CH 34.2

The man grabbed her ankle and pulled Yun Xiaoxi to himself, kneeling down and holding her between his legs.

Yun Xiaoxi trembled and begged for mercy, but she had no strength to resist.

“Big Brother, hurry up. We’re still waiting,” someone urged from nearby.

Yun Xiaoxi’s body stiffened as if she realized what awaited her next. She kicked the man with all her might and stood up from the ground, running backwards.

“Xiaoxi… Xiaoxi…”

Lin Du’s voice came from afar, and tears streamed down Yun Xiaoxi’s face.

“Lin… wuu!”

Before Yun Xiaoxi could even finish uttering a word, a man tackled her from behind, covering her mouth and nose with his large hand. He pushed her to the ground, pressing down on her lower body, making it hard for her to breathe. Yun Xiaoxi grabbed at the sparse grass around her weakly.

“Wuu!”

She heard Lin Du’s voice getting closer and desperately tried to respond. The man seemed afraid of being discovered by Lin Du, so he tightened his grip on Yun Xiaoxi’s neck. Yun Xiaoxi’s forehead bulged with veins, her eyes bloodshot. She strained to turn her head and saw Lin Du’s figure gradually approaching from outside the woods.

Lin Du… Lin Du…

Lin Du vaguely saw a few figures in the woods.

“What are you looking at? You want to try it too?”

Lin Du hesitated for a moment before glancing inside, “Xiaoxi?”

“What Xiaoxi? If you’re interested, come join us. My buddy is very generous.”

Lin Du didn’t have time to waste with him, thinking that this person was helping his friend keep watch. He had heard about this kind of thing before.

Lin Du didn’t reply, turned his head and ran towards the direction of the girls’ dormitory.

“Sniff…”

Watching Lin Du’s back as he walked away, a tear rolled down Yun Xiaoxi’s cheek. Her struggling movements gradually slowed down as Lin Du’s figure became farther away. She closed her eyes in despair, letting the increasingly thin air drag her consciousness into the abyss.

Lin Du…

Lin Du…

Thank goodness…thank goodness you didn’t come in.

Are you stupid? Why did you come alone?

“F***! Let go of her! Do you want to kill her!”

The companion, relieved to see Lin Du leave, turned around and found that the man’s hand on Yun Xiaoxi’s throat was still tightening. And Yun Xiaoxi under him had lost consciousness completely.

The man was stunned, suddenly released his hand, looked at the motionless Yun Xiaoxi underneath him, and a hint of surprise flashed across his face. “I…I was afraid she would call Lin Du over, so I lost control…”

“Motherf*****!”

The companion approached and checked Yun Xiaoxi’s breath, his face turned a few degrees ugly, “You idiot, intentional homicide will be sentenced to death penalty!”

Not far away, Lin Du saw a dim light on the playground. He remembered that this was the route Yun Xiaoxi took back to the dormitory. He subconsciously looked over and found that it was a broken phone screen displaying an ongoing call, and the person on the other end was Lin Du himself.

“Xiaoxi…”

Lin Du’s face turned pale, and his ears buzzed. He seemed to remember something and turned around to run back to the small grove he had just passed by.

“Yun Xiaoxi!”

When he saw Yun Xiaoxi lying motionless on the ground, Lin Du trembled all over. His eyes suddenly widened, “Xiaoxi…”

“What did you do to her!”

He looked at the several people running away frantically, kicked the nearest person, grabbed his collar, and punched him in the nose with a loud crack. The man screamed and instantly lost consciousness.

Lin Du grabbed the man’s legs and stumbled over to Yun Xiaoxi.

“Xiaoxi… Xiaoxi…”

He picked Yun Xiaoxi up from the ground, and when he felt her pulse stop beating, his eyes turned bloodshot. He roared in anger and despair, “Xiaoxi… I’m sorry…”

“Cut! Pass! Congratulations everyone!”

Upon hearing the director’s words, all the staff on set, including Lin Yu and Xiao Lu, couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Filming this kind of scene was really tiring and frightening. It was possible for the female actress to be injured if one wasn’t careful, but luckily there were only a few hiccups today.

“Phew! Finally finished. Everyone, take a rest first. Xu Hao, go shoot a few close-up shots.”

“Understood, director.”

The director turned to Lin Yu and said, “Mr. Lin, Miss Su really surprised me. I couldn’t find any faults in her performance. She doesn’t seem like a new actress at all. We should continue to work together in the future.”

