Su Wanwan's current popularity online was arguably second to none—no one dared claim the top spot. Even the recently crowned Best Actress with the surname Fang had her moment in the spotlight completely overshadowed by Su Wanwan, vanishing silently from trending lists.
"Miss Su, have you truly reconsidered?" the top-tier agent persistently inquired once more.
Su Wanwan shook her head. "No, please excuse me, you're blocking the way." With that, she leisurely took Xia Kelan's hand and strolled forward.
The agent frowned deeply as he watched her retreating figure, a flicker of displeasure flashing in his eyes.
"The industry is far from lacking people like you," he muttered bitterly. "Thinking you're so formidable, yet without support, your fame will vanish without a trace in a matter of days."
"Truly ungrateful..."
"To think I even went out of my way to find this woman."
His tone was laced with contempt and frustration. He recalled how he had personally launched five or six top-tier artists, all thriving and happily calling him 'brother,' constantly showering him with gifts. But with Su Wanwan... it was a different story.
"Excuse me?" a tentative voice came from behind.
"Are you Xiao Feng, the top agent of Ling Lingchen?"
Xiao Feng replied with an impatient grunt, about to leave.
The voice continued in awe, "It really is you! Oh my, I thought I was seeing things. What incredible luck to meet someone as renowned as you!"
Though accustomed to such flattery, Xiao Feng appreciated it nonetheless. Turning around, he saw Su Nian beaming with joy.
"You're Su Nian?"
Xiao Feng had heard about Su Wanwan and Su Nian and had even followed their stories.
Su Nian nodded repeatedly. "Yes, it's me. I didn't expect you to remember my name..."
Xiao Feng's gaze swept over her, scrutinizing inch by inch. Su Nian was a minor, barely recognized actress who had been struggling for some time without any noteworthy works or breakthrough. Compared to Su Wanwan, her appearance was far less striking. Xiao Feng had no intention of signing someone unlikely to succeed—a waste of time on a lost cause.
"Mr. Xiao, do you have a moment? Please allow me to buy you a coffee!"
Xiao Feng declined, "No, I have other clients waiting for scheduling. I must go."
A shadow of disappointment crossed Su Nian's eyes—she had expected this response. She gave a bitter smile and nodded.
"Alright, I won't disturb you then."
Sighing softly, she lowered her head.
Xiao Feng's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Hey, lift your face so I can have a look."
Su Nian promptly complied. Upon closer inspection, Su Nian bore some resemblance to Su Wanwan in facial contours. From certain angles, their likeness reached nearly sixty to seventy percent. Though not full siblings, they shared the same father—the bloodline was unmistakably evident.
Xiao Feng pondered for a moment before handing her his business card.
"How about this? Come see me in a couple of days. It seems we might have an opportunity to collaborate."
Su Nian's hands trembled as she accepted the card, overwhelmed with joy.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Ling Lingchen's agency was one of the most prestigious in the entire entertainment industry. Even the recently crowned Best Actress Fang was signed with them. For those lucky enough to join, the vast majority would rise in their careers, at least breaking into the third tier.
Su Nian thought to herself that her path to stardom was finally beckoning.
...
On the way back, Xie Cheng drove, endlessly praising Xia Kelan and Su Wanwan with admiration and disbelief, nearly wearing the word 'worship' on his face.
Fu Liangmu was annoyed by the chatter and interrupted, "Where's Fu Ziyang?"
Since the ticket check, they had parted ways with Fu Ziyang and hadn't seen him since.
Xie Cheng chuckled awkwardly, "Maybe he's hiding somewhere. That kid's always been timid."
Fu Liangmu scoffed, "Timid? I hadn't noticed."
Beside him, Su Wanwan yawned leisurely.
Fu Liangmu immediately turned and patted his leg. "Lie down, get some rest. I'll wake you when we arrive."
Su Wanwan hummed softly, curling up on the spacious backseat, covered by Fu Liangmu's jacket.
Xie Cheng glanced at the rearview mirror cautiously, "Xiao Liangliang..."
Fu Liangmu instinctively raised his hand and gently covered Su Wanwan's ear, whispering, "Whatever it is, wait till she's asleep. Don't disturb her."
Xie Cheng let out a resigned "Oh."
After arriving home, Fu Liangmu carried Su Wanwan to her room. Upon returning, he found Xie Cheng and Xia Kelan already snacking on Su Wanwan's treats.
"Liangmu, honestly, it's a good thing Wanwan joined that competition," Xie Cheng said. "See? She's gotten popular again, sparking countless online discussions!"
"Besides, not only did she not cause you to lose money, she even won back Li Beimo's stake and took home a hefty prize. It's a triple win!"
Fu Liangmu cast a dark, helpless glance and uttered bitter words: "I know she's talented."
"But that has nothing to do with whether you go abroad or not."
Xia Kelan's ears twitched.
"Go abroad?"
"What country?"
"Uncle, where are you going?"
Xie Cheng sighed dramatically and exaggeratedly recounted the situation to Xia Kelan.
After listening, Xia Kelan leaned in and whispered, "Fu Liangmu is petty—you're really tempting fate by dancing wildly on the edge."
Fu Liangmu stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"To find Fu Ziyang."
Xie Cheng, seeking redemption, immediately followed.
"I'm coming too!"
They all left, leaving Xia Kelan alone in the living room. She turned on the TV, coincidentally replaying today's competition. Casually, she grabbed a bag of popcorn.
Her phone buzzed. A message from a netizen racing driver popped up:
"How did the race go?"
Lanlan's Sky: "Not bad! Pretty good! Just as expected!"
"Did you win an award?"
Lanlan's Sky: "Hehe, the winner wasn't me, but your admired senior!"
On the other side, Li Beimo's right hand clasped a crimson brocade box, his slender fingers caressing it with fondness. Upon seeing the message, he sat upright abruptly, typing with surprise:
"Senior also competed? What competition? Why didn't you tell me?"
Lanlan's Sky: "Don't get so excited—it was just a small contest. She was pushed into it by a friend and reluctantly finished the whole thing."
"Ah, I see... Had I known senior was competing, I wouldn't have joined. I'd just have watched the livestream at home."
Xia Kelan glanced up at the TV screen.
"Actually, it's not too late now. The replays are available both online and on TV!"