Chapter 41 A dense mass of red...
The phone screen on the pillow lit up a few times. A slender hand reached out from under the covers and groped around haphazardly along the sound source. After touching the cold phone, it grabbed it and shoved it in front of the sleepy eyes.
Liang Kongxiang's eyes were slightly open, her head still dizzy, an arm was tightly wrapped around her waist, and a warm face was buried in the back of her neck.
She bent her wrist, put down her phone, closed her eyes for several seconds, then slowly opened them again, this time with much clearer vision. She unlocked it again.
Zhuo Qiyun sent a picture, taken from inside a car. Outside the car window was a wide overpass with a constant flow of traffic, making it clear that she had landed in Gongtai City.
Liang Kongxiang exited the picture, and sure enough, a message appeared below the chat box: We've all arrived. Thank you for your help these past few days.
As she was carefully considering her reply, a long arm suddenly reached out from behind and snatched her phone.
Jiang Jiaoming, half-supporting his bare upper body, browsed the messages. After scanning Zhuo Qiyun's name, he locked the screen and threw it on the inside of the bed, not returning it to her.
Liang Kongxiang turned over and lay flat on her back. Just as she was about to say something, Jiang Jiaoming casually leaned in and buried his face in her neck. A slight electric current ran through her neck. Helplessly, Liang Kongxiang tilted her head back and pushed Jiang Jiaoming's head away. "Again?"
The whole night was non-stop. After saying "I'll love you even after dawn," Jiang Jiaoming went crazy and trapped her in the lake, kissing her to his heart's content. The boat rocked violently and almost capsized several times.
Liang Kongxiang was exhausted and simply covered her face with her hands while panting, only revealing a pair of slightly angry eyes to warn him to stop. Seeing that she was so tired, Jiang Jiaoming carried her to a nearby hotel to spend the night.
She thought it was his thoughtfulness, but it turned out she was just playing along and letting a wolf into the house. Before she could even close the door, Jiang Jiaoming grabbed the handle and slammed it shut, then grabbed her and showered her with kisses, his kisses tracing down her face and head…
Liang Kongxiang had to film the next evening, so she couldn't let him continue. Lying on the bed with her arms crossed, she asked coldly, "Do you think you can get away with anything now that we're back together?"
Jiang Jiaoming breathed heavily, staring at her face, which was beautiful even when she was angry.
He couldn't hear a word she was saying; he only saw her mouth opening and closing, her moist lips glistening. Jiang Jiaoming felt restless, as if his skin was crawling with parasites, his mind consumed by nothing but wanting to be close to her, even closer.
□□
Before they could even kiss, a foot stepped on his shoulder and pushed him back forcefully, the voice cold: "Jiang Jiaoming."
They called out his full name.
Jiang Jiaoming was caught off guard by her kick and fell to the foot of the bed. However, his left shoulder did not hurt at all; instead, it was extremely itchy.
Without a word, he bent down and hugged her tightly, his tone quite self-righteous: "Why don't you want me to kiss you?"
“I have to film tomorrow,” Liang Kongxiang said helplessly as he held her, not pushing him away this time. “I have two days off after filming wraps up.”
Even if filming were to wrap up in a week, or even if it were only an hour, Jiang Jiaoming simply wouldn't have the patience to wait. Who could calmly wait when their wife was practically unattainable? Unless he were dead.
“I’ll give the crew a few days off,” Jiang Jiaoming quickly found an excuse, “your leg isn’t fully healed yet.”
That's as if those legs were his own. Liang Kongxiang found it amusing, but still refused, mimicking him and deliberately saying coldly, "No way."
Jiang Jiaoming covered her mouth to stop her from speaking, looked at her for two seconds, then kissed her eyelids, patted her back, and suddenly gave in: "Go to sleep."
Being so easy to talk to wasn't his style, but Liang Kongxiang was too sleepy to guess. She hummed in response and closed her eyes. Her whole body felt like it was falling from the tenth floor. She was so tired that she couldn't open her eyes for more than two seconds.
Half-asleep, she vaguely felt something licking and sucking at her in front of her, then she was turned over, her back burning with pain and itching. She thought she was dreaming, but when she went to the bathroom in a daze, she realized it wasn't an illusion at all. In the mirror, her entire back was a mess, covered with dense red spots.
Liang Kongxiang sighed helplessly. He seemed to have a skin hunger disorder; it hadn't changed at all over the years, but had only gotten worse. She wondered what his reaction would be when he saw her and Xiang Hang filming a hugging scene in a couple of days.
