At the Golden Jade Award ceremony for television dramas, Shen Li froze in her seat just as she was about to stand after hearing the host announce the name “Xu Xinyi.”
Before entering, hadn’t the organizers told her she was this year’s Best Actress?
Dazed, she watched Xu Xinyi, dressed in a white gown and carrying herself with the haughty poise of a princess, stride gracefully onto the stage in her high heels.
The soft gasps and murmurs around her made it clear that everyone else was surprised, too.
The host asked from the stage, “Xinyi, who would you most like to thank for this award? And do you have a wish?”
The young woman accepted the microphone, her voice gentle.
“The person I most want to thank is my boss, Mr. Zhou Xing. As for my wish… would he be willing to present the award to me himself?”
The spotlight fell on Zhou Xing. Under everyone’s gaze, he slowly rose to his feet and met Xu Xinyi’s eyes as she stood radiant onstage.
A gasp came from nearby.
“President Zhou actually agreed? Doesn’t he avoid all romantic rumors and refuse to make public appearances with female entertainers in front of the media?!”
That was right.
At last year’s international film festival, Shen Li had said the very same thing during the awards ceremony.
Back then, when the spotlight fell on Zhou Xing, his expression had been stern, his tone cool and detached.
“You know my rules.”
At a ceremony where she should have been the center of attention, Shen Li had stood awkwardly onstage, endured people pointing fingers behind her back, then walked off in dejection.
And that had been when she and Zhou Xing were most deeply in love.
Even now, no one knew.
She and Zhou Xing had been together for five years.
How many five-year stretches did anyone get in a lifetime?
Five years earlier.
Zhou Xing had just founded Jiaxing Entertainment, and Shen Li had just gained some popularity with a supporting role as the third female lead. She could have signed with a much bigger company, but for his sake, she had chosen Jiaxing without hesitation.
Over the past few years, she had worked herself to the bone, filming day and night and climbing all the way to stardom, all so she could earn more money to ease Zhou Xing’s burden and support one new crop of Jiaxing talent after another.
Shen Li suddenly remembered what Zhou Xing had said when they first got together.
“A-Li, once you’ve won five awards at home and abroad, let’s get married, okay?”
They both knew that today’s Golden Jade Award would have been her fifth.
She hadn’t won the award.
And she couldn’t love Zhou Xing anymore, either.
She stood and looked across the crowd at Zhou Xing onstage.
His gaze shifted slightly. He took the microphone the host held out, turned his eyes away from Shen Li, and looked warmly at Xu Xinyi. After offering her words of praise, he presented her with the trophy himself.
Xu Xinyi’s eyes brimmed with joy and admiration.
“Thank you, President Zhou. I’ll work even harder from now on and bring everyone better work.”
Zhou Xing smiled. But when he looked up at Shen Li again, her seat was already empty.
The warmth in his eyes faded.
At the building’s exit, Shen Li stared coolly at Zhou Xing’s bodyguards. “Move!”
“President Zhou said you absolutely have to wait for him.”
“Miss Shen, please don’t make this difficult for us.”
Make things difficult for them?
Zhou Xing had always been domineering in the way he handled things. Knowing she couldn’t force her way past, Shen Li stayed where she was and turned her face away, the corners of her eyes reddening.
Perhaps it was just as well to wait.
There were things the two of them needed to clear up.
The spot was exposed to the wind. Shen Li waited until she was nearly frozen stiff before Zhou Xing finally approached at an unhurried pace.
Seeing the tip of her nose red from the cold, he started to take off his coat to give it to her. Then he noticed someone nearby and stopped.
In the end, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
“It was only an award with little prestige. Was it really worth storming out over?”
“It wasn’t about the award.” Shen Li cut him off and looked up at him.
“Three months ago, five million in acting fees was paid into my account. What did you use that money for?”
Zhou Xing’s hand, which had been about to touch her head, stopped in midair.
That five million had bought the award today.
Shen Li continued, “On our anniversary this year, when you called to say you couldn’t make it back, who was the woman I heard beside you?”
Zhou Xing pressed his lips together.
His inability to hide the truth was painfully obvious.
Shen Li couldn’t help laughing. As she laughed, her eyes grew red.
How ridiculous!
Shen Li, you—and these past five years of yours—were such a joke!
Seeing the bitterness in her eyes, Zhou Xing felt a pang of concern. He reached out to touch her face, but Shen Li pushed him away.
“Don’t touch me. You’re filthy!”
Zhou Xing’s expression darkened at once. “A-Li, take back what you just said. Don’t make me angry.”
Shen Li looked at his cold, unfamiliar expression. “I won’t make you angry again. I won’t make a scene anymore.”
“Zhou Xing, let’s break up.”
Her voice was very calm, but to Zhou Xing it sounded as if thunder had crashed beside his ear.
He drew a deep breath before he could steady himself. “I’ve worked day and night all these years to make you famous, and you’re breaking up with me over one little award?”
Shen Li looked at Zhou Xing as though he were a stranger.
Even now, he still thought this was about the award. He still thought it was a small matter.
The Zhou Xing she had once known hadn’t been like this.
When Jiaxing was first founded, he had been so busy his feet barely touched the ground, but he still found time to call her. Even when he was exhausted and overwhelmed, he never forgot to remind her to take care of herself.
Shen Li had worried about him and urged him to look after his health. He would smile and answer gently, “A-Li, I don’t mind the hardship. I’m doing it for our future. I want to give you the best of everything in the world, and I want to give you the grandest wedding.”
In the few seconds she had been lost in thought, Zhou Xing’s expression had turned completely cold. “Shen Li, have I spoiled you too much? Is that why you dare to talk about breaking up with me so fearlessly?”
Looking at the unfamiliar expression on his face, Shen Li was overcome by a strange feeling.
Had they really ever loved each other?
His voice continued in her ear.
“A-Li, you’ve been acting far too immaturely lately.”
Zhou Xing noticed that something was wrong with Shen Li. He took a deep breath to tamp down his anger, then made his decision. “Take some time to rest and get yourself together. You won’t be acting in Director Li’s film, either.”
A deafening boom rang through Shen Li’s head, as if a thunderclap had exploded inside it.
“I negotiated that deal. What gives you the right to make that decision for me?”
Zhou Xing’s next words left her even more breathless.
“You secured it? And how exactly did you manage that? With that little bit of fame of yours? If you didn’t have Jiaxing behind you—if you didn’t have me—do you think a major director like Director Li would give you a second glance?”
“A-Li, your fans have praised you so much that you’ve forgotten who you are, haven’t you?”
Seeing her reddened eyes, Zhou Xing felt a pang of concern. After a moment’s silence, he softened his tone and tried to soothe her.
“A-Li, don’t make a scene. Are you really going to ruin the years we’ve spent together over something so small?”
“Be good and don’t make me angry. You’ll always come first to me.”
Shen Li found it laughable. “Then what about Xu Xinyi? Where does she rank?”