The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 30: When he opened his mouth, all the reporters were stunned!

The next few days, Jiang Ci's life returned to tranquility.

The "Three Lifetimes Tribulation" production team was still in the preparation phase, with official filming not starting until half a month later.

His daily routine consisted of staying home to read the script, study his character, and occasionally going to the gym for workouts.

After all, playing an immortal lord required the dignified bearing of an immortal lord. He didn't want to struggle with wirework during filming.

That meal with Su Qingying felt like an unreal dream.

After waking from the dream, their connection returned to its original state—nothing more than occasionally liking each other's posts on social media, with no further interaction.

Jiang Ci felt this was just fine.

A gentleman's friendship should be as light as water. As a newcomer just starting out, he had no right to expect more.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Ci's life countdown mercilessly dropped from over eighty days to just over sixty days.

Finally, he received a call from Assistant Director Wang, notifying him to attend the "Three Lifetimes Tribulation" opening ceremony.

...

On the day of the opening ceremony, the venue was packed with people.

Professional camera equipment of various sizes from major media outlets stood ready, and all the production's key creative personnel were present.

Standing in the crowd, Jiang Ci felt as insignificant as a speck of dust.

Naturally occupying the center position were the drama's male and female leads.

Male lead Gu Huai wore a well-tailored black suit, his expression calm and his aura powerful.

Simply standing there quietly, he attracted most of the attention and camera flashes in the venue.

The fan support group behind him was massive, with various light boards and banners nearly overwhelming the venue.

The female lead was a sweet-faced, highly popular rising star vigorously promoted by Daylight Entertainment.

As the fourth male lead, Jiang Ci was positioned at the very edge.

He had no complaints about this arrangement, even feeling somewhat relieved. In such settings, being invisible was the safest choice.

However, fate had other plans.

Just as the main cast had taken their positions according to status, preparing for the pre-filming incense ceremony, a fragrant breeze approached.

Qiao Xinran, who played the second female lead "Su Nian," wearing a pink fairy dress and carrying a sweet smile, actually squeezed directly next to Jiang Ci.

He instinctively tried to step aside, but the space beside him was already occupied by another actor, leaving him with no escape route.

"Brother Jiang Ci," Qiao Xinran's voice was cloyingly sweet as she leaned close to his ear, speaking in a volume only the two could hear, "I'm feeling a bit nervous. You'll have to take care of me later."

Her breath faintly brushed against Jiang Ci's earlobe, bringing a warm, tickling sensation.

Jiang Ci's entire body stiffened, goosebumps instantly rising.

The Player Identification Aura in his mind began emitting a faint but persistent warning.

[Warning! Beginner Fisherwoman 'Qiao Xinran' is employing the 'Public Intimacy' tactic, attempting to create an ambiguous atmosphere for promotional tie-in purposes.]

From the corner of his eye, Jiang Ci could already see countless lenses below frantically focusing on their direction.

Camera flashes lit up in continuous bursts of "click-click" sounds.

He could even imagine tomorrow's headlines—"Three Lifetimes Tribulation Opening: Newcomer Jiang Ci and Sweetheart Starlet Qiao Xinran Suspected Romance Exposed!"

This is terrible!

As a worker relying on "tragic emotions" to extend his life, if he got associated with a "sweetheart," his entire persona would collapse!

More importantly, he could sense that Gu Huai's agent nearby and the production team's producer were both casting meaningful glances in their direction.

Those looks carried scrutiny and displeasure.

Clearly, they didn't want a major male-led drama to be overshadowed by supporting actors' gossip on opening day.

Yet Qiao Xinran seemed completely unaware, even deliberately turning sideways until her body almost pressed against Jiang Ci's arm, striking a "charming smile" pose directed at him.

From the media's camera angles, this appeared as if she was acting coy with Jiang Ci, while he bowed his head as if listening to her "whispered secrets."

Jiang Ci felt scalp-crawling discomfort.

This woman might not be highly skilled, but her execution was truly strong!

The incense ceremony soon concluded, followed by the media group interview session. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The main cast lined up seated before the media reporters.

The moment Jiang Ci sat down, he saw a bespectacled male reporter be the first to raise his hand.

The director called on him.

The reporter eagerly stood up, directing his microphone toward Jiang Ci and Qiao Xinran's direction.

"I'd like to ask Jiang Ci and Xinran," the reporter's voice carried excitement looking for drama, "We just saw you two being very intimate on stage, constantly whispering to each other. Did you know each other before? Or are you building chemistry early because you play master and disciple in the drama? Could you share with us?"

Jiang Ci's heart sank.

This question was treating him like an idiot.

He glanced at Qiao Xinran and saw her wearing perfectly measured shyness, slightly lowering her head while a hint of smug smile played at her lips.

Her appearance was exactly like a young girl being questioned about a romance.

She had perfectly passed the ball to Jiang Ci.

Now, the entire venue's focus concentrated solely on him.

Media attention, the production team's gaze, even Gu Huai's indifferent eyes from nearby—all focused on Jiang Ci.

How to answer?

Admit they were close? That would play right into Qiao Xinran's hands, with their "CP" promotional articles flooding the internet tomorrow.

Deny it? Make himself seem petty, disrespectful to the female lead, easily offending people and getting labeled "arrogant" by media.

Or, bluntly say "We're not familiar" like a clueless newcomer? That would be disastrous, killing the conversation and leaving everyone awkward.

Qiao Xinran kept her head lowered but watched Jiang Ci from the corner of her eye, anticipating his reaction.

In her view, a newcomer facing such pressure would either panic or go with the flow.

Either way, she stood to gain.

At this critical moment, the Complete Guide to Scumbag Quotes and Techniques in Jiang Ci's mind automatically flipped to a specific page.

[Chapter 5: Establishing Boundaries and Maintaining High-End Personas]

[Section 3: How to Use Professionalism to Defuse Ambiguous Traps in High-Pressure Social Situations]

[Core Principle: Shift focus, elevate perspective. Don't get entangled in simple "yes" or "no" levels. Redirect questions from "personal relationships" to "professional attitudes," using extreme dedication to art to crush all vulgar gossip.]

Not a trace of panic showed on Jiang Ci's face.

He simply sat there quietly, as if he hadn't heard the sharp question at all.

Just as the situation was about to become awkward, he slowly picked up the microphone before him.

In that instant, his entire demeanor transformed.

Jiang Ci pointed directly at the questioning reporter,

"Thank you for your concern, reporter friend."

His voice wasn't loud, but through the microphone, it clearly spread throughout the entire venue.

"But before answering your question, I'd like to address another matter first."