Chapter 34: 034

Chapter 34The beautiful woman was heartbroken but had no way to fight back. In her anger, she clutched her sachet and bit her lip, unable to speak.

Chu Zhishui didn't linger at the entrance for long either, waving goodbye to Jin Yu and Chen Zhuhui before driving away.

As her car merged onto the main road, she glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the beautiful woman still standing at the entrance. It seemed she couldn't enter the Bureau and could only pace outside its gates.

Fu Chengzhuo's unexpected visit brought two changes to the Observation Bureau: first, female demons began keeping watch at the entrance; second, the courtyard was occupied, causing the bamboo spirit to emanate waves of resentment.

Under the sunlight, Fu Chengzhuo remained rooted to the courtyard bench, much to the frustration of Xin Yunmao, who usually enjoyed wandering freely.

The Divine Lord used to keep a very regular schedule - basking in the sun in his office from eight to five, sunbathing during lunch breaks, and occasionally visiting the tea garden for irrigation. Now that the tea-picking season was over, even that activity was eliminated.

Although Fu Chengzhuo hadn't touched the stone bench under the big tree, Xin Yunmao still couldn't bear sharing space with him and had lately taken to spending his lunch breaks indoors.

The early summer sunlight grew increasingly brilliant, streaming into the room with dazzling brightness.

Xin Yunmao, dressed in light cyan robes, reclined lazily in his chair. His eyes were half-closed, lashes lowered, as he rested against the soft chair cushion, enjoying a peaceful nap in the sunlight.

The gentle breeze outside seemed reluctant to disturb his sweet dreams, even rustling the green leaves more softly than usual.

When Chu Zhishui pushed open the door, she found only Xin Yunmao inside, with Jin Yu and Chen Zhuhui nowhere to be seen. She quickly lightened her steps and carefully closed the door.

The computer screen on the desk was still lit, but work couldn't continue now. Not wanting to wake Xin Yunmao, she quietly reached for the folder on the desk, but still managed to disturb the napping spirit.

He had always been a light sleeper. His raven-black lashes fluttered as he blinked, lifting his slightly confused gaze to look at her.

"You like it here that much?" Chu Zhishui sighed helplessly. "Why don't we switch places then? I can move my computer to the back."

Xin Yunmao had thrown a tantrum because Fu Chengzhuo was in the courtyard, and Chu Zhishui had only managed to calm the Divine Lord's anger by offering him her spot. Recently he had been occupying her seat during lunch breaks, preventing her from working during that time, leaving her only able to review documents.

They had front and back desks in the office, and she couldn't understand what difference the lighting made - perhaps only plants were so particular about sunlight.

"No," Xin Yunmao's voice was still drowsy as he gradually became more alert, then furrowed his brows, "Has that cat driven him away yet?"

Chu Zhishui admitted frankly: "Haven't seen Director Miao lately, though I needed to speak with him."

Xin Yunmao grew more displeased and began emanating waves of resentment.

Chu Zhishui found his sulking face rather amusing. He had told Boss Peng before that anything short of death wasn't a big deal, but now he was complaining about Director Miao's slow handling of the matter - quite the self-contradiction in a way.

As lunch break was ending and Jin Yu and Chen Zhuhui hadn't yet returned, Chu Zhishui finally reclaimed her seat. She didn't feel any residual warmth in the chair, but instead caught a fresh scent of grass and wood.

Just as Chu Zhishui sat down, she suddenly heard the sound of wheels rolling and turned to see Xin Yunmao pushing his chair next to hers. Sёarᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

She froze at the sight: "What are you doing?"

Xin Yunmao held onto the chair back, clearly intending to sit beside her, and declared matter-of-factly: "The sunlight is good here."

"...Didn't I just offer to switch seats with you?"

He had already refused, so what was he up to now!?

Xin Yunmao responded thoughtfully: "That would interfere with your work."

"???"

Having Jin Yu and Chen Zhuhui see them sitting side by side would interfere with the Economic Development Department's work even more!

