Chapter 1
In a rented apartment in Haicheng, Dai Xiaoyi had just removed her makeup, and the mirror reflected a face that concealed fatigue yet remained delicate. Today's shoot hadn't gone smoothly. The client was picky, and the competition was fierce. Only by returning to this small apartment could she catch her breath.
The past year or so hadn't been easy for her. The "good opportunity" that had made her leave Rongcheng and Zhou Ping'an was, after all, just an ordinary modeling invitation, a stepping stone to enter the industry.
It wasn't irresistible, nor was she forced to come to Haicheng. She ultimately chose to come, not so much because she was attracted by the opportunity, but because she saw it as a symbolic act - an escape from her comfort zone, a testament to herself.
She still remembers the determination she had when she said that to her best friend: "I know it's safe to stay, and Zhou Ping'an can give me a very comfortable life. But I want to see what life is like on my own while I'm still young."
Now, in this quiet apartment, she sometimes asks herself whether her original decision was right.
The man named Zhou Ping'an was as smart as an unreachable mountain. Next to him, she always felt like a pretty decoration, living in a different world from him. The pervasive sense of intellectual oppression was more suffocating to her than the real pressure of survival competition in Haicheng.
She picked up her old phone, the screensaver still displaying the scenery of Rongcheng. She'd thought about contacting him, but she'd always deleted the message after typing it. What should she say? Complain? She didn't want him to see her in such a state; that would be an admission of failure.
Greetings? That seemed redundant and awkward.
When the cell phone rang on the noisy set in the afternoon, Dai Xiaoyi was being asked by the photographer to repeatedly adjust a pose.
She caught a glimpse of the words "Zhou Ping'an" flashing on the screen, and her heart felt like it had been hit hard, and her breath skipped a beat. She gestured for a break, walked to a relatively quiet corner, and took two deep breaths before answering the call.
"Hello?" There was a hint of panic in her voice.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Then came the voice that she had thought she had long forgotten, but now easily disturbed her mind. The tone was a little hesitant, even with a hint of subtle nervousness: "It's me. I'm in Haicheng."
"...Haicheng?" Dai Xiaoyi repeated subconsciously, his mind blank for a moment. Rongcheng, Zhou Ping'an, these seemed like things from a past life. "Why... did you come here suddenly?"
"I have some business to take care of." Zhou Ping'an's answer was simple and direct, even a little dry. He paused, as if considering his words, and lowered his voice: "Are you...free now? I'd like to meet you for a cup of coffee."
His tone was filled with cautious inquiry. Dai Xiaoyi's defenses softened a little: "...Okay. I'll send you the place."
An hour later, Dai Xiaoyi pushed open the door of a hidden cafe. Zhou Ping'an was already sitting in the innermost booth, his slightly stiff posture highlighted by the light from the window.
He was still wearing the frayed jacket she had bought him, and when he saw her come in, he stood up immediately, his movements even a little hurriedly.
Dai Xiaoyi sat down across from him. Seeing his rare embarrassment, her own previous nervousness strangely dissipated. "I'm safe," she called softly, her tone more peaceful than she had expected.
A brief silence stretched between the two of them. Zhou Ping'an's gaze, unsure where to look, finally settled on the tissue box on the table. As if finally remembering something, he awkwardly pushed a simple paper bag across the table.
"This... is for you."
Dai Xiaoyi opened it suspiciously and saw the white box containing the Weihua Pilot Edition tri-fold phone. She was stunned and looked up at him, a little surprised: "How did you get this? This phone is not available for purchase now."
"It's an internal channel. The batteries here are made in my factory." Zhou Pingan seemed to be showing off, but his tone was a bit stiff and blunt. "No...nothing special. I just think the pure white texture matches...and your temperament very well."
His voice grew softer and softer, until in the end he seemed almost to be talking to himself.
