Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

A breeze from the river swept across the balcony, carrying a hint of early winter chill.

Gu Zhiwan's lazy smile and the words "When we get old" were like a tiny pebble that rippled through Lin Yuan's seemingly calm heart.

He was born twice.

In his previous life, he was exhausted from running around in cubicles and taxis, his mind still preoccupied with next month's rent and unfinished documents until the very last moment before he closed his eyes. In this life, he's racing ahead, fueled by his incredible memories, from "Zhu Xian" to the Oscars, from "Summer Wind" to "Longmen Express." Unbeknownst to him, he's been speeding along this highway of fame and fortune for years.

He received all the praise, wealth, and glory in the worldly sense.

Looking down into the clear, bright eyes in his arms, eyes that relied on him without reservation, Lin Yuan suddenly felt that if this life was still filled with endless announcements, countless film crew meetings, and countless social engagements, then this rebirth would ultimately be a trap set by life.

"Wanwan." Lin Yuan gently rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice low and calm.

"Hmm?" Gu Zhiwan looked up at him, her eyes reflecting the neon lights of the sky.

"Starting tomorrow, let's turn down all future script offers, commercial endorsements, and announcements."

Gu Zhiwan was slightly taken aback, somewhat caught off guard: "You turned it down? Didn't you have an invitation to be a jury member at a European film festival later this year? And two global endorsement deals with high-end international luxury brands..."

"We've cancelled them all." Lin Yuan raised his hand, his fingertips gently tracing her slightly cool cheek, his eyes filled with an unprecedented seriousness and tenderness. "We'll take a two-year break and travel the world."

The air seemed to quiet down in that instant, and even the sound of ship horns on the river seemed to fade into the distance.

Gu Zhiwan froze in Lin Yuan's arms, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief: "Two...two years? Lin Yuan, are you sure you're not drunk? Do you even know what your status is now? The Chinese film industry just catapulted you to stardom, and you're announcing a two-year hiatus?"

"The altar is too cold and windy; sitting there for too long can easily cause arthritis."

Lin Yuan chuckled, took her hand and put it in his hoodie pocket. "I have so much money that I could live a lifetime without spending it all. Fame is something you can't take with you when you die. I ran too fast in the past few years and almost forgot what the sunset in Paris, the aurora in Iceland, and the sea breeze in the Mediterranean really felt like."

He stared intently at the girl in front of him: "Most importantly, I want to spend more time with you. Not in the RV at the film crew's hotel, or in the van rushing between gigs, just the two of us, without any work or camera time."

Looking at the almost obsessive doting in his eyes, Gu Zhiwan felt a slight lump in her throat and a slight soreness in her nose.

"...What if two years from now, no one recognizes you?" She bit her lower lip, her eyes reddening.

"So what if we don't know each other?" Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, reverting to his usual smug and lazy demeanor. "At worst, I'll just register a new account and go back to the online novel world to be a 'fragmentation dog' again, and still torture them to death."

Gu Zhiwan chuckled softly, the tears in her eyes instantly transforming into tiny starlight. She suddenly stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her face in his collarbone, her voice muffled yet filled with intense longing:

"Okay, whatever you say. I'll go with you wherever you go."

……

The next day at noon, at the Lin family's old residence.

After listening to Lin Yuan's calm narration of his "two-year world travel vacation plan," Lin Liguo and Gu Tiancheng, who had just picked up their chopsticks, were both stunned.

"Take a two-year break?" Lin Liguo put down his chopsticks, his brows furrowed. "Xiao Yuan, is there anything wrong with your company? Did you lose a bet with investors and get a soft ban from the industry?"

In the older generation's mindset, if something suddenly hits the brakes when things are at their peak, there's usually only one possibility—the house has collapsed.

"Dad, really not." Lin Yuan chuckled helplessly. "I'm the largest shareholder of Tianxing Entertainment. Who can blacklist me? I'm just tired and want to take Wanwan out for a walk to relax."

Gu Tiancheng adjusted his glasses, his gaze sweeping over his daughter and son-in-law, his expression serious yet unusually solemn. Having spent his entire life working within the system, he knew all too well the immense courage and clarity required to gracefully retire at the height of one's career.

