A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

Liu Yifei ordered takeout that was tailored to both of their tastes.

Yang Mi likes to eat oily food, so Liu Yifei bought Mao's braised pork and a stir-fried cured pork with mixed mushrooms.

She bought these two dishes from a Hunan restaurant here, and she specifically told them that the cured pork should be fatty.

Yang Mi likes to eat it with rice.

It's a perfect accompaniment to rice.

She actually prefers light flavors, so after leaving the Hunan restaurant, she went elsewhere to buy a dish of pickled bamboo shoots and pork stew made with Jinhua ham and bamboo shoots, as well as a sauerkraut fish dish that she really wanted to eat.

Pickled fish isn't very bland, but sometimes I just crave it.

There were four dishes, all quite large in portion, clearly more than the two of them could finish. Upon seeing the four dishes, Yang Mi immediately nodded in satisfaction and said:

"Is it the Hunan restaurant we ate at last time?"

"Yes, I bought three servings of rice especially for you."

The rice at this Hunan restaurant is steamed in small earthenware bowls, making it incredibly chewy. My friend ate three bowls when she went there last time, and she remembers that clearly.

As expected, Yang Mi nodded with a big smile, and the two handed each other chopsticks and bowls and began to eat.

After eating a few bites of rice, she asked on her own initiative:

"How's the progress of 'The Forbidden Kingdom'?"

"My scenes will be mostly finished in about a week. I can then go back and catch up on my final exams. What about you? Will you be able to finish filming?"

"We can't finish filming yet; I estimate we'll finish at the beginning of the month."

"What about the exam?"

"I'm asking for leave. I've already spoken to the director. I'll ask for leave in a few days to go back and take the exam."

"Shall we go together then?"

"OK."

As Yang Mi nodded, Liu Yifei suddenly stood up:

"What would you like to drink? Coke again?"

"It has to be Coke!"

"Tsk."

Looking at her friend's uninhibited behavior, Liu Yifei revealed a heartfelt envy.

Before, she would only marvel at how this person could eat so much and not gain weight, saying their physique was amazing. But now... she was genuinely envious and drooling.

After taking a can of Coke from the refrigerator and tossing it to her friend, she took out a bottle of chilled mineral water from the same refrigerator.

Then he picked up the bag next to the sofa, took out a small package and a passport.

The small package contained green powder, which she needed daily to supplement her micronutrient intake with vegetable powder. And the passport…

"for you."

"?"

Looking at the passport handed to her, Yang Mi was stunned for a moment, and asked in confusion:

"What's up?"

"Hold this for me."

"?"

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Seeing her friend's puzzled look, Liu Yifei said again:

"Here's my plan. My contract expires on the 5th. But I don't think my mom will rush me to sign it right away, since the next contract involves Huayi Brothers, so going back to Yanjing to sign it is the safest option. Right?"

"This...uh..."

Yang Mi didn't know what to say, so she could only nod, and then Liu Yifei continued:

"And if I say I won't sign... she'll probably blame me. So... there's no escaping this, right?"

"..."

Amid her friend's silence, Liu Yifei shrugged:

"If she goes crazy, she might restrict my personal freedom. But I'm not afraid, she can't lock me up. Besides, we're still trying. I'll try to find an excuse to stay at school, finish my exams, and then... I've already agreed with my dad that I'll go to France to see him after the exams. I might stay for a while, and I'm not sure if Huayi Brothers will be angry when they find out I changed my mind, and even prevent me from doing post-production. Anyway... it doesn't matter. During the holidays, I'll go directly to my dad. In fact... in my worst-case scenario, I might have to take a year off from school next year. Anyway, please keep my passport safe for me. Without it, I can't go to France."

"..."

Yang Mi instinctively gripped her passport tightly, feeling a sense of tension that said, "No one can take it from me."

But this feeling was immediately replaced by an indescribable sense of fear.

"Does it really have to come to this? Can't you communicate? You're not pleasing anyone here. If you really do this, Huayi Brothers is doomed... They've been doing so well these past two years, and besides, my sister's contract expires in June. If you go there, you'll be taking over my sister's resources. I think Huayi is pretty good... Although their public relations reputation isn't great in the industry, but... let's look at it from another angle. If your mom and godfather were around, Huayi wouldn't let you go to those shady dinner parties and stuff. And once you're at Huayi... they're a big company, definitely not like this small workshop they're in now. They're a big company with standardized management, you'll definitely have more freedom than you do now."

Her timidity was not fear.

Instead, they had already foreseen the future if their friend actually did these things.

"In the TV drama industry, you've got Tangren Media. In the film industry, you've got Huayi Brothers... What will you do then?"

"It doesn't matter."

