Chapter Sixty-Three

Due to public pressure, Xu Li ultimately chose to let go.

The lobby of the Beijing Huaying International Center was filled with the cameras and microphones of nearly a hundred media outlets.

The number of viewers watching the Weibo live stream was 32 million.

Xu Li wore a simple red short-sleeved shirt and black pants, and even her makeup was just basic. But today was different; she wore a necklace that looked like a cross, with a cross spine—symbolizing that you are dying but also being reborn.

She walked onto the stage without any pleasantries or PowerPoint presentations.

"It seems like you all don't know that I'm going to announce something big today."

The audience erupted in cheers, with camera shutters clicking like a torrential downpour.

"In the seven years I've been in the entertainment industry, I'm very grateful for the support of all my fans. I'm especially grateful for the strong support from my solo fans, and for my manager's silent dedication; I've seen it all."

She stood up, bowed, and then sat down again.

"I still want to say something today."

She looked up, her gaze passing through the first row and landing on the right aisle—Tan Yuze stood there, dressed in a black suit, clutching half a crumpled admission ticket in his hand.

That was the first time he had appeared in her public presence as an "audience member" rather than a "family member." Xu Li took a deep breath and spoke steadily into the microphone: "Tan Yuze, we've known each other for seven years and dated for three years and four months."

"Until today, I always felt that I didn't need to explain my private affairs to the public."

“But tonight, I want to be selfish just this once—” She paused, a small smile curving her lips: “I want to tell everyone that the only person I have ever loved is you.”

"I'm willing to hold your hand in front of the camera, and I'm also willing to argue with you, make up with you, go grocery shopping, and walk the dog with you behind the camera."

“I no longer need a ‘single persona’ to protect my career, because my career was built by you and me together.”

She thought back to what her company had said before: "If you keep doing this, we can blacklist you." She replied at the time, "I don't need you to blacklist me, I quit."

Nanyou's live stream chat crashed:

【What?! My favorite ship has actually come true?! ...

[Help! What kind of fairytale ending is this in the entertainment industry?!]

Xu Li didn't kiss him. She simply raised Tan Yuze's hand so everyone could see the silver ring—with two letters engraved on the inside: X&T.

On December 24, 2024, she faced the camera and said, word by word, "From today onwards, my work belongs to the audience, and my love belongs only to him."

"There's one more thing: I'm retiring from the entertainment industry. Thank you everyone."

Nan You, sitting in the front row of the press area, suddenly narrowed his eyes:

"Has she gone mad?!"

Xu Li continued:

"All works will be released as scheduled, and endorsements will be compensated according to the contract. From today onwards, the name Xu Li will no longer appear in any announcements, film contracts, variety shows, or trending searches. Thank you everyone."

Bow and step down from the stage.

Throughout the entire process, no one was given a chance to ask questions.

[Backstage Corridor]

As soon as Xu Li turned into the emergency exit, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist—

Nan You, the most sharp-tongued yet best agent in the industry, and also the one who treated Xu Li the best, now had red eyes and a trembling voice:

"Xu Li, you fucking explain yourself! You called everyone here just to announce you're quitting? Do you think the entertainment industry is a game?!"

Nan You wiped her face and snapped at her, "See that? What do you mean by 'going on a killing spree'? I'm not going to curse you today. You're at the peak of your career right now, can't you be a little more attentive?!"

Xu Li leaned against the wall, her expression calm: "Let go. Am I just going to let them curse me like that? I've earned enough money to support myself. Why don't I retire from the entertainment industry? Am I just going to let them curse me like that?"

Nan You not only refused to let go, but gripped her wrist even tighter, his nails almost digging into her skin.

"Do you know what people outside are saying about you? 'Jiang Qianhuan's sugar daddy,' 'Tan Yuze's hidden fiancée,' 'A woman who climbed the social ladder by selling herself and then became corrupt!'"

"If you just explain one thing, even just one thing—say the photos are fake, say the recording was edited, say you didn't rely on anyone—public opinion will reverse! Why don't you explain?!"

Xu Li raised her eyes, her voice as cold as ice:

"I'll explain, and then what? What if there's another photoshopped image or another rumor? Will I explain again? And what about the time after that?"

She stopped.

"Nanyou, have you ever seen an actress survive to the end by explaining herself?"

Nan You choked, her chest heaving violently.

Xu Li pulled her wrist back, leaving a red mark around her skin.

