Xia Chi reached out and patted her on the back, his tone helpless: "Slow down, slow down, you are such a grown-up, why are you acting like a child?"

【This is strange.】

[Has Super Male Woman been OOC lately? She sprains her ankle while walking, gets stuck in her teeth while drinking water, and always has a confused expression on her face. The heroine has been transformed into a silly and innocent girl.]

[It can’t be…]

[She's pregnant too.]

Xia Chi's brows jumped.

“!!!”

Feng Man's highest ideal in life is to remain single and childless. After hearing this, she was like a cat whose tail was stepped on, and she jumped up to hit him.

"Shut up your stinky..."

When he turned around, he was facing Xia Chi's heavily painted face, and he couldn't help but feel his stomach churning.

"vomit--"

"Turn your face away! It's disgusting. Ugh—"

"What's wrong with my face?"

Xia Chi looked in the mirror...

Hmm—this is a smelly mirror.

【yue～】

【After filming, I can be dead. 】

[I can't tell who it is anyway, so please don't put my name in the cast list.]

Thanks to the makeup artist's magical skills, Xia Chi has completely lost his handsome features. The dark foundation covers his delicate features tightly, his greasy hair looks like it has been licked by a dog, his cheeks are deliberately dotted with uneven acne scars, and his teeth are corn-yellow and uneven.

This face can be used as a contraceptive when placed on the bed, and can be shot for its beauty.

Xia Chi glanced at the makeup artist.

"Do I have a grudge against you?"

The makeup artist was a girl with a bun named Xiaozhou. She was a very honest person and explained to him frankly.

"I have no grudge against you, but I do have a grudge against Cheng Xilai!"

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

"This guy deserves a horrible death! How dare he hit our Jiang Nan! We, Pumpkin, will destroy his reputation and make him never stand up again!"

【……】

"Captain! Don't shoot! It's me! It's me~"

【I am also a small member of the pumpkin. 】

Xia Chi smiled at Xiao Zhou ingratiatingly, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

Xiaozhou vomited and turned his face away.

"Yue...you...don't laugh...ugh...please..."

Feng Man left first because of something, and Xia Chi got dressed and went to the studio.

The studio is a little special. What makes it special is that it is extremely dark, stuffy and weird.

This is a torture chamber, and the set design was carefully designed.

A dim light bulb hung from the ceiling, its light flickering, illuminating the mottled walls and eerie iron locks. In the corner were piles of rusty torture instruments - chains, whips, branding irons... each one was stained with blood.

Xia Chi's perverted image is now integrated here.

The staff passing by gave Xia Chi strange looks, and he felt like a rat crossing the street.

He tiptoed carefully and glimpsed Jiang Nan in front of the rack through the gap in the crowd.

The dim overhead light, like a pool of congealed grease, pinned Jiang Nan's figure to the mottled wall. His pale makeup tinged with bluish-gray. Droplets of water rolled down his twisted hair, gathering into a thin stream on his bruised jaw. His left eye was swollen to a dark red slit, while his right was only slightly vacant. A wound across his cheekbone was grimacing, protruding outward, and fresh blood flowed down the scab.

The makeup artists were busy surrounding Jiang Nan, cutting open the costumes with scissors and splashing blood around.

At first glance, it looks like a blood gourd, and you can throw it into a mass grave if you close your eyes.

[Oh heaven and earth! Is this Jiang Nan?]

[Is this our aloof and noble Jiang Nan, who is detached from the mundane world?]

Is this Jiang Nan, the man the media calls "the last noble son of the entertainment industry"?

[Is this Jiang Nan, the one the pumpkins want to hold in their hands for fear of him melting?]

[This must have been created by a stylist who reincarnated...it's like turning magic into decay.]

Xia Chi's pupils trembled violently, and he let out an earth-shattering wail in his heart.

Where's my 40-meter machete?! Let me finish the 39 meters first!

[Who the hell beat our Jiang Nan like this?! ! !]

Who did it?! Who did it?!

【Oh, it’s me.】

Xia Chi touched his face, feeling extremely frightened.

Jiang Nan seemed to have noticed something, and he suddenly looked up, his eyes sweeping over the people in the room, finally landing on a furtive figure in the corner.

He frowned slightly and hesitated for three full seconds before he could barely make out a hint of familiarity from the other person's iconic puppy dog eyes.

"Xia Chi?" Jiang Nan's voice was filled with uncertainty, as if asking: Is this really you?

[I am not, I am not, whoever loves me is me!]

[Oh, how can I be recognized even if I turned into ashes? It breaks my heart.]

[Relax, stay calm, take a deep breath... I'm not nervous.]

Xia Chi took two steps forward, not daring to laugh for fear of appearing vulgar.

"Hello, Teacher Jiang, long time no see."

[A whole night has passed since our hasty farewell at Jianghuai Hospital.]

