Provoking Fire [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 36

After the chaos subsided, the two actresses were finally moved to a safe location. Horse trainers rushed to retrieve the frightened horses, while doctors arrived to examine their injuries.

Chu Xiyue felt a stinging sensation on her body, but she couldn’t focus on the pain. Her mind was consumed by the image of Su Yan desperately rushing to cushion her fall. Her voice grew urgent:

“How could the wire have loosened? Why did the horses panic? Didn’t you check the equipment beforehand?”

She blamed herself for not noticing the faulty wire equipment earlier. Seeing Su Yan’s stoic expression, Chu Xiyue felt both guilt and anxiety.

There wasn’t time to return to their accommodations. A pre-erected tent served as a makeshift clinic. The two doctors cleared the area of onlookers and began cleaning Chu Xiyue and Su Yan’s wounds separately. Chu Xiyue’s injuries were relatively minor, thanks to Su Yan’s quick reflexes and the prop team’s timely adjustments. Though they had fallen mid-air, the drop wasn’t too high, resulting only in superficial cuts and scrapes—some of the abrasions were quite severe.

But Su Yan’s arm seemed to be in much worse condition, even moving it caused her pain.

Even though Su Yan tried to hide it, Chu Xiyue, standing right beside her, could clearly see the pain. She barely noticed her own injuries, her eyes fixed intently on Su Yan, scrutinizing her until the doctor signaled to remove her costume to check for other injuries. Only then did Chu Xiyue awkwardly turn away.

Yet a faint burning sensation lingered in her chest, accompanied by a rising tide of self-reproach.

Outside, the production crew was already investigating potential safety hazards. The faint sound of Director Yang’s furious reprimands carried through the air. Chu Xiyue took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. Though her back was turned, she listened intently to the movements around her until the doctor spoke:

“Can you move your wrist at all?”

“Does it hurt like this? How about this?”

“No fracture, just a sprain. Be careful not to bump it. Avoid strenuous scenes for the next few days. I’ll get some safflower oil; it might swell later. Apply it every night before bed, massaging until absorbed. It’s not too serious. The back injury too—I’ll bandage it for now, but remember to change the dressing regularly.”

Chu Xiyue had already suspected Su Yan’s wrist was sprained from her movements. But when she heard about the back injury, she couldn’t stay seated. She couldn’t resist turning her head for a quick, surreptitious glance. By then, Su Yan had already pulled down her inner shirt, obscuring any view of her back.

After finishing the examination, the doctor stood up to retrieve the medication when Chu Xiyue suddenly called out, her radiant face pressing close to his.

“How large is the wound on her back? How severe is it? Will it leave a scar?”

“It’s not particularly severe, but I can’t guarantee whether it will scar or not.”

Hearing this, Chu Xiyue grew anxious. “Then are there any better scar-reducing creams? Would you be willing to go out and get some? I’ll compensate you, or I can send my assistant. Teacher Su is so beautiful—she’d be devastated if a scar marred her back!”

She had initially wanted to say “ugly,” but fearing it might upset Su Yan, she chose her words carefully. This woman rarely showed her emotions, likely the type to suffer in silence.

Seeing Chu Xiyue’s urgent expression, the doctor couldn’t help but chuckle. To an outsider, it would seem as though Chu Xiyue herself had been injured.

But Chu Xiyue’s determined gaze conveyed a “I won’t give up until I get an answer” attitude. After a moment’s thought, Su Yan’s doctor finally offered a cautiously optimistic reply:

“If you apply the cream diligently every day and avoid scratching or picking at the scab when it itches, it should heal completely.”

Satisfied with this assurance, Chu Xiyue nodded. The doctor then gestured for Su Yan to follow him to retrieve the medication. As Chu Xiyue instinctively moved to follow, her own doctor called out irritably from behind:

“Teacher Chu, you haven’t finished applying your own ointment yet!”

After a chaotic half-night of frantic activity, the film crew finally settled down. Director Yang had already interrogated the props team, especially the two responsible for the wire work. They were so terrified they barely dared breathe, and one even had red-rimmed eyes.

Director Yang wasn’t known for his explosive temper, but this incident in his own crew had ignited his fury.

After all, minor injuries to actors during filming were somewhat expected. Today, they had braced for the worst during the horse-riding scene, never imagining the wire work would malfunction. Her gaze shifted to Zhou Jian, the man Chu Xiyue had exposed earlier. Zhou Jian was the deputy head of the props team and wasn’t directly responsible for the wire work, but Yang Ruoshui remained deeply suspicious.

For now, calming the actors’ nerves was paramount. She refrained from confronting Zhou Jian and instead checked on Chu Xiyue and Su Yan. Seeing their injuries were relatively minor, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and offered sincere apologies.

This time, Chu Xiyue accepted the apology graciously. Once Director Yang finished, she asked coldly, “Has that man been investigated?”

