Chapter 66

The two of them followed Pan Yue back to her home. She really treated them like little kids—showing them how to run the hot water, warning them not to crank the AC too cold without bundling up under the covers, reminding them not to eat junk food now that they were about to compete… and so on. She took care of every tiny detail.

Chen Nian sipped the honey lemon water Pan Yue had mixed for her, pondering the woman’s current age.

Probably just twenty-five or twenty-six—over ten years older than herself.

In their previous life, when they’d met, one had been in her twenties and the other in her thirties. In the fashion world, where age didn’t show as much, that gap hadn’t stopped them from becoming good friends.

But now it was a twelve-year-old and a twenty-something, and Pan Yue simply couldn’t wrap her head around it.

Chen Nian understood. Swinging her legs, she asked Pan Yue, “Yueyue, don’t you have work tomorrow?”

“I told you to call me Sis.” Pan Yue kept her eyes glued to the TV. “Yeah, I do. I’ve got dinner all set up for you two. Just come downstairs whenever you wake up.”

“You said before I should call you Auntie.” Chen Nian replied. “Don’t worry about the food, though. I’m pretty familiar with Shanghai eats.”

Pan Yue’s lips twitched. “Heh.”

Chen Nian went on, “Zhizhi and I are planning to swing by the TV station tomorrow, check things out.”

Pan Yue said, “I’m meeting the production team’s assistant director at noon. Shouldn’t be hard to get you in.”

Chen Nian added, “If it costs anything, don’t hold back—just tell me. I’ve got money.”

Pan Yue shot her a glance.

“For real.” Chen Nian pressed the point. “Other than not bringing up the age thing specifically, I haven’t lied to you about anything else.”

Pan Yue asked, “Your own photography brand, with over a dozen chain stores already?”

Chen Nian nodded. “Yup.”

Pan Yue remarked, “Your mom and dad must be something else.”

“Nah, it’s really mine—not my parents’.” Chen Nian clarified. “I was too young back then to sign the contracts myself, so Mom did it on my behalf.”

Pan Yue turned back to the television, clearly done chatting with this little squirt.

Chen Nian didn’t want Pan Yue to actually lose faith in her. She hopped down from the high stool and sidled up close. “Yueyue, I’ve got something to tell you.”

Pan Yue said, “Go ahead.”

Chen Nian continued, “You don’t need to worry so much right now. Just make it through this year, and Hongli will hit a whole new level.”

Pan Yue thought, Yeah, right—like I believe that for a second, but Chen Nian stared at her so intently, her tone brimming with unshakable certainty, as if it were already a done deal.

That expression was impossible not to trust. But her face—especially freshly scrubbed clean—was so childishly tender it made you want to smack your own forehead.

How on earth had she become actual friends with a twelve-year-old girl back then?

Just the other day at the office, coworkers had been swapping cringe-worthy tales of meeting up with online strangers. Pan Yue had breezed past and boasted lightly, “That’s only if both sides are clueless. Anyone with half a brain knows there’s no difference between the internet and real life.”

Now here she was, the living embodiment of the joke.

She yanked viciously at her own hair a couple of times, ignored Chen Nian’s words entirely, and instead issued a vitally important directive: “Tomorrow, no matter who you run into, if they ask how we’re related, say you’re my cousin.”

Chen Nian started, “Aw, you really don’t have to—”

Pan Yue cut her off, enunciating through clenched teeth: “Distant. Cousin.”

Chen Nian sighed. “Fine.”

What choice did she have? She’d just have to play along, as a little comfort to her beloved online pal.

They finished one episode, and bedtime rolled around.

Pan Yue herded Chen Nian into brushing her teeth once more, then shooed her toward the guest room.

Pan Yue’s apartment was a cozy two-bedroom, but the guest bed was generously sized.

Fang Zhi had been holed up practicing all evening. When Chen Nian pushed open the door, she was just pulling off her headphones.

“Bedtime?” Fang Zhi asked.

“Yep.” Chen Nian bounded over and flopped onto the mattress to test it. “Yueyue’s place is super comfy.”

Fang Zhi packed her things leisurely. “Then let’s crash here a few more days.”

Chen Nian kicked off her shoes and dove under the covers. “Just tonight and tomorrow. Day after that, you’ll be moving into the contestant dorms.”

Fang Zhi said, “Maybe we won’t have to.”

