The Novelist Forced to Become Famous Chapter 97

With the prop cards that gave her special powers in hand, Jian Jing did not feel relieved.

She dozed off for a while on the bed and had a strange dream. In the dream, Xie Wei was practicing his acting alone in an empty room, tirelessly repeating yesterday's audition scene over and over again.

There was no dialogue, no sound. She was the only audience, quietly watching him imrse himself in it.

And then, the dream ended.

Jian Jing splashed so cold water on her face. The icy cold water hitting her face stung. But the confusion and heat from the dream gradually disappeared, and she regained her sobriety.

It was then that Kang Mu Cheng called.

He asked, "Did sothing happen?"

"Shao ng is dead," Jian Jing said. "You already knew?"

Kang Mu Cheng said, "I only heard that Tao Tao was sent to a ntal hospital. But at the latest by tomorrow, those who should know will know."

Jian Jing uttered an "Oh", though she wasn't actually that concerned.

"Do you want to co get you?" he asked. "Or will you co back with them?"

She evasively said, "I have so things to take care of. I'll go back by myself."

Kang Mu Cheng was much less worried about her now. After a couple words of caution he hung up.

Jian Jing thought for a long ti before going downstairs to find Xie Wei.

Xie Wei was in the kitchen.

He was making breakfast.

The landlady, in her forties, was swooning over him like a fangirl, exclaiming repeatedly, "Mr. Xie is so amazing! To be able to make such delicious food out of such ordinary ingredients, it's just unbelievable!"

Jian Jing: "..." Why do I suddenly understand Japanese?

"Good morning," Xie Wei turned and smiled. Bathed in the morning sunlight, the gloom that had surrounded him seed to have lifted quite a bit. "Would you like to eat together?"

Jian Jing looked over the nu - scones, pineapple buns, potato pancakes, fruit yogurt with oatal. Quite substantial. She readily agreed, "Thank you."

The beaming landlady carried her scone away, leaving the dining area to them.

Xie Wei chose a window seat, warm spring sunlight shining down on him, driving away the chill. Though there was no reason for it, he truly felt the empty space in his chest fill up again.

The invisible pressure that had weighed down his chest, making it hard to breathe, was gone. "What nice weather," he remarked.

Jian Jing spooned so yogurt and asked, "You're in a good mood?"

"My illness seems much better," Xie Wei breathed out lightly, his breath long and smooth, no longer short and hoarse. "My body is better, everything is better."

Jian Jing was silent. She didn't believe in ghosts and gods, but the existence of the system and rebirth itself was already contrary to reason, not to ntion the system had clearly pointed out that special tasks contained paranormal circumstances.

So although she didn't really believe in ghosts and gods, she still had so belief in the idea of borrowing fortune.

The man before her was so outstanding, he should have been the most dazzling existence on the screen, yet everything had been taken from him by two greedy people.

Ten years of obscurity, ten years of decline.

How many ten years are there in a lifeti?

She knew she shouldn't, but emotions can't be controlled by reason. Her heart inexplicably swelled with so pity.

But after a mont, she clamped down on it.

"When are you planning on leaving?" she began probing.

Xie Wei couldn't help laughing across from her. After ten years of hard work, he had spent endless effort studying acting, from clothing and makeup to facial expressions and gestures, all of which he practiced in front of a mirror one by one.

Only this way could he know how to use the most minute facial muscles to express the most painful emotions.

Jian Jing's expressions were subtle, but she didn't know how to conceal the look in her eyes.

He could read her mind.

She must have heard of "borrowing fortune", but unlike Zhang Xi who was set on befriending him and relying on his fa, there was no fiery desire to connect with him in her eyes, only pity and sympathy.

Of course, many people sympathized with him, like Director Huang and Screenwriter Xu.

But she was restraining herself, reining in her pity for him. Her gaze was calm and clear, as if ready to judge him at any ti. Yet mixed in was a barely discernible struggle.

It seed she was unwilling to do this, but had to because of her principles.

Such subtle, contradictory emotions gathered at the corners of her eyes and lips, sohow stirring up curiosity and tenderness in Xie Wei's heart.

As an aesthetic man, of course he didn't like seeing a pretty girl in distress. But he also keenly perceived that it all started from him.

The smile dissipated like smoke, leaving only silence.

Jian Jing took a deep breath and pressed, "It's not convenient to answer?"

"If there's nothing else going on, I'll probably leave today or tomorrow," Xie Wei said placidly. "When are you going back, Miss Jian?"

Jian Jing said, "After I get to the bottom of this."

Xie Wei unconsciously frowned. "Is Shao ng that important?"

"It's not Shao ng that's important, it's the truth." Jian Jing looked straight into his eyes.

Xie Wei was silent for a mont, then slowly said, "Miss Jian, you're a good girl, but sotis the truth is not as beautiful as you imagine."

"I know things are not simply black and white in this world." Jian Jing remained calm. "But the law is the bottom line."

Xie Wei countered, "What if the law cannot uphold justice?"

She was rendered speechless.

"I know what you want to say - an eye for an eye is wrong," Xie Wei cradled the steaming hot tea in his hands, his tone indifferent. "We all understand that principle."

Heat rose up and Jian Jing's cheeks flushed for no reason.

