Without having to think, Ning Qiuxiu knew there were surveillance cameras in this room.

It wasn’t to monitor her; this was a lawful society.

She and Zhan Qingyue had no grievances against each other, and she wasn’t some murderous psychopath who would harm him for no reason.

The cameras were there to monitor the caregivers, ensuring they didn’t neglect or mistreat Zhan Qingyue.

— After all, Zhan Qingyue was a semi-conscious person now, with no privacy left.

Regardless of whether Old Master Zhan would use the cameras to watch her actions, Ning Qiuxiu decided to play her part thoroughly.

She put on her best performance, slowly moving to the bedside, gazing at Zhan Qingyue with deep affection, as if she had finally found her “sleeping prince” after many years of searching.

Every look was filled with profound emotions.

The previous brief encounter in the elevator had been fleeting.

Now, up close, she realized that though Zhan Qingyue was handsome, his beauty wasn’t the delicate type of the young idols seen on TV.

His features were defined and angular, giving him a more sculpted appearance.

The longer she looked, the more she felt a certain aloof beauty about him.

It was easy to develop a sense of admiration…

Cough.

Ning Qiuxiu blinked her eyes, momentarily lost in admiration, then looked down at Zhan Qingyue’s hand exposed outside the blanket.

It was pale and slender, with distinct joints, resembling a young girl’s hand.

She hesitated for a moment before slowly reaching out and taking that slender hand in hers.

She had expected the hand to be cold, but to her surprise, it was warm to the touch.

“Sorry for taking advantage of you,” Ning Qiuxiu thought to herself as she held his hand with both of hers and sat down on the nearby chair.

Though she had initially been so eager to get close to him and was shamelessly bold, when it came to actual intimate contact while he remained unaware, her thin veneer of shame suddenly surged up, causing her face to turn bright red.

“I hope when you wake up, you won’t strangle me,” Ning Qiuxiu thought, looking at Zhan Qingyue’s peaceful sleeping face.

The book didn’t provide much detail about Zhan Qingyue, only describing him through others’ perceptions.

He was seen as a successful and influential figure, with a good temperament, gentle and kind to others, unlike the domineering type often depicted as a protagonist.

She should be most angry and kick her out of the Zhan family.

Ning Qiuxui felt more confident now.

After gently stroking Zhan Qingyue’s hand for a while, she thought the timing was right.

She put his hand back under the blanket and took out something from her bag—an amulet she had drawn yesterday, placed in a small silk bag, which she slipped under his pillow.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to place something else.

Even if the old man didn’t watch the cameras, the bedding for Zhan Qingyue was frequently changed and would be checked.

If they reviewed the footage and found her placing it there, they might think she was some kind of witch casting spells.

So, the amulet was the safest option.

Moreover, personally seeking an amulet and secretly placing it under Zhan Qingyue’s pillow added a lot of sentiment and would surely boost the old man’s opinion of her.

Ning Qiuxui was pleased with her cleverness.

After leaving Zhan Qingyue’s room and chatting with the old man again, she further solidified her determination to marry into the Zhan family. The old man was so moved he almost believed it was out of love.

Saying goodbye to the old man, Ning Qiuhui walked out of the Zhan family estate.

Her car was already waiting outside.

She could drive, as the original owner had a license, but since she hadn’t driven in seven years, she didn’t want to risk an accident and had arranged for the family driver to bring her.

Holding a small sunshade, she walked to the car, wondering why her driver hadn’t come out to open the door for her.

When she looked up, she saw that the driver had changed into a young, handsome man.

“…… Are you planning to kidnap me, Young Master Zhan?” Ning Qiuxui smiled slightly, looking unfazed, though she mentally noted the driver’s betrayal.

“Sorry,” the young man apologized politely, though with no real regret. “We couldn’t reach Miss Ning, so we had to use this method. It will only take a few minutes. I hope Miss Ning won’t mind.”

Ning Qiuxui thought to herself that it was pointless to hope she wouldn’t mind, but she maintained a polite and attentive demeanor.

“Earlier… I’m sorry for not clearly stating my stance after sensing your feelings.”

