“What, are you dissatisfied with my decision to have you withdraw?”
The phrase “share intimate moments” brushed past Lin Shen’s ears, sending ripples through his heart.
For several seconds, he remained unresponsive, his gaze drifting, even more unwilling to meet Lu Jing’s eyes.
Time ticked by, the heat on Lin Shen’s face not only refusing to fade but growing increasingly intense.
After a long while, Lin Shen finally spoke slowly. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Lu Jing’s gaze settled on his face. “It’s not yet time to announce the roles. The script might also undergo adjustments later. Although I work alongside the director handling directorial tasks, some matters still require following the director’s instructions.”
Director Jiang indeed disliked announcing uncertain details prematurely, especially regarding character-related information.
Lin Shen still felt somewhat dazed. Recalling Lu Jing’s words after their last shoot and his own reaction, he grumbled, “Then why did you say you’d control your emotions next time I film such scenes and not act unusually in front of others?”
Lu Jing let out a soft, muffled laugh, his amusement reaching his eyes. “Well, since the first scene I film with you is one testing endurance, even I might struggle to hold back.”
Lin Shen felt he was about to lose his composure right then…
Yet Lu Jing continued to provoke him. “So, Lin Shen, to perform our work well, we must start practicing properly from now on.”
After a brief pause, Lu Jing propped a hand on his bent knee, his thumb gently stroking the lip that had been touched not long ago. “That earlier accident was quite good—helpful for cultivating a sense for the scenes and greatly beneficial during filming.”
Lin Shen was almost unable to tell whether Lu Jing was discussing work or feelings with him.
“Mhm…”
“The script for that scene has been revised back and forth, and it still hasn’t been finalized. The director and screenwriter are still discussing how far is appropriate.”
Lin Shen looked up, finally meeting Lu Jing’s gaze. “…Are they making it more explicit or toning it down?”
Lu Jing curved his lips. “That’s not something I can find out.”
“Oh…”
“Let’s set this aside for now,” Lu Jing said, having teased Lin Shen enough and finally remembering to get down to business. “Go and repost my Weibo to clarify things first.”
Ten minutes later, Lin Shen reposted Lu Jing’s Weibo with the caption:
Thank you, Film Emperor Lu, for your recognition. I will continue to work hard in the future!
As soon as the Weibo was posted, many fans who had been waiting for Lin Shen to respond flooded the comments section.
[Refuse rumors, support Lin Shen!]
[Anyone who can follow and be followed by my husband must be decent. Following now!]
[Lin Shen, don’t let this incident affect you. Don’t fall into the trap of those with ulterior motives. Your acting skills are evident to everyone, and you’ll definitely become popular in the future!]
Occasionally, there were a few mocking comments, but they were quickly rebutted by Lin Shen’s supporters, who told the haters to focus more on the work. When the work comes out, it will be clear whether Lin Shen’s acting is poor or if someone deliberately tried to smear him.
Not long after Lin Shen’s repost, Director Jiang also shared Lu Jing’s Weibo, adding the caption, “Lin Shen is a rare and excellent actor.”
More and more people spoke up for Lin Shen, and the previous situation where negative news about him had dominated was no longer the case.
This matter was now considered resolved. The hashtag #Lu Jing and Lin Shen Follow Each Other# remained on Weibo’s trending list for a long time. Many people got to know Lin Shen through Lu Jing, and after catching up on the dramas he had acted in, they went from being casual observers to fans, expressing their intention to support him from now on.
Lin Shen’s filming schedule in the crew was not affected by this turmoil in any way. He still followed the same routine every day, shuttling between the set and the hotel.
A few days passed like this, and then there was a sudden change among the actors in the crew.
Xiao Xu’s sense of smell had become increasingly sharp lately, and he was always at the forefront of gathering various bits of gossip.
That day, as soon as he caught wind of some movement in the group chat, he hurried over to tell Lin Shen, “Brother, Wang Yilin is going to withdraw from the filming!”
Lin Shen was resting with his eyes closed at the time. Upon hearing this, he opened his eyes and asked, “Why is he withdrawing?”
