When Chen Die woke up, she still felt somewhat dazed, as if she hadn’t fully escaped from that “Goodnight, Lingling” in her dream.

She stared at the ceiling with her eyes open, and only after two minutes did she raise her hand to cover her face, finally becoming clear-headed.

She turned over, picked up her phone from beside her pillow to check the time, and when she opened it, the screen was still on her chat with Wen Liang, though the video call had ended.

Call duration: 253 minutes.

Chen Die was stunned, staring at that string of numbers for a while, before slowly curling her lips into a smile.

After sleeping, her throat was still a bit sore, but at least her head wasn’t as dizzy as last night.

After washing up, Chen Die gulped down a large cup of warm water and went out.

One floor of the Yi Ming Entertainment Company building was a gym specifically for their artists, with good privacy.

Chen Die had never had any body shape concerns. Today was her first time going to the company gym, and she was surprised to find it quite lively.

Besides the debuted artists, there was also a group of trainees practicing.

As soon as Chen Die walked in, many people greeted her.

Although she had only recently debuted, her achievements already far surpassed many others, and quite a few people were friendly to her.

A female trainer at the gym walked over to her and asked what she wanted to work on.

“I have a drama to film soon, and I need to gain a bit of weight, but not too much, just proportionate, because I’ll be wearing a qipao,” Chen Die casually described.

The trainer caught the key point precisely, nodding, “Then we’ll do strength training to work on your chest and buttocks.”

“…”

Fine.

To put it bluntly, that was exactly it.

Chen Die helplessly nodded, and after the female trainer introduced her to some equipment and movements, they began one-on-one coaching.

“Yes, yes, open your shoulders, chest out.”

“Squat lower, keep your back straight, don’t stick your butt out, sink.”

…

Chen Die felt both embarrassed and exhausted. After completing three sets from start to finish, she was completely drained of energy. Finally, she collapsed onto the yoga mat, panting, feeling too tired to even move a finger.

The female trainer accompanying her, however, was calm and collected, holding a thermos and drinking water, with only a thin layer of sweat on her body.

“Your stamina is poor. Some trainees who come to work out, girls of 16 or 17, can do six or seven sets in a row as if it’s nothing.”

Chen Die had poor stamina since childhood and lacked athletic ability. At this moment, she was too tired to even open her mouth to reply, so she just waved her hand.

Her phone on the side vibrated, and the trainer handed it to her.

Chen Die lay on her back on the mat. It was a message from Wen Liang.

[Wen Liang: Are you awake?]

[Chen Die: Woke up ages ago.]

She then casually took a photo of the gym equipment beside her and sent it to him.

[Chen Die: I’ve already finished working out, sweated 100 jin, I’m so tired.]

[Wen Liang: Why did you go to the gym?]

[Chen Die: A role requires some training, but I’m done now.]

[Wen Liang: I should be able to return tomorrow.]

Chen Die paused, sitting up.

[Chen Die: Didn’t you say it would take a few more days to finish everything?]

[Wen Liang: Yes, but I finished early.]

[Chen Die: But I’m about to go record the show.]

[Wen Liang: I bought a ticket directly to your recording location.]

Chen Die looked at that message, blinked, and then sent him an emoji of a child blowing a kiss.

[Wen Liang: Why don’t you give me something more substantial.]

Hmph.

Unromantic old man.

After chatting with him for a while, the feeling of being so out of breath had passed. She went to the shower room, took a shower, changed clothes, packed up her things, and told the trainer she was leaving.

She also met with Fang Ruan at the company and signed the official contract for “Ah Xiao” which she hadn’t had time to sign before.

Compared to when Chen Die was a newcomer during “Flower Hairpin,” this contract was much more generous, with many clauses that were very humane.

After staying at the company for a while, by evening, Chen Die set off for the airport.

As luck would have it, her flight was delayed, but fortunately, she had left time in advance.

