Chapter 8

The next day, the moment Shi Yan opened his eyes, he made a request:
“Mom, I want to go thank the firefighter uncle who saved me!”

Shi Xia replied, “Of course. I’ll ask Aunt Tangguo to bring them a silk banner as a token of gratitude.”

Shi Yan insisted, “I want to go myself!”

Shi Xia: “……”

Suddenly, she felt that she wasn’t even as brave as her four-year-old child.

She suddenly remembered what Xu Yunzhi said last night.

And with that thought, she summoned her courage:
“Alright, I’ll go with you.”

Shi Yan nodded, delighted to have his wish granted, but soon looked surprised.
“You’re going with me, Mommy?”

Shi Xia: “Yes, don’t you want me to come?”

Shi Yan became extremely excited: “Of course I do! I really do!”

The little one bounced excitedly on the bed for a bit, then scooted close to her and asked cautiously,
“But… Mommy, can you really go with me?”

Shi Xia: “Hm?”

Little Shi Yan furrowed his brows with concern:
“What if someone finds out about our relationship?”

He looked so adorable and innocent, but Shi Xia couldn’t even smile—
It felt like an arrow shot through her heart, and it hurt.

She felt a deep ache for her son, who was far too mature for his age.

Shi Xia picked him up and sat him on her lap, gently ruffling his fluffy little head.

“Don’t be scared. Worst case, Mommy will quit the entertainment industry. We have 20 apartments collecting rent—we’re not going to starve.”

—

Tangguo informed her that both Shi Yan and she were rescued by the same team—Lingshui Fire Station in Zhenghua District. That made things easier. They wouldn’t have to visit two separate locations.

On the way, little Shi Yan was buzzing with excitement. He was finally going to meet his savior!

He actually had a little plan in his heart—but he didn’t dare say it out loud to Shi Xia.

Shi Xia, on the other hand, was extremely nervous the whole ride. Her mind kept spinning with anxiety, trying to imagine how she could greet Qin Lie naturally, without seeming awkward or overly formal.

“Hello, long time no see”?
Or maybe, “Thank you for saving me”?

Unfortunately, the ride was too short and her mind too chaotic. Before she could settle on a full script, the nanny van had already pulled up in front of the Lingshui Fire Station.

At the same time, Shi Xia’s phone rang—it was a call from Qi Lang.
“Where are you now? Get ready quickly—we’re going to meet Director Li.”

Shi Xia: “What’s going on?”

Qi Lang: “I don’t know what happened, but Director Li suddenly wants to cast you as the female lead.”

Shi Xia’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly calmed herself:
“What does Director Li mean by that?”

She didn’t think it was a good sign, and Qi Lang seemed to share the same thoughts.

Over the years, Shi Xia had worked hard in the entertainment industry. Her acting was decent—not perfect, but steadily improving with time.
Up until now, she had only played minor roles in lower-tier productions. Being cast as the second female lead in Director Li’s project was already a big surprise—but still within reason.

After all, their strategy had always been to take solid, steady steps upward.

Now, with the contract process nearly finalized, suddenly she was being offered the lead?

It wasn’t that she was unworthy—it was just that the timing wasn’t right.

After years in the industry, no one believed in pie falling from the sky anymore.

Qi Lang warned, “Something’s fishy here. Be careful.”

He was genuinely worried that they might even lose the second lead role in the end.

Shi Xia, however, sounded calmer:
“It’s fine. Worst case, I’ll just not take the role.”

Despite how breezily she said it, she still agreed to rush over as soon as possible.

Looking at the fire station entrance right in front of her, she surprisingly felt a deep sense of relief.

As Xu Yunzhi had said—Shi Xia had always been fearless, daring, and willing to take risks.
But when it came to Qin Lie, she became a coward.

And now, she had naturally chosen to retreat once again.

This time, the excuse had been handed to her perfectly—she didn’t even need to make one up.

Shi Yan already understood:
“Then go take care of your work, Mommy. Aunt Tangguo and I can go on our own.”

Shi Xia gently patted his fluffy little head, full of guilt:
“I’m sorry. I’ll take you to the amusement park in a few days, okay?”

Shi Yan’s eyes instantly lit up. He held up his little pinky in front of her:
“Pinky swear! You have to keep your promise!”

—

When Shi Xia and Qi Lang arrived at the teahouse’s private room, the server opened the door.
As soon as they saw who was inside, the two of them exchanged a meaningful glance.

Shi Xia put on her signature polite smile and followed Qi Lang inside to greet the people in the room.

“Director Li.”
“Mr. Meng.”
“Screenwriter Zhao.”

Director Li’s expression was neutral. Screenwriter Zhao didn’t look pleased either and barely glanced toward the door.

Neither of them even looked at Shi Xia.

Only Meng Yu took the initiative to greet her.
“Xia Xia, come sit here.”

He pointed to the empty seat on his right—Director Li was sitting on his left.

There were only two empty seats available—one beside Meng Yu, and one beside Screenwriter Zhao.

Shi Xia walked over to the latter and smiled:
“Sorry, Mr. Meng. It’s not often I get to meet Screenwriter Zhao. I just happen to have a few questions about the script I’d like to ask.”

Her excuse was well-phrased, but her action was too direct—frank, but lacking finesse.

Meng Yu’s expression darkened immediately. He narrowed his eyes slightly at her, with a sharp glint in his gaze.

Shi Xia didn’t look at him.

But she keenly noticed that the tense atmosphere in the room had subtly eased.

Director Li and Screenwriter Zhao both looked at her now—with eyes that, at the very least, were no longer hostile.

Shi Xia quietly let out a breath of relief. It seemed she had made the right call.

Meng Yu casually chatted with Director Li, sipping tea and making small talk, but the conversation quickly circled back to casting.

Then, Meng Yu suddenly said:
“Shi Xia, you should thank Director Li.”

At that point, Shi Xia understood everything.

It was obviously Meng Yu pulling strings—offering funding in exchange for getting her cast as the female lead.

But clearly, neither Director Li nor Screenwriter Zhao’s team wanted that.
As a result, they were now also holding resentment toward her.

Shi Xia was inwardly furious at this damn Meng Yu—but showed none of it on her face.

With the same pleasant smile, she stood up and refilled the tea cups of Director Li and Screenwriter Zhao, then said sincerely:

“Thank you both for giving me the opportunity to play the second female lead. I’ll do my absolute best and make sure not to let you down.”

She ignored Meng Yu’s expression entirely.

But she saw Director Li and Screenwriter Zhao exchange a glance, then give her a genuine smile—and drink the tea she poured.

Director Li said with gravity:
“There’s still some time before filming begins. Make sure you study the script well. Even as the second lead, your performance can’t fall short. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to reach out to us.”

He even took the initiative to suggest exchanging WeChat contacts for easier communication.

Naturally, Shi Xia agreed without hesitation.

After seeing Director Li and Screenwriter Zhao off, Shi Xia returned to the private room.

Meng Yu was waiting for her:
“Xia Xia, why did you reject my kindness?”

His tone was cold, aloof—like everything he gave was a favor she was obliged to accept.

Shi Xia responded,
“Meng Yu, we’ve known each other for so many years. Let me say this one last time—
My business is none of your concern.
And one more thing—
Stay away from me!”