Jin Jingyao was very angry and decided not to talk to Li Ling for the entire night. After less than five minutes, he picked up his phone again. 9787532754335 said: "Don't stay up late, it's bad for your health." After another five minutes, Li Ling still didn't respond to him. 9787532754335: ? He threw his phone aside with a cold face. In the projector, the first two episodes of the new drama had already finished airing. Director Jin, not very pleased, chose to replay them and clicked "Only watch TA (Li Ling)" at the bottom. Some abusive and personal attack comments appeared in the bullet screen. He was very dark, reporting each one. - The next day, the crew was going to shoot the final scene at an abandoned train station at the foot of the mountain, where Zhou Jing would kill Yang Yuanyuan. When Luo Mingqing arrived on set, he was in a bad state. His hair was messy, his squinted eyes were bloodshot, and he hadn't shaved, with stubble messily extending down his sideburns. Xiao Liu passed by him and said with disgust, "Scum." His lips moved, but in his despondency, he didn't even retort. They shot the first take, but it quickly fell apart because when Luo Mingqing fell to the ground, he was like a dead fish that had been gutted, completely wooden, without resistance or struggle. Zhou Jing didn't even need to use a knife; he was already dead. The others, unaware of the inside story, thought he was sick. An assistant brought a cup of water over and quietly asked if he needed a break. Jin Jingyao took the cup and directly splashed the water onto Luo Mingqing's face. Everyone was extremely surprised, and the assistant let out an "ah." But the person involved had no reaction. Luo Mingqing lay on the ground, still like a pile of scattered mud, raising his hand haphazardly to wipe his face, and suddenly let out a laugh. The laughter was hoarse and unpleasant, like a crow that had swallowed too many stones. He said to Jin Jingyao, "Do you know, that scene of jumping into the sea took a whole week to shoot. How many times was she thrown into the water, floated back up, and then pressed down again." "But in the end, those shots were all cut, not a single one left." The others didn't understand what Luo Mingqing was talking about. Only Jin Jingyao knew he was referring to the final shot of "Yesterday's Sun." The scene where the female lead commits suicide by jumping into the sea had no close-up, only a long shot. Li Ling's back walked towards the gray-white sea, a huge wave came crashing in, swallowing her up. Jin Jingyao waved his hand, signaling the surrounding staff to step back. Luo Mingqing paused and then said, "Why did you send me that recording of Liang, to mock me?" "Just returning the favor," Jin Jingyao said. His tone was very calm, but if you listened carefully, you could hear a well-hidden contempt. Luo Mingqing was stunned for a moment, then laughed carelessly, "You're really something, you even knew it was me who leaked the editor's information. Yeah, without me, with your efficiency, you wouldn't have found out even if someone died..." The two stared at each other for a moment, Luo Mingqing's smile suddenly disappeared, and his breathing became heavier. "What else do you know?" he asked in a strange tone. Jin Jingyao said calmly, "I know you were that photography assistant." "You saw them hugging each other." Luo Mingqing suddenly jumped up from the ground. For a moment, a huge rage erupted in his eyes. But it quickly turned into a ridiculous pile of ashes, mixed with bone ash, sweat, tears, and some even more disgusting things. He clenched his fists and squeezed out a hoarse voice through his teeth: "I was just telling the truth, she and that disgusting old man... they were hugging each other... how could she..." The voice gradually weakened, perhaps he himself knew how pale and powerless these words were, like a death row inmate's sophistry in front of a judge. - The year Li Ling left home was when their parents fought the most fiercely. His mother often went out all dolled up, coming back with the scent of men's cologne, only to be dragged by her hair into the bedroom by his father. What happened next was self-evident; he fell asleep every night to the sound of screams. He couldn't sleep, tossing and turning, closing his eyes and opening them again, the other bed across from him always empty. She was gone. Moonlight shone on the unwrinkled sheets. All the blood in his body turned cold. He hated that she could leave, leaving him behind. "Your sister went to become a big star, she doesn't want you anymore." His father said, blowing smoke into his face with a sneer. His mother eventually kicked the man out and quickly found a new partner. The new man was very wealthy, with a face full of wrinkled orange peel skin, old enough to be his grandfather. The man squinted his eyes, smiling as he reached out to touch his head, saying, "Ming Qing is so handsome, you'll be my own son from now on." All the hairs on his body stood up. For all the old skin, heavy breathing, and sweaty palms, Luo Ming Qing had a deep shadow. But