Lost in thought about what happened last night, she gave Jiang Jiaoming an opportunity. Unable to push away Jiang Jiaoming's head that was leaning in, she had no choice but to tilt her head back and sit up, earnestly instructing him: "During work, I hope we can keep our distance."
Jiang Jiaoming also sat up, his face not looking too good, and asked expressionlessly, "How do you intend to maintain this?"
“You can clearly separate public and private matters,” Liang Kongxiang said, glancing at her phone. It was already 2:30 in the afternoon. She added, “President Jiang, you must have at least this much professionalism, right?”
"Oh," Jiang Jiaoming squinted, "There really isn't. What are you planning to do?"
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Jiaoming covered his mouth and interrupted him.
The two were locked in a stalemate as soon as they woke up. Jiang Jiaoming was still shirtless, with the blanket piled around his waist, revealing his tightly packed abdominal muscles.
Liang Kongxiang looked away.
Jiang Jiaoming grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye, and said, "I have to let everyone know that I'm yours, so what?"
He released her hand after he finished speaking, his eyes cold, giving her a chance to speak.
"And then what? I'll quit acting and become your full-time girlfriend, Mr. Jiang?" Liang Kongxiang retorted. But she also understood that Jiang Jiaoming's words were just empty talk, a way to vent his frustration at not being able to be intimate with her in public.
The key point is the second half of the sentence. Jiang Jiaoming is the kind of person who takes advantage of others. If you indulge him in talking, he'll add his own drama and flirt without a care in the world. If you indulge him in holding hands, he'll hold her hand and do something he can't even look at.
Jiang Jiaoming remained expressionless and unmoved, simply staring at her.
Liang Kongxiang wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed the corner of his mouth, and said with a smile, "Why are you so hard to coax now?"
"What if someone has designs on you?" His expression softened considerably, but he was still concerned: "Will I, as your official boyfriend, just stand by and watch?"
He's fantasizing about something that's not even real. Liang Kongxiang sighed, leaning forward against his firm chest, her forehead bumping against his collarbone.
Jiang Jiaoming subconsciously put his arms around her waist, looked down at her, and said, "...Being coquettish doesn't work."
Liang Kongxiang smiled.
He said that, but his body betrayed him by holding her tightly, his arms around her waist and his legs around her hips in a possessive posture, holding Liang Kongxiang in his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head. A few seconds later, he also let out a heavy breath from his mouth and nose, "Pay me back double in private."
It was almost three o'clock, and they were supposed to check out, but Jiang Jiaoming pulled her into a French kiss, tirelessly sweeping her mouth, sucking on her lips covered in a mixture of saliva, and after a while, he carried the aching Liang Kongxiang on his back to the film set.
As soon as she entered the work environment, Liang Kongxiang quickly switched to her new mode. She first took a bath in her apartment to reduce the swelling, then asked Chang Xin to make her coffee. After tidying herself up, she went to put on makeup.
The production is wrapping up these next few days, and everyone in the crew seems very happy.
Little A was setting up his camera and chatting with the people behind him. He said that filming in Xisa Port these past few days felt like a dream. Although he was happy to be off work, to be honest, he really wanted to stay a little longer.
Cao Lengyu was directing the others when she heard those words. She looked up and met Liang Kongxiang's gaze, who was also looking over.
The two understood each other perfectly. Far from the media and the cynical environment, this place boasts a vast and magnificent coastline and grasslands. Most of the sounds come from seabirds and insects. After work, having a drink, looking at the sea, and chatting is incredibly pleasant, and they would gladly stay longer.
Especially these past few days, as filming has come to an end, the atmosphere of reluctance to part has become even stronger. The young men and women on set have long been familiar with each other, chatting about all sorts of things, and Liang Kongxiang occasionally joins in the conversation.
She spent most of her time on set sitting next to Cao Lengyu, watching the monitor. Occasionally, she would tease Cao Lengyu by asking, "President Jiang has gone back to Gongtai to set up his love nest, huh? Isn't he going back today?"
Since she returned to the film set from the hotel, Jiang Jiaoming has been busy with company matters and flew back to Gongtai. He hasn't appeared on set for several days, but she doesn't know how Cao Lengyu figured out about their reconciliation. Liang Kongxiang denied it helplessly, "I've been busy with work."
"With such a beauty in his arms, he can still run back to work. He's quite dedicated," Cao Lengyu teased.
