The news of Xia An’ge leaving the company spread throughout Starlight Entertainment by the next morning. She had always been one of the most outstanding artists in the company.

  A goddess with an angelic voice—many employees secretly believed she had the potential to become a top-tier singer, famous across the country.

  But unexpectedly, within just a few months, she had fallen from grace, ignored and shelved by the company. Some sighed in pity, while others secretly rejoiced.

  Qu Taoyu was one of them. As soon as she heard the news in her artist apartment that morning, she immediately messaged Yue Min’s assistant.

  “Xia An’ge really got shelved?”

  Qu Taoyu was thrilled. She had been smart enough to attach herself to Yue Min, the company’s top singer, from the moment she signed her contract.

  Originally, Yue Min had wanted to recruit Xia An’ge into her circle, but Xia An’ge refused, unintentionally offending her. Not long ago, Xia An’ge was supposed to receive a song written for her, but Yue Min took it instead.

  Li Yuan, Yue Min’s assistant, replied almost instantly. Qu Taoyu was momentarily stunned by the speed but read the message clearly—yes, it was true.

  She wanted to ask more, but Li Yuan seemed to anticipate her questions and sent a detailed response.

  Xia An’ge’s contract required her to produce an original song within two years, or she would have to comply with all of the company’s assignments. Now, she only has three months left. If she failed, she had two choices: obey or pay the penalty.

  Qu Taoyu felt euphoric after reading the message. As a singer of the same level, she had always been overshadowed by Xia An’ge. She couldn’t compare in looks or vocal ability. The only advantage she had was that Xia An’ge was too quiet, rarely speaking unless necessary. That earned her the nickname "Cold Goddess" among employees.

  Outsiders didn’t know Xia An’ge’s personality, but they did.

  “I got it, thanks, Yuan-jie! I’ll treat you to a shopping trip soon!”

  Qu Taoyu was in a great mood. Her biggest competitor had fallen from grace, which meant she could now rise under Yue Min’s influence—moving from a third-tier to second-tier, and eventually to the top.

  On the other side, Li Yuan gnced at Yue Min, who was getting her makeup done for an ad shoot, then sent another message.

  “Min-jie told me st night—she’s going to tell the company she won’t sing the song she took from Xia An’ge. She’s giving it to you. You’re about to release your own album.”

  Qu Taoyu was ecstatic upon reading this. She could already picture herself on stage receiving an award. Given some time, she would create a never-ending cinematic masterpiece of her own success.

  Meanwhile, in Lin City, Gu Zhinan had no idea that his co-renter, the pretty ndlord, was a singer. He didn’t follow entertainment news, and Xia An’ge wasn’t well-known anyway.

  His daily routine consisted of uploading his novel and reading reader comments, such as:

  “Author, are you dragging the word count again today?”“Damn, you wrote 6,000 words, but 5,000 are just filler?”“I suggest the author go build a dam since they love dragging things out so much.”

  Ah, such heartwarming feedback. Gu Zhinan felt the one who said “5,000 words are filler” was unfair—it was actually 5,500. The remaining 500 were just pointless rambling.

  But that was the old Gu Zhinan’s writing style. If it were up to him, every chapter would be thrilling, packed with plot twists.

  After finishing the day’s upload, he added his usual author’s note: PS: More setup for a bigger payoff, right?

  He knew this would bring even more passionate comments tomorrow. He couldn’t wait.

  As the rain drizzled outside, Gu Zhinan left the house around 4 PM. It was a shopping day. If only the sun wasn’t so bright, it would be perfect.

  He considered himself someone who never gained weight. Ever since he transmigrated, he barely left the house. He either sat in front of his computer or y in bed—truly embracing the ultimate sedentary lifestyle.

  Yet, every time he checked his weight at the supermarket, it remained unchanged. No weight gain, no loss—so annoying.

  If Xia An’ge heard that, she’d definitely roll her eyes in frustration. Last night, after eating three bowls of rice, she immediately wanted to work out. But with no equipment in her room and an injured leg, she had no choice but to endure it.

  While Gu Zhinan was out, Xia An’ge emerged from her room, clothes in hand. Since the master bedroom in the old apartment had no attached bathroom, she waited until Gu Zhinan left before coming out.

  She could finally walk normally again—thanks to Yunnan Baiyao spray, which worked wonders.

  After two days without a shower, she couldn’t take it anymore. The smell of disinfectant, Yunnan Baiyao, and sweat was unbearable.

  She locked the bathroom door securely before slowly undressing, revealing her graceful figure.

  Meanwhile, Gu Zhinan filled an entire shopping cart with a week’s worth of groceries. Normally, his week’s supply wouldn’t take up this much space, but he didn’t notice.

  The supermarket was a ten-minute walk from the apartment. By the time he reached halfway, carrying multiple heavy bags, he was gasping for breath.

  At that moment, he fully understood the importance of working out. If a gym recruiter approached him now, he wouldn’t hesitate. But ter? Sorry, I’m in perfect shape.

  By the time Gu Zhinan returned, it was already dusk. As he struggled to push the door open, Xia An’ge happened to step out of the bathroom.

  She wore a loose T-shirt that barely covered her slender figure. Her tall and graceful silhouette couldn’t be concealed.

  Gu Zhinan scoffed internally. Déjà vu. He recalled the first night he met Xia An’ge and mistook her for a thief.

  Her complexion was flushed, likely from the hot shower. Droplets of water dripped from the ends of her hair as she gently patted it dry with a towel.

  A phrase popped into his mind—Beauty emerging from the bath.

  He suddenly understood why the ancient poets romanticized Yang Guifei’s bathing scene.

  Living with a beautiful woman… Well, it was easy on the eyes.

  Caught off guard by his return, they locked eyes. Xia An’ge gnced at him briefly before walking back to her room at a brisk pace—almost like a speed walker.

  Gu Zhinan had no idea that when she closed her door, the sunset from the balcony cast a warm glow on her fwless face.