The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles

Night had fallen.

At a Yu City Hotpot restaurant near the crew's hotel.

Inside a private room marked with the character "Bamboo," a spicy red oil broth bubbled and churned merrily.

This was the wrap banquet Director Wu had specially arranged for Jiang Ci, celebrating the completion of "Chu Wuchen."

It was a small, intimate gathering, attended only by the core creative team: Director Wu, the chief producer, the male lead Gu Huai who also doubled as an investor, and the second female lead, Qiao Xinran.

Jiang Ci sat in his seat, his attention completely captivated by that four-section pot simmering before him.

The wrap banquet was actually hotpot.

Director Wu, this man, was someone you could really get along with!

His thoughts raced between tripe and duck intestine.

Tripe, seven ups and eight downs, fifteen seconds was the absolute limit; one second more would be a disrespect to the tripe.

Duck intestine, the moment it curled slightly, it had to be fished out immediately to guarantee that perfect crispness.

This was the highest form of ritualistic celebration for the successful completion of a project.

Sitting across from him, Director Wu and Gu Huai watched Jiang Ci staring intently at the hotpot, not saying a word.

They once again automatically activated their "professional over-interpretation" mode.

Gu Huai held his teacup, taking a small sip.

"You see, he still hasn't come out of it."

Director Wu nodded deeply in agreement, lowering his voice. "'Chu Wuchen' ended up completely annihilated in the end, not even a wisp of remnant soul left behind. It's too... void."

"He's trying to use the earthly, bustling atmosphere of this hotpot to dispel the sense of emptiness the role brought him," Director Wu concluded. "This is an actor's most instinctive form of self-healing."

Gu Huai agreed. "Yes, he needs this kind of scalding, tangible stimulation to confirm that he's still 'alive.' Poor kid."

Jiang Ci: "..."

He was just hungry.

He just wanted to have a good meal.

"Come on, come on!" Director Wu raised his wine glass, breaking the quiet filled with misunderstandings. "Today, let's toast to 'Chu Wuchen,' and to Jiang Ci!"

Director Wu's face was flushed with enthusiasm. "Ever since Jiang Ci joined, our entire crew's progress has accelerated! At this rate, we'll definitely wrap the entire series before the New Year! I'll toast you first!"

Jiang Ci finally managed to pull his attention out of the pot, quickly picking up the fruit juice in front of him.

"You're too kind, Director Wu."

After a few glasses of wine, the atmosphere grew even more lively.

The core team members were all praising Jiang Ci's "god-tier" performance from that afternoon.

"Teacher Jiang Ci, that final smile of yours... even a tough guy like me watching from behind the monitor cried!"

"Really, in that moment, it felt like the whole world shattered."

Jiang Ci, at this very moment, was completely focused on fishing for something in the spicy red oil broth with his strainer.

Got it!

He carefully scooped out a whole, perfectly cooked piece of brain matter and transferred it to his dipping sauce bowl.

Perfect.

Just as he was about to enjoy the fruits of his victory, a figure stood up.

It was Qiao Xinran.

The entire private room instantly quieted down considerably.

Everyone's gaze fell upon her.

Everyone had witnessed Qiao Xinran's explosive breakdown during that afternoon's scene. That performance, so real it was heart-stopping, had also shaken them deeply.

Qiao Xinran didn't look at anyone. She simply held a glass of orange juice and walked directly up to Jiang Ci.

Her eyes were still slightly swollen, but her whole person radiated a sense of calm and clarity.

Then, she bowed deeply to Jiang Ci.

Jiang Ci, who had just picked up a piece of brain matter with his chopsticks and hadn't yet brought it to his mouth, froze mid-air.

What was this situation?

An early New Year's greeting? Was such a grand bow really necessary?

"Jiang Ci."

Qiao Xinran straightened up and spoke.

"Thank you."

Her voice was filled with utmost sincerity.

Jiang Ci maintained his brain-matter-holding pose, mentally calculating how to respond.

'You're welcome'? 'It was a pleasure working with you'? Or maybe... 'You were great too'?

However, Qiao Xinran's next words completely stunned him.

"I'm not thanking you."

She looked at him, enunciating each word clearly. "I'm thanking 'Chu Wuchen.'"

