From Chen Yu and Nil's cabin, they watched the scene below.
Chen Yu leaned back against Nil's chest, satisfied. "Finally."
Nil glanced at him. "It took them 81 chapters?"
Chen Yu nodded seriously. "Honestly, I was starting to lose hope."
In Louis and Sima Li's cabin—
Sima Li clasped his hands together dramatically. "Yohooooo."
Louis covered his face with one hand. "I have lost years of my life. Why am I managing that idiot?"
Sima Li turned towards him with a grin. "I knew before they did."
Louis glared at him, then looked away.
Right. He had almost forgotten, he was also dating a walking scandal. His life was truly cursed.
Meanwhile, Aria and Xiao Mei were already discussing wedding snacks. The Ferris wheel continued turning slowly. Everyone had known something was happening between Zhang Yichen and Mo Fei for a while.
They had simply been waiting to see when those two disasters would finally admit it.
Looks like Mo Fei had finally taken a stand.
💜~~~~~~~
Weeks later, production for Save the Damned officially began.
The world behind the cameras was completely different from what audiences would eventually see on screen. Dark. Heavy and tense, the recreated pleasure house stood beneath the studio lights, every detail carefully designed, red lanterns, polished wooden floors and suffocating atmosphere that seemed to cling to every corner.
"Ready!" The crew fell silent and the camera rolled.
"Action."
The moment filming began, Zhang Yichen disappeared, the calm, distant actor everyone knew was gone. In his place was Shigaraki. A wakagashira feared by everyone who knew his name.
He sat lazily on the raised platform, one hand resting against his knee as Noah stood before him.
Su Feiyu, playing Noah, kept her head lowered.
Her character had been sold into the pleasure house, stripped of everything familiar, yet she refused to break. That was exactly what interested Shigaraki.
"You still look at people like they owe you something." His voice was quiet. Noah remained silent. Shigaraki tilted his head, studying her like a fascinating object.
"Most people beg when they lose everything." He rose and slowly walked around her. "They cry. They plead. They convince themselves kindness will save them."
He stopped in front of her. "But you…" His gaze sharpened.
"You're still waiting for someone to give you a reason to fight."
Noah finally lifted her eyes, for a brief moment, anger flashed across her face and then it disappeared. A faint smile touched Shigaraki's lips.
"Noah." He crouched slightly, lowering himself to her level. "You're a pretty interesting toy."
The camera captured everything, every movement, every expression, every shift in power between them.
Even the crew members who already knew the script found themselves holding their breath.
Then—
"Cut!"
The tension shattered and the cold expression vanished from Zhang Yichen's face instantly. Shigaraki disappeared and Zhang Yichen returned. Before anyone could approach him, he had already stepped away from the set and headed towards the exit.
Su Feiyu blinked. "Yichen?" But he was already gone. She had expected him to stay behind for notes, review the footage, maybe discuss the scene. Instead, it happened every time. The moment filming ended, Zhang Yichen disappeared.
Before she could follow, the crew surrounded her.
"Someone bring me a towel."
"Makeup, where's the makeup artist?"
"Feiyu, can we discuss the next scene?"
"We need to review your expression during the final shot."
She glanced once more towards the exit and with a sigh returned to work.
Behind the monitors, the first assistant director watched Zhang Yichen disappear. He leaned closer to the main director, who was still watching the footage.
"Have you noticed something?"
The director looked away from the screen. "What?"
"Yichen."
The director followed his gaze towards the empty entrance.
"He's been strange since filming started." The assistant director nodded. "Every shoot. The second you call cut, he leaves."
The director frowned. "Is leaving really that important? Or is he simply allergic to people now?"
The second director, who had been listening nearby, considered this seriously. "Honestly?" He looked towards the door. "I wouldn't even be surprised."
The director tapped his fingers against the script. "For years, Zhang Yichen has been known as someone who prefers his own company." He looked back at the monitor. "But this is different."
The assistant director lowered his voice. "Or… Maybe he has someone waiting for him."
The two directors looked at each other.
A lover? Someone Zhang Yichen actually wanted to rush home to? The thought lasted exactly three seconds.
"Nah."
"Never."
They dismissed it at the same time.
Zhang Yichen? The same Zhang Yichen who barely interacted with anyone unless necessary? Impossible.
