The moment Gu Nansheng recalled how she had finally won Lu Shijing over, an undeniably smug smile spread across her face.

Watching her best friend sitting across from her, now a wildly popular actress in the entertainment industry, Lin Manqing could not help but sigh in amazement.

Some things in life truly worked in strange ways.

The things you chased desperately often slipped through your fingers, while the things you never expected somehow bloomed beautifully on their own.

Lin Manqing had always dreamed of becoming an actress.

Three years earlier, shortly after university graduation, a well-known art-house director, Feng Qing, had begun nationwide casting for the female lead of his upcoming film, Mist and Rain.

At the time, Lin Manqing had dragged Gu Nansheng along to audition.

Unexpectedly, the moment Feng Qing saw Gu Nansheng, he immediately took notice of her. He believed her unique aura fit the role of the second female lead perfectly.

Back then, Gu Nansheng had just graduated and was still uncertain about her future. Since she had not found a suitable job yet, she decided to give acting a try.

In a daze, she joined the production crew.

Day after day, she buried herself in the script, slowly learning to understand her character and interpret the role through her own instincts. To everyone’s surprise, Feng Qing praised her constantly, insisting she possessed a rare natural talent for acting.

The film carried a melancholic tone, paired with Director Feng’s signature artistic style. It painted the bittersweet emotions of youth with striking depth and beauty.

The role Gu Nansheng played was glamorous, bold, and breathtakingly beautiful, and Feng Qing spared no effort in capturing every bit of her charm on screen.

When Mist and Rain was finally released, Gu Nansheng rose to fame almost overnight.

Her stunning appearance and graceful figure quickly captured the attention of countless fans, officially opening the doors of the entertainment industry to her.

Meanwhile, after giving up on her own acting dreams, Lin Manqing partnered with a friend to open a bar.

Thanks to her background in art, she designed the place with a distinctive atmosphere and style. Before long, the bar gained popularity throughout City A, allowing her to build a comfortable life as a business owner.

“If I hadn’t seen the news yesterday, I wouldn’t even know you were back,” Lin Manqing remarked.

“I accepted a role in a drama,” Gu Nansheng explained. “The director was incredibly strict. To keep everyone focused, all our phones were taken away.”

Lin Manqing raised an eyebrow.

“And your handsome Lu actually tolerated that?”

“He didn’t really have a choice,” Gu Nansheng replied with a helpless laugh. “It comes with the job.”

After entering the entertainment industry, time together had become increasingly rare for the two of them.

After graduation, Lu Shijing chose to stay at the university, immersing himself in research work day after day.

Meanwhile, Gu Nansheng spent most of her time traveling between filming locations, commercial shoots, and events. Sometimes they went one or two months without seeing each other.

Both of them were busy.

Painfully busy.

Whenever they finally reunited, Lu Shijing constantly worried about paparazzi exposing their relationship. Gu Nansheng’s career was still rising rapidly, and any scandal could easily affect her future.

Because every meeting had to remain secretive, Gu Nansheng had once complained furiously that they felt less like a couple and more like people sneaking around in some hidden romance.

Eventually, she grew tired of it.

Without hesitation, she bought an apartment near Lu Shijing’s university.

From then on, their secret dates transformed into living under the same roof.

No matter how exhausting work became, she wanted the first face she saw after coming home to be his.

Now that she finally had a few free days, she intended to spend proper time with him.

“How are things between you and Shen Yi?” Gu Nansheng asked.

“Pretty good,” Lin Manqing replied lazily. “We’re both busy with work.”

After graduation, Shen Yi had joined an international company and climbed the ranks quickly. Rumor had it his future looked incredibly promising.

After a brief silence, Lin Manqing suddenly spoke again.

“Nansheng… my brother’s coming back.”

Gu Nansheng paused.

“Your brother?”

It took her several seconds to process.

“Wait… you mean Lin Siyan?”

“How many brothers do you think I have?” Lin Manqing rolled her eyes.

Lin Siyan was Lin Manqing’s younger half-brother from her father’s side.

She had only learned of his existence when she was twelve years old.

Not long after her mother passed away, her father brought Lin Siyan and his mother into the family home.

At the time, Lin Manqing could not understand any of it.

How had she suddenly gained a younger brother?

How could her father have another woman outside the marriage?

And how had her mother never known?

Feeling abandoned and betrayed, she began resenting both her father and the newly arrived mother and son.

Lin Manqing’s grandfather valued carrying on the family name deeply. Once he learned there was a grandson, he firmly secured a place for Lin Siyan and his mother in the family.

Lin Siyan’s mother was gentle and soft-spoken, always treating Lin Manqing kindly.

But back then, Lin Manqing was too young and angry to accept any of it.

She treated them coldly.

Her father tried to mend things, but after repeated failures, he eventually stopped trying.

Lin Siyan was five years younger than Lin Manqing.

In Gu Nansheng’s memory, he had been an incredibly adorable child, fair-skinned, bright-eyed, and impossibly cute.

Back then, Gu Nansheng had even secretly wished for a younger brother like him.

For reasons she never fully understood, Lin Siyan had become particularly attached to her.

He followed her everywhere and often declared proudly that he would marry her when he grew up.

Uncle Lin had once laughed and teased him.

“And why do you want to marry Sister Nansheng?”

The little boy had planted his hands firmly on his hips.

“Because Sister Nansheng is really pretty!”

Laughing, Uncle Lin patted his head.

“Then you’ll have to hurry up and grow up.”

Every single time this happened, Lin Manqing nearly exploded with annoyance.

First her father, now even her best friend?

She disliked her younger brother even more.

Later, when Lin Siyan turned ten, he was sent overseas.

The old master placed enormous expectations on him, hoping he would one day shoulder the family business.

As for Lin Manqing, nobody pressured her.

She lived however she pleased and had no interest in inheritance or business matters.

Still, when it came to Lin Siyan, her emotions remained complicated.

She had rejected him harshly as a child, yet part of her always felt strangely drawn toward him.

Whenever those feelings surfaced, guilt followed close behind, making her feel as though she had somehow betrayed her late mother.

After leaving, Lin Siyan never returned for nine whole years.

So much time had passed that Lin Manqing barely remembered what he looked like anymore.

Even Gu Nansheng could only recall fragments.

“Your brother’s probably coming back to take over the family business, right?” Gu Nansheng asked. “Your grandfather’s getting older.”

“Probably.” Lin Manqing shrugged. “Honestly, after nine years, I don’t even remember his face anymore.”

It was not the inheritance that bothered her.

It was the unresolved hurt.

As time passed, she visited home less and less. Her relationship with her father remained distant and polite.

That house had stopped feeling like home long ago.

Her father had recently called, specifically asking her to attend a family dinner because Lin Siyan was returning.

Her first thought had been:

What does your family reunion have to do with me?

Sometimes, it felt like everyone else had already moved on.

Everyone except her.

The family had slowly become something distant, almost unfamiliar.

Lin Manqing lit another cigarette.

Then, as though suddenly remembering something amusing, she glanced teasingly at Gu Nansheng.

“Didn’t he used to follow you around saying he wanted to marry you?”

Gu Nansheng nearly choked.

“That was ages ago! Why do you even still remember that?” she protested. “He was literally a child!”

Lin Manqing smirked mischievously.

“I wonder what your handsome Lu would think if he found out.”

Gu Nansheng immediately wanted to shut her mouth.

Lin Siyan had been a kid back then.

Who in the world would actually take childhood nonsense seriously?