Chapter 61 Imprisonment: "Then call me 'sister'."

The film crew held a celebration banquet that evening.

This time, the venue was set at the Tulip Hotel Grand Ballroom. Many actors were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts, so the number of participants was small, mostly consisting of crew members.

Xiahou Cheng mysteriously disappeared for three days and then returned, carrying a huge violin case straight to the scene.

When the audience was slightly tipsy, she went straight to the stage, followed by seven or eight bodyguards in black with cold faces. They set up drum stools and piano stands, and brought over microphones and drum kits.

Xiahou Cheng opened the instrument case, took out an electronic keyboard, and placed it on top.

Everyone was still in a state of shock.

Yu Jintang clapped her hands: "Great!"

Everyone seemed to wake from a dream and quickly joined in the applause.

Xiahou Cheng typed on the keyboard: "How many people are truly talented, cherry blossoms and egrets fall in two rows. Today the emperor's ship comes again, but I see no Li Bai of yesteryear!"

Everyone: ?

Xiahou Cheng, with one foot on the drum and the other on the zither, took a moment to pick up the drumsticks and beat out a series of lines: "The road to Shu is hard, the journey is hard, do you not see how broken this world is? I ask you, when have you returned? The emperor summons you, but you refuse to board the boat!"

Jiang Yan: "Teacher Xiahou is still too abstract."

Yu Jintang immediately began a sword dance.

Qin Lan: "The two of them are no longer a good match."

The two of them seemed to have completely let loose, and suddenly started drinking contests. Yu Jintang would drink one glass of Xiahou orange juice and then two, and halfway through the contest, Yu Jintang stopped: "You're telling me to drink less by drinking more than me?"

Xiahou Cheng looked at her with bleary eyes, "Teacher Tangtang, why do you have four eyes?"

Yu Jintang put down his wine glass and stood up to see everyone off.

After seeing everyone off, she returned to the auditorium. The waiters were clearing away the mess of dishes and glasses, while Xiahou Cheng remained sprawled out in her chair.

Yu Jintang patted her face: "Can't you walk by yourself anymore?"

"cannot."

Xiahou Cheng chuckled sheepishly: "Was my performance good today?"

Yu Jintang: "Mm."

Xiahou Cheng let her lift him up: "I know a lot of musical instruments."

Panting, Yu Jintang carried her toward the elevator: "That was great."

Xiahou Cheng: "I know more than others, so I have a competitive advantage."

Yu Jintang replied perfunctorily, "Oh, right, right, come on, lift your foot."

Xiahou Cheng stepped into the elevator and leaned drunkenly against the mirror: "I'm going to throw up."

Yu Jintang looked terrified: "Hold on, we're not inside yet."

Xiahou Cheng: "Hurry up and pull the elevator up."

Yu Jintang frantically pressed the button.

Finally, after getting off the elevator, she eagerly swiped her card to open the door and pushed Xiahou Cheng into the bathroom.

Xiahou Cheng vomited for more than half an hour, making Yu Jintang feel like her stomach was about to fall out.

She took the takeout and handed it to Xiahou Cheng, whose face was pale: "It's for sobering up, have some."

Xiahou Cheng washed his face, slumped onto the sofa, unscrewed the bottle cap, and gulped down the drink.

"If you can't drink, don't force yourself to," Yu Jintang advised her.

Xiahou Cheng chuckled: "Was Teacher Tangtang born knowing how to drink?"

“I had no choice,” Yu Jintang said calmly, “so I don’t want you to go through this process.”

Xiahou Cheng looked at her, her eyes shining: "I want to experience it."

"Are you sick?" Yu Jintang felt annoyed just looking at her face and wished she could kick her: "Last time I went to bed, all the toiletries were there."

"oh."

Xiahou Cheng stood up, wiped his face, and staggered out.

Yu Jintang closed her eyes, trying to avoid seeing or hearing about it.

About five seconds later, there was a loud bang at the door.

She quickly opened her eyes, and Xiahou Cheng raised her hand to cover her head, standing in front of the bathroom glass in a daze.

"Are you drunk?" Yu Jintang almost laughed in exasperation. She walked over, pulled her away, and checked the red mark on her forehead: "Can't you even tell the difference between glass and air?"

Xiahou Cheng's blurry gaze fell on her.

Xiahou Cheng lowered his head and took a step toward her, saying clearly, "Teacher Yu."

Yu Jintang's heart skipped a beat.

