IPCFS: Chapter 124 Part 2

Yan Su, played by Xu Yanzhi, saw that the bloody holes had healed in an instant and his pain completely dissipated. He could only show a shocked look.

“This…”

“I forgot to tell you. I’m a real monster.” Ji Li stood up and looked at him condescendingly. “How does it feel to be rescued by me?”

In order to save a wolf cub, he almost died in the mouths of the wolves. He didn’t want to be killed by a monster, but in the end, he was saved by a monster.

Wasn’t it ridiculous? Wasn’t it pathetic?

How boring was it to live in this absurd world, follow the rules set by who knows who, and think he had seen all the truth?

“……”

“The oldest prince of Zhongdu was recognized as the reincarnation of a god and Buddha from birth and expects that one day he will ascend out of enlightenment. Thus, the whole country respects you, and even the new emperor can’t do anything to you.”

Ji Li walked around behind him and whispered in his ear, “Did you know that I have heard of a similar story a long time ago?”

The cameraman directly pointed the camera in front of them.

In the lens, Xu Yanzhi and Ji Li showed completely different expressions.

One was frowning, confused, and at a loss. The other sneered, disdainful and vicious.

At this moment, the tension between the two characters was particularly wonderful.

“What exactly do you want to say?”

“Do you know how to ascend to become a god?” Ji Li circled back in front of Xu Yanzhi.

He reached out to pinch Xu Yanzhi’s jaw and forced this person’s evasive gaze to meet his eyes.

The redness at the end of his eyes had become a lot thicker, and there was a pained and powerless sadness hidden inside of them.

The destruction of the Su Dynasty was an eternal pain in his heart and after repeated midnight dreams over the past one hundred years, his grief suddenly reached its peak.

“On the day you ascend, Zhongdu will become the foundation of a huge blood sacrifice, and all the people in it will die.”

“The people will shout your name in front of you, praying for you to save their lives. The faith that bursts out from them before they die is the strongest faith that you can receive.”

“The faith you accumulate will allow you to immediately become a god and Buddha. They will become the stepping stones on your path to ascension.”

It was just like what transpired in the Su Dynasty a hundred years ago.

The prince was a so-called reincarnation of Buddha, but he was actually just a chess piece maneuvered by the gods and Buddhas. The so-called ascension was just a conspiracy that had been planned by the gods since his birth.

History repeated itself.

If Zhongdu really became the next Su Dynasty, what would Yan Su do? Would he acquiesce and become a god and Buddha, or would he flee like Chen Yi used to?

“……”

Xu Yanzhi stared at Ji Li in front of him and his heart seemed to be grabbed by something. The pain made it hard for him to breathe and moisture filled his eyes.

This emotional shaping that emerged from the script seemed especially real in this moment.

It was because Xu Yanzhi was completely brought into the act by Ji Li. He felt Chen Yi’s guilt and emptiness toward the world after the destruction of the latter’s country and family.

Don’t advise others to be kind without knowing their suffering.

Ji Li’s hand on Xu Yan’s chin withdrew and instead stroked his cheek. His fingertips slightly rubbed against the corner of Yan Su’s slightly moist eyes.

“What are you crying about? I just told you a fake story. Did you take it seriously?”

“No matter whether I am a demon or human, it is a fact that I saved you. That is always worth a word of thanks, right?” He slowly approached, so close that their breaths could blend together.

“What do you think? Little benefactor.”

Chen Yi was a demon monk. He loved to tease and have fun with the other person, regardless of whether they were male or female, old or young. What’s more, the one standing in front of him right now was an old acquaintance with whom he had a similar background.

The two of them had already quarreled. Wouldn’t it be a pity if he didn’t make trouble?

Xu Yanzhi saw Ji Li’s teasing and felt his warm breath, and his face suddenly turned red.

No matter whether it was inside or outside the scene, he had never been teased like this before!

“T-Thank you.”

***

The female staff members watching this scene felt their hearts pounding with excitement.

If you looked at people with rotten eyes, you could see something ambiguous.

There was some truth in this.

Otherwise, why would they be so happy watching Chen Yi and Yan Su?

“Why is Ji Li’s Chen Yi so aggressive? He is tempting and enchanting!”

“I feel it too! I can support a beauty gong!”

“Sober up, have you forgotten Yan Su’s true identity in the script? I support him as the gong! He was tempted by Chen Yi!”

“I like it! I like it! Ji Li and Xu Yanzhi acted well together. They are well matched, well matched.”

Qin Yue’s lips lowered as he heard the whispered discussions behind him. He turned sideways and cast a deep gaze toward the source of the sound.

