The rest room was perfectly still. Wen Nianshen pretended to sleep, not daring to speak, wanting only to hold her beloved tight—to feel her warmth, breathe in her scent. Life felt complete. Three worlds of loneliness, and in the end, her beloved had come. That was enough.
A-Xin knew Wen Nianshen was faking sleep but had no idea why, and saw no reason to call her out.
Wen Nianshen's racing heartbeat gradually settled. What began as pretend sleep drifted, without her noticing, into real sleep. In the haze, she dreamed again—a good dream, of course. Her dreams were always good dreams: happy lives lived alongside her beloved.
Somewhere between dreaming and waking, she lost track of which was which. She thought A-Xin's arrival had been nothing but a dream. Her eyes flew open in panic. Instinctively, she clutched the person in her arms tighter and cried out, aching with longing, "A-Xin!!"
"Awake?" A-Xin asked. The startled cry had genuinely surprised her—especially those beautiful eyes when they'd snapped open, so lost and helpless that something in her chest ached. She patted Wen Nianshen gently, those dazed eyes still fixed on her. "How are you feeling?"
Wen Nianshen finally came back to herself. Gazing at A-Xin so close, the confusion in her eyes dissolved, replaced by nothing but joy. So it wasn't a dream after all—her A-Xin had really come. Before she knew it, she was staring at A-Xin and laughing out loud.
The woman before her was called Ruan Shen. She'd seen her before, in the past. Back then, she hadn't felt this woman had any connection to her beloved, and they'd never interacted. But this Ruan Shen—she was unmistakably her A-Xin.
Wen Nianshen suddenly noticed the arm she'd been lying on. She sat up in a rush and saw the skin had gone faintly blue from the pressure. Her heart ached terribly.
She took A-Xin's arm and rubbed it gently, muttering under her breath, "If you'd let me crush it any longer, weren't you afraid it'd go numb for good?" Her beloved—still the same as always. Clearly head over heels but sometimes a little slow on the uptake.
Seeing that faintly unfamiliar look in those eyes, she knew at once: A-Xin had gone and bumped her head again. All their shared memories of loving each other—gone.
But she could say with absolute certainty that A-Xin loved her. Otherwise, why would she have refused to move her arm away? That was A-Xin through and through—always indulging her in everything.
"It's fine," A-Xin replied matter-of-factly. "Does anything feel uncomfortable?"
"No, I feel great." Wen Nianshen sensed the slight unfamiliarity between them. That made sense—her beloved had no memories. She knew A-Xin; A-Xin didn't remember her. So they'd have to start from scratch again. "Let me rub it for a while—if you don't mind."
What A-Xin wanted to point out was that Wen Nianshen was already holding her arm and rubbing it. She didn't appear to require permission. That was rather amusing.
Wen Nianshen was used to this kind of muted reaction from A-Xin. It seemed like every world began the same way—meeting anew each time. Compared to before, when she'd had no memories either, having them now gave her quite the advantage.
A-Xin could never refuse her. She could take her time. No rush.
"Director Ruan." Wen Nianshen massaged A-Xin's arm while glancing up with a playful smile. "What brings you to our set?" The director of this period drama wasn't Ruan Shen—it was someone else entirely. She already knew why A-Xin was here, of course. Obviously to find her.
But she still wanted to hear how A-Xin would answer.
A-Xin seemed to see through something but answered anyway. "To find you."
Wen Nianshen ducked her head. Her eyes brimmed with laughter—and the faintest shimmer of tears. Her cheeks flushed. A-Xin was still this direct, not even bothering to make up an excuse. Just stating it plainly: to find you. Honestly, adorable.
"Find me for what?"
"To film." A-Xin's brow lifted slightly. Wen Nianshen seemed quite happy. She didn't know what about, but seeing her happy made her feel rather pleased too.
The corners of Wen Nianshen's lips curved. She looked up, those lovely eyes fixed on A-Xin, and leaned in close—almost to her ear. "Director Ruan, you should know I'm publicly recognized as The Drama Demolisher. Terrible acting, terrible reputation. Aside from being gorgeous, I'm completely useless. If I remember correctly, you've only ever done prestige productions, and you're incredibly strict about casting. Aren't you worried you've got the wrong person?"
