Now We're Even.

Meiying turned to face Xiaoxiao, who was standing in front of the private room that was facing the one Chenwei had reserved.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Meiying exclaimed with a masked excitement.

Xiaoxiao snickered, "Stop pretending, Meiying. You probably heard that I was meeting up with your husband and ran here out of jealousy."

"What!" she was shocked. Xuejian was also here.

"You heard me," Xiaoxiao said as Xuejian came out of the private room that Xiaoxiao came from. He saw Meiying there and narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you here?" he asked in surprise.

Sensing a storm coming, Meiying had to go along with what Xiaoxiao said. "I found out you were meeting Xiaoxiao, so I wanted to join."

"We arrived here an hour ago, so if you heard about it, you should have been here since."

Meiying blinked. "I was scared that you would be angry at me, so I decided to just hang around until you're done."

Xuejian looked at her for a while before his eyes glanced at the door behind her. "Find your way back home. Miss Xiaoxiao, let me see you off."

Xiaoxiao beamed and eyed Meiying before leaving. Xuejian looked at her once more before leaving.

Meiying breathed a sigh of relief as they left. She knew quite well that Xuejian knew she was lying. She could have told him the truth, because lying again would just make it worse. However, because Xiaoxiao was present, she just couldn't. She didn't want it to be her fault that Chenwei's relationship deteriorated.

With the thought that she would talk to Xuejian when she got back home, she gently opened the door and entered the private room. Chenwei was seated in the chair, while pressing his phone.

Chenwei seemed not to have noticed her presence, so she walked over to the chair on the other side of the table and sat down. Her action startled Chenwei, causing him to look up at her. She greeted him, apologizing for being late.

"No problem," he smiled. "Did you eat breakfast?"

"No, not yet," she replied.

"Here's the menu, you can order anything you desire," he presented her with the menu paper.

Meiying perused the menu options and decided on the rice congee. Chenwei promptly summoned the waiter and placed their individual orders.

Meiying's mind then went back to how Xuejian had sniffed her food without even tasting it, a twinge of anger stirred within her. Despite knowing that the food wasn't particularly good, she felt he should have at least given it a fair chance before dismissing it.

"Meiying, Meiying... Meiying!" Chenwei called out, causing her to jump in her seat.

Startled, she asked, "Yes?"

"Your food is right in front of you," he said, pointing towards the bowl of congee placed before her.

Smiling gratefully, she began to eat, making sure not to make any loud noises as Chenwei disliked that.

"So why did you invite me here?" Meiying questioned curiously after they finished their meals

"It's about what happened yesterday morning," Chenwei replied.

"Please don't dwell on it too much. I was just a die-hard fan who woke up one morning and believed that I was your wife. Funny, isn't it?" she chuckled, trying to dismiss the topic.

"No," he paused, "Are you encountering any issues in your marriage?" he probed, genuine worry etched on his face.

Meiying fell silent. She indeed had problems in her marriage, but it wasn't like before. Although, Meiying saw this as an opportunity to get closer to Chenwei. By admitting her struggles, he would maybe sympathize with her. However, she also realized that divulging the truth might lead Chenwei to distance himself from Xuejian, similar to what had happened in her previous life when she confided in him. Yet, this was her second chance to change a few things.

"Meiying!" Chenwei's call broke her train of thought. "You're spacing out again. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I am."

"I asked you a question."

"Fortunately, I don't have any problems in my marriage," she responded, a smile gracing her lips.

Chenwei returned the smile and remarked, "That's good to hear. So, you went to the company today. Are you planning to enter the industry?"

"Yes, I am. I thought it would be a great way for me to be more useful," she explained.

"Why? Do you believe that being a housewife isn't a valuable role? Don't pursue something you don't truly enjoy," he advised.

"Thank you for your advice, but I'm genuinely fine with pursuing acting," she assured him.

He continued, "Is your husband on board with this decision?" Meiying's brow furrowed slightly at the question. "Well, he used to be in the acting industry as well but later started his own business."

"He's okay with it," she replied, although it was a lie. Xuejian had expressed his disapproval of her acting ambitions the previous night. However, she cared little for his opinion; it was her life, not his.

After a few more friendly exchanges, they parted ways. Meiying returned home to discover that Qingting had called in sick due to a bowel disorder. Meiying didn't feel guilty about it, considering the harm Qingting had caused her. In the grand scheme of things, this was a minor inconvenience.

Throughout the following week, Xuejian did not return home, leading Meiying to wonder if he was upset about her hiding something from him. She had thought they were finally on good terms, but it seemed that it only took a short amount of time for them to fall back into their usual dynamic.

Meiying dedicated the entire week to studying the scripts her father-in-law had sent her. The movie was titled "Shadows Within," and the drama series was called "Entangled Hearts: From Contracts To Love."

Her focus was particularly on the audition for the movie, which was scheduled for Saturday. She even enlisted the help of her maids to act out scenes with her. During one particularly intense scene where she had to interrogate suspects, her maids trembled in fear. Meiying comforted them, assuring them that it was all just acting and she wasn't actually like the detective character she portrayed.

Feeling confident and fueled by her maids' reactions, Meiying believed she had a good chance of securing the role.

On Saturday, Meiying was picked up by Li Jingyi. Meiying had chosen to wear a well-tailored pair of pants, paired with a matching blazer and low-heeled boots. Carrying documents and a notepad, she felt prepared for the audition.

Arriving at the venue earlier than anticipated, Jingyi dropped her off and insisted she call when she was finished. Meiying made her way to pick up her audition number and found herself a seat.

"Wait, isn't that the ice prince's wife?" a girl seated a few rows behind Meiying whispered. Meiying couldn't help but smile, realizing that Xuejian was still remembered even after leaving the industry, earning him that nickname.

"You're right, what is she doing here?" another girl chimed in.

"It seems like she's auditioning too," the first girl replied.

"She could have easily secured a role without auditioning, so why all this hassle?" the second girl sneered.

"Maybe they've already planned for her to get any role she wants, even if someone else performs better than her," the first girl speculated, her words dripping with skepticism.

"Be careful, remember who she is," the other girl cautioned, a hint of caution in her voice.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the entrance. "Everyone, it is Chenwei Meilin!" echoed through the crowd, drawing people's attention. Chen Meilin laughed heartily as she greeted her fans, the sounds of excitement filling Meiying's ears.

Curiosity engulfed Meiying as she stole a glimpse of Chen Meilin. The young lady's hair was casually tied in a messy bun, allowing a few strands to delicately frame her round face. Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade of brown, held a captivating warmth. With a small nose and rosy, heart-shaped lips, she truly resembled a cute fairy, earning her the fitting nickname.

As Chen Meilin approached the end of her autograph session, another presence commanded the attention of the crowd. It was Xuejian, his expression cold as he glanced at the people obstructing his path. Upon noticing his arrival, the crowd quickly dispersed, making way for him. Chen Meilin approached him with a warm greeting, to which he simply acknowledged.

To Meiying's surprise, Xuejian walked towards her and raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Aren't you going to greet your husband?" he inquired, his words laced with intrigue.

Startled by his unexpected arrival, Meiying stood up from her seat, unable to find her voice as a whirlwind of emotions swirled inside her. Words seemed to be lodged in her throat, rendering her speechless.

With a sigh, Xuejian lifted his right hand and gently patted her head, leaving Meiying taken aback. But even more astonishing was the tender kiss he placed on her forehead, followed by a lean towards her ear.

"Now we're even," he whispered softly.