Chapter 1

The night was as dark as ink, with a few faint stars dotting the black sky, their light barely piercing the darkness. As time slowly ticked by, it was exactly 12:45 AM when the atmosphere inside the Hongcheng International Airport became increasingly intense, like a pot of boiling water bubbling and fermenting.

Dozens of reporters, armed with cameras and microphones, gathered at the international arrivals gate, their eyes gleaming as they stared intently at the exit. Behind them, a large crowd of excited fans were shouting and cheering. When the airport's announcement system broadcasted the arrival of the flight, everyone became even more frenzied, their eyes glued to the exit. The fans, holding posters and banners, screamed excitedly: "An Qing, An Qing, my heart belongs to you, incomparable. An Qing, An Qing, my heart belongs to you, incomparable..."

The voices of countless people merged into a unified, spirited chorus, perfectly synchronized and orderly, clearly the result of prior rehearsal. This was a moment of collective excitement and unity.

"Tsk, with this award, An Qing should now be a top-tier artist in the country," a reporter in the crowded front row said, snapping a few photos of the ecstatic fans behind him. He was already thinking about the headline for tomorrow: "International Film Queen An Qing Returns, Fans Celebrate with Midnight Vigil."

"She deserves it. It's been years since a domestic artist won an international film award. This time, An Qing bringing back the trophy has brought glory to the domestic entertainment industry, so everyone is naturally happy," another reporter chimed in, glancing at the giant photo on the banner. Against a pitch-black background, a woman in a white floor-length dress, her feet bare, gazed ahead with eyes that seemed to delve into the depths of darkness, exuding a sense of detachment. This was one of the photos that won An Qing the award and captivated countless fans and critics abroad.

The dark background, the bloodied and scratched ankles, the slightly dusty white dress, and the indifferent expression—all these elements made the photo appear flawed at first glance. However, anyone who saw it for the first time would be immediately captivated by her gaze, overlooking the other imperfections. The stark contrast between black and white, colors that are notoriously difficult to handle, lay obediently at her feet, smooth and gentle, as if it were the only way they should be.

She should be this proud, even in the midst of the chaos of hell, her radiance remained undiminished...

"Ah, An Qing, she's coming out, oh, An Qing, I love you..."

As a woman in a white coat and sunglasses emerged from the exit, escorted by bodyguards, the waiting fans and reporters erupted into a frenzy, pushing and shoving to get a better position for photos. If they were lucky, they might even get to speak a few words to the newly crowned international film queen.

An Qing, surrounded by bodyguards, walked out with a perfect smile, her red lips curved as she occasionally spoke to the fans, who were flushed and breathless with excitement, reminding them to be careful and not get hurt.

After struggling through the crowd at the airport, the driver sped away, shaking off the pursuing reporters. An Qing finally let out a sigh of relief, taking off her sunglasses and instructing the driver: "To Qingchi Garden."

The driver chuckled, teasing, "Miss An, are you going home to celebrate with Mr. Lin?"

An Qing rubbed her tired temples, her mood lightening as she replied, "Yes, I haven't seen him for almost two months. I want to surprise him."

The driver nodded understandingly and turned the steering wheel toward Qingchi Garden in the southern part of the city. It was a newly developed high-end residential area with few residents, which is why An Qing felt safe buying a house there to share with Lin Chen.

About half an hour later, the car stopped outside Qingchi Garden. An Qing, her eyes still weary, put on her sunglasses and refused her assistant's offer to accompany her. She grabbed her backpack and walked in, her heart fluttering with anticipation as she approached the front door. She touched the backpack containing the trophy, a smile playing on her lips as she entered the code to unlock the door.

With a soft click, the door opened. An Qing smiled and was about to call out, but her gaze fell on a pair of unfamiliar high heels, their bright red color and slender heels piercing her eyes, causing her vision to blur. Her breath caught in her throat, her smile faltering, and before she could react, a sweet, moaning voice came from her bedroom: "Brother Lin, hurry, I want more, ah, Brother Lin, you're so naughty..."

An Qing stood rooted to the spot, her smile vanishing. As she approached the closed bedroom door, her expression turned cold and grim, as if a layer of ice had settled on her face. Her dark eyes fixed on the door, as if she could see through it to the entangled, scandalous scene inside.

"Ah... Brother Lin, I can't take it, ah, don't..."

"Who said they wanted more just now?" A husky voice from the room asked, laughing hoarsely, "Now you can't?"

The woman pouted, "Brother Lin, if you keep teasing me, An Jie will come back and see."

"Her?" Lin Chen's voice turned cold, "She's basking in the glory of her award. She won't come back."

The woman paused, probing, "Brother Lin, didn't you say An Jie helped you secure the lead role in Director Li's new film?"

"That's true," Lin Chen's lips curled into a smirk, revealing a mix of anticipation and pride, "After all these years with her, that's the only good thing she's done for me."

Outside the door, An Qing's grip on her backpack left red marks on her hand.

The woman giggled coquettishly, "Brother Lin, if you become famous, don't forget about me."

