After giving Nuomi a “lesson in modesty,” Yan Man left with her cat carrier.

She left the man sitting on the edge of his bed, lost in deep thought for a long time.

Yan Man slept soundly that night.

After two or three months of hard work, she had completed another major milestone in her life. It was as if she were making up for all the sleep she had missed in recent days. She slept until noon and was then dragged out of bed by Simon to get ready for styling.

There was a live broadcast of the celebratory banquet this afternoon.

By the time her hair and makeup were done, it was already past five o’clock. Yan Man received her room number and headed to the banquet.

Everyone else had arrived, leaving only one empty seat for her—next to Ye Lin.

As Yan Man sat down, the chat was satisfied: [Thank you, excellent actors, for giving up your seats! You are all witnesses to Yan and Ye’s love!]

[Already prepared to ship them (picking up my knife and fork).]

Passerby: [Isn’t it normal for the champion to sit next to the mentor?]

CP fans: [Isn’t it also normal for the champion to give the mentor a kiss?]

[Isn’t it also normal for the champion to celebrate with a French kiss?]

[Isn’t it also normal for the champion to… (can’t broadcast) with the mentor?]

[Red-hot romance fans, don’t you have any shame?!]

Yan Man sat down, just picking up her chopsticks, when everyone began discussing excitedly:

“Manman, that short film last night was amazing! I cried so much.”

“The heroine’s final monologue was so touching, truly.”

“The red dress killed me; I want to wear red in my next role too.”

“You’re a man, why would you wear red?”

Laughter erupted at the table. A Zhao jokingly passed her an imaginary microphone:

“So, our champion, do you have anything to say?”

Yan Man thought for a moment and nodded. “Did you guys not order shrimp balls?”

The chat exploded with laughter: [They’re talking about acting here! Is food all you think about?!]

[Manman: Finally, I can eat without restraint—let’s see who dares stop me?!]

[Hahahaha, well said! What’s the point of eating hot pot without shrimp balls?!]

“We ordered them! They’ll be here soon!” A Zhao replied, both amused and exasperated.

Yan Man glanced around the table, her eyes landing on a particular dish.

“What is that?”

No one was sitting to her left, so only Ye Lin could hear her.

The man glanced sideways. “Fried pork.”

He paused, then reminded her, “Each piece has 336 calories.”

“I know,” Yan Man replied, fully aware. “I’ll just have one.”

[A session in bed burns over a thousand calories—you can eat three pieces.]

[Where did these scientific data come from?]

[I made them up.]

When the drinks arrived, Yan Man specifically ordered a zero-sugar soda in a glass bottle.

The cap was too tight, and after struggling for a while, she had to ask someone nearby for help. Just as she handed the bottle over, Li Haoge, sitting next to Ye Lin, instinctively passed over his own unopened bottle. “Teacher, can you help me...?”

Ye Lin: “Open it yourself.”

Just as Yan Man was about to take her bottle back, the man took it from her hands, lightly twisted it, and opened it effortlessly.

[Oh? So you didn’t open Li Haoge’s bottle because you wanted to free your hands for your wife?]

[I think it’s not that—it’s just blatant double standards.]

[Who cares if he treats people differently?!]

Li Haoge sighed resignedly. He still hadn’t opened his bottle when another one was handed to him by A Zhao.

The bottles were really difficult to open. Li Haoge found a small knife and started cutting along the edges. As soon as he opened A Zhao’s bottle, another male actor handed over his own.

Li Haoge: “Open it yourself!!”

The male actor sighed dramatically: “It’s so much better being a girl—all the guys have to open their own bottles.”

After thanking him, Yan Man sat there drinking her drink. The little knife was passed around. Aside from the two women who managed slightly better, all the other male actors were earnestly opening bottles.

She glanced over and noticed Shao Wei still had bandages on his hand. Remembering the filming incident, she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you okay?”

Shao Wei was seated diagonally across from her. He leaned forward, saying, “Better now. You wouldn’t believe what happened back then—I directly...”

Yan Man leaned forward to listen attentively.

As they chatted animatedly, Ye Lin lifted his eyelids and glanced over, paused for two seconds, then looked away. Half a second later, he glanced again.

[Ye Lin! Why do you keep looking over here?!]

[He’s panicking! He’s feeling threatened!]

[Ye Lin: Didn’t you say you couldn’t come today?]

[Hahahaha, didn’t Shao Wei say he couldn’t come either?]

[Yeah, he just mentioned it on Weibo. He said he had already told the teacher he wasn’t coming, but Yan Man’s performance was so great that he came to cheer her on.]

[Ye Lin: Or maybe you shouldn’t have come.]

Thin slices of beef rolled in the bubbling hot pot, cooked in just a few seconds.

Ye Lin took a new bowl, picked up two slices, and placed them in front of Shao Wei.

