When Jiang Yue opened his eyes again, his entire aura had completely changed.
“Second run, Lu Zhichen's part. Ready, action!”
Jiang Yue walked over to the empty sofa Chen Jingan had been staring at earlier and sat down.
His movements were those of a completely different person.
When Chen Jingan sat, his spine was always tense, and his knees were pressed together.
Lu Zhichen, on the other hand, sank directly into the sofa, legs crossed, with his elbow resting on the armrest. He looked at the empty space opposite him, as if examining a child who had finally learned to stand up.
After a brief silence, he let out a very soft chuckle.
“Friends?”
Lu Zhichen spoke. His voice was crisper than Chen Jingan's, his pace steady and unhurried.
“Don't use such a naive and corny word to define our relationship, Chen Jingan. I'm not your friend. I am this body's survival instinct.”
He looked opposite him, as if the red-eyed person who had just apologized were truly sitting there.
“Your apology I received, but it's completely meaningless.”
Lu Zhichen's fingers stopped tapping. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze like an interrogation light switching on, ensuring nothing could be hidden.
“Everything I did wasn't to hear you say thank you. I was merely clearing out the trash to ensure this body could survive until today.”
His gaze swept past Zhou Feiman and returned to the opposite side.
“Still, you finally said something worth listening to.”
“Jiang Hongyan is an interesting hunter, but he is too conceited. He thought he could control your fear, manipulate your memories, and even frame you for crimes.”
Lu Zhichen leaned back against the sofa, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.
“But he didn't expect that he would personally facilitate my growth.”
“You want to fight side by side? Fine. But remember, starting today, you are no longer a victim who needs protection. You will stand in the light, continuing to play the Chen Jingan they want to see, and draw all the fire.”
Lu Zhichen lightly tapped his fingers on the armrest, his posture remaining relaxed.
“And I will be responsible for fighting back, pulling out all his claws, tearing off his hypocritical mask, and sending him exactly where he belongs.”
After Lu Zhichen's segment ended, the camera position didn't move. Cheng Songran seized the opportunity to shoot the closing shot for Zhou Feiman.
In the scene, Chen Jingan had already left the psychological clinic.
Zhou Feiman remained alone in the consultation room. She picked up the voice recorder on the table and pressed the record button again with her thumb.
A few seconds later, the recording light turned on.
“Chen Jingan actively acknowledged the existence of Lu Zhichen and requested cooperation. Lu Zhichen denied a friendly relationship, but his operational objective has always pointed toward protecting the primary subject.”
She looked at the empty sofa, her pen drawing a faint line on the case file.
“The previous diagnosis needs correction. This is not a simple symptom, but rather resembles a second survival mechanism grown out of a traumatic environment.”
“Cut!”
Cheng Songran stood up from behind the monitor and exclaimed, “Awesome.”
Jiang Kaiwen sat nearby, unable to speak for a long time.
It was too powerful. Just now, it felt as if he had truly seen two people—one who had learned to shake hands with himself in despair, and another who had agreed to protect him with the coldest attitude in the dark.
Shen Xi watched Jiang Yue as he pulled himself out of character and looked down to rotate his wrists, her expression complex.
Having performed in theater for many years, she was highly critical of acting details. She was especially quick to spot the shortcomings of non-professional actors who relied purely on raw talent in front of the camera.
But in this scene, she couldn't find a single flaw.
Jiang Yue had no idea how much of an impact his performance had made on his co-star.
He stood up and walked over to the monitor to watch the playback, his finger lightly tapping against his knee.
Jiang Kaiwen squeezed over, his words stumbling, “Third Brother, once this drama airs, won't the audience go crazy over this iconic scene of you acting against yourself?”
Jiang Yue snapped out of it, stared blankly at his finger tapping his knee, and then burst out laughing.
He had unconsciously brought out Lu Zhichen's small habit just now. At this stage of filming, the character was no longer just a layer of skin draped over him, but more like a temporary tenant who had moved into his mind.
Jiang Yue raised a hand to rub his brow. “Get me a bottle of water first.”
Jiang Kaiwen immediately handed over a straw cup, his movements practiced.
“Drink, hurry up and drink. Your state just now scared the life out of me. I almost thought you were going to start interrogating me next.”
Jiang Yue took a couple of sips of water. “Interrogating you for what?”
Jiang Kaiwen had a sorrowful expression. “Interrogating me on why I secretly ate half of your ice jelly last night.”
Jiang Yue: “...”
Cheng Songran, who had been staring at the playback, slowly turned his head upon hearing this.
“Half a box?”
Jiang Kaiwen's expression froze.
Damn, slipped up.
Jiang Yue looked at him. “So the refrigerator wasn't broken like you said?”