"It was him who made me understand what the real 'Su Nian' is."

"And it was also him who showed me what real 'acting' is."

After saying this, she downed the orange juice in her glass.

Director Wu and Gu Huai exchanged a glance, both seeing amazement in the other's reaction.

This popular young actress had been reborn.

Jiang Ci looked at the utterly sincere girl before him, then looked at the trembling piece of brain matter on his chopsticks.

So...

After working so hard all afternoon, "vomiting blood" and doing wirework...

In the end, the person she was thanking was Chu Wuchen?

He, Jiang Ci, was just a tool? A shell that played Chu Wuchen?

Although that seemed to be the factual reality.

But hearing it put that way... it just felt incredibly unsatisfying.

He grumbled internally, but still managed to politely reply.

"You acted very well too."

Jiang Ci's voice was flat, polite.

Yet, this utterly ordinary compliment, falling into Qiao Xinran's ears, took on another meaning entirely.

Her previously calm eyes instantly reddened again.

He was still like this.

Always so restrained, so distant.

Him praising her for acting "very well" was him affirming her performance that afternoon, and even more, congratulating her on successfully emerging from the emotions of "Su Nian."

This was the "Chu Wuchen" style of affirmation, the gentlest kind.

She truly, understood.

[Heartbreak Value from Qiao Xinran +15!]

Jiang Ci's hand holding the brain matter paused slightly.

Huh?

What in the world?

This could generate Heartbreak Value?

He looked at Qiao Xinran. The girl had already returned to her seat with reddened eyes and was lowering her head, wiping something with a tissue.

Lost in thought, Jiang Ci stuffed that whole piece of brain matter into his mouth.

It melted on the tongue, smooth, dense, and fragrant.

Delicious.

It was just this unexpected KPI that made him a bit distracted.

This girl... wasn't she really going off the deep end?

A hotpot meal filled with misunderstandings finally concluded in a harmonious atmosphere.

At the hotel entrance.

Qiao Xinran's agent, Sister Wang, quickly caught up to her and reminded her in a low voice.

"Xinran, Director Wu helped arrange a psychological counseling session for you. It's at the hotel's business center. What do you think..."

"I know, Sister Wang."

Qiao Xinran stopped walking and looked back.

Jiang Ci and his assistant were walking towards another elevator. That back view was slender and upright, carrying a kind of loneliness that couldn't blend into this earthly hustle and bustle.

...

On the other side.

Jiang Ci returned to his room, fully satisfied.

After a hotpot meal, the 194 days of life he had regained felt even more solid.

He took off his jacket, lay down on the bed, and the system panel subconsciously appeared in his mind.

[Name: Jiang Ci]

[Remaining Life: 194 days 22 hours]

[Heartbreak Value Balance: 1440 points]

Looking at these numbers, Jiang Ci temporarily breathed a sigh of relief.

Nearly two hundred days of life was a fairly substantial deposit.

But he didn't dare relax in the slightest.

Living off one's savings was a major taboo for a working man.

The filming of "Three Lifetimes Tribulation" was over, and the next project was still up in the air.

After exchanging contact information with Director Wei Song, there had been no further news.

The New Year release and subsequent buzz for "Palace Conspiracy" would take time; distant water couldn't quench immediate thirst.

He couldn't wait.

He had to take the initiative.

His mind began rapidly planning the next course of action.

He had to find a new "Great Compassion Mantra" script as soon as possible.

Moreover, the script quality had to be high, and the collaborating actors, especially the female leads, needed to have rich emotions and strong empathy.

One idea grew increasingly clear in his mind.

He abruptly sat up from the bed, grabbed his phone, and directly dialed his assistant Sun Zhou's number.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered. Sun Zhou's sleepy voice came through.

"Hello... Ci-ge? What's up?"

"Xiao Zhou, wake up."

Jiang Ci's voice held no trace of fatigue; instead, it was brimming with the excitement of someone about to dive into new work.

"Stop sleeping. Get up and work."

Sun Zhou jolted, instantly wide awake.

"Huh? Ci-ge, what work?"

"Book me the earliest flight to Shanghai tomorrow."

Jiang Ci stood up and walked to the window, looking down at the city's dazzling lights below.

"I'm going to find Sister Wan."