Without a word, her performance silenced everyone who had doubted or mocked her, accusing her of riding soone’s coattails. Even the staff whose jobs were to move the boxes found themselves absorbed, staring at the entire scene as if they were watching it directly in a theater.
AiLin walked out from the scene, making her way when YanLan rushed to her, engulfing her body at once with a thick towel and an extra blanket. He moved her toward the heater, frowning as he eyed Director Gu who was making his way toward AiLin.
"Your prestige is well known Director Gu. Everyone knew how amazing each scene you produce and I also knew that working in this movie would be difficult but don’t you think this is unfair?" YanLan spoke up and AiLin remained silent.
She had done her best and this was the ti where she simply stood behind while YanLan made his point.
Director Gu who was so delighted that he was going to burst out of joy was stunned by the sudden complaints made by YanLan. Shocked and confused, he looked at AiLin and then at him, "Pardon? If this is about the retakes, I cannot stress how much annoyed I was as well. I wish that we could have done it smoothly but acting isn’t a work that you could do alone. Even if Miss AiLin could easily get sick from coldness, this is a matter of professionalism."
"Professionalism," AiLin humd, cutting forward. She smiled at Director Gu, her lips trembling and blue which also made the Director’s conscience to be pricked. "I understand that, that was why I had made no qualms. I understand your anger, YanLan but calm yourself down, it seems Director Gu had just thrown that bucket of water with ice cubes to make sure that I had acted out that scene properly to the upmost of my professionalism."
In a mont, everyone in the place was stunned. Director Chu the calr one imdiately stood in the conversation, cutting it off politely, "Ice cubes? No, it was lukewarm water."
"Lukewarm water? I saw the ice cubes and although AiLin could easily get cold and her body is on the weaker side, she wouldn’t turn so blue just because so lukewarm water was thrown at her," pointed YanLan which seed to have finally made a sense to the two Directors who then shared a look to each other.
Director Gu who was afraid of what he had allowed to happen on his watch, turned his head toward the staff, "Call JiangGu here! NOW!"
"But JiangGu is busy with the preparation of the next scene," said one of the staff in fear. But Director Gu only glared at him even angrier.
"This matter is more important! Tell him to leave everything and co here at once!" Director Gu stomped on his feet while Director Chu had gone to the stall. How shocked he was when he looked at the left over water bucket and dipped his hands to the icy cold water that imdiately bite coldness down to his bones.
He brought the bucket back in front of AiLin while she had changed to a fresh set of clothes and covered with thick blanket and a heater in front of her. The other staffs, though curious had to pretend they were working while keeping their ears closely to listen to the conversations.
YanLan also dipped his hands into the icy water and frowned, "Hah, lukewarm water you say? What kind of lukewarm water as cold as the water from a river during winter in Canada?"
Director Chu was quiet as he thoughtfully stare at the water and then at AiLin, "We didn’t plan this to happen, sincerely Miss AiLin. It seems that there is a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding could happen, I could understand," AiLin said as she pressed her lips into a smile. Director Chu was relieved for a brief while, taking her words as her trying to look over the cold water that had been thrown over her. However, with eyes slightly narrowed, she then added, "But is there truly a coincidence where in such a cold water, the lukewarm water that should be in this bucket is ice cold? No, ice cold is one thing but filled with ice cubes?"
"Yes. This isn’t a damn coincidence," YanLan raised his argunt, ready to start a fight here as he was already told by Li ZiChen his cousin to take care of AiLin but how dare did these people now pretend that this was rely an accident from a miscommunication?
Director Gu had summoned the staff responsible for managing the props, and JingGu, an older man with a weathered face, shook his head fervently. His hoarse voice broke the tense silence as he denied the accusation, "It was lukewarm! The red water bucket, it was lukewarm water- We made sure of it! Besides, the weather’s too cold; we don’t have any ice or cold water here."
Director Gu’s frown deepened, his voice sharp and commanding. "So you’re saying this didn’t co from the set? How is that possible, JingGu? I need more than weak excuses! This isn’t a small matter, it sounds like soone deliberately tried to harm my lead actress! How can I let this aside?!"
Before JingGu could stamr out another denial, YanLan, who had been leaning casually against the wall, straightened up. A faint, confident grin tugged at his lips as he interjected smoothly, "No need to stress yourself, Director. It’s clear as day what’s happening here."
His sharp gaze swept over the room, lingering for a mont on everyone present. "It’s not the water that’s the problem. It’s the hands that carried it. Soone decided to play a dirty ga, and they weren’t clever enough to cover their tracks."