She forgot who started it, but soon they were kissing. The air seemed to be on fire, she was aggressively invading and being invaded, the sounds around her sometimes near and sometimes far.

Yu Jintang had never felt such intense pleasure, as if every cell in her body had been opened up. She desperately wanted to feel every part of Xiahou Cheng, to become one with her, to be happy, and to make her happy too.

The magic this woman possessed was completely different from that of Lin Yi. Lin Yi gave her a savior-like sense of security and lofty ideals, a mixture of vague childhood feelings and admiration. But Xiahou Cheng made her feel relaxed and joyful, resonating with her on the same wavelength, and every time they met afterward, there was an endless sense of novelty.

"Go to bed."

She realized that Xiahou Cheng had placed her on the sink and, panting, tugged at the back of her head.

"Was Teacher Yu doing this voluntarily?"

Xiahou Cheng closed his eyes and kissed her collarbone.

Her lips were only two thin pieces, but Yu Jintang had a fever all over her body.

"Can't you tell?" she said, a little ashamed of her own attraction, her tone fierce but her heart pounding.

“I need your acknowledgment.”

"What, are you afraid I'll pretend nothing happened tomorrow morning?"

Yu Jintang was pushed onto the tiles, and the sensation of ice and fire made her tremble all over.

"I'm afraid," Xiahou Cheng admitted frankly, "because I'm serious."

Yu Jintang suddenly fell silent.

After a while, she remembered that she should make a promise to the person: "It's voluntary, and it'll be quick."

Xiahou Cheng picked her up, grabbed a towel with his other hand, and walked into the bedroom.

What are you going to do with this?

Yu Jintang, in a daze of passion, uttered a sentence.

"I'll blindfold you."

Xiahou Cheng swiftly pushed her to the head of the bed and roughly covered her face with a towel.

Why are you blindfolding me?

Xiahou Cheng lowered his head and bit open her buttons: "The novel says... that way you can feel it more deeply."

Yu Jintang: "Are you out of your mind?!"

Xiahou Cheng had already freed himself from his restraints and kissed him. Yu Jintang's words also stopped abruptly in her throat, turning into a long and pleasurable moan.

The next morning, no one woke up.

The following morning, still no one woke up.

Yu Jintang slept until noon before being woken up by a phone call: "Who is it?"

"Oh, she's passed away."

"Yes, I will pass it on."

"It's nothing, it's what I should do."

She threw away her phone and became a little more sober.

A lazy voice came from the side: "Who is it?"

Yu Jintang took a few seconds to recall what happened last night: "A director."

"Who are you looking for?"

"I."

"You've passed away?"

"Is there a problem?"

Xiahou Cheng rolled over and opened the curtains halfway: "Wow, I'm actually this fierce."

She rolled over and got out of bed, lying face down where the sun could shine on her.

Yu Jintang kicked her: "Can you put your underwear on first?"

"Oh no, my ass needs to sunbathe."

Yu Jintang didn't have the strength to get up and continued to lie on the bed like a corpse.

"Do you like it?" Xiahou Cheng suddenly asked out of the blue.

"Give it four stars." Yu Jintang gestured.

"Where is that star located?"

"It was uncomfortable the first time I wore it."

Xiahou Cheng rolled over and stood up: "Then remember to give me a five-star review later."

Yu Jintang exclaimed in horror, "No way, again?!"

She was already exhausted from being kept up until the early hours of the morning!

In the evening, the two packed their things and checked out.

Xiahou Cheng slung her bag over her shoulder and looked at Yu Jintang.

Yu Jintang stared at the elevator numbers: "After finishing up, I'm going back to Beijing."

Xiahou Cheng nodded knowingly: "Understood."

She was mentally prepared; it's just a one-night stand, everyone's an adult, it's normal.

The elevator arrived at the first floor, and Yu Jintang went to check out.

Xiahou Cheng walked straight out, and her driver opened the car door for her.

When Yu Jintang came out, he saw her slowly lowering the car window.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

Xiahou Cheng tilted her head: "Is ice available?"

Yu Jintang turned to her assistant and instructed, "Get her a glass of ice."

"A breakup gift? I like it." Xiahou Cheng glanced at the ice cup, picked up a piece, and popped it into her mouth: "Let's go."

Yu Jintang silently watched her leave.

She took out her phone and typed: "I need some time to rethink our relationship. I'll call you when I've made up my mind."

