Tan You said, "We have plenty of beautiful scenery and delicious food here. I guarantee you’ll never want to leave."

While they were still in the country, Tan You had taken Ji Mingxi all over the place, showing him the beautiful landscapes and letting him experience the local customs of different regions. It was supposed to be a romance show, but their dynamic had somehow turned into something more like friends, or even brothers.

Especially Ji Mingxi. Even though he was a few years older than Lu Wen, he now called out "Sister Wen" at every turn. Whenever he was unsure about something, he’d call for Sister Wen. And who could blame him? Tan You was just that capable and took such good care of people.

Ji Mingxi was a little awkward at first, but he eventually just let go and stopped trying so hard. It was just as Tan You had said: all that mattered was his own happiness. In any case, Ji Mingxi felt truly happy whenever he was with Tan You.

Even while busy filming the show, Tan You wasn’t idle. Her own studio had been established, and she was now busy polishing a script she was working on.

’Yes, after experiencing so many worlds and watching countless melodramatic soap operas, it was pretty easy for Tan You to come up with a script.’ Her eyes swept over Ji Mingxi. ’Cultural influence has always been a one-way street. Could she manage to reverse the flow?’

’But that wasn’t urgent. She could mull it over after they finished filming the show.’

"Sister Wen, we’re going to Country T tomorrow! I’ve been there a bunch of times, so don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you!" Ji Mingxi declared, thumping his chest as they boarded the plane.

Tan You didn’t want to burst his bubble. "Alright, I’ll be counting on you to take care of me."

Ji Mingxi immediately perked up. "And after Country T, we’re going to Country H! I’m even more familiar with that place..."

Ji Mingxi loved talking with Tan You. She always gave the best reactions. It was a skill Tan You had learned from her grandfather, Tan Deming; after all, everyone loves having an enthusiastic audience.

The first stop of choice in Country T was the beach. After checking into the hotel, Ji Mingxi came to get Tan You to go have fun on the sand. Tan You wasn’t surprised by his eagerness. She just grabbed her camera and followed him out.

When he saw Tan You wearing a long skirt, a sun shirt, and a wide-brimmed sun hat, Ji Mingxi was a little disappointed. "Sister Wen, you’re wearing that to have fun on the beach?"

Tan You shot him a look. "Of course. Let’s go. I’ll take some extra photos of you today."

"That’s awesome! I have total faith in your photography skills, Sister Wen." Ji Mingxi instantly brightened up and trotted happily after Tan You.

’The corners of Tan You’s lips curved up slightly. See? No skill is ever wasted. Isn’t this coming in handy now? Speaking of which, once the film crew for her script is assembled, maybe she could even snag a job as a photographer?’

’Tan You believed her portrait photography was more than decent.’

On the beach, Ji Mingxi struck all sorts of poses while Tan You aimed her camera, snapping away. It was as if they had swapped scripts, yet to anyone watching, the scene didn’t feel the least bit strange.

The junior director watched them, murmuring to herself, "A domineering queen and her useless pretty-boy husband? I could totally get behind that ship."

The cameraman replied, "I kinda see it, but they call each other ’sister’ and ’brother.’ Isn’t it a little weird to be shipping them?"

The junior director retorted, "I’m allowed to dream, aren’t I? I’m just going to enjoy the view while I can. Who knows if we’ll ever get to see Sister Wenwen’s goddess-level beauty again after this."

The cameraman nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Lu Wen was pretty before, but you’d get used to it. Now, you can’t take your eyes off her. The show is still filming, but once it airs, I bet all the other female celebrities are going to feel threatened."

"And most importantly," the junior director whispered, "I think Qi Yu is going to be furious. After all, artificial beauty can never compete with the real thing." Clearly, not everyone was trying to curry favor with Qi Yu and Hu Yize.

The cameraman added, "Missing out on Lu Wen was undoubtedly Hu Yize’s biggest loss. It’s a shame some people don’t get it. There aren’t many people with a good eye for gems these days."

After the two whispered a few more words, Ji Mingxi’s beachfront modeling session came to a close. He looked at the photos Tan You had taken and thought he looked handsome in every single one.

Ji Mingxi’s Chinese was decent by now. "Sister Wen, you’re amazing! I had no idea silver hair could look this good." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Tan You said, "Bleaching is really damaging to your hair. I’d suggest doing it only once a year. Of course, you’re already very handsome to begin with."

Ji Mingxi said smugly, "Of course. Being the handsome one is my job."

He didn’t shy away from his reputation as the "pretty boy." Just as Tan You had said, it was a part of him, so why hide it? Plenty of people wished they were as handsome as him, but they just weren’t.

Despite the change of scenery, Tan You wasn’t the least bit fazed. She was naturally broad-minded, and with the Beauty System—her little cheat code—constantly feeding her information, Tan You felt completely at ease in Country T.

Tan You knew all about the local attractions and cultural customs as if she’d lived there her whole life. Of course, she could also speak a few simple phrases in the language of Country T, though it was limited to basic greetings. She hadn’t even learned much of Country H’s language yet, and was already considering learning several more languages in this lifetime.

At first, Ji Mingxi figured that since he’d been here a few times before, he must know the area better than Tan You. But after getting lost twice, only to be found by her both times, Ji Mingxi just gave up.

"Sister Wen..." Found yet again by Tan You, Ji Mingxi was a little embarrassed. "You’re not mad at all?"

He had gotten completely absorbed in a street performance and had wandered off from Tan You. Yet when she found him, she was perfectly calm, showing no signs of being upset.

"What’s there to be angry about?" Tan You asked, baffled. "It’s natural for people to be drawn to things they’ve never seen before, so it makes sense you’d want to watch for a while. Besides, I found you. As long as the outcome is good, the process doesn’t matter."

Ji Mingxi was silent for a moment. "You’re really emotionally stable."

Tan You smiled. "Maybe. I like being this way, emotionally stable."

Ji Mingxi replied, "But that must be hard, right? Life is always full of things that don’t go your way."

"That’s why you have to work on cultivating your inner self. Then, no matter how many disappointments you face, you can handle them with grace." Tan You smiled, changing the subject. "Do you want to go back and watch more of the performance?"

"I was just mesmerized by that snake... I was wondering how she did it. Dancing with a snake?" As Ji Mingxi spoke, he noticed Tan You’s brow furrow slightly as she stared at something just behind him.

Ji Mingxi started to turn his head, but he heard Tan You whisper urgently, "Don’t move."

Ji Mingxi froze, not daring to move a muscle. He just stood there, stiff as a board. Tan You, meanwhile, was staring intently at the female dancer in the middle of the performance space. Not only did the woman not back down, but she actually extended her right arm further in Ji Mingxi’s direction.

Coiled around her right arm was a python as thick as a human wrist. With its flat head and intricately patterned body, the sight was enough to send a chill down one’s spine. Right now, the python was rearing its head, a clear look of aggression in its posture.