in the end, he still had to grit his teeth and call that old man "Dad" to use his connections to squeeze into He Wei's film crew. He Wei was a big director. His sister was going to be a big star. A big star, such a lofty term. Although he hated her, deep down, he also admired her, envied her. She did what he didn't dare to do. She was his hero, his idol. He joined the crew very late, the movie was almost finished. In just two short weeks, it was enough to shatter his illusions. She was in pain while filming, always getting hurt. The crew ignored her, and he followed suit, hiding himself so she wouldn't notice. It wasn't until the last day of filming that he looked everywhere for her, seeing He Wei under a tree, hugging her tightly. And she didn't push him away. The sunlight was so glaring, cutting into the boy's reddened skin like a knife. He ran all the way, sweating profusely, the sweat stinging his eyes. His vision wavered and peeled away, but he still saw clearly. His sister, being embraced by a disgusting old man. He Wei held her tightly, his head resting on her shoulder. He was crying. He remembered years ago, when his mother's boyfriend held him, that man was also crying. He remembered that small room. It was a very hot day, the white lime on the walls peeling off like corpse spots. The smell of sweat and grease in the room mixed with the scent of floral water. Outside the window, a crow perched on the telephone pole, staring at him, making a mournful and terrifying sound. The sheets were crumpled and piled beside them, like a stinking shroud. The old man touching him was crying, crying and saying thank you, you made me so happy, you fulfilled my lifelong wish. He felt utterly disgusted. The same feeling of disgust returned to his body years later when he witnessed Li Ling and He Wei's embrace. He thought she went to become a big star, but it turned out she was no different from him. She was also trash. Garbage that didn't know how to resist. A huge anger swept through his body. Why was she enduring it? Why didn't she push that old man away? She was no longer a hero, she was a liar, she had betrayed him. He wept silently, the idol in his heart collapsing amidst the blood and tears. Then, his anger transformed into a wave of tenderness and protectiveness. She had betrayed his love and trust, but it didn't matter; she was still his sister. He would forgive her, he would protect her. For ten years, Luo Mingqing had never felt that he was wrong. This was a sinful movie, witnessing an old man's harm and bullying of his sister, and it should not be publicly shown. Not releasing the movie was his way of protecting her. He was helping her atone for her sins, protecting her purity. He always believed this, until Jin Jingyao questioned why he didn't trust his own sister, until he finally saw that movie. He vaguely realized that he had been wrong, both in action and thought. But he couldn't admit it, otherwise, what would the past ten years mean? Luo Mingqing trembled all over but still insisted, "I am not wrong." "I am not wrong... I just wanted to protect her... I am not wrong..." Jin Jingyao lifted him up and said calmly, "The movie is about He Wei's suicidal daughter." Luo Mingqing realized something, his heart pounding, eyes widening, almost incoherently shouting, "Impossible!" Jin Jingyao couldn't be bothered with him anymore, sneering as he threw him to the ground. "Who is really dirty?" he asked softly, his back to Luo Mingqing. Luo Mingqing fell heavily onto the concrete, dizzy from the impact, but quickly got up, staring intently at Jin Jingyao's back, and chased after him. The assistant watched anxiously from the side, ready to rush in and break up the fight, but was stopped by the assistant director. The other party gave him a cold look, and the assistant realized that the camera had somehow been turned back on. As the script played out, this was a one-sided suppression. It was revenge. It was slaughter. Before Luo Mingqing's hand could touch Jin Jingyao's shoulder, he was already grabbed, his knee pressed against his leg, and forcefully pinned to the ground. A punch landed on his face, the pain catching him off guard. The punches didn't stop, falling like a torrential rain, mercilessly. In his panic, Luo Mingqing didn't realize that if Jin Jingyao had really used his full strength, one punch could have deformed his face. Even with the other party holding back, Luo Mingqing was still unable to resist, crying in pain, rolling on the ground. His right arm flailed out of habit, but only grasped at air. Luo Mingqing froze, shocked to find himself lying on the edge of the platform, half of his body already hanging in the air. Below him was a long, abandoned railway track. The edges of the track were rusted, like old bloodstains. He gasped in terror, watching the young, tall man walk towards him again, stomping down on his knee. "Crack." Was it the sound of his joint breaking, or an illusion? The world turned into a spinning plane. Before his eyes was the gray-white sky, the end of the railway, and an abyss, a