At seven o’clock at night, Shen Chuchu, whose stomach was rumbling with hunger, was about to leave her house for dinner.

As an 18th tier actor, Shen Chuchu felt that she had really diminished the word “actor”. They say that acting is the fastest career in making money, but she felt that it was the fastest career in spending money instead.

After debuting for three months, she had shot two advertisements in total and only earned thirteen thousand yuan* of hard-earned salary. Four thousand of that was spent on cosmetics, another six thousand on rent, while the remaining three thousand was spent on clothes and food.

*TL-note: Yuan is widely used to refer to the Chinese currency “renminbi”. One dollar is about six to seven yuan. Eighteen thousand yuan is equivalent to just under two thousand USD.

She looked down at her shrivelled wallet and counted her money again. A total of twenty-three yuan! It was her lucky number! This was great, she could go out and eat some spicy hotpot. As for tomorrow……she would figure it out then!

She took her wallet and walked out of the apartment.

After walking down two streets, she could finally see the shadow of the spicy hotpot shop. Currently, Shen Chuchu was hungry to the point of dizziness. As she looked across the street, there were still three seconds remaining until the green light. She glanced left and right to check for cars, and started to hurry across.

She could practically see the spicy hotpot waving at her. But just as Shen Chuchu was about to reach the shop, a ray of dazzling light followed by an ear-piercing sound of brakes causing her to suddenly freeze on the spot. She never clearly saw who the driver was, but she did feel a ray of red light shine over her. The next second, she let out an “Ah!” and lost consciousness…

Shen Chuchu dreamt for a very, very long time. In her dream, an old man with a long white beard who claimed to be the Yue Lao*, the god of matchmaking, told her that he could help her fulfil her dreams. However, at the same time, she would be given the mission to save the world. Shen Chuchu thought to herself, she was already nearly starving to death, where does she have the time to think about saving the world!  

*TL-note: Yue Lao is the god of marriage in Daoism.

When she woke up, Shen Chuchu silently laughed to herself and felt that it was the most outrageous dream she’d ever had. A surplus of unmarried young adults and an increase in divorce rates, why would these things concern her? She’d just recently graduated this year and was only 22 years old, she didn’t need to concern herself about such problems.  

She only wanted to make money, a lot of money for that matter. Then she would instantly become famous across the country and around the world. While in thought, she unconsciously laughed out loud. 

“Miss, are you awake now?”  

While Shen Chuchu was dreaming, she heard a stranger’s voice. She frowned and slowly opened her eyes, wondering who disturbed her beautiful dream.

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a blank white ceiling. She scanned left and right, and realized that this was not her bedroom! She lifted her hand to hoist herself up and found a drip attached to it. After some thinking, she finally remembered what had happened.

She remembered that she might’ve been hit by a car! However, everything after that was a huge blank.
  
At that point, she started to break out in a cold sweat. Had she been disfigured or one of her limbs amputated? If that were the case, she would never become a star. She quickly touched her face and moved her legs.

Secretary Wang watched Shen Chuchu and chuckled as he said, “Miss, we had already arranged a full body check-up when you arrived. Your body is completely fine.”

At that moment, Shen Chuchu realized that there was another person standing beside her. She looked up and saw a man with black-rimmed glasses, a neat suit, and meticulously combed hair. His smile was very formal, anyone could tell from one glance that he was an elite figure.   

“If there were no issues, then why did I faint?” Shen Chuchu asked with confusion as she examined her elbows.

Secretary Wang’s smile didn’t budge. “You fainted simply due to shock. Our boss didn’t actually hit you.”  

Shen Chuchu stopped fidgeting and gazed at Secretary Wang with widened eyes. She actually fainted from shock? Thinking back to that split second, it did seem that the ray of red light caused her to faint. The car might’ve not hit her after all. 

Shen Chuchu hadn’t realized that she’d been staring at Secretary Wang for quite a while. But just as she was about to speak, she was suddenly stunned by the sight in front of her. She extended her hand and pointed at Secretary Wang’s head, “There’s a small pink heart on your head.”

Upon hearing this, Secretary Wang’s expression changed and his smile began to crack. “Sorry, miss. I never use that kind of thing.”

Shen Chuchu insisted, “There really is. If you don’t believe me, touch it with your hand.”  

Secretary Wang didn’t want to do such a childish thing, but he relented under Shen Chuchu’s persistent gaze. He lightly brushed his hand across his head and stated, “Okay Miss, you can quit it with the joke. Let’s talk about some more pressing matters. We will cover all of your medical expenses, and if you feel any discomfort afterwards, please feel free to give me a call. This is my business card.”

After he finished, Secretary Wang handed over a card.

Shen Chuchu didn’t take the business card but instead continued to stare at Secretary Wang’s head. She had just seen his hand passing through the small pink heart as if it was transparent.   

