"May Our Love Last Forever" is a reality show that helps guests find their lost family members and repair their relationships.
The guests invited by the show's production team are usually ordinary people, but today they have invited the popular actress Su Anning, who has a huge following in the entertainment industry.
Su Anning debuted two years ago through a talent show for girl groups, using a cute and coquettish persona to win over a large number of fans. In the past two years, she has starred in several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films and has become one of the most beloved princesses of the entertainment industry.
On today's episode of "May Our Love Last Forever," the host gently asks Su Anning, "We heard that you asked for our help to find your long-lost younger sister?"
Su Anning covers her face and says tearfully, "My sister was taken to the countryside when she was seven years old and has been living there ever since. She has suffered a lot. Now that I have the ability, I want to bring her back and give her a better education so that she can live a better life."
The fans in the live chat flood the screen with supportive messages:
"Hugs for Ning."
"Ning's tears are breaking my heart."
"Ning is so kind-hearted."
"I hope the lost sister can reunite with her older sister soon."
Su Anning's director's voice comes through her earpiece: "When you cry, look at the camera on your left."
Su Anning slightly tilts her head to the left, allowing the camera to capture her tearful and pitiful expression perfectly.
Appearing on "May Our Love Last Forever" is a win-win situation for Su Anning. On one hand, she can promote her gentle and kind image, gaining more favor from her fans. On the other hand, her sister has a dark and unsophisticated appearance, making Su Anning's beauty stand out even more and increasing the show's popularity.
In the entertainment industry, nothing is off-limits for promotion. Su Anning's management company has even prepared a trending headline for tonight's show: "#Su Anning and her sister - a world of difference in appearance!"
As the suspense builds up, the host announces, "Now it's time for the moment we've all been waiting for. Can Su Anning find her younger sister after ten long years of separation? Let's count down and find out!"
Su Anning stands up from the couch and moves to the center of the stage, eagerly watching the countdown on the screen:
"Five, four, three, two, one..."
*
In the backstage resting area of "May Our Love Last Forever," a girl with dark skin and a hunched back is sitting on a chair. She is wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, looking tired and exhausted compared to the busy staff around her.
The director walks over, checks his watch, and says to her, "Bai Yin, you have fifteen minutes until you need to go on stage."
Bai Yin politely replies, "Please wait a moment. I need to put on some makeup."
As she speaks, her voice is soft and sweet, reminiscent of the old Shanghai dialect. The director can't help but take a second look at her. Her beautiful voice and her unattractive appearance clash with each other.
However, it doesn't matter. Today's main character is not her.
The director impatiently waved his hand and said, "No need for makeup, your natural look is perfect for the scene."
"Natural look?" Bai Yin smiled gracefully, "Then please allow me to remove my makeup."
"Remove...remove your makeup? Aren't you already natural?"
"Of course not."
Without waiting for the director's response, Bai Yin sat down at the makeup table and skillfully began removing her makeup with makeup remover on a cotton pad.
The director frowned as he watched her. With her makeup removed, he wondered how ugly she would look!
However, he watched as the dark foundation was wiped away from her face, and her skin tone lightened several shades, revealing porcelain-smooth skin that was as tender as a baby's.
Then she removed the eyeshadow, and her previously dull and lifeless eyes gained a bright and lively sparkle, like clear water in a mountain stream.
The girl who had looked ugly and unrefined just moments ago was now transformed by makeup into a stunning beauty, resembling a character from a Chinese ink painting.
After removing her makeup, Bai Yin politely stood up and said to the director, "This outfit is not very convenient for the show, please give me five more minutes."
The director nodded dumbfoundedly and watched as she disappeared behind the dressing room curtain.
At the age of six, Bai Yin lost her mother. Her father had an affair, and her mother committed suicide by cutting her wrists. Bai Yin witnessed the gruesome scene and it remained etched in her nightmares for over a decade.
Less than a year after her mother's death, her father married his personal assistant, who had a daughter older than Bai Yin by a year.
Bai Yin finally understood why her mother chose to end her life. It was not just because of her father's infidelity, but also because he had lied to her for so many years.
All the years of happy marriage and harmony were just a joke. Bai Yin couldn't imagine how hopeless her mother must have felt before she died.
After her stepmother entered the family, she urged her father to send six-year-old Bai Yin to live with her maternal grandmother in a small town in Jiangnan, far away from their happy home.
