Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 172 Courage
Along the way, An Xiaoqian's feeling of uneasiness grew stronger.

But when he thought about the group of people in the crew waiting for him, and the director calling him at a public shooting location.

He suppressed his chaotic thoughts and followed the assistant to the shooting location.

As soon as An Xiaoqian stepped into the venue, she felt a depressing atmosphere coming towards her, making her shiver.

Even in the daytime in public, the light around here seemed a little dimmer than elsewhere.

Some extras behaved strangely, their eyes flickering, and a few of them huddled together whispering, their voices as low as mosquitoes and flies.

But when her eyes swept over, those people quickly dispersed, pretending nothing had happened.

"There's a problem!" An Xiaoqian felt even more uneasy.

Most people in the crew know that Hu Xiaobei and An Xiaoqian have a close relationship. Hu Xiaobei usually takes good care of An Xiaoqian, just like a father or brother.

Hu Xiaobei is very capable and has a high reputation in the crew. Many crew members also remember his kindness.

Among them was a kind-hearted and cautious staff member who really couldn't bear to see An Xiaoqian being kept in the dark.

He secretly observed the movements around him, and when no one was paying attention, he quietly approached An Xiaoqian.

His face was filled with anxiety, his eyebrows furrowed in a frown, and he lowered his voice and quickly warned, "Be careful, Wang Zhongsong has bad intentions and wants to film a scene that will be detrimental to you."

An Xiaoqian was suddenly startled, her heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible big hand, and her breathing became rapid.

She subconsciously wanted to see who was reminding her so that she could find out what was going on.

But when she turned around, the man had already quietly blended into the crowd and quickly moved away, leaving her with only a fleeting back view.

An Xiaoqian stood there in a daze, her heart filled with doubts and anxieties surging like the tide, and her mind began to rapidly think about the possible conspiracy that Wang Zhongsong might have planned.

Fear spread like a vine in her heart, but more of it was anger and worry about this unreasonable calculation.

At this moment, she was eager to contact Hu Xiaobei and her mother. Her hands frantically groped around her body, and then she remembered that she didn't bring her cell phone with her when filming, and the idea was instantly dashed.

She subconsciously clutched the corner of her clothes tightly, her heart was at a loss, she had no idea what she would face next, and her eyes were full of helplessness.

At this moment, Wang Zhongsong had a fake smile on his face, but the smile did not reach his eyes. The curve of his mouth corners was deliberate and stiff, as if he was wearing a perfunctory mask.

He walked towards An Xiaoqian with a proud step, the soles of his shoes making a rustling sound as they rubbed against the ground, and every step seemed to be stepping on An Xiaoqian's tense nerves.

"An Xiaoqian, this scene is crucial. It's related to the climax of the entire drama. Please prepare yourself. We will start shooting immediately."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and gently patted An Xiaoqian's shoulder. There was an unquestionable toughness in his voice, but behind the fake smile, his eyes revealed a subtle eagerness.

An Xiaoqian's body stiffened suddenly, but she reacted in a flash, quickly took a step back and avoided Wang Zhongsong's dirty hands.

She subconsciously leaned her upper body back slightly, raised her hands to her chest, and stared at Wang Zhongsong vigilantly, full of caution.

"Wait a minute, what play are you talking about? I've never heard of it."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice filled with doubt and uneasiness, her brows slightly furrowed, and her little face was full of vigilance, like a small animal that had sensed danger.

The fake smile on Wang Zhongsong's face disappeared instantly, replaced by obvious impatience.

He curled his lips, his mouth corners drooping, a flicker of disgust in his eyes. "It's just a simple highlight, listen carefully..."

He quickly explained the filming requirements, with a hint of disdain in his words, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, as if An Xiaoqian's question was a very stupid one.

If there had not been the previous conflict and the staff's reminder, An Xiaoqian might not have thought too much about it and might even have cooperated with the director's shooting requirements.

But with these prerequisites, there was no way An Xiaoqian would be deceived by Wang Zhongsong.

The more An Xiaoqian listened, the more frightened she became. Her originally rosy face gradually turned pale and her lips began to tremble slightly.

Her hands unconsciously clenched the corners of her clothes, and a strong sense of unease surged in her heart, as if an invisible big hand was about to pull her into the dark abyss.

"No, I have to wait until Hu Xiaobei comes before I can decide."

Her voice trembled slightly, but revealed a firmness. After she finished speaking, she subconsciously took a small step back, as if to keep a safe distance from Wang Zhongsong.

Wang Zhongsong's face darkened, the muscles on his face tensed instantly, his teeth clenched, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

He unconsciously clenched his fists, then slowly loosened them. He suppressed his anger and threatened, "This is the crew's arrangement. Don't waste everyone's time. Hurry and get ready."

As he spoke, he took a step forward, leaned forward, and looked down at An Xiaoqian. His tone became increasingly cold, and the air around them seemed to drop several degrees.

An Xiaoqian bit her lips, almost leaving a bleeding mark on her lower lip, and her pearly teeth sunk deeply into her soft lips.

She shook her head firmly, her body trembling slightly, and her hands tightly clasped against her chest, as if seeking a sense of security for herself.

His hands unconsciously clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms, his eyes full of fear and resistance, like a frightened deer, panicked and helpless, but he never gave up the idea of ​​escaping.

At the signal from Wang Zhongsong's assistant, the surrounding extras began to make a noise, and the noisy voices instantly drowned out An Xiaoqian.

A tall, thin extra, with an expression that looked like he was enjoying the fun, nudged the person next to him with his elbow and shouted at the top of his voice, "What are you doing?! Hurry up and shoot! Don't waste everyone's time!"

There was also a messy-haired extra, wearing a tattered hat askew and holding an unlit cigarette. He spat fiercely on the ground, waved his arms, and shouted at the top of his voice: "Stop wasting time, start shooting! I have something to do later."

There were also many extras whispering to each other, and from time to time they glanced at An Xiaoqian with unfriendly eyes.

There were also extras shouting and making noises, their voices were sharp and piercing, and the atmosphere on the scene became increasingly tense, like a fully drawn bow ready to explode at any moment.

An Xiaoqian was gradually completely surrounded by the surging sound waves. Her body trembled slightly in the noise, and every unfriendly look was like a sharp knife, cutting into her skin.

All she could see were swaying figures, extras shouting with their mouths open, their faces distorted with excitement, spit flying everywhere. In her blurred vision, they kept enlarging and deforming, like terrifying monsters.

Looking around, she saw that the people around her had formed a circle that had trapped her in the center.

Their existence was like an invisible prison, locking up An Xiaoqian's actions and devouring her hopes bit by bit.

At this moment, she was like a lone boat in a storm, being beaten mercilessly by the waves and could be swallowed up at any time. The feeling of being isolated and powerless overwhelmed her like a tide.

But there was still a stubborn determination in her eyes, her back straightened more stubbornly, and although her legs were slightly weak, she did not take another step back.

She silently told herself in her heart that no matter how heavy the pressure was, she must not compromise and must not let these people's threats succeed.

(End of this chapter)