Everyone is Crazy - Chapter 5

Upon hearing this bombshell, Shan Yingfeng was so stunned she could barely speak, stammering for a long time without finding the right words. Tan Muxi chuckled, “Why so nervous? I’m just teasing you.”

Shan Yingfeng: …

She had actually believed it!!

Tan Muxi noticed her reaction and found it amusing. It was exactly the same expression Qi Yu had when she first learned about it. Tan Muxi and Meng Xingci had indeed slept together, but only in the literal sense: lying on the same bed, sleeping.

Nothing had happened.

That night, they had even chatted quite pleasantly.

She couldn’t remember how she had fallen asleep, only that when she woke up, she overheard crew members joking about the emperor and empress sharing a bed, saying they had developed feelings during filming. When Meng Xingci found out, she severely reprimanded them, and from then on, no one in the crew dared mention it again.

Of course, the media never caught wind of it.

Later, Shi Tong patted her chest and said, “That was the first time I’ve ever seen Teacher Meng lose her temper.”

Tan Muxi hadn’t witnessed it herself.

Looking back now, she realized that Meng Xingci’s homophobia had already begun to show signs back then. She had just been slow to notice.

Tan Muxi continued to hibernate under her small blanket. By the time they arrived at the set, over half an hour had passed. The filming base was brightly lit, with extras resting on the nearby platforms. As Tan Muxi got out of the car, she heard Shan Yingfeng say, “Director He said we start at 5:30. Let’s go get our makeup done first.”

Although it was called makeup, Tan Muxi had such good skin that it didn’t take long. Lately, she hadn’t been getting enough sleep, so after her makeup was done, she went back to catch some more rest.

When Meng Xingci arrived at the filming base, she spotted a familiar figure in the distance, sleeping on a lounge chair. Her hair cascaded behind her, a few strands hanging straight down, their tips brushing the ground. As the wind blew, her hair lifted gently. Wrapped in a small blanket with an air-conditioning fan beside her, she rested on her side, her back turned to Meng Xingci.

Tan Muxi’s sleep quality wasn’t very good; even the slightest disturbance could wake her. Once, when they were resting together, she was suddenly grabbed awake in her sleep. Opening her eyes, she saw Tan Muxi clutching her hand. The moment she turned over, Tan Muxi woke up too, then looked at her apologetically and said, “Sorry, I was dreaming.”

Curling up in her blanket, she asked Tan Muxi, “What dream?”

Tan Muxi replied, “I dreamed…”

After a two-second pause, she said, “Never mind.”

Meng Xingci withdrew her gaze and heard Ye Ying say, “It’s Miss Tan. Should we go say hello?”

“No need,” Meng Xingci said as she took a detour down another path.

Ye Ying instinctively glanced in Tan Muxi’s direction.

It was said that President Meng didn’t particularly like Tan Muxi, but she had never felt it concretely until now.

She’d rather take a longer route than greet Tan Muxi.

Tan Muxi heard the sound of high heels but couldn’t tell if it was in her dream or reality. Startled, she opened her eyes. In the distance, extras were chatting in the rest area, but her spot was quiet, with only the faint hum of the air-conditioning fan. Shan Yingfeng sat beside her, seemingly trying to block all lines of sight. Tan Muxi lowered her eyes and asked, “What time is it?”

Shan Yingfeng replied, “5:10.”

She asked Tan Muxi, “Do you want to sleep a little longer?”

Tan Muxi said, “I can’t sleep. I’m going to the restroom.”

Shan Yingfeng hurriedly followed, walking beside her. When they reached the restroom entrance, they saw Ye Ying standing there. Ye Ying also spotted Tan Muxi and immediately straightened up, looking a bit nervous. “Good morning, Miss Tan.”

Tan Muxi responded indifferently, “Morning.”

She entered the restroom.

Ye Ying let out a sigh of relief, then felt inexplicably foolish. Tan Muxi wasn’t her boss, so why was she so nervous?

Just as she was puzzled, she remembered her boss was inside and grew anxious.

