The lost star is the most beautiful; it is the glory of the heavens!
“Shi Xing, have you ever loved me?”
The man’s voice was hoarse to the extreme, weak and pleading as it fell into Shi Xing’s ear, “Shi Xing, love me, okay?”
His voice grew softer, his warm lips turning cold, coolly pressed against her ear, whispering almost inaudibly, “Little star, is the most beautiful, is mine…”
Shi Xing’s vision was filled with a bloody haze, and she felt the person holding her grow cold and stiff.
Her heart felt as if it were wrapped tightly by thorny vines, the pain causing tears to fall uncontrollably.
“A Yan…”
She called out silently, her throat ruined by the fire long unable to speak, “I love you.”
“I love you…”
She loved him; she had said it countless times.
But he would never hear it again.
Her star, she had lost it too.
~
“A Yan—”
Shi Xing woke with a start, her eyes wide open.
Her chest heaved violently, her breathing rapid and shallow. She stared blankly at the ceiling, her vision still blurred with the lingering haze of blood.
The suffocating feeling of death clung to her.
Suddenly, someone patted her head and said in exasperation, “What are you still sleeping for? Still acting? You know your acting is terrible, right?”
Shi Xing turned sharply toward the voice, her pupils contracting.
Beside her was a woman with curly hair tied into a ponytail, dressed in a black professional suit—Song Lan.
Her manager, and her only friend.
But hadn’t she been imprisoned for being implicated by Shi Xing, falsely accused of leaking company secrets?
Her lips trembled as she whispered, “Lan Lan?”
Song Lan rolled her eyes and pulled her up. “Stop dawdling. The styling team is here. Hurry up and get ready. Today, we have to stun everyone and shut those haters up for good!”
Shi Xing was pulled to her feet by Song Lan, her head throbbing with pain.
She looked around in confusion, recognizing the simple restroom doubling as a dressing room.
The styling team surrounded her, helping her change clothes, exchanging opinions, and asking if she liked the choices.
Shi Xing’s ears buzzed, her mind a blank slate, until she was pushed in front of a full-length mirror. Seeing her reflection, her gaze trembled violently.
A pink wedding-style strapless gown, light and ethereal.
The skirt was adorned with sparkling crystals, like tiny stars shimmering softly.
Her slender shoulders were as white as snow, her long black hair slightly curled at the ends, cascading gently.
The girl in the mirror looked young—delicate eyebrows, long lashes, clear deer-like eyes, a small nose, and soft pink lips.
Shi Xing trembled as she raised her slender fingers to touch her cheek.
Without makeup, her complexion was pale, but her skin was smooth and flawless, free of the terrifying, ugly scars left by the fire.
In that moment, Shi Xing realized something. Her long, curled lashes trembled, and tears fell uncontrollably.
This was her at twenty-two.
She remembered this dress clearly—it was the gown she wore to an awards ceremony at twenty-two, a high-end piece she had bought with all her savings at the time!
Yet this dress, worth three million, was torn in two by Qi Chenyan that very night.
At this time, Qi Chenyan was still the person she hated most, the rival everyone saw them as.
After that night, she hated him even more—so much that she wished he were dead!
Shi Xing’s breathing grew rapid.
Was this a dream, or… rebirth?Then, she was pushed to sit in front of the dressing table. The hairstylist styled her hair while the makeup artist applied her makeup. Everything proceeded in a chaotic yet orderly fashion.
Song Lan said to her from the side, “You need to perk up for the red carpet later. Even though we’re not winning any awards today, we can’t lose our momentum and let your cheap little sister laugh at you, right? Otherwise, the expensive dress you bought would be a waste.”
The “cheap little sister” she referred to was Shi Xing’s stepsister, the adopted daughter of the Shi family, Shi Yue.
The two sisters entered the entertainment industry at the same time and starred in the same film as dual female leads.
But in the end, it was Shi Yue who received the Best Actress nomination. They had even received news that Shi Yue would win the award this time.
Song Lan thought Shi Xing was still sulking over this matter, which was why she seemed so dazed.
“Besides, if you perform well today, you might catch the eye of some director or producer. Then we’ll have more opportunities ahead. Do you understand?”
However, Shi Xing was already completely disoriented. She couldn’t hear what Song Lan was saying clearly, only staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror.
Young and beautiful.
It was like looking at a stranger, so unfamiliar it made her want to cry.
She had truly returned.
From hell back to the human world.
It felt like a long dream, where she had lived through a painful lifetime.
Was it a gift from heaven, knowing the injustice of her and A Yan’s deaths, that allowed her to return?
Shi Xing remained in a daze until she went downstairs and arrived at the waiting area outside the red carpet for the awards ceremony.
She was supposed to walk the red carpet with the film crew, which meant she would walk alongside Shi Yue.
This was also why Song Lan urged her to show her strength—she absolutely couldn’t be outshone by Shi Yue in front of the live cameras.
By the time Shi Xing arrived, Shi Yue was already chatting with the director and producer. The group was smiling and talking happily.
When Shi Xing appeared, the harmonious scene suddenly stiffened. Strange expressions flickered across their faces, their smiles grew rigid, and their eyes held traces of mockery and disdain.
Shi Yue turned her head and glanced over. When she saw Shi Xing’s pink tulle dress, her gaze flickered slightly. Then, she curved her lips into a gentle smile and said in a sweet voice, “Sister, why are you so late? There are only two groups left before it’s our turn. I thought you wouldn’t make it.”
Song Lan secretly rolled her eyes before offering polite apologies to the director and producer.
As for Shi Xing, the moment she saw Shi Yue, her pupils contracted slightly, and her hands instinctively clenched into fists.
