It is a rare thing for a person to truly understand life.

When they arrived at the set, Chu Qingchan and Liu Qinuan were busy once again, while he had nothing to do and idly scrolled through his phone, downloading a certain social media app. Though it wasn’t the best place—full of all sorts of people—it was still the most well-informed source for entertainment industry news, so he began searching casually.

He found that all news related to Liu Qinuan was rather positive. Information about the set wasn’t completely blocked, but it all referenced statements from Jinling. Her own page was filled with comforting messages, urging her not to let anything affect her mood, asking about what she was filming, and similar concerns. Under a post mentioning the director, Sun Jianren, was the most popular comment, expressing curiosity about whether it was a film or a television series. One reply stated it was a short film and mentioned a star who had already left the industry—clearly referring to Chu Qingchan.

It seemed most photos could be removed, but text was harder to manage completely. Still, there was nothing especially strange in the news. He then searched for Chu Qingchan’s page; the latest post was from over three months ago, announcing her departure from the industry. Opening the comments, he found the usual battleground of haters, but recent replies were full of people hoping for her return.

Xu Lin was a bit confused, so he clicked into the second most popular comment, posted by a prominent account declaring “It’s good she left.” There were explanations about the shift in public opinion—someone said they missed Chu Qingchan, that her acting wasn’t the best but she was beautiful. Now, the new actresses were both poor performers and less attractive than Chu Qingchan, especially pointing to the idols emerging from a certain show.

Xu Lin couldn’t tell if these were insults or not; there were hundreds of replies below, all saying they wanted Chu Qingchan back and wanted to see the beautiful sister. He searched for the show mentioned and discovered it was a talent competition, now in its final two episodes, testing acting skills. A dozen girls were all failing miserably, and they all looked alike, as if cast from the same mold.

No wonder it was criticized. Xu Lin glanced at Chu Qingchan in the distance, then at Chu Fengyi nearby—this was true beauty; he realized his eyes had grown picky.

“What’s so interesting about this? Are they as pretty as me?”

“No, I just saw their info in your sister’s comment section.”

“I saw it too. By the way, the company investing in that show is also one of our investments.”

“Uh... You guys really are impressive. But you always quarrel with your sister, yet you care about her, don’t you~”

“Who cares about her!”

“You’re awfully tsundere!”

“Hmph! I guess your wound doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“It hurts... ah! It hurts so much!”

At last, the main scenes for Chu Qingchan and Liu Qinuan were finished, meaning it was Xu Lin’s turn to coast through his own part. After completing the grand finale transition, the shoot officially wrapped.

“Is your hand okay?”

“No problem. Conveniently, my character gets beaten in the script, so no need for makeup.”

“That’s true. Let’s get ready for the shoot—everyone to their places!”

With the director’s shout, Xu Lin and the others lined up, while the cameraman found the right angle and lighting, beginning ground and aerial shots simultaneously. A few minutes later, as the drone slowly descended, the director called out, and the whole crew shouted together, “It’s a wrap!”

Afterward, the actors with speaking roles exchanged the customary hugs, and the crew presented Chu Qingchan and Liu Qinuan with bouquets. The director, holding a megaphone, walked between Liu Qinuan and Chu Qingchan.

“Everyone, you did a great job. The originally scheduled five days of filming were successfully compressed into two and a half days. Thank you!”

“The extras might feel a bit shortchanged, but even though today was only half a day, we’re counting it as a full day for you.”

“Thank you, Director!”

“If you’re grateful, thank the producer. Also, I want to single out Chu Qingchan. She may not be the best actress, but she’s the fastest I’ve seen at improving her craft.”

“That’s definitely thanks to her hard work behind the scenes. I hope whether you’re an extra or supporting actor, you’ll all work hard—it really can make a difference.”

Sun Jianren’s words moved many extras, who clenched their fists, feeling touched since most directors wouldn’t bother encouraging bit players.

“Let’s all encourage Miss Chu Qingchan. Though she’s leaving show business for now, this short film will be a fine conclusion.”

