CHAPTER 120

A few days later, Xiaoyuan went out for interviews and photoshoots—this time by invitation from "Marie Claire," one of China's top five fashion magazines. For Xiaoyuan, this was undeniable recognition. Not coming from the idol track but purely through her work as an actress, such an opportunity was rare among young actresses and marked a career milestone.

Ruan Qing took it extremely seriously, accompanying her personally.

When they arrived, the magazine's deputy editor came to greet them, exchanging pleasantries with warm smiles.

Watching Xiaoyuan getting her makeup done, Ruan Qing joked, "This is my kid's first major magazine feature—had to come supervise."

The deputy editor laughed, "What's there to worry about?" She signaled an assistant to bring the interview questions. "See? Perfectly standard stuff."

Ruan Qing skimmed the document quickly. "Just teasing! With you overseeing things, of course I'm not worried."

"Tsk, your girl's really making waves! Didn't you just land her the L'Oréal spokesperson deal for her?"

So it was the brand's influence giving Xiaoyuan this boost—Ruan Qing understood now, giving the editor a knowing wink. "October?"

In the fashion magazine industry, there's a saying: "Golden September, Silver October." The September cover always features the most influential supermodels, celebrities, or commercially valuable actors in the entertainment industry, while October comes second but remains equally significant.

Xiaoyuan probably didn't have enough clout for these prime months yet, so Ruan Qing was just testing the waters half-seriously.

The deputy editor smiled and winked at her, "November."

Not bad at all, Ruan Qing was satisfied. At least they'd unlocked the door to first-tier magazines.

After a busy day, it was already dark when they got in the car. The team went for dinner, and by the end of the meal, Xiaoyuan was starting to yawn.

"Oh, by the way, the day after tomorrow, there's another magazine interview—you'll be doing it with Chenying." Ruan Qing checked her phone's memo.

Xiaoyuan never kept track of these things but asked curiously, "Which magazine?"

"Figaro," Ruan Qing said with a grin. Domestic fashion magazines had their hierarchy—the "Big Five and Small Two" were first-tier, and Figaro was one of the "Small Two."

"You never mentioned that to me before?"

"That's right, this is your senior sister taking you along. Might as well take advantage of the opportunity!"

"Ah? Isn't that a bit... inappropriate?" Xiaoyuan scratched her cheek. "They didn't actually want to interview me, did they?"

"Don't be silly! If they really didn't want you, they could have politely declined. But the magazine happily agreed!"

"But I feel like I might be troubling Sister Chenying too much..."

"She's your senior—it's natural for her to look out for you. What's the big..." Ruan Qing suddenly paused, wondering if Xiaoyuan's hesitation meant someone else might mind.

She tentatively asked, "Sweetie, do you really not want to do this?"

Xiaoyuan hesitated. "It's not that... It's just that turning it down would seem ungrateful to Sister Chenying's kindness."

Ruan Qing nodded approvingly. "That's more like it!"

Surely that person wouldn't be so petty? Besides, He Chenying was as straight as steel!

The scheduled shoot was two days later. He Chenying and Xiang Xiaoyuan took three photos together—one would be selected for the cover, while the rest would feature as solo shots inside.

The editor had them sit together for a casual chat.

Since this wasn't a film or TV-focused magazine, after a few standard questions, the conversation turned to lighter topics that the general public preferred.

"So you two are senior and junior sisters now? You must be quite close?"

"We get along really well," He Chenying said with a smile, glancing at Xiaoyuan. "Right?"

"Sister Chenying has always been my idol!" Xiaoyuan nodded. "When we were filming together, she took great care of me."

"You two have collaborated twice now—what a wonderful coincidence!"

"During the filming of 'The Long Night,' my son also made a cameo appearance, so we've actually been in three productions together." He Chenying added with a smile.

The editor naturally followed up by asking Xiaoyuan a few questions about "The Long Night."

The atmosphere remained warm and friendly as they shared amusing anecdotes about He Chenying's son Ranran, laughter filling the air intermittently.

With a smile, the editor asked them about their impressions of each other and what kind of person they thought the other was.

"Xiaoyuan is very pure, delicate, sensitive, and incredibly talented," He Chenying began, her gaze tender as she spoke, making Xiaoyuan almost shy to meet her eyes.

The editor chuckled, "Alright, now it's Xiaoyuan's turn."

"Sister Chenying is an excellent actress, a wonderful mother," Xiaoyuan said with a slight smile, "and a very gentle woman."

"Oh my, such praise is making me blush!" He Chenying laughed heartily, though she showed no actual signs of embarrassment.

"Xiaoyuan is spot on—she's captured all your qualities. Truly sensitive and delicate! By the way, Xiaoyuan, I'm curious about your family background. What was it like growing up?"

Xiaoyuan's smile faded slightly, her expression shifting almost imperceptibly.

Both the editor and He Chenying noticed.

Quickly, Xiaoyuan smiled again. "I grew up with my older brother. He's the only family I have."

Her words revealed more than she might have intended.

The editor, seasoned in such matters, smoothly steered the conversation toward lighthearted topics, easing the brief moment of tension. He Chenying played along, though her peripheral glance caught Xiaoyuan secretly clenching her thumb and forefinger beside her.

