The Rebirth of a Top Star

Shen Nanqiao had nothing to say about the financial power of the wealthy.

It was already quite late, and Shen Nanqiao figured Song Shiyuan probably wouldn't be coming back today, so she stopped worrying about what was happening outside and actually sat down to chat with Dou Shiyan.

Dou Shiyan was clearly out of sorts, and even refused to speak up in agreement. Shen Nanqiao noticed his odd behavior and waited for him to speak up himself.

He must have come here for a reason, and sure enough, the man didn't hold back for long before revealing the real reason he came here today.

"I know about you and Song Shiyuan." Shen Nanqiao wasn't surprised; in fact, she felt it was normal for Dou Shiyan to know.

"Then you should congratulate me." Shen Nanqiao said this without trying to hide it from Dou Shiyan. Her bright smile brought Dou Shiyan's thoughts back to his university days.

At that time, Shen Nanqiao was aiming for a scholarship. It was a chance encounter. Shen Nanqiao greeted Dou Shiyan, who had just learned of Shen Nanqiao's award. After a polite greeting, he mentioned the matter, and Shen Nanqiao greeted Dou Shiyan with the same smile she has now.

That smile and that feeling haven't changed. The same emotion still moves Dou Shiyan when he sees her again; it's an indelible mark of attraction.

While Shen Nanqiao remained silent, Dou Shiyan felt dazed. He stared at Shen Nanqiao's face, unable to pull himself out of his thoughts.

"You're still the same as you were in college." The sudden change of topic startled Shen Nanqiao. He had known Dou Shiyan before she returned, and she didn't know which period of her he meant by "unchanged."

Shen Nanqiao smiled, but did not agree.

Shen Nanqiao asked in return, "Really?" Dou Shiyan nodded and then said, "What I said on the show wasn't for the sake of the show."

As Shen Nanqiao listened to his words, she recalled Dou Shiyan's seemingly joking but direct confessions and favoritism on the show. Now it seemed that Dou Shiyan understood Shen Nanqiao very well in some ways.

He knew that Shen Nanqiao mostly took his actions as a joke, and now was the time to explain.

"I've never joked with you. I'm always serious."

When the three words "seriously" came out, Shen Nanqiao felt Dou Shiyan's eyes light up.

He said a few seconds ago that he knew about his relationship with Song Shiyuan, so what does it mean to say this now?

Shen Nanqiao habitually feigned ignorance: "This joke isn't funny, buddy." Shen Nanqiao felt a little flustered. She had never known that Dou Shiyan really had such thoughts, and she had never noticed it before.

Dou Shiyan never mentioned it during all the times they played together before, but in this life, after only a few years, he's already brought it all to light.

Shen Nanqiao's first reaction was that she didn't want to lose a friend who understood her.

"It's not a joke." It seems that Dou Shiyan really wants to make everything clear. Shen Nanqiao also took this seriously. She sat up straight and was no longer joking.

"I always thought we were friends." Shen Nanqiao controlled herself from saying the word "just," expressing her opinion tactfully.

Dou Shiyan smiled at Shen Nanqiao, but the smile was hardly attractive.

"I also thought you couldn't find your Mr. Right for the time being." Dou Shiyan seemed to be in a better mood after saying everything. He knew how to make Shen Nanqiao laugh. But Shen Nanqiao felt that things were not over yet.

Sure enough, Dou Shiyan began to speak: "I know that feelings don't have a first-come-first-served order, and besides, I was never the first to arrive."

Dou Shiyan and Shen Nanqiao sat together, shoulder to shoulder, but Dou Shiyan felt that the distance between them was so far.

He restrained himself from leaning closer to Shen Nanqiao and continued, "I wish you all the best, Nanqiao." If Dou Shiyan could have met Shen Nanqiao's gaze while saying this, his words would have been more convincing.

Now, it is clearly not possible.

"I just..." Shen Nanqiao wondered if it was just her imagination, but only a floor lamp was on in the living room. The dim, eye-friendly light did not fully illuminate the face of the person next to her. Shen Nanqiao usually liked to turn on any lights other than the main light when she was home alone.

Shen Nanqiao sensed that Dou Shiyan was choking up, but his profile was hidden in the dim light, so Shen Nanqiao couldn't be sure.

"I'm just not reconciled, Nan Qiao."

Dou Shiyan said he was not reconciled.

These three words made Shen Nanqiao hesitant to offer comfort. As someone who was partly involved, she really didn't know how to speak in a way that would allow her to detach herself from her own emotions and to say everything properly.

Shen Nanqiao was also unwilling. She was unwilling to let everything she had worked so hard to reach the top turn into nothingness, and she was unwilling to be left lying on the cold cement ground waiting to die.

She was not willing to give up either.

Shen Nanqiao was unwilling to accept it. She could briefly empathize with Dou Shiyan's unwillingness, but she couldn't fully understand it.

Her resentment stems from the belief that Shen Nanqiao, if she works hard and climbs the ladder step by step, can make up for the mistakes she made.

Seeing Dou Shiyan's unwillingness, Shen Nanqiao asked herself, "Is it possible for me to just wave my hand and say, 'It's okay, let's just pretend none of this ever happened'?"

Shen Nanqiao couldn't control her feelings, and of course, she had no right to dissuade Dou Shiyan from abandoning her.

This is a freedom that belongs to everyone.

For a long, long time, Shen Nanqiao remained silent. The strange atmosphere made her afraid to speak, and she didn't even dare to take out her phone to check the time.

Dou Shiyan seemed to be processing what he had said, because when he spoke again after those words, Shen Nanqiao could only sense the same ease and pleasure as before.

Dou Shiyan resolved his bad mood.

This atmosphere made Shen Nanqiao feel relaxed, and she even started to gossip, perhaps because she was curious about something of her own.

"By the way, when did you start to notice the changes in your heart?" Shen Nanqiao asked, her voice filled with curiosity and respect, her expression slightly cautious, like a junior actor seeking advice from a senior actor.

It's not that Shen Nanqiao is curious. Having known Dou Shiyan for so long, she has never noticed this before. Now she dares to ask because she is really curious and has even started to recall.

Seeing this, Dou Shiyan knew what Shen Nanqiao was thinking. Of course, he couldn't agree with Shen Nanqiao. He stood up and stretched his legs. While sitting in one position, Dou Shiyan already felt numb.

The view outside the window caught his eye. He stood there and looked at the scenery below. When Shen Nanqiao leaned closer, he said, "You can see further from upstairs."

Shen Nanqiao looked out the window at the scene that was already all too familiar and agreed, "It should be higher up for a more open view."

Dou Shiyan took out a small bunch of keys from his coat pocket.

He raised his hand to hand it to Shen Nanqiao, but Shen Nanqiao, seeing the familiar outfit, recoiled in alarm: "What are you doing? I don't know how to..."

Dou Shiyan said, "The view upstairs is even better; I'll give it to you."

That's more than just a set of keys; it's a symbol of money and status.

Dou Shiyan said, "It's not decorated yet, so you can mold it into whatever you like." The other half of what he wanted to say stuck in his throat: If you're willing, you can become anything you like.

That was a hot potato in Dou Shiyan's hands. Shen Nanqiao looked at the key in his large palm, reached out, and touched it.