Ji Jirou was walking straight ahead. On the tree trunks ahead, makeup mirrors of various sizes were inserted upside down.
The flashlight on the ground was shining ahead onto the mirror surfaces, reflecting out at different angles.
But the general direction was the same, aimed at a big tree on the right!
An empty glass bottle with its packaging peeled off was inserted upside down into a tree hollow.
It gathered and refracted the light reflected from the mirrors...
The angles of refraction between the glass and glass were joined, synthesizing the light sources into one point.
Flashlight, mirror surfaces, glass...
Bright! Focused! Scorching hot!
Finally, with all the shaking, it kept flickering unsteadily on Gu Beihuai's face!
His sleeping bag was laid out on the ground, but to ensure the little cub’s safety, his body was in the sleeping bag while his head and shoulders were sleeping against the tree trunk.
That was a half-lying half-sitting posture, directly facing the direction of the little cub!
The reflected and refracted light that was synthesized through deliberate design shone directly at him!
The flickering made Gu Beihuai unable to open his eyes, feeling waves of piercing pain in his eyeballs.
Even with his eyes closed tight, the concentrated light still made him feel the glaring brightness.
Instant blindness!
Fortunately, it was just a flashlight. If it was strong sunlight, such refraction and focusing over a prolonged period could start fires.
He reached out to block it. Where did that light come from?
The focused glaring light stayed lit for a full minute before swaying and starting to move.
But by now, Gu Beihuai’s world had gone pitch black in front of him.
Unable to open his eyes, with eye pain and constant tears, he sighed helplessly and leaned his head back against the tree trunk behind him.
Just then, his ears twitched.
There were footsteps, very soft.
A man, physically fit, familiar with the route.
Just then, a scream rang out in the distance!
“Ah - Ah ah ah!”
The actors in the center of the circle were all woken up.
“What’s going on?”
“Who was that?”
“Ji Jirou is missing!”
“Ji Jirou! Where are you?!”
Ji Jirou, standing up in the distance, cried, “Don’t come over, let me put on some pants first.”
Hua Ying asked: “What happened, Ji Jirou?”
Ji Jirou sobbed: “I got up to pee and saw a huge moth ghost!”
Everyone: “...”
From further away, Sun Hui yelled: “Go back to sleep! Ji Jirou go back to your spot after peeing, hurry!”
Ji Jirou felt guilty but hurried to find her way back.
She had woken everyone after all, damn!
Luckily it was just a moth, not some dangerous snake or bug.
The noisy commotion here masked sounds elsewhere.
No one noticed that Tan Shen was not asleep!
He and Ji Jirou got up one after the other. Ji Jirou headed south, while Tan Shen walked towards Gu Beihuai.
When Ji Jirou screamed, Tan Shen quickened his pace.
In a flash he arrived at Gu Beihuai’s side!
His eyes brimmed with excitement - no one would find out.
Ideal timing, ideal location, ideal co-operation - the perfect crime.
Actors carrying makeup mirrors was too normal. He brought a few extras which came in handy now!
After all, he was a two-time Best Actor!
Yet he had to play a supporting role to a newcomer, not even the male lead.
A two-time Best Actor playing second male lead?
Ridiculous!
And Gu Beihuai was just a musician.
Stick to singing your songs and writing your tunes. Why steal his place in the acting world!
Tan Shen was discontented, even resentful.
Trembling Starry Sky was unprecedented in scale with state-of-the-art technology and meticulous casting. It would sweep the awards!
Tan Shen already had two Best Actor awards. Just one more, just one more!
That last gold, Best Actor, he had it in the bag!
As for Nan Xiangwan and Gu Beihuai...
Either make it so Nan Xiangwan couldn’t continue filming, forcing Gu Beihuai to leave with her.
Or directly make Gu Beihuai unable to participate in the shoot!
These days, Tan Shen had been observing them very closely, and in great detail.
Gu Beihuai liked Nan Xiangwan!
Not ordinary liking, but genuine affection.
All sorts of details made it glaringly obvious. As Tan Shen explored through various incidents, he also looked for weaknesses in them.
Nan Xiangwan’s flaw was obvious - obsessed and stubborn - yet hard to exploit.
Gu Beihuai’s problems were harder to find. Who knew his sudden hospital visit would expose his eye condition!
Tan Shen guessed Gu Beihuai’s eyes were previously injured, not mere nearsightedness.
He tested many times, observed for a long time, and finally discovered the crux - Gu Beihuai's eyes couldn't take bright light!
Also, his vision was weak at night!
