Chapter 2

Leng Xiang grabbed her hair and got out of bed. After washing up, she returned to the bedroom to change clothes. She had just put on her top when the sound of keys clinking came from the front door. Someone opened it from outside.

Someone had quietly slipped inside.

She had an interview scheduled that day and was still getting dressed, wearing only panties on her lower half. Her long, pale legs were bare as she stood on the cold, damp wooden floor. She had just taken a suitable pair of pants from the closet when she turned and was startled by the person appearing in the bedroom doorway.

Leng Xiang clutched the pants and pointed at her. “How do you walk so quietly!”

Shen Cheng had a key to her place. She leaned against the bedroom doorframe, sizing her up from head to toe. Her gaze lingered on those legs for a moment before she looked up to meet her eyes. “Who else would show up at your place at this hour? The station notified us we have to be there by eight-thirty. Hurry up—I bought breakfast for you and left it outside.”

Shen Cheng was her manager and had been by her side since her debut at fifteen. Ten years in total.

Shen Cheng was only a few years older than her. When Leng Xiang first debuted, Shen Cheng had just joined Excellence Media as a manager, and the fifteen-year-old Leng Xiang was her first artist.

In the early years, when Leng Xiang was at the peak of her fame, Shen Cheng deserved some credit. She naturally gained a certain status at Excellence Media. With her strong abilities, she had risen to gold-card manager status over the past decade.

But in recent years, Leng Xiang had been shelved. Shen Cheng wanted to help but was powerless.

During those years, she had managed several newcomers, almost all of whom she had single-handedly made famous. Her work focus had gradually shifted, and the higher-ups had even suggested handing Leng Xiang off to another manager so Shen Cheng could focus more on nurturing new talent.

But Shen Cheng refused.

Logically speaking, Leng Xiang had been shelved for years, so there wasn’t much to manage.

Emotionally, she had watched Leng Xiang grow up from fifteen to twenty-five now. No matter how hard-hearted one was, it was impossible to completely let go.

Leng Xiang was someone who couldn’t stand the dark side of the entertainment industry. She had pride and backbone.

In polite terms, she was straightforward, frank, open, and generous.

In harsher terms, she didn’t know the rules, couldn’t adapt, would rather break than bend, with a spine so straight it pierced the clouds.

When Shen Cheng was younger, she had admired Leng Xiang quite a bit. After watching her rise and fall over the years, and now hit rock bottom, she had tried to help. But no matter how well she did at Excellence Media, she couldn’t overturn the higher-ups’ decision to shelve Leng Xiang.

She was powerless to help.

Shen Cheng watched her finish dressing, eat breakfast, and pack up. “You have a gig today, right? I’ll drive you to the station.”

Leng Xiang got into Shen Cheng’s car. As Shen Cheng started the engine, she said, “Qin Wen just got back from some remote mountain area yesterday. He should be at the station now too. You’re finally in the same place—perfect chance to meet up.”

Qin Wen was her boyfriend, a rising young actor. They had been together for three years, and their relationship was fairly stable.

Recently, Qin Wen had gone off to film a drama, playing a minor male third lead. The director was the hot new talent Jiang Sisi, and the crew had holed up in Y City for three months.

Qin Wen was busy filming, and they had been in a long-distance relationship for three years. No one had even noticed they were dating.

Leng Xiang asked, “He got back yesterday?”

Shen Cheng replied, “Yeah, their crew wrapped a few days ago. The flight landed at ten last night, and there’s probably a wrap party waiting when he got back.”

Shen Cheng had a newbie girl playing the female third lead in their crew named Yu Shan, who had wrapped and returned too. Shen Cheng was familiar with their schedule.

Seeing her expression, Shen Cheng knew she had no idea. “He probably got back too late last night and didn’t want to disturb you, so he didn’t say anything.”

Leng Xiang turned to look out the window, her face darkening. She didn’t respond. Outside, the rain poured heavily, streams of water trickling down the window.

They arrived at the station. Shen Cheng had other business, so Leng Xiang headed alone to the recording studio for today’s show.

The talk show was called Heart Has Voice, airing Friday nights after the hottest variety show Welcome to Star. It followed two episodes of prime-time TV dramas, ending around eleven-thirty to lull viewers who had binged the dramas into sleep, reminding them it was late.

Heart Has Voice was just casual chat—life, dreams—utterly dull and boring.

The host was new to the station, not very professional. Assigned to this show right away, she seemed to have given up on her future. She read the script in a lifeless drone and chatted with Leng Xiang.

They talked life and ideals, the same old topics.

—Why did you enter this industry? How did you get into it?

Leng Xiang answered earnestly.

—Ten years ago, by chance, I acted in a drama and entered the circle.

—I like acting. It’s an abstract art form, portraying different personalities from the script. You have to nail the tone, psychology—everything. Immersing in the script is fun; it lets you forget reality and become another person. Isn’t life about pursuing different versions of yourself?

—But you haven’t had any works in recent years?

—Family issues came up. I’m regretful too—no suitable opportunities.

The interview wrapped. She wasn’t sure if the next gig would happen.

Leng Xiang left the studio and took a call from the landlady. The heavy rains lately had caused leaks in the old house’s wooden floors during the rainy season. She was waiting at the door to let her in and fix it.

Leng Xiang agreed and hurried to the entrance. A crowd had gathered in the TV station lobby—over a dozen people clustered around someone, quite the entourage.

In the center was a woman whose looks weren’t standout in the entertainment world but still attractive.

Leng Xiang had been called a beauty her whole life and didn’t fixate on others’ appearances, but she couldn’t help glancing at the woman’s face a couple extra times.

Finally, she recognized her.

Jiang Sisi, host of the smash hit Welcome to Star. Rumor had it she started hosting at sixteen and single-handedly saved the live show no one believed in.

At the height of her hosting career, her dad—the station director—sent her abroad for four years to study directing. Back home, she hosted while directing.

Hosting and directing were totally different fields, but Jiang Sisi made both thrive. Her films looked professional, and last year, one even won a prodigy award.

Leng Xiang remembered Shen Cheng mentioning that morning: Jiang Sisi’s crew had wrapped days ago, flight back at ten last night.

It made sense for her to be at the station now.

A few years back, when Leng Xiang was still hot, she guested on Jiang Sisi’s Welcome to Star. Jiang Sisi’s few words left her red-faced, mortified, nearly unable to leave the stage.

It was live, so that humiliating scene became her eternal black mark.

From then on, Leng Xiang avoided Jiang Sisi on sight.

Plus, a few years ago, during a drama, props malfunctioned and nearly injured her. In a bad mood, she snapped at the crew. Someone filmed it and posted online.

Weibo exploded into a war, netizens blasting her for diva behavior.

Jiang Sisi chimed in with a couple comments—Leng Xiang couldn’t recall what now—but after that, she never gave Jiang Sisi another glance.

No other interactions between them.

The landlady called again to urge her. Leng Xiang hurriedly left the station.

It was still pouring outside. She had no umbrella—Shen Cheng drove her that morning, so she forgot.

She gritted her teeth, about to dash into the rain, when she spotted a familiar car and person in the parking spots at the station entrance.