[Jo Fei's Bedroom]
Jo Fei's spirit noticed something off about Ye Xiaoxiao's expression and drifted closer.
"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the silver ring?"
Jo Fei—rather, Ye Xiaoxiao—lowered her gaze to the ring around her wrist. Her fingers unconsciously brushed along the metal edge.
"It flashed at the dinner table just now… it startled me."
She hesitated, lowering her voice.
"And I think I heard someone calling my name."
"That dramatic, huh?"
Jo Fei's spirit floated in front of her and studied the ring for a long moment before shrugging.
"Well, considering our current situation, I guess it's not that surprising."
Her tone shifted into something lightly self-mocking.
"You're living just fine inside my body, and I can't return to mine. If we told anyone that, who would believe it?"
Suddenly, her expression turned serious.
"So this stays between us. Absolutely no one else can know. Got it? I refuse to be labeled insane. That would be a permanent stain on me."
Ye Xiaoxiao nodded.
"I understand."
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
"If it's possible… I'd like to visit my mom. And… see what's happening to my body now."
She looked up cautiously.
"Can I go home?"
Jo Fei's spirit drifted in a slow circle in midair, sounding reluctant—but not truly opposed.
"I'm not locking you up," she huffed.
"As long as you don't do anything reckless, I'm not that heartless."
The next morning, Jo Yi once again drove Jo Fei—Ye Xiaoxiao—to the film set.
The car had barely stopped when she spotted an unusually eye-catching figure in the distance.
Wayne.
Today, he looked more like a leading man than the actual leading men.
Tailored coat. Carefully styled hair. Even the sunglasses looked deliberately chosen. He strode toward her with easy confidence, as though he were about to step onto a runway.
Jo Fei's spirit floated beside her, arms crossed.
"What's wrong with him now?"
Ye Xiaoxiao muttered under her breath,
"What happened to Wayne-ge? Why does he keep… flirting with you?"
Before she could finish the thought, Wayne was already standing in front of her, smiling as if everything were perfectly natural.
"Morning, classmate."
His tone was light.
"Sleep well? I brewed some herbal tea for you—good for replenishing your energy."
He pulled a thermos from his bag. In the morning light, it looked ridiculously conspicuous.
Jo Fei snorted.
"Herbal tea? Has he entered retirement already? I'm young. Why would I drink something like that?"
Ye Xiaoxiao eyed Wayne suspiciously, but an absurd thought crept into her mind.
Could Wayne-ge… actually like Miss Jo?
She had apprenticed under him for months. She knew how particular he was about health rituals, how many strange taboos he followed. And yet industry rumors had always claimed he only liked men.
The contradiction only deepened her confusion.
"Thank you," she said politely, accepting the thermos.
"No problem." Wayne waved it off with casual certainty.
"If you like it, I'll brew it for you every day."
The way he said it almost sounded like a promise.
"…Heh."
Ye Xiaoxiao could only laugh awkwardly.
Beside her, Jo Fei rolled her eyes so hard it was practically audible.
At that moment, Qin Mu arrived at the set and caught the entire scene from afar.
He paused mid-step.
The sight of them standing together stirred something faintly uncomfortable in his chest—though he couldn't quite name it.
A second later, he averted his gaze as if nothing had happened and turned toward his dressing room.
Today's scene involved Jo Fei—Ye Xiaoxiao—and the third male lead, Lu Gang, who played Sheng Yuan.
As she stood at the side waiting for blocking instructions, her gaze unintentionally met Lu Gang's.
His eyes held a faint smile.
But it wasn't the kind exchanged between scene partners.
It was assessing.
Evaluating.
Like a hunter measuring prey.
Ye Xiaoxiao's heart tightened. Her fingers curled slightly, a subtle chill creeping down her spine. She shivered.
"Tch."
Jo Fei's voice sounded sharply in her ear—colder than usual.
"That guy doesn't look like a good person."
She stared in Lu Gang's direction, unmistakable caution in her tone.
"They say the entertainment industry is a dye vat," Jo Fei muttered.
"But he doesn't look like someone who got dyed. He looks like the dye itself."
She paused, then added decisively:
"Stay away from him. As far as possible."
Ye Xiaoxiao didn't argue. She simply nodded.
"…I was thinking the same."
It wasn't logical reasoning.
It was instinct.
And she knew—
Her instincts were rarely wrong.