It was early summer, just after a drizzle. The air carried hints of dampness and dust—ancient and humid—then dried by the sunset.

“Cut!” Lu Chuan called out, sitting in front of the camera. “That’s a wrap!”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. One person jumped up from behind the camera and said, “I’ll go notify the teacher that we’re finished here!”

Chen Die grabbed a tissue to wipe the sweat from her temple and was quickly summoned to take a wrap photo.

Though they called it a wrap, it wasn’t one in the proper sense.

This wasn’t a formal film production, but rather a promotional video needed for the 80th anniversary of the Film Academy where Chen Die studied. As the campus beauty, she was cast as the lead.

The video received considerable attention from school officials, with generous funding allocated, and they even invited Lu Chuan to personally direct.

Lu Chuan had high standards for filming and had specially flown to Europe for location shooting. He returned to China a couple of days ago to shoot a few additional scenes that were missing earlier.

“Come, come, come, female lead in the middle!” A junior student pushed her to the center.

Chen Die wore a black spaghetti-strap dress. She wasn’t exactly skinny, but had curves in all the right places, with no excess fat around her waist or thighs. Her shoulder blades were beautifully defined, and her skin was so fair it seemed to glow.

A natural beauty.

Her professor once said that someone with her delicate features, flawless from every angle, and distinctive personal style was perfect for the big screen.

This description was entirely accurate. The Film Academy had no shortage of handsome men and beautiful women, but being merely beautiful was easy—being beautiful with a distinctive style was difficult. Chen Die belonged to the latter category.

Her temperament was cool and proud, yet subtly exuding charm and allure, not abruptly, but occasionally revealing itself in her movements and gestures.

After taking the wrap photo, everyone prepared to return to Yan City.

Chen Die went to the restroom to change back into her clothes, then carried her large suitcase down the steps.

Lu Chuan was standing in front of the bus checking attendance when he saw her with the suitcase and quickly walked over, saying politely, “Let me help.”

“It’s fine, not that heavy,” Chen Die replied.

Just as she finished speaking, a female voice called from behind—

“Senior!”

Chen Die knew who it was without turning around. She immediately rolled her eyes and looked up at Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan’s eyes contained a hint of amusement. Chen Die paused, then smiled sweetly as she handed him the suitcase. “Thank you, senior. I’ll get on the bus first.”

She chose a single seat, threw her backpack at her feet, and immediately her phone vibrated with two messages.

They were from her good friend Xia Ying.

I heard your school’s promotional filming is done.

Want to hang out tonight? You’ve been filming in Europe for half a month—I’ve missed you to death!

Chen Die’s lips curled into a smile. Hearing everyone on the bus discussing plans to celebrate back in Yan City, she replied:

We might go to a bar tonight. Come join us.

Sure, send me the address when you know.

Are you going to the celebration? I thought your big boss would immediately summon you to serve him in bed.

Chen Die raised her eyebrows slightly and typed “Screw off,” but deleted it a moment later.

We fought. What bed service? I’ve been banished to the cold palace.

Xia Ying found this surprising and sent a voice message: “You still haven’t made up? It was just a promotional video and he’s angry? He hasn’t tried to make up with you for so many days! Any man who doesn’t treasure our heavenly fairy is a dog!”

Chen Die had just finished listening with her earphones when Chen Shuyuan walked onto the bus, arm in arm with Lu Chuan.

“Senior, let’s sit here!” Chen Shuyuan pointed to a nearby seat.

Lu Chuan gave a faint acknowledgment and sat down first. Chen Shuyuan didn’t forget to turn back and glare at Chen Die.

Chen Die casually accepted the glare, then looked away and listened to Xia Ying’s voice message again before replying:

You’re right, so I’m planning to break up with him.

Xia Ying was stunned, unable to tell if this breakup talk was serious or a joke. Just as she was about to ask, Chen Die sent another message:

I’m going to sleep for a while.

Chen Die slept until the bus arrived in Yan City. Looking out the window, she saw it was already very dark, with a bar named “Wild” nearby.

Looking down, she saw Xia Ying waving excitedly at her.

Chen Die quickly got off the bus, pulled her suitcase down, and ran to Xia Ying. “Did you ask someone for the address?”

Xia Ying punched Chen Die lightly. “Obviously! Even a butt could figure it out. I knew you wouldn’t have time to come over after waking up from your nap.”

The bar was dim and noisy. The group of handsome men and beautiful women attracted attention as they entered in a grand procession.

“Why is Chen Shuyuan clinging to Lu Chuan again? She’s been chasing him from freshman to senior year and still won’t give up,” Xia Ying frowned in disgust.

Chen Die glanced over.

Lu Chuan was three years their senior and in the directing department like Chen Shuyuan. In his senior year, he directed an IP drama with impressive box office results. In the three years since graduation, he had won the Best Director award twice in a row, becoming famous overnight.

She curled her lips, about to say something, when her eyes suddenly caught a group in the booth with the best view.

A group of rich-looking young men sat in the adjacent booth, accompanied by several beautiful women who showed excellent judgment, knowing exactly who mattered most, naturally gravitating toward the man in the middle.

The man lounged casually on the sofa with a cigarette between his lips.

Single eyelids, sharp facial features, smooth yet strong lines, black eyes, and a scar extending from his temple to the end of his eyebrow.

His unique aura created a sense of pressure.

Chen Die quickly withdrew her gaze and looked no more.

Following everyone to their reserved seats, Lu Chuan was soon encouraged to give a speech on behalf of the group.