Since then, she changed her surname from Su to Bai, her grandmother's surname.
Recently, her grandmother fell ill and needed expensive medical treatment. The Su family came to take Bai Yin away, promising to pay for her grandmother's treatment, but on the condition that she would take the place of the Su family's second miss who was living outside, and enter into a commercial marriage with a wealthy magnate.
The illegitimate daughter who had already become a star was unwilling to give up her career and get married, so Bai Yin, the neglected legitimate daughter, became the sacrificial lamb of this commercial marriage.
Bai Yin gritted her teeth and agreed to the marriage in order to pay for her grandmother's surgery.
On the night before she left, she held her grandmother's white jade bead bracelet and watched as her grandmother's face aged and turned pale. She knew she had to do whatever it takes to save her grandmother.
The once serene black eyes burned with an unwilling flame. Bai Yin had returned to seek justice for her mother's untimely death and to avenge her own suffering of being dependent on others for over a decade. Her plan for revenge had arisen from despair and sadness.
As the countdown ended, the audience watched nervously and eagerly as a slender figure made her way down the hallway. Su Anning couldn't take her eyes off the end of the corridor, where the woman was approaching. On the day that her parents brought Bai Yin back, Su Anning had already seen her.
Bai Yin was a girl with a dark complexion, a thin figure, and a sickly pallor. She looked like a country bumpkin, and Su Anning's management company had arranged for the two sisters to participate in the reality show "Wishing for Longevity" to capitalize on their vastly different appearances. The plan was to showcase Su Anning's beauty and highlight the deep sisterly bond between them to gain favor with the audience.
Bai Yin was naive and foolish, overjoyed at the prospect of being on television, and readily agreed to participate. Su Anning looked at the girl walking down the long fluorescent-lit hallway, her chin raised, her eyes showing a mixture of pity and arrogance. She was waiting to see her sister make a fool of herself.
As the fluorescent lights lit up in circles, Su Anning got a clear view of the girl walking towards her. She was wearing a long, slim-fitting moon-white cheongsam which accentuated her snow-white skin, making her look like moonlight. Her waist was slim and delicate, barely able to be held, and her steps were graceful and composed.
As she approached, Su Anning could see her features clearly. This was no country bumpkin; her features were as serene as mist-covered mountains and rivers, breathtakingly beautiful. The entire audience was held spellbound by her beauty.
Bai Yin was not wearing any makeup, yet on such a well-lit stage, her looks were enough to hold the audience's attention. It was hard to imagine how stunning she would look with even a little makeup. In comparison, the entertainment industry's most beautiful stars would pale in comparison.
Su Anning could hardly believe her eyes. She couldn't understand how this ugly, unattractive and unremarkable country girl could transform into this magical beauty. Was it all just an act, and had she been deceived by Bai Yin?
Bai Yin glanced at Su Anning with a calm gaze, telling her without words that she was playing with her. Su Anning gritted her teeth, her eyes growing cold, but the host's timely reminder brought her back to reality. This was a live broadcast, and she needed to compose herself. She put on a different face, went to Bai Yin's side, lightly took her hand, and tremblingly called out, "Sister, we finally meet!"
Bai Yin gently pushed away Su Anning's hand, with a smile on her lips that was cold and distant. "Hello, Su Anning."
Her calm and authentic response made Su Anning feel a bit pretentious.
Bai Yin sat on the single sofa opposite her, her long and slender legs elegantly crossed, exuding grace and composure.
Su Anning couldn't help but adjust her posture.
She couldn't let herself be overshadowed!
But in fact, the barrage had already started to go crazy —
"Where did this fairy girl come from!"
"She's really too beautiful!"
"Anning's boyfriend has warned us several times that his sister is from a small place with no education, so please forgive her. I thought... she was just a silly girl."
"Anning and she have the same father but different mothers, so of course she has Anning's genes."
"I have to say, sitting next to her, Su Anning suddenly seems a bit plain and vulgar."
"Did you see the embroidery on her qipao? It's all handcrafted Su embroidery! The craftsmanship is too exquisite!"
In order to help the audience get to know Bai Yin better, the host naturally had to ask her some questions —
"I heard you graduated from which university?"
"South City Media University, School of Arts, Dance Department."
The host looked slightly surprised. "I didn't expect you to be my junior sister! It's really fate!"
