After finishing breakfast, Wen Nianshen got ready to change clothes and head to the set.
"Director Ruan, I'm going to have to borrow some of your clothes today." Wen Nianshen stood up and tilted her chin. "We're about the same height—I should be able to fit into yours, right?"
The moment she said it, she caught A-Xin's gaze sweeping briefly toward her chest. Her face instantly burned. "Fine, I'll admit I'm a size bigger than you up here."
"Third wardrobe in the walk-in closet. The clothes inside haven't been worn—they should fit you." A-Xin shifted her gaze away and calmly carried the bowls to the kitchen. Wen Nianshen pursed her lips. Of course it would be like this.
Wen Nianshen walked into the closet and found the third wardrobe. Opening it, she saw rows of clothes still hanging with their tags on. After a couple of glances, suspicion crept in—these outfits were clearly her style, weren't they?
To confirm her hunch, she opened the second wardrobe. Sure enough, the clothes inside were an entirely different style.
She liked bold colors and eye-catching, expressive pieces. A-Xin preferred soft hues and simple cuts. Of all colors, A-Xin loved white the most.
So why would A-Xin have an entire wardrobe of clothes that were completely outside her own taste, all brand new? Were they prepared specifically for her?
Closing the second wardrobe, she rummaged through the third and picked out a lovely dress—though truthfully, they were all lovely, every single one in styles she adored. On a small shelf, she even found undergarments. She picked up a bra and checked it—the tag had been removed, but it was clearly unworn. It must have been de-tagged and washed. She glanced at the cup size and burst out laughing.
Just as she'd thought—these were prepared especially for her.
A-Xin really was thorough. She'd had everything ready from the start, clearly intent on bringing her home to stay.
"Are you changed?" A-Xin stood in the doorway.
Wen Nianshen had just slipped on the dress and was reaching for the zipper. Seeing A-Xin, she turned her head and said naturally, "Almost done—come help me with the zipper."
A-Xin walked over. Wen Nianshen turned around, and feeling her beloved draw near, her smile widened until it wouldn't close. She couldn't help remembering those days when she'd been a zombie—her body so stiff, yet she hadn't wanted A-Xin to see. Just putting on a pretty dress meant struggling in her room for over half an hour, sometimes a full hour.
And A-Xin would always wait patiently outside, never once showing a hint of impatience, no matter how long it took.
A-Xin seemed incapable of anger, incapable of rage, indifferent to everything in the world—yet able to pour all her love onto her alone. So she truly didn't mind that A-Xin forgot her existence in every new world. Because this person was hers, and would always fall in love with her again.
"Done."
"Mm, I'll have to trouble Director Ruan to drive me to the set."
Wen Nianshen knew A-Xin wouldn't refuse.
And A-Xin had no intention of refusing. She handed Wen Nianshen the handbag, grabbed the car keys, and the two walked out together. In the car, Wen Nianshen noticed A-Xin's perfectly serious expression and couldn't resist asking, "Director Ruan, the clothes in that third wardrobe—they don't seem like your style at all. They're all new. Who did you buy them for?"
"You."
A-Xin answered. She'd prepared them instinctively, sensing they'd come in handy. She didn't find anything strange about it.
Wen Nianshen ducked her head and smiled, tilting her face toward the window. Through the glass, she could study A-Xin's reflection carefully without being caught blushing. She gazed at the figure mirrored in the window and asked, "Director Ruan, you really are thorough. Not only dresses but matching sets of underwear too, all with the tags snipped off and washed. By the way—how did you know my size?"
"Your height and measurements have always been publicly listed, haven't they?"
Wen Nianshen: "..." If she didn't know this was her beloved, she would absolutely believe this woman was a born-and-bred straight girl—the kind you could never bend.
She pressed on: "Sometimes published information isn't accurate, you know."
"I estimated by eye," A-Xin replied. "I can tell someone's size at a glance. It's quite easy." She didn't see the issue—Wen Nianshen was visibly one size bigger than her.
Wen Nianshen propped her chin on one hand, cheeks slightly warm. "Then, Director Ruan, I'm curious—why did you prepare all of this? It's not like we had any kind of relationship before. The dresses are all in styles I like, in my exact sizes."
