Chapter 286: Birthday (Suggested: Listen to some soothing piano music while reading; a bonus chapter for the Alliance Leader Pudding

On August 25, 2005, an ordinary yet special day in late summer, Liu Yifei woke up from her bed feeling restless.

Pulling back the curtains, she saw slight signs of the clearing-to-overcast weather and showers mentioned in the forecast; she hoped everything would go smoothly!

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she walked to the next room and pushed awake Su Chang, who had stayed over the night before.

"Hmm? Is it already dawn?"

Liu Yifei was impatient: "Where is the video? Hurry up and let me see!"

Su Chang had been tinkering all night and now lacked the energy even to roll her eyes; she pointed weakly at the desk: "On the computer desktop! See for yourself."

Little Liu could not suppress her excitement and opened the so-called "video"—

It was actually just a rough edit she had put together with music, featuring photos of her and Lu Kuan over the past few years, along with warm and interesting moments from their time on set.

Because it was not convenient to disclose things for the time being, she could only ask Su Chang, who held the "dual-employee" status of working for both the Q&A platform and Liu Yifei's studio, to do it on her behalf.

This little video would become the chant for Little Liu's grand debut today.

"Hmm, not bad."

Liu Yifei rested her chin on her delicate hand, looking at the bits and pieces of their journey together; as of today, she had completely forgotten the anxiety and hesitation of this past period.

Su Chang lay on her side on the bed, exhausted, watching her three-dimensional, charming profile, wondering how long this flash of brightness and joy could last.

Until noon, until evening, or forever?

May everything go smoothly.

"Not bad! You deserve praise!" Little Liu watched it three or four times, and the inexplicable emotions in her heart were replaced by a touch of warm-toned memories.

She turned back and gave Su Chang a thumbs-up: "I'll credit you for this first; once the matter is accomplished, there will definitely be a great reward!"

Bystanders see clearly; Su Chang was far from being as optimistic as she was, but since things had reached this point, she could only do her best.

She forced a smile, unwilling to affect her best friend's mood: "That sounds great. Once you become the lady of the house, make sure to get me a few big-female-lead dramas first."

"No problem, I'm going to do my morning practice first."

"You're still doing it today?"

Little Liu looked at Su Chang with a giggle, but in her heart, she was thinking of the past, when the young director first took her to do morning practice on the set of *The Noble Family*.

"Today is the last time; from now on, it will just be occasional, targeted training."

Liu Yifei tied her hair into a ponytail and went back to her room to change into sportswear.

In the dance studio, looking at herself in the mirror, a sense of reincarnation and destiny welled up in the young girl's heart.

December 21, 2001—that day, also right here, while practicing with Feng Yuan, was the first time she saw him.

Today was the last morning practice.

Liu Yifei stretched her hands upward with fingers interlaced, palms facing up, and using her waist as an axis, she began to warm up by bending her body from side to side.

At this moment, she only silently recited four words in her heart.

A beginning and an end.

She adjusted her breathing to relax and perceive her body.

From center-of-gravity training and flexibility training to the strengthening of muscle power.

Just as the young director had judged and evaluated, Liu Yifei’s talent was average, but as the saying goes, a sincere heart is a place of practice; persistence will surely yield results.

Over the past three years, in the realm of basic skills, she could almost say she had achieved mastery.

About an hour later, she took a shower, returned to her room, and opened the script for *Foreign Land 2* to continue writing the character biography.

At three in the afternoon, a car would come to pick her up to go to the venue to start makeup and styling.

"Here, have an apple."

Liu Xiao had already gone to the venue to help, so Su Chang took over the duties of the mother, washing some low-sugar fruit for Liu Yifei, who hadn't eaten much before tonight.

"Mm, I'll eat it in a while."

Little Liu didn't even lift her head, writing and drawing with her pen, looking at the all-English script while visualizing the movements for this version of Blue Moon in her mind.

Su Chang had just finished a simple wash, but she still lacked energy.

She sat to one side, listless and silent, watching her best friend writing furiously from behind.

"Ding!"

The text message sound startled Su Chang, who was suffering from neurasthenia due to poor sleep.

Liu Yifei reached for her phone without looking up, flipped it open, and then stood up with an "Ah!"

"What is it! What is it!"

Su Chang felt her scalp tingle from her startled cry.

It was already a time of extreme nervous tension; today, even the slightest disturbance could make her jumpy.

When one shout failed to move the stunned Liu Yifei, Su Chang stood up abruptly and reached out to grab her shoulders: "What is it? Don't scare me, Xixi!"

Little Liu pursed her lips, looked over with her profile, unable to suppress her emotions...

"It's nothing, just a multimedia message."

"Let me see!"

"It's nothing!"

Su Chang was relentless, determined to get to the bottom of the truth; she knew Liu Yifei was in a fragile psychological state today.

"What is this?"

Little Liu couldn't hide the smile at the corners of her mouth: "A car, a Ferrari Enzo."

Su Chang looked at the unfamiliar number that sent the message: "Who is this? What does it mean to send you a photo of a car?"

"I don't know."

Liu Yifei sat down, beaming, but when she looked at the ink marks on the English script, her mind was already a mess.

This was the first time she had received a birthday gift from him!

The ones she extorted didn't count.

Even if she were rational, she couldn't help but fall into fantasies at this moment.

Would today be as smooth as a fairy tale?

Would her previous worries all be groundless fears?

Liu Yifei was in a great mood and turned Zhou Jielun's CD to her favorite, *Common Jasmine Orange*.

"The rain falls all night, my love overflows like the rain~~~"

Humming the song, the young girl's thoughts had already drifted to a few hours later.

As the top young star in the country, one of the 50 most beautiful faces in the Asian edition of *Time* magazine, and the Pepsi spokesperson for the China region, she had to have the proper stature.

As the time approached ten o'clock, the staff responsible for the preparations entered the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse through strict security checkpoints.

Today's ceremony venue was set in Building 17 of the State Guesthouse, also known as Fangfeiyuan.

This was a decision made after Liu Xiao and An Kang discussed it; the latter's flight would land at noon, just in time for the grand ceremony in the evening.

Fangfeiyuan lived up to its name, with over 40,000 trees and flowers and more than 300 Chinese pines planted among the 18 building complexes.

With vibrant colors in spring and ever-green pines and cypresses in winter, the garden landscape, combining Eastern and Western styles, possessed both the grandeur of an imperial family and the gentle grace of a small Jiangnan garden.

Yang Siwei was inspecting the site; she was the general coordinator for all parties.

She was responsible for docking the Pepsi signing ceremony, the *Time* award certificate, the 11 million fan certification plaque from the blog network, and other various activities.

"The color difference on this foam board is wrong; notify the advertising company to redo a batch immediately. They can finish it in two hours!"

"Who is responsible for the signature wall at the entrance? Hurry up and reinforce the truss; find some stones to weigh it down. It's getting a bit windy now."

This year, the slightly chubby agent was fully capable of handling things on her own.

The *Time* magazine Asian edition's most beautiful face selection event and the Pepsi China region endorsement were all achievements she had orchestrated single-handedly.

With her, Liu Xiao only needed to take care of her daughter's life, and Liu Yifei only needed to focus on her work—this was a tight and proper division of labor for the studio.

Yang Siwei was also a bit overwhelmed at this moment; it was truly because today was not just a simple coming-of-age ceremony, but a private banquet with semi-commercial characteristics.

Tonight was an important moment for Liu Yifei to elevate her status and step onto the domestic entertainment stage as an adult woman; as her agent, she would not allow a single mistake.

