Chapter 181: Filming Ends!

Chapter 181: Filming Ends!

"Here Rick, try this chocolate cake. I actually made this, so be honest with me."

With Anthony and Kim sitting at the head of the table, Helen and I sat side by side on the right. We had just finished a high-quality meal featuring all of Helen's favorite dishes. Now, Helen was leaning close with a sweet smile, holding out a fork full of cake for me to eat.

The corners of my mouth subtly twitched because a small slice of that exact chocolate cake was already resting on my plate, completely untasted. My eyes drifted over to my uncle and aunt, but the two were entirely engrossed in a quiet conversation about their upcoming vacation plans. Not wanting to upset the birthday girl, I simply opened my mouth.

Like a naughty kitten, she shoved the forkful right past my lips, a look of intense expectation written across her face as she watched my expression.

I chewed the bite carefully, realizing she actually wasn't too bad of a cook. I would place her skills right around a solid Basic level. At the very least, it wasn't a poisonous culinary disaster like the ones you always see in anime. Well, I will officially confirm that theory in about six hours.

I flashed her a warm smile and offered a genuine compliment to ease her nerves. "I liked it, and knowing you baked it yourself makes it even better. Though, I think this is the first time I have ever heard of anyone making their own birthday cake."

She only smiled up at me, choosing not to explain the real motivation behind her baking. Well, much further down the road, I finally discovered the truth: she just wanted a perfect excuse to show off her domestic skills to me.

Soon after, the maids cleared the remaining dishes from the table, signaling it was time for me to head home. Anthony noticed his daughter's lingering look of not wanting the night to end, prompting him to offer a smooth suggestion. "Rick, I am a bit too full to move right now. Helen, dear, could you walk Rick out to his car for me?"

Helen immediately took hold of my arm, her smile bright as she stepped away from the table. "Father, leave it to me."

Leaving the main Tang mansion behind, a gentle summer wind blew across the courtyard, making the fabric of Helen's black dress flutter gracefully against her legs. Her long hair danced in the breeze as she held my arm tightly against her side.

Noting that the security staff had cleared the immediate path, she leaned in closer to clear her throat. "Father let me sneak a specific candidate into that folder before he handed it over. There is someone I truly hope makes your final cut, Rick. But like a proper noble lady, I will not openly tell you who it is. I am going to be the supreme Head of our Tang clan, so I must remain proper in public."

I leaned down, whispering directly into her ear to play along with her secrecy. "Just tell me exactly who you want, and I will personally make it happen."

Her brown eyes filled with a sudden, happy light, and she squeezed my arm even tighter against her chest. Yet, she only laughed softly, choosing to play with my head instead. "Ufufu, Rick, I cannot outright tell you who it is... I am far too shy, and I don't want you to tease me for being foolish, just find me a good man."

As we finally arrived at the sleek chassis of my Demon, she paused, holding up the jewelry box containing the pendant. "Rick, please be the one to put this on me. Could you be a proper gentleman for a second?"

She placed the small box directly into my hands, turning her back to me to reveal the smooth skin at the nape of her neck. She used both hands to pull her blonde hair up out of the way, tilting her head over her shoulder so she could watch my movements with her left eye.

As I reached around her neck to fasten the gold chain, her lips curled in pure satisfaction at the touch of my gentle hands. The second the clasp clicked into place, she spun around to pull me into a tight embrace.

Burying her face deep into my chest, she muttered against the fabric. "Rick, thanks for always being there and here for me. Our two respective lifetimes have been a bit unfair to us, but... I am truly happy that you are with me. Oh, and Nadia told me to give you this... Mwah!"

I was completely clueless in that exact moment. When Helen suddenly stood on her tiptoes and overlapped her lips tightly with mine, my entire brain froze. Her spoken words and her sudden actions did not match the intense feelings her lips were actively conveying to my senses.

Just as I was recovering my composure to say or do something to address the boundary, Helen's face flushed a brilliant shade of crimson as she stepped back. "That kiss was for Nadia. It was also just my personal way of telling you thanks. And... I really wanted my absolute first kiss to be with the person who holds the largest space in my heart. Now go home, Rick, I am incredibly sleepy."

Before a single word could escape my lips, she turned on her heel and dashed off into the dark, disappearing into the mansion adjacent to where my car was parked.

Yeah, I stood there entirely frozen in place, staring blankly at the empty space where she had just run for a few long minutes. My heart spun through a chaotic mix of intense confusion, deep sadness, and sudden happiness.

There was confusion because she is my direct cousin, yet I could clearly tell she viewed me as a romantic partner. There was happiness because she is an undeniably beautiful and practically perfect woman. But there was an intense sadness because my feelings toward her had never been lustful before tonight.

