After Getting Pregnant, I’m Divorcing My Alpha - Chapter 9

The weather gradually warmed up, and the filming progress of the crew proceeded steadily. On the morning of April 13th, everyone was on edge, preparing to shoot the final three scenes.

In the original work of The Eyes Hidden in the Corner, there were three scenes that could truly be considered difficult to film: two gunfight scenes and one explosion scene. Cao Xuan, aiming for the best broadcast effect, naturally hoped the actors wouldn’t use stunt doubles. However, considering the risks involved, he still gave An Xiangdi and the others the choice.

In the two gunfight scenes, An Xiangdi wasn’t the main focus, but the final wrap-up scene the only explosion scene was the most crucial part of his entire script.

Shen Xiao never used stunt doubles when filming, so he didn’t hesitate and gave Cao Xuan his answer directly.

An Xiangdi hesitated but gritted his teeth and said, “I’ll do it myself, no stunt double.”

“The explosion scene is quite dangerous. If you don’t use a stunt double, make sure to let us know if anything goes wrong,” Cao Xuan reminded him.

“Mm.” An Xiangdi took a deep breath. This drama was a new genre he was trying for the first time in his acting career, and he didn’t want to leave any regrets.

The two gunfight scenes were shot first. The guns were real firearms specially approved for the crew’s use, managed by designated personnel, and the bullets were simulated ones that couldn’t harm anyone.

To prepare for the two gunfight scenes, the relevant actors had undergone systematic training beforehand. When Shen Xiao picked up the gun, he was no stranger to it.

Cao Xuan called Shen Xiao and the actors playing his police companions over, explaining the scene in detail, even specifying exactly where to run from and to. Worried they might run incorrectly, he had them rehearse the movements twice.

Afterward, he called An Xiangdi over.

An Xiangdi had a bag of fake blood tied inside his pant leg, making it somewhat inconvenient to walk.

“When Shen Xiao shoots at you, don’t dodge,” Cao Xuan instructed. He wasn’t worried about An Xiangdi’s acting skills, only that he might be afraid after all, humans have an instinctive fear of firearms.

“Mm.” An Xiangdi agreed without much psychological burden. In his younger, more reckless days, he had often gone to the shooting range with Shen Xiao for target practice.

Seeing that everyone was almost ready, Cao Xuan raised his hand and said, “Let’s do a trial run first. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll try again.”

With the clapperboard signaling the start, filming officially began.

At first, everything went smoothly. But before Shen Xiao even fired his gun, the bag of fake blood tied inside An Xiangdi’s pants burst prematurely.

With a “pop,” everyone on set froze for a moment. Immediately afterward, they saw the bright red fake blood trickling down An Xiangdi’s leg, quickly staining his pants and shoes.

“What on earth did you do?” Cao Xuan slammed his hand on the small table beside him, yelling at the props team.

An Xiangdi raised his hand. “It’s my fault. I accidentally pressed on it.”

With An Xiangdi taking the blame, the props team escaped punishment. An Xiangdi was taken to the restroom to clean off the fake blood and change into a fresh pair of pants and shoes.

As if anticipating such a situation, the costume department had prepared a full twenty identical sets of pants and shoes.

They filmed two more takes after that, with no further mishaps, and the scene passed smoothly. The second gunfight scene also went without a hitch. Once everything was filmed, the crew’s boxed lunches arrived, and everyone ate while waiting for the final wrap-up scene in the afternoon.

An Xiangdi sat in a corner chair, holding his lunchbox and picking at his food without much appetite.

Shen Xiao glanced at him a few times and said, “Don’t be afraid.”

An Xiangdi, proud and unwilling to admit weakness even when seen through, retorted, “Who said I’m afraid?”

Shen Xiao couldn’t help but adore the sight of An Xiangdi being stubborn. Suppressing the urge to ruffle his hair, he said, “As long as you stay within the safe zone, nothing will happen.”

“I know.” An Xiangdi glanced at the props team marking positions on the ground, his heart practically leaping into his throat.

It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but his fear of explosion scenes stemmed from his aversion to the deafening noise of the blast.

He had always been a terrible cook. As a child, he once foolishly tried to heat a hard-boiled egg in the microwave. When he took it out, it seemed perfectly fine, so he bit into it without a second thought. The egg exploded with a loud “bang,” scalding his mouth and leaving it swollen and red an unsightly mess.

After that incident, he skipped school for several days, refusing to see anyone out of fear of being laughed at. But Shen Xiao, of all people, climbed over the wall to visit him at home, which only led to another argument between them.

Recalling such an embarrassing memory filled An Xiangdi with shame. Covering half his face with his hand, he completely lost his appetite.

By 1:30 p.m., the props team had fully assembled the explosion equipment, which had been tested multiple times. An Xiangdi, having only managed to mentally prepare himself four times, was already in makeup and costume as filming officially began.

Qian Xin had never imagined his final meeting with Zheng Jun would happen in such a wretched state, covered in dust, his left leg pierced by a bullet, blood from his forehead blurring his vision.

In stark contrast to his disheveled appearance, Zheng Jun, clad in a police uniform, exuded an aura of righteousness something Qian Xin could never hope to reach.

“I.” Zheng Jun’s hand trembled slightly as he gripped his gun. It was he who had shot Qian Xin in the leg.

“Zheng Jun, we were never meant to walk the same path.” Qian Xin, who had never smiled before, offered a faint, almost imperceptible smile. “Not since the day you started doubting me.”

“The evidence was undeniable. I’m a police officer,” Zheng Jun hardened his heart.

Qian Xin closed his eyes. When he opened them again after a long moment, the light in them had faded. “Yes, you’re a police officer.”

