Shang Yechu didn't know how to face Shi Shan.

She had taken good care of keeping warm and was dry. Even so, she still felt a chill when the strong river wind blew against her face.

As for Shi Shan, by the time filming ended, he was almost frozen solid. He couldn't even stand up. Shang Yechu reached out to help him up, but Shi Shan braced himself on the ground with one hand, grabbed Shang Yechu with the other, swayed a couple of times, and then fell back down.

At that moment, Shang Yechu clearly heard the faint cracking sound of ice breaking from Shi Shan's frozen coat.

Finally, the crew carried Shi Shan away. By then, Shi Shan was barely able to speak; when his lips moved, only some indistinct noises could be heard, like a bell stuffed with cotton.

Despite the biting cold of the wind and snow along the Ru River, Shang Yechu felt as if half of her heart had been burned away. She was now even afraid to think of Shi Shan's face. Just the thought of that name would conjure up the image of that ashen face beneath the white cloth, touching upon the deepest fears in her heart.

Shang Yechu knew this was merely a transference of emotion. In a few days, or at most a month or two, this feeling would gradually fade away. But the memory was eternal; the image of Shi Shan "dying" would be forever etched in Shang Yechu's mind, becoming material for her nightmares.

According to the crew, Shi Shan is in good health and has not yet been paralyzed or sickened by the cold; however, it is unknown whether he will suffer any long-term effects from lying in the snow for so long.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Shang Yechu couldn't very well climb into Shi Shan's RV to check on his condition. She could only suppress her complicated emotions and wait for this snowy interlude to pass so that filming could get back on track.

---------

"Shishan".

Shi Shan lay on the hospital bed, his lips twitching dryly: "It's rare for you to call me by my first name."

Shang Yechu didn't reply, but just sat on the chair by the bed, looking at him with a complicated expression.

On the night the snow scene was filmed, Shi Shan unsurprisingly developed a high fever and was immediately taken to a private hospital.

The less often a person gets sick, the harder it is to cure them when they suddenly fall ill. Shi Shan spent a week in the hospital and still hasn't fully recovered.

Xu Hanwen knew there was a limit to how much trouble he could cause, so he surprisingly refrained from being overly critical, which slowed down the filming pace considerably.

The filming schedule ended before six o'clock, which was unprecedented. Shang Yechu, carrying the supplements that Assistant Wang had bought, carefully planned the itinerary, avoided the paparazzi like bedbugs, and finally sneaked into the hospital where Shi Shan was.

The hospital had excellent security, and finally there were no unauthorized people around. Shi Shan glanced at them, and the caregiver who was looking after him immediately left without a word.

The hospital room where Shi Shan was staying was even more luxurious and well-equipped than the hotel room provided by the film crew. At this moment, there were only the two of them in the room, making it seem somewhat empty.

Seeing that Shang Yechu remained silent, Shi Shan spoke again: "How's the filming going? I didn't dare ask Director Xu."

Shang Yechu smirked: "It went very smoothly. Director Xu's swearing has decreased from 300 times a day to 100 times."

Shi Shan chuckled. His voice was now hoarse, making it difficult for him to produce the hearty laughter he used to have.

Shi Shan's hoarse voice ignited the fuse of doubt, and Shang Yechu couldn't help but look up: "By the way, you—"

"By the way, you—"

Shi Shan's voice rang out almost simultaneously, and Shang Yechu was taken aback for a moment: "You go first."

Shi Shan blinked: "How are your knees? You knelt in the snow for almost as long as I did in that scene."

Shang Yechu felt as if something was blocking her chest: "..."

“Leg problems can be a serious matter.” Shi Shan picked up the thermos on the bedside table and took a sip of water. “Some illnesses don’t seem serious at the time, but you only realize how serious they are when they come knocking on your door much later.”

"It's alright now," Shang Yechu said softly. "The sponsor's knee pads are made of very sturdy material. But—"

Shang Yechu paused, then asked, "How are you feeling?"

Shi Shan sighed: "Everything else is fine, but the area from my throat to my forehead feels like it's on fire. It's very dry and burning."

After saying such a long sentence, Shi Shan's throat started to feel tight again, and he had to take another big gulp of water.

"Cough..." Shi Shan didn't hide anything, "I'm fine physically, I've taken precautions. My cervical spine is a little sore, and I occasionally get headaches."

Shang Yechu's expression tightened, and Shi Shan, seeing this, quickly said, "But the doctor said it's all temporary, and it should be almost healed in another week."

Shang Yechu didn't know what to say. Should she say, "That's wonderful" or "Thank goodness"?

An awkward silence fell over the room again, and Shi Shan had to take the initiative to start a conversation: "What were you trying to ask me just now?"

Shang Yechu parted her lips and made eye contact with Shi Shan for the first time since entering the room.

Why did you whisper that in my ear?

Shi Shan was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Didn't Teacher Zheng say that we can say whatever we want?"

“That’s not a reason.” Shang Yechu leaned forward slightly, trying to see Shi Shan’s expression more clearly. “Based on our previous analysis, this action is likely just an illusion created by Li Yiming. In that case, it’s actually safest to remain silent.”

Shi Shan glanced to the side: "Do I have to tell you?"

"I didn't mean to force you." Shang Yechu lowered her head.

A cool breeze blew in, and Shang Yechu followed the breeze and saw that the window of the ward had been opened a crack at some point!

"Why isn't the window closed properly?" Shang Yechu quickly stood up and walked to the window.

Shi Shan chuckled softly behind her: "It was too stuffy in the room, so I turned it on secretly. Don't tell anyone."

Shang Yechu paused, turned around and glanced at Shi Shan, who seemed completely unaffected, her expression stern: "You really don't take your health seriously enough, do you?"

For a moment, Shi Shan couldn't tell whether Shang Yechu was speaking to him or Li Yiming was speaking to Li Ruhui.

In that scene in the snow, it's hard to say whether the dead or the living were more immersed in their roles.

Shi Shan's deep understanding of the script prompted him to react subconsciously: "Have you forgotten what you said yourself? 'Leave a crack in the window, take a leap if you're in a dead end; if you want to live peacefully, make sure your retreat is as wide as a finger'."