In the viewfinder, the director stared tensely at the sunlight rising over the horizon. Dawn only lasted a short moment. If they didn't get the shot today, they would have to add it in post-production.
He rubbed his hands and watched intently as a spirited horse galloped towards the rising sun, carrying the dawn on its back.
Closer, closer. The sun rose, illuminating her face.
Undoubtedly, this was Miss Jian who had joined the X Club. She wore a white lace-trimmed shirt paired with black jodhpurs. The studs on her boots glinted brightly.
Although professionals could tell at a glance that this wasn't professional riding gear, it looked great and cool anyway!
The cameraman shifted positions to ensure continuity of footage.
So the audience could see Miss Jian at this moment, legs gripping the horse’s belly, hands holding the most well-known [gun], aiming at the monster and pulling the trigger. Rat-tat-tat gunshots sounded and the monster was forced to retreat.
The muffled clops of hooves behind her. The guest actors (or their stand-ins) were dressed uniformly in black leather, holding prop guns aloft.
(CGI to be added in post-production) The monsters had no choice but to retreat step-by-step under the tremendous firepower.
The light grew brighter. The sun had fully risen over the horizon.
The pitch-black forest was illuminated.
The monsters reluctantly retreated into the eerie woods. Everything was over.
The camera followed Miss Jian as she nimbly dismounted and asked, “Is everyone okay?”
“You are...” Regular guest Han Bo got his reunion line. “Jian?”
Miss Jian nodded slightly and beckoned, “Get on a horse. We have to leave immediately, otherwise...” She gazed grimly at the gloomy forest, as if uttering some prophecy. “They could return at any time.”
The guest stars (or their stand-ins) mounted horses.
The farm-raised horses were very docile, merely flicking their tails where they stood.
Miss Jian turned back, swung up into the saddle, flicked the reins: “Hiya!”
The horses broke into a gallop, racing towards the distant rising sun. The shadows of night had receded but the demons still lurked in shaded corners, ready at any time to drag people into the abyss.
“Cut!” The director yelled for them to stop, extremely excited. “Very good, very good. Great shooting; this could pass for movie footage!”
Jiang Baiyan: “Didn’t you say this is a movie?”
“Oh shush, you have no lines here. Why poke your nose in?” The director was extremely displeased. As if no one knows Reality TV movies aren’t real movies. Let’s be real about what we’re doing here.
Jiang Baiyan harrumphed: “Next time don’t invite me. Be careful or I'll double my rate.”
“Get lost,” the director was very familiar with him and knew he wasn’t the least bit serious. He said to Miss Jian, “Professor Jian, you were amazing. You’re really talented at acting. Have you considered trying your hand professionally?”
Miss Jian smiled, “No, I have no interest in acting. Is that enough?”
The director had originally thought Miss Jian would need several takes, given her lack of experience. He didn’t expect her to be pitch perfect on camera and couldn’t bear to give screen time to anyone else. “Of course, more than enough.”
He praised her further. “Professor Jian rides very well too. Have you had professional training?”
“I guess you could say that.” She hadn’t actually used those skills in quite awhile and felt an exhilarating sense of freedom at being back in the saddle today.
She couldn't resist, “I’ll go for another run.”
The director immediately said, “Then let’s get some more footage. Ready, follow along!”
Miss Jian let them film as they wished and enjoyed a vigorous half hour ride, working up a sweat. She hurried back to wash up.
By the time she finished, it was the real breakfast hour.
Robert and his parents and Reed were eating together.
Reed sat alone taking up one and a half seats, head lowered as he steadily ate cold cereal with milk. Miss Jian watched, puzzled. It was common for the elderly to have Alzheimer's and experience deterioration of language and cognitive abilities, resulting in loss of self-care skills.
But Reed didn't.
He was as strong as an ox with no physical issues, yet his memories were frozen 40 years in the past.
Truly bizarre.
Miss Jian greeted the family before sitting down across from Reed with her plate.
