Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 35

The icy aftertaste of death had not yet faded from her limbs and bones. A sharp, phantom pain lingered where her heart was, and every beat tugged at Si Xiaoxiao’s nerves, making it almost impossible for her to breathe smoothly.

Si Xiaoxiao felt as if she had truly died once—a blade cutting through flesh and piercing the heart, the severe pain suffocating her.

It looks like I’ll be able to perform convincingly in scenes involving extreme pain now.

She could only laugh self-mockingly in her heart, treating this inhuman torment as a form of alternative “experience points” for her acting career.

But the sharp pain receded like a tide, and the familiar scent of coffee in the real world quietly drifted into her nostrils. Immediately after, a cold, emotionless electronic voice, like a blade cutting through chaos, abruptly sounded deep within her consciousness. To her at that moment, it sounded like heavenly music.

[The completion rate for this script performance is 95%, rated A+. No character persona deviation occurred. The punishment to repair the leg injury is now withdrawn, and a reward is issued.]

[This reward is a Destiny Bond: The closer the two people are, the better their luck will be. Conversely, their luck will decrease.]

??? This is a reward?

Before she could process it, she abruptly opened her eyes.

Blinding spotlights and the dark muzzles of camera lenses instantly crashed into her view.

She was back on the set of the Goodbye Friend variety show special.

For her, that long, painful, and humiliating “death” journey in the prison script within the system space was merely the blink of an eye in the real world.

Because time in the real world had been paused, everyone’s memory in the studio was still fixed on the moment Li Ting aggressively approached her according to the “seduction” script, and she was about to “do everything to obstruct” and express “extreme dissatisfaction” with his (her) acting approach.

Although she had undergone several system script traversals, the time to readjust to reality was shortening. However, this time, the near-death sensation of a blade piercing her heart was too real, deeply etched into her nerve endings like a brand.

The intense mental and physical exhaustion pressed down like a heavy lead weight, making her nearly unable to stand steady, utterly worn out in body and mind.

At this moment, she had no time to worry about the strange impression of “suddenly freezing, face turning pale” she might have left on the director and staff. Almost instinctively, she was the first to break the stillness in the studio.

Her voice carried a weakness she hadn’t noticed herself and a hint of almost imperceptible tremor: “Let’s take a break first.”

Immediately, she subconsciously looked at Li Ting.

Li Ting was standing just one step away, within her reach.

Seemingly just pulled back from that invisible script storm, her slender eyelashes fluttered almost imperceptibly, like a butterfly folding its wings, cleverly concealing the moment of surging dark currents that quickly subsided deep within her eyes.

She silently met Si Xiaoxiao’s gaze, which was calm but held an unspoken depth, more profound than usual.

That look made Si Xiaoxiao’s heart inexplicably skip a beat, stirring a peculiar sense of unease.

But she didn’t have time to delve into it.

The long-suffering, resentful director spoke first.

“Xiaoxiao, why don’t we lower the requirements a bit? Let’s finish the task sooner, okay?”

Although she wanted to film the two actresses fighting fiercely, she couldn’t intervene if things got too out of hand. For now, the priority was to appease Xiaoxiao!

Si Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the nausea and lingering sharp pain churning in her chest.

She raised a hand and unconsciously twisted a few strands of hair that fell over her shoulder. The burgundy curls twisted and untwisted around her pale fingertips, revealing a hint of unconscious irritation and fatigue. She spoke, “Then let’s use the last take. We’ll wrap up for today.”

Facing Li Ting still felt a bit awkward.

After all, they had just played a pair of “love-hate” best friends in the script world.

And she had even said embarrassing and chuunibyou-like things like, “Whether it’s for the revolution or to defend the glory of the kingdom, I shall grant you supreme authority.”

“Sister Li Ting, what do you think? Should we use the last take?” The director looked at Li Ting with a bit of hesitation, seeking her opinion.

In the director’s view, the previous takes had actually met her standards, but Si Xiaoxiao insisted on not letting them pass.

Li Ting’s gaze was deep, with a desolate indifference in her eyes. She didn’t put on her signature gentle smile, but merely nodded and silently turned to go back to the rest area.

Is she angry?

So she’s not going to pretend to be the gentle older sister anymore?

While secretly grumbling, Si Xiaoxiao looked over at Li Ting.

Li Ting was slightly turned to the side, her slender fingers cradling the thermos cup handed to her by her assistant.

Her movements were ordinary, even carrying a touch of noble aloofness, as if the warden who had controlled everything in the script world and left a fatal “wound” on her heart was still right before her eyes.

The powerful lights on the studio ceiling cut sharp lines of shadow and light across her body.

The light slid along the elegant curve of her jawline, outlining the porcelain-white, long arch of her neck.

She tilted her head slightly, preparing to drink the water.

The rim of the cup touched her lips, and the warm water moistened them.

Then, there was the swallow.

Li Ting’s throat bone distinctly and slowly rolled up and down beneath her thin, pale skin.

Si Xiaoxiao’s gaze involuntarily tracked that subtle movement.

The hand holding the cup was clearly defined, the knuckles distinct, and the fingernails were neatly trimmed and rounded, showing a healthy pale pink.

