Chapter 35: Mask of Pain
After falling flat on his face for the eighth time today, Ji Shian curled up peacefully on the recliner in the corner where Ji Dongran usually rested, looking in the mirror and applying medicine on his forehead.
[There's an old saying: 'Excessive joy breeds sorrow.' You've been having such a rough time these past few days that even Heaven couldn't stand it.]
The cold ointment was smeared all over his face. Ji Shian grimaced and gasped, his mind racing.
Ji Shian: "Is there something wrong with the plot again?"
From the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, Mercury was in retrograde.
I squeezed toothpaste and ended up squeezing out facial cleanser instead. I got a flat tire while driving, tripped over every door threshold, and had a kettle explode while I was getting hot water. An unopened prop knife on set inexplicably nicked my clothes...
Even though she was agile and nimble and dodged many fatal attacks, there were still marks on her body.
Ji Shian's painful mask: "I feel like I'm here to survive the calamity."
The system spread its hands: [A few days ago, I specifically reminded you that it was time for you to "suffer."]
Her eyelids twitched when she heard that, and she subconsciously sat up straight. The wound on her forearm was suddenly pressed hard, and she couldn't help but say, "Ah——"
Ji Dongran subconsciously pulled his hand away: "Sorry, don't move, don't move, your leg is still injured!"
As filming began, the actors hadn't even had time to finish their lines when the resounding sound cut through the air, captured in its entirety. The director instinctively paused, then turned back and accidentally hit the replay button. Ji Shi'an's wailing echoed throughout the set.
“Ah—ah—ah—”
Several members of the media who had just been ushered in by the theater assistants were stunned. A young reporter wearing a red hat muttered, "That wolf howls like a human..."
His colleague, holding a camera, shook his head and corrected him, "No, it's monkeys. Two years ago, when I went to Chunshan, I saw monkeys fighting. That's what they were yelling about. Their fur was flying everywhere, and the yelling was so miserable."
A reporter wearing thick-rimmed black glasses put on his radar, paused, and scanned the entire set with sharp eyes. Whether it was the actors in bright and beautiful clothes or the staff busy with various matters, it seemed as if the entire group had been paused at this moment, looking towards a corner with a strange expression.
Based on her years of experience, she could vaguely discern the emotions: three parts sympathy, two parts astonishment, two parts disbelief, and four parts "wow," with the extra part being an overflowing gift.
She subconsciously followed everyone's gaze towards the dazzling center. Two seconds later, she took out her phone and was about to dial 120. "Hello, this is Xihe Street, Fengdong City..."
The filming location is a secret! The theater assistant, who was originally immersed in shock, suddenly reacted and rushed over to hang up the phone. The director stopped him and stroked his raised beard. His weathered eyes were filled with the outrageousness of such a scene that he had never seen before: "Let her fight."
Ji Shian's current condition did not seem good to outsiders. There was a bump on his fair forehead, and the intersection of blue and red was particularly scary. His forearms, exposed by his rolled-up sleeves, were covered with scratches. His trouser legs were blown up by the wind, revealing half of his ankles, which were covered with bruises.
The top assistant who usually loved to hang out with Ji Shian to eat melons and chat about gossip came over worriedly: "Shian...why don't we call the police?"
The assistant of the first-line actress was even more irritable. He stood straight with his fists clenched. "That idiot had the guts to bully you. Don't be afraid. We'll help you vent your anger."
"I'm really fine. It just looks serious, but it's not that painful." Ji Shian was moved to tears, but he still refused their kindness: "Forget about calling the police. After all, the police can't pry away the door sill, tires, kettles, and floor tiles for interrogation."
Ji Dongran, who had witnessed all of Ji Shian's misfortunes today, was silent for a long time before speaking with difficulty, "How about we take a day off today and go to Yunxiao Mountain next door to worship. It's said to be quite spiritual there, and many people's wishes have come true."
Ji Shian pursed his lips and hesitated, "Will I make grunts while climbing a mountain..."
Before she finished speaking, a picture had already appeared in her mind. Ji Dongran grabbed her other uninjured paw and said solemnly: "You have a point. Why don't we just spend money to invite the master down."
Ji Shian was horrified. She suddenly felt that the pain in her body was all empty. Her empty wallet was the real reason. She reached out and held Ji Dongran down: "Sister Ji, I don't think I'm guilty of this."
"It's okay, I have money. I'll take you to eat delicious food and drink spicy drinks." Ji Dongran pulled her hair lovingly, and her expression suddenly froze when she withdrew her hand.
Ji Shian seemed to sense something, and raised his head stiffly, his eyes fixed on the hair in Ji Dongran's hand.
Oh wow, looks so familiar.
She realized it belatedly and raised her hand to touch the top of her head. She looked terrified and touched it over and over again, repeatedly confirming: "Where is my ahoge?" Where is my ahoge that big!
Ji Dongran was almost overwhelmed by guilt and tried to insert the ahoge back, but the ahoge was weak and boneless and floated above his head, and the grafting failed repeatedly.
