My Healing Games

Chapter 417 White Shoes

The main venue of the film festival was packed with people. Even though it was just a pre-event, many journalists and people working in social media had already arrived early.

Cheers and shouts of support could be heard everywhere as young and up-and-coming actors rushed to the main stadium, showing their best selves in front of the cameras.

"Xia Yilan!"

"Sister, look here!"

"What kind of divine beauty is this?"

Not only fans, but also passersby and staff were amazed that time had not left a single trace on Xia Yilan. Her skin was like that of a young girl, and her appearance had not changed much.

With a sincere smile, Xia Yilan seems to be even more popular now than she was ten years ago. She not only has a stunningly beautiful face, but also a touch of mature charm.

Walking under the camera and spotlight, she seemed like a flawless goddess, every glance captivating.

Gentle, beautiful, mature, and sexy, she showed herself off in front of the camera, as if she couldn't wait to let everyone see her beauty.

Hearing the exclamations of fans and passersby, and seeing those pairs of eyes filled with amazement, Xia Yilan felt extremely satisfied.

"Hello, my name is Han Fei."

A voice suddenly rang out behind Xia Yilan, its tone calm yet carrying a hint of coldness.

Xia Yilan felt as if she had been doused with a bucket of ice water. She snapped out of her daze amidst the cheers of her fans and turned to look at her side.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" After a very direct self-introduction, Han Fei was about to continue asking questions, but he suddenly couldn't speak.

He saw Xia Yilan's face up close. Her face was incredibly beautiful, without a single flaw, but Han Fei still felt a chill.

For a moment, he felt as if he saw Xia Yi. The two women's faces overlapped, connected by tiny insects that looked like ropes.

As Han Fei approached Xia Yilan, he twitched his nostrils and smelled a rotten odor.

The scent was very faint, perfectly masked by the expensive perfume, and Han Fei was unsure where it was coming from.

Fans and passersby were not allowed to enter, and there were security guards on both sides of the road. Xia Yilan was not worried that Han Fei was a bad person; she just disliked people getting close to her.

Her eyes initially held a hint of dissatisfaction, but her expression quickly changed when she saw Han Fei.

Han Fei didn't speak again at this moment. He seemed to be attracted by Xia Yilan's appearance and stood there in a daze.

Perhaps they've never seen such a beautiful person before?
It's no wonder Xia Yilan thought that way; she had encountered many similar situations before.

"Han Fei? I've seen your performance in 'Twin Flowers.' Among young people, your acting skills are top-notch." Xia Yilan's voice was also very pleasant, and her praise was inspiring.

The displeasure in her eyes had vanished; under the camera's lens, Xia Yilan was perfect.

She casually reached out to Han Fei, seemingly wanting to take his arm and enter the main stadium together, creating the illusion that they were friends and easing the awkwardness from before.

Having been tempered by the deep world, Han Fei, now dressed in a suit, exudes a unique aura compared to his peers. Xia Yilan felt that entering the venue at the same time as Han Fei and being photographed would generate some buzz for both of them and enhance their fame.

She is a senior in the entertainment industry, and she needs to show a gentle and considerate side to her juniors.

Xia Yilan had a smile on her face, but just as her hand was about to touch Han Fei, Han Fei subconsciously took a half step back.

Her smile became somewhat stiff; Xia Yilan had never encountered such a situation before.

Was he serious about taking a half step back?

With her hand already outstretched, hanging in mid-air made things even more awkward. Xia Yilan forced herself to take a step forward, then gently patted Han Fei's arm, seemingly to help him remove the small flying insects from his suit.

As Xia Yilan approached, Han Fei clearly smelled the stench of something rotting, and the smell was coming from Xia Yilan herself.

"Did you need something from me? Let's talk as we walk." Xia Yilan looked at Han Fei's blank face, still unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

Han Fei gently touched the tip of his nose. He smelled the scent of the Deep World on Xia Yilan. He had originally thought that only the Deep World had that kind of rotten and decaying stuff.

Walking side by side with Xia Yilan, Han Fei would occasionally glance at her out of the corner of his eye. This woman was like an apple made by a witch, fresh and delicious on the outside, but probably already rotten inside.

Xia Yilan must have paid a price to maintain her beauty forever.

