A cold, piercing panic took root in Jiang Ci's heart-not for herself, but for the girl who might already be in danger. Like an icy flood bursting through a dam, it surged from her heart into every limb.
Jiang Ci's fingertips turned ice-cold in an instant, as though her blood had frozen.
But years of dealing with crises forced her mind to keep functioning through the panic.
Her face might have gone white in an instant, but she kept her expression exceptionally calm, almost rigid.
Without a moment's hesitation, she pulled up Lu Xiaoxiao's number and pressed call, her movements swift and steady.
Only a closer look revealed that her knuckles had turned slightly white from gripping the phone too hard.
The long, monotonous "beep... beep..." from the earpiece sounded unusually clear against the noisy backdrop of the set. Each ring was like a heavy hammer striking Jiang Ci's taut nerves.
No answer.
She called again. The same endless ringing continued until the call disconnected automatically.
No answer.
Like a final verdict, this unleashed the panic she had been fighting to suppress.
Lu Xiaoxiao wasn't the sort to ignore calls, nor did she habitually silence her phone. Even if she had fallen asleep, those two calls should have woken her. If she still wasn't answering, there was only one possibility: something had happened that left her unable to pick up!
The moment Jiang Ci reached that conclusion, she shot up from her chair.
The abrupt movement sent the chair scraping softly across the floor.
She didn't even have time to hide the sudden pallor of her face or the terror churning in her eyes. Ignoring the startled looks from the other actors and crew members around her, she strode straight toward Lu Shiyan, who was discussing the next camera angle