After initially resolving the matter with the Lu family, the system’s progress bar returned to moving at a snail’s pace, with only a 1% increase possible over several months.

However, Xu Wenyin also knew that such matters couldn’t be rushed. She continued to make money and take care of Xu Youyou as usual, occasionally discussing AI issues with Mu Heyao, just like before.

In this respect, Mu Heyao was also experiencing a bottleneck period. Despite his intelligence, he was limited by the technological advancements of his time, unable to produce certain things quickly.

Xu Wenyin was also constrained by the rules and couldn’t directly tell him the answer. It seemed like overcoming this hurdle would take some time. She wondered if there was any hope for a breakthrough this year.

Xu Wenyin had initially been afraid of the ‘virus’ suddenly attacking, causing her to lose her sanity and normal operational abilities. However, during this period, she had been consistently behaving normally, leading her to consider the possibility that it might not actually involve a virus after all.

Unfortunately, Xu Wenyin couldn’t discuss or communicate this issue with others. She could only follow the example of female leads in dramas and write in her diary.

In case something did happen in the future, Xu Youyou could find solace in the fact that Xu Wenyin had left her diary in the safe inside her room.

「April 6, Wednesday, Sunny.

Today, out of the blue, Youyou asked me where she came from. I took out the physiology book I had prepared long ago and explained to the little one the process of a child’s birth.

The result was that it scared the little one, and she cried, repeatedly asking if Mom was hurt.

Ah, so cute~」

「April 22, Sunday, Rainy.

Youyou wanted to play in the water outside, and I agreed.

As a result, she secretly took off her rain hat, and her hair got all wet. I wanted to scold her for doing something that could make her sick, but I wasn’t successful.

PS. She looked at me with a pitiful expression, making it really hard for me to scold her harshly.

PPS. I couldn’t do it, so I had to ask Yiyi to help me scold her a bit. Yiyi said I’m beyond help.」

「May 12, Monday, Sunny.

Progress is still not going smoothly. Youyou, if you ever come across this diary in the future, don’t worry. Mom is a fairy in the sky and will definitely find a solution. Be good, grow up well, eat on time, and one day, Mom will come back.

PS. If you ever decide to get married, make sure to keep your eyes wide open! Never marry a man who says he loves you but ends up hurting you!」

As Xu Wenyin’s diary gradually thickened, Xu Youyou and her little friends also officially became children in the big class.

The big class of kindergarten was also called the ‘Transition to Primary School’ class. In order to help the children better adapt to primary school life, the schedule and some activities were gradually becoming more similar to those of primary school.

For example, playtime had been significantly reduced. Fortunately, Xu Youyou and her friends had been learning under the guidance of their private teachers before, so they had already adapted to the mode of attentively listening for thirty to forty minutes without fidgeting, unlike typical children who might start moving around after just a few minutes.

———pr

“Time really flies, doesn’t it?”

On this day, Qin Yiren and Xu Wenyin sat under the gazebo in the garden, watching as Lu Chenjun and Xu Youyou followed through with the training assigned by their instructor. Despite their chubby baby faces, they looked serious, meticulously mimicking each movement with every punch and kick, looking quite decent.

“I read in a book that when people express such sentiments, it’s usually because they feel they’re getting old.” Xu Wenyin took a bite of the cake and said, “I’m different. I feel like time is passing quite slowly for me.”

Calculating everything, it’s still another twelve or thirteen years before the plot officially begins, not to mention another ten years after the plot starts. Xu Youyou was still so young; there was plenty of time ahead.

“Tch, I’m not old!” Qin Yiren, perhaps from spending too much time with Xu Wenyin, became more direct and less inclined to beat around the bush. “This lady is still a flower at thirty.”

“Hahaha.” Xu Wenyin couldn’t help but burst into laughter when she saw Qin Yiren’s proud expression. Then, Qin Yiren grabbed her face and solemnly rubbed it a few times.

“Is this molestation?” Xu Wenyin asked, her speech slightly unclear.

“You never go to the beauty salon, and I don’t see you doing much skincare either. How come your skin looks so good? You look like an eighteen-year-old girl.” Qin Yiren’s skin was good too, but she knew she invested heavily in it.

The money she spent on skincare products alone each year would be enough to buy a villa in Jiang City.

But as for Xu Wenyin, she never goes to the beauty salon, and her usual skincare routine……

Wait a minute! She doesn’t seem to have seen Xu Wenyin use any skincare products at all.

“Quick, take me to see your dressing table!”