She glanced inside; there was no movement, only the sound of a flushing toilet.

Meng Xingci came out of the stall and saw Tan Muxi fixing her hair in front of the mirror. Their eyes met in the reflection. Tan Muxi casually averted her gaze, and Meng Xingci said, “Morning.”

Tan Muxi smiled. “Morning, President Meng.”

Her tone was worlds apart from how it used to be.

Tan Muxi hadn’t been in the industry for long. She had spent two years as an extra before joining the same company as Meng Xingci. When Aunt Bai introduced her, she said, “I’ve found another promising talent.”

And indeed, she was promising; beautiful, good-tempered, humble, and polite.

Whenever she had a question, she would call out, “Teacher Meng.”

Her voice was soft, a stark contrast to her current cold demeanor.

Meng Xingci asked, “Did you send the wrong message yesterday?”

Tan Muxi paused her hair-styling and turned to look at Meng Xingci, feigning nonchalance. “Did I send you a message yesterday?”

Meng Xingci: …

She said, “Do you want to check your phone?”

Tan Muxi replied confidently, “No need. It was a mistake.”

Meng Xingci: …

She glanced at Tan Muxi in the mirror, blooming like a delicate flower. Over the years, she had heard many rumors about her, most of which revolved around her romantic involvement with Liu Shuyun. Meng Xingci felt it wasn’t her place to inquire, nor did she want to. She lowered her head and said to Tan Muxi, “Are you free tonight?”

Tan Muxi narrowed her phoenix eyes. “President Meng, are you talking to me?”

Meng Xingci said, “Is there anyone else here?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Tan Muxi retorted sharply. “What if President Meng said the wrong thing again?”

Before Meng Xingci could respond, Tan Muxi turned away. “It’s fine. You can take it back.”

“I’m asking if you’re free tonight,” Meng Xingci said. “If you are, let’s have dinner together.”

Tan Muxi asked, “Are you really asking me out?”

Meng Xingci replied, “Yes.”

Tan Muxi pressed, “What for?”

Meng Xingci held back her irritation. “Can’t we just have a meal without a reason?”

“Of course, we can.” Tan Muxi said. “But then everyone in the crew will know you asked me out for dinner tomorrow. Is that okay with you?”

Meng Xingci paused for two seconds. “Yes.”

Such a sacrifice.

Tan Muxi grew curious about the purpose of this dinner.

She nodded. “Then I’m okay with it too.”

Meng Xingci glanced at her, about to say more, when other actors entered the restroom. She lowered her head and left, standing quietly outside for a moment. Hearing footsteps behind her, she said to Ye Ying, “Let’s go.”

Her cameo role in this film was concentrated in the later parts.

It was a crime film based on a true story. Tan Muxi played a detective hunting the killer, while Meng Xingci portrayed a journalist. In the first half, she only had a few scenes, but after uncovering some clues, her role expanded. In the later stages, she frequently exchanged information with the police. Eventually, she took a risk to confirm the identity of the criminal, which led to her demise.

In the story, she and Tan Muxi worked side by side, providing crucial assistance in solving the case. So, when she was killed, Tan Muxi’s character broke down emotionally and nearly killed the perpetrator upon capture.

The scene they were filming today was the one where her character was tortured to death by the killer.

Originally, Tan Muxi didn’t need to appear in this scene, but the director wanted her to stay on set to soak in the suffocating atmosphere, making it easier for her to get into character. Tan Muxi sat in front of the monitor as the camera pushed in. The director kept giving instructions while Meng Xingci, tied to a chair, had the murderer sharpening a knife beside her, whispering softly, “Beg me, and I’ll let you go.”

Meng Xingci sneered, “How many people have you tricked with that line?”

Seeing she wasn’t falling for it, the murderer grew furious, suddenly stood up, and blocked the view of Camera Two. Tan Muxi glanced at the monitor of the adjacent camera. Meng Xingci’s chin was gripped, forcing her head back, with bright red marks on her forehead and the corner of her eye. The murderer showed no mercy, slapping Meng Xingci hard across the face!

