CHAPTER 364: 152 WAKING MOMENT_3

The entertainment industry was never his choice. Achieving career success, gaining fame—none of this mattered. He only wished to live as an ordinary person, attending school on time and living a peaceful, serene life. He had long been content.

The experiences over these past three months felt like a dazzling dream.

Now that the dream had shattered, it was time for him to wake up.

Snapping out of his memories, his gaze shifted and landed on a business card sprawled across his desk.

Rong Xianning hesitated for a moment and instinctively picked up the card.

"Other Shore Entertainment..." he murmured softly.

The boss Zhao Heng mentioned who admired him—who could it really be?

He laughed bitterly.

Since he’d already decided to quit, why care about such things?

Putting the card down, Rong Xianning took a mask and hat from his backpack, equipped them, and grabbed the elevator card from the hallway shelf as he headed out.

The privacy of this residential building was incredibly high. Along the way, Rong Xianning didn’t encounter a single person.

At the entrance of the community, he noticed a 24-hour convenience store and walked in.

He picked up some sushi and a bottle of yogurt, then headed to the counter to pay.

"Add an order of oden, please," he said.

The cashier was a young girl. Upon hearing his voice, she unconsciously froze and softly muttered, "This voice... sounds so familiar..."

When she looked up, she saw a slender teenage boy adjusting his hat brim with his hand, obscuring his face.

But that hand—long, refined, almost artistic in its beauty, pale skin contrasting sharply with prominent veins—was inexplicably alluring.

As the cashier stood dazed, a girl standing behind the boy in line gently said, "I’m rushing to class. Could you please process the payment a bit faster?"

"Oh! Oh! My apologies," the cashier replied, snapping back to reality, hurriedly lowering her head to handle the payment.

"That’ll be thirty-two yuan in total," she announced.

The boy opened his wallet, pulling out a fifty-yuan note and handing it over.

Another store assistant was busy packing the oden order.

Qi Baotan watched the boy standing at the counter, suspicion stirring in her chest—an almost unbelievable guess began to form.

As the boy took the change from the cashier, he tipped his chin slightly upward.

From the side, Qi Baotan caught a glimpse of his profile beneath the brim of his hat. Although the lower half of his face was covered by a mask, those eyes—once seen, never forgotten—came into view.

Suddenly, she gasped and covered her mouth. Wasn’t this Rong Xianning?

Qi Baotan had followed every episode featuring the young idol. Echoing the public’s aesthetic consensus, her favorite contestant had always been Rong Xianning. Not only was he handsome, he sang beautifully, his stage presence absolutely electrifying—a being seemingly meant for the spotlight. It was difficult to comprehend how such a frail body contained such dazzling energy.

Just yesterday, Rong Xianning had surged onto the trending topics again, though this time it was for a scandal.

His parents had been exposed, dragging Rong Xianning into the chaos.

Qi Baotan never expected to run into this "living legend" of the hot searches at her community convenience store early in the morning.

Maintaining a composed expression, she discreetly took out her phone and opened the chat pinned to the top of her WeChat.

——Guess who I just ran into at the community convenience store? You’ll never guess.

The reply came instantly——Rong Xianning.

Qi Baotan: ??? Have you installed surveillance devices around me or something?

Chills.

——You forget that I can divine the future. [dog head emoji]

Qi Baotan chuckled, unable to suppress her laughter.

Who would’ve thought An’an had such a humorous side?

The boy took his food and walked over toward a simplistic table and chairs in the corner, sitting with his back facing the crowd, offering only a thin, solitary silhouette.

Qi Baotan placed her breakfast on the cashier counter, while the young cashier kept glancing in the direction of the boy. "So strange... why does he look more and more familiar the longer I stare?"

Qi Baotan marveled inwardly. In just three short months, Rong Xianning had become so famous that even casual glimpses could lead to recognition.

Feigning nonchalance, she asked, "Do you like Rong Xianning too?"

The young cashier lit up as if she’d found a fellow fan. "You’re a Lemon too?" she asked excitedly.

Qi Baotan smiled and nodded naturally. "Of course. Handsome, talented, hardworking, and dedicated—who wouldn’t adore him? Though..."

"You’re talking about the scandal with his parents, right? What his parents did has nothing to do with him. Besides, his agency has already clarified things—his parents simply owe some debts and are working hard to pay them off. They’re not deadbeats. It’s evidently someone malicious spreading slander and rumors about him."

Qi Baotan paused, surprised. She hadn’t checked the news yet this morning.

"Miss, you must keep trusting Ningning and continue to cheer for him. He truly is such a hardworking and deserving idol."

Facing away from the group, the boy’s back stiffened slightly. Within his hollow, lifeless eyes, faint glimmers of light began to stir.