Shao Wei’s eyes welled up with tears as he lowered his head to eat. “Teacher, you’re so kind to me.”

[Really? Did he really intend to serve you meat?]

[Ye Lin: Can’t even shut you up with food? Shut your damn mouth!]

[Hahahahahahahahahahaha]

Yan Man tried to pick up some shrimp balls from the tomato broth, but they were too far away, and her chopsticks weren’t long enough.

She clacked her chopsticks together twice, producing a sharp snapping sound.

Ye Lin: “What do you want?”

“The shrimp balls,” she added, “from the tomato broth.”

He had a strainer nearby, scooping up two shrimp balls for her. In his hands, the small shrimp balls were obedient, sliding smoothly into her soup bowl.

As he moved, the tendons in his hand stood out prominently, and there was a deep indentation beneath his thumb.

She thought it looked nice and mimicked the gesture herself, admiring it. “I have it too.”

Ye Lin: “...”

With nothing else to talk about, she absentmindedly rambled on: “We’re going to record the awards ceremony soon, right?”

It was just idle chatter, but to her surprise, the man responded.

Ye Lin: “Mm.”

Hearing his reply, she immediately continued, “When will the staff come over?”

As she spoke, she dipped a piece of tripe into her sauce, splashing a few drops.

Instinctively, Yan Man leaned back slightly, then flipped the tripe over.

Just as she was about to eat, a disposable apron appeared in front of her.

The man’s slender fingers held it out to her.

Yan Man: “Ah?”

He said, “Don’t splash it on your clothes.”

She looked down and realized she was wearing a white top today.

Yan Man took the apron and tied it loosely around her neck. “Makes sense.”

Her guess was spot-on; just a few minutes later, the staff arrived. Unfortunately, Yan Man was busy fishing for vermicelli and didn’t notice.

The staff member spoke amidst the lively atmosphere: “Teacher Manman…”

Seeing she was focused on eating, Ye Lin set down his chopsticks and responded on her behalf, “I’m not done yet.”

The staff member tiptoed, wondering if this meant Ye Lin hadn’t finished eating, so Yan Man couldn’t leave yet?

So they replied, “Alright, Teacher. I’ll come back in ten minutes.”

Since the neighboring private room was having dishes served, it was inconvenient to move around. The staff member decided to wait where they were.

After more than ten minutes of watching, Ye Lin hadn’t taken another bite, but Yan Man had eaten several slices of beef. Restrainedly wiping the corners of her mouth, she signaled she was finished.

——It was only then that Teacher Ye finally made way.

The staff member stood there, bewildered, until Yan Man tugged on their arm: “Are we going? Let’s go.”

...

Soon, they moved to the broadcasting studio. Yan Man touched up her lipstick and headed onto the stage.

The makeup artist hadn’t gone overboard with her look today; it was simple, playing with light and shadow around her bone structure. It was as if, after the intense competition battles, she had returned to her original intention.

The earlier hot pot celebration banquet was a casual livestream. After a while, focus shifted from Ye Lin’s group to other groups, with cross-broadcasting taking place. Now, it was officially broadcasted on the video platform’s homepage for the final awards ceremony.

Passersby and many viewers also tuned in.

On the screen, the highlights of this season were shown first—outstanding acting performances, funny moments from extra episodes, and screenshots of popular bullet comments. Many people found themselves in those screenshots.

After the nostalgia-filled recap came interviews with the actors. Everyone except Yan Man had been recorded before the hot pot banquet; Yan Man didn’t need to because she would speak last.

Everyone shared their closing remarks for the season, congratulating Yan Man on her victory. Finally, the stage lights focused solely on her.

After watching such long videos, she was filled with emotions.

Host: “Do you have anything you’d like to say? To yourself, or to the audience?”

“Originally, I didn’t,” she smiled, “but after watching all of this, I suddenly have so much to say.”

“Considering the program’s time limit, I’ll keep it short.”

Bullet Comments: [LOL, talkative and self-aware.]

[Yan Man: Two minutes of thought, one hour of free speech.]

[She’s so funny, save me hahahaha.]

Pressing her lips together lightly, Yan Man said, “Actually, looking back, I’ve been very fortunate.”

“I saw someone say that I’ve always been smooth sailing, but I don’t think that’s true. I just feel that the hardships endured for passion can’t be called hardships—they’re wealth.”

[Meeting you is what makes us lucky.]

[She’s really optimistic! Honestly, which artist has a smooth journey? Debuting and being attacked, accused of piggybacking fame, having her acting skills underestimated, and dealing with armies of trolls... But I’m truly grateful that you are still the same positive Yan Man, shining like a little sun. Because there’s light, even shadows don’t make it dark!]

