After I died, they cried in the live studio

Chapter 23: The Embers After the Fall
In the heart of this city that never sleeps, the night slowly falls like a huge piece of black silk, and in an instant, the streets and alleys are engulfed by a sea of lights and wine. On both sides of the street, high-rise buildings are lined up one after another, and on the huge billboards, the smiles of celebrities are dazzling, as if showing the world the endless charm of this world of fame and fortune. The colorful neon lights are flashing, interweaving a gorgeous and blurred world of light and shadow. On the road, vehicles are flowing like a tide, and the roar of the engine and the hustle and bustle from the streets and alleys are intertwined, playing a bizarre urban symphony. People come and go at the doors of bars and nightclubs, and men and women in bright and beautiful clothes are queuing at the door. They are either talking excitedly or waiting anxiously, and everyone's face is full of expectations for this night. The air is filled with the strong smell of perfume, the pungent smell of tobacco and the mellow smell of alcohol, all of which together constitute the unique and charming symbol of this city at night.

Lin Juanying once had her own place on the big stage of the entertainment industry, but now, she has fallen like a meteor and has been completely banned. As the scandals exploded in the entertainment industry like bombs, her reputation plummeted, and those who once surrounded her left her one after another as if they had seen the plague god. And the director who planned the conspiracy with her did not hesitate to discard her like a rag when the crisis came.

At this time, in a noisy nightclub, the lights were dim and flickering, and the music was deafening. The director was sitting on a sofa in the corner, holding a drunk woman in scantily clad clothes in his arms. The woman had a dazed look in her eyes and spoke incoherently. The director had a smug smile on his face, completely ignoring the eyes of the people around him.

Lin Juanying saw this and rushed over. Her hair was messy, her face was haggard, her previous delicate makeup was gone, her eyes were bloodshot, her eyes were full of despair and pleading. Her clothes were wrinkled and stained, and she exuded a sense of desolation.

"Director, you can't do this to me! I've done so much for you, how could you abandon me when I'm down and out?" Lin Juanying cried, her voice mostly drowned out by the music.

The director glanced at her, his eyes full of indifference and disgust, "Hmph, you are a burden now, don't bother me anymore." As he said that, he hugged the drunk woman tightly in his arms, as if Lin Juanying was a transparent person.

Lin Juanying refused to give up. She tried to pull the director's clothes and said, "Director, please, give me another chance. I can do anything. I can also help you make money and help you build relationships in the entertainment industry." Her hands trembled slightly, and her nails turned white from the force.

The director impatiently shook off her hand and said, "Forget about it. You are nothing now, and you still want to rely on me? Don't dream."

Seeing Lin Juanying's pitiful appearance in the video, Sang Shuwan felt a sense of revenge. Lin Juanying's arrogance and ingratitude were gone now. She could only beg humbly in this nightclub, but no one paid attention.

Lin Juanying has now not only lost her job and her once enviable reputation, but has also fallen into the abyss of bankruptcy. The huge debts are like towering mountains, weighing heavily on her shoulders, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. The brand-name clothes, dazzling jewelry, and luxurious life that she once spent so lavishly have all disappeared without a trace. With nowhere else to go, she can only hang out in nightclubs, where she barely makes a living by drinking and selling smiles in that world of decadence.

One night, Sang Shuwan finished a tiring day at work and walked home alone. The streets were still full of lights and people, but she had no intention of appreciating the seemingly prosperous night scene. Her thoughts were entangled in the various disputes in the entertainment industry, especially the tangled grievances between her and Lin Juanying.

Suddenly, she saw a person lying on the side of the road, surrounded by a pungent smell of vomit. Sang Shuwan walked closer and was stunned. The person in front of her, with messy hair like a bird's nest and makeup washed away by tears and sweat, turned out to be the once arrogant Lin Juanying. At this time, Lin Juanying's hair was scattered on her face and on the ground, like weeds destroyed by a storm. Her makeup had long been smudged, and the black eyeliner flowed down the corners of her eyes, like two small black snakes winding on her pale cheeks. The dress that was once gorgeous and dazzling, enough to attract countless eyes on the red carpet, has now become wrinkled and stained with many stains, as if silently telling of her desolation. There are still traces of vomit at the corners of her mouth, and the whole person exudes an unpleasant smell of alcohol, which makes people want to cover their noses.

