On set

Fang Chengyin picked up his phone and walked into the room. Jiang Zhi leaned against the sofa, his eyes were calm, but there was a meaningful smile on his lips.

"What exactly do you want?" Fang Chengyin slammed the door shut and slid down to sit.

The other party replied instantly: "I just want to know the answer to the question above, and I feel you have an obligation to answer me."

My tongue was still a little numb, but I couldn't help but curse silently.

"I'll give you a few more days. If you can't give me a satisfactory answer, you'll have to bear the consequences."

"oh."

Adding a "~" in the text is considered playful among young people; while adding a period (.") suggests an attempt to connect with older people or those who are unaware of the changing internet landscape.

Once, Fang Bokang was editing a text message on the sofa, which was to be sent to Song Zixin, who was still filming on set. But he kept deleting and rewriting, and after sending it, he frowned, feeling that it wasn't caring enough and was cold.

I offered some advice from the side, and helped him add the word "oh".

"That way, Mom can feel your love."

Fang Bokang blushed and jokingly scolded Fang Chengyin, asking where he had learned all this at such a young age...

Fang Chengyin stared blankly at the word "Oh" on the message. This person knew him and was familiar with his past life... Who exactly was he?

We can't delay any longer; this information must be handled by professionals. But what if it's revealed that "Fang Chengyin is Song Zixin's son"? Will Song Zixin lose her status in the entertainment industry? Will the honors she earned through hard work and passion vanish instantly? Will she be labeled a hypocrite and a fraud by netizens?

"Give me back my sister!"

The woman's heart-wrenching words echoed in my ears.

Fang Chengyin gritted his teeth and walked into the living room. The rain outside the window was getting heavier, so he picked up the umbrella from the table.

"Are you going to call the police?" Jiang Zhi asked as he closed the balcony window.

"It's none of your business." Fang Chengyin continued walking forward.

Jiang Zhi leaned against the window, a light drizzle hitting his cheek. "You guys talked about this before, why didn't you call the police then?"

Fang Chengyin stopped walking.

"The worst-case scenario you considered back then will still happen today even if you call the police, so why bother? Besides..."

He deliberately left it blank, and Fang Chengyin turned around to look at him.

"I can help you."

Fang Chengyin saw the man smile, and beside him were raindrops like broken pearls, blocked by the window.

Fang Chengyin gripped his phone tightly. "How can I help?"

He wanted to know why Jiang Zhi was willing to get involved in this mess, but he didn't want to call the police. He wouldn't have chosen to call the police if he hadn't been desperate.

There are reporters staking out the police station; his going there would be tantamount to self-incrimination, causing Song Zixin a lot of inconvenience.

Jiang Zhi walked up to him and said with a smile, "Give me a kiss and I'll tell you."

Fang Chengyin ignored his filth and walked to the sofa. "I'll only give you one minute. Jiang Zhi, I don't have time to play games with you, nor do I have time to watch you entertain yourself."

Jiang Zhi was determined to win. He opened the computer that had been placed on the glass table at some point and said, "Can I borrow your phone?"

The sign leading to the item reads: "Do not extract private information."

Jiang Zhi joked, "You can't have your cake and eat it too."

In the end, no information was read; only the anonymous user's account was viewed, and then a query was performed, with countless lines of code flying by rapidly.

A moment later, a red dot appeared on the screen. A minute had long passed, and Jiang Zhi looked defeated with a sullen face.

"Thank you." Fang Chengyin thought to himself, "He's really competitive."

After locating the position on the screen, Fang Chengyin picked up his phone to leave, but Jiang Zhi pulled him back, saying, "At least take an umbrella."

It was pouring rain outside.

"I'll go with you."

I shouldn't agree to it. Jiang Zhi might be an accomplice. If they join forces, I might really never return.

However, this was the only clue they found when they were at their wits' end.

·

They walked into that old alley again, their destination being C32-1034, a cramped building where lights had to be on even during the day.

Thunder rumbled and rain poured down, water dripped in with a pattering sound that echoed eerily in the hallway. The doors next to each other were completely silent; it was unclear whether the soundproofing was good or if everyone had gone out to work.

The two were covered in sweat because the elevator was out of service.

Fang Chengyin couldn't imagine that the suspect would come and go here every day, especially on the day the bloodshed happened. Although his black clothes covered the bloodstains, the smell of blood couldn't have disappeared instantly.

If he had gone straight back here that day, climbing from the first floor to the thirty-second floor, it's impossible that he would have missed a single passerby along the way.

You should definitely call the police; they can investigate door-to-door.

Jiang Zhi: "Do you know where this place is?"