Soon, the atmosphere lightened once more.

"Xiaoyuan, the themes of your recent projects have been quite heavy, not the lighthearted romance type..." the editor continued.

"Mainly because I haven't received such scripts..." Xiaoyuan scratched her head sheepishly.

"Neither have I," He Chenying sighed with a wry smile. "At my age, it's probably hard to land romantic roles."

They shared a laugh over their mutual predicament.

"So, what's your ideal type in real life? What kind of men do you like?"

Xiaoyuan hesitated. He Chenying exhaled softly and turned to her. "This is a question we actors get asked a lot. I used to hear it all the time when I was younger."

The editor couldn't help but laugh. "You're still young now! Why don't you share your criteria first?"

He Chenying thought seriously for a moment. "I don't really have specific standards. I go by feeling—when I meet someone and fall for them, my instincts will tell me."

The editor smirked, half-teasing, half-complaining, "I thought as much. Your last two partners were polar opposites in looks and personality!"

He Chenying took the teasing with grace, both women laughing while Xiaoyuan, not wanting to laugh outright at her senior, lowered her eyes with a suppressed smile.

Turning to the photographer, the editor said, "Make sure to put up photos of Director Chen Yunxiu and Mr. Huo Bijun later—the audience will understand exactly what I mean when they see the contrast!"

The entire studio burst into laughter.

When it was Xiaoyuan's turn to be asked, she thought for a moment before slowly answering, "I prefer someone older than me." She mentally summarized Wei Zhuang's characteristics but couldn't be too obvious. "Someone who can give me a sense of security, especially emotional security, and who inspires me—both in life and career..."

Her eyes unconsciously softened as she added, "And they have to be good-looking!"

Only then did she notice He Chenying and the editor staring at her. The editor smiled knowingly, "That sounds like you're describing a specific person, doesn't it?"

Xiaoyuan's heart skipped a beat as she hurriedly waved her hands, "No, no, not at all."

He Chenying also gave Xiaoyuan a meaningful look.

......

This was the prestigious September cover, to be released in August.

Xiaoyuan never expected it would be the September cover and was shocked in the car on the way back. "Oh my god!"

Ruan Qing shook her head in admiration, "Your senior is really amazing. You absolutely have to treat her to dinner!"

Xiaoyuan nodded vigorously.

Ruan Qing initially thought that since the Magnolia Awards ceremony was tomorrow night and He Chenying was one of the presenters, it would be the perfect opportunity to arrange a gathering.

But then she reconsidered—Xiaoyuan might have private plans, so it was better not to make arrangements for her.

"Are you going home?"

"Mm, I am."

With the awards ceremony tomorrow and preparations starting early in the morning, she wouldn't go to Wei Zhuang's place and would return directly to her own home.

"Get some rest early tonight. I'll be with you tomorrow too."

"Mm-hmm." Xiaoyuan responded, rolling down the car window slightly to breathe in the fragrant magnolia scent lining the streets.

Only when truly summarizing the traits of someone she liked did she realize details she'd never noticed before.

Because her heart held someone dear, because she felt attached to that person, everything in life and the world took on a new perspective—a fresh sensory experience. Like now, as she gazed at the night, at the moonlight casting shadows on the magnolia trees, inhaling the floral scent, her thoughts inevitably drifted to that special someone.

The warmth and sweetness in her heart couldn't be contained, bubbling up into a smile on her lips.

When she got home, she called Wei Zhuang and chatted for a while.

Xiaoyuan asked, "Are you going to the Magnolia Awards tomorrow?"

Wei Zhuang typically didn't attend such events—other directors from Tonghua would go—and she already had prior business arrangements this year. "I have other plans tomorrow..."

Xiaoyuan pouted slightly. If she won an award, she'd love to see Wei Zhuang's face when accepting it on stage. Just as she felt a pang of disappointment, the woman said, "Shall I pick you up when it's over?"

Xiaoyuan brightened immediately. "Yes!"

She casually lay back on the sofa, telling her about today's interview, about how He Chenying took good care of her, and how she was asked about her ideal type.

Xiaoyuan deliberately paused here, trying to build suspense.

But Wei Zhuang clearly wasn't falling for it. In the end, Xiaoyuan lost patience. "Fine, you'll know when the interview comes out."

Wei Zhuang simply hummed softly.

"Oh, and I realized something while answering the questions today," Xiaoyuan said excitedly, sharing details she hadn't mentioned in the interview. "When I first learned I'd be playing Liang Ji, I spent so much time rehearsing at home."

Most of the time, Liang Ji spent most of his time with downcast eyes, his emotions not outwardly expressed, yet he couldn't truly be expressionless. His inner emotions had to be conveyed through subtle details.

Xiaoyuan initially struggled with this balance, until she realized it was quite similar to her first impression of Wei Zhuang's demeanor.

"You actually inspired me," Xiaoyuan said with a smile. "Thank you."

She waited for Wei Zhuang's response, but the silence stretched so long that Xiaoyuan began to feel a faint unease.

Then came the voice, light and indifferent as a passing breeze: "Oh. Is that so?"

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