"Where is Xu Rong? Where is Xu Rong?"

"Here!"

Xu Rong, who had been colluding with Cai Yinong in private for a long time, waved at her without any intention of coming over to take orders.

An undergraduate student, putting on airs with her!

Isn't it just because she was lucky enough to run into a star-studded actress!

Yang Siwei was swift and decisive in her work and had no time to deal with her petty grievances: "Hurry to the entrance and register this license plate number with security so there won't be a traffic jam when the guests arrive later."

"Got it."

Xu Rong remained calm on the surface, but she was very unhappy in her heart; she casually ordered a small worker from the advertising company to do it and "stole some leisure time" to wander into the venue.

No, she still had to go and whisper in Liu Shishi's ear.

If she stayed under Yang Siwei forever and couldn't get her hands on a big star like Liu Yifei, she would be bored to death!

On one side of the stage, Liu Shishi was staring blankly at the poster hanging on the wall.

From the pretty waitress in *The Drummer*, to the dashing Blue Moon in *Foreign Land*, to the makeup-free Lin in *Bad Genius*.

And the soon-to-be-classic images of Zhao Linger, Wang Yuyan, and Lu Xueqi, as well as the Little Dragon Maiden image that was popular before it even aired.

When would her own role arrive?

Liu Shishi was highly nearsighted and didn't notice Xu Rong walking up to her; the latter keenly captured the loneliness on her face.

"They say big stars are just different, huh? Making such a huge scene for a birthday."

"Shishi, guess how much the budget I just saw was?"

"One million! And that's not even the end of it; Yifei is spending a million just for a birthday!"

This is, of course, sponsorship from various brands, merely advertising fees given to empower the brands through commercial activities.

"Mm, it's quite good, it'll be quite lively today, right?" Liu Shishi smiled reluctantly, then walked to the side to help straighten a poster display stand.

Seeing that there was no one around, Xu Rong followed her insidiously and spoke words of temptation.

"The casting for 'Legend of Sword and Fairy 3' has entered the final stage; at the time of the online casting, that role of Long Kui was originally yours."

"Tangren has shares in this drama, Boss Cai is still waiting for you!"

Actually, she hadn't figured out how to help Liu Shishi terminate her contract, but Cai Yinong would surely have a way, right?

"Alright, stop talking, it's meaningless; are you going back to being a little Liu Yifei again?"

Liu Shishi finally couldn't stand her chatter, retorted a little, and then timidly pursed her lips.

She still remembered that time on the set of "Bad Genius," when Director Lu mistook her for someone else the first time.

She remembered following along to the Magic City last month to participate in the promotional activities for "Initial D"; she was like a transparent person everywhere she went, at most getting attention for a few seconds because she looked like her.

Perhaps it was because during that time at Tangren, the title of "Liu Yifei's cousin" was hyped up too much online.

Even though Liu Yifei's studio had already been downplaying this concept, it was almost impossible for her to shake off this shadow now.

What a painful realization.

"Shishi, do you trust your Sister Xu? As long as you nod, I will talk to Boss Cai about the career path issue; I will absolutely not let you wear someone else's skin again!"

Seeing her hesitate and stay silent, and with others approaching, Xu Rong turned around, wanting to leave first.

"Wait!"

Liu Shishi called her to stop, her expression flickering for several seconds, before she stammered with shifting eyes: "No... nothing."

Xu Rong was secretly pleased: "Then you consider it some more."

Liu Shishi stood rooted to the spot for a few more seconds, when suddenly someone patted her from behind.

"You're an employee of Liu Yifei's studio, right? Come, come, come, give me a hand."

A man wearing a field staff vest from an advertising company smiled and pulled materials out of his bag: "I just arrived, I don't really know how to operate this yet."

He began to direct her on his own, his movements appearing truly unskilled: "I'll stick this end down first, then you help me..."

"I'm not an employee!"

"I'm not!"

Not knowing what triggered her, Liu Shishi shouted twice, then ran away in small steps as if fleeing, ducking into the restroom.

She desperately splashed cold water on her face, wanting to erase the slight flush of anger that had risen, which was the inferiority buried deep in the bottom of her heart.

Her eyes were soaked with water, the reflection in the mirror was hazy, and she suddenly discovered...

It seemed she couldn't quite recognize her own face anymore.

In the mirror, the owner of another face had just walked into Fangfeiyuan.

"Oh my, Xixi, why did you only just arrive!"

Liu Xiaoli hurried to greet her: "Hurry and go try on your clothes and get your makeup done; we have to let the reporters in at four-thirty."

Yang Siwei also stood with her hands on her hips, looking angrily at this lazy, non-typical female star: "Can you let me have some peace of mind?"

"Look at what time it is? Didn't we agree on three o'clock?"

Liu Yifei looked embarrassed: "Oh, I didn't sleep well last night, I just dozed off for a bit and overdid it."

Liu Xiaoli and Yang Siwei had originally been glaring at her, but upon hearing this, their gazes turned in unison toward Su Chang!

How are you looking after the child?

"That... I didn't sleep well last night either..."

Su Chang swallowed, quite helplessly meeting the gazes of the two "parents."

It's not that I didn't sleep well, I didn't sleep at all!

Sigh, it's really not easy being Liu Yifei's best friend.

You have to shoulder the burdens and take the blame.

With time tight and the task heavy, Yang Siwei used her sturdy physique to practically drag little Liu toward the dressing room.

"Oh, Siwei, don't rush." Although Liu Yifei had a slender figure, her strength was not a bit less than Yang Siwei's.

She looked back and gave Su Chang a wink: "Changchang, go copy that piano piece of mine onto the conference computer."

Yang Siwei was puzzled: "What piano piece?"

"It's nothing, it's just that I want to have some background music when I speak, to express some emotion."

Liu Yifei hurriedly waved her hand at her best friend, signaling her to go quickly, and was then dragged into the dressing room by Yang Siwei.

Su Chang sighed helplessly; another new pot to carry.

Inside the dressing room, Yang Siwei held the meeting schedule and talked incessantly, prompting the actress on the key points.

Liu Yifei couldn't take in so much of her nagging, only nodding slightly, letting the makeup artist draw her brows and eyes.

Perhaps she was tired from talking, or perhaps she saw that the young girl in front of her had no intention of listening, so Yang Siwei changed the subject.

"There's one thing I need to coordinate with you."

"Hm?"

"Yao Jia from the Xiangtai station just came by and chatted with me about a collaboration."

Liu Yifei looked surprised: "Xiangtai? What kind of collaboration?"

"To be precise, it's not you, it's Liu Shishi."

"Ah?"

Yang Siwei checked her watch and spoke concisely: "The 'Happy Camp' program is missing a female host; they asked if Liu Shishi has any interest, and she could give it a try."

"If she qualifies, our two sides can reach some cooperation; overall, it means you need to help them boost their popularity, just like you helped the Travel Channel."

"What do you think?"

Little Liu pondered for two seconds, realizing that Xiangtai might be actively showing goodwill, and that relations with the Wenjie side had also improved recently.

She was also consciously developing allies for herself: "Okay."

"Shishi has been here for over half a year, and we really haven't given her any decent resources; how about now..."

"Forget it, I'll tell her after the event ends; she will definitely be happy to death."

Reading people and observing expressions is a basic skill for an actor, a must-have skill whether in the academic school or the wild path.

Because an actor's foundational skill is observation and imitation.

She could certainly see the distress in Liu Shishi's heart, so she had been trying every way to seek a development path for her.

