To be honest, before that promotional Weibo post, Tang Li wasn’t a household name. The only people who knew of her were artists and managers within the industry.

But after artists like You Li, Xie Yunzhi, Ning Yao, and the cast of the childcare reality show all promoted her, the name Tang Li was suddenly everywhere. The public was naturally curious: what kind of person could get so many celebrities to repost on her behalf?

A little digging revealed some shocking truths. Tang Li’s resume quickly surfaced online. She was a model student, which was to be expected, but after starting her career, she was a force to be reckoned with. Especially in the past year, she had been producing one hit show after another.

Now, the childcare show and the dating show were airing concurrently, competing head-to-head. But undeniably, the ultimate winner was Tan You, since she was the one who had come up with the proposals for both.

While people may admire titans of capital, they also hold genuine talent in high regard. Tang Li’s social media account, which had been dormant for years, gained a ton of followers, most of whom were active users.

Tan You didn’t pay much attention to any of this. She had always kept a clear line between her real life and her online presence. No matter how much applause she received on the internet, she continued to diligently focus on her work.

Xie Yunzhi’s film, as expected, caused a huge stir. By then, it was early March. As the movie finished its theatrical run, the commotion it had created gradually died down, and the entertainment world quickly moved on to the next big story.

That is, until the film received a nomination at an international film festival, thrusting it right back into the spotlight. Any news related to the film became a top headline, and naturally, Tan You couldn’t escape the attention.

After one incident of being swarmed by reporters, Tan You simply bought a new luxury apartment in a high-security building that strangers couldn’t easily access.

Xie Yunzhi asked, "Are you going to the awards ceremony overseas? You’re the one who got nominated."

"What would I do there?" Tan You said, unconcerned. "I’ll just have the film’s producer accept it on my behalf."

"You really don’t want this kind of opportunity for fame and glory?" Xie Yunzhi pressed.

"It was my friend’s script, not mine," Tan You explained again, though she knew it was futile. Some things only needed to be experienced once. She’d attended plenty of award ceremonies in the past and truly had no interest in going.

Xie Yunzhi chuckled. "Alright, Old Zhou will be ecstatic to accept the award on your behalf. But people might be disappointed. Why are you so unwilling to make an appearance?"

Tan You raised an eyebrow. "She prefers to keep a low profile."

Everyone at the company naturally knew about the script’s nomination. The day it was announced, President Wang cornered Tan You the moment she arrived. He always had a knack for finding her right away.

"Are you really not going? It’s such a great opportunity."

"That glory belongs to the past," Tan You said. "There’s no point in constantly basking in it."

"If I were you, I’d have jumped at the chance," President Wang said. "Fame is what allows you to earn more money."

"It’s not like I’m short on cash," Tan You shrugged. ’No matter which world I’m in, even if things started out tough, I always ended up doing well for myself. At the very least, I’ve never been poor.’

As a result, she said this with complete confidence, yet there wasn’t a hint of arrogance or showing off her wealth.

President Wang’s eyes widened. "You... you almost seem free of worldly desires."

"Not really. I wouldn’t say I’m free of desires, I just don’t crave those things that much," Tan You replied with a shrug. ’These days, the only thing motivating me to work hard is the next show, and the one after that.’

As for money and fame, Tan You truly didn’t care much. ’People without money are the ones who chase fame, because fame is how they can earn more.’

President Wang brought up his old refrain. "Is that script for the sweet romance drama ready yet?"

Tan You looked up. "What’s wrong? Is the pressure getting to be too much?"

President Wang threw up his hands. "You get me. I was hoping to use it to end things."

"Fine," Tan You said. "To help you get out of it sooner, I’ll finish the script as quickly as I can."

President Wang smiled without a word. "I’m suddenly finding this kind of life pretty meaningless," he said after a moment. "Maybe I’m just getting older, but I’ve started thinking about settling down."

Tan You flipped open a file. "So? Do you have someone in mind?"

President Wang suddenly leaned in close. "What do you say? If you don’t find anyone in the end, how about you and I just make do with each other?"

"I don’t ’make do’," Tan You said, her face impassive. "It’s not like I don’t have other suitors."

"Well, there you have it. Li Zi just shot me down," President Wang said, feigning heartbreak. Tan You knew this was just a veiled attempt to test the waters. If she had shown even a hint of hesitation, he likely would have started making a real move.

"Alright, I’ll let you get back to work," President Wang sighed. "You once told me I’d regret it one day. Well, now I kind of do."

Tan You looked at him. "You’ll find someone who doesn’t mind your past."

President Wang shrugged. "Maybe. I’m thinking of trying to live that life you talked about. Maybe cultivating my mind and body wouldn’t be so bad."

After seeing President Wang out, Tan You lost her focus on work. ’If President Wang had said all this when Tang Li was still here, she would have been thrilled. But I’m not Tang Li, and I, Tan You, have absolutely no interest in President Wang.’

Honestly, Tang Li and President Wang were in that zone of being more than friends but not quite lovers. Tan You didn’t want to pass judgment on whether he knew about Tang Li’s crush on him.

But frankly, Tan You strongly advised against harboring a secret crush. Especially on someone like President Wang, who kept Tang Li at arm’s length while simultaneously getting cozy with all sorts of starlets and models.

Of course, President Wang was an excellent and capable boss. Tan You couldn’t deny that in good conscience. But that’s where it ended. They were purely work colleagues, nothing more.

As for what decision Tang Li might make in the future, Tan You wouldn’t interfere. But in her heart of hearts, Tan You didn’t see a future for Tang Li and President Wang. ’Does a man really not know when someone likes him? Impossible. He’s just pretending not to.’

So, for as long as she was here, Tan You was determined to never let her relationship with President Wang progress beyond a professional one. Sometimes, Tan You couldn’t help but entertain a conspiracy theory. ’Why had President Wang never shown any interest in Tang Li before?’

’And why express it all of a sudden today? Was it genuine affection, or a calculated move for his own benefit?’ Tan You didn’t want to think of people in such a cynical way, but facts had taught her that many people’s decisions were not based on emotion.

Forcing herself to focus on her work again, Tan You pushed thoughts of President Wang aside. To her, he was just a colleague.

In the end, Tan You did not make an appearance at the film festival’s awards ceremony. Old Zhou, the producer who accepted the award on her behalf, was grinning from ear to ear. Who would have thought that a producer like him would get to give an acceptance speech on such a grand stage? After all, Tan You hadn’t even prepared a speech; Old Zhou had to improvise one on the spot.