The boss voted for Option B. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QtP497W68
Xiyu’s shoulder injury is revealed, and silence falls inside and outside the crew.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlm2JFqaONI
The director answers that phone call, 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejE19MQPip
hoping only that the audience will save his life.
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRZKUp9iS9
After the day’s work ended, the crew returned to the office and began packing up one by one.
As the screenwriter stood in the pantry pouring water, they turned to the director and asked,
“The release version of Episode Sixteen is going live today.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MWI8gC3dD
How come we haven’t seen the boss at all lately?”
At that, the art lead looked up from the computer, raising an eyebrow in agreement.
“Yeah. That’s really not normal.”
The director tidied up the desk and replied flatly,
“Because he went to deal with Corner Entertainment’s business.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpBC9KrJ0Z
Apparently, they want to interview Guiltbound.”
“Corner Entertainment”
The art lead looked a little startled, sounding faintly flattered.
“Are we already a crew that people want to interview…?18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7KI63V3HC
Why does this feel kind of touching all of a sudden?”
Bracing themselves on the edge of the desk, the screenwriter sat down, noticeably calmer.
“Even if it’s a good thing,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxE6UekxAd
don’t you think the boss not showing up at all is actually kind of scary…?”
“…I think I understand what you mean…”
For a moment, silence settled over the office.
The manager entered carrying files, set them on the desk, and spoke softly:
“I’ve been giving him regular updates on the CP side of things, so that part shouldn’t be a problem.”
“It’s just that after Episode Sixteen airs,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmhIICg4nM
I’m not sure how he’ll react when he sees it.”
At this, the art lead and the screenwriter turned to look at the director at the same time.
The director said nothing, rubbing his brow as if to convince himself.
“It’ll be fine. Maybe he won’t watch it today…”
The art lead shot that down without mercy.
“He hides in a corner for every shoot.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0W3AnQm9a
This time, work made him miss it—he should already be on the verge of exploding.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzA3GSNZSa
There’s no way he’d miss the first airing.”
“Especially since this time… he even voted.”
The screenwriter silently patted the director on the shoulder,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7fHRE4I8B
while the manager cast him a sympathetic look, silently mourning the fate he was about to face.
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JXs99WP7V
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwUtuWcuPQ
Later that night, after showering and towel-drying his hair, the director placed his phone on the desk and turned to look at the television screen.
Onscreen, The Hidden Moon and the Sea of Dawn, Episode Sixteen was entering its end credits.
He stared at the final frame of lights on the screen, slowly drew his gaze back, and looked at the phone screen, counting down in his mind.
“Three, two, one—”
Bzz—
A sigh slipped out. He answered the call—then a piercing wail burst out from the other end.
“Why—”
“Sobs…”
“Why did Xiyu get hurt! Didn’t Ayue already lunge forward with everything she had?!”
The director stared out the window expressionlessly, his tone steady and guiding.
“Do you remember that Option B you voted for went like this—”
“‘My claws… really are almost out of strength… but if I don’t try… I’ll hate myself for the rest of my life.’”
He paused slightly, his pace slowing.
“Wasn’t Ayue short on strength because she was injured, and yet she still gave it everything she had?”
“Yes!”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdE6h1iusZD
The boss answered, his voice catching.
“Because she had no strength yet still pushed herself, the arrow ended up grazing her shoulder instead of piercing her body and causing a more serious injury.”
There was a sudden silence on the other end, as if he were piecing together the scene in his mind, as if something was beginning to make sense.
“So if today it had been Option A… Xiyu wouldn’t have been hurt?”
His voice trembled slightly.
“Yeah. Option A was, ‘I can’t let her get hurt… I can do this… I’ll make it to her… I can…!’”
“That option shows no consideration for injury at all—throwing herself into it completely—so the arrow flew cleanly past, through nothing at all.”
After hearing this, the boss tried to argue.
“But…”
Yet he couldn’t find a single convincing point to make.
The director seized the moment and continued.
“Even though she was injured, Ayue still saved her. Don’t dwell on it too much. There’s still the next episode.”
“Yeah… but…”
“If there’s nothing else, I need to get back to work. We still haven’t wrapped the remaining shoots.”
“O… okay…”
“Alright, that’s it then.”
Without waiting for the other side to say anything more, the director hung up the call.
Then he let out a long sigh, tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling, and silently prayed—
Please… vote. Even just one person would be enough.
Otherwise, he really wouldn’t be able to take the boss coming after him every time…
ns216.73.216.10da2
and then Add to home screen.