Lin Yu smiled and nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on Su Chengyang’s direction.

Xu Hao shook the unconscious Su Chengyang in his arms and whispered, “Chengyang, it’s over now.”

“Chengyang?”

Xiao Lu also noticed something was wrong with Su Chengyang and slapped Lin Yu, saying, “Cousin brother, something seems off with Chengyang’s situation.”

Lin Yu was stunned and immediately stood up from his chair.

The next moment, Xu Hao shouted in their direction, “Director, Chengyang seems to have fainted.”

“What?”

The director stood up in shock, but Lin Yu had already run over before him.

“Chengyang? Chengyang?”

Lin Yu took Su Chengyang from Xu Hao’s arms, and Su Chengyang’s face was pale and motionless.

The male actor who was playing opposite her was nervous and said, “Did I hit her too hard? I…”

Su Chengyang’s acting was so immersive that he unknowingly…

Lin Yu had a serious expression as he picked up Su Chengyang from the ground and said to Xiao Lu, who had rushed over, “Drive, let’s go to the hospital.”

“Wait a moment”

Xiao Lu turned around and ran to drive. Two minutes later, she drove Su Chengyang to the hospital. The director was worried and asked Zhang Hong to stay on the set to comfort the other actors while he went to the hospital.

In the car, Lin Yu tried to make Su Chengyang lie flat on the back seat to allow her to breathe more easily.

“Doctor!”

A nurse at the entrance was showing a patient’s family the way when she suddenly saw a group of people rushing in. The man at the front was very handsome, and she looked into his arms and was startled.

“What’s going on?” The nurse hurried over and saw that the girl in his arms was covered in blood, causing her face to pale.

Lin Yu was relatively calm and explained, “It’s not blood on her body. She passed out during the filming process.”

Xiao Lu added, “It should be because of suffocation.”

The nurse was taken aback, “You guys come with me and put her on the hospital bed first.”

They laid Su Chengyang on the bed, and the nurse found a doctor. The doctor examined Su Chengyang’s condition, put an oxygen mask on her, and turned to the crowd, “She’s not in danger. It’s due to hypoxia and emotional excitement. Just give her some oxygen and let her rest for a while.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Yu stepped forward to thank the doctor.

The nurse stood next to him, still in shock. “You rushed in so anxiously, and she was covered in blood. I thought something was really wrong.”

Lin Yu nodded at her, “Sorry for scaring you.”

The nurse immediately waved her hands, “No, no, it’s okay.”

Lin Yu turned to Xiao Lu and asked, “Do you have spare clothes in the car?”

Xiao Lu nodded, “Yes.”

“Go fetch it.”

Xiao Lu nodded, then glanced at Lin Yu hesitantly.

Lin Yu lowered his head and noticed that he too was in a sorry state.

Rain, mud, and blood were mixed together, making him look very dirty.

Lin Yu had never been in such a sorry state since he was young.

He shook his head and said, “I’m fine. You go get the clothes first and then help Chengyang wipe herself.”

Xiao Lu left the ward immediately.

The nurse hesitated and asked, “Chengyang? Is she Su Chengyang?”

Lin Yu glanced at her and nodded, “Please don’t tell anyone.”

“It’s okay, she stayed in our hospital before.”

Lin Yu was taken aback, “When?”

“Just over two months ago, because of Yang Xiuyi.”

Lin Yu turned his head and looked at Su Chengyang, who was lying on the bed with a pale face.

The nurse sighed and said, “From the time she was hospitalized to when she was discharged, she was alone.”

Lin Yu felt as if her heart had been pricked by a needle.

It wasn’t pity, but heartache.

Su Chengyang was sleeping and completely unaware of what had happened.

She only felt as though she had slept heavily and had a not-so-good dream.

She dreamed about things from when she was a child.

Her hometown was in a small, underdeveloped city where fireworks could still be set off during the New Year. On New Year’s Eve, the sound of fireworks bursting in the sky could be heard almost all night long.

Su Chengyang lived in a run-down building, with nowhere else to go. The old security guard felt sorry for her and found her a room with a window and a wooden door that could barely resist the cold winter wind.

Her room’s window faced the guard’s office, and she loved to do one thing, which was to lean on the windowsill and watch the TV in the guard’s office. Even though she couldn’t see or hear it very clearly, just looking from afar made it seem like the cold and quiet room could be a little warmer, driving away the monsters that were often talked about in scary stories.