“……” Zhan Qingyuan, who was usually domineering, suddenly took a sentimental approach, which surprised Ning Qiuxui.

It wasn’t really Zhan Qingyuan’s fault.

To him, Ning Qiuxui was like many of his admirers.

He was always busy with work and social engagements, and didn’t have the time to cater to every girl’s feelings.

Ning Qiuxui replied, “Oh, it’s okay.”

Zhan Qingyuan was taken aback by her indifferent attitude.

He felt that Ning Qiuxui had changed a lot. Previously, she had always been demure and kind in his presence.

Now, it was as if she had removed a mask, revealing her true self.

He continued, “Recently, I looked into your eagerness to marry into our family, and I have a general idea of your motives.”

As expected of the protagonist, he had quickly discovered the issues with their family business.

Ning Qiuxui shrugged, “Isn’t your family’s eagerness to marry me equally obvious?”

“…… Fine. Setting aside motives, Miss Ning, you should know who is in charge of the Zhan family and who controls the business collaborations now.”

“So?”

“So,” Zhan Qingyuan placed a document on the storage box next to him and said, “The things you want are in this agreement. Although I deeply wish for my brother to wake up, I don’t believe in superstitions. If I don’t want to cooperate with the Ning family, even if you marry into our family or if the entire Ning family moves into our household, I won’t give you a single cent.”

In reality, it didn’t matter whether Zhan Qingyue got married or not, as he was a bedridden patient.

Even if he married, Ning Qiuxui wouldn’t be able to do much with him or the old man.

However, Zhan Qingyuan didn’t want the once powerful man to be exploited after losing all dignity and privacy.

This also made him see the Ning family’s true colors, and he was thoroughly disappointed with them as partners.

“Miss Ning, please think it over,” he said, preparing to leave as he opened the car door.

Just as he was about to step out, he heard Ning Qiuxui’s soft voice: “So, in your view, I’m just someone who sacrifices herself for profit?”

Isn’t that the case?

“Perhaps, in the eyes of businessmen like you, there’s no such thing as pure love,” Ning Qiuxui said gently. “Miss Ji being with you, does she have any motives? Is she after your wealth, your resources, or… is she hoping you’ll help her future career?”

Zhan Qingyuan’s face darkened immediately: “Miss Ning, that’s baseless slander.”

As soon as he said that, Zhan Qingyuan regretted it—he had fallen into Ning Qiuxui’s trap.

Ning Qiuxiu’s behavior was being slandered, but accusing her of being interested in Zhan Qingyue for personal gain was equally baseless slander.

Ning Qiuxiu smiled and said, “Please have Second Young Master Zhan call my driver back. Thank you.”

---

Ning Qiuxiu spent a whole week considering the matter of leaving the girl group, and she ultimately decided to leave the group and transition to the entertainment industry.

Moreover, since it was Yixing Entertainment that first proposed she could leave if she was unhappy, and they were in breach of contract first, she wouldn’t be liable for any penalties and would receive a breach of contract compensation from them.

Yixing Entertainment, having lost both the watermelon and the sesame seeds, tried to contact Ning Qiuxiu multiple times through indirect means, hoping to negotiate, but all their attempts were rejected by her.

“This is the termination contract sent by Yixing,” Qu Hua pushed the contract in front of Ning Qiuxiu, still unwilling to give up. “Little Qiuxiu, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

Ning Qiuxiu’s response was to neatly sign her name on the contract.

Qu Hua: “……”

“Alright then,” Qu Hua sighed, looking at her with his elaborately made-up eyes, “You’re so heartless and cruel.”

Ning Qiuxiu still couldn’t adapt to this manager and said, “Am I supposed to constantly look back, cry and make a fuss, and show how sentimental and compassionate I am?”

“…… Well, not exactly,” Qu Hua said, touching his chest and looking pitiful, “It’s just that it hurts my heart.”

“Hurts your heart, my foot!”

Ning Qiuxiu almost wanted to hit him.

If it weren’t for the lack of better managers in the company, she would have strongly demanded to replace him.

“Well, since the contract is signed, there’s no turning back,” Qu Hua said with a bit more seriousness, taking the contract from her. “For now, go to the company’s acting class and brush up on your acting skills. I’ll plan a new development route for you.”

