I'm Fine!

"It wasn't intentional? How could you have the nerve to say it wasn't intentional?!" Yuan Fei had driven all the way over without seeing Si You. Now, standing at the door, his voice was thunderous, with Huahua beside him cheering him on.

Director Zhu and the assistant director were squatting on the steps some distance away, neither daring to say a word.

They had not only watched the surveillance footage themselves; Yuan Fei had seen it too. Honestly, there was no way to make excuses for Gao Jin. In the footage, that bastard had straightened his foot and kicked Si You under the force of momentum even though there was still some distance between them.

Jiang Tingxu had just requested a copy of the footage. Director Zhu did not dare imagine what he intended to do with it.

"Just keep filming. At this point, wouldn't replacing an actor torture everyone?" Si You was negotiating with Jiang Tingxu nearby. "Besides, if news of actors bullying each other gets out, Journey's reputation will be cut in half. You might be willing to let that happen, but I can't. This is my chance to turn things around, Movie Emperor Jiang." As he spoke, Si You poked Jiang Tingxu's arm. "I'm fine! Really!"

Jiang Tingxu lowered his eyes. "Stop talking."

Si You's breathing was uneven. His chest was still covered in all sorts of monitoring devices as he went on that long speech, and every extra glance Jiang Tingxu took made his heart ache.

"Movie Emperor, send me a copy of that footage later," Si You said. "If Gao Jin dares provoke me again, I'll scare him to death!"

"Again?" Jiang Tingxu's voice was cool. "Where would there be an again?"

Si You chuckled and leaned back against the pillow. "The doctor said I'm fine, so stop worrying."

"Stop twisting the doctor's words. He clearly said you were brought in promptly, so you're fine for now." Jiang Tingxu's voice sank. "Don't act like this doesn't matter. A heart condition isn't something to joke about!"

Si You looked gentle yet earnest as he nodded. "I know. I'll take good care of it."

Si You only stayed in the hospital for half a day. Once everything had stabilized, he returned to the set. As long as he did not push himself, he was no different from an ordinary person. He simply needed to recover slowly; there was no rushing it.

The atmosphere on set was rather awkward. Everyone kept busy with their work and did not dare speak. Gao Jin had been taken away by his manager. They had watched the footage before leaving, and Director Zhu still remembered how the indifferent mask on Gao Jin's face had cracked inch by inch, replaced by thirty percent shame and anger, fifty percent fear. The emotional progression had been far more layered than anything he showed while acting.

By Gao Jin's usual methods, he would have arranged for the footage to be deleted and everyone silenced immediately. Unfortunately, he did not call the shots here, and neither did his company.

If Gao Jin were kicked off the production, his side would suffer considerable losses. Although Journey had yet to begin promotion, Gao Jin's studio had announced half a month ago that he had landed a role in a famous director's drama, playing a mighty general. His fans had all expressed great anticipation. So what now? General roles were easy to find, but famous directors were hard to come by.

Gao Jin's mood was like a roller coaster, while Si You was talking things over with Director Zhu.

"I've talked him into it. Don't replace him," Si You said. "I have quite a few scenes opposite Gao Jin. If you replace him, I'd have to reshoot them. That's a hassle."

Director Zhu finally relaxed. He knew Jiang Tingxu listened to Si You, but he still asked with concern, "That's nothing. More importantly, are you really all right?"

Si You's face was as pale as if he had been dusted with three pounds of flour, but his eyes and brows were full of calm. There was even a hint of arrogant disdain for illness. "I'm great. It's just a minor incident!"

Director Zhu hesitated, wanting to say something, when Jiang Tingxu, standing nearby with one hand in his pocket, called out in a low voice, "Si You, come here."

Si You immediately straightened up. "Coming!"

Director Zhu: "..." You two were equally shameless.

That evening, Jiang Tingxu gave Si You a special meal: braised pork trotter soup Qian Su had bought, along with three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes. The two hid in the break room to eat, the little table piled high with food.

Si You had never envied the way one person treated another well. Though humans needed emotional feedback for validation and warmth, there were some people whose upbringing meant they were better off living alone. Si You had always firmly believed he was one of them. Compared with meals and gatherings with friends, he preferred spending his free time alone—quiet and comfortable. Plenty of people had wanted to treat him well, but Si You had never needed it. Who knew life was full of slaps to the face?

At that moment, Si You accepted the trotter soup Jiang Tingxu handed him and took a big gulp. The temperature was perfect, warming him all over.

"Can I eat more dishes?" Si You asked. "I don't really want rice."

Jiang Tingxu took Si You's lunch box and scooped half the rice into his own. "This much?"

"Works for me!"

After dinner, Jiang Tingxu went out and filmed two more court scenes, as well as a moon-viewing scene by the lake with the female lead.

The moment the assistant director called "Cut," Jiang Tingxu and Su Ya both stepped out of character.

This political intrigue drama had relatively little romance. Although the male and female leads admired each other, with chaos engulfing the world, personal matters were not worth considering. In the end, the female lead survived the turbulent times, concealed her identity, gave up her status as the prime minister's daughter, and spent the rest of her life with a gentle schoolteacher.

Su Ya grabbed Jiang Tingxu, looking worried. "Is Si You all right?"

"Didn't you just see him?"

"I did, but he's all smiles and laughter. You can't tell anything from him." Su Ya was impressed too. Logically speaking, Gao Jin had gone way too far this time and been caught red-handed. If it were up to her, he would lose a layer of skin at least. She would send him straight to the trending searches and leave a stain on his record. Yet Si You had somehow held himself back. "There was so much room to make a move. Is he really letting it go?"