Sang Shuwan subconsciously dodged away in disgust when she saw this scene. She really couldn't associate the miserable drunkard in front of her with the Lin Juanying who always wore exquisite makeup, bright clothes, and every look and movement revealed a sense of superiority. In the past, Lin Juanying's smooth and bright long hair was always carefully groomed, shining with a charming luster in the sun, as if it was her capital of pride. She has a graceful figure, wearing all kinds of fashionable brand-name clothing, showing her curves perfectly, and every appearance is like a personal fashion show. She always has a confident smile, dealing with various social occasions and entertainment activities, enjoying the pursuit and envy of everyone, as if the whole world is at her feet.

But now, everything has changed. Lin Juanying was lying on the ground unconscious. When she saw Sang Shuwan in a daze, she thought she was some rich girl. She tried to open her bloodshot eyes, which revealed a trace of confusion and trance. She forced a stiff smile on her face and said vaguely: "I used to be so glorious. I used to wear famous brands." Her voice was hoarse and weak, like an old bellows struggling to pull, but she still tried to maintain her shattered dignity in front of Sang Shuwan.

Sang Shuwan looked at Lin Juanying with mixed feelings. Her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the bits and pieces of her acquaintance with Lin Juanying in the past. At first, Sang Shuwan, with a kind and innocent heart, regarded Lin Juanying as her closest friend in the entertainment industry. She saw Lin Juanying working hard in this highly competitive circle, and felt pity, so she helped her everywhere without hesitation. When running business, Sang Shuwan always rushed to the front, worked tirelessly to run around for her, and negotiated cooperation with various producers and investors. Even if she suffered countless cold eyes and rejections, she never complained. In various social occasions, when others urged her to drink, Sang Shuwan always stood up and drank cups of spicy wine without hesitation, just to prevent Lin Juanying from being hurt in the slightest. She once thought that her sincere efforts would definitely be exchanged for Lin Juanying's gratitude and sincere friendship, but she didn't expect that Lin Juanying was actually an ungrateful white-eyed wolf.

Sang Shuwan felt a deep regret in her heart, regretting that she had not judged people well at the beginning and was deceived by Lin Juanying's seemingly charming appearance. But at the same time, she also felt an unprecedented relief. She knew that she would never devote even a little energy to someone like Lin Juanying again. The entanglement with Lin Juanying had exhausted her physically and mentally. Now, she just wanted to stay away from all the disputes and have some peace and quiet. She believed that without her help in this life, Lin Juanying would try her best to survive in this cruel world. After all, she was such a person who was so good at scheming and would do anything to survive.

Lin Juanying's life was extremely difficult in the nightclub. She had to face various customers' difficulties and insults every day. When those customers saw her miserable appearance, they ordered her around and made all kinds of unreasonable demands. In order to survive, Lin Juanying could only endure the humiliation and greet them with a smile. She learned to act like a spoiled child in front of the customers, using her remaining charm to exchange for a meager income. The pride in her eyes had long disappeared, replaced by a kind of helplessness and numbness.

Lin Juanying was eventually hospitalized due to a drunken illness. She lay on the hospital bed, looking at the white ceiling, her heart full of regret. She remembered everything she had and how she had fallen step by step. She realized that if she had cherished Sang Shuwan's friendship and adhered to her moral bottom line, she might not have ended up like this. However, it was too late. Her life gradually faded away in pain and regret, and she became another forgotten tragic figure in the entertainment industry, a world of fame and fortune.

The city is still prosperous, and the streets are still full of lights and wine. But behind this seemingly unchanged scene, there are countless people like Lin Juanying, who have been up and down in the temptation of fame and fortune and the test of human nature, while Sang Shuwan has used his tenacity and wisdom to walk out a bright road of his own in this complex entertainment industry, and also let people see that in this world full of hypocrisy and calculation, sincerity and hard work still have an indelible power.

(End of this chapter)