Chapter 35: Their Present

"Sister Luo, why did you run to the well to fetch water all by yourself?"

The young assistant ran over to the woman in the blue dress, ready to take the bucket from her, and couldn't help but add, "Didn't Lin Nian draw the lot to join you? Why didn't she come? People were already saying you were putting on airs, but from where I stand, she’s the one doing it!"

The woman in the blue dress had silky long hair draped over her shoulders, accented by a deep blue headband that made her skin appear even fairer. She replied gently, "Xiao Cheng, I can manage on my own."

The assistant, Xiao Cheng, sighed. The show Sister Luo was filming, *Roaming the Town*, was already in its second season. Because the first season had been well-received, they had launched a second. The production team chose various picturesque towns across the country to film artists, singers, and writers experiencing the local lifestyle and customs. Sister Luo had been a part of both seasons and was considered a resident guest.

While Sister Luo wasn't exactly a massive superstar in the entertainment industry, she was well-liked. None of the directors she had worked with ever had a bad word to say about her, though she was indeed a bit too soft-hearted for her own good.

Hearing the assistant address Lin Nian so directly, Luo Anlan sighed. "Don't call her that when she’s around."

The assistant lowered her head and mumbled an acknowledgment. Of course, she knew it wasn't polite to address Lin Nian so bluntly, especially since Lin Nian was her senior. In the industry, Luo Anlan and Lin Nian were essentially rivals; they had similar acting styles, competed for the same resources, and their fanbases were constantly at each other's throats.

"Lin Nian wasn't feeling well, so she swapped with Zhang-ge," Luo Anlan explained.

No sooner had she finished speaking than she saw a man in a white jacket walking down the stone steps of the town. Built against the side of a mountain, the town had a vertical span of a hundred meters, so many of the paths were made of steps. It was now time to prepare dinner. The guests were divided into two groups, and the group that won the dinner competition would get first pick of the rooms. Given the show's setup, the differences in accommodation quality were bound to be significant. To replicate an authentic, rustic life, the first step to cooking was, of course, fetching water and washing vegetables.

Although many places now had running water, the locals were accustomed to using well water due to the abundance of natural mountain springs and groundwater.

Watching the man approach with his cameraman, the assistant curled her lip in disdain. Zhang Xuechi was a famous artist and the biggest name among this group of guests. However, he had such a heavy "idol burden" that he wouldn't even move unless a camera was shoved in his face. Look at him now—he had to take his time, walking over with his personal cameraman just to fetch water, by which point Sister Luo had already finished.

Zhang Xuechi walked over and naturally took the bucket from Luo Anlan’s hand. He lifted it with ease and said with a smile, "How could I let a lady do this kind of work?"

With the camera rolling on them, Luo Anlan offered a slight smile. She didn't refuse his gesture and let him take the bucket. Under the lens, the scene appeared perfectly harmonious, with every move Zhang Xuechi made exuding gentlemanly charm. The assistant watched them, noting how their hands brushed against each other in a way that looked somewhat ambiguous. She knew the fanaticism of Zhang Xuechi's "girlfriend" fan base; if this aired, they would tear Sister Luo apart. Every female star who had worked with Zhang Xuechi before had been targeted by them. Lin Nian, always at odds with Sister Luo, had probably proposed the switch specifically to dump this hot potato onto her.

Zhang Xuechi’s popularity was undeniable; if the two of them could be bundled together in a topic, the buzz would be immense. But the assistant could already imagine that whether or not this kind of attention was worth it, Luo Anlan would likely be the one taking the heat.

Zhang Xuechi carried the bucket with relative ease. As the two walked along the stone path, illuminated by dim lights, he naturally displayed a witty and conversational side.

"Have you noticed that there are fewer people from the production crew?"

Luo Anlan thought about it, but she hadn't noticed any change in numbers. Either Zhang Xuechi was just making small talk, or his powers of observation were truly remarkable—he seemed to have an impression of everyone on the crew and could tell if anyone was missing.

Zhang Xuechi shook his phone. "I bet you haven't checked your phone."

Luo Anlan laughed. "I don't usually check it."

"On the other side of the mountain is the Moon God Valley Amusement Park. The production crew just received a notice that a child has gone missing on the mountain. They’ve asked tourists or groups in the vicinity to spare some manpower to help look for them." Zhang Xuechi remarked with a sigh, "But for Moon God Valley to send out messages to everyone nearby to help search, that child must be someone special."

Luo Anlan frowned. Because of the show, she had only returned to Jinhai City two days ago and hadn't even had a chance to go home yet. She had heard that her son, Xiaoxiao, was on a field trip to Moon God Valley. She couldn't help but pull out her phone for a glance. When she saw the text mentioned a child with the surname Huo, wearing a red baseball uniform, she let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, it wasn't Xiaoxiao.

