The corner of Xu Shuangrong's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. She couldn't understand how Xie Mi's perfectly warm mouth could produce such ice-cold words.
Was she the devil incarnate?
But she had already taken the act this far. Even if her audience refused to play along, she had no choice but to soldier on.
"I just... suddenly feel a little lost about where my life is going."
Xu Shuangrong slowly sat down on a bench beside the pool and gazed out at the distant sea, her eyes clouded with confusion.
"I used to want nothing but to charge ahead with everything I had, heedless of anything, crashing through every obstacle."
"But when I actually stopped to think, I felt lost."
"Is reaching the top at all costs really what I want?"
"Maybe it isn't."
"From the moment I entered the entertainment industry, my life stopped being simple. Every step meant planning a hundred steps ahead. I never had a moment to breathe."
"I think I'm..."
She looked up to meet Xie Mi's gaze. Tears welled in her misty eyes, one rolling down her cheek.
"Really tired."
The nighttime sea breeze stirred her hair, and droplets trickled from its ends.
She sat there in the darkness, smiling even as her eyes wept.
Had this scene appeared on-screen, it would probably have been praised for its breathtaking atmosphere.
After hearing her out, Xie Mi pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised a finger, a wise look in her eyes.
"Oh, I have an idea."
Xu Shuangrong immediately showed keen interest. "Do you have a way to help me, Teacher Xie?"
Xie Mi nodded solemnly, her gaze growing wiser by the second.
"Quit showbiz."
Xu Shuangrong nearly swore. "?"
"The entertainment industry is a place where greed and ambition can easily go to your