Applause broke out, then more words for Liu Qinuan and the other actors, until the director came to Xu Lin.

“What did everyone think of Xu Lin’s performance?” Sun Jianren slung an arm over his shoulder.

“Not bad!”

“Xu Lin did great!”

“Awesome!”

“Haha!”

“To be honest, I think Xu Lin is a genius—a genius at acting. This was his first time performing, never before in front of a camera.”

“I don’t know if Xu Lin will become an actor, but I hope you all realize that geniuses like this exist, and so do hard workers like Chu Qingchan.”

“So, does that mean the rest should give up? No—we should work even harder!”

With applause ringing out once more, the filming of the short film came to a complete end.

Xu Lin quickly removed his makeup, changed into his own clothes, and sat to the side, waiting for Chu Qingchan to finish packing. He was thinking about what to buy for his parents; just now his payment had arrived—9,000 yuan—his first income since his rebirth. Now he could finally buy gifts for his parents with his own money. If it was too expensive, the old couple wouldn’t be happy; it had to be practical.

What would be practical? He couldn’t buy two hundred pounds of rice, could he? He’d have to ask them. But what about Captain Ji and her friends? If he bought gifts for other girls in front of the Chu sisters, he’d look like a show-off.

As he pondered this, someone sat beside him, bringing a faint, elegant fragrance.

“You’re leaving Jinling today?”

“What? Sorry, Miss Liu, I zoned out.”

“Are you leaving today?”

“Yes, heading back early. Though we didn’t get to explore much, filming wasn’t easy. Next time, when I’m not working, I’ll come just for fun.”

“Mm, next time, come for fun without any burdens.” She squeezed her hands together, wanting to say something, but then let go.

Xu Lin didn’t notice her change, taking out his phone and continuing to browse. Suddenly, he saw a gossip headline, his eyes widening.

“That’s me, right?”

A blurry photo—it was clearly on the school set, but not during Liu Qinuan’s scenes yesterday, rather from filming the day before. It showed him and an extra nearby, but the distance was far enough that his profile, though visible, wouldn’t be easily recognized by others.

The text claimed he was the male lead on Liu Qinuan’s set. Xu Lin was speechless. Seventh or eighth in the cast, male lead? But the comments below made him quite happy.

“So handsome!”

“Who’s this guy?”

“No idea—must be a newcomer. As long as he’s good-looking, that’s enough.”

There were nonsense posts too, which Xu Lin ignored. His joy faded a bit as he understood the feeling of being a public figure.

You get some praise, but you must also face some criticism. If you can’t handle the criticism, you’re not suited to be a public figure.

“Hey! Brother Xu.”

“Yes?”

“I’m really sorry!” She suddenly stood up and bowed deeply.

“What are you doing? Didn’t we talk about this in the car?”

“No, no—this time you helped me twice, got hurt once, almost got hurt again. I truly should apologize. Of course, it’s only to ease my own conscience.”

“Sit down first.” Xu Lin grew serious, signaling her to calm down.

“Okay.”

“Liu Qinuan, you’re in show business, right?”

“Yes.”

“Like the director said, people in this industry all have a few more schemes and ideas. Otherwise, how could they survive and make good money?”

“But I’m not in it for money—just to satisfy my own need for perfection.”

For the first time, Liu Qinuan didn’t show her gentle, sweet smile. The fairy-like aura faded, replaced by a bit more maturity.

“But now you’re telling me this, which means you admit your own faults. If you can reflect on yourself, that’s progress.”

“The scariest thing is not understanding yourself! If you know your desires and have goals, then you don’t need to feel uneasy.”

“You used me—I could hate you—but why be unhappy with yourself? You achieved your goal, didn’t you?”

“In this life, the hardest thing is to live as you wish. If outward perfection is what you want, then you’re not wrong.”

“If it isn’t, you’re still young—go seek what you truly want!”

With that, Xu Lin saw Chu Qingchan come out, grabbed his bag, and strode away, leaving Liu Qinuan with an unforgettable silhouette.