The Second Fall - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: A Slap

Judging solely from the angle, Lan Cixing could tell that the video was taken by the assistant cinematographer who had remained on set.

There were only five staff members present. Mu Huai had actually managed to bribe one of them to commit such a violation of the production agreement—all just to obtain a clear shot of her face, leak it, and once again incite public opinion to attack her.

If it were anyone else with a background, they could directly block the hashtags. If they had money, they could hire a “water army” to flip the narrative. Even if they just had a thick skin, they could choose not to look at social media and simply be themselves.

Unfortunately, Lan Cixing had none of those. Especially not the last one.

She had originally thought that after four years of struggling in the entertainment industry, she had seen every kind of malicious comment—those calling her a show-off, a bad actress, or greasy; those calling her ungrateful for snatching resources or creating hype. But it wasn’t until the incident with Rong Yushu that Lan Cixing realized how weak she actually was. Even if she didn’t look at the cyberbullying, she would think about that day and feel so nauseated that she could only curl up in a corner, letting the day waste away.

Lan Cixing pinched her palms. Her stomach churned with nausea and continuous acid reflux, draining the strength she needed to stand firm. Mu Huai had truly “prescribed the right medicine”—out of all the points she could have attacked, she hit the most painful one on the first try.

“What… do you want to do?” Lan Cixing breathed rapidly, her face entirely devoid of color. She didn’t know how she had offended Mu Huai; one was an actress, the other a bodyguard, and they had barely interacted on set. Was it truly because of this kiss double? But Mu Huai herself wanted to find a nude double. Could it be Rong Yushu?

As the thought emerged, Lan Cixing suddenly found Mu Huai laughable. Some strength returned to her hands, allowing her to lean against the wall and stand steady.

“Leave Rong Yushu. You’re just a bodyguard; wouldn’t it be the same regardless of who takes the job?”

Mu Huai met Lan Cixing’s eyes. This was the first time she had seen this person without a mask. Mu Huai had to admit that Lan Cixing was the type of Alpha that high-tier Omegas liked. Her face was young, her features were sharp enough, and her overall vibe was more “cute” than purely aggressive. She was tall, with long limbs and a body honed by years of exercise. Though her pheromone level was unknown, being a bodyguard meant she was likely no lower than A-level.

These points alone were enough for Mu Huai to be wary. Not to mention that Rong Yushu had specifically reassigned her kiss scene to Lan Cixing. She had worked for so many years to finally get a chance to collaborate with Rong Yushu, only for Lan Cixing to snatch the most exquisite part. How could she swallow this resentment?

Hearing Mu Huai’s words, Lan Cixing actually let out a laugh. Paired with her pale complexion, she looked like a ghost returned to life. It gave Mu Huai a shiver. She gripped her own arm and took a step back, holding up her phone as if the video on it were some kind of protective talisman.

“Why ask me about such things? Why not go directly to Rong Yushu? I can’t make that decision.” Lan Cixing really wanted to laugh out loud, even though her entire body was still uncomfortable. Her heart, mind, and stomach were all turbulent with deep-seated emotions.

But Lan Cixing still wanted to mock this self-important Alpha. Who was Rong Yushu? What was her level of discernment? She had seen thousands of beauties. Among them, there were plenty with compatible personalities and outstanding abilities. Lan Cixing had understood this at twenty. Rong Yushu saw too many people and handled too many complex relationships; her heart wasn’t moved so easily. That was why Lan Cixing hid her feelings—hiding them for many years.

Was Mu Huai better than the top Alpha eldest daughter of the Qi family? Or did she think she was more powerful than the little princess of the Wilt Kingdom? Rong Yushu had too many suitors; any one of them could beat Mu Huai into unrecognizability. Mu Huai was simply taking advantage of the fact that Lan Cixing had no power and was easy to bully.

Mu Huai’s face changed upon hearing Lan Cixing’s words. If she were to go to Rong Yushu, how would that be any different from announcing she was pursuing her? Why couldn’t this Lan Cixing be more sensible? If she wanted a scene, she’d get one.

“I am the daughter of the investors. Replacing you would be effortless. Since you’re just a bodyguard, she won’t care.”

Lan Cixing pondered the logic for a second and then gave up. “Then did you… find anyone else on the app willing to be your double?”

