After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

Two days later.

Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station was teeming with people.

Jiang Yichen, wearing a black baseball cap and a mask, and carrying his old backpack, stood in the ticket check line.

Occasionally, young people around could be heard discussing the grand finale of "The Voice of China".

Some people even had the chorus of "The New Drunken Concubine" playing on their phones.

He pulled his hat brim down, passed through the turnstile smoothly, and sat down in a window seat in the second class of the high-speed train.

The train starts moving.

He closed his eyes.

I should go back and take a look.

........

Downstairs at Lin Qinghe's apartment building in the eastern part of Shanghai.

A moving company van was parked at the entrance of the building, and two movers were loading cardboard boxes into the van.

Lin Qinghe stood in the center of the empty living room, looking around.

After the decorative paintings on the wall were removed, several square marks of varying shades of color were left behind. The curtains had been taken down, folded, and placed in the last cardboard box.

The sunlight streamed in directly, making the entire room appear pale and glaring.

This apartment is a dormitory for artists provided by Shiguang Entertainment.

It is clearly stated in the contract that the company has the right to take it back at any time.

This morning, an administrative specialist whose name she couldn't even recall called. The tone was polite, but the meaning was clear.

You are given three days to move out.

Lin Qinghe did not argue, nor did she even ask for the reason.

Is there even a need to ask why?

The incident of her posting on Weibo for help completely angered General Manager Zhang. The company suspended all of her work, and the brands she worked with all received notifications about "artist scheduling conflicts."

Indefinitely shelved.

In the entertainment industry, these words are tantamount to a death sentence.

Lin Qinghe squatted down, stuffed the last few books into the cardboard box, and sealed it with tape.

The phone rang.

She took it out and saw it was a booking confirmation text message from the hotel.

A budget hotel in the east of the city, standard room, payable daily.

She hasn't had time to look for a place yet. Or rather, given her current situation, she doesn't have the inclination to look for a place.

The mover poked his head in from the doorway.

"Sis, we've moved everything in. Is there anything else?"

Lin Qinghe shook her head.

"That's all, thank you."

She walked out of the apartment carrying the last handbag.

As she closed the door, she turned back for one last look.

The room was empty. Lin Qinghe lowered her eyes and gently closed the door.

The latch clicked shut.

She walked down the corridor toward the elevator. Her high heels echoed hollowly on the tiled floor with each step.

When I got downstairs, the moving company's truck was already loaded.

Lin Qinghe put the bag into the trunk of her car and was about to open the car door.

A familiar voice came from behind me.

"Oh, so you've even lost your home?"

Lin Qinghe froze.

She turned around.

The sunlight was so bright that she squinted.

Gu Ruanxing leaned against the door of a white Porsche, her arms crossed over her chest.

She was wearing a beige trench coat today, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, and pointed ankle boots. She had a lollipop dangling from her mouth, looking rather nonchalant.

Lin Qinghe's fingertips tightened slightly.

She and Gu Ruanxing hadn't spoken face-to-face alone for several years.

"Gu Ruanxing".

Lin Qinghe called out the name in a very calm voice.

She thought the other person was there to laugh at her.

Also normal.

The two of them were arguing so fiercely.

Now that he's fallen on hard times, being caught in this sorry state by the other party is a kind of karmic retribution.

Lin Qinghe tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a faint, bitter smile.

"Yes, the company took it back." Her tone was calm. "If you came here specifically to see what was going on, then you've seen it."

Gu Ruanxing pulled the lollipop out of her mouth, tilted her head, and stared at Lin Qinghe for several seconds. Then she laughed.

"Lin Qinghe, you just need to be taught a lesson. People are kind enough to come to you, and you immediately start arguing. Guess how I knew you moved today?"

Lin Qinghe did not respond.

Gu Ruanxing didn't wait for her reply and continued speaking directly.

"Those people at Shiguang are really awful. They just freeze your place like that, take it all back without warning. They didn't even give you a grace period, as if they were afraid you'd refuse to leave. What are you planning to do now? Stay in a hotel?"

Lin Qinghe pursed her dry lips.

"Stay here for now, we'll talk about it later."

"Turn back?" Gu Ruanxing sneered. "Turn back to what? You've been blacklisted by Shiguang, all your business deals are off, all your endorsements have been cut. How long do you think your hotel money will last?"

