The flames from the explosion gradually surged on the flammable material, crackling and popping in the air. 0413, squeezed in her arms, cried out in pain. Lu Xiaomi exclaimed and darted to Yanshan's side, coiling around him like a koala, only to be met with a disdainful glare from the director.
"Will Chen Fu be in any danger later?"
Ever since the props team started experimenting with explosions, Lu Xiaomi had repeated this sentence to Yanshan more than a dozen times. Yanshan was so tired of hearing it that he slapped his thigh in exasperation.
"Ancestor, I've told you more than a dozen times, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay. I've been making movies for decades, and the dosage for every explosive scene is extremely accurate. There won't be any problems."
Lu Xiaomi was taken aback by Yanshan's shout. She immediately raised her eyebrows and asked him what he was yelling about.
"I was just confused because I was too concerned!"
When she was angry, her expression was very serious, somewhat similar to Lu Yu's gloomy expression. Yan Shan was taken aback by this expression. He clicked his tongue twice, turned away, and ignored Lu Xiaomi.
That's strange.
Lu Xiaomi didn't know what was wrong with her lately; she felt like she was becoming increasingly strange. She often did things that surprised herself. For example, last time, after accepting Chen Fu's hug, she originally wanted to lie down and pretend to be dead, but a thought in her heart made her get up and pin Chen Fu down. So, in the dark, she forced Chen Fu to kiss her.
Unfortunately, such actions usually end hastily, and she ultimately didn't go all the way with Chen Fu. After the kiss, Lu Xiaomi chickened out again, clutching her pillow and slinking off to the next room.
At first, she thought she was just getting carried away by playing too many domineering CEOs like Lu Yu, but as this happened more and more often, Lu Xiaomi couldn't keep up that excuse.
Could it be...?
The intense pain of being punished by the system surged back into her heart. This pain was like a nightmare. She was conscious but her body was stiff and unable to move. Just recalling it made Lu Xiaomi shudder.
Oh no, have I been punished by the system too much and made myself stupid?
*
Before filming officially began, the crew took some basic protective measures for the actors, and Chen Fu's gaze swept indifferently toward the explosion site.
Because of the limited amount of explosives, detonating the six explosive points one by one will not cause any safety issues. However, what if all the explosive points detonate at the same time due to improper operation?
The idea sounded a bit unrealistic, but she always felt it wasn't impossible. Before filming started, Jiang Qing came over to talk to her about the scene, and Chen Fu jokingly shared her idea.
Jiang Qing was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then laughed.
"Sister Fu, what are you thinking? There's no way it could be such a coincidence."
As expected of a popular young actor, Jiang Qing is still incredibly handsome even when he laughs so heartily without any regard for his image.
As soon as the director gave the order to get ready, Chen Fu walked toward the abandoned warehouse. Jiang Qing's gaze followed her figure into the distance, but the smile on her face remained unchanged.
The assistant jogged over and led him to the site. The gravel path at the blasting site was not easy to walk on. Jiang Qing twisted his ankle on a stone, cursed, and slapped the assistant on the head.
"You're as stupid as a pig, can't you even watch where you're going?"
The assistant, as was his habit, lowered his head and smiled obsequiously as he walked away, asking him awkwardly what he and Chen Fu had been talking about and why they were so happy.
"nothing."
Jiang Qing said.
"I just felt that what she said sounded very familiar."
Jiang Qing stretched comfortably.
Did he say the same thing to Han Xiao yesterday?
*
Han Xiao's mental state has been in a state of constant agitation due to long-term medication. He committed such a serious offense a few days ago that the company refused to provide him with any more medication in a fit of anger, and now he is as listless as a lump of rotten flesh.
Jiang Qing pulled a plastic bag from her pocket; the white capsule, illuminated by the light, looked ghostly.
He handed the bag to Han Xiao.
The person, tormented by addiction, immediately pounced on it. Jiang Qing, seeing this, revealed a cruel smile and, like teasing a dog, pulled the bag back.
"I want it."
He said to Han Xiao,
"If you want something, do me one favor."
The person before him had already lost his mind; to obtain the miraculous medicine from Jiang Qing, Han Xiao was now capable of anything.
"What do you think is the probability of all six detonation points exploding simultaneously?"
--------------------
Author's Note:
Jiang Qing and Han Xiao could be paired up as a couple, and their couple name would be "Please Be Careful, Xiao."
Chapter 23 CP23
There's always a price to pay for doing wrong.
As Han Xiao watched the water droplets gradually condense on the bathroom wall, she comforted herself with this thought.
He is now lucid for short periods of time, and the cessation of medication has caused him to age and become haggard in a short period of time. He only barely looks like a human being at night.
His assistant was outside urging him, saying that the reporters were already outside and asking if he was ready.
Lu Yu suppressed the matter of him harassing Chen Fu. People in the industry vaguely knew that he had been kicked out of the crew for committing a crime. Several media outlets, sensing the trouble, wanted to come and interview him. The assistant director reluctantly arranged a wrap party for him.
Han Xiao's wrap party was scheduled for the evening.
Like a dying man reminiscing, he began to vaguely recall the first half of his life. Because of his handsome appearance, he had a smooth and successful career in the entertainment industry, but it was precisely because of this smooth sailing that he was easily lured into ruin.