The director picked up his script. "Reset."
"Back to one."
The crew returned to work.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yichen was already far away from the set. Going home.
Zhang Yichen was driving down the highway.
No. Not driving.
Speeding.
The white Audi car cut through the road with terrifying efficiency, the engine humming beneath him as the city lights blurred past the windows. Anyone watching would have assumed there was an emergency. Technically, there was. At least, according to Zhang Yichen.
His phone sat connected beside him, lighting up every few seconds. The group chat was chaos. Messages were appearing faster than he could read them.
Aria: Ahhhh, I'm so excited.
Chen Yu:That makes two of us.
Xiao Mei: Who knew they would actually pick him? Ugh, I want to cry.
Sima Li: I'm on my way. Nobody say anything before I get there.
The messages continued pouring in. Nobody was calm. Nobody was pretending to be calm. Because today was not an ordinary day.
The Starlight Festival was happening soon and this year, it was taking place in Beijing.
The Starlight Festival was one of the biggest entertainment events held annually in China. A three-day celebration where fans could purchase tickets to meet their favourite stars, watch live performances, attend fan events, and experience the entertainment industry up close.
The entire venue would be transformed. Massive stages, thousands of seats, endless cameras, bright lights covering the night sky, singers, actors, models and Idols.
Everyone who mattered in the entertainment world would be there.
The opening performances were especially important. Only a handful of artists were chosen to begin the festival, usually those with enough popularity to attract massive attention from the moment the gates opened.
And this year—
Mo Fei was one of them.
The funny part? He had been invited the previous year too and rejected it. The organisers had genuinely hesitated before approaching him again. After all, Mo Fei had a reputation for being unpredictable. But before they could make a final decision—
Louis had moved.
The moment he heard there was a possibility Mo Fei would not receive another invitation, he went straight to the company executives.
Nobody knew exactly what happened during those meetings. Some said Louis negotiated. Some said he threatened.
Others believed the executives simply surrendered after experiencing the full force of an angry manager protecting his artist.
Either way—
Mo Fei got the contract and now he was preparing for one of the biggest stages of his career.
For someone who used to avoid these events whenever possible, his current attitude had surprised everyone. The opening stage would be watched by thousands of fans in the venue and millions more online.
It was a chance to show everyone exactly who Mo Fei was.
When the others first heard he had agreed to perform, they had all been shocked. Especially Zhang Yichen. Mo Fei voluntarily stepping onto a stage? A miracle blessed by the heavens, perhaps.
Sima Li, naturally, had also been invited as one of the performing artists. With his popularity and experience, his appearance had been expected.
Zhang Yichen's invitation had arrived even earlier. In fact, he had been one of the first names selected. The organisers had offered him multiple options. He could appear as a model or as an actor.
Either choice would cause an uproar.
But Zhang Yichen had not decided immediately.
Because unlike everyone else— His attention was currently somewhere else, or rather, someone else.
His phone lit up again. This time, he opened the chat himself.
Yichen: I'm on my way. Is he ready?
The replies arrived almost instantly.
Chen Yu:We have been ready for three hours.
Aria: I have a headache.
Xiao Mei: The fact that we arranged a shopping spree and Yichen is late, seriously?
Yichen: You damn weasel. Unlike you, I have work to do.
Xiao Mei: @MoFei!!!!!
Chen Yu: Here we go again.
Mo Fei:Heyyy, be nice to Mei'er.
Zhang Yichen sent a sticker of a cartoon character rolling its eyes to the group.
Sima Li: 'Sent a photo' Guys, does this cap make me look fat?
Chen Yu: No one cares. You look fat anyway, piggie.
Zhang Yichen tossed the phone aside before witnessing the inevitable war that would follow. Even before stepping onto one of the biggest stages of their lives, they were already creating chaos. How had he ended up here again?
The car continued forward. Ahead, the lights of Beijing grew brighter. In the distance, the Starlight Festival venue stood illuminated against the night sky.
Huge banners covered the entrance. Massive screens displayed the faces of this year's invited celebrities. The entire city seemed to be waiting.
Zhang Yichen tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He had never cared much about festivals like this. But he wanted to see Mo Fei standing beneath those lights. So he was going. Obviously. Because somewhere along the way, that had become the most important thing.