She lowered her eyes, her tone softening for the first time:

“I entered the industry at eighteen and I’m twenty-five this year. In seven years, I’ve played 38 roles and won nine awards. Today, I even have to wear a mask when I go out to take out the trash. I’m tired. I’m human, and I need to rest too. I’m tired.”

Nan You's voice trembled: "But even if you back down, those people won't let you go."

“But at least,” Xu Li raised her hand to adjust Nan You’s earpiece, “they will never be able to access my work again. From now on, the characters I play will be stuck at twenty-five years old, and I will never have to be tarnished by terms like ‘midlife crisis,’ ‘washed-up actress,’ or ‘plastic surgery face ruined.’ Isn’t that great?”

Nanyou heard the director's frantic cueing coming through her earpiece:

"Sister Nan! Come out quickly! The live stream chat is exploding, everyone is asking if Xu Li was forced to leave the entertainment industry!"

Nan You didn't move, but stared intently at Xu Li.

After a long pause, she asked in a hoarse voice:

"One last time, is there anything hidden? Just nod, and I'll rush out right now and flip the table for you."

Xu Li looked at her and suddenly chuckled softly.

That smile carried a hint of long-lost chivalrous spirit:

"There's no hidden reason, it's just that I don't want to be defined by the word 'traffic' anymore."

"Nanyou, I want to be a normal person again. I want to see if I'll die if I don't remove my makeup at 3 a.m., and I want to wear flip-flops to the supermarket to buy yogurt. Nanyou, you've reported so many big news stories, one more won't make a difference."

After saying that, she pushed open the door to the emergency exit.

Outside, the July sun was at its fiercest, like a bucket of scalding water being poured in.

Nanyou stood still, the director shouting himself hoarse in his earpiece.

She raised her hand, ripped off the headset, and slammed it to the ground.

"Hold!"

He kicked over a nearby plastic chair, the sound of its plastic leg breaking echoing through the empty corridor.

"Xu Li—you'll regret this!"

Her voice echoed, tinged with a sob she herself was unaware of.

Tan Yuze leaned against the car door and saw Xu Li come out. He didn't ask anything, but simply handed her a glass of iced Americano.

"Does it hurt?" He noticed the finger marks on her wrist.

"It's alright." Xu Li took a sip of coffee. "Nan You scolded me much more gently than those online."

Tan Yuze opened the car door: "Going home?"

"go home."

The moment the car started, a new trending topic popped up on Weibo—

#Nanyou's Livestream Out of Control#

In the video, the female anchor, known for her calm yet sharp tongue, threw down her headset with red eyes and yelled at the camera:

"From today onwards, if anyone spreads a single word about Xu Li—I, Nan You, will fight him to the death!"

Xu Li paused for a moment when she saw this post.

Tan Yuze asked, "Are we going back?"

Xu Li turned off her phone, leaned back in her seat, and spoke in a voice so soft it was almost a sigh:

"I'm not going back. Someone's already flipped the table for me, which is fine."

Outside the car window, giant screens on skyscrapers were displaying her movie posters.

The international departure level of Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport is brightly lit, yet it feels as empty as a corner forgotten by the world.

Xu Li wore a black baseball cap and a disposable mask, the brim pulled very low. She was pushing a 20-inch carry-on suitcase, with an old sticker on the side—a strawberry sticker that Jiang Qianhuan had put on when filming of "Chasing the Light" wrapped up, the edges of which were already curled up.

Tan Yuze went to pay for the parking fee and told her to wait in line first.

She had just stopped when she heard hurried footsteps behind her—"Xu Li!" She turned around.

Nan You was wearing the suit jacket from yesterday's live stream, the buttons were off, and her hair was so messy you could see the whorl of her hair. She was clutching her passport in her hand, her fingertips still smudged with printer toner.

"...Why are you here?" Xu Li's voice was hoarse. Nan You slapped her passport into her hand and handed her a USB drive with her other hand.

"Italian visa, three-month multiple-entry. I asked someone to expedite it, and it just came out this morning."

She took a breath, her dark circles under her eyes were frighteningly heavy. "The USB drive contains the evidence chain of all the sources of the rumors: IP addresses, online troll companies, transfer records, and Photoshop tutorials. I made three backups: one for you, one for my lawyer, and one to keep with me."

Xu Li didn't answer, only asking, "You stayed up for four days straight just for this?" Nan You scoffed, "Don't flatter yourself. I just can't stand that bunch of bastards partying—they act like they've won now that you've left the scene."