Just imagining being caught in such a situation made Chu Zhishui flush with embarrassment and shame. She gritted her teeth: "Push the chair back."

When they were in Yinhai City, fooling around in private was fine, but now they were back at the Bureau - this was a workplace. She had consciously been adjusting their distance to prevent Jin Yu and Chen Zhuhui from noticing anything unusual. Not exposing too much familiarity during work hours was a principle every working person should remember.

Xin Yunmao asked in confusion: "Why?"

"No reason," Chu Zhishui threatened expressionlessly, "Push your chair back before I turn you into a bamboo chair."

"..."

Xin Yunmao remained silent for a long while. He stared at her with a peculiar look, touching his burning ears, seeming somewhat awkward as he hesitated before saying: "You're quite fixated on this."

Last time she had wanted to weave him into a bamboo mat to sleep on, and now she wanted to make him into a bamboo chair to sit on, which made him feel quite embarrassed.

After speaking, Xin Yunmao pushed his chair back, though it wasn't clear if he had taken the warning seriously.

This wasn't about being fixated at all!?

Chu Zhishui was internally devastated - she was grateful their other colleagues hadn't returned yet, or it would have been a scene of social death.

Moments later, Jin Yu and Chen Zhuhui entered together, and fortunately the bamboo spirit didn't try any more tricks.

Though Chu Zhishui had originally not wanted to deal with Fu Chengzhuo's matter, she now held her head in exasperation and said: "Let's try to persuade that demon away from the entrance when we leave work."

"Huh?" Jin Yu worried, "But there's been no movement from Director Miao's side."

Chu Zhishui: "I'll go convince her to leave."

If they didn't get rid of them and clear out the courtyard soon, he might really try to sit next to her in public.

"But you don't have any demon aura," Jin Yu said timidly, "And she doesn't seem like the type to listen to reason."

The beautiful demon clearly had her own ideas and was quite stubborn, refusing to leave her post at the entrance.

Chu Zhishui raised an eyebrow: "It's fine. I may not have demon aura, but I do have attitude."

Jin Yu seemed to half-understand.

At the Observation Bureau's entrance, the beautiful demon remained at her usual spot. Seeing Chu Zhishui and Jin Yu approaching from a distance, she clutched her sachet and stubbornly turned her back, striking a pose that refused communication.

Jin Yu explained: "I've been trying to persuade her lately, but she's always like this."

The beautiful demon huffed: "Don't try to drive me away. He'll have to come out eventually, and I'll wait right here."

The beautiful demon refused to leave, Fu Chengzhuo refused to come out, and both sides were locked in an endless stalemate.

Seeing the demon's defiant expression, Chu Zhishui didn't immediately try to persuade her to leave, but instead asked calmly: "May I ask what you like about Mr. Fu?"

Hearing this, the beautiful demon turned around excitedly, counting on her fingers as she listed his merits: "He's handsome, has a good personality, carries himself with grace, acts well, and is talented - the list goes on and on..."

"I fell for his looks, was captivated by his talent, and stayed for his character!" she exclaimed passionately.

Chu Zhishui replied unhurriedly: "But Mr. Fu doesn't want to see you."

Jin Yu nodded in agreement: "That's right."

The beautiful demon was struck by these words, immediately becoming furious and flushing red: "You're lying..."

Before she could finish, Chu Zhishui continued slowly: "Do you know why he doesn't want to see you?"

The beautiful demon covered her ears evasively, shaking her head desperately: "I don't know! I don't want to know!"

"Because he feels unworthy of you."

"Eh?"

The beautiful demon's expression changed, and Jin Yu also looked surprised - both demons stared at Chu Zhishui in confusion.

Chu Zhishui displayed a faint smile and spoke gently: "Humans live barely a hundred years, while demons have a long future ahead. In a hundred years, you'll still be beautiful and graceful, but Mr. Fu will be elderly, eventually nothing but bones. How could he dare to waste your time?"

The beautiful demon started, quickly saying: "I don't care about that!"

"But Mr. Fu does. When in love, one always fears giving too little, wishing to give everything they have. The deeper the feelings, the more insecure one becomes. He can't face you, so he'd rather let your impressions of each other remain at their most beautiful moment."