“No chance.” Chen Nian shook her head. “These talent shows have endless footage to shoot. It’s way easier keeping everyone in one spot.”

Fang Zhi climbed into bed, threw back the covers, and slid underneath. “You know an awful lot about it.”

“Why does everyone doubt what I know?” Chen Nian jabbed a finger at her own face. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, you know.”

“Let me see just how you look…” Fang Zhi suddenly lunged, grabbing Chen Nian’s cheeks and yanking them outward. “Poor Pan Yue—you out there catfishing strangers online all day…”

“Hahahahaha…”

Chen Nian wanted to laugh, but her face hurt too much, so she reached out and wrapped her arms around Fang Zhi’s waist instead, flipping her right onto the bed and gazing down at her. “Little girl, how can you misuse words like that? Who’s seducing anyone? This is just making friends—serious friendship…”

Fang Zhi met her eyes. Her lips parted, but no words came out, and her fingers suddenly went slack.

She shoved Chen Nian’s face away and turned her head aside. “You’re hurting me—you’re pressing too hard.”

“Ah.” Chen Nian snapped back to reality and scrambled off her at once. “Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to use so much strength… Wait, I’m not even pressing on you. I’m kneeling…”

Fang Zhi rolled over, yanked the blanket up, and cocooned herself in it. “Go to sleep.”

Chen Nian lay down too. She switched off the light and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim room before whispering to Fang Zhi, “Are you really nervous?”

Fang Zhi didn’t reply, but the way she lay so still made it clear she wasn’t asleep.

Chen Nian gave her a gentle pre-competition pep talk. “No need to be nervous. First off, we don’t have any must-win ranking on this trip. If you perform well, we get to stick around Shanghai a few extra days. If not, it’s just a special getaway. Either way, we come out ahead. Honestly, as long as I’m with you, I can’t lose.”

“Second, about our strength—we took second in our regional prelims, judged by pro instructors. That’s huge validation of your skills. And does that second place give us a real shot at first? Absolutely.”

“Because once the competition starts and the show airs, advancement isn’t just about skill—it’s popularity too. Think about it: your whole life, has anyone ever watched you perform and not gone wild for it? I’m telling you, that face of yours appeals across the board—guys, girls, young, old. Sweet and youthful, innocently radiant…”

Fang Zhi cut her off. “Are you going to sleep or not?”

“Sleeping, sleeping.” Chen Nian said. “All done now—sleep time.”

That little speech made Fang Zhi drowsy, and Chen Nian herself started nodding off too.

Their breathing evened out at almost the same moment, and they drifted into sweet slumber.

The next morning, Pan Yue headed off to work early. When Chen Nian woke up and grabbed her phone, she saw a text from her.

It said she’d ordered breakfast for them at the restaurant downstairs—just tell the owner.

【Thanks Yueyue! You’re the world’s best netizen big baby!】 Chen Nian typed back excitedly.

Way off in her distant office, Pan Yue thought: Block her.

Chen Nian took Fang Zhi downstairs for breakfast, then they hopped into the car bound for the station.

Shanghai TV Station sat in a remote corner of the city, sprawling across a massive plot of land.

Beyond the iconic main building, there were shopping malls, hotels, and even a villa district reserved just for performers—everything you could need.

Chen Nian had come here plenty in her previous life, but that was over a decade ago. The blend of old city charm and fresh developments still felt novel.

For Fang Zhi, it was all brand new. She stepped out of the car utterly disoriented, not knowing north from south.

Chen Nian led Fang Zhi in through a side entrance. The sun was blazing that time of day, and the guards were hunkered down in their air-conditioned booth, paying them no mind.

It was peak summer. Trees and flowers stretched out everywhere, with a shimmering lake sparkling in the distance.

They strolled deeper into the grounds. The paths were quiet, and the few people they passed had an air of quiet importance.

Chen Nian took Fang Zhi’s hand and grinned smugly at her. “See? Told you—this is basically a vacation. Look at this place.”

Fang Zhi said, “I wonder where they’ll put us.”

Chen Nian pointed across the lake at the row of villas visible in the distance. “Definitely over there! Once we check in tomorrow, I’m dragging you inside to snoop around and see what they look like up close.”

Fang Zhi snorted. “Like houses, obviously. It’s not like you haven’t seen villas before.”