Fang Chengyin looked at him, but the other party didn't say anything more and stopped in front of a door.

They arrived.

A dusty, upside-down "福" (good fortune) character is pasted on the door, perhaps a sign of past happiness. In these dilapidated buildings, those who can afford to display a "福" character are unlikely to have given up on life.

Fang Chengyin knocked on the door, only to find it ajar and unlocked. Before going in, he had imagined the other person might be a pervert, but the inside was cozy. The small space was completely different from the desolation outside. It could be a haven after being drenched by wind and rain, or the best place to rest under the warm light.

"Maybe I can come over for a bit," Jiang Zhi said from the next cubicle.

Fang Chengyin couldn't even lift his feet before he went inside.

The wall is covered with photos, all of him and his family.

“Analysis diagram.” Jiang Zhi pulled out a small blackboard from behind the curtains, which displayed a diagram of Fang Kangheng and Song Zixin’s interpersonal relationships over the years.

In the bottom right corner, there's a red chalk marker that emphasizes: "Is it really love?"

Fang Chengyin frantically opened his phone. He remembered that Fang Bokang had written something on his painting, and the handwriting was the same as this chalk writing...

Exactly the same.

"How accurate is it to identify a person based on their handwriting?" he asked, almost swallowing his shock.

Jiang Zhi: "95%, the remaining 5% could be due to imitation. Also, there are significant differences between blackboard writing and writing on white paper."

These are hardly words of comfort.

Jiang Zhi drew back the curtains, and a sliver of light shone in, indicating that the rain outside was gradually letting up.

The room was cozy, suggesting that the suspect either has a split personality or is trying to preserve the warmth in his heart for some reason.

"He's watching, isn't he?" Fang Chengyin looked at the intricate diagram of interpersonal relationships.

Jiang Zhi asked, "Are we just going to wait here?"

Fang Cheng said to himself, "I thought I would run into him. But I forgot that I was the one being monitored, and he was the one watching me."

My phone vibrated.

I am very dissatisfied with your unauthorized actions.

【video】

A kindergarten teacher was stabbed in both legs with a dagger.

I'm going to punish you. The few days I promised you last time have a specific date: six days from now.

Six days later, you will receive an unexpected gift.

The phone slipped from his hand and was caught midway, a dense warmth spreading across his cold hand. Fang Chengyin closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his vision blurred with drowsiness, like a still, lifeless pool.

"Thank you." He withdrew his hand.

Jiang Zhi glanced at him, then continued fiddling with his phone. "Found it."

Fang Chengyin looked over and saw a faint red dot flashing on the software that had been installed at some point; it was a location tracker.

Jiang Zhi clicked the screen again, and the map turned into a 3D building model. It was this building, and a red dot was flashing at the top.

On the rooftop!

Fang Chengyin snatched back the phone and headed towards his destination. Jiang Zhi looked up at the blackboard, his right hand clenched and unclenched, the coolness and warmth flowing away together.

The rooftop door was pushed open with a bang, and a desolate and hazy atmosphere swept in, instantly covering the phone screen with layers of raindrops.

Fang Chengyin swiped around haphazardly a few times, glanced at the red dot, then looked up and locked onto the target. The surrounding mist was thick and swirling, threatening to engulf everything.

The only visible part of the rooftop is the railing, which is crooked and rusty; you might fall off if you touched it.

He walked slowly over, his pace matching the flashing of the red dot, his toes hitting the railing with a dull creak.

Fang Chengyin stopped, looked down, and saw the cell phone hanging on a thin rope, all alone, cradled by the mist.

—The person had just left, taking advantage of the gap between them inside the house to put the phone on the rooftop before leaving.

My phone is vibrating.

"What gift do you think I should give you?"

A box of kiwifruit?

He was certain that the person was spying on him, perhaps living in the apartment building across the street, or perhaps the apartment itself had been fitted with surveillance cameras.

No further messages were sent.

Fang Chengyin stood in the fog for a few minutes before turning back and handing the phone to Jiang Zhi, saying, "Could you please take a look at this for me?"

It's impossible to find anything.

After returning home, Jiang Zhi fiddled around for a while and found that there was indeed nothing there. After tidying up all the electronic devices and putting them in the room, he went into the kitchen to make dinner.

Fang Chengyin left the room at 11 p.m. again. Jiang Zhi was not there, but a heartwarming animation was playing in the living room.

A note was left on the glass table:

"The food is in the refrigerator, just heat it up yourself."

Since I didn't eat it either, you haven't broken the contract.

