Chapter 54: Safety Accident, Drowning (Seeking Collections and Recommendations)

"Ah, it's so shaky…" Qiu Chixuan sat in the sampan, staring at the deep emerald river water, trembling all over.

It must be really deep here!

The river wind blew, stirring up ripples, and the sampan rocked left and right along with it.

Qiu Chixuan shivered—she didn't feel safe at all, feeling as if the thing might capsize at any moment.

Even though a few floats were tied around her waist, she still didn't feel safe.

"Ready?" Director Lin's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"Ready." Qi Hui replied in a low voice.

"Huh? I… um…" Qiu Chixuan glanced at Qi Hui, then looked at the safety officer on the speedboat in the distance, poised and ready.

"Um… I'm ready too."

"Good, cameraman ready, actors ready!" Director Lin called out: "3, 2, 1, action!"

At the command, filming continued!

The sampan rocked violently, and Lin Pinru panicked and suddenly stood up:

"Ah, ah… ah!"

"Don't stand up!" Hong Shixian's face changed drastically as he shouted: "This thing isn't balanced, don't stand up, it's very dangerous."

"Sit down, quick!"

Before the words faded, the sampan tilted left and right, and Lin Pinru fell into the water with a "splash."

"Shixian, Shixian… I…" Lin Pinru stretched out both hands, her hands and feet thrashing wildly, tilting her neck back with all her might and screaming.

She wasn't acting—she really couldn't swim. If it weren't for the few floats around her waist, she really might have sunk straight to the bottom.

Real drowning never involves screaming and shouting like this.

"Pinru!" Hong Shixian clung to the edge, calling out anxiously: "Pinru, Pinru!"

He stretched out his hand with all his might, trying to grab Lin Pinru in the water, only to find he couldn't reach her at all.

"Hold on, I'm coming to save you!" Hong Shixian shouted immediately, leaping into the water without hesitation, "struggling" to swim toward Lin Pinru.

But the moment he hit the water, he found he couldn't locate Lin Pinru at all.

The sparkling, rippling surface, combined with the waves stirred up by the river wind, made it impossible for him to determine her position.

Soon, the distance between the two grew wider and wider.

"Great! Cut!" Director Lin's voice rang out in the earpiece.

Qi Hui's spirits lifted. He gauged the timing and swam toward Qiu Chixuan, grabbing her in one embrace.

Honestly, the feel wasn't great—quite bony.

Qiu Chixuan's face was full of terror as she clung tightly to Qi Hui, her fingers gripping the clothes on his body.

Looking as if she'd rather die than let go.

"Alright… it's fine now, phew… don't be nervous." Qi Hui kept comforting her.

But Qiu Chixuan couldn't hear him at all. She still gripped Qi Hui's clothes tightly, and beneath the water, her two legs wrapped directly around Qi Hui's waist.

Qi Hui: "…"

She's heavy!

In the director's tent, Lei Jiayin held a pair of binoculars, watching the busy crew from afar.

Just as Qi Hui was at a loss for words, the speedboat arrived.

The safety officer pulled the two of them up, handing them towels and dry clothes at the same time.

Inside the director's tent, Director Lin stroked his chin as he looked at the footage just filmed—pretty good, but… he felt it could be even better.

How about one more take?

Turning his head, he saw Qiu Chixuan come back, her face a little pale.

Never mind then… Director Lin quickly dismissed the thought.

"Qi Hui, change clothes, get ready for the next scene." Director Lin called out: "Caihua, is your makeup done?"

Earlier, Li Caihua had also had two shots, but they were filmed on shore.

"Done." Li Caihua called out. The makeup on her face was somewhat pale, giving people the feeling she was at death's door.

Completely lacking her usual refined and haughty urban beauty look.

In the plot, she had cancer and was on the verge of death, so looking like this was perfectly normal.

On the other side, Chi Shuai was fussing over Qiu Chixuan, who had changed clothes, asking if she was cold or warm, causing Tu Liman and the others to roll their eyes.

Is a foreign woman really that great?

Director Lin glanced at Li Caihua's makeup and expression, and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, that's it."

"Director, I'm ready too." Qi Hui walked out—he had already blow-dried his hair and changed clothes.

The hairstylist gave him a hairstyle different from the previous scene, so as to show a different time and space.

"Not bad, let's get ready to film." Director Lin nodded and gave a reminder: "Stay safe."

He didn't go on full alert like the previous scene, because the previous scene was because Qiu Chixuan couldn't swim.

But in this scene, both Qi Hui and Li Caihua could swim.

Moreover, unlike the previous scene in the deep water at the center of the river, this scene was at the shallow waters by the shore.

