Gu Chenxi walked toward Lin Qian, holding their daughter, Sisi, in his arms. The warm stage lights bathed them in a soft glow.
His strides were measured, and their daughter was already beginning to grow sleepy against his chest. The ballroom was filled with light, instrumental music—a melody that felt airy, crisp, and bright, like firewood crackling in a hearth on a winter day. A sense of comfort and ease rippled through Lin Qian.
Tonight, Gu Chenxi had done the unthinkable: he had sung the song they had heard when they first met.
"The Actor."
Lin Qian had always called Gu Chenxi a "hexagonal warrior"—a man of all-around perfection with almost no weaknesses, save for one: his singing. If his performance of that song hadn't been so excruciatingly off-key back then, she would never have noticed him in the first place. Yet tonight, his articulation was crisp and his rhythm precise; he had clearly practiced for hours.
As the song ended, the media began to clamor, urging the couple to kiss. Under the glare of the lights, Lin Qian squeezed her eyes shut, her eyelashes fluttering uncontrollably. After a long moment of anticipation, Gu Chenxi merely brushed his lips against her forehead.
"Thank you all for coming here to celebrate my wife's birthday today," Gu Chenxi said, holding the microphone. His low, pleasant voice echoed through every corner of the ballroom. "Qianqian, I wish you a long and prosperous life."
Once the birthday festivities concluded, the family of three joined hands to thank the guests. Looking at her husband, Lin Qian felt a strange, hollow absurdity. When they married, he had wished for a love that would last for eternity. Now, had he reduced it to merely wishing her a long life?
As they left the stage, Su Yurou followed behind, holding up Lin Qian’s train with a demeanor so solicitous and obliging it felt like a spring breeze. On the way to the waiting room, an assistant trotted up and whispered something into Gu Chenxi’s ear.
"Is something wrong?" Lin Qian asked, gripping his hand.
Beside her, Su Yurou frowned.
"Don't worry about it. Take Sisi and head on ahead," Gu Chenxi said, walking briskly toward the exit.
Once they reached the waiting room, Lin Qian shed her restrictive gown with the help of her assistant, changing into a comfortable white T-shirt and jeans. Su Yurou sat at the vanity, chin in hand, staring at her phone with a grim expression. Lin Qian reached out to comfort her, but the moment her hand touched Su Yurou’s shoulder, the younger woman jumped up, clearly on edge.
"What’s wrong?"
"Nothing," she replied with a dry laugh. "I have another work engagement to attend to, so I need to leave."
"But it’s so late, and the media has mostly cleared out. At least have a bite to eat so you don't go hungry on the way."
"I'm on a diet," Su Yurou said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "I’m taking Chenxi’s car to the airport. I have a meeting the moment I land tomorrow morning, and I need to go back to pick up some fresh clothes." She paused at the door, turning back. "Don’t be so petty this time, okay?"
The door slammed shut.
Lin Qian’s hunger vanished. She dialed Gu Chenxi’s number. Earlier, on stage, he had asked her in front of everyone what gift she wanted most. Lin Qian had replied, "After the party, I just want the three of us to curl up on the sofa and watch *Peppa Pig*."
"That’s easy enough," he had replied with a soft, doting smile.
So what was this?
It took a while for him to answer. "It’s an emergency. I’ll talk to you later."
In the background, Lin Qian heard Su Yurou’s voice: "I also helped you pack that sleep mask you said was so good."
Lin Qian gripped the phone tight. "Today is my birthday. Do you remember my only birthday wish?"
The crisp click of a lighter flared. Gu Chenxi’s tone was impatient. "Can you be reasonable for once?"
He didn't give her a chance to speak further and hung up.
The pain was sharp—far more stinging than when she had fallen off a stage years ago. What a birthday gift. Lin Qian just hadn’t expected that she was the one inside the gift box. This "rehabilitation" gift was being served perfectly; everyone but her was having a wonderful time unwrapping it.
Lu Yuanzheng stepped up behind her and draped a coat over her shoulders. "Paris Haute Couture week next month. Interested?"
