The Infatuated Cannon Fodder Has Completely Moved On - Chapter 19

Jin Yuzhen pulled back the quilt and motioned for her to sit at the head of the bed.

By the time Nie Feiyin returned from buying ingredients, it was nearly 9:00 PM. She double-checked the recipe to ensure she had gathered all the necessary seasonings, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Because filming had run late today and had not finished even when it started raining, Lu Wenqi had specially bought late-night snacks for the entire crew. She personally delivered Nie Feiyin’s portion.

Though Lu Wenqi could be impulsive at times, she was a natural leader when it came to professional work; the atmosphere on her set was so harmonious that people would hardly believe it. The meals she ordered were lavish, with no corners cut. For the lead actors, she focused on cultivation in every aspect.

In the plot, every time a murder occurs, the protagonist’s family is enjoying a pleasant dinner. Lu Wenqi drew this directly from reality, having the cast take turns acting as the head chef. She felt this arrangement felt more natural than rehearsed acting. Knowing Nie Feiyin could cook, she was not worried.

However, she never expected Nie Feiyin to be able to invite Jin Yuzhen.

To be honest, since Jin Yuzhen had invested so much money, Lu Wenqi wanted to show the investor the progress of the work to prove the money was not being wasted. But despite many invitations, Jin Yuzhen had always declined, leaving Lu Wenqi no chance to showcase her talent. Their only confirmed meeting was not until next week’s location shoot.

The person she could not budge with all her persuasion had been summoned by Nie Feiyin with a single phone call.

Lu Wenqi pondered this for a long while before concluding that these two must not be well-acquainted, so Jin Yuzhen felt too embarrassed to refuse the invitation. Regardless, the result was a win-win. She was determined to let the investor see that her money was well-spent.

Nie Feiyin had not had time for dinner and had spent her energy going to the market for ingredients. She was starving, but when she saw that the late-night snack Lu Wenqi brought was grilled starfish, she could only offer her thanks and an apology.

Lu Wenqi slapped her forehead. “I forgot! You’re an artist.” In this profession, body management is a mandatory course. “I’ll have someone send something light.” Lu Wenqi made a call, and in less than five minutes, the hotel dispatched a meal.

Lu Wenqi ended up eating the barbecue she brought herself. She wanted to persuade Nie Feiyin that making an exception once would not hurt, but Nie Feiyin was principled and would not even take a bite.

After feasting, a sense of guilt inevitably crept in. Lu Wenqi sighed, “Do I need to start following Yuzhen’s healthy lifestyle too?”

Reviewing her prepared menu, Nie Feiyin remarked, “Miss Jin looks to be in very good spirits.”

Lu Wenqi smiled. “Of course. She goes up the mountain to a Taoist temple to cultivate early every morning. Her will to live is incredibly high.”

Nie Feiyin smiled but said nothing. “Cultivate”; the word was both bizarre and oddly fitting.

Lu Wenqi observed her expression, hesitating several times before finally asking, “Have you seen the news online?”

Nie Feiyin immediately thought of Cen Shu. For Lu Wenqi to find it so difficult to bring up, it was clearly negative news. Since she and Cen Shu were essentially rivals, it was likely that person’s doing.

She shook her head. “I have been busy since we finished filming; I have not had a chance to look.”

“That is for the best,” Lu Wenqi said. “It is not worth looking at anyway. I saw that the people who messaged me have been shadowbanned. Xue Cheng must have handled it.”

Nie Feiyin was surprised. “Direct messages? They were not asking you to recast, were they?”

Lu Wenqi’s eyes widened. “You guessed it! Since we started filming, I have received so many messages every day telling me to change the female lead.”

Nie Feiyin found it amusing. “To whom?”

Lu Wenqi thought for a moment. “They suggest everyone, but the name mentioned most is Cen Shu.”

It was ridiculous and laughable. Nie Feiyin did not mind; she had earned the role through her audition and had a clear conscience. She was only worried that if Jin Yuzhen still cared for Cen Shu, she might be hurt by the current situation.

“Of course not!” The System suddenly appeared and spoke to her. “I feel like I should give you a reward. Because of your phone call, the reconciliation plot has been neutralized.”

Nie Feiyin was confused. “What do you mean?”

The System’s voice became strangely benevolent. “What is the weather like today?”

Nie Feiyin humored it. “It is raining.”

The System said, “Exactly. Breakups always happen on rainy days, and so do reconciliations. Oh, and car accidents. If you had not called, the plot would not necessarily have led to a reconciliation. Perhaps when my female lead went back to find her, she would have found Cen Shu crushed into a pulp by a car.”

It began to sound anxious. “That is even less likely than seeing a ghost! Dammit!”

Nie Feiyin froze, recalling Jin Yuzhen’s reaction during the call. That tired, tense voice was indeed unusual. So that was it. She felt a pang of self-reproach. Jin Yuzhen must have been so conflicted then, yet she had not noticed.

The System urged, “The intimacy level is still not enough. You need to take action.”

Nie Feiyin was helpless. “I am already taking action.”

The System was dissatisfied. “Not enough! How about this: tomorrow at noon, ask her out for a walk. I will set up a car accident where you both get knocked off a cliff. You can spend some quality time together at the bottom with no food or water.”

As it spoke, its voice filled with delight. Nie Feiyin finally realized how dark it was. “I will find my own way. Can you stop coming up with such bloody ideas?”

