"Xu Chun, why aren't you saying anything? Do you just love listening to others talk?" one of the boys finally retorted stubbornly.
Xu Chun stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly walked over and smiled, "Whether you're talking about seniority or age, you have to call me senior."
The boy spat and said, "And you're doing even worse than us?"
Xu Chun's gaze swept over the group of boys. They were all young and impetuous newcomers to the entertainment industry, relying on their good looks to believe they could always be loved and therefore acting recklessly.
"Yes," he said without getting annoyed, chuckling softly, "It's hard to guarantee that a younger, more popular kid won't push them out."
He paused, patted him on the shoulder, and said gently, "Take care of yourself." Then he walked out.
As he reached the door, he seemed to remember something, turned back, and gave the boys a slight smile.
"By the way, let me teach you a lesson: don't say things like that in the bathroom. Who can guarantee there won't be someone like me, who loves to eavesdrop, there? You know what I mean."
Several boys turned pale upon hearing this, watching his figure disappear from sight.
After leaving the restroom, Xu Chun walked through the corridor, turned a corner, and pushed open a door to go inside.
Behind the door was a large dressing room, where newcomers and obscure stars were all accommodated, as well as has-been artists like Xu Chun.
"Please wait a moment." The makeup artist didn't have any extra help for Xu Chun at the moment, so she could only ask him to sit on the sofa and wait.
"It's nothing." Xu Chun smiled gently, then looked down at the magazine, overhearing several female celebrities who had just entered the industry discussing something.
I heard that Xie Jianyuan will also be attending the awards ceremony.
"Really? What should I do? Ugh, I should have worn my deep V-neck, backless dress."
"Many big names will be attending this time, including Shen Zhu Lu Xian."
"Oh really? I need to ask for the phone number!"
"Pah, they wouldn't even look at you, haha."
Xu Chun lowered her head and turned another page, feeling a little sleepy, but remembering that she would be appearing in front of the camera again, she forced herself to stay awake.
After waiting for more than half an hour, it was finally Xu Chun's turn. After changing his clothes and putting on makeup, he followed the crowd towards the hall.
He clutched his phone tightly, but there was no response. Jiang Xiuyan had mentioned before that he would attend the awards ceremony, but now that they were about to enter, he still hadn't called to ask.
Xu Chun's assigned seat was in the middle or back row, surrounded by strangers, so he had no choice but to sit still.
Just before they were about to enter, a few people finally arrived, surrounded by security guards and staff. The young man in the lead was tall and thin, with handsome and deep-set features. He had a faint smile on his lips and lazily walked in with his hands in his pockets.
Xu Chun recognized him as Xie Jianyuan. There was probably no one in the industry who didn't know him. Xu Chun knew him for another reason: his face was somewhat similar to hers, and some fans even mistook her for Xie Jianyuan when they went out.
Although she debuted later than me, her career has been incredibly smooth, with resources that are the envy of many. I heard that she comes from an outstanding family and only entered the entertainment industry as a hobby, but she still became famous despite her talent.
His position was naturally worlds apart from Xu Chun's. There were countless rows between them, Xu Chun could only see the back of his head from afar.
A few minutes later, the figure Xu Chun had been longing for finally appeared. Jiang Xiuyan walked in, and after searching the hall with his eyes, Xu Chun's smile hadn't even formed when he saw him looking at someone and walked straight towards them with a smile.
Jiang Xiuyan walked up to Xie Jianyuan, presumably to greet him, and then sat down not far from him.
Xu Chun pursed her lips. Indeed, how could Jiang Xiuyan, as an investor, possibly sit in the back row?
He forced himself to ignore the strange feeling in his heart, but his mind was still in a mess. He always felt like he was about to grasp something, but it always just flashed by.
He was distracted throughout the awards ceremony, but he knew he was just a guest, and the main characters were those in the front row; they were the ones who deserved to stand on the stage.
It wasn't until near the end that Xu Chun received a text message from Xu Chun Jiang Xiuyan, telling her to wait at the main gate after the event and not to wander off.
The awards ceremony ended at 10 o'clock. Xu Chun walked out of the hall and waited at the door. By then, most of the reporters had left. Xu Chun was standing in the corner, so no one noticed him.
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, just as Xu Chun was about to call him, a bright headlight shone on them, almost blinding them.
"Get in the car," Jiang Xiuyan voice.
Xu Chun noticed that he was driving himself this time. He opened the car door, sat in the passenger seat, and then fastened his seatbelt.
Jiang Xiuyan was about to step on the gas, his gaze caught something, and he paused slightly before slowly rolling down the car window.
"Jianyuan!"
Xu Chun was slightly taken aback, then looked out the car window and saw Xie Jianyuan dressed in a sharp suit, looking down at his watch, probably waiting for someone to pick him up.
Hearing someone call his name, Xie Jianyuan raised his eyelids and looked over indifferently. Seeing that it was Jiang Xiuyan, he lazily curled the corners of his lips and nodded slightly as a greeting.
He then seemed to notice Xu Chun in the passenger seat, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment before he raised an eyebrow, as if surprised that Xu Chun looked somewhat similar to him.
"I'm leaving." Jiang Xiuyan noticed his gaze, paused for a moment, then seemed afraid of something, hurriedly honked the horn, and was about to drive away.
As the car slowly started to move, Xu Chun stared blankly out the window, her gaze meeting a pair of familiar yet unfamiliar dark eyes. Those eyes were cold and indifferent, as if she were looking at a complete stranger.
He suddenly gasped, as if he had suddenly realized something and jolted awake.