Zoe stared at her phone, lost in thought for a few seconds. She snapped out of it and typed: "Who are you?"
After sending the message, it felt like it had vanished into thin air—there was no reply.
Zoe waited for a long time, replying to some other messages in the meantime, but no new notifications popped up.
Now that it's the internet age, most people use WeChat to send and receive messages, rarely relying on the phone's built-in SMS system.
Ten minutes passed, and the person still hadn't replied.
Zoe hesitated for a long time but ultimately gave up on calling to inquire. A stranger, a strange message, and no reply—it felt too much like a fishing attempt.
But...
Zoe couldn't help but think about the rustling sounds at the hotel entrance last night. And that unmistakable electronic sound when the room card failed. She was certain it wasn't just a nightmare.
Someone had tried to sneak into her room but failed.
Zoe put down her phone and started drying her hair with a blow dryer.
Tomorrow, she had four jobs, but luckily, they were all in Shanghai, so no need to rush to catch a plane.
She slept soundly through the night and when the alarm went off in the morning, it felt like she had just fallen asleep. She felt exhausted, drowsy, and her head felt heavy, as though filled with lead.
The person in the mirror hadn't yet put on makeup—bare-faced.
Every time this happened, Zoe would think back to when she was a teenager.
Everything was so beautiful then, nothing had happened, and the sun always seemed so bright.
Just as Zoe finished washing up, Lan came to knock on her door.
The car and styling had been arranged by the company, coordinated by Lan.
They had even switched to a different car, one that seemed noticeably more upscale than the one yesterday, but the driver was still the same. Zoe was a little surprised, as this car was definitely of a higher class. "Why the sudden upgrade?" Zoe asked in surprise.
Lan smiled smugly and said, "Because you're making a lot of money now, of course the company wants to treat you better."
"Did you ask for this?" Zoe asked.
Lan nodded. "Everyone's so materialistic. That streamer, Hu, yesterday—didn't he dare change the script just because he thought you had no background, with no entourage except for me?"
Zoe understood Lan's point.
Everything—food, clothes, living, and travel—wasn't just for personal enjoyment; it was also to be seen by others. If everything looked good, at a level others couldn't reach, people would naturally look at you with more respect. But if everything looked cheap, giving off a sense of poverty, people would naturally look down on you.
Reality was always harsh—perhaps not as precise as the scale of the world, but still divided into two extremes.
Zoe didn't dare claim she didn't care about these things.
In the morning, there was only one job: the opening of a brand's first store in Shanghai, and Zoe had been invited to attend.
It wasn't a major brand, but it was backed by a big group with a lot of money. In addition to Zoe, several other celebrities were also invited, with Song being the most popular.
The invitation came very suddenly, only being sent out yesterday.
But Song, being such a big star, was obviously already confirmed long ago.
So, it was clear why Zoe was invited—because of the trending topic and the rumors involving her and Song. The store wanted to have both of them appear together to boost hype.
Even knowing this, Lan still helped Zoe take the job. Zoe didn't ask—she understood Lan's intentions.
Nobody was completely innocent; rumors that needed to be cleared should be cleared, but if there was heat to be gained, why not use it?
This job, in the interest of creating hype, also paid well.
And the subsequent heat would be managed by the brand, so Lan wouldn't need to spend money to keep it going. This way, Zoe would gain another wave of popularity.
"Lan, do you think Song will scold me when we meet later?" Zoe joked. "We obviously knew he would be there, but still took the job."
"Who cares about him? The job wasn't something we begged for. The brand invited us. Why shouldn't we take it?" Lan said confidently. "If he comes to make trouble, I'll scold him back."
The brand had prepared a lounge for all the artists attending today, and Zoe had her own private room.
Not long after they entered, there was a knock on the door.
After the incident with Lin Xiaomiao, Lan had become much more cautious. She approached the door without opening it, asking, "Who is it?"
"It's me." A somewhat feminine voice came from outside the door. "Luo Yuhu."
Luo Yuhu?
Why was Song's manager here?
Lan turned to Zoe, exchanging a glance before opening the door.
Luo Yuhu walked in without waiting to be invited, arms crossed, acting arrogantly as he entered. Turning back, he ordered Lan, "Close the door."
Lan didn't close the door completely, just left it ajar. "What do you want?"
Luo Yuhu sneered, "You're not supposed to show up on the red carpet today."
There would be a red carpet at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, with many reporters present. Lan froze for a moment and asked, "Why?"
"Why? You still have the nerve to ask why? I've never met such shameless people. You're even stickier than a dog's skin!" Luo Yuhu's face turned black, and his words exploded like firecrackers, "You know Song will be there today, yet you still came. You just want to ride the hype, don't you? Let me tell you, give up on that idea now. There's no chance!"
"Are you a dog?" Lan stepped forward, not backing down, narrowing her eyes. "You walk in here and bark. Can't you speak properly with that mouth of yours?"
Luo Yuhu froze, not expecting anyone to dare talk back to him.
Luo Yuhu sucked in a cold breath, glaring at Lan, then tremblingly pointed his finger at her, staring for a while before speaking, "You dare speak to me like this?"
Lan raised her eyebrows and said, "Are you royalty or something? What's wrong with how I'm talking to you?"
"Good! You're really asking for it! Just wait and see!" Luo Yuhu shouted angrily, turning and storming out of the room. He slammed the door behind him with a loud crash.
That noise was so loud that everyone around must have heard it.
Lan clicked her tongue in disdain, "I don't know how someone like him stays by Song's side. With a temper like that, he's probably offended everyone they've worked with."
Zoe sighed softly, spreading her hands. "See, I knew they'd react like this. Now we've really offended him."