Chapter 5

Meng Shengsheng grew up in an orphanage and had no family ties; her biggest hurdle had always been a lack of money. Now that she had found Wang Chuanze, and seeing that he didn't seem to be short on funds for the time being, even that problem was no longer an issue.

"I need to stay as far away from the Yang family as possible, so I applied to a university in the capital. Classes start in September."

Wang Chuanze rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, fished a cooked meatball out of the pot, and placed it in Meng Shengsheng’s bowl. "Did you just finish the national college entrance exam?"

Meng Shengsheng nodded and added, "I graduated this June and just turned eighteen last month."

Wang Chuanze’s gaze flickered. Eighteen... that’s a bit young.

Falling silent, Meng Shengsheng looked at the man across from her with confusion, her eyes asking what was wrong.

Wang Chuanze took the opportunity to change the subject. "And what’s the story with the Yang family?"

Mentioning this topic gave Meng Shengsheng plenty to say.

"The Yang family are wealthy merchants in Shanghai with significant assets. Eighteen years ago, babies were swapped at the hospital, and my identity was switched with the Yang family's current youngest daughter."

Seeing Meng Shengsheng gasping from the spice, Wang Chuanze called the waiter and ordered a bottle of iced coconut milk.

"If it's too spicy, eat from the clear broth side... Swapped? Do you think it was intentional?"

"I don't know."

Wang Chuanze pushed a pack of tissues toward her. "Why? You don't want any involvement with the Yang family?"

Meng Shengsheng pursed her lips at the question. Thinking of the grievances she had suffered in her past life, she still felt stifled, but she didn't vent her frustrations now. She only spoke of the memories of this world’s Meng Shengsheng that she had gained after transmigrating. "I was just a side character. They are deeply attached to that girl. Even if I went back, they wouldn't send her away. Living together would just make everyone miserable. It’s better this way—let everyone live their own lives."

Due to his profession in this life, Wang Chuanze latched onto a key word in her story. "A side character?"

The coconut milk arrived, and Meng Shengsheng took a sip. Having grown accustomed to being a cannon fodder side character in her previous life, she remained calm even knowing she was just a side character in her original world.

"The book is called 'The Awakened Heiress Explodes in the Entertainment Industry.' That girl is the female lead, and I am her foil. Everyone in the Yang family loves her and thinks I’m a country bumpkin who can't hold my own and brings shame to the family. The book says that even years after I returned, the Yang family never announced my identity, publicly claiming I was just their adopted daughter."

Wang Chuanze couldn't even eat anymore. He couldn't fathom how parents could treat their own biological daughter that way.

Meng Shengsheng placed a piece of blanched lettuce in his bowl. It looked vibrant and appetizing. "Don't think about it. What logic is there in a mindless, pampered-heiress novel? That’s why I want to stay far away from those people. I just didn't expect you to have come here too and become an actor. Perhaps we will still have to cross paths with that woman in the future."

Seeing Wang Chuanze’s expression, Meng Shengsheng laughed. "I’m not avoiding her out of fear, just because she's a nuisance. You don't need to change your plans or quit acting on my account. We’ve taken over these identities and benefited from them, so we must fulfill their final wishes... Even if we run into that family later, I’ll just deny everything. What can they do? Besides, I’m an adult now. Once the time comes, I’ll marry you, and we’ll be a family. What would that have to do with the Yang family?"

Wang Chuanze was delighted to hear the mention of marriage; his eyes softened as he scooped more vegetables from the clear pot for her.

"What about your situation?"

Wang Chuanze replied, "I’m twenty-one this year, just graduated in June. My mother passed away young. My father is a veteran director in the industry. I have a stepmother who gave birth to a pair of twins."

That was a complicated situation as well.

***

"What kind of person is your stepmother?"

Wang Chuanze flipped through the original owner’s memories. "Not a particularly evil person, just an ordinary one with her own little schemes. She wasn't particularly cruel to the original, but not exactly kind either. After all, she had her own two children to look after."

Bias was inevitable; human hearts were naturally inclined. Even ten fingers aren't the same length. He understood her desire to secure benefits for her own children.

"And your father?"

"When he was young, he was busy with his career and didn't care much for his son. As a result, the boy didn't have a good relationship with his father. They wouldn't necessarily see each other for months at a time, and even when they did, they would clash, ending every conversation on a sour note."

So, the original owner of Wang Chuanze’s body was also pitiful: motherless from a young age, and having a father was the same as having none. His stepmother didn't show him any concern either.

However, the boy was resilient. Despite being angry with his father, he didn't fall apart. Instead, he worked even harder, got into a good university, and when he wanted to enter the entertainment industry, he didn't use his father's connections. He reached out to classmates and teachers himself, searched for information, compared various options, and only then signed with his current agency.

