After this incident, Ying Sitong revoked Xia Yuan's observation rights and added a new clause to the agreement:
Rule Seven: Without the other party's consent, no one may perform strange actions on the other's body or mind, including but not limited to:
[Taking body temperature
Measuring heart rate
Shining a flashlight into the eyes
Drawing blood with a needle
Adding strange substances such as silver, gold, etc., to food.
…]
Ying Sitong listed a long inventory.
This time, Xia Yuan was at fault, so he couldn't say much.
At the same time, Xia Yuan reflected deeply on his actions:
It was indeed too reckless to casually add things to Ying Sitong's food. If he accidentally caused the death of this Blood Clan member, he would also meet his end.
Fortunately, Ying Sitong only suffered from diarrhea.
Therefore, Xia Yuan decided to focus on cellular experiments in the future.
For example, using her hair or skin flakes, among other things.
As long as it wasn't discovered, this method currently did not violate Rule Seven.
However, if Ying Sitong found out, it would likely be added to the seventh clause of the agreement, so he had to be extremely cautious.
…
Aside from being interested in the physiological structure of the Blood Clan, what Xia Yuan truly wanted to understand was—
Why would he also meet his end if Ying Sitong died?
Although Ying Sitong had explained that it was because she saved him with her True Blood, creating a mysterious and intimate internal connection between them, this was merely her side of the story.
There was no concrete scientific basis for it.
If he could uncover the underlying principle, perhaps he could unbind their [Shared Fate of Different Bodies].
That way, he and Ying Sitong could each live their own lives.
…
Additionally, there was another matter that weighed on Xia Yuan's mind—
After recovering from the car accident, Xia Yuan's body underwent some subtle changes.
First, his body fat percentage decreased. His physique wasn't originally great, with at most four-pack abs, but after nearly half a month, he now had an eight-pack.
His body contours were nearly perfect, with muscles sculpted like stone carvings.
His skin was taut, and the veins on the back of his hands were clearly visible.
His appearance had improved by at least two levels compared to before the accident.
Fortunately, his skeletal structure hadn't changed significantly, and his face remained almost the same, so others wouldn't mistake him for a different person.
Not only that, but his physical abilities had also improved, with significant increases in running speed and reaction time.
All these phenomena seemed to confirm what Ying Sitong had said earlier:
Xia Yuan's body contained the blood of the Blood Clan. Although the amount was small, it granted him astonishing recovery abilities and physical changes, making him more agile and powerful.
Blood fused with blood—Xia Yuan had reason to believe this was what connected him to the Blood Clan.
Perhaps by purging the True Blood of the Blood Clan from his body, he could free himself from Ying Sitong.
But how to purge it, and what the consequences would be…
Xia Yuan had no idea.
One thing Xia Yuan was certain of was that, fundamentally, he was still human and had not transformed into a Blood Clan member.
He didn't crave blood, felt no special desire for animal blood or the Blood Packs Ying Sitong brought, and even felt nauseous at the thought of raw blood.
Of course, he didn't mind cooked blood either—duck blood hotpot was one of his favorites—but this was fundamentally different from the nature of the Blood Clan.
Xia Yuan currently lacked all the typical characteristics of a Blood Clan member:
He was not afraid of light and could boldly walk under the sun during the day, striding with an unapologetic swagger.
Of course, too much sun exposure still made him sweat and feel uncomfortably hot—a normal human reaction.
However, whether due to his natural good looks or the influence of the True Blood of the Blood Clan, Xia Yuan never tanned no matter how much he basked in the sun.
Secondly, his daily routine remained normal: energetic during the day and drowsy at night, aligning with human habits.
The difference was that he now required relatively less sleep. With just over five hours of rest, Xia Yuan could stay energetic all day long.
This was likely a good thing for him, as the saved time could be used for studying and self-improvement.
Lastly—
What made him somewhat uneasy was his adverse reaction to silver.
