Chapter 4

Even in the peak of summer, the hotpot restaurant was packed with a steady stream of customers.

Standing under the big red lantern at the entrance, Qiao Yan looked disdainful. “Stomachache?”

Fang Nianchen confessed frankly, “Fake.”

Qiao Yan looked at her helplessly. “Why?”

“Why so many whys? Let’s go in.” Fang Nianchen was afraid she’d probe further and see through her, so she hurriedly pushed her into the shop.

Once inside, the two ordered their food without exchanging a single word, relying entirely on their years of tacit understanding.

It wasn’t until the server left with the menu and the surroundings quieted down enough for chatting that Qiao Yan finally spoke up. “You’re saying Director Yu dragged you off to give you stomach medicine? That’s too far-fetched. Is she really that kind-hearted?”

On the way over, she’d chattered nonstop and pried two things out of Fang Nianchen’s mouth:

One, her stomachache was fake; two, she and Yu Wan had gone downstairs to get stomach medicine.

Hearing an employee was unwell—one second she’s stern-faced picking faults, the next she’s all warm-hearted fetching medicine. This boss must be schizophrenic or something.

Fang Nianchen pretended to be calm as she stirred her dipping sauce with her chopsticks. “What’s so unbelievable about that? We’re all women; caring for each other is nothing.”

There was a faint tremble in her tone, but it was drowned out by the loudmouth at the next table.

Qiao Yan propped her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “By that logic, if I’m feeling bad next time, she’ll give me medicine too?”

“Yeah,” Fang Nianchen nodded. “You can try it.”

Try it and you’re dead.

Qiao Yan sighed. “Fine, I was judging a gentleman with a petty heart.”

She thought their actions today were suspicious, but after all, she’d known Fang Nianchen for nearly a decade, so she chose to believe her. Besides, if they really knew each other, why would she hide it?

What, some illicit affair?

At that thought, her gaze swept over Fang Nianchen.

Silly and naive… impossible.

The copper hotpot was served, and Qiao Yan grabbed her chopsticks to go straight for the meat.

Anyway, Fang Nianchen was treating; might as well eat her fill.

Halfway through the meal, Fang Nianchen’s phone rang—it was Tao Zhixing calling. She glanced at Qiao Yan and asked, “Check your phone. Is it on silent?”

Tao Zhixing didn’t call her often, and ever since she and Qiao Yan started working at the same company, almost everything was relayed through Qiao Yan via Tao Zhixing’s calls.

Her reaching out directly now could only mean one thing.

“Huh?” Qiao Yan gripped her chopsticks in her palm and tapped her phone. “It really is…”

But when she saw the notification on the screen, her face instantly darkened. “Is she nuts? Twenty-plus missed calls—anyone who didn’t know would think she was on her deathbed leaving me her inheritance.”

Fang Nianchen laughed and stopped her. “Don’t curse her like that.”

In her impression, Qiao Yan had always been this fierce only to her.

She hit accept and put it on speaker. Tao Zhixing asked lazily, “Is Qiao Yan with you? She’s not picking up—such a pain. That damn woman must be off fooling around with some little sister again. Whenever there’s something, she’s nowhere to be found.”

Fang Nianchen glanced at Qiao Yan’s expression and saw half her face go black.

Qiao Yan was about to explode when Fang Nianchen held her back. “Tell me, and I’ll pass it on.”

“Fine.” Tao Zhixing said, “She told me she wants to go camping this Saturday. I’ve found a spot; the booking needs all three of our ID numbers. Send me yours.”

Tao Zhixing had always been the most proactive of the three, but Fang Nianchen hadn’t expected it this fast.

“Just mine? What about Xiao Yan?”

“I’ve got her ID number memorized backwards and forwards from all the trips we took in uni—you know that.” Tao Zhixing sounded disdainful. “Every time it’s ‘gotta accompany Senior,’ accompany this, accompany that…”

Suddenly, she fell silent, as if realizing Fang Nianchen didn’t want to hear about this.

