Chapter 2 When Wen Tang was eight years old, she debuted by playing the youngest daughter in the popular family ethics drama “Our Family.” With her delicate and adorable appearance as a child, like a porcelain doll, she captivated audiences the moment she appeared on screen. She showed exceptional talent in acting, delivering nuanced and spirited performances as the sensible daughter of the male and female leads, earning widespread praise and affection. Through this drama, she stepped into the entertainment industry. Today, Wen Tang is a rising star not to be underestimated. Her acting skills are beyond question, but due to her fondness for dating young male celebrities, she has been labeled as fickle and promiscuous, drawing considerable public criticism. However, she has accumulated an enormous fan base over the years. Particularly in recent years, she has starred in several blockbuster dramas, making her the most prominent figure in the industry. The TV drama “Hear Your Heart” that Wen Tang is about to film is set in Ling City. Just after 10:30 AM, at the opening ceremony, Wen Tang finally arrived fashionably late. She wore a cold expression on her stunningly beautiful face, with Liu Meifen walking beside her and two assistants following behind them both. They drew countless stares along the way. Everyone in the industry knew Wen Tang was difficult. When the “Hear Your Heart” crew learned that Wen Tang would replace the good-natured Jiang Qianya as the female lead, they prepared themselves as if facing a formidable enemy. And Wen Tang lived up to expectations—not only did she not show up for makeup, but she was nearly an hour late to the opening ceremony, keeping the entire crew waiting for her. Yet Wen Tang was now at the height of her fame, equivalent to a ratings guarantee, and no one dared say anything against her. She was treated like an ancestor. Even the renowned director Zhou Sheng, after anxiously waiting for an hour, lit up when he saw Wen Tang’s group approaching, waving at them from a distance. He not only concealed all his irritation from the wait but greeted them with a beaming smile, showing no trace of his earlier impatience. Upon seeing Wen Tang and her group, Director Zhou rushed forward to welcome them: “You’ve finally arrived! I was afraid we wouldn’t see you!” He directed this at Wen Tang, then turned to Liu Meifen: “Sister Fen, how do you have time to come today as well?” Everyone knew that all of Wen Tang’s commercial collaborations and schedules since her debut had been handled by her mother, Liu Meifen. Over the years, she had countless endorsements and scripts coming in constantly. Liu Meifen was usually too busy to appear on set. Seeing Director Zhou, Liu Meifen smiled warmly: “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Director Zhou. I missed you and wanted to come.” She spoke appropriately to whoever she was with—a flawless performance. Director Zhou was delighted, laughing heartily before leading them into the crowd. Director Zhou had worked with Wen Tang before and had known Liu Meifen even longer. While Liu Meifen was demanding and particular, she excelled at emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. Wen Tang had barely arrived when milk tea and pastries were already being delivered to the set. Liu Meifen announced: “Everyone’s been waiting long, haven’t they? We got stuck in traffic despite rushing. It’s so cold today—everyone, please have some milk tea and pastries to warm yourselves up.” Everything was arranged perfectly. Wen Tang’s major incident of being an hour late to the opening ceremony was smoothly glossed over by Liu Meifen with a cup of milk tea and some pastries. “Hear Your Heart” is an urban fantasy drama. The male lead is the currently popular star Li Huanyan, who is twenty-six years old and has been in the industry for seven years. He became famous two years ago through a hit drama and now has constant film offers. However, in terms of star power, he still falls far short of Wen Tang and Jiang Qianya. The female lead was originally supposed to be Jiang Qianya, not Wen Tang. Jiang Qianya is about the same age as Wen Tang, debuting at sixteen. She is Wen Tang’s biggest rival, and the two have never gotten along. Jiang Qianya is known for presenting herself as pure and noble like a pristine white lotus, but privately she has spread countless negative posts attacking Wen Tang. Of course, Wen Tang has been equally ruthless toward Jiang Qianya. Jiang Qianya withdrew from “Hear Your Heart” largely because she felt the male lead wasn’t strong enough and the entire production was low-budget. Of course, her public excuse was always schedule conflicts, expressing regret and helplessness. This was Jiang Qianya’s usual tactic—she was always the innocent one. Accustomed to putting on a show, she was as fake as they come. Wen Tang was extremely reluctant to take over the mess Jiang Qianya left behind, but the power of capital was irresistible. Despite her fame, Wen Tang had no backing, and when facing capital, she had to lower her proud head. Wen Tang was indeed difficult, and there were many aspects of her behavior and private life that drew criticism. However, she took her work seriously and responsibly, always bringing maximum professionalism to her performances without any slacking. This was precisely why investors and directors loved working with her. Top-tier star, stunning beauty, excellent acting, strong work ethic, ratings guarantee—any single one of these qualities was enough to make people flock to her. Everyone on set had a cup of milk tea, even the temporary workers were taken care of. Liu Meifen was extremely capable, constantly busy once she arrived on set, chatting happily with the director, producers, and investors. Wen Tang disliked socializing and schmoozing, so after standing for less than two minutes, someone mysteriously produced a cushioned chair and invited her to sit. Wen Tang wore sunglasses that she didn’t remove even on set, covering most of her face and revealing only her delicate nose, slightly pouting lips, and refined chin. In the middle of winter, she wore a short skirt under her down jacket, her legs long and straight. When she sat down, crossing one slender, pale leg over the other, the visual impact was quite striking. Everyone on set knew Wen Tang’s name. She was simply too beautiful. Her beauty gave off an air of distance and sharpness. If she didn’t speak, no one dared approach her. Many people curiously turned to look, caught sight of her long, straight, pale legs, and quickly averted their gaze, their ears turning red. Wen Tang was accustomed to people’s reactions upon first seeing her. She sat lazily, chin resting on one hand, leaning back against the chair, her toes swinging gently. While others secretly observed her, she was also watching them, but unlike their furtive glances, Wen Tang was completely open about it. Aside from the male lead who had some fame, all the other actors were completely unknown, mostly newcomers. No wonder Jiang Qianya felt the crew wasn’t worthy of her status and left early.　　Wen Tang didn’t mind these things at all. On set, she was just a diligent worker, keeping herself in the right position, performing her role well, and everything else was none of her concern. Good acting naturally goes viral. Swinging her legs out of boredom, a pair of beautiful eyes beneath her sunglasses took in the entire film set. Everyone respectfully sipped milk tea and ate snacks. Even female actors on diets would take a light taste and then hold the milk tea in their palms pretending to drink, except for one person whose empty hands stood out conspicuously among the crowd. In recent years, it was rare to encounter someone who didn’t show respect to Ms. Liu Meifen. A true brave soul indeed.