The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 38: Oh no! He’s going to discipline me!
Gu Huai's influence was far more terrifying than Jiang Ci had imagined.
Early the next morning, the director called Jiang Ci and Qiao Xinran together.
In front of all the core staff members, he announced a decision.
"Starting today, in pursuit of better dramatic effects, Jiang Ci is permitted to engage in reasonable improvisation during Chu Wuchen and Su Nian's scenes, as long as it doesn't violate the main storyline."
The director's voice echoed through the filming set.
The crew instantly fell silent, with everyone's gaze focused on Jiang Ci.
The privilege of improvisation!
This was typically a special right reserved only for veteran actors who had been in the industry for decades and were respected as towering figures.
Jiang Ci was just a newcomer—what gave him that right?
But everyone understood perfectly well in their hearts.
This wasn't the director's intention.
This was Gu Huai's doing.
In that moment, the scrutinizing looks from the crew completely changed in nature.
Envy and jealousy sank away, replaced by a sense of awe.
For Gu Huai to personally step in and support him to this extent—this newcomer's background was unfathomably deep.
Qiao Xinran's sweet smile froze on her face for the first time.
She understood perfectly well what this meant.
This meant the director had blatantly handed the power to "discipline" her directly into Jiang Ci's hands.
She was no longer the highly praised female lead number two.
She had become a student waiting for her "teacher's guidance."
Her agent quickly leaned close to her ear, voice extremely hushed: "Xinran, hold back! Gu Huai personally gave the order!"
"Go along with it, let him act however he wants—we must avoid this storm!"
Qiao Xinran's chest heaved violently, but ultimately, she forcefully suppressed that overwhelming rage.
She lifted her face and squeezed out a perfectly sweet smile for the director.
"Understood, Director. I'll definitely learn well from Brother Jiang Ci."
She pronounced the word "learn" with a peculiar emphasis, as if chewing on something.
Jiang Ci stood to the side, expressionless throughout, but inwardly he was overjoyed.
This was like someone delivering a pillow just when he was feeling sleepy.
With the director's "highest authority," he could now legitimately launch a full-scale "BE aesthetic" assault on Qiao Xinran.
His mind was already rapidly calculating.
Which method of emotional torment should he use today to maximize his Heartbreak Value gains?
The repressed agony of "loving you but unable to speak my heart"?
The restrained pain of "wanting to touch but withdrawing my hand"?
Or the fateful tragedy of "an ocean of blood and enmity between us"?
Only children make choices.
He wanted them all!
The morning's scene happened to be perfectly tailored for "repressed agony" drama.
Chu Wuchen was teaching Su Nian a new sword technique—one with immense power but that also wounded the heart most deeply.
Before filming began, Jiang Ci walked over to Qiao Xinran with the script.
"Later, I'll change one line," he said in a very flat voice.
Qiao Xinran looked up at him warily. "What are you changing?"
"In the script, when you ask me, 'Master, what is this sword technique called?' I answer, 'Nameless.'"
Jiang Ci looked at her and said slowly, "I'll change it to 'Forgetting Love.'"
Forgetting Love?
Qiao Xinran was stunned.
"Why?" she asked instinctively.
Jiang Ci didn't answer, just gave her a deep look—one filled with profound sorrow.
Then he turned and walked away. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
Qiao Xinran stood in place, but the words "Forgetting Love" had stirred up a storm in her heart.
Forgetting Love?
Was he saying he wanted to forget "her"?
A strange sense of bitterness and jealousy surged in her heart.
"Action!"
Filming began.
Jiang Ci, dressed in white, danced with his sword, his movements ethereal and graceful.
Qiao Xinran watched, mesmerized.
"Master, this sword technique is so beautiful. What is it called?" Qiao Xinran asked her line as rehearsed.
Jiang Ci sheathed his sword and stood still, not looking at her, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon as he slowly spoke: "Forgetting Love."
After saying these two words, he turned and left, leaving behind only a lonely silhouette.
And Qiao Xinran stood there dumbfounded, repeatedly chewing over the words "Forgetting Love."
Her eyes revealed a confusion and a trace of unwillingness that weren't in the script at all.
She couldn't accept that he wanted to forget that person so easily.
She was even more unwilling to accept that in his heart, she didn't even qualify as someone worth "forgetting love" for.
"Cut!"
The director's voice was filled with excitement.
"Great! That reaction is perfect! Xinran, you've had an epiphany!"
Qiao Xinran was pulled back to reality by the director's praise. Looking at Jiang Ci's retreating figure, her feelings were extremely complicated.
She knew she had been led by him once again.
All her emotions had been precisely manipulated by him.
This feeling made her feel humiliated, yet there was also a morbid fascination.
She began to crave it—to see more of his emotions, to pry open his shell and see what kind of soul was hidden inside.
The morning's filming went exceptionally smoothly.
Relying on various "micro-manipulations," Jiang Ci continuously applied emotional pressure on Qiao Xinran, making her frequently deliver "exceptional" performances.
Behind the monitor, the director watched with a beaming smile, repeatedly praising Gu Huai for recognizing talent.
And on Jiang Ci's system panel, the Heartbreak Value was steadily increasing.
[Ding! Detected faint heartbreak fluctuations from 'Qiao Xinran'! Heartbreak Value +1!]
[Ding! Detected heartbreak fluctuations from 'set assistant Xiao Li'! Heartbreak Value +3!]
[Ding! Detected faint heartbreak fluctuations from 'Qiao Xinran'! Heartbreak Value +2!]
Although he hadn't harvested much from Qiao Xinran yet, it was a good start!
Jiang Ci believed that as long as he persevered with steady effort, one day he could cultivate this female player into his own "major source of Heartbreak Value."
During the noon break, assistant Sun Zhou came running over with his phone, looking excited.
"Brother Ci, Brother Ci, check Weibo quickly!"
"What's up?"
"You're trending again!" Sun Zhou handed over his phone.
Jiang Ci took it and saw a hashtag prominently displayed on the hot search list.
#Jiang Ci Forgetting Love#
Clicking into it, he found a clip from that morning's filming that someone had secretly recorded.
The footage was somewhat blurry, but it clearly showed Jiang Ci's lonely silhouette when he said "Forgetting Love" and Qiao Xinran's devastated expression.
The comments section had exploded.
"Holy crap! The words 'Forgetting Love' coming from Jiang Ci's mouth—why do they hurt so much!"
"Ahhhh! I'm dead! This silhouette, this atmosphere is absolutely perfect! What kind of ultimate bitter gourd is Chu Wuchen!"
"Look at Qiao Xinran's expression! She looks genuinely hurt! Her acting has improved so quickly!"
"What acting improvement—she's clearly being carried by Jiang Ci! Please, let Jiang Ci mentor our idol more!"
Looking at these comments, Jiang Ci couldn't help but smile.
"Brother Ci, your water."
Sun Zhou handed over a bottle of mineral water, looking at Jiang Ci with admiration and a touch of fear.
He now felt that the artist he was following was truly unfathomable.
Quietly and without fanfare, he had gained Gu Huai's special regard, made the director follow his lead, and tamed the usually arrogant and domineering Qiao Xinran in the crew.
His methods were too masterful!
Jiang Ci took the water, unscrewed the cap and took a sip, but his mind was on another matter.
The WeChat message Su Qingying had sent last night.
Just three words.
"Are you there?"