Now, looking down at the heavy stack of marriage applications in my hands, the papers felt like a hundred-pound set of metal shackles.

I climbed into the driver's seat and just sat in the dark cabin for a bit, staring at the steering wheel in total silence. Why do I suddenly feel like I don't want a single one of these men to have her as their wife? I think I am actually jealous. Are Dragons truly just covetous, lustful, and possessive monsters to their very core? Eh, at the end of the day, I am just a human-shaped Dragon, am I not?尊 Sigh.

That night, I did not sleep well at all, and I didn't even bother to open the candidate folder. I decided to just push the entire problem off for a while.

A week later, the entire production crew of the movie gathered on a small, rolling hill situated on the Studio's backlot, a versatile property used for numerous high-end films.

We were actively filming the final scene of the project, bringing the dramatic climax to its absolute end. Every single person who had contributed to the making of the film was present to watch the final take, eager to join the massive after-party scheduled to celebrate the upcoming post-production phase.

In the scene, Ken had just successfully slaughtered the Holy Inquisitor who had turned into a vicious, rogue Vampire, ensuring there would be no Sam Sun returning for the third film. However, Ken's own physical wounds were entirely fatal.

The rising sun was rising over the horizon, forcing the remaining rival Vampires—meaning Logan's character—to flee the clearing, unable to stay and finish me off. Only Lilith and Luna, who possessed the unique ability to withstand the sun's rays, remained directly at my side.

Luna, mirroring her performance from the conclusion of the first film, held my bleeding torso against her chest with deep, overwhelming grief. Lilith stood rigidly next to the two of us.

According to the script, Lilith was supposed to shed a single, bloody tear as she witnessed her love dying or close to death for the second time in her immortal life. Luna sobbed violently to sell the tragedy.

Then, Luna slit the skin of her own neck and pressed the wound directly over my mouth, delivering her lines through her tears. "Ken, your very blood is inside of me. Take it back right now, you cannot leave me behind... Please, just drink!"

I leaned up and licked the sweet syrup, which actually tasted pretty good, but the script dictated it still wasn't enough to heal the damage. Luna held her neck, knowing she would pass out from blood loss if I took any more of her essence.

She looked up at Lilith, her jaw tightening as she bared her fangs at her rival, angrily demanding assistance. "Lilith, you claim to love him, then help me save his life! Give him back his feelings!"

Then, with nothing left to block her path, a graceful smile of pure victory spread across Ana's face as she too slit her neck to lower it over my lips.

As I drank the syrup, I heard Ana's voice ring out, completely adding unscripted lines to the scene, a sudden improvisation that visibly shocked Kate as she tried to maintain the final cut. "Ken, my love... your child is currently growing inside my belly, so join us as a true Vampire, and live your life for me..."

I was honestly a bit touched by how deeply she wanted to make this cinematic moment special. Inwardly, I couldn't help but chuckle at the reality of the situation, knowing she might very well possess my actual child in her belly right now.

Then, both women sat back at my side and waited for the transformation. I had already inserted a pair of vibrant red contacts before the cameras started rolling. In post-production, the editors will use special effects to show me looking on the verge of death, followed by my current, flawless appearance as a Vampire to simulate a magical transformation for the fans.

The elevated camera mounted high in the air on a crane, alongside the secondary camera unit, swooped down toward my face to capture a tight, dramatic close-up. On cue, I suddenly snapped my eyes wide open, glaring directly into the camera lens as if a completely new entity had just been born into the world.

[CUT! THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, YOU THREE!]

Yeah, the movie cuts to black just like that, completely omitting the immediate reactions of Luna or Lilith, leaving the audience with nothing but the sudden, intense awakening of Ken the Vampire.

I was the one who had originally recommended cutting the footage right there, utilizing a classic trilogy trick I learned during my last life to maximize the audience's anticipation for the third installment. Movie history will inevitably show that this specific cliffhanger drove the fan hype absolutely crazy.

Clap, clap, cheer, clap! Woot!

The moment the Director called a wrap on a high note, the entire crew and the gathering executives who had arrived to witness the final shot went completely nuts, cheering loudly. Even a few of our family members had shown up this morning to celebrate the conclusion of the shoot.

Kate immediately marched over, glaring fiercely at Ana with her hands on her hips. "Why on earth did you add those random lines right at the end of the take? I almost completely broke character from the sheer surprise!"

The two rivals, both still sporting fake blood across their necks, glared at one another like an angry cat and dog.

Ana merely shrugged her shoulders, offering a casual dismissal. "That is exactly how Lilith felt in that exact moment, so I just gave Ken a powerful reason to fight his way back to life. Besides, it drops a massive hint to the fans that there might or might not be vampire children in the future. If the press asks me if Lilith is actually pregnant during the promotional tour, I will just tell them that Lilith is a natural liar, so who knows the truth?"

