If Cheng Yi astonished her youth, then Han Jibai was the one who gentled her years.
He was a completely different person from Cheng Yi; he wouldn't nag her about every little mistake, calling her a fool like Cheng Yi did, nor would he bicker with her like Tan Bo. Instead, he would gently stroke her head whenever she was sad or distressed, comforting her with his tender voice.
His presence was like a beam of light; whenever she felt lost and directionless, just thinking about his gentle voice would fill her with peace and warmth.
Three years ago, Ran Shasha went to develop her career in Hollywood and Han Jibai started flying between domestic and international locations regularly, so over the years, Xinan had only met Han Jibai a few times.
Ran Shasha flicked her hair and smiled, "Remember to come when the time comes."
Xinan: "Don't worry Sister Shasha, I'll not only come, but I'll also give you and Brother Ji Bai a big red envelope."
"Alright, I'll be waiting for that big red envelope from you."
As the words left her mouth, a very pretty girl suddenly ran over and whispered a few words into Ran Shasha's ear.
Ran Shasha nodded, then turned to say, "Nannan, I'm going in first; let's chat another time when we're free."
"Okay."
After watching Ran Shasha walk away, Meng Qiu finally spoke up, "Sister Xinan, you actually know Ran Shasha!"
She had been shocked to hear Xinan's conversation with Ran Shasha; the famous movie star was getting married, and to Han Jibai no less!
It was well-known that the Han family, aside from the Cheng family, held significant influence in Jing City's aristocracy.
This news was really explosive!
Xinan could genuinely feel Meng Qiu's excitement, as she had been clinging to her arm the whole time, nearly crushing it with her grip.
"Meng Qiu, let go of me first, calm down." It really hurt.
After Meng Qiu let go, Xinan rubbed her now reddened arm, thinking about how strong this girl's grip was!
When Xinan looked up, she locked eyes with Ding Lan. Seeing her meaningful gaze, Xinan's heart thumped—Ding Lan must have guessed the truth.
Xinan had never told anyone her identity, not even Ding Lan; plus, the Xi Family had made efforts to erase traces of her identity, so basically no one knew she was the heiress of the Xi Family.
Now, due to Ran Shasha's actions and the fact that there was only one Xi family among the major families in Jing City, anyone with a bit of brains could put two and two together.
Feeling guilty, Xinan coughed and then said, "Sister Lan, I didn't mean to hide it from you."
She truly hadn't intended to deceive Ding Lan; it was just that the identity of Miss Xi was too conspicuous, and she didn't rely on this identity to establish herself in the entertainment industry.
Ding Lan seemed quite helpless: "Xinan, how many more secrets do you have that I don't know about?"
From the first day she signed Xinan, Ding Lan knew her background was no ordinary one, as everything from her manner of speaking to her dressing was not that of an average family's child.
She still remembered their first meeting at the entrance of the Film Academy, Xinan was wearing a beige, short-sleeved dress which revealed swathes of her delicate skin, drawing many glances from passersby.
With just one look, Ding Lan knew this girl had a promising future because both her looks and demeanor were simply too outstanding, so she immediately handed her her business card.
Unfortunately, Xinan started her career through a web series. Although it initially sparked quite a buzz online, the heat soon died down due to lack of follow-up resources, leaving Xinan in a lukewarm state in the entertainment industry even after nearly five years since her debut.
But Xinan had a non-confrontational temperament that caused Sister Lan considerable headaches.
Xinan forced a smile and chose not to continue the conversation. She couldn't even imagine what Sister Lan's reaction would be if she knew about her marriage to Cheng Yi.
Perhaps more shocking to Sister Lan than the fact of her marriage would be her choice of spouse.
Should she tell Sister Lan? After all, she was her agent.
Just then, the image of Cheng Yi's indifferent face popped into Xinan's mind, and she quickly dismissed the thought.
After all, he had stated that he wanted to keep their marriage news among as few people as possible.
Upon seeing Ran Shasha exiting the audition room, Meng Qiu expressed her concern for Xinan, "Sister Xinan, I feel like your competition pressure is enormous!"
That's the Triple Gold Actress there!
It seemed the play was really good; otherwise, why would Ran Shasha lower herself to audition?
Xinan and Ran Shasha nodded and greeted each other. Hearing Meng Qiu's mournful tone, Xinan also began to lose confidence—did she truly have the ability to land this role?
About ten or so minutes passed, and it was finally Xinan's turn to audition.
"Sister Xinan, good luck!" Meng Qiu gestured encouragingly to her.
Xinan smiled back.
The audition process wasn't as tense as she had anticipated and even went smoother than she expected. From the interviewer's expression, Xinan couldn't glean any useful information, and she had no idea if she had done well or not.
From the moment she saw Ran Shasha auditioning, Xinan didn't harbor much hope for this casting, because if she were the director, she would definitely select such a seasoned and skilled actress too.
Moreover, success in the entertainment industry wasn't guaranteed by just having good looks or acting skills—the industry complexities ran deep. If you didn't have significant backing or immense popularity, rising to prominence was harder than reaching the heavens.
Xinan had encountered opportunities like this before but got rejected each time she auditioned, so her heart had already become dispassionate towards such outcomes.
Without expectations, Xinan felt relaxed while waiting for the results over the next few days.
Three days later, Ran Shasha visited Han Jibai's company.
Although Ran Shasha's relationship with Han Jibai was not a secret at the company, her arrival still caused quite a stir—after all, she was a Triple Gold Actress!
The moment Ran Shasha walked into the office, several people greeted her, and she responded with smiles, instantly boosting her popularity.
When she reached the CEO's office at the far end, the secretary had already opened the door for her before she could reach out.
She whispered a thanks and then, stepping in high heels, entered.
"Jibai?"
Seeing Ran Shasha, Han Jibai showed a warm smile, disregarding the outside world as he directly helped her to sit in his chair.
Seeing this, the secretary quietly closed the office door, shutting out the prying eyes.
"Shasha, what brings you here?" Han Jibai put down the planning document he was holding and looked at Ran Shasha tenderly.
"I heard that 'Mist' changed its Female Lead." Her tone held no blame, as if she were discussing something perfectly ordinary.