Unlike some other managers, she was fine with her artists dating. To her, Mu Fu wasn’t the kind of artist who needed a lot of buzz to be popular, so a public relationship wasn’t a big deal. Actually, most of Mu Fu’s fans had started following her because of the show, Darling, Let’s Get Married. If the pretend romance on the show became real, it could even bring in more fans.
Sister Liu’s eyes lit up. She thought this was something worth handling carefully, especially since there was only one episode of the show left.
Keeping her thoughts to herself, she asked kindly, “Xiao Jiu, where are you going? Want to ride with us?”
“No thanks, Sister Liu,” Zhi Jiu replied politely. “My assistant drove here too.”
“Alright then.” Knowing they had their own car, Sister Liu didn’t push it.
Zhi Jiu turned to Mu Fu, his gaze soft and focused. “A-Fu, text me when you get home, okay?”
His voice was gentle, and his worry and reluctance to leave were clear.
Mu Fu looked into his eyes and smiled. “Yep, I will.”
“I’m heading back to the office. Brother Hong needs me.”
“Okay. Be careful on the road.”
“I will.”
Mu Fu and the others got into their car soon after.
Sister Liu leaned over and whispered, “So… are you two officially together yet?”
Anyone could see something was going on between them—their lingering goodbye at the airport practically screamed intimacy.
“Not yet,” Mu Fu replied. “We’ll talk about it after the show ends.”
“He hasn’t said anything?”
Mu Fu chuckled. “He tried to, but I stopped him. I told him to wait until the show’s over.”
Sister Liu smiled knowingly. “It’s nice to have a special moment, right? Isn’t that what young people do these days?”
Mu Fu tilted her head, curious. “Wait, Sister Liu, does Brother Jitong not get you gifts for Valentine’s Day and stuff?”
“Ugh, don’t even get me started.” Sister Liu rolled her eyes and opened her water bottle. “If I don’t remind him, he forgets every single year.”
She took a sip and added, “Good thing I handle the money. If he won’t buy me anything, I’ll just buy it myself.”
Mu Fu gave her a big thumbs-up.
“That’s why,” Sister Liu said firmly, “you can’t let men control the money. Some spend too much, others are too cheap. It’s better to keep it in our own hands.”
Mu Fu giggled. “And Brother Jitong’s okay with that?”
Sister Liu raised an eyebrow. “He wouldn’t dare say a word.”
Mu Fu nodded, as if she’d just learned something important.
“Oh, by the way,” Sister Liu suddenly remembered, “since you and Zhi Jiu have been living together for the show, does that mean the next episode is about a proposal?” She’d been so busy chatting, she almost forgot what they needed to talk about.
Mu Fu blinked in surprise. “Wait, Sister Liu, didn’t you read the script?”
Sister Liu waved her hand. “I just quickly looked at it at the beginning. It didn’t seem like anything big, so I put it aside. So—are they really doing a proposal?”
“Yeah,” Mu Fu replied, “but the show’s team hasn’t told me any of the details yet.”
“It’s probably something the male guest has to plan,” Sister Liu guessed.
Mu Fu nodded—she had thought the same thing.
“So what’s your plan? Will you say yes if Zhi Jiu proposes?” Sister Liu leaned in, half joking, half serious. “Give me a heads-up. If it’s a yes, I’ll start getting the buzz ready right now. We need to use that last bit of attention while we can. But if things change—promise you’ll let me know right away. That way I can switch gears early.”
Mu Fu nodded again. “Mhm, got it. You go ahead and start getting ready.”
……
Later that evening, after a beauty treatment, Mu Fu called home. She’d sent some vitamins to her parents a few days ago but hadn’t had a chance to check in with them during filming.
“Hi, Mom. Did you guys get the package I sent?” she asked.
Her mom sighed on the other end. “Oh, sweetheart, why spend money like that? Your dad and I really don’t need those things. Next time, don’t buy anything for us, okay? If you have money, treat yourself instead. Since we’re not there to take care of you, make sure you take good care of yourself.”
Her dad spoke up, “Exactly! Sweetheart, we have all that stuff at home already—don’t waste your money.”
Hovering near the phone, her father leaned closer, eager to take the receiver himself. He wanted to chat with their daughter too.
Her mom shot him a look and whispered with a hand over the phone, “I’m not done talking to her yet—wait your turn.”
Mu Fu didn’t hear their little squabble. All she heard was the love and concern in their voices.
“I know, I know. I’ll buy what I need when I need it. But even if you have everything at home, I still want to get things for you and Dad.”
Her mom’s eyes got a little watery. “You silly girl… Are you doing okay lately? Is work not wearing you out?”
Their daughter was finally letting herself be cared for a little.
Some time ago, Mr. and Mrs. Mu could tell their daughter wasn’t doing well. Every time they tried to talk to her, the call would end quickly. Mu Fu always said she had something urgent to take care of. And whenever they asked for a video call, she would say no. They could only reach her by voice call. If they asked why, she’d give vague excuses—bad signal, didn’t hear the phone ring, or just missed it by accident. But after a while, the couple knew in their hearts: their daughter simply didn’t want them to see how she was really doing.
Mu Fu always sounded cheerful on the phone, full of life. But her parents could hear the tiredness in her voice, the strain she tried to hide. The hoarseness wasn’t something a smile could cover up.
