The Novelist Forced to Become Famous

Chapter 345

Of course, out of the sense of responsibility as the original author, Jian Jing made a routine visit to check up on the set of Demon drama. Familiarity comes with repeated interactions. By the third installment, everyone had become familiar enough to poke fun at each other.

Director Huang asked: "When will the fourth installment be written?"

Jian Jing: "Postponed."

Xu Scriptwriter wanted to slam her: "Having time to publish new books but no time to write the fourth installment."

She looked around awkwardly.

"President Kang also asked me not to pressure you." Xu Scriptwriter rolled up the script and said angrily: "Tell me, can this be called pressure? I'm trying to make you wealthier here, don't you know our ratings were number one again this year?"

He continued dramatically: "Do you know how much hair I've lost trying to keep that top spot?"

Jian Jing pretended to be deaf: "Looks like you guys are very busy, I'll get going then. Bye!"

"Come back here." Xu Scriptwriter stopped her. "Since you're already here, why not stay for a day before leaving?"

Jian Jing glanced at her watch: "No, I still need to go to Ning County. It takes about an hour to drive there from here, right?"

"Why are you going there? Oh right, I remember Jiang BaiYan is filming there." Xu Scriptwriter gossiped. "Going to check up on him? What's going on between you two?"

She said: "He said there are ghosts haunting the place."

Xu Scriptwriter was stunned.

"I haven't seen a ghost before." Jian Jing said enthusiastically. "I'm going to see what the fuss is about."

Xu Scriptwriter: "..."

Director Huang asked: "What ghost? Isn't that a tourist destination?"

Ning County is not far from Peace City. It retains many old buildings from the Ming, Qing dynasties and Republican era and can be considered a tourist city. However, it is not very famous and only enthusiasts of ancient architecture would know about it well.

The local government has opened up a batch of restored old buildings and allowed filming crews to use them, partly to earn restoration costs and also to promote the buildings.

Jiang BaiYan had finished filming the movie and went straight into filming the spy war drama.

Originally, Jian Jing had no interest, but last night he called her and said the old houses were haunted, asking if she wanted to come investigate.

She asked: "Are there real ghosts or someone deliberately creating a scary atmosphere?"

"Don't know." Jiang BaiYan answered honestly. "The crew said they wanted to hire someone to exorcise ghosts. Do you want to come take a look?"

Jian Jing had always scoffed at supernatural affairs, but ever since her encounter with that scamming Qi Tian, her worldview had been shaken more than once.

Although she didn't really understand, using magic to defeat magic can't be wrong, right?

Might as well go take a look.

Xu Scriptwriter advised solemnly: "For things like this, it's better to believe than not. Didn't the crew do the proper rituals when they started filming?"

"For filming in old houses like these, you must inform the premises beforehand." Director Huang imparted his experience. "Be polite about it. You don't bother me, I don't bother you."

Jian Jing: "So you guys actually believe it?"

"Sometimes you have to believe." Xu Scriptwriter said.

Director Huang nodded.

"Well, if I catch something, I'll bring it back to show you guys." She smiled amiably. "Wait for my good news."

Xu Scriptwriter made a last ditch attempt: "Demon 4?!"

Jian Jing turned around and ran off.

Director Huang sighed: "Forget it, it's better not to write just for money."

"From this perspective, Jian Jing is really lucky." Xu Scriptwriter shrugged and gossiped softly. "Let me tell you old Huang, the other day I called Gold Crow's President Kang and subtly probed him. You know what his reaction was?"

He shook his head exaggeratedly: "He nearly blew up at me, as if I wanted to taint Jian Jing's spiritual nature with money. Oh my, he was furious."

Even someone as conservative as Director Huang couldn't help but laugh: "I heard Jian Jing has a nickname, Gold Crow Princess."

"Absolutely true." Xu Scriptwriter hit the nail on the head.

The two laughed teasingly.

On the other side, Jian Jing slowly drove to Ning County.

