Chapter 1: In Short

Jian Yanzhi was sitting at her computer, watching a League of Legends livestream and talking into her headset, when her phone started ringing incessantly.

 

“Enough with the screeching!” she snapped. “You’re drowning out Shen Yuan.”

 

The voice on the other end paused briefly before Lu Xue shrieked, “Sister! Did you see Weibo? DSG Team just signed a new member, and Shen Yuan and the others are even planning a welcome event tonight! The official Weibo said they’ll announce it later—I’m dying to know who it is!”

 

Jian Yanzhi hummed dismissively. “So what? As long as they don’t drag the team down, I don’t care.”

 

“How could they drag the team down? They wouldn’t hire some washed-up scrub for a high salary, would they?” Lu Xue launched into an endless stream of speculation.

 

Ignoring her, Jian Yanzhi focused intently on the screen, watching the streamer’s character execute dazzling maneuvers and rack up kills with flair.

 

“Pentakill!” The game’s announcer boomed, announcing the five-kill streak with gusto.

 

Jian Yanzhi flung her mouse aside, nearly leaping out of her chair. “Holy shit! A Pentakill! Shen Yuan is fucking amazing!”

 

The livestream chat instantly exploded with messages:

 

“66666!”

 

“Is that even possible?!”

 

“God Yuan is invincible!”

 

“God Yuan, need any disciples? I’m good at warming beds.”

 

Compared to the excited Jian Yanzhi and the onlookers gathered around her computer, the man actually playing the game on the livestream seemed remarkably composed. He briefly switched to the chat screen, glanced at the comments, and then calmly switched back to the game.

 

A hint of disdain flickered across his brow as he said, “Moderator, ban that guy who offered to be my bed-warming junior.” After a pause, he added, “Delusional.”

 

The moment his words faded, Lu Xue’e’s distinctive, goose-like laughter erupted through Jian Yanzhi’s headphones. Amused herself, Jian Yanzhi grabbed the mouse she had tossed aside, clicked the “Send Gift” button, and swiftly typed a string of digits into the amount field.

 

The entire process was seamless and practiced.

 

Almost instantly, a message flashed across the chat: “God Yuan’s Little Fox has gifted 1,000,000 Golden Bamboo!”

 

*Bang!* The door burst open, and a sudden chill forced Jian Yanzhi to turn around. Seeing the stern-faced woman standing behind her, she silently removed her headphones and forced a dry smile. “Sister Yang, you’re here!”

 

“Jian! Yan! Zhi!”

 

“Eep, present!”

 

“Didn’t I tell you there was a wrap party tonight? Why are you still holed up in your room? You haven’t even gotten dressed or done your makeup yet! What are you doing? Gaming? All you ever do is play games!” Fang Yang choked on her frustration. “Get up now! Get dressed! Do your makeup! Hurry!”

 

Jian Yanzhi blinked, reluctantly glancing back at the man still live-streaming on her screen. He looked half-asleep, lazily playing his game while nonchalantly addressing the barrage of chat messages. “That Fox guy showering gifts? Yeah, I know he’s got money… but so do I. You don’t need to imitate those nouveau riche types. Seriously, you don’t.”

 

The game ended with a satisfying *boom* as the enemy’s red crystal shattered. Viewers erupted in excitement, and gift notifications flooded the screen. The man leaned back, ignoring the chat as he turned to talk to his teammate beside him.

 

“Holy shit, his side profile is goddamn gorgeous!”

 

“That game was epic!”

 

“Goddamn it, how much more do I have to spend to surpass Little Fox?”

 

“Looking at the gift leaderboard, you’d have to bleed money to overtake Little Fox in first place.”

 

“Shen Yuan, where’s the newbie welcome party tonight? Spill the beans!”

 

“Who’s the new support player?”

 

After confirming everything with his teammates, He Yuan turned back to the screen to find only a blur of white text. His livestream quota for the day was up, so he swiftly reached out and shut off the camera.

 

Just before the screen went dark, viewers heard He Yuan mutter, “Looks like I need to open an electrotherapy center.”

 

A teammate beside him, clearly bewildered, faintly asked, “Huh? Why?”