Xiao Xu kept his eyes on the screen. “They say it’s Film Emperor Lu’s decision.”
This made Lin Shen even more puzzled. “Lu Jing?”
Xiao Xu scrolled through the screen, likely checking the chat history.
After a moment, Xiao Xu stopped scrolling and said, “Brother, it’s because of you!”
Lin Shen was full of question marks. “What?”
Xiao Xu looked at the chat history, momentarily surprised as well. “Remember that video of you NG-ing too many times that went viral and got you heavily criticized? Guess what? That video was filmed and leaked by Wang Yilin!”
“He filmed it?” Lin Shen only knew that Wang Yilin harbored deep resentment toward him, but he hadn’t expected it to go this far.
“Yeah, it was him. After Film Emperor Lu found out, he directly told Director Jiang and suggested that Wang Yilin be removed from the drama. Director Jiang was furious when he heard about what Wang Yilin had done and immediately agreed to Film Emperor Lu’s suggestion. I heard they’re already looking for a new actor.”
“But hasn’t Wang Yilin almost finished filming his scenes?”
“So what? His scenes weren’t many to begin with. Finding someone else to reshoot won’t take much time.”
“That makes sense.” A smile bloomed on Lin Shen’s face, which was slightly weary from filming night scenes, and his mood brightened. “So he’ll be leaving the crew soon?”
Xiao Xu was also happy: “Yeah, he’s probably packing his luggage right now.”
Gossip spreads quickly. By the time the night shoot wrapped up, almost everyone in the crew had heard that Wang Yilin was being forced to withdraw from filming after Lu Jing discovered he had intentionally leaked the crew’s undisclosed information and spread false rumors.
Even before this incident, Wang Yilin had been unpopular. Whether dealing with ordinary actors or crew members, he carried an inexplicable air of confidence and arrogance. Yet when interacting with the director or well-known actors, he would practically wag his tail and fawn over them, looking no different from a begging dog.
Many had disliked him for quite some time, so seeing him fall to this state was immensely satisfying.
Additionally, Lin Shen’s image in everyone’s eyes had changed significantly.
Previously, Lin Shen had flown under the radar due to his low profile. But ever since Lu Jing posted on Weibo to clear Lin Shen’s name and actively followed him, it was inevitable that Lin Shen could no longer avoid attention, no matter how low-key he tried to be.
Many in the crew knew that Wang Yilin disliked Lin Shen the most and had given him the hardest time.
Now that Lu Jing had personally stepped forward to support Lin Shen, it was undoubtedly a silent warning.
Because of this series of events, even the least perceptive could see that Lin Shen was someone Lu Jing valued and not to be trifled with.
Tonight’s shoot lasted until 3 a.m. On the way back to the hotel, the bright moonlight slanted down, casting long shadows on the ground.
Yawning, Xiao Xu checked the group chat: “Director Jiang says tomorrow’s shoot is postponed to 9 a.m. We can sleep in a little.”
Lin Shen also showed signs of fatigue. He nodded: “Then let’s leave at 8:30 tomorrow.”
Xiao Xu was so tired he could barely see the road, his legs moving forward on instinct: “Okay.”
Just as they were about to reach the hotel entrance, someone suddenly called Lin Shen’s name.
The voice was soft, and Lin Shen thought it might be an auditory hallucination from exhaustion: “Xiao Xu, did you hear someone call me?”
Xiao Xu shook his head blankly: “No.”
“Oh,” Lin Shen continued walking. “Must have misheard.”
After a few steps, another “Lin Shen” drifted through the air. This time, the voice was louder than before. Not only was Lin Shen certain he had heard it, but he also recognized who was calling him.
Stopping in his tracks, Lin Shen turned sideways toward the source of the voice. “Wang Yilin, do you need something from me?”
At this hour, there was almost no one around. Under the moonlight, Lin Shen could make out a faint shadow lurking in the darkness.
The figure remained motionless. “Lin Shen, I’m leaving tomorrow. You must be thrilled, right?”
Lin Shen frowned. “If you have something to say, say it directly. I don’t have time to waste on nonsense with you.”