She paused, her voice dropping eight octaves, "Xu Li, if you leave, who am I supposed to yell at?" Tan Yuze saw them from afar, but didn't approach, only leaning against a pillar smoking—the firelight flickering in the night. Nan You followed her gaze, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips: "Don't worry, I'm not here to persuade you to stay."

I'm here to tell you: whenever you want to come back, I'll make a documentary out of this evidence and play it at your premiere.

I've already thought of the trending search terms—

#Xu Li is back#

#Nanyou apologizes via live stream for five hours#

“I’d eat a keyboard on live stream.” Xu Li finally reached out and took the USB drive and passport.

Her fingertips touched the back of Nan You's hand; it was icy cold. "Nan You," she called her by her full name again, "thank you for scolding me." Nan You was stunned.

Xu Li smiled, her eyes curving into crescents: "It was only when you scolded me that I felt like I hadn't been completely abandoned by this world."

She gently hugged Nan You, then quickly let go, saying, "I'm leaving."

[Security checkpoint] Xu Li handed her passport to customs.

The crisp "snap" of the stamp seemed to bring the past twelve years to a close. She glanced back.

Nan You stood outside the yellow line, hands in her pockets, shoulders slightly hunched—a posture that looked like she was holding back tears, or perhaps ready to fight at any moment. Xu Li raised her hand and made a very small wave.

Nan You didn't respond, but suddenly shouted, "Xu Li! Remember to buy full-fat yogurt! Skim yogurt tastes like swill!"

The sound echoed under the dome, drawing the attention of the surrounding travelers. Xu Li finally laughed out loud and turned to walk into the passageway.

[Ten hours later, Rome Fiumicino Airport]

Xu Li turned on her phone and a text message from an unknown number popped up:

[Unknown number: Rome city center 38℃, strong UV rays, don't take off your hat. -- South]

She stared at the screen and suddenly remembered that many years ago, when she won her first newcomer award, she tripped and fell as she went offstage.

The audience burst into laughter, but intern reporter Nan You reached out and pulled her, saying with a hint of disdain, "With legs this long, can't you watch where you're going?" It turns out that their friendship was based on mutual disdain and mutual support from the very beginning.

[Three months later, late autumn in Venice] Xu Li is filming an independent documentary on Lido Island. She is without makeup, wearing an old sweatshirt, and carrying a 16-pound camera.

One evening, she was editing videos by the sea when she suddenly received a video call—

Nan You, sporting newly dyed pink hair, stood against the backdrop of the first snowfall in the capital: "Xu Li, come back."

The documentary is finished, and the premiere is scheduled for December 24th at the Beijing Exhibition Theater.

Tickets are sold out, and scalpers are driving up prices for front-row seats to five figures.

"Don't you want to see whose names are printed on those ticket stubs?" The camera panned slightly, revealing a huge poster in the background—

Homecoming

Director: Tan Yuze

Starring: Xu Li

Producer: Nan You

Exclusive media support: Xu Li in the poster from Nanyou Studio is without makeup; her face exudes a sense of wind, and her eyes shine with light. Nanyou's voice comes through the receiver, carrying his usual arrogance:

"Xu Li, I've soaked the keyboard. Come back, and I'll livestream myself eating it. You can't leave until you've finished." Xu Li looked at the screen and suddenly smiled.

In the distance, the tides of the Adriatic Sea surged in layer upon layer, like applause seven years overdue.

25-year-old Xu Li smiled boldly, her eyebrows and eyes sharp.

That was the last close-up shot she left for the world.

Snow began to fall outside the theater.

Xu Li and Tan Yuze did not use the VIP channel; instead, they held hands and mingled with the departing crowd.

A fan recognized them and was about to scream when Xu Li put her index finger to her lips: "Shh—" The girl immediately covered her mouth, blushing, and made way for them. Snowflakes fell on their shoulders.

Tan Yuze suddenly stopped, lowered his head and kissed the top of her head: "Xu Li, you just said you're willing to argue with me behind the camera—"

"I want to try it now."

Xu Li raised an eyebrow: "What was the argument about?"

Tan Yuze: "Where should we go for late-night snacks tonight?"

Xu Li: "I want to eat hot pot."

Tan Yuze: "No, your stomach isn't good, you should drink porridge."

Xu Li: "Then let's have congee hot pot."

Tan Yuze: "...Xu Li, this is cheating."

"I'm just being silly, what are you going to do about it?" Tan Yuze laughed, leading her into the snow. "What can you do? I can only keep spoiling you for the rest of my life." The snow fell heavier and heavier.

The two figures were stretched long under the streetlights, like a red carpet leading to the future that would never end.