Han Fei often smelled all sorts of putrid odors in the deep world. It has to be said that the stench emanating from Xia Yilan was quite unique. It didn't exude any dangerous aura; it simply made him feel strange and uncomfortable.

Maintaining a certain distance, Han Fei's fingers were slightly bent, ready to deal with any unexpected situation at any time.

Xia Yilan was unaware of Han Fei's inner thoughts. She only knew that Han Fei was looking at her, but instead of saying anything, she even smiled slightly. Being secretly watched by a handsome, promising man who wasn't interested in fame or fortune and was much younger than her satisfied Xia Yilan's vanity; perhaps she saw it as a recognition of her beauty.

Each with their own thoughts, the two walked side by side toward the main stadium. Bai Xian, who was following behind, felt a little awkward. He really didn't expect that Han Fei, who suffered from severe social anxiety, would become familiar with Xia Yilan so quickly.

Outside the main stadium, reporters and social media workers were everywhere, armed with cameras and microphones, and the actors dared not do anything inappropriate.

Han Fei didn't speak again until they entered the lobby on the first floor of the venue, when Xia Yilan was about to leave, he stopped her.

Seeing that Han Fei hesitated the whole way and finally stopped her when they were about to part, Xia Yilan chuckled softly: "Is this your first time participating in this kind of event? Don't be so reserved. This is my digital business card. Just think of it as making friends."

"Are you sure?" Most of Han Fei's friends don't breathe properly and their body temperature is always below zero.

"This year's Outstanding Young Actor Award is definitely yours. Plus, Director Zhang values ​​you so much. It's only a matter of time before you become a top star. Once you're successful, it'll be hard for me to add you as a friend." Xia Yilan smiled gently, without any airs. But just as she was about to say something, someone else walked over.

She smiled and said goodbye to Han Fei. This woman didn't even look at the new actors. Her attitude towards those people was completely different from her attitude towards Han Fei. It seemed that she only reserved her smile for those who were useful to her.

"Brother Han!" Zhan Lele ran excitedly to Han Fei's side, followed by the other young actors from the "Twin Flowers" crew: "Long time no see! How was it filming with Director Zhang? Let me tell you, Director Jiang is regretting it now. He's afraid you'll never work with him again."

"What are you muttering about?" Director Jiang also came over. He saw Han Fei's current state and his eyes were full of satisfaction. Han Fei was one of his students, and he had always felt that Han Fei had great potential. Now Han Fei had really lived up to it: "I studied the pilot concept film of 'The Suspense Novelist' several times. Your acting skills have improved again. I never realized you were so good when we were in school."

Director Jiang is certain that, purely in terms of talent, no one of his age group has better acting skills than Han Fei. Once "The Suspense Novelist" is officially released, Han Fei will definitely become a sensation.

There's a saying that goes something like this: "The roc rises with the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles high."

Director Jiang used to think this statement was an exaggeration, until he met Han Fei, who fully displayed his talent on screen.

"Director Jiang, do you remember that true story project we discussed before? I've already come up with several cases, and once this is finished, we can start filming right away." Grateful for the opportunity Director Jiang gave Han Fei when he was down on his luck, he naturally wanted to repay Director Jiang now that he had inspiration for a good project.

"No, I can't afford your fee." Director Jiang joked, but actually didn't want to delay Han Fei.

"It's okay, just like when we made 'Twin Flowers,' we'll split the box office revenue directly. If it flops, I'll share the burden with you all; if it makes money, we'll all make money together." Han Fei hasn't joined any entertainment company yet. He's thinking that if he has the opportunity in the future, he can find some trustworthy people and start his own company to make movies specifically for victims.

Han Fei used to lack confidence in himself, but after taking on various jobs such as building manager, store manager, security guard, teacher, and midnight butcher, he felt that starting his own business should not be a problem.

I chatted with Director Jiang and Zhan Lele for a while, and tonight's event is about to officially begin.

As the actors entered the stage one after another, Han Fei kept checking his watch on his phone.

He was now certain that there was something wrong with Xia Yilan. It was definitely not a coincidence that the woman looked so similar to Xia Yi. He even suspected that Xia Yi's death was related to her.