But on New Year’s Eve, Su Chengyang stayed at the window all night, and the light in the guard’s office never came on.

Su Chengyang was the only one left in the run-down building. The booming sound of fireworks echoed around her like the screams of ghosts and monsters, and Su Chengyang was afraid, but she just huddled on the windowsill without crying or making a fuss.

After that New Year’s Eve, the old security guard never appeared again.

Later, it was heard that on New Year’s Eve, the old security guard had a heart attack and passed away.

Su Chengyang doesn’t like to dwell on the past, not because she thinks her past is unbearable, but because it’s unnecessary. She only wants to look forward, seize her current life, and look forward to the future that she can anticipate.

So when she suddenly dreamt about the past, she woke up feeling a bit disoriented.

“Chengyang? Are you awake? How do you feel?”

A familiar face appeared above her, and Su Chengyang stared at her blankly, her mind a bit slow to catch up.

She took a deep breath and caught a whiff of the pungent scent of disinfectant, realizing that she was in a clean, white hospital room.

Suddenly, Su Chengyang remembered that when she first arrived in this world, she opened her eyes and was also lying in the same hospital room.

“I’m fine.”

Su Chengyang came to her senses, her throat feeling very dry. She couldn’t help reaching up to touch it.

Xiao Lu poured her a glass of warm water and said, “You fainted because of suffocation and emotional excitement.”

Su Chengyang sat up and took a sip of water, “Thank you. Is the filming over?”

Xiao Lu glared at her, annoyed. “You just woke up and you’re not even concerned about your own health?”

The warm water moisturized Su Chengyang’s throat, and she instantly felt much more relaxed. A smile appeared on her face, “I know my own body.”

Xiao Lu pouted, “Don’t worry, it’s done. The director is quite satisfied with you and said that he will give you priority for suitable roles in the future.”

Director Wang had a bit of a reputation in the industry, so for Su Chengyang, being able to appear in his work was definitely a good thing.

When Su Chengyang heard this, her face immediately fell, “No, I’m pretty tired.”

Xiao Lu gave her a disdainful look, “You know tiredness too? I thought you enjoyed it when you were working so hard.”

As they were talking, there was a knock on the door, and Xiao Lu went to open it.

“Is Chengyang awake?” Lin Yu asked standing at the door.

Xiao Lu stepped aside, “Here she is, full of life and still arguing with me.”

Su Chengyang innocently blinked her eyes, thinking when did I argue with you?

Lin Yu and Director Wang walked in, and Su Chengyang felt a little embarrassed. She said, “Sorry for causing you trouble.”

Director Wang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was okay, “It was our negligence. We didn’t pay attention to your situation in time. The actor who acted with you is on his way and wants to apologize to you in person.”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “It’s okay, it’s not his fault.”

Lin Yu gave Su Chengyang a glance and said, “It’s okay, meeting with him will also put his mind at ease.”

Upon hearing this, Su Chengyang didn’t say anything more.

Lin Yu walked to the bedside and placed the plastic bag in his hand on the table beside the bed. He turned to look at Su Chengyang, who had a pale face, and asked, “Are you hungry? I bought you some late-night snacks.”

Su Chengyang was stunned, and then looked at Lin Yu with a suspicious look. What’s going on? Manager Lin actually took the initiative to buy her late-night snacks?

Her eyes swept around the few people present and asked, “Did you not tell me the truth? Is there something wrong with my health? Is there an incurable disease?”

Lin Yu: “…”

Xiao Lu gave her a disdainful look and retorted, “It’s unclear whether you have an incurable disease or not, but it seems like there’s something wrong with your brain.”

Lin Yu helplessly said, “You didn’t eat enough at night, right? I bought you some dumplings, this was the only thing nearby.”

Su Chengyang looked up at him and asked, “Is this a reward for me?”

Lin Yu hesitated for a moment and said, “It’s a compensation for you.”

“Oh…” Su Chengyang seemed to understand but not quite. However, she really hadn’t eaten enough at night. Coupled with the amount of exercise from filming and having slept for a while, she was a bit hungry.

Su Chengyang felt like she was barely a patient, so she didn’t have too many concerns. She raised the board next to the bed and opened the plastic bag packaging.

During this time, Lin Yu stood by the bed and asked, “How do you feel? Can you participate in the program normally tomorrow?”

To be honest, Su Chengyang’s head was still a little dizzy, but she had signed a six-episode contract with the program group, and if she missed one episode, they would deduct her pay.