Through A-Xin's reflection in the window, she could already see the puzzlement on her face. A-Xin probably didn't know herself why she'd prepared these things. She'd arrived in this world, seen Wen Nianshen, and instinctively done it all.
Because they would always end up living together.
"Director Ruan, do you perhaps have some... thoughts about me?" Wen Nianshen turned to face her, looking straight at A-Xin with a playful grin. "Don't you think you've been paying me just a little too much attention?"
"A little, yes." A-Xin admitted honestly, then asked, "What kind of thoughts should I be having about you?"
Wen Nianshen's lips moved. She nearly blurted it out—what do you think? Obviously the kind where you like someone and want to be with them forever. The words were on the tip of her tongue before she swallowed them back.
Although she didn't mind that A-Xin always forgot her, there was still a twinge of frustration. Confessing could wait until she felt better about it, until she was in a good mood. Let it be said then.
She'd come to accept that every time, she had to be the one to speak first.
"Director Ruan is a smart person. Take your time thinking about it—you'll figure it out eventually."
Yeah, right!
If she didn't speak up, this woman would never figure it out. Just thinking about it was infuriating—every single time, she had to make the first move.
She really wanted to smack someone.
But looking at that beautiful face—who could bring themselves to? She barely had enough time to adore her.
Then she actually watched A-Xin drive while simultaneously mulling the question over, as if genuinely trying to work out whether she really did have feelings for Wen Nianshen. The sight nearly made Wen Nianshen die laughing. Her A-Xin—how could she be this adorable?
A-Xin was perfect in every way. Just had a bit of a memory problem.
Oh, forget it. She wasn't going to hold it against this woman whose brain had been smashed by a meteorite.
A-Xin dropped Wen Nianshen off at the set. After getting out, Wen Nianshen turned back and asked quietly, "Director Ruan, were you thinking about that question the entire drive?"
"Did you figure it out?"
Her face was all smiles. Having memories from every previous world really was something else—it gave you the upper hand in everything. Watching this eternally composed, brilliant woman look so utterly bewildered was unbearably cute. She wanted to pull her into her arms and shower her with affection.
"No."
A-Xin could read the teasing glint in Wen Nianshen's expression. The other woman seemed to particularly enjoy seeing her confused—she couldn't fathom what was so delightful about it.
Since it made her so happy, A-Xin decided to stop puzzling over the question and just let her enjoy it for a while.
And what was that indulgent look about?
Wen Nianshen instantly recognized the meaning in A-Xin's eyes—she knew it far too well. In every lifetime, A-Xin looked at her with those same warm, tender eyes, as though she were an ice cream cone that would melt under the gaze.
She couldn't handle it anymore.
Wen Nianshen hurriedly waved her hand. "Director Ruan, bye-bye! If I don't go now, the director's going to start yelling." She might be the boss just playing around on a film set, but showing up late constantly wasn't great either.
She put on her hat, stepped into her heels, and practically sprinted away. If she didn't run, she really wouldn't be able to stop herself from pinning Director Ruan down and kissing her senseless.
Only after Wen Nianshen's figure disappeared did A-Xin withdraw her gaze. Thinking back on the question—what kind of thoughts did she have about Wen Nianshen?—she considered it carefully. Still couldn't figure it out.
Then her assistant called, asking whether she'd looked through the pile of scripts yet.
"Haven't gotten to them."
The assistant: "..." Since when was Director Ruan this unprofessional?
"Go through them for me. Keep any scripts that feature a stunning beauty with a major role. Ideally where the lead is the stunning beauty. But if the role requires kissing scenes or intimate scenes that can't be cut—pass on those."
The assistant: "..." I don't understand! I truly do not understand!!
What was this about? Had Director Ruan been replaced by someone else?
Staring at the mountain of scripts before him, the assistant could only say, "Got it, Director Ruan. I'll do my best." And started sorting out every script featuring a stunning beauty.
Was Director Ruan changing her creative direction?
