Chapter 1

It was an ordinary Friday when a marketing account with fairly high credibility broke a piece of news on Weibo, drawing a lot of gossip enthusiasts to the scene.

— “A CP (couple pairing) that’s been BE (bad ending) for years is expected to collaborate on a new project by a well-known director with the surname Z.”

If the marketing account hadn’t mentioned “BE for years” or the famous director with the surname Z, not many netizens or fans would have taken the news seriously today.

However, the hint was too obvious this time, making people suspect the authenticity of the news.

Half a month ago, there were already rumors online that Sheng Qingli, who has gained both critical and commercial success, was going to collaborate with Director Zhong Hongmao.

When the news first came out, Sheng Qingli’s fans, the “Big Pears,” all said, “No official announcement, no excitement.”

What everyone didn’t expect was that even a marketing account with an undefeated track record in the entertainment industry since its creation also published the news.

And surprisingly, Sheng Qingli’s major fan accounts didn’t rush to clarify or deny it immediately, which was unusual.

Naturally, the netizens and fans understood the implication.

The collaboration between Sheng Qingli and Director Zhong was most likely a done deal. With the female lead confirmed, who would the male lead be? For a while, fans started naming capable male actors with good acting skills and chemistry with Sheng Qingli, hoping Director Zhong would notice and consider them for the role.

However, among the potential male actors who might work with Sheng Qingli, the name of Pei Qingci, the one with the most CP chemistry with her, wasn’t mentioned.

The reason is simple: in the eyes of many, this CP is the least likely to ever collaborate again.

It’s rumored that after their first collaboration, they secretly started dating. The truth of the relationship remains unknown, as neither party has ever admitted to it.

However, fans with “godlike” detective skills and sharp eyes dug up and listed plenty of subtle evidence suggesting they had been together.

Of course, the most convincing reason that led people to believe they had a relationship was some strange behavior after their movie ended.

Logically speaking, neither of them nor their teams ever publicly fought with each other, nor did they actively try to break up the CP. They were also the hottest, most popular young actors at the time.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, there should have been a high possibility of them working together again when the opportunity arose.

For a long time, Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci’s CP fanbase was ridiculously large. Their mere appearance together exuded so much chemistry that even a simple fan-edited video would have netizens hooked, garnering tens of millions or even over a billion views.

But at some point, no one knows exactly when, Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci stopped appearing in public together.

Even at film award ceremonies where both were nominated, they maintained a strange understanding where if one appeared, the other would be absent.

Years passed, and the only time they appeared at the same event was at a small charity gathering. It was said that the organizer made a mistake, leading them to meet after a long time and have dinner at the same table.

That night became a celebration for their CP fans.

Many gossip enthusiasts joked that even after years of breaking up, the way Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci accidentally looked at each other still wasn’t innocent.

Some even teased that the reason they hadn’t met in public over the years was because they were afraid they wouldn’t be able to control their true feelings and that old flames might rekindle.

…

There were all sorts of speculations, but neither party ever came forward to respond.

Gradually, the buzz faded away.

But now, with their names being linked together again, it unsurprisingly sparked the curiosity of gossip lovers.

“No official announcement, no excitement.”

“Leave Qingli alone, why is the old collaboration partner still being tied to her?”

“Not interested, they’re not even on the same level anymore, stop leeching.”

“Please, Sheng Qingli, stop clinging to Pei Qingci for attention!”

“Oh my god, don’t mess with me! If they collaborate again, I’m willing to go a month without eating!!”

“Ahhhh CP fans are overjoyed.”

“Really? Really? Really? Ahhhh, is it true? I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it unless the shooting wraps up tomorrow and the release is the day after tomorrow.”

“How could the two of them possibly work together again? Impossible, impossible… (But deep down, I hope it’s possible).”

…………

Besides the CP fans and the onlookers who love the drama, both sides’ solo stans expressed that they won’t believe anything unless it’s officially announced.

For a moment, there was chaos in the CP fan forums and trending topics, with fans from both sides clashing.

Meanwhile, the two people involved—one was shooting the cover for next month’s magazine issue, and the other was filming in a remote mountain area with no signal.

–

“Qingli, turn slightly and look back this way.”

At the magazine shoot, Sheng Qingli followed the photographer’s instructions, slightly turning her body and revealing her mesmerizing eyes.

Sheng Qingli’s eyes were stunning, with clear and distinct whites and pupils, giving them a lively charm that captivated people’s hearts. She had a unique aura, a strong contrast of cold elegance and striking beauty, blending classical grace with vibrant allure.

After finishing a series of photos, the photographer praised Sheng Qingli.

Sheng Qingli smiled and nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her assistant Tong Tong looking anxious nearby. She made eye contact with her, exchanged a few words with the photographer, and then went to take a break.

“What’s wrong?” Sheng Qingli walked over to Tong Tong. “Did something happen?”