The staff members in the back row received Qin Yue’s gaze and stopped their excited discussion.

Wait.

Why did Brother Yue’s eyes look like he wanted to kill people?

Was it because they mentioned the CP of Ji Li and Xu Yanzhi? Was he jealous?

Thank you, thank you, I ship it!

What role CP? Chinese Rose is the most real!

In just three seconds, Qin Yue received even warmer and excited gazes from behind him as if a hole could be burned in his back.

“……”

Xu Cheng didn’t notice the situation beside him at all. He saw his nephew’s true emotions on the monitor and sighed with a smile.

He had to admit that the leader in this scene was completely Ji Li. It was the latter’s wonderful interpretation that made this scene.

“Cut, the scene is over!”

Ji Li pulled out of the role and quickly took two steps back. “You worked hard. Your emotions were conveyed well.”

Xu Yanzhi accepted the compliment, but the heat of his cheeks hadn’t subsided yet. “You brought me into the act.”

Before the two of them could chat any further, Qin Yue and Xu Cheng walked up toward them.

“Ji Li, you guided that scene very well just now.” Xu Cheng never hesitated to praise the actors. At the same time, he patted Xu Yanzhi’s shoulder in satisfaction. “Your performance was also good.”

After six years, Xu Yanzhi was standing in front of the camera for the first time.

He wasn’t suppressed by Ji Li’s sense of the scene and could perform well at key moments. This was already excellent.

Ji Li heard this and subconsciously turned his inquiring gaze to Qin Yue.

Qin Yue smiled and nodded. “You acted very well.”

Ji Li showed a satisfied smile at Qin Yue’s affirmation.

“Ji Li, do you have a good relationship with Teacher Qin Yue?” Xu Yanzhi captured the tacit interaction between the two of them and couldn’t hold back his inner question for a while.

“Qin Yue came out of Chaoying back when he first debuted and can be regarded as half a senior brother, right?” Xu Cheng smiled.

Before Qin Yue could figure out how to answer his question, he heard Ji Li say from beside him, “Yes, Brother Yue and I are friends.”

The word ‘friend’ wasn’t heavy or light, but it seemed to have completely frozen their undisclosed relationship.

“……”

Qin Yue was silent for a moment before nodding with a light smile.

Xu Yanzhi didn’t notice the strangeness between the two of them and asked politely, “Ji Li, do you have time at noon? I want to discuss what will be filmed in the afternoon with you.”

“Of course.”

Ji Li agreed without thinking. He was the male protagonist of the movie and played a vital role.

Since Xu Yanzhi sincerely wanted to talk about the next scene, he was willing to take the time to discuss and study it with the other person.

The look in Qin Yue’s eyes faded without a trace. “Director Xu, I’ve just about reached the end of my time here. The next time I return to Shanghai, I will invite you to get together.”

“Of course. Your business is important.”

Qin Yue nodded and turned to leave.

Ji Li was about to follow but was stopped by Xu Cheng. “Go and watch the footage just now. There might be places where we need close-up shots.”

Work mattered.

Ji Li hesitated for a moment, but it wouldn’t be good if he left the crew’s work in front of everyone. He withdrew the foot that he had just stepped out. “Okay.”

After an hour and a half, Ji Li hurried back to the RV for his lunch break.

The door opened, and a familiar figure was still waiting for him in the car.

Ji Li’s tense heartstrings loosened, and he showed a small smile. “Qin Yue, I thought you had already left.”

“You finished filming?”

“Yes, Director Xu thinks that the progress we made is good, and we are going to film a continuous small plot early in the afternoon.”

This back and forth delayed the original time for him to finish work.

Ji Li took off his coat and stepped forward for a hug. “When are you leaving? If you have time, shall we have lunch together?”

Qin Yue glanced at his phone and patted him on the cheek. “I’m in a hurry.”

It was almost 12 o’clock.

It was almost a four hour drive back to Shanghai Airport.

Ji Li frowned, obviously sensing something wrong with his lover.

In the past, Qin Yue would always show his emotions to Ji Li, even if he was jealous. Qin Yue would never be like this.

Ji Li was just about to say something else when Xu Yanzhi’s inquiring voice was heard outside the RV. “Ji Li? Are you there?”

“……”

Qin Yue gritted his teeth and tried to calm his mind. “Didn’t you make an appointment to discuss the script? I’ll go first. Baby, eat more.”

Ji Li was stunned as he saw Qin Yue bypassing him.

The RV door opened.

Qin Yue and Xu Yanzhi looked at each other.

