I Transmigrated Into A Fanfiction And Got Pregnant With The Movie Star's Child - Chapter 6

Ji Xing stared at the team-joining card, his mind completely blank. He had no recollection of how he had taken the card from He Chenchen’s hand, and even after returning backstage and sitting down, he remained in a daze.

Looking on the bright side, he had successfully altered the plot.

It was just that the direction of the change was entirely wrong.

According to the progression of the original novel, he was supposed to spend a while in another mentor’s group, engaging in a slow back-and-forth dynamic with He Chenchen, and only enter He Chenchen’s group when the show entered its second stage of regrouping.

Instead, it had happened far ahead of schedule.

Quite a few trainees offered their congratulations, but Ji Xing couldn’t manage even a hint of a smile.

On the other side, another person unable to smile was Pei Yun.

“You never told me you were going to pick him,” Pei Yun said during a break, expressing utter bafflement over He Chenchen’s decision to issue a team card to Ji Xing. “Both of us got rejected by him, and then you pull a stunt like this, making me look like the petty one.”

“Aren’t you petty?”

“I just don’t like forcing people against their will, unlike you, saying one thing while meaning another.”

“I only said he might not necessarily go to your group,” He Chenchen replied expressionlessly.

“Right, right, right. Teacher He is brilliant and wise, and the only clown here is me.”

With a long, pulled-down face, Pei Yun didn’t even feel like talking anymore.

He had always thought he understood He Chenchen quite well, but today’s stunt was truly beyond his comprehension. In his eyes, He Chenchen was an intensely rational person, sometimes to the point of near-coldness.

Thus, he couldn’t fathom why the man would hand Ji Xing a team card.

“Were you just trying to bail him out?” Pei Yun asked suddenly.

“Does it matter?” He Chenchen retorted.

“You wouldn’t be pettier than me and intentionally pull him into your own group just to give him a hard time, would you?”

“Hm.” He Chenchen raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps.”

Naturally, Pei Yun didn’t believe a word of his nonsense, rolling his eyes as he turned away.

That evening, Ji Xing was so anxious he barely slept a wink.

Expecting to face He Chenchen the next morning, he was surprised instead to receive a new schedule early in the day, announcing that the production team had invited experts to conduct a mandatory three-day safety training session for the trainees.

Although the development came as a surprise, it offered Ji Xing a temporary reprieve.

The crew’s safety training was conducted quite professionally, covering comprehensive content that ranged from common first-aid knowledge and general safety tips to a full fire drill. Ji Xing had never experienced such systematic safety training in all his life, finding the entire course immensely valuable.

However, certain trainees on the show clearly didn’t share that sentiment.

“We have Ji Xing to thank for the chance to attend this training,” a trainee named Qin Yi said with deliberate sarcasm right in front of Ji Xing.

“Why?” Ji Xing asked, looking blank.

“Because you burned your hand in the cafeteria and didn’t even know you were supposed to run cold water over it right away. The production team assumed our common sense matched yours, which is why they booked this training. So tell me, since we are wasting three whole days, shouldn’t we thank you?”

Only then did Ji Xing catch the hostility in Qin Yi’s tone. Disliking conflict, he chose not to retort.

In truth, he was well aware of that basic first-aid rule, but the suddenness of the incident, combined with the intense pain and the student who had spilled the soup frantically apologizing to him, had severely dulled his reaction speed.

“I’m sorry,” Ji Xing said.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. What’s three days of classes? No big deal,” another nearby trainee comforted him.

“Three days isn’t big deal? Give those three days to me, and think of how much I could learn from the teachers. Now it’s all just wasted for nothing,” Qin Yi said, growing more indignant by the second.

“This isn’t Ji Xing’s fault either. Besides, you still learned some safety knowledge,” someone else interjected.

“Not his fault? Is it mine then? Don’t be so ridiculous. You were all trash-talking him with me behind his back just a moment ago, and now that he apologizes, you act like best buddies?” Qin Yi shot a glance at Ji Xing. “I honestly admire you. No wonder even Teacher He falls for your act, tsk.”