Shi Yue, her sister.
The one who stole her parents, her friends, and her fiancé. The one who used a fire to ruin her appearance and destroy her voice.
The one who caused Song Lan to be imprisoned and, in the end, used her to kill her A Yan.
A crimson hue rose in Shi Xing’s eyes. Just as tears were about to fall, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.
Soon, it was their turn to walk the red carpet.
Shi Yue walked over to Shi Xing, linked arms with her in an intimate gesture, and walked onto the red carpet alongside the other members of the film crew.
Countless cameras focused on them—or rather, directly on the two sisters, Shi Xing and Shi Yue. Flashbulbs went off incessantly.
Shi Yue waved at the cameras with a sweet smile.
She was also wearing haute couture, a pink tulle dress like Shi Xing’s, though hers lacked crystal embellishments.
Her hair was styled into a princess updo, adorned with a small crystal crown.
Her makeup was light, giving her an exceptionally pure and sweet appearance.
Fans watching the live stream were screaming, “Princess Yue Yue, so sweet it drives people crazy.”Compared to the overly sweet Shi Yue, Shi Xing, who was being held by her arm, was actually more beautiful.
Her curly hair was also tied up, with clear eyes, red lips, and delicate features.
Her makeup was light, yet it couldn’t hide her natural, captivating beauty.
The pink chiffon dress added a touch of sweetness to her, making her appear sweet, charming, and pure all at once.
Unfortunately, her face was expressionless, her entire demeanor numb, and her eyes empty and lifeless.
As the live-stream audience put it: “Beautiful, yes, but utterly soulless.”
Others added: “What’s the use of beauty if the heart is malicious?”
“Yue Bao is an orphan, and she bullied and tormented Yue Bao since childhood, relying on her status. Just thinking about such a person is disgusting. Only Yue Bao is naive enough to still treat her like a sister.”
“Those who say Xing the lowly maid is beautiful—haven’t you seen photos of her and Princess Yue from their teenage years? She looks completely different now, obviously she’s had plastic surgery!”
“Why keep talking about this lowly maid who’s just trying to ride the red carpet’s coattails on such a great day? Today, our Princess Yue might ascend the throne. Let’s praise our Princess Yue more, okay?”
“After tonight, our Yue Bao won’t be a princess anymore—she’ll be an empress, hehe.”
“Keep it low-key, she hasn’t won the award yet, though I also think the others have no chance, hehe.”
After signing autographs and taking photos on the red carpet, there was an interview segment. While the director and producer were being interviewed, Shi Yue leaned close to Shi Xing’s ear and whispered softly, “Tomorrow, Mom, Dad, and A Sheng are throwing a banquet for me to celebrate my Best Actress win.”
Shi Xing lowered her gaze and said nothing.
Shi Yue smiled, her voice even softer. “Do you think just because you’re wearing a princess dress, you’re still a princess? You’ve already been kicked out of the house by Mom and Dad. Why can’t you face reality?”
Shi Xing’s eyelashes trembled slightly. She turned her head to look at Shi Yue and called her name in a hoarse voice, “Shi Yue.”
Shi Yue tilted her head, smiling even sweeter. “What—”
Shi Xing raised her hand and delivered a sharp slap across Shi Yue’s face.
Smack—
Everything on the red carpet seemed to freeze.
Shi Yue covered her cheek, her feigned sweetness shattered.
The air grew heavy, even the camera flashes seemed to pause.
The host, who had just extended the microphone to interview the two sisters, froze in place.
The live-stream comments also halted for a second.
The entire world fell silent.
Then, the comments exploded.
The scene erupted into chaos.
Camera flashes grew brighter, and reporters aimed their lenses directly at Shi Xing and Shi Yue.
Shi Yue finally reacted, her cheek throbbing with pain, fueling a hatred so intense she wanted to strangle Shi Xing.
But in such a situation, she absolutely could not retaliate.
She could only put on a pitiful expression, tears falling in large drops. “Sister, what are you doing? Did I do something wrong to make you angry?”
Others also rushed to Shi Yue’s defense, demanding to know why Shi Xing had suddenly struck her.
Shi Xing ignored them.
Her gaze drifted beyond the red carpet.
Almost at the same moment she raised her hand to slap Shi Yue, a silver luxury extended Rolls-Royce pulled up beside the red carpet.
The car door opened automatically, and a dignified, handsome young man stepped out, his hands casually tucked into his pockets as he stood indifferently in front of the car.
His silver-gray suit was impeccably tailored, perfectly accentuating his tall, slender figure—narrow waist, imposing presence.
The man watched the commotion on the red carpet with an expressionless face, only furrowing his brows slightly when his gaze landed on Shi Xing.
Shi Xing sensed it and looked over.
The moment their eyes met, her heart tightened violently, her mind going blank.
The man’s voice echoed in her ears, hoarse and pleading:”Xingxing, have you ever loved me?”
“Xingxing, can you love me?”
“Little Xingxing, you are the most beautiful, you are mine…”
A Yan, her A Yan.
In that moment, Shi Xing forgot everything, her eyes only seeing her A Yan.
Everyone saw that pair of empty, lifeless eyes suddenly sparkle with starlight, brilliant as the Milky Way.
She lifted her long skirt with both hands, allowing the flashlights to follow her, and dashed toward him outside the red carpet.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, she ran into the man’s embrace.
Her slender arms wrapped around his firm, lean waist.
Trembling, she held the man tightly, raised her head, and kissed his lips.
The moment their lips met, her tears fell. Across the span of two lifetimes, she spoke the words he had never heard, saying them to him once more.
She said, “A Yan, I love you…”