[There’s been a lot of controversy. If she hadn’t consistently worked hard on her acting, perhaps she would’ve been swept away by the tide. Serious actors will always be rewarded.]

Yan Man: “I’m truly thankful for all the help from my fellow classmates, mentors, and all the staff behind and in front of the scenes, as well as my team.”

“I’ll treat this trophy as the result of this phase of my journey,” she smiled, shaking the trophy in her hand. “For the next phase, I’ll continue to work hard.”

The teacher managing the stage held confetti cannons, hesitating to open them as they looked at her.

Yan Man was startled: “Why that expression? I’m really done.”

[Hahahaha! Staff member: Unbelievable.jpg]

[Staff member jumping back and forth between ‘Aren’t you supposed to be talkative?’ and ‘Why is she silent? Is it over? Should I fire the cannon?’ Laughing until dead.]

[Manman: Surprised? Unexpected?]

Amidst the laughter in the bullet comments, Yan Man laughed along with the staff members below the stage.

The final scene of the awards ceremony froze on her crescent-shaped smiling eyes. Confetti floated in the air, and she waved at the camera, looking up at the fireworks blooming above the open-air stage.

This custom script was the most highly anticipated modern drama, written personally by the screenwriter of her championship short film Mallow Mallow . Half campus, half urban—this maximized the audience’s expectations.

The script didn’t yet have a name; only the Weibo account 【Mysterious Script 3.0】 was opened, consistent with the show’s style. However, following the success of the previous two blockbuster dramas, plus Yan Man as the lead, this Weibo account gained followers rapidly upon opening. Everyone started calling out their favorite male actors.

Two hours after the live broadcast ended, Yan Man edited a mini essay and posted it on Weibo.

#YanManPostsLongEssayToBidFarewellToThisIsActing# trended, with the top comment receiving 23,000 likes.

[She genuinely loves her work with such earnestness and enthusiasm—calm, not anxious, full of her own ideas and principles. Even after the competition ended, she wrote a letter to herself and everyone else. With reverence, she’ll go far.]

Of course, the champion couldn’t escape criticism. Many people asked: What are her representative works? What do audiences like about her?

After much thought, she finally mustered the confidence to open her Weibo bio and edit new content:

[Actor Yan Man, representative work: The next one.]

Her career entered a new phase. The commercial she shot for Xiang Ling was successfully displayed in Times Square—the one where she and Ye Lin were in the pool.

Yan Man had just received news of the ad’s placement when she soon received an invitation to Lin’an Mansion.

The mansion’s location was private, with excellent confidentiality. The young masters of the Yan family often conducted business here.

Following the room number, Yan Man entered. Sure enough, three people were already waiting on the sofa.

Eldest Brother Yan Han, Second Brother Yan Yuan, Third Brother Yan Zong.

They didn’t look much like her, but their expressions were increasingly serious.

“What’s the matter?” Yan Man took off her mask. “Hurry up, I have a shoot soon.”

“Shoot? What shoot?” Third Brother Yan Zong jumped up from the sofa. “You still have a shoot??”

Yan Zong pulled out his phone: “Look at what you’ve filmed! And it’s playing right across from the company!”

In the footage, ripples shimmered in the pool. Her arm rested on Ye Lin’s shoulder, and her swimsuit gleamed beautifully under the light.

“I’m done watching,” Yan Man said. “It’s pretty good.”

Yan Zong: “...”

“After this ad aired, the same swimsuit sold out. They’re still restocking,” Yan Man rubbed her nose. “Didn’t you doubt my status before? Look, the advertisers promoted me without me even asking.”

Yan Man sighed: “Sigh, I’ve become a bit famous lately. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“...”

Yan Zong wanted to travel back in time and punch himself for his cursed mouth.

Yan Zong: “Alright, fine. I admit you have some recognition now, but what is this? Yan Man, thank goodness I installed curtains in Dad’s office, otherwise we’d all be in mourning today!”

Yan Man: “Does Dad know you’re cursing him like that?”

Yan Zong: “...”

Yan Zong tried to steer the conversation back on track, delivering the powerful line he had prepared after half an hour of contemplation: “How old are you?! How could you film something like this?!”

“What is ‘something like this’?” Yan Man tilted her head. “At what age did you guys have your first love?”

Yan Han, who dated at 17: ...

Yan Yuan, who dated at 16: ...

Yan Zong, who dated at 15: ...

Yan Man: “I’m already 22, almost 23.”

Yan Zong: “Even so, you can’t do this!”

She propped her chin on her hand, tapping her cheek lightly, seeking advice humbly:

“Did you guys do less than this at my age?”

“…………”

Yan Man: “I haven’t even done anything yet.”

Third Brother lost the battle, and Second Brother took over.

Compared to Yan Zong, Second Brother Yan Yuan was much more elegant and gentle towards her.

