Nearly resorted to violence

The cosmetics on the table crashed to the floor with a loud clatter.
Everyone’s eyes immediately turned toward them.
Some worried for Wen Shuang, but most were gleefully anticipating trouble.
Wen Shuang had been enjoying incredible opportunities lately, and some had long disliked her, eagerly hoping Xia Anran would quickly put her in her place.
Wen Shuang’s gaze was icy. “Xia Anran, this isn’t your house. Why are you acting like a lunatic here?”
“I’ve been at the theater longer than you. Wen Shuang, you took my things while I was gone, and now I can’t take them back? Give me back my ballet!”
Wen Shuang seemed to hear the most absurd joke. “Xia Anran, ‘Wang Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier’ was Director Su’s personal decision for me to perform. How is it yours now? Oh, I nearly forgot—before you went to prison, maybe it was your ballet. But now it isn’t, so please get your facts straight!”
Since Xia Anran’s release, nobody had dared mention prison in front of her.
It was her shame, her dark history!
The suffering she endured there was something she never wanted to experience again in her lifetime.
Yet Wen Shuang had dared to say it aloud in front of everyone!
Xia Anran’s face contorted with embarrassment, as if she could already hear the mocking laughter around her. Without thinking, she slapped Wen Shuang. “Shut up! You’re the reason I ended up there!”
That damned slander charge—it had to be Wen Shuang who reported her.
Xia Anran had been seething for ages, waiting for a chance to take Wen Shuang down.
Wen Shuang suddenly stood and caught her hand. “You brought it upon yourself! You deserved it! Frankly, half a month in there wasn’t nearly enough. People as venomous as you deserve life imprisonment. Even released, you only bring chaos!”
Xia Anran was furious.
She was about to start a physical fight with Wen Shuang right there.
Director Su heard the commotion coming from the dressing room.
Entering, she saw cosmetics mashed into a muddy mess all over the floor.
She immediately shouted, “Stop this at once! You’re still in the theater—actresses fighting in public, what do you think this looks like?”
Wen Shuang flung Xia Anran’s hand away and was first to speak. “Director Su, Miss Xia returned to the theater and immediately harassed me. She not only insulted me but tried to hit me, and even damaged the theater’s property.”
Xia Anran retorted, “No! Director Su, don’t listen to Wen Shuang’s nonsense. She offended me in public first, that’s why I reacted. Ask them if you don’t believe me!”
He Luo stepped forward. “That’s right, Wen Shuang started it.”
With her statement, several others stepped up to support Xia Anran, claiming Wen Shuang had provoked her first.

Yao Qianqian scoffed, “So you think you’re powerful because there’s more of you? Clearly, Xia Anran barged backstage, smashed Wen Shuang’s dressing table, then tried to slap her. Wen Shuang was only defending herself!”
Director Su, having spent years in the dance world, trusted her own judgment.
She noticed that only Wen Shuang’s makeup table was littered with debris.
Besides, she knew Xia Anran had the temperament of a spoiled heiress.
She immediately scolded Xia Anran.
Xia Anran was indignant, holding her head high. “Director Su, ‘Wang Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier’ was originally my ballet—I only want Wen Shuang to give it back. What’s wrong with that?”
Director Su frowned. “It’s true the ballet was originally assigned to you, but after your incident, the delay was too long. The theater couldn’t wait, so we replaced you. Wen Shuang happens to have both the physique and professional skill—we found she’s more suited to this ballet.”
That was an open admission that Xia Anran was inferior to Wen Shuang.
Xia Anran snapped, “I never even performed it—how can you know I’m not suited?”
Director Su had no desire to argue further. She said that Xia Anran could have “Bronze Sparrow Branch,” but “Wang Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier” was out of the question.
Wen Shuang had already performed the ballet twice, with growing acclaim each time, so there would be no more changes.
Xia Anran was left fuming.
Yao Qianqian, arm in arm with Wen Shuang, strutted past her triumphantly.
“Shuang, you were so fierce when you tore into her! Xia Anran was always a tyrant here, and everyone tolerated her because she was the Summer family heiress, so she became reckless.” Yao Qianqian complained.
Wen Shuang replied, “She really is too arrogant—she thought she could slap me? I’m not someone she can slap at will!”
“She’s so shameless—everyone knows about her college scandal. She stole your boyfriend and flaunted their romance, making you miserable back then!” Yao Qianqian rolled her eyes. “I thought that after her stint in jail, she’d finally behave, but she’s still just as brash.”
Wen Shuang said, “She should’ve gotten life. Out or in, she’s a menace.”
“I noticed He Luo stepped up for her just now. She never got along with Xia Anran before.”
Wen Shuang understood: He Luo was teaming up with Xia Anran to target her.
After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. When Xia Anran was gone, He Luo could stand out, but now with Wen Shuang in the picture, He Luo couldn’t stomach it.
She sneered, “Their alliance is fleeting at best—a gust of wind and it’ll fall apart.”
Yao Qianqian agreed, “Exactly! Even if they join forces, Director Su values you most now. She just backed you for the lead role—amazing, my Shuang!”
The only thing that annoyed Yao Qianqian was that her “Bronze Sparrow Branch” had been handed back to Xia Anran.
Still, with her good relationship with Wen Shuang, she wouldn’t have to worry about not getting an A-list role in the future.

Qin You waited outside for Xia Anran.
He hadn’t wanted to pick her up after work, but Madam Qin insisted he needed to be a thoughtful fiancé, so the Summer family would agree to their marriage sooner.
Especially after that incident.
Qin You was now tightly controlled by his family—three phone calls every night, and Xia Anran constantly checked up on him. Since her release from prison, she’d become anxious and insecure.
So Qin You had no chance to see Wen Shuang again.
Yet, every day, Wen Shuang’s smiling face lingered in his mind.
Often, in the quiet of midnight, he recalled the beautiful moments they shared during their three years in college.
Sometimes he wondered if abandoning Wen Shuang for power was a mistake.
But then he reminded himself—the marriage alliance with the Summer family would bring the Qin Group tremendous benefits.
He convinced himself he hadn’t been wrong.
No woman could ever be more important than money or power.
Qin You paused and, turning his head, noticed a familiar, graceful figure.
Was it... Wen Shuang?
Just as he was about to rush over, Xia Anran ran up, delighted, “Brother Qin, you came to pick me up after work!”
She affectionately wrapped her arm around his.
When Qin You looked back, the graceful figure was already gone. He thought he must have been seeing things—how could Wen Shuang be working at the theater?
Xia Anran quickly glanced in the direction Qin You had just looked.
She led him away in the opposite direction.
“Brother Qin, from now on, just wait for me in the car. Standing outside is so tiring!”
In fact, Xia Anran simply didn’t want Qin You to see Wen Shuang.