147: Character design, huh?

"Green tea" tactics were one of Shi Zhujie's usual methods.

Chen Mu was an honest man and had fallen for his tricks many times because of this. That psycho Song Yuan acted like he'd never seen anything good before, falling for it every single time. Whenever Shi Zhujie said something, he'd turn around and cause trouble for Chen Mu.

But when up against Shen Lian, anyone would have to sigh and say, 'There's always a bigger fish.'

Satisfied to see Director Zhao tear into Shi Zhujie both openly and secretly, to the point where the man couldn't take it and stormed off to the dressing room with his assistant in a rage, Shen Lian felt thoroughly refreshed.

"Impressive, Teacher Shen," Liu Tang whispered in admiration.

Shen Lian replied, "Standard procedure, don't be too impressed."

Shi Zhujie didn't have many scenes; he was only staying with the crew because he wanted to act big. If he dared to say he was quitting, Director Zhao wouldn't just refuse to be threatened, he'd send him packing at light speed. After all, the investment contract with Luminous had already been signed. If Shi Zhujie chose to leave on his own, it couldn't be blamed on him, and it wouldn't be impossible to find a more suitable actor later.

So under these circumstances, Shi Zhujie could only sulk privately.

After a whole day of filming, it wasn't until dinner time that Shi Zhujie finally emerged with red eyes.

Finished complaining to Song Yuan? Shen Lian thought to himself.

"Give me that piece of lean meat," Liu Tang said, sitting next to Shen Lian and looking at it longingly.

Shen Lian handed the lunch box to her.

Liu Tang happily picked up a few pieces and stuffed her mouth full, saying indistinctly, "I was on the Pretty Sisters variety show a while back. You have no idea how much my Agent skimped on my meals."

Hearing this, Shen Lian gave her all the remaining lean meat without a second word.

Liu Tang was deeply moved. "Shen Lian, with the way you charm people without even trying, your love luck must be incredibly strong."

"Don't say that. If you weren't my friend, do you think you could pick meat out of my bowl?" Shen Lian followed up, "Besides, I'm already taken."

"I get it," Liu Tang said, her face beaming. "It's just a persona."

"I really am!"

"I know, I know~"

Liu Tang didn't believe him at all. Previously, when there was such a big fuss with Jiang Nong, Shen Lian's studio had debunked the rumors at lightning speed. Even at the risk of being torn apart by Jiang Nong's fans, they absolutely refused to admit the two had any relationship. This showed how much he valued his reputation. Besides, in this circle, if someone was really with someone else, how could there be no word of it?

Worried Shen Lian might misunderstand, Liu Tang added, "Don't worry, even though you're great, you're not my type. I like the 'older uncle' type."

Shen Lian: "..."

The leads started first, while some unimportant supporting roles could just report to the set when the time was right. Shen Lian was very busy for the next week. Costume dramas aren't like modern ones; putting on makeup takes a long time. For several nights, Shen Lian slept carefully while wearing his headpiece, which was inevitably uncomfortable, but for the sake of filming itself, it was considered a minor hardship.

It was just hard on Chu Yilan. They had agreed to video call, but every time it ended hurriedly after just two minutes.

It was always Chu Yilan who took the initiative to hang up.

There was no other way; seeing Shen Lian's red eyes and his relaxed but exhausted expression, Chu Yilan just wanted him to get more sleep.

Early one morning, after Shen Lian finished washing up, he headed straight for the makeup room. Just as he was about to head out, he nearly collided head-on with someone.

The other person was also startled and let out a small cry.

Shen Lian's "sorry" had just left his mouth when he saw clearly who it was.

It was Chen Yan, Ming Lin's little girlfriend.

Multiple collaborations between actors aren't rare, but for some reason, as soon as the Ming Family was involved, Shen Lian instinctively felt uncomfortable.

It seemed that Chen Yan's appearance here was no coincidence.

