Su Qin, unwilling to accept it, dialed the number again. Suddenly, the call was answered, and a soft woman’s voice came through: “Hello? Is this Qin Qin? Your father is trying on clothes right now and is busy. If you need anything, we can talk later.”

Su Qin gritted her teeth. “Why did you answer my dad’s phone? Give the phone to him. I want to speak to him directly.”

The woman chuckled softly, her tone gentle: “Qin Qin, you’re grown up now, but you still need to be polite. I’m your mother.”

“What kind of mother are you? Shameless!” 

Su Qin was both angry and anxious, her usual facade completely cracking at this moment, revealing her true feelings.

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Ming’s angry reprimand came from the other end of the phone: “Qin Qin, how can you speak like that? What happened to your manners?”

Su Qin’s heart skipped a beat.

“She is your mother, and you’ll have brothers and sisters soon. We are a family! Can you be a little more mature about this?”

“Dad, I…” Su Qin felt wronged, her eyes red, but the man on the other side didn’t even see it, or rather, chose to ignore it.

“I’ve spent so much money on you, and look at all the trouble you’ve caused me recently! This is unacceptable! Don’t call me unless you’ve reflected on your behavior!”

The phone slammed down.

Su Qin’s heart went cold.

She never expected that, after Su Ming’s divorce, he would be quickly involved with another woman, completely focused on her now. The warm, gentle tone he once had was nowhere to be found. 

It wasn’t even like the time when Su Xiaoqing was around, when her father’s attention was entirely on her.

In just a few months of filming, things had gone awry, something Su Qin had never anticipated.

Sitting on the hospital bed, she was silent for a moment, her heart now entirely with Li Yang. She dialed his number again, but after a long while, the call was hung up without an answer.

The last chat message was from a week ago.

“…”

Ever since their engagement, Li Yang had become cold and distant, even showing hints of hatred.

Su Qin couldn’t understand it—how could Li Yang be so petty? Su Wan had chased him for years, and even after they were married and living together, she couldn’t win his heart. But now, after the divorce, he seemed to be obsessed with her!

Hadn’t he always liked Su Qin?

Su Qin sneered.

“The more you want her, the less likely I will divorce.”

She would let Li Yang watch as Su Wan happily paired off with someone else. And Li Yang would pay the price for his shameful desires.

As for her, once she became successful, famous, and rich, she would kick Li Yang to the curb and humiliate him thoroughly.

If his heart could never return to her, then it was useless.

This was his fate.

With that thought, Su Qin became energized again and began to plan her path to becoming a movie queen.

…

After Su Wan withdrew from acting, she had nothing to do and decided to join a slow-lifestyle variety show, where she would showcase her daily life.

In front of the camera, Su Wan followed a healthy lifestyle—early to bed, early to rise, and focused on mindfulness. Her routine involved practicing calligraphy and painting, reading, visiting exhibitions, and maintaining a close relationship with her mother, having dinner together every day, occasionally watching movies, chatting, and going shopping.

She gracefully wrote a few large characters with a brush, admired them for a moment, and nodded in satisfaction.

The camera zoomed in, and the characters were clearly visible—

“Don’t get angry.”

The viewers off-camera were silent.

It had the same vibe as the fan hanging in her home.

Wen Chen had yet to appear on camera.

But occasionally, Su Wan would receive some packages or gifts, all thoughtful, delicate little trinkets that made her very happy.

Everyone silently understood who those gifts were from.

Wow, the dog food being thrown around here is absolutely ruthless!