20 Chapter 18

Rookie actress Zhou Siyou—gorgeous, arrogant, and utterly shameless in speech—was known as the entertainment industry's walking contrarian.

She had once pulled off the feat of racking up a triple-digit count of censored expletives within a single hour-long livestream.

And yet, the moment she crashed into Zhong Qing, that invincible contrarian was tamed into complete submission.

***

Everyone assumed Zhou Siyou and Zhong Qing met for the first time on the year-end red carpet.

An arrogant actress famous for all the wrong reasons, doomed to another empty-handed year; a dazzling new master director with glory to spare.

When their eyes met, there was only faint emotion in them—unfamiliar and estranged.

In one instant, they brushed past each other.

Yet for no reason at all, Zhou Siyou found herself thinking of many years ago, of how Zhong Qing had once led her to skip class.

A gentle girl standing beneath the slanting shadows of trees, summer light dancing in her black hair.

Zhong Qing had smiled at her and said, "Jump. I'll catch you."

***

A narrow, illusory dream—the colorless, real us.

***