On the other hand, because of her own personal experience, she also felt that Liu Shishi needed to go through a process of basic accumulation and was temporarily not suited to be too ambitious.

It's just that people's hearts are hard to read; little Liu didn't know that the first general of her studio had already developed some unusual thoughts.

In terms of manipulating people's hearts, she still had a lot to learn from the "washing machine."

Comparison leads to imbalance; facing the number one young actress in the domestic entertainment industry every day, who could resist not having that trace of bitterness in their heart?

It's just human nature.

"Knock knock!"

"Oh, Uncle An is here, please come in!" Yang Siwei smiled and opened the door for the visitor.

Liu Yifei turned her head sharply: "Dad!"

An Kang had just gotten off the plane at noon and went to the ministry to handle some paperwork, only then rushing over, dusty and tired.

Looking at his daughter's tall, graceful, and charming appearance, the love in An Kang's eyes overflowed, and he patted her shoulder with gratification: "Did you grow taller again?"

Liu Yifei laughed: "No!"

"I was really afraid you wouldn't be able to come!"

"How could that be." An Kang hadn't stopped smiling since he entered the door: "Parents will not be absent for any major moment in your life."

"Alright, you get ready first; I brought an uncle from the French Embassy in China, you come out and meet him and say hello in a bit."

"Mm, got it!"

Around five o'clock in the afternoon, this semi-commercial birthday banquet and coming-of-age ceremony officially opened for entry.

Reporters arrived in an endless stream, passing the security personnel's document checks, and began setting up equipment at designated locations.

The deputy editor-in-chief of the Asian edition of "Time Magazine," Kai Ruiyang, the vice president of PepsiCo Greater China, Dong Benhong, and the president of Blogcn, Zhuang Xu, were in attendance.

Several people were exchanging pleasantries.

"President Zhuang, for next year's World Cup in Germany, Beckham, Ronaldo, and Lampard are all our celebrity endorsers; we'll have to have some cooperation with your Blogcn then, right?"

Cooperation between companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi and internet media is the norm; there is a lot of room for complementarity in hosting themed events, brand online marketing, and corporate blog promotion.

Zhuang Xu was well-versed in socializing: "No problem, I'll have the manager of your company's marketing department come over to talk later."

He made an excuse to go get a drink, his eyes scanning around, thinking that Su Chang should be with Liu Yifei.

"President Zhuang, what are you looking at? Changchang is backstage!"

Liu Yifei walked over gracefully, winked at him mischievously to tease him, and then introduced him with a dignified demeanor.

"Dad, this is the president of Blogcn, President Zhuang Xu."

"President Zhuang, this is my father, An Kang."

"Oh! Hello, Mr. An!" Zhuang Xu couldn't worry about the slight embarrassment of having his thoughts exposed, and hurriedly reached out, bowing slightly with a smile on his face.

This enthusiasm and manner made the crowd observing silently nearby feel shocked.

To be able to make a top domestic internet tycoon strike such a pose, this person's identity is not simple either, right?

An Kang's official identity is of course not simple, but what is even less simple is the layer of relationship that Zhuang Xu believes in...

Who knows, they might all be relatives in the future.

An Kang joined the circle of chatting, and Zhuang Xu smilingly introduced him to Kai Ruiyang and Dong Benhong; the atmosphere of the semi-commercial cold buffet reception was enthusiastic.

With half an hour left until the ceremony officially began at 6:18, Yang Siwei waved at Liu Yifei, signaling her to go to the interview area to receive the reporters.

*Beijing Youth Daily* reporter: "Yifei, *Genius Gunman* has 5 days left in theaters and the box office has already broken 100 million. Many directors and media outlets now call you the most bankable actress in the mainland. What is your take on this?"

Liu Yifei said solemnly, "The film's box office success is the credit of the director and the entire crew, as well as the behind-the-scenes staff and the support of the audience. I dare not take the credit."

*Beijing Youth Daily* reporter: "Yifei, do you have any further expectations for your personal career development after turning eighteen? For example, moving into the music scene you have dabbled in before?"

Liu Yifei smiled and shook her head: "No, I will still focus on improving my acting skills, experiencing life more, and refining my insights."

"Is the goal to become a top international actress, just as Director Lu said on *A Date with Luyu*?"

"Mm... Yes, I will firmly strive toward that goal!"

Seemingly led off-topic by a certain name, some enthusiastic entertainment newspapers began to probe wildly.

*Beijing Entertainment News*: "Yifei, after today you will be an adult woman. Do you have any thoughts on choosing a partner or dating?"

"I don't really understand."

Currently, she only wants to torture the washing machine.

*Penguin Entertainment*: "Yifei, you have worked with Director Lu for three or four years. Has such a handsome and talented director influenced your views on choosing a partner or making friends?"

Yang Siwei, standing to the side, frowned, terrified that this loose cannon of the inner-circle entertainment industry would act on impulse and pull some awkward stunt.

"No."

With a unique target for a partner, how could there be any influence?

Yang Siwei’s brow smoothed as she listened, knowing that Liu Yifei still had a sense of propriety today.

You are happy too soon.

"Jielun is here!"

"Wow, Sister Mei is here too."

Yang Siwei leaned over and whispered a few words to Liu Yifei, the interview ended immediately, and the latter smiled and stepped forward to welcome the visiting celebrity guests.

Hong Kong and Taiwan artists have Westernized customs; Jielun first presented his gift, a Patek Philippe Nautilus 3712/1 watch produced in 2005, with a market price of around 1.6 million.

"Thank you, Brother Jielun, you’ve spent too much." Liu Yifei did not stand on ceremony; friends exchanging gifts is just a matter of give and take.

Zhou Jielun signaled Da Ni to hand the gift to Yang Siwei: "Wow, don't stand so close to me, you're taller than me in high heels, it's very embarrassing to be photographed."

The onlookers let out good-natured laughter, also seeing the familiarity between these two top stars.

Mei Yanfang presented her gift: "Xixi, happy birthday!"

Everyone gasped in amazement at the delicate, ice-clear jade necklace in her hand; even the wooden box it was packaged in looked like it was made of agarwood.

Those in the know, like Kai Ruiyang and Dong Benhong, clicked their tongues in admiration. This full-green is the top tone among jadeite; the color is rich, vibrant, and evenly distributed, and it is pure without color bias. Four or five million seems like it wouldn't even cover it.

Judging from today's scene, the heads of both companies were satisfied with reaching a cooperation with this mainland actress; such status and prestige undoubtedly make her an excellent partner.

"This is too precious, Sister Mei! You are too kind, a junior cannot accept such a grand gift."

Liu Yifei hadn't reacted yet, but her mother had already walked over and repeatedly declined.

Mei Yanfang feigned displeasure: "Jielun's watch can be accepted, but my broken necklace can't?"

"It's not worth much."

She shoved the wooden box into the hands of the wryly smiling Liu Xiaoli and quickly changed the subject: "Xiaoli, how do you maintain your skin? There really hasn't been any change in these two or three years, has there?"

The Hong Kong big sister coaxed her for a few words, then immediately leaned over and whispered with a smile in Liu Yifei's ear: "Don't be angry if Little Lu forgets his gift later, men have no heart, I will lecture him."

Liu Yifei covered her mouth and laughed, thinking of the red Enzo in the MMS.

So looking forward to it, but where is the washing machine person, why hasn't he arrived yet?

There was another burst of crowding at the entrance; basically, the entire 02-class acting major from the Beijing Film Academy had arrived.

Except for Jiang Jianzhu, who had already faded from the public eye.

It is said that after a certain incident last year, he had been secretly suppressed in the circle, and he looked spiritless.

