Chapter 945: Death by Falling

As night fell, Lin Dongxue lay on the bed flipping through TV channels. Every channel was showing dramas, and she remarked, “There are so many dramas every year. Imagine how much manpower and resources it takes to produce them!”

Tao Yuanyuan sat on the couch playing on her phone. “Reading books is more interesting,” she said.

Lin Dongxue laughed and then heard a beep. “The water’s ready. How about a bath with Mom?” she suggested.

“You go ahead. I’m playing a game with my classmates. I’ll join you when I’m done,” Tao Yuanyuan replied.

“Okay, I’ll scrub your back when you come in,” Lin Dongxue said.

“Sure!”

As soon as Lin Dongxue entered the bathroom, Tao Yuanyuan sneaked out of the room. She had a small plan to play a prank on the arrogant producer.

She knew that both the producer and Xiao Ai liked Xia Xiaolou. If Xiao Ai found out, it would be a great show. First, she needed to see if the producer was with Xia Xiaolou.

Tao Yuanyuan crept to the producer’s room and pressed her ear to the door. It was quiet, with no light seeping through the door crack, suggesting the room was empty.

Feeling disappointed, she turned to head back to her room. Suddenly, a disheveled man wearing a tattered denim outfit and holding a knife appeared in the hallway. Startled, Tao Yuanyuan turned to run.

“Stop!” The voice belonged to Cai Zhengkai.

She froze, and Cai Zhengkai approached, asking, “Did I scare you?” His gaze was eerie.

Tao Yuanyuan nodded.

Cai Zhengkai chuckled. “I’m just out here practicing my role. Do I look like him now?”

“Not really,” she replied. “You’re too fierce.”

“Isn’t he fierce?”

“He’s more like a wild animal, as if he could pounce and bite at any moment.”

“A wild animal…” Cai Zhengkai mused.

“Honestly, I think you don’t need to mimic him too closely. The script’s already been changed so much. Just go with your instincts,” Tao Yuanyuan suggested.

“No, I must embody him. Who could be a better model than Zhou Xiao himself? I’ll keep working on it,” he muttered as he walked away.

“Uncle Cai,” Tao Yuanyuan called after him. “I think you’re a great actor.”

Cai Zhengkai chuckled. “Call me brother! By the way, don’t wander into the conference room.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Just don’t. Go back to your room,” he insisted.

His warning only piqued her curiosity more. Once he left, she snuck to the conference room where the opening ceremony had been held earlier. The lights were off, but she heard the sounds of heavy breathing. She put her ear to the door and was delighted to find the producer and Xia Xiaolou inside.

The plan was a go!

She dashed to the stairwell and called Xiao Ai’s room from her phone, having deduced his room number. The phone rang a few times before Xiao Ai picked up, grumbling, “Who is it?”

In a low voice, Tao Yuanyuan said, “I saw Xia Xiaolou with another man in the conference room.”

“That’s nonsense! Xia Xiaolou is my girlfriend. I’ll tear your mouth apart if you’re lying!” Xiao Ai roared.

“Believe it or not,” she replied and hung up, quickly returning to her room.

If not for fear of Lin Dongxue discovering her little scheme, she would have loved to stick around to watch the confrontation.

Inside the room, Lin Dongxue had not noticed Tao Yuanyuan’s absence and called out, “Yuanyuan, come for your bath! Where are you?”

“Coming!” Tao Yuanyuan answered, stripping and entering the bathroom.

After their bath, Tao Yuanyuan snacked on treats from the film city while watching TV, feeling very pleased with herself. Upstairs must be quite the scene right now. Through her day’s interactions, she had concluded that Xiao Ai wasn’t a good person either. He probably was the one who placed the needle in the prop.

The TV played a melodramatic romance series. Lin Dongxue, after five minutes, couldn’t stand it and switched channels. After a round, she returned to the drama, and both watched with interest.

By ten o’clock, Lin Dongxue asked, “Are you sleepy?”

Tao Yuanyuan shook her head.

“Just like your Uncle Chen, a night owl.”

“If you’re tired, go ahead and sleep.”

“I’ll stay up a bit longer… What’s that noise?”

Lin Dongxue listened carefully and turned down the TV volume. There was a faint tapping sound, like something hitting the window. Tao Yuanyuan checked outside but saw nothing.

Lin Dongxue approached the window just as a scream pierced the night. “Ah! Someone fell!”

They rushed to the window and saw a figure lying on the rain-soaked ground below, blood spreading around them.

“I’m going down to check,” Lin Dongxue said, hastily tying her hair and grabbing clothes. “Forget the bra,” she muttered.

“I never wear one. Being flat-chested is great!” Tao Yuanyuan had already dressed.

Their floor was bustling with people. Lin Dongxue quickly scanned the hallway out of habit, noting the screenwriter, director, and stage manager but not seeing Cai Zhengkai, Xiao Ai, or the producer.

Everyone crowded into the elevator. The stage manager said nervously, “I was clipping my toenails when someone fell past my window. I looked out and saw someone lying there.”

“Lying there,” the screenwriter corrected. “The clothes look familiar…”

“Who?” several asked in unison.

“I don’t want to say. See for yourselves.”

On the ground floor, Lin Dongxue almost ran to the scene. The person on the ground was a man, and his clothes unmistakably belonged to Xiao Ai.

She knelt down and confirmed it was Xiao Ai, checking his pulse and finding none.

As the crowd moved to get a closer look, Lin Dongxue warned, “Don’t come any closer. We don’t want footprints contaminating the scene.”

“Is it Xiao Ai?” the director asked, his face pale with shock.

“Yes,” she confirmed.

“Why would he jump?” The director was visibly shaken.

The stage manager ran off to vomit, and the screenwriter asked, “Should we call the police?”

“I’ll contact the nearest station,” Lin Dongxue said, moving aside to make the call.

As she explained the situation to the police, the producer burst onto the scene, shaking Xiao Ai’s body violently. “Xiao Ai! Xiao Ai! Answer me!”

“Hey, don’t move the body,” Lin Dongxue warned.

The producer ignored her, turning to the director and others. “Xiao Ai wouldn’t kill himself! Who did this? Who?”