Her tone was icy, showing no hint of leniency. However, Director Yang knew he was in the wrong.

“We’ve investigated and confirmed he didn’t personally manipulate the wire tonight. I’ve instructed the assistant director to thoroughly question everyone who handled the wire or had the opportunity to do so. We’ll get to the bottom of this and provide a full explanation.”

The timing of the incidents, occurring one right after the other, made it hard not to suspect foul play. However, without surveillance footage, even reporting it to the police would likely lead to a dead end, only further disrupting the crew’s peace.

Chu Xiyue took a deep breath.

She didn’t blame Director Yang for this. After all, a director can’t micromanage every detail. Even now, she felt a headache coming on. She glanced at Su Yan, who remained remarkably calm, as if she hadn’t been the one injured. But upon closer inspection, Chu Xiyue noticed Su Yan was listening intently to every word she said.

“Director Yang,” Chu Xiyue began after a moment’s thought, her gaze fixed on Su Yan’s long, downcast lashes, which fluttered like butterflies in the lamplight, “that person must be fired immediately. There’s no way we can keep him on.”

“Agreed,” Yang Ruoshui replied. “Regardless of whether he’s involved or not, he’ll be packing his bags by tomorrow morning.”

Fortunately, despite the chaotic circumstances, the incident hadn’t resulted in any serious consequences. Hearing Director Yang’s decisive response finally brought Chu Xiyue her first genuine smile of the night.

“Director Yang, we’ll leave the rest to you. We’re going to rest now.”

Director Yang smiled, observing their expressions. Seeing no strong objections, she suggested, “Teacher Su, is your wrist still bothering you? Xiao Chu, why don’t you help her out? You could stay together for the time being—just until she recovers.”

The area was picturesque, with clear streams, lush mountains, and natural gorges—an ideal location for filming. However, with only a few scattered village houses nearby, the entire crew couldn’t be accommodated. Many staff members had to camp in tents. To streamline daily coordination, Director Yang herself lived in a tent, while the rented village houses were simple, one-story structures.

Originally, she had planned to house Chu Xiyue and Su Yan in separate small houses, which were far from luxurious. Now, she reconsidered, thinking it would be better to let them stay in the courtyard originally used for storage. This would not only provide better accommodations but also foster camaraderie between the leads.

Earlier, she had noticed Chu Xiyue and Su Yan acting somewhat awkward around each other, their relationship barely beyond acquaintances on set. She had thought, “Heartbeat Acceleration really is just a scripted variety show.” But when Su Yan got injured, Chu Xiyue’s frantic concern made Yang Ruoshui change her mind.

She sensed there was potential for them to grow closer.

“What do you think?” Director Yang pressed, seeing their silence. “Look, Cheng Ya and Fang Cunle are always busy with various commitments. If you two lived together, you could rehearse your lines daily without having to travel back and forth. The makeup artist could come to you, making things easier for all of us, right?”

Chu Xiyue glanced at Su Yan.

She was actually swayed by the word “照顾” (take care of). After all, Su Yan’s injury was partly her fault, leaving Chu Xiyue feeling guilty. Although they had shared a house on the reality show, the space was vast. Director Yang’s suggestion of “living together” likely meant truly sharing a space. Considering Su Yan’s private fastidiousness and somewhat particular nature…

Just as Chu Xiyue was waiting for Su Yan to reject the idea so she could smoothly agree, she heard Su Yan’s melodious voice calmly say:

“I’m okay with it.”

In that instant, Chu Xiyue lifted her gaze in disbelief.

Su Yan extended her uninjured hand toward her.

To say it was completely uninjured wasn’t entirely accurate; there were still faint scratches from the incident, though the skin was significantly healed compared to the rest. Seeing this, Chu Xiyue abandoned any objections. She gently grasped Su Yan’s wrist, careful to avoid the wound, and led her out of the room.

The moonlight seemed brighter than before, as if the clouds had just parted, revealing its original brilliance that bathed the earth and dappled the tree branches. After the two women gave their permission, staff members helped them move their belongings. A single trip was all it took to transfer their suitcases and small items. When they returned after a brief stroll outside, the room was already tidied up.

The first thing that caught their eye was a small courtyard. Though aged, it was clean and well-maintained, with a water well near the entrance and a cluster of fresh flowers beside it—a whimsical touch likely conceived by some creative staff member.

Deeper into the courtyard, the main hall on the left was their designated living space. It featured a large bed with fresh linens and neatly arranged pillows, a testament to the production team’s meticulous attention to detail.

Chu Xiyue hadn’t expected them to move so quickly. They had only just agreed to share a room, yet everything was already prepared, as if the arrangement had been planned in advance.

Turning to see Su Yan carefully examining the surroundings, a strange thought suddenly flashed through Chu Xiyue’s mind.