The First Day of Redemption

In August, Kyoto caught the tail end of summer, with the afterglow spilling into the bustling crowds, stirring waves of heat.

Shen Sining ran into the Xingyue Office Building, slightly out of breath, against the flow of people leaving work, ignoring the "casual" glances directed her way.

Half a month ago, she publicly splashed wine on the face of the investor of "A Dream Like An Song." Not only did she lose the role of the third female lead, but she also became completely idle, with even fewer job offers than before.

Jiang Lin saw her come in, gave Shen Sining's appearance a quick glance, and then pulled her towards the elevator.

"I thought Miss Shen was going to bid farewell to the world and shut herself away."

"I haven't made eighty million yet, so I can't 'depart'."

Shen Sining chuckled softly and casually took the cup from the table, sipping it lightly.

Judging by the coolness of the water, Jiang Lin must have been waiting for her for quite a while.

Jiang Lin: "The water's cold, be careful or you'll get a stomachache later."

Shen Sining chuckled and nodded; Sister Lin was probably the person who cared about her the most at this stage.

After the wine-throwing incident, Shen Sining's popularity plummeted. In his free time, he tended to flowers and plants, unhurried and leisurely, as if he had entered retirement early.

In the morning, Shen Sining received a meeting notice and only then did he realize that the entertainment company he had signed with had already been acquired.

The new CEO wants to integrate resources and redistribute them, and the main focus of the meeting is on small-time artists like them who are hovering on the fringes.

The place she lives now isn't far from the company, but the subway during rush hour is truly unbearable.

Seeing Jiang Lin's anxious expression, Shen Sining comforted her, "There are still two minutes left, Lin Jie, don't worry."

Jiang Lin raised his hand and gently tapped her forehead: "Do you know how many artists were already waiting there early today?"

Shen Sining's voice was weak: "I couldn't catch the earlier subway train..."

Given her current status, the company hasn't even assigned her an assistant, let alone a car.

Shen Sining quietly looked down at her phone. With her elegant attire and harmless face, anyone who saw her would feel their heart soften a little.

Suddenly, his hand was empty.

Jiang Lin: "Confiscated. Focus more later."

Her delicate little face immediately fell, her voice taking on a pleading tone with a long, drawn-out ending: "Lin Jie..."

Jiang Lin decisively and neatly put Shen Sining's phone into his own pocket:

"Save your energy, acting cute won't work on me."

"Oh," Shen Sining stood up sulkily, "maybe flirting with the new CEO will work."

She stepped out of the elevator, and behind her came Jiang Lin's playful scolding:

"If you really had that ability, you wouldn't have been forced to throw red wine at the investors."

She was "picked up" by Jiang Lin two years ago, at a time when Jiang Lin was experiencing setbacks in his career. He sat on a bench by the lake, from the clear light of day until nightfall.

Shen Sining, within sight, also stood by the railing until nightfall.

Jiang Lin almost thought she wanted to end her life.

Under the dim streetlights at night, Jiang Lin half-jokingly asked if she wanted to go with her.

The girl said, "How much do you think I'm worth?"

The evening breeze tousled her hair, and there were still traces of tears on her face.

At that time, Shen Sining's expression was sorrowful, exuding a kind of withering beauty, and there was a faint glimmer of tears in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Lin.

In that moment, Jiang Lin felt that the girl and the night behind her almost merged into one, perfectly natural, as if she had stepped out of a painting, making it impossible to look away.

"At the very least, you can try to secure Xingyue's Class C contract."

The next day, Shen Sining moved out of the Shallow Bay Villa District, which was said to be hard to buy into even with money. He only dragged along a suitcase that wasn't even full and temporarily stayed in Jiang Lin's two-bedroom apartment.

After passing Xingyue's artist selection and successfully signing a Class C contract, I immediately moved into the apartment complex rented by the company. It was a simple two-bedroom, one-living-room unit, small but fully equipped.

In the past two years, I have worked on a few low-budget web dramas and commercials

The Death of Hua

Attend the company's artist training courses on time, already gaining some fame, just one step away from rising to stardom, yet the possibility of appearing in "A Dream Like An Song" was abruptly cut off by the glass of red wine Shen Sining threw.

Today's meeting is the most rare opportunity for a turnaround.

When Shen Sining and Jiang Lin arrived at the meeting room, all the seats were filled except for a few closest to the head of the table, and quite a few artists were standing scattered at the back.

There were quite a few unfamiliar faces inside; I didn't expect Xingyue to have so many struggling young artists.

She edged back along the wall, but Jiang Lin discreetly held her in place, making her stand still.

Sin Si Ning leaned down and whispered to Jiang Lin, "I know Sister Lin means well for me, but isn't there no place left?"

For two years, she had become accustomed to the power and sex trades in the entertainment industry. Without knowing the full truth, she didn't want to stand out conspicuously at the forefront.

Jiang Lin's expression paused slightly. Despite Shen Sining's cheerful demeanor, she often seemed lost in thought in private, her solitary figure evoking a sense of pity.

To make an appearance in front of the new president acquiring Xingyue, how could Jiang Lin let her miss such a good opportunity? Even just to become a familiar face would be beneficial.

She lowered her voice, her tone firm: "Did you forget your goal to earn eighty million? Just stand here, don't run back."

Thinking of this astronomical figure, Shen Sining hesitated for a moment, then finally stopped in his tracks.

Su Nanyin was dressed charmingly and adorably, with a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes.

It was clear that she knew Shen Sining was on the verge of being sidelined, but just her face alone was enough to attract attention.

"If you're late, just stand to the side and don't block the air conditioner's vent."

To be able to sit closer to the front, she arrived two hours early and naturally didn't want Shen Si Ning standing here in the way.