Bai Yin smiled gracefully. "Hello, senior sister."
"Since you are from the dance department, why don't you give us a performance?"
Su Anning immediately glared at the host.
Clearly, this was an impulsive decision made by the host, trying to steal the limelight from the girl from the countryside!
"Unfortunately, I'm afraid it's not convenient for me to dance in this qipao today."
As soon as Su Anning finished speaking, Bai Yin stood up and with a "swoosh", a small lake blue folding fan opened in her fingers.
The music teacher quickly played a piece of soft and melodious music according to Bai Yin's movements.
Bai Yin danced gracefully with the rhythm of the music, her figure graceful and alluring, and her delicate features becoming more dazzling as her eyes flickered, exuding a strong sense of temptation.
The short fan dance seemed to transport the audience back to the nights of Shanghai's ten-mile foreign concession.
The live-stream barrage exploded —
"I'm uneducated, so all I can say is that she's so beautiful!"
"What kind of dance is this! I've never seen it before! It's so beautiful, I want to cut and learn it!"
"She's amazing! That slender waist of hers, even as a woman, I can barely resist!"
"It looks like she created the dance herself, no wonder she's Anning's sister, she's really talented."
"I have to say, even when Anning dances with her girl group, she's not as good as this."
"She's a graduate of a proper dance department, after all."
...
Originally, today was Su Anning's special event, but unexpectedly, Bai Yin stole all the limelight.
With her qipao and elegant fan dance, she amazed many people, and her popularity continued to soar.
After the broadcast ended, Su Anning tore off Gentle Sister's mask and walked up to Bai Yin's makeup table, questioning her in a stern voice, "Bai Yin, why have you been disguising your appearance with makeup since you came back these few days?"
Bai Yin leaned in closer to her face, and her pale pink lips almost touched her.
As she looked at Bai Yin's stunning appearance up close and smelled the scent of sandalwood on her, Su Anning's heart couldn't help but thump as a woman. The only words in her mind were "exquisite beauty."
"Why disguise my appearance?" Bai Yin's lips curved slightly, and she whispered seductively in her ear, "Of course...it's to deceive you."
Otherwise, how could she have the chance to steal the limelight and appear on stage?
Su Anning was so angry that the makeup on her face was about to be shaken off. "You...!"
"Thank you for your hard work today, sister. Go back and rest early."
Bai Yin picked up her bag and left the dressing room.
As she turned around, her smile disappeared in an instant.
...
Bai Yin walked out of the media building where the variety show was recorded and stood by the road waiting for a car.
Her best friend Sun Lili called her and said excitedly, "The program's livestream exploded. Hahaha, your fan dance was too stunning and went viral. Su Anning's face was visibly ugly. She has been so popular in the entertainment industry for so many years, it's about time she suffered some setbacks."
Bai Yin smiled coldly, "This is just the beginning."
The tragic death of her mother, the humiliation of being raised by relatives and looked down upon as a child, and years of endurance... Now that she's back, she won't spare anyone who has hurt her.
"But have you thought about the arranged marriage? Do you really want to agree to it? Who in the northern city doesn't know that Second Young Master Qin is a brute? He almost drove a small internet celebrity to suicide not long ago, despicable to the extreme."
"Who I marry doesn't matter." Bai Yin's eyes turned cold. "I don't care."
She has nothing now, and she must find the most stable support to rely on.
An arranged marriage is the best way.
Bai Yin hung up the phone, her fingertips holding a lake blue folding fan, and the tassels on it lightly brushing her cheongsam's slit legs.
As she turned around, she saw a black Bentley parked below the media building.
In the moment she looked over, the car window slowly closed, and she could only see a blurry figure.
It looked familiar.
Through the dark car window, she seemed to feel a pair of cold eyes staring at her.
Bai Yin frowned and was about to take a closer look, but the Bentley had already started its engine and sped past her, creating a gust of wind.
She took out her phone, found the name "chx" in her WeChat contacts, and sent a message, "I think I just saw you."
Chen Huaixiao did not reply.
Bai Yin edited another message, "I'm getting married."
Chen Huaixiao still didn't respond.
Bai Yin put down her phone, hailed a taxi, and got in.
As the taxi drove through the gates of the Beicheng Royal View Villa area, her phone in her bag vibrated.
Bai Yin unlocked the screen and saw the message from chx: "What does that have to do with me?"