The classmates presented their gifts, and Liu Yifei thanked them with a smile, hugging and taking photos intimately.

Next were some acquaintances from the crews.

From Hu Ge and An Yixuan of *Paladin*, to Liu Tao, Hu Jun, and Jiang Xin of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, to Huang Xiaoming and Yang Mi of *Return of the Condor Heroes*.

Xiaoming is a shrewd person; he would definitely attend an occasion like this.

Yang Mi had just joined Huayi and was a bit uneasy thinking about the hidden power struggles in the entertainment industry, fearing that being close to the Wenjie system would make the company dissatisfied.

But thinking of Fan Bingbing and Wang Baoqiang, two examples of previous cooperation between the two sides, it didn't seem that sensitive.

"Xixi, happy birthday!" Yang Mi hugged her "bestie" affectionately, not knowing that she had already become an object of scrutiny that night in Yinchuan.

Liu Yifei's expression was as usual: "Thanks Mimi, make yourself at home today, do whatever is comfortable."

"Mm, okay."

Yang Mi replied, holding a glass of champagne, watching the protagonist of the day receive guests with ease, and sighed as she walked toward the corner.

She stretched her head and looked around to see if there were any acquaintances she could talk to, otherwise, she would appear too neglected.

"Hey, are you Liu Shishi?"

The big-eyed girl discovered a familiar face in the corner of the reception.

It wasn't because of the "Little Liu Yifei" familiarity, but because she was now the lead actress of *Paladin 3*, and she had flipped through her photos when watching the director cast the roles.

After all, she was the winner of the highest number of votes for Long Kui when the *Paladin 3* crew was hyping the casting poll on Sina.

"Hello, it's me."

Liu Shishi looked at the big-eyed girl who was about her age, and a sense of goodwill arose in her heart for no reason.

She knows me, and she can even call my name!

Yang Mi's social skills and awareness were impeccable: "Hello Shishi, my name is Yang Mi, I saw your photo in the *Paladin 3* crew."

"Ah?"

Liu Shishi was even more overjoyed after hearing this; could it be that what Xu Rong said was true? Could she really have a chance?

"You are a signed star of Xixi's studio, right?"

"Mm, yes, I'm still in school."

Because I'm still in school, I haven't debuted yet, so I don't have any works yet—this explanation is reasonable, right?

Saving face, after all.

The two young girls who had just met chatted, and soon they ran out of topics.

They stood in the corner of the reception, watching the suits and the clinking glasses with a bit of silence.

There were famous enterprises like Pepsi, *Time* magazine, and Blogbus, superstars like Zhou Jielun and Mei Yanfang, and official figures from the French Embassy in China brought by An Kang.

A pianist earning over three thousand per hour was playing elegantly and diligently, and the film in the reporters' long lenses was being ruthlessly murdered.

In the former royal garden Fangfeiyuan, which was booked for 200,000 a night, a modern version of a floating world painting, which seemed to Liu Shishi and Yang Mi like oil on fire and flowers on brocade, was being staged.

Emotions of envy, jealousy, and confusion, like the flickering spotlights in the venue, focused unanimously on that girl.

"Xixi is... really beautiful today."

"Mm."

For the two who had just met, Liu Yifei, the link-like figure, was strangely not the subject of frequent conversation.

Liu Shishi and Yang Mi looked at each other and smiled awkwardly, then avoided each other's eyes, as if they didn't want their little thoughts and emotions to be seen through by the other side.

But they caught the sourness in the air as birds of a feather.

That is the disparity of life.

They had their little thoughts, and Liu Yifei under the spotlight also had hers.

A major test was right in front of her; it would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous. She socialized and received a circle of guests in the venue, then found Yang Siwei and Su Chang, who were doing the final check of the process.

"Has Lu Kuan not arrived yet?"

The chubby manager was stunned; you're asking me this question?

"I don't know!"

Liu Yifei and Su Chang both felt a pause in their hearts.

"He's here! He's here!"

"Quick, quick, quick, photographer, follow me!"

"Who is it?"

Liu Shishi and Yang Mi stretched their heads to look, but because they were standing in the corner, they couldn't see the bustle in front of the Fangfeiyuan entrance.

Soon, the crowd parted in an orderly fashion, and the reporters' long lenses were politely blocked by A Fei, who was walking in front, signaling them to step back.

The eyes of everyone in the venue were attracted by this big commotion, and they all looked toward the red carpet at the entrance.

The crazy reporters didn't care about that; this man, who combined business, entertainment, and gossip, had supported countless reporters and tabloids since his debut.

Haven't you seen that Zhuo Wei has been able to have a column on Blogbus by eating his "human blood buns"?

"Director Lu! What are your plans after Focus Media goes public? Will you eat up Target Media?"

"President Lu, does Wenjie Holdings have any plans to go public?"

"Director Lu, IDG's Xiong Xiaoge evaluated you as the most mysterious company in the country. What is your comment on this?"

"President Lu, did you give the birthday girl any gifts today?"

"President Lu, you have been rumored to be with Yifei for a long time. Can you respond to it directly today?"

Only when the last oblivious reporter blurted out an impudent remark did Boss Lu pause his steps.

Liu Yifei, who was looking forward to it, Liu Shishi and Yang Mi standing in the corner, the high-end corporate leaders present today, and the capital and stars in the industry all looked at him in unison.

He was still wearing a light-colored casual suit, the slim-fit cut accentuating his narrow waist and broad shoulders. Perhaps because the occasion was special today, he had pinned a silver collar pin on his lapel.

Lu Kuan stood straight, tilted his head slightly, and pulled out a tight, distinct jawline.

His expression as he looked at the reporter without smiling had a sculptural, cold, and firm quality under the lights of the venue.

The presumptuous reporter felt a jolt in his heart from the glance he cast over, and just as he wanted to stammer out a few words to make amends, he was interrupted by the young director before him.

"Eat well and drink well."

"Eh! Eh!"

The reporter nodded and bowed in response, forgetting his previous question for the moment.

The surrounding atmosphere relaxed, everyone laughed good-naturedly, and then, following social unwritten rules based on status and closeness, they came over to greet and shake hands with him.

"Let's go, it's time to change into the formal attire."

Liu Yifei watched his habitual, practiced social interactions from afar; seeing nothing unusual, her long-suspended heart settled a little.

Why was she always so jumpy today?

The text message in the morning, Lu Kuan's late arrival.

Hopefully, there won't be any more.

Because of the nervousness and expectations, she feared that the experiences of this day would be engraved frame by frame in her mind, remaining fresh for the rest of her life.

After finishing with the guests, Boss Lu walked calmly to the side of Zhuang Xu, who was drinking alone.

"How have these two days been?"

"There is word from China International Capital Corporation, but considering my status as a district representative, the situation is still stable."

Lu Kuan chuckled and clinked glasses with him: "Don't worry, there aren't many days left for those thieves to scheme."

"The thief you speak of, is it Thief Zhou, or Thief Lu?" Zhuang Xu teased helplessly.

Boss Lu gave a dry laugh.

He suddenly looked up and saw Liu Yifei's best friend, waving at her: "Su Chang, come here."

Su Chang hadn't found an opportunity earlier and was just about to go to the computer in the back office to handle some private matters when she was startled by the company boss.

When she walked closer, she discovered Zhuang Xu, who had been blocked by a pillar, and her expression became slightly unnatural. "Let me introduce you, President Zhuang of BlogBus, a brother company to our AskWorld; get to know each other better."

Boss Lu covertly raised his eyebrows at his senior fellow apprentice: "A rising star of the company, Miss Su Chang."