Faced with her friend's concerns, Liu Yifei became increasingly calm:

"I genuinely don't care, don't you believe me? I've even prepared to take a break from school, do you think that's a big decision? I don't want to be involved in any circles, that's it. I messed with them, so isn't it only natural that I get a good beating? If I can't act in TV dramas and movies, then I'll act in plays. Like I said, I've figured it out, I'm an actor, whether I'm a star or not, it doesn't matter. I've let it all go, what can't you let go of?"

"..."

Yang Mi was even more at a loss for words, feeling that her tone sounded like she was entrusting her child to someone else.

My left hand instinctively gripped the passport, and the knuckles turned slightly white.

After a few seconds, knowing that her friend's mind was made up, she nodded:

"Okay, I understand. Don't worry, I'll definitely keep your passport safe. Whenever you need it... just tell me, and I'll bring it to you no matter where you are."

"Hehe, K. Eat, eat up. I'll bring you some good food when I come back from France."

"……Um."

A decision that might determine the girl's future was made, and she resolutely stepped onto a certain path right there in this rented room.

As for what the outcome will be... no one knows for now.

After finishing their meal, the two of them, full and satisfied, collapsed onto the sofa.

The lighter clicked.

Yang Mi turned her head to look at her friend, but didn't say anything. She just leaned back on the sofa, her gaze somewhat vacant.

Just then, the phone rang again.

It belongs to Liu Yifei.

Yang Mi didn't turn her head before she heard her friend's voice:

"Feed".

"...We're still eating."

"...Mimi is having some troubles on set, and I'm comforting her right now."

Yang Mi's lips twitched.

"Yeah, she's complaining. Don't worry about it. We'll chat for a bit and then go back."

"What's the point of talking when she comes back? She can't open her mouth with you here. Don't you know her personality? She's very strong-willed and extremely sensitive..."

Yang Mi's expression turned strange.

Finally, she watched helplessly as her friend hung up the phone, casually tossed it onto the table, flicked off some cigarette ash with a flourish, and leaned back onto the cheap-looking sofa.

"Sister, let me ask you something... am I even considered a person in your and Aunt Liu's eyes?"

"What are you talking about? Why would they expel you from the human race for no reason?"

"Are you sure? But why does it sound like from your conversation that I'm some kind of person who's born with a knack for causing trouble, and is also overly sensitive, petty, and narrow-minded?"

"This...hehe."

Looking at her grinning friend, Yang Mi finally realized that she was clearly no longer a good person in her and Aunt Liu's eyes.

"You...sigh."

She wanted to say something, but in the end, all the girl could do was let out a long sigh.

Forget it.

It doesn't matter anymore.

Tired, destroy it.

Aren't friends just there to take the blame?

Although we don't know how big this smear is, Old Yang can still take the blame.

So, the meal ended around 9 p.m.

Carrying the garbage bags of leftover food, the two went downstairs together after Liu Yifei changed her clothes.

As usual, Yang Mi accompanied her to the hotel.

Just as she stepped out of the residential compound, she suddenly heard her friend gasp for breath:

"Hoo... Hey, can you smell it?"

"What?"

"The winds of freedom have already blown!"

"...Whether the wind blew or not, I don't know. But I do know that you're really capable of causing trouble. In all my years, I've never seen an actress who can cause more trouble than you."

"ha."

It was just a rant, but for some reason, Liu Yifei's face lit up with a bright, happy smile.

So, they walked all the way to the hotel entrance, where Yang Mi waved her hand:

"I'm leaving."

"Okay, I won't contact you for the next few days. See you at school?"

"it is good."

"Please keep this safe for me! You can lose it, but I can't lose my passport!"

"Yes, yes, don't worry, even if I were abducted, I would definitely send your passport out in advance."

Yang Mi rolled her eyes in annoyance and hailed a taxi.

After watching her friend leave, Liu Yifei went into the hotel on her own.

We bypassed the general passenger area in front and arrived at the building behind.

At the building entrance, she took out perfume from her bag, lightly applied it to her wrist, then rubbed her wrist against her neck. With a lingering fragrance, she swiped her room card and entered the building.

Soon, she arrived at her door.

After swiping the card to open the door, a burst of laughter was heard:

"Haha, Mr. Jiang, you're too kind. It's like this, Xixi's filming will probably wrap up in the next couple of days. How about we talk again when we get back to Yanjing?"

Hearing this, and looking at her smiling mother, Liu Yifei's eyes remained calm and still.

She pointed towards the bathroom to her mother, indicating that she was going to take a shower.

Liu Xiaoli nodded in understanding.

The girl went into the bathroom, and the sound of running water filled the air.

A moment later, when she came out wrapped in a bath towel, she heard her mother say:

"Honey, you've been working so hard these past few days. Try to speed things up. There are so many people waiting for us in Yanjing."

Liu Yifei nodded calmly:

"I'm going to sleep now, you should get some rest too."

After saying that, the door closed.

In the small bedroom of the suite, the girl breathed a sigh of relief.