The fading clouds gradually receded, and a streak of sunset hung obliquely across the edge of the sky.
At C City Airport, a bustling crowd filled the arrival area. Fans waved light boards inscribed with the characters Bai Jinge. Among them, several supporters held up an exaggerated banner emblazoned with the words: Among the tens of thousands of women in the world, only Bai Jinge is the most stunning!
Fans clutching bouquets of fresh flowers and oversized plush dolls burned with excitement and anticipation. Even though they had been waiting for nearly an hour, their legs aching and growing numb, their enthusiasm remained undimmed.
Suddenly, a tall figure strode forward from the front. Despite wearing oversized sunglasses that obscured the greater part of her face, the fans recognized her at a glance as Bai Jinge.
Bai Jinge wore a simple white shirt paired with light-blue jeans, with her assistant trailing closely behind, pulling a black suitcase.
Her straight, jet-black long hair was gathered into a high ponytail at the back of her head, displaying an enviable high-crown hairline. Wearing no makeup, she simply applied a milky apricot-colored lipstick.
Approaching the fans, Bai Jinge lifted her hand to remove the brown-tinted sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose, offering the crowd a gentle yet polite smile.
Bai Jinge: Hello everyone, thank you for your hard work.
With picturesque features, long and slightly upturned phoenix eyes, and refined, deep-set facial contours, she radiated an air of noble aloofness. She appeared even more stunning and dazzling in person than on the silver screen.
Taken aback, the fans were instantly struck dumb by this visual critical hit.
Security guards intercepted the enthusiastic crowd along the perimeter, striving to maintain order at the scene. The fans exercised restraint, avoiding any aggressive pushing toward the front.
Suddenly, a sweet young voice rang out from the crowd: Jinge! Wifey, I love you!
The brief silence broke as the crowd erupted into a uniform wave of enthusiastic cheers.
Fans: Among the tens of thousands of women in the world, only Bai Jinge is the most stunning!
Bai Jinge gave a slightly awkward twitch of her lips, quickly smoothing away the trace of embarrassment as she smiled gently at the crowd to mask her discomfort.
Waaah… Wifey! Look over here!
Wifey! Wifey! I love you!
Intermittent screams echoed through the crowd, mostly originating from female fans, while the male supporters maintained a much more reserved demeanor.
Having debuted three years ago, Bai Jinge had risen rapidly under the packaging of Yehua Entertainment to debut in the center position, acquiring the label of an impecunious heiress venturing into the entertainment industry.
Starting out as a model, Bai Jinge transitioned into acting after signing with Yehua, entering the performing arts sector. Because she lacked formal professional training, her acting skills initially hovered in a mediocre middle ground.
During her debut year, Bai Jinge starred alongside several renowned actors in her very first television drama.
Upon the series’ release, search terms such as #BaiJingeVase# and #BaiJingePoorActing# trended across the internet. Objectively speaking, although Bai Jinge’s acting lacked polish, it was certainly not terrible; it simply appeared somewhat inexperienced when contrasted with the mature and seasoned performances of the other lead actors.
Accepting public feedback with an open mind, Bai Jinge offered no defense.
From then on, she grounded herself completely, dedicated to earnestly refining her craft. At the same time, her agency provided strong support by specially hiring two renowned professors from the department of performing arts to instruct her in the foundational yet indispensable techniques of stage blocking, performance, line delivery, and gaze training.
Just last year, Bai Jinge starred in her second television drama, Who is the Murderer, partnering for the first time with Best Actress Zeng Qianwei in a dual-heroine suspense series.
Following its premiere, Bai Jinge’s acting once again sparked heated discussions among netizens. Having undergone a full year of quiet dedication, her acting skills had advanced tremendously, virtually leaping forward, causing all the trending search topics to shift to a uniform narrative:
#BaiJingeDramaticActingImprovement# and #BaiJingeSolidActingSkills#
During its initial broadcast, the series broke mainland weekly drama viewership records with an average rating of 2.8%, establishing itself as the annual ratings champion.
Bai Jinge leaped into the ranks of ratings queens, and the name Bai Jinge swept across the country, turning her into an unreplicable traffic darling. The following year, relying on her outstanding performance in Who is the Murderer, she swept the Best Actress award at the Golden Eagle TV Arts Festival.
From then on, Bai Jinge relied on her own hard work to thoroughly shed the vase label.
This airport sighting marked Bai Jinge’s first public appearance since winning the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress, traveling from Changsha back to C City.
In truth, Bai Jinge was pressed for time because she had promised her precious daughter that she would pick her up from school. Although she could only watch from afar hidden inside the car, even that small comfort brought Bai Nuonuo immense happiness.
However, because her flight was delayed by over an hour, Bai Jinge ultimately missed the kindergarten dismissal.
At the kindergarten entrance, nanny Aunt Zhang stood under a tree holding little Bai Nuonuo’s small hand. Having spent a long time trying to coax her, Aunt Zhang still could not persuade the child to leave, as Bai Nuonuo insisted on waiting for her mother.
The little girl wore a khaki-colored British-style school uniform paired with white knee-high socks and apricot-colored leather shoes. On her head rested a khaki sun hat; it was somewhat oversized with a wide brim, featuring an exaggerated matching silk bow hanging down the back.
Nuonuo, let’s go home, shall we? Aunt Zhang will make your favorite egg tarts, the nanny coaxed patiently, crouching down before Bai Nuonuo.
No! Bai Nuonuo shook her head stubbornly, refusing to budge.
Then… what does Nuonuo want to eat? Aunt Zhang will make it for you, the nanny continued soothingly.