After Wen Nianshen had finished being gorgeous on set, Su Wei approached her during a break. "Nianshen-jie, thank you so much for Director Ruan yesterday." She glanced around. "Director Ruan didn't come today?"
"She's a big-shot director, you know—very busy. She dropped me off at the set and left." Wen Nianshen saw nothing wrong with saying this. She was stating facts, after all.
Su Wei turned the sentence over in her mind. Something felt off. Why had Nianshen-jie said it with such pride, practically showing off?
While Wen Nianshen and A-Xin remained unaware, a rumor surfaced online: "Wen Nianshen rumored to collaborate with Director Ruan on new project." The tipster first mentioned that Director Ruan and Wen Nianshen had dined together at a restaurant the day before, accompanied by a crystal-clear photo of both entering a private room. The image was sharp—there was no mistaking it. That was Director Ruan and Wen Nianshen.
The moment the story broke, the internet exploded.
Online fury rained down on Wen Nianshen. People told her to get out of the entertainment industry—ruining dramas was one thing, but now she was going to ruin their beloved Director Ruan? A genius filmmaker who only produced masterpieces, who'd won awards for every single drama and movie—working with Wen Nianshen???
"Director Ruan, be honest—are you strapped for cash?"
"Director Ruan, please, don't do this to yourself. You know exactly what kind of person Wen Nianshen is, right?"
"Ruins every show she touches. Spends the entire runtime being pretty, the kind of face that makes you forget the plot—an actress who steals attention from the story is never a good actress."
"Director Ruan, please don't go through with this."
Compared to the vitriol aimed at Wen Nianshen, A-Xin's side was relatively civil. Fans spoke warmly, mostly just gently advising Director Ruan not to make such a terrible decision as collaborating with "The Drama Demolisher."
On Wen Nianshen's end, it was a torrent of abuse.
The controversy blew up so massively that discussion threads piled sky-high, and Wen Nianshen rocketed to the number-one trending topic yet again.
This time, though, she dragged A-Xin onto the trending list with her, leading hordes of people to discover the genius director's career trajectory and rush to binge-watch her previous works.
Someone even posted: "I suggest you all bookmark Director Ruan's earlier films now. That way, when she finally collaborates with Wen Nianshen, you can pull them out to cleanse your eyes."
Wen Nianshen was glued to her phone whenever she had a spare moment, and her assistants and manager were no pushovers either. The instant this kind of news appeared, they were on it.
But thanks to Wen Nianshen's standing orders, they hadn't even considered suppressing it.
Other actresses might care about their reputations. Wen Nianshen couldn't care less.
However, since this time Director Ruan was involved, Pan Er still called to check: "Nianshen, this time Director Ruan got dragged into it too. Should we do something?"
"No need," Wen Nianshen said cheerfully. "She won't mind. Just watch from the sidelines. I'm going to keep collaborating with Director Ruan in the future—let her get a taste of this little splash now, so she's not caught off guard when the real flood comes."
"..."
Pan Er hesitated. "Is that really okay? Wait—Nianshen, did you say you're going to collaborate with Director Ruan? For real?"
"For real. Do I look like I'd lie about this?"
No—well, about something like this, Nianshen wouldn't lie to him. But wasn't there some kind of mistake about who she was collaborating with? Ruan Shen was someone who was notoriously strict about casting. How could she possibly pick Wen Nianshen??
"In the future, every one of Director Ruan's films might have me in it. And of course, I'll be playing the most beautiful character."
Pan Er: "..." Could he admit that Director Ruan was his all-time favorite filmmaker? And now even she couldn't escape Wen Nianshen's clutches. But then he remembered Wen Nianshen's obscene fortune, and his heartbreak vanished instantly. A nice pile of that filthy money would be plenty to console his wounded little heart.
Su Wei, sitting nearby and overhearing Wen Nianshen's words, couldn't help saying, "Nianshen-jie, I actually think you act really well."
When they did scenes together, Su Wei slipped into character almost instantly, and even after they finished, it took her a while to snap out of it. She'd worked with veteran actors before in her bit-part days, and getting into character always took some effort.