"Or maybe Director Ruan wants to try something new? Like, taking a gamble on an actress who's all looks and no talent?" Wen Nianshen shook her head. "I'm afraid I'd only disappoint you, Director Ruan. I really can't act. Casting me won't get you anywhere."
"That's alright. Looking beautiful is enough."
Wen Nianshen nearly tackled her right then and there. Looking beautiful is enough? What kind of logic was that? "Director Ruan, what exactly do you mean by that? Are you planning to have me stand motionless in your film like a human vase? I wouldn't mind—a job's a job. I'm just in it for fun anyway. But for you, Director Ruan, the internet would tear you to shreds the very next day."
"No—I'm here to cast you in a film," A-Xin said. Seeing Wen Nianshen's skeptical look, she added, "As the female lead."
This time Wen Nianshen was genuinely stunned. She remembered that in previous worlds, her beloved had always pulled her back from the brink whenever she was about to stray down the wrong path. She'd assumed A-Xin had come to whip her acting into shape—to transform her from a world-class pretty vase into an award-winning powerhouse. In those past worlds, without A-Xin's arrival, things would have gone badly for her.
So now, for A-Xin to say looking beautiful is enough and hand her the female lead outright—
Wen Nianshen was starting to wonder if this A-Xin was an imposter.
"Director Ruan, I really am just a pretty face." Wen Nianshen said this with total seriousness. "My family is loaded. I only act for fun—you should know how many classics I've personally ruined. The moment netizens hear the name Wen Nianshen, they absolutely erupt with rage."
She wasn't exaggerating. The novel fans especially—they'd camp in her Weibo comments and hound her. She remembered how they'd gather under their favorite authors' posts, begging them not to sell out for a few lousy yuan. And then, because she, Wen Nianshen, had far too much money, their beloved authors would cheerfully sell out anyway. The fans couldn't exactly curse their own idols, so they came after her instead.
"Director Ruan, this will destroy your reputation."
"That's alright. I enjoy trying all kinds of lives."
Wen Nianshen stole a glance at A-Xin. If not for those familiar eyes, she'd seriously doubt this was her beloved.
Her mind was racing. Could three worlds apart have driven her beloved so love-crazy that she'd not only lost her memories but abandoned her principles entirely?
What she didn't know was that A-Xin had long since seen through her. If Wen Nianshen didn't want to act well, no amount of training would help. When A-Xin first arrived in this world and struck a deal with Ruan Shen for her body, she'd discovered something peculiar about this world. The strangest thing of all was Wen Nianshen—clearly a phoenix, stubbornly pretending to be a vase.
What she couldn't understand was why she'd been drawn here at all. Wen Nianshen was perfectly capable of thriving on her own. So what had awakened her? Wen Nianshen needed no change in wealth or status; her skills were more than sufficient to survive in this industry. And yet, this world's Wen Nianshen still met a tragic end—a tragedy she could have prevented but chose not to, as if she knew exactly what was coming and simply refused to change it.
Wen Nianshen had altered Su Wei's fate, and the Wen family's fate too. Su Wei would have originally been entangled between Yuan Ye and Jing Songyuan in one agonizing love triangle after another, until she went numb and was locked away in Jing Songyuan's villa like a gilded cage, imprisoned forever. But because of Wen Nianshen, Su Wei's destiny changed from today onward. With Wen Nianshen in this industry, Su Wei's path would be smooth, ultimately rising to become a top-tier actress.
The Wen family would have originally gone bankrupt. Wen Nianshen seemed to know this in advance and had quietly transferred the family's assets. The subsequent "bankruptcy" was merely a polite formality—and neither Yuan Ye nor Jing Songyuan had noticed, which only proved how masterful Wen Nianshen's maneuvering truly was.
She'd changed everyone else's ending. Only her own remained unchanged. The tidal wave of online abuse appeared to cause her great harm, but in reality, behind closed doors, she couldn't have cared less. After the Wen family's "bankruptcy," Wen Nianshen drifted through the industry like a leaf on the wind—slandered, photographed in compromising situations, subjected to endless rumors. Finally, after "paying off" all the debts, she announced she had depression, and then she died.
A-Xin desperately wanted to know: why?