Tong Tong handed her the phone and whispered, “You should check Weibo.”

Sheng Qingli was confused. “Can’t you just tell me?”

“It’s not that,” Tong Tong struggled to find the right words. By the time she hesitated, Sheng Qingli had already seen the trending news. She froze, still processing it, when a WeChat notification popped up.

Sheng Qingli opened it casually—it was a message from her friend Li Yuwei: “Are you really going to work with Pei Qingci again? How come I didn’t know?!”

Unlike others who avoided mentioning Pei Qingci’s name in front of Sheng Qingli, Li Yuwei often brought him up.

The word “again” was also spot on.

Sheng Qingli was momentarily speechless and replied, “Funny, I didn’t know either.”

Li Yuwei: “So the rumor is fake?”

Sheng Qingli: “What do you think?”

The movie she was about to work on with Director Zhong was quite unique, and Pei Qingci was unlikely to accept it.

Though Sheng Qingli didn’t think she was any less capable than Pei Qingci, the two of them had both won numerous awards in recent years, with similar levels of fame.

But in certain situations, male actors still had an advantage over female actors, enjoying more opportunities. When actors of the same level are cast, a female actor playing a supporting role to a male lead attracts less controversy than the reverse.

Such unfair things were all too common, and everyone was used to it.

What’s more, when Sheng Qingli signed the contract, the director had mentioned that the male lead was already chosen.

It wasn’t Pei Qingci, but Xu Xingyue, an actor Sheng Qingli had previously worked with.

Li Yuwei: “Ugh, got excited for nothing.”

Sheng Qingli: “?”

Li Yuwei quickly retracted her last message and explained, “I just meant I wanted to see you two acting together again.”

Sheng Qingli: “Do you think I’ll believe that? [smile]”

Li Yuwei: “Okay, okay, let’s drop it. How’s your shoot going today? What time will you finish? Wanna grab dinner tonight?”

Sheng Qingli: “Can’t make it.”

Li Yuwei: “Why not?”

Sheng Qingli: “It’ll be late by the time I’m done.”

Li Yuwei: “What about tomorrow?”

She happened to be resting in Beicheng for the next couple of days.

Sheng Qingli: “I’m meeting Director Zhong tomorrow evening.”

She needed to discuss the script with him.

Li Yuwei: “Alright, we’ll hang out next time then.”

Sheng Qingli: “Okay.”

After chatting with Li Yuwei for a while, Sheng Qingli reopened Weibo.

The trending topic had been up for quite some time, but there was still no response from Pei Qingci’s side to deny the rumor. Sheng Qingli furrowed her brow and messaged her manager, Lin Lin: “Why haven’t they denied the rumor?”

Lin Lin: “Your collaboration with Director Zhong is already set. This rumor can’t be refuted.”

The leak was half true, half false, making it difficult for Sheng Qingli to respond.

Since the movie hadn’t been officially announced yet, anything could change. After weighing the pros and cons, Lin Lin decided not to intervene, especially since today’s leak didn’t have much negative impact on Sheng Qingli.

Understanding her manager’s reasoning, Sheng Qingli thought for a moment and let it go. “Alright.”

Lin Lin: “Do your best at the shoot. I’m off to a meeting.”

After a short break, Sheng Qingli returned to the magazine shoot.

By the time all the necessary photos were taken for the issue, it was already late at night.

After washing up at home, Sheng Qingli was so exhausted that she didn’t even have the strength to get out of bed to grab a glass of water. She lay lazily in bed, thinking she’d fall asleep quickly.

But as soon as she closed her eyes, the name she saw at the magazine shoot earlier in the day popped into her mind.

After struggling for a while, Sheng Qingli resigned herself and opened her eyes, reaching for the phone under her pillow.

Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci’s names hadn’t appeared together in the same topic for a long time, so even after more than ten hours, the rumor of their collaboration was still trending, holding a top spot.

Sheng Qingli clicked on the post, and at the top was the original leak from the marketing account.

The comments had already exceeded ten thousand.

Raising an eyebrow, she glanced through the comments, and the top three were all from fans of her and Pei Qingci as a couple.

Sighing silently for a few seconds, Sheng Qingli took a screenshot and sent it to Lin Lin: “Whose marketing account is this? The rumor is so fake.”

Lin Lin: “? Why aren’t you asleep? Did you forget you’re meeting the director tomorrow?”

Sheng Qingli: “qaq”

Right after sending the message, Lin Lin called her and scolded her, reminding her to go to bed early. After all, actresses over twenty-five have slower recovery times, and collagen loss happens faster than when they’re younger.

Since Sheng Qingli was meeting the director, she needed to be in top form.

After being scolded by Lin Lin, Sheng Qingli mumbled, “Got it.”

After hanging up, she sighed, put her phone down, and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, forcing herself to sleep.

With worries on her mind, Sheng Qingli didn’t sleep well that night and unusually dreamt of the culprit ruining her sleep quality.

