A charity gala

She had never needed anyone to know what she'd done.

It had been enough just to help.

To give quietly in a world that always demanded noise.

"I know you didn't do any of it for praise," Director Mei continued. "You never asked to be seen. But sometimes… the people who work hardest in silence are the ones whose stories deserve to be told the most. Not for ego. But for belief. Someone might see you—your honesty, your struggles, your generosity and decide to care. To give. To hope."

Chen Lin exhaled slowly.

Her heart wavered between caution and something softer—something close to longing.

There was a part of her that missed being seen for who she truly was.

Not as the scandal, not as the headline, but simply as herself.

Wasn't that one of the reasons she had pushed so hard for fame?

To gain power, influence, and to use it for something meaningful?