Chapter 4

Zhuohua held Lu Xiao, who was wrapped up like a silkworm, and stood steadily in the center of the open space on the set, like a jade sculpture with a built-in cooling effect.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, even more rigid than the frozen pool of water. Dozens of gazes were fixed on her, a mixture of relief at surviving a disaster, incomprehensible fear, and a hint of... awe at seeing a deity descend to earth?

The director finally found his voice, though it was trembling so badly it sounded like a broken bellows: "Miss...no, Master! Thank you so much for saving my life! Is Lu Xiao...is he alright? Ambulance! Call an ambulance quickly!"

He was rambling incoherently, and the last sentence was yelled at his assistant who was still frozen in shock.

The assistant jumped in surprise and frantically pulled out his phone.

"No need." Zhuohua's voice wasn't loud, but it was like an ice bead falling to the ground, instantly silencing all the noise.

She looked down at Lu Xiao in her arms, whose breathing had become much more stable, though his brows were still slightly furrowed. "The chill has been dispelled, and the water choking is nothing to worry about. He just needs to rest."

"But...but..." The director looked at Lu Xiao's still pale face and was still worried.

Zhuohua offered no further explanation, her gaze calmly sweeping over the terrified faces around her. The horrifying sight of the frozen pool, the inhuman way of walking on the ice, and the invisible pressure emanating from her that made everyone instinctively want to hold their breath and bow their heads… these memories could not be retained.

trouble.

She sighed almost imperceptibly. Having lived for hundreds of thousands of years, the most annoying thing was cleaning up the mess. Back in the realm of gods, after a fight, you could just dust yourself off and leave; minor celestial officials would naturally take care of erasing the traces.

Now... tsk, self-reliance leads to abundance.

No one noticed that her left hand, which was holding Lu Xiao, twitched very slightly, her fingertips hidden under the thick blanket.

Buzz—

An invisible, extremely subtle yet vast and powerful force, like ripples spreading from a pebble thrown into a calm lake, spread silently and instantly enveloped the entire film set.

This power was not an attack, but rather a gentle, irresistible modification of will. It swept through everyone's mind, precisely covering and replacing fragments of memory about the blue frost, the chilling aura that froze everything, and the inhuman sight of walking on ice as if it were flat ground.

Instead, a more "reasonable" version, more in line with the logic of ordinary people, was released: the wire malfunctioned, Lu Xiao fell into the water and was in danger. At the critical moment, a female extra (Zhuo Hua) who knew "lightness skill" and was extremely skilled reacted quickly and rushed into the water like an arrow, rescuing him with her amazing swimming ability.

As for that huge block of ice? It was a hallucination, definitely caused by extreme fright! And that bone-chilling cold? The pond water was already cold in late autumn, and with the fright, it was even colder!

The whole process happened so quickly that it only took a breath.

The ripples subsided.

The stagnant air on set seemed to be suddenly punctured, and things began to flow again. But the atmosphere had subtly changed.

"My God! That scared me to death!"

A prop master patted his chest, still shaken, but his eyes only showed lingering fear, no longer the deep-seated terror he had felt before. "How could the wire suddenly get stuck! Luckily, that little girl knew kung fu! That sudden dash was like something out of a martial arts movie!"

"Yes, yes, yes! It was so fast! I only felt a blur before my eyes, and I had already jumped!"

The lighting crew nearby chimed in, their voices filled with amazement, "Their swimming skills are incredible! In such deep water, retrieving a person is as easy as catching a fish!"

"Who says otherwise! That skill was amazing! She's definitely a trained fighter!" Assistant director Brother Li also came over, looking both frightened and relieved. "We really owe her a lot! Lu Xiao is lucky to be alive!"

The director seemed to have a huge weight lifted off his shoulders, letting out a long sigh of relief. His eyes were filled with gratitude and appreciation as he looked at Zhuohua: "Girl, thank you so much! If it weren't for you today, the consequences would have been unimaginable! With your skills, you're too good for being an extra! I'll definitely talk to the producer later and get you a more substantial role!"

He completely forgot his earlier impatience with the extras and thoroughly "believed" the thrilling but "reasonable" rescue process he had just witnessed.

The crowd gathered around, chattering amongst themselves, praising Zhuo Hua's "superb martial arts skills" and "fearlessness in the face of danger," and expressing concern for Lu Xiao. The chilling cold that had frozen their souls and the mind-blowing miracle of the ice seal seemed to have been completely erased, as if it had just been a collective hysteria.

There was only one exception.

Lu Xiao.

He was held in Zhuohua's arms the whole time, and the vast power of his will to modify him almost brushed against his soul.

