The next day, heading to the film set, Lin Muci appeared somewhat crestfallen.
She didn't wish to look glum, but she was genuinely under immense pressure.
The production crew had changed the filming location.
This particular scene, previously set in a two-story villa, was now moved to a prison.
Her hands and feet were shackled, and within the dimly lit prison, various torture instruments were displayed nearby, enough to send an involuntary shiver down one's spine.
A young man in military boots approached her and cupped her chin.
"Qing Ling, are you still refusing to reveal that secret?"
"Who was the one you were meeting?"
Water was splashed onto her face, but even so, the young woman remained astonishingly beautiful, possessing a breathtaking fragility.
She lifted her head, bit her tongue, forcing herself to stay clear-headed.
"I will never tell you!"
Her voice was icy.
The young man's lips curved upwards.
"You refuse to tell me? I’d like to see how stubborn you can be!"
He forced her to meet his gaze. The young woman's breathing grew rapid. She gritted her teeth, her eyes locking with the warlord's son before her, her shoulders being gripped fiercely by him.
In the camera's view, he was fierce, he was cruel, yet when his eyes fell upon the girl before him, an uncontrollable, suppressed tenderness began to bloom.
"Why did you betray me?"
"I only wished for you to live in comfort and prosperity, to stay by my side. Why couldn’t you do that?"
His voice was like a sigh.
That sigh lingered, its echo resonating.
Lin Muci remained silent, like an exquisite doll.
But in the next moment.
Tears slowly trickled down her cheeks.
The young man opposite her stared intently.
He reached out, as if mesmerized, and slowly caressed her cheek with his fingertips, wiping away her tears.
This scene wasn't in the script.
But neither the director nor Zhao Lan, who was watching from the side, could bear to call cut.
The two exchanged glances.
Their feelings were identical.
These two! Their chemistry!
It was simply phenomenal!
"How can this be so heartbreaking?" Zhao Lan thought, feeling a pang of sorrow and bitterness. She herself was an emotionally rich actress, otherwise, she wouldn't have become one. Watching Lin Muci shed silent tears while Ling Qianhe couldn't help but wipe them away, she was almost in tears herself.
She was truly captivated by their connection.
The young man's fingertips pinched her chin as he leaned in, his breath quickening.
"Kiss her," Zhao Lan silently urged.
The director also expected him to kiss her.
But Ling Qianhe did not. Despite being only a centimeter apart, he sneered and then released her chin. Her chin was red, and her eyes, wet and glistening, looked up at him. He said,
"I said, through all lifetimes, I will never again be moved by a woman who deceives me in such unscrupulous ways. You deserve to die. I will never regret this."
The director finally called cut after a long while. Lin Muci was still somewhat lost in the emotion, unable to break character. A crew member helped her unlock the shackles. She crouched by a wooden frame, her shoulders trembling slightly, but someone gently patted her head, again and again, so tenderly.
"Don't be scared by me."
"That emotion wasn't real."
Lin Muci looked up, sniffing.
"I wasn't scared at all. I was just acting. A good actor can switch between roles."
Qianhe ruffled her hair again.
He was still very much in character, otherwise, he wouldn't have spontaneously patted her head. After doing so, he seemed slightly surprised, staring at his own palm. After a long pause, he shook his hand, his voice barely audible, as light as a wisp of smoke.
"If only I had touched her hair back then."
Lin Muci started sniffing again.
But she didn't linger in the emotion for too long.
The director quickly asked her to film the next scene.
Her hands were cuffed again. He suddenly rushed in, his anger surging towards her.
Sister Lan had mentioned earlier that he was very experienced.
Sister Lan was right. Although he appeared fierce, as he held her hands tightly, it didn't hurt at all. He seemed aggressive, but he didn't actually harm her much.
"Why did you run away?"
"Were you trying to find that man you spoke of, the one you liked?"
Lin Muci's lips trembled.
"No!"
She retorted almost instinctively, her soul trembling, unable to distinguish between reality and acting. Looking at the fierce little wolf cub before her, she explained with all her might.
"I didn't!"
Ling Qianhe reached out.
The next moment, he stopped. He didn't deliver his next line.
He seemed a little out of control. Looking into Lin Muci's eyes, his own seemed to lose their radiance in an instant.
The director was a bit surprised.
"Qianhe?"
"What's wrong?"
"This scene is almost finished, you just need to deliver this line. You were doing so well, let's do another take."
His performance had been exceptional.
The part of the yandere warlord's son.
Cold, domineering, and fierce. In front of the camera, his emotions were full and impactful. However, the young man before her now had a cold expression, his face a little pale.
"Stop filming, give me some time."
He waved his hand, apologizing. "Sorry for delaying everyone's progress."
Unexpectedly, it wasn't the newcomer Lin Muci who had issues, but Ling Qianhe who faltered. However, no one blamed him. He simply turned away silently, and Lin Muci stood there, watching him leave.
She hesitated, and hesitated again.
Then, instinctively, she stepped forward and rushed towards him.
Outside, on the balcony, only he remained. The cold wind made him shiver. He stood on the balcony, buffeted by the wind.
The black-haired young man revealed a profile of incomparable beauty, yet he stared blankly into the distance, saying nothing.
Lin Muci rushed out, unsure of what to say. She asked the system again.
"He really didn't find anything, did he?"
The system rolled its eyes.
"I can only see his affection and blackening values. I don't have telepathy."
"His affection value is still at forty. I think if he recognized you, it would instantly jump to one hundred percent."
"His blackening value is fluctuating erratically. As a villain, how am I supposed to know what will cause his blackening value to surge?"
"Hey, Host, what are you doing? You absolutely cannot violate the rules by telling him you are Lin Muci, not even indirectly. That would result in a gag order. The main system might even directly cut you off, forcing you to leave this world. Don't play so big, not for another five years!"
Lin Muci snorted inwardly.
"Would I be so foolish as to give you system a chance to punish me?"
She walked up to Ling Qianhe.
And reached out her hand.
"Shackle me."
"Don't get too caught up in the role, and don't be afraid of hurting me."
"In the play, I am Qi Qingling."
"Outside the play, I am the kind of girl who would leave without a second thought to find another man. I am the girl who doesn't like you. I am the one who isn't bound by love, a heartless scoundrel."
"I am a player, a cheater, without heart or lungs, manipulating men in the palm of my hand. After all, there are over three billion men in the world. Finding a three-legged toad is difficult, but there are plenty of two-legged men."
"So, just consider yourself a tool, and happily finish this scene. Don't worry about me getting hurt, and don't worry about me falling for you."
"I've said my piece. Can we film now?"
The young woman was polite, yet utterly heartless.
Ling Qianhe watched her, his eyes widening.
The trace of melancholy on his face was replaced by a smile of unfathomable depth, which gradually broadened.
"Okay. Since you say so, I won't hold back."
Lin Muci asked the system.
"With what I said, did his affection value decrease?"
The system was puzzled.
"It didn't increase or decrease. That's strange. Can he control his emotions so precisely?"
"As expected, a natural-born villain, his abilities are truly powerful. Hmm, Host, using this method to rouse someone is quite unique."
Lin Muci, however, felt uneasy. Was Ling Qianhe's emotional state so stable? But he had just been so out of control…
"This darned guy, why is he so troublesome?"