The call sheet read:
Scene 27 — The Bathtub Confession.
Time: 3:45 PM
Location: Closed Set, Studio 4A
Setup: Single take. Full emotion. Partial water.
It was Jiang Yue's first real screen test—not rehearsal, not voiceover.
Her debut in flesh and bone, with the camera rolling.
And it involved her sitting in a cold bathtub, soaked in artificial blood, delivering a 3-minute monologue about murder, regret, and self-erasure.
Mu Shengzhi's instructions were clear:
"No music. No cuts. One take. If you crack, we wrap. This will go in your reel, or in the trash."
The makeup team, led by Jia Ru, took their time.
Too much time.
The fake blood wasn't the right tone—too glossy, not thick enough.
Jia Ru frowned.
"She's pale-skinned. This shade will stain. If we mess it up, we'll be delayed for hours. Let's wait."
Another assistant muttered, "Director says shoot begins in ten."
Jia Ru shrugged, "Then let her wait. The blood takes too long to dry anyway."
[System Alert: Deliberate Delay Detected]
Blood Consistency = Approved Substitute Available in SkyInk Archive
Cause of Hold: Internal Sabotage Probability = 88.1%
Suggested Action: Override Staff / Escalate to ML
But Jiang Yue didn't escalate.
She sat in silence, barefoot, robed in a damp towel, as her hair dried out of position and the clock ticked past 4:05.
She didn't complain.
She knew what this was.
A test. Not of acting—but of resolve.
She adjusted her posture and waited.
And waited.
Until the set lights went dim again.
Zeyan arrived in person at 4:19 PM.
He didn't speak when he entered.
Just walked straight into the prep room, looked at the bucket of "delayed" blood mixture, and scanned it with his ring.
[Analysis Complete: Inferior Batch Used Intentionally – 32% dilution]
Result: Will appear orange under HD cameras
Purpose: Career Mockery / Meme Material
He turned to Jia Ru.
"Why was this approved?"
She blinked innocently. "Director Mu's assistant said to test different batches."
"I'm that assistant. And I say you're fired."
She laughed—until he showed his SkyInk Executive ID.
"Pack your things. Security will be here in five minutes."
[System Trigger: Executive Override Activated – Public Move]
Reputation Effect: Zeyan's Authority Revealed to Crew
Fanbase Buzz Probability: 67%
Jiang Yue Trust Boost: +7.4%
Internal Loyalty Modifier (FL): +3.1
He turned to Jiang Yue.
"Come with me ."
She stood without a word.
In SkyInk's private studio next door, Zeyan had already prepped a controlled shoot area.
Camera. Lighting. Proper blood packs. Trained crew.
Jiang Yue sat in the tub, this time truly chilled, but with calm in her eyes.
She whispered as the water touched her skin:
"Are you going to stay and watch?"
Zeyan didn't smile.
"I built this for you. Of course I'm going to watch."
The camera rolled.
She delivered.
"They always say blood runs warm. But mine didn't. Mine stopped—when she stopped breathing.
I told myself it was mercy. I told myself it was love.
But the blood takes too long to leave.
And the truth?
It stains more than skin."
The silence that followed felt like a held breath across two lifetimes.
Zeyan didn't speak.
Neither did the crew.
[System Alert: Emotional Sync: 99.6%]
Projected Viral Clip Probability: 83%
Clip Auto-Saved for "Performance Library"
Bonus Skill Triggered: "Monologue Control – Tier C"
PP Earned: +0.014923184
FL Public Index Rank: #83 (Up from #147)
Later that night, Jiang Yue found a note under her dressing room thermos.
Not signed.
Just folded, cleanly.
"You don't need blood to prove yourself.
But if the world spills it anyway, make sure it's not yours.
—L"
Gu Yuxi received the shoot report within hours.
One of her agents in the crew texted:
"He was there."
"Lu Zeyan showed up. Took full control. She's no longer just lucky."
Yuxi closed her laptop and leaned back.
"Then we need a new strategy."
Meanwhile, in a quiet room, Jiang Yue lay still—blanketed, system open in the dark.
[New Workshop Available: "Emotion Exhaustion Recovery Chamber"]
Cost: 4.2 PP
Duration: 12 hours
Effect: Restores 100% system balance + physical fatigue
Recommended: Yes
She hit [Yes].
Then whispered to herself—
"I didn't break."
But her hand reached for the folded note again.
And her fingers trembled when they touched it.