Chu Zhishui spoke like a relationship advice column, effortlessly delivering various heartache-inducing phrases: "He doesn't want you to see him grow old, so he'd rather make a clean break now. Meeting, seeing, and forgetting each other in this vast world - he doesn't want to be just a passerby in your life, yet can only be a passerby, lamenting the fickleness of fate and the different paths of humans and demons."

Jin Yu listened in a daze, taking a long time to process it: "?"

The beautiful demon's eyes had turned red, moved to tears by this human-demon romance: "So there's no other way..."

"Everything has regrets, but we can have a farewell. You can go back to dress up, and Mr. Fu can make some preparations too. Spend one last moment together," Chu Zhishui said gently. "After the farewell, please don't come looking for Mr. Fu anymore. Try to understand a man's pride - he doesn't want you to see his future difficulties, he only wants to leave you with his best image from these times."

The beautiful female spirit burst into tears: "Wuu wuu wuu... my dear Fu..."

Chu Zhishui consoled her: "Please wipe your tears a bit. If Mr. Fu sees you crying like this, it will break his heart."

One might think Fu Chengzhuo had passed away.

The female spirit quickly wiped her tears and said sorrowfully: "Alright, alright, I'll stop crying. I'll go back to freshen up and meet him in my best state. This is our first meeting, and also our last - I want to leave a good impression."

Soon after, the beautiful female spirit disappeared from the doorway, presumably going back to prepare.

"Indeed, to deal with spirits who live in TV dramas, you have to defeat them with TV drama plots," Chu Zhishui said leisurely. "Alright, now let's go back to find him and let them meet once. If she still persists after that, then we'll take action."

However, she felt the female spirit wouldn't return after the farewell. The spirit seemed lost in TV drama fantasies, having trouble distinguishing between stories and reality. In a tragic romance, humans and spirits would never meet.

The surroundings were quiet, and Jin Yu didn't respond.

Chu Zhishui had come with Jin Yu, and when she turned her head curiously to look at her companion, she found her young colleague's eyes had unexpectedly turned red.

Jin Yu knew very well that Fu Chengzhuo had never said those things, but something suddenly occurred to her. She stared blankly at Chu Zhishui and asked uncertainly: "So you only have a hundred years too?"

Having never had human colleagues before, she had forgotten many details - the person before her was also human.

Chu Zhishui was startled, then smiled and said: "Of course, humans generally only have about a hundred years."

Jin Yu's breath caught, and she asked in a daze: "Then what happens after a hundred years? Will I never see you again?"

Chu Zhishui paused briefly, then joked lightly: "I'll retire in my fifties or sixties, and your memory isn't very good - maybe you'll forget about me before the hundred years are up."

Jin Yu felt a surge of sourness, and tears immediately filled her eyes. She started frantically bubbling up and burst out crying, gasping: "I- I won't forget!"

Chu Zhishui hadn't expected such a strong reaction, suddenly remembering how when she first exposed Jin Yu's identity, her young colleague had also cried so hard she could barely breathe - as a spirit, she was often more fragile than Chu Zhishui, the human. She quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, I was just joking. Don't cry, I know you won't forget!"

She had thought spirits were used to partings, like how Director Hu had joked that she was being promoted more in recent years because she would retire earlier than other spirits.

Jin Yu sobbed: "Then... then after you live past a hundred years..."

"That's not something I can control, is it?" Chu Zhishui smiled wryly and comforted her: "You'll meet other people in the future."

Jin Yu felt even more upset: "But there won't be anyone as good as you..."

"You can't be sure of that, you should look forward to the future." Seeing her crying non-stop, Chu Zhishui reached out to wipe her tears and sighed, "Here, Jin Yu, let me tell you something."

Jin Yu's crying gradually subsided, and she hiccupped: "What is it?"

"I have a very good relationship with my parents, and none of us want to be separated from each other. But unfortunately, I couldn't be part of their lives before I was born, and one day they won't be able to be part of my future life either - there will always be some regrets," Chu Zhishui said seriously. "But you're a spirit, so you won't have regrets. Even though you weren't part of my previous life, you'll be able to see all of my future life."

