In the dilapidated brick house, Lin Muci finally met Qian He, whom she had longed to see.
He had a very ugly short haircut, like chicken coop straw, even revealing a hint of foolishness! But even with such an unflattering hairstyle, it couldn't conceal his exceptionally handsome face.
He looked up, a little lost.
A beautiful and exquisite youth, but his eyes – though clear and innocent – held a certain emptiness.
He looked at Lin Muci.
Suddenly, he grinned. Then, extending his hand, he reached out as if to hug Lin Muci. Lin Muci heard him call her.
“Pretty sister! Pretty sister, hug me!”
He extended his hand, wanting to embrace Lin Muci.
Lin Muci was startled. He stumbled forward, but for some reason, his steps were unsteady, and he fell. He sat there, stunned, on the ground.
Then, tears, like pearls, began to stream down his face.
“Pretty… pretty sister?”
“Hug me, okay?”
Lin Muci hadn’t expected Ling Qianhe to get into character so quickly.
Was he pretending to be foolish, just to tease her?
The youth struggled to get up. Each step he took was difficult. He looked up at Lin Muci, and his shoulders began to tremble violently.
“It’s Xiao Jun’s fault… Sister is angry, isn’t she?”
“Sister doesn’t like Xiao Jun anymore, does she?”
“I’ll kill them! Wuwuwu… Sister, please, can we play games again?”
“Xiao Jun will be gentle this time, really. Sister, please don’t cry…”
“They say that when you like someone, seeing her cry makes your heart ache terribly. Xiao Jun’s heart aches terribly right now…”
He struggled to get up again, only to fall back down. He looked up, his eyes still clear, a sight that made one’s heart ache slightly.
Lin Muci watched blankly. Just as she was about to go over, someone pulled her back.
She turned her head and saw producer He Yunru gently shaking her head at her. Then, He Yunru leaned in and whispered.
“He’s completely in character now. Let’s not disturb him. I’ll take you for makeup, and then we can start filming.”
She led Lin Muci to the adjacent room.
He Yunru’s expression was a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
“He’s really completely in character!”
“I didn’t expect this either… We originally conceived this character as a simpleton, but I never imagined he’d add symptoms of polio sequelae himself. And he acts so well, you can’t tell he’s not genuinely disabled…”
Polio?
No wonder he was limping earlier.
But if he’s fully immersed in the role, does that mean he’ll be walking like this for the next few days?
Isn’t he tired?
Lin Muci’s first reaction was a touch of concern for Ling Qianhe. He Yunru said.
“He’s been staying in the village these past few days, and he’s truly… very dedicated. I also didn’t anticipate he’d enter the role with such intensity. Our staff is hesitant to disturb him. I think we should strike while the iron is hot, while he’s in such good form, and film some of the key scenes…”
He Yunru looked at Lin Muci.
Clearly, she was asking for her opinion.
And when Lin Muci heard He Yunru say this, she didn’t hesitate at all.
She nodded, agreeing immediately.
“Alright.”
“You can arrange it with the director.”
He Yunru immediately breathed a sigh of relief and went to find the production team. Lin Muci, meanwhile, turned back to look at the dilapidated house. Ling Qianhe was still inside. He looked up, his eyes filled with innocence.
Innocent as a child.
It was hard to imagine that this was the same man who had held her with fierce possessiveness just half a month ago.
Ling Qianhe, once in character, was like a completely different person.
While Lin Muci was still contemplating, a staff member handed her the script. She merely glanced down at it and immediately started coughing.
“Cough, cough, cough—This is…”
The staff member’s expression was serious.
“This is the first scene you’ll be filming.”
“Xiao Ci, you can go get your makeup done.”
Lin Muci was then hastily ushered towards the makeup area by a staff member. But as she looked down at the script, she couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. The content written in the script—she rubbed her temples, a wry smile on her face.
Why does it have to be like this?
Although she knew filming wouldn’t necessarily follow the chronological order of the plot.
But for the very first scene, they were going to film her wedding night with the village chief’s simple-minded son.
And Ling Qianhe had even added to his own role!
Originally, he was just a simpleton.
Now, he had become a simpleton with the mobility issues of polio.
What, was he expecting her to carry him to bed?
The more Lin Muci thought about it, the greater her headache became. She reached up and rubbed her temples, her mind entirely consumed with how to act out this scene. Soon, the makeup artist finished with her and pushed Lin Muci out.
Lin Muci looked up at the mirror in front of her.
As required by the role, the makeup was very light, giving the young woman an almost bare-faced appearance. But it highlighted her natural beauty, a different kind of flawless, like a lotus emerging from clear water.
The makeup artist couldn’t help but sigh.
“Xiao Ci, you’re truly beautiful. Heaven is so unfair; you’re meticulously crafted—we’re all just like blobs of mud tossed out carelessly.”
Lin Muci stood up and changed into the clothes provided by the crew. After all, it was a wedding. Even a simple village ceremony required a proper appearance.
She donned the red bridal gown. The camera followed her as the director approached and instructed her.
“You need to portray a sense of unwillingness and despair. After all, this is forced. The villagers want to keep you here, but you’re not willing.”
“You’ve been educated, you’ve attended school, you know what the outside world is like.”
“And you know that what these villagers are doing is wrong.”
“Although you pity this boy, pity him for being foolish, pity him for having polio since childhood, unable to attend school, and not knowing what the outside world is like.”
“You absolutely will not resign yourself to spending your life with him, because that would ruin your own future!”
The director earnestly advised her.
Lin Muci narrowed her eyes slightly, indicating that she understood.
Seeing the young woman nod, the director was very pleased.
Lin Muci’s acting skills were outstanding and well-known in the industry. The camera crew was in position, and then Lin Muci walked towards Ling Qianhe’s house and pushed open the door.
The room was lit, and the youth was sitting at a round table, waiting for her arrival. His eyes were anxious yet clear, his face truly handsome, but his entire demeanor exuded a hazy, simple-minded charm. Despite possessing unparalleled beauty, there was an air of vacant dullness about him.
But the more he was like this, the more it made one lament the sight of exquisite jade being tarnished!
In the script, this boy named Xiao Jun had an intelligence equivalent to that of a seven or eight-year-old. He sat there, carefully twirling his fingers, and then furtively glanced at Lin Muci.
His cheeks immediately turned red.
“Sister is so beautiful.”
“They said Sister is my wife.”
“I can do anything I want to Sister.”
“Sister, come here, hug me, okay?”