She coughed to cover it up. “Anyway, remember to send it. See you Saturday—I’ll pick you up at your place.”

They chatted a bit more, like what to prep for camping—Tao Zhixing took it all on herself—before hanging up.

Qiao Yan held it together pretty well, not snatching the phone to curse her out, even though the disdain in Tao Zhixing’s tone was overflowing.

Fang Nianchen quickly changed the subject. “Do you know what procedures it takes to meet one of the company’s artists?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s definitely not easy.” Qiao Yan shot her a curious look. “Who do you want to see?”

“Quan Cige.”

Qiao Yan paused. “Why?”

Fang Nianchen had never been into stanning idols, as far as she knew.

Fang Nianchen told her about that afternoon’s events and even pulled out the letter as proof. Qiao Yan didn’t doubt it, just said, “Tough.”

Even no-name artists had hurdles; with Quan Cige blowing up lately, the company’s protections were airtight. You couldn’t even catch a glimpse of her.

But after a moment, she suddenly remembered something. “There’s a set visit this Thursday—you know how stars love hyping that ‘relatable’ persona now. Quan Cige’s coming to the office building for a vlog or whatever. You could try then, but no guarantees.”

At least it wasn’t zero chance.

Fang Nianchen nodded. “Got it.”

Just thinking it was another hot potato dumped by Yu Wan made Qiao Yan unhappy. “Director Yu sure doesn’t hold back—first day on the job and she’s bossing you around. Yeah, she plays the nice guy, but all the headaches land on you. I think she’s deliberately making things hard for you.”

Qiao Yan couldn’t resist adding, “Now I think she’s just pretty; her character… leaves something to be desired.”

Fang Nianchen countered, “You don’t even know her.”

They said looks reflect the heart, let alone Yu Wan.

Setting everything else aside, Yu Wan was the senior she respected most—never heard a bad word about her in four years of university.

No one could just claim the “untouchable flower” title. Without solid character, where’d all the praise come from?

As for troubling others… blame herself for not refusing Xiao Ning’an’s request. If this was part of looking out for her, she’d accept it.

“Hmph, I don’t know her—does that mean you do?” Qiao Yan grumbled, unconvinced.

Did she know Yu Wan?

Fang Nianchen fell silent, lowering her eyes.

After a moment, she said softly, “I don’t.”

Her instinctive defense earlier had almost made her forget: the Yu Wan she knew was the admired and revered Senior Yu from six years ago, not this Director Yu who’d suddenly appeared.

Six years brought changes to everyone equally.

The current Yu Wan sparked resistance and awkwardness in her. How could she lie to herself that Yu Wan hadn’t changed at all?

But…

“But I believe she absolutely wouldn’t deliberately make things hard for me.”

Seeing she couldn’t sway her, Qiao Yan shrugged indifferently. “Suit yourself. Don’t come crying when she bullies you.”

—

On Thursday, just as Qiao Yan said, Quan Cige showed up at the company building.

At Yunqi, artists dropping by work sites was common, so everyone was used to it. Even her fans just kept working diligently.

It wasn’t until her manager announced filming wrapped and brief fan interactions were allowed that people gradually gathered around.

By the time Fang Nianchen got the message and hurried over, quite a crowd had formed near Quan Cige, but they’d all politely left her some space.

Fang Nianchen wasn’t into idols, but she could feel their unusual excitement now—the little girl from that day had given her the same vibe.

If she really told her she’d mistaken the person, it’d be more than just disappointment. Compared to her simple idea, Yu Wan’s approach was already the best solution.

Fang Nianchen stood on the outermost edge, patiently waiting in line.

The night before, she’d searched Quan Cige’s wiki pages online, and the feedback was unanimously about her being cold and unapproachable—which fueled black fans accusing her of putting on airs.

