"Miss Lin, I regret to inform you that your child was stillborn. I have instructed the nurse to take your child to the disposal room for handling. Please accept my condolences," the doctor somberly informed her. A heavy-hearted Lin Xuerou left the doctor's office, the physician's words echoing in her ears.
Logically, stillbirth shouldn't have happened, as she had attended regular prenatal checks every month. During each check-up, the doctor had reassured her that her baby was healthy. But when it came time for delivery, she was administered anesthesia and had remained unconscious throughout the entire procedure. Upon awakening, she discovered a mass missing from her belly, soon followed by the devastating news of her child's death.
In contrast to her grief and sorrow, Qiao Shujing, who had been impatiently waiting for her in the hospital corridor, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Rourou, listen to your mother. It's okay that the child is gone. After all, you don’t even know who the father is. Plus, being unmarried and pregnant, living with a child would only subject you to ridicule. Let's act as though all of this never happened, shall we? And continue with our lives?"
"Mm, okay," Lin Xuerou nodded sorrowfully, choosing to regard all of this as nothing more than a terrible dream. When she awoke, everything would return to its normal course.
---
Three years later.
Through her unwavering determination, Lin Xuerou finally managed to secure a position at the prestigious Chengxing Entertainment Group.
What did it mean to work at Chengxing Entertainment Group? It represented the most top-tier, authoritative film and television entertainment company in W City, a darling of the media that was always the subject of enthusiastic coverage, and a dream job for countless aspirants. Lin Xuerou had managed to work at Chengxing Entertainment for a month.
However, her roles on the sets usually consisted of bit parts or being a stand-in; sometimes, she even had to run errands.
Despite her minor roles, there were innumerable new actors vying for her position.
Take for instance Ji Meiren, who had joined the company a few months earlier than her, but was only able to secure roles as a stand-in or an extra. This caused Ji Meiren to harbor resentment towards her.
"Rourou, haven't you had breakfast yet? Here, this cake was specially prepared for us by the film crew. Have some," Ji Meiren said as she entered the makeup room, placing a beautifully wrapped large cake on Lin Xuerou's makeup table. Her demeanor was significantly friendlier than usual.
If Ji Meiren hadn’t made her life miserable on countless previous occasions, Lin Xuerou might have actually believed her.
"No thanks, I'm not hungry." In order to maintain a good figure for acting, she had no intention of eating the cake that Ji Meiren brought.
Jimei, her expression friendly and persuasive, put her eyebrow pencil down. "If you don't eat breakfast, where will you get the energy to perform? Take my word for it, this is prepared by the crew for the artists, it's a waste not to eat, don't you agree?"
What she said seemed to make sense.
Finally, Lin Xuerou let her guard down, preparing to have something to eat.
A triumphant gleam flashed in Jimei's eyes as she patted her on the shoulder. "Take your time eating. I have to go to the bathroom."
As soon as she stepped out of the room, the person in charge of the crew rushed in nervously, seeing the cream all over her mouth, was frightened and rushed over: "Lin Xuerou, are you out of your mind? Do you know whose cake this is? You dare to sneak a bite!"
"..."
Wasn't this cake prepared by the crew for the artists? She suddenly realized something wasn't right.
The person in charge almost collapsed on the seat, anxiously looking at the scattered cake on the table, repeatedly chanting in his heart: "It's over! It's all over!" This was a private cake custom made by the CEO! The CEO's assistant had to leave suddenly and asked him to watch over it!