Chen Die hadn’t walked far when a horn sounded behind her.

Wen Liang drove slowly beside her and rolled down the window. “Get in.”

Chen Die ignored him.

Wen Liang urged her, “Hurry up.”

“Didn’t you hear what Wang Yunxi said?” Chen Die said impatiently. “If someone takes photos, they’ll say I have some powerful backer.”

“If you want, I can be your powerful backer,” Wen Liang said.

Chen Die quickly replied, “I don’t want that.”

The car didn’t follow her anymore. Chen Die didn’t look back and continued walking toward the hotel.

Shortly after came the beep-beep sound of car doors locking, footsteps approaching, and Wen Liang walked up beside her.

He didn’t speak.

Chen Die remained silent too, walking straight ahead without a sideways glance.

She wasn’t sure what Wen Liang wanted with these repeated encounters, and she didn’t like keeping their relationship ambiguous and unclear, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask.

Or rather, she didn’t know how to ask.

Chen Die tried her best to ignore the person beside her, mentally rehearsing lines for tomorrow’s shooting.

There was a soft click from beside her as Wen Liang lit a cigarette, walking next to her to the hotel.

Chen Die was swiping her card to enter the door. Just as it opened, Wen Liang walked in from behind.

“Hey—” Chen Die exclaimed softly, following him in. “What are you coming in for?”

Wen Liang extinguished his unfinished cigarette in the ashtray, and then the doorbell rang. “Hello, room service. Your dinner order.”

Chen Die had to go back to open the door. Outside was an attendant pushing a cart with elegant Western dishes.

Chen Die glanced at it, slightly frowning. “I didn’t order any food.”

From inside, Wen Liang said, “I ordered it.”

The attendant confirmed that the meal was indeed ordered for this room and pushed the cart in. Chen Die sighed softly and followed inside, standing aside watching as the attendant arranged the dishes on the table, then nodded and left with a “Please enjoy your meal.”

Wen Liang placed a set of utensils on the opposite side, pulled out a chair with his foot, and gestured for her to sit.

Chen Die walked over and sat down.

“I have something to attend to in a few days,” Wen Liang said calmly. “I won’t be here.”

This statement sounded strange and unfamiliar.

Even before, Wen Liang had never informed her about his schedule.

Usually, she would ask first, or Zhu Qicong would notify her.

Chen Die’s hand holding the fork paused, and she turned to look at him. “Wen Liang.”

“Hmm?”

“What exactly do you want?”

Wen Liang looked back at her, silent for two seconds. “Don’t you know what I want?”

Chen Die bit her lip and lowered her head to look at the bowl.

How would she know what he wanted?

Wen Liang had always been too self-centered. Many times, Chen Die wasn’t sure or didn’t know what he wanted.

Did he seek her out merely because he was used to being with her, feeling uncomfortable without his little cat, or was there something else?

But Chen Die didn’t dare imagine what that “something else” might be.

In the six years since Wen Liang brought her home, she had lost count of how many times she had deluded herself into thinking—he seems to genuinely like me a bit, the way a man likes a woman.

But before long, Wen Liang would shatter her fantasy with his own hands.

Like the story of the boy who cried wolf—after the shepherd boy lied three times, the villagers no longer believed him. After deceiving herself so many times, Chen Die no longer dared to think this way.

The more she hoped, the greater the disappointment, like a snowball growing larger.

Her love that began at age 16 had occupied all her girlish thoughts during adolescence—her admiration, her fondness, her longing, her enthusiasm.

It was deeply etched in her heart, impossible to erase.

It was a sincere willingness to carve out her living, burning heart and give it to him.

But the snowball grew larger and larger, accumulating to a point where, when it hit her, it could engulf her.

So later, Chen Die gradually restrained her love for Wen Liang. In the eyes of outsiders, their relationship probably seemed like an ordinary story of a patron and his kept woman.

Now, Chen Die would rather have no more entanglements with him.

Chen Die kept her head down, poking at the pasta, then propped her chin on her hand and said, “How would I know what you’re thinking?”

“Come back,” Wen Liang said.

Chen Die’s heart, unavoidably, contracted sharply at these words. The hand holding the fork unconsciously tightened, her knuckles turning white.

He said in a deep voice, “I can give you everything you want.”

“Do you know what I want?” Chen Die asked in return.

Wen Liang frowned as if he’d never considered this question. “At the very least, whatever you want to do in the future, I can make sure it goes smoothly. And no one would dare bully you again.”

“I can achieve what I want on my own, and I won’t let people bully me anymore.” Chen Die said this easily, with a hint of her unique pride.

Chen Die looked at him, suddenly smiling with curved eyes, the corners tilting upward, soft and alluring.

She said lazily, “Besides, the divination cards said my future partner is a young puppy. Having been with you for so long, I do think someone gentle and affectionate would be better.”

Wen Liang snorted, “You believe in that?”

“I do. Mr. Wen can also find someone gentle and family-oriented. It would suit you.”

Chen Die had a small appetite and finished eating quickly.