"Hey, your arm..." Xia Chi suddenly leaned in, his brows knitted into knots, "Didn't you just put a cast on your neck yesterday? The doctor told me not to move it, so why did you take it off?"

"The plaster was hidden in the sleeve, and the whole arm was fixed on the frame, so there was no force. They were very professional and took good care of me."

Jiang Nan explained on behalf of the crew members.

"Oh, that's good." Xia Chi nodded hesitantly.

[Good bird! Luo Jian, come out and get beaten! They say it takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone. Will he die if he's given a few days off?]

[Our Jiang Nanshicheng child has been harmed by you! ]

His chest felt tight as he looked at Jiang Nan, who was covered in wounds on the rack.

[A good fairy came down to earth to suffer this punishment...]

[Even gods can't go through such a miserable ordeal. My delicate skin and tender flesh can't possibly withstand such torture!]

[The pumpkins don't know yet that his arm is injured.]

If they saw their brother like this, they would probably turn the whole crew upside down.

Xia Chi's nose felt sore and his mouth turned upside down.

Jiang Nan's throat moved slightly, and a warm ripple appeared in his heart. "It's not surprising..."

[Hey hey hey...] Xia Chi's eyes suddenly twitched.

[That guy who's pouring plasma is going too far. Wouldn't he be dry after losing so much blood? Why not just pour the whole bucket over his head and be done with it?]

[This makes my sin seem even greater...]

[And the guy cutting the clothes, does the whip mark have to be cut along the collarbone? The whole shoulder is exposed, why are you leaning so close?! Are you trying to smuggle something in?!]

Xia Chi looked at the staff with eyes that seemed to be threatening to shoot out knives, and the villain in his heart had already rolled up his sleeves.

【Let him go, let me do it! 】

Jiang Nan: “…”

The touch of emotion in my heart instantly froze into ice chips.

I really can't have any expectations for this stuff...

"Yeah, that's right."

Director Luo Jian slowly walked over at this time and nodded in approval of Jiang Nan's battle-damaged makeup.

Turn around and look at Xia Chi again.

"vomit."

Luo Jian covered his mouth, looking a little unwell.

However, as a professional director, he still endured the discomfort and explained the scene to the actors.

"Ahem, this... I'm sure everyone's read the script. Today's scene is about Agent Chaoyang, who's unfortunately captured while on a mission and faces severe torture. The enemy uses threats and inducements to extract secrets from Chaoyang, but Chaoyang is unyielding and thwarts their plot. The focus is on showing the psychological game and confrontation between the two."

The director said to Jiang Nan, "You must not only act out the physical pain, but also maintain inner resolve. Even if your body is shaking, your voice must remain as steady as possible."

Then he said to Xia Chi, "The thugs must be cold-blooded and cruel, and at the same time, they must show their frustration with the agent's stubborn attitude. The tone must gradually change from calm to angry, and the movements must be oppressive. Okay, try it."

He instructed Xia Chi: "Come, grab his hair."

[Ga——]

Xia Chi stared blankly.

[Is this about to get intense? No foreplay?]

[How could I possibly... attack Jiang Nan!!!]

[I can’t do this~]

Xia Chi gritted his teeth and put his hand on Jiang Nan's hair.

Actors always rely on each other's strengths. Jiang Nan, having acted for several years, already knew how to present this kind of scene. Before Xia Chi could even exert any strength, he had already raised his neck in pain, a suppressed whimper escaping his throat, and the veins in his neck bulged, as if Xia Chi was really about to rip his scalp off.

Xia Chi was so frightened that his face turned pale and he almost let go.

Director Luo Jian stared at Jiang Nan's expression and urged him to proceed. "Good, very good, keep it up. Yes, say your lines, say your lines."

Jiang Nan panted for a few breaths, looked up with contempt, and uttered a few words with difficulty through his cracked lips: "I... won't... let you succeed."

"Okay, great, that's it, yeah."

Director Luo Jian was very satisfied with Jiang Nan's performance, but his face darkened the moment he turned to Xia Chi.

"What's going on? You're an actor. You need to try to tap into the dark power within. Imagine yourself as a beast that's been imprisoned for too long, ready to tear its prey apart at any moment. You need to learn to release the most filthy desires in your heart.

The director reached out, grabbed a handful of air, and clenched it tightly. A near-mad light flashed in his eyes. "It's that kind of impulse, the urge to completely destroy beautiful things..."

[Ga——]

[Is the path so wild? ]

On the rack, Jiang Nan's face was hidden behind his messy hair. Although it was covered with bruises and bloodstains, his eyes were still clear, like glass washed by rain, staring at him quietly under the dim light.

[Who is wrong? It has to be Jiang Nan...]

Xia Chi felt bad.

[She should be standing on top of the world, but she is forced to kneel on the ground covered in dirt, being trained by the director to scream nakedly.]

How come the people we hold in our hands, afraid they might melt, become clay dolls that can be easily kneaded in their hands?

Where's your aura? Where's your pride? Where's your shame? Have you given up all of it to become a good actor?

