Huayu: This top star doesn't play by the rules.

At this moment, Chen Chao's face did not show any exaggerated pain, but only disbelief. He looked at the dagger in Yang Kang's hand, and then at his sneer-faced man, his eyes gradually changing from astonishment to self-mockery.

"You...you actually dared to kill me?" Chen Chao's voice was soft, slightly hoarse, and filled with an unbelievable absurdity.

Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. He looked down at the blood gushing from his chest and a pale, self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

Throughout his life, he was competitive and scheming, wanting to gain Ouyang Feng's approval and Huang Rong's affections. But he never expected that he would die at the hands of someone he looked down upon.

How ridiculous.

His gaze slowly moved, finally landing on the face of Mu Nianci, played by Meng Ziyi. His eyes were complex and hard to decipher, containing resentment, regret, and a hint of relief that even he himself did not realize.

Perhaps, dying like this was the best ending for him. It was better than living in Ouyang Feng's shadow for the rest of his life, yearning for something he could never have.

His eyes slowly lost their light, and his body, which Yang Kang had been pressing down on, went completely limp and stopped moving.

"Card!"

Excitedly, Director Jiang Jiajun stood up from behind the monitor and clapped enthusiastically: "That was a wrap! Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

His actions were met with enthusiastic applause from the entire set.

Liu, the action director, walked into the arena, helped Chen Chao up with Chen Xingxu, patted him on the shoulder, and said with admiration in his eyes, "Good lad, you acted really well! That look in your eyes just now was amazing! I almost thought you were really stabbed to death."

Li Yitong also came over, and she said with a smile, "Chen Chao, you really scared me just now. I got goosebumps. You really brought the character of Ouyang Ke to life."

Just then, Meng Ziyi came over and pulled out tissues and bottled water from somewhere, handing them to him with eyes full of admiration.

Before she could say anything, the crew brought flowers and a cake, pushed the cake cart in front of Chen Chao, and handed him the flowers, saying, "Congratulations on wrapping up filming, Mr. Chen Chao!"

"Thank you." After accepting the flowers and expressing his gratitude, Chen Chao looked at everyone and bowed deeply. "Thank you all. Thank you for taking care of me during this time. You've all worked so hard."

After Chen Chao expressed his gratitude, the usual wrap-up photo session began. Crew members and actors who were on good terms with him all came forward to take photos with him.

After officially wrapping up filming, Chen Chao invited the crew members and actors he was close to to a wrap party that very evening. After all, it was his first time finishing filming a movie, and he really wanted to commemorate it properly.

During the meal, friends took turns toasting Chen Chao, and Chen Chao politely drank them all. After a few rounds of drinks, Jiang Jiajun pulled Chen Chao to the balcony of the restaurant.

The evening breeze carried a faint scent of the sea and felt a little cool against the skin. Jiang Jiajun lit a cigarette, looked at the distant fishing lights, and after a moment of silence, said, "Xiao Chen, you are the most talented actor I have ever met in my life."

He suddenly turned his head and looked directly at Chen Chao with an extremely serious expression: "You have good looks, talent, and comprehension, as well as a rare composure and humility for a young person. As long as you don't go astray, your future achievements are limitless."

"However, the entertainment industry is too complicated. Fame, fortune, temptations, and traps are everywhere. Many talented actors become arrogant after becoming famous overnight, are swept away by capital, and are blinded by the popularity of traffic, eventually fading into obscurity."

Taking another drag of his cigarette, Jiang Jiajun continued, "I know many agencies are looking for you right now, but take my advice, don't rush into signing a contract."

"Those contracts from big companies look glamorous, but they are actually all unfair terms. Signing them is like selling yourself. Now that you have works, popularity, and a voice, you can set up your own studio and take control of your own destiny."

"And then there's the character Yan Xun." Jiang Jiajun's tone became even more serious. "This character is very important. His character arc is even better than the male lead's. If you can play him well, you'll leave a deep impression on the audience."

"But at the same time, this role can also easily typecast you. When people mention you in the future, they may only think of Yan Xun. So you have to be prepared that after playing Yan Xun, you should dare to break through yourself, try different types of roles, and break the fixed impression that others have of you."

"You have to remember one thing: actors ultimately have to let their work speak for itself. So-called popularity is only temporary. Only excellent works can help you gain a foothold in this industry. Stay true to yourself and don't lose sight of your original passion for acting."

Listening quietly to Jiang Jiajun's words, Chen Chao couldn't help but feel moved. After all, what he said was heartfelt advice from a senior to a junior.

He nodded solemnly and bowed deeply to Jiang Jiajun: "Thank you, Director Jiang. I have kept your words in mind. I will definitely live up to your expectations, act well, and stay true to myself."

Reaching out and patting him on the shoulder, Jiang Jiajun smiled and said, "Okay, I believe in you. Keep it up, the future belongs to you young people."

—————————————————————————————

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into Chen Chao's room, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Wearing Chen Chao's oversized white T-shirt, Meng Ziyi was barefoot on the carpet, squatting next to Chen Chao's suitcase, helping him pack his luggage.

She carefully placed Chen Chao's neatly folded clothes into the suitcase, one by one, and then secretly stuffed in the snacks she had bought herself.

"This beef jerky tastes pretty good, you can take it with you on the road," she said, stuffing it into your mouth. "And these nuts are good for your brain, eat some when you get tired of reading the script. I also packed some stomach medicine and cold medicine for you, remember to take them on time if you get sick in Hengdian."

Leaning against the door frame, watching her busy figure, Chen Chao couldn't help but smile slightly.

After packing up the clothes and snacks, Meng Ziyi took out a small photo frame from her bag and solemnly placed it on top of the clothes and snacks.

The photo frame contains a picture of the four of them on the old Bund. She is smiling with her eyes crinkled, leaning against Chen Chao.