After a long silence, Gu Tiancheng picked up his teacup and took a small sip. "Xiao Yuan, the world of fame and fortune is like rowing against the current. If you don't show your face for two years, the public will forget you much faster than you imagine. Have you thought it through?"

"I've thought it through, Dad." Lin Yuan's tone was calm but firm. "Truly good works won't be forgotten because of a two-year hiatus. If they are forgotten, it means that what I made before wasn't good enough. As for popularity and traffic, I've never cared about them since the first day I entered the industry."

Su Yu and Jiang Wanqing, the two mothers, exchanged a glance, their eyes slightly red.

As mothers, they know best how hard their two children have worked these past few years. Lin Yuan was filming "The Shawshank Redemption" on the other side of the ocean, his eyes sunken from exhaustion, while Gu Zhiwan was rushing to meet clients and even getting an IV drip on a plane. The outside world only saw their glamorous lives, but their families only saw their heartache.

"Going out for a walk is good, it's nice." Jiang Wanqing patted Lin Yuan's hand, then turned to look at Gu Zhiwan gently, "Wanwan has been following you around these past few years, she must be exhausted. Take good care of her while you're out there, and if you dare to make Wanwan angry, come back and I'll give you a good beating."

Gu Tiancheng also breathed a sigh of relief, reached out and patted Lin Yuan on the shoulder, his eyes full of relief and entrustment: "It's a good thing that you're young and have this courage. Take good care of Wanwan. There are four of us old guys at home to look after each other, so you don't need to worry about it."

"Don't worry, Dad." Lin Yuan nodded solemnly.

……

2 PM, Tianxing Entertainment CEO's office.

Fei Zhao, dressed in a black business suit, stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a slender cigarette between her fingers, wisps of smoke rising and obscuring the complex emotions churning in her eyes.

On the desk lay a stack of asset trusteeship and project extension agreements signed by Lin Yuan.

"Two years." Fei Zhao turned around, arms crossed, looking at Lin Yuan who was leisurely drinking tea on the sofa. "Do you know how many billions of dollars in capital you could have leveraged if we had followed the original plan and fully expanded your cinematic universe over the past two years, plus taken on two more top-tier Hollywood productions?"

"Money can never be earned enough, Sister Fei." Lin Yuan put down his teacup, looking calm. "I've already laid a solid foundation for Tianxing for you. The copyright library is enough to sustain the company for five years. Even if I'm not around, the team of directors and screenwriters under our company is more than enough to support daily operations."

Fei Zhao stared at him for a full half minute before finally sighing helplessly and stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"You little rascal...you haven't changed at all from beginning to end."

She gave a wry smile and shook her head: "Ever since you slipped me a note on the high-speed train, you've always been this unyielding and carefree. But then again, how could someone who can make a film like 'The Shawshank Redemption' be so easily controlled by capital?"

Fei Zhao walked back to his desk and neatly signed his name on the trust agreement, his handwriting sharp and decisive.

"Alright, get lost." She tossed the documents to Lin Yuan, a proud smile playing on her lips. "I'll protect Tianxing for you these next two years. But let me make this clear: if you come back in two years and can't come up with a script more explosive than 'The Shawshank Redemption,' don't blame me for bringing the whole company to your house and smashing your windows."

Lin Yuan put away the documents, stood up, and bowed slightly to her: "Thank you for your support, Sister Fei."

……

At exactly 8 p.m., without any warning, Lin Yuan's long-dormant personal Weibo account suddenly popped up with a new update.

There were no fancy promotional posters, not even any retouched photos, just a simple text:

[These past years have been a whirlwind of filming, writing books, and composing songs. Looking back, I realize I've missed so many precious moments, and haven't had enough time to spend with my family. So I've decided to take a long break, rest for two years, and take my wife to see the world's sunrises and sunsets. Two years later, when we meet again amidst the mountains and rivers, we'll meet again. —Lin Yuan]

Almost instantly after the post was published, Gu Zhiwan reposted it on Weibo, with a very simple caption of just two words and a heart emoji:

[Setting off.]

boom--!!!