“Xia Yilan is a public figure, so it’s not easy to talk to her. It’s better to rely on the police.” Han Fei was standing outside the hall, about to make a phone call to Li Xue, when a disgusting voice suddenly came from afar.

"Isn't this Han Fei? I thought you disdained participating in these kinds of pre-event activities. Getting too close to our circle isn't good for maintaining your public image." Acheng and the male lead of "Urban Secret Love" walked towards the lobby together, their boss following behind with a phone in hand, his expression gloomy.

Han Fei was too lazy to pay attention to A Cheng; in fact, he had already forgotten the full names of the two men.

People and things that pose absolutely no threat are not worth wasting your time and energy on.

"You're quite confident. Do you really think you've got it all figured out?" The male lead of "Urban Secret Love" smiled slightly, stopped A-Cheng, and went straight into the hall.

"Just wait and see what happens. Without the protection of 'wings,' the higher you fly, the harder you'll fall." Ah Cheng seemed to know something; they seemed to have already taken care of everything.

After the two entered the lobby, their boss stopped in the lobby with his phone in hand, speaking faster and faster, and his expression became increasingly impatient.

"I'm not going home. I have a very important event tonight. If you're scared, go find somewhere else to hide."

"What ghosts? You're just scaring yourself! Okay, that's enough, I'm going in now."

"I'm telling you one last time! That white shoe has nothing to do with me, throw it away right now!"

"Bullshit! How could I have picked it up again? You didn't dispose of it at all!"

"How was I supposed to know it would be under the bed? What does the child you were having nightmares about have to do with shoes? I'm taking you to see a psychologist tomorrow! Bye!"

After hanging up the phone, the man prepared to go inside, but then his phone rang again.

He gritted his teeth, his already gloomy face becoming even more distorted.

"What exactly do you want? I'm warning you one last time, don't cause me any more trouble!" The man walked toward the main venue's restroom with his phone in hand. His expression grew increasingly ferocious, and veins bulged on his forehead, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.

Han Fei also saw the man. He had met Han Fei once before downstairs, and Han Fei had a very bad impression of him.

Furthermore, based on the clues provided by Jin Jun, Han Fei suspects that the man who asked Liu Guang to take action was that person.

"He looks several years older than I have seen in just a few days." Han Fei was investigating Xia Yilan's matter and didn't want to cause any trouble, but he overheard the man mentioning something on the phone—white shoes.

In Xia Yi's selfie before she died, there was also a white shoe.

"White shoes have appeared in his house too?" The event was about to start, and the actors were entering the venue one after another. The restroom was located at the end of the corridor, where there were almost no people.

Han Fei was just curious about the man's phone call, so he quietly followed behind. But just as the man entered the restroom at the end of the corridor, Han Fei saw a worker carrying a paint bucket also enter the restroom with his head down.

He was certain that the person was not in the hallway at first.

"There shouldn't be any areas in the main venue that need painting, so what's the deal with that staff member?" Han Fei noticed the problem after just one glance from afar.

He turned on the recording function on his phone and walked towards the bathroom. The closer he got, the more he felt something was wrong.

I don't know if it's because the air conditioner isn't working or for some other reason, but the temperature at the end of the corridor is very low.

Han Fei gently pushed open the bathroom door. He didn't see anyone in the men's room. He opened the stall door, and as he pushed the third stall door open, a man's scream suddenly came from the women's room!

"He's in the women's restroom?"

When Han Fei walked out of the men's restroom, he saw Ah Cheng's boss standing in front of the mirror, gently touching his face like a woman, then pinching the edges of his skin with his fingers as if he wanted to tear his entire face off.

Blood was already flowing from his cheek, but the man was completely oblivious. His expression was alluring and intoxicated, his eyes fixed on the mirror in front of him, and he unconsciously repeated a phrase.

"Have you seen Mr. Butterfly who lives in Garden Number Twenty-Four? There's a little boy in white shoes looking for him."

The word "butterfly" was taboo for Han Fei, and he immediately prepared to go over, but at this moment the man hiding in the women's restroom slowly returned to normal.

He looked at the bloodstains on his face, his expression becoming even more sinister and terrifying.

"Damn, what the hell is going on?"

(End of this chapter)