Chapter 142: Volume 1_Chapter 142 The Movie Emperor Who Turned Into a Cat (9)

Volume 1_Chapter 142 The Movie Emperor Who Turned Into a Cat (9)

After parting with Xu Qian, Jiang Zhi returned to her residence, as expected, Heitan jumped onto the wardrobe again and sulked, unwilling to pay her any attention.

Jiang Zhi placed the food bowl beside the wardrobe, not caring whether it would eat, and sat on the chair to focus on the script.

After two hours, when it was time to meet Chen Shuo as agreed, she changed into ordinary clothes, put on a hat, took a mask and wore it, stood at the door, and leisurely said to it, 'I'm going out.'

Getting no response, she continued, 'Because of you, I have to treat the person you scratched to a meal; since you won't go, I'll go alone.'

No sooner had she spoken.

A black shadow flashed from the wardrobe, swiftly climbing onto her body and slipping into her pocket without making a sound.

Jiang Zhi chuckled lightly and left her residence.

The biggest market was far away, so she simply chose a nearby restaurant that wasn't outrageously expensive, but still made her bleed heavily.

After waiting a while, she saw Chen Shuo come alone, without even his agent, wearing a black windbreaker, no hat, only a mask.

Compared to him, Jiang Zhi looked as obvious as trying to hide three hundred taels of silver, bundled up tightly like a spy, looking left and right, extra cautious.

Chen Shuo looked at her outfit, smiled, and greeted, 'Have you been waiting long?'

Jiang Zhi checked the surroundings for any paparazzi, then relaxed, shook her head and said, 'No, I just arrived too; let's go in and eat.'

Chen Shuo thought for a moment: 'This is a film and television base; paparazzi can't get in.'

After all, it's also a tourist spot; if paparazzi could come and go freely, filming here would be impossible.

Jiang Zhi's eyes lit up: 'Ah, I see.'

Then she felt relieved.

Mainly because Chen Shuo is too popular; if they ended up on the hot search together, she feared fans would tear her apart.

They opened a private room and finished ordering.

Chen Shuo saw the black cat in her pocket and curiously asked, 'What's its name?'

Jiang Zhi: 'Heitan.'

Chen Shuo's expression softened into a smile as he said, 'You chose a fitting name.'

Speaking, his voice paused slightly: 'Do you bring it everywhere?'

Jiang Zhi nodded, 'Yeah, it suffered a serious injury not long ago; besides me, no one else can take care of it.'

Feeling Heitan move in her pocket, the cat's ears poked out, its round pupils gradually narrowing, looking fierce and menacing as it stared toward Chen Shuo and threateningly ground its teeth.

Chen Shuo didn't understand why it felt such strong hostility toward him, resignedly withdrawing his gaze: 'Looks like it doesn't like me.'

Hearing this, Jiang Zhi looked toward her pocket; Heitan was staring at the napkin, looking completely harmless.

'It probably won't, its temperament is just like that; it's fierce even with me.'

Seeing the black cat's transformation, Chen Shuo was astonished; he never expected a cat to have two faces.

Jiang Zhi finished this meal quickly, her mind on the script, eager to go home and check it.

Chen Shuo noticed her thought, finished eating and stood up: 'Let's go.'

Jiang Zhi paid in advance, a total of 3260, feeling the pinch as she tightened her grip on her pocket.

So expensive.

The prices here are really high.

'Then I'll head back first.' She rubbed her hands against the cold wind, exhaling white mist.

The night temperature dropped sharply, gusts of wind poured into her neck, freezing her.

Before she could react, Chen Shuo draped his windbreaker over her.

'My place is not far from here; wear it back.'

Without waiting for her refusal, he left early.

Left standing there, Jiang Zhi smelled the unfamiliar scent of the cotton coat, looked up at Chen Shuo's disappearing back in the night, and the cat's cry from her pocket interrupted her thoughts.

Heitan went berserk in her pocket, as if trying to tear it apart, its deep cries filled with menace.

Jiang Zhi soothed, 'Little Heitan, we're going back.'

Only after returning home and taking off the coat did Heitan stop its commotion.

It pressed its claws hard onto the coat, as if venting some anger.

Jiang Zhi hurriedly hung the coat from the bed, telling it, 'It still has to be returned to someone else; don't ruin it.'

Heitan lay on the chair, its fluffy chin resting on its crossed legs, those narrow eyes hidden in the darkness, glowing with a sinister light.

Before bed, Jiang Zhi read the script for a while, then lay down and slept.

The next morning.

Jiang Zhi woke up to see Chen Shuo's black windbreaker stuffed into Heitan's litter box.

She pinched her nose and pulled it out; the windbreaker had suffered brutal torment last night, its edges torn and tattered, a sight too horrible to behold.

Heitan!!

A voice almost like a shout echoed through the house.

Heitan, who had been sleeping soundly on the bed, heard the voice, suddenly woke, and leapt from the blankets to its usual spot on top of the wardrobe.

Jiang Zhi felt her scalp tingle with anger, wondering how she hadn't realized that overnight, a windbreaker left in the wardrobe would become like this.

No need to think; everyone knew who did it.

You little villain! As a cat, your possessiveness is still so strong.

What was Jiang Zhi angry about? She was angry about bleeding heavily last night, and now she'd have to bleed again today.