Zheng Jun wanted to say more, but it was too late. He watched helplessly as Qian Xin walked into the abandoned building. In the split second he hesitated to pull the trigger, a bullet from his colleague flew past him. As the bullet pierced Qian Xin’s heart, the abandoned building suddenly exploded. Amid the billowing dust and rising flames, Qian Xin slowly collapsed.

“Cut!” Cao Xuan carefully reviewed the footage twice. Even without special effects, the result was unexpectedly impressive. He could already envision how flawless it would look post-production.

“I think it’s pretty good,” Qi Kexiu commented after watching it twice from the sidelines.

“Excellent!” Explosion scenes were notoriously expensive, and every retake burned through the budget. Cao Xuan was immensely grateful for the two leads’ acting skills, which had saved him a considerable amount of money.

Shen Xiao made his way through the crowd into the abandoned building, where the preset explosion points were still shrouded in dust. Coughing lightly, he circled around a pillar and found An Xiangdi hiding in a corner.

“Ready to go out?” Shen Xiao asked, only to notice An Xiangdi’s red-rimmed eyes.

An Xiangdi sniffled. “In a minute.”

He was scared to tears.

The thought instantly crossed Shen Xiao’s mind.

Utterly adorable.

That was his second thought.

Without another word, Shen Xiao plopped down on the ground, pulled An Xiangdi into his arms, and gently patted his back.

Feeling utterly embarrassed, An Xiangdi wiped the tears he had been holding back all over Shen Xiao’s clothes.

Just when he thought it was a rare moment of tenderness, Shen Xiao spoke again: “Don’t cry, Xiao Di. Xiao Xiao will play the flute for you.”

An Xiangdi shoved him away abruptly, his eyes reddening even more this time from anger and embarrassment. “Shen Xiao! Shut up!”

“What’s wrong? Isn’t this how I used to comfort you when we were kids?” Shen Xiao’s eyes sparkled with amusement.

In a fluster, An Xiangdi tore off the damp blood pack from his chest and shoved it into Shen Xiao’s collar. “Childish!”

The crew members, who had been loudly celebrating the wrap, suddenly realized the two leads were missing. Worried that something had happened during the explosion scene, they rushed in to search, only to find the two actors covered in chicken blood. They stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

“The Eyes Hidden in the Corner has wrapped after a total of two months and twenty days of filming. Throughout this period, everyone has given their all and delivered what I believe to be their absolute best. As the director, Cao Xuan, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to every cast and crew member for their hard work. May Hidden Eyes be a massive success!”

“May Hidden Eyes be a massive success!” The crowd cheered in unison. Someone started chanting for Cao Xuan to treat everyone to a meal, and soon the whole group joined in.

Cao Xuan, exasperated yet amused, laughed and agreed. “Of course, I’ll treat you all! But do you think our two leads are in any state to go out like this?”

An Xiangdi and Shen Xiao, covered in a mix of chicken blood and dirt, remained silent as everyone around them burst into laughter.

“Just a quick shower, no big deal,” An Xiangdi said, pulling off his blood-stained, grimy lab coat.

“Then let’s meet at the hotel entrance tonight! I’ll decide the venue, and no objections!” Cao Xuan declared boldly.

The crew dispersed cheerfully, quickly packing up their things, their excitement now focused entirely on the evening’s gathering.

An Xiangdi and Shen Xiao shared a car back to the hotel. After a hot shower and changing into clean clothes, they waited in their room for the meet-up time.

Xiao Gu: Teacher An, are you free right now?

An Xiangdi, who had been scrolling through his phone, quickly replied.

Dizi: What’s up?

Xiao Gu: There’s something I need to tell you.

Xiao Gu: Yesterday, when I went back to the company, I passed by Brother Li’s office and overheard him turning down the May cover for Ci Sheng magazine.

Xiao Gu had been hesitating all day about whether to tell An Xiangdi, especially on such a happy day like the wrap. But she worried that if she delayed, it might be too late to fix the situation, so she decided to speak up.

An Xiangdi’s finger froze on the screen, his expression darkening.

Shen Xiao noticed. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. My manager is getting a little too bold, but I can handle it.” An Xiangdi cut off any chance for Shen Xiao to intervene and continued messaging Xiao Gu.

Dizi: Got it.

Xiao Gu: Teacher An, good luck!

Switching back to his home screen, An Xiangdi opened his contacts and called Director Ning, the photography director for Ci Sheng magazine.

After a moment, the other end picked up. “Teacher An, what brings you to call me today?”

“Director Ning, I have some great ideas for the shoot.”

“Oh?” Ning Zhi sounded intrigued.

An Xiangdi confidently shared his impromptu ideas. After listening, Ning Zhi praised him repeatedly. “Wow, that sounds really good! What a shame, though.”

“Why? Is it hard to execute?”

“Not at all. We originally wanted you for the May cover, but your manager said your schedule was fully booked.”

“Huh? I’m actually quite free,” An Xiangdi said casually.

Ning Zhi was dumbfounded, wondering what was going on between An Xiangdi’s agent and An Xiangdi himself. One claimed the schedule was full, while the other said he was available. Hesitating over whether to agree, Ning Zhi recalled that An Xiangdi usually made his own decisions when it came to magazine cover shoots, and his heart stirred with excitement.

An Xiangdi’s feature in Cisheng magazine had consistently topped sales charts. If he could really come, it would be a mutually beneficial arrangement.

“It would be wonderful if you could make it.”

“Of course, I can.”

Though working with An Xiangdi came with pressure, Ning Zhi happily agreed, “Then let’s wish ourselves a pleasant collaboration.”

As An Xiangdi hung up the phone, Shen Xiao, who had been sitting nearby, silently deleted the message he had just typed in the chat box.

After waiting for a while without a reply from Shen Xiao, the other person sent a string of questions.

Self-Made Millionaire: So? What’s the deal? Are we doing this or not?