The Haobai he handed to Dai Xiaoyi was the one he subconsciously pulled out after hesitating for a moment among the samples. He himself couldn't clearly explain the subtle differences between them. It was more like a clumsy distinction that belonged to her alone.
Dai Xiaoyi's fingers gently stroked the cool logo on the pure white box. This gift was so sudden that she didn't know how to respond.
Her hesitation made Zhou Pingan feel a strong sense of uneasiness. He immediately regretted it, wondering if he had done something wrong again. Giving her such a gift seemed so tacky and stupid, and she might not like it at all.
He looked at her, subconsciously trying to break the suffocating silence by solving the problem, but what he asked was a dry question: "How about you? In...in Haicheng for more than a year, has everything been going well?"
Dai Xiaoyi picked up her coffee, using the steam to mask her expression. "It's pretty good," she said with a deliberately cheerful tone, her eyes drifting out the window. "There are a lot of opportunities, but the competition is also fierce. Just take it slow."
She tried to show a maturity that showed she was in control of her words, but the slightly exaggerated ending tone and the subconscious tapping of her fingertips on the table revealed her lack of confidence.
Zhou Ping'an said "hmm" and didn't ask any more questions.
He just felt that the "pretty good" world she talked about and the weariness that could not be hidden between her eyebrows and eyes could never be pieced together.
Silence fell again. This time, Dai Xiaoyi spoke first, his voice lower, the forced brightness fading a little: "It's just... sometimes I feel quite tired."
The words seemed to slip out accidentally, and she was stunned for a moment after she said it. Then she hurriedly tried to make up for it: "But it's normal. It's like this when you first start working in the industry. You just have to get through it!"
She nodded vigorously, as if to cheer herself up, and forced a smile on her face, but it didn't look natural.
Zhou Ping'an looked at her, who was obviously very tired but still shouting "Come on" to him, and felt like something was gently stabbed in his heart.
He didn't say anything to comfort her, but just looked at her very quietly and seriously, and said "hmm" softly again.
This simple response, without judgment or preaching, was like a safe container, accepting the vulnerability she had just accidentally revealed.
Dai Xiaoyi looked at his calm eyes, and the panic in his heart caused by his slip of the tongue slowly calmed down.
At that moment, Dai Xiaoyi's phone vibrated at an inopportune moment. It was her assistant reminding her that it was time to return to the set. She glanced at it, a trace of professional urgency and a hint of apology crossing her face.
She raised her head, her tone becoming pragmatic and quick: "I have to go back to the set, I have another shoot tonight."
"Okay, work is important." Zhou Ping'an immediately expressed his understanding.
Dai Xiaoyi quickly packed up his things, picked up the paper bag containing the phone, and said sincerely, "Thank you so much for this."
Her gratitude was hasty but sincere.
"As long as it can be used." Zhou Ping'an nodded and stood up.
The two walked quickly to the door of the cafe.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly. Dai Xiaoyi seemed to suddenly remember something. He stopped before pushing open the glass door, turned his head, and spoke quickly but with bright eyes: "By the way, I have a show at the Yunshang Center in the east of the city tomorrow afternoon."
She paused, her tone hinting at a temporary, less formal invitation: "If you have time... you can come and have a look."
"I'll go when I'm free." Zhou Ping'an answered without any hesitation, decisively and clearly.
"See you tomorrow then! I'll WeChat you the time and address later." Dai Xiaoyi waved hurriedly at him, an expression somewhere between a professional smile and genuine happiness on her face. Then she turned around and trotted into the crowd on the street, rushing to her next job.
Zhou Ping'an stood there, watching her hurriedly leaving, and the figure quickly disappeared around the corner.
He returned to his seat and the coffee on the table was still hot.
Dai Xiaoyi rushed back to the set almost on time, still breathing slightly hard.
"Hey, Xiaoyi, you're in such a hurry. Are you going on a date?" A familiar model colleague joked, looking at her blushing cheeks.
