"A missing person report has been issued for a young woman in this city... Citizens are urged to stay alert. If you have any relevant information, please contact the police immediately..."
The local news played on the television in the living room. As a member of the older generation, Elder Jiang preferred keeping up with current events through the TV news. As for the various VIP subscriptions modern TVs required, that wasn't something the old man needed to worry about.
Jiang Xuxu returned from her morning run. She poured herself a large glass of warm water and drank it all with slow, steady movements, not spilling a single drop.
Elder Jiang looked at his newly returned eldest granddaughter with a gentle expression. Truth be told, he was very satisfied with her. It wasn't just her academic excellence, but also the fact that her daily habits were very disciplined.
Since returning home, Jiang Xuxu had woken up at 6:00 AM every day, performed a set of Baduanjin, and gone for a thirty-minute run. She also made sure to drink at least eight full glasses of water daily. Such a regular routine and dietary habits were things even he had only gradually adopted after retiring, yet this young girl treated them as second nature.
The only "flaw," if it could be called that, was her peculiar hobby. But facts had proven that this hobby was more than just a hobby. Recalling what he had heard from Jiang Huai about her abilitiesand the potential impact they could have on the Jiang family's futurethe look in Elder Jiang's eyes became quite meaningful.
"Grandpa," Jiang Xuxu said properly, meeting Elder Jiang's gaze.
Jiang Xuxu wasn't particularly close to the old man, but she wasn't distant either. Elder Jiang seemed gentle toward her, but through all the events that had occurred since her return, he had mostly maintained the attitude of a silent observerneither participating nor taking sides.
Rather than saying he was ensuring fairness, Jiang Xuxu felt he was silently evaluating her. He was observing whether she was qualified to be a true member of the Jiang family.
Jiang Xuxu didn't feel much about this. As an outsider, she knew she was different from everyone else in this house, and she didn't feel wronged by being scrutinized. Similarly, she wasn't going to go out of her way to please anyone just to fit in.
Elder Jiang could see the lack of intimacy in her proper behavior, but he simply offered a warm smile. "I see your morning Baduanjin is quite good. Your brothers have been a bit lazy at home during the holidays. How about I have them join you for a set every morning?"
Jiang Xuxu didn't know where this sudden interest came from. Thinking of how Jiang Han and Jiang Cheng had targeted her, she remained non-committal. "They can follow along if they're willing."
They could follow, but she wouldn't go out of her way to teach them. She didn't have the energy to bother with that.
Elder Jiang didn't find her attitude problematic. He smiled broadly. "Grandpa will make sure they are willing."
Jiang Xuxu raised an eyebrow inwardly. She suddenly remembered the last time she saw Jiang Huai forcing the three brothers through a training session. Was this another way to keep them in line?
Although she wasn't interested, the thought of seeing those three forced into training... was actually something to look forward to.
As Jiang Xuxu was thinking this, her phone watch rang. She excused herself from Elder Jiang, walked to the side, and answered the call.
A polite male voice came from the other end. "Hello, is this Miss Jiang Xuxu? I am Zhou Hehe, a producer from Lemon Platform."
"Speaking."
"It's like this: our platform is currently planning a variety show called Inspiration. Given your appearance and your chosen major, your vibe is a perfect match for our show. We would like to sincerely invite you to participate as a guest. Would you be interested?"
Jiang Xuxu's first instinct was to refuse. She had absolutely no interest in recording variety shows. However, a thought suddenly crossed her mindshe remembered a certain master who was still missing. "Will your show be broadcast across all platforms?"
The producer was momentarily stunned before answering. "This variety show will be exclusive to our Lemon Platform via livestream, but as a key project for the company, there will definitely be promotional coverage across the entire network. If you're interested, Miss Jiang, can we schedule a time to meet and discuss the details?"
As the company's star producer, Zhou Hehe was usually very sensitive to people's emotions. Usually, as long as the other party wanted something, he wasn't afraid of failing to recruit them.
"That won't be necessary." Jiang Xuxu refused the invitation to meet quite bluntly.
Zhou Hehe was taken aback and felt a wave of frustration. He was about to try harder to convince her when Jiang Xuxu's voice came through again. "I accept the invitation."
Zhou Hehe, who was already mentally preparing his counter-offers, was stunned. "Huh? You... you accept?"
"Yes."
The answer was so straightforward that Zhou Hehe stuttered for a moment. "Um, don't you need to discuss it with your family first?"
To be honest, the reason he had sought out this Miss Jiang was entirely because of her status as the eldest daughter of the Jiang familyone of the four major families in Sea Cityand the online buzz surrounding her being a top Gaokao scorer who chose a Taoist Academy.
While she was currently a hot topic online, he knew that the Jiang family was highly prestigious. Although they had a second master in the entertainment industry, he wasn't sure if such a prominent family would want their daughter to appear in the public eye. He assumed asking the elders' permission was a given.
Who would have thought she would just say yes?
Faced with the producer's question, Jiang Xuxu simply asked, "Why?"
Zhou Hehe was a bit flustered. Did he really need to ask why? Obviously, because the Jiang family might disagree.
However, Jiang Xuxu's voice remained calm yet firm. "I am an adult. I can make my own decisions."
Zhou Hehe: "..."
"Right. Well, let's still set a time to meet. There are some specific details I need to finalize with you."
Jiang Xuxu heard that a meeting was still required. Although she felt it was a waste of time, she agreed and set a time and place with him.
Jiang Su happened to come downstairs just as she was finalizing the arrangements on the balcony. His sleepy mind instantly snapped awake. "Sis, are you going out? I'll go with you!"
Jiang Xuxu didn't particularly like her brother's sudden clinginess, though she didn't hate it either. She simply said, "I have an appointment."
Jiang Su wouldn't give up. "Who are you meeting? Can't you take me?"
Jiang Xuxu replied, "A variety show producer."
Without giving Jiang Su a chance to pester her further, she turned and headed upstairs. Jiang Su stood frozen for a long while before finally processing what she had said.
"A variety show?! Sis! You're going to record a variety show?!"
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