Right now, the project connecting Mosheng and Tao Yijing is a lifestyle column called “White Collar Apartment.” It features the living spaces and daily lives of single professionals in the city. Mosheng handles the photography; Tao Yijing writes the story.

That morning, after they’d wrapped up a shoot, Tao Yijing turned to her. “Let’s grab lunch together. I’m meeting a friend—do you mind tagging along?”

Mosheng hesitated. “You have plans with someone else. I should probably just head back.”

“It’s fine,” Tao Yijing insisted. “If you go back alone, we can’t reimburse your travel expenses easily.”

With no polite way to decline, Mosheng gave in and nodded.

It wasn’t until they reached the restaurant that Mosheng discovered who the mystery guest was: Ge Li—the elegant, ever-composed host of “Legal Time.”

“Sis, this is my colleague Zhao Mosheng, the photographer for this feature,” Tao Yijing introduced. “Ah Sheng, this is Ge Li—my senior from the Journalism Department at C University. She hosts ‘Legal Time.’”

“Nice to meet you,” Ge Li said with a warm, practiced smile.

“Hello,” Mosheng replied politely, though a strange unease crept over her. What a small world.

Ge Li was every bit the modern professional—chic, graceful, with the kind of polished charm that made her seem born to be in front of a camera. After a few pleasantries, she cut straight to the point.

“So, Yijing, you mentioned your magazine wants to interview He Yichen?”

Tao Yijing nodded eagerly. “Yes, senior sister. Could you help make that happen?”

Ge Li raised a brow. “Help? Why me? Don’t you know him personally?”

“We co-hosted a welcome party once, years ago. He graduated right after. I doubt he even remembers me now,” Yijing said, a flicker of disappointment crossing her usually confident face.

Mosheng watched her, sensing an unfamiliar vulnerability in the usually poised writer. Something inside her shifted.

Ge Li grinned mischievously. “Oh, don’t sell yourself short. Beautiful faces tend to stick in people’s minds.”

“Senior!” Yijing protested, flustered. “Just tell me—will you help or not?”“Of course I’ll help,” Ge Li replied, still smiling slyly. “Besides, He Yichen’s still single, isn’t he? You might want to shoot your shot. He’s a real catch—handsome, brilliant, and with a reputation for being utterly reliable. Trust me, the man’s flawless.”

“Senior sister! Not in front of my colleague!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll behave,” Ge Li laughed, finally turning to Mosheng. “Don’t mind me, Miss Zhao. We’re always like this.”

Mosheng gave a faint smile and looked down, quietly stirring her coffee, wishing she could vanish into the steam.

Yijing changed the subject. “Sister, why do you think our magazine wants to feature someone like him?”

Ge Li leaned forward playfully. “Well, if a magazine ran a story on a young, handsome, wildly successful professional with a top university degree—yeah, I’d definitely buy a copy. Probably wouldn’t even tell my husband.”

They all laughed—except Mosheng, who barely managed a smile.

“But in all seriousness,” Ge Li continued, “given He Yichen’s personality, he might not agree to something like this. I had to work really hard to get him on ‘Legal Time.’”

She paused, her tone shifting slightly. “But then again… maybe he would be open to it. I remember something strange from our first meeting…”

Ge Li drifted into memory. “When I approached him about being a guest on the show, he seemed a little… lost in thought. He muttered something like, ‘Does this count as standing in a conspicuous place?’ At the time, I thought he was just musing aloud.”

She looked thoughtful. “Maybe he’s not as low-key as people think. When I told him the show had high ratings, he repeated quietly, ‘So a lot of people will see it…’”

Mosheng’s hand froze on her coffee cup.

Ge Li didn’t notice. “Looking back, maybe public attention means more to him than he lets on.”

She smiled and added, “In any case, I’ll talk to him for you.”