At the time, while she slumbered, Wen Nianshen's grief-stricken voice had reached her heart and jolted her awake. That bewildered, sorrowful, despairing voice made it impossible to sleep peacefully—she'd felt an overwhelming urgency to reach the other's side.
"Director Ruan, are you serious?" Wen Nianshen said. This time, her beloved was a little different. But Wen Nianshen wasn't the least bit anxious. A-Xin was here now—she certainly wasn't going to run away.
In this world where she was finally lucid, she was determined to savor this lifetime properly with her beloved.
"Of course I'm serious," A-Xin replied.
Wen Nianshen laughed—a brilliant, radiant laugh. "Well then, since Director Ruan isn't afraid of The Drama Demolisher, I, Wen Nianshen, will happily play along. And Director Ruan, don't you worry about what happens when your reputation lies in ruins and you can't find work."
"I, Wen Nianshen, am poor in everything except beauty and money. As long as Director Ruan wants to make films, I'll buy you the best scripts, and you can shoot them just for me. Who cares if anyone else likes them? As long as I like them, you won't be losing out."
And if A-Xin didn't feel like directing anymore, she'd simply keep her. She had more than enough money. Wen Nianshen thought herself terribly clever—she'd taken control of the entire Wen family conglomerate early on. With the wisdom she'd gathered across those worlds, combined with her status, managing all of this was child's play.
"Nianshen-jie, how are you doing?" Xiao Zhu had been standing outside the door the whole time. Hearing Wen Nianshen's words, she nearly spat out her drink.
She hadn't gone in to disturb them. And what Wen Nianshen said wasn't wrong—she really was poor in everything except beauty and money.
When the director outside asked about her, only then did Xiao Zhu knock on the door.
"Coming, coming." Wen Nianshen called back. She released A-Xin's arm and said, "Director Ruan, would you like to observe my acting? Just so you're mentally prepared."
"Sure."
Wen Nianshen smoothed her appearance and walked out with a carefree smile.
During the wire work, Su Wei whispered her concern. Wen Nianshen waved it off breezily—no big deal, just a little accident. Su Wei let out a breath of relief, then glanced back at A-Xin standing outside. She lowered her voice: "Director Ruan ran so fast earlier—scared me half to death. Are you sure she's in the right profession? Maybe she should've gone into athletics."
"Director Ruan is a polymath—there's nothing she can't do. You'll understand eventually. Nothing in this world can stump her." Wen Nianshen said this with considerable pride and zero modesty, as if she knew A-Xin intimately.
Su Wei was taken aback. "Nianshen-jie, you and Director Ruan are close?"
"Incredibly close. No one knows her better than I do." The kind of close where they'd shared a bed every night, where she knew every last inch, inside and out, right down to a single strand of hair. "Alright, let's get ready. Stop asking so many questions." Any more and she'd accidentally blurt out that the two of them had an improper relationship.
With A-Xin watching, Wen Nianshen put in extra effort this time, making sure that during every fight sequence, her most beautiful angles were aimed squarely at A-Xin's position. She didn't care about anything else—all that mattered was looking stunning, ideally so captivating that A-Xin couldn't blink. Of course, her beloved was the reserved type and wouldn't show it openly. Knowing in her own heart was enough.
"Nianshen-jie is seriously so beautiful," Xiao Zhu said, hands cupping her cheeks. "Every time she films, it's a feast for us face-chasers."
The director thought: If not for the money, he would never stoop this low. Still, today's Wen Nianshen was admittedly easier on the eyes than usual.
On camera, Wen Nianshen was always the most beautiful presence. Her acting wasn't actually awkward—her line delivery was solid, she didn't even need dubbing. She was simply too gorgeous. No matter what she played, all you saw was Wen Nianshen. The reason she was called The Drama Demolisher was that regardless of the script, she only ever played the most beautiful version of herself. Whoever shared a scene with her—the audience's eyes would inevitably be pulled to that stunning face.
For instance, when she appeared in a war film, every frame she was in left viewers with one single thought: She's so beautiful. The plot? Long forgotten.
Or when she starred in a famine drama—during her scenes, all anyone could think was: There's a famine going on, how is there someone this beautiful? Plot? What plot? Watch it again, and it's still just Wen Nianshen being gorgeous.