Chen Die was bored by herself, sitting in the waiting hall with her hat brim pulled down, playing games for half an hour before going to a nearby store to buy a pack of gum.

She took out a piece and put it in her mouth. When she walked back, she found someone else sitting next to her previous seat.

Hmm…

He looked somewhat familiar.

What a coincidence.

As Chen Die was hesitating, Jiang Xian had already looked up, saw her, and his gaze paused as well before smiling at her, “Little Die?”

“Brother Jiang Xian.”

Thanks to Wen Liang, now just calling someone’s name gave her a strange sense of betrayal. Chen Die chewed her gum and sat back down, right beside Jiang Xian.

She had a very good relationship with Jiang Xian during her childhood.

Jiang Xian was like a neighbor’s brother. The school they attended at that time included grades one through nine, from elementary to junior high, and Jiang Xian was one grade above her.

When Chen Die was young, her adoptive parents were busy with work and had no time to pick her up from school, so they entrusted Jiang Xian to take her home.

Back then, after school, Jiang Xian would go to Chen Die’s classroom door and take her home together. At that time, there were quite a few gossiping classmates discussing the two of them.

But that was a thing of the past. After so many years, reunited old friends were less comfortable than new friends.

Moreover, Chen Die’s last memories of that small town weren’t exactly good.

“Are you here for work too?” Jiang Xian asked.

“Yes, I’m going to record a show.”

Jiang Xian thought for a moment, “It’s been nearly seven years since we last saw each other, right? How have you been all these years?”

“Pretty good.”

Chen Die paused. When the Chen family came to find her, they had made quite a scene in the small town, with a line of cars arriving at her doorstep.

Although people in the small town didn’t recognize the wealthy families from Yan City, the incident still became a topic of conversation for everyone, spreading widely.

Chen Die added, “But I didn’t end up living with the parents who came to find me back then.”

This was something Jiang Xian learned later after coming into contact with people in business circles, that the Chen family’s daughter was called Chen Shuyuan.

Jiang Xian had asked at the time, “Isn’t her name Chen Die?”

“No, who’s Chen Die?” His friend looked confused, then realized, “But I think the golden canary of CEO Wen Yuan’s family is called that. Why, do you know her?”

“No, I might have remembered wrong,” Jiang Xian said.

…

That was over a year ago.

That was the first time Jiang Xian heard about Chen Die from others.

Later, as Chen Die gradually became known as an actress, Jiang Xian paid attention to her news and could roughly guess what was going on between her and Wen Liang.

“Time flies. In the blink of an eye, the 16-year-old girl in my memory has become like this. You’re 23 this year, right?”

Jiang Xian’s voice was very pleasant, with a sense of gentle warmth.

Chen Die gradually relaxed and no longer felt awkward. She smiled, “How can you ask a woman’s age?”

Jiang Xian also smiled, “You’re in a relationship now, right? CEO Wen is your boyfriend?”

“Ah, yes.” Chen Die nodded.

Jiang Xian’s eyes dimmed a bit, and he pursed his lips, “That’s good.”

Although he had already confirmed it at Wen Huaiyuan’s funeral, hearing Chen Die say it herself felt completely different.

“What about you?”

“I’m too busy with work, no time for relationships,” Jiang Xian said. “By the way, I went back to our hometown during the New Year. Everyone there watched your movie and was quite surprised. They all praised you for being especially impressive.”

Chen Die paused, caught off guard by the abrupt change of topic.

Since coming to Yan City, she had never heard anyone mention anything about that small town.

“Is that so?” She lowered her eyes and jokingly asked, “Didn’t they compliment me on becoming more beautiful?”

“Everyone praised your beauty when you were little. Whenever Uncle Chen and Auntie Chen took you out, they would always hear praise from others. Don’t you remember?”

Chen Die didn’t respond.

Jiang Xian realized and turned to look at her, “Haven’t you been in contact with them?”

