As the wedding drew to a close in the afternoon, Xing Tang behaved unusually. Unlike that morning, he didn't coldly insist on leaving immediately after the ceremony. When Lin Meng suggested he rest at the farmhouse for a couple of days, he paused briefly… and then agreed.
Xiao Gong shot him several surprised glances.
After the guests had left that evening, the newlyweds finally had their privacy, and everyone tactfully refrained from disturbing them.
After taking a shower, An Ting stopped by Xing Tang's room and knocked. When he opened the door, she hadn't washed up yet; instead, she was sitting on a rattan chair on the balcony, sipping wine.
An Ting helped him pack his suitcase, hanging clothes in the closet one by one. By the time she finished, Xing Tang had already drunk half a bottle of wine.
"Anyone who didn't know better would think you just broke up with your boyfriend today, boss," An Ting said, picking up the bottle. It was a rare vintage, one bottle worth more than several months of her machines.
"I don't recall bringing any alcohol," Xing Tang said, lying back and stroking his chin. He wasn't drunk. "Lin Meng took it from my liquor cabinet before resigning. An Ting, doesn't everyone eventually find their place in the world?"
Seeing her boss ready for a heart-to-heart, An Ting pulled a cushion onto the balcony and sat cross-legged.
"Anyway, Lin Meng has found his place," she said, cupping her cheeks, eyes flicking toward him. "Isn't life just about separations and reunions?"
Xing Tang understood. Her feelings were complicated, and it wasn't just about Lin Meng leaving. He had lived alone since childhood, his parents mostly away on business trips, making him naturally distant. People came and went—even his parents. Life had no fixed pattern.
He found it hard to express himself. Spending energy on everyone who passed through his life would be tiring and unstable.
An Ting sighed. "You can find your place too. It doesn't have to be love, family, or friendship. Money counts too—you can buy a house and a car."
Xing Tang paused. "I have money, a house, and a car."
"…Okay, I understand. Don't say anymore."
"Anyway, you understand what I mean. I'm over thirty, single, and live ambitiously, pursuing wealth and stability. No one can say I lack ambition or a sense of belonging. I'm a typical contemporary young person striving for a better life."
Xing Tang considered her words, agreeing quietly—but something felt off.
"You're over thirty?"
An Ting rolled her eyes. "Oh, I misspoke. Twenty years old."
He nodded, impressed. "You think things through quite well."
"I haven't," she said sadly. "When I was broke, I used to think every day about why people live, and why there's no euthanasia. Someone once told me that overthinking is because you have too little to do, too many people to meet, and no partner. That's pretty accurate."
Xing Tang's sentimentality evaporated. He wasn't the type to overthink, and most of the time he didn't care about others' opinions. His slight annoyance had already vanished when Lin Meng threw the bouquet that afternoon.
Calm now, he stood. "If you ever decide to resign, tell me. Otherwise, I'll have to find another assistant."
An Ting quickly flattered him. "How could that be? Boss, you're so wise and capable. Which young person with ambition would resign?"
Xing Tang didn't respond. He felt she wouldn't stay with him forever.
"If you ever decide, tell me sooner rather than later. I'm not mean-spirited, and I won't treat you like I treated Lin Meng."
He prepared to wash up, satisfied with himself. An Ting efficiently packed all his toiletries before stepping onto the balcony, giving him a perfectly timed smile. "Boss, get some rest. See you tomorrow."
Xing Tang watched her close the door.
He stayed at Lin Meng's farmhouse for a day and a half but eventually couldn't tolerate the chickens running everywhere, so he packed and returned home early.
After An Ting finished packing his things, she said goodbye. She had classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and he would go back to the studio when she was free.
Xing Tang glanced at the TV. "Remember to bring the clothes back."
An Ting smiled. "Of course. Thank you, boss. Goodbye."
After she left, Xiao Gong emerged. "Boss, you're not changing your assistant this time?"
"Am I that picky?" Xing Tang glanced at him. "She's great."
She was tactful. Most bosses avoided heart-to-heart talks with employees because the more they spoke, the less room employees had to imagine—and the more likely they were to lose propriety. But An Ting handled it perfectly.
Xiao Gong breathed a sigh of relief. "So I don't have to be your assistant anymore?"
"She still needs you when she has classes," Xing Tang said.
Xiao Gong replied wryly, but there was relief in his voice.
Taking advantage of public funds, An Ting traveled entirely by taxi and quickly returned to school. She put her things back in the dorm and headed to the TV station to return items when she ran into Li Qin on duty.
Li Qin's eyes lit up. "Wow! You look amazing today!" She jumped up, grabbed An Ting, and examined her. "You're completely different from before!"
An Ting smiled modestly.
"See?" Li Qin said. "Money has power. Even though the original owner didn't change much after her soul transferred, a slightly more expensive dress makes all the difference."
Li Qin paused, then pouted. "By the way, have you seen the trending topics?"
"What's trending?"
"Our school's promotional video. A few days ago, after the school received the finished product, it was uploaded online. First, it dominated major video sites, then went viral on Weibo. Yesterday, it stayed in the top 20 trending topics all day. Today, people are comparing it to A University's video. On the surface, it seems simple, but behind the scenes, there's a lot of rivalry."
An Ting, having worked with Xing Tang, hadn't noticed this. "Is the reaction really that big?"
"Of course. The school hired Xing Tang Studio. Combined with the school's prestige, it created a huge buzz immediately. Some said the video this year didn't break new ground, but it could become a typical reference."
An Ting was stunned. Xing Tang hadn't mentioned any of this. His studio clearly understood the impact but didn't celebrate the small ripple it caused.
"Oh, one more thing," Li Qin said, pouting. "Ye Qianqian is trending too."
"Hmm?" An Ting hadn't heard from Ye Qianqian in days.
"She's the female lead in the promotional video. People said she's very pretty, some even called her the campus belle. Yesterday, the trending topic 'C University Campus Belle' hit sixth place, and her Weibo account gained two or three hundred thousand followers."
An Ting remembered the original story. Ye Qianqian had used the five million yuan Song Qian lent her to market herself, presenting as a talented, beautiful girl at C University—her first step into public attention.
Even without Song Qian's money, she managed to become the most beautiful girl at C University…
Wait—An Ting recalled Song Qian had actually given her one million yuan a few days ago.
No wonder Ye Qianqian had the funds to market herself and hold sixth place on trending all day. Song Qian had contributed quite a bit.