At that moment, the entire Chinese-language internet seemed to have been hit by a depth charge!

Weibo's servers crashed on the spot without any surprise. Technicians were dragged out of bed overnight to frantically expand the capacity, and the trending topics lists of major social media platforms were completely wiped out at a visible speed!

#Lin Yuan Announces Two-Year Retirement from Acting# (Breaking News)

#Lin Yuan and Gu Zhiwan travel around the world# (Breaking news)

#The sky has fallen over the Chinese film, television and music scene# (Boiling)

The comment section surpassed one million comments in just ten minutes, plunging fans, book lovers, movie buffs, and casual observers across the internet into a frenzy of hysteria and despair.

【What the heck?! I'm totally confused! Dude, explain yourself clearly, what do you mean by taking a two-year break?!】

[I'm going crazy! What about Dragon Raja 2?! What about the new book you drew at your book signing event, the one about starting anew and returning to the top?! Stop staring at us, you old bastard!]

How many? Two years?! Do you know how I'm supposed to survive these twenty-four months without Lin Yuan's new songs and movies?! (Crawling in the shadows) (Frantically tearing at the corner of the blanket) (Emitting a sharp, explosive sound)

[Please, bro, I don't object to you taking your wife on a trip, but can you please bring your laptop? Is it so hard to spend the day watching the Northern Lights with her and then go back to the hotel to write a 2000-word novel at night?! Even the donkeys in the production team wouldn't dare rest like that!]

[The previous comment about bringing a computer was a bit much... But Lin Shen, how about we compromise? How about releasing one song or one vlog a month as a basic allowance? Without you, what's the difference between the Chinese music scene and a desert?!]

[I'm so heartbroken! Although I'm really sad to see him go, I have to say Lin Shen is so cool... He was at the pinnacle of global success, and he just let go of everything so he could be with his wife and see the world. What kind of divine love is this? I'm totally smitten!]

After seeing this official announcement, major entertainment media outlets, film companies, and even Warner Bros. executives overseas were all stunned. The internet was abuzz with lamentations on various film and television forums, with countless industry peers secretly rejoicing that "the formidable boss that had been weighing on everyone's heads has finally taken a break."

The era that belonged to Lin Yuan had not ended, but at the height of everyone's enthusiasm, he turned and left gracefully.

……

Late at night, in the master bedroom of a river-view penthouse.

The outside world had been turned upside down, but inside the room, there was a quiet, warm atmosphere filled with the warmth of everyday life.

Two 28-inch aluminum-magnesium alloy suitcases were lying open on the ground.

Gu Zhiwan stood barefoot on the carpet, her long hair casually tied up with a wooden hairpin. She was hesitantly holding up two dresses, comparing them: "Lin Yuan, you said you're going to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. Should I bring this off-white cashmere trench coat, or that mustard yellow one?"

Lin Yuan was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, carefully packing their passports, international driver's licenses, and mirrorless cameras into a waterproof bag.

He looked up, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Take them all. If we can't fit them all, we'll just buy two more suitcases. Anyway, we're driving all the way, so the trunk will be big enough."

"What about sunscreen? And motion sickness patches, a first-aid kit..." Gu Zhiwan, like a little hamster going on a long trip for the first time, shuttled back and forth between the dressing room and her suitcase. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but she was radiant and her eyes sparkled with unprecedented excitement and anticipation.

Lin Yuan watched her busy figure quietly, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace and tranquility in his heart.

By the time everything was packed up, it was already past midnight.

The room lights were dimmed to a warm yellow, and the two leaned side by side against the thick carpet on the bay window. Outside, the river flowed gently, and the city lights in the distance gradually went out.

The phone was tossed aside, silent mode, but the screen was still flashing frantically with unread messages from various directors and celebrity friends, but Lin Yuan didn't read them.

Gu Zhiwan rested her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes wearily, but the corners of her lips curled up slightly: "Lin Yuan, where are we going for our first stop tomorrow?"

Lin Yuan reached out and pulled her into his arms, tucking the blanket around her as it slipped down, and whispered:

"Go to Switzerland, go see the snow first."

"Okay, let's go see the snow."