Officers, he really is our actor! We were just filming a scene!" In the lounge, the director explained with a bitter expression to the police officers before him, his heart filled with frustration.
What kind of mess was this!
They were just peacefully shooting a scene—how did they almost end up getting arrested?
Xiao He wore an equally bitter expression.
Damn, could this be considered his "villain" career ending before it even began?
"Look, this chainsaw is fake—" Xiao He picked up the chainsaw to prove his point, but as the buzzing sound of the chainsaw starting up filled the air, all the officers took a big step back, their right hands instinctively reaching for their waists as they stared warily at Xiao He. "Put that down! Don't move!"
Xiao He: "Uh—"
Seeing the officers ready to draw their guns at any moment, Xiao He quickly rubbed the chainsaw against his arm. "See? It can't hurt anyone."
The chainsaw's teeth were soft, harmless even when touching skin. The officers finally relaxed a little. The lead officer, Officer Zhang, picked it up to inspect it before turning to Meng Lulu, who was still crying nearby. "How did you scare her like this?"
Meng Lulu had a naturally round face, sweet and innocent like the girl next door, but once she started crying, she couldn't stop, making it impossible not to suspect something was wrong.
"Ah, doesn't this just prove how good Xiao's acting is? Right, Lulu?" The director desperately signaled Meng Lulu with his eyes.
Officer Zhang patted the director's shoulder, his tone stern. "Let the girl speak for herself. What are you doing?"
"Sorry, sorry, I was just too anxious—" The director could only keep apologizing.
Fortunately, perhaps because she now felt safe with the police around, Meng Lulu miraculously calmed down. She looked apologetically at the officers and said in a muffled voice, "I'm sorry, we really were just filming. I got too scared and lost control of my emotions, which caused this misunderstanding. I'm really sorry."
At that moment, another officer who had been verifying Xiao He's identity came in and nodded at Officer Zhang. "This student Xiao is indeed enrolled at Shanghai University. There's no issue with his background."A student from Shanghai University, huh..." Officer Zhang gave Xiao He a complicated once-over, as if mentally comparing his face to wanted posters. Then, with a meaningful tone, he patted Xiao He's shoulder. "Keep up the good acting."
Xiao He: "...Got it. Thanks, Officer Zhang."
Though he couldn't shake the feeling that Officer Zhang's words carried some hidden meaning.
Meanwhile, Officer Zhang couldn't help but think: This guy was inexplicably suspicious, especially those eyes. The moment their gazes met, his years of police experience set off alarm bells in his head.
But he was a student from Shanghai University! His background check was clean—no criminal record.
The guy was even quite handsome, but those eyes...
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Most college students, having yet to experience the harsh realities of society, have clear and innocent eyes. But Xiao He's eyes... They carried the cold detachment and bloodlust unique to a murderer, devoid of any warmth.
Officer Zhang had only seen such eyes once before, over a decade ago.
That had been a deranged serial killer who murdered seven people, shocking the nation with his gruesome dismemberment case. Officer Zhang had been involved in the investigation and had personally witnessed the moment the killer was shot dead by police.
Right before his death, that killer had the same eyes—pure malice and slaughter, looking down on everything, including his own life.
Even after encountering other murderers since then, Officer Zhang had never seen such eyes again.
Yet now... they belonged to a college student.
With a heavy heart, Officer Zhang memorized the name "Xiao He," planning to look into him further. Just as he turned to leave, Meng Lulu called out again, "Um, Officer Zhang, could I ask one more favor?"Hm?"
Officer Zhang turned back in confusion, while the director, who had just relaxed, felt his heart leap into his throat again—
Oh god, please don't cause any more trouble, my dear!
"We're about to continue filming... Could one of you stay a little longer? I'd feel safer with you here." Meng Lulu clasped her hands together pleadingly. "Just twenty minutes, please."
Everyone: "..."
Xiao He: "..."
Enough. He pitied himself.
Officer Zhang's expression was unreadable, but as a seasoned officer, he remained composed. He checked his watch before calling over a young officer behind him. "Xiao Li, stay here a while longer."
Officer Li nodded. "Understood, sir."
After arranging this, Officer Zhang pulled Xiao Li aside and whispered a warning, "Keep an eye on that Xiao He, but don't interfere with their filming."
Though confused, Xiao Li nodded seriously. "Got it!"
Meanwhile, the director tried to reassure Meng Lulu again, while Xiao He forced a friendly smile in her direction.
When Meng Lulu met his gaze, she inexplicably felt threatened and shrank back, nodding quickly. "Okay, okay."Thus, when filming resumed, despite her lingering fear, Meng Lulu managed to stick to the script.
-
"Ahhh—help me—!"
The girl ran while looking back, her face filled with terror, only to trip over a root.
"Help—!"
She scrambled up helplessly, trying to call for aid, but behind her, the killer leisurely approached, chainsaw in hand.
A shadow fell over the girl, obscuring her despairing expression. The killer looked down at his prey with an elegant yet manic smile, flicking blood from his fingers before raising the chainsaw high.
"Goodnight, poor child—"
"Ah—!"
The chainsaw came down, splattering blood everywhere. The girl writhed and screamed in agony, but the killer didn't even blink, staring at his masterpiece with obsession and adoration.
Yet the moment she died, all emotion vanished from his eyes, leaving only indifference.
—He loved only her dying cries, not the lifeless body left behind.
The killer turned off the chainsaw, not sparing another glance as he casually dragged the corpse by one leg, humming a tune as he disappeared into the woods.Only a bloodstain remained on the grass...
-
"Cut! Cut!"
The director shouted until his face turned red, his excitement overriding his earlier fear as he slapped his thigh. "Perfect! Exactly the effect I wanted! One take! Amazing!"
Meanwhile, Officer Li, who had been watching the whole time, rushed into the woods with a grim expression to check the scene.
By then, Xiao He had already snapped out of character. He glanced at the "corpse" on the ground and gently reminded, "Ms. Meng, it's over."
Meng Lulu opened her eyes, gasping for air as if she had truly escaped death. Officer Li ran over to help her up, inspecting her carefully, as if unable to believe everything had just been acting. He stared suspiciously at Xiao He. "Xiao, are you a performing arts major?"
Because that performance... really didn't look like acting.
Xiao He wiped his sweat. "I'm in computer science."
"Computer science?"
Officer Li muttered, looking even more confused.
"Then how did you act like that?"
Xiao He: "Talent, I guess?"
Golden finger? Don't ask—just call it talent!