Shrine - Chapter 81
Chapter 81
"A shrine doesn't house gods or buddhas, but human greed."
"Life, because of this greed, always stirs up waves from calm waters, with high winds and rough seas."
Shen Bai stood behind Qiao Qiao and spoke these two lines. Qiao Qiao turned to look at her, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Hello." Zhong Yi snapped her fingers, bringing Ruan Ruan back to her senses.
The tense set instantly relaxed, like an unbuckled belt. Ruan Ruan could hear a crisp 'snap' in her own mind. Listening more closely, it was just a photography assistant lightly flicking a switch, and someone sniffling.
The sound might have been their gazes.
In that instant, a flood of thoughts went through Ruan Ruan's mind. When she first wanted to be an actress, it was because she wanted to be seen. Back then, she hadn't been aware of how dirty the dress she wore was, just as with every lottery ticket she bought, she could only see the winning part. It was only after she had truly obtained a few things that she became aware of the destitution of her first twenty-some years. Her clothes had never been respectable, nor had she ever received enough supportive love. Standing before the cameras like this, she carried with her half glory, half embarrassment.
She found herself wanting to avoid such gazes, blinking rapidly as she crammed the script into her mind.
During lunch, Ruan Ruan video-called Shi Ran. Shi Ran said she was on her way to the airport, flying to Xindu this time for the start of filming on her new drama.
Ruan Ruan reminded her to eat well and get enough rest. With no time for a long chat, she had to rush back to keep up with the schedule.
Before hanging up, Shi Ran tapped her finger on the camera lens, tapping at the somewhat listless Ruan Ruan. Ruan Ruan gave a gentle smile and tapped her finger back at her.
The afternoon scene was for the opening story arc of the second season. This scene featured a new character, Sister Qian, who was also the protagonist of this arc.
Photography: "Rolling."
Sound: "Speed."
Director: "Action."
Shrine, Season Two, Episode One, Scene One. Filming began.
Qiao Qiao held a sleeping little black dog. It was a stray she had been taking care of near the set, often feeding it. But recently, crew members had been talking about strange occurrences. Many of the stray dogs around the set had their fur shaved off in patches, leaving them bald here and there. Some had developed skin diseases from the improper shaving, which were spreading among the strays. Some even had festering sores and looked pitiful.
Qiao Qiao and Shen Bai felt something was amiss. Coincidentally, they found clumps of dog fur where Sister Qian, who was in charge of logistics and meals for the crew, was working, and suspected she was involved.
Sister Qian had just given birth and always greeted people with a kind smile.
Qiao Qiao, holding Xiao Hei, asked Sister Qian, "Sister Qian, I heard you like to feed the stray dogs with leftovers."
"That's right," Sister Qian said with a smile. "I've watched quite a few of them grow up."
"Then have you noticed recently…"
Qiao Qiao stroked the motionless Xiao Hei in her arms, and goosebumps instantly broke out all over her body.
"What's wrong?" the on-set assistant director asked Ruan Ruan, who had stopped her hand movements. She frowned and looked down at the Xiao Hei in her arms.
"Director, I'm touching it, but it's not reacting," she said, her voice dry. The arm holding Xiao Hei felt a little helpless.
The director let out a breath. "Didn't I tell you before? It's sleeping. It was too rowdy during the rehearsal, so we gave it a little anesthetic."
"Sleeping," Ruan Ruan blinked rapidly, stroking Xiao Hei again. "Sleeping…"
She felt that this wasn't what sleeping was like. When her Xiao Hei at home slept, she was warm and toasty, her hot little body draped over her, sometimes even snoring. But this little dog was too quiet. When she touched it, there was no reflexive skin movement, as if… as if it were dead.
She turned her head and saw the on-set veterinarian standing nearby, who nodded at her to signal that everything was fine.
Ruan Ruan exhaled and continued with her lines. "Then have you noticed recently that the stray dogs around here have suddenly gotten sick?"
"Oh, you mean the skin diseases? Strays are often like that, can't compare to house pets," Sister Qian said cheerfully.
House pets… house pets…
Ruan Ruan couldn't help but place her hand on the little black dog's belly, resting it on its chest, feeling for a heartbeat, then feeling again. She didn't know if it was because the set was too noisy or her own mind was, but she couldn't feel the little dog's heartbeat.
She looked at its fur, which felt dry and brittle to the touch, very different from her Xiao Hei at home.
"Director," she called out again, fraught with anxiety, "has the anesthetic dosage been checked?"
The entire crew looked at each other in dismay. The director ran over from beside the monitor, looked at her, then at the stray dog in her arms. "What's up?"
Not two minutes later, Xin Chen also rushed over from her office. She shot Zhong Yi a look, asking what was going on. Zhong Yi shook her head, stood beside Ruan Ruan, and said to the vet, "Could you please check again? To ensure the animal's safety."
Everyone gathered around. Ruan Ruan sat to the side as the vet gave the little dog a simple examination. Finally, he squatted down and said, "No problem, it's just under anesthesia. There's a heartbeat, and its body temperature is normal."
Zhong Yi gave Ruan Ruan a reassuring smile and stood up, ready to resume work.