Plus, working with those seniors inevitably came with all sorts of hiccups.
With Wen Nianshen, there were practically no issues.
Almost every take was a one-and-done.
She was certain Wen Nianshen's acting was genuinely good. But whenever she watched the playback, something always felt off. Same as with Wen Nianshen's older work—wherever Wen Nianshen appeared on screen, you could only focus on her. Your brain went blank, and the plot evaporated.
As long as you didn't look at Wen Nianshen and just listened, the performance was excellent.
She concluded that Wen Nianshen's acting really wasn't bad. It was probably just... probably she was just too beautiful.
Wen Nianshen patted Su Wei on the head. "Good eye, kiddo." This unlucky girl had always had good taste, really. Sure, her character setup had been annoying in previous lifetimes, but at some point she'd seemed to unlock something, and she'd gotten more adorable over time.
Still just as unlucky, though. Who knew who she'd offended to get stuck with such a miserable setup.
Su Wei endured the head-patting with an awkward smile. They were only a year or two apart in age—she was just small for her age, not actually a kid.
"I heard from Director Ruan what happened before. You've got real potential. Interested in coming to my company?"
Su Wei's head was spinning—the kind of dizzy you get when a pie falls from the sky and hits you square on the head. She hadn't even figured out how to respond, and Nianshen-jie was already poaching her?
"Nianshen-jie... could I really?"
Look at those hopeful little eyes, Wen Nianshen thought. If this girl ever recovered her memories from past lives, she'd probably stomp her feet and throw punches remembering this moment.
Picturing that scene, she patted Su Wei's head again—just like petting an adorable puppy—and answered, "Of course you can. I believe in you."
"But... but my contract hasn't expired yet." Su Wei hung her head, face flushed. "The money I've earned, after daily expenses and other costs, I've been sending it all home. Both my parents are sick—they can't go without the money. I can't afford the breach-of-contract penalty."
"Easy—just break the contract. I'm poaching you, so I'll cover the penalty."
Wen Nianshen struck an I'm loaded pose that practically blinded Su Wei. "This..."
"Don't feel pressured." Wen Nianshen patted Su Wei's shoulder. "I have real faith in you. Come to my company, focus on your acting, and earn back everything I spent."
Setting everything else aside, Su Wei was someone she was genuinely betting on—a future Best Actress in the making.
And a Best Actress could earn her so much money. A little breach-of-contract penalty? Truly pocket change.
"Nianshen-jie, I'll work really hard. I promise." Su Wei was utterly sincere. Over the past few days, she'd seen enough to understand. Though Wen Nianshen got bashed by hordes of people online, every actress who'd actually worked with her treated her with genuine warmth.
And on this set, Su Wei hadn't suffered a single slight. Whenever anything went wrong, it was resolved almost immediately. Even that minor actress who'd had it in for her seemed to have simply vanished.
And just a couple of days ago, she'd heard that a certain actress had been arrested for something. The very same actress had been part of this production—and calculating the timeline, it was right around when that rigging incident happened. That actress had disappeared from the set at exactly the same time.
If her guess was right, Wen Nianshen had a hand in that.
Wen Nianshen was not as simple as everyone thought.
If Wen Nianshen knew what Su Wei was thinking, she'd pat her on the head and say, Wrong guess this time—it really wasn't me. It was my brilliant wife.
Regardless of how the internet raged and demanded that A-Xin refuse to work with Wen Nianshen, neither A-Xin nor Wen Nianshen raised so much as a ripple in response.
With both parties staying silent, the outraged netizens gradually lost steam.
Perhaps because Wen Nianshen's reputation was already so thoroughly trashed, no one even bothered to pile on while the topic was hot. A-Xin's side, however, attracted a fair number of paid trolls.
But she didn't care about any of it. Every day, she was busy selecting scripts that suited Wen Nianshen.
As long as the storyline was solid and featured a peerless beauty with plenty of screen time, she wanted it.
The assistant: Heh.
He'd finally figured out why Director Ruan wanted scripts with peerless beauties—they were all for Wen Nianshen, The Drama Demolisher herself.