Now she wasn’t trying to drive Wen Liang away, nor was she deliberately not speaking to him. She could even calmly say things like “It would suit you.”

Wen Liang stood up, raised his hand, and pressed her neck against the chair back.

He was standing; she was sitting.

He looked down at her. “Chen Die, just see who dares to be with you.”

“Even if those divination cards were accurate,” Wen Liang leaned down, close to her ear, and said softly, “I’ll defy fate.”

After delivering that grandiose statement about defying fate with his impressive arrogant skills, Wen Liang went on a business trip and wasn’t seen for several days.

However, an assistant still came every day to deliver breakfast from Yunshuzhai. Zhu Qicong had gone on a business trip with Wen Liang, so this time he was one of his subordinate life assistants.

Chen Die refused several times, but the assistant was just following orders; if Chen Die didn’t accept, he couldn’t complete his task.

She couldn’t bear to see the person pleading pitifully each time, so she eventually just accepted.

In the past few days, no one in the crew bought their own breakfast anymore. Every day they shouted “Long live Chen Die” and came to freeload.

It was Chen Die who suffered.

Every day during this period, Fang Ruan kept pressing her about who the man behind the Yunshuzhai breakfasts was.

She even brought up the contract clause from when Chen Die first signed, saying that before having a boyfriend, she must notify the company in advance and only confirm the relationship with the company’s approval.

Chen Die crossed her legs and nodded, unwavering. “I’m single.”

“Tell me quickly who that man is!”

“…”

“Listen, Chen Die, your starting point in this industry is already top-tier. Don’t ruin it over a relationship!” Fang Ruan rattled on. “Besides, I’m not against you dating. After all, you’re an actress, so the impact isn’t big. Just letting us know more, in case there are good dating reality shows or something?”

“…”

Chen Die imagined participating in a dating reality show with the person Fang Ruan was fantasizing about. They probably wouldn’t last long before smashing the cameras.

“Oh, fine, it’s from Mr. Wen,” Chen Die spread her hands.

“Mr. Wen? Wen Liang?” Fang Ruan’s eyes widened.

Chen Die nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

“Fine, I know you’re good-looking, but he wouldn’t fall for you just because he visited the set once, would he?” Fang Ruan rolled her eyes. “Wait, that doesn’t make sense. The breakfast was delivered that morning before he even came to the set!”

Fang Ruan slapped Chen Die’s arm. “Who are you trying to fool!”

“…”

Chen Die knew it—even when she told the truth, no one believed her.

Fang Ruan continued arguing, “Besides, I heard from Xiao Qi later that when you were playing with tarot cards, Mr. Wen’s love interest turned out to be some tomboy type. I never would have guessed Mr. Wen liked that type.”

Chen Die looked at her own useless slender arms and legs configuration. “…”

Fine, can’t argue with that.

“So,” Fang Ruan stared at her, “who is it?”

Chen Die’s phone vibrated at that moment. She immediately leaned forward to grab it like a lifeline, no longer responding to Fang Ruan’s questions.

Speak of the devil—it was a message from Wen Liang.

The number in the small green box in the upper right corner of WeChat kept jumping up, finally stopping at “11.”

Had Wen Liang gone crazy?

He sent her in one minute what would normally be a month’s worth of messages.

Chen Die opened it. Wen Liang had sent ten pictures of handbags, along with a financially extravagant question: Which one do you like?

[Chen Die: …]

After sending a row of ellipses, she put away her phone, and Wen Liang didn’t reply again.

Wen Liang’s business trip lasted unusually long. Chen Die heard from the assistant who unfailingly delivered breakfast every morning that it was because of the project he had secured at the previous bidding meeting.

Summer quietly reached its end. A row of osmanthus trees had been planted outside the film crew’s walls, and the fragrance of osmanthus could be smelled every day.

The shooting period for their film was short, and they had unknowingly reached the middle to late stage.

The character Chen Die portrayed had evolved from initially weak and humble to now becoming a female general, with her costumes changing from one set to another.

“Cut!” Director Feng called.

Chen Die was helped by the staff to jump down from the horse’s back.

Nearby, Qi Cheng also dismounted and came over to give her a thumbs-up. “So cool.”

Chen Die had a slight fear of heights. Sitting on horseback, she needed to gallop for long shots. Her hand that held the reins now hurt a bit, and her feet felt unsteady when touching the ground.

Fortunately, she hadn’t shown it on camera.

Chen Die glanced at Qi Cheng. “How are you acting like nothing happened?”

“Hmm? What else should I do?”

“After filming the horseback riding scene a few days ago, my thighs still hurt.”

Qi Cheng laughed. “That’s normal. I was the same when I first learned to ride. Just relax and it won’t hurt as much.”

Chen Die washed her hands and planned to go back to the rest area for some water. Passing by the osmanthus trees, she even had the leisure to stand on tiptoe and pick a branch.

A car passed by and stopped not far away.

Chen Die looked up while smelling the flowers and saw two “old acquaintances” she hadn’t seen for a long time.

Chen Shuyuan and Lin Quan.