With Butler Qin watching the children, Xu Wenyin, feeling puzzled, led Qin Yiren to her room.

There weren’t many things in the room. It could be described as minimalist, but in reality, it was quite spacious, to the point of feeling somewhat lifeless.

The first thing Qin Yiren saw was the computer, which Xu Wenyin used to make a living.

The rest of the desk was empty!

“You don’t use any moisturizers, eye creams, serums, or facial masks?”

Xu Wenyin: “……Huh?”

The long list of things almost made Xu Wenyin dizzy.

Of course, she wasn’t so clueless as to not know about those things. After all, even if she didn’t pay attention, there were advertisements for those products everywhere, even on TV. Although Xu Youyou was young, the things she used were all carefully selected by Xu Wenyin.

There were children’s moisturizers, children’s sunscreen, and so on. Such an adorable little face shouldn’t get sunburned.

But what did those things have to do with Xu Wenyin?

Her body was made up of energy, and it refreshes every day after being depleted, just like a fixed program that never changes. She doesn’t gain weight no matter how much she eats, and her face doesn’t wrinkle and age like ordinary people. So what’s the point of using those?

It would be a waste of time and money.

In the face of Qin Yiren’s surprise, Xu Wenyin calmly said, “I’m born with natural beauty!”

Qin Yiren, who was shown off by her best friend: “……”

She had heard that some people never used any skincare products yet still had great skin, supposedly because of genetics. Qin Yiren figured that even if she envied them, there was nothing she could do about it. After all, she couldn’t exactly swap out her genes.

With Xu Wenyin’s natural gift, Qin Yiren couldn’t help but sigh, “Comparing oneself to others really can be infuriating!”

The fact that it could make Miss Qin, who was born into a well-off family and had a head start on most people, utter such words, really shows just how enviable Xu Wenyin’s genes were.

Accepting the praise, Xu Wenyin and Qin Yiren exchanged a few more jokes. While they maintained a lighthearted demeanor on the surface, this incident served as a reminder to Xu Wenyin, and she quietly made a mental note of it.

She at least needed to buy some basic skincare products to maintain appearances. Besides, being young meant it didn’t really matter much. However, in a couple of years, if her face still remained unchanged, she wouldn’t be able to fool anyone anymore.

Xu Wenyin needed to adjust her program every year or two, at least to show a slow aging process. Otherwise, she’d end up being captured and studied for the secret of her ‘eternal youth’.

“Speaking of which, we’ve known each other for so long, and yet we’ve never gone shopping together?”

Perhaps feeling a bit stirred up by the skincare matter, Qin Yiren noticed something else. “You may be a homebody, but surely you’re not this much of one, right? It seems like you also rarely take Youyou out shopping.”

Xu Wenyin calmly replied, “Most of the time I buy things online. I don’t like crowded places.”

She knew that once relationships became too close, it was easy to uncover issues.

After all, Xu Wenyin could only be physically active for three hours a day. Even though she used being homebound and busy with work as excuses, sometimes it made people speculate more.

Fortunately, Qin Yiren’s imagination surely wouldn’t stretch far enough to guess Xu Wenyin’s identity as a system.

She just felt that Xu Wenyin should go out more often to relax and unwind. Otherwise, staying cooped up in the room all the time could lead to an increasing resistance to interacting with people outside.

Qin Yiren didn’t want Xu Wenyin to become a recluse. From her perspective, Xu Wenyin didn’t seem like someone with social anxiety either.

Besides, there was Youyou. No matter how many children there were in kindergarten, they were still different from people in society.

Even Qin Yiren herself would grab the busy Lu Weizheng for a family outing, go to the mall, have a meal together outside, or watch a movie.

With Qin Yiren’s family background, there was nothing they couldn’t have delivered to their doorstep. Food was abundant, and they even had a home theater on the second floor of the villa. The reason she was willing to spend time on the road was simply to let the child experience more of the outside world.

Although it seemed like every time, she and Weizheng were the ones having the most fun, while Juanjuan……

Lu Chenjun calmly acted as though he was the parent taking the children out to play.

Xu Wenyin thought Qin Yiren had a point.

She now had more free time to move around, but the frequency of taking Youyou out to play had decreased significantly.

Children still need to interact more with the outside world to ensure healthy physical and mental development.

Prompted by Qin Yiren’s suggestion, Xu Wenyin decided on the spot that she would take Xu Youyou out for a good stroll around Jiang City on Sunday.