Ji Xing hadn’t expected such an overreaction from Qin Yi and momentarily didn’t know how to respond. He was naturally unequipped for verbal spats; communication was fine when dealing with emotionally stable people, but facing someone like Qin Yi left him with no way to fight back or argue.

If Qin Yi had only targeted him personally, he might have just endured it in silence. But the other person had no business dragging He Chenchen into it. Right now, Ji Xing’s greatest fear was becoming entangled with He Chenchen, and if remarks like that spread, there was no telling what kind of rumors might spark.

With that thought in mind, Ji Xing spoke with rare firmness, “Please take back that last sentence.”

“Huh?” Qin Yi looked slightly startled. “Take back what?”

“Take back your slander against Teacher He.”

Ji Xing was gentle and docile by nature, almost never speaking harshly, but his expression right then carried an unusual resolve.

Qin Yi’s face shifted instantly. “Don’t go throwing baseless accusations around. When did I ever slander Teacher He?”

“What you just said…” Ji Xing was truly terrible at debating, his retorts amounting to little more than self-sabotage: “You said Teacher He falls for my act, and that is slander.”

Out in the corridor, Pei Yun happened to be passing by the lounge and nearly burst out laughing upon overhearing the exchange. He glanced sideways at He Chenchen, teasing, “I’m genuinely curious. Do you actually fall for Ji Xing’s act or not?”

He Chenchen shot him a sidelong glance, offering no direct reply, and pushed open the door to step straight into the lounge.

Pei Yun:

Everyone inside the lounge froze at the sight of He Chenchen, a wave of awkwardness washing over them. Qin Yi in particular turned beet red, yet still stubbornly lifted his chin as if trying to mask his guilty conscience with posture.

“Are you all discussing the safety training?”

He Chenchen’s tone was remarkably flat, yet his entire presence radiated an overwhelming sense of oppression. His gaze swept casually across the trainees, causing several of them to instinctively drop their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

Amidst the silent group of intimidated trainees, Ji Xing stood out as the sole exception. Whenever he encountered He Chenchen in the past, he was always the first to panic, yet this time he forgot all about his fear, staring blankly at the man for a long stretch without recovering his wits.

“Teacher He, we were just chatting casually,” one trainee attempted to smooth things over.

“Is that so?” He Chenchen’s gaze landed on the speaker, though his steps halted right in front of Ji Xing.

Standing just a step apart, Ji Xing could faintly catch the subtle woody fragrance emanating from the man. He held his breath as he looked up at the sharp angles of the man’s profile, his heart beating with inexplicable swiftness.

For some reason, when He Chenchen walked through the door just now, his very first reaction hadn’t been fear or awkwardness, but a faint sense of relief. It was a difficult feeling to describe, akin to a child getting bullied outside and suddenly spotting a familiar face passing by, where even if the person hadn’t come for them, their mere presence provided an extra layer of backing.

Yet Ji Xing knew clearly that he and He Chenchen could hardly be considered acquaintances, and it would be best if they remained entirely unfamiliar forever.

“You will be studying together for quite a long time, so chatting is a good thing,” He Chenchen said, ignoring Ji Xing standing right before him and dropping the issue entirely. Instead, he continued, “I heard from Coach Sang that your performance during the safety training classes these past few days has been quite good, and he specifically asked me to express his thanks to you all.”

The group looked confused, failing to grasp the meaning behind He Chenchen’s words. Wasn’t Coach Sang just a training instructor hired by the production crew? Why would he ask the movie emperor to convey his gratitude to them?

“Coach Sang and I met during a safety training program some time ago, and his team has consistently worked on free safety awareness promotion. The producer spoke to me about this matter before we entered the group, and since his team happened to have an opening recently, I put in a request on behalf of the production team, though I didn’t expect it to go so smoothly.”