"No way!" Dai Xiaoyi retorted subconsciously, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
As if she could no longer hold back a huge secret, she pulled out the bright white phone case from the paper bag and waved it in front of her colleagues, "Look! What is this?"
"Oh my god! The Navigator Edition?! And it's in brilliant white!" My colleague's eyes widened instantly, his voice filled with envy and disbelief. "Where did you get that? You can't buy it now even if you have money!"
"Hehe, that's awesome, right?" The tiredness on Dai Xiaoyi's face was replaced by a pure sense of pride, like a little girl receiving a beloved gift.
She couldn't let go of the phone, stroking its cool texture. The complicated emotions she had felt when she was with Zhou Ping'an were now diluted by this simple happiness.
"Tell me quickly! Where did it come from?" my colleague urged, full of curiosity.
Dai Xiaoyi blinked and said in a seemingly casual but actually clever tone, "Oh, this... is from a friend of my brother's. He happened to have some inside information and brought it to me."
"Your brother's friend is so nice to you!" The colleague said with envy in his tone.
Dai Xiaoyi simply smiled and didn't say anything. She carefully put away her new phone. The panic and sadness she had felt at Zhou Ping'an's sudden appearance seemed to be quietly soothed by this tangible gift and a little bit of vanity.
She took a deep breath, put on the expression of a professional model again, and walked towards the shooting area where the lights were concentrated.
But the moment she turned around, a subtle, more complex glint flashed in her eyes. In that glint, there was a hint of nostalgia for the past, as well as a secret anticipation for the upcoming visit from "brother's friend" tomorrow.
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A request for fashion show tickets was casually transferred from Xu Zhou, CEO of Weihua Terminal, to Su Ying, head of the publicity department of Weihua (Haicheng).
"Mr. Zhou Pingan from Anping wants to go to the Yunshang press conference. Can you help arrange it?"
Su Ying put down the phone and paused for a moment at the line for "Yun Shang" on the schedule. This show, featuring an emerging designer, was a highly anticipated event during Haicheng Fashion Week and was scheduled for the afternoon.
She had never met Zhou Ping'an before, but the significance of this call from CEO Xu Zhou personally was self-evident.
She hesitated for a moment, then dialed the number herself. The call was picked up after only two rings.
"Hello, Mr. Zhou, I am Su Ying from Weihua Haicheng." Her voice came through the radio waves, clear and capable.
"Hello, Mr. Su." Zhou Ping'an's voice came from the other end of the phone, steady, direct, without any greetings.
"Mr. Xu has already told me about the press conference. The invitations are ready, and it's a front-row seat." She paused briefly, then got straight to the point, her tone natural and her reasoning irresistible. "Also, I'm familiar with the brand hosting this press conference, and I'm going to be there this afternoon. If you don't mind, we can go together, and I'll be able to show you around and introduce you a little."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, not hesitation, but more like a confirmation. Then, Zhou Ping's calm voice came through, crisp and clear: "Okay. Thank you, Mr. Su."
"You're welcome. See you this afternoon."
It was an early winter afternoon in Haicheng, the sunlight pale and white. Zhou Ping'an arrived outside the show ten minutes early, still wearing his half-worn casual jacket, which seemed a bit out of place with the surrounding atmosphere. However, there was nothing he could do about it, as he hadn't brought any clothes suitable for this occasion.
A black sedan glided silently to the curb. The door opened, and a woman in a charcoal-gray worsted wool coat swiftly stepped out. It was Su Ying, Weihua's Haicheng department head. With a single glance, she moved precisely through the crowd toward Zhou Ping'an, her steps steady and composed.
"Mr. Zhou? I'm Su Ying." She stretched out her hand and smiled appropriately, neither warm nor distant.
"Mr. Su, nice to meet you." Zhou Ping'an shook hands with her with real strength and just the right timing. "Trouble you for making this special trip." His words were concise and his thanks were direct, without any unnecessary greetings.
