---

Right out of the elevator, Jiang Ruotang followed Lu Guifan to a metal security door. As soon as Lu Guifan turned the key, they heard the patter of slippers. The door opened, revealing a small child holding slippers at the entrance, then lifting her small face, wide-eyed, looking at Lu Guifan with a hint of expectation.

This was Lu Wei. When she noticed someone behind Lu Guifan, she immediately went to find another pair of slippers.

In that moment, Jiang Ruotang instantly understood the little girl’s thoughts—she was doing everything she could to please everyone in this family. She lacked a sense of security, so she desperately tried to prove her worth in this home to everyone.

Just like he himself had desperately tried to please someone else in his previous life.

But Xiao Wei was only four years old.

Jiang Ruotang bent down, gently took Xiao Wei’s hand, then picked her up, smiling at her, “Oh, what’s this beautiful little girl with big eyes and a pointy nose called?”

Xiao Wei was very nervous, seemingly pondering Jiang Ruotang’s words, wondering if he was talking about her.

No one in the village wanted her, and many people said she was a burden. If her mother hadn’t given birth to her, she could have remarried and wouldn’t have worked herself to death.

No one had ever called her “beautiful.”

Lu Guifan took out another pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet, knelt beside Jiang Ruotang, and helped him take off his sneakers, putting them into the slippers.

Jiang Ruotang walked in, holding Xiao Wei. The little girl was as light as a pillow, which made Jiang Ruotang’s heart ache.

Sounds of father and mother Lu came from the kitchen.

“Ruotang’s here! Let Guifan show you around our new home!”

“We’re still kneading dough; your favorite chive and egg pancakes will be ready soon! This time we even added shrimp!”

Jiang Ruotang smiled: “Great!”

Lu Guifan then took Jiang Ruotang on a tour of the house, showing him the master bedroom where his parents stayed, the study room that had been converted into a little girl’s room, and Lu Guifan’s second bedroom.

The bed was much larger. Jiang Ruotang glanced at it, then at Lu Guifan, and mischievously asked, “Is it sturdy?”

“Why? Do you want to rave dance on my bed?”

Lu Guifan seemed too innocent; he didn’t catch Jiang Ruotang’s hint at all.

Never mind, Jiang Ruotang was secretly having a happy time indulging in his own yellow thoughts.

Then, he saw the crystal photo frame on Lu Guifan’s desk. Jiang Ruotang smiled and asked Xiao Wei, “Is this painting beautiful?”

Xiao Wei nodded.

“This is the Butterfly Nebula that I painted. When Xiao Wei grows up, we’ll take you to the planetarium to watch a video of the Butterfly Nebula, how about that?”

Xiao Wei’s eyes lit up. Although she didn’t know what a nebula was, she felt that this elder brother’s eyes held many shimmering stars.

Turning around, he saw another painting hanging on the pristine white wall—a rose painted by Jiang Ruotang, already framed by Lu Guifan to prevent dampness and fading.

“This is a rose I painted. When Xiao Wei grows up, you’ll also have someone special send you roses!”

Unexpectedly, the usually quiet Xiao Wei suddenly asked, “You gave brother a rose, so is brother your sweetheart?”

Jiang Ruotang was stunned for a moment. Should he admit it or deny it?

Lu Guifan smiled: “This is Brother Ruotang. He’s a very, very important person to me, someone I hold dear in my heart.”

“Xiao Wei understands. Xiao Wei will be nice to Brother Ruotang.”

Seeing the little girl’s earnest demeanor, Jiang Ruotang’s heart softened again.

“Brother Ruotang will be good to you too.” Jiang Ruotang took out the candy hair ties from his pocket, then realized Xiao Wei had short hair and couldn’t tie pigtails.

But the little girl’s eyes, when she saw the hair ties, couldn’t hide her longing.

Jiang Ruotang placed the hair ties in Xiao Wei’s hand and said earnestly, “This is a gift from Brother Ruotang to Xiao Wei. When Xiao Wei’s hair grows long, you can use it to tie pigtails.”

Xiao Wei clutched them tightly, as if they were a precious treasure.

Even at night, after Jiang Ruotang and Lu Guifan had told her stories for a while and sung lullabies, lulling her to sleep, her small hand still clutched the candy hair ties.

Jiang Ruotang leaned by the bed, resting his chin in his hand, and said, “It feels like domestic bliss…”

Lu Guifan lowered his eyes and gently rubbed the top of Jiang Ruotang’s head: “I only know that my happiness depends on you.”

Jiang Ruotang tilted his head: “Are you coaxing me?”

“I’m coaxing myself.”

Jiang Ruotang tugged at Lu Guifan’s collar, “Anyway, you’re mine, no changing for ten thousand years!”

Lu Guifan chuckled, “Ten thousand years and we’ll all be dust.”

“You think if you turn to dust, I won’t recognize you?” Jiang Ruotang retorted.

Lu Guifan covered his eyes, both helpless and amused.

---

That night, after returning home, Zhao Changfeng surprisingly wasn’t back, completely lost in gaming with Cai Ji.