"Teacher Shen," Chen Yan greeted softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Shen Lian remained composed. "Mm, how many days are you filming for this time?"

"About three days," Chen Yan replied.

Shen Lian stepped aside. "I'm finished, go ahead."

"Thank you, Teacher Shen."

The last time they met, Chen Yan had called him "Shen Lian" repeatedly, but now this "Teacher Shen" made Shen Lian feel uneasy.

There were two fight scenes this morning. Normally, they would have been easy for Shen Lian, but since getting on the wire work, he had been struggling to maintain his balance.

Seeing a thin layer of sweat on his face, Director Zhao couldn't help but worry, "Do you have a cold?"

"No," Shen Lian shook his head. "It's my fault, I'll try to find the feeling again."

Director Zhao said, "Alright, you do that."

By the time he exerted himself to finish these two segments, Shen Lian's back was somewhat damp.

He sat on a chair drinking warm water. At first, he didn't feel anything was wrong and even chatted with Liu Tang for a bit, giving her some pointers on her upcoming performance. However, after Liu Tang left and Shen Lian went to put down his cup, an unsettling sense of numbness radiated from his heart.

Shen Lian didn't dare move for a second.

After a moment's pause, he set the water cup down properly, sat upright for a few seconds, and then tried to stand up.

As expected, a sharp pain suddenly exploded. Within moments, it transformed into a dull ache that hammered at his eardrums and created a long ringing sound. The tips of Shen Lian's fingers resting on the armrest went numb, and his vision even blurred for a moment.

It can't happen here, Shen Lian thought.

He remembered Ning Sixian's instructions and kept taking deep breaths until the paralysis sweeping through his body gradually receded.

Shen Lian tried again, gently leaning back once more, and with one final effort, he finally managed to stand up from the chair.

Without hesitation, Shen Lian returned to his dressing room.

Medicine was kept in both his suitcase and his coat, all of it unopened. Chu Yilan was somewhat "paranoid" in this regard. Perhaps because he had encountered many traps before, he was always worried that someone would notice Shen Lian's condition and tamper with his medication. So generally, whenever they moved to a new environment, the medicine bottles were also replaced.

Shen Lian tore open the seal, poured out two pills, and chewed them before swallowing.

The medicine worked quickly. Three minutes later, the heavy stone pressing on his chest was gradually moved aside.

Only then did Shen Lian lean against the wall and take several deep gulps of fresh air.

Why were there signs of an episode? Was it because he was too busy?

No, Shen Lian had a relatively accurate judgment of his own body. If it really reached that point, he wouldn't need anyone to tell him to stop; he wouldn't try to be a hero.

Shen Lian's mind was in a mess, and this confusion had started from a certain point in time. Shen Lian closed his eyes slightly, tracing back through his thoughts until they finally settled on Chen Yan's face.

What did Ming Lin want to do?

He finally caught that ethereal thread floating in the air that held the correct answer.

The rest of the day was fairly stable. Since Shen Lian wasn't feeling well and the main focus was on Liu Tang's segment, he went back to his dressing room to sleep with a clear conscience.

After clearing his head, Shen Lian wasn't afraid of Chen Yan; he was just wondering how to tell Chu Yilan.

He could hide it, but he was unwilling to. They had agreed to be honest with each other. Besides, during dinner, not only Liu Tang and Director Zhao but several others had said his face looked pale and unwell.

With it being so obvious, Chu Yilan would spot it at a glance.

Just as he thought of this, his phone vibrated. A message came from Chu Yilan: [Are you finished yet?]

Shen Lian's lips curled into a faint smile, and he directly made a video call.

Whatever, he'd coax him first and deal with the rest later if he had to.

As soon as the video connected, Chu Yilan saw Shen Lian lying on his side in bed, a lazy smile in the one eye that was visible.

"Shen Lian," Chu Yilan paused and said, "Sit up straight so I can see you."

See, see? Shen Lian knew it.