Chapter 172
Chapter 172
Although The Chess Game had a short episode count, its filming period lasted a full forty days.
It was a polished mid-length drama that combined suspense, friendship, revenge, and coming-of-age.
Qin Se played the orphaned heroine, Lin Zhi. Through an accidental encounter, Lin Zhi became friends with Ming Jia, the president of the Go club and the school beauty adored by everyone.
However, while attending a celebratory banquet on a cruise ship, Ming Jia got drunk, lost her footing, fell into the sea, and died.
After that, Lin Zhi disappeared as well.
Eight years later, the genius Go player Ming Zhi hosted a villa party. The guests who arrived were shocked to discover that every one of them had attended the celebration banquet where Ming Jia had fallen overboard.
And so, on this stormy night of thunder and rain, the truth behind Ming Jia’s accidental death eight years ago was finally exposed.
The first five episodes of the drama all built up the mystery of Ming Zhi’s identity. Was she Ming Jia from back then, who had never died and had returned under someone else’s identity for revenge? Or was she Lin Zhi, who had changed her name to Ming Zhi and lain low for eight years to avenge her friend?
Had the people who attended that cruise banquet lied?
One mystery followed another.
Although the entire drama centered on a suspense plot and borrowed from Agatha Christie’s snowbound manor setup, it was not particularly frightening. Instead, once the ending revealed Ming Zhi’s identity-
that Ming Zhi was actually Lin Zhi, the unremarkable orphan who had once stayed by Ming Jia’s side-the story gained a touch of warmth and lingering melancholy.
“Because you were my only friend, even if it took eight years, eighteen years, or even eighty years, I had to bring the truth to light.”
The role Ning Xi played in The Chess Game was Ming Jia, the school beauty who fell into the sea right at the beginning, the white moonlight in the protagonist Lin Zhi’s memories.
Before joining the production, Ning Xi had prepared thoroughly for the role. She had even communicated with the director several times in advance over WeChat.
Yet after she joined the crew, she realized she still had not prepared enough.
At their first meeting on set, the director’s mouth kept opening and closing nonstop.
Ning Xi could not help giving him a thumbs-up. “Director, I didn’t expect you to be so good at beatboxing!”
The director spat something out with a ptooey. “A dandelion got in my mouth. I was trying to get it out!”
Ning Xi: “.”
Wait. Something about this crew’s vibe felt a little off.
Beside her, a makeup artist who had worked with the director on several productions smiled and said, “Oh, you’ll know once you get used to us. Our crew is a very fun one. By the way, let’s add each other. I’m in charge of Ming Jia’s makeup.”
Ning Xi took out her phone. She saw the makeup artist’s WeChat name, then looked at the beautiful, gentle, elegant woman herself, and hesitated. “Your WeChat name is Five Big Three Thick?”
The makeup artist smiled. “Are you wondering why a woman like me would choose a WeChat name like that?”
Ning Xi obediently nodded.
The makeup artist said, “Because I’ve dated eight boyfriends.”
Ning Xi: “.”
Seeing Ning Xi’s stunned expression, the makeup artist burst out laughing. “I’m kidding. I lost a game of Truth or Dare and had to change it to this ridiculous name.”
Ning Xi: “Haha.”
Just two people were enough to make Ning Xi feel that this production’s style was definitely going to be bizarre.
The filming that followed proved her right.
What normal crew had everyone applaud her after she finished shooting a scene?!
Although it was bizarre, Ning Xi quickly blended in with the rest of the crew, and she was happy throughout the entire shoot.
Besides, whenever she did not have scenes, Ning Xi would follow the director and watch the others’ performances through the camera.
The one who left the deepest impression on her was Qin Se.
Qin Se had a pair of eyes that could tell a story.
When she stood there, those stubborn, cool eyes seemed filled with a refusal to surrender to fate.
The director watched Qin Se through the camera monitor and asked Ning Xi beside him, “After watching so many scenes, don’t you think filming is pretty interesting? You and Qin Se are both very talented. Qin Se has already transitioned into acting, so you…”
“I’m definitely still going to sing!” Ning Xi cut in.
She thought acting was fun, and she was willing to give her all for her role.
But if they were talking about what she loved most, it would always be the stage.
She loved standing onstage, beneath the lights, looking into the eyes of every person who had come there for her.
“But if you call me, I’ll definitely come act again!” Ning Xi grinned at the director.
The director said, “Then you have to invite me to your next concert in Xiangcheng too!”
“No problem!”
Ever since Jiang Sheshe had come to the set with Ning Xi once, she would drop by to visit from time to time.
In the end, because her attendance rate was simply too high, the director actually ended up arranging for Jiang Sheshe to write an insert song for the drama.
When the production team for The Chess Game released its first trailer, they used the song Jiang Sheshe had produced.
[Good grief, the female guests from You Are My Blessing are basically having a team-building event on The Chess Game.]
[Ning Xi, Qin Se, and Jiang Sheshe are all here? Once this drama airs, I have to at least give it a taste.]
[I’ll always be moved by the friendship between the girls. Even though filming for You Are My Blessing has ended, their friendship is still going strong.]
[Ning Xi? Gladly accepted. Qin Se? Gladly accepted. Jiang Sheshe? Also gladly accepted. I’ll accept them all!]
[An old monk has arrived in Xiangcheng.]
The day before The Chess Game premiered.
Ning Xi posted promotional stills on all her social media platforms.
Just as she was about to close WeChat, a post from Fu Zhi’s Moments suddenly refreshed onto her screen-
“Things remain, people change; all comes to nothing. Before I can speak, tears flow first.”
The attached image was a set of eight-pack abs.
Ning Xi: ?
No one in the next five hundred years would be able to understand the connection between that caption and that photo.
Also-
If the owner of those abs had been someone else, she might have taken a second look. But since it was Fu Zhi, she was genuinely afraid she might get a sty.
Ning Xi ignored it. Who would have thought WeChat would suddenly ping twice?
She tapped it open and saw, clear as day, an ab workout video sent by Fu Zhi.
A minute later, Fu Zhi swiftly recalled it.
Then, in a blatant attempt to cover himself, he sent another message: “Sent to the wrong person. You didn’t see it, right? I’ve been working out so much these past few days that I’m dead tired ahhhhhhh my head’s all messed up. I don’t know how it got sent to you. If you saw it, don’t overthink it.”
Ahhhhh, my ass, you big-headed idiot.
Ning Xi smiled faintly and asked politely, “And you are?”
One line. KO!
Sure enough, Fu Zhi behaved himself after that and said nothing more.
Elsewhere.
Lu Ming followed Fu Zhi out of the gym. Seeing Fu Zhi looking so melancholy, he comforted him, “Brother Zhi, there’s no corner in this world that can’t be pried loose. Don’t be sad. When other people become the third party, it’s disgusting and low. When a friend becomes the third party, just don’t get caught. When you become the third party, it’s an epic romance!”
After hearing that, Fu Zhi didn’t even have the strength left to hang himself.
Suddenly, his eyes fixed on a certain spot, and his pupils shrank. “We can’t go back.”
Lu Ming nodded in agreement. “You and Ning Xi really can’t go back to the way things were, but you can still have a brand-new future! As long as you-”
Fu Zhi slapped Lu Ming on the head. “Are you fucking brain-dead? The motorcycles we parked by the road got stolen. Now neither of us can go home!”
Lu Ming: “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
On the day The Chess Game premiered, Jiang Sheshe just so happened to be going through a breakup.