I don’t want to eat anything! I just want Mommy to pick me up from school. Bai Nuonuo pouted aggrievedly, two stray teardrops finally spilling over to hang against her flushed little cheeks.
Be a good girl, Nuonuo, don’t cry. Aunt Zhang will call Mommy right now, okay? The nanny hurriedly pulled out her phone to dial Bai Jinge’s number once more, only to find it still powered off.
The little girl nodded emphatically, fighting hard to hold back her tears.
Nuonuo, your mommy’s phone is still turned off. Her flight must have been delayed, the nanny explained as she put the phone away. Let’s go home first and wait for Mommy to come back there, alright?
No! I want Mommy! Bai Nuonuo shook her head again, her watery, bright eyes gazing straight ahead, yearning for her mother’s figure.
Directly across the street, a black Rolls-Royce stood parked by the roadside, its rear window rolled down slightly.
The glass reflected a woman’s flawless profile, cold, breathtakingly beautiful, with clean and fluid facial contours. A strand of shoulder-length dark hair shimmered with a soft luster. Just then, a shaft of sunset light drifted into the vehicle, tracing and outlining the woman’s facial features in warm, orange-red hues.
The woman wore a dark coffee-colored tailored suit, custom-stitched by a major international Italian brand, which accented her slender and tall figure.
Holding a pink long-eared stuffed rabbit toy, her gaze remained fixed on the kindergarten entrance, or more precisely, on the adult and child standing near the large tree beside it.
Over the past month or so, Ye Yunwan had arrived at the kindergarten entrance almost every day right as dismissal time approached.
Every visit, Ye Yunwan brought various gifts, ranging from plush toys favored by little girls to educational games, international designer children’s clothing, shoes, and handbags.
Yet every time, Ye Yunwan had found no opportunity to present them because the nanny invariably boarded their small sedan with the child in haste. And right now presented the absolute prime opportunity.
Carrying the plush rabbit toy, Ye Yunwan stepped out of the car, clicking in high heels as she strode forward. Following behind her was Zhao Qinchun, carrying numerous large and small bags filled entirely with gifts for the child. A single handbag alone cost upwards of one hundred thousand RMB, and that was after Zhao Qinchun had purposely selected the most understated option per the CEO’s instructions.
The woman possessed an overwhelmingly commanding presence and striking beauty, attracting the attention of both Bai Nuonuo and the nanny before she even drew close. Both adult and child turned their gaze directly toward Ye Yunwan’s face.
Nuonuo. Ye Yunwan walked straight up to the little girl, crouched down, and spoke in a soft murmur. Outwardly calm, her inner self surged with a uniquely intense, unfamiliar emotion: yearning.
Aunty, who are you? Bai Nuonuo blinked her sparkling eyes innocently at Ye Yunwan. How do you know my name is Nuonuo?
I’m a friend of your mommy’s, Ye Yunwan paused before adding, My surname is Ye.
Bai Nuonuo knitted her delicate brows. Aunty Ye? But Nuonuo has never heard Mommy mention you.
Ye Yunwan’s expression shifted abruptly, betraying a fleeting instant of disappointment.
Nuonuo, do you like this little rabbit? With that, Ye Yunwan offered the plush rabbit toy she held directly toward the child. I’m giving this to you.
Bai Nuonuo’s eyes lit up, her moist eyes sparking with brilliance as she said excitedly, Wow! Such a cute little rabbit!
Standing guard nearby with vigilant caution, the nanny intervened just in time with a reminder: Nuonuo! She then shook her head at the little girl.
Before the nanny could speak further, Bai Nuonuo caught herself and withdrew her hands, placing them behind her back. Raising her chin, she assumed the posture of a little adult: Aunty Ye, thank you for your gift.
My mommy taught me that I shouldn’t casually accept gifts from strangers.
Bai Nuonuo remembered her mother’s teaching by heart: kidnappers use gifts or snacks to trick children, so one must never accept gifts from strangers.
The smile on Ye Yunwan’s lips froze instantly, her gaze dimming like jade losing its luster.
The word stranger drove into Ye Yunwan’s heart like a thorn, forcing her to painfully realize that to her daughter, she was nothing more than a stranger, an unfamiliar person she had never met before.
Seeing this, the nanny scooped Bai Nuonuo up from the ground, tucked her protectively into her arms, and retreated a large step backward.
Looking at the dazzlingly beautiful stranger before her, the nanny spoke with polite distance: Thank you for the gift, but we cannot accept it.
Ye Yunwan never expected her first attempt at giving her daughter a gift to be rejected with a closed door. Yet upon second thought, it served as side evidence that Bai Jinge excelled in educating her daughter.
Amidst the awkward atmosphere, the teacher from the junior class happened to exit the school grounds after finishing her shift. Noticing the unfolding scene, she stepped forward to clarify the situation and offered Bai Nuonuo gentle words of persuasion. The little girl responded best to her teachers; though still somewhat reluctant, she quietly followed the nanny away. The tiny figure drooped her head, looking unhappy as she let the nanny hold her hand and lead her toward their private sedan.
Under the shade of the trees, Ye Yunwan stood straight and tall, her gaze fixed entirely on the opposite side of the street where the car carrying Bai Nuonuo and the nanny had already driven away.
The woman’s lips parted slightly as she spoke with cold detachment: Tell Bai Jinge’s manager that I want to see her.
Tonight. Have her come see me.
Zhao Qinchun blinked in surprise before nodding hurriedly. Yes! President Ye.
After all these years, were these two finally going to meet again? Could it be… over the custody of the child?!