Lin Qian turned and looked at him for three seconds. "I'm in."
"Four years! Four years! Truly, if you never forget, you will get a response. I’m going to notify the studio to draft the contract right now."
"You’re so greasy," Lin Qian said, pushing him away. "Jinggang City is too stifling. I need to get out and breathe."
This was her first long-distance business trip since Sisi’s birth. Before she left, Sisi had been so distracted by two pieces of chocolate that she hadn't even looked at her mother to say goodbye. But before Lin Qian had even reached the airport, a tearful video call came through.
"I don't want you to leave, Mommy! I don't want to be separated from you!" Sisi’s mouth crumpled into a pathetic pout.
Lin Qian felt both amused and heartbroken. "It’s only six days. I’ll bring you a *Peppa Pig* toy when I get back."
"No... I just want Mommy. Please, hold me, Mommy."
As her daughter sobbed uncontrollably, Lin Qian felt a lump form in her own throat. "It’s okay to cry if you're sad. Mommy knows, and Mommy is watching you."
Sisi clutched the phone, her tears and drool smearing the screen. It took twenty minutes before she calmed down.
"Mommy, I’m hungry..." Sisi whispered, her little lips trembling.
Aunt Li, standing by, immediately offered her several of her favorite snacks. After eating for a bit, Sisi brightened. "Mommy, I love you. We’re best friends. Don’t forget that, okay?"
Before Lin Qian could answer, Sisi tapped the "End Call" button with a sharp *ding*.
Lu Yuanzheng sighed. "Back when we were filming in the dead of winter, you jumped into icy water dozens of times without even a flinch. This is the first time I’ve seen you look like this."
Lin Qian sniffled. "I took her everywhere when I was pregnant. Being apart like this… it feels like I’ve left a vital organ back at home."
Lu Yuanzheng shook his head. "I could never understand that feeling."
"That’s why they call it the 'motherhood penalty,'" Lin Qian said, opening her bag to pull out a thick stack of documents. "Let’s go over the key details for the show."
"We’re attending the Chanel Haute Couture Spring/Summer show. Their design incorporates..."
Lin Qian tapped her left palm with her index finger. "Stop, stop. I’ve already memorized everything I can find publicly. Give me the real stuff—who’s fighting, who’s creating drama, whose Weibo trending topics are being scrubbed, and the things that the higher-ups don't want us talking about. Give it to me straight."
"You’re a sly one." Lu Yuanzheng pulled a seat plan from his bag. "You know everyone else, but you need to pay special attention to this person."
Lin Qian glanced at the name: Yang Yan.
"She debuted as 'the next big thing' and blew up after that fairy-tale drama earlier this year. She’s incredibly arrogant. Her studio loves to post 'candid' photos where she subtly shades the other stars in the picture. She’s sitting right next to you at the show."
"Not bad for a newcomer to get a front-row seat."
"What are you thinking? You’re both sitting in the third row."
"Bunch of snobs." Lin Qian tossed the paper back at Lu Yuanzheng and went back to leafing through the files she already knew by heart.
"Relax. We’ve got you covered," Lu Yuanzheng said, handing her two eye-care supplements.
Lin Qian looked back at the rows of the luxury van. Behind her sat her agent, a photographer, a makeup artist, a translator, and an assistant. Everyone wore the same spirited, confident look they had always had.
"Let’s do it," Lin Qian said, giving a thumbs-up to the back.
Paris was always damp. Lin Qian had originally planned to wear a floor-length tail gown, but she decided at the last minute to change into a white silk camisole and wide-leg trousers.
Getting out of the car, walking the red carpet, faking a smile, posing, a brief interview with the host, then walking through the doors—the process was as routine to Lin Qian as her nighttime skincare. The only difference was that previously, others had waited for her, while now, she was the one waiting for others.
On the red carpet, a female celebrity in a bright yellow Su-embroidered strapless gown was spinning 360 degrees for the cameras, completely ignoring the security guards' instructions to keep moving.
Lin Qian hadn't expected to run into her here.