A week later, Chen Die received a phone call notifying her that she had passed the audition for the female lead in “Hairpin Flower.”

It was already late morning when she got the call. Chen Die had just gotten up and was washing in the bathroom. She answered the phone with wet hands, and the person on the other end immediately delivered the news.

Chen Die was stunned for a full three minutes before reacting, by which time the caller had already hung up.

She had actually, truly gotten the role.

Although her advisor and Lu Chuan had both told her the chances were high, actually securing the role created a completely different mindset.

She was, indeed, quite flattered.

She changed into a simple white T-shirt and jeans before going downstairs. Housekeeper Zhang had just finished preparing lunch and was placing it on the dining table. Looking up as Chen Die came down, she said, “I was just about to call Miss for lunch.”

“Yes, I accidentally overslept today.” Chen Die tied her long hair into a high ponytail, revealing her slender neck, and sat down at the dining table.

Housekeeper Zhang looked at her and smiled, “Miss seems to be in an especially good mood today.”

Chen Die curved her lips, “Mm.”

“Today the young master specifically instructed me to make more of Miss’s favorite dishes for lunch. He said you’re too thin,” Housekeeper Zhang said.

Chen Die’s hand holding the chopsticks paused.

Hearing such words now created a completely different mindset.

Independence, being able to start her career, was Chen Die’s first step in saying goodbye to Wen Liang.

The year she finished her college entrance exam, she had signed a contract with Wen Liang, maintaining this relationship until her college graduation—which had now quietly arrived.

After eating a simple meal, she went out without having the driver take her. She took a taxi to the subway station, and then the subway to the production company building.

Jiayue Production was a well-established film company. In recent years, many films with both good reviews and box office success have come from this company. It was not easy to receive an offer from them right after graduation.

Chen Die took a deep breath and walked through Jiayue’s front doors.

The receptionist took the business card she handed over and quickly displayed a characteristic smile, “Please come with me.”

With Feng Zhi’s business card, she had smooth access all the way.

The receptionist led her to the executive office, where a woman in a light gray suit sat with impeccable makeup, “Chen Die?”

“Yes.”

An assistant brought in two cups of tea.

“Have you signed with any talent agency yet?” the executive director asked.

“Not yet.”

“No wonder you came alone today. It’s quite rare in the entertainment industry to go it alone without signing with a company.” She took a sip of tea. “But once this film comes out, there will certainly be plenty of companies extending offers.”

The executive director was highly efficient, with no wasted words. She quickly took a contract from the printer behind her and placed it in front of Chen Die.

“This is our standard contract for new actors,” she said. “You can look it over and see if it’s acceptable.”

Chen Die responded with a sound of acknowledgment.

When she was younger, in her freshman year, Wen Liang was just beginning to handle matters at the Wen Yuan Group. She had watched him deal with contracts at the villa in the western suburbs.

At that time, she still really, really liked Wen Liang, completely harboring a young girl’s admiration and affection. She was also very happy that their relationship was becoming ambiguously intimate.

She would sit obediently beside him, pushing her head over to look.

Wen Liang grabbed her collar and pulled her back, “Can you even understand this?”

“What’s not to understand?!” Chen Die was very dissatisfied at being underestimated.

Wen Liang laughed lightly and simply pulled her onto his lap, disregarding that the contract involved business secrets, “Then take a look and tell me if this contract is reasonable.”

Chen Die looked very seriously but couldn’t find any issues, “It seems reasonable to me.”

Wen Liang mocked her, “Go play somewhere else.”

“It’s not reasonable?”

He was unusually patient and actually held her while explaining clearly the dozen or so traps buried in the contract, then said, “Someone like you would help count the money while being sold.”

Later, Chen Die pestered him to teach her how to review contracts, wearing him down for several days, and afterward drafted that contract set to expire upon her college graduation.

The 18-year-old Chen Die drafted a contract with her newly acquired knowledge, with pride evident between every line.

Wen Liang was never short of women, so at the time, the clause stipulating that Chen Die would maintain a romantic relationship with him for four years seemed laughable to him.

At that time, he thought it was just a kid with nothing better to do after the college entrance exam, making trouble for herself. He scolded her with a “never doing anything useful” but went along with her and signed his name without looking closely.

He didn’t know.

Chen Die wasn’t paving the way for her future independence early on.

She was trying to use her childish method to bind Wen Liang to herself in black and white, even if only for four years.

She had originally thought that four years might be enough for Wen Liang to truly fall in love with her.

But he was arrogant, unorthodox—there was nothing in this world that could subdue him. Instead, she became less and less like herself.

Wen Liang, Wen Liang, always Wen Liang.

