Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  Song Yao laughed softly, then whispered in Lin Nuan’s ear, in a volume that only the two of them could hear, “I’ve chosen a path that we used to loathe in the past. Although I have love now, I… can never become Mrs. Cen! I clearly know this is wrong, but I relish this. Am I very cheap?”


  Lin Nuan could clearly feel a moist and warm patch on her neck.

  There was a thin layer of mist upon her eyelashes and hair; her heart… also seemed to have turned moist from the drizzle.

  Lin Nuan looked up at Cen Mo. Bai Xiaonian had said many words of congratulations to Song Yao tonight—things like hoping she could live in bliss, but Lin Nuan didn’t say anything throughout.

  Lin Nuan’s mouth was slightly open, speaking in a volume neither too soft nor too loud, “I hope for you to be happy, but I don’t wish for your happiness to be built upon others’ pain. It’s not that I’m a person with perfect morals or a sense of justice, but I’ve seen too many such cases… in the end, the woman will be the one bearing the consequences! Yao Yao, Xiaonian and I only want to see you live in happiness, not see a matured you after having to suffer through all that pain!”


  Bai Xiaonian didn’t know what happened between Song Yao and Cen Mo, so she didn’t quite get what Lin Nuan said, but Song Yao understood Lin Nuan’s words, Cen Mo too!

  Song Yao hugged Lin Nuan even tighter, lightly laughing, her tears drenching her black mask. “Nuan, it’d be wonderful if you were a man. I’d just marry you and let you raise me! If it were you, you surely wouldn’t let me… let me…”


  “I can raise you even if I’m not a man!” Lin Nuan solemnly cut Song Yao’s words off. It wasn’t to provoke Cen Mo. Lin Nuan spoke in an unprecedentedly serious tone, “I’ll raise you!”


  Lin Nuan, Bai Xiaonian, and Song Yao had gotten this far together, and their relationship far exceeded friendship—they were more like a family that each of them could depend on, their final route of retreat in this world.

  Having heard Lin Nuan’s words, Song Yao’s heart ached terribly. Lin Nuan had never been one to make promises easily; if it was something she promised, she would give it her all to live up to it!

  She knew… even if she were to lose everything one day, she would still have Lin Nuan and Bai Xiaonian.

  Song Yao, in her drunken state, sobbed quietly, hugging Lin Nuan tightly.

  Even if Bai Xiaonian wasn’t clear about what was going on, based on her understanding of Song Yao and Lin Nuan, she could sense something. She looked askance at Cen Mo.

  “I shall not trouble Mrs. Fu to hold the future Mrs. Cen!” Cen Mo smiled as he walked to Song Yao, his large hand supporting Song Yao’s back, his eyes meeting Lin Nuan’s clean and resolute-looking ones. “Else, won’t I appear too incapable?”


  Cen Mo’s words caused Song Yao’s body to visibly tighten, as if his words caught her by surprise.

  Lin Nuan was willing to regard this as a form of promise by Cen Mo. Song Yao let go of Lin Nuan and turned her head around to gaze at Cen Mo. The bright intersecting colors of the traffic light in the drizzle seemed to have converged in Cen Mo’s eyes that were dark like ink…


  “Cen Mo!” Bai Xiaonian, who was seated in the wheelchair, called out to him. She was no fool; she just had to use her brain a little and could guess what was going on.

  Bai Xiaonian acted high-and-mighty like she usually did and smiled at Cen Mo as she spoke, “Song Yao is my and Lin Nuan’s best friend in this world. Since Song Yao brought you here to introduce you to us today, I’ll regard you as one of us! But if you let her down one day or do something to make her sad, I, Bai Xiaonian, have no other capabilities, but I am world-class at making trouble for someone!”


  Bai Xiaonian was a seductive beauty to begin with. Now, with her left elbow leaning on the armrest of her wheelchair and leaning her body, the corners of her lips turned up… her vibrant and provocative facial features had a coldness to them in the drizzle.

  Cen Mo took Song Yao from Lin Nuan’s arms. Song Yao’s head was already spinning, the feeling of drunkenness even stronger now.

  “I have long known these two friends of Song Yao’s are quite something, if only because of you two… I won’t dare to let Song Yao feel aggrieved.”


  It was rare to see Cen Mo softening his stance like he was with Lin Nuan and Bai Xiaonian, even when outnumbered.

  As they watched Cen Mo leave with Song Yao, Bai Xiaonian stared at Lin Nuan, frowning. “Has Song Yao… gone off in the wrong direction?”


  Lin Nuan didn’t know what plans Cen Mo had for his fiancee. Her brows furrowed as she shook her head.

  Turning back, she saw that Fu Huai’an and Lu Jinnan had already come down the stairs.

  Lin Nuan simply said to Bai Xiaonian, “This Cen Mo is that investor with a fiancee!”


  Bai Xiaonian looked surprised.

  Bai Xiaonian didn’t dare mention this in the suite just now, fearing that should Cen Mo not be that investor, she would be courting trouble for Song Yao. She hadn’t expected… it was indeed him!

  …


  When Lin Nuan, Song Yao, and Bai Xiaonian were drinking at the Night Palace, Lin Nuan didn’t know that “The Exorcist’s” first trailer had been released online at 7 pm and had caused quite a stir.

  In the first trailer, Lin Nuan managed to prove those who were waiting to see her make a joke of herself wrong.

  The minute Lin Nuan and Bai Xiaonian got into their cars respectively… they received Fang Yan’s call, asking Lin Nuan if she had seen the trailer!

  She laughed when Lin Nuan replied that she hadn’t; it was no wonder then that Lin Nuan could stay so calm. She urged Lin Nuan to go take a look for herself.

  After she searched for the trailer of “The Exorcist” in the search engine, she very quickly got a bunch of results.

  She clicked on the video and pressed play; the drumbeat and deep rhythm of the music began, and the screen was pitch-black darkness. Lin Nuan lowered the volume but still felt the impact of the music, causing her scalp to turn numb. For some reason… she felt anxious.

  Su Manman’s voice appeared first. “Once upon a time, I had thought that our love was the most resilient diamond in the world…”


  After two impactful “dong, dong” drum sounds, and a heart-wrenching cry from a phoenix, the scene of a massive army in combat suddenly appeared in the audience’s eyes. Amidst that black-gray blur of colors, Lin Nuan was wearing a black and red long robe, which was a clear contrast from the armor-clad soldiers around her. She held a long sword in her hand, and her expression was cold and murderous. Her eyes were filled with blood vessels, and her hatred was immense. The shape of her masseter muscle was apparent, and her murderous intent was astounding.

  Lin Nuan only appeared for that one quick scene. After that scene flashed by, the screen once again descended into darkness. One more drum roll sound followed, and a warm-toned peach blossom garden replaced the darkness. Su Manman, who was dressed in a white ancient costume, appeared under the peach blossom tree, her eyes bright and her demeanor delicate. She lowered her head and allowed her lover to put a peach blossom on her, appearing lovelier than a flower.

  Su Manman’s voice-over appeared again. “I had thought, if we were to meet again, we would have a different ending than in our previous lives. In this lifetime, I’m no longer the daughter of the demon king and have changed my looks. You’ll surely fall for my gentle, clean, and innocent looks…”


  The majestic music suddenly picked up its tempo. Su Manman and the male lead’s scenes flashed by extremely quickly, lifting the audience’s hearts into their throats.

  In the end, when the anxiety-inducing effect of the music had reached a peak, a white-haired Su Manman appeared, her hair disheveled and movements slowed down. She was wearing the black robe that Lin Nuan donned the first time she appeared and ran up the cliff…