Chapter 5: Legs as Rigid as Steel

The cramped wheelchair brought the man and woman almost flush against each other. An ambiguous atmosphere flickered in and out of existence, accompanied by glimpses of fair, smooth skin. Ms. Li’s figure was simply unfair; observed at such close range, the visual impact was off the charts. As Ji Yu caught the faint scent of her perfume and the sight of her delicate, milky skin, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

Li Xiaoran quickly stood up, pulling away the small hand she had used to cover Ji Yu’s mouth. If she hadn't let go, she feared he might have started drooling.

Swallowing again, Ji Yu looked at her and said, "It seems to have hardened."

Li Xiaoran’s eyes widened instantly. Her face flushed, and she said with annoyed embarrassment, "You... what are you talking about!"

Ji Yu coughed drily and tapped the plaster cast on his leg. "Rock hard!"

Li Xiaoran couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. He was too wicked; he must have done that on purpose! She crouched down and tapped his rock-hard leg as well. "Why are you in a cast? You're out acting even while injured?"

Ji Yu smiled and said, "I'm playing a fracture patient. The pay is good!"

Li Xiaoran nodded. In such hot weather, most people couldn't handle wearing a plaster cast. It was understandable that the pay would be higher.

"So how long do you have to stay... ahem, stay in the cast?"

"I can stay hard for a whole day!"

*Tap, tap, tap!*

Li Xiaoran raised her hand and rapped him on the head. This man was incorrigible; he clearly made a slip of the tongue.

Ji Yu clutched his head, protesting, "I'm a patient here! You're bullying me."

"Then you can't move today, so I’ll bully you as much as I want!" Li Xiaoran ruffled his hair vigorously before running off with a laugh.

Watching the bouncing of her... ahem, watching her graceful figure as she ran, Ji Yu felt as if he had fallen in love. A cute personality, a sexy body, and a gentle way of speaking—Ms. Li was truly amazing! Ji Yu decided that he would spend the next month as an extra on this set. Not for anything else, but just to get a few more looks at Ms. Li!

He felt even harder now—he meant the cast, of course! Ji Yu could already feel his leg swelling. Most importantly, the sweltering heat made it itchy, leaving him with a desperate urge to scratch. This money was truly hard to earn; no wonder they paid two hundred a day. Anyone would struggle to endure a plaster cast in this weather. Ji Yu sat helplessly in the wheelchair, the only consolation being that he could act while sitting down.

The set was soon arranged, and filming officially began. Ji Yu sat in the wheelchair, not needing to make any expressions; he just had to keep his leg propped up and be pushed around. The person pushing him was another extra, a young girl playing a nurse. However, as they filmed, Ji Yu noticed a flaw. The male lead in this drama didn't seem to be in the orthopedics department. Was this, like, the gynecology department?

They should have just gotten a few pregnant women instead; why the need for a plaster cast? Ji Yu was willing to sacrifice for his art and play a pregnant woman. Anything would be better than a cast. Whoever came up with this idea—insisting on a cast—was a real genius!

Ji Yu spent the whole morning being wheeled around the set, serving as a background prop in various shots. When they broke for lunch, the nurse extra who had been pushing him all morning said with a smile, "I'll go get your lunch for you. You wait here for a bit."

"Many thanks, beauty!" Ji Yu was extremely grateful.

As soon as the nurse left, Ji Yu saw Ms. Li walking over with an aura of grace. She was holding a cola, and one look told him it was ice-cold! Ji Yu couldn't help but lick the corner of his mouth; he really wanted a sip!

Li Xiaoran walked over, glanced at the wheelchair he was sitting in, raised her slender eyebrows, and proactively joked, "I see the hem of your pants is dripping with water. I think I’d better not give you this cola, lest you burst."

Ji Yu immediately argued, "That’s sweat!"

"Who knows? This cola is so refreshing." Li Xiaoran held the icy drink against her face, wearing a cool, satisfied expression that made Ji Yu feel even more parched.

