Zhou Xu tidied up the documents and placed them on the desk in the office. When he looked up, he saw Yan Xi staring at the photo on the desk in a daze.

  “This is my mother.” Zhou Xu took the initiative to explain. “This photo was taken when she was young at UC. The little kid she was holding was me. I was four years old back then.”


  “Why didn’t I see this photo before?”


  Zhou Xu smiled sheepishly. “My mother just mailed this photo because I miss her.”


  “Your mother is very elegant,” Yan Xi praised sincerely. The photo was a little blurry, and because of the pixels, the woman’s face was not very clear, but Yan Xi could still feel the gentleness and elegance coming out of her.

  “Thank you.” Zhou Xu smiled. “My mother would be delighted to hear that.”


  Yan Xi smiled cooperatively, but she felt a little sad. No matter which world she was in, she seemed to always be alone.

  Zhou Xu changed the topic to talk about acupuncture treatment just now. “Mr. Gu is very vigilant. You can fool him once or twice. As time passes, I can’t guarantee that he won’t find out.”


  “I’ll change the acupuncture treatment for the next two sessions to low-pulse electrotherapy. You can also start preparing for the surgery in advance.”


  …


  In the evening, as soon as she came out of the rehabilitation center, Gu An drove Yan Xi to the mountain villa for a hot spring.

  This time, her fourth brother was very generous. He reserved the entire villa and did not allow any strangers to enter. He even sent dozens of bodyguards to protect them.

  After putting down her luggage, Gu An leaned against the car door and watched Yan Xi and Gu Shen say goodbye to each other. Though they were just going to seperate for two days, they looked like it was the last time they would see each other.

  “You have to sleep early at night. Remember to take your medicine on time. Also, you have to apply that ointment.” After nagging for a long time, she reluctantly got into the car.

  “I’ll go now.”


  “Go ahead. Gu An is still waiting for you.”


  Yan Xi got in the car and fastened her seatbelt. Gu An was about to start the car.

  She asked curiously, “Xixi, what’s in your suitcase? Why is it so heavy?”


  “Some clothes, a laptop…” Yan Xi was still looking back at Gu Shen. “That’s all, I guess.”


  “Clothes and a laptop can’t be that heavy. Did you put bricks in your suitcase?”


  “I also brought a book.”


  “Why in the world did you bring a book to a hot spring villa?” Other than the script, Gu An did not read any books. She could not relate to Yan Xi at all.

  “I’ve been suffering from insomnia recently. Reading can help me fall asleep easier.”


  “Good idea.” Gu An nodded. “Next time, I’ll bring the grammar book.”


  Yan Xi thought to herself, “You really need to read more books…”


  “We’ll have dinner, then we’ll soak in the hot spring. I still have some scenes to shoot, so I can’t eat much. Otherwise, I’ll look fat on camera.”


  What was the point of living a life if one could not eat as one pleased? Indeed, being a celebrity wasn’t all glitz and glamor.

  “What are you going to film?”


  “The Duchess of Zhen. The director is Zhang Ning. He’s not that famous. You probably don’t know him.”


  As it turned out, Yan Xi actually knew him because she was the one who invested in this drama. “Just a piece of advice, I highly recommend you not to eat tonight. This drama will definitely be popular. You have to maintain the best shape on screen. Every scene in this drama will be classic, and you can also make a comeback with this drama.”


  “Really?” Gu An did not believe. “Will I?”


  “You will, believe me.”


  …


  After arriving at the villa, the two of them put away their suitcases and headed to the dining room.

  As they passed the front desk, they saw a woman shouting.

  “I had a reservation. Why didn’t you let me check in?”


  “I’m sorry, ma’am,” the receptionist replied in a neither servile nor overbearing manner. “Our villa will be closed to the public this week. We will return the money to your account at double the price you paid.”


  The woman wasn’t going to let the receptionist off the hook. “Who gives you the right to close and open at will?”


  “We’ve sent messages to inform every guest. You can check your phone.”