Chapter 12

In front of a mansion in the western part of the main city district, movers carefully transported precious items from the truck into the house.

Inside the grand hall, Jinwen was in exceptionally high spirits after moving into his new residence. To be precise, his mood hadn’t been anything less than excellent since leaving the Marshal’s residence.

Jinwen was currently carefully hanging an oil painting on the wall, stepping back a few paces to admire it with satisfaction.

The painting depicted a beautiful young man dancing atop a music box.

This artwork had been created by an artist after watching the latest episode of *Exchange Life*, later reposted by an account called “Music Box Baby Observation Diary” which gained significant popularity. Jinwen had stumbled upon it and immediately purchased it at a premium price.

This was how he discovered that the little fellow he’d met at the bathhouse had actually appeared on Joseph’s variety show, albeit as an extra character.

Though the tiny figure on the show lacked goat horns and wore a mask… that silhouette, those eyes—he’d recognized them instantly!

Jinwen had been occupied with his new mansion and family affairs recently. By the time he’d sorted through all the chaos, he couldn’t find any trace of the little one anywhere. Eventually, he only managed to obtain contact information for the small one’s friend through a scrap yard owner.

During this search, Jinwen’s emotions had fluctuated wildly!

The mere thought of that petite body scavenging through trash, recycling waste, and taking on various odd jobs filled him with profound distress!

Find him immediately! Arrange the best possible job for him!

As soon as the room emptied, Jinwen sprang into action.

The video call connected, and he went straight to the point, asking the person named Lin En whether he knew the music box performer from *Exchange Life*.

The response was wary: “Who are you?”

Jinwen tried to be as sincere as possible: “It’s a long story. We met at the bathhouse, but he left so suddenly that day…”

Unexpectedly, the other party exploded with anger: “You—you dare harass Mi Mi?!”

“Ah, I think you misunderstand. I heard he doesn’t have stable work, and I really wanted to offer—”

“Disgusting!” Lin En spat through gritted teeth. “Our Mi Mi would never do that kind of work! He’s currently working somewhere far away with excellent benefits! Mi Mi has a bright future ahead, and you—you revolting scum—stay away from him! Or I’ll report you to the authorities!”

With that, the call ended abruptly.

“……” The so-called scum Jinwen stared down at his disconnected Optical Brain, then back at the painting before him.

Only then did he notice that the screen below the painting reflected his heavily tattooed arms…

These tattoos had been his rebellious statement against his family. He’d taken off his shirt earlier while organizing items due to exhaustion.

No wonder he’d been mistaken for some creep harassing Mi Mi…

…Wait, Mi Mi?!

So that was his name!!!

Utterly! Adorable!

After his excitement subsided, concern quickly took over: “He’s so small… working far away? Will he really be alright?”

Soon, however, Jinwen’s worries were displaced by another nuisance.

An uninvited guest had arrived at his new home.

Seeing the visitor, he instinctively frowned.

It was Jim, Joseph’s personal secretary.

The man offered a polite smile and cut straight to the point upon entering: “His Highness Joseph would like to invite you to participate in a new program.”

“My apologies, but I have no interest in appearing on television.”

“This is a concept personally devised by His Highness. At least hear the details before refusing.”

He chuckled inwardly, really wanting to suggest that His Highness Joseph might find better success chasing his dreams in the entertainment industry.

Jim said, “The inspiration for this new program came from the audience response after that episode of ‘Exchange Life.’ We realized the public knows very little about the Sina Star People outside the main city district who are vastly different from us. As long as we carefully select some rare, short, or oddly-shaped Sina Star People from outside the main district and pair them with noble guests to complete various tasks together—two completely different individuals overcoming challenges side by side… The show will be called ‘Different But Alright.’ Honestly, I can already predict how many unique Sina Star People this program will make famous.”

“Star-making, huh?” Jinwen’s already indifferent expression turned even uglier. “You don’t actually think you can create another Music Box darling, do you?”

“No, the focus of this show isn’t star-making but the guests. After all, we’re not actually running an entertainment company.”

“?”

“When a noble royal prince lowers himself to become friends, family, or even lovers with a country bumpkin from afar, the support the prince gains will be beyond anything you can imagine…”

It might even create a stark contrast with the aloof and unapproachable Crown Prince.

Jinwen’s gaze darkened as he fully understood.

…What a clever tactic.

Though inwardly scornful, he showed none of it on his face.

“Young Master Jinwen, I know what you’re thinking. Your family has already made their choice. Trying to break away now would draw far too much attention.” Jim gave him a meaningful look. “You should really think this through.”

Jinwen wanted to laugh, but before he could speak, the image of that tiny figure soaking in the hot spring flashed through his mind… The world outside the main city district was vast, with entirely different systems and rules. If he left his family now, he had no confidence he could ever find that person again.

After a moment of deep thought, an idea struck him.