He understood Zhuang Xu's character and knew he was a rare gentleman, so he wasn't worried about him harming the company's actresses.

Zhuang Xu speechlessly shook hands with Su Chang, the two pretending to meet for the first time.

Lu Kuan looked at Su Chang carefully, seemingly noticing her grave expression.

"Today is Liu Yifei's birthday, shouldn't you be happy? Why the long face?"

Su Chang took a deep breath: "I'm tired, I didn't sleep well yesterday."

Watching her leave after a polite exchange, Boss Lu was lost in thought.

At 6:18 PM, the guests were seated, the hall was filled with distinguished friends, and on the side of the spacious banquet hall, the band began to play.

The piano music was pleasant, the famous piece "A Maiden's Prayer" by the Polish female composer Bądarzewska.

It wasn't deliberately arranged, yet it was so fitting for the occasion.

On the steps, the lights suddenly fell like brilliant stars, and Liu Yifei, dressed in a white gown with swaying light gauze, walked into the center of the stage, every step blooming like a lotus.

She was elegant and simple, without any crystals or diamonds, but even with the most critical eye, one could not deny that this ethereal and innocent beauty needed no extra embellishment.

Liu Yifei lifted her eyes slightly, smiling and waving to the guests and media at the scene.

Her gaze swept past the front row, meeting Lu Kuan, who was sitting beside her parents, for half a second, before naturally drifting elsewhere.

"Alright, distinguished guests, thank you all very much for coming." Liu Yan walked onto the stage with graceful charm.

"Today is Miss Liu Yifei's eighteenth birthday, as well as the signing ceremony for the Pepsi China spokesperson, and the award ceremony for the '50 Most Beautiful Faces' in the Asian edition of *Time* magazine."

"In addition, we have invited President Zhuang of BlogBus to confer the title of 2004 Blog Beauty of the Year upon Miss Liu Yifei."

"And! The Cultural Counselor of the French Embassy in China, Mr. Pierre, will present Miss Liu Yifei with the honorary award of Ambassador for Outstanding Cultural Exchange between China and France!"

Today's event schedule was too long, and reciting this in one breath made even Liu Yan, who was well-versed in the field of hosting, feel the strain.

The audience erupted in thunderous applause, and hundreds of gazes, camera flashes, and spotlights were directed at the center of the stage.

Of course, the meanings behind these gazes were not all the same.

If every human emotion represented a color, for instance, happiness is pink, jealousy is green, and sadness is black.

There were also other joys, pride, satisfaction, curiosity, and so on.

Looking out from the stage now, Liu Yifei would see a masterpiece of Impressionism with overlapping rainbows.

Gradually, starting with BlogBus, various corporate executives and guests took the stage, proceeding with the pre-arranged commercial activities in the agreed-upon order.

For the Asian edition of *Time*, the Pepsi signing, the affirmation from BlogBus, and the recognition from the embassy also proved the rationality of their vision and choices.

Likewise, the same went for Pepsi and BlogBus.

Dong Benhong, President of PepsiCo Greater China, was even considering whether to renegotiate next year's contract and apply directly to the company to upgrade the endorsement level to the Greater China and Asian regions.

Finally, during the official embassy award segment, Cultural Counselor Pierre took the stage and read the embassy's commendation for this female artist in fluent Chinese.

"Beautiful Ms. Liu Yifei, you are like a shining star; the heart and passion you have poured into the cause of China-France cultural exchange, as well as your outstanding contributions, deserve our most sincere commendation."

"Whether it is showcasing the unique charm of Chinese culture in the art halls of France, or building a bridge of communication for French culture and art on the Chinese stage, you have demonstrated extraordinary influence and appeal."

"Here, on behalf of the French Embassy in China, to honor your outstanding achievements, I specially confer upon you the 'Star of China-France Cultural Integration' medal!"

The scene erupted in thunderous applause, and the reporter from the CCTV International Channel occupied the best position.

Pierre took the medal presented by the etiquette attendant; the overall design was a blooming twin lotus, with a blue gemstone embedded in the center, blue representing loyalty and depth in French culture.

The Cultural Counselor introduced the meaning of the medal: "The lotus symbolizes purity and beauty in Chinese culture, while in French culture, the lotus is also often seen as a symbol of nobility and elegance."

He shook hands with the young girl who walked up, then handed the medal to An Kang, who personally placed it around his daughter's neck.

"Congratulations, Xixi."

"Thank you, Father, thank you, Mr. Counselor."

Liu Yifei's expression was calm, and she smiled as she accepted the greetings of the camera flashes; the gazes of joy, envy, or jealousy cast from the audience could not disturb her mind.

Offstage, Tang Yan, an artist brought to the event by Emperor Group's Huo Wenxi, looked enviously at the female lead on stage, joining everyone in applause and cheers.

The two had met at a football charity match in Xiangjiang, and Liu Yifei had even asked her some strange question about whether her surname was Huang or something.

After exchanging numbers, they had occasional contact, but they weren't very close yet.

A slightly sharp girl's voice came from behind Tang Yan: "Shishi, do you want to go to the restroom?"

"Oh, okay."

She could certainly recognize the voice of Yang Mi, a fellow cast member of *Chinese Paladin 3*, while the other one she wasn't very familiar with.

Liu Shishi had been feeling like she was sitting on pins and needles for a while, so she readily agreed.

Tang Yan turned her head to watch the two whisper and walk away, a green spotlight from outside the foyer happening to hit behind them.

"Eh?"

Liu Shishi, having just left the restroom, looked suspiciously at a panicked figure walking away; wasn't this the employee from the new advertising company this afternoon?

Yang Mi dried her hands and walked over: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, let's go back."

The two walked to the event site, just as staff members were pushing out a three-tier cake amidst the applause.

The guests looked at the unique cake cart with amazement or keen interest; the main body was divided into three layers, with an overall design similar to a Disney castle.

The base was nearly a meter in diameter, with grass meticulously made of light green fondant, dotted with exquisite little flowers made of frosting.

Further up was the castle style constructed from Disney's classic pink and blue.

Directly in front was a little angel figure, with a pair of wings made of silver sugar threads spread out behind it, as if about to fly toward a beautiful future.

Painted on the front were eight characters: Crystal Princess, Fei Leaps Eighteen.

Liu Shishi suddenly didn't want to return to her seat: "Mimi, shall we stand here for a while? I'm tired of sitting."

"Alright, then I'll keep you company."

The friends who hit it off immediately reached a consensus.

Liu Yan on stage raised the microphone: "Next, please have today's Crystal Princess, Miss Liu Yifei, distribute the cake and give a speech."

Applause erupted, and Zhou Xun in the first row leaned over to whisper in Boss Lu's ear: "Which piece do you think will be given to you?"

"Sweets are too cloying, I don't like them."

A waiter presented a uniquely designed silver cake knife, which Liu Yifei took, first cutting the two largest pieces.

"Dad, Mom, this is for you."

An Kang and Liu Xiaoli smiled as they stepped forward to receive them, the scene warm and touching.

Liu Yifei revealed her true feelings: "Although you chose your own lives, I have never lacked love."

"The grace of raising me, I dare not forget."

"I will work hard to become an excellent actress!"

Watching Xixi, who had already grown into an adult, Liu Xiaoli couldn't help but burst into tears, hugging her daughter, who was already taller than herself, tightly: "I only wish for you to be happy and healthy."

Liu Yan handed over a tissue from the side, professionally bridging the scene: "The hearts of parents are truly touching, what a moving scene, please give them some applause!"

