Arrival at the Twin Stars

“That’s right, ‘Empress of the Six Realms’ will begin filming next year, but I haven’t found a suitable lead actress yet. But today, Miss Chen, when I saw you, it was as if the character herself had stepped right out of the book!” Cheng Sheng exclaimed, barely able to contain his excitement as he showed everyone his sketch. “This is an image of Di Hanyan I drew after reading the original novel.”

Director Du and the others gathered around curiously. They glanced at the drawing, then at Chen Ruowen, and gasped in amazement.

“She really does look like her!”

Chen Ruowen took the character sketch that Cheng Sheng had been trying to hand her, raising an eyebrow skeptically. “How do I look like her?”

“It’s uncanny!” everyone except Chen Ruowen exclaimed.

The drawing was a simple full-body portrait. To be fair, the facial features didn’t exactly match Chen Ruowen’s—after all, she was a real person, and the character was from an illustrated world. But the aura, the expression, the air about the figure—those were strikingly similar to Chen Ruowen. At a glance, it could have been her.

Cheng Sheng looked at her with shining eyes. “You may not have acted before, but I believe you’re perfect for this role. Only you can truly embody Di Hanyan, and only then will ‘Empress of the Six Realms’ become a legend in the history of fantasy dramas! Please, you must join us!”

Chen Ruowen simply replied, her expression cool as she handed the sketch back, “I refuse.”

“But why?” Cheng Sheng nearly tore his hair out.

“I’m not interested.” Chen Ruowen put on her sunglasses, gave the directors a perfunctory wave, and turned to leave.

“Chen—”

Cheng Sheng called after her, intent on chasing her down, but Director Du stopped him.

“Let it go, Director Cheng. Miss Chen is the owner of Shuangxing Future. There’s no way she’d lower herself to act in a TV drama. She’ll never agree.”

Cheng Sheng’s face fell, but he quickly rallied, gripping the sketch tightly.

“I’ll go talk to Chairman Chen. When he invited me to Shuangxing, he promised not to force me to do any project I didn’t want, and that he’d help me realize my vision for the perfect series. I have to try for Chen Ruowen.”

Director Du hesitated. “You can talk to Chairman Chen, but as for Miss Chen herself... she doesn’t listen to him.”

“She doesn’t?”

Director Du nodded. “Not only does she not listen, but Chairman Chen is famous for doting on his daughter in all of South City. If she doesn’t want to do something, he won’t force her, no matter what. Even if you go to him... Well, honestly, you’d be better off asking Young Master Bai of Zhongyu for help. If there’s anyone in China who can change Miss Chen’s mind, it’s Bai Jinyan from the Bai family.”

“The Bai family... Bai Jinyan...” Director Du repeated, nodding with determination.

He hadn’t minded never having met Chen Ruowen before, but now that he had seen the perfect candidate in person, he simply couldn’t settle for anyone else. He would do whatever it took to persuade her to take the role. If Chen Ruowen didn’t agree, he’d rather not make the drama at all.

...

Meanwhile, Chen Ruowen, whose incognito stroll had been interrupted, received a call from Chen Liwan as soon as she left the film base. She had Lao Cui drive her straight to Shuangxing Group’s headquarters.

The moment she stepped out of the car, the security guards at the entrance snapped to attention. One of them, barely able to get the words out in his excitement, saluted her.

“M-Miss Chen!”

That single address instantly alerted everyone in the first-floor lobby. Like fans spotting their idol, the staff immediately formed two long lines in the hall.

“Sister Wen!”

Chen Ruowen nodded to them and strode into Chen Liwan’s private elevator.

As soon as she left, the lobby was abuzz with excited chatter.

“I’ve been at Shuangxing for a year, and I finally got to see Sister Wen in person!”

“I’d heard Chairman Chen’s daughter was breathtaking, but seeing her today—she really does take your breath away!”

“She’s more than breathtaking. The moment I saw her, my mind went completely blank—I don’t think I thought about anything for at least five seconds! Compared to Sister Wen, those so-called popular actresses are nothing.”

“Me too! But why do you all call her ‘Sister Wen’? She looks like she’s just a teenager, younger than us.”

“You fool! ‘Miss Chen’ sounds so distant! Calling her ‘Sister Wen’ brings us closer. Besides, even though she’s young, she’s got a presence that rivals Chairman Chen’s. Honestly, I feel like bowing down to her when I see her—I wouldn’t dare call her anything but ‘Sister.’”

“That makes sense... But after all these years at Shuangxing, have you gotten any closer to her?”

“You little brat, are you looking for a beating?”

...

...

On the twenty-eighth floor of Shuangxing Tower, Zhao Yan was already waiting at the elevator. He quickly led Chen Ruowen into the chairman’s office. Chen Liwan greeted his daughter, gesturing for her to sit on the sofa before sitting down beside her with two folders in hand.

“Ruowen, I’ve already picked out some properties near South University for you. There are six that meet all your requirements. Take a look at the details—choose one, some, or take all six, as you like.”

Chen Ruowen took the first folder. The layout was clear, with each property’s main features and advantages highlighted in different colors for easy comparison—a clear sign of Zhao Yan’s handiwork.

She sighed. “Xiao Zhao is so much more efficient than Panpan. His documents are always organized and logical—I can spot the key points at a glance.”

Chen Liwan chuckled. “Four years ago, when I told you to pick a temporary assistant from the two of them, didn’t you choose Assistant Pan?”

Chen Ruowen pursed her lips. “Back then, I didn’t know anything about their abilities. I just thought Panpan looked friendlier, so I picked him.”

“Want me to switch you to Xiao Zhao, then?” Chen Liwan asked.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Ruowen shook her head. “No, Xiao Zhao is too strait-laced. He’s not much fun. Panpan’s easier to boss around.”

She’d known Assistant Pan longer, and they’d worked together for years—she was used to him. Switching now would probably throw her off, and she’d eventually hire her own assistant anyway. No need to change at this point.

Chen Liwan smiled and said nothing. After reviewing the details, Chen Ruowen chose a high-rise located within the South University campus.

“This one will do. They’re all about the same, so I’ll just pick the one closest by.”

Chen Liwan glanced at her choice and nodded.

“Alright. I’ll have the transfer formalities handled tomorrow and arrange for renovations. If you want anything added, just tell Assistant Pan and he’ll take care of it.”

Once Chen Ruowen nodded, Chen Liwan handed her the second folder.

“You’ve been idle lately, so why not start your internship early? You’ve met Zhang Dong and Li Yanbin before. Which company would you like to intern at?”