"Ms. Li, please, let me have a sip of the cola. I’m begging you!"

"We agreed you wouldn't call me Ms. Li. Forget it, I'm not giving you any!"

"Xiaoran! Sister Ran! I was wrong!"

After Ji Yu pleaded, he finally got to drink the cola. A huge gulp later, it was exploding with refreshment!

"Haven't eaten yet, have you? I brought you a boxed lunch." Li Xiaoran handed him the bag.

Ji Yu took it and cupped his hands in a salute. "Many thanks, Lady Knight! Your life-saving grace cannot be repaid!"

"You're so dramatic. It's just a lunch."

"I was starving to death; that definitely counts as saving my life. Let me treat you to dinner tonight to show my thanks!"

Li Xiaoran reached out and poked his forehead. "Don't even think about it. I’m wrapping up soon."

"Alright, I'll treat you another time."

Ji Yu shoveled a few bites of food into his mouth and hurriedly asked, "What's your phone number? Otherwise, I won't be able to reach you to invite you to dinner."

"Since you're so sincere, I suppose I won't be difficult." Li Xiaoran's tone held a hint of playfulness; she was clearly quite pleased by Ji Yu’s flattery. "I'm leaving now. I'll be waiting for you to treat me to dinner."

Before she left, Li Xiaoran reached out and messed up his hair again. Ji Yu wasn't angry; this was a sign of intimacy, meaning she viewed him as a friend.

After Ms. Li left, Ji Yu found the afternoon shoot dull. If the nurse hadn't chatted with him occasionally, he really would have wanted to smash the cast and put his leg in a freezer. He couldn't take such time-consuming roles in the future; the system only triggered one mission, which was a huge waste of time.

At dusk, Ji Yu stood up from the wheelchair. With a powerful kick, he shattered the plaster against the steps. After being stiff all day, he was finally liberated!

Ji Yu rushed straight to the restroom to rinse his leg. He had developed heat rash from the stifling cast! It really wasn't easy to earn two hundred dollars!

[Mission complete. Rewards have been distributed!]

As Ji Yu rinsed his leg, he checked the system. This was his first time unlocking a voice-changing skill; he wasn't sure if it would be useful. But it should be linked to acting, shouldn't it? After all, controlling one's voice was essential for delivering lines. Simulating various vocal ranges could also be applied to shaping different characters. If the lines were delivered well, the character would naturally be charming. The system had finally done something useful!

Ji Yu pinched his throat and gave a light cough, testing the voice-changing skill. "I am Ji Yu."

As he spoke, a low, raspy voice with a hint of age emerged. Ji Yu was startled—was this sound coming from him? It sounded just like himself at forty or fifty!

Let's try another! "Brother~~ Brother~~"

Ji Yu subconsciously shivered; simulating a female voice was too creepy. The low-level voice-changing skill was still a bit amateurish! The female voice still carried clear masculine characteristics. After all, it was only low-level. As long as he kept grinding missions, he would surely become a master of vocal mimicry!

Ji Yu suddenly wondered if the disguise skill he had unlocked earlier failed because the level was too low. As everyone knew, the lesser recluse hides in the wild, the middle recluse hides in the city, and the greater recluse hides in the court! A truly top-tier spy wouldn't just be an "extra"!

Ji Yu had discovered a new way to use the system. At night, he was a spy lurking under the bed eavesdropping; by day, he was a dazzling superstar! The Black and White Movie Star! Just thinking about it was exciting! This was what show business was all about.

Wait, why would he be lurking under the bed at night? Shouldn't he be on the bed? He was the King of the Night, yet here he was thinking about crawling under the bed to listen! His train of thought was wrong; he had to correct it!

On his way home, Ji Yu began practicing various voices. Now he was a flexible master of vocal mimicry. Tomorrow, he would run as an extra again and strive for a role with lines. He also had to keep "licking" Ms. Li. His tongue was flexible—one lick and he’d be the best!