As for Ji Jirou...
Haha!
She really was the perfect pawn!
So easily lured, even screaming from a moth?
It made Tan Shen want to laugh. Her loud scream gave him perfect cover!
Why didn’t she encounter snakes or beasts?
Best if it drew everyone away...
Thinking this, his fist swung towards Gu Beihuai’s tightly shut eyes!
Go blind!
Sensing the movement, Gu Beihuai tensed nervously, but didn’t move. His body was ready to react anytime though.
While he truly couldn’t open his eyes right now, his other senses weren’t weak at all!
This man was ruthless and vicious, acting without warning.
Gu Beihuai’s right arm was taut as he kept identifying the direction and sounds with his ears, about to swing a counter punch any second.
Suddenly!
Bang!
A loud thud.
Someone landed from the sky, foot stamping Tan Shen’s back.
Thump -
Tan Shen slammed face down into the mud!
The foot pressed him into the ground, even shifting to squash his head deeper into the hole.
No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t get up!
Gu Beihuai’s tense body instantly relaxed.
Though his eyes still wouldn’t open, he knew it was his little cub.
Nan Xiangwan waved her hand before Gu Beihuai. “What happened to your eyes?”
Gu Beihuai: “Are you...concerned about me?”
His heart skipped a beat saying that!
Tan Shen: “Mmmph! Mmm—!”
He was nearly suffocating! And you two are flirting?
Now Tan Shen knew he was done for, but at least he hadn't struck out. He hadn't laid a hand on them.
He could argue that he got lost while going to pee!
In a flash, Tan Shen’s mind raced with backup plans and escape routes.
Yet neither Gu Beihuai nor Nan Xiangwan bothered with the man on the ground.
Gu Beihuai was smiling. In the darkness, his eyes slowly opened though he still couldn’t see - the black night seemed darker than ever.
But the girl before him was like a warm, gentle ray of light.
Nan Xiangwan was puzzled by his stare. Can you see or can't you?
You open your eyes only to creep me out!
Thinking this, she unhesitatingly covered Gu Beihuai’s eyes with her hand.
Her palm grew damp.
Nan Xiangwan blurted: “Don’t cry! I’ll protect you!”
Gu Beihuai: “......”
He wasn't crying!
That was involuntary tears from the eye pain.
Ji Jirou was walking straight ahead. On the tree trunks ahead, makeup mirrors of various sizes were inserted upside down.
The flashlight on the ground was shining ahead onto the mirror surfaces, reflecting out at different angles.
But the general direction was the same, aimed at a big tree on the right!
An empty glass bottle with its packaging peeled off was inserted upside down into a tree hollow.
It gathered and refracted the light reflected from the mirrors...
The angles of refraction between the glass and glass were joined, synthesizing the light sources into one point.
Flashlight, mirror surfaces, glass...
Bright! Focused! Scorching hot!
Finally, with all the shaking, it kept flickering unsteadily on Gu Beihuai's face!
His sleeping bag was laid out on the ground, but to ensure the little cub’s safety, his body was in the sleeping bag while his head and shoulders were sleeping against the tree trunk.
That was a half-lying half-sitting posture, directly facing the direction of the little cub!
The reflected and refracted light that was synthesized through deliberate design shone directly at him!
The flickering made Gu Beihuai unable to open his eyes, feeling waves of piercing pain in his eyeballs.
Even with his eyes closed tight, the concentrated light still made him feel the glaring brightness.
Instant blindness!
Fortunately, it was just a flashlight. If it was strong sunlight, such refraction and focusing over a prolonged period could start fires.
He reached out to block it. Where did that light come from?
The focused glaring light stayed lit for a full minute before swaying and starting to move.
But by now, Gu Beihuai’s world had gone pitch black in front of him.
Unable to open his eyes, with eye pain and constant tears, he sighed helplessly and leaned his head back against the tree trunk behind him.
Just then, his ears twitched.
There were footsteps, very soft.
A man, physically fit, familiar with the route.
Just then, a scream rang out in the distance!
“Ah - Ah ah ah!”
The actors in the center of the circle were all woken up.
“What’s going on?”
“Who was that?”
“Ji Jirou is missing!”
“Ji Jirou! Where are you?!”
Ji Jirou, standing up in the distance, cried, “Don’t come over, let me put on some pants first.”
Hua Ying asked: “What happened, Ji Jirou?”
Ji Jirou sobbed: “I got up to pee and saw a huge moth ghost!”
Everyone: “...”
From further away, Sun Hui yelled: “Go back to sleep! Ji Jirou go back to your spot after peeing, hurry!”