The set fell silent.

Even the background actors went quiet, watching from a distance.

Meng Xingci rarely used stand-ins or fake reactions in her scenes, so that slap landed squarely on her face. Tan Muxi gripped the edges of her chair, while Shan Yingfeng crouched beside her, nervously staring ahead.

In the dead silence, even the slightest sounds were magnified.

Meng Xingci was fully immersed in the scene, her proud face radiating a fierce, solitary courage. Infuriated by her defiance, the murderer began kicking and punching her!

The blows were much lighter during filming, but Meng Xingci reacted with complete realism. When a kick landed on her stomach, she curled over, her face pale, veins bulging in her neck, and her collarbone taut. Anyone watching could almost feel the pain.

The oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe.

Tan Muxi dug her nails into the fabric of her chair.

The director murmured, “This is exactly what we need.”

She turned her head.

The assistant director remarked, “Ms. Meng’s emotional delivery is as powerful as ever.”

He then flattered the director, praising his decision to cast Meng Xingci for this role, saying that releasing this clip in promotions would surely generate massive buzz.

The director basked in the praise.

Leaning back in her chair, Tan Muxi watched as the scene wrapped. Meng Xingci stepped off-camera for touch-ups. Next, they were scheduled to film their scene together. Originally planned for the previous day, but one had been late, the other had left early, so it was rescheduled for today.

Their scene wasn’t difficult: exchanging information inside a car. The first light of dawn would disperse, piercing through the hazy mist and streaming into the car through the window. Meng Xingci would be waiting inside early, while Tan Muxi, in police uniform, stood outside the car, looking in.

While filming Broken Willow, since they were from the same company, they often had to return for meetings or come to the set together. For convenience, they frequently shared a car. Sometimes at night, sometimes in the morning. Every time Tan Muxi got in, Meng Xingci was already there. She once asked, “Ms. Meng, how come you’re always so early?”

Auntie Bai explained, “Xiao Meng wants you to sleep a little longer. She has the driver take a detour to pick her up first, then come for you.”

Back then, just seeing the car and knowing Meng Xingci was inside filled her with a deep sense of security.

But now, Meng Xingci was still sitting in the car, yet that former sense of security had completely vanished.

Tan Muxi composed herself, catching her own reflection in the car window. Without breaking stride, she walked to the car in a few steps. As she pulled the door open, she glimpsed a familiar figure in the distance. Thinking she might be mistaken, she gave only a fleeting glance before pouring all her emotions into the scene.

After the scene wrapped up, Shan Yingfeng approached Tan Muxi holding a parasol, walking beside her to the rest area. Next to the lounge chair was a small square table with an exquisite lunchbox on it. Tan Muxi stared at the box for a moment, her cold expression softening slightly as she asked Shan Yingfeng, “Has Liu Shuyun been here?”

Shan Yingfeng tensed up, her heart still trembling from Liu Shuyun’s earlier surprise visit.

Tan Muxi nodded, confirming that she hadn’t been mistaken earlier.

Shan Yingfeng said, “Breakfast was delivered by President Liu.”

Tan Muxi sat down on the lounge chair, opened the box, and the aroma wafted out. It was her favorite steamed dumplings. She picked one up with her chopsticks, took a bite, and complained, “It’s cold.”

Shan Yingfeng offered, “I can go warm it up.”

“No need.” Tan Muxi took another bite, chewing slowly and deliberately, her tone carrying a hint of pleasure as she said, “It’ll do.”

Shan Yingfeng glanced at the slight curve of her lips; clearly, she was in a good mood.

After finishing one dumpling, Tan Muxi said, “At nine o’clock, buy everyone a cup of milk tea.”

Before Shan Yingfeng could respond, Tan Muxi added, “Use Liu Shuyun’s name.”

Shan Yingfeng replied, “Okay.”

It was such an ordinary thing, yet she couldn’t help but taste a hint of sweetness in it, and even her fear of Liu Shuyun lessened by a fraction.