The martial artist Wen Jin, played by Chong Yan, was dispatched by the Crown Prince to assassinate Ming Yue Lou Zhu, portrayed by Zhu Zhu. Wen Jin was naturally no match for her.
A martial artist in white descended from the sky, lunging with a sword towards Ming Yue Lou Zhu, who was playing a zither. With a half-moon golden emblem on her, Ming Yue Lou Zhu's gaze remained unfaltering. The music from her zither suddenly turned fierce, and gusts of wind shot out from the strings like sharp blades, slicing towards Wen Jin.
He raised his long sword to block, retreating as the wind from the zither strings struck the blade, producing a metallic clang. This was supposed to be a post-dubbing effect, but everyone present could clearly hear the sound.
All eyes were on the two figures under the spotlight.
Yao Chong remained silent, letting them perform. The cameras and cameramen activated all equipment, capturing every possible angle.
Wen Jin deflected the zither attack and charged at her again with his sword. This time, Zhu Zhu, without any wires, spun into the air amidst the crowd's gaze, like a true master. As she soared out of the pavilion, Wen Jin's sword followed.
Chong Yan didn't know when he became so skilled. The wires were almost rendered useless. The height he flew was not unbelievable; at most, people would think he had practiced martial arts and could use leverage to fly.
In contrast, Zhu Zhu had transcended the level of wuxia and entered xianxia. She had no wires, her body as light as a bird. Her dark robes billowed with her movements, interwoven with golden threads that shimmered, making her appear even more noble and mysterious.
Chong Yan initially engaged her with great momentum, but gradually, his strength began to wane. Under Zhu Zhu's deliberate restraint, he was quickly defeated. After being struck by Zhu Zhu, he lost control and plummeted downwards.
Yao Chong sprang to his feet, and the others instantly tensed, for they had seen the wires were not high enough to support Chong Yan.
As the crew members broke out in a cold sweat and scrambled into action, Zhu Zhu's body suddenly dropped. At the critical moment, she caught Chong Yan and swapped their positions.
With a "bang," everyone was horrified. Yao Chong, seeing their positions, was furious and immediately rushed forward.
"Yao Zhu!"
Someone shouted, "Call an ambulance quickly!"
"Where's the doctor? Get a doctor here immediately!"
Chong Yan was so shocked he forgot to blink, staring intently at the person beneath him, his eyes instantly turning red.
Zhu Zhu's face was slightly pale. She smiled at him.
"I'm, I'm fine."
She was waiting for Chong Yan to help her up, but he dared not move. Others were also frozen. Zhu Zhu had to get up herself. However, her internal organs had indeed taken a hit. As she sat up, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Yao Chong's eyes were red. He reached out a trembling hand, afraid to touch her. The others were in a panic. Medical personnel arrived and quickly lifted her onto a stretcher. Zhu Zhu wanted to say she was fine, but everyone else was too worried and told her to remain silent.
Chong Yan was on the verge of tears, his eyes red as he watched her get into the ambulance. He then followed the crew to the hospital.
Upon hearing that she had fallen from a great height while filming and had vomited blood, the doctor was also quite alarmed and quickly wheeled her into the operating room. Zhu Zhu finally couldn't help but exclaim, "I'm really fine!"
She explained to the doctors and nurses, "I didn't fall too badly. It's just that my internal organs were impacted, and I feel a bit uncomfortable. If you're not at ease, you can do a check-up. I'm truly fine, I won't die."
The doctors exchanged glances.
However, seeing that she didn't seem severely injured, and her complexion was rosy and healthy, they agreed to a preliminary examination.
After a CT scan, the chief physician showed the film to Yao Chong and said, "The patient is indeed not in serious condition. No internal injuries were found. She should be fine after a few days of rest. However, if the family is still worried, she can be observed for two days."
Everyone who had witnessed the scene found it hard to believe.
Finally, Zhu Zhu's assistant explained that Zhu Zhu practiced martial arts and had adjusted herself during the fall. The blood she coughed up might have been from being pressed by Chong Yan and was not serious.
Coupled with Zhu Zhu's quick recovery and lively demeanor, Yao Chong finally felt at ease.
Zhu Zhu was indeed fine. However, after she realized how much Chong Yan cared about her injury, she began to feign weakness.
She lay on the hospital bed, her costume replaced with a blue and white striped hospital gown. Yet, her long black hair cascaded to her waist, her complexion was rosy, and her spirit was high, showing no signs of injury. But in a spoiled tone, she said, "Carry me. My chest hurts, and I don't want to move."
Chong Yan was already bothered by the fact that she had been injured saving him. He couldn't refuse and carried her to the bathroom.
As they were almost done with their ablutions, there was a knock on the door. Chong Yan instinctively moved to open it but was stopped by Zhu Zhu. "Alright, carry me back."
Then, she extended her hand, posing like a little girl asking to be held.
Chong Yan was very fond of her sudden shift in demeanor. Although she didn't look like she was in pain, he still carried her back to the bed.
Then, he ran to open the door.
He had expected Yao Chong or an assistant, but the person standing at the door was Qin Yue Rong.
Two people followed him, carrying gift bags, and gave Chong Yan a friendly smile. "Mr. Chong, I heard there was an accident on the set of 'Jade City Beauty' and Miss Yao was injured. I came to visit. Is she alright?"
He didn't seem to be looking for trouble, his expression very pleasant. It's rude to refuse a friendly gesture, so Chong Yan smiled and replied, "She's fine, Chairman Qin. Please come in."
"A Yan, I want grapes."
Zhu Zhu also hadn't expected him to come to see her. Thinking he was the father of this body, she was equally surprised to see Qin Yue Rong.
"Why are you here?"
"I heard you were injured, so I came to see you."
From their address, it was clear that Zhu Zhu had previously addressed him with respect due to his status, but now she wouldn't. Qin Yue Rong also felt he couldn't maintain that pretense, and they tacitly exchanged polite greetings.
"Thank you."
Qin Yue Rong sat down. Chong Yan poured water for him and his companions, then sat beside Zhu Zhu and peeled grapes for her.
"Is your injury serious? I heard it was a wire malfunction."
"It's nothing, not serious."
Qin Yue Rong nodded, but his next words carried an ambiguous tone. "I heard it was Mr. Chong's wire that malfunctioned. Is Mr. Chong alright?"
Chong Yan said with self-reproach, "It was my carelessness. A Zhu got injured saving me."
Qin Yue Rong's gaze darkened.
"That's good to know," Zhu Zhu said proudly. "So you should be serving me these few days. Feed me."
Chong Yan fed her the peeled grape. The atmosphere between them was so sweet that it left no room for a third person. Zhu Zhu showed no signs of blaming him.
Qin Yue Rong thought of the pictures and videos he had seen. Looking at the two of them, he felt unwilling but also knew he had no chance.
How could a couple who had once sworn to die for each other, and were willing to die for each other in moments of crisis, develop a rift over a minor injury?
He had been naive.