Taking advantage of the applause and cheers, Liu Yifei's parents tidied up the scene and left the stage temporarily.

Under the spotlight, only the eighteen-year-old girl with a serene expression remained.

Her gaze flickered toward Su Chang, who was walking out of the audio-visual room, and the latter nodded at her with a grave expression.

In the entire venue, only two people noticed a hint of something wrong.

One was Liu Yan, standing behind Liu Yifei, puzzled by her slightly trembling legs; was such an occasion still a test for Liu Yifei?

The other was Lu Kuan, sitting in the first row, watching the event calmly the whole time.

He followed the flow of the event with a calm heart, still thinking about how to send the car out after it ended.

A seasoned director observes facial expressions and movements with great detail, and Liu Yifei's abnormality immediately caught his attention.

It was as if... it were a reenactment of the scene when she was 15 years old and filming "The Drummer" for the first time.

The young girl's micro-expressions were filled with nervousness, apprehension, and a fear and anticipation of an unknown outcome.

Having directed her so many times, he was very familiar with this state of Liu Yifei, which usually appeared before the clapperboard clicked, during the actor's self-adjustment phase.

At this stage, inexperienced actors who had just entered the industry would try hard to take deep breaths, rehearsing the upcoming plot in their minds.

At this moment, the camera had already started idling, the film had entered the working process, and in a few seconds, the actor would enter another person's life.

As if to suit the occasion, the pianist playing "A Maiden's Prayer" had a momentary lapse, and the melody that should have transitioned smoothly to E major was mistakenly pressed into F major.

Su Chang walked to his side and whispered two sentences; the pianist simply took it as a discordant, accidental ending, nodded, and stopped playing.

Liu Yifei exhaled a breath of stale air and bravely walked into a new life of her own.

"The third cake, I want to give it to Director Lu Kuan, who has always helped and supported me."

The young girl looked at the washing machine off-stage, her smile sweet: "Lu Kuan."

"Can you come up here for a moment?"

Mei Yanfang, Zhou Xun, Zhou Jielun, and others did not yet know the reason, laughing and clapping as if joining in the fun.

"Hurry up and go!"

"They're calling you!"

Boss Lu raised his eyebrows, feeling a bit puzzled but not suspecting anything else, and walked onto the stage with a light gait.

Just like the many times she had spoken her mind over the past three years, Liu Yifei stood before him once again, lifting her eyes to look directly at the young director.

Under the spotlight, Lu Kuan's side profile was sharp and well-defined, his expression calm, but the hesitation and unease rising in his heart were even greater.

The conflicted expression Su Chang had just shown flashed before his eyes.

Looking at her delicate charm from a close distance, the hem of Liu Yifei's dress was like a blooming lily, dragging an elegant arc across the floor.

The girl's slender waist was tightly bound by the form-fitting dress, making it appear even more soft and delicate, as if it could be encircled by a single hand.

The open neckline perfectly revealed the clear collarbone line, like a quiet crescent moon carved beneath her beautiful neck.

The girl tilted her head slightly, her eyes pouring out tenderness, no longer possessing her usual coquettishness or willfulness.

The artist seemed to realize something, looking at those pupils that seemed capable of drowning a person with a complex expression, while a modern poem he had read in his previous life unconsciously flashed through his mind.

When I look at her, the whole world seems to become a fake, only her eyes are the original work.

Shock!

The large screen behind them suddenly lit up, accompanied by light and melodious music, as the edited short film prepared to play, attracting everyone's attention!

Those images recorded by the crew's cameras and Liu Yifei's mobile phone had already leaped onto the screen.

One textured old photograph after another, accompanied by dates, presented beautiful memories.

Until this moment, apart from Su Chang, who had arranged everything and stood off-stage with a complex look in her eyes, no one knew what this Crystal Princess wanted to do.

Little Liu's crisp voice rang out in the banquet hall.

"April 11, 2002, we were filming on the set of 'Golden Powder', this is the breakfast shop next to Tianjin Foreign Studies University, I liked eating the golden, crispy fried cakes and the scalding hot gaba cai the most, every time I would sponge your breakfast money."

"May 6, 2002, you took me out for morning exercises for the first time, teaching me Grotowski, this is the joint breathing method and tiger pose you had just taught me then, telling me to take photos and go back to my room to study them."

"May 18, 2002, this is the filming site of 'The Drummer', we had a conflict with the Xiangjiang actors, I was so scared I stood there frozen, this is the evidence you had the photographer record."

"May 28, 2002, the reorganized 'The Drummer' started filming, this was the first shot of the first take of my life, and I was scolded to tears by you, this is the photo Mom took of me off-stage."

"June 19, 2002, the crew went to Xiangjiang to film Sister Mei's guest appearance, she was tormented by illness at the time to the point that her back was soaked through, this is me helping her to rest. That day, you told me that no evaluation is more harmful than 'not bad', and told me to figure out why I wanted to be an actor."

"June 23, 2002, 'The Drummer' wrapped up, this is the group photo of the crew at the wrap-up banquet restaurant, at that time, we hadn't realized the accident that was about to happen."

"August 29, 2002, this is the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival, the first red carpet of my life, I was especially nervous inside, clutching your arm tightly, this is the group photo taken for us by Han Lu, a reporter from Sina Entertainment."

"October 1, 2002, running the roadshow in Xiang Province, ten cities in ten days was really tiring, this is in the Xiangtai Radio and Television building, you were holding the 'Legend of Sword and Fairy' script and explaining the character to me."

"Lunar New Year, 2002, this was just after we finished attending the Sundance Film Festival's non-competition section screening, spending the New Year together on Long Island, a table of simple hometown dishes."

"March 21, 2003, this is your study in the Sihe Academy, I put the small sachet I hand-stitched on your desk and took another photo."

Seeing this, Liu Yifei broke free from her memories for a brief moment, unconsciously lifting the corners of her mouth.

That was the day her heart first blossomed, and she clearly and definitely confirmed the maidenly feelings in her heart.

On the screen, Liu Yifei's selfies from the snowy ground after the Spring Festival Gala passed by one after another;

Traveling together on the Hollywood Walk of Fame;

The casting and wrap-up scenes of "Exotic Lands", the scenes between Zhen Zhibing and the Little Dragon Maiden in "Return of the Condor Heroes", and the hot pot after the Golden Globe Awards...

On stage, the eighteen-year-old girl was still clarifying her intentions on her own.

Off-stage, Liu Xiaoli, Yang Siwei, Mei Yanfang, and others who knew the inside story were already experiencing turbulent waves in their hearts!

Is this girl crazy?

So many reporters! So many guests!

You are a female star in the domestic entertainment industry who follows a pure route!

Even if you are an adult and there are no age barriers in choosing a partner, you can't be this unrestrained, right?

Mei Yanfang sighed inwardly that this was truly a girl with a clear heart, at least much more courageous than she was when she was young.

Zhou Xun also looked at Little Liu, who was blooming alone on stage regardless of others' gazes, with bright eyes.

Her white phosphorus-like personality was almost moved to the point of spontaneous combustion.

It was just that from the perspective of someone who had been through it, such a moth-to-a-flame act was too tragic.

Off-stage, the most anxious person was Yang Siwei, for whom she had been preparing for a long time for this day.

It was supposed to be a night of blooming flowers, taking advantage of the four major gimmicks of "Time", Pepsi, blogs, and the embassy to hype things up, combined with the upcoming hit "Zhu Xian 2" and "Exotic Lands 2", to let Liu Yifei reach a higher level.