gaping maw. Then, he saw a slender hand pick up the knife from the ground. The scene ended with Zhou Jing stabbing the knife into Yang Yuanyuan's chest. In extreme shock, pain, and shame, Luo Mingqing seemed to truly experience a near-death sensation. The water wheel above created an artificial rain. His entire face was soaked, his breath sticky with rainwater, mixed with the stench of blood. His heartbeat grew faster and slower, he half-opened his eyes in a mess, feeling his body lose warmth, he was so cold, so much in pain. His teeth chattered, twisted in agony, but he kept shouting, "I am not wrong, not wrong..." He was not wrong.If someone had to be blamed, it would be He Wei's fault. Why did he have to die so early, leaving everything behind, allowing everyone to trample on Li Ling's back? He wasn't wrong. But he stubbornly judged a movie. With a light eraser, he wiped away ten years of his sister's life. Jin Jingyao looked down at the person on the ground, exhausted and defeated. The veins on the back of his hand were prominent, but his expression remained calm and composed, making him even more terrifying. The knife plunged into the other person's chest again and again. Thick blood gushed out continuously, staining the young man's face. The blood reflected in his pupils. There seemed to be something in him, something gloomy, a beastly ferocity, being released. A massive shadow was about to engulf everything. Jin Jingyao stared motionlessly at the person on the ground and spoke lines that weren't in the script. "Give her back to me," he said. He pulled out the knife and stabbed it in again. "Give her back to me." - A few days later, Li Ling learned from Xiao Liu that the movie had wrapped up. The other person vividly described how satisfying the final scene was, how his cousin had given Luo Mingqing a good beating, and when the camera stopped, everyone started applauding. "It's a pity you weren't there," Xiao Liu said regretfully. Li Ling apologized to him somewhat shamefully and then asked if Jin Jingyao was with him at the moment. Xiao Liu replied warily, "Why are you asking about him?" Then he emphasized rather stiffly, "He's not here. I'm calling you, so how could he be here?" "That's true," Li Ling thought he made a good point. She explained to him that she mainly wanted to thank the director, but she hadn't been able to reach him for the past few days, and he hadn't replied to any of her messages. Xiao Liu said, "That's nothing. If you send him ten messages and he replies with a punctuation mark, that's already good..." At this point, he suddenly stopped and then said, "So you should just send a few more messages." Li Ling said doubtfully, "Really? I'm afraid of disturbing his work." Xiao Liu assured her, "You won't disturb him." Li Ling said, "Alright then." She didn't know what to send, so she followed the spirit of 9787532754335, diligently sending "Good morning," "Good night," and "What are you having for lunch?" every day. Sometimes Jin Jingyao didn't reply, and sometimes he replied with a period. Their conversation style was something like this: Li Ling: Director, what are you having for lunch? Jin Jingyao: . Li Ling: So you're having a period for lunch, it must be delicious! Jin Jingyao: ? There was a certain beauty in the randomness of the replies. Mainly, Li Ling had been very busy lately, so she could only reply randomly. She thought that after playing such a greasy villain, she would have to endure a few more days of criticism. But it seemed that because of Director Jin's repost, everything changed. A large number of viewers flocked in, wanting to see "what kind of show made Jin Jingyao, who had been missing for ten years, recover his Weibo password." At first, they were shocked that it was such a poorly made, vulgar web series. They wondered if the director's account had been hacked. But as they continued watching, they got more and more hooked: although the production was poor, it had been a long time since they had seen such an outrageous show, with a fast pace, a satisfying plot, and wild ideas. Jin Jingyao truly had a keen eye. The popularity of the small, obscure show skyrocketed, quickly reaching the platform's homepage and even earning a prominent banner. And Li Ling's face was right in the center of the banner. As one of the biggest beneficiaries of the show, she didn't endure much criticism before public opinion quickly reversed. People praised her character for being satisfying. —What happened?Can't even button your own clothes properly, not adhering to male virtues, and yet you blame your sister? — If your sister is willing to touch you, it's your honor :) — Stop pretending to play hard to get, you're probably overjoyed inside. Some praised her as a treasure of an actress, hoping she would become famous immediately. — Compared to others, it's like a dimensional reduction strike. — When the female lead appears, even this crappy filter looks high-end. — She acts so realistically and terrifyingly. Every time she appears, I start trembling. — Boohoo, but I still think she's