Chapter 34: The Dawn of Hope

"Perhaps he is waiting for us," Wise Star blinked.

"I know, but he might also be dead, just like Soft Light and Xiao Tian. We've already lifted the Moon Shadow Curse; there's no need to take risks anymore, right? It was already hard enough for us to survive. What is the point of going back to save a dead man?" Ning Jing's voice grew softer, but her stance grew firmer. She had no intention of taking risks to save someone; her own life was obviously much more important.

"I understand." Wise Star lowered his head, his face half-hidden in shadow. "The Moon Shadow Curse has been lifted, and you are unwilling to save anyone else. But, as you yourself said, didn't you? The despair of being trapped alone in the well, that terror that almost swallowed you whole—back then, didn't you hope that fellow actors would come to save you?"

Ning Jing was struck dumb, her expression grave.

"I know, but the chance of Cang Yi being alive is far too slim, practically zero—completely different from my situation back then. Besides, if we risk our own lives trying to save him and end up dying too, do you think it's worth it?" Ning Jing's voice echoed through the spiral staircase.

"Can you still recall the feeling of being trapped in that dry well?" Wise Star asked softly.

"Of course..." The moment those two words left her lips, Ning Jing suddenly realized that she seemed to have long forgotten the despair she felt back then, that despair like that of a drowning person.

*Someone, save me... Anyone...*

Ning Jing did not continue. She gently bit her lip, pressing harder and harder until she finally drew blood.

"Forgot, didn't you?" Wise Star paused. "Do you still remember the people who saved you? What did they look like? What were their code names?"

Under Wise Star's interrogation, Ning Jing felt deeply uneasy. She clenched her fists, then relaxed them. A change came over her eyes, and she shouted:

"What does it matter if I don't remember? The actors in every movie are different, and nobody knows if we'll ever meet again. As long as I still remember the event itself, that's enough."

"Besides, maybe they've forgotten about it too? For them, the puzzle hadn't been solved yet, and saving me helped them as well."

"And stop questioning me like this! You've been saved by others too, haven't you? Do you remember them?"

By the end, Ning Jing was practically roaring, her voice turning hoarse.

Wise Star raised his head and said softly:

"Sometimes, I feel like this world is simply too unfair to people like me."

Ning Jing widened her eyes in utter astonishment.

Wise Star continued:

"I have been saved a total of seven times, and the one that left the deepest impression is still fresh in my mind."

"At the time, the roles played by myself and two other actors were tomb raiders, and our code names were Chang'an and Songbai."

"According to the script, we needed to enter an unknown ancient tomb in the north to steal the Ocean-Watching Bell within a time limit of three days."

"Hardly half a day after entering the tomb, we triggered a trap due to carelessness. The entrance was blocked, and both Songbai and I were heavily injured, our legs pierced by multiple crossbow bolts. Only Chang'an was lucky enough to suffer mere grazing wounds."

"Although Songbai and I saved our lives relying on healing-type special items, our mobility was reduced to zero."

"Chang'an pushed forward, carrying the two of us by himself. Do you know what he did?"

Wise Star stopped there and looked at Ning Jing.

Ning Jing slowly shook her head.

Wise Star continued:

"He scouted ahead alone, and once he confirmed the path was safe, he carried us across one by one on his back."

"That was an ancient tomb, a tomb densely packed with traps. The tomb owner had gone to great lengths to prevent tomb raiders from stealing the treasures inside, wishing nothing more than for all tomb raiders to die. Yet Chang'an actually scouted ahead alone, and then made two round trips to carry us across."

"During that time, Songbai and I kept urging Chang'an to abandon us. After all, by then, we were practically disabled. But Chang'an never answered us."

"Later, while carrying Songbai, Chang'an accidentally triggered a delayed-action trap. Songbai was killed by it, and Chang'an's left hand was badly burned."

At this point, Wise Star took a few steps forward. Standing right in front of Ning Jing, he looked at her with a steady gaze and went on:

"When Chang'an came back to my side, I told him: 'Just leave by yourself; maybe one of us three can still survive. Now that Songbai is dead and you're injured too, if you keep carrying me, total annihilation is the only outcome. Leave me behind, and I will never blame you, because this is not just your choice, it is mine as well.'"

"When Chang'an heard that, he sat down beside me, began to bandage his left burned hand, and then said to me... do you know what he said?"

Wise Star stared directly into Ning Jing's eyes.

Ning Jing shook her head. "What did Chang'an say?"

Wise Star said in a loud voice:

"Chang'an said: 'Sometimes, I feel like this world is simply too unfair to people like me.'"

"I was very curious why he would say such a thing, because his luck had been quite good, so I asked him: 'If this is unfair to you, then what does it make for Songbai and me?'"

"And Chang'an answered me this way—"

He turned around, presenting his back to Ning Jing.

"'I could have abandoned you right from the start, acting like an egoist just as you imagined, doing what an egoist ought to do. Then, relying on my own wits and luck, I could have braved the ancient tomb alone and survived in the end.'"

"'But what about you? You could only sit here and wait for death, praying that it would come faster, or hoping that the process of dying wouldn't be too painful.'"

"'Once this movie ends, I will continue to participate in films, continuing to struggle between life and death. Then, due to carelessness or bad luck, I'll find myself on the verge of death once more, only to be abandoned by... another egoist just like myself.'"

"'Is this really the kind of "survival" we want?'"

"'Being chosen as actors for Hell Movies is a misfortune in itself, and the greatest misfortune within that misfortune is losing one's humanity.'"

"'Once we lose our humanity, are we still human? I want to change this situation. I don't want to have to constantly guard against fellow humans who share the same misfortune while inside a Hell Movie.'"

"'I know my behavior is ridiculous, no different from a college student who tries to drown rescuing someone and ends up drowning themselves.'"

"'When people see news like that, they aren't moved; mostly they feel pity, while secretly warning themselves never to try and save a drowning person in the future—at most, shouting for help or making a phone call, which is already doing everything duty requires.'"

"'Indeed, why save anyone? A pennant of honor? Unlikely. A word of thanks? You might be cursed as an idiot, or perhaps not even a single "thank you" will be uttered. A death certificate? Highly probable.'"

"'Yet none of these are the reasons why I save people. I save you simply to prove one thing: a human being is human precisely because they can constantly surpass themselves.'"

"'We have no wings, yet we invented airplanes; we have no gills, yet we invented submersibles... If we can overcome the fear of death and unite as one, perhaps one day, we will even trample Hell Movies beneath our feet!'"

"'That is the reason why I risk my life to save you.'"