Return to Reality

After a brief moment of panic, Fang Xiaoyu quickly held his breath. In the dim lake water, ripples spread out as several figures swiftly approached him.

Fang Xiaoyu realized that these people must be the crew members. He glanced at his own situation; his clothes, which he had specially made, were slightly shrunk from the water. He hoped no one would notice that his clothes had changed.

A rescue worker noticed Fang Xiaoyu sinking and hurriedly swam over, pulling him upwards from below. Clearly experienced, the rescuer avoided a direct approach that could lead to entanglement with the drowning person, which might result in both of them being pulled under.

Soon, Fang Xiaoyu saw a bright light as he was lifted above the surface. He heard several rescuers cheer, "We've got him, we've got him!"

The crew members around the lake sighed with relief as they saw Fang Xiaoyu being pulled to shore. Strong male crew members quickly dragged him out of the water.

A medical team, already prepared, rushed forward to check on Fang Xiaoyu. One of them pressed firmly on his abdomen.

With a splutter, Fang Xiaoyu coughed up a large amount of lake water, putting on a convincing performance.

Just as the medical team was about to administer artificial respiration, Fang Xiaoyu moaned and slowly opened his eyes.

Seeing him awake, the anxious crew members couldn't help but cheer.

"Great, he's awake! Fang Cheng is awake!"

Fang Xiaoyu's ID name was Fang Cheng, but he commonly used Fang Xiaoyu in daily life. This is similar to how many people use a given name and a nickname interchangeably; in essence, both names refer to the same person.

The medical staff also felt relieved to see Fang Xiaoyu awake. The incident was neither too big nor too small, provided that Fang Xiaoyu and Cheng Yuer were not in any life-threatening danger.

If either of them had been seriously harmed, it would have severely impacted the crew. Now that both were safe, everyone was naturally pleased.

The director came over, noticing that Fang Xiaoyu could sit up on his own. He was greatly reassured and patted Fang Xiaoyu on the shoulder, saying, "You really had guts. If you hadn't jumped in, Cheng Yuer might have been in danger. But while doing good is great, don't be so impulsive next time. You can't just jump in without knowing how to swim. What if..."

Clearing his throat, the director stopped, realizing he was rambling. He looked at Fang Xiaoyu and asked, "How do you feel? Is there anything wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital for a check-up?"

Fang Xiaoyu patted his chest and smiled, "Director, don't worry. It's just a bit of water I choked on, and I'm soaking wet. It's quite cold today!"

As he spoke, Fang Xiaoyu shivered dramatically. The director quickly responded, "I should have thought of that. It's deep autumn and the wind is chilly. Go take a hot shower and warm up. I'll give you two days off to rest."

Fang Xiaoyu was just a prop master in the crew, so his presence was minimal. If the director had been so kind to him in the past, he would have been excited. However, having lived in the world of Fang Shiyu for over ten years, even facing an emperor like Qianlong, Fang Xiaoyu could remain calm. So, he did not show much excitement toward the director.

With a hint of a smile and a calm demeanor, Fang Xiaoyu nodded at the director, "Thank you very much, Director."

His composure, developed over ten years, immediately caught the director's attention. Though not particularly handsome, Fang Xiaoyu exuded a distinct charm that made him stand out.

A colleague who was close to Fang Xiaoyu helped him leave. The director watched Fang Xiaoyu's back for a while before coming to his senses.

In a hotel room, Fang Xiaoyu sent his companion away and quickly stripped off his clothes in the bathroom. The clothes were made to resemble those from the movie world and had shrunk slightly in the water. He was relieved that his disguise had not been exposed.

As he enjoyed a hot shower, Fang Xiaoyu felt a mix of excitement and relief. The gold leaves and jade pendants, his greatest finds from the movie world, were carefully hidden away.

Fang Xiaoyu could have brought out more wealth from the movie world, but he refrained to avoid raising suspicion if discovered by the crew.

He closed his eyes, the soft glow of the Thief System illuminating his mind. The system was still with him, and the Nine Dragons Seal, transformed into a ghostly artifact, floated within his consciousness. Seeing the seal, Fang Xiaoyu felt a sense of relief.

Opening his eyes, he dried himself with a towel and changed into clean clothes. After ten years in the movie world, modern clothes felt unfamiliar.

Smiling slightly, Fang Xiaoyu packed away the gold leaves and jade pendants and settled on the bed. He toyed with one of the jade pendants and spoke to the system in his mind, "System, when will I next enter a movie world? Can you predict where I'll go next?"

"Beep. The next entry into a movie world will be in three months. The destination is unknown."

Fang Xiaoyu frowned slightly. While three months was ample time, not knowing the next movie world made it hard to prepare. Nevertheless, he was optimistic and looked forward to the next adventure, hoping for a less dangerous mission.

After exiting his mind, Fang Xiaoyu, in excellent physical condition, had no real issues from the earlier scene. However, he was eager to experience modern society again.

Leaving the hotel, he was greeted by the bustling streets, the noisy traffic, and the polluted air, which nearly choked him. Despite this, Fang Xiaoyu walked through the crowd with enthusiasm, eager to immerse himself in the modern world.

After over a decade, he found it challenging to navigate and remember his surroundings. If not for his companion, he might have struggled to find his way back to his accommodation.