 

He Yuan calmly replied, “To buy a Yang Yongxin and cure these internet-addicted teenagers who are recklessly throwing money around.”

 

“Still staring?” Fang Yang snapped, switching off the monitor. “In short, hurry up and get dressed. The makeup artist is waiting downstairs. Move it!”

 

Jian Yanzhi shot her a sideways glance. “Thank goodness Shen Yuan’s livestream is over. Otherwise, you’d be causing a scene.”

 

“Oh, sweetie, who’s the one causing a scene here?” Fang Yang sighed, rubbing her forehead as she dragged Jian Yanzhi toward the walk-in closet. “Tsk, you haven’t changed a bit since the Stone Age.”

 

Fang Yang stopped abruptly and turned back. “How many days since you last washed your hair?”

 

“One day.”

 

“One day?!”

 

“Two… two days.”

 

“Hmph, you sure about that?”

 

“…Three days.”

 

“…”

 

“What are you looking at? It’s three days, okay? I’m not lying!”

 

Over an hour later, Jian Yanzhi arrived at a hotel.

 

Fang Yang strode ahead, followed by Jian Yanzhi and her assistant, Yuan Yuan.

 

As two waiters passed by, one of them glanced back at the group, his eyes lingering on the woman in the beige coat. “Hey, wasn’t that…?”

 

“Don’t freeze just because you saw a pretty face,” the other waiter chuckled softly.

 

“No, I think it’s Jian Yanzhi.”

 

“Jian Yanzhi… who’s that?”

 

“Holy crap, are you living in a cave? She’s an actress, the one who’s been super popular lately.”

 

“Really?”

 

Jian Yanzhi was almost unrecognizable from her usual self at home. She wore flawless makeup, her long hair was styled sleekly, and beneath her beige trench coat, she teetered on seven-centimeter heels.

 

Her cousin Lu Xue would have called this look “putting on airs.”

 

“Oh, Director Li, I’m so sorry I’m late!” Jian Yanzhi apologized cheerfully to Li Chun.

 

Li Chun, in his fifties, was a renowned director in the industry. His earlier films had catapulted countless stars to fame. This time, he was directing a suspense thriller, with Jian Yanzhi in the lead role as a high school student kidnapped by criminals.

 

“Haven’t seen you in a few weeks, Yan Zhi,” Li Chun remarked with a chuckle. “Have you gained a little weight?”

 

“Really?” Jian Yanzhi cupped her face with her hands. “Is it that noticeable?”

 

Li Chun couldn’t help but grin. “A little extra weight is good. Otherwise, your parents might think I’ve been mistreating you during filming if they saw you looking too skinny.”

 

“My parents are still overseas, so don’t worry. They haven’t bothered to come back and see me lately.”

 

“Hahaha, you little rascal…”

 

Jian Yanzhi’s parents were veteran actors and longtime friends of Li Chun, spanning decades. As a child, she would always call him “Uncle Li Chun.” Compared to the respectful deference others showed him, her manner was far more casual and unrestrained.

 

Li Chun genuinely doted on her. When he wasn’t filming, he treated her like his own daughter.

 

But on set… Li Chun was notoriously strict and professional. In his productions, not even royalty received special treatment. As a result, Jian Yanzhi emerged from filming the suspense thriller covered in bruises and having endured her fair share of scoldings and hardship.

 

Life was life, and filming was filming. Jian Yanzhi, like Director Li Chun, kept these realms meticulously separate.

 

The wrap party was in full swing, everyone merry with drinks. After over three months of working closely together, the cast and crew had forged deep bonds. As the youngest member of the cast, Jian Yanzhi had been well cared for by everyone. Her considerate colleagues made sure she didn’t overindulge in the celebrations.

 

The group mingled in twos and threes, chatting and drinking. Jian Yanzhi, our female protagonist, excused herself to use the restroom and slipped out of the private room.

 

The smell of alcohol in the room was fine, but the cigarette smoke was becoming unbearable. It wasn’t that she disliked the scent of tobacco; her rhinitis made her nose extremely uncomfortable around smoke.

 

With everyone still inside, she couldn’t simply leave. Yet lingering in the busy hotel corridor felt awkward. Jian Yanzhi walked to a dimly lit stairwell at the end of the hallway, adjusted her coat, and settled onto the steps.