YanLan’s calm, razor-sharp tone carried authority, cutting through the tension in the room. He stepped forward, his confidence almost tangible. "We don’t need excuses, Director Gu. What we need is for soone to start talking, because if they don’t, I will." His grin widened just enough to add an edge of nace. "And trust , I have a way of getting the truth that’s... unforgettable."
The room fell silent, JingGu swallowing hard under the weight of YanLan’s words.
AiLin was impressed as YanLan sat down on the chair beside her. She couldn’t help but poke his shoulder, "You do look like Li ZiChen. Maybe if you frown and act like earlier."
"Oh please, I wouldn’t want to look as scary as him, but it is in the Li bloodline to look intimidating so I don’t quite hate it," whispered YanLan and when he spoke to her, his voice had softened, "What do you think we should do? I say it so proudly there but I’m not fond of violence."
"Don’t worry," AiLin answered, "I have a way. They could pretend this wasn’t from their hands but we could simply make them feel cornered."
"Cornered?"
"The water bucket," she pointed as she looked at the waterbucket, "If it isn’t the staffs who had made a mistake or paid to make that mistake, it ans that the cold water and those ice cubes are still inside this building, or maybe inside the actress’s or actor’s room. Push it to them, make it clear that you’re not going to take a no until you find the people who might have ice cubes hidden in their room and ice cold waters. The staff said it himself that there suppose to be no ice cubes or cold water here, so it should be inside their personal room."
Surprised, YanLan grinned, "Right! Great idea. Let make sure to pressure them into searching those actresses’s room."
"Good," AiLin remarked, pressing her back to the chair as she watched Hell unfold with the staffs denying their involvents, the actresses and extras claiming they’re innocent. By the end of the day, they were able to find the few people who had ice cubes in their personal changing room.
There were four people to note.
The obvious two being none other than InRan and FangMin. The other two was none other than Xiao MuChen and a small actress who hadn’t had a role yet nad YuFang.
Unlike InRan and FangMin, Xiao MuChen’s ice cubes were found in his car, said to be brought as he needed to keep cold treats for his daughters. anwhile InRan and FangMin gave the sa reasoning, saying they kept all their makeup and skincare items in the coldness to prevent it from losing its effect.
Director Gu and Director Chu had also hit a wall in their searchings, only bowing their heads in apologies to YanLan who was unhappy with how their security was so lacking that they had almost caused their lead actress to fall ill.
AiLin who had accepted the na finally stopped YanLan. She looked at Director Gu whose face was washed in sha as he wasn’t soone who like scandals but it seems he was also the cause for this as he hadn’t realized the cold water at all and let it all happen under his very nose.
"I don’t think this is good for the atmosphere on set," AiLin said, her voice calm but firm as she stepped forward, breaking the tension in the room. Her composed deanor was a stark contrast to the swirling emotions around her. "I’m exhausted like everyone else here who are also now very stressed, and I think it’s best for us to rest and return tomorrow with a clear mind."
She let her gaze sweep over everyone in the room before adding, "However, I do hope this incident is thoroughly investigated. It might seem like a small mishap, but ensuring it doesn’t happen again is crucial, especially for everyone’s safety and the integrity of the project."
Her tone carried a quiet authority, a subtle but unmistakable reminder that professionalism was expected from everyone involved. With that, she gave a polite nod and began to turn away, signaling her exit while leaving her words to settle in the air like a challenge.
Director Gu who was known for his proud bowed his head deeply, dipping his neck down, "I am really sorry for what had happened Miss AiLin. Thank you very much for your misunderstanding and on my na will I make sure this should never happen ever again."
AiLin smiled as she looked at Director Gu softly, "I am a big fan of you, Director Gu so I understand you are a man of your words. Therefore it would break my heart if anything happen in this set. If soone could be so heinous to do this on purpose, I’m afraid to think of what other ’accidents’ they could perform without anyone’s notice."
"That won’t ever happen," Director Gu said firmly, "I will make sure that should never happen. Miss AiLin, please rest well. I will bring the perpetrator to you as soon as I found them."
AiLin grinned, staring at InRan and FangMin who was sitting not too far from Director Gu, "I believe you Director Gu, I also believe that karma will co back to those who had done bad things," she sang, pulling her tone at the end of her words before turning her body and making her way to exit, followed by YanLan who made an "I’m looking at you" gesture at Director Gu, warning him while he sped up to follow AiLin’s quick steps.
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