There was plenty of dirt online, all clips of her “speaking out of turn.”

Fang Nianchen didn’t pay much mind to the online hype; she didn’t like forming opinions from others’ mouths, since those were always biased.

Quan Cige had a straight, poised figure and stood out at a glance amid the crowd.

Her brows, her gait, even her unsmiling pursed lips were so like Yu Wan’s—only the strong sense of unfamiliarity on her let Fang Nianchen quickly tell them apart.

Fang Nianchen zoned out just a bit before she was waved forward.

Quan Cige had a faint professional smile on her face; a tiny tweak and it’d turn blank.

Fang Nianchen hurriedly handed over the letter. “Teacher Quan…”

“Where to sign?” Quan Cige looked up, pen still in hand.

Up close, seeing Quan Cige’s face—so strikingly similar it was shocking—Fang Nianchen wondered to herself: if she ran into them on the street, could she even tell them apart?

Quan Cige had classic almond eyes, full of depth on other stars, but on her, they just conveyed calm self-possession.

Fang Nianchen said, “The other day at the company entrance, I ran into one of your fans. She wrote this letter and asked me to pass it to you.”

She didn’t drag Yu Wan into it any further.

She had always had an opinion about everyone saying that Yu Wan looked like Quan Cige. In her view, Yu Wan was Yu Wan—she didn’t need to resemble anyone, nor could she be replaced by anyone.

As she spoke, she handed over the letter she had prepared in advance.

The envelope bore the delicate touch unique to a young girl, with the Q-version image customized by the fan support club for Quan Cige, which had a cute contrast to the real person.

“Thank you.” Quan Cige reached out to take it, showing no surprise, as if she were used to this kind of thing.

Fang Nianchen’s work badge hung on her chest, swaying left and right restlessly with her movements. Because it was her first time being so close to a celebrity, she was a bit nervous and didn’t notice.

But Quan Cige’s gaze was drawn to it.

Fang Nianchen?

Quan Cige’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes couldn’t help but glance upward, toward her face.

What a comfortable-looking face.

Those eyes were excessively clear and enthusiastic. When they looked at her, Quan Cige felt like a cat lounging on a cool mat in the sun—relaxed and at ease.

She also saw a line written next to the name: HR Department.

She understood, and unconsciously lifted the corners of her lips.

A smug smile, like she had uncovered a huge secret.

Quan Cige’s heart raced with excitement, but on the surface, she remained calm and breezy. She picked up a signed photo of herself and handed it to Fang Nianchen, treating her like any other fan.

Back in school, Fang Nianchen had never been interested in chasing stars. Even after joining an entertainment company, she worked in HR, a department that rarely interacted with artists.

But with so many fans watching, she didn’t want to stand out as different.

The best way to avoid trouble for herself or embarrassing the other party was to shut up and accept it.

Fang Nianchen took it with both hands. “Thank you.”

She was the last one to approach Quan Cige. The assistant looked back and exchanged a glance with Quan Cige before saying, “Teacher Quan’s shoot for today is over. Thank you everyone, you’ve all worked hard.”

“Teacher Quan, see you at the preview screening!”

“Teacher Quan, I’ll always support you!”

Listening to the fans’ enthusiastic farewells, Fang Nianchen stood at the front but didn’t feel a strong urge to express anything. Her smile was awkward.

When the crowd finally filed out of the lounge, she wanted to leave with them.

“Fang Nianchen,” Quan Cige called her in a voice only the two of them could hear, “I’ve remembered you.”

The declarative tone left Fang Nianchen uncertain. In that second, she even mentally reviewed her earlier actions: nothing improper.

Seeing her flustered and at a loss, Quan Cige smiled. “I mean in a good way.”

This smile was exceptionally sincere, and Fang Nianchen felt it, but her unease didn’t lessen much.

Should she thank a celebrity for remembering her?

She had never encountered a situation like this, so she didn’t know.

