Chapter 003: “Where”

A month later, the new movie arrived as scheduled.

The background of the email was a gray, misty sky, with a pitch-black island below and a crimson full moon above. The black and red color palette felt deeply oppressive, as if it were stealing the very air from one's lungs. Two seconds later, the two blood-red characters "He Fang" floated slowly above the island.

The new movie was titled "He Fang."

Even though he had already acted in "Death Sacrifice," Qian Cangyi still felt a chill down his spine as he looked at the new promotional art. This movie might be even more dangerous and terrifying than "Death Sacrifice."

[Arrive at Qingwang Lake before 12:00 PM tomorrow.]

The new email provided the time and location.

Qian Cangyi looked at the exercise plan on his calendar, opened his hands, then clenched his fists, feeling the strength in his body. In reality, his physical condition had reached a normal level a week ago, but he kept at it, convinced that average physical fitness would not be enough to survive many environments.

The next day, the sun rose as usual.

Qian Cangyi headed toward the vicinity of Qingwang Lake. Upon reaching it, he felt like a ghost, as if everyone around him could not see him. Before entering the Qingwang Lake area, he had worried about what he should look for, but as soon as he stepped into the zone, the questions in his heart vanished.

Beside the lake ahead lay a sightseeing boat with the "He Fang" movie poster sprayed onto its hull. Its overall red-and-black color scheme was identical to the pattern in the email, and it felt equally oppressive and eerie. Although his body was not being controlled this time, Qian Cangyi did not attempt to flee; after all, he had already been taught a lesson in the previous movie.

Qian Cangyi boarded the sightseeing boat, and the moment he found his footing, the boat pulled away from the shore.

*It seems I am the last one.*

Qian Cangyi thought to himself as he walked into the cabin. The interior was similar to the bus in the last movie, the only difference being that four people were already seated: two men and two women.

The woman sitting by the door had slender eyebrows and dark lipstick. Seeing Qian Cangyi walk in, she spoke:

"It seems there are only five of us for this movie. I thought there would be more."

The man sitting next to her had a buzz cut and a sturdy build, clearly someone who worked out regularly. He looked at Qian Cangyi with a stern expression:

"Even though there are only five, the movie won't necessarily be simple. It’s better if we stay cautious."

Qian Cangyi turned his head to the right, where a young man wearing black-rimmed glasses and a quiet girl with long hair were sitting.

"Discussing this now is pointless. Let's follow the usual custom and introduce ourselves first. My name is Zhiduoxing (Mastermind), though don't associate me with that famous one—it's just a name, a codename, you understand." The bespectacled youth spoke in a relaxed tone, seemingly unconcerned about the movie's difficulty.

Qian Cangyi glanced at the seats on either side. Seeing this, Zhiduoxing shifted slightly. "Sit here."

"Thanks." Qian Cangyi sat down beside Zhiduoxing.

"My name is Rouguang (Soft Light)," the woman with red lips stated her codename as well.

"Just call me Ningjing (Quiet)," the quiet girl said, her codename perfectly fitting her impression.

"Xiao Tian." The sturdy man’s voice was deep and resonant, full of lung capacity.

At this moment, Zhiduoxing turned to look at Qian Cangyi and said:

"You're the only one left."

"Cangyi." Qian Cangyi continued to use the same codename.

The sightseeing boat moved slowly forward. As it reached the middle of the lake, a hazy white mist rose from the water, shrouding the boat like a thin, white veil.

[The Hell Movie does not provide a script. Please let the actors perform as they see fit.]

Suddenly, the Hell Movie's prompt rang out in his mind.

There was no script for this movie.

Qian Cangyi observed the other four; everyone's expression was calm, as if they were already used to this.

"That's actually fine. No need to act out those awkward scenes," Zhiduoxing laughed.

"Actually, I still hope there's a script. We might be able to find some clues," Ningjing said softly.

Qian Cangyi did not voice his opinion but looked outside the boat, then raised his head.

Directly overhead was a bright moon, casting a brilliant, shimmering glow.

*I remember it wasn't even 12:00 PM when I boarded.*

A faint unease stirred in Qian Cangyi's heart. Then, he realized his body was beginning to move beyond his control. The same situation was happening to the other four actors.

Like puppets being manipulated, the five of them walked out of the cabin, all maintaining the posture of looking up at the sky. A few seconds later, Qian Cangyi felt as if his position relative to the moon had changed; he was no longer looking up at it, but rather looking down at it from above. A drop of blood from an unknown source fell into the moon, sending ripples across its surface and staining the silver orb a crimson red.

This crimson blood moon was identical to the one in the email.

A few seconds later, the positions shifted again, and Qian Cangyi was back to looking up at the sky, but the silver moon was gone, replaced by the blood-red one.

At this moment, Qian Cangyi found himself turning his head to look at Rouguang, and he heard himself say:

"Yan Ruoxuan, stop being mysterious. Where exactly are you taking us?"

"Why do I feel like the place you're taking us is unsafe? That’s why you don’t want to tell us."

"This is our last summer vacation; let's hope nothing goes wrong."

*Was that me talking just now? Is Yan Ruoxuan referring to Rouguang?*

*It seems the movie has already started.*

Qian Cangyi was astonished internally, but his expression remained unchanged. His body was still not under his own control.

Rouguang also turned her head to look at Qian Cangyi and replied:

"Listen to you, Mo An. You're such a coward. Don't worry, there’s absolutely no danger."

"The place we’re going is very mysterious. I found it online; it's a great spot, you'll definitely be satisfied."

As she spoke, her face was full of playful mockery. If Qian Cangyi weren't being controlled himself, he might have mistakenly thought that Rouguang was truly making those expressions.

At the same time, his mind was racing. Even though the Hell Movie didn't provide a script, it didn't mean there was no story or no characters. Right now, the Hell Movie was defining the relationships between the characters.

*This is so bizarre!*

Qian Cangyi waited for the plot to unfold.

The sturdy man, Xiao Tian, walked between Qian Cangyi and Rouguang, looked at both of them, and then turned to Qian Cangyi:

"Alright, alright, stop arguing, you two."

"Mo An, don't get so worked up. Yan Ruoxuan, you know how she is—once she’s made up her mind, no one can change it."

"Since she doesn't want to tell us, it’s useless for you to keep asking."

With that, Xiao Tian looked at Rouguang and continued:

"Yan Ruoxuan, we’re only here because we trust you, but you aren't telling us anything. You’re not considering our feelings at all."

However, after Xiao Tian finished speaking, Rouguang glanced at him, let out a cold snort, walked to the boat’s railing, and said:

"Since you don't trust me, let's just vote. I'll take whoever wants to go back, back first."