Chapter 31

Just as he was envisioning this bright future, the sudden ringing of the phone interrupted his thoughts.
Yang Ran felt a flicker of irritation. He frowned and glanced at the phone.
"Hello, who is this?" His tone was far from friendly.
"Oh! It’s Secretary Yan! My apologies, my apologies." Yang Ran’s voice suddenly brimmed with delight, and even his expression took on a radiant glow.
His previously unfriendly tone had done a complete 180-degree turn.
For Secretary Yan to personally call him was an immense honor.
Yang Ran felt even more convinced that his days of soaring success were just around the corner.
But after hanging up the phone, Yang Ran could no longer muster a smile.
Everything that had made him happy had suddenly turned to dust. How could he possibly feel joyful now?
For some unknown reason, Xiluo Entertainment had decided to withdraw their investment,
Bang!
A loud noise echoed from the CEO’s office at Jiaxing Entertainment. Employees cast uneasy glances in that direction before quickly returning to their work.

While Yang Ran was grappling with his headaches, Xia Xi, on the other hand, had gradually calmed down.
She was in her hotel room, packing her luggage and preparing to leave the Fate of Immortals crew. Her scenes had all wrapped up the day before.
Although Xia Xi still didn’t know whether the director or the investors would replace her, she knew there was no use forcing the issue. She would let things take their course.
After all, if investors or directors wanted to replace an actor, they could come up with a thousand reasons. Having experienced the ups and downs of the entertainment industry, Xia Xi had grown philosophical. She understood that if a role was meant to be hers, it wouldn’t slip away. If it wasn’t, no amount of effort could make it hers.
Even though she had confidence in her acting skills, she was no longer the award-winning, celebrated actress she once was. The entertainment industry was a dog-eat-dog world. If she offended an investor and got replaced, no one would feel sorry for her, they’d likely clap their hands and revel in her misfortune.
Xia Xi crouched in front of her suitcase, let out a bitter smile, zipped it up, and stood up. She walked toward the bedside, picked up her phone from the nightstand, and dialed Da He.
"Da He, where are you?" Xia Xi pursed her lips. "I'm all packed!"
"You're already packed?" Da He's voice was filled with deep skepticism. "Then bring your luggage downstairs and wait for me at the hotel entrance. I'll be there in about ten minutes."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Xia Xi pulled her luggage toward the hotel entrance. As she looked at the empty hallway, she let out another helpless, bitter laugh.
She felt like a defeated general, no grand farewell, no grand welcome, just slinking away alone with her luggage, heartbroken and pitiful.
She hadn't waited long at the hotel entrance when Da He's car arrived. All the seemingly indifferent emotions Xia Xi had mustered, the countless times she'd told herself she had to be strong, seemed to vanish the moment she saw Da He. The mask she had worn disappeared, and tears streamed down her cheeks, unstoppable.
The wave of sadness was too overwhelming, catching her completely off guard. It turned out she wasn't unaffected, she had just been pretending to be strong.
"Da He, I,"
In that moment, Xia Xi realized that she wasn't truly indifferent or unbothered by the survival-of-the-fittest nature of the entertainment industry. It was just that in the past, whenever she felt wronged or hurt, she had to bear it all alone, with no one to share the burden. Back then, Xia Xi seemed strong, but inside, she was riddled with scars, forced to act as if she trusted no one and cared about nothing.
Perhaps she had been on the verge of collapse back then, yet she always maintained a pleasant demeanor, knowing she had no one to rely on. She could only keep smiling and moving forward, ensuring no one saw her vulnerability.
"Xia Xi, stop crying. Who upset you? I'll go beat them up." Seeing her unstoppable tears, Da He frowned slightly, quickly parked the car, got out, and walked over to her. He took the luggage from her hand and gently ruffled her hair.
"Da He, I, all my hard work on the 'Fate of Immortals' set might, might be for nothing." Xia Xi's voice was thick with tears.
Da He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her gently into a hug, a smile unconsciously tugging at his lips as he comforted her softly, "Don't worry, Xia Xi. Your efforts won't be in vain. Just focus on filming and leave the rest to us. We'll handle any troubles that come up."
Listening to his words, even though Xia Xi wasn't sure if they were true at the time, a warm current still flowed through her heart, letting her parched soul feel a long-lost sense of care and warmth.
This was a feeling she had never experienced before, and honestly, it felt really good.
All the grievances she had suffered suddenly seemed less important. As long as she had friends by her side, Xia Xi always felt full of strength.
"Mhm."
Thank you, Da He. Thank you for being here with me at this moment, so I'm not alone,
Xia Xi gently hugged Da He back, slowly closed her eyes, and said nothing, just resting her head softly on Da He's shoulder.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and a faint, involuntary smile appeared on Xia Xi's lips.
Isn't it beautiful?

Day Two
Xia Xi woke leisurely from her sleep, stretched silently, squinted her eyes, and wore a faint smile on her lips, a stark contrast to the girl who had been crying her heart out the night before.
A girl's emotions truly come and go quickly.
And just like that, after one night, all the negative emotions had become a thing of the past. Today was a new day.
In high spirits, Xia Xi got out of bed and began bustling around the kitchen early in the morning, making a racket as if preparing for battle.
After a while, she finally finished making breakfast.
Two bowls of black, murky liquid, a plate of unidentifiable stir-fried vegetables, and a plate of pickles, the only thing that looked remotely edible.
Although the breakfast she made didn't look very appealing, since she had made it herself, Xia Xi was determined to eat it, even if it meant forcing it down with tears.
She picked up her chopsticks, frowned, and took a bite of the black, murky substance, only to find that it didn't taste as bad as she had imagined.
Cooking didn't seem as difficult as she thought?
Xia Xi squinted her eyes happily.
This second chance at life should be cherished more and lived more meaningfully.
"Host, you've finally come to your senses!"
Just as Xia Xi was pondering this while tasting her own "dark cuisine," a mechanical voice suddenly rang out. It didn't startle her, but it did leave her momentarily dazed.
"What, you're done pretending to be dumb and finally talking to me again?" Xia Xi poked at the black, murky food in her bowl and replied indifferently.
“...” The system paused briefly. "Host, I have a 'Cooking Guide' that can quickly improve your culinary skills. Are you interested?"