Today, Rong Zhouzhong wore a simple black T-shirt, didn't wear glasses, and although his hair was still brown and curly due to filming needs, it was a bit messy, and his whole demeanor finally leaned a bit towards his true nature.

"Finished filming?" Shi Jin greeted him and sat across from him.

Seeing him come over, Rong Zhouzhong sat up a bit straighter and replied, "Not yet, there's still a night scene tonight, once I finish my scenes, we'll wrap up."

Shi Jin instantly understood his intention and asked, "Tonight?"

"If you want to," Rong Zhouzhong replied, looking at him with an unusually calm expression and serene gaze.

Shi Jin couldn't quite describe how he was feeling at the moment. He felt a bit lost, a bit like running away, and a bit like just punching Rong Zhouzhong to prevent him from showing such an uncharacteristic expression.

"Then let's do it tonight. There's a screening room on the second floor that we can use, and I've already prepared the movie. We can start anytime. Do you want some late-night snacks? I'll have the kitchen prepare something," Rong Zhouzhong said.

"Then let's have cake," Rong Zhouzhong added.

Cake. Their memories briefly connected, and both knew what this movie represented. They locked eyes, but couldn't read each other's true emotions. It was as if they had suddenly donned masks of politeness, knowing that ahead lay the bloody reality of mutual harm. Yet, for now, they had to maintain the fragile illusion of peace.

Suddenly, Rong Zhouzhong avoided Shi Jin's gaze, stood up, and walked away with quick, heavy steps.

Shi Jin didn't stop him. He listened to the sound of Rong Zhouzhong's departing footsteps, only turning his head towards the balcony to find Rong Zhouzhong's receding figure on the long bridge. He silently watched him leave.

......

After dinner, Shi Jin sat on the edge of the long bridge, gazing towards the direction of the film crew.

He used his Thousand-Mile Eye buff to watch them shoot their scenes. After rehearsing for an entire afternoon, the lead actor finally found his groove. Today, the crew will move to the ship to film the scene where the lead character grows up and is chased into the sea by enemies. As he falls into the water, he remembers his teacher's death in the sea and overcomes his inner demons at the brink of death.

This scene is crucial for the original owner's character development. Rong Zhouzhong will appear again as the embodiment of the original owner's inner demons and hallucinations, engaging in a conversation with him on the vast sea.

To make this dialogue more impactful, the director demands that Rong Zhouzhong remain completely soaked throughout the scene, with his lower body submerged in water, resembling a "water ghost" standing in the water and speaking to the lead actor floating on the sea.

Before filming this inevitably agonizing scene, Rong Zhouzhong needed to shoot another scene while his clothes and hair were still dry, and quickly capture the moment before the evening light disappeared. This was the scene where Rong Zhouzhong's character, the teacher, escapes from the "water ghost" appearance and returned to his usual gentle demeanor.

The scene was shot on the beach, where the lead actor wakes up after overcoming his inner demons and finds himself rescued by the waves on the shore.

As Shi Jin watched Rong Zhouzhong bathe in the warm evening light and bid farewell to the tearful lead actor, he turned and slowly walked into the fading light. Suddenly, he remembered the scene from the birthday banquet where the original owner and Rong Zhouzhong blew out the candles together.

At that time, Shi Xingrui was standing on the other side of the table, personally holding a camera to record the scene of the original owner's birthday. The original owner insisted on celebrating with Rong Zhouzhong for winning the Best Actor award, and ordered another cake for Rong Zhouzhong to blow candles together.

With two cakes and two people, they each blew out their own candles and stood together to receive blessings from their families. The scene looked as if they were both celebrating their birthdays at the same time. Their shared father stood on the opposite side of the table, smiling lovingly, and his figure briefly overlapped with the countless ordinary fathers who love their children in this world.

After blowing out the candle, the original owner laughed and turned to look at his most dazzling third brother. He thought his brother would also be happy, but instead he saw his brother's eyelids half-closed under the smoke rising from the extinguished candle. His beautiful peach blossom eyes were filled with sadness, gray and without any light.

It was only a brief moment, and when the smoke cleared, his brother smiled happily, hugged him and thanked him, wishing him a happy birthday.

It seemed that from that day on, his brother slowly became the current Rong Zhouzhong. He seemed to have stripped away the most sensitive and soft parts of himself, living in the form of a petty and grudge-holding person where the world must be more unhappy than him if he is unhappy.

"Acting is truly the most suitable profession for him," Shi Jin said, barely audible as he watched Rong Zhouzhong preparing to board the ship for the final scene of the film shoot. "It's so great that he can be an actor."

Without the shield of acting and the freedom to express emotions in the world of film, Rong Zhouzhong might have become another Li Jiuzheng or even Shi Weichong. He certainly wouldn't be the Rong Zhouzhong they know today.

The more he looked back on his memories, the more he realized that hurt is always mutual. Intentional or unintentional, it's still hurt. They were all victims and perpetrators, and no one was right.