“Fine,” the System replied. Though it seemed to concede, its tone was chilling. Nie Feiyin was beginning to perceive that this system was somewhat psychotic. She believed that if she did not make progress tomorrow, it would go mad.

But thinking carefully, she really did need to try harder.

Unaware of this, Lu Wenqi saw her eating the bland food with gusto and felt pity. “I will head out then. Get some sleep; we have night scenes scheduled for tomorrow, so it will be busy.”

Nie Feiyin hummed in agreement and saw her to the door.

Lu Wenqi walked a few steps, then suddenly turned back with a strange expression. She cautioned, “Ayin, if Jin Zhuhuai looks for you, you must tell me.”

Nie Feiyin agreed but was puzzled. Xue Cheng had said something similar. Why did it feel like they were so guarded against Jin Zhuhuai?

Back inside, after washing up, she still could not figure it out. Jin Yuzhen’s sister must be of extraordinary character. She had not followed her closely, so she did not know Jin Zhuhuai’s personality well, relying entirely on conjecture. She vaguely remembered hearing Jin Yuzhen mention this sister years ago while filming a documentary in the Southwest. Although it was just a brief mention, she could tell they had a very close bond.

On their second day in the small county, she was preoccupied with the visually impaired Jin Yuzhen. So, when Yangzong assigned her the task of looking after Jin Yuzhen, she was overjoyed and went out to buy breakfast.

She had researched beforehand and knew which local restaurant was the best. After Jin Yuzhen ate, she was full of praise, her eyes shimmering with light.

Nie Feiyin breathed a sigh of relief and emboldened herself to look at her, tracing the lines of her face with her gaze. However, even though Jin Yuzhen could not see, she was exceptionally alert.

Sensing the gaze, she smiled. “Do I look different from how I appear on camera?”

Nie Feiyin’s voice caught; she did not know how to answer for a moment. She looks beautiful on camera, and she looks beautiful in reality. Despite the travel, her complexion remained vibrant. The girl sharing the room last night had even remarked that Miss Jin looked like the picture of health.

She quickly averted her eyes and said, “No. You look the same.”

Her breathing began to grow heavy. Only now did she realize the reality of oxygen deprivation on the plateau.

Later, the two worked at the same table. Nie Feiyin organized videos on her laptop while Jin Yuzhen recorded material via voice. Sunlight pierced through the curtains, illuminating the table. With that gentle voice in her ear, Nie Feiyin lost track of time. She listened quietly, as if falling into a beautiful dream, wishing time would slow down just a bit more.

When Yangzong returned, she brought Tibetan medicine for Jin Yuzhen’s snow blindness. Nie Feiyin took her things back to the room next door. The girl she was staying with said, “I did not see you all morning; I thought you had gone out.”

She shook her head. “I was in the room writing a draft.”

The girl, an intern editor who had seen Nie Feiyin’s interview piece, asked curiously, “Is it finished? Can I see?”

Nie Feiyin’s mind had been blank. It was only after she pushed the laptop over that she remembered she had not written a single word.

Seeing the blank page, the intern asked, “Did you click the wrong document?”

Nie Feiyin replied, “No.”

The intern was surprised. “Huh? Did you not say you were writing?”

Nie Feiyin said, “A mental draft.”

In the afternoon, the group drove to the countryside. Taking advantage of the good weather, they filmed segments regarding the Tibetan New Year and conducted interviews.

It was 8:00 PM by the time they returned. Jin Yuzhen’s eyes had improved slightly, and she said the stinging had subsided. Yangzong applied medicine for her and then went home to prepare for the upcoming festival. Thus, Nie Feiyin slept in Yangzong’s bed that night.

Several of their companions were suffering from altitude sickness, so everyone was afraid to shower or wash their hair too frequently. Nie Feiyin had not cared much at first. Though she did not have altitude sickness, she followed the precautions. But staying in this room, hearing the breathing from the opposite bed, she became hyper-sensitive. She had not washed her hair last night and felt she should do it today; otherwise, she would not look presentable in the morning.

She turned over quietly, intending to go back to the other room to wash her hair, but then it occurred to her that Jin Yuzhen could not see. If she left, what if Jin Yuzhen needed help and could not find anyone?

Sensing her movement, Jin Yuzhen propped herself up and turned toward her. “Can’t sleep?”

Nie Feiyin said softly, “I want to wash my hair.”

Jin Yuzhen replied, “After all, we are not locals. It is better to be careful. How about waiting until we have been here three full days?” The people with altitude sickness that afternoon were almost vomiting from exhaustion. Knowing Nie Feiyin was a student volunteer from the university and being older, she naturally looked out for her and advised her.

In the dark room, nothing could be seen clearly. Nie Feiyin turned her head toward her, unconsciously gripping the quilt. Her heart felt inexplicably warm as she answered, “Okay.”

Jin Yuzhen said helplessly, “Turn on the light for a moment.”

Nie Feiyin quickly got out of bed and switched on the light.

Jin Yuzhen pulled back the quilt and motioned for her to sit at the head of the bed. She pulled an appropriately sized massage comb from her bag, feeling around to tear open the packaging. “I will give it a comb for you, and you will not feel so uncomfortable. Wash it tomorrow night instead.”

She leaned in, kneeling by the bed. “I used to catch colds often. When I could not wash my hair, my sister would comb it for me like this.”

Nie Feiyin sat motionless, her back stiff. It was not until her long hair was gathered in a hand and the teeth of the comb bit into her hair, stroking from root to tip, that she finally dared to breathe.