She didn’t say the name of the software, just mouthed it. Mu Huai’s expression became quite colorful; she hadn’t expected Lan Cixing to know about her secret search for a double.

“You… what else do you know?” Her post had been up for half a month with no takers; she had thought the app was a scam.

“I also know the price you offered is quite laughable. One thousand per session? One would think the Mu family had gone bankrupt.” It was because Mu Huai offered so little that Xiao Jiu hadn’t even bothered to ask Lan Cixing if she wanted to take it.

Mu Huai’s face flushed red. It was just a double, a matter of two shots. How much was she supposed to give?

“I thought you wanted to headhunt me, asking me to leave Rong Yushu. I’m just an employee. If I don’t work for Rong Yushu, am I supposed to work for you? What’s your offer? Surely not a thousand a month?” Lan Cixing regained a bit of a sense of control, and her physical discomfort lessened. She was gambling that Mu Huai wouldn’t dare to leak the video directly. If she did, Mu Huai would be violating her non-disclosure agreement and couldn’t stay on the production.

“Who wants to headhunt you? My family’s bodyguards are incredible. Just resign and find another employer,” Mu Huai sneered, seeing Lan Cixing refuse to back down.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I forgot to tell you—the video was already posted before you even arrived. Why don’t you check the comments? Since you were so arrogant just now, I’m sure you’re dying to see.” With that, Mu Huai clicked on a Weibo post and thrust it in front of Lan Cixing.

The video had just been posted, so the heat wasn’t high yet, but Mu Huai had hired many people to stir the pot, and the comment section was already a chaotic mess. Lan Cixing thought she could stay calm, recognizing that those attacking her were paid shills. At least she could talk back like she did just now and vent. But when she actually saw these people using the exact same tone as four years ago, dragging Rong Yushu into the fray to curse her without hesitation, Lan Cixing covered her mouth again.

“What a disgusting Alpha, still stalking Shushu.”

“A toad wanting to eat swan meat. Look at yourself; can’t you see how much Rong Yushu hates you?”

“Last time it was a forced marking, this time it’s a forced kiss. She should be in jail; why hasn’t she been arrested?”

The nausea intensified. The breakfast she had eaten was about to come up. Lan Cixing was drenched in a cold sweat, large droplets falling continuously. She stumbled back two steps, hitting the wall, her back aching. The spot Rong Yushu had applied ointment to hadn’t fully healed; now, flaring up with the new injury, it made her breathing labored. Her head began to swim.

If this Weibo post hit the trending list…

Lan Cixing’s vision went black; she was about to collapse. A hand caught her waist steadily.

The familiar white tea fragrance was cold and sharp. In this moment, it overrode the smell of disinfectant, rushing into Lan Cixing’s mind and gently soothing her emotions. Lan Cixing instinctively knew who it was; a shiver and joy surged at once, bringing tears to the corners of her eyes.

“I believe I taught you that when you encounter something you can’t handle, you can ask me for help,” Rong Yushu’s voice rang in her ear. She was still so leisurely, as if such a huge matter were as tiny as a speck of dust that could be brushed away with a wave of her hand.

She held Lan Cixing in her arms with one hand, leaving her no line of sight. The protective embrace was stronger and more dominant than usual. Combined with the gentle fragrance, it actually calmed Lan Cixing’s emotions, preventing an immediate breakdown.

Immediately after, Lan Cixing heard the sound of a slap.

Followed by Rong Yushu’s soft tone: “I know you’re slow. You’d better learn well this time.”

Held in her arms, Lan Cixing looked up slightly. She saw Mu Huai’s face swelling rapidly, a clear handprint visible. Mu Huai was stunned by the slap. Only now did Lan Cixing notice that Rong Yushu was even wearing gloves.

“You… you’re crazy! How dare you hit me? I am Mu Ran’s daughter! Just for a bodyguard?” Mu Huai belatedly covered her face, her eyes full of disbelief. She hadn’t expected Rong Yushu to rush over, much less that she would tear all pretense and strike her for Lan Cixing’s sake.

What was going on? Didn’t Rong Yushu hate Lan Cixing? Hadn’t Lan Cixing accidentally marked her, wounding her physically and mentally and shaming her family, leading to her being blacklisted? Mu Huai had always thought Rong Yushu was keeping Lan Cixing as a bodyguard just to humiliate her. With the Rong family’s power, Rong Yushu couldn’t possibly lack bodyguards, especially when Lan Cixing was just an independent worker.