Our director, Stacy Lee, came jogging over to us, her face glowing with pure happiness as she clapped her hands. "I absolutely loved the added lines! And Kate, your expression of sheer shock was the absolute best part of the shot! I really want to contract the three of you next year for the sequel, ufufu... the Academy Awards are officially within my grasp!"

Kate blushed furiously, fully aware that her expression of shock had been completely genuine rather than a showcase of her acting ability. Looking at Stacy Lee's ecstatic bouncing, I couldn't help but think of the legendary Stan Lee from my previous life.

"Did I not tell you it was perfect, Kate? You know, I am as good of an actress as you... I am just missing Type E fun-bags!"

The exact moment Ana said that, she leaned over with a wicked grin and playfully poked Kate's enormous breast. Kate gasped, instantly covering her chest in complete embarrassment while Ana laughed at her reaction.

Who knew this specific chaotic scene would actually make it directly onto the official blooper reel, showing Kate getting her doorbell poked by Ana for all the future viewers to see. To make matters worse, my own helpless, smiling face was caught perfectly in the background of the shot, damn it.

The Velvet Lounge, After-party for the Star Entertainment Group's post-production kick-off...

The celebratory party had officially started at three in the afternoon, and even though it was now five-thirty, the festive energy inside the venue was still going strong. All the various actors, stuntmen, studio executives, and crew members were milling about in their finest formal wear, actively talking with a few of the invited entertainment reporters.

Naturally, our closest friends and family members had also come along to show their support. The entire place was completely packed due to the limited floor space, forcing the catering staff to set up a couple of small tables directly on the main stage for the principal actors to sit at.

After I finally finished wrapping up a conversation with the woman representing Entertainment Tonight, I maneuvered through the crowd and bumped straight into a familiar group consisting of James, Akeno, Kim, Hana, and Hinata.

James offered a deep chuckle, lifting his drink toward me as I approached. "Brother, now that you are becoming genuinely famous, it is getting even harder to secure a casual talk with you, ha-ha!"

I let out a long sigh, sliding into the space right beside him to escape the crowd. "Jumbo, you have absolutely no idea what it's like out there. Let me just hide out with you guys for a bit before one of the other persistent reporters spots me again, sigh."

Hana and Kim didn't miss a beat, each taking tight hold of one of my arms while pretending to act as my personal bouncers to block the perimeter.

Akeno watched the display, her eyes shifting to meet mine. "So, in just one single week, you will officially marry my little Kim, sigh. She has grown up so incredibly fast right before our eyes... Are you truly looking forward to finally seeing the UK of America, Rick?"

I gave a casual shrug of my shoulders because, in all honesty, I wasn't looking forward to the transition at all due to the numerous operational problems I will inevitably have to clean up once we land. Still, I forced a warm smile for the sake of the enthusiastic girl clinging to my sleeve. "I want to do whatever it takes to make my cheerleader happy, so I will brave the challenges of the new world, ha-ha."

Akeno looked over at Hinata for a brief second before turning back to address me with a hint of hesitation. "Hinata mentioned that you were planning to personally escort her back to Japan the second you officially graduate from the University. Would it be alright if I brought Jim and our baby along to meet my extended family when that time comes? I will honestly feel significantly safer knowing you are over there traveling with us."

I glanced over at Hinata, noting that she offered a sharp, approving nod indicating that I should readily accept the request. I turned back to face Akeno.

"Alright, in three years, I will personally arrange for all of us to travel over there together as a single group. I will also make sure to bring plenty of armed guards along for the transit, is that fine with you? I will have a significant amount of underlying business to perform over there once I secure my formal degree anyway. Besides, I have a strict martial promise to keep for the sake of my student and Kyusho over there."

Kim let out a proud giggle, leaning her head against my shoulder as she looked at her family. "See, Monkey? I told you he would protect us. That is exactly why Uncle Tang is the absolute best, fufu."

Jim had finally gotten completely over his past grievances regarding our relationship, and he merely shrugged his shoulders with a trace of pride. "Brother Uncle can be called whatever he wants, Ashley said so."

Jim let out a smug smirk because he knew for a fact that I absolutely despised being called Brother Uncle, as the title always made me feel like an absolute creep, sigh.

Before I could even shoot him an annoyed glare, a shrill, excited voice cut through our conversation from across the floor. "Ah! I finally found you, Mr. Tang! Over here, over here!"

Our entire group turned simultaneously to look toward the source of the disruption, spotting a young woman frantically waving her hands to secure my attention like a completely crazed stalker.

It was Alice Ling, the just-turned-eighteen blonde who had previously operated as a mousy, quiet podcast reporter during our initial announcement press conference. However, she didn't look mousy at all under the lounge lights tonight.

