[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans":3,"chapter-the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-291":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1297955,1723,"Chapter 291: A Fashion Spread with an Old Cadre Vibe","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-291",291,"\u003Cp>The atmosphere on the top-floor soundstage of Spark Media was oppressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the photoshoot location for Vogue magazine, and also Chen Man's territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Man, a \"genius maverick\" in the photography world, was famous for her eccentric temper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pursued a kind of unadorned realism,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who put on airs in front of her lens would be torn apart by her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today's photoshoot theme was \"Deity in the Ruins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The set was constructed from real construction debris, with twisted rebar and concrete rubble interlocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The styling team was busy bustling around Jiang Ci.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This sheer-cut suit was specially airlifted from Milan; the tailoring is very bold.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The suit fabric was very thin, with large sheer-cut designs on the waist and back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air conditioning on the soundstage was turned up high. Jiang Ci only felt a chill run down his back,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and he instinctively hunched his shoulders slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The movement was very subtle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Chen Man, behind the monitor not far away, caught it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On her face, heavily made up with smoky eye makeup, impatience had already been brewing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't hunch like that, like someone who's never seen the world...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words reached her lips but got stuck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Man stared at the young man in the monitor feed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had instinctively hunched his shoulders slightly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a physiological reaction against the cold, but it made him seem momentarily dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept over the surrounding real rebar and concrete rubble, and a sharp, stabbing sensation abruptly pierced his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn't the border safehouse occupied by drug dealers in the \"Icebreaker\" script also a ruin of humanity just like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his head slightly, trying to suppress that discomfort,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but the light in his eyes involuntarily dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Man's brows furrowed even tighter, her mouth already shaped to start cursing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next second, the impatience on her face suddenly froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did she see? That wasn't a rookie's timidity in front of the camera; it was a kind of... emptiness, as if the soul had been completely stripped away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait a moment...\" Chen Man's voice trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately after, she grabbed the walkie-talkie and growled an order: \"Don't move! Everyone! Don't you fucking move! Just stay in this state!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stylists, frightened, immediately stepped back. The scene fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jiang Ci, you keep that exact look from just now.\" Chen Man's voice carried excitement. \"Yes, just like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shoot began in a bizarre atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci stood amidst the ruins made of rebar and concrete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was just thinking about the script.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about how the undercover agent codenamed \"Ice Chisel\" in \"Icebreaker\" was doubted, tested, and tortured day after day in the drug den.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about how \"Ice Chisel,\" to pass on intelligence, personally sent his own comrade to their doom, then faced that gnawing guilt alone in the dead of night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about how he was finally exposed, injected with an overdose of drugs, and saw his long-dead lover in the ensuing hallucinations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just thinking about these things, the muscle memory from the role began to reawaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That weariness, despair, and numbness originating from the character slowly seeped out from his bones, enveloping his entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Click!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Click! Click!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Man's finger became a blur on the shutter button,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her breathing grew heavy, occasionally squeezing out a few fragmented words through gritted teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't move... look at me...\"\"Eyes... make them emptier...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes held the fervor of discovering a rare treasure, muttering to herself: \"...a god with broken wings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff didn't dare breathe loudly. Looking at the figure amidst the ruins, they only felt a chill rising from the soles of their feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mid-shoot break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Chen Man called cut, Jiang Ci immediately snapped out of that state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci walked to the rest area and, from the backpack Sun Zhou handed him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>deftly pulled out a massive army-green thermos cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He unscrewed the lid, steam wafting up,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>blew on it, then took a sip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene fell into an eerie silence. All eyes were fixed on that thermos cup, expressions complicated and hard to describe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The interview segment was scheduled during the break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vogue reporter was already prepared. Seeing Jiang Ci sit down holding the thermos cup, she also felt a bit dazed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but quickly adjusted, putting on a professional smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher Jiang Ci, hello. First, congratulations on the astonishing success of The Legend of Han and Chu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\" Jiang Ci put down the thermos cup and nodded politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There's a lot of discussion about you right now. Many people call you a 'phenomenon-level' actor, having gained massive traffic overnight,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's your view on the term 'traffic'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This question was standard, but also easy to step into a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci answered calmly, \"Traffic is a double-edged sword.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reporter was ready to record his following lengthy discourse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jiang Ci abruptly changed tack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just like Brother Kun, who went through being blacklisted by the entire internet, isn't he still a top star upon his return?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued with the earnest attitude of discussing an academic problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This proves that as long as one's professional skills are solid and the work can stand on its own, so-called traffic is just the icing on the cake, not the decisive factor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reporter's hand holding the pen froze mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn't expected Jiang Ci to answer the question from such a uniquely bizarre angle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, to seriously use that \"legendary man\" as an example.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire rest area was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou, standing to the side, facepalmed internally, wailing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother, can we not be so brutally honest?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final set of styling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As per Chen Man's request, the Props Team delivered a red rose in full bloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hold it.\" Chen Man's voice came through the lens. \"I want you to destroy it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci took the rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had thorns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he thought of was the scene where \"Ice Chisel,\" at the final moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>to avoid leaking any information, used a shard of glass to end his own life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face showed no expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In those eyes was a barren wasteland, scorched earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, Chen Man pressed the shutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the photo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rose was delicate and dewy, its color a vivid red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci's hand was pale and slender, blue veins clearly visible beneath the skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half of his face was covered in shadow, those eyes gazing coldly at the void beyond the lens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cover! Use this one!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Man threw down the camera, rushed over, and grabbed Jiang Ci's hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are my muse! Absolutely my muse!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her grip was strong, making Jiang Ci's wrist ache. \"I predict this issue will sell out! Completely sold out!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shoot ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci changed back into his own clothes and walked out of the soundstage amidst a mix of awed and curious stares.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just after getting into the entourage van, Sun Zhou handed over a phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother, a text from Screenwriter Yan Zheng.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci took the phone. On the screen was only a brief line of text.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid, stop wandering around outside. The film crew needs you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the car window, an assistant jogged over and knocked on the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou rolled down the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant, holding a black bag, was panting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Sun Zhou, this is what Teacher Jiang forgot in the studio... the thermos cup.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the car, Sun Zhou turned his head and saw Jiang Ci looking down at his phone, expression focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entourage van slowly drove away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the soundstage entrance, the assistant stood holding the massive army-green thermos cup, utterly bewildered in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, another staff member leaned over, looking dreamy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me... was that really him just now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who else could it be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But why do I feel like he could shatter at any moment?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe... it's an artist's common affliction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, on Weibo, an anonymous account leaked a candid backstage photo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the photo, Jiang Ci was wearing the stunning sheer-cut suit that had captivated everyone,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but in his hands, he was holding an extremely mismatched army-green thermos cup, looking down and taking small sips of something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The photo caption read: \"LMAO, who gets it? One second a shattered deity, the next a retired old cadre.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The comments section instantly exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This sense of contrast, hahaha! Mom's precious son knows about health preservation now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I declare, I'm getting a matching thermos cup immediately!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Am I the only one who noticed his waist? *drooling sounds* Who can resist this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the car, Jiang Ci was looking down at his phone, searching for information about the Yunnan province border.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the screen, a bold, black local news pop-up notification jumped out:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Latest News: In a Yunnan border narcotics enforcement mission, one of our undercover narcotics officers has heroically sacrificed their life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci's hand holding the phone tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>",1491,"2026-06-05T18:00:08.557Z",1,"novelbin.me","c8ce2046c9dad2091c2c248c4f99ca884c481efbd3915dccbb3c8000e4b9a981","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-292","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-290",366,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-cover.jpg"]