The place is divided into old town and new town. The old town consists of ancient architecture and old residential blocks while the new town was planned and built over the past decade or so with better environment and transportation.

Normally filming crews would stay in the new town, but this was an exception.

The crew found a homestay in the old town just half a street away from the set, not only convenient but more importantly for the historic ambience.

The homestay owner's ancestors were the wealthiest landlords in the county. His great grandfather participated in the War of Resistance against Japan but sacrificed early in a foreign land.

His experience had a lot in common with the male protagonist role portrayed by Jiang BaiYan.

For example, both came from wealthy landlord families. Both studied abroad when young to take in new ideas, then returned to China wanting to save their declining homeland.

The director arranged for several actors to stay nearby, not just for experiencing more but also to stimulate their thinking.

Jiang BaiYan was hardworking and rarely complained about tough filming conditions. Although the homestay was a bit old, it had running water and electricity. The conditions were not too bad and he did not have any objections.

But the other actors had plenty to say.

Over the past couple days, his chat with Jian Jing went basically like this:

Jiang BaiYan: [Work's over, eating fruit and playing on my phone. The stars are so bright tonight!]

Jiang BaiYan: [Oh my gosh, the second male lead went out drinking again, so noisy.]

Jiang BaiYan: [He brought a girl back.]

Jian Jing: [Who? Girlfriend??]

Jiang BaiYan: [Let me eavesdrop a bit.]

Jian Jing: [Didn't he previously deny rumors?]

Jiang BaiYan: [!! Looks like a fan girl...his manager already left.]

Jian Jing: [Ew.]

Jiang BaiYan: [Sleeping now, good night.]

Jiang BaiYan: [Jingjing I'm up, just had breakfast. Sister Chen told me she saw that fan girl this morning too.]

Jian Jing: [She spent the night?]

Jiang BaiYan: [My crew is so messy _(:3」∠)_]

Or something like:

Jiang BaiYan: [Taking a nap.]

Jian Jing: [??]

Jiang BaiYan: [Scene with the female lead got stuck. Reshoot tomorrow.]

Jian Jing: [I heard she's pretty good at acting though. How so?]

Jiang BaiYan: [Looks like her husband came to visit the set and hooked up with female role #4, got caught in bed cheating...]

Jian Jing: [...]

Of course, these conversations were normal.

The abnormal stuff started happening a week ago.

Seven days ago, Jiang BaiYan said: [Feel so sleepy, look at my eye bags.]

Jian Jing: [?]

He: [Someone kept crying all night last night, couldn't sleep well. The window sounds broken, kept making creaking noises. I'm so miserable, need hugs from Jingjing before I can get up!]

Jian Jing: [You don't think someone was assaulted?]

Jiang BaiYan: [...]

Five days ago.

Jiang BaiYan: [Second male lead's car got splashed with dog's blood. Don't know what's going on.]

Jian Jing: [Crazy fans?]

Jiang BaiYan: [Not necessarily.]

Three days ago.

Jiang BaiYan: [image attachment]

Jian Jing: [Where's this? Why so many bloody handprints?]

Jiang BaiYan: [My room...]

Jian Jing: [Are you okay?]

Jiang BaiYan: [I'm fine qaq, I changed rooms. Jingjing, this place feels weird.]

He described: [The homestay owner said, this used to be part of his ancestral home, considered the back section of the residence. Someone died here before!]

Jian Jing: [The young missus committed bizarre suicide, and now her red dressed female ghost wanders everywhere?]

He: [No, it was the wealthy family's precious daughter who got tricked by a heartless playboy. She hung herself in pregnancy and swore to kill all heartless men in this world from now on.]

Yesterday.

Jiang BaiYan: [Really haunted. Second male lead said last night he woke up at midnight to someone touching his face...]

Maybe it was psychological suggestion, but as Jian Jing stood outside the homestay, she felt it did look rather gloomy with old walls covered in years of historical charm.