This year it was the Pepsi China region, next year it would be the Greater China region or even the Asian region!

This year it was the Four Dan Actresses and the Two Bingbings and one Yifei, in a few years it would be Liu Yifei and the Four Dan Actresses and the Two Bingbings, and in a few more years it would be Liu Yifei and other female stars!

But what could be done now?

Should she go on stage and forcibly interrupt her?

Not to mention how messy and embarrassing the scene would be, for such a proud person, if she stopped this time, could she control the next time?

Yang Siwei unconsciously glanced at the solemn-faced Liu Xiaoli, not knowing what this old mother was thinking now.

Things having reached this point, the slightly plump agent, who had probably guessed Liu Yifei's intentions, could only pray that Lu Kuan, this "long-renowned" washing machine, could fulfill the girl's wish.

If the two could be united, even if the pure female star persona collapsed, the incomparably powerful resources of the Huawei brand would be more than enough to compensate.

But if it didn't work out...

Looking at the young director with a calm expression on stage again, she truly had a deeper understanding of her former boss's composure and thick-skinned nature.

With such a secret confession and a look that makes one pity her, couldn't you make your expression a little more vivid?

Yang Siwei felt a hint of an ominous premonition.

The slightly plump agent only felt that the clicking of the shutters in her ears was annoying, like countless locusts giving her a splitting headache, and she looked at the stage with the only hope in her heart.

Little Liu turned her head and looked straight into the young director's eyes, just like in the past.

"Lu Kuan."

"You are so smart, you should know what I want to say."

As if cursed by her cold voice, the increasingly restless guests and reporters on the scene suddenly fell silent.

At this moment, there was only one voice left in the whole world.

"It was you who told me that nothing is more harmful than 'not bad'."

"So I am no longer satisfied with our relationship remaining at the 'not bad' stage, it's either zero or everything."

"It was you who told me that an actor must have their own style, that an actor is an artist, and an actor is a warrior."

"So, in front of all the friends and elders I cherish and respect who are present today."

"I want to ask you in the way of an artist, with the courage of a warrior!"

"Lu Kuan!"

"If I am Romy Schneider, are you willing to be my Visconti?"

"If I am Camille, are you willing to be my Monet?"

Romy Schneider was Empress Sisi, and Visconti was the great European director who molded her into a Best Actress.

Camille was Monet's wife and beloved; in this life, this Impressionist master only painted that one woman.

Once upon a time, these were all images Lu Kuan had taught Little Liu, just like painting, drawing her into who she was today, stroke by stroke.

Suddenly, the girl stepped forward in her high heels.

Her smooth forehead was almost level with his nose, and her whole person displayed an extremely sharp posture.

Lu Kuan opened his eyes and looked carefully; the Liu Yifei before him was like the personification of various unique images in movies, constantly impacting his psychological defenses.

She was a silver-adorned blade, maintaining the dignity and purity of the feelings in her heart in a life-or-death manner;

She was a piece of exquisite porcelain, jumping down from a high platform, either you catch me, or I shatter into pieces;

She was a female NPC with a bug in a simulation game, but the save file could no longer be read, either continue or delete;

Yang Siwei felt that Boss Lu's expression was not vivid, that was because this young director, who was always confident, was indeed a bit shocked.

Just as Little Liu had guessed, he, this reborn person, had always been inclined to control and advance plans with a superior attitude.

Endless womanizing, unconstrained affairs, the rapid advancement of his business sectors, and a smooth path on the road of art.

To use an inappropriate analogy, this life was his simulation game.

Everything and everyone within his cognition was running on a predetermined track.

He could effortlessly follow the steps and assess the situation.

And Liu Yifei had been giving him "surprises" ever since the dissolution of Red Star Dock.

At first, it was some insignificant little temper and willfulness; Lu Kuan just took it as a young girl's arrogance from being spoiled, and he believed it was all still under his control.

Only after several face-to-face confrontations and speaking his mind did he confirm it clearly.

From the outside, "Mechanical Maiden" Liu, who seemed like a gift from the Creator, had already developed a strong sense of self-awareness and passed the Turing test.

What was he to do? Simply turn off her power? Build another mechanical maiden?

Or use the monstrous power of those in control of the domestic entertainment industry to force her to "submit"?

This was a dilemma between emotion and interest.

Lu Kuan had thought this day might come, but he hadn't expected it to arrive so suddenly.

This oil painting he had meticulously crafted really could not wait a single moment; today, just as she turned eighteen, she was going to leap right out of the frame and stand before him.

Looking at Liu Yifei’s expectant gaze, he opened his mouth to say something, but was suddenly interrupted by the rising chorus of gasps from the audience below!

"What is that!"

"Damn! This!"

"Isn't that Fan Bingbing?"

"That man is Director Lu!"

Liu Yifei turned her head to follow the reporters' gazes; the video clip of her on the big screen had been replaced, and the photo that met her eyes made her feel as if her heart were being torn apart!

In front of the villa, the streetlights were dim and yellow.

Fan Bingbing was squatting on the ground, touching the head of a three or four-year-old child, while Lu Kuan stood to the side, stooping down to "concernedly" check on the situation, with a middle-aged woman standing nearby looking anxious.

"Who is that woman?"

"Fan Bingbing's mother, she was snapped by paparazzi a few days ago."

"Then this child?"

"It must be Director Lu and..."

Perhaps cowed by Lu Kuan’s intimidating power, the discussion stopped abruptly there, turning into even more secretive whispers.

But the chaotic noise in the venue, sounding like a sudden downpour, was already like that sharp silver dinner knife on a cake, stabbing bloodily into Liu Yifei’s body and soul.

The silver hairpin had ultimately not been used to resist an enemy, but instead became the culprit of her self-destruction.

Standing on the stage, this heroine of today’s story felt in a trance as if she had become a lone boat in a vast ocean, experiencing a dizzying sense of imbalance.

She only hated that she had eyes, causing her to see such a heart-wrenching scene.

She only hated that she had ears, listening to the discussion—and perhaps mockery—that could no longer be suppressed in the banquet hall.

In the corner.

"Mi Mi, let's go back to our seats."

"Okay!"

Below the stage.

Yang Siwei knew she couldn't wait any longer; she reached out to push aside the staff and rushed into the media room herself—she had to cut this feed immediately.

The manager's decisiveness was still a step too slow; Su Chang, who had rushed in before her to see what was happening, only managed to see the figure wearing an advertising company vest fleeing into the distance.

This was a premeditated bribery.

She decisively gathered the nearby studio staff: "Guard the door, someone go call the security guards from the booth; get ready to check the reporters' cameras later!"

A reporter who had wanted to sneak away to post an article was intercepted: "What are you doing! Let go!"

"Do you understand freedom of the press?"

"If you don't open the door, I'm calling the police?!"

The entertainment reporters were nearly frantic, wanting only to protect their scoop and return to finish their articles.

Today's scene hardly needed any embellishment from their pens; a plain, direct account would be a masterpiece of domestic entertainment gossip!

The domestic female star's fashion queen, the top young actress, the genius director, and industry capital.

The eye-catching factor and buzz were maxed out!

In the seats, Liu Xiaoli, who had just been about to go on stage, was held back by her ex-husband.

"One has to go through it eventually; it's better to be hurt once and be clear-headed than to be hurt again later."

An Kang also felt terrible inside, but he couldn't help but maintain his composure as he looked at the invited counselor from the French Embassy: "Forgive the spectacle."

Pierre shook his head with an appreciative smile: "Your daughter is very French; she is like a romantic female knight."

