Chapter 49 Butterfly. Duan Qiyin is kissing her, smelling...
The weather at the seaside is unpredictable; it felt like a different season overnight. Yesterday it was hot and sunny, but today it's pouring rain. The sky is dark and the seawater is more murky than usual.
This kind of weather is exactly what a key plot point in the movie requires.
The set designer did not recommend shooting on location because the filming location was on a yacht at sea, where the weather was bad, the waves were too big, the risks of going out to sea were high, the filming was difficult, and the safety of the crew of hundreds of people could not be guaranteed.
Xia Xun was unwilling to use special effects, feeling they were too fake and would negatively impact the viewing experience, and insisted on filming on location.
But the power to decide this matter rests with Ji Jiazhen. She is the female lead and the only important character in this play, with a heavy workload and significant sacrifices.
This scene required her to jump into the sea.
Xia Xun had to ask Ji Jiazhen for her opinion, after all, she was a top-tier female celebrity with an astonishing net worth and a formidable fan base. If anything happened to her, Xia Xun would be attacked by the entire group.
Moreover, the biggest investor in the film is Duan Qiyin, and the news that he is still pursuing Ji Jiazhen is already known all over the internet. Xia Xun is still confused about their relationship. To avoid trouble, she still asked Duan Qiyin. Duan Qiyin replied that it depends on Ji Jiazhen's opinion. So after going around in circles, whether or not to make the film is still up to Ji Jiazhen.
Ji Jiazhen was sitting in her room reading a script when she received Xia Xun's WeChat message.
[Are you okay with shooting on location at sea this afternoon?]
The rain was heavy, and water had accumulated on the balcony. Raindrops were hitting the doors and windows, making a loud pattering sound. The glass doors were covered by a curtain of water, making it impossible to see what was happening outside.
Ji Jiazhen rested her right hand on her forehead, gazing intently at the empty and tidy bed.
The night Wen Siyu came to Haicheng, the weather was like this too. It rained all night, and the thunder and lightning made her sleep restlessly. He kept wanting to hold her, but she got angry and yelled at him to get out, asking him what he wanted.
What did he say back then?
—"I want you to stay close to me."
She recalled his words and couldn't help but chuckle, a hint of self-deprecation in her voice.
She shuttled between City A and Haicheng, but didn't go anywhere else. He, on the other hand, went quite far, leaving the country without a word and cutting off all contact.
Ji Jiazhen walked to the edge of the balcony, stood still for two seconds, raised her hand to pull the door. As soon as the door opened a crack, fine rain slipped in. When it was fully opened, the wind and rain rushed in, and the ground was instantly soaked. She stood in the wind and got completely wet.
The wind was cool, making her shiver, but she didn't try to dodge it. She stood there motionless, watching the ships anchored in the harbor in the distance and the waves surging on the sea.
She turned around, glanced at the phone lying quietly on the table, wiped the raindrops from her chin, and walked straight over.
She typed a reply to Xia Xun's WeChat message, water droplets clinging to the screen from her fingertips.
Do you want to take this picture?
Xia Xun replied without hesitation, instantly with a single word: "I want to."
I will follow the director's instructions.
She stared at the screen, waiting for Xia Xun's reply.
[Now go prepare your makeup and styling.]
Ji Jiazhen smiled as she read the message, tapped the screen twice with her thumb, and saved the chat history as a screenshot to her album.
Everything was under her control.
*
The rain paused briefly at noon, giving the film crew a chance to set up the set and cameras. It started raining again around 1 p.m., but the raindrops weren't as big as before.
Duan Qiyin was humiliated yesterday, but today he came to the film set as if nothing had happened.
Ji Jiazhen stood by the dock, holding an umbrella, listening to Xia Xun explain the play to her. Her shoulders and body were damp from the rain. She looked focused and seemed to be listening attentively, but her eyes were always fixed on the deck of the yacht.
The climax of the scene is when her character gets into an argument with someone, which escalates into a physical altercation, and she chooses to jump into the sea to slander the person she was arguing with.
