Provoking Fire [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 35

Along with the sounds of arguing came muffled sobs. Chu Xiyue heard someone pacing back and forth, their voice agitated:

“Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble for me? You can’t even handle something this simple. What use are you here?”

The other person seemed to murmur something in response, which earned them a sharp slap.

Startled, Chu Xiyue hurried toward the commotion.

It was already autumn’s rainy season. The past few days had been marked by persistent, lingering showers, coating the evergreen leaves with a glossy sheen and filling the air with a faint mist. Beneath a massive broad-leafed tree stood lighting equipment and various props for tonight’s shoot, along with two or three people.

One of the girls had a distinct handprint on her cheek and stood with her head bowed, sobbing quietly. Facing her was an arrogant man, who continued to berate her relentlessly, ignoring her distressed whimpers. He jabbed his finger into her shoulder repeatedly, punctuating his accusations.

Chu Xiyue’s anger flared as she watched the scene unfold. She strode purposefully toward them.

The man was short and stout, barely taller than the girl, yet his tone was fiercely authoritative, as if he had borrowed some official’s power.

Without hesitation, Chu Xiyue delivered a sharp slap to the back of his head.

Lost in his self-important tirade, the man was caught completely off guard. He hissed in pain and whirled around, ready to unleash his fury, but his bluster deflated the moment he recognized Chu Xiyue. A fawning smile replaced his anger.

“Teacher Chu, was I being too loud and disturbing you? I’ll move over there.”

Chu Xiyue ignored him, turning directly to the sobbing girl. “Which group are you with?”

The girl managed to stifle her sobs and answered cautiously, “Props.”

Hearing this, Chu Xiyue glared fiercely at the man. She pulled a tissue from her pocket and handed it to the girl, then ordered the man to follow her. As she spoke, she clearly saw a flash of impatience cross his face. He opened his mouth to protest, but Chu Xiyue cut him off with a cold, sharp tone.

“Tell Director Yang about this when you get there,” she said, and then briskly led the two of them over to Yang Ruoshui.

Director Yang was currently giving instructions. When she saw Chu Xiyue approaching, already in full makeup and without her assistant, she assumed Chu Xiyue wanted to discuss the scene. Instead, Chu Xiyue pushed the man forward and spoke loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear:

“This man arbitrarily assaulted his subordinate. I don’t know what major offense she committed to warrant such corporal punishment. Director Yang, can you check which team he’s from and find out the specific reason for this?”

Every team, regardless of its size, has a hierarchy. The work itself is chaotic and demanding, and tempers often flare under pressure. While physical altercations can range from minor to severe, Chu Xiyue refused to tolerate them, especially when a man was bullying a young woman who was too timid to speak up.

When Su Yan emerged, she saw the commotion. Chu Xiyue shielded the girl, who was half a head shorter, behind her, briefly showed Director Yang the faint swelling on the girl’s face, and then instructed someone to take her to get medical treatment.

Even when angry, Chu Xiyue wasn’t one to be aggressive. Her naturally striking features, now veiled with a frosty layer, only amplified her formidable and unapproachable aura.

After hearing Chu Xiyue’s account, Director Yang’s gaze toward the man already carried a hint of displeasure. Once the girl had left, he harshly reprimanded the man before exchanging a few words with the assistant director, whose expression also darkened. Faced with the group, the man’s arrogant demeanor vanished, replaced by mumbled excuses that Chu Xiyue ignored.

After all, she wasn’t a judge. This matter properly belonged to the director. Seeing that Director Yang and the others wouldn’t shield the man, she left to compose herself and prepare for the night shoot.

About ten minutes later, everyone returned to their positions. The clapperboard snapped, and filming officially began.

Chu Xiyue leaped onto her horse with practiced, fluid grace, pulling the reins taut and sending the animal galloping forward. Her crimson robes billowed dramatically in the wind, a stark contrast to the dark, almost night-blending attire of the riders beside her.

The two women rode swiftly through the forest, the chaotic clatter of hooves echoing through the valley. The moon hung in the sky like a taut bow, an arrow nocked and ready to fly. As they pressed deeper into the woods, their vision was swallowed by darkness, even the faint moonlight barely penetrating the gloom.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sudden, piercing whistle of the wind served as a signal. Hidden archers perched in the trees lining the canyon walls unleashed a volley of arrows. Yan Qiuxi and Gu Feishuang, prepared for the ambush, drew their weapons to defend themselves.

Gu Feishuang’s sword moved like a flying blade, its rapid strikes resembling flashes of lightning. She deflected countless arrows, redirecting them aside with swift, precise movements. Yan Qiuxi, unlike Gu Feishuang’s formal approach, casually drew her riding whip, wielding it as a weapon. With a flick of her wrist, she cleared a space around them, simultaneously leaping into the air. Clutching a spyglass in one hand, she used its reflected light to hurl her folding fan like a razor-sharp blade. A bloodcurdling scream pierced the night, followed by a commotion in the trees.

