will be joined by Rong Zi.

It\'s a good thing the day is warm, because once again Yao Shen has to sit in cold water for several takes.

He\'s more relaxed now, that he has made it all the way from his trailer to the shooting location without bumping into any ghosts or ghouls.

Xin Hulei only has to film a small segment where Xie Huan watches Yan Shuyi from behind a bamboo thicket like the little pervert he is, and then drink a little vinegar as a completely innocent Rong Zi stumbles on the hot springs, finds them occupied and excuses himself, only for Yan Shuyi to  invite him to join him.

Personally, Yao Shen thinks it\'s a delicious bit of schadenfreude, especially now that he\'s almost sure that Xin Hulei is Xie Huan.

He\'s determined to do a good job, and perhaps even be extra attentive towards Rong Zi, just to spite him.

Director Chen yells action, and everyone takes their positions.

Yan Shuyi once again washes himself fully dressed, trying to make it dignified and elegant but not like he\'s trying too hard -- as per Xin Hulei\'s instructions --, when Gao Wu makes his way out of the dense bamboo thicket surrounding the stone pathway leading up to the hot springs.

As Rong Zi, all of Gao Wu\'s friendliness disappears, replaced by coldness and intensity.

His eyes widen in shock when he sees Yan Shuyi already in the hot springs, but it takes him only a second to school his features into a mask of polite deference.

"This disciple apologizes for intruding on Shizun\'s bath," he says, adjusting the towel and bamboo basket that almost slipped from his grip with the shock. "This disciple didn\'t know the springs were already in use."

Yan Shuyi shakes his head, dismissing Rong Zi\'s apologies. "There\'s no need for apologies, how were you to know? The springs are big enough for two, why doesn\'t my disciple join me?"

Yao Shen is careful not to make the words sound suggestive. That\'s not how Yan Shuyi intends them. He\'s merely a kindly master, unaware of his own charms, who wants to cultivate a close and casual relationship with his disciples.

Xie Huan watching from his hiding place, will absolutely take them the wrong way, and will seethe with jealousy.

Poor Rong Zi will make a desperate attempt to try to get himself out of a situation where he fears his attraction to Yan Shuyi might be revealed.

"This disciple wouldn\'t want to intrude more than he already has on Shizun\'s privacy," Rong Zi says, lowering his eyes demurely.

"No such thing, it would make his master pleased to relax in his disciple\'s company," Yan Shuyi says, smiling encouragingly at the shiest of his disciples, who always does all his work so dutifully but keeps to himself, as if he fears his presence will be an imposition.

Rong Zi dithers in place before taking a step forward in the direction of the pool.

He never takes a second step because Xin Hulei comes out of the bamboo thicket, at the same time the Director yells \'Cut\'

"That\'s not the right emotion," he says, his cold eyes as opaque as ever.

Xi Zirui is glad to see that the golden caterpillar is nowhere to be seen, but confused to realize Xin Hulei is addressing Gao Wu and not him.