Chen Die shook her head vigorously and seriously read through the contract.

The contract wasn’t completely equal, but they were also profit-seeking, so the tilted terms were normal. Chen Die read it carefully and determined that the inequalities were all acceptable to her.

So she quickly signed her name.

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit private room at a bar, a man sat with one foot on the coffee table, smoking until the air was thick with haze.

Everyone could feel that Wen Liang was displeased.

Very displeased, as if he might jump up and hit someone at any moment.

Only Xiao Shi, who was closer to him, knew why he was in a bad mood.

Talk about narrow roads for enemies—Wen Liang and his privileged brother shared the same birthday. That afternoon, he had received a call from the old man at home asking him to return tomorrow to celebrate Wen Qian’s 18th birthday and coming-of-age ceremony.

Anyone would feel slighted hearing that.

No one dared provoke him at this time. They left him alone and chatted about inconsequential topics.

Among them were several beauties, one of whom sat in the corner, staring directly at him. After a moment, she got up, walked through the crowd, and sat down next to Wen Liang.

The others exchanged glances for a second.

This girl was bold, daring to walk into the line of fire.

Fu Sheng poured a glass of wine for Wen Liang and leaned in gently, “Why isn’t Mr. Wen drinking?”

Her voice was melodious, enough to make anyone melt.

Wen Liang only frowned impatiently and looked over, “Who are you?”

He always followed his inclinations, never caring about others’ feelings.

Fu Sheng was stunned, not expecting that Wen Liang wouldn’t remember her at all. She bit her lip, still maintaining that coquettish demeanor, “The Internet Conference a few days ago, I was your companion.”

Wen Liang remembered—the day Chen Die came out of the elevator with that man and ended up at the police station.

He turned his head with a cold face, lounging lazily and smoking even more fiercely.

Fu Sheng had heard about Wen Liang’s reputation in the outside world and no longer dared to speak.

But she had to admit that Wen Liang, as a man, had a fatal attraction for many women.

Both wild and proud, placing himself above all others, he would make people want to dig deeper to see what he would look like when he fell.

When Wen Liang stood up to leave, another man beside him asked where he was going. Wen Liang didn’t look back, just waved his hand and continued walking.

Fu Sheng hesitated for two seconds, then followed.

When Wen Liang came out of the restroom, he saw the woman standing outside. Having drunk quite a bit, her eyes naturally contained emotion, brimming with charm.

“Mr. Wen,” she called him softly.

Wen Liang glanced over.

“Are you leaving now?” Fu Sheng noticed that he had also brought his cigarette case. “Let me see you out.”

“Get lost.”

He truly didn’t leave any face for others. Fu Sheng was once again left speechless, watching him walk toward the exit.

Fu Sheng suddenly remembered that woman whom Wen Liang had pulled out of the elevator at the mansion.

She thought that perhaps for a man like Wen Liang, the more rebellious, the more he favored.

So she ran after him again and grabbed his arm.

Before she could say anything, she was violently pushed against the wall by Wen Liang.

He had been drinking, and the depths of his features had softened, making him appear both debonair and ruthless.

Fu Sheng’s shoulders ached from the impact, and then Wen Liang grabbed her hair and forcefully pulled her down. Her scalp stung, forcing her to raise her chin and look up at him.

“Want me to sleep with you?”

His language was too crude, simply barbaric, but Fu Sheng still blushed at his words. Her heart beat faster and faster, her throat dry, unable to speak.

“You’ve seen her, haven’t you?” he said.

Fu Sheng was startled, thinking of that woman.

Wen Liang had drunk a bit too much, his eyes unclear, as he frivolously scanned her whole body.

The hand gripping her hair pulled down repeatedly, causing Fu Sheng’s head to tilt back again and again.

He said with contempt and sarcasm, “So why the hell would I sleep with someone like you?”

He straightened up, losing interest, not even bothering to give her another glance, “Get away from me.”

Fu Sheng’s eyes immediately reddened from his words.

A pretty face could bring many benefits. At least, Fu Sheng had never before suffered such humiliation from a man.

She went to the bathroom to wash her face, no longer interested in returning to the private room. She picked up her bag, also planning to leave.

Just as she walked out the door, she saw Wen Liang to one side.

He hadn’t left yet, leaning lazily against a wall, eyes downcast as he made a phone call.

Fu Sheng couldn’t help but glance at him from the corner of her eye.

She heard him ask—

“Where are you now?” His voice was relaxed, slightly roguish.

Fu Sheng couldn’t help but look at him from the corner of her eye.

She heard him laugh softly, “I’ll come pick you up.”

His laughter resonated from deep in his throat, low and enticing, making one’s heart itch with desire—completely different from before.