Like the vast majority of mothers in the world, she was willing to give the best things to her children.

This maternal love, however, was not for Bo He.

Zhuo Yi was telling people the story of how he met Bo He.

"About a dozen years ago, I wasn't as famous as I am now, the kind where few people on the street would recognize me. Back then, I was with a production crew in the mountains filming a documentary. The conditions were pretty tough, and there wasn't much entertainment. A few of us from the crew decided to go into the mountains for fun after filming."

Zhuo Yi gestured a height. "Xiao He was only this big back then, shorter than other kids her age. She went to school in the town closest to the mountain and would come to the set on weekends to work, helping run errands, being a guide, and so on. She knew the surrounding area better than anyone, so we had her and another young person take us out to do some bird hunting or something."

"Then things went wrong. The young man leading the way led us into a mountain ravine, and we all got lost. We couldn't find our way out no matter how we tried. It gets dark early in the mountains, and the trees blocked out the sky, a dark, oppressive mass. A female actress from our crew, oh, it was Ling Shuang, you all should know her, she was so anxious she started crying."

He was a good storyteller, and the people around him were playing along.

"I can't believe someone as tough as Sister Shuang has cried before!"

"What happened then, Brother Zhuo? What happened to you guys?"

"You must have been rescued, right?"

"The young guy leading the way got lost himself. We were wandering in the mountains, hungry and tired. Luckily, Xiao He was experienced. She brought a lot of dry rations, a whole backpack full. Before we entered the mountain, we all laughed at her, calling her a foodie. As it turned out, Xiao He's actions saved all our lives."

Zhuo Yi said half-jokingly, "If not for her rations, we might not have even lasted until the crew sent people to find us the next day!"

Someone chimed in playfully, "So that's why you took her as a goddaughter? Sister Shuang was still a young girl a dozen years ago, right? Did she make you do the adopting because she was afraid of being called old?"

Zhuo Yi laughed heartily. "You're right. To show she was younger than me, Ling Shuang insisted that Xiao He acknowledge her as a godsister, and wouldn't let her call her godmother."

He pointed a finger at Bo He.

"Over the past dozen years, although we haven't met often, we video call frequently. This kid is sensible and endearing. Back then, we wanted to bring her to Beijing for school, but she refused. Now she even insists on finding a job by herself, not letting us interfere. She's completely self-reliant."

Everyone naturally chimed in with praise. Some said Zhuo Yi and Ling Shuang were kind and loyal, while others said Bo He was sensible and well-behaved.

Adding flowers to brocade is so easy; everyone was willing to lend a hand.

If Zhuo Yi were still as unknown as he was a dozen years ago, this would at best be an obscure, heartwarming story. But now that Zhuo Yi was successful and famous, the effect of this heartwarming story was naturally amplified. Those who, just a moment ago, were speculating about how much filth was hidden behind Bo He's "Godfather," were now offering praise with sheepish smiles.

The producer chimed in at the right moment, "Xiao He, do you have any plans to act? Your face is very suitable for ancient-style makeup. Our company happens to be preparing a new drama, and the role of the second female lead hasn't been cast yet. Do you want to come and try out?"

These words may have just been a polite pleasantry, but if not for Zhuo Yi's considerable influence, such a favor would not be offered so easily.

The role of second female lead, which many people struggled for years to get, was given away with a single, casual sentence from the producer.

Old Pan still had an unreal feeling, as if he were dreaming.

He couldn't help but glance in Director An's direction.

Her expression was about what he had imagined.

A mix of five flavors, complex and hard to describe.

Who would have thought that Bo He would actually have this kind of connection to Zhuo Yi?

Zhuo Yi's connections and resources in the industry were no less than Director An's. If Bo He really wanted to enter the entertainment industry, with him to protect and guide her, there would be no need for Director An to get involved at all.

What was even rarer was that Old Pan could see that Zhuo Yi genuinely had some affection for Bo He; it wasn't just some act for a chance acquaintance.

But this way, the words he had said to Bo He earlier now seemed rather ridiculous.

"I really acted like a villain for nothing," Old Pan thought with a wry smile.

He knew that Director An's mood was definitely worse than his right now.

Bo He smilingly declined the producer's kind offer, then pulled Ouyang, who had been pushed to the outside of the crowd, over and briefly introduced her to Zhuo Yi and the producer.

"This is my friend, Ouyang. She's filming on this set, and I came to accompany her. Mr. Chen..."

Zhuo Yi corrected from the side, "Call him Uncle Chen. Old Chen and I have been brothers for many years."

Bo He readily complied, "My current job is quite good. I have no plans to change careers for now. Thank you, Uncle Chen."

She didn't directly try to get a role for Ouyang, but for Ouyang to go from not even being able to get her face recognized to now having them remember her name was already a quantum leap.

Ouyang herself was also very excited. Facing Zhuo Yi and the producer, she was too nervous to speak.

...

When Qin Chuan strolled back from outside, he saw Xiao Ning with a mysterious, hesitant expression.

"What's wrong?" He thought something had happened at the shop.

As a result, Xiao Ning spilled everything she had overheard, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was just clearing your table and overheard a few things."

Seeing Qin Chuan's grim face, Xiao Ning added guiltily, "I didn't hear the whole thing. I left from the other side."

Qin Chuan said, "Don't tell anyone else besides me, and that includes Xiao Su. It concerns a customer's privacy. If word gets out, it will affect the shop's reputation."

Xiao Ning hurriedly nodded and promised.

Actually, when Old Pan was saying "Director An, Director An," she wouldn't have guessed who it was and might have even thought "An Dao" was a name. But these past few days, people from the film set opposite had been coming and going, calling out "Director An" frequently. It was hard for Xiao Ning not to remember.

She just treated it as some bizarre gossip she'd heard, but Qin Chuan didn't see it that way.

He knew that his focus on Bo He was growing higher and higher.

For him, this level of attention was abnormal.

Reason and years of self-control stopped his curiosity from wanting to know more.

But as he was thinking this, Boss Qin's hand had already opened QQ.

Unexpectedly.

Bo He had actually replied.

She told Qin Chuan that she had been out these past two days and hadn't been on the game much, so she could only take him to 'eat chicken' after she got back.

Qin Chuan typed a reply, deleted it, then reconsidered his wording. After several such attempts, the reply was finally sent.

Qin Chuan: Master, are you in a bad mood?

Bo He: No, why do you ask?

Qin Chuan: You usually use emojis when you talk to me, but you didn't this time.

The other person immediately sent a smiley face.

Qin Chuan: That doesn't count.

Bo He: Don't worry, I'm not in a bad mood. I just saw someone I didn't want to see and felt a little annoyed, that's all.

Qin Chuan thought to himself, if Director An really is Bo He's birth mother and abandoned her for so many years, if it were him, it would be more than just 'a little annoyed.' Not seeking revenge would already be considered restraint.

But he knew Bo He, while Bo He didn't know him.

In Bo He's eyes, Qin Chuan was just a teenage girl going through puberty, troubled by her studies, a bit of a loner, and fiercely protective of her own.

Qin Chuan couldn't say anything out of line, or even do anything that violated the age of his persona.

Because the comfort of an adult and the comfort of a child are completely different.

Otherwise, with Bo He's intelligence, she would surely become suspicious sooner or later.

Qin Chuan furrowed his brow and thought for a long time before finally typing a line in the chat box.

Master, actually, I'm in a bad mood too QAQ

That final kaomoji was something he'd found on a search engine at the last minute.