Quan Cige propped her chin and looked at her. “I like your eyes. They’re very pretty.”

It wasn’t just pretty in a simple way—the light-colored irises made her seem smart at first glance.

This was clearly a compliment, and Fang Nianchen knew how to respond. “Thank you…”

Quan Cige stood up and extended her hand toward her, saying in a friendly manner, “Hope we can meet again next time.”

Fang Nianchen stood there stiffly like a utility pole. Seeing the outstretched hand, she felt extremely uneasy and mechanically raised her own to shake it.

At this moment, she thought the harsh comments from those anti-fans online about Quan Cige were too much—the real person was actually very friendly.

Quan Cige left the Yunqi building with her manager.

As soon as she got in the car and hadn’t even settled in, Quan Cige immediately dialed a number.

She seemed incredibly impatient.

The moment the call connected, she hurriedly said, “Don’t hang up yet!”

She sounded panicked and frantic, completely devoid of the poise expected from a top-tier actress, a far cry from her elegant image just moments ago—like she had been possessed by another personality.

Cold? Heartless?

The manager seemed used to it but still couldn’t help frowning.

Actually, compared to Quan Cige, the person she was calling was the truly indifferent one. After just one meeting, they wanted no further contact with her.

“Speak.” Yu Wan tossed a single cold word at her.

She had always disliked Quan Cige’s personality.

Immature, unstable.

Debuting at sixteen and struggling in the entertainment industry for years hadn’t smoothed out her brash and noisy nature. It was like she had suffered backlash from the persona the company assigned her, making her especially fond of stirring up trouble for no reason.

Especially when it came to making things difficult for her—she never got tired of it.

“You said you didn’t want to see me, but you ended up giving me a huge surprise. Thanks oh.” Quan Cige said smugly, “I knew there was no way you’d suddenly return to North City and come to Yunqi for no reason. Turns out you’re lovesick and lost your mind.”

Yu Wan had chosen to jump ship to Yunqi seemingly overnight.

She had finally escaped North City, only to return without hesitation, even risking getting into trouble.

Yu Wan had flaws, but stupidity wasn’t one of them.

Quan Cige had been puzzled by this for a long time. Every time she asked, Yu Wan brushed it off, saying it was for the money—Yunqi offered her a high salary.

But that wasn’t true.

Her old company had been willing to pay double to keep her, even promising more power, so that excuse didn’t hold up.

If she hadn’t met Fang Nianchen today, she probably would have stayed in the dark for who knows how long.

But Yu Wan acted like she hadn’t heard. “Nothing else? Hanging up.”

This person was still so annoying!

What Quan Cige hated most was Yu Wan not taking her seriously.

But this time, she felt like she’d found Yu Wan’s weak spot— all thanks to the vulnerability Yu Wan had delivered right to her.

Quan Cige chuckled lightly, seemingly casually teasing, “That little cutie in your department is really adorable. Fang Nianchen, right?”

There was still no response from the other end, but the call didn’t hang up.

See, hooked. Quan Cige thought triumphantly.

She continued, “So you came back to North City to find her, right?”

After waiting a bit, a response came from the other end: “No.”

“You are, you definitely are!” Quan Cige was happier than if she’d won an award. “Fang Nianchen—you used to mention her a lot, and you—”

“Quan Cige.” Yu Wan interrupted her.

The one whose name was called had her lips curved up, looking innocent. “Hm?”

“Behave yourself.”

It clearly carried a warning, but Quan Cige heard it for what it was—Yu Wan begging her not to expose all her little secrets.

She knew she’d won thoroughly this time, but she still wasn’t satisfied. “Fine, I can behave, but you have to promise me one condition.”

A short sigh came from the other end. “What?”

“No overtime this Saturday. Come camping with me. Qing-jie will be there too.”

Quan Cige confidently waited for Yu Wan to agree, but Yu Wan paused. “We’ll talk later. Very busy lately.”