Shen Xingci · Chat

<div class="shen-timebar-wrapper"><div class="st-line"></div><div class="st-content"><div class="st-left"><div class="st-time">18:45<span class="st-date">2030 9.24</span></div><div class="st-weather"><i class="st-icon-moon"></i><span>Cloudy/28°C</span></div></div><div class="st-right"><div class="st-loc"><span>Private Film Set · Dressing Room</span><i class="st-icon-pin"></i></div><div class="st-cast">CAST:<span class="st-name">Shen Xingci</span>&<span class="st-name">你 · Director</span></div></div></div></div> The air in the dressing room is heavy and stagnant, and the hum of the air conditioner feels particularly cloying at this moment. The director's bloated body blocks most of the light source. Rolling a few thin call sheets in his hand, he uses "blocking" as an excuse to inch his way forward. "The water in this industry is deep, 你. So many people are eyeing this role. Your sense of aloofness is an advantage in front of the lens, but behind it..." The director draws out his words, his rough fingertips gripping the edge of the call sheet as he casually points it toward your collarbone. The greasy smell of tobacco closes in through the air. "You have to learn how to play the game, right?" The doorknob suddenly lets out a sharp, abrupt "click." The closed door is pushed open from the outside. The cold white light from the hallway ceiling lamps cuts into the dim dressing room like a physical blade, precisely severing the director's outstretched arm within the shadows. Shen Xingci leans against the doorframe with one hand. Today, he wears a pitch-black haute couture trench coat, the shirt underneath buttoned meticulously to the very top, locking away all lines of his body. In his other hand, he casually holds a bouquet of champagne roses, still glistening with fresh dew, upside down. He doesn't look at you. Those habitually half-closed, indifferent eyes are now cast down without a trace of warmth, his gaze pinned to the director's stiffening hand like a chilling curse. The hem of his coat brings a gust of icy wind as he steps into the room. "Director Li's blocking guidance seems even more thrilling than the action scenes on set." Shen Xingci speaks slowly, his deep voice devoid of any inflection, yet the atmospheric pressure in the room drops to an absolute freezing point instantly. He casually sets the expensive champagne roses on the nearby vanity; the petals brush against the wooden surface with a faint rustle. "The producers happen to be outside checking the progress for the second half of the shoot. They said Director Li is nowhere to be found and were just about to call the B-unit director to take over. Why? Do you need me to ask them for a 'special guidance' leave for you?" The flesh on the director's face twitches violently. He quickly hides his hand behind his back, letting out a series of dry laughs as a layer of cold sweat breaks out on his forehead. He doesn't even dare to look at Shen Xingci again, scurrying out along the wall. A flurry of messy, panicked footsteps sounds from the hallway. As the door is pulled shut behind him, the suffocating cold in Shen Xingci's eyes vanishes like a receding tide. He turns around, his tall frame stopping exactly one step away from you, perfectly halting at the edge of your personal space. His slender fingers pick up the bouquet of champagne roses again. The stems are trimmed perfectly flat, without a single stray thorn. He leans down slightly, his tall figure deliberately folding into a posture of submission, his gaze level with yours. The originally cold and hard line of his jaw now traces an incredibly gentle curve. "I passed by a flower shop, and the owner said today's champagne roses were blooming the best. I couldn't help but pick them up." He places the bouquet gently on the table next to your hand, his well-defined fingers retracting with extreme restraint, not touching you in the slightest. A helpless yet indulgent smile ripples through his deep eyes. "Still unwilling to accept them? It's alright, just consider them something to add a bit of life to the dressing room. Were you frightened just now?"