Lin Muci went to find Ling Qianhe, and he put down his phone.
He watched her without expression.
"What's wrong?"
He had been tormented severely during filming in the past few days.
Lin Muci looked at the miserable Ling Qianhe. Although she had promised not to feel heartbroken, knowing that there were several bloody marks scraped by props on his back—she still felt a little unbearable.
She grabbed his wrist.
Ling Qianhe did not pull his hand away. Her fingertips could touch the mottled scars on his wrist.
The scars, one after another, made her heart tremble violently.
Lin Muci gave a bitter smile.
"You..."
Ling Qianhe met her gaze calmly and gently.
"It's all in the past."
Lin Muci, who had lost her mother in childhood and lost him in her youth.
Each scar, though healed, recorded his unbearable pain.
Her mother would not return.
But Lin Muci had returned.
He was already content.
Heaven had stopped tormenting him.
This world had not abandoned him.
Just then, producer He Yunru walked over. She saw both Lin Muci and Ling Qianhe on set and her eyes lit up. She quickly walked towards the two of them.
"I was looking for you."
"We plan to film more scenes for this world. We feel the audience response has been good. The blood bags are ready, and we plan to add a scene where the male lead is gravely ill. Because he had lied to the female lead Ye Ling before, Ye Ling will not believe him this time no matter what."
In other words, an old-fashioned abusive romance.
Lin Muci propped her chin and listened to the producer explain the scene with extreme seriousness.
"Okay."
She could torment Qianhe for a while longer.
She had no objections.
The little system was chuckling foolishly again.
"Host, you're still thinking about tormenting Ling Qianhe? What's the use of tormenting him while filming? Hehe, at night, in bed, won't he just turn the tables..."
Lin Muci was almost driven to death by the little system.
"Do you think I'm as useless as you are?"
"Hmph!"
She let out a cold hmph.
The little system continued to chuckle innocently, while Lin Muci raised an eyebrow and looked at Ling Qianhe opposite her.
"Can you act well?"
Ling Qianhe looked at her and smiled meaningfully.
"In this world, is there any scene I cannot act well?"
"I believe not."
"It's just spitting blood. I'm good at it."
Hearing him say that, Lin Muci felt a pang of guilt again.
The two returned to the set to continue filming.
This time, Chi Chongyi stood in Ye Ling's hotel room, looking at her with a pale face, and asked her in a low voice.
"In your heart... what am I, exactly..."
Every word he spoke was filled with pain.
"What am I to you?"
"Do you treat me like a plaything?"
"Your servant? Your male housemate?"
"In your heart, have you ever had a shred of me?"
Ye Ling stood before him, a beautiful elder sister with an exquisite face, looking at him with a scoff.
Her eyes were captivatingly beautiful, but when she looked at him, they were devoid of any worldly emotion.
Not a hint of pity.
Not a trace of concern.
It was as if she were looking at a stone.
She leaned close to his cheek, her fingertips inching open his buttons.
But she merely appraised him coldly, like examining merchandise.
"In this industry, what kind of man haven't I seen?"
"What do you have? Money, power?"
"Why do you think I would be moved by you?"
"Besides, I'm not unaware of your ambitions."
"From the beginning, haven't you just wanted to climb higher by using my title as a movie queen?"
"You yourself have no sincerity, yet you ask me for sincerity. It's truly laughable!"
Chi Chongyi looked at her, a hint of repressed pain flashing in the depths of his eyes.
"No... it's not like that."
"In the beginning... I did have... ulterior motives."
"But, I truly fell in love with you."
"That time you asked me to drink red wine with you, I thought in my heart, if only I could accompany this woman for a lifetime."
"I can stay out of the entertainment industry..."
"With one word from you, I'll obediently withdraw from the industry, okay? I can be kept by you in a villa..."
"I can obey you in everything."
"You can ask me to do anything."
"I won't meet anyone else, as long as you don't leave me!"
His eyes were filled with glistening tears, making him even appear pitiable.
He looked at her pathetically.
Like a dog abandoned by its owner.
But Ye Ling, looking at the boy so humble, looking at him as if he were about to kneel and beg her.
In the depths of her eyes, there was only coldness.
If she had known this would happen, why did she start?
Moreover, would he really repent?
He was just an ungrateful, hungry wolf.
From beginning to end, this boy had never repented.
As long as he was given a chance, he would bite her back fiercely.
Therefore, she merely watched him indifferently and said.
"Scram. Get out of my sight."
"You want me to keep you? Unfortunately, Chi Chongyi, you are already disgraced in the industry. You offended a great director while filming, and you've been jointly blacklisted by the directors' association. You originally had no chance to continue."
"You have no education, no real talent, only a pretty face. A rotten person. Who would truly offer you shelter?"
"And who would truly love you?"
"You truly are too pathetic."
"People like you cannot obtain even a shred of sincerity from others."
"Cannot obtain even a trace of affection. I look at you and only find you pitiful and pathetic!"
Chi Chongyi's breathing quickened. He looked up at her, wanting to reach out and grab her, but his hand grasped nothing.
She turned around without hesitation.
The bodyguards behind her blocked him.
He was filled with anger and despair. Looking at Ye Ling's retreating back, a terrifying thought flashed through his mind.
This was the last time he would see her.
Having lost her.
He would truly never see her again.
In that instant, he was overwhelmed by immense fear.
Anger and despair surged, and he suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood. The blood was extremely dazzling, burning brightly, yet he could only weakly call her name.