Drunken Immortal Stage had already started filming, and Jiang Huaiyuan and his wife were also not home.

Jiang Ruotang touched his lips, thinking of Lu Guifan’s kisses, gentle as a spring breeze and light rain, yet capable of transforming into a fierce storm in an instant. His creative drive exploded. He returned to his studio, and with his eyes closed, tumultuous emotions surged. His brush frantically scraped, dotted, and ground on the paper. When he was done, Jiang Ruotang took a picture of it and sent it to Lu Guifan.

At this moment, Lu Guifan was wearing his black-rimmed glasses, checking emails on his computer. It was from Professor Yang across the ocean, informing him that, according to the contract, the payment for Lu Guifan’s experiment to improve solid-state power conversion efficiency had been deposited, and reminding him to remember to file taxes.

Lu Guifan looked at the amount, a sum his parents couldn’t even imagine, enough to keep them sleepless for days if left in the bank.

Instead of letting it sit in the bank and earn interest, it would be better to give it to Jiang Ruotang.

Just then, Jiang Ruotang’s message came through—it was a painting, and the boy in the painting was himself.

The handsome features were stained with a different kind of color, sinking beyond redemption, full of struggle, desire, and the tension of capturing sensations.

The entire picture had no inappropriate depiction whatsoever, yet it made Lu Guifan’s face instantly flush, his emotions trembling and uncontrollable.

This was probably the cost of dating Jiang Ruotang.

He took a deep breath and quickly replied: [This cannot be shown to anyone else. Not even your manager.]

Jiang Ruotang looked at Lu Guifan’s reply and burst into laughter. He seemed to have found the most effective way to tease Lu Guifan.

[Don’t worry, I’ll just hang it in the bedroom and look at it myself.]

[Not even in the bedroom.]

Jiang Ruotang imagined Lu Guifan’s tone in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the funnier it got.

---

Throughout the summer, the most talked-about entertainment program was the talent show Idols Please Line Up, co-produced by Qin Zhanzao and Han Ming. It was addictive on Qilin Video and topped the variety show charts after just one episode.

Bai Yingchuan’s comeback was very eye-catching. Coupled with his now more stable personality and open demeanor towards the audience, as Jiang Ruotang had predicted, he gained many casual fans on this show.

Jiang Ruotang propped his head up, looking at the computer screen. He wasn’t interested in Bai Yingchuan, but in another guest, the popular K-pop star ALEN.

ALEN’s makeup had an androgynous mystique, and he appeared arrogant throughout the show, his critiques of other trainees mercilessly sharp.

If this were a local celebrity, there would probably have been a huge fight. But Qilin Video and Qin Zhanzao’s publicity efforts created a persona for ALEN as being aloof and authentic, winning the hearts of many viewers and fans.

Following this trajectory, Jiang Ruotang speculated that Qilin Video and Qin Zhanzao would likely launch a major IP project, putting ALEN in the male lead position, and then continuously rake in money and traffic.

Unfortunately… ALEN, however, was fundamentally and overtly shallow and arrogant. When his persona collapsed, it would be like a dam bursting, vast and overwhelming. Coupled with policy pressure, Jiang Ruotang felt a bit of sympathy for Qilin Video and Qin Zhanzao for their impending heavy losses.

ALEN, a celebrity who relied on marketing his persona, also gave Jiang Ruotang a sense of crisis.

He still needed to cultivate a group of actors who were presentable, and even if they weren’t universally adored, audiences would instinctively feel that a drama was great as long as they acted in it.

Therefore, he needed an artist management company.

Just as he was thinking, Jiang Ruotang received a message from Mu Xianqing: [Little Ancestor, want to grab some milk tea?]

Jiang Ruotang took a deep breath and immediately covered his eyes. This guy asking him for milk tea definitely meant asking him to “turn in his homework.”

Wait, he could also discuss setting up an agency with Mu Xianqing. Why not let him chip in for the costs… No, it should be “let’s make money together”!

Thinking this, Jiang Ruotang happily went up to his attic studio and carefully selected an oil painting: a sky with burning clouds, a monotonous red at first glance, but upon closer inspection, one could feel the rich layers and the last splendor of the sky as night approached.

Jiang Ruotang replied: [Sounds good! See you in half an hour!]

Mu Xianqing, who was drinking coffee, almost choked. The Little Ancestor actually accepted his afternoon tea invitation? He had only sent the message out of boredom, just to make his presence known.

Looking out the window, Mu Xianqing puzzled, “Strange, did the sun rise from the west today?”

Just then, his secretary entered, intending to remind him of his afternoon work schedule. Who knew Mu Xianqing would spring up from his wide boss chair as if he’d touched a live wire.

“That… quickly go order two Fairy brand milk teas for me, jasmine tea base, hot! Three-tenths sugar!”

He suddenly remembered Jiang Ruotang said he’d arrive in half an hour. What if the delivery was late?