Due to the change in her career direction, Ning Qiuxui’s future path needed a complete overhaul.

“Okay,” Ning Qiuxui agreed straightforwardly.

She really hadn’t acted for seven years and needed to refresh her skills.

Most importantly, if she didn’t go, Qu Hua would undoubtedly keep nagging her, and she had grown wary of him.

The company wasn’t very large, and the acting class had about 20 students, all new artists.

They seemed lively and full of energy, like a college classroom.

On her first day of class, Ning Qiuxui happened to have a theory lesson.

She wasn’t familiar with anyone, so she just picked a seat.

Unlike these newcomers who hadn’t yet made a name for themselves, Ning Qiuxui was already considered a “celebrity” in the company, and with her father being a major shareholder, everyone looked at her differently.

However, probably thinking she was on a different level, no one even dared to approach her.

Her seat was surrounded by at least three empty seats.

No one dared to sit next to her.

Ning Qiuxui felt a bit lonely and isolated, with an empty space around her.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

As Ning Qiuxui was feeling a bit sorry for herself, someone finally asked if they could sit next to her.

She suppressed her inner delight, maintaining a cool demeanor, and said lightly, “No, it’s not taken.”

“Can I sit here then?” the person asked again, their voice a bit nervous, giving off a timid impression.

Was this person trying to get close to her but was afraid?

Ning Qiuxui thought, glancing at the newcomer.

She had an ordinary face and wasn’t particularly pretty, especially in a class full of attractive people.

She seemed quite plain.

“Sure, go ahead.”

The girl, seeing Ning Qiuxui’s face, froze for a moment, looking uncertain as if she wanted to leave but didn’t dare.

It seemed she hadn’t recognized Ning Qiuhui earlier and was only now realizing who she was.

After hesitating, the girl shyly sat down.

As she did, everyone’s attention subtly shifted toward her.

The girl noticed the gazes and grew even more nervous, wishing she could hide under the table.

Ning Qiuhui: “……”

She didn’t look like a tiger, so was it really necessary for her to be so nervous?

Ning Qiuxui shook her head, realizing that the previous person had given her a really bad reputation.

She decided to make amends and approached the girl with a “kind” demeanor.

“My name is Ning Qiuxui, Ning as in tranquil and Qiuhui as in autumn,” she introduced herself, even though the girl probably already knew her name. “What’s your name?”

“Ye Ke,” the girl replied timidly. “Ye as in leaf, and Ke as in tree.”

！！！

Ye Ke—was this the same Ye Ke she knew?

In the novel, there was a future star named Ye Ke.

She wasn’t particularly attractive, and even though she had acting skills, her previous management company didn’t focus on nurturing her and didn’t provide basic resources.

Before turning 25, Ye Ke was quite unremarkable.

It wasn’t until she was 26, when her contract with the company ended, that she was signed by the heroine’s studio.

After landing a role in a comedy series—one that was very funny and showcased her excellent acting—she became popular and reached the semi-first-tier level.

She also published a book called Opportunities, which detailed her inspirational journey, leading her fans to regard the heroine as the one who discovered her.

Her relationship with the heroine remained very good, boosting the heroine’s reputation.

To think that her previous management company was her own current company!

But was this girl really Ye Ke?

She remembered that Ye Ke’s character in that comedy series was quite cheerful. What had happened to her?

“I know you,” the girl said in a barely audible voice. “Aren’t you the member of the popular girl group?”

Ning Qiuhui replied, “I used to be.”

“Oh…” Ye Ke seemed to be aware of her departure from the girl group and was awkwardly searching for a topic to continue the conversation.

Noticing Ning Qiuxui’s continuous gaze, she became nervous again and couldn’t help but touch her face. “Is there something on my face?”

—Ning Qiuxui had been staring at her face for quite a while, making her uncomfortable.

If she were a man, she might have been considered a pervert by now.

“Ah, sorry, you just remind me of an old friend,” Ning Qiuxui made up a story on the spot.

In reality, she was thinking that if she acted quickly and brought Ye Ke under her wing…