Liu Xiaoli wore a miserable smile; she had anticipated this day, knowing that her daughter's independence and pride would lead her to hit a wall and get hurt.

But this kind of Don Quixote-like female knight—if it can be avoided, it's better not to be one.

On the stage, the female knight's world was in complete disarray.

Looking at the gloomy windmill before her, the tears of Don Quixote-Fei were already like a kite with a broken string, impossible to hold back any longer.

Liu tried hard to cast the chaotic world below the stage to the back of her mind, desperately suppressing the urge to flick her sleeves and leave.

She knew this accident was a conspiracy, but she didn't know if it was aimed at her, or at him?

The young girl did not want her feelings to be mistaken for a murder; using her remaining reason, she asked directly, knowing that Lu Kuan was still above lying to her:

"Is the photo real?"

"Yes."

"Is what they are saying true?"

"No."

Liu Yifei bit her lip hard, looking up at his inscrutable expression; he was likely thinking about the tangled web behind this conspiracy.

He was always so rational, as if emotional factors could never shake his decisions.

Seeing that she was about to become the laughingstock of the world, the young girl suppressed the negative emotions about to breach her dam and asked one last question.

"Can you cut off those relationships?"

Lu Kuan let out a long sigh and glanced at the microphone that had already been turned off.

"Her, I still have use for."

"Okay."

Liu Yifei seemed to lack the strength to say even one more word; she turned and walked toward the backstage, which then turned into a frantic, aimless flight.

The darkness leading to the outdoors before her was now the light she craved.

Fearing something might happen to her, Lu Kuan made a split-second decision, picked up the microphone, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone!"

The chaos at the scene froze.

The jostling reporters, the guests watching the spectacle, and the anxious friends and family all fell silent in unison, looking at the man on stage with the grim expression.

"Everyone who came today is a good friend; please do not spread private information unrelated to the event after the session. Thank you very much."

"Also."

"Yang Siwei, give me a list of all the media friends; I will visit them one by one tomorrow."

At the door, Yang Siwei, who had almost gotten into a fight with the reporters, seemed to have found her backbone and shouted back that she had received the order.

Lu Kuan nodded to Liu Xiaoli and the others below the stage, then turned to chase after Liu Yifei.

She hadn't gone far.

She also didn't know where to go.

In the past, there was a pen tracing the direction forward for her.

From now on, she might only be able to be as solitary as she was now.

Seeing Lu Kuan running toward her, Liu Yifei just stood there quietly; right now, there was a strange sense of calm in her heart.

Like a poor soul after a great earthquake, unable to cry.

Boss Lu chased out in a panic, but once he was truly in front of her, he didn't know what to say.

To some extent, the photo just now had saved him, giving him an impeccable excuse to escape yet another soul-piercing interrogation.

However, would she ask again next time?

Liu smiled at him calmly: "Don't worry, I'm just foolish, but I'm not crazy."

"Aside from acting, in these few years, I have still learned a few things from you."

Lu Kuan didn't know if there was sarcasm in her words, so he began to explain: "The photo just now..."

"Enough!"

"Don't say it!"

Liu Yifei’s volume was somewhat out of control; she couldn't wait to interrupt the man's perfunctory words, not wanting to recall that painful scene again.

What did it matter if the photo was real or fake?

It wasn't about the photo at all now.

When Lu Kuan said "Her, I still have use for," it had already signaled her own failure.

He would always place interests above emotions.

Liu Yifei could feel a trace of affection he had for her, but clearly, compared to the schemes in his mind, it didn't carry enough weight.

Liu, still wearing her white gown, appeared so icy and jade-like in the quiet summer night.

"You've said everything you needed to say; can you not force me to accept your prevarication anymore?"

The dried tears overflowed again, dripping onto her chapped lips, bitter and painful.

"Do you remember the time you were in a coma in Rongcheng? Actually, there were three names."

Mentioning that dream of Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly, Lu Kuan’s heart skipped a beat, as if an invisible hand had suddenly gripped his heart.

"The third name you said was Huang Yimei."

"I searched for a long time and found a similar name in a novel called 'Rose', and I finished reading that 'The Story of Rose'."

"It's very strange; a monologue by the Rose in the book made me feel inexplicably familiar, as if it had been carved into my brain in a past life."

Little Liu read out that monologue from the novel word by word, each pearl-like syllable striking Lu Kuan’s heart like a heavy hammer.

[From now on, the world is before me, pointing to every place I want to go.]

[I, completely and absolutely, am in charge of me.]

Liu Yifei gave a miserable smile: "I think I understand what it means now."

The young director’s heart could not stop sinking; he lunged forward, his hands gripping Little Liu’s shoulders tightly, his eyes revealing astonishment!

He had to see the girl before him clearly and carefully—was she Liu Yifei, or was she Huang Yi?

The fear he had spoken of to Bergman had once again become concrete!

In his comatose dream, he could only look at Huang Yi on the poster, gazing at her from afar.

That was the past life he feared returning to.

At this moment, feeling the softness and warmth coming from his palms, Lu Kuan could not help but pull Liu Yifei into his embrace!

This was the present life he was afraid of losing!

It seemed to be a cycle of fate; the Huang Yi he shouted for while in a coma had led Liu Yifei to read this book.

And the monologue she had just spoken unintentionally, on this late summer night, had dragged him back into the dream of fear.

Liu Yifei was held tightly in his arms, her smooth forehead pressed against the young director’s stubbled chin.

She could even feel the man’s rapid heartbeat, sensing with a flash of intuition that something was wrong.

Lu Kuan thirstily savored the girl’s faint fragrance and warm touch in his arms, afraid that if he let go, the dream would end.

A trace of suspicion arose in Little Liu’s heart.

His abnormality seemed to have started right after she finished that monologue, didn't it?

Or...

Was it the name Huang Yi?

At this moment, she did not understand, or perhaps she would never understand in her entire life, that she had become the spiritual anchor for this transmigrator.

When Lu Kuan was at a loss in the fear of reincarnation, she was his only coordinate and antidote in this life.

It was a pity that Liu Yifei, whose spiritual world had just suffered a devastating blow, could not empathize with him for the time being.

She pushed the young director away abruptly: "Enough! Let’s stop here."

"Everything that needed to be said, I have already made clear."

"From today on, I am no longer your painting."

As the beauty in his arms departed, the lingering warmth she left behind turned into a melancholy in the depths of his heart.

Lu Kuan stood where he was, inevitably thinking of the miserable, lonely old age that Bergman had described.

He wondered if, after letting go like this, he would also become such a pathetic old thing many years from now.

He instinctively wanted to call out to Liu Yifei as she walked into the darkness.

But before the words of retention could escape his lips, Su Chang suddenly ran over anxiously from the side door of the banquet hall!

"Director Lu, something has happened to Zhuang Xu!"

"What?"

Su Chang was burning with anxiety, feeling only that today was the worst day of his life.

"Just now, some people claiming to be from the Municipal Economic Investigation Bureau came, showed their credentials, and took him away!"

Lu Kuan’s heart skipped a beat; he knew this was the Zhou Army making their move.

Turning his head to look at that streak of pure white already fading from sight, he could only sigh silently.

"You go chase her and bring her back safely."

Lu Kuan took out his phone and turned around: "Hello? Old Dong, help me contact that person from dinner last time..."

Boss Lu’s figure also drifted further and further away, finally swallowed by the surging crowd pouring out of the banquet hall.

With the cool breeze of late summer brushing his face, Su Chang stood under the dim corridor light, watching the two people heading left and right with no small amount of melancholy.

He did not know when they would meet again.

(End of chapter)