“No.” Chen Die lowered her head, and the nervousness of touching on this topic made her unconsciously want to bite her nails.

Coincidentally, her surname Chen wasn’t changed after returning to Yan City because of her biological parents. Her adoptive father’s surname was Chen, and she had used this name since childhood.

“I’m sorry,” Jiang Xian said.

“It’s nothing. How are they doing now?” Chen Die asked, pretending to be casual.

“They’re doing well. The house was renovated a couple of years ago, and they’re in good health. Shortly after you left, Auntie Chen got pregnant with a boy. The child should be about 6 years old now, attending school near home, and is quite well-behaved.”

Chen Die opened her mouth and let out a faint “Ah” before saying, “That’s good.”

“Little Die, about what happened back then, I always felt—”

Jiang Xian paused, seemingly choosing his words, “Uncle Chen and Auntie Chen wouldn’t be so heartless. There might be some things we don’t know about. You shouldn’t think you were a child they abandoned.”

“Mm.” She responded without emotion, and after a long while, she added softly, “…But the fact is, I was abandoned by them.”

After Chen Die said those words, the waiting hall finally announced that her flight was ready for boarding.

Chen Die stood up, not waiting for Jiang Xian to say anything more. She said goodbye and picked up her suitcase, walking toward the boarding gate.

The plane took off.

Chen Die put on her eye mask and turned off the small light above her head.

She would sleep on the plane, and when she woke up, she would arrive at the filming location. After a brief rest, they could start shooting the final season of “Three Meals a Day.”

But just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly recalled what Jiang Xian had said, that there might be some things we don’t know about.

What else could it be?

When she was taken back, they didn’t try to stop it, and they did take the money from the Chen family.

Chen Die could no longer clearly remember the events from before, probably because she had deliberately avoided thinking about them. Now, trying to recall those details seemed like looking through a fog, not very clear.

She slept hazily for several hours. The plane landed early the next morning.

Chen Die turned on her phone after getting off the plane and saw three messages from Jiang Xian, whom she had just added.

[Jiang Xian: There’s something I forgot to tell you. Shortly after you left, Auntie Chen had serious surgery. The cost was very high, and I suspect part of the money from Chen Corporation went toward that.]

[Jiang Xian: I know that even for surgery expenses, they shouldn’t have let them take you away. But I still remember when you were little and going to school, Auntie Chen had no time to pick you up because of work, so she especially came to my house to find me, asking if I could accompany you to and from school. She said at the time, “My child is good-looking. I’m worried about her walking alone, afraid she might encounter bad people.”]

[Jiang Xian: So how could she let you leave like that later?]

Chen Die stood by the luggage area, her hand on the handle of her suitcase, head lowered, reading the three messages over and over again.

A strange feeling rose in her heart, hard to describe, like a small stone weighing on the tip of her heart.

Thinking carefully about the past, in Chen Die’s memory, her adoptive parents may not have doted on her, but they certainly weren’t harsh either.

Chen Die stood there for a while, inexplicably wanting to chat with Wen Liang.

But he didn’t reply to messages, and his phone was turned off when she called.

Hmph.

Dog of a man.

The final season’s location was set abroad. The airport was filled with blonde, blue-eyed foreigners, so Chen Die could finally remove her hat and mask.

With things on her mind, she got into the car sent by the show’s production team.

Because it was the final season, filming began as soon as she got in the car from the airport, with a camera on the back of the front seat.

She immediately received an envelope containing ten quick Q&A questions.

Chen Die quickly immersed herself in work, temporarily setting aside her troubles.

When they arrived at the filming location, the other three participants had already arrived.

Everyone greeted each other and officially began filming.

After chatting for a while and answering questions, creating a very emotional and touching atmosphere, as darkness fell, it was time for the once-per-episode bedroom-grabbing game.

This time, the game involved playing cards, with rules that were a psychological battle.

The production team’s voiceover asked, “Chen Die, what is your goal this time?”

