“I’ll look for more,” Mu Fu said, pumped up by her success. She was on a roll now and wanted to keep it going.
Before diving in, she’d thought the job would be super easy—just snap a few photos, grab the 9,000 yuan, and be done. But once she was in the water, she realized it wasn’t that simple: there were tons of fish, but none matched the ones on their list.
Luckily, after twenty minutes of searching, she finally spotted one. And after that, it was like she had good luck on her side. In the next forty minutes, she found nine more fish—each one exactly what they needed.
Zhi Jiu had found a few on his end too, but not as many—only six.
Mu Fu swam over to meet him. “A-Jiu, hand me the other ten photos,” she said cheerfully. “I’m going back to the spot where I found those last few. I think the rest might be in that area too.”
Zhi Jiu pressed his lips together. “I’ll go with you. I haven’t seen many fish on my side anyway.”
Truth was, he didn’t feel right letting her go off alone. Earlier, when she came up for air, she accidentally breathed in seawater and choked. His heart had nearly stopped. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight again.
Mu Fu didn’t think much of it and nodded. “Sure! I’ll show you where I found them—there were tons over there.”
……
Before noon, after a lot of effort and teamwork, Mu Fu and Zhi Jiu successfully found all thirty types of fish. The director clapped his hands, beaming. “Congratulations! You’ve earned your 9,000 yuan starting fund!”
As Mu Fu held the cash in her hands, she was overcome with joy and pride. Hard work really does pay off!
Back at the hotel, Mu Fu checked in at the front desk and confirmed what the director had said—the room hadn’t been paid for today yet.
She turned to the director with fake despair. “So you really didn’t cover the cost, huh? What if we’d failed? We’d be sleeping on the streets tonight! You’re cruel, Director, absolutely heartless!” she added dramatically, clutching her chest like a damsel in distress.
The director stared at her, speechless. Could her expressions be any more over-the-top?
“You’ve completed the challenge, haven’t you? We didn’t hold back any of the money you earned,” the director said simply.
Mu Fu pouted, clearly not impressed. “Yeah, we completed it—with our own hard work! It’s not like you guys made it easier for us.”
……
Later that evening, while Mu Fu and Zhi Jiu were relaxing in their room, a staff member knocked on the door. They told them there was a beach barbecue happening nearby and they were welcome to join.
Of course they wanted to! They’d barely had any fun since arriving in Hainan. The afternoon had been free, but it was so hot outside—why leave the comfy air conditioning?
Mu Fu slipped into a flowy maxi dress with thin straps and put a see-through shawl over it. It was the perfect outfit for a warm, breezy night like this.
By the time they arrived at the beach, the place was already buzzing with people.
“Wait—look!” a young girl gasped, covering her mouth in shock and excitement.
“Who is it?” her friend asked curiously.
“It’s Mu Fu and Zhi Jiu! Didn’t I tell you I heard they were in Hainan? I can’t believe we ran into them here! I think—oh my god—she just looked at me! My goddess looked at me!” the girl squealed, grabbing her friend’s arm in a frenzy.
Mu Fu gave her an easy smile and waved. She wasn’t surprised to be recognized—after all, she wasn’t trying to hide, and the film crew following them was a bit of a giveaway.
“Hello,” Mu Fu greeted kindly.
The girl, practically vibrating with excitement, walked over but kept her voice low out of respect. She noticed the cameras and guessed they were filming. Honestly, she hadn’t expected Mu Fu to even stop—but she did.
“Mu Fu,” the girl whispered, eyes shining, “I’m a huge fan of you and Zhi Jiu. Could I… maybe get an autograph? I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you both!”
Mu Fu smiled warmly. “Sure you can.” She had a soft spot for fans like this. “Do you want Zhi Jiu’s autograph too?”
“Yes, absolutely!” the girl said eagerly.
Frantically, she rummaged through her bag. When she couldn’t find anything, she whispered urgently to her friend, “Feifei, do you have a notebook? I didn’t bring one!”
“I do, I do!”
She passed the notebook over, practically beaming as she handed it to Mu Fu.
Mu Fu found the girl incredibly sweet. She looked like she was seventeen or eighteen—right in the bloom of youth. So sincere. So full of joy.
As Mu Fu signed her name, she smiled and asked, “Are you girls here on vacation? Or are you locals?”
“We’re on a graduation trip. We just finished our college entrance exams.”
Mu Fu had guessed as much. “Did your results come out yet?”
The girl beamed. “Yes! I got into the university I was hoping for.”
Her scores must have been pretty good if she got into her dream school.
Mu Fu encouraged her gently, “Then you have to work hard once you get there.”
“I will!” the girl nodded enthusiastically.
While handing back the notebook, Mu Fu added a short message to encourage her in this new stage of life. Since the girl was about to start college, it felt right.
Zhi Jiu glanced at the note and wrote a message of his own beneath it.
