"Senior Yan!" Lang Yuxuan rushed over in a flash. "Are you alright?"
Yan Renzhong climbed off Shen Jingwei's body and rose to his feet.
"It's fine," he said.
"What do you mean, 'it's fine'? Look at your cheek! It is swollen!"
"Let's get it treated, stat," Wen Guilin exclaimed.
An actor's face was literally his life.
Still lying on the ground with his upper body half-propped up by his elbows, Shen Jingwei stared at Yan Renzhong's back in a daze.
"Little Shen, good job. What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself somewhere?"
Zhu Dongyi too rushed over to help Shen Jingwei on his feet.
"No, I..."
"Good job, wonderful job!" Director Ma praised. "The scene just now captured the emotions between the protagonist and the male lead very well!"
On one hand, Shen Jingwei was relieved he did not get fired on the spot.
On the other hand, he felt bad for Yan Renzhong, who did not earn a flicker of compassion from the director.
"That was one fine slap," an actor spoke up from the side. It was Feng Jietang, the actor who played Jiang Muchen. He was Yunhuan Entertainment's best actor, and at the same time Yan Renzhong's bitterest rival in the industry.
Shen Jingwei furrowed his brows at Feng Jietang.
"I did not mean it," he spat out.
Feng Jietang grinned at him.
"It doesn't matter whether you mean it or not. I agree fully with Director Ma. You captured Xie Jianyu's emotions very well in that scene."
That compliment did not make Shen Jingwei feel good at all. If anything, it made him feel sick.
Wordlessly, he walked past Feng Jietang, intending on taking a look at the damage he caused on Yan Renzhong's face.
He barely moved two steps away from Feng Jietang when his wrist was grasped and he was yanked backward.
"Hey, hey, are you angry at me?"
Shen Jingwei stared at Feng Jietang.
"I don't know you well enough to get angry at you, but that was some insensible remark, coming from a professional."
Feng Jietang's mouth fell open in astonishment. Shen Jingwei used the moment to wrench his wrist free from Feng Jietang's grip and walked away.
Yan Renzhong was being treated in his tent.
Shen Jingwei was about to announce his presence when he heard his name being mentioned.
"Really, that Shen Jingwei..."
"..."
It was Lang Yuxuan. Interesting how he stopped referring to Shen Jingwei as "Senior Shen" when the latter was not present.
"I can't believe that he dared slapping you this hard. And on the first day of shooting, too!"
Lang Yuxuan stomped on the ground unhappily.
"Manager Wen, you should log a complaint against Shen Jingwei. He should be punished for what he did just now."
"Yuxuan, it is none of your business," Yan Renzhong said in reply. "You should focus on your own role."
"But Senior Yan..."
"Enough."
That single word abruptly extinguished Lang Yuxuan's desire to verbally dismantle Shen Jingwei.
With the agility of a champion race car, he abruptly changed course, turning his attention to Yan Renzhong's care.
"Senior Yan, does it hurt very much?"
Shen Jingwei rolled with his eyes.
"It doesn't," Yan Renzhong replied curtly.
"Liar. Look at how red your cheek is. His fingerprints are all over your face..."
Guilt flooded Shen Jingwei's heart.
He went too far.
He should apologize, but he did not know how.
"Well, at least it didn't leave any scratch mark. Here, Little Yan, replace that ice pack with a new one."
"Senior Yan, let me..."
A soft hiss escaped Yan Renzhong's lips, followed by Lang Yuxuan's soothing voice.
"It's okay, the swelling will be gone soon enough..."
Shen Jingwei clenched his hands into fists as a vivid image formed in his mind. Lang Yuxuan, leaning close to Yan Renzhong, sharing a sweet moment of tender affection while Shen Jingwei, the third wheel, could only watch from far away.
It was basically a replay of that night, when he witnessed Lang Yuxuan kissing Yan Renzhong.
The pain of that night had festered into a desolate emptiness, a black hole devouring every flicker of joy he once knew. It was as if hope itself had been stolen, leaving him stranded in a barren wasteland of despair.
"..."
Shen Jingwei clawed into his hair and bumped into the hair crown atop his head.
He was still fully clothed in Xie Jianyu's attire.
Hesitantly, he turned on his heel and walked away.
Yan Renzhong had enough people to take care of him.
Shen Jingwei was the one who hurt him just now. Yan Renzhong probably did not want to see him right now.
"Little Shen?"
Shen Jingwei went stiff on his tracks.
The one who called after him was Wen Guilin, who had the tent flap pulled to the side with one hand. "Do you need something?"
Lang Yuxuan emerged abruptly from behind Wen Guilin, his face etched with surprise and disbelief.
"Senior Shen, you are here," he called out in his usual sweet and gentle voice.
"..."
Shen Jingwei felt like a deer in headlights.
"Go in if you want to," Wen Guilin shrugged. "Otherwise, Little Yan is fine. Don't sweat it."
Lang Yuxuan flashed Shen Jingwei a fake smile.
"You can go back, Senior Shen. I will take good care of Senior Yan. No need to worry."
Shen Jingwei did not know what to say.
And then, Yan Renzhong's voice was heard coming from inside the tent.
"Can you come in for a while, Shen Jingwei? I want to talk to you alone."
------------
Author's note :
Below are several possibilities that might happen after the servant, Shen Jingwei, goes into Emperor Yan's tent :
1. The servant shall kneel in front of the Emperor until the Emperor's rage has been quenched.
2. The servant shall blow on the Emperor's burning cheek until the pain goes away.
3. The servant shall sign a voluntary servitude contract for three long years as punishment.
Which one is more likely? Readers, what do you think? (◍•ᴗ•◍)
Shen Jingwei : (ノ｀Д´)ノ彡┻━┻