Xia Xun's voice mingled with the noise of the rain, becoming increasingly indistinct. Ji Jiazhen felt that after acting in so many plays, sometimes it became impossible to distinguish whether the play resembled reality or reality resembled the play.
Just as the character she plays needs to carry out a slander, she also needs to carry out a scheme to sow discord and frame someone.
It wasn't until Xia Xun said, "Get ready," that she finally looked away and said to the actor she was acting opposite, "I can start anytime. Let me know when you're ready."
The actor felt pressured after hearing her say that, afraid of delaying the filming schedule. He went to the side and went through the script once, and said he was ready in less than ten minutes.
Ji Jiazhen gazed at the continuous ripples on the gray sea, rubbed her cold forearm, took off the coat draped over her shoulders, and walked past Xia Xun with her head down. Without stopping, she said "Let's begin" as she brushed past her.
The yacht started and sailed away from the dock. Accompanied by the announcement of "Actors, get ready," Ji Jiazhen handed an umbrella to Fang Li and, all alone, climbed onto the deck in the rain.
...
The monitor showed Ji Jiazhen's back against an endless gray sky. She was facing the direction the yacht was heading, and the strands of hair by her ears were about to be blown by the sea breeze, only to be knocked down by the rain.
She sat by the railing, dressed in thin clothes, and slowly turned her head. At that moment, another actor appeared.
Everything proceeded smoothly according to the script.
They started talking, then disagreed, and then argued. The conversation grew louder and the emotions in their words became more intense, and they began to physically fight.
Ji Jiazhen adopted a posture of not wanting to argue anymore and tried to stand up and leave. According to the script, her co-star should have grabbed her at this moment to stop her from leaving.
They did act that way, the only slight deviation being that Ji Jiazhen was supposed to be pulled back as she left the railing, but the other actress was visibly nervous from the start of filming, and at this point she became even more tense, pushing Ji Jiazhen before she even got off the railing.
Ji Jiazhen's feet were covered in puddles. After being hit on the shoulder, she subconsciously turned her head to look at the railing beside her.
She could have easily grabbed it, but she didn't move, letting her body fall backward. The actor lunged at her and grabbed her wrist, but ultimately he wasn't strong enough and couldn't hold on.
"He's fallen into the water!"
"Help!"
With her nasal cavity filled with seawater and a whooshing sound around her, Ji Jiazhen vaguely heard Chen Li anxiously calling her "sister" amidst the noise.
She was actually a good swimmer, but once the act began, she had to play it all the way, so she gave up on saving herself, flailing her arms and pretending to drown.
Rescuers were on standby, so less than a minute after she fell into the water, someone jumped in. When her arm was grabbed, she deliberately opened her mouth and choked on the water.
Once they were pulled onto the yacht, she coughed up the water she had choked on. Chen Li hugged her from behind and wrapped a blanket around her. Xia Xun was quite frightened and used a towel to wipe the water off her face, allowing Ji Jiazhen to open her eyes.
Then he met Duan Qiyin's gaze, who was also slumped on the deck.
He was soaking wet, his hair hanging down in a disheveled state. His assistant was also handing him blankets and towels, but he neither took them nor moved, his eyes fixed on Ji Jiazhen.
Ji Jiazhen never expected that he would jump into the water to save her.
She looked away, avoiding eye contact with him.
To be honest, she felt a little guilty. Duan Qiyin's attitude was ambiguous. He was an old fox, and he kept a close eye on her while she was acting. She was afraid that he would see through her.
But Duan Qiyin said nothing, ignored his assistant's concern, stood up, swept his wet hair back, walked to Ji Jiazhen, squatted down in front of her, took her from Chen Li's arms, and carried her indoors.
Xia Xun's face was still pale. She kept staring at Ji Jiazhen, afraid that something might happen to her. After Duan Qiyin picked her up, she followed them.
Duan Qiyin suddenly turned around and said to Xia Xun with a stern face, "Let's dock."
His tone was quite harsh, and coupled with his fierce expression, Xia Xun panicked even more.
Ji Jiazhen ignored their feelings and emotions; her priority now was to feign weakness, and ideally, even pretend to be dead.