The reason people disliked her was precisely this: she was so beautiful that the moment she appeared, you forgot what the show was even about. She dominated the entire screen—Wen Nianshen, Wen Nianshen, that face stealing everyone's spotlight. The moment her scenes ended, the show returned to normal. Plenty of people had petitioned to have her scenes cut. Of course, that never succeeded.
This time, Wen Nianshen was playing the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world.
On the wires, even without guidance, she could execute the most graceful movements. Today she was giving it her all, showcasing her most stunning side.
Su Wei watched Wen Nianshen floating through the air like an immortal and forgot her next move entirely. Her mind had room for only one thought: Nianshen-jie is really, truly beautiful!
The director: "..." He studied the footage. Today's Wen Nianshen really was something else. So many gorgeous shots—he couldn't bear to cut a single one. Fine, fine. It was only a few scenes. Since any scene with Wen Nianshen was unwatchable for plot anyway, might as well let her be beautiful in them. He wasn't making this show to win awards—he was in it for the money. Any losses were Wen Nianshen's losses. The money was Wen Nianshen's money. And honestly, the ratings were never bad.
After coming down from the wires, Wen Nianshen immediately ran to A-Xin, brimming with pride. "So, Director Ruan, what did you think?"
"Quite nice," A-Xin said—and genuinely meant it. Three hundred and sixty degrees, not a single bad angle, endlessly eye-catching. No wonder the ratings held up.
Xiao Zhu: "..."
Everyone: "..."
That did not sound like something Director Ruan would say.
Wen Nianshen pressed further. "What specifically was nice?"
"Exceptionally beautiful."
The director: "..." He was beginning to suspect Director Ruan had been replaced by someone else.
Wen Nianshen was satisfied. "I've got one more entrance shot later—equally gorgeous, with an even better costume. Director Ruan, don't you dare miss it."
Xiao Zhu felt something was off. She'd never heard of Nianshen-jie having any connection to Director Ruan. Someone like Director Ruan, who only did prestige work, shouldn't be too fond of an actress who only cared about looking beautiful and stole focus from the plot... right?
"I'll watch carefully."
Wen Nianshen's cheeks flushed faintly. They were practically an old married couple—how could A-Xin still say such mushy things? It was embarrassing. A-Xin always spoke this directly. Thank goodness her makeup was thick enough to hide the blush. In the future, she'd have to remind A-Xin that sweet nothings between the two of them were better whispered in private.
Wen Nianshen went to the dressing room. Pulling out her phone, she called her manager Pan Er. Her voice was nothing like the previous sweetness—cool and brisk. "Pan Er, is it handled?"
"I was just about to deal with it, but it seems someone got there first. The person's already been taken away." Pan Er sounded puzzled. "Nianshen, do you think Su Wei has someone backing her? They probably assumed the wire tampering was targeting Su Wei. But from what I've heard, Su Wei earned this role on merit. If she really had a backer, she wouldn't be struggling this much."
"I thought it was you who had them taken away." Wen Nianshen paused in surprise. A-Xin's image flashed through her mind—could it be that the actress who'd sabotaged the equipment had been dealt with by A-Xin? Very likely. A-Xin always handled these things under the radar, without anyone noticing.
"It wasn't me..." Pan Er was confused and about to say more, but Wen Nianshen cut her off. "Drop it. Since the person's been removed, they're certainly not getting off easy. Anyway, I've got another shot to do—gotta go."
In the dressing room, the makeup artist was Wen Nianshen's person. Xiao Zhu was Wen Nianshen's person. Seeing this different side of Wen Nianshen surprised neither of them. This was their Nianshen-jie—how could she possibly be just a simple pretty vase?
Plenty of actresses owed their Nianshen-jie a debt of gratitude. On any set where Nianshen-jie was involved, actresses could relax and focus purely on their craft—no need to worry about casting couches or being pressured to drink at after-parties.
Shame that certain people didn't appreciate it and still played petty games. Did they not realize the entire production was bankrolled by Nianshen-jie? Installing a few comprehensive surveillance cameras was child's play. The Wen family owned a company that specialized in camera development—every type imaginable. Hardly a challenge.
The last person who'd deliberately swapped props and nearly caused a serious injury had been personally sent to prison by Nianshen-jie.
