---
Xu Jiaqi stood in front of the brightly lit vanity, a small hand mirror in one hand and a glowing smile on her face.
She was gently patting the serum into her skin as she admired herself in the mirror.
Her complexion glowed under the lights, and for the first time in a long while, she felt proud of the reflection staring back at her.
"This serum is amazing," she said, turning to one of the crew members, a cheerful makeup assistant named Lili. "It feels like my skin is finally breathing again."
The woman smiled. "GlowVine products are always fire. CEO Mo never allows anything substandard. Everything's plant-based and lab-approved."
"I swear," she said. "Ever since I started using this serum, I can literally feel my skin improving. It's like… it's alive again."
Lili nodded enthusiastically. "GlowVine products never miss. I mean, they don't just cover flaws—they nourish your skin. No toxic chemicals, no shortcuts."
Xu Jiaqi nodded. "I didn't use it before… but now, I finally understand why people love it so much."
—
Just as she was about to return to filming, a sudden hush fell over the set.
Murmurs grew.
Gasps.
Everyone had their phones out, eyes wide, and then… they began looking at her.
And they... They were looking at her in pity?!?
They looked apologetic?!?
Xu Jiaqi stood still.
What was going on?
She was used to their polite smiles and judging eyes.
She didn't talk much with them except with this friendly Lili or the director.
She knew what they always said behind her back.
She knew they called her "the blacklisted beauty" and questioning why CEO Mo had chosen her as the brand ambassador.
Now their expressions were filled with sympathy…
What was going on?
What had happened?
Xu Jiaqi set the mirror down slowly, her fingers trembling slightly.
Her eyes met Lili's.
The young woman gave her a nervous shrug, as if saying she didn't know what was going on.
Xu Jiaqi's hand moved to her purse.
She pulled out her phone, her heart thudding faster with every passing second.
—
She unlocked it and froze.
Her name.
On every news platform.
She was trending.
Her breath caught.
Fingers trembling, she tapped the first top link and the video started playing.
It was that night.
That night three years ago.
That fateful night.
The video showed her and Yan Qingsi in that luxurious hotel suite…
Tears streamed down her face silently as she scrolled through the comments.
They were supporting her.
The public had not forgotten her.
They still remembered her.
Her fingers stopped when she saw a comment that made her throat tighten:
@EchoOfStars: "Wasn't that the same Yan Qingsi who died last month…? The one they said had a 'low blood sugar' at 22? There's more to this."
—
Her tears blurred her vision.
A quiet sob escaped her lips.
She tried to stifle it, but the ache was too deep.
Yan Qingsi.
She hadn't let herself cry this way in so long—not even when she attended Yan Qingsi's silent memorial.
A sob burst from her throat.
The woman beside her turned in alarm.
"Miss Xu? What's wrong? Are you—?"
Xu Jiaqi tried to speak, but her voice broke. Her body slumped slightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Someone help! She's fainted!" the woman called out.
Crew members rushed to her side, panic erupting on set.
---
Meanwhile, inside the sleek black car at the entrance of the Yu'an General Hospital, Su Meilin stared blankly out of the tinted window.
Her expression unreadable.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts.
She glanced down at the contact.
She swiped to answer.
"Miss Su," the man said with a warm tone. "Your certificates are ready. All products in the Elva Allure line have been cleared for market. Everything's approved."
"Alright," she replied calmly. "I'm transferring the remaining now. I'll send someone to collect them."
"Very well."
She ended the call and placed the phone beside her.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
---
Back at the towering offices of Starlight Media, Zhao Rui stood nervously outside the CEO's office, flanked by the PR manager and the assistant, Meng Qiao.
"Go in," Zhao Rui hissed.
"You go in," Meng Qiao whispered back.
"Ladies first," the PR Manager said quickly.
"Yeah, Zhao Rui, you go," Meng Qiao chimed in, his voice full of cowardly encouragement.
Fang Zemin was standing in front of the floor ceiling window deep in thoughts.
He suddenly turned as he felt the presence outside the office and turned to sees the three shadows pushing each other.
He glared at the door.
—
Outside, the PR manager, sweating buckets, shook his head violently. "No way. Zhao Rui, go first."
"No, you. He's still angry."
Fang Zemin's voice thundered from inside.
"ENTER!"
The trio jolted.
Their hearts dropped.
Like children summoned by a strict parent, they stepped into the office one after the other.
Fang Zemin stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, arms behind his back.
He turned slowly, face as cold and unreadable, eyes sharp and burning with fury.
"Well?" he asked, his gaze locking onto the PR manager.
The man tried to stand tall but his voice came out a nervous stutter. "C-CEO Fang… we tried… we released statements that the Jiang Xueyi footage was photoshopped. We even claimed the props in Lin Weichen's video were props of a film set, but—"
"But what?" Fang Zemin's voice dropped to a deadly low.
"No one believed it," the PR manager admitted with a gulp. "The public's not buying it. The backlash is only growing."
Fang Zemin narrowed his eyes, turning to Zhao Rui. "What about the other footage? Who posted it?"
Zhao Rui glanced sideways at Meng Qiao, her lips pressing into a line.
Fang Zemin exploded. "WHO posted the footage?" he snapped. "I want their name. I will destroy them. I will bury them. Nobody makes a fool out of Fang Zemin!!"
His roar made them all flinch.
Zhao Rui swallowed. "We traced the... the trace... it's... it's..."
Fang Zemin slammed his palm on the desk. "WHO?!"
Meng Qiao stepped forward nervously, his voice just above a whisper as his throat bobbed nervously.
"CEO… it's Mo Yuwei."
The room turned to ice.
Frozen.
Silence hung heavy in the air.
---