Tan You and she had been living here for almost half a year, and neither of them had any idea the neighborhood was this bustling. ’This old lady’s only been here a week, and she’s already such a social butterfly she knows this many people?’

Old Mrs. Tang said proudly, "Of course. We know how to have our own fun. You just go ahead and focus on your work. You don’t need to worry about us at home."

Hearing the old couple say that, Tang Li’s worries completely vanished. Her biggest fear had been that her grandparents would be lonely after leaving their hometown to come here. And with her being so busy and having no time to spend with them, it would have been even worse.

Now that her grandparents were arranging their golden years to be so full of life, Tang Li felt even more motivated to focus on her career.

Now that the decision was made, Tang Li, being a woman of action, went with her grandparents to the Scholars’ Court sales office the very next morning. A sales manager greeted them the moment they walked in. "Grandma Liu, Grandpa Tang, good morning. This must be your granddaughter, Ms. Tang, right? Hello, hello. I’m Little Wu."

Tang Li shook her hand, quickly sizing her up. She had a medium build, a round face, and a friendly but not fawning attitude.

"Hello. My grandparents told me about the unit layouts yesterday, and I’d like to see the properties in person. I’ve been busy with work, so I didn’t have time to come by before."

The smile on Little Wu’s face widened. From Tang Li’s tone alone, she could tell she was a serious buyer. Besides, one look at Tang Li’s clothes and accessories told her this was someone with deep pockets.

"Of course. Please, follow me. There’s a viewing cart right outside. We can talk on the way..."

Along the way, Little Wu explained, "Our security services here are top-notch; we exclusively hire retired military personnel. The landscaping is also excellent, and the buildings are spaced far apart, so it never feels cramped." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"The community’s public facilities are comprehensive, and there are even dedicated recreational areas for pets..."

"The two units your grandparents looked at are fully furnished and move-in ready. The interior design was handled by a well-known local firm..."

"Plus, they’ve been airing out for over a year, so you can absolutely move in right away."

Listening to Little Wu’s presentation, Tang Li found herself increasingly pleased with the community. Her mood brightened even more after seeing the actual unit. Her grandparents really knew her; the places they chose were perfectly suited to her tastes.

Old Mrs. Tang said, "The moment your grandpa and I saw this large bay window and the big study, we knew you’d love it."

Tang Li smiled. "Yes, I love it."

The home-buying process was unbelievably smooth. Then again, everything tends to go smoothly when you have money. They bought the house one day, and by the following evening, the family of three had already moved in.

By eliminating her commute, Tang Li had more time to devote to her work. Naturally, this also meant she got home a little earlier.

However, when she walked into the living room that evening, Tang Li stopped in her tracks. "Grandpa, you have a guest? Hello, sir."

Mr. Wen raised his salt-and-pepper eyebrows. "Hello there. You must be Li Zi, right? Your grandpa is always telling me about you. I just dropped by on a whim today after bumping into him in the community."

Grandpa Tang laughed heartily. "I was surprised, too! What a coincidence. Since we happened to run into each other, I invited him over for a casual dinner. We were always mooching off his cooking before."

Mr. Wen said, "I wouldn’t call it mooching. You brought ingredients, too."

Tang Li understood. "Grandpa Wen’s braised beef is incredible. My grandpa used it to make me some beef noodle soup, and it was absolutely delicious."

Mr. Wen was in high spirits. "My braised beef recipe is truly one of a kind..."

Before he could finish, there was a knock on the door. Tang Li walked over in a few steps, and froze when she opened it. "You... You’re the one..."

"That’s right. I’m the one," Wen Xiao said, his eyes lowered to look at Tang Li. He was 187 cm tall, while Tang Li, without her shoes, was only 172 cm. Of course he had to look down at her.

"I came to pick up my grandpa. He said he’d run into a friend."

Tang Li paused. "Oh, come on in. Grandpa Wen is staying for dinner. If you don’t mind, you should join us for a casual meal. I’ve been meaning to treat you as thanks for last time, but I just haven’t been able to find a free moment."

Wen Xiao didn’t refuse. "Alright, then I’ll take you up on that offer. I didn’t expect such a coincidence. So you live upstairs."

’Isn’t this the very definition of coincidence?’ Tang Li thought.

"I just moved in a few days ago myself," she said. "It’s more convenient for work."

Mr. Wen, sharp as a tack in his old age, nudged Grandpa Tang with his elbow. "What’s the story here?"

Grandpa Tang was a little baffled himself. "Wait, you two... are grandfather and grandson?"

"Yep. My eldest grandson, Wen Xiao," Mr. Wen said enthusiastically. "Didn’t I mention it? I was just here today to drop something off for him. You two know each other?"

Grandpa Tang shrugged. "We were on the same flight as him when we came from City A. The young man was very kind and looked after us during the trip."

’My eldest grandson is usually this kind?’ Mr. Wen wondered.

Wen Xiao slipped on a pair of guest slippers and followed Tang Li into the dining room. "Grandpa, I didn’t realize you knew Mr. Tang."

Mr. Wen was in a fine mood. "Of course! Old Tang and I are both foodies, so naturally we hit it off. You’re not working late today?"

Wen Xiao replied, "I knew you were coming, so I made a point to leave work early."

"Young people building their careers don’t usually get off work early," Mr. Wen remarked.

Grandpa Tang readily agreed. "It’s the same with our Li Zi. She used to be just like that, never getting home before eleven at night. Thank goodness we’ve moved downtown; now she can be home before eight."

"That’s exactly why we moved downtown," Tang Li added. "Otherwise, I’d waste so much time just commuting."

Grandpa Tang nodded. "It’s a good change. When you’re well-rested, you’re much more efficient at work."

"Talk about fate," he continued. "I never would have guessed that young Wen was your grandson."

"Fate indeed," Mr. Wen mused.

He glanced at Wen Xiao helping to serve the rice, then at Tang Li rummaging through the fridge for drinks, and he lowered his gaze with a soft chuckle. The workings of fate were truly a marvelous thing.

「Time passed at a steady pace.」

Even after Ye Qian’s fluffy rom-com finished filming, Tang Li’s work pace showed no signs of slowing. Director Liu’s movie hadn’t wrapped yet, which left Ye Qian with an unexpected gap in her schedule.

Doing variety shows could be draining for a serious actor. Of course, for a typical celebrity, the more variety show appearances, the better.

Tan You made a suggestion. "Why not film another TV series? We can’t just let Ye Qian sit idle for six months."

Tang Li’s interest was immediately piqued. "What genre? She doesn’t want to do another fluffy rom-com. She’s got ambition."

"If she’s not doing a rom-com, what about a crime drama?" Tan You was equally enthusiastic. She personally had little interest in all the lovey-dovey stuff, but she adored suspense, mystery, and anything that was a real thinker.

"That’s an option, but we’d need a great script. Ms. Tan, you know I can’t write one." Tang Li’s eyes darted slyly. "But as long as you can provide the script, I guarantee I can make everything else happen."

Tan You replied, "I wouldn’t dream of expecting a script from you. I’ll send you one later. My only concern is Old Hu. The man has only ever directed fluffy rom-coms. Can he really pull off a crime drama? I’d hate for it to end up as some bizarre, genre-bending mess."