"Letting it go?" Jiang Tingxu laughed. "Your judgment is off."

In Jiang Tingxu's eyes, Si You had hidden claws and fangs. He was tempering himself without wasting a single opportunity. Gao Jin had more than ten times as many fans as Si You, and even now, whenever online haters saw anything involving Si You, they would indiscriminately smear him. His reputation was not strong enough. Even with evidence, he could not completely sway public opinion to his side. Si You's choice was the smartest one. He had to use Journey to prove himself. Once he had built up enough confidence and standing, he would be able to gain a certain amount of influence in this industry.

As for Gao Jin, Si You was not letting him off. He simply did not take him seriously. In Si You's view, delaying this drama because of Gao Jin would be hurting the enemy for a thousand while losing eight hundred himself. Once he rose to the top, there would be plenty of opportunities.

"Oh my..." Su Ya's expression turned suggestive. "Movie Emperor, you understand Si You so well."

Jiang Tingxu said, "Don't be so lewd."

"Hahaha."

Thinking of Gao Jin, Su Ya's smile faded. "Then what are you going to do about him?"

"Leave him hanging for a few days," Jiang Tingxu said blandly. "He has to finish filming this drama, and he has to do it while trembling in fear."

Su Ya nodded, disdain overflowing from her eyes. "I always thought he was somewhat self-centered. I didn't expect him to pull the whole 'if I can't have it, I'll destroy it' routine."

Anyone perceptive could tell that Gao Jin had feelings for Si You, but Si You had rejected him decisively. So although Jiang Tingxu found the man an eyesore, he had kept in mind that work was work and maintained a professional attitude. Then Gao Jin's kick had shattered Jiang Tingxu's self-restraint.

"If you want to pursue someone, you should learn from the Movie Emperor." Su Ya covered her mouth, her smile radiant as spring. "Good luck. Hehehe..."

Jiang Tingxu: "..."

Si You was currently lying in bed playing on his phone. Over some time, he had noticed that his follower count had quietly risen by over three hundred thousand. Yuan Fei had not bought fake followers, which meant most of them were real fans!

Si You inhaled sharply, feeling rather pleased.

A celebrity's fans were not merely a number beneath their profile picture. Some followed because of algorithm recommendations or a passing interest, while others came through company operations. Only a small fraction truly kept up with their life, were willing to boost their metrics, vote for them on charts, and promote them voluntarily. Those loyal fans were the essence of a celebrity's support.

So Si You cherished those three hundred thousand followers.

He messaged Yuan Fei: [Brother Yuan, can I take a photo and post it on Weibo?]

Yuan Fei replied: [What for?]

Si You: [To stay active.]

Yuan Fei thought about it. [Fine.]

Si You leaned against the headboard. He had already removed his wig, leaving his hair messy. The PVC panel behind him was snow-white and would not reveal any information.

Si You tipped his head up slightly, creating a thoroughly disastrous angle.

But Si You did not care. After taking the picture, he thought it looked decent enough and posted it directly to Weibo with the caption: [Making my presence known [kneeling].]

A few seconds later, he refreshed the page and found comments already appearing.

[Finally, you posted on Weibo, hahaha. Handsome guy, you look great. Even from this angle, there aren't any nose hairs.]

Si You: "..."

[What a handsome young man! [flowers flowers flowers]]

[You've been recuperating lately. Are you feeling better?]

[You can post selfies more often.]

In his previous life, Si You had been too busy in his later years to read comments, so he handed his Weibo account over to his manager. Now, curled up in the cramped, stuffy room, he held his phone and read the comments carefully before rolling over with a faint sense of ease.

After casting off those responsibilities and burdens weighing on him, Si You realized that this kind of time was nice too. He did not have to become the strongest person in some field. He no longer had to be constantly lectured by invisible forces and mental pressure, feeling deep guilt over even a few minutes of rest.

As Si You read the warm comments, he realized that his past self had been "sick" for a long time.

As for the haters' insults and attacks, Si You ignored them automatically.

Then he noticed that his interactions with fans were... very polite. Both sides were awkward and tentative.

Si You replied to several fans with the "loyal fan" badge, then put down his phone and lay flat on the bed.

The surroundings were quiet. Then his fingertips brushed against something. He caught it and pulled it over, fabric falling across his face along with Jiang Tingxu's unique scent.

Jiang Tingxu had said he was dressed too lightly, so he had left his own jacket behind.

Jiang Tingxu was pursuing me now, wasn't he? Si You thought smugly. He closed his eyes, feeling like grass coming back to life beneath warm sunlight.

His current situation was bad, but it was not suffocating. The rope strangling his neck had loosened, and Si You felt incredibly comfortable and free.

And Jiang Tingxu was responsible for part of that confidence and experience. Si You knew it.

When Jiang Tingxu returned after filming, Si You was about to go wash up in the bathroom.

"It'll be cramped in a moment. I just checked—there's hot water outside. Go wash out there."

Cramped? Si You did not understand. Only one person could fit in that bathroom. Was Jiang Tingxu in a hurry to use it? He did not think much of it and carried his washbasin outside.

When he came back, Si You was dumbfounded.

Jiang Tingxu and his assistant Qian Su had moved the small bed from the partitioned room out, removed the table by the window, and pushed it together with the large bed outside. Though the widths differed, the lengths were the same. Once combined, it would be no problem for two people to sleep there.

Si You thought of something and awkwardly tugged at the loose hair over his forehead. He said to Qian Su, "Thanks for your hard work."

Qian Su: "..." How was he supposed to explain this to Sister Chen?!