[Crushing myself into the role...]

【What have you been through in these years!!】

Xia Chi's fingertips dug into his palm fiercely.

Jiang Nan looked stunned.

"What are you thinking about!"

Director Luo Jian slapped Xia Chi on the back of the head. If he didn't know that this kid had some strengths, he would have cursed his ancestors for being a greenhorn who couldn't get into the role and wasted everyone's time.

"Are you thinking this is just a game?!" The director spat all over Xia Chi's face. "You're a complete psychopathic murderer now. I want to see your conviction!"

Xia Chi was startled by the shouting. He quickly stood firm, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and brainwashed himself frantically.

【I am a pervert, I am a pervert, I am a pervert! 】

[I enjoy torturing people, and I love hearing the screams of my prey the most!]

[I am cold, bloodthirsty, and crazy. I want to kill all of humanity!]

【Well--】

As soon as he opened his eyes, Jiang Nan was hanging in front of him so fragilely, like a precious piece of porcelain that had been roughly repaired. Every crack revealed a heartbreaking beauty, as if it would shatter again with the slightest touch.

[Damn…]

Xia Chi couldn't help shaking his head.

[This isn't torturing him, it's clearly torture me...]

[Can't we... stand at the center of the universe and call out for love?!]

[Your Majesty, please grant me death~]

"Xia Chi!"

Luo Jian's patience was running out. "I'm looking for the pleasure of sadism! I'm not asking you to be a saint!"

Suddenly, the director lowered his voice, thinking of something. He spread his palms, pointing his fingertips towards Jiang Nan, "Imagine that the person you love most is hanging here, and you are enjoying every second of torturing him... Your heart has been completely devoured by darkness, and you can only feel satisfied by stepping on others..."

[Trampling the one you love most? ]

Xia Chi glanced at Jiang Nan.

"I understand..."

He got into horse stance again.

[I am the top! I am the top!]

【I am a perverted top! 】

【I am your top! 】

【I am the overlord who attacks with all his might! 】

Luo Jian: "Puff——"

It was as if the crisp sound of ice cracking pierced the eardrums - those memories buried deep in the consciousness were like poisonous snakes that had been dormant for many years, slowly swimming out of the cage with their tongues spitting out, and their sharp teeth instantly pierced the heart.

Xia Chi's breathing suddenly became heavy, and a strong smell of rust surged in his throat. It was as if he was being pressed into the icy river water again that year. The biting cold current flooded through his nose and poured into his lungs. Countless bubbles exploded before his eyes...

“Huh—”

Xia Chi took a sharp breath, and when he opened his eyes again, his pupils were filled with black.

The corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably, twisting into a creepy, excited smile, just like a manic patient who had been bound for years in a mental hospital and smelled the bloody scent of freedom.

His fingertips slowly stroked the mottled rust on the prop chain, and the iron chain made a tiny sound as he moved, like a ghost whispering behind him.

[How ironic...] His fingers slowly slid towards Jiang Nan's injured left hand. [When my biological mother threw me like trash at the door of the orphanage... you were probably sitting in front of an expensive piano, enjoying the praise of your private teacher, right?!]

[The day I was forced to jump off the bridge, you were surrounded by flowers and applause, and you debuted as a group, hehe...]

A low laugh escaped from Xia Chi's throat, his palms suddenly tightened, his eyes became sick and fanatical, as if he had finally found the cruelest funny part of this joke of fate.

Jiang Nan's eyes widened slightly, and he suddenly remembered the last divination at Jianghuai Hospital yesterday.

"Xia Chi...you..."

"That look is really interesting..." Xia Chi's voice sounded like it had been polished by sandpaper. When he leaned over, the shadow he cast enveloped Jiang Nan, and his cold fingers suddenly pinched his chin.

"Is this big star sympathizing with me?"

【Why?! 】

The moment his collar was suddenly pulled tight, Jiang Nan heard the crisp sound of cloth tearing, and Xia Chi's breath sprayed on his face, carrying a bloody heat.

[Why were you born in the clouds, while I have to fight my hardest just to stay alive?]

Jiang Nan tensed up. When he saw the red corners of Xia Chi's eyes, his heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand.

This isn't acting—underneath this madness, there's clearly a pain that's about to rot, yet no one knows about it.

"Xia Chi..."

His voice was as soft as a sigh.

"It's so unfair..." Xia Chi gently brushed the bloodstain on his eyelid, "Even being injured is like an angel with broken wings..."

There was twisted excitement in his eyes.

Every time you show me this innocent look, it reminds me of that rainy night when I knelt on the ground and begged them not to chase me away. Those high and mighty people also looked at me with such compassionate eyes...

[Great, now it's your turn... Hehehe...]

Shadows flooded over Jiang Nan's body like a tide, and Xia Chi's voice was as soft as a whisper.

"Let me see, when you're being stepped on in the mud, will this noble face of yours still be so clean?"