Nian Nian [Rebirth]

Chen Nian first discovered Fang Zhizhu on a singing competition show. With her sweet voice and dimpled smile, Fang Zhizhu enchanted Chen Nian, who secretly used her mother’s phone to vote for her countless times. Both were just 14 years old. At 24, Chen Nian—now a moderately renowned photographer—was invited to shoot Fang Zhizhu’s birthday photoshoot. Thrilled for a month, she ended up dropping a ¥200,000 camera on set. Fang Zhizhu merely smiled, told her it was fine, and invited her to fetch another camera from her bedroom. That became Chen Nian’s first time. Never had she imagined her relationship with her idol would take such a turn. Over the next six years, Fang Zhizhu climbed to the pinnacle of the entertainment industry, walking red carpets with her lover and publicly coming out to the world. Under the blinding flashlights, Chen Nian clutched Fang Zhizhu’s hand, feeling like the luckiest person alive. That night, after winning a major award and enduring a long flight home, Fang Zhizhu stood on their rooftop balcony at dusk, dressed in a gorgeous gown, and softly said, “Nian, I’m sorry.” Her apologies, tender as a newly emerged butterfly, repeated until she leaped—unfolding a blossom of crimson. At 30, Fang Zhizhu’s life ended, shattering Chen Nian’s heart forever. For the next decade, Chen Nian relived every word and expression, torturing herself with the thought that just one second sooner, she could have saved her. That girl—the best in the world. Then, Chen Nian was reborn. This time, she was seven. And in the orphanage, so was Fang Zhizhu…