A droplet of water, perhaps a single tiny, disobedient one, seemed to slide down the rim of the cup, tracing a brief, crystal-clear path along the knuckle of her thumb that gripped the cup wall, finally disappearing near the delicate watch at her wrist.

That small trace of dampness seemed infinitely magnified in Si Xiaoxiao’s eyes, carrying a secretive, intriguing suggestion, and even a hint of… sexiness?

Strange. Before, she always found fault with Li Ting, right and left. Now, the word “sexy” is popping up in her mind?

This is insane.

A strange heat uncontrollably crept up her earlobes and cheeks.

It’s all that damn system’s fault, constantly feeding her that female-on-female ambiguity, making her view women with an abnormal gaze now!

After gaining approval from both leads, the director was also satisfied.

So, with a grand wave of her hand, she gave both of them the rest of the day off.

Si Xiaoxiao wouldn’t actively seek out Li Ting, and of course, Li Ting didn’t come looking for her either.

The two were staying in the same hotel but had no intention of traveling together, so they went back to their respective rooms, missing each other.

The punishment from the system was over.

Si Xiaoxiao wanted to go find Li Ting to get her hair tie back, but she felt getting it back last time had been too awkward.

Naturally, she didn’t want to actively go talk to Li Ting.

She was agonizing alone in her room, hugging a pillow and rolling back and forth on the bed like a cat tangled in a ball of yarn.

“Knock knock knock.”

A crisp knocking sound rang out.

Si Xiaoxiao sprang up, her heart inexplicably pounding a couple of times faster.

Could it be… She shook her head, immediately chasing away that ridiculous thought.

She shuffled in her slippers, opening the door with a mix of disappointment and guardedness that she couldn’t quite explain.

The person at the door nearly blocked out the light.

A tall, slender figure, estimated to be close to 180cm, with a neat high ponytail, dressed in a training suit, black utility pants, and thick-soled combat boots. She was dusty from travel, wearing aviator sunglasses that covered half her face.

The person grinned, showing a flash of dazzling white teeth. Her smile was so bright it was like a small sun, radiating a passionate and energetic aura.

“You! Yi! Lin?!” Si Xiaoxiao was so surprised her jaw nearly dropped, her eyes wide as saucers: “How did you… how did you ‘Flash’ here?!”

This was a small tropical island far from the mainland! How could her friend refresh onto this location?!

You Yilin coolly took off her sunglasses with one hand, revealing a pair of equally bright eyes with a hint of mischievousness. She winked at her playfully: “Surprise! My little Xiaoxiao! Don’t underestimate the mobility of an excellent SWAT officer, okay?”

“Oh? You’re stalking me?” Si Xiaoxiao crossed her arms, leaning against the door frame, instantly switching to “interrogation” mode, raising an eyebrow in a perfect libel.

“Ah, no! Don’t slander me, I would never engage in such illegal activities!”

You Yilin nearly panicked, her combat boots thumping against the carpet. This was serious. She quickly explained, “I had a special secret mission to lie in wait near this island, and I just happened to bump into your assistant outside. I asked her for your room number!”

“What does that have to do with you being a SWAT officer?” Si Xiaoxiao retorted expressionlessly.

You Yilin gave a sincere, simple smile: “If I didn’t have a mission, we wouldn’t have bumped into each other, right?”

Si Xiaoxiao and You Yilin’s acquaintance also originated from Bronze Sparrow Interlude in their youth.

You Yilin came from a martial arts family and naturally carried the sharpness and boldness of a female warrior. Director Yan immediately noticed her and cast her as one of the main characters in Bronze Sparrow Interlude.

She and Si Xiaoxiao were cut from the same cloth—straightforward and carefree. The two quickly became good friends, the kind of buddies who would expose each other’s flaws. Si Xiaoxiao was the bright, Tsundere Golden Retriever, and she was the direct, pure Siberian Husky. The two canine types often “wrecked the house” together.

After filming Bronze Sparrow, You Yilin immediately retired from the entertainment industry and chose to enroll in a military academy, eventually becoming a SWAT officer, often appearing and disappearing unpredictably. Without any conflicting interests, their relationship became even purer, and they often met up when they could.

The first person Si Xiaoxiao thought to ask for help when she was bound by the cursed system was You Yilin, but as soon as the thought popped up, the system zapped her and issued a warning.

“Why did you suddenly run over to my place?” Si Xiaoxiao looked at her suspiciously, demanding an explanation.

“Beach! Beauties! Party! Interested?” You Yilin flashed her bright teeth, excitedly grabbing Si Xiaoxiao’s shoulders and shaking her back and forth.

Si Xiaoxiao slowly formed a question mark in her mind.

Before she could react, the “house-wrecking Husky” pushed her into the room, instantly hitting her soft spot: “Xiaoxiao, I heard there are lots of blonde, blue-eyed beauties at the party, and the theme this time is exotic-style dresses! We can’t let them outshine us. Time to get dressed up! Go, go, go!!”

Dresses?

And an exotic theme?

Si Xiaoxiao’s beautiful cat eyes instantly lit up.

There was no resisting this. She immediately ignored her friend’s strangeness, opened her eight suitcases, and began to do her hair and makeup.

Her cherished treasures finally had a chance to be shown off!!

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