Bai Lu got scammed, but I became a superstar through e-commerce.

Qingxiao has read many rebirth novels.

The protagonists of those novels live a very successful life after being reborn.

Some people use information asymmetry about the future to create singles and become singers, achieving instant fame with just one song.

Someone is looking for investment to make a low-budget film that will become a huge hit overnight.

Some people have made hundreds of millions by buying stocks and Bitcoin.

In short, once you are reborn, it's like having a third eye, as if you can seize all opportunities and ride every wave of opportunity.

Qingxiao had not considered the rationality of these methods, nor had he even verified them.

All he knew was that Bai Lu later became a real superstar.

She's not one of those fleeting internet celebrities; she's a female artist who has truly reached the top.

A girl from an ordinary working-class family in Changzhou, she used to be a print model on Taobao who changed outfits 200 times a day. Later, she became a top actress with many hit dramas, appeared on the Spring Festival Gala twice, and received certification from CCTV.

With over 20 million Weibo followers and over 30 billion views for the dramas he starred in, he has become an irreplaceable top artist in Yu Zheng's eyes.

She has one masterpiece after another.

In the 2021 drama "Zhou Sheng Ru Gu", she played Cui Shiyi, and her crying scene where she jumped off the city wall was hailed as a textbook example of crying scenes by the entire internet.

The film received a 7.3 rating on Douban. From reddened eyes to tears streaming down my face, from silent heartbreak to a leap of despair, every detail struck a chord with the viewer.

In the 2022 film "Police Honor", she appeared without makeup as Xia Jie, a grassroots policewoman. She fought with extras in the mud and even asked to have more scenes where she was slapped.

CCTV commented on her: "She makes the audience believe that an actor may not have good looks, but he cannot lack vitality."

This drama earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the Golden Eagle Awards.

2025 became her peak year.

"White Moon and Brahma Star" set a record for the highest first-day popularity on the site in nearly three years, and its long-tail effect has kept it at the top of the charts for half a year.

In "Northward," she completely subverted her image, cutting her long hair short and darkening her skin to play Xia Fenghua, a dark-skinned girl from the Grand Canal wearing braces. The series premiered on CCTV and achieved a viewership rating of over 4%, becoming a hit on both television and online platforms.

The popularity of "Linjiangxian" exceeded 8,000 within 24 hours of its premiere and exceeded 10,000 within 10 days.

She also appeared on the 2025 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, becoming the undisputed queen of ratings.

From a Taobao model to a screen-dominating queen, from a universally disliked resource-backed actress to a CCTV-certified actress with a good reputation, it took her nearly ten years.

And what about Qingxiao back then?

In its previous life, SUNSA was always just an ordinary Taobao store.

At its peak, annual sales reached several million, with profits of two to three hundred thousand, enough to support myself.

But that's how it is.

There was no blockbuster product matrix, no brand transformation, no financing, and no becoming an e-commerce giant.

He was just an ordinary Taobao shop owner who had been in business for over a decade, but was eventually overwhelmed by excess inventory and had to close his shop.

He never told Bai Lu any of this.

How could I possibly accept this?

Bai Lu's schedule was booked until the following year and the third year...

Filming, variety shows, business trips, red carpet events—flying to three cities a day is the norm.

His daily life consists of Sijiqing, Jiubao, express delivery slips, and tape.

The two of them drifted further and further apart, like two lines that once intersected but, after crossing that point, extended in different directions, growing ever more distant.

Qingxiao almost never contacts her.

The difference in their social status was too great; one was in the heavens, the other in the underworld.

Bai Lu doesn't contact him much either.

She was too busy, and occasionally when she finished work late at night, she would send him a message: "Qingxiao, I filmed a scene today and it went pretty well."

He replied with an emoji.

She replied with an emoji.

Conversation ends.

The two eventually became friends who observed each other on WeChat.

I don't like or comment; I just look at the other person's Moments.

Her WeChat Moments are filled with photos from the film crew, red carpet looks, and behind-the-scenes footage from variety shows.

His WeChat Moments are filled with new products in stores, warehouse shipments, and pitiful Double Eleven sales reports.

Two lives, separated by a screen, each living their own way.

They met again on another occasion.

That was Bai Lu coming to Hangzhou to record a program.

She took the initiative to ask him out, saying it had been a long time since they'd seen each other and they wanted to have a meal together.

Qingxiao hesitated for a long time, but finally went.

The meeting place was a very expensive restaurant by West Lake, and the private room was booked by Bai Lu.

They ordered a lot of dishes, including braised pork, Longjing shrimp, beggar's chicken, and Song Sao fish soup... The table was filled with them.

These dishes are all memories from the past.

Bai Lu also ordered some wine.

She poured him a glass, then poured one for herself, and then held them up.

"have not seen you for a long time."

"have not seen you for a long time."

The two clinked glasses and each took a big gulp.

Then Bai Lu put down her cup, looked at him, and smiled.

"Qingxiao, you've gotten old."

"You actually look younger."

"I'm a celebrity, you know, they all pay money to support me." She took another sip of her drink. "Let me tell you, I filmed a scene yesterday, and I had to do 13 takes. The director said, 'Bai Lu, there's nothing in your eyes anymore.'"

Qingxiao remained silent.

"I passed. I cried so much that my makeup was all ruined, but I passed."

Bai Lu swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes fixed on the wine stains clinging to the glass.

"After finishing work, I sat in the RV and suddenly realized that I hadn't really cried in a long time. Every day I cried in front of the camera, wiped myself dry, touched up my makeup, and moved on to the next scene. Crying had become a technique, not an emotion."

She paused for a moment.

"Qingxiao, do you know? When I look back on my journey, the happiest time for me is the days I spent with you in Jiubao."

"We were so poor back then. We'd rush to catch the bus and eat steamed buns, and even if we were craving a plate of braised pork, we couldn't afford it. In winter, we'd wear gauze skirts for photos, and even with eight hand warmers on, we'd still get arthritis from the cold. You'd be riding your electric bike in front, and I'd be carrying the goods behind you, my face stiff from the wind."

She laughed as she spoke.

"And now? I have a car, a house, and money. What can't I afford? What can't I buy? I'm happy when I buy things, but a few days later, all my joy vanishes."

She looked down at the wine glass in her hand; the red wine gleamed a dark red under the light.

Everyone wants to succeed and fulfill their dreams. But what happens after they're achieved?

She looked up at him.

Qingxiao remained silent, listening quietly.

"Qingxiao, do you know what? It turns out that after you climb to the top of the mountain, there aren't even higher peaks waiting for you. Instead, when you look around, you see that you're all alone on the summit."

Qingxiao looked at her, and after a long time, he smiled.

"You're a big star now, with a line of guys chasing after you. Why don't you find one? Aren't there two people already at the top of the mountain?"

Bai Lu smiled too. But the smile quickly faded, turning into something weary that was hard to describe.

"Don't you read entertainment news? One second they're sharing a bed, the next they're in a campervan and might be sleeping in separate beds. And the guys, they start a relationship while filming a movie, and then they start another one on a variety show."

She finished the wine in her glass and poured herself another one.

"It's boring."

Qingxiao remained silent.

Bai Lu didn't say anything more.

The two ate and drank in silence.

Outside the window, West Lake is dotted with scattered lights in the night.

That meal took a long time.

Before leaving, Bai Lu put on a baseball cap and a mask and stood at the door of the private room for a while.

"Qingxiao".

"Um?"

"If... I mean if..."

"If what?" Qingxiao asked.