"Sister Ye Ling..."
"Please, don't go! Don't leave me..."
"I know I was wrong..."
His body stooped, inching downwards.
As if his bones were being pulled from his body, he lost all strength, his vision blurred, and the woman before him merely let out a contemptuous cold laugh.
"Chi Chongyi. You regret it now?"
"Too late."
"I want you to be completely without hope!"
...
By the time the director called cut, Ling Qianhe was still immersed in the character.
Previously, it was Lin Muci who cried uncontrollably; now it was his turn.
The calm and cool Ling Qianhe had transformed into a little crybaby.
His eyes were red.
His reason was gone.
Lin Muci walked over and stroked his head, but he grabbed her back and hugged her. He leaned close to her ear and said each word very earnestly.
"I will never let you leave me again."
Lin Muci patted his shoulder to comfort him.
After a while, he managed to control his emotions.
Then he said.
"Don't pity me."
"He deserved it."
He was referring to the male lead in the script.
He truly deserved it.
According to the script's plot, Chi Chongyi later developed a terminal illness.
To get money for a kidney transplant to survive, he took on many odd jobs.
Because he was ostracized by the film and television industry, no photographer dared to film him. He could only do manual labor, move bricks at construction sites, and work in chemical plants.
He worked everywhere, dragging his sick body.
Then, while working in a chemical plant, he was caught in a chemical explosion. Half of his face was burned, and he lost his handsome face, becoming truly penniless.
Meanwhile, Ye Ling won several international awards.
She was dazzling, becoming one of the most popular female stars globally.
He walked through the streets in a disheveled state. Under the bright, dazzling neon lights was her latest endorsement photo.
This woman was stunningly beautiful, blooming brilliantly.
He had once wanted to approach her.
But it ultimately turned into an empty dream.
He gave a bitter smile. Pain and regret, like venomous snakes, devoured his heart.
She was so beautiful, so high and mighty.
What was he?
He would never dare to covet her again!
And when Chi Chongyi returned to his rented room, he had a dream.
In the dream, he was the son of a wealthy family. His father went bankrupt overnight, and he fell from grace. The only way he could think of was to enter the entertainment industry and become a big star.
Only then could he acquire enough wealth and fame to take revenge on his enemies!
In the dream.
He deliberately approached Ye Ling at a banquet.
He had planned everything perfectly. He knew Ye Ling would become his stepping stone.
Ye Ling would definitely be moved by him!
This time, Ye Ling did not coldly reject him. She directly asked him to go with her.
She didn't blame him for soiling her dress.
Instead, she inquired about his situation and made connections for him.
He realized she was interested in him.
He deliberately pretended to be naive and tricked Ye Ling into sleeping with him.
Although he was the one seducing Ye Ling, he twisted the story around, saying Ye Ling took advantage of her movie queen status to sleep with him!
Ye Ling felt very guilty.
She felt sorry for this innocent younger brother.
He took the opportunity to ask Ye Ling for a lot of resources.
He seized the opportunity, filmed a hit movie, and took on many coveted roles.
He became more and more famous, becoming the most popular idol male star in the country.
He finally had the ability to contend with his enemies!
He maintained a secret relationship with Ye Ling.
Ye Ling supported him with all her might, paved the way for him, and was in this secret relationship with him. She was even willing to leave the entertainment industry for him. She became pregnant with his child and came to find him.
But he was unwilling to give up the fame and fortune he possessed.
He had too many enemies, and he had climbed to this position with all his efforts.
If he went public with the relationship.
Losing his status as a popular star.
He couldn't even protect Ye Ling.
Both he and Ye Ling would be retaliated against by his enemies.
Therefore, he deliberately mocked her and ridiculed her.
To prevent others from knowing that the child in her womb was his.
To prevent his enemies from harming Ye Ling.
He even tacitly allowed the media to slander and frame her, saying she had hooked up with a powerful figure, and the child in her womb was the illegitimate child of that magnate.
In reality, he just wanted Ye Ling to give up.
He had already arranged a path for her.
She would go abroad to give birth to the child. Once his peak period of a few years passed, and after he had successfully taken revenge.
He would go abroad to reunite with her.
He thought it all through—
However, on the day his enemies were finally reported and imprisoned.
He originally intended to call Ye Ling to tell her that he could finally be with her without any reservations.
He could tell her the truth.
He had been afraid to say it before because he knew her personality—she hated evil and injustice, and would definitely seek revenge for him without hesitation.
But that would put her in danger. He already owed her so many favors and didn't want to owe her more.
He also didn't want her to know that he had gotten together with her just for revenge.
But later, he truly fell in love with this woman.
He was truly moved.
He looked forward to having a child with her.
He would love her well.
But—
He couldn't have imagined.
That phone call would never connect.
He saw the news.
She would fall from a tall building while pregnant with his child.
He simply couldn't believe it. That this was actually true.
Boundless pain engulfed him.
He was in so much pain that he almost died!
He was in so much pain, his heart was breaking... He had lost the person he loved most!
He used all his might, desperately begging heaven, wanting to find Ye Ling.
Even if it meant she never loved him again, if he could start over.
Chi Chongyi woke up from his dream. Upon waking, he realized it was all a dream.
He gave a bitter smile. In the darkness, he shed silent tears. Everything in the dream was too real.
So, he had paid the price.
She truly didn't love him anymore.
That was fine.
This time, she could finally be happy, right?
As long as she was well.
As for him, he could descend into hell for a lifetime.