Everyone could tell that Chen Huaixiao tonight had some pent-up frustration to release.
The drone returned with footage of the winding mountain road race, where a grey Bugatti top-tier supercar raced and sped away from its pursuers, leaving them far behind.
Twenty minutes later, the supercar raced down the mountain road and broke through the finish line, with confetti flying everywhere.
Amidst the ecstatic cheers, the car door opened, and a tall man stepped out.
Chen Huaixiao, the third son of the wealthy Chen family in the northern city.
The Chen brothers each pursued different fields, including real estate and finance.
But this Chen third son, who dominated the entertainment industry, was more successful than his siblings. He had even taken a stab at their businesses, leaving them frustrated but helpless.
In the entire northern city, he was the one who called the shots, with ambitious plans.
Surrounded by his entourage, he entered a high-end private room in a club.
Chen Huaixiao sat in the corner of the sofa, allowing a voluptuous model to pour him a drink, celebrating his breaking of the mountain road record that night.
During the day, in his suit, he was a cold and impeccable saint in people's eyes. But at night, in the most dangerous situations, he was like a devil, laughing and joking with evil spirits.
The private room featured a small bridge and flowing water, which was particularly elegant.
Chen Huaixiao held a square glass of yellow liquid and swayed it, gazing at the scenery of the small bridge and flowing water, lost in thought.
His guests noticed that Chen Huaixiao's expression was not good tonight, and so no one dared to approach him lightly.
Shen Bin was Chen Huaixiao's most trusted assistant, and only he dared to approach Chen when he was in such a bad mood.
"Master Chen, what do you think of this woman?" Shen Bin handed him a cellphone. "It seems to be a clip from a variety show. This fan dance has gone viral, and people are saying that the dance and the figure are both exquisite, and she's just an amateur."
Chen Huaixiao didn't pay much attention and glanced at the screen with his dark eyes.
The woman on the screen wore a moon-white cheongsam and danced with a fan, the scene was extremely beautiful.
But her eyebrows and eyes were clear and beautiful, not seductive.
"Her waist is not bad." Chen Huaixiao took a sip of his drink and gave a faint evaluation.
Shen Bin knew that Chen Huaixiao was an absolute connoisseur of beautiful waists. Whether male or female, a good waist was an essential condition for the entertainers under his management.
"Master Chen, her figure and skill took at least ten years to master."
More than ten years...
Chen Huaixiao couldn't help but think of the few years he spent studying at a university in the south, where he often visited the retired Chen grandfather in a small town in Jiangnan and caught glimpses of the girl next door dancing in the yard.
The small four-sided courtyard was lit up by the sunlight, shining on the girl's delicate body, and the large beads of sweat soaked her white shirt, which clung tightly to her body. She was exhausted but refused to stop.
Her legs were so painful that tears streamed down her face, but she remained stubborn...
She could give everything for success and honor.
She was tough on herself and even tougher on others.
"Master Chen, shall I contact her and sign her?" Shen Bin interrupted Chen Huaixiao's thoughts.
Shen Bin had a sharp eye and was dedicated to scouting talent for his company. He had done his best for the company. Chen Huaixiao put down his wine glass and said expressionlessly, "No need, she's getting married." Shen Bin's eyes widened. How did he know? He was a man who usually ignored the entertainment industry's gossip news and yet he knew that an unknown civilian was getting married?
Just then, a young man walked into the club, dressed in designer clothes and flamboyantly styled. He was Qin Jue, the son of the Qin family. "I don't know about that girl's marriage, but the Qin family is about to have a happy occasion," Shen Bin said, smiling at Chen Huaixiao. "I heard they are about to form a business alliance with the Su family. He's going to marry Su Family's Second Miss Who is Living Outside."
Chen Huaixiao's mind immediately went back to the past, when he used to ride motorcycles with her in the mountains. "Brother, slow down, I'm scared," the soft Wu dialect of the young girl echoed in his ears. Chen Huaixiao's face turned cold as he looked at the woman in Qin Jue's arms.
The Su and Qin families were integrating their businesses, which was big news in the entertainment industry. For Chen Huaixiao, it was not good news. However, he seemed not to have heard Shen Bin's analysis and was lost in his thoughts of the past.
Chen Huaixiao spoke a few words to Shen Bin, who was surprised at first and then quickly got up and went to Qin Jue's side. "Qin Young Master, our Master Xao is interested in the young lady next to you."