Liang Kongxiang didn't reply, looking at the script. She had originally worried that Jiang Jiaoming would be too unruly on set and do something outrageous, but thankfully he went back. But going back didn't stop him from seeking attention. Every night he would video call her and wouldn't hang up until she was asleep. When she woke up in the morning, the phone would show that the call was in progress, but upon closer listening, she could only hear Jiang Jiaoming's breathing.
During a video call last night, Liang Kongxiang thought about the final scene in two days, where she and Xiang Hang would hug, and she asked him when he would return to Xisa Port.
Jiang Jiaoming lay back on the sofa, poked the camera, and asked her smugly, "You miss me that much?"
Liang Kongxiang, with her head resting on the pillow, deliberately said, "I don't really want to."
Jiang Jiaoming raised his voice and exaggeratedly said "Hmm?" before coldly laughing, "I'll kiss you to death when we meet."
Is this how he gets revenge?
Liang Kongxiang chuckled and surrendered, "Then I'm sorry."
“It’s no use.” Jiang Jiaoming said coldly.
Liang Kongxiang hummed in agreement, put the phone to her ear, closed her eyes, and fell asleep listening to his breathing.
The night before filming the final scene, Liang Kongxiang breathed a sigh of relief before going to sleep. Given Jiang Jiaoming's temperament, watching her hug Xiang Hang would be torture; it was better that he didn't come.
She had been looking forward to this last scene for quite a while. Although it wasn't the final scene of the entire movie, it was her favorite scene. The underlying theme of this movie was love and hope, and today's scene had a warm and bright atmosphere. It was very close to the place where they had chased the deer before, and it was also a beautiful place.
The group split into two buses to go to another location for filming. She was on one bus with Wang Jianbo, Xiang Hang, Kong Jingying, and others, while the lighting technicians and cameramen from the crew were on the other bus, arriving before them.
The car drove along the highway, occasionally bumping along. The scenery outside the window became increasingly desolate. I don't know where they found such a barren landscape. The land in the distance was the yellow color of rocks, cracked in large chunks, with only sparse, light yellow weeds around it.
Xiang Hang joked with Wang Jianbo, "If I didn't know President Wang well, I would be tightening my belt and preparing to run away right now."
Wang Jianbo pushed open the car window, and the wind whistled in through the cracks, making everyone in the car shiver. He looked back at the car full of actors and said with a smile, "We were hoping you guys would do well and go to Europe, but we wouldn't dare sell you out. It's not worth it."
The child actors had starry eyes; it's one of the three major European film festivals, and it would be worth it to actually go.
“Besides, there’s still General Chiang,” Wang Jianbo glanced at Liang Kongxiang, seemingly casually, and said with a smile, “He takes your safety very seriously.”
These words were a test and a tease for Liang Kongxiang, but she acted as if she hadn't heard them, simply smiling and offering no comment as usual.
"Haven't seen President Jiang for several days, has he?" Although he doesn't seem to come to the film set very often. Kong Jingying yawned and muttered to herself.
The car stopped, and there was an empty bus parked in front of it. The crew members were already busy getting ready, and everyone got off the bus one after another.
It had indeed been several days since Liang Kongxiang had seen Jiang Jiaoming. She got up from her seat, thinking absentmindedly, "It's only when he comes that I should be worried."
The bus had a high chassis, so she followed behind everyone down the steps with her head down. She stepped on a stone and almost fell because her ankle went weak. Luckily, she reacted quickly and braced herself against the door behind her.
But someone was faster than her, almost simultaneously putting their arm around her waist and letting go in a second: "Are you alright?"
Seeing Liang Kongxiang about to fall, Xiang Hang instinctively helped her up without even realizing it, since everyone knew she had a leg injury.
He suddenly stopped making noise and stared blankly ahead.
When Xiang Hang saw her expression freeze, he was puzzled. When he turned around, his heart skipped a beat, his face froze, and the fingers around Liang Kongxiang's waist unconsciously curled up.
A broad-shouldered, long-legged man in a black jacket was leaning against the back of another bus, watching them expressionlessly with his arms crossed.
“Continue.” Jiang Jiaoming glanced at Xiang Hang’s hand, then looked past him and met Liang Kongxiang’s calm gaze.
Caught between the two men's lines of sight, Xiang Hang, sensing the atmosphere, forced a greeting: "President Jiang."
"Mm," Jiang Jiaoming replied calmly. "Director Cao is waiting for you."
These words were clearly a way to save face, and Xiang Hang, realizing this, consciously walked away.
