Chapter 18 : A Glimmer of Hope

• After hanging up the phone, Zhang Jie used all her connections and arranged for another member of Shine7 to join the program. The more people participated in the show, the greater the chance for Shine7 to become popular. Su Qianqian knew this, and Zhang Jie knew it even better.
• A dark shadow flashed by on her right side, and Su Qianqian stumbled, losing her grip on her handbag.
• She had casually put her phone in her bag after making the call, not expecting it to be snatched away by a speeding motorcycle.
• "Hey!" Su Qianqian angrily shouted, but all she got in return was an empty echo.
• It was a cold night, with no one around. Su Qianqian had no chance of getting help. She could only accept her fate.
• She never expected to have such a string of bad luck in a single day. It made her laugh, wondering if it was a sweet moment given to her by fate, only to be mercilessly pushed into the abyss again.
• Her luck had already reached such a low point, could there be anything worse?
• As if mocking her naivety, God poured a bucket of cold water on her by darkening the sky and bringing strong winds mixed with dust, lashing at her like a whip.
• Su Qianqian hugged herself, quickly making her way to a bus stop for some shelter.
• There were some billboards here that could provide some protection against the wind and cold.
• With no money left, she could only wait foolishly here. If she was lucky enough to catch a bus, she would beg the driver to let her ride for free.
• Raindrops started to fall, adding insult to injury. Su Qianqian felt trapped in the small bus stop, unable to leave.
• Even though the bus stop provided some shelter with the billboards, the raindrops were too heavy, and Su Qianqian's arms were already soaked.
• Luckily, it was summer. If it were winter, would she become a real-life matchstick girl?
• Su Qianqian looked up at the sky, the dense raindrops assaulting her vision.
• Amidst the noise, a black car stopped in front of her. Su Qianqian looked at it warily. Even if she had to wait here all night, she wouldn't just get into a stranger's car.
• The car window slowly rolled down, revealing a familiar face.
• Su Qianqian had seen him in a magazine before. He was the boss of her entertainment company, Xi Nancheng. Su Qianqian tried her best to lower her head, not wanting the boss to see her disheveled appearance.
• The man's eyes were like lightning in a storm, piercing straight through her.
• "With such heavy rain, get in the car quickly," Xi Nancheng's tone brooked no resistance. Su Qianqian, trembling in the cold wind, couldn't help but be stunned.
• The wind blew into the car, and the man's hair fluttered in the wind.
• Seeing the boss sincerely inviting her into the car, Su Qianqian timidly opened the back door and got in.
• She really wanted someone to pick her up, and she didn't want to see Xi Nancheng waiting for her and being blown away by the wind. It was better to just get in the car and not refuse anymore.
• The man smirked, "Sitting in the back? Do you want me to eat you or be your driver?"
• It sounded like he was talking to himself, but to Su Qianqian's ears, it felt like mockery.
• She admitted that she was fragile inside.
• "I... I have no experience," Su Qianqian blurted out, her face turning red.
• If it were any other time, she would have confidently engaged in conversation with the boss, but now, if she had a mirror in front of her, she wouldn't even want to look at herself.
• The boss would remember this image, and how could she get more opportunities in the future?
• The car stopped in front of a villa, and Su Qianqian realized it had been a long time since she had seen a villa, ever since her family went bankrupt.
• The front door of the car was opened, and as the man got out, he said, "What are you waiting for? Get out of the car."
• The woman quickly opened the car door and got out, afraid of being a step behind and having the boss personally open the door for her.
• Inside Xi Nancheng's villa, Su Qianqian found the interior decoration even more luxurious than the outside, giving off an air of sophistication.
• The man casually took off his coat and instructed a servant to bring a suitable outfit for her, telling Su Qianqian to take a bath in his bathroom.
• Su Qianqian felt dirty all over and had been drenched by the rain. It was definitely necessary to take a bath.
• She could only hold a pile of clothes and walk into the man's bathroom.
• After drying her hair, Su Qianqian felt refreshed. She had waited for Xi Nancheng for a long time, so she left a note and quietly left.
• She didn't know how to say goodbye to Xi Nancheng, so she could only resort to this foolish method.
• When she returned to the dormitory after some twists and turns, she found Zhang Jie waiting there. Zhang Jie had been worried about her long absence.
• Tears of gratitude welled up in Su Qianqian's eyes as she thought about how her parents used to wait for her at home. She couldn't hold back her tears.
• Seeing the young girl crying in front of her, Zhang Jie thought she was upset about being rejected for a job and hurriedly comforted her.
• "I'm here for you. I will definitely find other opportunities for you," Zhang Jie said, while gently stroking Su Qianqian's hair, like a caring mother.
• Su Qianqian didn't explain, she just sobbed softly.
• Although Shine7 hadn't made a big splash, more and more people were aware of them, and the members of the group were receiving more and more job offers.
• While Su Qianqian felt happy for them, she also felt envious. She didn't know how many people wanted her to remain ordinary because of her father. Until the dormitory was empty, with only Su Qianqian left alone, Zhang Jie still hadn't found a suitable job for her.
• It wasn't that Zhang Jie wasn't trying hard, but all the job offers she received fell through, as if they were under some strange curse.
• Su Qianqian, for the first time, opened two cans of beer and drank alone in the dormitory, wondering if she should quit the group.
• It wasn't a sudden impulse, but a result of careful consideration.
• If she couldn't develop in Shine7 and could only be a background member, then being part of this girl group would be meaningless.
• She would never become famous and would only live in this cramped dormitory.
• After drinking two cans of beer, Su Qianqian forced herself to sober up.
• When a person understands, they don't care as much anymore.
• Early the next morning, Su Qianqian handwrote a resignation letter and placed it on Zhang Jie's desk. She couldn't bring herself to say it in person to Zhang Jie, who had always helped her.
• Before Zhang Jie could see the resignation letter on her desk, Xi Nancheng took it.
• He was intrigued by the three characters "Su Qianqian" on the envelope, but he didn't expect it to be a resignation letter.
• Xi Nancheng had seen a different side of Su Qianqian. She was not a weak and incapable woman, nor was she a woman without thoughts. If she wanted to resign, she must have her own reasons that she couldn't put into words.
• He folded the resignation letter and put it in his pocket, intending to investigate first.
• The investigation revealed that all the job offers Su Qianqian had recently received had been intercepted. It was clear that someone didn't want her to have a career in the girl group.
• Such things were common in the entertainment industry, but this was the first time Xi Nancheng genuinely despised such actions.
• He wasted no time and directly approached Zhang Jie to inquire about the situation.
• Zhang Jie explained that she had done her best to find job offers for Su Qianqian, but her efforts were limited, and she hadn't received any.
• Xi Nancheng didn't reveal the mystery, but instead handed a document to Zhang Jie.
• As Zhang Jie read through it, her face lit up with joy, guessing that the boss wanted to give her this major TV drama production.
• In Zhang Jie's speculation, Xi Nancheng suddenly spoke, "This TV drama, I specifically want Su Qianqian to play the lead role, and that won't change."