Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

When Jiang Fan returned to his room, it was already 2 a.m.

He took a quick shower and lay down on the bed.

I went over tonight's events in my mind.

Shen Nian's compatibility level has risen to SS, and Tang Yingxue's storyline has officially begun.

I can't really say what I think.

People whose lives hang by a thread have no right to be sentimental; simply being alive is the most important thing.

Close your eyes and go to sleep.

-

The next morning at 10 a.m., the three of them checked out of the hotel and took a business vehicle arranged by the program team to the airport.

Zhou Yutong was scrolling through her phone in the back seat, getting more and more excited as she scrolled.

"Brother Fan! It's still trending! 'Left-handed finger pointing to the moon, the scene of becoming a god' is number one! Below it are all posts from random people recommending it!"

Jiang Fan hummed in agreement and closed his eyes to catch up on sleep.

Shen Nian sat next to him, with earphones in her ears, listening to the replay of last night's live performance.

Zhou Yutong exclaimed again, "There's one more thing—'The Voice of China's ratings hit a record high,' Director Fang must be ecstatic."

"Alright, stop yelling." Jiang Fan opened one eye.

Zhou Yutong stuck out her tongue and shoved her phone screen in front of Shen Nian to show her.

The plane landed in Shanghai, and Li Cheng waited in his car at the arrival level.

After everyone got into the car, Li Cheng glanced at Shen Nian in the rearview mirror and grinned.

"Congratulations on winning the championship!"

Shen Nian smiled and asked, "Brother Cheng, are your pants dry?"

Li Cheng's face stiffened, and he glared at Zhou Yutong.

Zhou Yutong huddled in the corner, covering her mouth, her shoulders trembling.

"...Okay, okay, let's not talk about that anymore."

The car drove onto the elevated road.

Jiang Fan leaned back in the passenger seat, pushed up his sunglasses, and rubbed his temples.

"Brother Cheng, Shen Nian is currently very popular. Have any business opportunities come your way?"

Li Cheng was clearly prepared, and he reported the situation while driving.

"From last night to this morning, I received a total of eleven business invitations. I did a preliminary screening, and four of them were okay, while the rest were either too low-end or offered too little money."

Which four?

"They have endorsements for cosmetics and mobile phones, appearances on variety shows, and offline commercial performances."

"What brand of cosmetics is it?"

Gucci is looking for a young female singer to be its Asia-Pacific brand ambassador, with a one-year contract.

Jiang Fan tapped his fingers twice on the armrest.

"That's negotiable. What about the phone?"

"Vio's S series is mainly targeting the youth market."

"Okay, you oversee the progress of these two. Make sure you clarify the contract terms and exclusivity clauses, and don't sign anything too rigid."

"A variety show? Which program is it?"

"Happy Weekend, recording an episode with guests."

"Okay, depending on the time, make sure it doesn't clash with other plans. Add 30% to the quote and then get back to me."

"Alright." Li Cheng nodded. "What about that offline commercial performance? The price isn't low, 800,000 for three shows."

"I won't answer."

"Huh? You're not taking it for 800,000?"

"She just won the championship, so her value should go up, not down. If she goes to do commercial performances now, it'll be beneath her. Wait two months, and she might not even take the same job for 150 yuan."

The back seat was quiet for two seconds.

Zhou Yutong nudged Shen Nian's arm and silently opened her mouth—"Brother Fan is so domineering."

Shen Nian ignored her, took off her headphones and put them away, her eyes fixed on the tall buildings passing by outside the window.

The slight curve at the corner of her mouth never faded.

After the car exited the overpass, it first took Shen Nian and Zhou Yutong back to their residence.

Shen Nian opened the car door, put one foot on the ground, and glanced back at Jiang Fan.

"Anything else planned for today?"

"I'm going back to the office to take care of some things. You get some rest."

"Um."

She closed the door, picked up her suitcase, and walked towards the apartment building.

The car restarted and drove back onto the main road.

Li Cheng waited for a red light at one intersection.

"Brother Fan, there's something else—Ning Yuan sent you three messages yesterday asking when you're going back to Shanghai."

"Tell him to come to the company tomorrow to go over the casting list together."

"Okay."