After eating a silver foil ice cream at McDonald's, Xia Yuan suffered from diarrhea for an entire day.
Of course, this could also be because humans naturally cannot digest silver.
But out of caution, he still recorded this observation.
…
Five days after his marriage, Xia Yuan returned to the construction site.
Yunze Film and Television City.
This place was the largest film and television base in the country, with nearly 70% of domestically released movies and TV dramas filmed here.
It also attracted countless young dreamers hoping to strike gold and make a name for themselves.
Xia Yuan himself was a local of Yunze City.
After his parents passed away, his academic performance plummeted, and he later failed to get into a good university.
So, he set his sights on becoming an actor.
Xia Yuan was a newcomer to the stunt industry, and he had a keen interest in filming.
Stunt performers, or "martial artists," mainly refer to professionals engaged in dangerous or physically demanding tasks during film and television production, such as fight scenes, horseback riding, explosions, and more.
This line of work was particularly hazardous, with injuries and beatings being commonplace, and a single misstep could lead to permanent disability.
The upside was that stunt performers earned higher wages and were in high demand, as most film crews needed them.
Whether it was war dramas, historical epics, modern gunfights, or spy thrillers—stunt performers were almost always indispensable.
Because Xia Yuan had a handsome appearance, a tall build, and quick reflexes, he had previously landed some minor roles with lines.
Being an extra was grueling work, and starting from the bottom as an actor was incredibly tough.
Low pay and long hours were the norm.
Dirty, exhausting, and labor-intensive were the defining characteristics of this profession.
Fortunately, he owned a house, so he didn’t have to rent like other background actors, some of whom lived in cramped quarters with a dozen others.
Stunt performers were further divided into two categories: in-house and freelance.
In-house performers typically belonged to established teams, such as the once-famous Four Major Hong Kong Stunt Teams: Lau, Yuen, Hung, and Ching.
Their stunt performers were internally trained through strict apprenticeship processes, and they operated like a collective, with the team leader calling the shots for each production.
The advantage of this system was stability—when the leader had work, the team members had jobs.
The downside was similar—if the leader wasn’t filming, the team members had no work.
This was because the major teams had rules against freelancing elsewhere, much like disciples of a martial arts school being forbidden from training elsewhere.
In recent years, things had eased up slightly, and the rules were no longer as strict, allowing for some collaboration and mobility among the major teams.
However, a team is definitely better than working solo. The entertainment industry itself is made up of various circles, big and small, and directors have to consider all kinds of interpersonal relationships when hiring.
Often, it's not about how talented you are—it's about which circle you belong to.
The mainland's circles are even more numerous and complicated, from top to bottom.
Xia Yuan also has his own small circle, called the Lu Family Troupe.
"Sister Lu, got any work for me lately?"
The head of the Lu Family Troupe is Lu Xinyan, a woman in her early thirties with striking looks and good connections, mainly responsible for finding jobs for the guys.
Lu Xinyan sat in the tea house set, munching on the prop team's sunflower seeds while glancing up at Xia Yuan.
Her eyes widened slightly—
Has this guy gotten even more handsome?
"Aren't you newly married? Shouldn't you be at home being all lovey-dovey? Why are you back to work so early?"
There was a hint of bitterness in Lu Xinyan's tone. She had looked out for Xia Yuan before, partly because she had a bit of a soft spot for him.
Xia Yuan had been in a car accident and then took nearly half a month off for his wedding.
When she first heard he was getting married, Lu Xinyan's immediate thought was—
Is this guy out of his mind?
Getting married is like burying an actor's career, unless this kid plans to be a stuntman for life.
"Sis, you know how it is in this line of work—if you're gone for two days, the roles are gone," Xia Yuan said with a worried expression. "I've got a family to support now, don't I?"
"Glad you finally realized that?"
Lu Xinyan shot him a glare.
"You've barely shown your face, and now you're a married man. Who'd dare hire you?"
…