Cat O, But Traveling Into The Normal World Chapter 5

Shi Sanlin had been fully prepared to rush over the moment Yu You got scolded, ready to bow frantically and apologize profusely.

He hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.

Time was tight. The director only mentioned the blocking once, and filming immediately began without delay.

Playing the role of the secret admirer, Yu You delivered strawberry milk to the female lead—who had performed poorly on an exam—to cheer her up. He acted shy and innocent, a truly heartwarming sight. His two lines were delivered with a slight nervousness, but this tension only made him more fitting for the character.

To save costs, filming was not done sequentially according to the plot. Instead, related scenes that shared the same setting were shot consecutively.

Yu You still needed to walk through several scenes as a background figure. Without lines, and with the camera only occasionally sweeping past him, the young man remained completely in character from start to finish, portraying a cautious secret admirer hidden in an unnoticed corner.

When the large monitor played back the recording, the director focused on the interaction between the main characters, discussing the effect with the assistant director. It was only during the second viewing, prompted by Jiang Xunzhou’s earlier comment, that he took an extra look at Yu You.

The director called Yu You over and asked kindly, “Which school are you from?”

Yu You remembered the original owner’s school. “F University, I’m a junior, and I don’t have many classes left.”

“You’re not from a professional acting background?” The director sounded surprised. “Newcomers usually can’t help but be conscious of the camera, but I don’t see that problem with you—have you acted before?”

Shi Sanlin helped explain from the side, “Our Xiao Yu hasn’t acted before, but Star Sky Entertainment provides free acting training courses and physical guidance. He attended a few classes.”

He was also a little puzzled. Yu You had been quite dull in class before. What kind of miracle pill had he taken in the last few days to suddenly open up his channels?

The director praised him a few more times and told Yu You to prepare for the next scene.

With so many people on set, everyone noticed the director’s attitude.

Someone even came over to flatter Jiang Xunzhou, “As expected of an artist under President Jiang’s company. Even without a professional acting school background, the acting is so natural.”

Jiang Xunzhou didn’t say much, looking somewhat thoughtful.

A few days ago, after the trending topic incident, a detailed stack of Yu You’s personal information had been placed on his desk.

He distinctly remembered that this minor celebrity hadn’t been signed to Star Sky for long. He had attended the company’s acting classes a few times, but the instructors’ evaluations hadn’t been very high.

Jiang Xunzhou asked, “Do they categorize acting into different styles, like ‘Technique School’ and ‘Emotional Experience School’?”

The assistant standing nearby was slightly surprised that President Jiang was interested in this topic. He adjusted his glasses. “Yes. I heard that actors from professional schools focus more on technique. Actors who join later in their careers don’t have much filming experience, so to better immerse themselves, they draw upon their own emotional experiences for substitution. This is called the Emotional Experience School. The advantage is greater authenticity, but the drawback is that it drains their emotions, making it difficult to step out of character.”

Filming resumed.

This scene had progressed to the stage where the male and female leads had confessed their mutual feelings. The male lead bought strawberry milk from the school convenience store and placed it on the female lead’s desk. The female lead looked up at him, smiling sweetly as she thanked him.

The young man stopped in his tracks, clutching the strawberry milk bottle in his hand with a hint of helplessness. His long lashes gently lowered, the corners of his eyes slightly red, filled with disappointment and sadness—a truly heartbreaking sight.

The director called “Cut,” holding his small megaphone, and said with satisfaction, “Good, good. But let’s do this scene one more time, just to secure a backup take.”

Jiang Xunzhou, however, found himself unable to watch anymore. He uncrossed his legs and instructed his assistant in a flat tone, “You stay here and keep an eye on things. Notify me if anything happens with Jiang Mingyan.”

The assistant respectfully agreed.

Originally, Yu You’s scenes for the day were finished after that take, but the director was very pleased with his performance. Thinking about the upcoming scene where the male and female leads argue, he proactively suggested that Yu You continue to participate, even adding two lines to intensify the conflict.