Having been soaked in seawater and drenched in rain for a long time, she suddenly sneezed when a cold wind blew, and then naturally closed her eyes and leaned on Duan Qiyin's shoulder.
Duan Qiyin felt the weight on his shoulder, looked down at her, and called her name in a tense voice.
There was no response.
Ji Jiazhen was placed on the sofa by him, and he heard him call out to Chen Li, asking her to take care of her.
He might have given Xia Xun a meaningful look, and the two of them went out together.
Only she and Chen Li remained inside; he blocked everyone else from entering.
Ji Jiazhen opened her eyes a crack, and only opened them fully when she was sure that Chen Li was alone and the door was closed.
She touched Chen Li's shoulder, first making a "shh" gesture to her, and then said, "Tell the people outside that I think I dislocated my arm."
"Your arm is dislocated!!"
Chen Li, that silly girl, didn't see anything, and she's still raising her voice quite loudly.
Ji Jiazhen gestured "shh" again, "Contact Fang Wei and buy a trending topic for what just happened. Just say so." She paused, "Ji Jiazhen fell into the sea and got injured while filming. Hurry up, the trending topic must stay on the top of the list until midnight tomorrow."
Seeing the calmness in her eyes, Chen Li finally realized what was happening and asked her in a low voice, "Sister, what were you just doing...?"
The second half of his sentence was shut down by Ji Jiazhen's sharp glare.
...
When news of Ji Jiazhen's dislocated arm spread throughout the film crew, she was being taken to the hospital for a check-up by Duan Qiyin. The doctor's conclusion was that it was not dislocated and there was nothing seriously wrong.
Ji Jiazhen put on a convincing act in front of Duan Qiyin, lowering her eyes and rubbing her shoulder, saying, "It hurts a lot. I can't exert any strength and can't lift it up. I thought it was dislocated."
The doctor said it was probably a muscle strain and that I just needed to rest for a while.
By the time they returned to the hotel from the hospital, news of Ji Jiazhen's dislocated arm had already become a trending topic.
This is exactly the effect she wanted.
She couldn't possibly clarify things right now; she was hoping the news would spread everywhere, preferably overseas, so that someone who was practically dead would hear it.
As long as he has a breath left, he will definitely be trending on social media for a whole day and night.
She didn't believe he didn't react.
*
Filming has been suspended and the resumption date is yet to be determined. There is a lot of discussion online about Ji Jiazhen falling into the sea. Her fans are criticizing her on the official movie account, questioning why filming was done in such dangerous weather. Even those who are not fans are showing sympathy for her, since she is the biggest and only victim in the whole incident.
When the video from the scene was released, some people even started shipping her and Duan Qiyin. They were shocked that someone of Duan Qiyin's status would actually take the time to accompany Ji Jiazhen on set, and they were also swooning over his decision to jump into the sea to save her without hesitation. Coupled with his recent apology video, his image as a devoted lover who had pursued her for many years was firmly established.
There is also a group of people who remember the story of Ji Jiazhen and Wen Siyu, and then suddenly think of the half-sibling relationship between Wen Siyu and Duan Qiyin. A question arises from this: should Ji Jiazhen choose one or the other or go all in?
Once this question was raised, it went viral. If it weren't for Fang Wei's financial backing, it would probably have been even more popular than the one about her falling into the sea and getting injured.
Xia Xun was extremely busy. As the director, she bore the greatest responsibility. Ji Jiazhen's fans had already attacked her, and it seemed she couldn't handle the situation.
Fang Li kept a close eye on public opinion. In the evening, she asked Ji Jiazhen if he should say something to help, since it seemed that Xia Xun was on the verge of collapse.
After all, in her eyes, Ji Jiazhen and Xia Xun had a good relationship and were currently business partners.
Ji Jiazhen was aiming for a low-key approach; she had a well-thought-out plan, and no one could escape this accident.
As she expected, Xia Xun produced the chat logs, saying that the filming had been discussed and planned with the actors, and that no one wanted any accidents to happen. She would take responsibility for the actors' health and the aftermath.
