The hospital doors slid shut behind Chu Yunyun with a soft mechanical sound.
For a long moment, she just stood there.
Outside, the city was loud—cars honking, people talking, vendors shouting. Life was moving forward without waiting for her. The sun was already climbing high in the sky, its warmth touching her face like a reminder that she was still alive.
Her legs trembled.
She had walked out with nothing.
No money.
No bag.
No plan.
Only a phone and a decision.
"I really left…" she whispered.
Her chest rose and fell unevenly as she took another step away from the hospital entrance. Each movement felt unreal, like walking out of a dream that could collapse at any moment.
Behind her, inside the building, Yu Li was probably crying.
Her parents were probably shouting.
And doctors were probably shaking their heads.
In Yu Chen's memory, she would have already turned back.
She would have apologized.
She would have gone back to that chair, rolled up her sleeve, and smiled weakly.
Chu Yunyun did not turn back.
She walked until the hospital disappeared from her sight.
Only then did she allow herself to stop.
Her knees nearly buckled.
She leaned against a lamppost and closed her eyes.
The world spun.
Her body was still weak. Her heart beat too fast, her head too light.
"So this is freedom…" she murmured.
It didn't feel heroic.
It felt terrifying.
She pulled out her phone.
One unread message remained on the screen.
Audition Location: Minghua Media Building, Studio 3.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
Showbiz.
The battlefield she had chosen.
Not because she loved acting.
But because it was the fastest way to earn money, fame, and power.
And power meant she would never be trapped again.
She started walking again, this time toward the bus stop.
Every step drained her strength.
Her stomach growled painfully.
Yu Chen's memories surfaced.
She hadn't eaten properly in days.
Her parents had said, "Don't eat too much. You'll donate blood tomorrow."
Chu Yunyun laughed quietly.
"I won't die of blood loss," she muttered, "but I might die of hunger."
She stopped at a small convenience store and used the little money in Yu Chen's phone wallet to buy a bun and a bottle of water.
She sat on the curb outside and ate slowly.
The bun tasted dry.
But it filled the emptiness in her stomach.
As she chewed, a strange feeling crept over her.
No one was watching her.
No one was calling her name.
No one was waiting for her to return.
For the first time…
She belonged to herself.
Her phone buzzed again.
Mother:
Where did you go? Come back now.
She didn't reply.
Another message came.
Father:
Don't be childish.
She deleted both.
Her hands were shaking—not from fear, but from exhaustion and emotion.
She stood again and headed toward the bus stop.
The ride to Minghua Media felt like crossing into another world.
Students laughed in uniforms.
Office workers stared at their phones.
Actors and actresses passed by with sunglasses and masks.
Chu Yunyun watched them quietly.
This was where she was going.
A place where smiles hid knives.
A place where fame decided value.
A place perfect for someone who had already lost everything.
The bus stopped.
She got off in front of a tall glass building with bold letters at the top:
MINGHUA MEDIA
Her heart beat faster.
"So this is it," she whispered.
She walked inside.
The lobby was crowded with young men and women holding scripts, resumes, and photos. Some looked confident. Some looked terrified.
Everyone looked hungry.
A staff member shouted, "Auditions for supporting roles—Studio 3! Prepare your numbers!"
Chu Yunyun took a number.
89
She leaned against the wall and waited.
Time passed slowly.
Her legs hurt.
Her head still ached.
When number 63 went in, she felt sweat on her palms.
What if she fainted?
What if she failed?
Yu Chen's fear whispered:
You're weak.
You can't do this.
Chu Yunyun closed her eyes.
Her own voice answered:
I survived death.
This is nothing.
Her phone buzzed again.
Yu Li:
Sister… please come back.
She stared at the message.
For a moment, Yu Chen's heart squeezed painfully.
She remembered small hands holding hers.
Small voice saying, "I'm scared."
But then another memory overlaid it—
A smiling half-sister.
A door closing.
Chains locking.
Chu Yunyun deleted the message.
"Number 89!"
She straightened.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
She walked into Studio 3.
Three judges sat behind a table.
One man looked bored.
One woman looked annoyed.
One young assistant typed something on a laptop.
"Name?" the bored man asked.
"Yu Chen," she replied.
"Age?"
"Twenty-one."
"Experience?"
"None."
The woman sighed. "Then why are you here?"
Chu Yunyun met her eyes.
"Because I won't starve quietly," she said.
The assistant paused typing.
The bored man raised an eyebrow.
The woman frowned. "Read this."
They handed her a script.
It was a short scene—
A girl kneeling and begging.
Her fingers tightened around the paper.
Her heart pounded painfully.
Kneeling.
Begging.
Again?
She took a breath.
And then…
She acted.
Her body trembled.
Her eyes reddened.
Her voice broke as she spoke the lines.
But instead of weakness…
There was anger.
Instead of pleading…
There was despair sharpened into hate.
By the time she finished, the room was silent.
The bored man sat up straight.
The woman stared at her.
The assistant whispered, "That was… intense."
"Did you study acting?" the woman asked.
"No," Chu Yunyun replied.
The man leaned forward. "Then where did that emotion come from?"
Chu Yunyun answered quietly, "From dying once already."
They exchanged looks.
"Leave your number," the woman said. "We'll contact you."
Chu Yunyun bowed and walked out.
Her legs almost gave out in the hallway.
She leaned against the wall and exhaled.
"I didn't faint," she whispered.
She walked out of the building slowly.
Outside, the sky was turning orange.
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She hesitated… then answered.
"Miss Yu Chen?" a deep male voice asked.
"Yes."
"This is Liang Group's driver. Our boss would like to meet you."
Her heart skipped.
"…Why?"
"You were seen at Minghua Media today."
Chu Yunyun's eyes darkened.
The business tycoon.
The man who would later protect her.
She didn't know it yet.
But fate had already noticed her escape.
"I'll come," she said.
She hung up and looked back at the building.
"I left the hospital," she whispered.
"And entered another cage."
Her lips curved faintly.
"But this one…"
"…I will control."