I Was Taken by the Female Lead After Transmigrating into a Book - chapter 63

Perhaps because she was young, even though she had a fever, Bai Feifei didn’t feel any discomfort other than being dizzy and weak. This caused her to practically lean on Huo Wu during the short ten-meter walk from the car to the hotel stairs.

At the steps, Huo Wu stopped. Bai Feifei wasn’t so much feverish as she was drunk. She couldn’t stop herself in time and her foot got stuck, causing her to fall face-first. Thankfully, before she hit the ground, the person next to her smoothly scooped her up and put her on their back.

Bai Feifei: “Hmm???” Her voice was high-pitched, as was her pale neck. As if she had found something new, Bai Feifei looked from side to side and said happily, “Ah Wu, how did you lift me up?” As she spoke, her legs wiggled, treating Huo Wu like a horse. All she needed was a “giddy up.”

Huo Wu stepped heavily on the stairs. She just managed to see Bai Feifei’s face in the hotel’s glass door. She told herself not to be upset with a sick person and then calmly went up the stairs. Bai Feifei didn’t get an answer. Her neck, which had been stretched, quickly lost strength and lightly hit Huo Wu’s shoulder. Her breath was hot, and the temperature on Huo Wu’s back, which was much higher than her own body temperature, seemed to be rising. Huo Wu frowned and took one hand off to feel Bai Feifei’s forehead.

As if she knew what Huo Wu was thinking, Bai Feifei rubbed against Huo Wu’s palm and said in a low voice, “Xiaoxiao has already bought medicine. If the fever doesn’t go down by tomorrow morning, we can find a doctor to give me an IV before we go to the set.” Even though it’s usually not recommended to get an IV for a regular fever, Huo Wu knew that every industry has its cruel side. She knew Bai Feifei wouldn’t be able to hold up the entire crew’s progress unless she really couldn’t get up at all. She let out a low “mm,” her voice unusually soft. It was much gentler when she talked to Bai Feifei. “I’ll check the schedule later and see if I can get you more time to rest.”

Bai Feifei murmured “mm” in a daze and lowered her head, her nose almost touching Huo Wu’s bare skin. From this close, she could smell a hint of the familiar perfume that Huo Wu had worn a few days ago when they were in Yanshi. It was the one she had given to Huo Wu, the only one of its kind in the world. “This scent is the one that suits you the most…” Bai Feifei mumbled to herself. She didn’t know if Huo Wu could hear her. “When I have the ingredients… I’ll make you another one.”

“Okay.”

Thankfully, Bai Feifei’s fever was just from catching a cold. It came on quickly but also went away quickly. It flared up again in the middle of the night, but after she took the medicine, it didn’t come back. The fruit slices they had bought yesterday were never eaten. Fu Xiaoxiao was furious. Even though the rain scene was a sudden change, she was the one who had argued with Huo Wu, and she was the one who had lost. This time, she wasn’t going to get a bunch of fruits that would go bad quickly. After filling the small fridge in the car, she continued to scout the supermarkets around the new filming location.

Bai Feifei, on the other hand, had already started working. “Your main task today…” Li Ke looked at Bai Feifei’s still-pale lips and changed his words. “Are you sick?”

“I’m fine now. I just caught a cold from the rain,” Bai Feifei said simply. “It won’t affect filming.” Li Ke looked at her with relief.

Huo Wu was sitting next to them. It was a normal scene, but she still noticed something. She turned to Ji Meng and asked, “Where’s Bai Xue?” “She went to sign a contract. She got a lot of contact information in Yanshi, and she has a lot of job offers to look at,” Ji Meng said. “Do you need her for something?”

“No,” Huo Wu said, thinking for a moment. “I remember Feifei has a variety show coming up?” She only said that, but Ji Meng had worked with her for so many years that she knew exactly what she was thinking. Still, she was a little surprised. “Are you going?” But Huo Wu hesitated. Next to them, Li Ke was explaining to Wu Qingying about her character’s emotions and how to perform them in this scene. Like Bai Feifei, she was also a newcomer. Huo Wu was silent for a moment. She looked at Bai Feifei, who wasn’t in her scene but was still listening carefully. She said, “We’ll see.”