Xiahou Cheng replied instantly: 【I'm not planning to break off our friendship】

Yu Jintang: [Am I that kind of person?]

Xiahou Cheng thought for a moment: [She seemed pretty cool just now]

Yu Jintang's heart skipped a beat: [Don't overthink it, just let me know you've arrived safely.]

Xiahou Cheng sent a very strange emoji.

＊

Qin Lan opened her chat window with Jiang Yan: 【I have a question.】

Jiang Yan: [I'm all ears]

Qin Lan: [Why did you suddenly decide to act in "The Era of Red Powder"?]

That's a question you should ask yourself.

【？】

[The time you got drunk and blacked out before filming started]

Didn't you say you weren't asleep?

Jiang Yan was silent for seven or eight seconds: [Why is all you can think about is sleep?]

How dare you say that? It's clearly you who left me with psychological trauma!

Jiang Yan selectively ignores: [Think about what you said that day.]

Qin Lan racked her brains for half an hour: "If you can't remember, can't you just tell me?"

Jiang Yan: [You called me "sister" so many times]

Qin Lan: [?]

She called him directly: "You heartless liar, stop cheating and swindling me, tell me the truth right now."

Jiang Yan chuckled: "Then call me 'sister'."

Qin Lan hung up the phone: "Don't even think about it!"

A while later, she checked her phone again and saw that Jiang Yan had sent her a message: "I'm going back to my hometown tomorrow."

Is this the place where you lived with your grandparents when you were little?

【yes】

Qin Lan also wanted to go, but Bai Ai informed her that she had an endorsement deal and needed to catch a flight the next morning.

She said, "I have work to do. Let Ye Wei go with you."

Jiang Yan: [Okay]

Jiang Yan got up early in the morning to take a bath and wash up. She didn't put on makeup and changed into a pure black outfit.

Seeing this, Ye Wei silently changed into a pair of black shoes.

Jiang Yan paused for a moment, then laughed: "There's no need to be so formal."

Ye Wei: "We have undergone rigorous training to ensure the most meticulous service for our clients. For bodyguard services, choose Hai Zhi Gang Bodyguard Training Base."

Jiang Yan: "..."

"Alright, let's go."

After a four-hour high-speed train ride, they arrived in a small southern town. Then, through various modes of transportation, they finally reached a village.

Jiang Yan changed her mask and walked into the village.

The area is quite modern now; the dirt roads have been replaced with cement roads. Two years ago, she renovated the old house and added some basic infrastructure to make it more convenient for residents.

She took out a key and opened the door.

"Welcome to my home." Jiang Yan smiled and turned around. "Don't be afraid..."

Ye Wei's face went blank.

Who would place a portrait of someone facing the door?

Jiang Yan: "Ah, I come back to stay for a few days every year. It's an old house, so I'm a little scared. This arrangement helps keep thieves away."

Ye Wei went inside to change her shoes, and when she looked up, she met the portrait of the deceased again.

Jiang Yan: "Don't be afraid, these are my grandparents."

As she spoke, she greeted the two elderly people: "Grandpa and Grandma, this is Ye Wei, the bodyguard Qin Lan assigned to me."

Ye Wei said obediently, "Hello, Grandpa and Grandma."

She was afraid that if she wasn't obedient, she would be haunted by ghosts.

The house is very old, with traces of the last century everywhere, yet it has been fitted with modern amenities such as air conditioning and showers, giving it a patchwork feel.

"Cough cough cough..."

She choked on the dust: "We'll just do a quick cleaning. I don't like people coming into this house, so we didn't hire a cleaning service..."

Ye Wei felt she was being given extraordinary attention and immediately straightened her back: "Leave it to me!"

She went into the bathroom to get water, while Jiang Yan turned on the electricity in the house and checked the refrigerator.

A muffled thud suddenly came from the bathroom.

Jiang Yan was taken aback, then called out, "Ye Wei?"

There was no response, but there was a strange dragging sound.

Jiang Yan's heart tightened. She grabbed a rolling pin from the cabinet next to her and quietly moved to the bathroom door.

The door was half-open, and from this angle, only Ye Wei's calves and shoes could be seen.

Jiang Yan had a deep impression of the black shoes she had changed into that morning.

She gripped the rolling pin tightly and slowly moved backward, intending to go to the kitchen to get a cleaver. She also put her hand in her pocket, fumbling for the power button on the edge of her phone.

She pressed it five times.

