Si Nian rejected a whole bunch of random business promotions that reached out to her because of her recent surge in popularity—many of which she had never even heard of.
Although some of the offers were indeed tempting, logic told her to think long-term.
An unexpected opportunity also arose after the overwhelmingly positive reception of the MiniGlitz debut show.
The magazine signed several models who performed well during the show as contracted models.
Naturally, Si Nian, who had climbed to the top of the entertainment trending list in the middle of a celebrity fan war that night, was among them.
However, the contract they signed was not a management contract.
Since MiniGlitz’s future content would focus on fashion and makeup tutorials, which required models for demonstrations, the magazine directly selected a few well-received models from the show to sign on.
The signed models were still free to take on other jobs, only needing to set aside time regularly for magazine shoots as required.
It was essentially a long-term, stable gig.
During the initial auditions, no one had mentioned that outstanding performance could lead to a model contract.
What’s more, this was Glitz’s subsidiary magazine.
Rumor had it that after the debut show aired, both the print and digital versions of MiniGlitz broke sales records.
Clearly, it struck a chord with modern women, and future sales were expected to remain strong.
After signing her long-term stable gig, Si Nian felt so happy that it seemed almost unreal.
Her (Mumbling Thoughts) account had gained nearly a million followers in this wave of popularity.
Now that she had a stable job and no pressure to take on quick-money gigs, she and Jiang Yihan filmed two short videos for her 碎碎念 account to maintain engagement.
Compared to her previous posts, which were mostly photos and behind-the-scenes footage, these videos had better editing and lighting.
Still, they were simple—filmed against a plain wall in their apartment.
The goal was singular: showcasing beauty, flaunting her face.
After all, this was what made her popular.
Her profession was modeling, and she earned a living with her looks—why show off intelligence or academic knowledge instead?
In one video, Si Nian wore a rose-red French-style camisole dress.
Her voluminous, slightly wavy hair was swept to one side, with a large red flower tucked behind her ear.
The lighting, coming from a diagonal angle, created a dreamy, hazy atmosphere.
When she gazed into the camera, it felt as if she was looking straight at you through the screen.
For a moment, the flower in her hair became an afterthought—she herself outshone it.
In the second video, she dressed in a crisp denim shirt over a white top, paired with black cargo pants and sneakers.
The outfit was completely androgynous.
Yet, with her delicately made-up feminine face and voluminous dark hair, the contrast between styles heightened the visual appeal, stimulating viewers’ senses.
The comment section was chaotic with alternating reactions
Mumbling Thoughts’ beauty just killed me
Mumbling Thoughts’ face is attacking me head-on
Both videos quickly surpassed a million likes.
One comment pointed out something interesting—despite being a “face-showing” video, she lacked the artificial, overly polished vibe of social media influencers.
Instead, she radiated the effortless, commanding presence of a professional model, even through a screen.
At first glance, it seemed like she was just showing off her looks.
But upon closer inspection, every single piece of her outfit, no matter how simple, and even the minor details of her makeup, made people want to replicate them.
Innate talent and presence—being able to make even basic outfits look this captivating was a skill in itself.
After seeing the consistently good engagement on her recent videos, Si Nian let out a breath of relief.
Maintaining high-quality content proved that her popularity wasn’t just a fleeting moment.
As a result, the platform would continue pushing her content to new audiences.
With her online presence stabilized, it was time for her to focus on her first official job opportunity.
Although it wasn’t finalized yet—she still needed to audition.
This time, however, it wasn’t some shady MLM promotion.
It was a legitimate international beauty and skincare giant—Brand Y.
When Si Nian first received the casting invitation, she thought it was a scam targeting her.
It wasn’t until Jiang Yihan used her magazine connections to verify the information that she confirmed it was real.
Brand Y’s youth-oriented skincare line was about to launch a new hydrating cream.
This product was a key focus for Brand Y and was set to become their flagship item.
With the launch of a new product came an extensive advertising campaign.
Instead of hiring a celebrity spokesperson, Brand Y opted to use commercial models for their ads.
The company planned a nationwide campaign, which meant the chosen model’s face would be seen everywhere.
Even minor celebrities wouldn’t get such large-scale exposure.
Typically, the selection process for such ads was private, requiring approval not only from the local management team but also from the European headquarters.
Si Nian was invited to audition because, reportedly, Brand Y’s domestic director had been in the audience during the MiniGlitz debut show and was deeply impressed by a few models.
Si Nian had done plenty of photoshoots and runway shows before.
However, she had never filmed a commercial—let alone one for a national campaign.
Since the ad was for a face cream, all candidates had to audition completely bare-faced.
After all, everyone knew that no skincare product, no matter how expensive, could perform miracles.
Instead of hiring a model who supposedly had good skin because of their cream, they simply wanted someone who already had great skin.
Si Nian figured her skin was decent.
She washed her face, checked the mirror, and went.
Unlike the MiniGlitz audition, where all models waited together, Brand Y scheduled private auditions.
When Si Nian arrived, she was the only one there.
Instead of a catwalk or image assessment, several high-definition cameras and bright lights captured extensive video footage of her.
It was likely being sent to the European headquarters for final approval.
After finishing the audition, Si Nian slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out of Brand Y’s headquarters.
Brand Y’s office was also located in the bustling city’s CBD.
She hadn’t noticed it earlier, but on her way to the subway, she caught a glimpse of a towering skyscraper nearby.
The words Rongsheng gleamed at the top.
That building, standing tall in the heart of the business district, was a symbol of success, admired by countless professionals.
Si Nian stared at the Rongsheng logo.
Not long ago, she had made a firm decision—if Lu Shuyan’s breakup fee was less than eight figures, she would storm into that building, barge into the CEO’s office, and drag him down with her.
Yet, fate always seemed to take unexpected turns.
Who wanted to drag him down with them?
Looking at the building now, for the first time, a hint of disdain and ridicule flashed in her eyes.
Whether or not she got this audition, one thing was certain—if she had known earlier that leaving behind the submissive “girlfriend” role and returning to her original career would bring such success, she would have dumped Lu Shuyan herself.
She wouldn’t have had to wait for him to get bored and cruelly cut ties.
Taking advantage of her youth and beauty without a shred of guilt—
And this was a man raised with elite education in a prestigious family?
He had no charm to begin with, but now, Si Nian felt even more disillusioned with that entire world.
Standing there, staring at the Rongsheng building, she wondered if she would ever cross paths with Lu Shuyan again.
Given their difference in wealth and status, they should never meet again.
But exceptions always existed—just like how she had never planned on knowing the young master of the Lu family back in school.
Si Nian’s biggest regret was begging him that day.
She had humiliatingly wrapped her arms around him from behind, pleading with teary eyes, offering up five years of her life in exchange for five million yuan.
She had failed.
He had dismissed her as “dreaming.”
Yet now, she had rejected nearly five million worth of sponsorship deals in the past few days alone.
Adjusting her bag strap, Si Nian took a deep breath.
If she ever saw Lu Shuyan again, she swore she’d dump a bowl of spicy soup on his head, yank off his tie, and sneer at that infuriatingly dignified face
“Get lost.”