The eaves had been repaired with new roof tiles, and the path leading to the front door was paved with cement. Few green bricks remained in the corners, covered in moss.

The homestay consisted of front and back sections with a central courtyard in between for leisure and extra shaded areas. Rooms had separate entrances and private bathrooms.

"Jingjing!" Jiang BaiYan poked his head out and waved to her. "Hurry up, I ordered fruit tea for you."

She walked into his room and looked around: "Seems this isn't your previous room?"

"Yeah I switched." He took out a chilled glass of fruit tea from the mini fridge. "Luckily there were still rooms available."

Jian Jing sipped the iced tea. The cooling fruit juice greatly reduced the oppressiveness of lingering summer heat. She examined the room curiously but did not notice anything out of the ordinary.

"Just an old house." She commented. "Let's go, take me to see your previous room."

Jiang BaiYan fanned her with a paper fan: "Rest a bit first, hot? Let's go eat at a really tasty restaurant tonight."

"Ghosts first." Jian Jing just wanted to know what that bloody handprint was about.

Jiang BaiYan scratched his face and hemmed and hawed: "Actually..."

Jian Jing stopped in her tracks, staring at him: "That's it?"

"The landlord had people come and paint the walls," he said with his head lowered, looking utterly guilty.

Jian Jing: "......"

She heavily put down her fruit tea, reached out, and pinched the soft flesh of his cheeks: "Too much!"

"Ow!" He exaggeratedly cried out in pain, "Go easy, go easy, if you leave a mark the makeup artists will scold me."

Jian Jing maliciously said: "It won't be as noticeable if both sides are swollen."

Jiang BaiYan: qaq

"What about the car that was splashed with dog's blood?" she asked.

Jiang BaiYan: "Of course they washed it off, and he even changed cars."

Jian Jing was out of patience: "So what do I get to see, an exorcism ritual?"

"That's real, it's coming tomorrow," Jiang BaiYan said, "I heard it's a very famous master in the industry, the director had to call in a personal favor to get him."

That's more like it.

"Little Bai," Sister Chen said in a rush, "The director is asking if you can film night scenes tonight, he wants to hurry and get ahead of schedule."

Jiang BaiYan was very agreeable: "Sure, but can it be a little later? I want to go eat dinner with Teacher Jian first."

Jian Jing didn't care: "I can go myself."

"Go with me," he pleaded, "I don't have a choice, the director won't let me leave. The boxed meals from the crew are really nasty."

Sister Chen: Lying again.

He just won Best Actor, started his own studio, has shares in a business conglomerate, and though he can't outright control the industry, he's still one of the top dogs. Forget going out to eat, if he staged a strike the director would have to coax him back.

He just knows to act pitiful in front of Teacher Jian.

However, Jian Jing lacks some of the common knowledge about the entertainment industry, and her sympathies as a working class woman were stirred up. She actually felt bad for him: "Alright, we'll eat first."

"Sister Chen, quickly get us a reservation," he said.

Sister Chen: "Oh...okay."

It was booked days ago, what's the rush?

Jiang BaiYan said: "Then I'll come by at 7:30 tonight."

"Okay." A competent manager never third-wheels, so Sister Chen decisively retreated.

Jiang BaiYan nudged his little stool closer: "Jian Jing, where are you staying tonight?"

"Are there empty rooms here?" Jian Jing of course wanted to stay here for close observation, "Where is the boss?"

He said: "There's only the place that's haunted."

"Then I'll stay there."

"They just painted it, there's formaldehyde." He reminded her.

Jian Jing gave him a sideways glance.

Jiang BaiYan revealed an obedient and harmless smile.

"We know each other so well now," she said, "Or how about you go stay in a hotel and give me your room instead?"

Jiang BaiYan gloomily wondered if he was being doubted: "Do I look that young?"

Jian Jing admitted: "A little."

"Oh dear," he collapsed onto the wicker chair, sighing, "It's so hard for me."