Chapter 2

Wang Shuai’s eagerness to share was abruptly cut short. He glanced at the time and couldn’t help but mutter quietly, “There’s still ten minutes before the next train’s ticket check…”

Qin Lie, expressionless, said, “You’re here to work. It’s a special period—pay attention!”

Wang Shuai immediately straightened up, his whole body tensing. “Yes, sir!”

Inside the high-speed rail carriage, a few people were casually chatting about what had just happened at the station.

“They were probably catching some wanted criminal again.”

“Public security, armed police, and even firefighters were mobilized. Who knows what’s going on.”

“Hopefully everything’s calm by the time we get to the station. I’m on a business trip, got a meeting to attend!”

“Same here, I’m in a rush too.”

Little Shi Yan could clearly sense that Shi Xia wasn’t in a good mood. Very perceptively, he chose to sit beside Tang Guo instead, silently munching on the fruit box she had given him.

But once he noticed that Shi Xia had leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed—presumably asleep—he immediately leaned toward Tang Guo and asked in a hushed voice, “Those people just now—who were the police, who were the firefighters, and who were the armed police? I feel like their uniforms all looked the same!”

Shi Yan recognized the police uniform and vaguely remembered that firefighters wore orange-yellow outfits.

But today, the firefighters weren’t wearing their usual rescue uniforms, and the armed police were there too. Let alone a four-year-old like him—even Tang Guo felt a bit confused. Although she could subconsciously tell them apart, explaining it clearly to a child without making mistakes was a different story.

Shi Yan was not only curious but also persistent. He wouldn’t let it go until he got an answer.

With no other choice, Tang Guo had to search online for answers and explain each one to him—it was basically a learning session for her as well.

“Look, this is the uniform for firefighters!”

“Wow! So cool!”

“Then those two standing in the middle just now must’ve been firefighters.”

“Yeah! So cool!”

Shi Yan’s curiosity ran deep, and once he had figured out the uniforms, he moved on to studying the rank insignias on their shoulders.

Shi Xia wasn’t actually asleep—her mind was too chaotic. As she listened to him chattering away, she suddenly recalled the scene earlier—standing across from him, watching as he checked her ID, and seeing the insignia on his collar at eye level.

He’s an officer now.

She couldn’t help the slight curve of her lips. In her heart, she marveled: Of course he’s a top student—whatever he does, he excels at it.

…

Shi Xia majored in acting in college. With her stunning looks, good figure, singing and dancing skills, she was recommended by a professor during her freshman year to take on a few small film roles. That marked her official entry into the entertainment industry.

But after six or seven years, despite her excellent qualities and steadily improving acting skills, she still remained a low-tier actress, barely recognized in the third or fourth tier. Fame continued to elude her.

Other artists who debuted later than her had already risen to fame. Their agents would often mock Shi Xia’s manager, Qi Lang:

“Shi Xia’s biggest problem is her stubborn pride. She’s already in the entertainment industry—what’s the harm in having a few drinks at dinner parties, smiling a bit more, saying a few nicer things? It’s not like anyone’s asking her to do anything outrageous! And you—still indulging her? Having an artist like her is just dragging you down!”

Qi Lang never responded to the mockery. He understood Shi Xia’s personality well—she wasn’t short on money, and she was never going to compromise or bend for a role or a contract.

But he had always believed in her. He knew her day would come.

Now, a great opportunity had finally arrived. Qi Lang came to her with the news:

“You’ve had your fun. Time to refocus. Director Li’s new project—it’s a major production. You know his style. He only cares about ability, which is why I think you’ve got a real shot.

Plus, the industry has been changing these past two years. There’s a growing demand for genuine acting skills. If you give it a shot, you might just beat the competition.”

Qi Lang wasn’t blindly confident—Shi Xia truly had the talent.

Shi Xia wasn’t afraid either. If the opportunity was there, she’d take it: “Okay.”

Director Li was known for being extremely demanding. Shi Xia had never had the chance to work with him before, but his reputation and ability were known to everyone in the industry.

In the two weeks leading up to the audition, Shi Xia trained hard, maintained her figure meticulously, and carefully controlled her diet. She also watched all of Director Li’s past works, analyzing the characters and trying to learn the nuances of his style—hoping to pick up on his preferences and give herself an edge.

Her hard work paid off. Combined with her existing skills, she made a strong impression during the audition. Director Li was immediately taken with her performance and cast her on the spot as the second female lead. He even had someone hand her the full script so she could start preparing right away.

In recent years, due to various circumstances, including higher audience expectations for quality and acting skills, the entertainment industry had gone through a cleansing. Many poorly made productions were scrapped, leaving only a few top-tier projects.

As a result, the market had an oversupply of actors.

So for this audition, almost half the industry had shown up.

Shi Xia saw both familiar and unfamiliar faces.

When they saw her walking out with a script in hand, their looks immediately changed.

There was surprise, envy, even bitterness.

Shi Xia ignored all those looks and kept walking.

“Xia Xia, is that the script from Director Li? Did you get cast? Which role?”

The one asking was Yu Zhi, who had worked with Shi Xia before. The two had similar career paths, which meant they often competed for the same roles—natural rivals.

But every time Yu Zhi saw Shi Xia, she acted like there was no rivalry at all, always friendly and enthusiastic. This time was no different.

Shi Xia responded calmly, “Nothing’s confirmed yet.”

Which was true—she hadn’t signed the contract yet, and everything was still up in the air.

Especially with all these eyes and ears around.

Yu Zhi, unsatisfied with the vague answer and wanting more information, was about to press further when suddenly, a pungent smell filled the air.

“Fire—!”

Someone shouted, and the entire floor was thrown into chaos.

Shi Xia instinctively turned to look and saw thick smoke rolling in from the far end of the hallway.

The building was on fire!

“Run!”

Someone yelled, and people immediately surged toward the other end of the corridor.

With so many auditionees and staff members inside, the crowd became chaotic and overwhelming.

Shi Xia was too light and not very strong—she couldn’t push through the crowd. She was squeezed forward by the people around her, her feet barely touching the ground.

Then someone suddenly shoved her.

Caught off guard, Shi Xia was pushed into a nearby room.

The fire was spreading rapidly, and the room quickly filled with smoke. She was trapped and already struggling to breathe. The hallway and stairs were blocked, so she clenched her teeth and prepared to climb out the window. This was the fifth floor, but she didn’t need to reach the ground—just far enough to get out of the danger zone of the fire.

Then she could wait for help.

With that thought, she didn’t hesitate. She tucked the script into her waistband, grabbed the window frame, and with all her strength, jumped up onto the ledge.