Even before Ji Jiazhen mobilized her online army, netizens were already skeptical, saying that the chat logs clearly showed that Xia Xun wanted to film the most, and Ji Jiazhen replied that she would obey the director's arrangements. This was obviously a matter of social etiquette, as she didn't dare to offend Xia Xun. After all, no matter how famous or big-name Ji Jiazhen was, she couldn't compete with Xia Xun's powerful family background.
In short, Xia Xun suffered a major setback this time.
But Ji Jiazhen didn't care much about any of that. She stayed in her room looking at her phone, literally looking at it.
She placed her phone on the table, nestled on the sofa, staring intently at it, waiting for a call.
She waited until after 11 p.m., and received many calls from unknown numbers, but the one she was waiting for didn't ring at all.
She recalled her conversation with Wen Siyu two weeks ago, and took the initiative to call him. While waiting, she cleared her throat and adjusted the emotion in her voice. After achieving a tone that was close to crying and satisfied her, she skillfully switched to voicemail and left a message.
"Ouch, it hurts!" Wen Siyu
—"Tell me immediately if you get injured next time."
—"Did I tell you you could come?"
-"able."
*
The topic trended on social media for a full day and night, and it rained for a full day and night as well. Duan Qiyin had originally booked a flight back to City A, but the heavy rain wouldn't stop, and the plane couldn't take off.
The rain lessened slightly in the evening, and Ji Jiazhen went to the hotel's private beach with an umbrella. A multitude of things weighed on her mind, making her irritable; she needed to get some fresh air.
Duan Qiyin followed behind her, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
At night on the beach, the sound of the waves is louder and the wind is cooler.
After walking for a while, she suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at Duan Qiyin behind her, waiting for him to approach. When the tip of her umbrella touched his, she said, "Are you not planning to let me go?"
"Didn't you say you could go wherever you wanted?"
Ji Jiazhen stared at him: "You know what I'm talking about."
"Terminating the contract won't do you any good."
"That's my business."
Duan Qiyin looked at the dark circles under her eyes and asked, "The trending topic has been up for so long, has he contacted you?"
Ji Jiazhen lowered his eyes and remained silent.
"Actually, you already have the answer in your heart."
He continued, “When you moved into my house at seventeen, you said the garden was too boring, so I had someone make a custom swing and put it there. For eight years, you never sat on it, and it’s still in my garden.”
"When you moved out at twenty, your reason was that there was nothing you liked in that house. I planted your favorite flowers on the lawn, but two of them died when you came last time."
Ji Jiazhen knew he was about to ramble on about some random things, so she interrupted him in time: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Her open coat was blown open by the wind, and Duan Qiyin buttoned it up for her with one hand.
“There are some things that only Wen Siyu can do, look at me too.”
The look in Ji Jiazhen's eyes after hearing those words is worth pondering repeatedly; the indescribable emotion leaves much to the imagination.
Just like how she didn't answer after listening, and walked back without saying a word, never looking back even once, yet it seemed as if she was waiting for him with every step.
Her thoughts were always unpredictable, but he was somewhat addicted to this kind of suspicion.
When they reached the room door, she turned around and asked, "Shall I see you too?"
She was smiling, a smile that washed away the worries of the past few days, and it even reminded him of the day she had just returned to the country.
It was the same smile.
It carries the signal of the hunt.
However, this time, he was the only prey in the hunting ground.
She said, "I didn't bring my room key."
Duan Qiyin's Adam's apple bobbed, and without uttering a sound, he swiped open the door.
He took two steps forward, grasped her wrist, and lowered his head to kiss her without hesitation.
She didn't respond, nor did she push her away.
As he tilted his head to the right, the elevator dinged, and three seconds later the doors opened.
Ji Jiazhen looked over Duan Qiyin's shoulder and saw Wen Siyu, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, standing in the elevator.
He also looked at her, at her kissing Duan Qiyin, but from a distance, his expression was unreadable.
Her scalp tingled, and her mind went blank for a moment. She forgot that Duan Qiyin was kissing her and subconsciously wanted to call his name. This action made Duan Qiyin think that he had received a response, and he kissed her even more passionately.
The elevator doors closed, but he didn't get out.
She was led into the room by Duan Qiyin.
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