CHAPTER 14
The next morning arrived with a quiet drizzle, the kind that softened the edges of the world and made everything feel strangely calm. Shi Yunxi stepped out of the apartment with a light beige trench coat over her simple cream dress, her hair loosely tied in a low twist. It was a peaceful scene—until her phone exploded with notifications the moment she walked into the elevator.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
WeiChat.
Starlight internal group chat.
Entertainment news alerts.
Weibo trending tags.
Lin Meixi called immediately.
"Sister Yunxi—! Have you seen the news?!"
Yunxi pressed the phone to her ear.
"No. What is it?"
"Scarlet Moon Pavilion released the full cast list this morning. Your name is everywhere. Everywhere!"
Yunxi stepped out of the elevator, heels tapping gently.
"Calm down, Meixi."
"I can't calm down! You are trending in three different keywords! Look!"
Meixi sent screenshots rapidly.
#ScarletMoonPavilionCasting
#WhoIsShiYunxi
#MysteriousActressChosenAsShengRuyin
The last one had already surpassed a million views.
Shi Yunxi skimmed through the trending tag.
📌 "The directors said her temperament fits Sheng Ruyin perfectly."
📌 "A newcomer with this aura? I'm curious."
📌 "I saw her at the audition waiting hall… she's unbelievably beautiful in person."
📌 "Shi Roulan didn't get the role? I thought she was the favorite."
📌 "Shi Yunxi looks like someone from a noble family."
Yunxi's expression didn't change, but a faint glimmer appeared in her eyes.
Meixi's voice lowered into a whisper.
"There's… also drama."
"What kind?"
She hesitated.
"Shi Roulan posted something online."
Yunxi stopped walking.
"Show me."
A moment later, a screenshot appeared.
Shi Roulan (verified):
"Some people rely on unfair methods to get roles. The entertainment industry is becoming dirty."
Thousands of comments immediately followed.
— 'Roulan-jie, are you saying someone stole your role?'
— 'Do you mean the newcomer?'
— 'Name her!'
— 'Expose the shameless actress!'
Lin Meixi growled softly through the phone.
"Unfair methods? Shameless actress? Who does she think she is?! She saw how the directors treated you yesterday!"
Shi Yunxi continued walking calmly, umbrella in hand, her steps slow and elegant.
"She's panicking," Yunxi said simply. "And people who panic… expose their weaknesses."
"Yes, but—"
"We will not respond," Yunxi added.
"W-We won't?" Meixi blinked.
"No. Silence terrifies people like Shi Roulan more than any words."
A small smile curled at her lips—soft but dangerously calm.
They reached the curb where Starlight's car waited. Yunxi slipped in gracefully, folding her umbrella, while Meixi entered from the other side.
The car began moving toward Starlight Headquarters.
As they drove, Meixi kept refreshing her phone.
"Ah—! Sister Yunxi! New development!"
Yunxi raised an eyebrow.
Meixi nearly shook the phone in her face.
"Mu Lingchen just arrived at the Scarlet Moon Pavilion production building!"
Yunxi stiffened.
"What is he doing there?"
"No one knows!" Meixi whispered, eyes wide. "But everyone is talking about it online… look!"
Screenshots poured in.
📸 Mu Lingchen walking past reporters, cold and intimidating.
📸 Mu Lingchen in a meeting with the directors.
📸 Rumors that Mu Corporation is negotiating a sponsorship for the drama.
Meixi whispered, "Sister Yunxi… d-do you think the CEO came because of you?"
Yunxi laughed softly, shaking her head.
"That's impossible."
But in the director's building…
Mu Lingchen sat at the head of the meeting table, long fingers tapping rhythmically on the polished surface. His expression was cold, unreadable.
"CEO Mu," the producer said nervously, "the cast list was finalized yesterday."
"I saw," Mu Lingchen replied without looking up.
The director cleared his throat. "Is there… an issue with any particular actor?"
Mu Lingchen didn't answer immediately.
His eyes narrowed slightly as a familiar silhouette drifted into his mind—the woman in the lilac dress, walking away with quiet elegance.
And the faint, inexplicable sense of déjà vu.
"Send me the full footage of the auditions," he said slowly. "I want to review it."
"Yes, CEO Mu."
When he finally stood to leave, his expression remained icy… but something flickered behind his gaze.
Interest.
Curiosity.
Recognition he could not explain.
Outside the building, reporters swarmed the entrance, shouting questions.
But Mu Lingchen walked past them like wind—cold, untouchable.
Yet he paused for a brief second when he heard a name.
"—the newcomer, Shi Yunxi—"
His step faltered almost imperceptibly.
A rare reaction from a man who never reacted to anything.
Then he continued walking, his long coat sweeping behind him like a shadow.
Back in the car, Yunxi closed her eyes briefly, unaware that her world was slowly circling closer to the man she was never supposed to meet again.
And who was unknowingly searching for her.