She was currently wearing a tight, dark midriff shirt paired with a matching skirt, and her hair was no longer done up in her trademark twin ponytails. Instead, her long blonde locks hung completely straight down past her shoulders, accentuating her unique grey-blue-green eyes. Even without her thick glasses on, it was undeniably the exact same podcast reporter.

I glanced past her shoulder, my jaw tightening as I spotted Logan Chen standing in the background, smirking broadly while pointing directly at my hiding spot. He had clearly seen me trying to hide from the press and intentionally sent her straight into my path again. That absolute dick is officially off my friends list for the foreseeable future, sigh.

Kim and Hana both let out a barrage of giggles, playfully pushing my back to force me to interact with the approaching reporter. I quickly adjusted my features into a practiced, fake smile as she stopped in front of me, readying myself to answer her questions. "Hello, Miss Alice Ling, it is good to see you again," I greeted, keeping my tone perfectly polite.

Alice stood entirely frozen in place for a few seconds, her jaw dropping slightly in absolute shock. "Ah! Y-You actually recognize me? Um... and you remembered my exact name?!"

She looked exactly like a frightened rabbit caught in a trap, her breathing shallow as if she might bolt into the crowd if I so much as raised my hand or elevated my voice. I couldn't help but let out a silent laugh in my mind at the realization that I was looking at a genuine fan.

"In all honesty, I had absolutely no idea it was you until I heard you speak," I admitted honestly, gesturing toward her attire. "Well, you certainly look quite a bit different from the last time we met at the press event."

Her face instantly flushed a brilliant shade of crimson, and her head began nodding up and down like a mechanical jackhammer. "I had just recently graduated from Star High, and my closest friends told me that if I truly want to be taken seriously once I start at Star University, I need to properly look the part. Do you... do you actually like my new look, Mr. Tang?"

"Sure, you will probably be recognized as one of the top beauties across the entire University campus this coming year," I replied smoothly, offering a harmless compliment. "I noticed you were talking with Logan Chen just a moment ago. Did you manage to interview him for your show?"

I think the sudden compliment completely melted her internal brain functions because she stood there blinking in total silence for ten full seconds before she could formulate a proper reply.

"Mr. Chen? No, no, no!" she stammered out, waving her hands frantically to dismiss the notion. "He is simply a tenant currently renting one of my mother's residential apartments in the midtown area. Um... he and my mother are actively dating right now, and... well, other things."

I looked across the room at Logan, my features relaxing as a wave of complete clarity washed over me. My expression probably mirrored my internal thoughts as I pictured all of Logan's historical pranks, finally understanding exactly why the man always smirked and hooked her up with exclusive interviews. The bastard was actively rocking her mother behind the scenes.

"Miss Jean Jia has already officially allotted me some designated interview time as the new university year kicks off," Alice continued, her voice regaining a bit of confidence as she smiled. "So you will definitely be appearing on my show soon, fufu."

I offered a polite nod, shifting the focus of the conversation. "Are you planning to pursue a full journalism degree once the semester starts?"

"That is exactly right!" she nodded enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up. "I only operate the podcast right now to secure some early public exposure. What I truly want to be is a professional field reporter. I knew that was my destiny the exact day I filmed your massive fight with the street goons at the end of last year's school term. I was deeply inspired to find the true story of the man who behaved like a real-life Action Hero. I wanted to approach you back then to find out more details, but you always seemed to be exceptionally serious and fiercely determined. Also, dangerous people constantly surrounded your path, so I was far too afraid to speak with you then."

I raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "And yet, a full year later, you finally found the courage to step up? I had actually wondered who filmed that footage. You did an exceptional job with the framing, by the way."

"No, the truth is I was absolutely terrified of you until that fight happened," she admitted softly, her shoulders dropping slightly. "You were incredibly gloomy and distant back during our high-school days... so I actively avoided your path in fear of being bullied, sorry. But the moment I saw you smile while systematically beating down those bullies, I finally understood the truth. We should always face our fears and our deep regrets. I too lost my biological father, so I deeply empathized with your situation when I was just a freshman during your second year. Anyway, I promise I won't bother your evening any longer, Mr. Tang... um, wait, could I possibly secure a quick picture with you before I go?"

I signaled an assistant, who took her smartphone and snapped a few clean pictures of us standing side by side, with me resting my hand lightly over her shoulder like a supportive big brother guiding his little sister. Though, the sheer intensity of her red face pretty much ruined the aesthetic of the photos.

This young woman will eventually grow up to become a highly celebrated, well-known main anchor for the Eurasia National News network in the future, thoroughly fulfilling her childhood dreams. And the entire legendary career started with nothing more than her filming some random, bullied kid who had finally gotten completely fed up with being beaten down by the world.