Ji Meng couldn’t guess what Huo Wu was thinking this time. The relationship between Huo Wu and Bai Feifei now wasn’t exactly intimate. There seemed to be something between them, but they didn’t act like strangers. Both Huo Wu and Bai Feifei’s concern for each other seemed genuine, and they were completely comfortable around each other. They even seemed more intimate and passionate than a lot of couples in a relationship. Just as she thought of this, Li Ke held up his megaphone and shouted, “Clear the set! Everyone, take your places!”

In a room that wasn’t too small for teenagers, three soaking wet girls slowly walked in. It was a very old apartment building with four units per floor. There was a small loft of about twenty to thirty square meters. The plumbing and electricity were old and would often break down. There weren’t many residents, mostly middle-aged and elderly people.

But Qi Yang was clearly very envious. “You… you live here alone?” Qi Yang’s voice was timid as usual, and her eyes were filled with undisguised envy. She cautiously looked around the room. It was a very simply decorated house, not even cozy. The room had the most basic decor, with not even a white wall. The original gray concrete walls would even crumble in some places if you touched them. The floor was smooth cement. Since they had walked in, the water from their bodies had left a dark, large trail on the floor. The owner hadn’t done anything to decorate the room. The only things inside were a simple wooden bed without a headboard and a shabby desk piled high with books. The power outlets were connected to the original circuit. The only appliances in the room were an electric fan, a few incandescent lights, and an induction cooker in the kitchen. But that was already enough to be envious of.

If she could have a house like this, she couldn’t imagine how free she would be. It meant she could eat whatever she wanted, have a place to be alone, and slowly, little by little, collect everything: a future, a dream.

Wuling’s voice was still emotionless. “Just put her on the bed. It’s late. You should go back.” Qi Yang’s eyes finally landed on her. The light in her eyes had just appeared but quickly faded away. She pursed her lips and shuffled forward, as if she wanted to say something, but Wuling’s cold expression made her swallow her words. But she was still unwilling to leave, and she was also too scared to.

“I… tomorrow morning…” Tears welled up in Qi Yang’s eyes. She hesitated for a moment and said, “Can I come find you and go to school together?” “You can.” Wuling said. Just two simple words, but they made Qi Yang look as if she had been saved. Tears streamed down her face. She grabbed onto this last bit of hope and said, “From now on, can I always come find you?”

This time, Wuling didn’t agree. She just looked at her calmly. A moment later, Wuling said, “Qi Yang, you’ve seen the people who wanted to go to school with me before.” Qi Yang’s face instantly went white. She had seen them, so she knew that even if she followed Wuling and stuck right next to her, those people would still tear her away and take her somewhere else. If she got away, it would be like a nightmare that would briefly end. If she didn’t get away, she would become their toy.

No… that’s not right. Qi Yang looked up, a hint of madness in her eyes. “Didn’t those people say they couldn’t touch you, but they could touch others? You never cared before, but you helped Fusang this time! You helped her, so why can’t you help me? She just came here, and I’m the one who’s known you longer!” The room was too empty, and Qi Yang’s scream echoed. Then there was silence. Fusang, lying on the bed, seemed to sense something and let out a low moan.

This small sound broke the silence in the room. Wuling didn’t try to pull away. She just gently patted Qi Yang’s hand. Qi Yang looked down blankly. She had gripped Wuling’s hand so hard that the blood had been drained from it. But as soon as she let go, the blood rushed back in, making the entire arm look a little frightening.

“Qi Yang, people can only save themselves,” Wuling said, lightly wiping her arm. “I told you this the first time I helped you, and I’m still telling you the same thing now. You can only save yourself.” After this sentence, there was complete silence. Finally, the scene ended with the sound of slow footsteps and a security door being gently closed and locked. Qi Yang closed the door and left, crying. It was hard for the people in the room to know what Qi Yang’s expression was like, or what kind of performance Wu Qingying would give. But that wasn’t their concern.