Having won numerous major and minor awards in recent years, Lu Chuan’s speech had an official tone. Chen Die listened halfheartedly while Chen Shuyuan rested her chin on her hands with starry eyes.

“Hello.”

A male voice came from beside her. Chen Die turned her head.

A young man who looked like a college student, nervously gripping his glass, asked, “May I have a drink with you?”

The photography team members all looked over. Although the campus beauty receiving confessions was nothing unusual, they still teased according to tradition.

The young man’s face grew redder.

Chen Die leaned slightly, looking past the young man’s shoulder to see similarly aged men at a table not far away, clearly enjoying themselves. Just a boring game.

“Sure.”

Chen Die grabbed an empty glass, poured half a glass of wine, and clinked glasses with him, drinking it quickly.

The young man’s ears turned red. A beat behind, he tilted his head back and drank it all, then stammered a thank you, not even daring to look at her again.

Lu Chuan, whose speech had been interrupted, wasn’t annoyed but gently teased, “The junior is still so popular.”

Someone else chimed in, “Senior has been popular from freshman to senior year.”

Chen Shuyuan’s expression turned cold as she sneered, “Does your boyfriend know you still drink with men who come to hit on you?”

Chen Die’s expression remained unchanged as she tapped her glass on the table, making a moderate sound.

The surroundings quieted for a moment.

Everyone knew about the conflict between these two.

The light from the dance floor reflected in Chen Die’s eyes, making them shimmer. Her upturned eye corners and black spaghetti-strap dress revealed large areas of her fair, slender neck and collarbone.

With her chin slightly raised, her gaze swept casually over Chen Shuyuan before she turned her head and gave a soft snort.

Then she took out her phone, opened her contacts, and tossed it in front of Chen Shuyuan, saying lazily, “Why don’t you notify him?”

Everyone: “…”

A capital-B Bitch move, plus the classic “I’m the most beautiful in the world and you’re nothing” energy.

She’s won, she’s won.

Chen Shuyuan glared angrily, about to speak again when Lu Chuan mediated, “Alright, alright, you two really are rivals. I remember seeing you argue even back when I was in the student union.”

Chen Die was already too lazy to pay attention.

Hearing Chen Shuyuan complain to him in a coquettish voice about being bullied, she rolled her eyes and turned to chat with Xia Ying instead.

After chatting for a while, Xia Ying slapped the soft sofa with a loud smack: “Quick, look 45 degrees clockwise! So handsome, damn!”

Chen Die gave a casual glance, deliberately squinting, “Can’t see clearly.”

“Aren’t you wearing contacts?”

“No, took them out after filming. They’re uncomfortable,” Chen Die said.

“Then you’re missing out. Not looking at such an extraordinarily handsome guy is failing yourself!” Xia Ying said, taking out her phone. “Let me zoom in and take a picture for you.”

“No need.” Chen Die took her phone away. “He seems just average, not my type.”

“Even he isn’t your type?” Xia Ying felt that the heavenly fairy’s standards were truly beyond ordinary people’s comprehension. “Then how handsome must your boyfriend be? Come to think of it, I’ve never even seen him!”

The man sitting in the middle, surrounded by beauties, suddenly looked up toward them. Chen Die met his gaze and quickly looked away. “He’s busy with work.”

“You say that every day.” Xia Ying raised her eyebrows, unable to resist looking back.

How to describe it?

Although the man was dressed in a suit, he didn’t give off any sense of being a gentleman.

A privileged young master with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs—yet Xia Ying saw traces of wild growth in him. Even sitting among people, he was like a lone wolf.

Arrogant and unorthodox.

It was an indescribable feeling. Just as Xia Ying was about to study him more carefully, Chen Die stood up beside her. “I’m going to the restroom.”

Coming out of the stall, she washed her hands and looked in the mirror.

Her lipstick had smudged a bit from the alcohol. Chen Die took out her lipstick from her bag and carefully reapplied it.

These days with the photography team, Lu Chuan was such a workaholic, and Chen Die had been working non-stop for several days, feeling extremely tired.

She stood in a beam of dim yellow light from above, making her skin appear luminously white, like tender tofu. She slowly stretched, pressing on her neck and shoulders.

A laugh sounded from behind.

The voice was hoarse and magnetic.

Chen Die turned around and met a pair of pitch-black pupils and that sharp-featured face.

She didn’t speak, appearing not to recognize him at all.

The man leaning against the wall with a cigarette in his mouth stared at her for a while, then finally spoke two words.

“Your dress.”

Only then did Chen Die realize that her bag clasp had caught on her dress. After readjusting it, she walked out of the dark corridor.

Looking straight ahead, as if she hadn’t seen him at all.

Wen Liang was dissatisfied with her attitude and grabbed her by the back of her neck, pulling her toward him. “When did you get back to the country?”

His strength was truly immense, though he probably didn’t realize how forceful he was being. Chen Die already felt pain at the back of her neck.

“The day before yesterday,” she said.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I would have gone back to stay at home.”

Wen Liang owned numerous properties. He had given Chen Die a villa in the western suburbs, where he also stayed most of the time. But if Chen Die occasionally needed to sleep in her dormitory, he would spend the night in an apartment near his company.

He had mistakenly thought she had returned to Yan City the day before yesterday.

Chen Die’s neck hurt from his grip, likely turning red. Her temper flared as she recalled the earlier scene, and she curled her lips in light mockery: “I didn’t want to interrupt Mr. Wen’s good time.”

Wen Liang was most annoyed by her attitude. His hand tightened as he lowered his gaze in warning: “Speak properly.”