Country c
Late Afternoon – Mo Manor, Garden Pavilion*
The warm rays of the late afternoon sun bathed the stone paths in soft gold, casting long shadows across the garden. A light breeze rustled the maple leaves, and the faint scent of jasmine drifted in the air.
Lu Jingyan sat beneath the pavilion, her hands wrapped around a porcelain cup of tea she hadn't touched. She looked distant, poised yet weighed down by thought.
Across from her, Hua Shu leaned against the wooden railing, watching her in quiet contemplation.
"You've been too quiet lately," Hua Shu said gently, breaking the silence. "Even for you."
Jingyan glanced up, forcing a smile. "Just thinking."
"About your next move?" Hua Shu pressed. "Because if you're not… I have an idea."
Jingyan tilted her head, curious but guarded. "What kind of idea?"
"Modeling."
That earned a light laugh. "Modeling?"
"Yes. For Golden Age Entertainment" Hua Shu said, stepping closer. "They want a face with grace. Power. Class. You."
Lu Jingyan's brows rose slightly. "Gold Age? That's the agency that launched Lin Rou and Qian Xi, isn't it?"
"The very same. And their new director is searching for something different—someone who isn't just 'pretty.' Someone with presence. You don't need to act, Jingyan. Just be who you are."
Jingyan looked away. "I'm not… who I used to be."
"You're still the fashion queen of Country F," Hua Shu said calmly. "Even fallen queens have crowns. Sometimes they just wear them differently."
Jingyan went quiet again. The wind lifted her dark hair.
"I'm offering you a platform," Hua Shu continued. "Not pity. Not a handout. Just… a way to be seen again. On your own terms."
A long pause, then finally—
"Set the meeting," Jingyan whispered.
And Hua Shu smiled. "Already did."
Two Days Later — Golden Age Entertainment Headquarters*
The sleek glass façade of the Gold Age building glinted under the morning sun, towering and unapologetically modern, nestled in the heart of Country C's most exclusive business district.
A black car pulled up to the front entrance.
The door opened, and Lu Jingyan stepped out in a crisp, structured cream blazer, black trousers, and dark sunglasses. Her heels clicked authoritatively on the marble steps as she took in the view of the building—chin high, aura sharp.
She didn't look like a fallen heiress today.
She looked like someone who remembered exactly who she was.
Inside, the receptionists straightened instantly. Whispered gasps followed her as she entered. Even the staff who hadn't met her before could feel it—an air too refined to belong to the ordinary.
At the end of the hallway, *Hua Shu* waited—elegant in a tailored navy pantsuit, a slow smile pulling at her lips.
"You're late," Hua Shu said teasingly.
"I had to decide which shoes made a better first impression," Jingyan replied coolly. "These won."
Hua Shu chuckled and turned, walking beside her. "Come on. The team's waiting. You're not walking into an audition, by the way."
Jingyan raised a brow. "No?"
"No." Hua Shu pushed open the doors to a sunlit private boardroom. "You're walking into your own empire."
Lu Jingyan blinked. "What?"
"I'm the owner of Golden Age," Hua Shu said simply. "I built it from the ground up while everyone thought I was just playing around as a 'fashion investor.' I kept it low-key for a reason but this… this moment is why I started it. For people like you."
Jingyan stared at her, stunned. "You…"
"I want you to be the face of Golden Age's rebranding," Hua Shu said calmly. "Not just a model. A symbol. The comeback of a queen."
Silence stretched between them as sunlight bathed the room in golden light.
Then Jingyan finally exhaled, her voice low but steady.
"Then let's show them what a fallen princess looks like… when she rises."