“Yan Qiuxi, go on ahead!”

They were currently in possession of vital secrets, having been relentlessly pursued since acquiring them. After enduring several ambushes, Gu Feishuang had finally dispelled her doubts about Yan Qiuxi. The woman’s clear, resolute gaze, softened by an almost imperceptible tenderness beneath the dim moonlight.

Yan Qiuxi paused, momentarily stunned.

She hadn’t expected Gu Feishuang, wounded and facing overwhelming odds, to insist she press on alone. Though lacking Gu Feishuang’s keen sense of smell, Yan Qiuxi’s experience allowed her to detect an unusual scent in the damp forest, her eyes darkening slightly.

Beyond the heavily armed ambush, a faint demonic aura permeated the air.

Their silent exchange lasted only a moment. The hidden assailants allowed no time for preparation, unleashing another barrage of poisoned arrows. The dense rain of projectiles swept toward them like a swarm of locusts. Urged on by Gu Feishuang, Yan Qiuxi gritted her teeth and fought shoulder-to-shoulder with her, repelling another wave of black-clad attackers.

Unbeknownst to her, before their departure, Gu Feishuang, whose demonic poison wound had yet to fully heal, had quietly risen in the night and concealed the evidence within Yan Qiuxi’s Cosmic Pouch. Knowing the journey would be perilous, she had already resigned herself to the possibility of no return.

A cold glint flashed in the darkness as Yan Qiuxi, without hesitation, swiftly leaped into the air and hurled her hidden weapon. Chu Xiyue’s aerial maneuver was executed with flawless precision and grace—chest lifted, abdomen tucked, leg raised, every movement crisp and clean. But as she prepared for her next ascent, a fatal flaw emerged.

The usually taut and secure wire rigging inexplicably began to sway slightly.

Chu Xiyue had noticed a similar tremor during her previous ascent, but dismissed it as normal sway caused by the brief dismount from the horse and the subsequent aerial movement. It wasn’t until the violent shaking intensified that she realized something was wrong and frantically called for a stop. But whether due to the distance or some other reason, her signal went unheard, and the rigging continued to move.

Seeing Chu Xiyue freeze mid-motion, Su Yan grew puzzled. She didn’t think Chu Xiyue had forgotten her lines and was about to call out when she saw the actress plummet downward like a wounded bird.

The two women were standing relatively close to each other. Su Yan immediately spurred her horse forward, knowing that even the ground padding might not provide adequate protection for a fall. Panic surged through her, and she lashed out at her horse, unintentionally enraging the animal. With a sharp, startled whinny, the set erupted into chaos.

The fall was over in an instant, too fast for Chu Xiyue to react beyond instinctively shielding her spine, protecting her most vulnerable area. Instead of the expected pain, she landed in a soft, fragrant embrace. The woman wrapped her arms around Chu Xiyue and rolled them both over, the combined weight no greater than the force of the fall itself.

Su Yan’s hand remained cushioned behind Chu Xiyue’s head. Chu Xiyue’s vision darkened briefly as she heard the thunder of hooves and panicked shouts. Then came the woman’s labored breathing, hot and damp against her neck and earlobe.

Chu Xiyue sensed something was wrong.

“Su Yan?!” Her voice was tight, echoing through the empty valley, tinged with an urgency she hadn’t realized she possessed. As soon as the horses had bolted, Chu Xiyue scrambled to her feet, calling out to Su Yan. She knelt down to check for injuries.

“I’m fine,” Su Yan said, already having gotten to her feet. Her wig, which had been perfectly styled earlier, was now a tangled mess, speckled with mud from her tumble. Crew members rushed over from both sides. Chu Xiyue reached out and touched Su Yan’s back, feeling a dampness through her costume.

“Give me your hand!” Chu Xiyue’s voice rose slightly, tinged with worry and even a tremor. She noticed Su Yan hadn’t moved one of her hands. The horse beneath Su Yan had been spooked, and Chu Xiyue never expected her to jump down and catch her. Even though there were soft mats prepared for the wire work, it was still a dangerous move…

The crew arrived and immediately detached Chu Xiyue’s harness, using flashlights to quickly assess both women’s injuries.

In full view of everyone, Chu Xiyue grasped Su Yan’s wrist. The woman’s wrist was pale and slender, with faint blue veins visible beneath the skin. Her sleeve had been rolled up slightly, revealing no visible injuries, but Chu Xiyue noticed Su Yan’s brow furrow.

She was in pain.

Realizing this, Chu Xiyue’s heart clenched.