There were times they wanted to fly out to see her, just to make sure she was okay. But each time, she talked them out of it. And they worried that showing up without notice might mess up her work. So they stayed put.
Now that she sounded like her old self again, they finally felt like they could relax.
For a while, Mrs. Mu had been having bad dreams—seeing their daughter in danger in her sleep. She would wake up in a cold sweat, grab the phone, and call right away. Only when she heard her daughter’s voice would her heart finally calm down.
Mr. Mu had tried to reassure her: “You just miss her too much. It’s just a dream—don’t worry.”
But Mrs. Mu could only sigh, still uneasy.
They hoped one day their daughter would come back home and find work nearby, but they understood her. She wasn’t the type to settle for an ordinary life. So, they let her be. As long as she was safe and happy, that was enough for them.
“I’m not tired,” Mu Fu said warmly. “Work’s been easy lately. Things are good.”
In truth, her schedule had been super busy. But she knew her parents didn’t look her up online, so she told the small lie to put their minds at ease.
Mrs. Mu nodded, relieved. “Good, that’s good. Just make sure you rest when you can. Don’t push yourself too hard. If you ever need money, just tell Mom. We still have plenty saved.”
Mr. Mu chimed in loudly, “Exactly, sweetie! Don’t wear yourself out. Take care of yourself. Your old folks still have enough strength to work for another ten or twenty years!”
Mrs. Mu shot him a look. “Come on, I’m not done talking yet.”
Mr. Mu quickly took the phone, flashing her a big grin as he did.
“Hello, sweetheart, it’s Dad.”
“Hi, Dad,” she replied, her voice soft.
“Hey, sweetheart, when are you coming home? Dad will make your favorite braised pork.”
“I’ll definitely be back before the New Year.”
“Really?” Her dad’s voice lit up with surprise and joy.
Mu Fu nodded without thinking, then realized they couldn’t see her. “Yeah,” she said aloud.
“What? What did she say?” her mom asked nervously.
“She said she’s coming home for New Year’s!” her dad exclaimed.
“Really?” her mom’s voice was just as excited. It had been two years since Mu Fu last came home for New Year’s—she was always busy with work.
“I need to start thinking about what to prepare,” her mom said, already pacing around, completely in planning mode.
“There’s still half a year to go, honey,” her dad reminded her gently.
“What do you know? It’s never too early to get started. We have to take good care of the chickens in the orchard—make some nourishing soup for our daughter. And don’t forget to ask Brother Liu to save some top-quality red dates and walnuts. She needs all the nourishment she can get.”
“Alright, alright, got it.” As far as he was concerned, everything his wife said was absolutely right.
Their voices were loud enough that Mu Fu could hear everything clearly. A smile spread across her face. Having parents who care for you with all their heart—that was real happiness.
After the call ended, Mu Fu looked through her packed schedule for the rest of the year, trying to see where she could find time to go home early.
As things looked, it would be tight. Her calendar was already jammed. Director An’s series still had about a month of filming left. Besides that, she had to film Darling, Let’s Get Married. She might be able to fit in a few commercial shoots once she got back from the reality show.
On top of that, there were already two TV dramas and one movie lined up for the rest of the year—projects her agent, Sister Liu, had told her about earlier that afternoon. While she was away filming the dating show, several production teams had contacted her. Sister Liu had carefully picked these three.
She looked over the scripts. One was a historical palace drama, another a modern detective series, and the movie was a coming-of-age story set in a school. Since she had recently filmed a school romance drama, the movie’s director had noticed her right away and sent an assistant to reach out.
These three job offers were perfect for her—and even better, she didn’t have to audition. She’d step right into the main role.
Even more fortunate was the timing. None of the projects overlapped. Each shoot would begin only after the previous one finished. The palace drama would take the longest, about three months. The modern suspense series was shorter, though still at least two months. As for the movie, even with a smooth schedule, it would need around three months too.
Mu Fu frowned. If she followed this schedule exactly, the only way she could go home for the New Year was by asking for time off—or asking the director to film her scenes early. But that depended entirely on who the director was and if they’d be willing to change the schedule.
She started to regret speaking so quickly on the phone. If it turned out she couldn’t make it home after all, her parents would be heartbroken. That would mean three years in a row without a New Year at home.
Pressing a hand to her forehead, she sighed. And it wasn’t just acting—there were brand deals and commercials lined up in the second half of the year, too.
Forget it. No point stressing now. She hadn’t officially joined the casts yet—maybe one of the teams would be open to moving her scenes earlier. That was something Sister Liu could handle. Without any guilt, she confidently tossed the problem over to Liu Jie, who was supposed to be resting at home.
Sister Liu: “…”
This troublesome artist was going to be the death of her. She’d barely dyed her graying hair last month—and now it was probably turning white again.
Still, Sister Liu was nothing if not capable. With some smart rearranging, she managed to create a window for Mu Fu to go home during the New Year. Of course, that also meant that Mu Fu’s schedule afterward would be so packed, she’d practically be fitting two days into one.
Looking at the updated schedule Sister Liu sent over, Mu Fu froze.
“Sister Liu… you’re telling me I don’t get a single day off in the second half of the year?” she asked, staring at the screen in disbelief.
Axolotl Translations 
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