Day two was a disaster.
Day three was the continuation of that disaster.
Jiang Ci had just arrived on set and hadn't even had ti to greet the director when a fragrant breeze rushed toward him.
"Brother Jiang Ci! You're here!"
It was Qiao Xinran again.
Today she was wearing a light yellow disciple robe that made her skin appear even fairer, and the smile on her face was so cloying it made one's scalp tingle.
She flew toward Jiang Ci like an aimless butterfly without a flight path.
The mont she ca within three ters of him.
The [Player Identification Aura] in Jiang Ci's mind, which hadn't made any major movents for a long ti,
Suddenly began flashing red lights frantically, as if an air raid siren had been pulled.
[Warning! Primary Player (Casting Wide Nets Type) detected!]
[Target: Qiao Xinran]
[Current Fish Pond managent count: 7 people (3 industry actors, 2 rich second-generation heirs, 1 fitness coach, 1 university student)]
[Tactical Analysis: Target is currently using "Mindless Praise" tactics to attempt closing distance, please remain alert Host!]
A series of blood-red subtitles cascaded like a waterfall before Jiang Ci's eyes.
He almost choked on his own saliva.
Good heavens!
Seven!
Previously that rcedes-driving greasy man was only identified by the system as a primary fisherman.
This Miss Qiao, who appeared harmless and sweetly adorable, was actually a ti managent master operating multiple threads behind the scenes!
Even Luo Zhixiang would have to offer her a cigarette and ask how she managed it.
The corner of Jiang Ci's eye twitched violently, and he actually felt a twisted sense of respect for this "colleague" in his heart.
He maintained his composure, only turning sideways extrely naturally at the very last second before Qiao Xinran could link arms with him.
Perfect dodge.
He rely gave a faint nod as acknowledgnt.
Qiao Xinran missed her target, and a crack appeared in her sweet smile,
But she quickly adjusted, still staying close to him affectionately, chattering away.
Jiang Ci let it go in one ear and out the other.
All his attention was focused on how to solve this "Heartbreak Value insulator" problem.
Acting alongside her was like slowly murdering his own life.
Today they were filming the sword practice teaching scene.
The director was clearly terrified, having called Qiao Xinran's manager and assistants over and giving them strict instructions for over ten minutes.
The core ssage was singular: Follow the script, no improvisation allowed!
Qiao Xinran nodded obediently throughout, agreeing more readily than anyone.
But the ominous premonition in Jiang Ci's heart grew increasingly heavy.
"Three Lifetis Tribulation, Scene Four, Take One, Action!"
The clapperboard snapped crisply.
Jiang Ci instantly slipped into "Chu Wuchen's" state.
Clad in snow-white robes, standing apart from the world, his eyes holding the absolute indifference of soone who had witnessed five hundred years of change.
Qiao Xinran clumsily waved her wooden sword nearby,
This ti she indeed didn't dare add those greasy, flashy movents.
"Master, is this right?"
She "accidentally" let her wooden sword fly out of her hand.
In the script, Chu Wuchen would use his scabbard to flick the wooden sword back.
But Qiao Xinran was clearly unwilling to settle for that.
The mont the wooden sword left her hand, she plopped down onto the ground in an extrely deliberate and utterly ungraceful posture.
Her skirt spread out, revealing her slender ankles.
Pouting, her brows tightly furrowed, she called out in a whiny, nasal voice that could crush mosquitoes, with a tearful tone:
"Ouch! That hurts so much! Master, I think I sprained my ankle, I can't get up~"
Jiang Ci: "..."
The director behind the monitor: "..."
The entire crew: "..."
Dead silence.
An indescribable awkwardness perated the air.
The director's face had turned from red to purplish-red, the veins on his hand gripping the walkie-talkie bulging.
On the system panel, the Heartbreak Value column showed the number "0" glaringly, as if mocking Jiang Ci's incompetence.
The life countdown continued to tick down second by second.
This couldn't continue!
Confronting her head-on would only make her feel awkward and bring him no benefit whatsoever.
Her backing was solid; she couldn't be replaced.
No matter how good his acting was, facing an opponent who forcefully turned an immortal fantasy drama into a brainless sweet romance, he couldn't squeeze out a single drop of Heartbreak Value.
The hard approach wasn't working.
Then he would try the soft approach.
Simply rejecting her would only make her unhappy and ignite her desire to conquer.
To make her heartbroken, he first needed to give her the sweetest hope in the world.
Then personally crush it to pieces!
An extrely risky plan, but one with imnsely huge rewards if successful, instantly ford in Jiang Ci's mind.
Looking at Qiao Xinran sitting on the ground, gazing at him with what she thought was a pitiful expression,
He forcibly suppressed the disgust stirred by her greasy acting.
Calm.
He had to stay calm.
So, Jiang Ci moved.
He didn't stand coldly like before, nor did he scold her.
With a flick of his wrist, his long sword returned to its scabbard.
He took steps, one by one, slowly walking until he stood before Qiao Xinran.
Under Qiao Xinran's surprised and sowhat smug gaze, Jiang Ci slowly crouched down, eting her at eye level.
The dappled bamboo forest light fell upon him, making his handso face appear like fine cold jade.
His movents were slow, carrying a gentleness completely contrary to his aloof temperant.
Qiao Xinran's heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat.
She was stunned.
This wasn't in the script?
He... what did he want to do?
Had her charm finally worked? Was he finally going to yield before her?
Jiang Ci didn't speak.
He simply looked at her quietly.
He quietly activated the ultimate killing move within the [Complete Guide to Scumbag Quotes and Techniques]—[Broken Feeling Deep Gaze thod].
This was a gentle hunt carefully prepared for Qiao Xinran.
He looked into her eyes, his gaze first revealing a trace of helplessness, as if chiding her carelessness.
Then, that trace of helplessness lted into heartache, a restrained heartache that seed almost ready to overflow from his eyes.
Finally, beneath that heartache, an even hotter tenderness completely covered everything.
Within that tenderness was cherishnt, pity, and the relief of having regained sothing lost.
Qiao Xinran was completely dumbfounded.
Having navigated these circles for so long, what kind of man hadn't she seen? Those so-called deeply affectionate gazes were nothing but hypocritical performances in her view.
But Jiang Ci's gaze was different.
Too real.
So real it made her heartbeat completely lose control, her cheeks uncontrollably growing warm.
She even had an absurd illusion.
That she wasn't acting.
But was truly being gazed upon so affectionately by a celestial being.
Hooked.
From her slightly widened pupils and instantly flushed cheeks, Jiang Ci judged that the first step of the trap had succeeded.
So next.
Was the fatal blow.
Just as Qiao Xinran was almost drowning in this sudden ocean of tenderness, Jiang Ci's gaze changed.
The tenderness remained.
But beneath the tenderness, it was completely subrged by an unfathomable sorrow.
He slowly reached out his hand.
His slender fingers seed to want to touch her cheek.
Qiao Xinran subconsciously held her breath.
His fingertips carried a slight coolness, getting closer, and closer...
Just before they were about to touch her burning skin, his hand stopped abruptly in mid-air.
That hand trembled slightly.
Then, he spoke.
His voice was very soft, so soft only the wind and she, so close, could hear.
"Don't be afraid..."
"She used to be afraid of pain too, just like you."
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