"Nianshen-jie, do you know who handled things this time?" Xiao Zhu asked quietly. She hadn't expected someone else on set to share their Nianshen-jie's intolerance for this kind of foul play.
Wen Nianshen gazed at the costumed beauty in the mirror, her face radiating a blissful smile, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I do."
The makeup artist and Xiao Zhu both shuddered simultaneously. Since when did Nianshen-jie sound this syrupy even in private? Something seemed off.
"So who is it, Nianshen-jie?" The makeup artist was curious too. Today's Nianshen-jie was acting strange.
The smile never left Wen Nianshen's eyes. "This time, I'm keeping it to myself. It's a secret."
"..."
Wen Nianshen filmed her entrance shot. A-Xin watched every moment. When Wen Nianshen lifted her gaze toward the crowd, even the director couldn't help but gasp.
This Wen Nianshen truly was a woman blessed with both wealth and beauty—devastatingly gorgeous.
That single glance just now—mesmerizing and otherworldly, as if she could steal souls and enchant all living beings. Perfectly, exquisitely right.
He decided this had to be the peak of Wen Nianshen's career. She'd finally matched the moment, just this once. The director happily rewatched the shot several times. In the future, whenever Wen Nianshen drove him up the wall, he'd pull up this clip to calm himself down before the rage gave him a heart attack.
"Nianshen-jie, you're so incredibly beautiful."
After wrap, Su Wei couldn't help running over to shower Wen Nianshen with compliments. Wen Nianshen glanced at the poor girl, lifted her chin, and said, "I've always been good-looking."
Su Wei: "..." Nianshen-jie was certainly full of herself, but she wasn't wrong.
"Director Ruan, care to grab dinner?" Wen Nianshen walked up to A-Xin. "You've gotten a sense of my acting by now, right?"
"Mm."
"Then shall we discuss it over food?"
Without waiting for a yes or no, Wen Nianshen took A-Xin's hand and walked out. "Ride with me." She was pulling A-Xin along on her own when she happened to spot Su Wei about to leave. She'd been planning on Western food but suddenly changed her mind. "Director Ruan, I know a great Chinese place. Let me take you."
She remembered, after all—A-Xin was a foodie. She loved anything delicious, and she had quite the appetite.
A-Xin's eyes sparked with genuine interest. "Alright." She felt as though she hadn't eaten in ages. Hearing Wen Nianshen's suggestion, she found herself missing the taste of food.
Wen Nianshen booked a private room and ordered an entire table of dishes—all A-Xin's favorites. Across every world, A-Xin had loved many foods, but always had clear favorites.
Every dish on this table—Wen Nianshen remembered each one perfectly. These were A-Xin's absolute favorites.
When A-Xin saw the spread, she froze for a moment. Every single dish was something she loved. Many memories had grown hazy—she knew that—but these flavors she had never forgotten.
Watching A-Xin stare transfixed at the food, Wen Nianshen felt a pang of jealousy. Her beloved was really something else—remembered what she liked to eat but managed to forget someone as important as her.
"Director Ruan, please don't hold back. Eat slowly and enjoy."
"You too," A-Xin said, then dove in.
Wen Nianshen: "..." She shouldn't have come. She was this beautiful, and she still couldn't compete with a table full of food.
"Director Ruan, don't just eat—have a drink." Wen Nianshen poured A-Xin half a glass of baijiu and smiled sweetly. "Here—a toast to you."
A-Xin picked up the glass, took a sip, decided it was quite good, and drained the whole thing. Then she buried her head and went right back to eating. Her movements were perfectly elegant, yet somehow the food vanished at a remarkable pace. Half a glass of baijiu and her face hadn't changed a shade.
Wen Nianshen: "..." Her A-Xin could really hold her liquor. They'd never had a proper drinking session before. Tonight, she refused to believe she couldn't get her drunk.
Getting A-Xin drunk—she had no ulterior motive. She just wanted to see her beloved tipsy and defenseless, sleeping peacefully by her side.
Ideally, going soft and collapsing right into her arms.
"Director Ruan, one more glass—to our future collaboration." This time Wen Nianshen filled both their glasses. As she raised hers, she smiled at A-Xin. "Director Ruan, your timing today was truly perfect."
She was so very happy.