"Don't flinch," the coordinator barked.
Jiang Yue stood at the edge of the crash mat, breath shallow. Her stunt cue was simple—fall backward from a fake balcony, land clean, no overacting. But her ribs still ached from yesterday's shoot.
Behind the camera, a second actress yawned and sipped bubble tea. The "real" face of the drama. Jiang Yue was just her shadow.
"Three… two… action!"
Jiang Yue jumped.
The fall wasn't clean.
She landed too far right—her shoulder hit the frame of the mat. The pain was instant, white-hot, blooming through her nerves.
The director groaned. "Cut. Again."
She sat up slowly, blinking against the pain.
Meanwhile, in a much quieter room across town, Lu Zeyan reviewed his analytics. When Spring Bends to Summer had crossed 3 million views, with over 700K likes, 15K reposts, and five media agencies reaching out for syndication rights.
[System Update: BP +2.91 | PP +0.000818320]
Viral Surge Cool-down: 5 Days Remaining
Suggested Action: Leverage Jiang Yue's growing image as silent lead actress.
He clicked open the voice audition mail again.
The feedback on her raw recording—sent anonymously—was shocking even to him:
"Voice is rough but honest. Delivers natural sorrow without artificial breath control. Feels lived-in."
Zeyan narrowed his eyes.
He'd seen actresses train for five years and still sound fake. Jiang Yue? One take. No training. Just pain, refined into performance.
He clicked "Accept Voice Casting."
Time to move her shadow into the light.
Two days later, Jiang Yue limped out of rehearsal and checked her phone.
[From: Husband-But-Not-Really]
"Your voice is going into the next animation. It pays. Practice with this sample script."
Attached was a short dialogue between a girl and a boy falling in love through wind chimes and notes left on their windows.
She blinked.
Then blinked again.
He gave her a role.
Without asking. Without flirting. Without promising the moon.
Just… trusted her.
[System Notification: Subject Jiang Yue – First Public Credit Registered]
Popularity Points: +0.000423184
Emotional Bond Modifier: +0.28%
System Track Level: Upgraded (Passive → Passive-Guided)]
The next morning, a modest voice booth was rented in a downtown studio.
Jiang Yue stood in front of the mic, headphones on, script trembling in her fingers.
"Line 1," the sound engineer prompted. "Take your time."
She closed her eyes.
"…If I tie a red ribbon to my balcony, will you know I'm missing you?"
Silence.
Then, "Perfect. Next line."
Back at SkyInk Media HQ—still just Zeyan and a rented desk—he watched the early render with her voice layered in.
Something clicked.
He didn't know what it was yet, but he felt it in the skin behind his ears.
Not fame.
Not profit.
But potential.
[System Alert: Trending Keywords Detected – "voice actress", "unknown emotional tone", "upcoming short project"]
Viral Probability: 17.82% (Pending release timing) Strategy Suggestion: Package Jiang Yue as "anonymous lead" in teaser campaign
Learning Module Unlocked (Creative Marketing Track):
Course: "Viral Personas – Masked Launches"
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: 1.2 BP
Outcome: +6% exposure algorithm effectiveness on teaser drops
He took the course. Launched the teaser.
Posted a cryptic caption on Weibo:
"A voice without a name. A story without an ending. Coming this Friday."
It exploded overnight.
Fan theories, voice actor guesses, early leaks. Influencers speculated: was it someone from a famous agency trying to debut in disguise?
Jiang Yue scrolled through the comments, stunned.
They were talking about her.
Her voice.
Her delivery.
Her.
And then—
Her old stunt coordinator called.
"You're cut from the roster," he said coldly. "Production doesn't want a 'rising star' making the lead actress insecure. Try your luck somewhere else."
She hung up, staring at the floor.
Just like that—her last stunt contract, gone.
But her hand didn't shake.
Because a new door had opened.
[System Suggestion (Unlockable by Subject Consent)]
"Advanced Acting Workshop – Level 1"
Cost: 7.5 PP
Duration: 1 Week
Effect: Skill +5%
Note: Subject nearing self-awareness threshold. Recommend emotional catalyst before prompt delivery.
Jiang Yue closed her eyes.
Her ribs still hurt.
But inside her chest, something stronger pulsed.
Possibility.