Chen Nian sighed wistfully. “Those were just ones I tagged along to browse with Mom. They never felt like home.”

Fang Zhi said, “You will soon enough.”

Chen Nian burst out laughing. “Damn right.”

Her laugh rang out bright and bold. A few girls in skirts approached from the opposite direction, eyeing her from afar.

Chen Nian noticed the stares and glanced over. The two groups drew closer with each step.

She was sure she didn’t know these girls, and it felt rude to keep staring, so she started to look away—then she heard someone say clearly, “Country bumpkin.”

Chen Nian: “???”

She halted in her tracks. The girls had already passed by, their chatter growing lively.

“Seriously tacky.”

“No idea where they crawled in from. Acting like this is some public park.”

“Did you see the shoes on the dark-skinned one? Ugh, my little brother had a pair like that—threw them out last year ’cause they were so ugly.”

Chen Nian looked down at her own shoes.

They were fine—just regular sneakers. Knowing she’d be on her feet all day, she’d picked comfy ones.

Fang Zhi caught sight of her gesture and turned away.

Chen Nian hurriedly tugged at her hand, signaling her not to speak.

Fang Zhi’s brows furrowed. Chen Nian pointed at herself. “I’ll handle it. I’ll handle it.”

“Hey…” She called out to the cluster of girls. “You pretty ladies talking about us?”

The girls clearly hadn’t expected her to pipe up. They all halted mid-stride. Strength in numbers, they whipped their heads around, chins lifted high like haughty swans.

No one answered Chen Nian’s question. She grinned. “Got the guts to say it but not to own it?”

The girl in the pink dress fired back at once. “Whoever it fits, we meant them.”

“Fair enough.” Chen Nian released Fang Zhi’s hand and strode toward the girls. “I’ll step right up then—after all, it’s just us folks here. Yeah, first time for me. This place…”

The girls backed up in unison.

Chen Nian stopped short. She knew her sun-baked, rugged tan made her look pretty intimidating, so she beamed with the brightest smile she could muster. “So, what is this place? Doesn’t look like anyone’s living quarters.”

“It’s the TV station, you hick!” bellowed the yellow-dressed girl beside Pink Dress.

“Oh, the TV station.” Chen Nian feigned sudden realization. “If you hadn’t said, I’d have sworn it was your house.”

“You—”

Chen Nian cocked her head at Pink Dress. “Yours?”

She glanced at Blue Dress. “Yours?”

Then White Dress. “Or yours?”

“Aw, judging by your faces, nope.” Chen Nian smacked her lips, cutting off any chance for rebuttal. “Guests are welcome anywhere, but helping yourselves to other people’s stuff while sneering at them? Have you no shame?”

“I—”

Chen Nian barreled on. “I’d be mortified. Plus, I’ve got basic manners. Like, if someone’s decked out like a garish spinning top, I wouldn’t point out how butt-ugly it looks.”

“You’re the ugly one!” Yellow Dress shouted louder.

Chen Nian turned to her. “Hey, you’re right. I am pretty ugly. Mostly the dark skin thing. Can’t pull off those high-saturation colors, y’know? Black plus yellow? Whoa.”

She raked Yellow Dress head to toe. “But you… damn, your teeth are blinding.”

Yellow Dress was indeed the darkest of the bunch. She let out a shriek of “Aaah!”

Chen Nian had no patience for drawn-out bickering. She unleashed a barrage of precision strikes. “My shoes are that brand too. They dropped a ton of new styles this year, but I’m broke, so no dice. I get it—good sisters finally together in last year’s DL bestie sets. Money’s no object; it’s all about that inner glow.”

“Hey, how’d you divvy up the colors? Pink’s the hot one, right? Suits a cuter face, though. You lot can’t pick for shit—square jawlines like that? Skip the style.”

“White… careful there. For your own good—your panties are showing right through.”

“Blue…” Chen Nian trailed off.

Blue Dress was freaking out, neck rigid, face flushed crimson.

Her so-called sisters had no bandwidth to notice, too busy groping their faces, yanking at hems over their rears. Yellow Dress had whipped out a mirror to inspect just how dark she really was.

“Blue…” Chen Nian curved her lips in a smirk. “Eh, never mind.”

She pivoted and headed back, lobbing her parting shot over her shoulder. “You didn’t say a word. You’re the prettiest.”