Chapter 116: Yun Yi Attempts Suicide

In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed since Lin Xi returned to the set, and she had already completed the majority of her scenes for "The Ethereal Chronicles."

"Alright, 1—2—3—action!"

For the first time, Wuyou felt that the father who had pampered her since childhood was a complete stranger. She listened in a daze as he issued his cold, heartless orders.

"Go and give them the answer. The little princess of the Holy Clan, Wuyou, accepts the marriage proposal from the Third Dynasty. The sooner the wedding, the better." The Holy King’s face was as cold as frost, speaking of unrelated matters with an indifference that seemed to cast his "beloved princess" away as casually as one would discard a trinket.

"Father..." Wuyou’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Why? You know clearly that I have always been pursuing Brother Jing Yu, and you even tacitly allowed it. Why are you marrying me off to someone I don't even know now!"

Perhaps the Holy King still harbored a shred of affection for his daughter, as a flicker of annoyance crossed his dark, void-like eyes. Still, he patiently cajoled her: "Wuyou, you must consider the bigger picture. The First Dynasty does not want a marriage alliance, so you marrying into the Third Dynasty is our best option right now. It is what is most advantageous for our dynasty. As a princess of the Holy Clan, this is your mission."

"Mission? Father, you have always loved me the most. This isn't true, is it! You know that it is Brother Jing Yu whom I love!" Wuyou looked pleadingly at the father she relied on most.

Unexpectedly, the Holy King’s expression shifted, turning grim and ruthless. His voice was laced with chilling anger: "Enough! Do not mention the Huang Clan people again! Do not be unreasonable; this is what you must do! Otherwise, you wouldn't have survived until now!"

The final sentence shattered everything for Wuyou. Her face drained of all color, and her eyes welled up with glistening tears.

Only then did she fully understand that she, the "most beloved little princess of the Holy Clan," existed and was valued solely for this so-called mission. The ridiculous pampering she had received from her father was merely to ensure that one day, she could be "traded away" as a matter of course...

"Heh, heh, heh." Seeing Wuyou’s devastated state, the Holy King put on his doting father mask once more. "Wuyou, don't worry. Even after you marry, you will still be Father’s little princess. As a member of the Holy Clan, no matter what happens in the future, Father will look after you."

A smile touched his lips, but his soft voice was filled with selfishness and cold-heartedness. Wuyou’s heart turned to ice; her eyes lost their luster, and her entire being slumped in despair.

"Someone, take the Princess back to her room and see that she is well looked after. Prepare for the wedding immediately."

Wuyou was practically carried away by two maids.

The camera slowly pulled back.

"Cut!" As soon as Fan Xie finished, Song Anhe gave Lin Xi a thumbs-up. He nodded continuously, praising, "This girl is something else. It's my first time seeing a newcomer with such intensity!"

Lin Xi took the water bottle handed to her by Mi Ya and smiled. "That's because the senior led me into the scene so well."

***

"Hahahaha!" Fan Xie laughed as he walked out, patting both of them on the shoulders. "Both of you were great, really great!"

"Now that this major scene is done, the rest will be much easier. Alright, let everyone take a break." With a wave of his hand, staff members began distributing fruit and ice cream.

"Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi!" Just as Lin Xi sat down and picked up a fruit platter, Ning Shuyu rushed over in a flurry.

"Sister Shuyu, aren't you rehearsing today?" Lin Xi invited her to sit and handed her a slice of peach.

Director Fan Xie had arranged for the B-unit to film first, with the A-unit on standby. Ning Shuyu should have been rehearsing with Chen Li right now.

"It's fine, we've already rehearsed twice. We'll go back after we eat." Ning Shuyu waved her hand dismissively. Lin Xi chuckled; in the entire entertainment industry, only she could be this carefree.

"Quick, quick, tell me, how did you and our boss... no, my younger brother, get together?" Ning Shuyu stared at Lin Xi with curiosity.

Lin Xi raised an eyebrow at this. Before she could speak, her phone vibrated. Ning Shuyu immediately went quiet.

Lin Xi glanced at the screen; it was an unknown number. After a moment of hesitation, she answered.

"Hello."

"Hello, may I ask if this is Ms. Lin Xi? I am Nurse Jin. Ms. Shu Yunyi has... she tried to take her own life. Her condition is critical; you should come and see her as soon as possible." The person on the other end was urgent, speaking almost in one breath.

Upon hearing Nurse Jin’s voice, Lin Xi’s expression changed drastically. "What! I’m coming right now."

After hanging up, she stood up quickly and instructed Mi Ya: "Quick, prepare to return to Long City immediately."

"Okay!"

Before Ning Shuyu could react, Lin Xi said calmly, "Sister Shuyu, please apologize to Director Fan for me and tell him I have an urgent matter that requires me to return to Long City."

"Okay..." Before Ning Shuyu could finish her sentence, Lin Xi had already grabbed her phone and coat and rushed off.

***

An hour before Yunyi’s suicide.

Silence. The hospital room was deathly quiet. Shu Yunyi opened her eyes in bed, her entire being shrouded in a sense of detachment from the world.

She got up and walked into the bathroom. Looking at her haggard and miserable reflection in the mirror, she tried to force a smile, but it looked even more painful than crying.

She lowered her eyes, her long lashes fluttering, and soon her vision blurred with mist. Large, heavy tears rolled from her eyes, the cold droplets falling onto her arms. From her clear, sorrowful eyes, liquid continued to well up, tracing paths down her pale cheeks, freezing her heart.

Shu Yunyi looked at her reflection once more; this time, her gaze seemed to harden with resolve. She turned away, not looking at herself again, and turned on the faucet. The water flowed with a splashing sound, filling the tub bit by bit, and her heart sank along with it.

"Crash!" The bathroom glass shattered, splintering into pieces.

Shu Yunyi bent down to pick up a shard of glass, stepped into the tub, and sat down slowly. The biting cold numbed her senses.

Once fully submerged, she didn't hesitate. She took the glass and slashed it hard across her wrist. A long, narrow gash opened, and slowly, blood began to seep from the wound. Every second felt agonizingly long.

A look of relief appeared on her pale, small face. She realized clearly that her life was slipping away, bit by bit, calm and numb. Slowly, she closed her eyes, and her bleeding wrist slipped beneath the surface of the water.

The water in the tub slowly turned blood-red, overflowing onto the floor. Shu Yunyi’s body trembled uncontrollably as she grew colder. Her head began to spin, the world seemed to turn upside down, and her breathing became shallow and rapid.

She curled her lips in a mocking smirk. The heavens were truly heartless; even at the end, they wouldn't let her go, forcing her to endure the pain of her illness one last time. Finally, the last trace of color faded from her lips, and everything before her eyes turned to pitch black.

It was at this moment that Nurse Jin walked in. She hesitated, walked to the bathroom door, and pushed it open slowly. She saw a sight that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Bright red blood flowed across the tiled floor, a shocking sight. Shu Yunyi lay in the tub, motionless and lifeless.

"Ms. Shu!" Nurse Jin gasped, rushing over to grab gauze to cover the wrist that was still bleeding profusely.

She then dashed out of the room to hit the emergency alarm. The entire ward was deathly still.