In an instant, Shu Yi felt heartbroken. She had been there too, hadn't she? The entertainment industry was all about personal interests, and no one could speak their true feelings. So she chose to escape. When there were shows to film, she would act; when there were none, she would live her own life. Back in high school, she had a very good friend, but that friend eventually ended up with the person Shu Yi had secretly admired.
She pretended not to care, but deep down, she felt hurt. After entering university and getting busy with their own lives, Shu Yi let go of her feelings for that secret crush. But her friend had already made new friends. Shu Yi no longer had any close friends around her, so meeting Shen Yin was her great fortune.
Becoming friends with Shen Yin was quite miraculous. Before she knew it, they had become very close. Sometimes, fate truly works in wondrous ways. You never know what might happen the next second, nor can you predict what kind of person will click with you, until you meet them.
"Yin Yin, although I can't experience it firsthand for you, I can look into the novel again. If that doesn't work, I can watch the movie adaptation for you. Wait for me, I'll let you know tonight," Shu Yi said casually.
"That's too much trouble for you," Shen Yin replied.
"We're close friends," Shu Yi's expression conveyed a sense of assurance.
After hanging up the call, Shu Yi did indeed open a novel website. Just as she was reading an intriguing synopsis, a message popped up.
Seeing that long-forgotten name, those two familiar words, felt strangely unfamiliar to Shu Yi.
The sender was Wei Yuan. [Yue Ru, it's June already. Are you coming to the class reunion?]
Shu Yi didn't reply.
[At the hotel across from Rong City No.3 Middle School, the time is set for tomorrow night. Please come this time, it's been years since we last saw each other,] Wei Yuan urged.
Shu Yi looked at the message. Since graduating, she had indeed never attended any class reunions. It wasn't because she was putting on airs as a celebrity but rather because she had never truly blended in with that class during high school.
After some thought, Shu Yi changed her clothes, grabbed her car keys, and headed to Qinghe Villa.
"Is your boss on the third floor?" Shu Yi asked Li Huanhuan on the first floor.
"Yes, yes," Li Huanhuan nodded excitedly. For her, this wasn't just a job; she was also an avid fan.
Upon reaching the third floor, Shu Yi changed into a pair of slippers and peeked in, asking, "Didn't your auntie come today?"
Hearing her voice, Zhengzheng looked up and called out, "Auntie mom." After that, she continued playing with her little building blocks.
Shen Yin raised her head, a bit surprised. "Why did you come over now? Don't tell me you've figured out the answer to my question and rushed here to tell me."
"I'm here to freeload a meal," Shu Yi said matter-of-factly.
"You had me worried for a second there. I actually thought you had found the answer and came to share it with me," Shen Yin replied.
Hearing this, Shu Yi chuckled, "How could I figure it out so quickly? I came to find you because there's something I want to confide in you about."
Shen Yin raised an eyebrow, concerned. "Did something happen?"
"Let me show you what I looked like before," Shu Yi said, taking out her phone from her bag and opening the photo gallery. She flipped to a picture and handed the phone to Shen Yin.
Shen Yin looked at the photo, then at Shu Yi, and said, "The change is quite significant, but if you look closely, it's not that different."
In the photo, Shu Yi's face was dark and red, with some acne. She looked rather chubby, wearing black-framed glasses with thick, old-fashioned lenses. Overall, she was nearly unrecognizable compared to her current self.
"For the three years of high school, I pretty much looked like this," Shu Yi said, her expression showing her reluctance to recall that past. "I got sick in middle school and took a lot of medication. Then, during military training, I got sunburned. My face became puffy, dark, and covered in acne. At that time, I was always very self-conscious, feeling like an ugly duckling unable to fit in with the group. I had a very low presence in class. There was only one friend, named Wei Yuan. She had a great personality, was beautiful, and had many friends around her."
Shu Yi leaned her head on Shen Yin's shoulder, and Shen Yin gently patted her back.
"It's okay, that's all in the past now. Our Shu Yi is now a big star loved by so many people," Shen Yin comforted her, not expecting that the cool and aloof Shu Yi she saw on TV had such a past, so different from the open-hearted persona she showed in private.
"My original name wasn't Shu Yi; Shu Yi is just my stage name. Only a few people know that my real name is Shu Yue Ru. Isn't it a bit rustic?" Shu Yi asked with a laugh.
"Not at all, it's a nice name," Shen Yin replied.
"During the summer after the college entrance exams, my mom took me to get LASIK surgery. Every night, she would take me out for runs to exercise. With the medication having stopped for a few years, my body slowly regained its shape, and my skin became fairer. Luckily, I was in an experimental class, and my exam scores were decent, so I got into Rong City University of Science and Technology to study mechanical engineering. Acting was purely accidental for me. A film crew came to our university to shoot a movie, and the director selected me. Later on, thanks to some good luck, I acted in several low-budget youth dramas during college and got signed by the media company under the Chang Corporation due to my decent acting skills. Back then, I almost didn't graduate because of acting," Shu Yi suddenly straightened up as she spoke.
"That's amazing, balancing work and studies so well," Shen Yin praised.
"I actually had a secret crush on a boy in high school. When we graduated in our senior year, he got together with Wei Yuan. I instantly lost my feelings for him. Apart from Wei Yuan, I cut off contact with everyone else in the class. They probably don't even know that Shu Yi is actually Shu Yue Ru. After all, who would pay attention to an ugly duckling, right?" Shu Yi's tone carried a sense of resignation.
"Don't say that. The ugly duckling has now become a beautiful swan. Our Shu Yi is the most beautiful swan of all," Shen Yin said.
Shu Yi burst out laughing. "Yin Yin, you're the best."
"Now that you've talked about it, do you feel a bit better?" Shen Yin asked.
"I do feel better, but there's one more thing. Next week, there's going to be a high school class reunion. Wei Yuan invited me, but I've never attended one before. She doesn't know that I'm Shu Yi," Shu Yi explained. "So I'm not sure if I should go or not."
"Go if you want to, or decline if you don't," Shen Yin advised.
"Actually, I want to see what the person I liked back then looks like now. But I'm worried that if I go, my high school photos might get leaked online. There have never been any pictures of me from before my debut, and I have to say, Chang Zhiyuan has been really good at protecting the privacy of his artists."
"Even if they get leaked, there's no need to worry. This is a story of our success and transformation. I've made a bit of money recently, so I can handle the public relations for you anytime," Shen Yin reassured her.
Shu Yi was deeply touched and hugged Shen Yin tightly. Seeing this, Zhengzheng came toddling over, jumping up and down, "Zhengzheng wants a hug too!"
"Then let Auntie mom give Zhengzheng a kiss first," Shu Yi turned around and planted a kiss on Zhengzheng's little face.