＊

"Okay, Ms. Qin, now please take our eyebrow pencil and walk towards the camera... Hey, right, get closer, and look down at the camera... Excellent!"

The photographer lay on the ground and took a flurry of photos.

Qin Lan had a few minutes to rest while the staff set up the next shot. Some were arranging flowers, others were watering, and the noise was giving her a headache.

"Let me play on my phone for a bit." Qin Lan reached out her hand to Xiao Qing.

Xiaoqing sighed and pulled her phone out of her bag: "Sister Qin, you're getting more and more into playing on your phone these days. I remember you weren't interested in this kind of low-level entertainment before."

She glanced at the screen: "Huh? An unfamiliar number."

"I'm hanging up," Qin Lan said lazily.

Xiaoqing hung up the phone and handed it to her.

A text message was still displayed on the lock screen. Qin Lan impatiently tapped on it, intending to delete it immediately.

[SOS! I'm in an emergency and need your help. You are my emergency contact, which is why you received this message. My current location is...]

The same number reappeared at the top of the screen.

She answered immediately: "This is Qin Lan."

Xiaoqing looked at Qin Lan, who had suddenly become serious, with a strange expression.

"Jiang Yan's agent, Wang Zihan." The person on the other end was even more brief: "Did you receive the text message?"

"You received it too?"

Wang Zihan: "Yes, I can't get in touch with Jiang Yan right now, something might have happened to her."

Qin Lan: "Wait a moment."

She turned to Xiaoqing and shouted, "Quickly call Ye Wei!"

Xiaoqing hurriedly took out her phone. Luckily, Ye Wei was in the call list, so she quickly dialed her number.

No one answered the phone.

"Hit me again!"

It's shut down now.

Qin Lan got up and walked out: "Call Yu Shan over. Where is Jiang Yan's hometown?"

Xiaoqing nodded, "Huh?"

Qin Lan added, "Book the earliest flight."

Bai Ai called again. Wang Zihan couldn't reach her before, so she contacted Bai Ai instead.

Bai Ai immediately said, "You go do your thing. I'm on my way to you now. I'll take care of the endorsement."

＊

Jiang Yan woke up from her coma.

The environment was dimly lit, and there were many wooden crates around, making it look like a warehouse.

Her right hand was handcuffed to a wooden chair, and Ye Wei and her cell phone were nowhere to be found.

Jiang Yan took several deep breaths, and after regaining her composure, she first moved her wrist.

They're handcuffed very tightly. Dragging the chair would make a lot of noise.

Jiang Yan listened quietly for a few minutes, but there was no sound of anyone around her.

She took a breath and looked around. Shelves and boxes blocked her view, making it impossible to see where the door was. But given the warehouse's layout, with windows at the front and back, the door should be on the left or right.

She looked down and examined herself and the chair.

Unlike ropes, she couldn't possibly untie the handcuffs herself, so she could only drag the chair along. But how far could she run in that position? And she didn't even know if the door was locked.

She guessed that her kidnapper would know who she returned to stay with every year during these few days. There might be suspects among the villagers, but before she was knocked unconscious, she saw the man's figure and had a strong feeling it was her deceased father, Liang Jin. If it was him, even if her escape failed, she shouldn't have been hacked to death.

Jiang Yan pulled the handcuffs up a little, tried to stand up, and weighed the chair in her hand.

The wood is fairly lightweight, but such a large thing hanging on my wrist is both inconvenient and stumbling. It seems I'll have to try smashing the chair...

Suddenly, there was a sound of a door opening on the left. Jiang Yan immediately sat back down and looked at the person who had entered.

Liang Jin walked over step by step: "Awake?"

Jiang Yan looked at him coldly: "Where is Ye Wei? What do you want?"

Liang Jin pulled up a chair and sat down opposite her: "Since you wouldn't answer your father's calls, I had no choice but to meet you this way. As for that woman you mentioned, I knocked her unconscious and locked her up somewhere else."

Jiang Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that we've met, what do you want to do?"

Liang Jin sneered: "Of course, we should notify Jiang Yao and force her to let me go."

Jiang Yan felt slightly relieved, but she was still unsure whether he knew about her relationship with Qin Lan: "Did you tell Auntie?"

Liang Jin gave her a sharp look: "Are you still wondering if I've informed Qin Lan?"

Jiang Yan was startled and was thinking about what to say next when Liang Jin sneered again: "I didn't inform her, but she will find out soon. Not only her, but the whole country... no, the whole world will see you."