Chen Die pretended not to see them, twirling the osmanthus branch as she walked toward the rest area. She hadn’t gone far when Lin Quan called from behind, “Excuse me, do you know where the ‘Flower Pin’ film crew is?”

She asked very politely, completely different from her manner at the coffee shop last time.

When Chen Die turned around, both Lin Quan and Chen Shuyuan were startled.

Chen Die’s expression remained unchanged. She pointed her chin in another direction. “Over there.”

After saying this, she turned and went back to the rest area, drank some water, rested for a while, and then returned to the filming location. Chen Shuyuan was sitting beside Lu Chuan, talking intimately.

Lin Quan had probably had work contact with Lu Chuan before and was familiar with him. She smiled and teased, “Yuanyuan has been mentioning you often at home these past few days. She wanted to come see you but was worried about disturbing your work.”

Lu Chuan responded impeccably, nodding politely. “The daily filming tasks have been quite substantial lately.”

Chen Shuyuan said in a coquettish voice, “I won’t interfere with your work, senior. My mother found me a job at the TV station, and I’m also here to learn.”

Chen Die didn’t continue listening and walked to Fang Ruan to get some hand cream from her.

The reins had made her hands quite dry.

“Is your palm okay?” Fang Ruan noticed the red mark on her palm.

“It’s fine. It’ll fade soon.”

Chen Die grabbed a plastic chair and sat under a sunshade.

On the other side, Lin Quan was sitting in the back looking at her phone, while Chen Shuyuan sat next to Lu Chuan, pointing at the camera and asking for something.

Director Feng was currently reshooting some close-ups, and it wasn’t Chen Die’s turn yet, so she just sat quietly watching.

A moment later, Fang Ruan returned and handed her a hot towel. “Put this on first. You still have quite a few horseback riding scenes later. Don’t let it get worse.”

Chen Die thanked her. When the hot towel covered her palm, it still stung a bit.

It wasn’t until the towel cooled that she got up to return it to the makeup room. As she came out, she ran into Lin Quan face-to-face.

Although they were mother and daughter, Chen Die had no emotional connection with her. In such circumstances, it was better to pretend not to know each other.

She was about to walk past when Lin Quan called out to her.

“Chen Die, wait a moment.”

Chen Die’s footsteps halted. She looked up, pursing her lips without speaking.

“About what happened at the coffee shop last time, I’m very sorry.” Lin Quan lowered her head, took out her wallet from her bag, extracted a bank card, and handed it to Chen Die. “This is a small token from me.”

Chen Die: …?

Seeing that she wouldn’t take it, Lin Quan explained, “I know you’ve separated from the Wen family’s son and are on your own now. Being an actress, there are many places where you need money. I don’t want you to live in hardship.”

Chen Die couldn’t figure out her intention. She frowned, “I’m not living in hardship, and there’s no reason for me to take your money.”

“I know you must be angry with me about what happened at the coffee shop last time. I shouldn’t have almost hit you. I was just too angry hearing what you said to Yuanyuan.”

“…”

“Chen Die, although your foster parents when you were young weren’t educated and didn’t know how to raise a child properly, which is why you lack manners, still, Chen Die, you have Chen family blood flowing in you. As a girl, you can’t speak to others like that. It’s too impolite and unrefined.”

Chen Die almost laughed from anger.

Was Lin Quan lecturing her?

“I know you resent me for not insisting on bringing you back to the Chen family. You’ve never been a mother, so you don’t know how deep the bond is with a child you’ve carefully raised for so many years. The first time feeding milk, the first time being called ‘mama,’ every first moment is unforgettable…”

“Enough,” Chen Die interrupted her. “I don’t resent you. To me, you’re just a rather special stranger. You don’t need to express your emotions to me. I’m not interested.”

Lin Quan frowned. “Chen Die…”

“Take your money back and be a good mother to Chen Shuyuan. If she knew you gave me a card today, she’d get angry, and I have no interest in dealing with your daughter’s temper.”

After saying this, Chen Die turned and left.

She felt like laughing, yet also felt as if some part of her body had opened up, with winds whistling through.

As a child, her life had been peaceful, in a not-so-developed but beautiful small town, with playmates and her own bowl and chopsticks waiting at home.

Although her parents weren’t especially attentive to her, in that small town, parents generally weren’t as indulgent toward their children as in Yan City. Chen Die never felt unloved.

But all that tranquility was broken by the Chen family.

They hadn’t properly handled the relationship and feelings between Chen Shuyuan and Lin Quan. Just to find their true bloodline, they directly bought Chen Die from her original home.

That’s when Chen Die learned that foster parents could abandon her for money.

Her birth parents didn’t care about her feelings either, taking her on a train and then openly arguing about what to do with her and Chen Shuyuan at the entrance of Yan City train station.

From beginning to end, all they cared about was that she carried the true Chen family bloodline.

But why should she, why should she pay the price for their past negligence and current interest conflicts?

She didn’t want to hear any of Lin Quan’s words.

You’ve never been a mother so you can’t understand how much I love the daughter I raised bit by bit.

But she had been a mother yet still didn’t understand what kind of situation those people had put 16-year-old Chen Die in.