“The rest are your solo shots. When this scene is finished, the morning shoot will be over,” Li Ke said with a smile. “You know how to take care of a patient, right?”

Huo Wu gave him a very obvious eye roll. Bai Feifei had a fever last night. She had taken care of her for the first half of the night until her fever went down and her body was no longer in pain. She had wiped away the sweat, cooled her down, and boiled water. She had done everything herself. Thinking about this, she couldn’t help but look down at Bai Feifei again. She saw that Bai Feifei looked peaceful and had actually fallen asleep again.

“Hurry up and get it ready so we can start,” Huo Wu said, touching Bai Feifei’s cold fingertips. Her hand quickly moved to Bai Feifei’s forehead, which was icy cold. “You just had a fever and now you’re filming while you’re still wet. You’ll regret it if it gets serious.” Li Ke quickly looked over, thinking, That’s true. At least Wu Qingying and Huo Wu didn’t have to do many re-takes, so Bai Feifei wasn’t in a damp and cold state for too long. But it was still very uncomfortable. Her hair would get sprayed with water to keep it wet as soon as it got a little dry, and so did her clothes. Even her shoes were still dripping with water.

With Li Ke rushing them, they got ready in a few minutes and resumed filming. Wuling didn’t have many clothes. When she opened the cabinet in the corner, it looked empty. She took out a clean school uniform and put it on Fusang. The clothes, which were two sizes too big, looked baggy on her, and the pant legs had to be rolled up a few times. But she did everything methodically without a hint of rush. She put the dirty clothes and shoes in a basin and sink. She turned the faucet to the lowest setting and moved Fusang’s head to the side of the bed, slowly washing her hair. After changing the water three times, the water finally became clear.

Huo Wu looked down and slowly dried Bai Feifei’s hair with a dry towel. Then she went to the bathroom to get a hairdryer, turned it on to the lowest setting, and dried her hair. At this point, Bai Feifei finally opened her eyes. “Wuling, you…” Her voice was hoarse. “Why am I here? Where’s Qi Yang?” “She went home,” Wuling said, helping her sit up and handing her the hairdryer. Fusang reached out to take it, but she didn’t have the strength to dry her hair. The fever had left her body weak and powerless. She felt as if she was being pricked by needles all over. Thanks to her fever from last night, Bai Feifei didn’t have to think about it. Her body instinctively performed the weakness of a fever, and even the sweat that was still pouring out of her body seemed to be cooperating with her feverish state.

This answer made her silent for a moment. A moment later, Fusang turned off the hairdryer and said blankly, “Is there really nothing you can do?” Wuling didn’t answer. “Why is it like this?” Fusang coughed, her words breaking. “What kind of person won’t be attacked by them? What kind of person will be their reason for attack? The teachers don’t care. Reporting it to the police doesn’t give me any evidence, and the police don’t have the authority to enforce it…” Fusang murmured, “What am I supposed to do?”

“Evidence. That’s right. I need evidence…”

“What then, after you get the evidence?”

After getting the evidence… Fusang coughed again, her eyebrows tightly furrowed. “After I get the evidence…”

“Hide the evidence.”

Fusang looked up blankly, realizing it was Wuling who had spoken. “What?” Wuling looked her in the eyes and said, “After you get the evidence, hide it. No matter who asks you about it, you have to act like a bystander, like you don’t know anything.” “Fusang, in some matters, only a bystander can see clearly,” Wuling said. “Before you can solve a problem, you have to know what the problem is made of.”

Fusang’s mind raced through a series of images. The teachers who fought with the “chasers,” the subtle but fierce arguments between teachers in the office, the police officers who were vague but hinted at the words “evidence”… Fusang looked up from her low position. Wuling’s back was to the light, so she couldn’t see her expression, but she vaguely understood something. She murmured, “I… I understand.”