Jiang Kaiwen took a tactical half-step back. “Third Brother, let me explain. That box of ice jelly was lying all alone in the fridge, looking so helpless. I was just giving it a home.”
“And that home was your stomach?”
“Otherwise? It's not like I could buy it a plane ticket and send it back to Donghai.”
The remaining atmosphere in the consultation room had not even fully dissipated before it was completely shattered by Jiang Kaiwen's dramatic ice jelly inheritance monologue.
Cheng Songran waved his hand. “Alright, stop joking around. Brother Jiang, come over and look at this segment.”
Jiang Yue approached with his cup.
Cheng Songran dragged the footage back and forth twice, getting more and more excited as he watched.
“This echo is so beautiful.”
Jiang Kaiwen nodded beside him like a woodpecker. “Yes, yes, yes. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.”
Cheng Songran glanced at him. “Did you even understand it?”
Jiang Kaiwen spoke righteously, “Not completely, but that doesn't stop me from thinking my brother is awesome.”
Cheng Songran: “...”
Shen Xi walked over and handed the case folder in her hand to the props team. “Once this scene is edited in post-production, it will look amazing.”
Jiang Kaiwen immediately chimed in, “Teacher Shen, that's high praise coming from you.”
Shen Xi glanced at him. “I don't praise people lightly.”
Jiang Kaiwen gave a thumbs-up. “Understood. The official stamp of approval from the theater scene's quality inspector.”
Jiang Yue smiled. “Teacher Shen, don't listen to his nonsense.”
Shen Xi shook her head. “It's not nonsense. When you sat down for the second run, your center of gravity and your gaze completely changed. Many actors might not have performed as well as you did.”
Hearing this made Jiang Kaiwen even prouder.
His expression looked as if he wanted nothing more than to screenshot this compliment, frame it, and hang it right at the entrance of Yuchuan Media Studio.
Just as Jiang Yue was about to say a few humble words, his stomach let out an uncooperative growl. The sound was highly prominent in the newly quiet consultation room.
Jiang Kaiwen looked down at the time, immediately finding his moment to shine.
“Director Cheng, did you hear that? This is the protest coming from our actor's body.”
Cheng Songran looked at him. “What protest?”
“After high-intensity shooting, carbs and protein must be replenished. Otherwise, before Lu Zhichen can even strike back at Jiang Hongyan, my brother will be starved into going offline by you.”
Cheng Songran remained expressionless. “The boxed lunches are downstairs.”
Jiang Kaiwen grew alert. “What's on the menu today?”
The stage manager raised a hand weakly from the side. “Set A is yellow braised chicken, Set B is tomato and scrambled eggs.”
Jiang Kaiwen's eyes widened on the spot. “Set A and B again? Director Cheng, we shot an iconic scene today, acting against yourself! Surely we should get an upgrade?”
Cheng Songran was silent for two seconds before turning to look at Jiang Yue.
“What do you want to eat?”
Before Jiang Yue could speak, Jiang Kaiwen reacted instantly.
“Hot pot.”
Jiang Yue: “Spicy noodles.”
The two spoke at the same time and then looked at each other simultaneously.
Jiang Kaiwen looked deeply pained. “Third Brother, you're already in Shancheng. After shooting such an emotionally heavy scene, you actually only want to eat spicy noodles?”
Jiang Yue replied calmly, “It's fast.”
“Hot pot is fast too.”
“Last time you said it was fast, we waited forty minutes for a table.”
Jiang Kaiwen choked.
Cheng Songran looked at the two of them and slowly added another blow, “And after you ate hot pot last time, your face was so swollen the next day I almost thought you'd been beaten up.”
Jiang Kaiwen: “...”
Some past memories were best left unremembered.
Jiang Yue handed the cup back to him. “Spicy noodles, with a fried egg.”
Jiang Kaiwen struggled. “Add crispy pork too?”
Jiang Yue thought about it. “Sure.”
Jiang Kaiwen was instantly revitalized. “Deal! I declare that spicy noodles have temporarily defeated hot pot to become the designated spiritual food of the crew tonight.”
Cheng Songran picked up his walkie-talkie. “Gather downstairs after wrapping up. Don't wander off, the security vehicles will be following.”
Hearing this, Jiang Kaiwen couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, “Director Cheng's crew is truly Schrödinger's poor. Saving on costumes whenever possible, stingy on food, yet hiring top-tier security and renting out an entire psychological clinic without even batting an eye.”
Cheng Songran overheard and repeated his catchphrase.
“Spending money where it counts.”
Jiang Kaiwen rolled his eyes. “Then your blade is way too flexible.”
Jiang Yue leaned against the back of his chair and chuckled.
Rate on N.U.
