Shen You’an let out a bitter smile, hiding the emotions buried deep in her gaze.
When she was the popular rising star Shen You’an, even her breath seed wrong.
Only when she was an anonymous extra did the world show her a sliver of kindness.
But regrettably, even that sliver of kindness ultimately shattered.
Female leads disdain the success of their stand-ins; a coquettish word to the sponsors, and her scenes were rcilessly cut.
With just a casual flick of soone’s finger, she could no longer survive in the world of extras.
At her most desperate, a monuntal temptation lay before her.
As long as she nodded, she could once again shine brightly in the entertainnt industry as the beautiful, luminous star adored by all.
But for that, she would need to sacrifice her principles and freedom, offering up her body and soul.
Shen You’an refused without hesitation.
She would never forget the look in He Qian’s eyes, brimming with mockery and pity as he gazed at her.
"I pitied you for being an orphan, and with good intentions wanted to ntor you. Even after your offense toward Mr. Yu, I pleaded on your behalf, and Mr. Yu decided to let it go. I thought after so hardship in society, you’d eventually co to your senses, but instead..."
The man shook his head, letting out a sarcastic laugh.
"You turned out to be such a foolish, naïve woman—it truly opened my eyes. In a strange way, I actually admire you for it."
The woman’s gaze, once numbed and devoid of feeling by cruel reality, now rippled with one final streak of defiance, refusing to lower her head.
Though she was in dire straits, her soul remained clean and pure.
Though her life was ruled by others, even in the depths of despair she strove for an unattainable freedom.
For the first ti, He Qian encountered such a woman in the industry—fragile at first glance, seemingly on the verge of collapse, yet impervious to countless poisons, leaving no way to strike a blow.
To clash head-on with her might result in mutual destruction, a grave loss for all.
Entangling with such a woman was, indeed, unwise.
But this face... what a pity.
Shen You’an watched as the man walked away without so much as a backward glance, silently rubbing her frozen, stiff hands to warm them.
Her rented room had no heating; winter, for her, felt unbearably long and torturous.
Fortunately, the landlord was a kindhearted soul. When Shen You’an went out to take out the trash, she often saw food left at the doorstep, along with a lifesaving electric heater.
She thought to herself, perhaps there were more good people in this world after all.
Even though she was behind on her rent, the landlord auntie never ca to demand it. Once, the auntie even told her, "Xiao Shen, I have an apartnt in the East District. It has heating and is in better condition than this place. We seem to have fate bringing us together, so I’ll rent it to you at a lower price. This old house has broken heating lines, and the windows let in drafts. You should tidy up and move over there in the next few days."
Shen You’an decided that since she had chosen to leave the entertainnt industry, she should quickly find a job, save up so money, and enroll in night classes. Gradually, she would make up for her lack of education, bit by bit overcoming her predicant.
But before she could move to her new apartnt, on a snowy evening, the drafty windows let in howling wind, chilling her to the point of illness.
Initially, she didn’t think much of it, but when she started sensing that sothing was wrong, she dragged her sickly body outside to buy dicine.
That evening, the icy wind bit fiercely, marking the coldest winter Shen You’an could rember since she beca aware of herself.
On the road beyond the sidewalk, a few cars occasionally sped past.
She trudged through the snow, her footsteps unsteady, the streetlights casting a long shadow below her.
Shen You’an instinctively raised her head to glance at the horizon—a solitary moon hung high, its cold, faint light shrouding her as if draping her in a silver-white veil.
"It seems you’ll always be the one to accompany ," she murmured.
Suddenly, she felt an intense cold—a piercing chill deep into her bones, making her soul tremble with fear.
This subconscious unease made Shen You’an’s breathing grow rapid. She leaned one hand against a nearby tree trunk, clutching her collar with the other, trying desperately to release the suffocating weight pressing against her chest.
Across the road, a car had stopped at so point, its driver just stepping out.
A tall man bent forward as he exited the car, his presence dimming even the moonlight.
From the pocket of his overcoat, the man retrieved a pack of cigarettes, pulling one out and setting it to his lips.
But for so reason, he reconsidered and took the cigarette down, holding it between his fingers and idly rubbing it.
Holding the cigarette with his fingertips, his eyes downcast, the man began to cross the road.
When he reached the center of the road, he glanced up casually.
Under the silver-white moonlight, the woman’s ghastly pale face was illuminated—what had once been a beauty comparable to flowers and moonlight now twisted and distorted by extre suffering, akin to this desolate and frigid winter night, shredding a corner of its savagery and dragging an innocent soul into eternal darkness.
"Pataa." The cigarette slipped from his trembling fingers, rolling beneath the wheels of a passing car, crushed rcilessly into dust.
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