Our Mr. President has fallen ill with the same malady that plagues every other CEO.

"Let me tell you, our president is different from other presidents."

Shu Nian's eyes sparkled, her appetite for gossip growing more intense by the second.

"So, how exactly is he different?"

Auntie Ren leaned in closer. "Our Sir isn't like the male leads in novels who eventually find their fated love. Our Sir is destined to be alone for the rest of his life."

Hearing this, Shu Nian wasn't particularly shocked; instead, she nodded in agreement. "Then in what way is he the same?"

"Our Sir suffers from the disease every president seems to have."

"Insomnia?"

"Exactly! Madam, you are so clever, you guessed it right on the first try. But our President also has a bit of mysophobia."

Shu Nian was speechless. If you don't know how to compliment someone, please don't force it!

Auntie Ren seemed to think of something else, her face filled with pity.

"Madam, I’ve actually wanted to say this for a long time, but I held back so as not to crush your self-confidence and self-esteem. But after spending so many days with you, I feel I must speak up."

Auntie Ren wore an expression of someone resigned to their fate.

Shu Nian, fearing she had committed some unforgivable error and was about to be kicked out of the house by Fu Zhouye to meet her ultimate tragic end, asked nervously, "Auntie Ren, don't scare me. What is it? Just say it."

"If you don't go out and see the world, you’ll think he is the entire world."

"You revolve entirely around him—you haven't gained knowledge, you haven't found love, and you haven't seen any future for yourself."

"Love can be a stepping stone, but it can also make you bow your head. You think you’ve found a bowl of porridge simmered slowly over a low flame, but in reality, it's just raw rice watered down."

"What I really want to say is that the scumbag never had you in his heart from the very beginning. Don't waste your time on him; it only makes you look cheap."

"After all, Madam is so outstanding, beautiful, and holds a high-level degree from abroad—you won't have any trouble finding someone else."

Shu Nian looked at Auntie Ren with teary eyes.

It had been a very, very long time since she had heard someone express such genuine concern for her. This sudden warmth came from someone who was both familiar and a stranger, someone she had only known for a few days!

Shu Nian couldn't help but hug Auntie Ren. She desperately wanted to explain that she didn't actually like Yun Yang, but for the sake of her own life, she had to keep up the charade. The manor was filled with Fu Zhouye's people, and they might report back to him. If Fu Zhouye found out the truth, being kicked out would be the least of her worries—the real catastrophe would be meeting her "ultimate ending."

Thinking of this, Shu Nian forced a look of lovesick longing, her eyes softening as if she were truly lost in the throes of love.

"He only strings me along because he likes me; why else wouldn't he do it to others? It's not that he isn't replying to my messages..."

"He told me to get lost—why didn't he tell anyone else that? He must think walking is tiring for me, that's why he told me to get lost."

"It's just that he loves me too much and doesn't know how to express it. If only I were as cold-resistant as a husky, then I could endure the icy coldness of his attitude."

Hearing this, Auntie Ren shook her head, thinking to herself: *This lovesick fool is truly beyond saving.*

Shu Nian saw Auntie Ren shaking her head with a look of regret, so she quickly ran upstairs to grab her car keys. Today, she had to take Qiao Jiaoyun to meet the famous actress Xiang Zhi.

Xiang Zhi was Qiao Jiaoyun’s young aunt. Before the age of ten, she lived with Qiao Jiaoyun’s grandparents, then moved to the United States with her grandfather. For the sake of her education and lifestyle, she eventually became a U.S. citizen. After finishing high school in the States, she returned to China and was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy, where she went on to star in numerous phenomenal, blockbuster hits.

Shu Nian drove the same "low-key" Maybach as yesterday. She wondered if Jiaoyun had told her aunt about her dream of pursuing acting, if her aunt would agree, and more importantly, if the busy, high-profile aunt would even agree to meet them.

Shu Nian’s mind was a whirlwind of questions as she rushed toward Qiao Jiaoyun's home. *If only I were the Monkey King,* she thought, *I could travel a hundred thousand miles in a single somersault. I’d have seventy-two transformations, high emotional intelligence, respect for women, and I’d never turn dark—I’d stay forever pure.*

Her phone rang, and seeing it was Qiao Jiaoyun, she answered immediately.

A gentle voice came through: "A-Nian, my aunt happens to be free today. I’ll send you the address, let's meet up."

"Okay!"

When Shu Nian arrived, Xiang Zhi and Qiao Jiaoyun had already been waiting for ten minutes. Xiang Zhi was annoyed by the delay. Had it not been for her niece begging her to meet Shu Nian, she wouldn't have come at all. She remembered how Shu Nian used to treat her niece—like a servant not even worthy of tying her shoes, following her around while Shu Nian wouldn't even spare her a glance.

The idea that such a woman wanted to break into the entertainment industry with her niece seemed like a joke. She knew a thing or two about Shu Nian’s messy affairs. *She’s probably been instigated by someone to enter the industry just to gain fame and win back that scumbag,* Xiang Zhi thought.

When Shu Nian arrived and saw them waiting, she offered an apologetic smile, her voice filled with sincerity: "I am so sorry for keeping you waiting, the traffic was a bit heavy."

Xiang Zhi smiled faintly. "It's alright, we only just arrived ourselves."

Her gentle attitude suggested she was satisfied with the timely apology, which improved her impression of Shu Nian.

Qiao Jiaoyun chimed in, "Yeah, don't worry about it. We just used the time to chat about recent things." She spoke lightheartedly, wanting to help her good friend.

Xiang Zhi rolled her eyes internally, watching her niece try so hard to please others. *We’ve protected her too well since she was a child,* she thought. *This girl needs to suffer a bit to understand the cruelty of the world.*

Shu Nian exhaled in relief, looking at them both gratefully: "Thank you for your understanding and patience. Let’s get started so I don't waste any more of your time." She quickly adjusted her demeanor.

Xiang Zhi spoke about a director she knew and discussed the character and requirements for the script.

"This isn't a lead role," Xiang Zhi asked with concern. "It's a supporting role. And there's no guarantee you'll even pass the audition. Are you sure about this?"

In truth, she was worried Shu Nian would turn down a supporting role.

"I'm sure."

Shu Nian was very confident in her acting skills. After all, she hadn't reached the heights of popularity in her previous life by having things handed to her on a silver platter; she had endured hardships and honed her craft.

Xiang Zhi was somewhat surprised.

"The play is called 'Rolling Clouds and Winds.' This is the script; you can take a look," she said, pulling it from her bag. "Alright then, I will recommend you to the director, and you can go audition directly. If you have any other questions, you can ask me now."

"May I ask what role Jiaoyun is playing?"

"My niece? She’s playing a role that fits her usual persona quite well—the eldest daughter of a scholarly family." Xiang Zhi’s eyes were full of pride as she spoke of her niece.

Shu Nian continued, "Is it the same show as mine?"

"No, but the filming locations are quite close."

Qiao Jiaoyun listened to them go back and forth, offering a "death smile," but the two were so engrossed in their intense discussion that they didn't even look at her.

Xiang Zhi smiled. "Well then, I wish you both success in your auditions and that your careers rise steadily."

Despite saying this, she didn't believe either of them would succeed. Neither had experienced the "beatings of society"—how could they possibly deliver the performance the director wanted? Sometimes, good looks were important, but beauty alone was just a vase—it could only be admired from afar and couldn't withstand the tests of reality.