1 – Need help?
France had already entered deep autumn, with rain falling more frequently. The ground was covered in golden-yellow plane tree leaves, and the air was thick with dampness.
Wen Man wore a black fishtail dress, adorned with thousands of shimmering sequins and mother-of-pearl, which sparkled brilliantly under the car’s headlights.
The entrance to the fashion week was swarming with reporters, each armed with cameras of all sizes, their flashes constantly lighting up the scene.
Outside, the rain had stopped, and the chilly autumn wind rustled, sweeping golden fallen leaves past.
Sitting in the back seat, Wen Man’s assistant rummaged through her bag and pulled out a tube of lipstick, handing it to Wen Man. “Sister Chen is tied up with something in Canada and can’t make it to tonight’s fashion week in person. She wants you to behave and not cause any more trouble, or I’ll really get fired.”
Wen Man took the lipstick, holding a mirror as she carefully traced her lips, her voice muffled. “What does ‘behave’ mean?”
The assistant hesitated at the question, speaking slowly. “Sister Chen said that Hu Lingyu will also be attending the event tonight… as Jiang Jin’s plus-one.”
Hearing this, Wen Man paused her movements, a twitch at her temple. She hadn’t expected that.
She hadn’t expected Jiang Jin to be so brazen.
She and Jiang Jin had once been secret lovers for a year, and his name felt as if it were carved into her very bones.
It wasn’t that Wen Man loved Jiang Jin all that much.
Both of them were in the entertainment industry, and Jiang Jin was an award-winning actor. Naturally, they spent little time together, and each meeting never lasted more than three hours. Their relationship progressed at a glacial pace.
And then, in the midst of it all, Hu Lingyu had inserted herself.
One day, Wen Man woke up to find Jiang Jin and Hu Lingyu’s names trending together on social media. When she clicked on it, the hashtag read #PassionateKissInCar#.
Even someone as carefree as Wen Man realized she had been cheated on by her boyfriend. And to make matters worse, Hu Lingyu happened to be her closest friend.
That same day, without her agent’s approval, she took to social media to publicly denounce Jiang Jin as a scumbag.
Wen Man had thought that, no matter what, Jiang Jin was someone who owned up to his actions. But after waiting a day and a night, enduring the doubts and insults from netizens and Jiang Jin’s fans, all she got in return was Jiang Jin’s statement: “Wen Man attempted to interfere in our relationship as a third party.”
In an instant, Wen Man became the “other woman” vilified across the internet.
Chen Yue had scolded her fiercely, criticizing her impulsiveness and lamenting how all the goodwill she had built up with the public had been washed away.
For this Paris Fashion Week, her agent Chen Yue had gone to great lengths to secure a high-end brand for her to attend, hoping to use the “nation’s cool big sister” image to whitewash the previous scandal.
Wen Man found it all utterly absurd.
It was Jiang Jin and Hu Lingyu who had done wrong, yet she was the one being criticized and needing to “clean up” her image.
Seeing Wen Man fall silent, the assistant spoke up again to remind her. “After this fashion week, we have to rush back to film ‘Listening to the Wind’s Whisper.’ Sister Wen, I noticed you’ve been staying up late these past few days. Haven’t you adjusted to the time difference yet?”
Wen Man glanced at her assistant but didn’t elaborate, replying simply, “Yeah, I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
The assistant nodded. “We’ll wait to get out of the car last. Take your time to compose yourself, so the media doesn’t capture you looking heartbroken over a failed relationship.”
Wen Man said nothing.
There was no heartbreak from love; her feelings for Jiang Jin were never that deep to begin with. It was just that in her youth, she had been swayed by his sweet words.
Now that she saw him for who he truly was, she felt remarkably at peace with ending this unfaithful relationship.
Only after the luxury cars at the entrance had passed one by one did Wen Man finally step out of her vehicle.
Walking the red carpet in high heels, she offered a slight smile to the cameras, struck a few casual poses, and then entered the event venue.
For someone of her minor celebrity status, she wasn’t worth the photographers’ extra effort.
Inside the fashion week venue.
Wen Man scanned the seats below the stage, and it took her a while to spot her name, “Wen Man,” tucked away in a corner.