Qin Yiren: “……” There’s no need to rush.

———pr

But the next day, everything seemed to be going smoothly, until Xu Wenyin was strolling down the street with Xu Youyou, each holding candied hawthorns when they were stopped by a middle-aged man.

Xu Wenyin immediately lifted Xu Youyou with one hand and took a big step back, as if ready to run away at the slightest sign of aggression from the man.

The man said, “……Mrs., don’t be nervous. I just think your daughter is adorable. Would you be interested in having her play a role in our movie? Here’s my business card.”

According to the man, he’s a film producer, currently shooting a movie in Jiang City. The production team had originally cast a five-year-old child star to play the daughter of the female lead. However, the child injured her foot while playing and was unable to continue filming.

The injury might take more than a month or two to heal, and making a movie was already a costly endeavor. Although the child’s role wasn’t extensive, it included several important scenes. It would be best if the replacement could keep up with the filming schedule.

But they’ve auditioned dozens of children and haven’t found the right fit. If it’s not possible, they would just have to wait until the injured child recovers.

Who would have thought that while he was casually walking out of the hotel, he would see a little girl who fit the requirements perfectly, especially the way she was eating candied hawthorns with her mother, which was exactly like a scene in the movie.

The key was that this little girl actually bears a resemblance to the female lead, making it even more perfect.

Without hesitation, the producer approached and handed over his business card.

“Rest assured, we’re a legitimate film crew. And…… just between us, don’t tell anyone, okay? The male lead of our movie is Wei Dong, and the female lead is Yao Fanyu. You know them, right? This film is going for international awards!”

“I don’t.” Xu Wenyin was not at all polite. She was completely ignorant of the entertainment industry, and the person she was most familiar with was Gu Yi.

In recent years, his son, Gu Weiyi, occasionally sends things over, and Xu Youyou also reciprocates. Should she say they’re long-distance friends?

Producer: “……”

“Anyway, if she’s successfully selected, it’ll be a big help for your child’s future!”

The producer didn’t expect to encounter someone so calm upon hearing the names Wei Dong and Yao Fanyu. These two were veteran actor and actress, with fans that could encircle the entire Hua Country several times over, ranging from elderly people to young children. Who doesn’t like them?

He didn’t think that Xu Wenyin’s lack of knowledge was genuine. He thought she didn’t believe him and deliberately wanted to end the conversation.

Probably because Xu Youyou’s appearance fit the requirements too perfectly, the producer couldn’t help but say a few more words, almost to the point of wanting to bring the child in front of the actor and actress to prove he wasn’t a bad person.

Originally, the daughter of the actress Yao Fanyu would have been suitable. She’s already a somewhat famous child star, but she’s two years older now, which doesn’t quite fit the storyline.

Another thing was that the director once privately mentioned to him that the eyes of Yao Fanyu’s daughter were too mature, lacking the innocent and carefree feeling of a child. If she were to insist on acting, it might……

Both the director and the producer were aiming for awards with this film, so naturally, they didn’t want to overlook any details.

“Alright, I believe you.” Xu Wenyin looked down at Xu Youyou. “Youyou, do you want to do it? It’s like performing in a fairy tale play in your kindergarten.”

Xu Youyou hesitated. She was still young and didn’t understand what it meant to appear in a movie.

But it sounded like it could be a lot of fun.

So Xu Wenyin said they would consider it and promised to give a reply before noon the next day. Then she asked some questions about the filming schedule, location, and other details.

The producer agreed and provided answers to all her questions.

Since they were willing to wait for the originally scheduled child to recover, they certainly wouldn’t mind waiting for an extra day or so.

Having been in the entertainment industry for so long, the producer had some insights when it came to people. He could tell from the attire and demeanor of the mother and daughter that they came from an affluent background. It was unlikely that they could be swayed by money alone, especially since the role wasn’t like those of the leading actors and actresses, which might only pay a few tens of thousands at most. The main focus was on the child’s future development.

Upon returning home, Xu Wenyin took Xu Youyou to the Qin’s house for her lessons while she herself began searching for information about the movie.

Many things that ordinary netizens might not know couldn’t be hidden from Xu Wenyin’s eyes.

Then she came across the information about the female lead.

Yao Fanyu, thirty-five years old this year, had a daughter who was seven years old, named Yao Yunyou.

The world was indeed small!

Xu Wenyin wanted to sneer, but she forgot she no longer had a physical body, so she could only emit a cold snort.