In her daze, Han Xiao suddenly thought of Chen Fu and the cold shoulders and harsh treatment she had received at Tianyu. A faint sense of admiration rose in her heart. Idols without star power are at the bottom of the entertainment industry. It is an unwritten consensus in the company that they have to accompany others to drink and smile. Resources and shortcuts are too tempting for artists, but Chen Fu has always refused.
She finally weathered those ups and downs, and from then on, only a beautiful road full of flowers remained.
The long-term use of drugs made it difficult for Han Xiao to stay sober after he stopped taking them. After finishing the interview, he walked out of the private room, leaned against the hotel railing, and gasped for breath, looking like a dying fish.
In the utter silence of the night, the pain seemed amplified a thousandfold. In this moment of unbearable torment, a spark suddenly ignited in the darkness.
Like a sacred flame of redemption.
Jiang Qing also came out of the private room at some point, holding a cigarette in her hand.
He asked Han Xiao, "Do you hate it?"
"Your career was ruined by a bitch, Han, are you really angry now?"
*
"When are you leaving?"
Jiang Qing asked him.
"Tomorrow afternoon."
Almost unable to control himself, Han Xiao bit his tongue to try to keep his voice normal, but he couldn't control the force, and a bloody taste filled his mouth.
Jiang Qing responded with an "oh".
Will he be able to come back alive?
The boy's features were burned away in the glow of the cigarette. Han Xiao was stunned for a moment, then laughed hysterically for a while. He said, "I never thought you would know so much."
"You'll understand once you're new to the industry. Not everyone is as stupid as Chen Fu."
His tone was disdainful, and he threw the cigarette he had finished smoking on the ground and stomped it out.
Once a rule is established and recognized by the public, it cannot be changed. No matter how sordid or evil the rule may be, those who violate it will be kicked out of the game because they have infringed on the interests of the majority.
Jiang Qing took a plastic bag out of her pocket. The white pills looked ghostly under the light, and Han Xiao pounced on them almost instantly. Jiang Qing didn't stop him, letting him tear open the packaging and swallow them.
"Want some? I have plenty more."
The youthful spirit in his eyes turned into a shrewdness when he frowned. Jiang Qing said that since he was leaving tomorrow anyway, he could easily tamper with the device and even if someone found out, nothing would happen.
The strong effects of the drug made Han Xiao tremble all over. He said, "Why do you want me to do it? What if I don't agree?"
"Because you hate Chen Fu."
He idly fiddled with the small pill in his hand when his phone suddenly vibrated a few times in his pocket. Jiang Qing took out his phone, unlocked the screen, and saw a photo of Han Xiao swallowing the pill earlier.
He placed the photo in front of Han Xiao.
"Actually, from the moment you received the medicine, you had no way out."
*
As Chen Fu's figure receded into the distance, Yan Shan's voice echoed throughout the set. He said that from the first gunshot, the props team would ignite the first explosive device, followed by the second and third. When Chen Fu rushed out of the warehouse door, she would be blocked by the flames. She would then need to retreat to her original position, where the male lead, played by Jiang Qing, would quickly rush over to save her.
Jiang Qing followed the director's instructions and went to her assigned position.
"I want you to tamper with the devices that ignite the explosives, so that from the first gunshot, all six explosives will detonate simultaneously."
Memories of that night gradually flooded back into his mind as Yanshan's voice rang out. Upon hearing this, Han Xiao was stunned and asked him in shock why he had done such a thing.
Jiang Qing stomped on the cigarette butt under her feet.
He said I wanted to solidify the "hero saves the damsel in distress" trope, using this on-set accident for publicity and making it the biggest selling point of the entire film.
With Yan Shan's shout of "Action!", the scene officially began. The ear-piercing gunshot made Chen Fu cover her ears in pain. She quickly ran to the warehouse door, and then an explosion rang out.
It wasn't just one sound.
Six explosives detonated rapidly in a short time, and the intense flames quickly engulfed the door. Chen Fu cried out in alarm and her feet involuntarily staggered backward.
What's going on?!
Yanshan, who was sitting in the director's room surveying the scene, jumped up. The amount of explosives they had prepared was so small that even if they all exploded at the same time, it wouldn't cause such a large fire.
The staff scattered around distributing fire extinguishing materials, but the raging fire was too intense. The wooden door of the old warehouse was set ablaze, and the oxygen in the enclosed room was being rapidly consumed, producing large amounts of carbon monoxide.
The sudden turn of events left Chen Fu stunned. Filming in the warehouse had ended ahead of schedule, and the cameras were all outside, ready to film her escape. At this moment, she was the only one left in the huge warehouse.
The scorching heat burned her respiratory tract, and the smoke and dust inhaled into her trachea made her cough uncontrollably. In a panic, Chen Fu forced herself to calm down and took off her coat to cover her mouth and nose.
The closed wooden door in front of her was teetering on the verge of collapse due to the fire. Chen Fu gritted her teeth and braved the high temperature to reach the door, intending to kick it down.
However, the fierce flames forced Chen Fu to take a step back, and the lack of oxygen made her steps gradually become unsteady.
Chen Fu wouldn't last until the fire was extinguished!
The sudden turn of events left everyone around stunned. Apart from extinguishing the fire from a distance, no one dared to rush in to help without protective clothing. Jiang Qing stopped in his tracks as the fire burned into his eyes.
Han Xiao asked him, "If the fire gets out of control and an accident happens, would you still rush in to save her?"