Xingyao Media? Li Sijue's company?
Bai Chenxi's heart sank like a stone. She had never crossed paths with that man—at least, not that she remembered. Why would he suddenly take notice of her? Was it because of her audition today… or was there something else?
A chill spread down her spine. An ominous premonition gnawed at her chest.
In this new life, her greatest weakness wasn't her tarnished reputation, nor her struggling career. It was Nian Nian. Her son was her one true soft spot—and anything beyond her control posed a potential threat to him.
She quickly typed a reply to Hong Jie:
"I don't know either. Please, Hong Jie, keep an eye out for me. If you hear anything, let me know immediately."
When she got home, the tension in her chest loosened the moment a little figure barreled toward her legs.
"Mommy!"
Nian Nian wrapped his tiny arms around her tightly, his warm body soft against her. The babysitter smiled, praising the boy's good behavior. Only then did Chenxi's taut nerves begin to ease.
She scooped Nian Nian up, kissed his forehead, and let the hours slip by with him. Playing blocks. Telling him stories. Laughing softly at his innocent questions. For a while, the storm outside the door felt far away, muted.
But peace never lasted long.
That night, after tucking Nian Nian into bed and lingering by his side until his breathing grew even and steady, Bai Chenxi sat alone in the living room. Out of habit, she opened Weibo, intending only to skim through industry chatter—maybe a hint of audition news.
Instead, her notifications exploded. Hundreds, thousands of mentions, private messages, and tags poured into her feed like a flood.
And at the bottom of the hot search list, a new hashtag gleamed in bold:
#BaiChenxiThrowsHerWeightAroundAtAudition
Her pulse skipped. She tapped it.
An entertainment gossip account, with hundreds of thousands of followers, had posted "breaking news." Several grainy, long-distance photos were attached—taken outside the audition venue earlier today.
The caption was laced with venom:
"Washed-up actress Bai Chenxi spotted at a web drama audition today, acting arrogant and disrespectful toward senior actor (hinting at Lu Ziming). Witnesses describe her behavior as erratic, possibly due to long-term blacklisting and mental instability. [melon] [melon]"
The comments section was even uglier:
"She still hasn't quit the industry? The shamelessness!"
"Didn't she have scandals about her messy private life? No wonder she's unstable."
"Poor Zi Ming ge, imagine dealing with a crazy ex like her!"
"Why would any production cast a tainted actress like this? Are they blind?"
Chenxi's lips curled into a thin, cold smile. She didn't need to guess. This reeked of Lu Ziming and Zhao Qian. Their style was obvious—striking first, using public opinion as a noose, trying to bury her comeback before it even started.
In her past life, seeing such venomous attacks would have shattered her. She would have sobbed, begged, spiraled into despair.
But this life… she merely scrolled through the slander with detached eyes. She knew better now. In this industry, without works to prove yourself, explanations were meaningless. Words only fueled the fire.
She shut down Weibo without a single response. No clarifications. No counterattacks.
Not yet.
It wasn't time.
She would wait—for the perfect moment. One strike, enough to shatter every lie, every insult.
For now, her priority was far more pressing: discovering Li Sijue's true intent.
She reached for her phone again, intending to message Hong Jie with more questions. But her fingers hovered over the screen.
And suddenly—she remembered.
The way Li Sijue had looked at her during the audition.
Not merely cold. Not merely critical.
But… with a faint trace of something else.
Doubt.
As though he recognized something he couldn't quite place.
Her heart thudded in her chest.
What exactly had he been questioning?
Could it be… that Li Sijue had some connection to Nian Nian?
Or perhaps… to those blurred, missing fragments of her past?
The thought left her blood running cold.