He had been trapped in the past decade and couldn't break free. It was almost impossible for him to let himself go.
She was the girl he had loved so much before. How could she have become like this?
The recklessness that used to be on her face was nowhere to be found.
What had been washed away by the years left only caution in the end.
Su Qinian didn't say a word for a long time. His eyes were especially prominent in this dim storage room.
"Sister Jinran, Sister Jinran, are you still in the restroom?" Assistant Xiao Jiang's voice was getting closer and closer.
Lin Jinran seemed to be awakened. She remembered that she still had the catwalk to do.
"Su Qinian, let's... let's just pretend we're strangers to each other. Neither of us knows the other. Isn't this also good?"
Tears were about to well up. Lin Jinran wiped them away randomly. Head bowed, she said this sentence nonchalantly and then rushed past him in a hurry.
She pushed open the door of the storage room. The light outside poured in.
Lin Jinran stood at the door, squinting her eyes to adjust to the light.
She turned her head and took a deep look at Su Qinian, who was standing silently in place. Then she left the door ajar.
Everything fell back into darkness again.
"Sister Jinran, I finally found you. Where have you been?" Xiao Jiang, who had searched the restroom but couldn't find anyone, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, jumping up and down.
As soon as she came out, she saw Lin Jinran.
"I just walked over there to take a look. Maybe we just missed each other." Lin Jinran pointed to another passage and said calmly, her voice faint.
"Sister, your makeup is a bit smudged! Did the water accidentally splash on your face when you were washing your hands?"
Xiao Jiang walked around her. Seeing that the makeup around her eyes was a bit smudged, she was slightly stunned. After a long while, she let out a deafening scream.
"No, this definitely won't do, Sister Jinran. I brought my makeup bag and I can do makeup. Come to the restroom. I'll touch up your makeup for you."
Xiao Jiang was straightforward. She grabbed Lin Jinran's hand and dragged her to the restroom to touch up her makeup.
Ten minutes later, Lin Jinran's makeup was restored to its original state. She looked at herself in the mirror and exaggeratedly said, "Wow, Xiao Jiang, your skills are really good."
Xiao Jiang: "..."
Xiao Jiang: "Sister Jinran, let's not waste any more time. Let's hurry to the entrance of the red - carpet area. If you miss your turn, you'll have to wait. By that time, most people will have left. No, we have to hurry."
Lin Jinran followed Xiao Jiang behind, both amused and helpless. Looking at her back, she sighed that it was really good to be a fresh graduate, always full of passion and energy.
She remembered what her agent had asked.
"Jinran, you must trip and fall on the red - carpet catwalk to create a topic. Isn't it also a way to be famous by getting negative publicity? The scariest thing in the entertainment industry is to become a nobody."
"Do you really want your fame to just fade away? You can't survive in the entertainment industry without some scheming."
The smile on her lips faded.
At 6 p.m., the ceremony officially started.
The two sides of the red carpet were crowded with people. All kinds of camera lights were flashing crazily. The atmosphere was grand.
Fans in the live - broadcast rooms of various platforms were discussing enthusiastically about who would win the awards this year.
"Qinian is making an appearance today."
"I bet a pack of spicy strips that this year's best - film award will go to *The Third Party*."
"Hehe, stop joking, guys. The male and female leads of *The Third Party* are just 18 - line actors. Can such a youth - themed and painful - literature movie really win?"
"But it shows the director has good eyes. He found two gems in the rough."
"At least it's better than the fans of someone a few comments above. That someone hasn't been active in the entertainment industry for ages. I thought they were about to disappear from the entertainment circle."
"You!"
"..."
When Lin Jinran arrived at the red - carpet entrance, there were still two artists queuing up to enter.
Suddenly, there was an exclamation from behind. Xiao Jiang beside her gasped and looked behind excitedly, shouting, "Damn it, Teacher Su really came for the catwalk and he's right behind us, Sister Jinran. Look! There's hope for getting some popularity."
"Hey, wait. Why is Teacher Su walking towards us? Could it be that... Teacher Su is going to enter right after us?"
Lin Jinran couldn't hear Xiao Jiang's excited screams. There was only one thought in her mind.
How could this be? Su Qinian's status in the industry was much higher than hers. How could he be arranged to enter later? Shouldn't he have entered long ago?
She remembered hearing Su Qinian make a phone call right after she came out of the restroom.
"Yeah, okay. Adjust the order of the artists' appearances a bit... It's okay for me to be later..."
And every word Su Qinian had said in the storage room.
Su Qinian... he had come for her...
That stabbing pain came again, falling densely on her heart.
It wasn't that painful.
In the end, Su Qinian stood behind Lin Jinran. He lifted his eyelids and glanced at her. Lin Jinran didn't turn her head to look at him.
She stood there stiffly like a wooden stake.
Su Qinian smiled indifferently, but the smile never reached his eyes.
When the surrounding artists saw Su Qinian, they all stepped forward enthusiastically to say hello, hoping to leave a good impression in case they might have some cooperation in the future.
Guided by the staff, it was soon Lin Jinran's turn.
As soon as she took the first step onto the red carpet, a barrage of lights rushed towards her.
Her mind went blank instantly. Lin Jinran was forced to close her eyes by the blinding lights. It took her a while to recover. She subconsciously showed a professional smile.
When she reached the designated position, Lin Jinran smiled at the flashing lights and waved to the fans outside the venue from time to time.
But there were only a few fans, pitifully few.
The clicking sound of the cameras slowed down after a few shots, showing signs of impatience, as if urging her to leave the stage quickly to welcome the next artist.
For an 18 - line and not - so - popular artist, this was a common occurrence.
Lin Jinran pursed her lips. Looking at the few fans outside, there was hesitation on her face.
Should she really do as her agent said?
Should she really take the path of getting famous through negative publicity?
To be scolded by everyone and spurned by the whole network.
She remembered the first time she had stood on the grade assembly stage of Wannanshi No. 1 Middle School.
She had been so high - spirited and reckless. Although she was tiny in this world, she had dared to fight against injustice and fight back in her own way.
Faking a fall to create a topic... it really didn't suit her personality.
Forget it. She had already caught the eye of a great director. She didn't have to worry about her future path.
Lin Jinran sighed and decided to give up.
Just as she turned around to leave the stage, her high - heeled shoe stepped on the hem of her dress. Lin Jinran let out a scream and fell to the ground.
At the moment she fell, Lin Jinran's mind went blank. Her vision was blurry. The excited voices of the fans outside the venue echoed in her ears. All her senses became fuzzy.
It wasn't until the burning pain reached her brain that it awakened a glimmer of her consciousness.
It hurt. It really hurt.
Physiological tears welled up in her eyes. The pain distorted Lin Jinran's facial features. There was no longer any so - called facial management.
She blinked her eyes and the tears fell.
In front of her, a pair of shiny leather shoes appeared.