The shore was so shallow that the speedboat might even run aground, so there was no need to worry at all.

Still, even so, preparations had to be made.

"Director, actors in position, cameraman in position, everything is ready."

A voice sounded in the walkie-talkie.

"Great." Director Lin called out: "3, 2, 1, action!"

The Ai Li portrayed by Li Caihua slowly paced along the shore, walking along the long riverbank.

The cameraman first shot a wide view, then another cameraman followed, gradually zooming the lens in.

Finally, a close-up of Ai Li's upper body.

At this moment, Ai Li's face was deathly pale, her lips devoid of color.

Her hair was tied up casually, and her originally exquisite clothes had become tacky and old-fashioned.

The once-urban beauty was lifeless, with sorrow and dead silence spreading across her face.

"Very good," Director Lin shouted, "Cameraman, follow up, shoot a low-angle close-up."

"Caihua, walk toward the water, prepare to get in."

Li Caihua maintained the deathly silence on her face, slowly walked to the shore, and the rippling river water soaked her pant legs.

Inside the director's tent, Director Lin sighed in relief; it looked good, it should go in one take just like the previous scene... this one is secure!

In the shot, tears welled up in Ai Li's eyes, a smile of relief and helplessness appeared on her face, and then she slowly walked into the water.

Gradually, the river water covered her ankles, covered her knees, and finally reached her hips.

"Qi Hui, it's your turn, go!" Director Lin shouted into the walkie-talkie.

Qi Hui, who had been ready, showed an anxious expression, panting heavily, and shouted loudly:

"Ai Li—!"

"No!"

Facing Hong Shixian's shouts, Ai Li only paused for a moment, then continued walking resolutely toward the depths.

"Ai Li! Ai Li!" Qi Hui came running, taking off his shirt as he went.

He had to take it off; just now, Qiu Chixuan had grabbed his clothes, strangling him until it hurt, so it was better to take it off.

"Eh?"

Inside the director's tent, Director Lin looked at Qi Hui throwing off his clothes and instinctively picked up the walkie-talkie to call for a stop.

This wasn't in the script.

But just as the walkie-talkie reached his mouth, he stopped; taking off clothes to get in the water is itself an action of saving someone.

Moreover, Qi Hui's anxious expression and running movements conveyed that urgency and recklessness of saving someone.

Nothing was wrong, and it even added to the effect... thinking of this, Director Lin put down the walkie-talkie.

"Damn... this kid Qi Hui has a great body!" Lei Jiayin said, holding a telescope, looking utterly shocked.

This kid usually looks thin when dressed, not even as muscular as him.

But once he took off his clothes, six-pack abs, plus two sharply defined pectoral muscles, made him so envious he gritted his teeth.

"Really? Quick, quick, let me see!" Tu Liman said excitedly, calling out repeatedly.

In the river water, the acting between Qi Hui and Li Caihua continued:

"Ai Li!" Hong Shixian grabbed her.

Ai Li struggled constantly: "Go back, Shang En still needs your care, go!"

"I won't let you die!" Hong Shixian shouted, "Last time I couldn't save Lin Pinru, couldn't save my child; this time, no matter what, I won't let go, and I won't let anything happen to you!"

The two struggled, but their feet suddenly gave way, and they fell into the water.

Waves surged, and the two drifted toward the deeper water further out.

"Ai Li, I'm coming to save you!"

"Let go, let go!"

"Give me your hand... I want to save you up."

"Go away..."

A man and a woman struggled constantly, pulling constantly, yet drifted further and further toward the center of the river.

Finally, the two vanished into the river waves.

Director Lin looked at the image on the monitor, nodded in satisfaction; it was about right.

"Very good, cut!" he called, pressing the walkie-talkie.

Hearing this, Qi Hui in the water let go of Li Caihua, turned his body, and swam freestyle toward the shore:

"Let's go, we're done filming."

He didn't pay attention to Li Caihua; this woman was trouble if meddled with too much.

Besides, she could swim too, no need to worry.

Soon, Qi Hui's feet touched the riverbed, the river water submerged his knees; at this point, swimming was no longer needed.

But suddenly, Qi Hui realized something was wrong; where was Li Caihua!?

Turning his head, he saw two slender arms raised on the distant river surface, with no sound.

But white waves kept churning up in that spot.

"Shit!" Qi Hui cried out, "Something's wrong!"

"Director, something's wrong!"

After shouting the sentence, Qi Hui threw away the walkie-talkie, dove headfirst into the water, and swam frantically toward Li Caihua's direction.

Those who are good at swimming drown; the ancients truly did not deceive me!

Inside the director's tent, Director Lin shivered: "Quick, the inflatable boat, go save them quickly!"