The fan clutched the signed page like a treasure. She was absolutely thrilled—even though she couldn’t get a picture with them, just having their autographs was more than enough. She couldn’t wait to post it online and show her classmates who hadn’t come with her. Let them be jealous.
Mu Fu watched the girl leave, a trace of sadness in her eyes. Not finishing school… that was something she still regretted.
If Director Zhu hadn’t discovered her back then, she probably would have stayed in her small town, finished high school like everyone else, and taken the college entrance exams. With her grades, she might have gotten into a decent second-tier university. But what was the point in thinking about it now? You can’t rewind time.
Beside her, Zhi Jiu had clearly noticed the shift in her expression. “Let’s head over there,” he said softly. “They’ve got a bonfire going, and I think I saw some barbecue you’ll like.”
His calm, clear voice floated into her ears, brushing away the sadness that had crept up inside her.
“Okay! Let’s go check it out.”
Food really was the best comfort.
……
Before long, their trip to Hainan came to an end.
This time, Mu Fu’s agent, Sister Liu, made sure to come to the airport to pick her up personally.
Sister Liu took the suitcase from Mu Fu’s hand. “You must be tired. Was the trip to Hainan exhausting?”
Mu Fu smiled lightly. “Not really, just a bit too much sun. Do you think I’ve tanned?”
Sister Liu leaned in for a closer look, her eyebrows scrunching up. “A little, yes. Didn’t Xiao Cheng give you sunscreen and skincare products?”
“I used them, but I don’t think they worked all that well.” Mu Fu glanced down at her arm. Even though her skin still looked fair, she could tell it was darker than before the trip.
“You’re free this afternoon, so come with me to the salon. Let’s get you a treatment. In this industry, a good face and skin are everything—we can’t afford to let that go.”
Sister Liu quickly thought about Mu Fu’s schedule. She had just finished the dating show, and there were a few ads lined up—for clothing and shampoo. But with her skin a bit rough from the trip, they could wait. She decided to move everything to tomorrow afternoon. Luckily, Director An had approved a break through the day after tomorrow—there was time.
She turned to Mu Fu and explained the plan. “I’m not a slave driver, okay?”
Mu Fu clung to her arm with a grin. “I know, you’re the best.”
Sister Liu tapped her forehead, pretending to scold her. It looked harsh, but her touch was gentle. “You’ve stressed me out so much my hair’s turning gray. I need a treatment myself now.”
“Great! Should we bring Xiao Cheng along too?” Mu Fu turned to ask her assistant.
Xiao Cheng blinked in surprise—she hadn’t expected the invitation. She’d heard stories from others in the industry: some celebrities acted sweet in public but were nightmares in private, snapping at their assistants over the smallest things. But Mu Fu was different. Just as kind and warm as the rumors said.
“Thank you, Sister Mu,” she said quickly, her voice full of gratitude.
Mu Fu smiled gently. “It’s nothing—you’re one of us.”
She was always generous with her own people. Now that her studio had officially launched, she knew it was time to start bringing in real money. Otherwise, when the New Year came around and she couldn’t afford to give out bonuses, that would be embarrassing.
Meanwhile, Zhi Jiu had someone from his team come to pick him up.
“A-Fu.”
Mu Fu was still chatting with Sister Liu when she heard his voice. She turned toward it immediately.
“A-Jiu! Perfect timing—I’ll introduce you two. Sister Liu, this is Zhi Jiu. A-Jiu, this is my manager, Sister Liu.”
“Nice to meet you, Sister Liu.” Zhi Jiu greeted her politely, using the same way Mu Fu addressed her.
Sister Liu had always been curious about Zhi Jiu. They’d never met in person before, and now that they had, she could finally get a good look at him.
“Mr. Zhi, hello! I have to say, you’re even more handsome in person than in the videos.”
Zhi Jiu’s earlobes turned a light pink. He waved his hands quickly. “Just call me Xiao Jiu,” he said, slipping into formal speech out of nervous habit.
In his heart, only Mu Fu could call him “A-Jiu.” When someone heard “AFu” and “A-Jiu” together, it sounded intimate—like they belonged to each other.
Sister Liu gave a kind smile. “Oh, I wouldn’t dare,” she said, looking at him the way one might look at a future son-in-law.
“You’re her elder,” Zhi Jiu replied seriously. “It’s only right.” He beamed, that radiant smile lighting up his already handsome face.
Sister Liu chuckled. “Alright then, I’ll call you Xiao Jiu. And you don’t need to be so formal with me either. Since we’re already on a first-name basis, no need for ‘ma’am’ or ‘sir’.”
“Okay,” he said, a little shy, but sincere.
Sister Liu gave him a thoughtful look and nodded to herself. Not bad at all. He and Mu Fu made a good pair.
Mu Fu might not be that old, but she’d already been through her fair share of hardships—more than her fair share, really. If she had someone by her side now who could understand her, care for her, and bring a little warmth to her days, then that could only be a good thing.
Axolotl Translations 
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