Yu Wan had settled into her residence in Beicheng. Bai He often came to visit her, afraid that she would be bored staying at home alone, and would occasionally invite her out for shopping.
The print advertising campaigns that Jiang Li had shot before had not expired yet, and her posters could still be seen all over the streets and alleys of Beicheng.
The two were sitting in the chairs by the window. Not far away was a large poster of Jiang Li on a building.
"Jiang Li is really beautiful. She was born for this. It's such a pity," Bai He said as she stirred the spoon in her cup, sounding regretful.
She was so beautiful, with those extremely charming eyes that always seemed to be full of tenderness and affection.
Yu Wan noticed the poster and nodded. "She has a natural talent for acting and is the type that fans like. If nothing unexpected had happened, she would have become a huge star within three years."
"I heard that she was already quite famous before," Bai He said. Then, worried that Yu Wan might feel bad, she quickly added, "But she was definitely not as famous as you were before, Sister Yu Wan."
Yu Wan smiled.
After a while, Bai He suddenly had an idea. Her eyes lit up. "Sister Yu Wan, have you ever thought about coming back as a star?"
"Why do you suddenly say that?"
"Now my brother owns an entertainment company. And although it might sound unreasonable—since Jiang Li has terminated her contract, the company is short of a top actress. You could take her place."
"Moreover, your professional skills are excellent. I'm sure my brother won't turn you down."
Entertainment companies usually have a top actress as their signature to attract the main flow of traffic and investments for the purpose of making profits.
That was exactly what Jiang Li had been for Jiang Entertainment.
Now that Jiang Li had left, the position was naturally vacant.
Yu Wan propped her chin up and didn't answer. She still stared at the poster outside, lost in thought.
After a long while, she declined politely. "Xiao He, I'd better not."
"Why not?" Bai He didn't understand. She asked anxiously, "If you join Jiang Entertainment, you'll be closer to my brother. And you two might—"
Yu Wan gently patted her arm and said softly, "Don't you remember? I can't show up in public for now."
Bai He was suddenly reminded of how Yu Wan had fled back to China.
Yu Wan had an ex - husband named Shang Zewen.
Shang Zewen looked gentle on the surface, but in fact, he was extremely violent and perverted. Since Yu Wan had married him and moved abroad, she had suffered inhumane torture and abuse because of his possessiveness.
After finally getting a divorce, he still didn't let her go. He kept trying to capture her and imprisoned and beat her.
Yu Wan had managed to secretly flee back to China. Now that Shang Zewen hadn't found her yet, she couldn't expose herself too early, or she might be caught and sent back to that hell.
"Xiao He, I really don't want to live that kind of life again," Yu Wan said. Her voice trembled, and her throat felt bitter. "If this goes on, I'll surely die at his hands!"
Hearing about these sad past experiences, Bai He couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
Bai He was the lawyer Yu Wan had hired abroad. She knew exactly what Yu Wan had been through. That was why she hoped Yu Wan could reconcile with Xiao Yanzhi.
Only Xiao Yanzhi could protect her well.
"It's okay, Sister Yu Wan," Bai He said as she gently held her hand, her voice full of comfort. "I'll talk to my cousin and ask him to sign you into the company first. After the storm has passed, you can come out into the open."
Yu Wan bit her lip slightly, hesitating.
She finished the Americano in front of her, calmed herself down, and said in a very calm voice, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Xiao He."
"I didn't expect to rekindle any feelings with him. But if he can help me, I'll be extremely grateful."
Bai He nodded seriously.
...
Xiao Yanzhi walked out of the restaurant. The boss he had just finalized a cooperation with chased after him in a hurry and shook hands with him politely. "Mr. Xiao, if this cooperation goes smoothly, we'll continue next time."
"This wave of trouble must be nothing for the Xiao Group. I'm sure you'll get better and better in the future. Don't forget about our small company then."
Xiao Yanzhi only nodded. His eyes were extremely cold.
After getting in the car, Xue An asked where he wanted to go.
He pressed his palm against his forehead. There was obvious tiredness on his face. He casually named an apartment complex.
Xue An was stunned.
That was the apartment where Jiang Li had lived in Beicheng.
On the way, Xue An hesitated whether to remind his boss that Jiang Li had moved out. But he guessed that his boss might want to visit the place to recall the past, so he kept silent.
When the car stopped, Xiao Yanzhi lifted his eyes and looked out of the window. When he realized where he was, he frowned. "Why did you bring me here?"
Xue An said, "You just told me this address, sir."
Xiao Yanzhi's face darkened. He was about to ask to go back the same way, but then he paused for a couple of seconds and opened the car door.
He stood downstairs of the apartment building and looked up at the familiar window.
There was no light on. It seemed that after she had moved out, no one had moved in yet.
It was pitch - black.
Xiao Yanzhi felt even more irritated. He took out a cigarette case from his pocket, took out a lighter and a cigarette, leaned against a street lamp post, and lit up a cigarette.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of footsteps came closer.
Judging from the sound, it was a woman's footsteps.
Xiao Yanzhi suddenly looked up. When he saw that it was Yu Wan, his eyes flickered for a moment, and then returned to being cold.
His cold eyes stared at her, just like the cold moonlight, without any warmth. It was the coldness she hadn't seen for a long time.
"A Yan, why are you here?" Yu Wan was extremely confused.
She had just had dinner with Bai He and had taken a taxi back. When she saw him standing under the street lamp, for a moment, she thought he was waiting for her.
Xiao Yanzhi held the cigarette between his lips. His eyes swept across her face, and he suddenly asked, "Why are you here?"
Yu Wan stopped in her tracks when she heard the question and answered, "I rented an apartment here."
Xiao Yanzhi fell silent.
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Yu Wan thought for a while and continued to explain, "Jiang Li recommended this place to me. She said it's very safe here and suitable for a woman to live alone."
Xiao Yanzhi paused for a moment.
He took a puff of his cigarette. When he exhaled the smoke, he sneered. "She really likes to play the good Samaritan."
Before Yu Wan could figure out what he meant, Xiao Yanzhi put out the cigarette in his hand, threw it into the trash can, and walked past her.
"Go to bed early. I'm leaving."
As he passed by, there was a clear and cold scent in the air, mixed with the smell of the cigarette he had just smoked.
Yu Wan tightened her lips and suddenly called out to him, "Xiao Yanzhi, I have something to ask you."
The man's footsteps suddenly stopped.