Chapter 1

Kong Xiyan got married.

Just half an hour ago, in a private office at the civil affairs bureau, she had received her marriage certificate and an agreement. She glanced down—in the red booklet, the two people leaning toward each other sat one upright and solemn, the other with a strained smile.

No wonder the director of the civil affairs bureau had been taken aback when he heard they were there to get married, muttering quietly, "I thought it was a divorce."

Looking at the photo, didn't they look like they were headed for divorce?

She pressed her lips together, set the certificate and agreement aside. Lu Han glanced at her through the rearview mirror and asked, "Ma'am, is it up ahead?"

Kong Xiyan hesitated for a moment before realizing Lu Han was speaking to her. She replied, "Mm, wait for me here."

Lu Han pulled the car into a parking spot, hurried around to the rear passenger door, and opened it with a slight bow. "Let me accompany you inside."

"No need. It's just one bag. I can go by myself." Kong Xiyan put on her sunglasses and got out of the car.

Lu Han dutifully lowered his head and said, "Ms. Chi mentioned that you're not great with directions, so she asked me to follow you."

Kong Xiyan: ...

A slight sense of disorientation from her early years had been turned into a "directionally challenged" persona by her company, and now it was coming back to haunt her.

The inn was small, a converted private home. Kong Xiyan chose it because it was remote, where no one would recognize her, and also because she didn't want to use her ID card to check in.

She had originally rented it for a month, thinking she'd have to negotiate with Chi Wanzhao for a long time, but it was settled in just two days.

Truly, fate was unpredictable.

At the rental, Lu Han didn't come inside. Kong Xiyan slumped on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the laptop not far away. She stared at the screen for a long moment, then, with a slight curl of her lips, got up and began to pack her things.

She had just moved in, so her luggage was almost untouched. Half an hour later, she carried her bag and headed out.

Lu Han was still standing outside the door. Seeing her come out, he reached out and said, "Ma'am, let me take that."

Kong Xiyan nodded slightly. Lu Han took her suitcase and walked beside her.

The move took little more than an hour.

By the time they reached the new apartment, it was just past four. Kong Xiyan got out of the car, and Lu Han carried her suitcase upstairs, then lowered his head and let himself out.

After he left, she glanced at her luggage, then at the rooms before her. There was no need for her to share a room with Chi Wanzhao; the contract also stated they didn't have to share a bed.

With that in mind, she opened the door in front of her. She stepped inside, looked around, and noticed a photo of Chi Wanzhao on the nightstand. It must be the master bedroom.

So she would change rooms.

Kong Xiyan chose the room next door. The two rooms had the same layout, even similar decorations, but because one was occupied and the other empty, this one felt more spacious.

She opened her suitcase, but before she started unpacking, a pure white cat slipped through the crack in the door. It strutted over to her feet, rubbed against her pant leg, and looked up with a meow...

Kong Xiyan looked down and saw that the cat's eyes were a striking blue—unique and beautiful.

She couldn't resist reaching down to pick it up. The cat was plump, so she was careful not to drop it. She wrapped her hands around its sturdy waist—the feel was truly wonderful.

The cat in her arms was not shy; it didn't squirm, just meowed at her face: "Meow, meow..."

It melted her heart.

Kong Xiyan had always loved cats. She sat on the edge of the bed, set the cat on her lap, took its front paws in her hands, and leaned close to its pink nose. "What's your name?"

She laughed at herself after asking—as if a cat could answer.

She was being silly.

Kong Xiyan set the cat down on the bed and quickly finished unpacking. Just as she was about to give the cat another cuddle, her phone rang.

She frowned, then answered.

"Is this Miss Kong?" The voice on the other end was crisp and direct. Kong Xiyan quickly replied, "Yes, this is she."

"Good. Assistant Zhou should have mentioned that we have a dinner at five. Do you need me to send someone to pick you up?"

Kong Xiyan realized she was speaking with Tong Yue, the top agent she'd met once when she first debuted.

Tong Yue had keen insight and a sharp eye for talent.

She could tell who would become famous, and almost always got it right—whether it was film emperors, film queens, or rising stars. During Kong Xiyan's early days, Tong Yue was nicknamed the "Divine Mouth."

But she had still made a mistake once.

And it was with Kong Xiyan.

As if sensing Kong Xiyan's delay, Tong Yue asked again, "Do you need me to send someone?"

Kong Xiyan quickly replied, "No need. Just send me the address."

After a pause, she added, "Thank you."

Tong Yue was briefly taken aback, then replied, "Accept my WeChat request, and I'll send you the location."

"Okay."

Kong Xiyan hung up and opened her wardrobe to try on clothes. But the clothes she had were all from three years ago. In the entertainment industry, falling behind the trends for a week made you outdated, let alone three years.