“She is mine.” Rong Yushu looked up slightly, returning the murderous intent in Mu Huai’s eyes. The light in her eyes swept over her, so serious it was like reciting a century-long vow. But in an instant, Rong Yushu returned to her lazy demeanor, as if the sharp glare Mu Huai had seen was just an illusion.

“My. Person. It’s not your place to judge her.” Rong Yushu gave a sneer. That palm that had just delivered a slap now rested on the back of Lan Cixing’s head, covering her most vulnerable spot, stroking it slowly and gently.

She truly was protecting her like a daughter. The posture was identical to an old mother’s. The sight made Mu Huai’s eyes turn red with rage; she desperately wanted to tear Lan Cixing away. She couldn’t get a kind word from Rong Yushu, yet she was slapped. It was such a hard slap that Mu Huai’s teeth ached, and she tasted blood. Why did a sinner like Lan Cixing get to be held by Rong Yushu?

“Do you really want to go up against my family?” Tears gathered in Mu Huai’s eyes, her shame and anger reaching a breaking point.

“You’re joking,” Rong Yushu said as she snatched Mu Huai’s phone, looking carefully at what she had posted. “The Mu family… isn’t worthy.” A second-tier family actually had the nerve to jump in front of her? If it weren’t for Lan Cixing being involved, Rong Yushu would have considered even a single glance at Mu Huai beneath her dignity.

“What happened?” Nian Guanqi and her assistant had followed Rong Yushu when she suddenly left in a hurry. She hadn’t expected her to come to the bathroom, much less find these people in a standoff at the door.

“Mu Huai, why aren’t you in the dressing room preparing? What are you doing here?” Nian Guanqi grew more annoyed by the second; she really wanted to replace her. Her tone was harsh, startling Mu Huai.

“Director Nian~ There’s something you might want to know.” Rong Yushu was still holding Mu Huai’s phone. She crooked her finger as if calling a dog. Nian Guanqi was speechless. One of these days, she’d have to fix Rong Yushu’s bad habit of speaking to her as a character even off-camera. Not everyone was Lan Cixing, who actually liked being Rong Yushu’s dog.

Nian Guanqi looked grim and reluctantly pushed her assistant forward to take the phone.

“This is… great. I was wondering what Xiao Rong meant by an ‘unsettled’ person on set. Turns out it was someone you bribed.” Nian Guanqi looked at the video and the interface on the phone, truly becoming enraged. “Mu Huai, don’t you know you signed a non-disclosure agreement? You think you can just post set videos? You even had the assistant cinematographer take close-ups for you. Do you really think having power means you don’t have to follow rules or pay compensation? You think just because your family invested, we wouldn’t dare fire you?”

She was already dissatisfied with Mu Huai’s acting. Now, seeing her constant petty schemes and her attempt to bring toxic fandom tactics into her film—affecting the actors who were performing well—Nian Guanqi was on the verge of cursing her out.

“Mu Huai, I warned you before you came: do not bring your ‘stepping-on-others’ schemes into this crew. I said we are making a movie, not chasing clout! If you want clout, go do it in your idol dramas. Go step on the first and third female leads of your last idol drama again. If you love climbing over them to get ahead, go where you belong. What I want is work, not the chaos you create!”

“How did you promise us back then? You said you would act properly. What are you doing now? You couldn’t film the intimate scenes, so Screenwriter Li and I changed them for you. You couldn’t film the kiss scenes, so we found you a double. Why are you targeting this double? Did she steal your job? You want to step on her too? Making a double go viral just to play your media games—people will laugh themselves to death!”

“D-Director Nian…” Mu Huai was scolded mercilessly. Combined with the shock of Rong Yushu’s slap, she began to shake, tears streaming down her face.

“Enough, say no more. You’re done filming. At worst, we’ll recast. Take your foul habits and get out!” Nian Guanqi didn’t buy her act and told her to beat it.

“No, Director Nian! My family has an investment! If you fire me, you have to re-shoot, and the investment…” Mu Huai suddenly woke up, deeply regretting her impulse. If she had known… she should have been more subtle! At the very least, she should have troubled Lan Cixing when Rong Yushu and Nian Guanqi weren’t around!

