April brought clear skies and sunshine to Feiyu Airport in Haicheng.
The flight from Australia touched down at ten in the morning. As Liang Yu stepped off the plane and walked down the sun-drenched corridor toward the exit, her mood shone as brightly as the spring sun.
Not long ago, through her own hard work, she’d aced the interview at Meng Zhiqiu’s studio and landed the role of her idol’s personal assistant.
The girl who’d once dreamed of breaking into showbiz by playing background extras six years prior had now reconciled with her parents, infiltrated the industry in a whole new way, and joined the team of her idol, Meng Zhiqiu.
With Meng Zhiqiu focusing on international projects these past couple of years—snagging the female lead in a major overseas IP film, no less—she needed a sharp, multilingual assistant who knew the ins and outs of foreign celebs and production companies. Liang Yu, with her years studying abroad and encyclopedic knowledge of it all, was the perfect fit.
Riding high on good spirits, she bounced along to the baggage claim, drawing plenty of stares.
While Liang Yu queued for her luggage, a young woman in a white button-up shirt and single-shoulder backpack sidled up beside her.
The carousel spun several rounds. As Liang Yu scanned left and right, her suitcase finally rolled into view. Her eyes lit up, and she stepped forward with a grin—only for the young woman to beat her to it, snagging the bag with one hand.
“Hey… I think that’s my luggage,” Liang Yu blurted.
The woman with the suitcase turned, eyeing her quizzically. “Yours? Feels like mine to me.”
Liang Yu stared at her face and gaped. “Y-You… you look just like… like…”
The strikingly beautiful young woman smiled and teased, “Just like Xiao Can, right?”
Liang Yu nodded furiously. “Yes, yes! Sis, you look exactly like Can-Can!”
The young woman—in her white shirt, single-shoulder bag, and neat ponytail—flashed a kind smile, straight-faced. “Everyone says that. Too bad, I’m not her.”
She leaned down to check the barcode on the suitcase, then pointed it out. “This one’s definitely mine. Yours must be the same color. Wait a bit longer.”
With a casual wave, she added, “Strangers crossing paths—have a great trip. See ya.”
The young woman strode off with her suitcase, her posture straight and bamboo-like. Liang Yu stood frozen, watching her go.
Following the airport signs, the young woman—Ye Can—reached the agreed exit and spotted a woman holding a sign that read “Ye Can.”
The woman wore a black suit and sunglasses, towering imposingly amid the crowd. Ye Can approached with her suitcase, frowning. “Tong Lin, right? Ye Shen sent you to pick me up?”
Tong Lin gazed at the young woman before her and replied crisply, “Yes! Welcome home, Second Miss!”
Ye Can pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperated. “I have a name. It’s Ye Can. Don’t call me Second Miss—it sounds awful.” Like I’m some total dimwit! How could someone as clever and quick-witted as me be a fool like that?
Before she could dwell, Tong Lin shot back firmly from the side, “Got it, Ye Can!”
Fine, whatever. Ye Shen’s people were all competent but clueless about vibes. Amid the sidelong glances from passersby, Ye Can swallowed her embarrassment and muttered, “Let’s go. I’m beat—get me home.”
Dragging her suitcase, Ye Can marched toward the parking lot.
On the drive to the Ye Family Old Mansion, Ye Can asked Tong Lin about Ye Shen. “How’s Ye Shen? Everything okay with the baby?”
Tong Lin gripped the wheel, eyes fixed ahead, replying methodically. “Director Ye is doing well overall, though she’s been overworking lately and is resting at home. The baby’s fine too—due in about a month.”
Ye Can murmured an “oh” and fell silent. Propping her cheek on her hand, she gazed at the shifting scenery outside. For some reason, a deep unease and melancholy welled up in her.
Returning to the city where she’d grown up felt both familiar and alien, laced with inexplicable guilt and restlessness.
Three years ago, she’d woken in a hospital late one night, convinced she’d driven off a cliff into the sea in a suicide attempt, only for Ye Shen to save her.
But Ye Shen had stared at her in shock, saying the suicide attempt was three years old. This time, the accident had come after filming a reality show—caught in an avalanche at the Ski Resort.