 

She pulled out her phone and opened a mobile game. So engrossed in the screen, she didn’t notice the man who had also come to the stairwell for a breather from the smoky party, sitting on the steps just above and to her side.

 

“Holy shit, Lu Xue, what the hell are you doing? This isn’t ranked; are you just practicing new champions?!”

 

He Yuan’s hand froze mid-swipe, his attention caught by the sudden voice. He tilted his head slightly and glanced down.

 

A woman was sitting on the steps below, her face hidden. But he could clearly see the frantic figure on her phone screen, desperately fleeing through the game world.

 

“Missed again? Don’t get so worked up!” A girl’s voice chimed in over the voice chat, clearly playing the game with her.

 

“Hou Yi, Hou Yi, if you miss another hook, just wait until I get back—I’ll smash your dog head in!” The woman on the stairs snarled.

 

He Yuan shifted his posture, leaning against the railing and casually glancing at the screen of the person below.

 

He recognized the game as *Honor of Kings*. He’d never played mobile games himself, finding them uninteresting.

 

Still, it was clear the woman below was decent at controlling her character, though her teammates… well, they were definitely lacking.

 

“Cheng Yaojin? What’s he still doing in the fountain? Buying equipment? Can’t he finish shopping in a year? Oh, does he think he can haggle with the shopkeeper or something?”

 

“Ah! Sis, I died again! This Cheng Yaojin is cursed!” The girl on the other end of the line shrieked.

 

He Yuan watched the woman on the stairs crack a sinister smile and coldly remark, “Tell Cheng Yaojin to quit. He’s less useful than a super minion.”

 

A moment later…

 

“Our base is about to fall, and Daji’s still in the jungle, bonding with the monsters! I can’t believe this.”

 

“Tell Daji her mom’s calling her home for dinner.”

 

“What the hell are these people thinking? Did they even bring their brains with them?!”

 

*Boom!* Moments later, her Crystal exploded. Jian Yanzhi took a deep breath, nearly throwing her phone against the wall. “I’m going to get demoted!”

 

Furious, she closed the game and ended her WeChat voice call with Lu Xue. *Fresh air? More like fresh anger.*

 

*Ding-ding-ding…* The silence of the stairwell was suddenly broken by a ringtone. Jian Yanzhi froze, glancing at her phone. It wasn’t hers. *Is someone else here?*

 

She abruptly looked up. “Ah!”

 

A man stood on the landing above. Though the lighting was dim, it was enough to make out his face.

 

“Ah…”

 

Jian Yanzhi remained rooted to the spot.

 

The first “Ah!” was a startled cry at the sudden appearance of the man. The second “Ah,” tinged with shock, embarrassment, and a hint of bashfulness, came because… she recognized him.

 

The man seemed equally surprised by the ringing phone. He glanced down, then answered. “I’m outside. Got it, heading back now. Hmph… Afraid I’ll get pressured into drinking? Lao Yao, you’ll pay for that later…”

 

As the man spoke, the corner of his mouth curled slightly, giving him an air of nonchalant ease and uninhibited charm. His eyes were strikingly handsome—almond-shaped with long lashes.

 

*His skin really does look amazing in person,* Jian Yanzhi thought. *So he wasn’t using a beauty filter on his live streams.*

 

After a brief conversation, the man hung up. He slipped his phone into his coat pocket, glanced back at her—a casual, almost indifferent look—then turned to ascend the stairs.

 

“Hey!” Jian Yanzhi blurted out impulsively. The man paused, turning to face her with a hint of impatience in his expression.

 

Her tongue suddenly felt tied in knots. “You… you’re He Yuan, right?”

 

The man’s eyebrow twitched slightly, offering neither confirmation nor denial, but Jian Yanzhi took his silence as tacit acceptance.

 

Her eyes lit up briefly, but then she remembered how she’d been cursing like a sailor the entire time he was there. Her smile faltered, and her face flushed with embarrassment. “How much of that did you hear?”

 

Hidden in the dim light, the man seemed to ponder her question for a moment. Finally, he drawled mildly, “You certainly have a colorful vocabulary.”