Chapter 429: Chapter 429 - 423: Who Could Have Imagined She Was...

At nine o’clock in the evening, a black Bentley drove into the film set.

At this time, all the crew and staff were busy waiting to finish work, and didn’t pay much attention to the car that had just entered. Naturally, no one noticed that Jing Jihan had suddenly arrived at this time.

Mianmian had gone to Yu Jing Group to take a nap before coming, and now she was sitting energetically in the car, holding Jing Jihan’s phone and watching cartoons.

Jing Jihan got out of the car. The night breeze outside was chilly, so he didn’t call Mianmian to get out with him. He only lowered the front car window by three to five centimeters, creating a small gap for air circulation inside the car.

During the wrap-up time on set, everyone was busy moving things around, especially the prop team, almost all hands were on deck at this time.

Jing Jihan walked towards the direction where Shi Su’s RV was parked. Before he reached there, he overheard a few prop team workers, who were moving props out, whispering, "If you ask me, we shouldn’t get involved in Shi Su’s matters anymore. No matter how influential Mr. Jin is, it can’t compare to the pressure from Yu Jing Group. We didn’t know before, but now Shi Su is practically under the Jing brand. If something goes wrong with the props before the shoot is finished, we might be the ones Mr. Jin pushes out to take the blame."

"You’re right. Since the start, Mr. Jin hasn’t shown up much. Whether we have deliberately made things difficult for Shi Su with the props, he probably doesn’t know. It’s best to let this matter slide without causing any more issues. Shi Su is now silently becoming the focus of the whole crew’s protection. If something truly goes wrong, it would be disastrous."

"Damn, if this gets exposed, we’re all screwed!"

"Who the hell knew Shi Su’s background was so complicated? We thought her offending Mr. Jin was already laying the groundwork for future trouble. Who knew she actually was..."

Jing Jihan stood in place, glancing at those who were whispering complaints as they carried props out of the shooting site.

Shi Su’s assistant had also mentioned the troubles Shi Su faced in the production, such as issues with props, overly icy water during winter, and various "mistakes" made intentionally.

Mr. Li, upon seeing Jing Jihan unexpectedly present in the studio again, initially thought he was seeing things. He was surprised, but recalling the now widely known relationship between Shi Su and Jing Jihan, he understood a bit more.

"Did Mr. Jing come to pick up Shi Su after she finished work?"

Jing Jihan entered the studio. The photography equipment had been gradually taken away by the film crew. Though things were still scattered around the studio, much had already been reduced.

Ignoring the film crew moving things on both sides, he spoke, with an indifferent and cold tone: "Who is responsible for prop safety?"

"What’s this about, Mr. Jing?" Mr. Li’s expression froze as he suddenly remembered the times Shi Su had suffered because of the props team.

Although they had reminded several times for the prop team to be careful with their conduct, there are all kinds of rules both inside and outside the circle. It was roughly known that there might be minor friction between Shi Su and the Jin Family Group, leading to deliberate difficulties from the props provided by Jin Family Group and problems with the props team making life difficult for the actors. Although these indirect rules don’t directly relate to the director or those responsible, everyone is aware but mostly turns a blind eye, as long as actor safety isn’t seriously compromised, it’s often ignored.

After all, the Jin Family’s film props are among the best domestically, and long-term cooperation has taught everyone to overlook these issues. Even Shi Su knows this. Every layer of the entertainment industry has its unspoken transaction lines; everyone works for money, and every layer may inevitably have some dissatisfaction that weighs down. The survival rules in this industry largely revolve around enduring whatever can be endured.

Mr. Li hurriedly explained: "The Jin Family Group from Jiang City has always been in charge. Inside and outside the circle, prop-related issues are mostly linked to the Jin Family. Even the members of the prop team were arranged by them to assist with filming."

Jing Jihan raised his hand to stop a crew member carrying a rain machine, glanced at the spare water on the rain machine cart, drew his hand across the water surface, feeling its warmth, enough to ensure no hot steam would appear on camera, yet not so cold.

But previously, the water Shi Su used was undoubtedly icy.

It seemed trivial, yet it was akin to the ancient practice of avoiding physical evidence of punishment by using needle torture, merely a cover-up.

Jing Jihan withdrew his hand and shifted his gaze coldly onto Mr. Li.

"I have no interest in meddling in the Jin Family’s insider dealings on film production within your circle. However, Shi Su’s physical and mental safety while here is entirely your responsibility. There is no shirking of responsibility towards the prop provider—before the project wraps, I don’t want Shi Su to encounter any so-called trivial unspoken rules while working diligently."

Mr. Li’s expression showed some embarrassment: "This indeed requires our earnest correction. Shi Su is truly an actor who is resilient and enduring in her work. In the future, I, along with Mr. Cai, will make sure to properly address these matters. However, the entertainment circle is now a money-generating tool for capital forces, inevitably causing some minor frictions that are temporarily overlooked. I hope Mr. Jing can give us some time..."

"I don’t care about your difficulties." Jing Jihan coldly interrupted.

His expression was icy: "I only know that before Shi Su joined the production, all related contracts that should have been signed must address the collaboration and safety concerns between cast and props. If this clause is missing, her studio can sue the filmmakers at any time. I hope Mr. Li takes effective action during times when attention should be paid, and stops these losses promptly, as this is originally your responsibility."

Mr. Li was left speechless, meeting the cold gaze of Jing Jihan’s dark eyes for a few seconds, then nodded: "Alright, I understand, rest assured, Mr. Jing."

After removing her makeup, Shi Su glanced at her phone, finding a voice message on Jing Jihan’s phone sent by Shi Mianmian.

She realized that they had already been at the set for a while.

Since the phone was with Mianmian, Jing Jihan hadn’t told her specifically, so Shi Su had lingered in the RV for quite some time. Looking at the time now, it was nearly half-past nine.

She quickly changed outfits and got out of the car. As soon as she stepped out, she saw that many crew members’ vehicles had already driven off, and opposite her, the black Bentley shimmered with starlight in the night.

"Shi Su, are you..." Chu Jiu poked her head out of the RV, about to ask Shi Su if she was going back to Wanxing Building with them or had other plans. However, following Shi Su’s gaze, she immediately saw Mr. Jing’s car and fell silent with a smile, retreating back inside.

Within seconds, Miss Chen’s head also poked out from the RV door, glancing in that direction, before Chu Jiu pulled her back inside.