Translation of Chapter 15: Sudden Forte

At 9:10 AM, the offline event for the jewelry brand endorsement, jointly undertaken by Pei Yu and Zhu Xi, began entry on the first floor of the Nandu Building.

To secure a front-row position, many fans had queued outside since dawn. Staff orderly verified tickets as the sky brightened.

Meanwhile, Chen Shuyin was being squashed into a human pancake on the subway during rush hour.

Earlier that morning, Liu Yiran had noticed how drowsy she was, barely able to keep her eyes open. Just as Chen Shuyin struggled to sit up before her alarm rang, Liu Yiran pushed her back down with an unusually firm tone. “If you ask me, you should just skip it today. I have a few high-profile interviews—I’ll hand them over to you instead.”

Chen Shuyin groggily muttered, “Didn’t you support me going before?”

Liu Yiran opened her mouth but hesitated, finally covering Chen Shuyin’s eyes to lull her back to sleep. “Just listen to me. I checked the almanac—today isn’t a good day to be in crowded places.”

Having stayed up too late the night before, Chen Shuyin dozed off immediately. When she reopened her eyes, sunlight was already streaming into the room.

Her sense of responsibility wouldn’t allow her to slack off. She hung her fieldwork ID around her neck like an old ox voluntarily walking into the yoke.

Now, after being pushed, shoved, and stepped on in the subway, soreness shot straight up to her skull.

She sprinted to the event entrance, only to slump for a second before gathering herself again. Reaching the ticket inspector, she pulled her bag from behind her waist and started rummaging inside.

Wait—where was her ticket?

Chen Shuyin glanced up at the serious-faced ticket inspector before turning away to completely upend her bag.

Yesterday, Lu Fang had personally handed her the ticket. She distinctly remembered placing it in the inner compartment of her bag. But now, it was nowhere to be found.

Recalling her journey, she remembered being bumped earlier, causing her bag to momentarily dangle upside down from her wrist.

Did it fall out then?

She called Lu Fang. “Lu Fang, are you inside already?”

Lu Fang answered without hesitation, “Sis, I’m not going.”

“Why?”

Lu Fang sounded guilty. “I don’t want to get caught by your husband again and cause misunderstandings. Shuyin, good luck with the interview—try to secure another excellent feature for the station this week.”

Before Chen Shuyin could ask more, Lu Fang hung up like he was being chased by a ghost.

Listening to the beeping tone, her hand dropped to her side in frustration.

“Miss, would you still like to enter? The entrance is closing soon,” the ticket inspector reminded.

Chen Shuyin forced a smile. “No, thanks.”

She backed away from the entrance, standing alone in the empty plaza. The exhaustion and frustration of taking the subway and the futile rush all piled up in her throat, making it hard to swallow.

Everything had gone wrong. She regretted not listening to Liu Yiran.

Allowing herself just two minutes of disappointment, she checked her watch—10:05 AM.

Calculating the distance to the TV station and reviewing her remaining assignments, she decisively chose to continue her work at the nearest community center.

Life may throw unexpected obstacles, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to turn things around.

—

Inside the venue, the host skillfully guided the event, heating up the atmosphere.

Pei Yu cooperated with Zhu Xi through a series of interactive games before taking pictures with fans.

His gaze drifted toward the flashing cameras, blinking like distant stars. His pupils unfocused slightly.

“Mr. Pei, please look at the camera,” the photographer called.

A fan interjected, “Understandable, actors don’t usually look straight into the camera.”

Pei Yu nodded, adjusting his focus. His photogenic presence skyrocketed, and the photographer praised, “Haha, yes! Mr. Pei has great expression control when he looks directly at the camera!”

During the intermission, Pei Yu went backstage to change clothes.

In the dimly lit dressing room, he lazily propped up one leg, his suit jacket slung over his arm. His other hand held a phone, the faint glow illuminating a small area.

His thumb slid across the screen, stopping at a chat window.

Py: 【Where are you hiding to watch from?】

Py: 【Is your article finished?】

Py: 【Yesterday, you were so confident. Why don’t you dare face me today?】

“Bro?” Zhou Qi knocked on the door. “Bro, are you alright? You seem off today.”

Pei Yu didn’t respond immediately.

The sound of typing echoed in the small room—on and off, on and off.

Hearing no reply, Zhou Qi grew concerned. “Bro? Are you sick? I can talk to the brand reps and we can leave early.”

The door unlocked and pushed open from the inside. Pei Yu gripped his phone tightly, lost in thought. “We haven’t done the interview yet. Where would we go?”

Zhou Qi noticed he was only halfway through changing and said, “Then finish up. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Check if my wife entered the venue.”

Zhou Qi hesitated. “Bro, you forgot? This isn’t a real-name system. We can only see the total number of attendees, not individuals.”

Pei Yu’s expression steadied, his dark lashes lowering slightly. “I see.”

Having followed Pei Yu for years, Zhou Qi could sense his moods from the smallest gestures. His instincts flared red flags.

“Bro, there’s still a way.”

Pei Yu raised a brow, a faint light flickering in his eyes. “Tell me.”

Zhou Qi patted his chest. “Do you have a picture of her? She’s so gorgeous—they’re bound to remember her.”

Pei Yu’s lips curled in agreement. “That’s true.”

Zhou Qi ran to the ticket booth with her photo. “Have you seen this woman?”

The inspector hesitated before nodding. “Yes, she was here 30 minutes ago, just before the deadline.”

Zhou Qi was overjoyed. “Did she enter?”

The inspector shook his head. “No. She searched her bag for a long time but couldn’t find her ticket. She looked pretty dejected and left.”

Zhou Qi groaned, “Couldn’t you have let her in?”

“I have rules to follow,” the inspector replied. “Is she someone important?”

Zhou Qi nearly slipped up, blurting, “Of course she is! She’s Pei Yu’s—”

The inspector’s eyes widened, waiting for the rest.

Zhou Qi quickly corrected himself, “She’s Pei Yu’s interview reporter! Without her, his interview can’t proceed.”

“What do we do now?”

Zhou Qi’s mind raced. “Don’t worry. If she comes back, just tell her the backstage area is open.”

He called Chen Shuyin. It took six attempts before she picked up.

“Where are you?” he asked urgently.

“I lost my ticket.”

“You don’t need one anymore. Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

“I’m nearby. I’ll come over now.”

—

By the time she returned, the event had ended. The entrance was eerily quiet.

The inspector recognized her from afar. “Reporter Chen?”

She nodded.

The inspector respectfully bowed. “Please, go ahead.”

Led into the backstage lounge, she found Zhou Qi waving her over.

At that moment, two women turned the corner, chatting and linking arms.

Their eyes met.

“Chen Shuyin? Why are you here?” Zhu Fangning’s tone was sour. “The station only assigned me to this interview. Did you ditch work?”

“This isn’t some sacred ground,” Chen Shuyin retorted.

“Then why are you here?”

Before she could respond, a deep, clear male voice cut in.

“I invited her.”