Just as the two were anxiously figuring out how to painlessly reattach the ahoge, "Ah~~ Yo~~Ah~~ Yo~~" The car stopped outside the set, and well-trained medical staff walked quickly in the direction the director pointed, lifted Ji Shian up and pushed him into the car. Ji Dongran jumped in quickly.
"Ah~~Yo~~Ah~~Yo~~" Dudu left, leaving the director to swallow the "Qiaodou Sack" that he hadn't been able to utter in time, and breathe in the fresh car exhaust on the spot.
Ji Shian lay on the stretcher with a confused look on his face. After a while, he adjusted his posture and joked with Ji Dongran, "I hope the ambulance doesn't have a flat tire."
Just as the voice fell, bang! duang~bang bang bang~zila——
The four people in the car looked at each other. Ji Shian tried to maintain an innocent expression, put on a mask and manually turned off the microphone.
Ji Shian: Believe me, it really has nothing to do with me!
After a ten-minute journey, they had to change three ambulances before they could successfully get the patient to the emergency room. Along the way, she remained calm and accepted the stares from all directions. Her only worry was whether Ji Dongran would be recognized.
"No, no one knows yet that I'm back from my world tour."
Ji Shian was barely relieved, but he vaguely felt that he seemed to have heard the term "world travel" somewhere. After thinking about it for a moment without any result, he gave up and put it out of his mind.
Ji Dongran placed her in a corner away from the crowd. After double-checking that there were no dangerous factors such as kettles, IV stands, carts, and doors that suddenly opened, and after repeatedly testing to make sure the chair wouldn't collapse, Ji Dongran leaned over and warned her: "Don't move." He left and returned, then trotted off to get the medicine with the doctor's prescription.
Ji Dongran had just walked a short distance, her heart still throbbing with longing. She turned back and saw Ji Shian sitting obediently in the corner, like a strawberry-filled daifuku in a transparent display case, a lovely little ball. Her worried brows relaxed slightly, and she turned and followed the instructions to leave.
The well-behaved Ji Shian maintained a shy image, mentally pinching the system's output frantically; "You'd better explain to me word for word what is going on!"
My mind was in turmoil, and the system was like being thrown into a washing machine. The voice intermittently defended itself: [Didn’t I remind you? It’s not my fault, it’s the plot that’s to blame!]
Ji Shian: "Are you reminding me to ask for trouble?"
The system nearly vomited: [Wow, hey, hey, hey.] I didn't mean to do that. [Wow, hey, hey, hey, hey.] I'm really innocent.
Ji Shian was alert: "I'm warning you, if you dare to vomit in my head, I'll pack up all those snacks and give them to Xiao Zhang when we get back."
Xiao Zhang is a top-tier assistant with a straightforward personality and a penchant for gossip. Ever since Ji Shian became close with her, she no longer actively shares interesting things with the system. 087 has long harbored resentment towards her, believing she's stolen his love and corrupted the host.
The system paused, then whimpered, holding its head. "I did suspect the plot would intervene, but I didn't expect it to be so reckless as to simply move all the accidents you'll encounter in the rest of your life to the same day."
Ji Shian gnashed his teeth and said, "Why doesn't it let me die early? That way I don't have to die when I'm old."
The system hummed weakly twice and then became paralyzed and motionless.
Ji Shian tried to remain calm and comfort himself, thinking that this also had its benefits. At least after the canary had eaten its share of suffering, it would not be long before it could fly back to its exquisite and luxurious cage.
Ji Shian: Wow, she really wanted to live a "captive life" where she didn't have to work, had no worries about food and clothing, and was pampered by others every day.
However, due to the cruel reality, dreams are not controlled by the brain, and only in the plot can we vaguely catch a glimpse of the secret joy.
Ji Dongran had been gone for a while and hadn't returned. Ji Shian was a little worried that she might have gotten lost. She remembered that she seemed to have a hidden problem with directions, which had been accidentally revealed on a variety show. Fans at the time were calling her so cute, and she was also tickled by the contrast, only to be awakened by a dozen papers from her roommate.
There is a large flow of people near the emergency area, and it is noisier than other areas.
"The doctor said he doesn't recommend you be discharged right now. Can you please respect the doctor's orders? You have a concussion from a car accident!"
"The physical data on the report is all normal. It just looks serious on the outside, but it's actually nothing serious. I know what's going on. Please contact them first..."
Ji Shian was bored, tugging at the ball on her clothes. When she heard the familiar words, she looked up curiously. Which half-brother was this? He was just as stubborn as her.
A nurse happened to pass by pushing a cart, blocking her view, but she could hear what happened next through the cold frame of the cart.
"Contact Shi An first. I'm a little panicked and have a bad feeling."
Ji Shian was slightly stunned, and when he listened carefully, he found the voice very familiar.
"What could possibly happen to her? She's currently on set. I visited the crew before, and they've done a pretty good job of keeping it a secret. Hey, you should just focus on yourself first. You're still running around after something so serious has happened. You can earn money, but you still have to live to spend it. So, just stay in the hospital for two days. If you develop any sequelae, how am I supposed to deal with it..."
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