Qin Jue looked at Chen Huaixiao across the room, and Chen Huaixiao looked back at him expressionlessly, raising his wine glass in a challenge. "This is not fair, Master Xao needs more women? Must you steal other people's love?"
However, the car model in his arms, upon hearing Chen Huaixiao's name, could not contain herself. Chen Huaixiao was the most popular idol in the entertainment circle, and he had more fans than any other top star. Despite not being a celebrity, he was the most powerful capital behind the stars. If she could catch his eye, a bright future was within reach.
The young woman quickly stood up and left Qin Jue without a backward glance, sitting next to Chen Huaixiao. Chen Huaixiao put his arm around her and rested it on the back of the sofa behind her. The young woman, who was a seasoned veteran of the entertainment industry and had seen it all, blushed when embraced by Chen Huaixiao and felt like she had met her first love again.
No woman could resist Chen Huaixiao's powerful hormone aura. The dream of billions of young girls!
Qin Jue, realizing he couldn't compete with Chen Huaixiao, called over a few other car model women to play with. But he didn't expect that for every girl he called, Chen Huaixiao would call one too, and soon there were too many people to sit together. Even Shen Bin couldn't stand it anymore. Chen Huaixiao had never been interested in women, but tonight he called so many beautiful girls to accompany him. This was too unusual. Qin Jue couldn't take it anymore and walked over, raising his wine glass in a feigned toast and actually looking for an explanation from Chen Huaixiao. "Master Xao, what do you mean?"
Chen Huaixiao was too lazy to play along with Qin Jue's insincere words, so he threw the clear yellow liquid from his wine glass directly in Qin Jue's face and all over his body.
"Chen Huaixiao, have I offended you in any way?" Qin Jue was soaked in wine and his eye muscles were trembling with anger.
Chen Huaixiao absent-mindedly played with his wine glass with his fingertips, seemingly nonchalant, but his voice was extremely intimidating: "Since we're going to get married, it's best to behave yourself. If I see you fooling around with women again, I'll skin you alive."
This statement shocked everyone present. Chen Huaixiao's power and influence seemed to extend to everything.
However, even though it was absurd and unreasonable, Qin Jue dared not argue with him. He couldn't afford to offend this man, so he left the private room with a pale face.
Chen Huaixiao took out his phone and saw that the hot search item #FanDance# was trending. He clicked on Bai Yin's video and watched it over and over again.
During his college years in the south, Chen Huaixiao often visited his grandfather's house in a small town in Jiangnan. Next door to his grandfather's house lived a Jiangnan girl named Bai Yin, who often practiced dancing in the yard.
At that time, the girl had just started high school and was under a lot of academic pressure. She often studied while stretching her legs, and every day of the year, she wore a white Tai Chi shirt with a long braid down to her waist, sweating profusely, just like a little apprentice who had come out of a martial arts school.
One day, Chen's grandfather asked Chen Huaixiao to take the girl out to have some fun and not to spend all her time studying.
So Chen Huaixiao took her to a board game bar on his motorcycle, where he and some college classmates played Werewolf.
Bai Yin knew nothing about the young people's leisure activities and was completely clueless. She just stood there, staring at him.
His classmates laughed at Chen Huaixiao and asked why he brought such a rustic country girl.
But Chen Huaixiao was patient, explaining the rules to her, playing with her braid, and teaching her how to team up with him and outsmart the other players.
Later, he took her to a movie and found that she knew nothing about movie stars, so he told her that if she wanted to make it in the entertainment industry, she had to be in tune with the latest trends.
He only said this one sentence, but the girl took it to heart and began to study hard. Every time he came back, she would tell him everything she had learned about the entertainment industry, big and small.
Only Chen Huaixiao knew how much effort and sweat she put into it.
She was willing to go to great lengths to achieve her goals, even if it meant using her body as a bargaining chip.
Thinking of that crazy night, Chen Huaixiao's face grew even darker, and he gripped his phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
The woman beside him glanced at Bai Yin on his phone screen and said sourly, "What is this? She can't even dance as well as I can."
Chen Huaixiao put away his phone and gave the woman a piercing gaze, exuding a strong sense of oppression.
The woman nervously asked, "Master Chen, what... what do you want me to do?"
Chen Huaixiao pursed his lips and squeezed out a single word: "Leave."
"Get lost."
