Chapter 1: Clash of the Stars

The door of the dressing room was pushed open violently, and the sound of high heels clicking came. A tablet was slapped on the dressing table with a snap.

Liu Qin said with a dark face, “I knew it, after you walked the red carpet, you would definitely be compared again, and you were overshadowed by Yang Tong again!!”

On the tablet page, there was a hot search on Weibo.

Two pictures were placed side by side, with a white background and black words in the middle that read VS.

Followed by the words: “Yang Tong’s face is really kissed by an angel, it’s so beautiful. Wearing a bright yellow dress makes her skin white and beautiful. That’s not all, her collarbone, her neck, oh my god, even if I were a man, I would want to kiss her. I just don’t understand how Meng Ying dares to wear a yellow dress too, isn’t this a clash? Whoever is uglier is embarrassed.”

In the two pictures, Meng Ying was wearing a fitted dress with a slit at the root of her thigh, and Yang Tong was wearing a shoulder-length fishtail dress with her shoulders, collarbone, and neck exposed.

They were different styles but the same color. Even so, when the two got out of the car and lined up on the red carpet, Meng Ying, who arrived first, was arranged behind Yang Tong. As soon as Yang Tong appeared, she grabbed a large amount of attention and media focus, as well as deafening screams.

When Meng Ying appeared, the screams were much fewer, and the media’s attention was much less. Some fans even said that Meng Ying was trying to grab the hot search again.

Liu Qin tapped the screen and said, “I clearly went to investigate what Yang Tong was wearing, and the information I got was clearly a black backless long dress. How could it have become a yellow fishtail dress again? It’s unbelievable…”

“Hua Ying’s top star is indeed different!” Liu Qin sneered.

“Have you and Yang Tong had a grudge in a previous life? Or did you offend her in private? Why does she keep going against you like this?” Liu Qin leaned against the dressing table and looked at Meng Ying, who was drawing her eyebrows.

Meng Ying paused her eyebrow pencil slightly. Her long eyebrows were drawn very beautifully. She glanced at the tablet on the table and said softly, “I don’t know if I’ve offended her.”

Liu Qin clicked her tongue and didn’t speak again.

Meng Ying’s background was very clear to her; she was just a girl from a poor family. In the year she graduated at twenty-four, Liu Qin went to visit her brother at school and, at first sight, was captivated by her face, so she signed her up.

For these past few years, Meng Ying has become somewhat famous in the industry, relying on her appearance and the “comparison” with Yang Tong. When she first debuted, some people said that Meng Ying and Yang Tong looked a bit alike, but soon, those voices disappeared, and what followed was Meng Ying being repeatedly overshadowed by Yang Tong.

Yang Tong is a top-tier goddess, and being overshadowed by her could bring Meng Ying some attention, but in the past two years, Liu Qin has hoped that Meng Ying could quickly escape the predicament of being constantly suppressed by Yang Tong.

Having been suppressed for so long, Meng Ying always had to be a notch below Yang Tong, like there was an insurmountable obstacle in front of her, which was really frustrating.

Meng Ying withdrew her gaze from Yang Tong’s face and continued to draw her eyebrows.

She had fair skin, at twenty-seven, she has fine hair. Her eyes were beautiful, and they always seemed to have a watery sheen when she looked at people, making one want to kiss her.

“I wonder why the president of Huaying only promotes Yang Tong?” Liu Qin still didn’t understand, couldn’t figure it out, and was dissatisfied. Then she brought up the old topic again.

Meng Ying paused her eyebrow drawing.

She looked at herself in the mirror, thinking that she wanted to know the answer too.

Why did he only promote her?

She smiled, “Well, you’ll have to ask the president of Huaying about that.”

“How could I ask him? Someone like that, how could I meet him? Just kidding…” Liu Qin pouted, picked up a comb, and began to comb Meng Ying’s hair. While combing, she asked again, “Is the president of Huaying really the young master of the Xu family in Lidu?”

Meng Ying put down her eyebrow pencil and flipped the tablet over. “I don’t know about that.”

“If the president of Huaying really is the young master of the Xu family, then I can understand why he’s so focused on promoting Yang Tong. I heard that Yang Tong is the daughter of the Yang family enterprise in Jindou.” Liu Qin quickly combed Meng Ying’s hair, and her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders. They had another magazine shoot later.

Meng Ying didn’t respond. Her slender fingers played with the eyebrow pencil.

As she turned the pencil, it made her skin look even fairer.

Yang Tong was the heiress of the Yang family business. Thus, it was natural for her to receive such high praise—this reasoning wasn’t wrong.

She smiled slightly, took out her phone from her bag, and opened the WeChat chat window.

Meng Ying: Are you in Lidu today?

