Jiang Chiyan looked away.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yu Ci pull Liao Xian aside to talk.
At this distance, they probably couldn't hear him talking to Xiao Cheng.
So Jiang Chiyan deliberately teased Xiao Cheng.
"Great Best Actor Xiao... do you like how I look in a lawyer's robe?"
Xiao Cheng's face instantly burned red.
"Don't, don't do that."
"Do what?" Jiang Chiyan played dumb.
But inwardly, he just wanted to wait until no one else was around.
And tie up Xiao Cheng's wrists...
His overly eager gaze was a little too much for Xiao Cheng to take.
Only after a long while did he squeeze out in a muffled voice, "Don't call me Great Best Actor Xiao."
Plenty of fans had called him that.
Xiao Cheng had simply listened, without feeling embarrassed.
But coming from Jiang Chiyan, it sounded so lustful, so seductive.
Jiang Chiyan looked at Xiao Cheng, his gaze traveling down from his collarbone.
Jiang Chiyan's eyes burned, his prominent Adam's apple bobbed hard, and the moment his lips moved, Xiao Cheng covered his mouth.
Blushing, Xiao Cheng threatened without much force, "Shut up."
Jiang Chiyan blinked, then suddenly pressed his lips to Xiao Cheng's palm and kissed it.
As though he had been burned, Xiao Cheng instantly snatched his hand away.
Jiang Chiyan just loved seeing Xiao Cheng blush.
Shy, and adorably clueless.
His lips moved, and he was just about to tease him some more, but...
Crash-
The sharp sound of a cup smashing rang out in the room.
Not far away, Yu Ci had smashed something and was glaring at Liao Xian. "Director Liao, your favoritism is way too obvious!!"
Liao Xian, who usually wore a cheerful smile, darkened his expression too.
He was a respected veteran in the industry; even a top star like Xiao Cheng had to politely address him as "Teacher Liao" or "Director Liao."
As for...
Second-tier actors like Yu Ci were a dime a dozen in the industry.
And he dared put on airs and act like a big shot in front of him??
Liao Xian said coldly, "Say that again."
Yu Ci stiffened his neck, his face flushed red. "The role I auditioned for was Ji Zhanbei, the male lead in 'Lawyer Storm.' Besides, Ji Zhanbei is easier to play than the villain Zheng Shen in the first place. Xiao Cheng only beat me... because he got lucky."
"Pfft-"
Beside them, Jiang Chiyan couldn't hold back a derisive laugh.
The mocking laugh made Yu Ci's expression turn cold, and he shot a fierce glare over.
Jiang Chiyan slowly rose, then spoke just as slowly. "Sorry, what you said was a bit ridiculous. I couldn't help it."
"Xiao Cheng beat you because he's better."
"If you beat Xiao Cheng, that would be luck."
"But Mr. Yu's luck... might not be very good."
After that lecher Jiang Chiyan finished his retort, Yu Ci's face turned red.
It was from pent-up frustration.
He stared furiously at Xiao Cheng and Jiang Chiyan, his eyes full of venom.
Xiao Cheng looked at Liao Xian, neither servile nor overbearing. "Director Liao, since Yu Ci says so, let's run the scene again. He'll play Ji Zhanbei, and I'll play the villain Zheng Shen."
"All right." Liao Xian took a sip of hot tea and called for them to begin again.
Yu Ci stepped forward and grabbed Xiao Cheng by the collar.
He had no line here and could only rely on his eyes and expression.
Yu Ci wanted to overpower Xiao Cheng, so he pushed his expression until it became a little distorted.
Xiao Cheng kept his head lowered and didn't move.
Only after five or six seconds did he slowly raise his head.
That look was crazed, extreme, obsessively unhinged, and chilling.
Xiao Cheng's voice was low and hoarse. "Why did you bring me to the rooftop?"
An intense air of a cultured scoundrel swept over them.
The moment he spoke, Xiao Cheng had already won.
Yu Ci's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He took a deep breath and began reciting his lines stiffly, word by word.
"Why? A woman in her twenties was driven by you to slit her wrists three times and take sleeping pills twice. Take a good look at the evil you've done, the crimes you've committed!"
Beside them, Jiang Chiyan offered a rather earnest critique. "If Mr. Yu entered a kindergarten speech contest, he should be able to win a consolation prize."
Liao Xian: "..."
Jiang Chiyan wore a rather innocent expression. "At least... his delivery has the youthful energy of a child's voice."
Liao Xian turned his head and said to Jiang Chiyan, "It's quite an achievement that you've lived this long without being cursed to death."
"Thank you." Jiang Chiyan was very gentlemanly. "I won every case against the people I sued for viciously insulting me."
While the two were chatting, Xiao Cheng and Yu Ci finished their performance too.
This time, Yu Ci didn't dare make a fuss.
He hurried outside, even forgetting to put on his jacket.
As soon as he pushed open the door, Yu Ci froze.
Two police officers stood outside.
An officer looked at Yu Ci, then at the photo on Baidu Encyclopedia on his phone.
"That's him!!"
One officer restrained Yu Ci while the other pulled out handcuffs and cuffed him immediately.
"What right do you have to arrest me?" Yu Ci struggled desperately.
"Mr. Yu Ci, you are suspected of murdering Mr. Xiao Cheng. This is the criminal detention warrant."
"Take him away!!"
Not long after Yu Ci was taken away, Jiang Chiyan went out too.
Xiao Cheng still had a magazine cover to shoot.
Jiang Chiyan didn't disturb him and went to the hospital.
The cuts on Xiao Cheng's hand from the glass needed medication.
By the time he came out with the prescribed medication, half an hour had passed.
As luck would have it, the hospital elevator was under repair.
Jiang Chiyan lifted his eyes and glanced at the floor number.
Fourth floor.
Not high.
He strode on his long legs into the somewhat dusty stairwell, where the dust was choking.
He had only gone down a few steps when the lights in the stairwell suddenly went out.
The entire stairwell plunged into an eerie, sinister darkness.