Lin Chen laughed, already envisioning himself stepping on An Qing to become a top actor in the country. He said with a suggestive tone, "A night of passion is worth a hundred days of affection. How could I forget you? I could have An Qing help you get a role in the production, and we can see each other often..."

With a loud bang, the door was kicked open. The bedroom was brightly lit, and the two people in bed, entwined, saw An Qing standing in the doorway. The woman screamed in terror, grabbing the sheet to cover herself.

Lin Chen, caught off guard, stammered, "How could you...?" Before he could finish, he realized the situation and stumbled out of bed, "Qing, listen to me..."

"Explain how you ended up in bed with someone in my house, or how you got a role through me and then tried to get a role for your mistress?" An Qing looked at Lin Chen, who was naked and panicking, with a blank expression. The face that had once been handsome and gentle in front of her now made her feel sick.

"Qing!" Lin Chen grabbed An Qing's hand, his breathing rapid and his words jumbled, "Listen to me, she... she seduced me, Qing, you..."

"Let go." An Qing shook off his hand in disgust, looking at the bedroom she had painstakingly decorated, now filled with the scent of scandal. Her temples throbbed. She took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and said coldly, "You have one day to pack up and leave with that woman and your things."

With that, she turned and walked away without hesitation. Her character wouldn't allow her to act like a shrew and beat them, but she wouldn't be a pushover either. In that moment, she had already decided how to get back at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen's face changed, and he desperately grabbed her hand, pleading, "Qing, I know I was wrong. Give me one more chance, just one..."

"Let go." An Qing tried to shake off his hand, but he wouldn't let go. Her expression turned irritable, and she raised her voice, slapping him hard, "I said, let go."

The sharp sound of the slap echoed, and Lin Chen's face twisted in pain, his anger barely contained. He pleaded, "Qing, hit me, do whatever you want, just don't break up with me. We've been together for so long, forgive me this once, I promise it won't happen again."

"Lin Chen." An Qing withdrew her hand, wiping her fingers with a handkerchief in disgust. She said coldly, "For the sake of our years together, I'll give you one last bit of dignity. Don't push your luck."

Lin Chen was truly panicked. He knew An Qing was serious. Sweat poured down his forehead. "Qing..."

An Qing sneered and walked out, her high heels clicking firmly and coldly on the corridor floor. She quickly pressed the elevator button, and as the doors opened, she was about to step in when Lin Chen lunged forward, blocking the doors. "Qing, what can I do to make you forgive me? Tell me, and I'll do it."

"Go to hell." An Qing shouted, "Move."

Lin Chen refused to budge, and An Qing, enraged, turned and walked toward the stairs. Lin Chen rushed after her, "Qing, I know I was wrong. I'll get rid of her right away. Give me one more chance. Everything I said to her was a lie. Qing, forgive me this time. You know I love you, it's always been you."

"You disgust me." An Qing, exasperated, walked down the stairs but was yanked by Lin Chen. She tried to pull away, but he held on tightly, causing her wrist to ache. They struggled on the stairs, almost falling.

As she fought, her high heel twisted, and her body swayed. An Qing's heart raced as she grabbed the railing, trying to steady herself. But at that moment, the hand Lin Chen was holding was suddenly wrenched in pain. She looked up to see his bloodshot eyes and twisted expression. Before she could react, her hand was forcibly pried off the railing, and Lin Chen, releasing his other hand, pushed her hard...

In an instant, the world spun, and she fell backward down the stairs, one step after another. Unbearable pain accompanied her fall, and when she hit the ground, her body seemed to no longer belong to her. A sharp, piercing pain in the back of her head made her vision blur, and as she slipped into darkness, the last thing she saw was Lin Chen's distorted, bloodshot face and the pale woman running out behind him.

At the same time, in the emergency room of Hongcheng Anming Hospital, the doctor looked at the nearly flat line on the heart monitor, his face grim. "Defibrillate!" The nurse quickly brought the defibrillator, and the doctor placed it on the young girl's chest.

"Bang!" The sharp electric shock made the girl's slender body tremble, and the sound of the defibrillator's vibration was clear in the operating room. Once! Twice!

One minute! One and a half minutes, one minute and forty-five seconds!

Just as the doctor and nurse thought the resuscitation was futile, the heart monitor beeped, and the line began to fluctuate. The nurse's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Doctor, there's a response."

An Qing's head was heavy and muddled. She struggled to open her eyes, seeing the bright operating lights. The nurse, seeing her awake, sighed in relief and comforted her, "Don't worry, you're safe now."

Safe?

An Qing blinked, sensing something was wrong, but her extreme fatigue and discomfort made it hard to think. The nurse's words were like a soothing straw, and her tense nerves relaxed. She tried to clear her mind, but eventually, she fell back into a deep sleep.

The nurse, seeing this, quickly moved her to the intensive care unit and filled out the patient information on the chart at the foot of the bed.

Name: An Duo

Age: 21

Condition: Head injury from a car accident

Twenty-four hours later, the girl, whose condition had stabilized, was moved to a regular ward.