He shot up from his chair, accidentally knocking over the boss's chair with a loud thud. The man looked at him in confusion. "Having a seizure?" "..." Gu Chao had no mind to argue with him over that. Clutching Song Weiwei's file, he stumbled out of the office, leaving the man on the sofa utterly bewildered.
An Ruo, who was just about to pack up and leave for the day, was intercepted by Gu Chao. He pointed excitedly at the girl in the file and asked her, "Where is this person named Song Weiwei?" An Ruo looked at him, a far cry from the composed and mature Gu Chao she knew. His current behavior struck her as odd. "I don't know... She should be back at the hotel, I think." "Which hotel?" "The one under our company..." Gu Chao grabbed her and pressed further, "Which floor, which room number?" That really stumped her... An Ruo shrank her shoulders. "I'm only in charge of the selection process. Where they stay is all arranged by Manager Yao." No sooner had she spoken than the man dashed into the elevator like a whirlwind, frantically pressing the floor buttons.
Did he know Song Weiwei? His expression was unmistakably that of someone asking about a person who had vanished long ago and suddenly reappeared—an obsession lodged deep in his heart, impossible to let go.
Shen Xiaoxing stood coldly behind a stone pillar not far away, taking in their entire exchange.
Gu Chao called Manager Yao, tracked down the hotel where Song Weiwei was staying, and rushed to her door. Just as he was about to knock, he suddenly froze. What was he doing? The person in the photo only looked like Mu Yan. If he barged in like this, he'd be taken for a madman, wouldn't he? Gu Chao let out a low, bitter laugh. Every time he saw someone who resembled her, he'd go chasing after them like this, demanding answers. Time and again, they gave him hope, only to leave him disappointed. His mind cleared. He stood by the door for a while, then finally left, dejected.
A few minutes after he left, Song Weiwei and her assistant returned to the hotel carrying barbecue, ready to feast after a long day of shooting! Female stars always had to control their portions to look good on camera, sculpting perfect figures through grueling workouts... But Song Weiwei was an exception. She'd always sneak food when Qiao Yu wasn't around. There was a night market near the hotel, and two days ago, she caught a whiff of barbecue, dreaming about it ever since.
Qiao Yu came to her room to discuss competition matters. As soon as he stepped inside, the smell of barbecue hit him. He looked helplessly at the two people eating heartily on the sofa. Frowning, he walked to the window, pushed it open to air out the room, trying to dispel the smell. "Always whining about losing weight, and then you eat this junk food. Do you want to run yourself to exhaustion on the treadmill?" Song Weiwei bit into a grilled chicken wing, grease smeared around her mouth, utterly lacking any sense of decorum. "I'm already exhausted these days. If I don't replenish my energy, I'll really die." "..." "Life is about eating and drinking. What's the point otherwise?" Qiao Yu sat on the opposite sofa. "Don't come crying to me about losing weight anymore." He tossed a file onto the table. "The company got you another endorsement. If you don't make it in the Blue Zhen competition this time, we'll need to find another path." "You don't trust me?" Song Weiwei pouted. "I've already advanced in this competition. How can you be so sure I won't be the final champion?" "The company let you join just to ride on some buzz and go through the motions. The main push is for Pan Zhiyao..." Song Weiwei cut him off with a cold laugh. "So, I'm just her backdrop?" "Pan Zhiyao has some backing. We can't compete with her. Besides, you two had that falling out, and the director already knows. He wants you to withdraw your complaint against her." Song Weiwei took a deep breath, her gaze turning icy as she looked at Qiao Yu. "What if I insist on winning this championship?" "You should know..." "I don't know." Song Weiwei scoffed. "That Qu guy just wanted to sleep with me, and I turned him down. He wants to prop up Pan Zhiyao and push me out. Well, then I'll really fight her for it!" "If you're afraid of legal trouble, you can cut ties with me. I won't drag you down." Qiao Yu looked at her sternly. "What nonsense are you talking!" "So, you support me?" "You're my person. Of course, I support you unconditionally." Song Weiwei peeled a shrimp and handed it to him. "I knew our bond over the years wouldn't let you abandon me."
They had met when they were both struggling. Back then, she was a naive, lost little girl, and Qiao Yu had helped her step by step out of her困境, giving her hope to live. Qiao Yu gave her a deep look, didn't take the "bribe" from her hand, told her to eat less, and then got up to leave.
The night view of Shen City was beautiful. This city, known as the Magic Capital, was a place everyone dreamed of. Song Weiwei leaned against the window, smoking, her dark pupils admiring the glittering nightscape. She hadn't returned to this city in a long time... Years ago, when the Mu family was wiped out overnight, everyone she held dear died in that fire. She had narrowly escaped abroad and never set foot here again. She had spent years reinventing herself, and now she was back to uncover the truth behind the Mu family's massacre and clear her family's name. But during her investigation, she learned that the Qin Group, responsible for her family's deaths, had been acquired by another company years ago. The Qin family had crumbled overnight, eerily similar to the Mu family's fate. Since then, the Qin family members had either fled or gone mad. The only viable lead was tied to Gu Chao, the current president of Blue Zhen. To get closer to the truth, she had to keep approaching those connected to this case. That's why, in this Blue Zhen endorsement competition, she had to win the championship no matter what—only then could she get close to this man.