While eating hotpot, the two had essentially mapped out each other’s basic information. Wang Chuanze took out two cards. "These are my salary card and savings. It’s one point five million in total."

He handed the cards over. "That’s all there is."

For a fresh graduate, having over a million in savings was a remarkable achievement. In second or third-tier cities, it could buy a decent home, but in a first-tier city like the capital, where prices were tens of thousands per square meter, all that money wouldn't even buy a decent apartment.

Moreover, she would be in university for the next few years and would be living on campus. Wang Chuanze needed to work hard to establish himself in the industry. The company provided him with an apartment, so there was no urgent need for them to buy a home for the next two years.

They would just have to rent. They couldn't possibly keep meeting in hotels forever.

While eating, Meng Shengsheng took a moment to search for rental information in the capital.

An old apartment complex, on the top floor with no elevator, cost eight or nine thousand a month. A brand-new twenty or thirty-square-meter apartment in a slightly better location started at twelve or thirteen thousand. Even something slightly more remote, where it took hours to drive, would cost five or six thousand.

Meng Shengsheng closed her phone and sighed. The cost of living was truly high. If one didn't have any family backing, it would be impossible to survive.

"Being broke is hard—harder than the road to Shu."

If she hadn't met Wang Chuanze, she would have lived her college years just like high school, working three jobs a day just to afford a meal.

After dinner, Meng Shengsheng and Wang Chuanze went to the bank. She transferred half of the money from his card to hers, and linked his salary card to her phone. She would need the money for tuition, living expenses, and rent, while he would keep the rest for emergencies.

Just as they left the bank, Wang Chuanze received a call from Xiong Yueyue. He brushed him off, telling him to return to the capital first, as he needed to stay two more days.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Wang Chuanze, and since another artist under his management had just gotten into trouble and needed his attention, Xiong Yueyue left in a hurry after giving a few instructions.

Wang Chuanze returned to Meng Shengsheng’s rental unit with her. It wasn't large—just a one-bedroom, one-living-room layout. The space was so small that once a five-foot bed was placed in the bedroom, there was no room left.

Meng Shengsheng had rented this place for two years, ever since leaving the orphanage. Although she mostly lived on campus, she stayed here during winter and summer breaks, and bit by bit, she had accumulated quite a lot of things.

***

"When are you going back to the capital?"

Wang Chuanze toyed with his phone, canceling his flight for that evening. "Tomorrow. The production crew starts shooting next week, so I need to go back and familiarize myself with the script. Do you want to come with me?"

She needed to go to the capital to find a place to rent, then come back to terminate her lease and pack her luggage. When she added it all up, there was quite a lot to do.

"Let’s go together."

After rebooking their flights, Meng Shengsheng and Wang Chuanze went to the supermarket. They bought some toiletries, held hands, and walked back to the rental apartment as if they were out for a stroll.

By the time they finished their walk and returned, it was already past nine in the evening.

With a five-foot bed and poor soundproofing—where you could hear the neighbors clattering their pots and pans—neither of them had any interest in being overheard. They simply lay on the bed, chatting quietly until they grew sleepy and drifted off.

Before falling asleep, Wang Chuanze held her in his arms, his consciousness fading as he thought about how he still needed to work hard to earn money to buy a house, to give her a place to call her own in this world.

The next day, they had to catch their flight, so they woke up early.

Meng Shengsheng stood in the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was beautiful, though her build was a bit too thin; she just needed to supplement her nutrition later. She tilted her head to look at the man beside her—his appearance and physique were enough to put her in a good mood.

When Wang Chuanze changed his clothes, she leaned in to touch his firm abs, even feeling the urge to whistle like a flirt.

Wang Chuanze grabbed her mischievous hand, his tone steady and calm. "If you like, we can continue later, but if you keep touching, we’ll have to reschedule our flight."

Meng Shengsheng retracted her claws in defeat. She wouldn't have minded rescheduling, but Wang Chuanze’s agent had already called several times to confirm the time. If he changed his flight again, she suspected the man would buy a ticket, fly to Yucheng today, and drag Wang Chuanze back himself.

They had booked first-class tickets, and their seats were adjacent. Inside the first-class cabin, aside from the announcements, everyone else was quiet, so Meng Shengsheng didn't try to engage Wang Chuanze in conversation. She reclined her seat and began to rest.

"Shengsheng... wake up."

Meng Shengsheng felt a gentle tap and woke up instantly.

Turning around, she saw that Wang Chuanze was already packed, and the others were gathering their luggage, preparing to disembark.

As she stepped off the plane with Wang Chuanze, his phone rang the moment he turned it on.

"Chuanze, why aren't you out yet?"

It seemed someone had come to pick him up.

That was perfect; she could hitch a ride and save on the taxi fare.