Huahua stepped forward, crouched in front of Si You, then smiled and opened her palm. A candy wrapped in colorful paper lay inside.
"Here, have some!" Huahua said.
Si You looked a little unwell, but he still curled his lips into a faint smile. Even lifting his hand seemed difficult as he accepted the candy. "Thank you, little Huahua."
"You acted amazingly!" Huahua praised. "But the character is the character, and you are you."
Si You nodded. He understood all that. He was also doing everything he could to rein in his emotions.
Jiang Tingxu reached one arm around the back of Si You's neck, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and gently massaged Si You's temples. Outsiders might think it was unnecessary, but there were plenty of actors who became too deeply immersed in their roles to pull themselves free. Some quit acting, some developed severe mental illnesses, and some met even more tragic ends and lost their lives. That was why Jiang Tingxu always kept his emotional investment within a predetermined range. He used certain techniques, but Si You was different. Si You practically threw his entire self into it. The emotional impact he experienced was far greater than Jiang Tingxu's.
It was dangerous, but what reassured Jiang Tingxu was that Si You could tell filming apart from reality.
"Tingxu." After resting for a while, Si You said softly, "I want to go upstairs and rest."
"Mm." Jiang Tingxu half-supported, half-held him as he helped him to his feet, then had Huahua let Zheng Zaisheng know.
Si You had no memory of how he got into bed or took off his coat. He slept until the middle of the night, and when he woke, the turbulent, overwhelming emotions had finally settled. Si You slowly sat up and