“Mu Huai, you don’t actually think your family is that impressive, do you?” Rong Yushu narrowed her eyes, made a call, and held the phone to Nian Guanqi’s ear. “The investment is secured. You can go talk to them, Director Nian. I also think it’s better to take two months off and re-shoot.” A single sentence was more effective than Nian’s; it directly decided Mu Huai’s fate.

Nian Guanqi glanced at Rong Yushu but decided to accept the investment. Rong Yushu was “taking advantage of a crisis” slightly. Before filming, Nian had a limit in mind; she didn’t want any single investor’s share to be too large, as it could easily affect the final cut and promotion. But this was an emergency. Nian trusted Rong Yushu’s character; she wouldn’t mess up the film just for product placement.

Nian Guanqi went to the side to take the call. Mu Huai lingered, unwilling to leave. Meeting Rong Yushu’s cold, dismal green eyes, she flinched and involuntarily moved a step back.

Rong Yushu mouthed words to her. —If you don’t leave now, my sister will have a very good talk with your mother.

Terrified, Mu Huai rushed to her room and began packing her things through tears.

Filming was suspended. Rong Yushu didn’t stay on set, leaving the follow-up to Nian Guanqi and the others. She had important things to do.

Rong Yushu let go and looked at Lan Cixing, who was still trembling in her arms, letting out a soft sigh. Although she had guessed what Mu Huai would do and had even allowed her to go crazy so she could kick her out permanently, Rong Yushu hadn’t expected Lan Cixing’s reaction to be this severe.

Over an hour had passed and they were already home, yet Lan Cixing showed no sign of improvement. She was like a small animal that had suffered a stress response, retreating into her fear, unable to recover. Rong Yushu actually carried Lan Cixing into the room. She placed her on the sofa, but Lan Cixing didn’t even look at her, shrinking directly into a corner and curling into a ball.

Rong Yushu realized for the first time that a 1.8-meter-tall girl could make herself look so small. She didn’t know exactly what triggered the stress response; she had never seen Lan Cixing like this before. She could only sit beside her and gently pat her head.

“A-Ci.” Rong Yushu slowly rubbed Lan Cixing’s head, hoping to make her feel better, calling out to bring her back.

Lan Cixing jolted. Hearing Rong Yushu’s voice, her body froze for a second, and a spark flashed in her eyes. Then it died like a cold ember, and her shaking grew more violent.

“Lan Cixing?” Rong Yushu knit her brows and moved closer, simply turning off the lights. A stressed animal needed a dark environment for a sense of security. Without the light, Lan Cixing did improve slightly, her shaking less intense than before.

“Are you that afraid? She’s already packed and gone.” Rong Yushu leaned against Lan Cixing, very close now, her palm stroking her hair before cupping her face. “It’s okay. She won’t bully you anymore.” Her movements were very gentle.

But at a single touch, Lan Cixing flinched as if in pain, bouncing away abruptly as if she had been shocked by electricity rather than touched by Rong Yushu.

“A-Ci…” Rong Yushu grew truly worried. She grabbed Lan Cixing’s arm, wanting to hold her. The white tea fragrance grew a bit stronger.

Lan Cixing suddenly looked up and sucked in air like a drowning person. Seeing Rong Yushu’s face, a line of tears fell straight down. “Rong… Rong Yushu. Rong Yushu?” She must be hallucinating to be held in her arms after having harmed her.

“You… you… punish me… punish me.” Lan Cixing closed her eyes, but she couldn’t stop the tears. Her breathing grew rapid, her hands instinctively grabbing Rong Yushu’s sleeve.

Rong Yushu held her tighter. “What nonsense are you talking? Why would I punish you?”

Lan Cixing shook her head violently, twisting to escape. “You hate me… hate me. It’s all my fault.”

How much did she have to cry to beg for Rong Yushu’s forgiveness? How much did she have to heave for Rong Yushu to know she was sorry? Ultimately… they shouldn’t see each other. Being hated by Rong Yushu from a distance felt much better.

Lan Cixing’s vision was a blur; she could only feel Rong Yushu getting closer. It must be a slap. Lan Cixing tilted her head back, offering herself. Pain was safe. Hate was stable.

But that “slap”… only landed on Lan Cixing’s face gently and warmly. Brushing away her heavy tears.

Lan Cixing opened her eyes and saw the person approaching, and actually raised her hand to wave her away.

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