Jin Yu stared at her blankly.

Chu Zhishui smiled and explained patiently: "Look at the sun and moon - they're eternal and unchanging. You might not see all of the sun and moon, but you'll be able to see all of me. Maybe one day I'll have wrinkles, maybe one day my hair will turn white, but that's all still me. You'll remember every version of me, which means you'll have the complete me - isn't that good?"

"Even when I physically disappear one day, we'll still be together because I'll live on in your memories. So now you need to work hard to remember more," she rubbed her colleague's head, falling back into her habit of slacking off.

It was like how one day her parents would leave first, so she needed to firmly remember the happiness she already possessed.

She never thought having a limited lifespan was a sad thing. What was sad was letting time slip by without feeling it, only regretting when it was truly lost. As long as you didn't miss each moment of the present and held it tight in your hands, it wasn't really lost.

Jin Yu rubbed her eyes and solemnly vowed: "I'll remember well, and fix my poor memory."

"That's good then," Chu Zhishui said softly. "Let's go back."

After Jin Yu calmed down, she became lively again, following Chu Zhishui across the courtyard as they walked together toward the office building.

Chu Zhishui looked up at the office building covered in green ivy and once again marveled at how working at the Observation Bureau was such an amazing thing. Who knew what this place would look like after hundreds or thousands of years, when time's gentle breeze had blown past, and whether the spirits would change their appearances.

Would the forgetful little fish have fixed her absent-minded habits? Would the self-talking bamboo still remember he once had believers?

Chu Zhishui's gaze fell on the stone round bench under the tree, where Xin Yunmao usually sat to sunbathe. The limestone bench had a touch of green, but its surface was kept clean. It had been there since she joined the bureau and would probably still be there when she left, like a giant rock standing guard in the mountains.

She understood that a hundred years meant little to thousand-year-old spirits, but this was the limit of how far she could touch their years.

Humans wouldn't have endless lifespans; they were better at creating infinity from finite time. She knew he wasn't one of the Observation Bureau's spirits, but she still kept him in the Economic Development Department, hoping to at least create some happy memories within their limited time.

Even if he couldn't completely reconcile with other spirits, at least he would have some comfort when feeling lonely in the future.

A small mortal couldn't manage too many divine matters; at most, she could treat divine beings in human ways while she lived.

Call it her presumption if you will.

In the courtyard, Chu Zhishui found Fu Chengzhuo and began explaining what would happen next: "Mr. Fu, we'll say goodbye to the female spirit who's been bothering you shortly, and then she should stop harassing you."

"Female spirit!?" Fu Chengzhuo was shocked. "Although I had my suspicions, it was actually a spirit?"

He had suspected supernatural events but could never explain why. Finally, he learned the truth about her identity.

Chu Zhishui asked doubtfully: "Haven't you seen her before?"

Fu Chengzhuo shook his head: "No, I just smelled flower fragrance in nightmares and occasionally heard some sounds. I never saw anything."

It seemed the female spirit had never appeared to him in human form. No wonder he was so frightened - spirits in human form were much more normal.

Chu Zhishui nodded in understanding: "Oh, then we'll need to do some cleanup work afterward." She would delete Fu Chengzhuo's memories.

Fu Chengzhuo asked curiously: "But I've never seen her, how can I say goodbye?"

"Don't worry, you're a professional actor, we'll just go through the scene," Chu Zhishui said calmly. "Simply put, it's a tragedy - humans and spirits must part ways. Just act accordingly."

Fu Chengzhuo: "?"

Soon after, the beautiful female spirit changed into gorgeous attire. She wore light makeup and had bright, beautiful eyes. Carrying a fragrance pouch, she was invited into the bureau to formally bid farewell to her beloved under the tree.

The area around the Observation Department had a suppressing effect on spirits. Even though the female spirit was bold by nature, she had only lingered at the entrance these days, never daring to truly venture inside. If she caused trouble inside the Observation Bureau, she would immediately take the wooden elevator to jail - a much more serious offense than harassing Fu Chengzhuo.