Nonetheless, she could still see the heart.  

She pondered to herself, perhaps this heart could only be seen and not felt? At this point, she looked around the room for a reflective object and remembered her phone.  

“Where is my phone?”  

Secretary Wang handed over a small bag from the table.  

Shen Chuchu brought out her phone from the little bag and opened the camera function to show Secretary Wang the little pink heart on his head. However, when she was about to pass the phone over, Shen Chuchu realised the small pink heart had disappeared. She stared and frowned for a few seconds and then suddenly the heart reappeared again.  

Shen Chuchu excitedly held up her phone and pointed at the small pink heart. “Can you see anything on your head?

Secretary Wang watched the excited Shen Chuchu, lowered his head and looked at himself in Shen Chuchu’s phone in slight surprise.  However, he quickly returned to his normal expression and smiled, “I’m sorry Miss but I did not see..um, the small pink heart on my head.”  

Shen Chuchu glanced at Secretary Wang’s image on her phone. Nope, it was still there. She began to suspect Secretary Wang was lying but he didn’t look it. Shen Chuchu frowned and pondered internally why could only she see it? What does this mean?

Since he could not see it, Shen Chuchu thought back to her strange dream and coughed a little. She glanced at Secretary Wang once more and said, “Oh yes indeed, there is nothing. It must be because I just woke up so my mind is a little bit hazy.  

Secretary Wang looked at Shen Chuchu quizzically but didn’t dwell further on the subject. He continued, “Miss, I am very sorry that my boss did not personally come to apologise. His grandfather’s sickness suddenly took a turn for the worse and is currently in critical care. He saw that you were alright so he went to be with his grandfather instead. Please keep my business card safe and remember to call me if you need anything. All your medical expenses have already been paid for and here is an additional ten thousand yuan as compensation. I am very sorry about the situation today.” As Secretary Wang said this, he bowed then placed the business card and money by the bedside table.  

Shen Chuchu looked at the money and frowned. “I don’t need compensation. The situation was also my fault, I should have paid more attention when I was crossing. Plus your boss hadn’t even hit me with the car, I don’t need his money.” Even if Shen Chuchu desperately needed the money she would never extort somebody for it.

But Secretary Wang said, “Although my boss stopped and didn’t actually hit you, the fact that he did frighten you is an undeniable fact. You must take it.”

Shen Chuchu shook her head. “I cannot accept this money.”

If she really had been hit then she would have accepted the money with no issues. But she was fine so there was no way she could do so…

As a result, Secretary Wang said: “This money was specifically given to compensate you, please don’t make it difficult for me.”

Shen Chuchu tried to reason with Secretary Wang but it was no use. Just as Shen Chuchu was about to thrust the money back into Secretary Wang’s hands, he suddenly apologised once more and quickly left the ward.

Shen Chuchu couldn’t get out of bed in time before Secretary Wang had completely disappeared, as she was still attached to the drip and a bit dizzy from hunger.

After departing from Shen Chuchu’s ward, Secretary Wang headed to the operation room. He quietly walked towards a man with a cold expression who was sitting at the entrance.

“Boss.”

“Was it difficult to handle?” The man stared at the operating room light and asked with a low and hoarse voice.

“No.” Secretary Wang began to say, “The lady was very reasonable but…”

“But what?” Han Xingyan had just breathed a sigh of relief but upon hearing this he looked at his secretary again. His typically sharp eyes revealed some exhaustion.

“But…” Secretary Wang remembered the pink heart and with a frown, he said, “She seems to have sustained some shock, her state of mind…”   

“What!” Han Xingyan did not expect something like this to happen. He frowned and continued, “You follow up on it. If this was indeed caused by us I will take complete responsibility.”

Secretary Wang replied: “Okay, boss.”  

Han Xingyan waved his hand at his secretary and continued to wait outside the operating room.  

Back in the ward, Shen Chuchu looked at the money and business card in her hand and sighed. She felt that the impact of this short night was simply too great for her. First, she fainted from shock on the pedestrian crossing and then she had also seen some illusions. Also that dream, what did this all mean?  

However before she had time to ponder further on the matter, a nurse came through the door

“I’m here to take your needle out. Please lift up your hand, it will be alright soon.”  

Perhaps because the nurse’s voice was too soft, as she continued to stare at her for quite a while. At that precise moment, however, that strange thing appeared again. Over the nurse’s head was a pink heart exactly like before. Shen Chuchu subconsciously reached out to touch it and something magical occurred.

A virtual display screen appeared in front of her.  

Status: Unmarried  

Marriage Partner: Zhao Haifeng [Photograph]

Marriage Date: January 9th 2018

Marriage Rating: 4 Stars (Compatible)

Red Thread of Fate: [Open]

Index | Chapter 2