"But seriously, I feel like Old Hu has found his true calling," a woman said, sitting down next to Tan You. It was the gentle and capable Shuyu.

"I never expected this was his kind of thing, either." Tan You gave a wry smile. "If we hadn’t had that other show to finish filming, he would have wanted to join the production crew on set long ago."

Xu Jingyi added, "But it’s not a bad thing to learn more. One should be cautious with matters of the heart."

Tan You didn’t say anything more. From her perspective, Director Hu was already having the time of his life. Speaking of which, she knew plenty of other variety show formats. ’If Director Hu is going to stick to filming romance reality shows, will I have to start looking for a new partner?’

Director Hu said, "No way. We’re a golden duo, how could we split up so easily? I’m not going to film only romance shows. Like you said, we can just do one season a year or so."

Tan You thought, ’Don’t tell me Director Hu has his sights set on me?’

Director Hu was also candid. "A director’s got to make a living, too. Believe it or not, the moment we split, people would be lining up to pitch themselves to you. I’m not so foolish that I can’t see the situation clearly. Besides, working with you is so easy."

"I just have to focus on filming, while you take care of everything else. I don’t have to worry about a thing. Plus, I don’t have to worry about any of our show’s guests getting caught up in a scandal. The people you find are all excellent."

Tan You smiled. "Alright. If you always think that way, Director, I believe we’ll be working together for a long time."

Director Hu chuckled. "Definitely."

While Tan You and Director Hu were busy with the romance reality show, the industry’s first mystery detective variety show officially premiered. As the only one of its kind, it was naturally met with rave reviews upon its debut.

Just as Tan You was riding high, she was caught off guard by unexpected news from Tang Li’s biological mother, Li Lanzhen.

"So... you’re getting married?" Tan You’s expression was complicated. She never thought Li Lanzhen would actually find her second spring. ’Then again,’ she thought, ’for a woman like her who dotes on her brother to a fault, isn’t getting married just ruining someone else’s life?’

Li Lanzhen sounded a little embarrassed. "Yes. Old Sun is a good man, and we get along well. He doesn’t have any children either, so I won’t have to worry about that."

Tan You pinched the bridge of her nose. "I’ll come back tomorrow. Bring your partner so I can meet him."

Li Lanzhen replied, "Okay. See you tomorrow, then?"

After hanging up with Li Lanzhen, Tan You felt a headache coming on. "Send me the file on this Old Sun."

The Beauty System responded immediately, and Sun Zhicai’s file quickly appeared before Tan You’s eyes.

"Divorced in his early years, has been running his own beef stall ever since... he looks like a very ordinary middle-aged man." Tan You looked at the computer. "What was the reason for Sun Zhicai’s divorce?"

The Beauty System bounced. "Actually, calling it a divorce isn’t quite accurate. His wife supposedly went missing. It was about twenty-some years ago. Sun Zhicai’s official story is that his wife couldn’t stand their poverty, so she took all their money and ran off with another man."

"Missing? Ran off?" A faint smile touched Tan You’s lips. The more she heard it, the less believable it sounded.

"Well, I’ll find out tomorrow when I meet him in person." Tan You didn’t dwell on it. Such things weren’t uncommon in the countryside, especially in remote villages. It was normal for a woman to run away if she couldn’t take it anymore and her husband refused to grant a divorce.

After all, who would want to suffer forever?

"But honestly, this Sun Zhicai looks a bit fierce. It’s just that he’s put on some weight on his face, which makes him seem a little gentler now." Tan You didn’t know how to read faces, but having lived through several worlds, she had met many people.

And the saying "a person’s appearance reflects their heart" wasn’t always wrong.

The next day at noon, Tan You, Li Lanzhen, and Sun Zhicai sat down in the same teahouse where she had dealt with the Li family last time.

Perhaps because he’d been in business for years, Sun Zhicai was all smiles the moment they met. "You must be Tang Li. Your mother is always telling me about you."

Tan You glanced at Li Lanzhen. "What has she been saying about me?"

Sun Zhicai’s smile froze for a second. "Just that you take good care of her. I should be the one treating today. It’s not easy for a young woman like you to earn money."

’Sun Zhicai is quite well-spoken,’ Tan You thought. Seeing how attentive he had been to Li Lanzhen from the moment they sat down, she could tell he was a man of deep thoughts. ’Li Lanzhen probably falls for this kind of treatment.’

Tan You set down her teacup. "I’ll get straight to the point. I can’t control whether she gets married. After all, it’s her own life."

The smile on Sun Zhicai’s face instantly deepened.

Tan You continued, "However, I need to know what kind of person she’s marrying. Don’t take it personally; I’m just looking out for her."

Sun Zhicai chuckled. "Of course, of course. Ask whatever you want to know. I’ll tell you everything."

"Straightforward," Tan You smiled. "I heard your wife went missing some years ago?"

Perhaps because he had been asked this question many times before, Sun Zhicai’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. "Yes. We hadn’t been married for long. It was my fault for not being ambitious back then. Our family was poor, so I don’t blame her for not being able to endure it."

"So many years have passed. Now, I just hope she’s doing well wherever she is."

Tan You smiled. "You’re very magnanimous, Uncle Sun. My mother has a bit of a temper. When you’re together, are you usually the one giving in to her?"

Sun Zhicai glanced at Li Lanzhen. "Not really. We take care of each other."

Tan You didn’t hide anything from Sun Zhicai. "You should be aware of my mother’s reputation. Even knowing that, are you sure you want to be with her?"

Sun Zhicai said resolutely, "Yes. It’s not easy to find someone you click with in this life. Besides, your mother doesn’t have much contact with that side of her family anymore, and I have my own boundaries."

Tan You finally smiled. "Since you’re both set on it, I have no objections. Of course, I won’t shirk my own responsibilities."

’Could Sun Zhicai really be genuinely fond of Li Lanzhen?’ she wondered. But looking at Li Lanzhen’s face, she did look a bit younger than her peers. After all, she didn’t work and never had to worry about making a living.

With Tan You’s approval, Li Lanzhen breathed a sigh of relief. She had been genuinely worried her daughter would object. Now that Tan You had agreed, the way Li Lanzhen looked at Sun Zhicai grew even softer.

Sun Zhicai patted Li Lanzhen’s hand. "Feeling relieved now?"

Li Lanzhen smiled. "Yes. I didn’t expect it to go so smoothly."

The middle-aged couple across from her were acting all sweet and lovey-dovey, and Tan You felt a bit sick to her stomach. She’d had enough of watching people’s public displays of affection on the romance show; she didn’t expect that a late-in-life romance could be just as intense.

"I took temporary leave to come back, and I have to return to the set tonight. We’ll go our separate ways after we eat. I need to go see my grandparents." Tan You put down her teacup. "Live a good life together from now on. I’m busy with work and don’t have time to keep her company."

Sun Zhicai smiled. "We definitely will. You just focus on your work. I’ll take good care of your mother." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Looking at Sun Zhicai’s smile, Tan You couldn’t help but wonder, ’Could I really have misjudged him? Is this Sun Zhicai actually a good person?’