Ji Jirou felt guilty but hurried to find her way back.
She had woken everyone after all, damn!
Luckily it was just a moth, not some dangerous snake or bug.
The noisy commotion here masked sounds elsewhere.
No one noticed that Tan Shen was not asleep!
He and Ji Jirou got up one after the other. Ji Jirou headed south, while Tan Shen walked towards Gu Beihuai.
When Ji Jirou screamed, Tan Shen quickened his pace.
In a flash he arrived at Gu Beihuai’s side!
His eyes brimmed with excitement - no one would find out.
Ideal timing, ideal location, ideal co-operation - the perfect crime.
Actors carrying makeup mirrors was too normal. He brought a few extras which came in handy now!
After all, he was a two-time Best Actor!
Yet he had to play a supporting role to a newcomer, not even the male lead.
A two-time Best Actor playing second male lead?
Ridiculous!
And Gu Beihuai was just a musician.
Stick to singing your songs and writing your tunes. Why steal his place in the acting world!
Tan Shen was discontented, even resentful.
Trembling Starry Sky was unprecedented in scale with state-of-the-art technology and meticulous casting. It would sweep the awards!
Tan Shen already had two Best Actor awards. Just one more, just one more!
That last gold, Best Actor, he had it in the bag!
As for Nan Xiangwan and Gu Beihuai...
Either make it so Nan Xiangwan couldn’t continue filming, forcing Gu Beihuai to leave with her.
Or directly make Gu Beihuai unable to participate in the shoot!
These days, Tan Shen had been observing them very closely, and in great detail.
Gu Beihuai liked Nan Xiangwan!
Not ordinary liking, but genuine affection.
All sorts of details made it glaringly obvious. As Tan Shen explored through various incidents, he also looked for weaknesses in them.
Nan Xiangwan’s flaw was obvious - obsessed and stubborn - yet hard to exploit.
Gu Beihuai’s problems were harder to find. Who knew his sudden hospital visit would expose his eye condition!
Tan Shen guessed Gu Beihuai’s eyes were previously injured, not mere nearsightedness.
He tested many times, observed for a long time, and finally discovered the crux - Gu Beihuai's eyes couldn't take bright light!
Also, his vision was weak at night!
As for Ji Jirou...
Haha!
She really was the perfect pawn!
So easily lured, even screaming from a moth?
It made Tan Shen want to laugh. Her loud scream gave him perfect cover!
Why didn’t she encounter snakes or beasts?
Best if it drew everyone away...
Thinking this, his fist swung towards Gu Beihuai’s tightly shut eyes!
Go blind!
Sensing the movement, Gu Beihuai tensed nervously, but didn’t move. His body was ready to react anytime though.
While he truly couldn’t open his eyes right now, his other senses weren’t weak at all!
This man was ruthless and vicious, acting without warning.
Gu Beihuai’s right arm was taut as he kept identifying the direction and sounds with his ears, about to swing a counter punch any second.
Suddenly!
Bang!
A loud thud.
Someone landed from the sky, foot stamping Tan Shen’s back.
Thump -
Tan Shen slammed face down into the mud!
The foot pressed him into the ground, even shifting to squash his head deeper into the hole.
No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t get up!
Gu Beihuai’s tense body instantly relaxed.
Though his eyes still wouldn’t open, he knew it was his little cub.
Nan Xiangwan waved her hand before Gu Beihuai. “What happened to your eyes?”
Gu Beihuai: “Are you...concerned about me?”
His heart skipped a beat saying that!
Tan Shen: “Mmmph! Mmm—!”
He was nearly suffocating! And you two are flirting?
Now Tan Shen knew he was done for, but at least he hadn't struck out. He hadn't laid a hand on them.
He could argue that he got lost while going to pee!
In a flash, Tan Shen’s mind raced with backup plans and escape routes.
Yet neither Gu Beihuai nor Nan Xiangwan bothered with the man on the ground.
Gu Beihuai was smiling. In the darkness, his eyes slowly opened though he still couldn’t see - the black night seemed darker than ever.
But the girl before him was like a warm, gentle ray of light.
Nan Xiangwan was puzzled by his stare. Can you see or can't you?
You open your eyes only to creep me out!
Thinking this, she unhesitatingly covered Gu Beihuai’s eyes with her hand.
Her palm grew damp.
Nan Xiangwan blurted: “Don’t cry! I’ll protect you!”
Gu Beihuai: “......”
He wasn't crying!
That was involuntary tears from the eye pain.