Gradually, online attacks against A-Xin intensified, with people declaring that if she really collaborated with Wen Nianshen, they'd blacklist her forever.
Wen Nianshen saw these comments and snorted to herself. Does my wife need your patronage? When the film premieres, I'll buy every single seat myself. You can all stand outside sipping the cold wind—see how anxious you get then.
Days slipped by like this. Su Wei signed with Wen Nianshen—a twenty-year contract!!
Su Wei: "..." Not that she was unwilling. The terms Wen Nianshen offered were incredibly generous. She hadn't been shortchanged in the slightest for being a newcomer.
If anything, she was the one getting the better deal.
If she never blew up, if resources couldn't make her famous, Wen Nianshen would take the loss.
What troubled Su Wei most, though, was that she'd recently acquired two suitors.
One was Jing Songyuan, CEO of the Jing Corporation. The other was Yuan Ye, heir to the Yuan family empire, known to everyone as Young Master Yuan.
Fortunately, she was now under Wen Nianshen's banner, so these two could only court her properly—they didn't dare try anything underhanded.
What she didn't know was that both men, frustrated by Wen Nianshen blocking their path, were plotting to join forces and bring down Wen Corporation.
Wen Nianshen sensed their machinations and let out a cold laugh. Now that her wife was here, she didn't need to keep pretending to be broke. No way she'd let these two have their way. One word from her, and both families found themselves tangled in no small amount of trouble.
After Wen Nianshen wrapped her role, A-Xin had already selected the first script for their collaboration.
She was currently in the process of casting. Aside from Wen Nianshen, she held every other actor to her usual rigorous standards.
This move left the entire industry baffled. Had the earlier rumor been fake? Was someone deliberately trying to smear Director Ruan? Surely Director Ruan didn't need Wen Nianshen for publicity.
What they didn't know was that on the very day Wen Nianshen finished filming, A-Xin had driven to the set to pick her up.
The crew stared in bewildered silence as the car pulled away.
The director touched his nearly bald head and sighed, "Why would Director Ruan do this to herself? Is she really that hard up for cash—lowering herself like this?" He shook his head. "I feel for Director Ruan—having to cast Wen Nianshen just to raise funds for a big production."
The crew, internally: Director, please keep your voice down. It's not like you want everyone knowing you bent over backward for cash too.
"Director Ruan, everyone online is trashing you now." In A-Xin's office, Wen Nianshen lounged on the sofa, grinning. "They've stopped coming after me—it's all you now. They're saying they'll never watch your dramas or movies again."
"Director Ruan, are you sure you want me for your film?" Wen Nianshen stood, planted both hands on the desk, and fixed her beautiful eyes on A-Xin. "They really will boycott you, you know. Careful—your movie might end up with an empty theater."
A-Xin looked up, warmth in her brow and softness in her voice. "You just need to act in it."
Wen Nianshen's heart was ambushed without warning. Her wife was always like this—a single offhand remark, nothing more than what it seemed, but it sent her reeling. Her little heart was bouncing off the walls in her chest; she nearly bolted for the door.
She tore her gaze away, refusing to look into those impossibly captivating eyes. "Well, if Director Ruan says so, then here I come. Don't worry—if nobody shows up, I'll buy out every seat in the theater." In this life, she had beauty and money. Supporting one wife was no problem at all, Wen Nianshen thought smugly.
"Alright."
Wen Nianshen wanted to cover her ears. She'd thought avoiding those eyes would be enough to protect her—but a single word in that gently indulgent voice was all it took to unravel her.
Her wife was too captivating. She was losing the battle. What was she supposed to do?
No! She had to hold the line. Why should she make it easy and let A-Xin figure out her feelings so quickly?
"Nianshen, come look at this script. The most beautiful role is yours. For the rest—help me decide who fits."
Wen Nianshen didn't refuse. She picked up the script and read through it. Sure enough, her character was the most stunning one. She noticed A-Xin sifting through actor profiles and laughed softly. "Director Ruan, imagine if those furious netizens found out that I'm the one helping you pick the cast for your movie. Would they turn into angry birds and launch themselves at somebody?"