Hearing this, Qin Yi froze, then quickly shot a look at Ji Xing. Having just spent time complaining and pointing fingers at Ji Xing over the classes, he realized the training had nothing to do with Ji Xing at all, it was an opportunity the production team had secured specifically through He Chenchen’s personal request.

“The standard training was only meant to last two hours. After consulting with the other mentors, we felt this was a rare opportunity to give everyone a side view of what certain specialized professions experience during their work, which is why we later asked them to add various first-aid and fire drills,” He Chenchen stated casually, though every word landed like a slap across Qin Yi’s face. “I’ve always believed that the acting profession requires a continuous effort to experience life and broaden one’s cognitive grasp of the world. Especially marginalized groups or professions we don’t often encounter, such as medical staff and firefighters; having the chance to observe them is an invaluable experience for an actor.”

As a movie emperor, He Chenchen’s acting prowess was recognized across the industry. Among the trainees present, anyone who viewed acting as a career ideal held deep admiration for him. Hearing his words now, they found themselves nodding in agreement, their gazes filled with a touch of youthful reverence.

“Teacher He, what methods do you usually use to experience life? Could you share some insights with us?” a trainee asked proactively.

“The acting profession is somewhat unique. In the early days, experiencing life is relatively easy, but as your portfolio grows, trying to blend into crowds like a regular person becomes somewhat difficult.” Especially with a status like He Chenchen’s, being recognized everywhere he went certainly proved troublesome.

“My method is to seize every single opportunity to interact with strangers, letting no detail of daily life slip by. While waiting backstage, you can observe the stage hands and extras. When waiting at a traffic light, you can watch the delivery workers crossing the intersection. At home, you can observe domestic help and property management service staff.” He Chenchen offered a faint smile and added, “I trust that some of you haven’t wasted these past three days either. If you have any observational insights regarding the safety training personnel, feel free to summarize them. I’d be more than happy to discuss them with you.”

For those paying attention, He Chenchen’s remarks would undoubtedly serve as an exceptionally vital first lesson in this training camp. As he had put it, good actors were perpetually learning. As for Qin Yi and the few trainees who had joined in ganging up on Ji Xing, their faces had long since turned crimson, and while the crowd swarmed He Chenchen with questions, they slipped away in quiet humiliation.

Once He Chenchen extricated himself from the barrage of questions, he crossed paths with Ji Xing near the corridor corner.

“Have something to say?” He Chenchen asked him.

“Teacher He.” Meeting his gaze, Ji Xing’s eyes shone like the stars on a summer night. “Thank you.”

In his past life, Ji Xing had learned a great deal following He Chenchen on set. Having assumed he would never have that kind of opportunity again, he never expected such an unexpected harvest today. Like any good student, everyone appreciated a teacher like He Chenchen. Fueled by excitement, Ji Xing temporarily cast the original plot entirely out of his mind.

“Is there nothing else you want to say to me?” He Chenchen stared at Ji Xing, a trace of ambiguous emotion hidden in his eyes.

“I…” Ji Xing’s thoughts raced as a realization began to dawn on him, prompting him to ask cautiously, “Are you asking if I can also participate in the experiential homework assignment you assigned?”

Hearing this, He Chenchen took a deep breath, as if struggling to suppress some sort of negative emotion. He took a step forward, causing Ji Xing to instinctively step back until his back hit the wall, leaving him to look up with a thoroughly innocent expression.

“Nothing else?” He Chenchen asked.

“What else?” Ji Xing asked in a small voice. “Could you give me a hint?”

Nearly driven to laughter by his antics, He Chenchen leaned in close to his ear and muttered in a low voice, “Figure it out yourself.”

A wave of warmth washed over Ji Xing’s ear, causing him to shrink his neck instinctively. By the time he recovered his senses, He Chenchen had already walked away.

Reaching up to touch his burning earlobe, it dawned on him belatedly.

Could what He Chenchen was referring to be what happened that night?