When She Appears

Chapter 26: When She Appears

The world seemed to pause for a second the moment she walked into the room.

Lin Chaoxi had only taken two steps into the studio before she felt a strange chill climb her spine. The laughter died down. Conversations froze. Even the director, who had been shouting orders, suddenly stood up straighter.

Standing by the door was a woman dressed in a simple white blouse and jeans. No makeup. No accessories. But she shone.

Gu Yining.

The original heroine of this world. The woman the system had warned her about. The "Fated Love" of Shen Muyan.

Chaoxi's fingers clenched unconsciously at her side.

[Warning: Fated Character Detected. Emotional Stability Decreasing. Suggest immediate withdrawal.]

She ignored the system. Just for once. She needed to see what was so special.

Shen Muyan's assistant leaned in and whispered something to him.

He lifted his gaze. The moment he saw Gu Yining, something flickered across his expression—recognition, nostalgia, a faint twitch of something deeper.

Chaoxi saw it. She felt it like a blade slicing across her chest.

She smiled anyway.

"President Shen," she walked toward him gracefully, "they asked me to rehearse the couple scene again. Shall we?"

He stared at her. "Now?"

"Yes. Why not?"

As the camera rolled, she performed her lines perfectly. Her smile was sweet. Her eyes tender. Her every movement screamed loving wife.

But her heart was racing. The system kept pulsing warnings in her mind.

[Warning: Emotional Overload. Target Bonding Value: Dropping.]

Gu Yining stood by the side, watching. Quiet. Beautiful. Dangerous.

After the shoot, Shen Muyan approached her.

"You're trembling," he said quietly.

Chaoxi looked up at him, eyes too bright. "I'm just cold."

"Then why does your hand feel like fire?"

He reached out to hold her. For a second, she almost let him.

But then—

[Urgent: Mission Update. "Stay away from Gu Yining at all costs." Failure will result in emotional collapse.]

She pushed him away gently. "I'll be fine. I'm your wife, remember?"

She walked off. He stood there, staring after her, torn between two truths:

One he remembered.

And one he felt.