He suddenly spoke up, "Kerry, I’m going to mow the lawn this afternoon. Maybe you can tidy up the flowers."
Miss Jian paused briefly in surprise.
Robert immediately cast an apologetic look her way and started to interrupt. “Reed—”
Miss Jian stopped him and said gently, “Of course, I’d be happy to.”
Reed seemed taken aback and actually asked, “Really?”
She gave an affirmative reply.
He muttered, “I thought you were going to meet Bill... Okay, I’ll start early and, no, you are not going anywhere today. Stay home, okay?”
It was like he suddenly remembered certain things and anxiously told her, “Don’t go anywhere today, Kerry, stay home!”
Miss Jian said, “No problem.”
Reed seemed relieved and promised his little sister, “I can lend you my Queen cassette tape.”
Miss Jian hadn’t actually ever heard of this band but readily agreed, “You said it.”
“Reed never lies.”
Reed ate his cereal in large bites, suddenly transported through time back to his youth forty years ago.
Back then his little sister was still alive in this world and the siblings had a great relationship.
He was abruptly lost in memory, absently humming Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” and fell silent.
Robert lowered his voice apologetically to Miss Jian, “I’m sorry, Reed is saying strange things again.”
“It’s okay. He must still be thinking about Kerry,” Miss Jian said. “Hopefully this makes him happy.”
But Robert shook his head. “He’ll forget soon.”
Miss Jian said, “Even a minute is good.”
However, Reed’s delusion persisted for a long time. After breakfast, he clapped Miss Jian on the shoulder. “Don’t say I’m bullying you. Come with me. I’ll give you that tape right now—don’t lend it to Bill or I find out, I’ll knock his teeth out.”
Miss Jian had intended to ask more questions and obediently followed him.
But halfway there Reed suddenly forgot why he was going there or that the woman with him wasn’t Kerry. He asked in puzzlement, “Why are you following me?”
They were alone, perfect for probing questions.
Miss Jian asked, “Do you still remember that foreign man in the woods? He looked strange. He came to Twilight Town before the fire.”
Reed’s expression abruptly shifted, sharp and wary. “Why do you ask? What’s your relationship? What do you want to know?”
“I’m looking for someone named Qi Tian,” Miss Jian said.
Reed stared fixedly at her for quite awhile before he suddenly said, “Don’t enter the woods after nightfall.”
“Why?” Miss Jian asked. “What’s in the woods?”
“Don’t believe what the owl says.” He gripped her shoulders until he was nearly shouting. “Don’t believe it, Kerry. Don’t follow the owl...”
“Reed!” Robert had caught wind and rushed over to rescue Miss Jian. “Let her go.”
“It’s okay.” She easily slipped Reed’s restraints and soothed him. “It’s okay. I won’t follow the owl. Kerry won’t go anywhere.”
Reed panted heavily, taking quite awhile to slowly calm down.
And then without so much as another look or word to her or Robert, he snatched up the axe leaning against the wall and marched into the woods.
Robert was extremely embarrassed and seemed on the verge of saying something but hesitated.
Miss Jian breezily asked as if nothing had happened, “I’m here to participate in filming the show and have other arrangements. Do you know where I can rent a car?”
Robert relaxed and introduced her to a well-reputed local car rental shop.
Miss Jian thanked him and returned to pack.
Jiang Baiyan followed her in. “Leaving already?”
“Yes, I have somewhere to go.” Miss Jian picked up her iPad to check her offline maps she’d downloaded yesterday. “Very dangerous. Don’t come along now.”
Jiang Baiyan turned pale. “Where are you going? Chicago?”
“No, an out of the way little town. The horror story type of place.” She tried to scare him off.
Without a second thought, Jiang Baiyan immediately said, “Then I definitely have to go with you. In horror movies anyone who goes alone generally dies horribly.”
Miss Jian said, “What can two people do?”
Jiang Baiyan had watched countless movies. “Couples generally can save one person!”