In the dream, she tossed and turned in bed just like before sleep, then disturbed the person sleeping next to her.

The person she disturbed wasn’t angry. He turned over and laid on top of her, looking at her with a faint smile. His deeply chiseled facial features captured all her attention.

He then aggressively pinned her hands above her head with his warm, strong hands, lowered his head, and pressed his well-defined nose against her cheek, kissing her lips.

As her nightgown came off, he would maliciously whisper some words in her ear that made her feel humiliated and angry.

---

The next morning, Sheng Qingli was woken up by an alarm she forgot to turn off.

She opened her eyes and saw it was already ten o’clock in the morning.

Turning off the alarm, she rubbed her burning cheeks and sulkily thought about punching herself.

Had she not been in a relationship for too long?

Why did she dream about that kind of dream… and why was her ex-boyfriend, the very person she hated, in it?

The image of that indifferent, ascetic face resurfaced in her mind. Sheng Qingli raised her hand to tap her forehead, then threw off the blanket and headed to the bathroom.

She felt she needed a shower to wake up.

After freshening up, Sheng Qingli went to the kitchen to make a light salad.

She had a dinner meeting with the director tonight and couldn’t eat too much at lunch.

After eating, Sheng Qingli read the script Director Zhong had sent her.

When she saw her assistant coming, Sheng Qingli got up to put on makeup. Lin Lin was busy that evening and couldn’t accompany her. Sheng Qingli didn’t mind much. She had been in the entertainment industry for six or seven years and was no longer the novice who needed her manager’s guidance for everything.

After a simple makeup, Sheng Qingli picked out a retro red U-neck blouse and bell-bottom pants from her wardrobe, looking casual and relaxed.

After changing, Sheng Qingli and Tong Tong headed to the restaurant.

“Sister Li Li, did you not sleep well last night?” Tong Tong asked as she turned to look at Sheng Qingli, who was resting with her eyes closed.

Sheng Qingli kept her eyes closed and asked vaguely, “Is it that obvious?”

Tong Tong replied honestly, “A little bit.”

She pointed at the dark circles under Sheng Qingli’s eyes, “I can still see a bit of dark circles.”

Sheng Qingli was forced to open her eyes and sighed lightly, “I’m nervous about tonight’s dinner.”

Her nervousness wasn’t about working with the director, as she needed to perform well privately, but because Director Zhong often asked tricky questions. Every time she met him, she felt like a student meeting a teacher, with nerves rising.

Hearing this, Tong Tong covered her mouth and smiled, “Director Zhong likes you the most.”

This was well-known; Director Zhong particularly liked and had high expectations for Sheng Qingli. Whenever he mentioned her, he would praise her for her talent and hard work, saying her future was limitless.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Qingli curved her lips slightly, “That doesn’t mean I should be complacent.”

She knew her boundaries.

Except in front of one person, Sheng Qingli never relied on others’ favor.

After chatting with Tong Tong for a while, Sheng Qingli looked out the window.

On Saturdays, the roads were a bit congested. Sheng Qingli had left half an hour early, but when she arrived at the restaurant, there were only ten minutes left before her appointment with Director Zhong.

Director Zhong’s assistant was already waiting for her downstairs. When she appeared, he approached her, “Teacher Sheng.”

As a best actress with numerous awards, she deserved to be addressed as “Teacher.”

She nodded lightly, “Hello.”

The assistant gestured for her to enter the elevator, “This way, please.”

As Sheng Qingli entered, she was surprised and asked, “Has Director Zhong been here for a long time?”

The assistant nodded and explained, “Director Zhong had some matters to attend to here in the afternoon and came early after finishing.”

Sheng Qingli understood, “Have Ms. Xu and the others arrived too?”

The dinner that night was for the two lead actors and directors.

Before the assistant could answer, his phone rang first.

Sheng Qingli waved her hand nonchalantly, “You can take the call first.”

The assistant agreed and walked out of the elevator with her, “Then, Teacher Sheng, please go ahead.”

He told Sheng Qingli the box number.

Sheng Qingli nodded and went to the box with Tong Tong.

At the door, a waiter was just walking out, and Sheng Qingli looked up to see a tall figure with his back to her. The man stood straight, wearing a neatly pressed casual shirt, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.

Even though the shirt covered him, the faint outline of his back muscles made one imagine things.

Sheng Qingli found the back familiar. Before she could think about when Xu Xingyue had gotten such a good physique, the man with his back to her turned around, sensing her presence.

The face from her dream last night appeared before her eyes.

The moment their eyes met, Sheng Qingli was stunned by his cold and imposing peach blossom eyes, her mind going blank.

Pei Qingci?

What was he doing here?!

Her breath hitched. As Pei Qingci raised his eyebrows and was about to speak, Sheng Qingli regained her composure and said coolly, “Sorry, I’m in the wrong box.”

After speaking, she slammed the door shut.