Zhou Yining flopped back onto the sofa, sulking. Ji Dongyang was gone early in the morning, and she had no idea where he’d gone. She’d searched everywhere but couldn’t find a single note. She opened her phone, and there wasn’t even a text message. He had just disappeared.

Zhou Yining called Ji Dongyang, but his phone was off. She called Ah Ming, and his phone was off, too.

After that hug last night, he ran away without a single word.

He didn’t regret it, did he?

Zhou Yining lay sprawled on the sofa, venting her anger on a cushion. She kicked it with all her might, sending it flying, then grabbed his sleep mask, glared at it, and cursed, “Jerk!”

Just then, a Weibo notification appeared on her phone. She glanced at it and quickly tapped to open it.

Ji Dongyang had appeared at the airport at eight o’clock this morning. Unlike his usual low-key attire, a long black down jacket he was dressed as if he were heading to an event. He was tall, handsome, composed, and introverted, and his inherent charisma couldn’t be hidden even by a mask and a baseball cap. His fans recognized him instantly. From the photos, the fans were indeed terrifyingly frenzied. Even the security guards and his assistant couldn’t stop them.

“Dong-ge dressed so flamboyantly at the airport? This must be the first time! He seems to be going to the UK to shoot an ad.”

“Dong-ge is so handsome! Why wasn’t I at the airport, ahhh! I’m so envious of the girls who could get that close to him.”

“It’s because of you crazy fans that the airport is in chaos!”

“So what if I’m a crazy fan? What’s wrong with me liking Dong-ge? Does it bother you?”

…

Zhou Yining threw her phone aside. He really did run away, and to another country at that.

What did he take her for? A quick hug, a pat on the head, and then he just ran off! Zhou Yining 

rolled over, utterly enraged.

Ah Ming’s assistant brought her the keys, along with a takeout meal. Zhou Yining opened the door to Ji Dongyang’s place and waited by the elevator. After the delivery, the assistant left.

Zhou Yining went back into Ji Dongyang’s home, ate her takeout, and stayed there until the evening. She pulled open his closet, propped her chin up, and pondered the clothes for a long time before making a momentous decision.

She would empty his closet!

He had run away, and she was angry.

It took her half an hour and several trips, but she finally moved all of Ji Dongyang’s clothes.

Standing in her own walk-in closet, looking at the two new rows of men’s clothes, her mood finally improved.

The next afternoon, Zhou Yining received a call from Wan Wei, telling her to go to an audition at 10 a.m. the next day. “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow. Get to bed early tonight, do a face mask, and be in your best condition.”

Zhou Yining agreed. “Okay. Is it a temporary script?”

Wan Wei said, “Yes, it’s all ad-libbing. This tests an actor’s core abilities.”

Zhou Yining thought for a moment. “Okay, I understand.”

After Xingyu pulled out its investment, Huachen Entertainment took over the post-production. The reason was not hard to guess.

On the day of the audition, Zhou Yining and Wan Wei arrived at Huachen Entertainment. When they went inside, she saw that there were a total of six people auditioning, all of whom were more famous than her: the popular young actress Du Rui, the Best Actress nominee Lu Xuexin, and the most famous of all, Shen Qing. Five years ago, the movie Black and White made Ji Dongyang a Best Actor and Shen Qing a Best Actress. Though her career had not developed as explosively as Ji Dongyang’s in recent years, she still had good work and remained a major name.

She had thought it would be like The Taiping Dynasty, where Director Xu and the assistant director would decide on a private audition.

When the others saw Zhou Yining, their expressions changed. This was Huachen, and the fact that Zhou Yining was Huachen’s President Qin Sen’s cousin was no longer a secret. The fairness of this competition was highly suspect, and the way they looked at Zhou Yining carried clear disdain.

Wan Wei had told her that Director Wei Zhong valued acting skills above all. Her biggest competitor was Shen Qing. Director Wei not only looked at acting but was also a little nostalgic. He wanted Ji Dongyang and Shen Qing to play the lead roles again and make a new push for the film festivals with The Heart’s Knot.

Wan Wei also told her that her advantage was that she was 10 years younger than Shen Qing, similar in age to the female lead of The Heart’s Knot. This was the reason Director Wei was hesitating. No matter how well a woman maintained her appearance, a 10-year age gap was obvious at a glance.

If her acting was up to par, she would win.

Zhou Yining pursed her lips and waited quietly. After waiting for half an hour, the person in charge let everyone draw lots to decide the audition order.

Zhou Yining drew one at random. It had a “6” on it.

Shen Qing drew a “5.” She winked at Zhou Yining. “I’m before you.”

Zhou Yining gave a polite smile and said honestly, “That puts a lot of pressure on me.”

Those who didn’t know the truth might have thought the two were acquainted, but in fact, it was the first time Zhou Yining had met Shen Qing, and the first time she had spoken to her.

Everyone returned to their seats, quietly and nervously preparing their emotions.

After waiting for nearly two hours, Shen Qing came out. She glanced at Zhou Yining, smiled, and left.

Zhou Yining inexplicably grew nervous. She bit her lip and took a deep breath before walking in.

Wei Zhong glanced at her and said directly, “Give her the sixth script. Zhou Yining, you’ll perform this scene.”