He said, "I don't an to bla you, Miss Jian. You believe in the law, uphold justice. It seems you've never suffered the bitterness of having nowhere to turn to for help, nowhere to lodge your complaints. You're fortunate, that's a good thing."

Jian Jing pressed her lips together, wanting to refute but then gave up.

"I've been ill for so ti. I'm better now, but sotis I still have hallucinations," Xie Wei also found it strange that he was telling her this. He had never spoken of it with anyone before, but saying it now didn't feel out of place. "Several tis when I saw you, I saw feathers too."

Jian Jing: "?"

"Angel feathers," Xie Wei smiled. "Very beautiful, light and soft, like an oil painting."

After a long silence, Jian Jing finally said, "Thank you."

"What are you thanking for, just a sick man's delusions," he propped up his forehead. His features were sharply defined, his gaze languid and confused, more like a carefully retouched poster. "I haven't read your books, what was that demon hunter character you ntioned like?"

Jian Jing said, "He's a good person, but there is a monster living inside him."

"Oh I see," Xie Wei seed to think of sothing and laughed. "Then I don't want to play him."

"Why not?" The words were out before Jian Jing realized she shouldn't have asked. The flow of their conversation had been completely led away by him. Strangely though, the transfer of control happened naturally, not deliberately on his part.

It was as if he was inherently charismatic, destined to be the center of any discussion.

Xie Wei said, "I'm an actor. Roles with high contrast are more challenging."

Jian Jing struggled to steer the conversation back. "So you admit you're very similar to the Hunter?"

"There is a monster inside everyone's heart," Xie Wei said casually. "What does being alike matter?"

Jian Jing said, "Not everyone kills people."

Xie Wei: "Who did I kill?"

"Shao ng," Jian Jing started strategizing, revealing a weakness, "Unfortunately I don't have evidence."

Xie Wei was still ticulous. "Why do you think it was ?"

"I deduced it," Jian Jing carefully laid the groundwork. This was her one chance. "The day before we ca, you went to see Shao ng. He didn't know you were here too and was frightened, guilty and afraid, but he didn't dare refuse to see you because he wanted to find out how much you knew."

This was based on clues she had pieced together, not necessarily accurate, and didn't need to be too accurate.

Xie Wei said, "I did chat with him, just so reminiscing."

"Yes, reminiscing," Jian Jing closed in. "But not only reminiscing. At that ti, you made a move on Shao ng."

Xie Wei smiled and gently said, "I didn't hit him."

"You know what I an," Jian Jing's heart pounded heavily as she slowly enunciated, "You poisoned him, didn't you?"

Xie Wei shook his head. "I didn't poison him."

"If not poisoning, then what?" She swiftly followed up.

[System: Use 'Prop Card - One Answer']

[System: Preset question 'If not poisoning, then what?', Designated person: Xie Wei]

[System: Special prop card in use]

Xie Wei said, "I didn't do anything."

At the sa ti as his words sounded, so did the voice in his heart: "It was an amoeba."

[System: Card used up, card collected back]

Jian Jing lightly exhaled.

The gamble paid off.

She didn't directly ask him what he did, but made up a story about "poisoning", just so that he would refute her claim in his heart afterwards, thus divulging the truth.

"No, you did sothing." Once in deduction mode, Jian Jing's thoughts beca more agile.

Scenes of the death flashed through her mind, and she finally pieced together what had happened.

"There were many things in Shao ng's bathroom, toiletries, skincare products, and also a nasal rinse bottle and a bottle of saline. His assistant said he had allergic rhinitis and needed to rinse his nasal cavity regularly."

Xie Wei's expression subtly changed.

"You didn't drink any water with him, nor eat anything. You only borrowed his bathroom." Jian Jing said, "The ingredients of the other things were too complex to tamper with easily, so you added sothing to the nasal rinse bottle."

She recalled the ningitis cases she'd read about yesterday. Most ningitis cases were caused by viral infections, but a few rare ones were reported in the news.

That was Naegleria fowleri amoebic ningitis.

Extrely, extrely rare, with very few docunted cases, but a very high fatality rate.

"Naegleria fowleri, also called the brain-eating amoeba, thrives in warm water." As Jian Jing recalled more, she grew more alard, "Like for example, hot springs."

Xie Wei didn't say anything.

The prop card had expired, no one could hear his thoughts now.

"You wanted him to contract ningitis and die, so you could disguise it as a hot spring accident." She said, "But you didn't expect that in his panic, he would be scared to death by hallucinations, causing much more trouble."

Xie Wei finally spoke, "Whether you believe it or not, I didn't hope for his death, I didn't even think I would succeed. I just wanted to do sothing... you understand?"

Jian Jing said, "I believe you."

"Tao Tao... wasn't either." He said.

For no reason, Jian Jing said, "I believe you."

Xie Wei smiled.

The sun shone on him, for the first ti warming into his marrow, dispelling all the chill. Slowly, another wave of heat surged into his heart, thawing his frozen heart.

His chest started beating again, his blood flowing once more.

A trace of faint remorse floated up, encountering another indescribable urge.

Thus, he felt an unbelievable impulse. One he'd never considered, never anticipated, but still blurted out loud and clear.

"The evidence is under the sea hibiscus in the backyard. If you find it, I'll tell you."