That was when Ye Can learned she’d lost all memory from the suicide attempt to the avalanche. According to Ye Shen’s files, after the suicide and amnesia, she’d awakened a new personality. Then, post-avalanche, a woman named Lin Zixi had saved her.
That other personality had apparently been head over heels for Lin Zixi, pulling off jaw-dropping stunts to win her over. Like sneaking onto her set as an extra just for a glance. Or dumping fifty million into her production and co-starring as a CP pair in a drama.
Worst of all, to earn her love, she’d gone by “Xiao Can,” breaking into showbiz to become a Weibo superstar with over a hundred million fans and even a Best Actress award.
Ye Can had felt ill after poring over the files.
This is what I’d do? No way! Showbiz? I’m a socially anxious disaster—what’s fun about that?
With her memories unrecoverable, Ye Can made a crucial decision: kill off Xiao Can.
Whether thriving in entertainment or chasing one woman, that was Xiao Can’s doing—not hers.
So, she’d declare Xiao Can socially dead.
A person without memories, without a past, was as good as gone. Xiao Can’s “death” would mark Ye Can’s rebirth.
Yet, oddly, the choice left her sad.
But I don’t remember. Without those memories, she couldn’t reciprocate the love and passion others had for Xiao Can. For someone like her, lost memories meant dead emotions—and a dead identity.
At least, after the announcement, Xiao Can would live on in fans’ hearts.
With the showbiz persona handled, only Lin Zixi remained.
Per Ye Shen, only Xiao Can, Lin Zixi, and Ye Shen knew about their secret romance. airtight.
Once she grasped that, Ye Can decided: when Lin Zixi woke, she’d come clean about her identity and admit she remembered nothing.
In other words, break up and tell her: Pretend Xiao Can’s dead.
Xiao Can’s girlfriend? None of my business.
But when Ye Can recovered and stood by the comatose Lin Zixi’s bed, gazing at her face, those plans evaporated.
For no reason she could name, her first thought was: I’m so glad to be alive.
More precisely, so glad to be alive and see this Lin Zixi.
Tears slipped unbidden from her eyes. Staring at the woman on the bed, another thought bloomed: when Lin Zixi woke, she’d ask if she minded starting over, memories or not.
Even if it wasn’t the same personality, this person brought Ye Can a blooming warmth and peace.
Clinging to that, Ye Can kept vigil by Lin Zixi’s bed for three days. Sadly, when Lin Zixi awoke, she’d lost all memories of Xiao Can too.
From that moment, they were strangers who’d only heard of their love from others—no shared recollections.
Ye Can watched from the corner as Lin Zixi blinked up at the doctor in confusion. Her heart clenched.
It hurts. A dull, throbbing pain. So much.
As if the avalanche had buried Xiao Can and Lin Zixi’s love together. Ye Can grieved for it.
For reasons she couldn’t pinpoint, she fled the room like it was on fire, then the hospital, then the city—off to wander the world.
She hadn’t seen Lin Zixi since, nor returned here.
The love once showered on Xiao Can had left a lingering warmth for the always-lonely Ye Can, teaching her the joy of living and the will to keep going.
So for three years, she’d taken up painting classes, roamed the globe sketching, capturing vibrant plants and animals everywhere.
If not for Ye Shen deciding on a baby a year ago—successfully pregnant, but recently fainting from overwork—Ye Can wouldn’t have dragged herself from Australia’s plains to cover meetings back home.
Sighing softly against the window, Ye Can’s eyes filled with resignation.
Gazing at the view, she traced a finger on the glass, mindlessly writing “Lin Zixi.”
Realizing it, she paused. Since I’m back, and we’ve both forgotten… why not check up on her?
That face had haunted her thoughts these three years.
Different personality or not, it’s still me. Same tastes. Why not give in?
As these thoughts swirled, Tong Lin’s car eased into the suburbs, toward the Ye Family Old Mansion.
![The Goddess Would Rather Break Than Bend [Entertainment Circle]](https://i0.wp.com/dobytranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/cattt.jpg?resize=151,215 "The Goddess Would Rather Break Than Bend [Entertainment Circle]")