“Nonsense?” Wang Yilin let out a cold laugh. “Now that you’ve latched onto Lu Jing, your temper has certainly grown.”
Seeing that nothing of value was coming from his mouth, Lin Shen turned to leave.
“Stop!” Wang Yilin shouted.
Xiao Xu had long despised this man. Previously, forced to keep a low profile and avoid trouble as Lin Shen had instructed, he had always suppressed his anger and endured. But after all the absurd incidents caused by Wang Yilin recently, Xiao Xu had long since lost the patience to hold back.
“You think just because you tell our Brother Shen to stop, he has to stop? Who do you think you are? Just a beaten-down stray dog everyone wants gone. Before you open your mouth, you should take a good look at yourself!”
With that, he grabbed Lin Shen’s arm. “Brother, let’s go. No need to waste time on this stupid, malicious dog.”
They had only taken two steps when a sudden rush of footsteps came from beside them. Lin Shen sensed something was wrong and glanced sideways. A short knife flashed cold and white for an instant under the streetlight.
His pupils dilated sharply, and Lin Shen raised his voice. “Wang Yilin, have you lost your mind!”
Wang Yilin swung the knife, missing his target. “Lost my mind? Of course I have! Shouldn’t I be? With Lu Jing’s influence in the entertainment industry, do you think I’ll ever have a chance to rise again?”
As he spoke, he charged toward Lin Shen again, wildly brandishing the knife.
Xiao Xu kept his eyes on the knife’s movements while shouting at the top of his lungs. “Help! Someone’s attacking people with a knife here! Help!”
At this hour, there weren’t many people around. Even actors who finished work late didn’t return in groups, so shouting for help was futile.
Lin Shen led Xiao Xu toward the hotel entrance, but Wang Yilin had anticipated this. He quickened his pace and blocked their path, leaving them with nowhere to go.
Like a madman who had lost all reason, Wang Yilin swung the knife with swift, vicious strokes, showing no fear of causing a fatality.
In no time, Lin Shen and Xiao Xu were backed into a corner with no escape.
“Wang Yilin, if this knife draws blood today, your fate will be far worse than it is now.” Lin Shen was one step away from hitting the wall, his voice slightly breathless from running.
Wang Yilin finally stopped moving, his gaze malicious as he stared at Lin Shen. “My acting dream is already ruined, and now you talk to me about fate? Isn’t this fate miserable enough?”
Lin Shen’s fingers brushed against the cold wall. In the darkness, his expression was unreadable.
“It was never anyone else who ruined your dream,” Lin Shen said, keeping an eye on the knife’s position as he raised a hand to shield Xiao Xu. “It was you.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the knife tip plunged downward. Lin Shen grabbed Xiao Xu’s wrist and yanked him forcefully behind him.
Just as the blade was about to graze Lin Shen’s arm, suddenly—
With a sharp crack, the rapidly descending short knife froze mid-air. Wang Yilin’s knife-wielding hand was clamped tightly by another person!
In the blink of an eye, the short knife clattered to the ground. The newcomer lifted a leg and kicked Wang Yilin to the floor.
With a thud as he hit the ground, Wang Yilin gritted his teeth through the pain and shouted, “Who the hell is meddling in my business!”
The short knife was swiftly pinned under Lin Shen’s foot. After ensuring Wang Yilin had no strength left to scramble for it, Lin Shen bent down and quickly picked it up.
“Are you alright?” Lu Jing’s voice carried concern and urgency as his eyes scanned Lin Shen, making sure he was unharmed.
Lin Shen gripped the short knife tightly. “I’m fine, he didn’t hurt me.”
Lu Jing had put all his strength into that kick. Wang Yilin groaned in pain, sucking in a sharp breath as he struggled to get up.
“Who the hell dares…”
His words trailed off abruptly when he saw who it was. His entire body stiffened, and he could barely speak.
After a long, stunned silence, he stammered, “Lu… Lu Jing, what are you doing here?”
Lu Jing’s gaze was cold and stern. “What, are you dissatisfied with my decision to have you step down?”