“Quickly find someone to buy them in person, the faster the better! And prepare some savory snacks that young people like… like fried chicken nuggets, hot dog buns?”

The secretary stared blankly at his boss. Mu Xianqing’s afternoon tea always consisted of elegantly prepared pastries. Now, this style…

“Is this… for an important guest?”

Mu Xianqing nodded, “Yes, quite important.”

“But at 3 PM, you have a meeting with CEO Wang from Qilin Video, CEO Qin from Huanyu, and CEO Han from Cefeng Pictures.”

“Hm? They’re coming?” Mu Xianqing frowned, the disdain too obvious.

The secretary reminded him, “Yes, they want you to invest in a TV series, the one with the very popular K-pop star ALEN as the lead.”

Mu Xianqing let out an “oh,” then said, “It’s fine, let them wait. Who told them they wanted to dig money out of my pocket?”

Secretary: …What you said makes so much sense.

---

When Jiang Ruotang arrived at Mu Xianqing’s office building, he ran into Qin Zhanzao and Han Ming at the elevator entrance.

Qin Zhanzao eyed Jiang Ruotang, immediately recalling Mu Xianqing’s special treatment of him at the entrance of Fugui Square that day, and couldn’t help but suspect Jiang Ruotang’s purpose for being here. Not to mention that yesterday, Jiang Huaiyuan and his wife had rejected the ALEN project during a meeting, making Qin Zhanzao quite annoyed, feeling that the Jiang family was deliberately going against him.

“Ruotang, why are you here?” Qin Zhanzao maintained a gentle demeanor, smiling at Jiang Ruotang.

Jiang Ruotang pointed to the painting on his back and chuckled, “Of course, I brought my painting for Mr. Mu to see.”

“Oh,” Qin Zhanzao smiled and nodded, thinking to himself whether he should also find some promising young painters to cater to Mu Xianqing’s interests.

Han Ming didn’t believe that a young person who had just finished his college entrance exams could achieve much in painting and calligraphy. Perhaps Mu Xianqing just liked his looks.

“However, we have serious matters to discuss with Mr. Mu today. You didn’t come at a very opportune time; you’ll probably have to wait a long time.” Han Ming’s voice was cold, implying that he was advising Jiang Ruotang to retreat gracefully and not waste his time here.

Jiang Ruotang remained unfazed: “It’s fine. I can play on my phone while I wait for you to finish.”

Han Ming seemed to let out a snicker.

The elevator door opened, and Mu Xianqing’s secretary was waiting outside, displaying a standard welcoming smile.

Qin Zhanzao was about to step forward to greet him, but the secretary took a step forward, holding the elevator door open, precisely for Jiang Ruotang, who was behind them, to walk out.

“Mr. Jiang, did you bring a new painting today?”

“Yes!”

“Excellent, no wonder CEO Mu prepared afternoon tea. Please follow me.”

The secretary smiled and stepped aside, guiding Jiang Ruotang towards the office.

Qin Zhanzao and Han Ming both paused.

Han Ming was the first to speak: “Secretary Ye, we were scheduled to meet Mr. Mu at three, weren’t we?”

The secretary chuckled: “It’s only 2:40 now. Just appreciating Mr. Jiang’s new work; time flies quickly.”

Qin Zhanzao and Han Ming exchanged a complex look.

If they hadn’t misheard just now, Secretary Ye had said Mu Xianqing prepared afternoon tea.

Given that guy’s personality, once he entered “afternoon tea mode,” he probably wouldn’t finish until sunset.

They… would probably have a long wait.

Jiang Ruotang entered Mu Xianqing’s office, his first time here. There was an impossibly large floor-to-ceiling window, and Mu Xianqing, standing in front of it with his hands in his pockets, looked even more flamboyant than a domineering CEO in a TV show.

The office was too large, and Jiang Ruotang was too lazy to walk that far to stand side-by-side with Mu Xianqing and admire the view. He simply sat down at the conference table where the pastries and milk tea were placed, put his painting aside, and chugged several sips of milk tea.

Mu Xianqing somewhat disappointedly fiddled with his tie, then heard his secretary say, “Boss, Mr. Jiang has brought a new work. Aren’t you coming to appreciate it?”

Because of the backlighting, the glint in Mu Xianqing’s eyes was hidden in the shadows.

He stepped towards the conference table and saw the art portfolio that Jiang Ruotang had casually placed on another chair. He didn’t bother explaining his creative intentions or the concept of the painting, unlike other artists. Instead, he picked up a chicken nugget, pondering whether to dip it in sweet and spicy sauce or mayonnaise.

Mu Xianqing picked up the portfolio, sat down, and opened it. The painting of the burning clouds immediately captured his full attention.

The two fell silent. Jiang Ruotang ate snacks on the side, while Mu Xianqing looked at the painting.

“What’s this painting called?”

“It’s just ‘Burning Clouds’?”

“That straightforward?” Mu Xianqing was bewildered. That wasn’t very artistic.

“Yeah.”

“For sale?”

Jiang Ruotang almost choked, “I’m not selling, the painting is.”