The director returned to his position, took a sip of an energy drink, and looked at the monitor. He spoke into the walkie-talkie, "Action."
Xin Chen glanced at the dispersing crew members, her brow furrowed in concern.
As filming started again, Ruan Ruan composed herself, trying to suppress her unease and get into character.
Sister Qian said, "Strays are often like that, can't compare to house pets."
Shen Bai shook her head. "But we've checked. The fur was shaved by a person, and it's on the back and tail of every dog, where the fur is longest. It doesn't look like a skin disease."
As Shen Bai explained, Qiao Qiao held Xiao Hei and ran her fingers through the little dog's fur. The director needed a close-up of this. Ruan Ruan performed the action earnestly, but in the next second, the little dog's leg, which was resting on her arm, went limp, like the drooping wrist of a dying person.
She stared, stunned, as tiny bubbles of panic rose in her heart. She instinctively turned to look for the vet.
Is… this also normal?
The schedule was delayed again. She heard a crew member sigh. Zhong Yi bent down and gently prodded the little dog to check if it was still okay. Ruan Ruan bit her lower lip and asked Zhong Yi in a pleading whisper, "Is it… not reacting?"
Zhong Yi had never seen an anesthetized animal before. After Ruan Ruan's repeated claims that something was wrong, she was also getting a little nervous.
Ruan Ruan had heard in the news and from people around her that some film crews had accidents due to a lack of respect for animal actors' lives or inexperience in this area. Even though they had an on-set vet this time, she was still worried.
She fell into a state of anxiety, wanting to confirm again and again that nothing had gone wrong.
If the little dog really had an accident in her arms, what would she do? She would never get over it for the rest of her life. Shrine would be severely affected, and public opinion online wouldn't let her off the hook.
"Can you…" check again? She bit the inside of her lip hard, looking at the vet.
The director didn't want to speak. He looked at Xin Chen. Xin Chen crossed her arms. "Check. Check it thoroughly. After this check, we're not going to make a fuss anymore, okay?" She then said to Ruan Ruan, "We really can't delay any longer, sweetie. There are hundreds of people in this crew."
The little black dog was laid flat on a chair. The doctor examined it carefully and even handed the stethoscope to Ruan Ruan, letting her listen to its heartbeat.
Thump-thump… thump-thump… thump-thump…
Faint, and slow.
Ruan Ruan squatted beside it, stroking the little dog's head and listening intently. She took off the stethoscope and asked softly, "Will this anesthetic affect its health?"
"No, Teacher, don't worry. We did a physical for it beforehand, and the dosage is based on its weight. Anesthesia is also used for things like neutering. It'll wake up in a little while."
"But, when I was holding it, I felt its heartbeat was much slower than my Xiao Hei's at home, and its temperature was lower too," Ruan Ruan slowly voiced her concerns.
"Your Xiao Hei is a…"
"A kitten, a little stray cat."
The doctor smiled. "A dog's heartbeat is naturally slower than a cat's, and their body temperature is also one to one-and-a-half degrees lower. It's normal."
"It's normal," Zhong Yi said, leaning over with her hands on her knees to comfort her. "Xin Chen has had a dog, she knows."
"I've had…" Xin Chen blinked. Have I?
Zhong Yi shot her a glance. Xin Chen nodded. "Yes."
Fine, she herself was a happy little dog anyway.
"It's fine now, but if you don't hurry up and finish filming, once the anesthetic wears off, it might have to be given another dose," Xin Chen said heartlessly.
Zhong Yi laughed, and the tension on set instantly eased. Ruan Ruan blushed, stood up sheepishly, and prepared to get back to work. Everyone returned to their positions and resumed their duties.
The scene was finally, haltingly, completed. Next, they had to wait for the location change to shoot the night scenes with the B-team.
Ruan Ruan had a small salad for dinner. She heard that the animal actor from the afternoon was already up and about, playing in the backyard garden, so she decided to go take a look.
The sky had already darkened, and the grassy area was pitch-black. She figured that even if the little black dog were running around in there, she wouldn't be able to see anything. Ruan Ruan watched for a moment before turning to head back, but she spotted the red glow of a cigarette at a corner.
A colleague was hiding there for a smoke. Ruan Ruan immediately thought to go the other way, but she heard her own name in their fragmented whispers.
"So damn dramatic, making trouble out of nothing." It was the assistant of the actress playing Sister Qian.
"No idea what she was thinking, comparing a cat to a dog."
"I didn't really believe what they said about her online, you know? She seems like a nice person."
"Right? She's actually not bad, but today's stunt was just so brainless. Just opened her mouth and said there was a problem with the anesthetic. Did you guys see? The director's face went pale with fright."
Ruan Ruan blinked, suddenly realizing what she had done. She was afraid of something going wrong and worried that others would use the animal actor issue to stir up trouble. But her own actions might have just handed a weapon to those who wanted to smear the production.
She remembered what Xin Chen had said: "There are hundreds of people in this crew."
It wasn't just about the large number of staff, or how every minute cost money and couldn't be wasted. It was also a hint about how formidable gossip could be.
But Ruan Ruan, who was usually meticulous and adept at reading people, hadn't understood.
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