The sound of the ship setting sail jolted Shi Jin back to reality. He realized that the entire crew had already boarded the ship and they were about to set sail to film the scene where the lead actor falls into the sea and battles his inner demons.

Instinctively, he looked towards the deck of the ship, hoping to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure. He didn't have to search for long, as that person was standing conspicuously in a spot that was easily visible, holding a pair of binoculars and staring straight at him.

Caught in the act of stealing a glance, Shi Jin's heart skipped a beat. He quickly averted his gaze and pretended to be admiring the scenery, all the while secretly using his "Thousand-Mile Eye" buff to observe the person. He didn't need to hide, after all.

He had been careless.

Feeling a bit stiff, he wanted to look up but didn't dare to. Instead, he rubbed his eyes and put on a facade of being tired from sightseeing. He then got up and headed towards the villa.

......

After lounging in the villa for half an hour, Shi Jin estimated that the crew had already started filming. He left the villa and found a good vantage point on the balcony to continue his voyeuristic obsession with watching Rong Zhouzhong act. He didn't know why he suddenly became so fixated on spying on Rong Zhouzhong's filming.

The sky had already turned completely dark, so Shi Jin had Xiao Si activate his night vision buff. He then took out the snacks that Rong Zhouzhong had sent him earlier and began to eat while watching the filming.

Rong Zhouzhong had already finished his water scene and was now lying on a rescue board, seriously discussing the scene with the lead actor. The crew members were busy setting up around them, and the director was checking the safety equipment for Rong Zhouzhong. After about ten minutes of preparation, the lead actor finally completed his preparations and floated face up on the water, looking completely numb and devoid of any will to live.

Rong Zhouzhong was suspended in the water by tools, slowly adjusting his body posture. Although there were crew members in diving suits hidden underwater to help him maintain his balance, it was still quite difficult to appear nonchalant and stand steadily in the water under these circumstances.

Fortunately, the weather was perfect tonight, with a full moon casting a cool and natural light that perfectly matched the mood of the scene. There was no wind, and the sea was very calm, which didn't hinder the filming at all.

Finally, after another ten minutes or so, the filming officially began. Shi Jin was sitting too far away to hear the dialogue, and because of his position, he could only see the side of Rong Zhouzhong's face. But that was enough for him. All he wanted was to see Rong Zhouzhong, whether or not he could see him clearly was not important.

In the play, the "inner demon" character alternated between comforting and encouraging the lead actor, coldly questioning him, trying to save a drowning student, and wanting to drag his student to hell. Outside of the play, Shi Jin watched as Rong Zhouzhong seemed to transform before his eyes. He went from sitting to leaning, then to slouching, and finally he even moved the rattan table over and lay on top of it.

After what felt like an eternity, Shi Jin had finished his snacks, but the play with Rong Zhouzhong still wasn't over. During a brief break, Rong Zhouzhong sat on the rescue boat designated for rest, draped in a blanket, and scolded the lead actor with a furrowed brow. The lead actor sat on another boat, defeated and listening with his head down.

Filming didn't seem to be going smoothly.

As Shi Jin thought this, he watched Rong Zhouzhong's angry expression and slowly closed his eyes. Has anyone ever told Rong Zhouzhong that his serious angry face is actually quite terrifying, even more so than Shi Weichong and Fei Yujing?

He's really fierce.

......

Lian Jun opened the French window, slid his wheelchair over to Shi Jin, and covered him with the blanket.

Number Six stood behind him with concern and asked, "Young Master Jun, do you want me to carry Shi Jin inside?"

"No need," Lian Jun replied, carefully tucking in the blanket for Shi Jin. He touched Shi Jin's troubled face, even though he appeared to be asleep, and said, "This is between him and Rong Zhouzhong. He said he wants to wait until Rong Zhouzhong finishes filming before watching the movie together. Let him wait."

"But won't he get sick like this?" Number Six was still very worried, and even felt like sighing.

Everyone could tell that something was off with Shi Jin during this period, but they didn't know how to comfort him. All the changes started after Rong Zhouzhong arrived, and Shi Jin's abnormal behavior must be related to him. However, considering the complicated family environment of the Shi family, no one dared to ask too much.

"Young Master Shi has been like a different person lately, always daydreaming and sitting on the bridge all day long..." Number Six said, but when he saw Lian Jun looking at Shi Jin, he silently closed his mouth. It was something that everyone could see, so how could Young Master Jun not notice it when he cared so much?

"...I'll have someone bring in two screens to block the wind." He changed his mind and turned to take care of it.

Lian Jun watched him leave, then turned his attention back to Shi Jin. He touched Shi Jin's face, leaned in and hugged him, resting his face against Shi Jin's and gently rubbing against it.

"You need to pull yourself together quickly," he whispered with a sigh. "Don't forget that I've always been here for you."