If the money didn’t belong to her in the first place, Su Chengyang would feel fearless. After all, she wasn’t short of money right now. But the variety show was different. She had already participated in it, and money was bound to enter her pocket. She didn’t want to lose out on the duck that had come to her mouth for some other reason.

“I’m fine, it won’t affect filming,” Su Chengyang said.

Lin Yu stared at her for a few seconds but didn’t insist. He turned and left the room with Director Wang.

A male actor who acted alongside Su Chengyang arrived at the hospital carrying bags of fruit a few minutes later.

He apologized to Su Chengyang very seriously, looking guilty and unable to speak properly.

Su Chengyang had to comfort him and tell him it wasn’t his fault.

However, in the entertainment industry, once you offend someone, the future road will become difficult. In the past few weeks, Su Chengyang’s popularity online had been very high, especially after she made it to the trending list the night after the singing and dancing performance. Moreover, she was currently an artist under Starlight Entertainment.

The male actor was obviously afraid of being resented by Su Chengyang and kept apologizing.

In the end, Xiao Lu couldn’t bear it anymore and they persuaded him to leave.

After he left the ward, Xiao Lu closed the door and looked at Su Chengyang. They both sighed with relief.

Su Chengyang leaned against the headboard and sighed, “I’ve never been this tired even when filming.”

Xiao Lu said helplessly, “He’s exaggerating too much. I feel like he’s about to cry.”

Thinking of the man’s nervous expression when he saw her, Su Chengyang couldn’t help feeling melancholy.

“He’s just an ordinary person. Maybe a simple meal for you guys could be half or a whole month’s salary for him. You know how difficult it is for ordinary people to survive in the entertainment industry. A slight mistake could lead to the loss of his job, so he treasures this opportunity.” Su Chengyang spoke her mind, perhaps because of a dream.

This world is really strange. Some people are born with things that ordinary people can never have in their lifetime. Ordinary people have to work hard to climb up, but they can stand there since birth.

However, Su Chengyang never thought this was an unfair thing.

People who stand at the pinnacle from birth have to try their best to stay there. They have no right to fall down, while ordinary people can step by step climb up steadily because they have the experience of being ordinary. Even if they fall, they can still get up.

Regardless of their background, everyone in this world will experience similar or different pains.

Xiao Lu stretched lazily, hands behind her head, with a smirk on her lips, and walked to the bed, saying, “People who work hard to make their lives better, right?”

Su Chengyang was stunned for a moment and nodded, “Yes.”

When Lin Yu came back, Director Wang had already returned to the set. The three of them left the hospital and drove home.

After a few days of work, Su Chengyang had that feeling of working non-stop again. After taking a shower at home, she lay quietly on the bed to sort out her thoughts.

As time passed, she fell asleep without realizing it.

The next day, Xiao Lu drove Su Chengyang to the airport in Beijing early in the morning.

The location for the third recording of the program was in the Sichuan and Chongqing region, but the specific location was not disclosed by the program team.

It seemed that the company had some matters to attend to, so Lin Yu did not accompany them. However, this time they would stay in the Sichuan and Chongqing region for an extra day, and Lin Yu would join them after finishing his work.

After waiting in the airport lounge for more than half an hour, Su Chengyang held a tablet and drew while Xiao Lu sat beside her and browsed Weibo.

Su Chengyang wore a fisherman’s hat and a mask. When she lowered her head, the brim of the hat covered her entire face. Everyone in the lounge was busy with their own affairs and no one noticed them.

“Chengyang…”

Just then, Xiao Lu suddenly pulled her to one side.

Su Chengyang’s hand slipped and she made a mistake in her drawing. She calmly double-clicked on the screen to undo the action and then turned to look at Xiao Lu.

“What happened?”

Xiao Lu shoved her phone screen in front of her and said, “Tan Qi got into trouble.”

Su Chengyang was stunned, put down her tablet, and took the phone from her.

On the phone screen was a set of paparazzi photos with the headline #TravelTanQiPubliclyBeatsUpAFan#.

In the pictures, Tan Qi stood on the side of the road, pointing and cursing at a man whose face was blurred, even going so far as to physically attack him. The entire process was captured on camera, including two animated GIFs.

Su Chengyang furrowed her brow and clicked on the photos, enlarging Tan Qi’s expression. She found that her expression was a bit off, filled with despair and pain.

There must be some misunderstanding here, right?