Director Miao and the other spirits didn't bother with her, mainly because there was no real cause. The matter was minor, the offense not serious enough - it wasn't very convenient to arrest her.

This female spirit had once told Jin Yu "don't think you're so great just because you passed the test," so it seemed her head was still clear in some aspects. Otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to Chu Zhishui's proposal so quickly.

Under the tree, Chu Zhishui, Jin Yu, and Chen Zhuhui watched from the side while Niu Shi brought some tea and ginger candy. They rather felt like they were watching a play in a theater, eagerly awaiting the final act of this tragic romance between human and spirit.

Fu Chengzhuo had also washed his face. Though initially nervous, he finally relaxed somewhat when he saw the female spirit's appearance - it was far more normal than he had imagined. With rouge lips and powdered face, she was flower-like and beautiful, even considered stunning among humans.

"Fu-lang, I've always been too shy to meet you, but now I understand your feelings," the female spirit said coyly as she handed over a fragrance pouch. "Even if we can't be together despite our love, I will always remember you. This is a fragrance pouch I made - please keep it as a memento."

"Thank you," Fu Chengzhuo quickly accepted it and politely asked, "After everything that's happened, we're about to part ways, yet I don't even know your name?"

The beautiful spirit, appearing in human form for the first time before him, couldn't even make direct eye contact. Looking every bit like a shy young girl, she covered her blushing face and said, "My name is Du Ruoxiang."

The human and spirit began conversing under the tree, their dialogue flowing naturally according to the script.

Fu Chengzhuo was indeed a skilled actor, carrying the scene smoothly until it was time for the farewell.

Chu Zhishui watched the performance while eating candy from her ginger candy jar, occasionally reminding the actors of their progress: "That should be about enough."

"Wait, I have one last small wish," Du Ruoxiang spoke with romantic flair reminiscent of Qiong Yao novels. "Since we may never meet again in this life, could Fu-lang recite that poem - the one related to my name? I'd love to hear it," she said, stealing shy glances at Fu Chengzhuo. "Names are heaven's gift to spirits - if you recite it, I'll surely never forget."

Names held great significance for spirits, and hearing it spoken by one's beloved would naturally feel special.

Fu Chengzhuo looked bewildered and asked, "What poem?"

Du Ruoxiang's expression changed dramatically as she hurriedly said, "The famous poem with my name in it!"

Fu Chengzhuo grew more confused and turned to look at Chu Zhishui, thinking to himself that the director hadn't mentioned this part.

Chu Zhishui was equally surprised by this improvisation and quietly prompted: "By the city's edge where waters flow and peach blossoms pass, beyond the curtain spring breeze carries the fragrance of du ruo."

Since Du Ruoxiang was clearly a flower spirit, this must be the poem.

"Oh, right!" Fu Chengzhuo, following the prompter's cue, quickly tried to get back into character and began, "By the city's..."

But Du Ruoxiang was no longer buying it. She questioned him disapprovingly, "How could you not know this poem? Weren't you supposed to be so learned and talented?"

Chu Zhishui tried to mediate: "Let's be understanding - this isn't a high school exam requirement."

Du Ruoxiang complained, "But Wen Che was incredibly learned, able to recite poetry and prose at will - there was nothing he didn't know!"

Fu Chengzhuo replied helplessly, "I'm sorry, but Wen Che is Wen Che, and I'm Fu Chengzhuo."

Wen Che was a character created by the screenwriter, and all his knowledge of poetry and talents were carefully designed by the writers.

Du Ruoxiang fell into a long silence, one hand on her chin as she stared at Fu Chengzhuo. Finally, her face showed a hint of absurdity as she came to a realization: "Oh my goodness, I'm unfanning! I can't love him anymore - he doesn't understand poetry, his cultural level is too low."

Fu Chengzhuo: "???"

Fu Chengzhuo defended himself indignantly: "No, no, no, I did quite well in my art school entrance exams."

