CHAPTER 39
The First Scene—and the Question He Couldn't Ignore
For two days, Mu Lingchen forced himself to lock away
—his suspicions about Shi Yunxi,
—the inexplicable pull toward her,
—the near-obsessive thoughts haunting him,
and even the DNA test sample he had collected.
He buried everything beneath the icy discipline that built the Mu Empire.
Meetings.
Reports.
Contracts.
Company crises.
The Mu family pressure.
His grandmother's worsening condition.
In one night he returned to being the emotionless CEO every executive feared.
Cold.
Efficient.
Untouchable.
But even that steel mask cracked the moment he received a message from Mu Sinlan:
[Ning Xi is filming today. You should come see her debut scene!]
He ignored Ning Xi entirely.
His mind went somewhere else.
Shi Yunxi is filming today.
Before he realized it, he was already driving to the set.
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The filming grounds were busy—technicians running cables, makeup artists adjusting brushes, actors rehearsing lines, cameras being tested.
But the moment Shi Yunxi stepped onto the set, silence rippled like a wind.
She was dressed in a crimson palace robe, hair pinned up with a simple jade ornament, eyes lined lightly to highlight her delicate yet sharp features.
Sheng Ruyin—
the elegant, gentle, yet heartbreakingly tragic second female lead.
Standing beside her was Ning Xi, dressed lavishly as the arrogant main consort.
The director clapped his hands.
"Scene 12! Ruyin meets the main consort for the first time!"
Cameras rolled.
The transformation was instantaneous—
Shi Yunxi's expression softened, her eyes lowering as though carrying years of quiet sorrow, the corners of her lips curved into a gentle, humble smile.
She bowed deeply.
"Greetings to Her Highness."
Ning Xi lifted her chin arrogantly, her voice sharp and cold.
"Do you know your place?"
The line was meant to intimidate.
But Yunxi's reaction—
A subtle tremble of her eyelashes.
A faint tightening of her fingers hidden inside her sleeves.
A fragile composure, like someone enduring humiliation for survival—
It was flawless.
Ning Xi's eyes widened for half a second, forgetting her next line.
Because standing before her was not Shi Yunxi.
It was Sheng Ruyin herself.
The director froze, stunned.
Even the extras holding props forgot their cues.
Yunxi lifted her gaze just slightly, revealing a hint of sorrow so gentle, so warm, that it made the heart ache.
"I have never forgotten my place, Your Highness," she whispered, voice trembling with restrained dignity.
Cut.
Silence.
Then—
"….Beautiful," the director murmured.
A pause.
Then louder:
"BEAUTIFUL!!! PERFECT!! SHI YUNXI, THAT WAS EXQUISITE!"
Applause burst across the set.
Ning Xi let out a breath, placing a hand over her chest.
"Yunxi… acting with you is stressful," she whispered with a shaky laugh.
Yunxi smiled humbly.
"You carried the scene."
"No, you carried me," Ning Xi muttered.
From afar, a tall figure watched.
Mu Lingchen.
Unmoving.
Expression unreadable.
But something inside him tightened painfully, sharply—
a mixture of pride, confusion, and a strange, cold ache.
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After filming wrapped for the day, Yunxi walked toward her tent to remove her makeup—only to freeze inside the doorway.
Mu Lingchen stood there, hands in his pockets, the dim lighting sharpening the lines of his face until he looked carved from frost.
"CEO Mu…?" she whispered.
His gaze swept over her slowly.
"You performed well."
The compliment was unexpected.
But his eyes didn't hold softness—
they held questions.
He stepped closer.
"When were you planning to tell me," he asked quietly, "that you studied under Master Yan?"
Yunxi's breath hitched.
She instantly looked away.
"That's a misunderstanding."
His voice deepened.
"It isn't."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said immediately, too fast, too defensive.
He stared at her.
"You are the apprentice he rejected everyone for," he said calmly. "Aren't you?"
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
"No," she whispered. "I'm not."
"Shi Yunxi."
His tone sharpened.
He took another step, close enough that she felt his breath.
"You saved my son that night without hesitation."
"You knew which pressure points to use."
"You knew how to stabilize his breathing."
"You used a pulse technique only Master Yan teaches."
She swallowed hard.
"…I learned some medical basics," she lied.
He leaned down slowly, eyes locking onto hers with unnerving intensity.
"You're lying."
Her chest tightened.
Her palms grew cold.
But she held her ground.
"I'm not your employee," she said softly. "I don't owe you explanations."
His jaw clenched.
A flicker of something—hurt? frustration?—passed through his eyes.
Before he could speak again, she bowed lightly.
"Excuse me, CEO Mu. I still have to change out of costume."
She turned sharply and walked away, leaving him standing in the empty tent, hands curling slowly into fists.
Outside, she exhaled, pressing a hand to her chest.
Her heart would not calm down.
Inside, Mu Lingchen closed his eyes.
And for the first time in years—
He did not know whether he was furious at her…
or terrified of the truth she kept running from.
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