He could clearly "feel" the arrival of that power, gentle yet suffocatingly strong. He felt like a child stripped naked and thrown into the wilderness, with no secrets left. What froze his blood even more was that he "saw" it!

The instant that force swept through his mind, a strange scene seemed to appear before his eyes: fragments of everyone's memories, like rolls of luminous film, were being pulled out by an invisible force, clearly reflecting the frozen pool and Zhuohua walking on the ice...

Then, those fragments were covered and washed away by a soft light with faint golden shavings, like an eraser wiping away a pencil drawing. The frozen scene quickly faded, blurred, and disappeared, replaced by a version of "light-footed water walking".

This process unfolded vividly before his very eyes! He was like a bystander, watching helplessly as everyone's memories were altered and corrected!

When that force tried to access his own memories, he felt a cold, scrutinizing presence, as if a supreme deity were deciding the fate of an ant.

Fear gripped him instantly, even more intense than the suffocating feeling of drowning. Would he be erased too? Would he forget the mysterious, terrifying girl who had saved him?

Will he forget the scene that just now overturned his materialistic worldview of more than twenty years? He subconsciously tensed up and even held his breath.

However, that cold, scrutinizing power only touched the edge of his mind, like a feather brushing past, before it vanished in an instant.

Immediately afterwards, he clearly "heard" a thought, calm and undisturbed, resounding directly in his mind:

"You don't need to."

"I trust you."

Eight words. Like a thunderclap, yet also like a sweet spring.

The terrifying pressure and icy scrutiny that had enveloped his entire body and almost frozen his soul vanished with those eight words. In its place was an indescribable sense of relief, as if he had been completely exempted by a colossal being, and... a heavy, almost unbearable trust.

He suddenly opened his eyes and met Zhuo Hua's lowered gaze.

Her eyes remained calm and deep, like an ancient, still pool, but Lu Xiao caught a faint, almost soothing glimmer at the bottom of that pool. It was as if she were saying: Don't be afraid, I know you saw it, but it's okay.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Lu Xiao's heart pounded wildly, as if it would jump out of his throat, overwhelmed by the double impact of surviving the ordeal and being struck by a huge secret.

Her cheeks burned uncontrollably, and even the tips of her ears turned red. It wasn't from shyness, but from extreme shock and a secret thrill of being chosen and treated specially.

Everyone else has forgotten. Only he remembers. Only he is the one she is willing to retain this "right to know".

"Thank...thank you..." Lu Xiao's voice was terribly hoarse, filled with the weakness of someone recovering from an ordeal and the palpitations he couldn't calm down. He looked at Zhuo Hua's face so close to his own, the words "I believe in you" still echoing in his mind, making him dizzy.

He opened his mouth, awkwardly and urgently trying to express something beyond gratitude. "I...I'll treat you to dinner! I must...I absolutely must thank you properly for saving my life!"

Zhuohua watched him, so nervous he was almost moving his hands and feet together. His glassy eyes were full of sincerity and eagerness, along with a hint of barely perceptible anxiety about being rejected. That slightly itchy feeling in her heart resurfaced, carrying a strange pleasure.

She didn't say anything, but simply held him and steadily walked towards the temporary rest tent set up outside the film set. The director and others quickly followed, crowding around him.

The rest area was fairly warm. Zhuohua finally gently placed Lu Xiao on a cushioned recliner.

The blanket was wrapped tightly around him, and the hand warmer continued to radiate heat. With the warmth she had passed over him, Lu Xiao's complexion finally improved a lot. Although he was still pale, it no longer had that frightening bluish-gray tinge.

"What do you want to eat?" Zhuohua straightened up and asked casually, as if she had just casually scooped a cat out of the water.

Lu Xiao was taken aback by the question. His mind was a jumbled mess, filled with the shocking images of the frozen pool, the altered memories, and the immense shockwave from those words, "I believe you." What to eat? He had no time to think about that! But his savior had asked…

Almost without thinking, he blurted out the name of the most expensive and famous upscale Western restaurant in the vicinity, a place he usually only dared to glance at when passing by. It was his ultimate dream place to reward himself after successfully auditioning for a minor supporting role.

Zhuohua raised an eyebrow slightly, her divine sense instantly spreading out like an invisible net, silently covering the coordinates Lu Xiao had given. The opulent decor, the exquisite plating, the impeccably dressed guests…

However, in her perception, the place was filled with a mixed, restless, and even somewhat greasy "atmosphere." The ingredients themselves were not particularly problematic, but the processing was tainted with too much of the chef's anxious mood, the waiters' fatigue, the competitive calculations among diners, and the restless energy field of various flavorings and additives.

Simply put, it means that the spiritual energy is turbid.

She expanded her spiritual senses, scanning the nearby streets like a radar. Soon, an inconspicuous corner caught her attention.