The Novelist Forced to Become Famous

Chapter 287

Still half dead from the heavy drinking last night at dawn, Jian Jing went downstairs to eat breakfast after eight thirty. She saw the perfect and flawless Kang Mu Cheng again. He was still having a cup of coffee and a sandwich.

Jian Jing felt tired: "You don't even rest after staying up all night drinking, aren't you afraid you might suddenly die?"

Kang Mu Cheng glanced at her: "I'm already wide awake."

She made a soft humming sound: "If you don't feel well, rest more. Why get up and overwork yourself, money can't be earned completely."

Kang Mu Cheng said calmly: "It was just a little drinking. What about you, nothing happened last night, right?"

Jian Jing shrugged: "Nothing happened."

"That's good then." Kang Mu Cheng didn't mention Smith's email at all, and said to her, "I got the award, sort out the photos from yesterday. When the news finishes here, the domestic publicity should also follow."

Jian Jing: "I'll listen to you."

"I'll probably stay for another week. What are your plans?" Kang Mu Cheng knew clearly that letting her attend the cocktail party last night was already very reluctant, don't bother her with follow up matters, "Go around and play everywhere?"

Jian Jing nodded happily: "I thought so too, since I'm here already, just treat it as a vacation."

Kang Mu Cheng looked at her worriedly, hesitating: "Or else, Dai An...."

"No need." She smiled, "With one less secretary, it'll be very inconvenient for you. And I'm not a child anymore, no need for someone to lead me when I travel."

Kang Mu Cheng said: "It's not as safe here as domestic."

Jian Jing smiled, shifted her seat, sat tightly next to him, then opened her palm. It was a large lipstick. She introduced softly: "A small toy I bought previously, it only had 1 bullet, enough for self defense."

Kang Mu Cheng frowned.

She sat casually back: "Worry less about me, worry more about yourself. New York has so many shootings, you should get two bodyguards instead."

Kang Mu Cheng laughed: "No need."

"There's a need."

As the two were arguing, Jian Jing's phone rang.

It was Jiang BaiYan calling.

She felt strange and immediately picked up.

"JingJing, the producer of the haunted house show asked if you're in the United States now." Jiang BaiYan specially called to say, "They're filming a movie here, and wanted to ask if you're willing to guest star."

Jian Jing felt strange: "Reality shows can even film movies?"

"It's a reality movie." He said, "If you don't want to, I'll find an excuse to turn them down."

Jian Jing thought about it. Since she was out playing anyway, the haunted houses in the show were always quite fun. So she asked:

"Where is it? Is it far?"

"Seattle." Jiang BaiYan asked, "Do you want to go? If you go I'll accompany you there."

She said: "Let me think about it, I'll tell you later."

"Ok." He hung up neatly.

Only then did Kang Mu Cheng ask: "What's the matter?"

Jian Jing told him about it. He approved very much: "Go for it." With her wandering around America alone, it'd be safer and livelier to meet up with the haunted house filming crew, there'll be more people.

"Alright, let me see first."

And so they decided it.

Kang Mu Cheng was slow due to his hangover, and only asked after awhile: "Jiang BaiYan is going too?"

Jian Jing made a face at him.

"There'll be no shooting overseas. Even if there is I'll ask them to delete it." She promised.

Kang Mu Cheng sighed.

"Don't sigh, it'll age you." She passed her noodles over, "Eat something soft, the sandwich is cold, bad for your stomach."

Kang Mu Cheng paused for a bit, then obediently put down the remaining sandwich, and picked up the fork to eat noodles.

It wasn't authentic, but it was hot, soft and his stomach instantly felt much better.

Since Jian Jing decided to go play at the haunted house, she took action swiftly. She checked out at noon, and took the earliest flight to Seattle in the afternoon.

Her travel companion became Jiang BaiYan.

He was much sturdier, although still looked thinner compared to others. One must know, in order to appear on camera in the past, his usual appearance was thinner than normal people by a few sizes. All skin and bones that under camera could transform into a handsome youth.

During the peak of his career, he gained some weight. But in reality he was still on the thinner side. Meeting today, he finally looked like a normal youth.

"You got fatter." Jian Jing passed a bag of snacks over, "You can eat now right?"

Jiang BaiYan immediately tore it open and stuffed it in his mouth, speaking unclearly: "I can eat, I can eat now. I can finish a big bowl of rice. Steaks, pork chops, lamb chops, all no problem."

Jian Jing sighed: "You had it so hard previously."

"Inhumane." He curled up in the seat, reminiscing, "Carbs are so good, fats are so good. I don't want to eat egg everyday to build muscles again."

Jian Jing said: "Be careful or you'll become a big fatty."

"It won't be that bad. I exercise everyday." He swiftly pulled up his t-shirt, showed her his abs, "Look, still maintained decently right."

Jian Jing righteously: "The world is deteriorating."

"I wasn't the one who posted handsome guys on Moment." He mumbled.

Jian Jing pretended not to hear.

The domestic flight only took a couple hours. By nightfall, they had arrived in Seattle.

After resting for a night, they met up with the filming crew the next day.

Although they said the filming location was in Seattle, it wasn't actually in the city district. But a small town two hours drive away. After arriving, upon looking, wow, it was on site filming.

The entire haunted house took up a corner of the town. It included a farm, hostel, roads and a forest.

There was even a creek in the woods, wooden houses and caves.

Jian Jing thought, I want to play. Why is the haunted house in this world so fun?

"Teacher Jian, great concept for this season right?" The director winked at her, "China-US collaboration. Rare opportunity, want to guest star?"

Jian Jing stood by the camera and observed carefully, then said regrettably: "It's not an immersive experience."