In contrast, Jiang Jin and Hu Lingyu’s names were placed prominently near the front.
Wen Man casually picked up a glass of sparkling wine and settled into her corner seat.
The corner was dimly lit; no matter how dazzling the runway lights were, they couldn’t reach her. Wen Man thought Chen Yue was really overthinking things. At an event like this, even a third-tier actress like her wouldn’t stand out much.
If anything, being caught by the media would only invite another round of online criticism. She truly didn’t want to be associated with Jiang Jin anymore.
“Is that Wen Man sitting in the back? Why is she alone? Where’s her agent?”
Wen Man overheard whispers nearby and paused. She hadn’t expected anyone to recognize her in such a dimly lit spot.
“Probably ostracized by her company after all the recent drama. With so many reporters outside, even a glance at her would be blown out of proportion by the media. Getting involved with someone like her is just bad luck.”
A woman glanced back at Wen Man, rolled her eyes, and laced her words with sarcasm.
“It’s all over the industry—they say she’s clinging to the film emperor. Who does she think she is? She’s not even that stunning. How dare her agency try something like that?”
The runway show had long ended. Unwilling to endure the stifling atmosphere any longer, Wen Man set her sparkling wine aside, stood up, and walked over to the women discussing her. She gently tapped one of them on the shoulder.
The woman clearly hadn’t expected Wen Man to approach her directly.
Wen Man’s features were exceptionally beautiful. For today’s fashion week, her makeup artist had styled her with delicate, willow-leaf eyebrows that highlighted her Eastern charm.
She raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone polite yet carrying a pleasant, lilting accent. “Excuse me, I overheard you discussing me earlier. For me, that feels rather impolite. Next time, I’d appreciate it if you could say what you have to say directly to my face.”
With that, Wen Man turned and walked out of the exhibition hall.
The group stared blankly at her retreating figure.
They had never encountered someone with such low emotional intelligence. Even if she overheard gossip, most people would slink away quietly. Who in their right mind would walk over and lecture others about “politeness”?
What was she trying to prove?!
Paris after the rain carried a damp chill.
Wen Man exited through the back door of the exhibition hall. The air was thick with the scent of wet soil and plane tree leaves. She took a deep breath, trying to relax.
Today, she wore delicate black leather-soled high heels, yet she deliberately stepped on the damp plane tree leaves, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief.
Perhaps it was her way of venting some pent-up frustration. Wen Man’s rebellious streaks always emerged in the strangest ways.
Before she had taken two steps, hurried footsteps sounded from behind. Wen Man turned around, but before she could react, an egg came flying at her head, landing in her long, wavy hair and bursting open.
Egg yolk slowly dripped down, staining her delicate face.
Wen Man stared wide-eyed at the person—an unfamiliar Asian face. The person glared at Wen Man and cursed in clear, standard Chinese: “How dare a third-rate celebrity like you cling to our brother? If you’re a homewrecker, keep your tail tucked and hide. Stop embarrassing yourself in public!”
After saying this, perhaps afraid of being caught by patrolling security, the person quickly ran off.
Wen Man was dumbfounded, never expecting Jiang Jin’s obsessive fans to be everywhere across the country.
She disgustedly picked the broken eggshells from her hair, unable to believe this dramatic scene.
Her face was dirty, her hair was dirty, and her already sour mood completely shattered.
Wen Man angrily kicked the sycamore leaves at her feet, but the next second, she slipped. With a sharp crack, her high heel snapped.
Wen Man fell to the ground, staring at the absurd scene before her.
Inside a car not far away, a man in a suit and a black overcoat that draped over his figure sat with a clean, neat buzz cut. His nose was sharp and finely sculpted like a knife’s edge, and his narrow eyes slightly narrowed as he observed everything happening outside the car.
He had initially intended to step out and stop what had just happened, but the next moment, the woman fell to the ground, a look of confusion on her face.
The man couldn’t help but chuckle softly as he opened the car door.
Wen Man sat on the ground, holding the broken high heel in her hand, the corners of her eyes tinged with crimson.
It hurt.
Just as she was about to stand up, a shadow fell over her, and a faint scent of cedar mixed with sage drifted toward her.
A low, magnetic voice sounded by Wen Man’s ear:
“Do you need help?”