—Zhi

Fang Chengyin glanced at the script once and then sat down on the sofa, opening it and focusing intently on the dense lines of dialogue, occasionally picking up a pen to make annotations.

Jiang Zhi did not return by the time he left the next day.

·

The film set was set in an abandoned building near the orchard, the very building where the scarred man was discovered that day.

After a day and a night of rain, the air was exceptionally fresh, and the first rays of the sun rose above the horizon.

Fang Chengyin only realized something was wrong when the warmth fell on his face. The scene in the script was at night, so why was it being performed so early in the morning?

With questions in mind, I went up to the fourth floor. The crew members were almost all there, including Zhao Rang, but the assistant director was explaining something to him.

Fang Chengyin found a place where he wouldn't be disturbed and stood there.

Soon after, Zhao Rang ran over and said, "One of the extras isn't coming."

Fang Chengyin: "Who?"

"The one who acts opposite you."

Fang Chengyin roughly knew what he was going to say. Actually, it was good. He and Zhao Rang had a good relationship, so he could act with more restraint.

So we're performing tonight?

Zhao Rang took a breath and said, "No, filming starts in fifteen minutes. They said it's safer to film in the morning."

Fang Chengyin didn't say anything more and walked with Zhao Rang towards the makeup area. The makeup assistants chatted and gossiped while working, completely ignoring their presence.

"Is Jiang Tunan here today too?"

"Probably not. Didn't his childhood friend come to the company yesterday? Every time his friend comes, his manager has a hard time getting in touch with him."

"Could they really be a couple..." he said in a low voice.

I think so.

The gossip ended there. The assistants chatted about their personal plans for the afternoon. Soon, their makeup was finished, and Zhao Rang and Fang Cheng led them outside to wait.

After walking a few steps, Fang Chengyin stopped.

How did you find out about this?

Liu Jinyi walked over and greeted Zhao Rang.

Zhao Rang was quite enthusiastic, "Hello, I didn't expect that the new extra the assistant was talking about was you."

Fang Chengyin glanced at his backpack, then pulled him aside. "What did you promise me before?"

Liu Jinyi obediently opened her schoolbag, inside which was a set of test papers. "After you finish your part-time job, I'd like to ask you for help with the questions."

Fang Chengyin was so angry he almost laughed. Just as he was about to say something more, he noticed Liu Jin staring at something not far away. He turned around and followed Liu Jin's gaze.

Beyond the words of thanks, I saw the controversial superstar at the entrance of the building—Jiang Tunan, whose makeup assistants said he wouldn't be there, and his childhood friend who was helping him straighten his collar.

After finishing tidying up, he said something, and Jiang Tunan tightened his grip on his hand. His childhood friend smiled at him before turning and leaving.

"Have something hot, it's the big star's treat." Zhao Rang held up two lattes with the taro logo on them.

"Thank you." Fang Chengyin accepted it.

Liu Jin said in a low voice, "He seems to be in a lot of pain."

Jiang Tunan? Fang Chengyin looked over but didn't see anything wrong with Jiang Tunan, who was standing next to the director chatting and laughing.

Fang Chengyin took a sip of his latte. "Don't you like it?"

Liu Jinyi's expression was indeed quite interesting.

Zhao Rang laughed, "High school students should drink milk."

Liu Jin looked up, her eyes unusually innocent, "A little bitter, a little sweet, it's just too balanced."

Zhao Rang and Fang Chengyin didn't pay attention to the hidden meaning in his words. They just felt that the high school student had a bit of a temper, couldn't stand others saying anything, and was stubborn and difficult to deal with.

Zhao Rang turned to Fang Chengyin and said, "You'd better go easy on him later."

"What do you mean by showing mercy?"

Fang Chengyin took another sip of his latte, and the normally slightly sweet liquid suddenly tasted terribly bitter. He turned to Liu Jinyi and asked, "Are you going to act with me?"

Liu Jin finished his latte in one gulp, held it with both hands, and smiled as he hummed in agreement—a carefree attitude that Fang Chengyin would appreciate.

But at this moment, he just couldn't bring himself to like her. He didn't have a penchant for bullying children, let alone the clingy Liu Jinyi.

But when the time came, what right did he have to refuse? Life always presents unavoidable situations, so he could only act quickly.

So he spent the last five minutes of filming instructing Liu Jinyi.

"Action!"

The moment the board was struck, Fang Chengyin became somewhat agitated. Liu Jinyi, who was walking towards him, was not wearing makeup, her steps were light, her eyes were clear, and she was so fearless that one wanted to beat her back to school.

