After they finished eating, it was already 7 pm. Shen Shuyao insisted that Ji Nian stay for a few more days, afraid to be alone.
"But, what about my clothes..." Ji Nian hesitated, wishing she had brought luggage if she had known she'd be staying at the female lead's home.
"Although you're half a head taller than me, our clothing sizes should be the same. You can wear my stuff." Shen Shuyao said with a smile, her eyes full of expectation.
Ji Nian was surprised and looked around the one bedroom apartment thinking there was only one bed. A little embarrassed she said, "Uh...okay. If you don't mind me sleeping with you I can keep you company for a few more days."
Shen Shuyao was overjoyed. She quickly replied, "I don't mind at all. I have a lot of new clothes I haven't worn yet. I'll get them for you."
Seeing the female lead so excited, Ji Nian was still confused. Why did she seem so happy?
Meanwhile, Shen Shuyao was rummaging through her closet to find clothes. She came out holding several outfits and put them on the sofa, then started going through them with the woman.
"Nian, look. This pajama set was gifted by an obscure brand, but the material is pretty comfortable. Why don't you wear this tonight?" said Shen Shuyao.
Ji Nian was surprised to see the clothes in her hand. Feeling a little awkward she said, "Thank you, but I can wear anything. You don't have to find new clothes for me."
"I have brand partners that send me clothes every month. I can't wear them all." Shen Shuyao laughed.
"I'm so jealous." Ji Nian's eyes showed admiration. She didn't know brands did that. If she had a deal like that she could save so much money on clothes.
"It's a very obscure brand, not well known at all. Their target consumer is mainly students, so the prices are around 300 RMB or less." said Shen Shuyao. Her eyes dulled a little as she spoke. She wished she could represent a major brand, but her current fame wasn't enough.
Ji Nian noticed the sudden sadness in the female lead's eyes. She tried to comfort her, "Actually students are the main consumer group. Besides, ordinary people like me don't pay attention to brands. As long as it's comfortable, that's good enough."
Shen Shuyao chuckled and said, "Nian, you're not being honest."
She had already noticed the woman was dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, all the latest seasons, clearly not inexpensive.
She laughed, "Just look at your outfit. The Little Xiang t-shirt is 6,000 RMB. The super short denim shorts are from a foreign brand, also 2,000. The white sneakers are from Little G, almost 15,000. And you're carrying a new Hermes mini bag, over 40,000. Everything you have on is designer."
When Ji Nian heard this, she froze. What?! Was her outfit really that expensive? When she first arrived and was moving, she had sold a lot of the original owner's stuff. She just gathered what looked inexpensive to wear.
She never imagined the mini bag alone was over 40,000 RMB. The shorts were 2,000? The plain white t-shirt with some brand she didn't recognize was 6,000?!
"Um...well...actually..." Ji Nian was speechless inside. She had no idea everything she had on was designer brands she had randomly pulled from her suitcase that morning.
Shen Shuyao smiled with determination in her eyes, "I know you're just trying to comfort me, but I believe one day I'll have the chance to model for top brands too."
Ji Nian nodded, "You definitely will!"
"So will you, Nian." Shen Shuyao smiled brightly.
The next morning when Ji Nian woke up, she made breakfast for the female lead.
They had stayed up late the previous night chatting and watching Shen Shuyao's show together. Seeing all the positive commentary made the female lead incredibly happy.
"Wow Nian, you're too good to me!" said Shen Shuyao, happily eating her salad.
Ji Nian didn't know how to make salad, but there was pre-packaged salad in the fridge that just needed to be opened. She also prepared milk, boiled eggs, and whole wheat bread, knowing someone like Shen Shuyao who relied on her looks would be very conscious of calories.
"Eat up. This stuff won't make you fat." said Ji Nian.
Shen Shuyao nodded with a smile, "I usually live alone. Having you here is great. You should just move in and live with me."
Ji Nian was surprised but very happy to hear that. Wouldn't staying by Shen Shuyao's side at all times basically give her the female lead's halo?
"Sure, I'll freeload off you from now on. You make the money, I'll cook at home for you to eat." Ji Nian batted her eyes playfully.
Shen Shuyao smiled back while eating her salad. Just then her phone on the table rang. It was an unknown number. She gave Ji Nian a confused look before answering.
Seeing the female lead's expression go from serious to bewildered, Ji Nian wondered who was on the phone.
After Shen Shuyao ended the call, she still looked surprised as she said, "It was someone high up at my company."
"What did they want?" asked Ji Nian.
Still looking stunned, Shen Shuyao finally replied, "It was a high-level executive calling to tell me I'm being transferred to another company. He said to come sign paperwork and finalize a contract as soon as possible."
Ji Nian, who had been drinking milk, nearly spat it out. Transferred companies? That was a key plot point.
This was the beginning of the novel's storyline. Because of childhood trauma, the male lead has a psychological condition that prevents intimacy with women.
He was tricked and drugged into spending a night with a stranger, surprised he was able to be with her normally. So he starts investigating who this mystery woman is. Upon discovering she is a budding actress, he decides to sign her to his company so he can observe her and understand why she doesn't trigger his condition.
"Which company are they transferring you to?" asked Ji Nian.
Shen Shuyao shook her head in confusion. How could she suddenly be changing companies overnight? "I don't know. He didn't say over the phone, just to come in to talk."
Ji Nian nodded, "Then hurry up and finish eating so we can head over."
Shen Shuyao looked anxious and fearful as she asked, "What if it's because I turned down Director Lin's advances? Maybe the company wants to cancel my contract and blacklist me?"
Ji Nian nearly choked on her bread. She washed it down with milk before carefully saying, "That won't happen! Maybe it's good luck coming your way. Let's not assume the worst until we get there and see what's going on."
Shen Shuyao was filled with trepidation but nodded, "Come with me, okay?"
Ji Nian hesitated, "I'm not sure I should be there..."
"But I just had that fight with Sister Ling yesterday. And now I get this sudden call from upper management...I'm really scared..." Shen Shuyao looked panicked as her eyes reddened.