Su Nanyin and Shen Sining were artists who joined Xingyue at the same time.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The difference was that Su Nanyin had signed a D-level contract, and from the start of the training, the two of them didn't get along well.

Shen Sining glanced briefly at her attire, his gaze drifting over the proud curves she was trying hard to accentuate.

The smile was cryptic: "It's normal for you to feel hot."

The hint of hesitation in the words left enough room for imagination, causing those around to frequently glance at Su Nanyin.

Su Nanyin: "You—"

The sound of the door opening interrupted Su Nanyin's words, and Xingyue's former boss, Lan Weian, came in first, beaming with a friendly smile.

Following behind was a man with well-defined features and a stern expression.

The years have not left many traces on his face, making it hard to guess his age, but a quick online search of his name easily reveals his background and wealth.

At a young age, he already had absolute authority in the Pei family.

He reached out to loosen his bow tie, the cufflinks reflecting the unique sheen of metal under the light, exuding the elegance of someone in a position of power with every gesture.

The person who came is self-evident.

Pei Yu briefly scanned the diverse group of people in the meeting room, his gaze pausing for a moment on Shen Sining's dazed face.

Lan Weian wore a broad smile as he invited Pei Yu to take the seat of honor.

She stared in astonishment at that all-too-familiar face.

At the beginning, she was captivated by Pei Yu's appearance.

Noble, aloof, to the extent that every time Pei Yu kissed her, he always felt as if he was pulling her down into the mortal world.

Gradually, sinking deeper and deeper.

The legal husband who had been abroad for two years suddenly appeared like a ghost right in front of her.

Shen Sining realized belatedly that she had already moved out of the villa where she had been living since getting the marriage certificate. Naturally, she was unaware of Pei Yu's return to the country, and as for WeChat..

After she broke up with him, she added Pei Yu to the blacklist right in front of him, and he still remains quietly in there.

Two years ago, after Shen Sining completed her studies and returned to the country, her father suddenly promised her to Pei Yu for a bride price of eighty million.

But no one knew that Pei Yu was her ex-boyfriend, whom she had just broken up with shortly after studying abroad.

Siwan, Shen Sining's mother, and her father, Shen Yi, were in a business marriage without any affection. After giving birth to her, Siwan passed away.

A year later, Shen Yi proudly married his first love, Du Manzhu, into the family and also brought back an older brother who was two years her senior.

At that time, Shen Sining, who had just turned one, didn't understand any of this. The word he babbled the most while learning to speak was "brother."

Since she could remember, there was only Du Manzhu by her side, whom she always treated as her biological mother.

Until one day in middle school, after having a fight with my roommate and sneaking back home, I overheard my parents outside the villa, discussing my future as they got out of the car.

The truth revealed in those words caused her inner world to collapse instantly.

No wonder the middle school wanted to send her to a boarding school, no wonder she always felt that her parents favored her brother and didn't pay much attention to her.

It turned out that Du Manzhu was only her brother's mother, not hers.

After finishing middle school, she took the initiative to study abroad, and Shen Yi did not stop her.

The day she went to the airport, the only person who came to see her off was Shen Zheyan, whom she had called brother for over a decade.

After returning home from abroad for just over a month following the breakup, she was "sold" to Pei Yu in the form of a bride price, a blatant transaction.

They were not only ex-boyfriend and ex-girlfriend but also a pair of already separated "plastic" spouses.

The night they received their marriage certificate was filled with romance.

A familiar person, a familiar appearance, the man's gaze was deep and unfathomable.

As if proving something, each time left a deep impression on her, the neatly ironed sheets were crumpled into countless wrinkles by her grasp.

Pei Yu used his calloused thumb to patiently wipe away the tears that fell as she sobbed and trembled, and the next day, he left the country without a word.

Sometimes even Shen Sining couldn't quite figure out what exactly they were to each other. Setting aside the legal aspect of their marriage, it seemed like all that was left was that eighty million deal.

Jiang Lin tugged at the distracted Shen Sining, and the water cup in his hand instantly smashed to the ground. The sound of the cup shattering into pieces was exceptionally crisp, jolting Shen Sining's thoughts back to reality.

She intended to lower her head and hide herself, but instead, she completely drew everyone's attention.

Shen Sining's eyes were filled with panic as he bent down to pick up the fragments.

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

Pei Yu coldly shouted, "Is Xingyue so poor that they can't even afford a cleaner?"

In the dead of night, this voice once wandered hoarsely and lowly by his ear. Shen Sining slowly stood up straight, looking at him with a complex expression.

Lan Weian accompanied with a smile, quickly instructing the assistant to call for cleaning.

Pei Yu's thunderous methods abroad were no longer a secret.

After taking over his father's real power and firmly establishing himself as the head of the Pei family, he inexplicably acquired an entertainment company upon returning to the country, leaving people puzzled.

There had long been speculation among insiders that the Pei Group intended to enter the entertainment industry.

However, it is certain that the Pei family's focus has shifted back from abroad to domestic affairs. The business circles in the capital are eager to move, with everyone wanting a share of the pie, yet no one dares to take the plunge first.

The most bewildered was probably Lan Weian.

Xingyue's status in the entertainment company wasn't considered top-tier. Over the years, it had barely maintained its facade thanks to the film emperor Qin Sheng, and was gradually on the decline. Just before the sun set on its fortunes, it was suddenly acquired by the Fu Group.

Although Lan Weian was demoted to Vice President of Xingyue, having Pei Yu as a powerful backer meant that his capital and opportunities increased several times over, and Xingyue's market value rose accordingly.

After the cleaning staff finished clearing the debris and left, the spot to the right of Pei Yu's hand was still empty.

He looked at Shen Sining, his well-defined fingers lightly tapping the table, and casually said, "Come and sit."