Fang Chengyin followed the procedure, and Liu Jinyi cooperated very well, even to an excessive degree. He didn't actually use all his strength to grab the corner wall; he just struggled symbolically a few times. Fortunately, his expression was on point, so the director didn't call "cut."

Even though Fang Chengyin "kidnapped" him, he seemed quite satisfied, clutching Fang Chengyin's costume tightly out of the camera's view.

Fang Chengyin frowned, and then did not follow the plot. He even changed the lines without permission—removing "baby" and changing "I like virgins like you" to "I really like people like you".

All the other symbolic and sordid actions that were supposed to be there were also changed, replaced by pinching Liu Jinyi's body and shaking him.

The director saw through the obvious change at a glance but didn't stop because Fang Chengyin's facial expressions were simply too superb. On the other hand, the original script's dialogue would never have passed censorship and would have been edited out in post-production; having the protagonist "sacrifice himself" was merely to pursue realism.

"Cut!"

The director smiled at Jiang Tunan beside him, "You made the right choice."

"You flatter me. I'll go take a look."

·

Fang Chengyin, feeling frustrated, rolled up Liu Jinyi's sleeve. Even with his caution, he had still hurt the child. "Is there anywhere else that hurts?"

Seeing that no one answered, he looked up and found Liu Jinyi staring at him and smiling, which made him even more depressed.

Liu Jinyi then shook his head, "No, that's all. Apart from what I have, there's nothing else."

The situation on his hands was already bad enough, but Liu Jinyi's right index fingernail was accidentally pierced by a splinter on the wooden board. Fang Chengyin didn't dare to pull it out himself, so he had to use his right hand as a cushion while waiting for Zhao Rang to bring the first-aid kit.

"Are you alright?" Jiang Tunan asked, standing to the side.

Fang Chengyin was dazzled by his bright eyes. Jiang Tunan was very handsome, especially his eyes, which were as pure as those of a righteous person.

Liu Jinyi was also taken aback for a moment, "It's nothing."

Jiang Tunan looked at his trembling right hand and smiled slightly. "It seems something's wrong. I'll call for backup; he's very good at handling things."

Before either of them could say anything, the big star had already dialed a number and said into the phone with a somewhat aggrieved expression, "I'm injured."

He hung up immediately after saying that, without any hesitation.

As expected of a top star, Fang Chengyin and Liu Jinyi were impressed.

Zhao Rang ran over with a first-aid kit, took Liu Jinyi's hand, and began to treat her quickly.

Fang Chengyin glanced at the big star, his hands tucked into his trench coat, looking carefree and unrestrained. When he realized he was being watched, he simply returned the gaze calmly, his demeanor completely unrelated to his earlier aggrieved expression.

Fang Chengyin looked away and saw Liu Jin's pale face, which made him feel depressed again. Zhao Rang was using tweezers to throw the long thorn he had picked out into a trash bag, disinfected it, and then stood up. "I can't write for the next few days."

Liu Jin's forced smile vanished.

Fang Chengyin wanted to curse, but he held back because of the child's pitiful appearance.

Instead, the big star squatted down to be at his eye level and said, "It's okay, you should rest when you need to."

It was just an ordinary sentence, but Liu Jinyi felt a warmth in it. Was it because of his tone, or his sincere attitude? Or perhaps, this was the unique charm that made him so popular?

Jiang Tunan said, "Get up."

Fang Chengyin stepped back to make way, but before he could even take a step back, another person took the space and pulled the rising Jiang Tunan into their arms. Because they were so close, Fang Chengyin could hear the person's rapid breathing.

Childhood friends, the external aid that Jiang Tunan mentioned.

Fang Chengyin moved a few steps to the side before he could see the person clearly. The person had messy black hair and was nervously examining Jiang Tunan's arm, repeatedly and gently asking, "Where are you hurt?"

The big star smiled faintly at those who were worried about him, but after a few seconds, heartache replaced the smile. "Did you run a red light?"

The man breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Jiang Tunan was indeed unharmed. Fang Chengyin heard him softly admit, "Yes, but it's okay."

"Don't run a red light, it's dangerous."

"good."

"Even if I'm injured, it's not okay."

"good."

"I want to go home..."

"Okay, let's go home."

"I forgot to water the flowers yesterday."

"It's okay, you'll stay with me for a bit..."

...

Fang Chengyin glanced at Zhao Rang, and the three of them silently left, the conversation continuing behind them. At that moment, Fang Chengyin acknowledged Liu Jinyi's judgment.

The big star seems to be really upset.

But can a big star's schedule be so flexible? Coming and going as they please?

Fang Chengyin looked out the window and downstairs, but there were no fans.

It seems to be taken for granted that big stars act like divas.