Chapter 18

After eating hot pot for a while, Meng Ziyi began chattering away, asking Zhou Jin all sorts of questions about the entertainment industry.

Zhou Jin patiently answered them one by one.

Li Yitong also chimed in to chat every now and then.

The meal lasted nearly two hours, and the relationship between Zhou Jin, Meng Ziyi, and Li Yitong grew much closer.

Downstairs from the hot pot restaurant, before leaving, a high-spirited Meng Ziyi bid a reluctant farewell to Zhou Jin and Li Yitong.

"Bye-bye! I'm going to work hard to find a film crew. Once I do, the three of us will go out for a meal again."

After sending off the easygoing Meng Ziyi, Zhou Jin looked at Li Yitong.

Li Yitong beamed and suggested, "Want to go for a walk?"

"Sure, consider it a way to help digest."

A cool breeze brushed their faces as the two walked side by side.

"Zhou Jin, actually, the micro-movie finished filming over a month ago."

"Mm."

"Zhou Jin, actually, I've been auditioning for various crews every single day."

"Mm."

"Zhou Jin, do you think I can successfully land a role before I run out of money?"

Zhou Jin fell silent this time.

Li Yitong walked in front of Zhou Jin, hands behind her back, and flashed a brilliant smile. "Zhou Jin, tell me, if I become a super big star, will I be qualified to stand by your side then?"

Zhou Jin laughed and said, "Aren't you already standing by my side even without being a big star?"

After a pause, Zhou Jin said firmly, "Yitong, I believe you will definitely succeed!"

Li Yitong's eyes curved into crescents; she stood on her tiptoes, gave Zhou Jin a light kiss on the cheek, and then turned and walked away with a carefree air.

"I'll take your word for it. Bye-bye!"

Watching Li Yitong's retreating figure, Zhou Jin knew she was open and honest, never having hidden her affection for him.

Through these two encounters, Zhou Jin also felt a fondness for the open, smiling beauty, Li Yitong.

Of course, Zhou Jin also felt a fondness for Reba and Yang Mi.

The look in one's eyes when liking someone cannot be hidden.

But liking two or three people at the same time—that requires careful concealment.

The filming progress for the *Sword of Legends* crew was already more than halfway through.

And Zhou Jin, aside from his final scene, was also about to wrap up.

The final scene was also the most difficult one.

The four "BE" (Bad Ending) conclusions of *Sword of Legends*.

Living apart, deathly separation, living together, and dying together.

Lan Sheng and Xiang Ling live apart, Tu Su and Qing Xue suffer a deathly separation, Fuqu and Ling Yue live together, and Shao Gong and Xun Fang die together.

Today's scene was the farewell between Ling Yue and Fuqu, played by Reba, at the edge of Kunlun Cliff before Ling Yue succeeded as Sect Leader.

It was also the only core scene in the entire show where these two, who had harbored feelings for half a lifetime while always maintaining proper boundaries, would face their true hearts—only to have to personally sever those ties.

Director Liang gave a few simple instructions to Zhou Jin and Reba, then signaled to start filming.

On the cliff.

Ling Yue, played by Zhou Jin, silently stroked the sword tassel given to him by his Junior Sister Fuqu, his expression lonely and sorrowful.

Reba looked at Senior Brother Ling Yue on the cliff with a pained heart and walked slowly toward him.

She called out softly, "Senior Brother, you are about to succeed as Sect Leader."

Hearing his Junior Sister's voice, Zhou Jin turned to look at Reba.

Zhou Jin suppressed his sorrow and spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Fuqu, I..."

Reba fought back her heartbreak and interrupted, "Don't say sorry. From the moment my father said you were the next Sect Leader, I knew you had already made your decision."

"Congratulations to Senior Brother on succeeding as Sect Leader."

"Will you leave Tianyong City?"

"No, I promised Tu Su that I would keep the three-year pact with Senior Brother."

Reba felt a sourness in her nose, her eyes slightly red; she didn't want to make her Senior Brother worry about her.

So, she forced herself to use her usual lively tone: "Senior Brother, you will be a good Sect Leader, even better than my father. Everyone has high expectations for you."

After finishing, Reba looked at Zhou Jin silently with red-rimmed eyes.

Everyone hoped Senior Brother would become Sect Leader and protect the world.

Everyone had expectations for Senior Brother.

But what about her?

Zhou Jin looked at the strong Reba, and the emotions in his eyes could no longer be suppressed.

That gaze held doting, heartache, helplessness, reluctance, ambiguity, and the sorrow of having to sever feelings that could not be resolved.

At this moment, it was as if Zhou Jin was Ling Yue himself.

【Deep Affection Traction】 Entry—activated.

Initially, Reba hadn't sensed the emotions in Zhou Jin's eyes, but as the entry activated...

Reba instantly understood the look in Zhou Jin's eyes.

That liking, which had never been spoken and would never be spoken, was hidden in his slightly trembling pupils, hidden in the shadows cast by his eyelashes.

But most of all, there was sorrow.

It was the sorrow of two people standing so close, yet separated by the entire Tianyong City.

It was the sorrow that he would wear the Sect Leader's robes tomorrow, while she would still be his Junior Sister.

It was the sorrow of having to personally sever this thread of affection; the sword was raised, but the thread remained uncut, and the heart had already shattered.

What a deep, sorrowful gaze this was.

Reba was completely drawn in.

She only felt a sudden sourness in her nose, and tears gushed out, unstoppable.

It wasn't acting.

It was real.

Zhou Jin handed the sword tassel in his hand over, placing it into Reba's hand.

According to the script, Reba should have taken the tassel at this point, lowered her head to tie it back onto Zhou Jin's waist, and then the two would embrace.

But Reba was immersed in the character and forgot all the actions.

She was no longer Reba.

She was Fuqu.

She raised a pair of sorrowful, teary eyes and stared fixedly at Zhou Jin.

Those eyes were filled with attachment, brokenness, and reluctance.

Tears slid silently down her cheeks, one after another, dripping down her chin and wetting the collar of her clothes.

The set was extremely quiet.

Everyone held their breath, watching Reba's crying scene in silence.

The entire crew was dead silent.

Several emotional actresses and female staff members had red eyes, and some quietly turned away to wipe the corners of their eyes.

No one spoke; no one dared to make a sound.

Because no one wanted to break this moment, fearing it would ruin the atmosphere and the emotions.

Director Liang lowered his voice and said anxiously, "Quick, get a close-up! Quick!"

He was afraid of missing any detail.

After a while, Director Liang said with satisfaction:

"Cut!"

Zhou Jin stepped out of the emotion, looked down at the still-trembling Reba in his arms, reached out to hold her, and patted her back gently.

"Reba, it's okay now." His voice was very soft, spoken right by her ear.

Reba's tears soaked Zhou Jin's shoulder; she was still immersed in the scene, tears flowing silently, unable to stop.

Yang Mi also walked up, bent down, and patted Reba's shoulder gently.

"It's over, the filming is over."

Reba, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying, looked up blankly, looked at the surrounding crew, and looked at Yang Mi. Her eyes were still dazed, as if she couldn't distinguish between the play and reality.

She looked at Zhou Jin with a trembling voice and asked a question that Fuqu could never ask in the show.

"Senior Brother, you won't leave me alone, will you?"