Zhou Yining nodded and took it, quickly scanning the script, then glancing at the props table beside her. She asked, “Director, can I destroy the set?”

Wei Zhong was taken aback. “Do as you see fit.”

The scene was the female lead having a breakdown, with no dialogue.

Zhou Yining took out her phone, pretending to answer a call. Her expression went from initial nonchalance to cold indifference. Slowly, her face changed completely. She bit her lip fiercely, as if to desperately suppress her emotions. Her sharp white teeth bit through her lip, and a drop of blood slowly seeped out.

The few people present were shocked. She’s actually biting it! This girl is ruthless!

Director Wei crumpled the paper in his hand, his gaze sharp as he stared at the young woman in front of him.

Suddenly, she threw her phone to the ground with a loud bang. She stared breathlessly at the shattered screen, then slowly squatted down, burying her head in her knees. A suppressed whimper escaped her, and her slender shoulders trembled slightly as she cried in a stifled, shaking way.

The next moment, she stood up abruptly, walked to the table, let out a few piercing screams, and with a sweep of her arm, knocked everything on the table to the floor with another series of loud crashes.

She clenched her teeth, her eyes red, and kicked the corner of the table, breathing heavily amidst the wreckage.

Half a minute later, Zhou Yining took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and bowed to everyone. “I’m done. Thank you all.”

Everyone’s heart was in their throat. First, she bit through her lip, then she smashed her phone, destroyed props, and kicked the table. The emotional swings were huge… She really acted like a psychological patient.

Wei Zhong stared at her for a few seconds and then smiled. “Zhou Yining, do you normally throw things when you’re angry?”

Zhou Yining was momentarily stunned. She shook her head. “No.”

She used to, but not anymore. Her illness was gone.

…

The audition results would be sent to her manager in three days. Zhou Yining couldn’t guess her chances, so she could only wait at home.

That night, she was lying on the sofa, scrolling through Weibo. She actually found updates on Ji Dongyang’s whereabouts. A fan had run into him shooting an ad on location in another country and had posted a few stolen photos.

It’s been three days! He hasn’t contacted me at all. Zhou Yining angrily exited Weibo.

In England, Ji Dongyang had just finished shooting. He took his phone from Ah Ming and opened it. He had received a lot of messages, but none were from her.

He frowned slightly. She used to bother me with messages all the time. Why is she so quiet this time?

Maybe it was just a moment of impulse for her.

Ah Ming glanced at him and asked, “Dong-ge, are you waiting for a message?”

Ji Dongyang’s expression was calm as he put his phone back in his pocket. “No.”

Ah Ming didn’t believe him. “Dong-ge, did you and Miss Zhou fight? She used to always text me for your schedule, but it’s been so quiet these last few days.”

You couldn’t blame Ah Ming for his suspicion. The other day, when he went to pick him up, he saw Ji Dongyang sleeping on the sofa with the bedroom door tightly closed, and a black handbag on the table. He knew it was a woman’s. At that moment, he was shocked; he had caught them!

Ji Dongyang ripped off his sleep mask and sat up with a heavy expression, looking like he hadn’t slept well.

Ah Ming feared his morning grumpiness and stood to the side, too scared to ask.

Ji Dongyang grabbed his watch and looked at it. It was 7 a.m.

He turned to the tightly closed bedroom door, thought for a moment, and looked at Ah Ming. “Did you bring me any clothes?”

Ah Ming quickly put down the suitcase. “Yes, I did. The brand sent a new line a few days ago. You can wear them for this event.”

Ji Dongyang gave a faint “mm” and walked over, picked out a set of clothes from the suitcase, and went to another room to change.

Ah Ming stared at the master bedroom door. There definitely was a woman hiding in there.

No doubt about it this time.

Dong-ge is so ascetic! Sleeping on the sofa. How pitiful.

That morning, Ji Dongyang, who is usually low-key, made an appearance at the airport wearing a new brand line, and his fans recognized him right away.

…

A fight? Ji Dongyang frowned. “No.”

Not only did they not fight, but he had even indulged her in taking another step forward.

Ah Ming was also unclear about their situation. He scratched his head. “Dong-ge, should I get Miss Zhou a gift, like a handbag or something?”

Aren’t Hermès or Chanel women’s favorites?

Ji Dongyang turned to leave. “No need.”

Giving a handbag did seem a bit tacky. Zhou Yining’s most-used bag was the one she carried her cash in. Ah Ming liked and admired Zhou Yining; he felt she was different from other female Celebrities. He also thought a bag was a bit tacky and quickly followed him. “Dong-ge, the Taiping Dynasty crew has arranged for a show recording on the 30th. They hope you can make it. It’s a variety show, and Director Yang said it’s up to you.”

Ji Dongyang hadn’t been on a variety show in years. Variety shows wanted to invite him, but were also a little apprehensive; inviting a movie star who had no sense of humor and rarely even smiled was a tough sell, not to mention that they couldn’t even get him to come.

Ji Dongyang’s steps paused slightly. “The 30th? Will we make it?”

Ah Ming nodded. “We’ll arrive that afternoon, and the show is scheduled to be recorded in the evening. If we go, we’ll head straight to the set from the airport. You won’t have time to adjust to the time difference.”

Ji Dongyang pondered for a moment. “Let’s go.”