"That'll be hard to create. The real haunted house is just the farm hostel. The other places just have some small mechanisms." The director explained, "It's too dangerous to let you run around randomly in the woods."

Jian Jing said: "Then it won't be realistic enough."

"It's still a movie even if it's a reality one." The director said, "Although the script only has an outline, they still don't know the specific sections."

Jian Jing asked: "Can I take a tour?"

The director laughed: "Of course! This farm is open to public, can stay as a regular hostel."

Jian Jing wandered off satisfied.

Jiang BaiYan dragged a small stool over to watch the fun. Currently a few guests were in the basement, the prearranged infrared cameras were doing their best to capture footage from every angle.

No need for director's guidance, no need for cameraman to follow. Everyone was free. They watched while chatting.

The director asked: "Little Bai, want to guest star?"

Jiang BaiYan: "I'm very expensive."

The director guffawed, didn't take it seriously: "Stingy, look your teacher Jian agreed already."

Jiang BaiYan said: "I can't appear together with teacher JingJing, don't want to cause her trouble."

"Huh?" The director was puzzled, "You haven't wooed her successfully yet? Didn't you come together?"

Jiang BaiYan sighed long.

"Say it say it quick." Everyone loved gossip, gossip of stars witnessed up close during mundane work was the greatest joy.

Jiang BaiYan said: "There's nothing going on. I said I wanted to come to the haunted house too, so we came together coincidentally."

The assistant director asked in surprise: "The rumors were fake?" He thought it was just the usual real thing fake denial.

Jiang BaiYan gave him a bitter melon face.

They had always gotten along well over the years of knowing each other. Now they couldn't help but feel sad (and gloat) for him: "What does that mean, couldn't woo her?"

Jiang BaiYan leaned his cheek on his palm: "In short, I won't guest star."

"Yo yo, now you're a boss yourself, got arrogant huh?" The director pretended to be displeased, "Scram scram, freeloaders aren't welcomed."

Jiang BaiYan wiped his tears: "When you needed me, you called me little sweetie. Now that you don't need me anymore, you won't even give me a 20 dollar lunch box. I'm going to expose you guys."

Everyone laughed loudly. The estrangement from before due to his skyrocketing worth had now dissipated amidst the joking.

This was probably why Jiang BaiYan was so well-liked.

He wasn't arrogant.

After filming for three hours, there were several breaks for the guests to use the washroom and drink coffee. By noon, the farm had prepared food. Other than a few guests who returned to their rooms to eat alone, the staff gathered at the cafeteria.

While eating the piping hot beef burger, Jian Jing said: "This farm is pretty fun, I discovered many interesting things."

She first wandered around the outside of the farm and discovered a blood-soaked board under a haystack. When she lifted it up, what was underneath was sealed shut. Peering through the cracks, she could see some strange patterns - a sheep and an owl.

The decorations in the bathroom also featured those two elements.

The tavern had a huge deer head hanging up, decorated in a style reminiscent of the last century. The music was the same, as if time had frozen at one moment.

There was also the cabin in the woods, with bullet holes embedded in the wood as if there had once been a gunfight. The exterior walls were covered in huge scratches, suggesting some kind of wild beast had paid a visit.

"What's the story here?" she couldn't help asking the director.

The director said, "A group of college students go on a trip, get caught in a storm and take shelter at this farm..."

Jian Jing was speechless: "Why's it always this beginning?"

"You don't go on trips? You don't get caught in storms? It doesn't matter if the trope's old, it helps the audience relate," the director went on. "They check into the guest rooms at night and see some unexplainable things - when you look in the mirror, the person in it smiles at you; someone keeps repeating walking past your door; the farm owner somehow knows what you guys like to eat and what you can't eat, as if you've been here many times already..."

It was starting to sound like a horror movie.

Jian Jing asked, "Then what happens?"

"Then they go into the woods," the director dangled the bait. "What do you think, Teacher Jian? We're filming a chase scene in the woods this afternoon - want to make a cameo?"

Jing braced her chin in her hand: "What would my role be?"

"The farm was going to use some NPCs, but the woman in this cabin fits best." The director patiently explained her role.

Basically, the guests get chased by a monster into the woods during a thunderstorm. They see a completely anachronistic new cabin in the woods. There's someone inside - a woman. She takes them in and says some mystical stuff, then goes out to get some food and never comes back.

Jian Jing: "What a wimp."

The director didn't bat an eye. "There's another storyline, remember the haunted house you did last time, with that X Club? Our universe here connects to that - want to show up in that role?"

Jian Jing recalled the sunglasses-wearing boy band that appeared at the end when she did the escape room last time, and asked: "Would I look cool?"

"However cool you wanna look," the director boasted. His main reason for getting Jian Jing was that she had performed remarkably well in previous seasons and the audience missed her, so he wanted to hide an easter egg with her in the movie.

It felt right to end her haunted house show this way too. Jian Jing thought about it and agreed.

The director was thrilled and decided to arrange for her big finale scene to happen tomorrow.

Jian Jing: This really is a movie.

The director said, "Let me get you an SUV, how about that?"

Jian Jing hesitated: "Actually..."

Everyone: "??"

She said this and that and such and such.

The director listened happily and slapped the table: "Fine, no problem!"

Then he told her to get ready to start filming at 4am tomorrow.

Jian Jing was stunned: "4am?"

The director: "Of course! This is the final scene, we have to greet the dawn and sunrise."

Jian Jing wanted to take it back, but no one gave her the chance, all pretending to be terribly busy.

"Teacher Jian, I'll come do your makeup at 4am tomorrow."

"I have your costume here, Teacher Jian, try it on in a bit."

"Get some good rest tonight!"

Oh well, once you get on the pirate ship, it's hard to get off.

Author's note: I'll write some more daily life stuff before starting a new case.