She glanced at the colorful array in the closet and finally chose the simplest outfit—a white shirt paired with jeans. She let her hair down and applied light makeup. She was naturally delicate, and with a bit of dressing up, she turned an ordinary outfit into something runway-worthy.

Kong Xiyan tidied her long hair in the mirror. The cat that had been lying on the bed got up lazily, hopped onto her shoulder, and caught her off balance. Her shoulder tilted, and her other hand quickly caught it.

"Meow..."

Sensing she was about to leave, the cat let out a plaintive cry. Kong Xiyan blinked at it, tapped its fuzzy forehead, and said, "Wait for me to come back."

The cat just sat on her thighs, raising its head, licking its paw, then with a meow, jumped down and left the room.

Kong Xiyan picked up her bag from the side and went downstairs.

No sooner had she reached the bottom of the stairs than she saw Lu Han. Surprised, she said, "You haven't left yet?"

Lu Han bowed his head. "Assistant Zhou said you have a dinner at five. Should I take you now?"

Kong Xiyan hadn't expected Chi Wanzhao to have arranged even this. She was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's go."

Lu Han drove her directly to the restaurant entrance.

Kong Xiyan silently put away her phone—Tong Yue's shared location had been entirely unnecessary.

She got out of the car and looked up. The five characters of "Jinhuai Grand Hotel" gleamed brilliantly under the lights, dazzling and resplendent. Even just the sign radiated grandeur, let alone the interior.

She messaged Tong Yue upon arrival and quickly got a reply: "Wait for me a moment."

So Kong Xiyan stood by the entrance and waited.

Soon, a woman emerged from the elevator—short hair at her shoulders, exuding efficiency, every gesture decisive. The closer she came, the more her presence was felt. The last time Kong Xiyan had seen her was three years ago, on that pitch-black night.

Tong Yue had pointed at her and said, "Boss Wei, this isn't just a promising stock; this is a piece of jade."

Then she added, "But it needs time to be polished."

Boss Wei patted her on the shoulder. "With your good words, I can wait."

Kong Xiyan smiled faintly. In the end, he hadn't waited; he had turned her into a piece of discarded jade.

Tong Yue strode up to Kong Xiyan and extended her hand. "Tong Yue."

Kong Xiyan nodded, about to speak, but Tong Yue said, "Miss Kong, I have all your information. There's no need for us to waste time on introductions. Let's go."

Still as decisive as ever. Kong Xiyan replied, "Alright."

Tong Yue led her to a private room on the second floor. The heavy red wooden door was shut tight, and the doorknob, gilded, gleamed under the fluorescent lights. Tong Yue gripped the handle, pressed it lightly, and pushed the door open. Kong Xiyan followed her inside.

Everyone in the room looked up, surprised, then someone called out, "Sister Tong!"

"Why is Sister Tong here?"

"Hey, who's that next to Sister Tong?"

They were all young people. Kong Xiyan glanced around—about four or five of them, both male and female. She recognized two as artists from Jingyan, and the other three were familiar from entertainment gossip magazines.

Tong Yue led her to a seat and added to the conversation, "This is the one I'm going to manage. You all should take good care of her, don't bully her."

Her words were met with a chorus of playful protests: "How could we? Sister Tong's person—we'd be honored to serve her, not bully her."

"Exactly, exactly."

Kong Xiyan smiled but said nothing.

At the table, only two people exchanged uneasy glances.

The artist Tong Yue had just managed had been poached by another company at a high salary. Now, everyone in the company wanted to climb onto Tong Yue's olive branch. She had both connections and resources, so everyone at Jingyan was buzzing about who she would take on next.

The two women who exchanged glances were the most frequently mentioned candidates—they were popular, in high demand, with every reason to partner with Tong Yue for a powerful alliance.

But suddenly, an unexpected interloper had appeared, and neither was pleased.

Gu Ling stared at Kong Xiyan for a long moment, then suddenly asked in a soft voice, "Are you Kong Xiyan?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was sharp, and instantly everyone at the table stopped talking and turned to look at Kong Xiyan.

Compared to three years ago, she had lost weight, and she'd been keeping her head down, which was why no one recognized her at first glance. The more Gu Ling looked, the more certain she became, and she boldly asked Tong Yue, "Sister Tong, is this Kong Xiyan?"

Tong Yue turned to look at Kong Xiyan, who slowly raised her head, and admitted gracefully, "I am."

For a moment, the whole private room went silent. The looks directed at Kong Xiyan gradually shifted—some mocking, some sneering, but mostly disdain.

Kong Xiyan sat upright on her chair, her back straight, poised and composed, seemingly unaffected.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Tong Yue's mouth, a hint of approval in her eyes. Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, the private room door clicked open, and a sweet, coquettish voice said, "But I don't agree. I want that role. I really do."