Chen Die rested her chin on her hand, raised her eyes, and pointed, “To send Lin Qingye into the tent.”

Everyone immediately burst into laughter.

In an instant, the sentimental atmosphere that the production team had deliberately created was completely shattered.

When Ran Liming and Li Cong were asked, their answers were both “to help Little Sister Die.”

After so many episodes, except for Lin Qingye, the other three had all stayed in the tent. Chen Die’s turn was even personally arranged by him, and she had harbored a grudge for a long time.

The game relied on psychological warfare, but with Chen Die’s one statement rallying the other two, the subsequent gameplay became much smoother.

Whether Ran Liming and Li Cong deliberately let her win or not, Chen Die emerged victorious and finally got to stay in the most luxurious bedroom.

Lin Qingye, true to expectations, was personally sent to the tent by Chen Die.

Ran Liming and Li Cong applauded and cheered, defecting to Chen Die’s side, showing absolutely no brotherly loyalty.

After the game ended, everyone made a commotion outside, and by the time they returned to their bedrooms, it was very late.

Chen Die removed her makeup, waved at the camera in the bedroom, then covered it with a cloth and turned off the device.

After lying on the bed, the content of what Jiang Xian said suddenly pushed into her mind again.

So annoying.

She rolled over on the bed, and then realized she hadn’t replied to Jiang Xian after he sent those messages.

Chen Die sat up, grabbed her phone, and opened the chat.

But she didn’t know what to say. She stared at it for a long time, then found an animated gif of a nodding pig from her emoji collection and sent it to him.

At the same time, there was a knock at the door.

“Coming,” Chen Die said.

She walked over in her slippers.

She thought it might be a staff member from the production team coming to inform her of something, but when she opened the door, she saw Wen Liang, whom she hadn’t seen for several days.

A travel-worn Wen Liang.

For once, he wasn’t wearing a suit but a light trench coat, with a damp patch on his shoulder from the light rain outside.

Chen Die stared at him in disbelief, “How did you get here?”

“I told you, I’m coming to find you.”

“Ah, I thought you’d arrive tomorrow.” Chen Die scratched her head.

She still stood at the door, not letting Wen Liang in.

Wen Liang’s sudden appearance completely took Chen Die’s mind off her troubles.

But wait, she had removed her makeup—did she look ugly now?

She remembered a pimple had suddenly appeared on her forehead yesterday.

While she was lost in these thoughts, Wen Liang lowered his head and kissed her lips, “I came secretly. Let’s go inside first.”

Chen Die: “?”

Wen Liang didn’t give her time to react, pushing her by the shoulders into the room and slamming the door behind them.

“Did anyone from the production team see you come up?”

“No.” Wen Liang took off his coat. “Is the camera still on?”

“I just turned it off.”

Wen Liang nodded, grabbed her wrist, held her close, and pressed her onto the bed, cradling her face and kissing her urgently, his knees straddling her on both sides.

“Wait, hold on…” Chen Die pushed him. “Are you a starving ghost reincarnated?”

Wen Liang patted her face, mumbling indistinctly, “Be good, I won’t touch you, just let me kiss you for a while.”

“…”

Fine.

Chen Die shifted slightly, finding a more comfortable position to kiss Wen Liang.

To be fair, Wen Liang seemed to have a natural talent for kissing. Before, he would just give messy pecks, but now he could always make her blush, her heart racing, fully immersed in the moment.

However, just as Chen Die was halfway immersed, her phone, which had been tossed aside earlier, suddenly made a sound.

Wen Liang ignored it, kissed her once more before letting go, and then glanced at her lit-up phone screen.

[Jiang Xian: Goodnight.]

Wen Liang raised an eyebrow, sitting on top of Chen Die, and picked up the phone to show her.

Chen Die was still in a daze from being kissed, and it took a while before she could see the content.

Looking at Wen Liang’s expression now, Chen Die truly felt two letters.

GG.