Chu Zhishui quickly pushed the ginger candy jar into his arms and whispered, "Mr. Fu, have some candy and say less. Let's not drag this out - let her completely unfan you with her lamenting."

Who would have thought a peach blossom spirit's feelings could be so fragile, like a sandcastle that crumbles at the slightest breeze - unable to recite one poem and it all falls apart, leaving no trace.

"He's not Wen Che. Wen Che was gentle, patient, and deeply knowledgeable. Though human, he could do anything. How can this person be so... uneducated?" Du Ruoxiang snatched back her fragrance pouch. Finally distinguishing between fiction and reality, she cried out in distress, "How could I have ever liked someone like this!?"

Upon closer inspection, Fu Chengzhuo lacked Wen Che's handsome and dignified bearing, appearing rather thin outside the camera frame. When talking to staff, he seemed rather dim-witted. Besides his good acting, his life skills were poor, and he was quite messy in private.

She had been too obsessed these past few days to notice these telling signs of truth.

"There, there, your fan goggles just broke - it's not a big deal. Go home, get some rest, and tomorrow will be another beautiful day!" Chu Zhishui guided her away, "Let me walk you out of the Bureau."

Fu Chengzhuo, having suffered Du Ruoxiang's disdain for his cultural level, stood numbly holding the ginger candy jar, feeling a mix of emotions as he commented, "Though the problem's solved, I'm not very happy about it."

These spirits were simply impolite - just because he couldn't recite one poem, they immediately launched into harsh criticism!

"Because names are very important to spirits," Jin Yu explained gently. "Could you look this way for a moment?"

Fu Chengzhuo turned his head puzzled, only to have a colored bubble pop against his face with a light burst.

His eyes grew hazy, and his mind became empty, as if a segment of memory had been erased.

At the entrance of the Observation Bureau, Chu Zhishui had been speaking softly throughout, finally getting Du Ruoxiang to the door, just one step away from bringing everything to a perfect conclusion. She said quietly, "Well then, it's getting late, you should head back too."

Hearing her patient tone and observing her cultured demeanor, plus the fact that she could readily recite the poem containing her name, Du Ruoxiang's eyelashes fluttered. Her eyes suddenly grew tender as she secretly glanced at the elegant Chu Zhishui and asked softly, "Do you work here?"

"Yes, why?"

Du Ruoxiang lowered her head shyly and offered her fragrance pouch: "Thank you for helping me understand. Please accept this."

Chu Zhishui: "?"

Chu Zhishui sensed something amiss and gave her a look, declining politely: "That wouldn't be appropriate."

What did this mean? Was it what she thought it meant? Surely the peach blossom spirit couldn't be that fickle?

Du Ruoxiang batted her eyes flirtatiously: "Actually, thinking about it carefully, I wouldn't mind an older sister like you."

Chu Zhishui: "..." Thank you, but given our respective ages, who should call whom 'sister' is debatable.

"May I come visit you at the Bureau in the future?" Du Ruoxiang asked coquettishly. "I heard from that fish that you all work together. I could help out too, no salary needed."

Before Chu Zhishui could refuse, she suddenly saw the spirit's fragrance pouch catch fire and quickly stepped back in shock.

Deep black spiritual flames consumed the pouch and even singed several strands of Du Ruoxiang's beautiful hair, frightening her into a panic as she frantically tried to extinguish the fire!

Xin Yunmao had appeared without warning, his face cold as ice, tightly gripping the Dragon Bone Umbrella. His handsome features emanated frost as he said ominously: "What exactly do you think you can do?"

The world was truly declining - he couldn't understand what was wrong with spirits these days, always trying to flirt with humans when they had nothing better to do!

The Dragon Bone Umbrella's tip pointed directly at Du Ruoxiang's forehead, as overwhelming spiritual pressure forced her to stumble backward in panic.

This was a divine weapon, legendary among spirits, crafted from the bodies of two gods. If human and spirit were to touch, they would be consumed by an unquenchable spiritual flame.