"You're so polite. It's my job." Su Ying leaned over and handed over an invitation, "Let's go in. The seats are in the front."
Zhou Pingan took it and nodded, "Okay."
The two were ushered into the venue by staff and seated in the front row. The show hadn't begun yet, and the room was brightly lit and filled with whispers. Su Ying looked around and naturally started the conversation, "Is Mr. Zhou interested in a fashion show?"
Zhou Ping'an's gaze fell on the empty T-stage, and he answered frankly and directly, even with some anticipation: "Come to see a friend."
Su Ying heard this, a faint understanding flashing across her eyes. She didn't ask any more questions, only smiling. Just then, the announcement came from the inside, and the main lights instantly went out, plunging the space into a deliberately darkened space, with only the catwalk transformed into a tunnel of light. Powerful music began, and the press conference officially began.
When Dai Xiaoyi appeared in the light and shadow to the rhythm of the music, Zhou Ping'an's back straightened slightly, his focused gaze following her. Su Ying keenly caught this subtle change in his aura.
The show ended and the lights came back on. Zhou Ping'an and Su Ying stood up with the crowd.
"Mr. Zhou, please wait a moment. I'll go and say hello to the brand." Su Ying said.
"Go ahead." Zhou Ping'an nodded, his eyes already looking towards the backstage.
Not long after, Dai Xiaoyi changed back into casual clothes and hurried out from the backstage, her face still covered in makeup and sweat, her eyes searching anxiously. Seeing Zhou Ping'an, her eyes lit up and she trotted over to him.
"Ping An! You really came! I saw you just now." His tone was filled with uncontrollable joy.
"Well," Zhou Ping'an looked at her with gentle eyes, "you are walking well."
At this time, Su Ying returned at the right time. Zhou Pingan introduced the two of them, his tone more positive than before: "Mr. Su, this is Dai Xiaoyi, the sister of an old friend of mine. I watched her grow up."
Just when he said the words "I watched him grow up", the corner of Dai Xiaoyi's mouth twitched slightly. She quickly lowered her head and pursed her lips to hide it, but when she raised her eyes again, the tacit and narrow smile in her eyes could still be seen.
Zhou Ping'an received her gaze, his expression remained unchanged, but a hint of embarrassment and even a bit of embarrassment flashed across his eyes.
Su Ying took in the subtle interactions between the two, a knowing smile on her face, but she didn't point it out. She handed over her business card and said to Dai Xiaoyi, "Ms. Dai has a very steady stage presence and good expressiveness. I hope we can work together in the future."
"Thank you, Mr. Su! I will try my best!" Dai Xiaoyi took the business card with both hands and a respectful attitude.
At this moment, Dai Xiaoyi's agent, Li Li, walked over quickly with a smile on her face. She had obviously noticed that Dai Xiaoyi was talking to an important person.
"Xiaoyi, you did an amazing job!" Li Li praised him first, then turned her gaze to Zhou Ping'an and Su Ying, her attitude warm and humble: "Hello, teachers. I'm Xiaoyi's agent, Li Li. Thank you very much for coming to support Xiaoyi!"
Zhou Ping'an seemed a bit unfamiliar with this kind of sudden social interaction and only nodded in greeting. Su Ying expertly took over the conversation, exchanging business cards with Li Li and politely praising Dai Xiaoyi's professional performance.
Su Ying and Sister Li left one after another on their own pretexts, leaving space for them. Dai Xiaoyi then whispered to Zhou Pingan, "Ping'an, thank you." His eyes sparkled.
Zhou Pingan looked at her and simply said, "This is a good opportunity, seize it well."
He didn't say anything else, but raised his hand and very naturally brushed away a strand of sweat-soaked hair from her forehead. "Go and clean up. I'll meet you at the door."
Dai Xiaoyi's face turned red, he lowered his head, said "hmm", turned around and ran away.
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