"It's too late..." Li Shaoting’s words had barely left his lips before he couldn't help but tear away the troublesome clothing on Jian An'an, and then...
"Ugh... it hurts..." Jian An'an’s face turned deathly pale from the pain.
Li Shaoting’s sword-like brows furrowed tightly... It was only then that he realized the young woman beneath him was a virgin.
Seeing Jian An'an’s expression of forced endurance, a wave of pity surged within Li Shaoting.
"Get away from me..." Jian An'an cried out, tears streaming down her face from the pain.
"It will be over soon. Don't worry, I will take responsibility for you," Li Shaoting said, and then...
Who knows how much time passed... Finally, he was finished!
Jian An'an felt so sore that her body was almost numb, her eyes fixed solely on the eagle tattoo on the man’s waist.
"Woman, what is your name? I said I would take responsibility for you. Tomorrow, we will go get our marriage license," Li Shaoting said gently, holding the flushed Jian An'an in his arms.
He then reached out, intending to remove the mask covering Jian An'an’s eyes so he could see the face of his future Madam Li.
After resting for a moment and regaining some strength, Jian An'an saw Li Shaoting leaning in. She pushed him away, scrambled to pick up the clothes scattered on the floor, threw them on in a messy rush, and cursed, "You jerk, I don't want your responsibility!"
With that, she turned to run.
"Woman, stay right there!" Li Shaoting commanded loudly.
Fearing he might chase her, Jian An'an snatched up his clothes from the floor, clutched them to her chest, and bolted from the room.
Li Shaoting reached the doorway, watching the alluring woman’s retreating figure as she moved further and further away. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Woman, remember my name! I am Li Shaoting. You can come find me whenever you want!"
Jian An'an was too panicked, focused only on escaping, and didn't hear a word of what Li Shaoting had said.
Li Shaoting pulled back his gaze, suddenly spotting a peach-shaped necklace on the floor.
He picked it up, a flicker of realization in his eyes. He didn't own such a thing, so it must have been left behind by that young woman... Hmph, woman, you won't be able to escape me!
After fleeing the hotel, Jian An'an tossed the mask and Li Shaoting’s clothes into a trash bin. It was then she realized the sky outside had gone completely dark; the engagement ceremony for Su Zixuan and Lu Hanyang had already concluded.
Her heart heavy with grief, she glanced back and saw a poster for the hotel, upon which four large characters were clearly written: Masquerade Ball.
Jian An'an could no longer hold it in. She crouched down, wrapped her arms around herself, and sobbed uncontrollably.
It was gone... Everything was gone...
She had no father, no mother, no Lu Hanyang, and even her virginity had been taken by a man whose face she didn't even know!
...
Five years later.
In the scorching heat of June, the film set was a hive of activity. Having shed the aura of the Jian family’s eldest daughter, Jian An'an was now working as an extra, wearing the nondescript costume of a passerby.
She was hunched over, messily organizing props.
Suddenly, a cheer erupted from the group of extras nearby; it seemed the lead actress had arrived.
Jian An'an had only been hired at this set yesterday and didn't yet know who the leads were. Curious, she stood up to look. At just a single glance, she recognized the actress stepping out of the car, surrounded by a crowd and dripping with grandeur.
It was Su Zixuan!!!
Seeing Su Zixuan brought back memories of everything from five years ago, and hatred surged in her heart.
After her mother died, her father had married Mother Su, and Su Zixuan had transformed from the daughter of a mistress into the refined miss of the Jian family. She had even entered the entertainment industry and become a lead actress with a bright future ahead of her, while Jian An'an was nothing more than a lowly extra doing odd jobs on set.
Right now, it was best she didn't cross paths with Su Zixuan.
Jian An'an turned to walk in the opposite direction, but she had only taken a step before her ankle caught on a microphone cable. She let out a cry and lunged forward.
Just as she braced for the impact of the fall, her waist was tightened by a sudden grip. When she regained her senses, she realized she had fallen into a broad, warm embrace.
"Are you okay?"
The soft, familiar voice above her made Jian An'an freeze. She looked up, staring blankly at the man inches from her face.
It was Lu Hanyang!
Rescuing her had been a trivial act for Lu Hanyang, but once he held Jian An'an, the faint, familiar fragrance on her made his heart skip a beat.
The scent was so familiar, as if he had smelled it somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it...
Lu Hanyang helped Jian An'an stand steady. Meeting her eyes, which were filled with a mixture of shock and sorrow, he felt a strange compulsion to add, "Be careful."
Seeing the look in Lu Hanyang’s eyes, Jian An'an felt a sharp ache in her nose. He looked at her as if she were a complete stranger; even after five years, he still hadn't remembered her.
Jian An'an caught a glimpse of the engagement ring on his finger, and her heart stung even more. Before she could offer her thanks, Su Zixuan’s voice rang out from behind them: "Hanyang, what are you doing?"
Her voice was bright and clear, drawing everyone around them to look over.
Lu Hanyang released her nonchalantly and walked toward Su Zixuan, his tone incredibly gentle: "An extra almost tripped, so I helped her up."
*How dare she covet my Hanyang!*
Su Zixuan was so angry she grit her teeth. She linked her arm through Lu Hanyang’s and gave a warning to the disheveled Jian An'an—and all the women on set: "If you're going to be an extra, try to use your head! If these props get dented or scratched, do you think the pittance you earn could ever cover the cost?"
Lu Hanyang gave a helpless smile: "Alright, the makeup artist has been waiting for you for a long time. Let's go."
"Mhm, I'll listen to you," Su Zixuan said, acting like a delicate bird, before casting a fierce, hateful glare at Jian An'an where no one else could see.
But after that look, she suddenly felt that the extra’s silhouette looked a bit familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before...
However, Jian An'an quickly lowered her head and went back to moving props. Even if Su Zixuan was suspicious, she wouldn't lower herself to ask an extra for her name.
Seeing Su Zixuan leave, Jian An'an finally let out a sigh of relief. It seemed her makeup today hadn't been in vain; Su Zixuan didn't seem to recognize her. Otherwise, given her vicious personality, she wouldn't have let her off so easily!
After some commotion, the scene was ready to be shot.
In this Republic-era drama, Su Zixuan was playing a lowly singer who falls in love with a wealthy young master. This scene depicted her crying as she ran out into the pouring rain after being humiliated by the young master’s family.
Artificial rain was about to start, and Jian An'an was preparing towels for everyone.
Just then, she felt an uncomfortable gaze fixed on her. She looked up and locked eyes with Su Zixuan!
Jian An'an was suddenly struck by an ominous premonition...