"Don't you have your own believers?" Xin Yunmao was so angered by the flower spirit's shamelessness that he drew his umbrella, sneering, "Why are you coveting my believer?"

Another black flame ignited the ornament in Du Ruoxiang's hair.

"Eek!" Du Ruoxiang frantically patted out the fire, crying out, "Mercy, Divine Lord! Please spare me!"

"If I ever see you in Huaijiang again, I'll burn you to ash for fertilizer!"

Du Ruoxiang was too frightened to even say goodbye, fleeing from the Observation Bureau in a flash.

Watching the flower spirit flee in panic, Chu Zhishui, having experienced this bizarre turn of events, finally had a chance to speak to Xin Yunmao. She forced a laugh and said, "Thank you for the help, Divine Lord."

She really hadn't expected Du Ruoxiang to have such intentions - times were changing, and spirits were different now.

Xin Yunmao glared at her resentfully and said sarcastically, "You'd better really mean that thanks, and not have considered letting her join the department."

"..."

On the street, Fu Chengzhuo awoke from his daze to find himself holding a jar of ginger candy, with a shared bicycle parked nearby. He felt like he was missing part of his memories but couldn't recall what it was, no matter how hard he tried.

He didn't know why he was there, or where the candy and bicycle came from, and could only confusedly take the candy and ride away.

The weather was pleasant, the sky clear, pedestrians strolled leisurely along the street, and the ginger candy in his mouth was sweet and spicy - everything seemed wonderful.

Fu Chengzhuo felt he hadn't experienced such comfort in a long time. After cycling back to the city center, he found time to contact his team members, yet still wandered the streets eating candy, taking in the simple beauty of this modest city.

Occasionally people recognized him, but he didn't mind much - being a workday, the streets weren't crowded enough to cause any obstruction.

Indeed, actors needed to return to real life sometimes. Life in a small city was quite pleasant, and for him, it was quite refreshing.

Moreover, this ginger candy was truly delicious.

Fu Chengzhuo lowered his head to examine the candy jar, the brand unfamiliar, called "Observation Bureau." He couldn't remember where he bought it, and even searched online, but found little information—it appeared to be a new product.

Moments later, his team members rushed over anxiously, saying, "Where did you go? We were worried sick, almost about to contact the police!"

"Why would you need to contact the police?" Fu Chengzhuo felt completely relaxed. After thinking for a moment, he handed over the candy jar, "Oh right, please help me buy more of this candy. I just searched online but couldn't find any results."

Fu Chengzhuo had always been rather dependent on others. He relied on his team for daily matters, solved problems while traveling by throwing money at them, and even usually had his staff help him with shopping.

In Huaijiang City, Fu Chengzhuo wandered the streets eating candy without restraint. Although he wasn't mobbed by passionate fans, people still posted photos of their chance encounters with him online.

[Oh my god! Zhuo Zhuo looks so happy, eating candy like a child. Hope he continues to be this happy!]

[Everyone seems to run into him except me!]

[He's enjoying it so much, I'm getting envious. Has anyone found out the brand? @Fu Chengzhuo Style Blog]

[He really loves this candy, he's been hugging it on set every day. Isn't he worried about getting too much heat in his system?]

[Still haven't tracked down this candy brand.]

[I found it! It's a local ginger candy brand, he probably bought it while shopping!]

[Why isn't the ginger candy company considering him as their spokesperson? He's more enthusiastic about eating this than promoting his own cookie endorsement.]

Meanwhile, sales of the Observation Bureau Brand Flavored Ginger Candy skyrocketed in the livestream channel, with total sales unexpectedly surging past 30,000 units. The product was even rebranded as "Fu Chengzhuo's Choice." Single-handedly, Fu Chengzhuo had made the Observation Bureau's new product go viral.

Chen Zhuhui looked at the new data with delight and read out the buyers' comments to Chu Zhishui: "Sister Zhishui, Fu Chengzhuo's fans are suggesting we consider him as our brand ambassador!"

"Brand ambassador? That's impossible. What if his reputation crashes in the future?" Chu Zhishui responded coldly. "Of course we should just ride this free publicity."