Perfect—let me rewrite Chapter 4 with more
Chapter 4: The Phoenix Returns
Five years later.
The Celestial Flame Awards buzzed with energy as A-listers strolled the red carpet, flashes from cameras lighting up the night. Whispers filled the air—until the crowd fell into stunned silence.
A sleek Maybach pulled up.
The door opened.
And Xia Zhelan stepped out.
Cameras clicked furiously.
"She's back?!"
"That's Xia Zhelan… no way!"
"I thought she disappeared after that scandal!"
Unbothered, Zhelan walked with quiet confidence. Dressed in a sculpted crimson gown with minimal jewelry and bold red lips, she looked like a queen returning to claim her throne. Her long, jet-black hair flowed in soft waves, her presence magnetic.
Backstage, Xia Meiyu froze in place as she caught sight of the screen.
Her assistant stammered, "Meiyu-jie… that's…"
"I see it," she snapped.
Liang Jinhai, buttoning his designer blazer, walked in, noticing her pale face. "What's wrong?"
She turned to him, voice tight. "It's her. She's here."
"Who?"
"Zhelan."
He stiffened. "That's impossible. She was sent away. There's no way she—"
"She's walking the red carpet right now!" Meiyu shoved her phone into his hand, the livestream paused at the moment Zhelan had looked directly into the camera.
Jinhai's expression darkened. He stared longer than he should have.
"She looks… different."
"She's dangerous, that's what she is," Meiyu spat. "Don't forget what she tried to ruin."
Jinhai exhaled sharply. "She ruined herself."
But even as he said the words, his hand tightened around the phone.
Upstairs, in the private VIP lounge, Li Chengyan leaned against the glass wall, sipping whiskey as he watched Zhelan below. The crowd followed her every move.
"Who's she?" he asked casually.
His assistant replied, "That's Xia Zhelan. Actress. Vanished from the industry five years ago after a massive scandal. But now she's back—bigger than ever. She's under Shengyi Entertainment now."
Li Chengyan's brows lifted. "Shengyi, huh? Bold move."
"She landed the lead role in Empress Unbroken. Critics say she might win Best Actress tonight."
He hummed in response, but his eyes lingered. There was something about her. The aura. The fire in her eyes.
"She reminds me of someone," he muttered under his breath.
Later, in the dressing room, Zhelan adjusted her makeup when her manager, Lian, burst in.
"You were right," Lian whispered. "They're both here. Xia Meiyu and Liang Jinhai."
Zhelan smiled faintly into the mirror. "Let them see me."
Lian hesitated. "You sure you're ready for this?"
Zhelan turned to face her. "I didn't come back to hide."
Meanwhile, at the gala's banquet section…
Meiyu forced a smile as she greeted guests, but her hands were clenched at her side. When Jinhai walked up beside her, she whispered fiercely, "She's doing this on purpose."
"She has every right to be here," he said, surprising himself.
Meiyu's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
"I just meant—professionally. She's worked hard, clearly. Don't let her rattle you."
"She's a scandal waiting to happen," Meiyu hissed. "I made sure of that once—I'll do it again."
Elsewhere that night…
Zhelan returned home to a quiet penthouse. Her daughter, Rui, had fallen asleep on the couch. Zhelan gently carried her to bed, tucking her in.
As she stood by the window, a storm brewed behind her eyes.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number:
Welcome back to the battlefield, Xia Zhelan.
She replied without hesitation.
This time, I'm the one holding the knife.
Meanwhile, at the Li Mansion…
A boy of six sat cross-legged on the floor, assembling a drone from scratch. Li Chengyan entered and watched quietly.
"You're awake late," he said.
The boy looked up with sharp, focused eyes. "I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about the design flaw in the last prototype."
Chengyan smirked. "At this rate, you'll replace my engineers by age ten."
The boy didn't smile. "Do you think my mom is smart like me?"
The question caught Chengyan off guard.
"You've never asked that before."
The child shrugged. "I just wonder. I don't remember her."
Chengyan crouched to his level. "Whoever she is, she gave us you. And that makes her unforgettable."
But in his heart, something stirred.
Something unfinished.
Unanswered.
Zhelan had no idea that her lost son was under the same sky.
And Li Chengyan didn't know the woman who just shook the world had once borne his child.
But fate was done playing nice.