-

Star City. Presidential Suite, InterContinental Hotel.

Tang Yingxue didn't wake up until 10 a.m. the next day.

Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the French windows. She turned over, her consciousness slowly returning.

Apart from a slight soreness in my body and some discomfort in my lower body, my overall mental state was surprisingly good.

Tang Yingxue lingered in bed for five minutes, then stepped barefoot onto the carpet and went into the bathroom.

She picked up her toothbrush, squeezed out some toothpaste, and then, glancing at herself in the mirror, her hand stopped.

Tang Yingxue put down her toothbrush and leaned closer to the mirror.

The two fine lines at the corners of my eyes are gone.

It's not a matter of lighting angle; it's really gone.

She touched it with her fingers; her skin was smooth, as if she had returned to the state of being twenty-five or twenty-six years old.

The skin on her entire face was firm and plump, with pores so fine they were almost invisible.

Tang Yingxue stared at the mirror for more than ten seconds, her mind racing.

This is very wrong.

She spends at least six figures on skin care every year, going to top beauty salons, using imported equipment, and undergoing various medical aesthetic procedures.

It has some effect, but it has never been this immediate.

It all happened in one night.

She leaned against the sink, staring at her face in the mirror, when suddenly she remembered something.

A month ago, there was a wave of online discussion about Xu Qingya.

Some people dug up her recent unedited photos and compared them with those from a year ago, and found that Xu Qingya's skin condition not only did not decline, but actually improved.

At the time, people inside and outside the industry were speculating about what kind of amazing cosmetics she had found.

However, Xu Qingya has not responded, allowing various speculations to fester.

Tang Yingxue had paid attention to it at the time, but she only thought it was a beauty secret shared by her peers and didn't think about it in depth.

Now she recalls the timeline again—

When did Xu Qingya's condition begin to improve noticeably?

It started around the time she began working with Jiang Fan.

Tang Yingxue's fingers gripped the edge of the sink tightly.

She straightened up and looked at her face in the mirror, which looked several years younger.

What kind of monster is this man?

It's one thing to write good songs, but can sleeping with him really make you young again?

She looked down at her body.

There are two light red marks on my collarbone, left from last night.

There are also fingerprints on the front, and they hurt a little when you press them.

But the texture of my skin has definitely changed.

It's smoother and shinier than yesterday.

Tang Yingxue clenched her fist, turned around, and picked up her phone from the bedside table.

He found Jiang Fan's number in his contacts and hovered his finger over the dial button.

It paused for three seconds.

I didn't dial.

She threw her phone on the bed and turned to go back to the bathroom.

I turned on the shower and poured hot water over it, washing away the lingering smell from last night.

Tang Yingxue stood under the flowing water with her eyes closed, her mind filled with the scenes from last night.

She wasn't in a rush about that song anymore.

It's not that I don't want it.

Instead, she suddenly realized that this man's value was far more than just a song.

She's 32 years old, and in this industry, she's already being called "sister" by many people.

Every year, a new generation of young, beautiful, and energetic people emerge, lacking nothing.

She was able to maintain her position as the second-best of the four divas thanks to the reputation and resources she accumulated over the past decade.

But age is her greatest enemy.

If Jiang Fan could really reverse her aging process...

Tang Yingxue turned off the shower, wrapped herself in a bath towel, and walked back to the mirror.

The woman in the mirror had wet hair, and water droplets trickled down her collarbone.

She wasn't wearing any makeup at all, but she looked even better without makeup than when she appeared on the show yesterday with a full face of makeup.

No wonder Xu Qingya clung to Jiang Fan so tightly.

No wonder Su Yuyan also went to him to cooperate.

These women have probably all tasted the sweetness of success.

Tang Yingxue tied the bath towel tightly and walked back to the bedroom.

She took her phone and asked her assistant to change her flight to Kyoto for tomorrow to Shanghai.

After I get there, I need to find a chance to see Jiang Fan again.

Of course, it's not to urge for the song—although the song is also needed.

It was to confirm something.

Is last night's effect a one-time thing, or can it last?

If it's the latter—

Tang Yingxue looked at herself in the dressing mirror.

She is open to long-term cooperation.

The very long-term kind.