During the argument, the male lead reached out and shoved Yu You. Yu You stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud.

The director yelled “Cut,” excitedly saying, “Perfect, perfect! That’s the conflict we need. Moving on!”

Shi Sanlin had been watching by the side of the set and immediately noticed something was wrong. He rushed over and helped Yu You up.

The young man’s eyes were tightly shut. Strands of hair on his forehead were soaked with sweat, clinging miserably to his flushed cheeks. His entire body was burning hot.

“Xiao Yu!” Shi Sanlin asked nervously, “Are you okay? Are you running a fever again?”

The director also noticed and quickly stood up. “What’s wrong?”

“I, I’m fine.”

Yu You maintained his last bit of rationality and spoke with difficulty.

The blood in his body felt like surging magma, unbearably hot. His consciousness was gradually blurring, giving rise to a sense of anxiety and physiological craving.

—A plea to be loved, to be embraced, to be completely possessed.

The young man forced a smile onto his face, his voice weak and hoarse. “Maybe I didn’t sleep well last night, I have a slight fever. I’m sorry for causing trouble for everyone.”

But his heart sank heavily, his last shred of hope shattered.

This was an Omega’s Heat Period, and it had followed him, crossing over into this world with him.

At this time… he absolutely couldn’t go anywhere crowded.

A rich scent of Iris Flower gradually began to permeate the air.

Shi Sanlin inwardly blamed himself for not realizing Yu You had a fever again. He quickly told the director, “I apologize, Director. Yu You isn’t feeling well and can’t continue filming today. I’ll take him back to rest first.”

The director waved his hand. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Health comes first.”

Shi Sanlin took Yu You away from the set, intending to drive him to the hospital.

Yu You adamantly refused, insisting on returning to the crew’s hotel to rest. He also wouldn’t let Shi Sanlin escort him up, saying he had already ordered fever medicine on a delivery platform and would be fine on his own.

Shi Sanlin was truly worried. “You absolutely must not force yourself when you’re sick. If you feel unwell, you must go to the hospital.”

Yu You insisted, “Brother Shi, don’t worry. I know my own body. I went to the hospital last time I had a fever, and I was fine, wasn’t I? This time is the same; I’ll be better after a good sleep.”

He finally managed to persuade Shi Sanlin to leave. He retrieved his room card from the front desk, went to his room, locked the door, engaged the security latch, and moved the desk and chair to barricade the door.

After doing all this, Yu You was dizzy and his legs were so weak he could barely stand. The Iris Flower scent around him was so thick it was cloyingly sweet.

Surging waves of heat washed over his entire body again and again. A trembling pleasure, like fine electric currents, shot up from his tailbone, making him shake all over.

Yu You’s breathing grew increasingly rapid. He panted softly, tears welling at the corners of his eyes. A broken, soft moan escaped his rose-colored lips, and a wave of grievance swept through his heart.

He wanted…

He wanted someone to hold him tightly…

The young man’s consciousness was hazy. He stumbled toward the Restroom and stepped into the bathtub.

Water poured down with a rush, chilling him to the bone.

The young man’s shirt became soaked. He pressed his legs tightly together, curled into a ball, and whimpered softly, like a poor, homeless stray cat drenched by the rain, hiding in the furthest corner.

“Brother, are you done with work? Fang You is treating the whole crew to dinner tonight, you should come too!”

In the hotel suite, the phone screen on the desk showed a voice call, and the enthusiastic invitation of a young woman came through.

Jiang Xunzhou was flipping through a file report, his tone lazy. “Not interested. You go by yourself.”

If his mother hadn’t worried that Jiang Mingyan would be bullied during her first drama shoot, repeatedly ordering him to oversee things, Jiang Xunzhou wouldn’t have bothered to come at all.

“Don’t be like that. If you come, no one else in our crew would dare not to show up. I’m kind of interested in the second male lead, but he keeps avoiding me. Brother, just come once and help me out.”

Jiang Xunzhou casually replied, “If he’s not interested in you and is avoiding you, why don’t you switch to someone else?”