Since this was a prime-time show targeting all Sina Star People, why not take advantage of this opportunity to send a signal to Mi Mi, who might very well be watching?

“I’ll participate! But on one condition,” Jinwen stood and approached him. “I won’t pair up with any of the people you’ve selected. I’ll be a lone wolf.”

“…What?”

“Isn’t a contrast what you want? A lone wolf would make the perfect counterpoint to your heartwarming pairings, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

*

At five in the afternoon, You Mi and Anshus sat facing each other at the dining table for dinner.

One more bite, and it would be time to clock out!

Satisfied, You Mi wiped his mouth with a napkin, set down his chopsticks, and stood to nod at Anshus. “I’ll take my leave now. See you later.”

“…” The other party clearly froze for a moment.

It was still early, and You Mi wanted to take advantage of his free time to stroll around the estate. Waving goodbye to the motionless monster, he left the dining room without looking back and stepped outside.

The air was wonderfully fresh. You Mi took a deep breath of the floral-scented breeze before shoving his hands into his pockets and walking cheerfully along the path lined with white wooden railings.

Before he could reach the main road, a servant hurried over and stopped him. “Mr. You Mi, Lord Carl wishes to see you. Please come with me.”

Noticing the other party’s hurried demeanor, You Mi’s expression also turned serious. He quickened his pace to keep up with the attendant: “Did I make any mistakes in my work today?”

The attendant paused, shaking his head quickly, and soon led him to what was clearly a garage.

As soon as he reached the entrance, You Mi was dazzled by the luxury vehicles inside.

In front of several massive luxury cars designed for the Sina Star People’s physique were two rows of colorful children’s electric toy cars.

However, these “children’s cars” in the eyes of the Sina Star People were slightly smaller four-wheeled sedans to You Mi.

Carl signaled for the attendant to leave before turning to explain to You Mi: “Here’s the thing. Our staff held a meeting this afternoon. Considering the large area here and your lack of a driver’s license, we arranged some vehicles for your convenience. They just arrived. These… should be suitable, right? Although they’re electric toy cars, no license is required.”

You Mi looked at the cars again, taking a moment to process the situation: “I don’t need this many.” Feeling overwhelmed by the gesture, he straightened his hands behind his back before pointing at one of them and asking, “Can I use this red sports car?”

“Of course! Absolutely! All of these are yours. Would you like to try it now?”

You Mi nodded shyly.

Carl immediately opened the car door for him and handed him a red key: “Please be careful.”

A few minutes later, a red electric toy car drove straight out of the garage.

It was You Mi’s first time driving, so he gripped the steering wheel tightly, moving at a leisurely pace.

The speed of the car reminded him of what he imagined a “senior citizen’s scooter” would feel like.

The red sports car soon entered the tree-lined path of the estate. Roses bloomed on both sides of the road, while vast stretches of lawn stretched into the distance. The golden twilight on the horizon made it feel like a dream.

The feeling of cruising was wonderful.

You Mi felt refreshed and began to enjoy the ride. Instinctively, he pressed the music button, only for a noisy children’s song to blare out instantly: “Ah ah ah, I’m the driving driver, ah ah ah, I’m the best little driver…”

Startled, You Mi quickly turned it off.

Carl, who had been jogging behind, caught up and asked, “How do you find it? Is the speed just right?”

You Mi nodded: “The speed is perfect, and the seat is very comfortable.”

Just then, heavy footsteps suddenly sounded from around the corner ahead, moving urgently. He quickly honked the horn and slammed on the brakes.

The little red sports car screeched to a halt.

The footsteps were now right in front of him, and a pair of scaly legs stepped onto the road ahead.

A towering monster, like a giant tree, stood firmly in front of the small car.

“Your Highness Anshus? What are you doing here?” Carl asked in surprise.

Anshus ignored Carl, instead looking down at the small car and You Mi inside.

His narrowed pupils flickered slightly.

You Mi exhaled in relief, still shaken.

Although the car’s speed was slow and likely wouldn’t hurt anyone even if it hit something, he was still afraid of causing an accident.

He looked up at the monster apologetically: “Are you okay? Sorry, it’s my first day driving…”

“……”

Anshus silently stared at the tiny convertible before him. The wings on his back trembled slightly as he rasped, “Where are you going?”

You Mi replied, “I wanted to visit the big garden over there and practice driving at the same time.”

The monster stared at him for a moment, then suddenly took a step back, turned around, and began walking forward. After a few steps, it glanced back at him again.

You Mi was puzzled. He had been waiting for Anshus to leave completely so he could practice driving.

At this moment, Carl had already calmed his heart, which had been trembling from cuteness. He quickly explained, “His Highness Anshus intends to guide you, Mr. You Mi. Just drive and follow His Highness.”

“Won’t I crash into him?”

“Huh? Oh… absolutely not!”

You Mi looked at the monster glancing back again and had no choice but to press the ignition button, grip the steering wheel, and follow along with a “beep beep beep.”