Miss Jian said, “What couple?”
“One man, one woman, the woman lives!” Jiang Baiyan ducked into the room across to hurriedly pack. “Give me ten minutes!”
“Not waiting for you.” To avoid dragging him into danger, Miss Jian swiftly flung open her suitcase and started stuffing in clothes. Luckily she had only been there two days and hadn’t fully unpacked yet. Throwing everything in didn’t take long at all.
Seven minutes later...
Jiang Baiyan was sitting on top of his suitcase, waiting for her to fit in bottles and containers.
Miss Jian made excuses. “You have less stuff than me.”
"I'm used to it," Jiang BaiYan obediently corrected. "When filming, I stay in hotels. I spend more than half a year each year traveling around outside, so I'm accustomed to it."
Jian Jing sized him up.
He said, "Take me along too. It'll be good to have someone help you drive."
That was true indeed. Public transportation in the United States was extremely unbearable. Almost everyone had a car, highways crisscrossed everywhere, and most of the time you had to drive yourself.
Although Yellow Sunset Town wasn't far, going alone would be quite boring. Moreover, for some reason, she kept having an ominous feeling about this trip, as if something bad was going to happen.
Having a helper wouldn't be too bad.
"If you're not afraid, then come along," she thought about it and said, "I'll give you a task - borrow a car and driver from the crew. We need to go to the car rental shop."
Jiang BaiYan gave a big "OK" sign.
Jian Jing had planned to set off in the afternoon and arrive at Yellow Sunset Town before dark. But the best laid plans often go awry. By the time they were on the road, the sky was already pitch black.
With no other choice, they could only stay at a motel that night.
Jian Jing had originally wanted to get two rooms, but after seeing the bullet holes in the walls, she tacitly agreed to getting just one room.
Without waiting for her to say anything, Jiang BaiYan very helpfully explained, "I understand, it's for safety."
The condition of the motel was indescribable - it was even more run down than the zombie motel from before. That one had just been shabby, but this room was...filthy and chaotic.
Her nose told her that illegal (but legal in some countries) contraband substances were being consumed next door.
Her ears told her that some kind of discordant party game with multiple participants was happening in the opposite room.
How could they even sleep here?
"Jingjing, move over and let me lay down some bedsheets," Jiang BaiYan took out disposable bedsheets and neatly covered the unsanitized bed that countless others had slept on. Then he took out his own sleeping bag and organized his toiletries, preparing to take a shower.
He took a five minute shower, ten minutes on skincare, three minutes blow drying his hair, then crawled into his sleeping bag and went to sleep.
Jian Jing: "You're done already?"
"When you're filming until dawn, you can get ready this quickly too," he yawned, put on an eye mask and earplugs, "Good night."
It took Jian Jing a whole hour to complete the aforementioned steps before she curled up in her sleeping bag and sent Kang Mu Cheng a message, telling him that she would be going to Yellow Sunset Town tomorrow.
Kang Mu Cheng was baffled: [What are you going to such a remote place for?]
Jian Jing thought about it and told him everything concerning Qi Tian.
Unsurprisingly, he did not approve: [It's too dangerous.]
Jian Jing: [I'll be careful.]
Kang Mu Cheng was silent for quite a while, then seeming to know he couldn't persuade her, compromised: [Send me your location every day and call to check in.]
Jian Jing: [OK]
She lay down. After some hesitation, afraid she might miss any strange sounds without earplugs, she gave up on them and closed her eyes to rest.
Next door, curses in English came pouring through the wall, greatly expanding her vocabulary.
The next day, Jiang BaiYan took over driving duties from their chauffeur.
She was so sleepy that she started dozing off in the car.
In her drowsy state, the light around her seemed to grow very dim, as if they had entered a perpetually gloomy forest. The tall sinister trees extended their branches, intertwining chaotically like the claws of demons.
In the barely discernible light and shadows, an owl turned its head and gazed coldly at the visitors.