A cool morning breeze wafted through the air, and only Liang Kongxiang and Jiang Jiaoming remained quietly gazing at each other in front of the car.
Jiang Jiaoming arrived at the filming location one after the other on the first crew bus. It was still completely dark then, and the surrounding area smelled of damp earth, which filled his nose in a stuffy, unpleasant odor.
He got out of the car in his leather shoes, closed the door behind him, and a group of staff members yawned as they set up the scene. When they saw him coming, they blinked hard to stay awake, the wrinkles on their foreheads stretched out and then relaxed, and their eyes were forced to clear. They greeted him one after another.
Jiang Jiaoming nodded in unison, his eyes scanning the crowd of people dressed in brightly colored clothes.
As the cameraman was adjusting the settings, he noticed Jiang Jiaoming's movements out of the corner of his eye and casually remarked, "Director Cao is over there." He pointed behind Jiang Jiaoming.
Turning around, he saw Cao Lengyu as well. She smiled across the crowd as a greeting, and Jiang Jiaoming nodded slightly, knowing that Liang Kongxiang hadn't come over.
Soon, the sound of wheels rolling over thick mud could be heard in the distance. A bus approached, kicking up yellowish-brown dust. Jiang Jiaoming squinted to determine where it was going to stop.
Actually, he already knew what Liang Kongxiang was going to film today, and he could tell that when Liang Kongxiang asked him when she would come back, it wasn't necessarily because she missed him, but more because she was worried that he would be jealous and upset.
But to be honest, why would a 35-year-old man like Xiang Hang be jealous?
"If you have nothing to say, I'll be going now." Liang Kongxiang saw that he had no intention of speaking. Xiang Hang had already entered the film set in the distance, and she had to hurry over there too.
She hadn't taken two steps when Jiang Jiaoming suddenly called out to her.
"They were all so affectionate during our video call last night, but they turned on me the moment we met. Liang Kongxiang, are you kidding me?"
"What...?" She was stunned, having no idea where Jiang Jiaoming's "intimate greeting" came from.
"Jiang Jiaoming, Jiang Jiaoming, Jiang Jiaoming." Jiang Jiaoming, with a blank expression on Zhang Mengnan's face, called out three times in a strained voice as he demonstrated, creating a very awkward effect.
The tense atmosphere was broken by these three strange shouts.
Liang Kongxiang had never used this tone before. She looked at him hesitantly, then denied it helplessly: "I didn't."
Suddenly, a commotion broke out on the film set. Looking into the distance, she saw a large truck approaching from another direction. If she remembered correctly, it should belong to the props team.
There were many people on set, and it was during working hours, so Liang Kongxiang didn't plan to stand there with Jiang Jiaoming any longer. "I'm leaving first," she said, patting his arm before heading towards the filming location.
The soft touch spread throughout Jiang Jiaoming's body through his coat. He stared at Liang Kongxiang's back, his gaze falling on her drooping hand.
He stood still for only two seconds before he was about to move forward when he unexpectedly met Liang Kongxiang's eyes as she turned around.
"Jiang Jiaoming," Liang Kongxiang suddenly called out. She was dressed in white, with light makeup on her face, and smiled gently, her tone exactly the same as his earlier prank.
Jiang Jiaoming was stunned, and his foot, which was about to be lifted, was nailed to the spot.
Liang Kongxiang was actually just trying to comfort Jiang Jiaoming. She knew he still cared about the distance between her and other men. Xiang Hang's helping hand earlier wasn't a big deal, but in Jiang Jiaoming's eyes, it was a completely different story. For a moment, Liang Kongxiang almost thought that the old story was about to repeat itself, and many scenes of their argument flashed through her mind as if on fast-forward.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Jiaoming has indeed changed in the past few years. He has maintained the dignity of an adult and given Xiang Hang a way out, so that she is not caught in the middle and is not tormented by it.
However, in the scene where they embrace, she still wanted Jiang Jiaoming to stay in the car. That soft, high-pitched "Jiang Jiaoming" was also telling him that what was lost and regained was hard-won, and she wanted to cherish their second love.
"Hey, Kong Xiang!" Kong Jingying was chatting and laughing with a group of girls when she caught sight of her out of the corner of her eye. She waved for her to come over quickly: "Where have you been? Why are you so slow?"
"What's wrong?" Liang Kongxiang walked over but didn't answer her question.
“We were just talking about that. Your last scene, the big one, is coming up.” Kong Jingying pointed to a large white truck with a sidecar next to her. Two dark-skinned men got out of the truck, went around to the back, and opened the cargo door. Several young men from the props team also went over to help, unloading things like water pumps and PVC pipes from inside.