beautiful. Don't waste your charm on those stinky men, come charm me instead. — Is the person above okay? Having been in this industry for nearly ten years, this was the first time Li Ling tasted the sensation of overnight fame. Even though she had only moved from being a bottom-tier artist to a mid-tier one, she was already overwhelmed with surprise. The production team also reaped the benefits. What was initially just a casual broadcast now had advanced screenings and early access for members. In a few days, the first unit's finale aired. The victim in the flashback was also played by Li Ling. She endured humiliation, pain, and public condemnation, always trapped in a cubicle, isolated and helpless. In the end, she stood in the bathroom, neatly combed her hair, tidied her clothes, covered the bruises under her eyes with foundation, put on heavy makeup, and applied the brightest lipstick. Then, with a smile, she jumped off the company's rooftop. No one expected such a tragic ending. The initial online celebration turned into a wave of mourning. The production team seized the opportunity to release a behind-the-scenes special. This scene wasn't originally planned to be shot this way; it was suggested by the actress during the script reading phase. Li Ling said she didn't want to amplify the stereotypical image of the victim being gazed at and violated. She hoped the audience would see her leave beautifully and with dignity. This behind-the-scenes special was quickly shared tens of thousands of times. Half of the netizens were crying their hearts out, while the other half praised her for treating the role with such gentleness and sincerity. Some were sad that her character exited so quickly, saying they didn't want to watch the rest and immediately canceled their membership auto-renewal. For actress Li Ling, this should have been a night worth celebrating with champagne. The production team encouraged her to strike while the iron was hot, to write an emotional essay bidding farewell to the character and guiding the audience to continue watching, urging them not to abandon the show. Her agent suggested she make a few viral short videos, interact more with netizens, and draw all the traffic to herself. Li Ling did nothing. She locked herself in a dark room, lying on her back on the bed. Memories flowed before her like an old book on a 50% discount, page by page. She recalled how, ten years ago, she knocked on Chen Fei's office door and how she walked out of that door. Strictly speaking, she hadn't experienced much. Chen Fei prided himself on being a gentleman and wouldn't make a move in the office. He just sat behind the desk, impeccably dressed, discussing a fair trade with her. Then, when the deal fell through, he quickly revealed his ugly nature. His gaze was like a damp toad, extending its sticky tongue towards her. His mouth spewed ink, spitting out black threats, humiliation, and intimidation. After that day, Li Ling no longer understood what movies were. He Wei told her that movies were noble, an art, his lifelong dream. But he only wanted to find his daughter in her, to make up for his regrets as a father. Chen Fei, on the other hand, said movies were resources, transactions, a barter system. Movies were objects, and so was she. The talent and aura that He Wei lavishly praised were, in Chen Fei's eyes, just a facade, fresh and pale skin. She splashed the tea in his face and paid a hefty penalty for it. Chen Fei wiped his face with a tissue and said leisurely, "You'll never set foot in the film industry again in your life." Indeed, it took her nearly ten years to touch that threshold again. For a long time, she was unwilling to recall these events. However, if she hadn't experienced the pain, she might not have been able to play this role well now, might not have been able to simultaneously portray both the perpetrator and the victim in an act of violation. Time changed her and shaped her. Li Ling lay on the bed, her memories like bizarre black whirlpools on the ceiling, swallowing her up and then spitting her out. Actually, maybe it would be better to talk to someone, but who could she talk to? The name "Jin Jingyao" flashed quickly through her mind, but the thought soon turned into a sense of shame. They had already wrapped up filming; they could exchange pleasantries, but they were definitely not in a relationship where they could confide in each other about their pain. She couldn't rely on him the way A-Ling relied on Zhou Jing. Besides, he had already helped her too much. At that moment, her phone suddenly rang. 9787532754335 asked her, "Why haven't you posted on Weibo?" Li Ling replied, "Planning to sleep [moon]." 9787532754335: "Hehe." Li Ling: ? The other party was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "So what are you doing now?" Li Ling sent a string of zzzzzzzzzzz. 9787532754335 said, "Do you want to video chat? My son asks me every day when he can see you." Li Ling had at least a hundred polite excuses in her mind. But holding her phone, she didn't hesitate for long before saying, "Okay."