The high-speed train sped along. Chen Huanhuan, sitting in a second-class seat, touched up her makeup several times. She was unemployed. She had finally gritted her teeth and quit that disgusting company, but with the end of the year approaching and the economy in a slump, she decided to wait until after the New Year to start job hunting.

She was on her way to see Li Xiang.

She took out the slip of paper Li Xiang had given her and glanced at it for the umpteenth time. Just over a year ago, his hometown had been an obscure little mountain village. But ever since Li Xiang returned, it had undergone a world-shaking transformation. Now, it was a nationally famous viral tourist destination—and it even had five giant pandas.

Li Xiang’s ventures back home were booming. He was already an influencer with nearly fifty million followers. Since she was unemployed, had the time, and was feeling down, she decided to come visit him and lift her spirits.

Just as she finished applying her matte lipstick for the third time, the train finally pulled into the small county station. Chen Huanhuan stood, wrapped her plaid scarf around her neck, slipped on her cream-colored coat, grabbed her luggage, and disembarked.

It was still a while before the holiday travel rush, so the small county station was quiet, with only a few people around. The moment she stepped outside, a tall figure in a black windbreaker a short distance away gave her a sharp wave and strode over.

"You must be Sister Huanhuan, right? I’m Lei Xiaohui. Brother Xiang asked me to come pick you up." Lei Xiaohui took the 26-inch suitcase with one hand, her high ponytail swinging rhythmically behind her. Her army-green cargo pants were tucked into combat boots, accentuating her long, slender legs and slim waist. She carried herself with an athletic, confident air. "Brother Xiang is giving a presentation on rural revitalization to county officials, so he asked me to take you to the Drunken Immortal Tower first."

"Thank you."

Chen Huanhuan instinctively tugged at the hem of her coat. She glanced at the other woman’s profile, her skin fair and rosy despite the cold wind, radiating a youthful vitality. On her wrist was a chic sports watch—the very same limited-edition model Li Xiang had given away to fans during a livestream just a few days ago.

The striking beauty and confident air of the young woman before her made Chen Huanhuan feel a pang of insecurity. After all, she had always thought of herself as fairly attractive. She came from a big city and dressed fashionably, but for some reason, she felt she fell short when compared to Lei Xiaohui, a girl from a small county.

She recognized Lei Xiaohui as one of the streamers who worked for Li Xiang. And apparently, there were two others who were even more beautiful: Yao Yao and Zhao Xueqing. That wasn’t even counting the nation’s sweetheart, the A-list actress Luo Feifei.

’Oh, and there was also that childhood friend of his, a pretty young girl named Jiang Cai’Er. She hadn’t appeared on his livestreams or in his videos for a long time, though. I think I heard she was focusing on her studies. She’s in high school.’

’Sigh... No wonder he never responded to my hints. He was in such a hurry to quit his job and go back home. It turns out his hometown is full of beauties like this.’ Chen Huanhuan lamented silently.

Lei Xiaohui was even more stunning in person than she was on video.

In the past, whenever Chen Huanhuan watched their livestreams, she always assumed their looks were enhanced by beauty filters or heavy makeup and should be taken with a grain of salt. She never expected the real person to be even more striking.

As for Li Xiang giving a report to county officials, Chen Huanhuan wasn’t surprised in the least. After all, the man held the rank of Major. To have accomplished so much in just over a year... every time Chen Huanhuan thought about it, she couldn’t help but wonder, ’Was this really the same person who used to be my colleague?’

’When we worked together, I knew Li Xiang was capable, but I thought he was just a little better than me. How did he suddenly take off like this?’

"You’re really beautiful," Chen Huanhuan complimented her sincerely.

"Oh, thank you!" Lei Xiaohui smiled. She led Chen Huanhuan to a car, and they chatted idly as she drove toward the Drunken Immortal Tower.

Chen Huanhuan was only about four years older than Lei Xiaohui, so being close in age, they found they had plenty to talk about.

They drove in a large Mercedes-Benz van to a Chinese-style restaurant with a lavish interior. The owner, who seemed to be an old acquaintance of Li Xiang’s, came out to greet them personally. He was extremely courteous, leading them to the best private room on the third floor.

Chen Huanhuan marveled to herself once again. ’Li Xiang is really doing well for himself here.’

The ambiance was refined and tranquil.

The moment she pushed open the carved wooden doors, the sweet aroma of braised pork knuckle with rock sugar mingled with the fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns. On a Qing-style blue-and-white porcelain plate, glossy, crimson mapo tofu bubbled, steaming hot, its snow-white cubes generously dusted with scarlet chili powder. Next to it, a gilded-edge doucai-style dish was artfully arranged with sliced beef and offal in chili sauce. The braised offal, sliced as thin as a cicada’s wing, soaked in red chili oil, quivering slightly under a sprinkle of toasted white sesame seeds... Six or seven dishes already graced the table.

"President Li called ahead," the owner said. "He told us to prepare a few dishes first in case you were hungry. He said you can start eating and order more as you go."

The owner lifted the lid of a Jingtai Blue tureen, and the mellow aroma of herbal chicken soup instantly filled the air. "President Li specifically requested this angelica root and lamb hot pot for you, Miss Chen, to warm you up. There’s also a crispy tea-smoked duck that’s being roasted to order."

He pointed to a small placard on the table with a QR code. "You can scan this to order more dishes," he said. "Please, enjoy your meal."

With that, the owner left.

The two women took their seats. Lei Xiaohui poured a cup of hot tea for Chen Huanhuan. "Would you like a drink, Sister Huanhuan?"

"No, thank you. I don’t drink."

"How about a soda, then? Or some fresh-squeezed juice?"

"No, this hot tea is perfect, thank you." Chen Huanhuan took a sip. It tasted like jasmine tea. The temperature was just right, warming her from the inside out.

Chen Huanhuan asked, "Shouldn’t we wait for Li Xiang?"

Lei Xiaohui shrugged. "There’s no telling how long he’ll be. Let’s eat first, Sister Huanhuan."