A short while later, the assistant director started directing the clearing of the set through a loudspeaker. Xiang Hang and Liang Kongxiang stood together rehearsing their lines. Just before filming began, Xiang Hang smiled wryly and said, "I hope President Jiang isn't angry. I've only made things worse for you."
"No, not at all." Liang Kongxiang smiled, telling him not to put so much pressure on himself: "I'm the one causing you trouble."
Hearing this, Xiang Hang figured Jiang Jiaoming probably wouldn't cause him any trouble, so he breathed a sigh of relief and discreetly searched for Jiang Jiaoming's figure. The world of business acumen and the knowledge of a rich second-generation heir were truly different; a single, casual glance from him was incredibly intimidating, and that look still sent chills down Xiang Hang's spine.
Liang Kongxiang noticed Xiang Hang's gaze but said nothing.
The hugging scene was filmed five times, with them adjusting several angles to present the most perfect and emotionally impactful shot in front of the camera.
The director yelled "Cut!" and the two separated.
Chang Xin ran over with Liang Kongxiang's thin coat in her arms and whispered a tattling: "It seems like President Jiang has been sitting in the car the whole time."
Liang Kongxiang tilted her head back and took a sip of water, her gaze falling on the bus, but it was too far away to see anything clearly.
She took the coat from Chang Xin and put it on, saying, "Tell him you can come over now."
"Huh?" Chang Xin was completely confused. What did it mean that she could come over now? Why couldn't she come over earlier?
"Go ahead." Liang Kongxiang gently patted her head.
"Oh, okay."
The sun peeked halfway over the horizon, casting an orange-yellow sky over the reddish-brown land.
The group moved to a slightly sloping area and stopped at a spot on the lower slope. The slope was covered with withered, yellow weeds that were about waist-high on both sides. The cracking was even more severe here, with each patch broken into pieces, like the skin of a dying old man, desperately in need of water.
The prop team set up the water pump on the uphill slope. As soon as the gate was opened, the water rushed out, sparsely sliding over the yellowish-brown soil and rolling down the slope.
After the lighting and photography were all ready, Liang Kongxiang stepped barefoot onto the land. The soles of her feet were pierced by cracks, and the cool water, carrying mud and sand, first submerged her insteps, then her ankles. She looked towards the distant sun, a faint smile on her face, joyful for this long-awaited rain after a drought.
Under the sunlight, a golden rain began to fall hastily.
With a "cut" sound, the filming in Sisa Port truly came to an end.
She lived in the shell of the character Bo Wenxiang for several months, but with the crisp sound of the clapperboard from the script supervisor, Bo Wenxiang's soul seemed to drift further and further away from her.
"Congratulations on wrapping up filming, Teacher Liang!"
"Ahhh, congratulations to Teacher Liang on wrapping up filming!"
Many staff members on set excitedly called out to Liang Kongxiang, who smiled and came into Jiang Jiaoming's line of sight.
He sat next to Cao Lengyu. Everyone around them was congratulating Liang Kongxiang, but he remained silent, staring at her, lost in thought.
Liang Kongxiang looked at him, took the towel her assistant handed her and wiped her face and head. Jiang Jiaoming suddenly stood up. She paused, hesitated for two seconds, and walked over. "What's wrong?"
Why does he look so absent-minded when he clearly didn't see his scene with Xiang Hang?
He remained silent. Liang Kongxiang asked helplessly, "Are you still thinking about Xiang Hang?"
“No.” Jiang Jiaoming looked at her seriously: “So this is how you finished filming.”
She paused for a moment, then nodded and smiled, "Yes."
"You did a great job, I'm so proud of you, my wife."
From the moment Bo Wenxiang detached from her body and floated away, a tremendous sense of loss and emptiness overwhelmed her, though she didn't show it on her face. When she stepped out of the spotlight, she was in a daze the whole way. A part of her fictional self had been taken away, while a part of her sealed-off reality was disoriented and searching for a way out.
Until this moment, under Jiang Jiaoming's gaze, Liang Kongxiang found her true self in his voice.
Liang Kongxiang suddenly wanted to cancel the flight she had booked to return to Gongtai City.
Although filming in Sissa Port has wrapped up.
But she wanted to have a love with Jiang Jiaoming that was undisturbed 24 hours a day in this land.
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Locked] The author has something to say; the content has been temporarily locked due to issues.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