Xu Yanzhi was surprised. “Teacher Qin Yue?”

Qin Yue nodded and gave up his seat in the car without saying a word.

Xu Yanzhi stood in front of the car, looking at Qin Yue’s departing back as if he suddenly realized something.

“Brother Xu, aren’t you going up?” Xu Yanzhi’s assistant was carrying a meal for two.

Xu Yanzhi glanced at Ji Li, who was still in a daze, and maintained a suitable sense of proportion. “No. Once work starts in the afternoon, I will find him on the set to discuss the script.”

The two of them left. Then Baozi, who was observing from the car next door, instantly rushed over.

He looked at the untouched meal on the RV table and asked cautiously, “Brother Ji, are you and Teacher Qin Yue okay?”

These dishes were all ordered by Teacher Qin Yue in advance, and he had obviously planned for the two of them to have lunch together. Could it be that Brother Ji ended up being delayed by work for so long that it was too late?

Ji Li looked at the lunch that his lover had ordered in advance, and his heart was empty. There was an indescribable uncomfortable feeling in his chest.

After a long time, he asked hoarsely, “Baozi, did I neglect Qin Yue too much?”

He had always restrained his emotions. Occasionally, he would take the initiative toward Qin Yue when he was touched by the other person’s deep affection.

He was used to enjoying the deep love conveyed by Qin Yue. He forgot that Qin Yue might become tired after taking the initiative for so long.

***

On the other side, Qin Yue returned to his car and slammed his hands against the steering wheel in annoyance.

He didn’t want to show his embarrassing side in front of his lover, but in the end, he used the worst acting skills in his life.

The phone rang. It was Qi An.

Qin Yue connected his Bluetooth headset and picked up the call with complicated emotions. “Hello.”

Qi An asked, “Have you returned? It might be too late.”

“Yes, I’m on my way back.” Qin Yue started the car and quickly drove away.

“Listening to your tone, have you been tired these days?”

Qi An noticed his friend’s exhaustion for the first time and helplessly said, “After two all night scenes, you didn’t want to rest for half a day. Instead, you had to fly back to Shanghai as a detour and drive to see Ji Li.”

Sure enough, the power of love was endless.

“Have you rested in Hengcheng these past two days? The moment you land, it will be continuous acting. Be careful not to exhaust your body.”

Qin Yue responded in a low voice, “I had a good rest, and I can catch up on sleep on the plane.”

There was a brief silence on the phone.

“Qin Yue, what’s wrong with you?”

“Qi An.”

The tacit understanding that came from the two of them working together for many years made them speak at the same time.

Qin Yue stopped at the intersection on the road, his always strong and calm eyes revealing a rare lack of confidence. “You are right. No one can say for sure when it comes to feelings.”

“You quarreled with Ji Li?”

“…How can I be willing to quarrel with him?”

Qin Yue watched the countdown of the red light, and his mind returned in a trance to when he was filming ‘Long Island Iced Tea’. “In the beginning, it was me who used a roundabout method to send the ‘Long Island Iced Tea’ script to Ji Li’s team.”

It had been almost a year since the movie finished.

Ji Li was still the same Ji Li who was an acting fanatic and could have a good relationship with all the actors in the same crew, just like Qin Yue, who used to be in the same crew as him.

The word ‘friend’ just now completely froze all of Qin Yue’s thoughts.

He knew that Ji Li always valued his career, so Qin Yue didn’t dare demand too much from the other person. Yet looking back, Ji Li seemed so stingy that he hadn’t even mentioned the word ‘love’ within the past year.

Perhaps in the future, the influence of ‘Long Island Iced Tea’ in Ji Li’s heart would completely disappear, and they would completely return to being friends.

In the beginning, Qin Yue gave Ji Li the right to choose his own script. This also hid a needle in his heart.

He might be the most despicable thief in the world, using Lu Yao’s love for Wen Qiong to gain Ji Li’s affection for him.

Qin Yue felt ashamed, which was why he was so concerned about gains and losses.

In the past year, he always tried his best to make Ji Li face his existence straight on and tried his best to give Ji Li everything he could.

Yet in the hour just now, Qin Yue stayed alone in the RV. He looked at the lunch he ordered in the morning and suddenly felt he was a bit boring like this.

Perhaps such a strong initiative from himself placed a burden of emotional suppression on Ji Li.

Suddenly, Qin Yue didn’t know what to do.

When Xu Yanzhi came to the door, his first reaction wasn’t a so-called oath of love but instead a ridiculous and sad escape.

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Proofreader: Azure