Yan Yuan adjusted his glasses and lowered his head: “Brothers are mainly worried about you getting hurt.”

Yan Man thought for a moment: “Isn’t Ye Lin handsome?”

Yan Yuan: “...He’s quite handsome.”

“Then how could I get hurt? I’m the one setting the pace,” Yan Man said. “Being bullied by everyone after fading into obscurity—that’s real harm.”

...

Yan Yuan lost, leaving only Eldest Brother.

If there was anyone in the family Yan Man slightly feared, it was the steady eldest brother.

But after Yan Han took control of the family business years ago, he was too busy to care about trivial matters like these.

His presence today was probably due to Yan Zong dragging him along.

Sure enough, after exchanging glances for a moment, Yan Man read her eldest brother’s meaning.

—As long as she knew what she was doing, it was fine.

Seeing the time was about right, 3:0, a complete victory.

She stood up, pulling out three signed photos she had prepared in advance and pushing them across the table.

“Alright, here are three signed photos for you. You can use them to woo your girlfriends later.”

“I’m running late for my schedule, so I’ll head out first—”

Yan Zong glanced down, and when he looked up again, she was already on the phone, walking out the door.

Yan Zong was about to chase after her when Eldest Brother stopped him: “Forget it. What’s most important is that she lives happily and healthily. We can’t control her forever. She knows her limits.”

“No,” Yan Zong stomped his foot and shouted toward the door, “Who wants your photos?! At least give me one of Ye Lin’s!”

“...”

Meanwhile, inside Ye Lin’s RV.

#YanManPostsEssayToBidFarewellToThisIsActing# had been trending overnight and was still high up this morning.

The man had just finished filming the last advertisement in a series—it was still that razor. His bangs were damp, and he looked down at Weibo with lowered eyes.

Clicking into the trending topic, the top associated account was her actor profile.

After a moment of thought, he clicked on her avatar, and Yan Man’s homepage immediately popped up. Earlier that morning, perhaps prompted by fans, she had posted a selfie.

At the bottom of the screen was a bright yellow “Follow” button.

Ye Lin clicked it.

Soon, a small box popped up in the middle of the screen—

Follow successful.

Bi Tan, who had been mulling things over, looked up in shock: “You followed Yan Man?!”

Expecting a response like “It was a slip of the hand” or “I clicked randomly,” who knew what happened next was even more shocking—

Ye Lin nodded, speaking frankly: “I followed her. Is that not allowed?”

He spoke so calmly that Bi Tan forgot what he was going to say.

“Of course it’s allowed! Absolutely!” Bi Tan took a deep breath. “But—you—”

Before finishing, Bi Tan noticed a recent post liked by Yan Man—a schedule map from her studio—and Ye Lin directly opened it, zooming in to examine her upcoming public appearances.

7th: Variety show filming.

12th: Brand event.

13th: Commercial shoot.

Bi Tan: “……………………”

Opening his mouth, Bi Tan realized he had been rendered speechless.

Soon, his phone rang—it was a work offer. He used the reply he had repeated most often these days: “We’re so sorry, but we’re no longer accepting any film offers or endorsements for now. Thank you for your interest, and we hope to collaborate in the future!”

After hanging up, he knew there would never be another chance.

The emotions from earlier were completely washed away by that call.

Fusheng Jiunian had wrapped up, This Is Acting had finished recording, and only a few remaining advertising shoots remained…

Another step closer to Ye Lin’s retirement from the entertainment industry.

In a daze, Bi Tan recalled the first time he visited Ye Lin’s place.

—Actually, it couldn’t really be called a home.

Since his debut, his first movie had exploded in popularity, and ever since, his work had been nonstop. Ye Lin practically lived in hotels and rarely rested at home.

The entire large wall was filled with trophies and medals from his debut onward. Despite only acting for a few years, the shelves were nearly overflowing.

Aside from acting, outside the camera lens, he always seemed to exist in a different world from others. No one could guess his emotions or see through his thoughts.

Perhaps wearing that hard shell for so long, even he couldn’t see beneath it anymore.

Bi Tan pressed his lips together, his nose tingling with emotion.

He also remembered asking Ye Lin where he planned to go and what he wanted to do after leaving the entertainment industry—was there something he hadn’t completed?

But the man’s response at the time was no.

Nothing to do, nowhere he absolutely had to go.

Whether this statement was true or false, Bi Tan had no way of knowing.

After a moment, Ye Lin got up to shower in the RV’s bathroom, rinsing off the remaining foam from earlier. His phone was left on the table.

Bi Tan took a deep breath. Seeing that the screen wasn’t locked, it seemed Ye Lin intended to check it immediately after finishing his shower.

Bi Tan, the agent, sniffled, holding back tears as he glanced at the content on the screen—

It was a collection of posts from Zhihu (a Chinese Q&A platform).

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