"An’an, even though something terrible happened today, I’m really happy. This is the happiest day of my life."
Qi Baotan clung to Shen You’an’s arm, her face glowing with a sweet smile.
Shen You’an glanced at the low, shabby buildings around them, her elegant eyebrows twitching imperceptibly in a frown.
"Go home, pack up, and move as soon as possible."
"Huh?" Qi Baotan looked baffled. Why was moving suddenly on the agenda?
"These old residential areas have many safety hazards and insufficient protection measures. It’s better to move quickly, so I can rest assured."
Seeing Qi Baotan’s concern, Shen You’an added, "I’ll ask Zhao Heng to find a bigger place for you. Big enough for you and your mother to live comfortably."
Qi Baotan didn’t look particularly happy; she lowered her head, feeling dejected.
"An’an, you’ve already helped me so much. I don’t... I don’t even know how to repay you."
"You’re an employee of Other Shore Entertainment. We’ll note these expenses down and deduct them from your salary later on."
Qi Baotan suddenly broke into a smile. "Then I’ll definitely work hard and earn lots and lots of money for the company."
Shen You’an suddenly understood King You of Zhou sacrificing the loyalty of his vassals just to make the beauty smile.
For this radiant smile, perhaps anything would be worth it.
"An’an, I want to apply to the film academy." Qi Baotan bit her lip and spoke determinedly.
"That’s great! This path suits you perfectly. You’ve already mentioned it to Zhao Heng, haven’t you? He’ll help arrange your high school."
"Mm-hmm, President Zhao fully supports me. He even said he’d help me hire a tutor."
As Qi Baotan spoke, her nose stung with emotion. At the moment when Cai Xiang forced her to leap off the building, she thought her life had come to an end.
Eighteen years of life had only brought her ugliness and filth, making her completely despair of this world.
Yet, there still were good people in this world.
How she feared that all of this was just a dream, that when the dream ended, she’d still be lying in a hospital bed, a comatose Qi Baotan.
Reluctantly, Qi Baotan bid farewell to Shen You’an, returned home, and saw that Mrs. Qi had already gotten off work and was cooking in the kitchen.
"Mom, how come you’re off work so early today?"
Mrs. Qi said nothing. Sensing that something was off, Qi Baotan walked closer and saw that her mother looked evasive.
Qi Baotan quickly stepped forward, grabbed her mother’s arm, and Mrs. Qi couldn’t avoid it anymore. On the side of her face, a glaring handprint stood out starkly, her cheek swollen high.
Qi Baotan’s breath tightened. Her voice dropped into a deliberate calm: "Who did this?"
"It’s... It’s nothing, Mom accidentally fell. It’s no big deal...."
"Mom, don’t lie to me. Was it one of the customers bullying you again?"
She knew her mother’s character—timid and honest, someone who wouldn’t defend herself even when being bullied.
There were always some difficult customers who deliberately picked on cleaners just to assert their status.
A rush of anger surged through Qi Baotan, her eyes instantly turning red.
"No... It wasn’t. Tantant, it’s Mom’s fault. I accidentally damaged a customer’s makeup. Being slapped by the customer—well, it’s deserved."
Mrs. Qi had been honest and compliant her entire life, avoiding trouble wherever she could, choosing peace over conflict.
"I’ll go find your manager right now." Qi Baotan turned to leave.
Mrs. Qi quickly grabbed her. "Tantant, don’t go. The manager has already handled it. That customer isn’t someone we can afford to offend. One slap—so be it. Let’s not make things worse; we simply can’t afford it."
This was the first time Qi Baotan felt utterly powerless in life. She crouched down and embraced Mrs. Qi tightly.
Even in fury, her tears stayed locked within her red-rimmed eyes, never spilling out.
Within her glistening, crystalline irises, an unshakable determination shone brightly.
She had never wanted to grow stronger more than she did now.
Qi Baotan took an ice pack from the fridge and gently applied it to Mrs. Qi’s swollen face.
Squatting beside her mother, she lowered her head and fiddled with a small silver container.
"Mom, do you still remember telling me that, when I was little, a Taoist once read my fortune?"
Mrs. Qi seemed to bring it up constantly. Back then, Qi Baotan had gotten tired of hearing it, thinking her mother had been far too influenced by superstitious nonsense.
"That’s right. The master said your birth chart carries the ’Heavenly Virtue and Lunar Virtue,’ with official recognition supporting you. You’re destined for a noble life, overcoming adversity and finding help from influential people."
Though uneducated, Mrs. Qi had an astonishing memory, recalling the Taoist’s words vividly and clearly.
"Influential people?" Qi Baotan’s lips lifted slightly, her smile as radiant as the spring breeze.
She now believed in the existence of true masters.
Because she had met the benefactor of her life.
Mrs. Qi sighed. "But I always leave out the first half of what I tell you. Actually, the master had a second half to his words."
Qi Baotan could almost guess it.
"If the influential people are not encountered, with fate colliding fiercely, and ’Seven Killings’ attacking the self, disaster will prevail, and the outcome could be untimely death."