Chapter Fifty-Two: The Prop Was Swapped for a Real Dagger

Playing tricks, are we?

Jiang Yunzhu forced a dry laugh, clenching her molars. “Of course, no problem.”

Don’t offend the investor!

He’s your backer now.

She repeated this mantra three times in her mind before she managed to tamp down her rising fury.

For the rest of the journey, she busied herself searching for towel-weaving tutorials.

Shen Tingxiao, glancing at her through the rearview mirror, felt the faint smile on his lips fade into a trace of bitterness.

Shen Tingxiao, oh Shen Tingxiao.

Is this really the only underhanded trick you have left?

By the time they reached the set, both the A and B crews were already filming.

Sang Bai was over with the B crew.

But Shao Shu wasn’t so lucky—she’d been assigned to the A crew, acting opposite Zhou Qingpei.

This time, Zhou Qingpei played a qipao-clad assassin, while Shao Shu portrayed a Chinese granddaughter—a model of obedient innocence.

The scene was this:

Shao Shu was supposed to have accidentally overheard a conversation between Zhou Qingpei and her grandfather. Startled, she tried to slip away, only to find it was too late.

As a killer, Zhou Qingpei immediately noticed Shao Shu’s presence. But because of past animosity between them, she deliberately waited for the grandfather to discover Shao Shu before pretending to mistake her for someone else, bursting out the door and striking her several times.

Her knife nearly sliced open Shao Shu’s throat.

When Jiang Yunzhu and Shen Tingxiao arrived, the two women were rehearsing the scene.

Director Shang was glued to the monitor, loudly discussing something with them.

No one noticed the newcomers.

Soon, the rehearsal ended.

Both actresses changed into costume and took their positions.

“There’s someone outside!” Zhou Qingpei snatched up a short dagger, about the length of her forearm, and burst through the door.

Shao Shu, her face drained of color by what she’d just overheard, spun around to flee at the sound.

But at that moment, a tremendous force struck her from behind, sending her sprawling.

Immediately, Zhou Qingpei pinned her down with one knee, reversed her grip on the dagger, and slashed toward Shao Shu’s throat!

It was then that Jiang Yunzhu realized something was wrong. Prop weapons, especially blades, should never be sharpened.

Yet she could clearly see a distinct V-shaped edge on the blade.

“Wait, stop!” she cried, unable even to think, her scalp prickling with fear.

If Zhou Qingpei brought the knife down, Shao Shu would be maimed if not killed!

But Jiang Yunzhu’s shout did nothing to stop Zhou Qingpei.

Panicked, Jiang Yunzhu hurled herself forward, slamming into Zhou Qingpei and knocking her aside!

Zhou Qingpei crashed to the ground, both knees striking the pale flagstones with a painful thud.

Others on set rushed forward to help.

Director Shang, bewildered, called out, “Zhouzhou, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Yunzhu had no time to answer. Instinctively, she helped the stunned and terrified Shao Shu to her feet and checked her neck.

Sure enough, a distinct bloody line ran across her throat.

If she hadn’t acted on impulse, Jiang Yunzhu dreaded to imagine the outcome.

Zhou Qingpei was lifted up, her face ghostly pale, eyes brimming with tears. “Zhouzhou, why did you do that...”

Smack!

Before she could finish, Jiang Yunzhu strode over and slapped her viciously.

Shaking with rage, Jiang Yunzhu’s whole body trembled. “Zhou Qingpei, if you ever dare try something like this again, I won’t let you off so easily!”

Zhou Qingpei looked stunned, holding her cheek as tears streamed down. “What did I do to deserve this? Is it because A Rui treats me well that you’re angry? But Zhouzhou, A Rui doesn’t love you. You can’t force feelings.”

She said this, casting a delicate glance in Shen Tingxiao’s direction.

Jiang Yunzhu sneered, walked over, and picked up the dagger from the floor, holding it out to Zhou Qingpei. “This knife is sharpened. Are you seriously going to claim you didn’t know?”

As the one wielding it, how could she not?

“I... I really don’t know what happened,” Zhou Qingpei replied, eyes widening in apparent shock. “During rehearsal, it definitely wasn’t sharpened.”

Jiang Yunzhu ground her teeth. “Exactly, it wasn’t sharpened during rehearsal. So how did it suddenly become razor sharp in the blink of an eye?”

Only then did Director Shang emerge from behind the camera, snatching the dagger from Jiang Yunzhu’s hand. He pressed his thumb lightly to the edge—sure enough, blood welled immediately from a fresh cut.

He didn’t dare imagine what would’ve happened to Shao Shu if Jiang Yunzhu hadn’t intervened.

He immediately ordered the medical team to see to Shao Shu and get her bandaged up.

“So you’re accusing me of tampering with the prop?” Zhou Qingpei’s tears fell in large drops. “But shouldn’t you ask the props department? I used the dagger, yes, but how would I know it suddenly became sharpened?”

Jiang Yunzhu had seen clearly during the run-through: the dagger was held the entire time by Zhou Qingpei or her assistant—no one from props had been near.

If not one of them, then who?

She was about to speak when another voice cut in.

“What’s going on?” Shen Ruizhang strode in.

He paused for a moment at the sight of Shen Tingxiao, but quickly pretended not to notice, hurrying to Zhou Qingpei.

On seeing him, Zhou Qingpei’s tears flowed harder. She rushed into his arms, face covered, sobbing, “A Rui, I honestly don’t know. The dagger wasn’t sharpened before, but when we started filming, it suddenly was. Zhouzhou thinks I did something...”

She turned her swollen cheek toward Shen Ruizhang as she spoke.

He glanced down at her, his features darkening, and shot Jiang Yunzhu a cold look. “Zhouzhou! Apologize!”

“Why should I? During rehearsal, the knife was blunt. After that, it never left her hand. Only a few minutes passed between the rehearsal and the formal shoot—no one from props got near them. If she didn’t do it, do you think it was a ghost?” Jiang Yunzhu glared furiously at Shen Ruizhang.

He disliked being challenged in front of others; his face grew even gloomier. “Zhouzhou, are you being disobedient?”

Jiang Yunzhu let out a cold laugh.

“Zhouzhou is an adult—she has the right to her own judgment,” Shen Tingxiao interjected suddenly. He stepped forward, took Jiang Yunzhu’s hand, and shielded her behind him, casting a cool glance at Shen Ruizhang. “It’s you, Mr. Shen, who’s hurling accusations without asking what actually happened.”

Shen Ruizhang found the sight of their joined hands almost unbearable.

At that moment, Zhou Qingpei’s assistant hurried forward. “I’m sorry, it was my fault. I was holding the prop knife the whole time. But because Sister Zhou has a real knife that looks exactly the same, I mixed them up.”

Shen Ruizhang, eager to avoid clashing directly with Shen Tingxiao, quickly said, “If it’s just a misunderstanding, let’s leave it at that.”

“Leave it at that?!” Jiang Yunzhu’s scalp prickled with fury.