At a glance, the coat was a brand-name item, expensive; with her little money, she couldn't even afford to compensate for it.

'Heitan, you're not coming to work today; stay here and reflect!'

Worried it might starve, Jiang Zhi filled a bowl to the brim with cat food and water, not fearing it would die of hunger.

After finishing this, she prepared to go out.

Heitan sensed she really intended to abandon it here, quickly came down from the wardrobe, ran to her feet, and tried to climb into her pocket.

Jiang Zhi picked it up with one hand and locked it inside the room.

"Reflect properly!"

From the other side of the door came a series of meows, along with the sound of claws scratching in the door gap.

Jiang Zhi pretended not to hear and lifted her foot to walk away.

Meanwhile, at the door.

Heitan was anxious and frantic, scratching the door hard; he heard her footsteps receding, and his movements gradually stopped.

A dim gloom clouded its eyes; its long black tail drooped limp on the floor, its ears hung helplessly, looking as pitiful as a stray cat.

A few minutes later.

The door suddenly opened from outside; hallway light fell on it, its black fur gleaming faintly, Heitan slightly lifted his head, backlit, and saw the person standing before him.

Its round pupils flickered with tiny specks of light, and its tail involuntarily began to sway.

Jiang Zhi snorted and said, "Do you know you were wrong?"

Heitan let out a whine, crawled from her pant leg into her pocket, snuggled against her, turned his body, and in the angle she couldn't see, his pupil color grew deep.

Hmph, you'll dare again next time!

Jiang Zhi never really intended to leave it here; given its nature, it would probably tear the whole house apart.

She took it to the set.

Not wanting to bother Xu Qian again, she still put it in a solitary cabinet in the lounge; she would come check on it after filming.

Today's shoot went quickly, but the final scene was not very smooth.

The Thirteenth Prince fell ill with typhus; the female lead, An Xian, went to the Imperial Medical Institute to seek medicine, but was turned away at the door.

In the depths of winter, she could only turn to the sister who entered the palace with her; however, that sister was the very culprit who had pushed her into the pond, jealous of her favor with Consort Sheng, which allowed her to climb from the lowest rank of laundry maid to a personal attendant.

After An Xian barely survived emerging from the deep winter pond, the sister took her place serving inside Consort Sheng's palace.

In this scene, the internet celebrity playing the sister slaps her and reveals the truth.

Jiang Zhi stood in the snow, already slapped three times by her, with clear red marks appearing on her face.

The one playing the sister was the internet celebrity who had mocked her in the makeup room, deliberately NG-ing just to slap her two more times.

Director Wang, seated behind, turned livid and shouted into the mic: "Can you act? If not, get out!"

Director Wang wasn't responsible for picking minor roles, but he hadn't expected the investor to shove this person in.

This was Director Wang's second outburst; the previous time he flew into a rage when Sun Yi, who played the female lead, quit, making him tremble with anger.

Hearing this, the internet celebrity's smug expression vanished, leaving only panic.

This role was hard-won for her; she couldn't afford to lose it.

She gritted her teeth and got serious.

At last the scene ended; Jiang Zhi rose from the snow, touched her cheek, and glanced at the internet celebrity's face.

The heavily made-up internet celebrity couldn't conceal her flaws with thick foundation; feeling the girl's gaze, she felt an inexplicable chill, quickly came to her senses, and left haughtily.

Returning to the lounge, Jiang Zhi's half face was somewhat swollen; the makeup artist beside her sympathized, complaining: "She's just jealous of you, doing it on purpose—disgusting, how could someone like her even get onto the set."

Jiang Zhi gave a light laugh, not taking it to heart: "Filming—where isn't there hardship?"

Money isn't that easy to earn either.

After the makeup artist left, she walked to the wardrobe, but didn't see Heitan inside.

Jiang Zhi's expression hardened; she hurriedly searched the lounge, but found nothing anywhere.

"Heitan! Xiaohei!" she called a few times, but got no response.

Meanwhile.

The internet celebrity returned to her own lounge, smirking at her agent behind her: "This scene felt so satisfying—why should someone like her, a mere extra, be the lead? Doesn't she see whether she deserves it? Hmph, Yao Jie, you didn't see how hard I hit; I really hope her face gets scarred."

Yao Jie sighed: "You shouldn't be so blatant—this is Director Wang's crew; what kind of person is he? He despises scheming in the crew; today's scene almost ruined your acting career."

The internet celebrity sat in the chair, looking at her face in the mirror, carelessly saying: "Don't worry, I have… ah!!"

A black shadow suddenly appeared before her eyes; sharp claws viciously raked across her face, instantly leaving five bloody, ferocious gashes.

The internet celebrity stumbled backward, fell to the ground, covered her face, and screamed.

Beside her, Yao Jie witnessed this, plunged into shock; after a moment she came to and made out the black shadow.

It was actually a black cat!!

That pitch-black cat stood on the makeup table, its pupils narrowed to slits reflecting a sinister gleam; its bearing was nothing like a cat's, more like a crouched, ferocious, bloodthirsty black panther that had lain in wait for ages.

Yao Jie feared its gaze and stepped back.

Until the internet celebrity's cry for help broke her reverie, Yao Jie quickly grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it at the cat.

The black cat was extremely clever; sensing her intent, it leapt up nimbly to dodge, and vanished in a wisp of smoke inside the room.