The chat history was mostly one-sided messages from her. He rarely replied. The only two exceptions were when he told her he was at home and a New Year’s greeting during the holidays.

She looked at the mirror.

Her fingertips touched her chin, then slid upward along her cheek, tracing her eyebrows. She pursed her lips and blinked. The woman in the mirror blinked along with her. He used to love nibbling on her ears.

Liu Qin patted her on the shoulder. “Let’s go. Time to shoot.”

“Okay.” Meng Ying stood up, glanced at her phone, and noticed that WeChat was still quiet—he hadn’t replied. Without lingering, she grabbed her shawl and walked out.

Outside, a tall woman approached.

It was Yang Tong.

Dressed in a black dress, she lightly hooked her finger around her ear and gave Meng Ying a faint smile.

A polite smile.

Meng Ying returned the gesture. Liu Qin held Meng Ying’s arm and hurriedly guided her past Yang Tong, as though avoiding a plague. After walking some distance, Meng Ying turned back. ang Tong also turned. Their gazes met briefly in the air, and a fleeting hint of pity flashed in Yang Tong’s eyes.

Meng Ying froze for a moment before heading into the studio.

Inside, everyone was waiting for her. When they saw her, they greeted her warmly, addressing her as “Ms. Meng” with both familiarity and respect. However, they had switched out a large chair for a smaller one. An assistant invited her to sit. Before she could, Liu Qin asked, “Why was the chair changed?”

The assistant froze for a moment, hesitated, then smiled and said, “The previous chair broke, so we replaced it with this one.”

Liu Qin was skeptical. “Really?”

The photographer came over to confirm the shooting process with Meng Ying. She listened and nodded, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, her expression soft and gentle. Meanwhile, a few assistants nearby were chatting.

“Why didn’t you replace the chair earlier?”

“I wanted to, but Ms. Yang only just left.”

Meng Ying’s gaze fell to the ground. She was listening to the photographer but seemed a bit distracted.

Liu Qin was so angry she gripped the chair. “So it was for her? What, just because she sat on it, Meng Ying can’t? This is too much!”

The photographer overheard but pretended not to. Such incidents were common in the industry—status determined treatment.

Soon, he finished explaining and politely invited Meng Ying to stand. She smiled at him and stepped forward in her high heels, positioning herself in front of the backdrop. The camera focused on her, and the photographer bent down to check through the lens.

Meng Ying was used to countless magazine shoots. A few effortless poses flowed naturally, captivating the photographer. She wore a black dress, exuding sensuality. Combined with her soft, gentle expression, she gave off a comforting allure that made people want to protect, cherish, and kiss her.

And her slender, graceful figure.

One set of photos after another was taken, and they didn’t finish until dusk.

Meng Ying relaxed, and Liu Qin quickly handed her water. After taking a sip, Meng Ying glanced at the chair before choosing to sit on a plastic one nearby. The assistant standing nearby noticed and looked slightly embarrassed.

Liu Qin finished coordinating with the magazine staff.

Meng Ying then stood up, followed Liu Qin out, and asked for her phone.

She opened WeChat again.

Still no reply from him.

She pursed her lips. Liu Qin asked, “Should I drive you back?”

“I’ll go by myself,” Meng Ying replied, picking up her bag.

“Alright.”

Liu Qin handed her the car keys. She had always suspected that Meng Ying secretly had a boyfriend, but Meng Ying denied it every time. If she kept denying it after so many questions, it was probably true that she didn’t.

Trusting Meng Ying, Liu Qin didn’t press further.

Meng Ying got into the car, gripped the steering wheel, paused for a moment, and then started the car, driving off. The car left the bustling area and headed toward Bishui City. After swiping her card to enter the community, she carried her bag to the door, opened it, and was greeted by the sight of a billiards table.

A man in a black shirt and black trousers was leaning against the table, aiming at the bullseye. With a casual motion, the dart hit the red center.

His profile exuded nonchalance.

Meng Ying walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist. 

The man didn’t stop what he was doing and continued throwing darts. Meng Ying lifted her head from his embrace, nudging closer to him as she tilted her head to look at his face. Today, he wasn’t wearing his glasses. His peach blossom-shaped eyes were focused and emotionless. After a few seconds, he looked down, capturing her gaze with a subtle smirk.

Meng Ying’s heart skipped a beat.

She stood on her tiptoes to touch his thin lips.

The man didn’t move, but a second later, he pressed a hand against her neck, deepening the kiss.

Meng Ying instinctively tightened her hold on him.

His scent carried a cool, captivating fragrance, intoxicating her.

As he kissed her, his hand reached out and hit the final red bullseye. Rolling up his sleeve, he wrapped an arm around her slender waist, pulling her closer.

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