"Oh, it seems I still need to keep working hard to achieve my dreams." Shi Wangyue raised an eyebrow lightly.

"Do you still have dreams that haven’t been realized?" Ning Youguang asked after a slight pause.

"Guess." Shi Wangyue smiled subtly, gazing deeply at her for a long while before turning his head to the newly arrived Xie Yizun, "You’ve been busy with the competition for a while now, right?"

"A bit." Xie Yizun said, "Mainly because our mentor is extremely strict with the contestants. Although we all know this shows his responsibility towards us, many trainees can’t handle the pressure."

"This year’s show is doing well, and the audience reviews are constantly improving." Zhuang Siqi said, "This might also be the reason for the mentor’s strict requirements."

"That definitely plays a big part." Xie Yizun felt that this competition was exhausting but also genuinely rewarding, "So many of us participated, but only five debuted. I heard the original plan was to debut eight, but to not ruin the recovered reputation, they cut it down by three."

"Who is your mentor?" Xie Shengxing asked curiously from the side.

"Zhou Tang." Zhuang Siqi answered first.

"Zhou Tang?" Xie Shengxing had heard of him, "The one from your company? He’s quite popular."

"Yes." Xie Yizun nodded, "Brother Zhou is quite popular and has many fans."

"Oh." Xie Shengxing said, "How skilled is he? To be so strict with you all."

"He’s great at both singing and dancing, and he can act." Xie Yizun admired his company senior Zhou Tang a lot.

"That’s impressive." Xie Shengxing said, "You should learn more from him in the future."

"Yiyi, if you have any professional questions, you can ask Tangtang more." Ning Youguang added, "He’s a friend of Brother Ming Chao."

"Brother Zhou is a friend of Brother Ming Chao?" Xie Yizun didn’t know him well, but he knew of him, "No wonder he takes good care of me."

"Goddess, do you know Tangtang too?" Zhuang Siqi was amazed.

"Yes, I know him." Ning Youguang said, "He lives in the same complex as my dad, often coming over with my brother for meals. I’ve seen him several times there."

"Wow, so he lives in the same complex as Director Ning." Zhuang Siqi was very curious, "How is Tangtang in private? Is he handsome? Is he different without makeup?"

She used to be quite a fan of Zhou Tang, attending his concerts and fan meetings, even seeing him up close.

But idols seen in those settings are always meticulously dressed, obviously different from their private selves.

Now hearing that Ning Youguang has shared meals with him several times, she couldn’t help but ask more questions.

"He’s okay in private." Ning Youguang said fairly, "High emotional intelligence, handsome, and of course, there’s a difference without makeup, but he’s still good-looking."

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Siqi’s eyes sparkled as she playfully asked, "And how does he compare to Mr. Shi?"

Ning Youguang hadn’t answered, but Xie Yizun quickly replied, "Brother Zhou can’t compare to my brother-in-law!"

He seriously looked at Zhuang Siqi, "My brother-in-law is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. There’s no celebrity in the entertainment industry that matches up, even with makeup."

"Brother, how can you be so sure?" Zhuang Siqi laughed uncontrollably, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What if your sister’s taste is different from yours?"

Then she turned to Ning Youguang with a mischievous grin, "What do you think, Goddess?"

Ning Youguang poured a cup of water for Zhuang Siqi with a smile, "How do you know Yiyi and I don’t share the same taste?"

Watching the playful scene unfold, Ze Wu couldn’t help but snicker at Shi Wangyue, "Seems like you have a reason for being so good to your little brother-in-law."

This kid was straightforward.

In this way, he’s quite like his brother, both being ardent fans of Shi Wangyue.

"That Zhou Tang definitely can’t be more handsome than Shi. Definitely not!" Indeed, Xie Shengxing followed up behind his brother exclaiming, "Shi looks so good, there’s nothing to criticize from head to toe. Plus, with his grace and elegance, how could a star compare?"

Then, fearing he might upset his brother, he immediately cozied up beside him, "I don’t look down on stars, you’re different from them."

"I know." Xie Yizun didn’t feel the slightest devalued by his brother’s words and even agreed, "My brother-in-law has exceptional charisma! Those entertainers can’t match it at all."

"Oh~" Zhuang Siqi looked meaningfully at Shi Wangyue, who was quietly drinking soup, and continued to press Ning Youguang, "Your brother and sister both think your boyfriend is handsomer than Zhou Tang. Do you agree?"

Ning Youguang looked softly at Shi Wangyue, then smiled gently at Zhuang Siqi, "He came and scattered the starlight, becoming my moon."

— "So I’m lucky to be with him."

With those words, she turned back to look at Shi Wangyue, just as he raised his eyes to meet hers.

At that moment, everyone around could see the laughter and light in their eyes as they gazed at each other.

Zhuang Siqi had initially intended to tease further, asking Ning Youguang, "Sister, what do you mean by that?"

But seeing the way Shi Wangyue and Ning Youguang looked at each other, she suddenly recalled a line from some book she couldn’t quite place—

"The highest form of love isn’t ’I miss you’ or ’I love you,’ but ’I am with you.’"

Zhuang Jianxian saw this scene and couldn’t help but think he must ask his sister later if she’s ever had dinner with her friend and her friend’s boyfriend.

Wasn’t dining with them a bit too much like public displays of affection?!

Ze Wu watched the smile continuously growing on someone beside him and couldn’t help but mutter silently: "Damn!"

He wasn’t jealous at all!

Really!

Not! At! All! Jealous! Or! Envious!

...

The hot summer night was unusually warm and quiet, as if the universe was listening.

As midnight approached, the flow of people on the streets gradually thinned out.

But the streetlights on both sides of the road stayed lit, looking from afar like a glimmering long river.

Shi Wangyue and Ning Youguang chose a place a bit further from home to get off the taxi, walking hand in hand toward their residential area, digesting their food.

They chatted softly along the way.

Mainly Shi Wangyue asking, "Do you really think I’m more handsome than Zhou Tang?"

Ning Youguang tilted her head, looking at the child who seemed entirely different from his calm and composed demeanor in the private room, and laughed softly, "What do you think?"