Jiang Mingyan on the other end was displeased. “Brother, anyone can tell you’ve never liked anyone. How can you just switch people like that?”

Jiang Xunzhou truly had never liked anyone, nor could he understand this behavior of chasing after someone who gave you the cold shoulder.

However, he was more interested in the other thing Jiang Mingyan said. He asked, “Are you saying that if I go, the entire crew won’t dare not to come?”

“Of course! Brother, you’re the biggest financial backer of our crew. If you show up, who would dare to act like a big shot and skip it?” Jiang Mingyan said. “I know you don’t like these kinds of events. Brother, just come and sit for a while, then leave. Is that okay?”

Jiang Xunzhou’s thin lips curled slightly. He capped his fountain pen and said, “Fine.”

The news that Fang You was treating everyone tonight and that Jiang Xunzhou would be attending quickly spread throughout the crew.

The driver picked up Jiang Xunzhou and headed to the dinner location.

Jiang Xunzhou sat in the back, asking seemingly casually, “The crew has wrapped up for the day. Will everyone who filmed today be going to the dinner?”

“Yes, President Jiang,” the assistant in the front passenger seat replied.

The corner of Jiang Xunzhou’s mouth lifted into a barely perceptible arc, his tone casual. “A drama invested in by Star Sky shouldn’t have an artist from another company paying for the meal. The dinner tonight will be under Jiang Mingyan’s name, charged to my account.”

The restaurant was located near the hotel, and the car arrived quickly.

It was a Japanese restaurant that had been fully reserved. Fang You waited at the entrance and personally led Jiang Xunzhou to the innermost private room.

This circle in the private room consisted of the most influential people in the crew: the director, the producer, and the main actors. They all greeted Jiang Xunzhou, yielding the central seat of honor. Wine glasses and small glass carafes filled with alcohol had already been prepared.

Jiang Mingyan happily sat next to the second male lead, and seeing Jiang Xunzhou arrive, she waved. “Brother!”

Jiang Xunzhou glanced around the room before finally sitting down.

Such occasions inevitably involved endless toasting.

Jiang Xunzhou drank a few glasses with the director and others. Perhaps because the air in the private room was stagnant, he felt his body heating up and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt.

But people came to toast him one after another, each wearing a mask of flattering fake smiles.

Jiang Xunzhou’s patience gradually ran out. When Fang You came over to toast, he simply put down his glass and asked, “Where is Yu You sitting?”

Since Fang You was the host, the seating arrangements were naturally handled by his people.

Jiang Xunzhou hadn’t expected Fang You to be so thoughtless as to not seat the artist from his company at the same table.

Fang You was stunned. “Yu You? … Is that, is that the one from this afternoon…?”

The assistant was also momentarily taken aback, then suddenly realized something. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He whispered, “President Jiang, Yu You fainted from a fever during filming this afternoon. He returned to his hotel room early to rest and didn’t come to the dinner tonight.”

“Fainted from a fever?”

Jiang Xunzhou’s expression turned cold. “When did this happen?”

Jiang Mingyan overheard their conversation and poked her head over. “It happened this afternoon during filming, maybe an hour or two after you left, Brother. I saw it clearly—Yu You was fine one second, looking completely normal, and the next second he suddenly collapsed. His face turned especially red; it scared me. Yu You didn’t film after that and went back to the hotel to rest.”

She added, “We exchanged WeChat contacts during a break on set. I messaged Yu You to ask how he was and if he could come to dinner, but he hasn’t replied.”

Jiang Xunzhou looked at the assistant beside him.

The assistant instantly understood and left the private room to contact someone.

A short while later, the assistant quickly returned to Jiang Xunzhou’s side and lowered his voice. “President Jiang, I just asked Agent Shi. Agent Shi has already returned to his own residence and doesn’t know what Yu You’s current situation is.”

Jiang Xunzhou asked, “So he’s alone in the hotel room right now?”

The assistant nodded. “Yes, President Jiang.”