Chapter 1

In March, Shanghai’s night air was thick with fog. As soon as one stepped into the night, it felt light and ethereal.

Ni Kailun was driving, passing through the underground garage entrance. She looked up, seeing the night sky between the towering buildings, shrouded in a hazy black mist.

When she opened the door to her apartment, the lights were on.

A figure was sprawled on the sofa.

Her eyes were half-closed, her small face had red lips, but the lipstick was smeared, and her long black hair was messy. She was wearing a dark green satin dress, and her stockings were rolled into a ball and thrown on the carpet. Beneath the dress, her bare, slender calves were exposed.

She looked like a seductive ghost wandering out of a deep forest.

Ni Kailun bent down and patted the girl’s bottom. “Why don’t you go back to your own place?”

Huang Xitang buried her head in the cushion and quietly said, “My mom’s still awake.”

Ni Kailun’s expression softened with understanding. She threw her crocodile-skin bag aside and sat down beside her.

Xitang shifted slightly, curling up her legs against Kailun’s arm, gently rubbing them.

“Hey,” Ni Kailun pushed her, “Are you really going to sleep with all that makeup on your face?”

Xitang mumbled in agreement, too lazy to move.

Ni Kailun said, “Oli Zu got a water-light injection last month. Do you think you’re still young?”

Huang Xitang sat up. Oli Zu was a new girl in the company, with a plump figure and a sweet smile, going for a youthful, sexy style.

Xitang said, “She’s only twenty and getting injections?”

Ni Kailun replied, “She’s probably in her twenties.”

Xitang sighed disinterestedly, “Another one who’s lying about their age. In this industry, age seems like a female star’s worst enemy.”

Ni Kailun glanced her up and down. “You guys, with your formal training, have your records and files that can be checked. Otherwise…”

Xitang waved her hand. “I’m not like that.”

Ni Kailun grumbled, “You’re too late to get famous. In two years, all the male actors will be younger than you. You won’t even be able to get a role.”

Xitang sighed lazily. “Not only late, I’m not even famous yet.”

Ni Kailun kicked her on the thigh. “Go remove your makeup! You’re going to ruin your career being so lazy as a star!”

Xitang grumbled but went to remove her makeup.

When she came back after washing her face, Ni Kailun was tidying up her makeup bag and casually tossed a bottle of essence water to her.

Xitang caught it, sitting on the sofa but suddenly went into a daze.

Ni Kailun stared at her bare-faced face for a while and, dissatisfied, commented, “After all those years in Hengdian, you really ruined your good skin.”

Xitang heard this and made a face at her, pouting her lips.

Ni Kailun, seeing her indifference, became irritated. “Don’t take this lightly. Do you think you can just stay in the crew for your whole life? This industry is cruel. When you go out for a commercial event, if you stand on stage and compare yourself to other actresses, your complexion will look dull, you’ll be a few shades darker than others, and the media and fans will ridicule you. Then you’ll know what the real world is like.”

Xitang instantly felt a headache coming on and quickly began slapping the essence water onto her face.

Ni Kailun was finally satisfied. She glanced at Xitang. “You came back early. How was your date with Dr. Xie?”

Xitang honestly replied, “We had dinner, then I came back.”

“Didn’t watch a movie?”

“No, it’s not convenient.”

Ni Kailun knew it wasn’t just an excuse. The Last Princess of the Heir had been airing for quite a while, and the general public was starting to recognize her face.

The last time they had dinner near the company, Xitang dressed casually without any disguise, and as soon as they entered, a woman at the next table recognized her. It turned out that the nearby table was a group of middle-aged women having a gathering. Once that woman shouted out, they were quickly surrounded by excited fans. Ni Kailun, well-versed in such situations, expertly played her role as a manager, using her thick Hong Kong-accented Mandarin to chat with the aunties. Ni Kailun had been working in mainland China for nearly twenty years, and her Mandarin was standard, but for some reason, those women seemed to be particularly fond of her accent. They were all eager and cheerful. Ni Kailun quickly directed a group photo and whisked Xitang away. Since then, Ni Kailun had become more cautious. Whenever Xitang went out, there was a tight circle of protection—from managers to assistants and makeup artists, almost entirely avoiding crowds.