Still, she hoped they would find the Huo child quickly. Deep autumn weather meant the sun set quickly, and at this hour, it would only be getting darker and colder on the mountain.

Zhang Xuechi added, "You seem very concerned about that child. Do you like children?"

Unconsciously, a small, quiet face appeared in Luo Anlan's mind. Xiaoxiao usually preferred staying in his room alone. This was his first field trip, and she hoped he was having a good time. She nodded instinctively. Because the town's stone path was uneven, she stumbled, but someone immediately caught her by the waist.

Luo Anlan quickly put some distance between them and smiled, thanking Zhang Xuechi.

When they brought the water into the house, they saw a woman in a purple jacket walk over. She glanced at Luo Anlan and remarked, "Sister Luo, you really know how to enjoy yourself."

The assistant wanted to point out that Sister Luo had done all the work fetching the water and that Lin Nian had only swapped in as an excuse, so she had no right to talk. But seeing Luo Anlan shake her head, the assistant kept quiet.

They gathered in a small courtyard. Lin Nian and another male singer went to wash the vegetables. When it came time to discuss who would cook, the male singer volunteered, "You've all helped so much along the way, let me be the chef."

Zhang Xuechi chimed in from the side, "I remember Anlan is a great cook; I saw that when we filmed the first season."

Lin Nian gritted her teeth. She didn't want to lose this opportunity to get screen time, as the kitchen was sure to be the focus of the filming. She smiled and said, "My cooking is decent, too. I can help Zhengxuan-ge. Besides, the kitchen here is too small; if there are too many people, it’ll be too crowded to move around."

Zhang Xuechi nodded indifferently. He couldn't cook anyway; with three out of the four people in their group capable of cooking, he just had to wait to eat. The other group, however, was filled with complaints. A young girl from that group spoke up, looking at them and saying, "This grouping is so unfair! None of the four of us can cook. Production, are you doing this on purpose?"

She looked toward Luo Anlan and reached out toward the director, saying, "Why don't you lend us Sister Anlan!"

The camera shifted from her face to Luo Anlan’s, capturing her look of surprise.

"Not a chance," the director said coldly, waving her off.

A woman in a flared-sleeve top from that group pulled out a cookbook and started learning on the fly. She finally closed the book and said, "Cooking isn't hard. Step one: let's wash the vegetables."

Lin Nian’s expression darkened. She was jealous of how well-liked Luo Anlan was, and even more so that Luo Anlan’s resources were superior to hers. Suddenly, she saw several children appear under the streetlamp nearby, being led toward them by the production crew.

*Could the production crew have added a temporary segment?*

The director was also deeply puzzled when he saw the children. *Weren't they looking for the little prince of the Huo family? Why have they brought back five?*

Finally, based on the description in the text message, he recognized the child in the red baseball uniform in the center, realizing that the boy was likely the only heir to the Huo family. If their show was the one to find him, they could secure the Huo family's favor, and the show would never have to worry about funding again. Although the Huo family didn't dabble in the entertainment industry, even the scraps from their table would be more than enough to replace the ten investors he was currently hunting for. More importantly, the publicity would be immense!

He quickly signaled the cameraman to start filming. He could already imagine the hook for this episode: the *Roaming the Town* crew, while filming the final episode in the Black Forest Town, happened to find the young prince of the Huo family who had gotten lost on the mountain.

"You little ones, rest here for a moment. A car will come to pick you up shortly," a staff member instructed carefully. "At your age, you're curious about everything. You might see something fun and fall behind. It’s very dangerous for you children to wander around the mountain like that."

Xiao Wen didn't even hear what they were saying; he was busy scanning the crowd for a familiar figure. He hadn't seen his mother in a very, very long time. Though he was hopeful, he was also nervous. He put his hand in his pocket and clutched the rabbit pocket watch. His mother must be looking forward to seeing him, too.

The director’s gaze swept over the faces of the other children and landed on a boy with short, golden hair. Although the children were young, their features were exquisite and adorable; it was easy to see that they would grow up to outshine any of the male stars in the industry. But why did this golden-haired child look so familiar?

He remembered seeing a blonde woman at a fashion gala once who looked just like this child. That woman had attended the event with Leng Yan—she was the real-deal Mrs. Leng, and it was said she came from a noble family in the West. If the Huo family’s business didn't touch the entertainment industry, the Leng family’s reach extended to half of it; the most famous entertainment companies were either under the Leng Group or were its wholly-owned subsidiaries.

The director stood up, pacing around his chair. He suddenly felt as though a gift had fallen from the heavens. Both young masters had happened to end up on his show—what did that mean? His show would never have to worry about topics for discussion, though he wasn't sure how much of this would actually be allowed to air.