Lin Qinghe fell silent.

It's not that she hadn't thought about these things. It's just that too many things have happened in the past few days, and she simply hasn't had the energy to plan for the future.

Looking at her stubbornly defiant appearance, Gu Ruanxing felt a surge of anger welling up inside her.

This woman was just like that when I was studying at the Central Academy of Drama.

He shoulders everything on his own, without saying a word or asking for help.

He keeps his mouth shut, unwilling to say a single kind word to the people around him.

Stubborn donkey!

Gu Ruanxing took a deep breath.

She put the lollipop back in her mouth, took a document out of her trench coat pocket, and slapped it onto the hood of Lin Qinghe's car.

"have a look."

Lin Qinghe looked down.

The white cover paper bears the logo of Star Entertainment.

Below is a title: "Letter of Intent for Artist Management Cooperation".

Lin Qinghe looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with astonishment.

Gu Ruanxing, with a lollipop in her mouth, stared directly into her eyes.

"I terminated my contract with Shiguang and joined Xingchen."

"you……"

"Don't misunderstand," Gu Ruanxing quickly cut off any of her affectation, "I'm not pitying you."

She took the lollipop and tilted her chin up.

"You, Lin Qinghe, have nearly ten million fans and the title of national goddess. Did you get all of that for nothing? Your commercial value is still there. Shiguang doesn't want you; they're blind."

"My Starry Sky Entertainment is missing a female artist who can carry the torch."

"What you lack is a company that dares to protect you."

"My sister and I will team up and take down Brilliant Entertainment, and those idiots! What do you say?"

The wind blew, and the sycamore leaves rustled.

Lin Qinghe stood still, watching her without moving.

This is the girl who used to share a bed with her in the dorm to watch horror movies and sneak out for barbecue together in the middle of the night.

Her nose suddenly stung, and she quickly turned her head away.

She didn't want to shed tears in front of Gu Ruanxing.

So embarrassing.

"You..." Lin Qinghe began, her voice hoarse, "You don't hate me anymore?"

Gu Ruanxing was stunned for a moment, then she rolled her eyes.

"Hate you? Do you think I'd hate you?"

"That happened so long ago, why would I still remember it? Do you think I'm that petty?"

She tossed the lollipop stick into a roadside trash can and clapped her hands.

"Alright, alright, stop with the sentimentality. What kind of behavior is it to cry and sob in the middle of the street?"

"Are you going to sign or not? If not, I'm leaving. Starry Sky Entertainment has a line of female artists wanting to sign; I don't have time to waste here with you!"

He was saying impatient things, but his feet were rooted to the spot, showing no intention of moving an inch.

Lin Qinghe felt even more aroused when she saw her proud and aloof demeanor.

She took a deep breath and reached for the letter of intent on the hood.

Turn to the last page.

The signature area was empty, but a pen was thoughtfully placed next to it.

Lin Qinghe uncapped his pen and wrote his name in the signature column.

The handwriting is neat and orderly, with each stroke carefully written.

"Signed."

She returned the letter of intent.

Gu Ruanxing took the document, glanced at the signature, and after confirming that it was correct, stuffed it into her trench coat pocket and grinned.

"Alright, from today onwards you belong to Xingchen. I'll protect you!"

After saying that, she opened the Porsche door and got into the driver's seat.

Before starting the engine, she rolled down the car window and called out to Lin Qinghe, who was still standing there.

"What are you waiting for? Have the moving company deliver your things directly to Xingchen."

"I've arranged an apartment for you. It's in the western suburbs, close to the company."

"The key is at the front desk; go get it yourself."

Without waiting for Lin Qinghe's reply, she stepped on the gas, and the white Porsche roared away.

The taillights flashed twice in the afternoon sunlight, then turned the corner and disappeared.

Lin Qinghe stood there, still clutching the pen in her hand.

The autumn wind swirled a few withered yellow sycamore leaves, causing them to fall at her feet.

She lowered her head, looked at the pen in her palm, and slowly, slowly, the corners of her mouth curved up.

The tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally rolled down and splashed onto the asphalt, leaving a small, dark stain.

She quickly wiped her face with her hand.

Then he turned around, opened the car door, picked up his phone, and dialed the moving company's number.

"Driver, please change the address."

"We'll deliver the items to the western suburbs instead of the hotel."