Seeing that Huang Xitang had zoned out again, Ni Kailun spoke lightly, “Dr. Xie seems like a nice guy.”

Huang Xitang slightly raised her head and glanced at her. Since she met Xie Zhenbang, Ni Kailun had never given any opinions. She thought the company didn’t like artists to be involved in relationships.

A hint of coldness appeared in Xitang’s eyes.

Ni Kailun said, “Girls should still fall in love, otherwise, there’s no glow in your face.”

“I asked Dr. Xie to Google your name. Not only did he not get scared off, but he also came to tell me that he respects your public image.” Ni Kailun thought about it and couldn’t help but laugh.

Xitang’s meeting with Xie Zhenbang wasn’t entirely by chance. The second time they met, he asked for her phone number. Standing in the hospital corridor, he took a pen from his white coat pocket and handed it to her with a straightforward expression, his healthy, tan skin, and a smile that revealed his white teeth.

Xitang had no reason to refuse him because he had just diagnosed her mother’s illness, so she politely smiled and took the pen from him.

The next moment, Ni Kailun stormed in from the hallway and slapped her hand away with a fierce expression.

Xitang could only smile apologetically at him.

“I’m sorry,” the young overseas-educated doctor’s eyes smiled slightly behind his glasses, and he shrugged casually with a touch of half-serious, half-joking teasing. “What happened? Aren’t you over sixteen?”

“He’s quite handsome, received Western education,” Ni Kailun started talking, seemingly more excited as the conversation went on. She poked Xitang. “Hey, this is exactly the kind of guy female celebrities love to marry, much better than those middle-aged rich men with greasy hair and big ears. No wonder your mom cares so much. I was saying, you...”

Xitang stayed still and suddenly interrupted her, “Alright, Kailun...”

She raised her hand to cover her face.

Ni Kailun stopped.

Xitang remained silent for a long time before softly saying, “I tried, but it’s hard to get involved.”

Ni Kailun could sense the despair in her voice. It had been almost five months since she returned from Beijing.

The last time she broke up with that person, it was a painful, soul-wrenching experience.

This time, the person was intact, walked away without injury, and gained a lot, but her soul was slowly withering. Ni Kailun knew that Xitang just didn’t mention it; she wasn’t okay.

Ni Kailun had even tried to put a positive spin on things.

Xitang covered her face. “The other person is so full of passion, I feel guilty.”

Ni Kailun comforted her, saying, “It’s just a date, not like I’m asking you to promise forever. None of us are fools. A man enjoys your beauty, your smart and lovely personality. If one day he doesn’t get what he wants, he’ll naturally leave.”

Xitang looked up at her but didn’t say anything.

Ni Kailun pulled her into an embrace. Xitang opened her eyes wide with a blank expression. There were no tears left.

After a while, Ni Kailun received an urgent work call. When she returned, she saw Huang Xitang still curled up on her sofa, staring off into space.

From behind, Ni Kailun looked at her profile. Huang Xitang was lost in thought, immersed in her silence. When she was still, her sharp nose emanated a stubborn and repressed air. The company had once filmed a short clip of her, which was shown on the 100-inch screen in the sixth-floor AV room. Her face took up half of the big screen. The 24-frame shot almost froze, with close-ups of her emotions. Her beauty stood up to the test of a long camera shot in high-definition format, and even the small freckle under her eye, bare-faced, was breathtakingly beautiful.

Ni Kailun quietly calculated. She still had a contract for a period drama, along with several endorsement deals and variety shows in the works. There were also good scripts to find...

She knew the industry too well. For actresses in their thirties, the last few years before they hit forty were like precious gold. A woman’s beauty generally peaks during this time, and her life experience becomes more pronounced. There was no better time to grasp and interpret a role.

An actress’s youth fades quickly. If she didn’t become truly famous in these years, she would never have another chance.

Huang Xitang had to seize this opportunity—she was returning to the big screen.