Yao Fanyu must have changed her name later on. Otherwise, Xu Wenyin wouldn’t have forgotten the name of the white moonlight’s mother.

After all, she had read the plot countless times.

Yao Yunyou was the daughter of a movie queen and a well-known director. Although her parents were divorced and she lives with her mother, this doesn’t affect her unique position in the entertainment industry.

Debuting as a child star, Yao Yunyou possesses both acting skills and good looks, earning her the affectionate title of ‘Nation’s Daughter’ from fans.

She was also the white moonlight of the male protagonist, Lu Haoyu. Although they’ve never explicitly been together because Yao Yunyou had always kept a certain distance from Lu Haoyu. She expressed she had always seen Lu Haoyu as her best friend.

Yao Yunyou was very clever. She understood that the so-called white moonlight was only a white moonlight when it was unattainable. For someone like Lu Haoyu, once he attained it, it would just turn into white rice.

Later, Yao Yunyou resolved to go abroad to seek her own path, which led to Lu Haoyu feeling desolate for some time. It wasn’t until he saw Xu Youyou, who bore some resemblance to Yao Yunyou, that he found solace.

As the plot progressed to the middle, Yao Yunyou returned, ostensibly missing Lu Haoyu. However, the truth was that she couldn’t establish herself abroad and faced criticism from directors. She even had to perform many action scenes herself.

Having been sheltered by her movie queen mother and director father since childhood, Yao Yunyou couldn’t handle the hardships.

Upon her return, Yao Yunyou naturally felt unhappy seeing Lu Haoyu with a look-alike substitute.

But Yao Yunyou was clever. She wouldn’t overtly show her unhappiness. Instead, she would subtly use ambiguous words to evoke Lu Haoyu’s longing for his white moonlight.

By then, the Lu family had undergone over a decade of development, and their assets and influence could be said to be unmatched in Hua Country. Lu Haoyu, as the sole heir, was considered by many as the epitome of a wealthy and powerful young man. For Yao Yunyou to make such a golden boy go crazy for her was indeed something to be proud of.

Hence, she wouldn’t allow Lu Haoyu to fall in love with someone else.

There were only men she didn’t want, no men could be taken away from her.

So, under Yao Yunyou’s excellent acting skills, Xu Youyou suffered a lot.

If it weren’t for Yao Yunyou’s tragic death due to difficult childbirth in the end, Xu Youyou wouldn’t have stood a chance against her.

But even with Yao Yunyou’s death, she wouldn’t have let Xu Youyou off so easily.

Yao Yunyou left behind a child with Lu Haoyu. The child was conceived through some scheme, but it couldn’t be denied that the child belonged to Lu Haoyu.

At that time, Xu Youyou also suffered a miscarriage due to Ruan Rourou’s scheme and was thereafter unable to conceive. When Lu Haoyu brought the child back, he said, “From now on, he is our child. Youyou, you’re a mother now.”

Blegh—

Even the system felt disgusted by that statement.

By that time, Xu Youyou’s spirit was nearing collapse, her responses to the outside world were extremely slow, and she was indifferent to Lu Haoyu’s arrangements.

The ‘family of three’ thus began to live what seemed like a happy life.

Xu Wenyin didn’t know where this happiness lay; anyway, everywhere in the novel seemed to be suffused with the word ‘sick’, and she couldn’t comprehend it with a normal person’s mindset.

Xu Wenyin only knew……

F*ck! That woman and Lu Haoyu could be tied together forever, but don’t come and harm her Youyou. Otherwise, she would make the trash couple understand what hell truly means!

At this moment, Xu Wenyin still had no idea that Xu Youyou had already met Lu Haoyu once.

Even though Xu Youyou didn’t think much of their meeting and soon forgot about it, if Xu Wenyin knew, she would probably have to thoroughly disinfect Xu Youyou.

One must never get involved with such a ‘scum male virus’.

It’s bad luck!

Then they’d better refuse this invitation this time.

Yao Fanyu, later renamed Yao Muxi, wasn’t a good person either. It’s unknown how many bad ideas she gave Yao Yunyou and even led people to cyberbully Xu Youyou.

She’s afraid that Youyou will be bullied while filming with such a person.

However, Xu Wenyin soon learned what it meant for plans to fail to keep up with changes.

When Xu Youyou returned from class at the Qin family’s house, she brought Qin Yiren and Lu Chenjun with her. As she entered the door, she bounced excitedly. “Mom! Youyou want to go act in a movie!”

That’s right, from Xu Youyou’s account, Qin Yiren already knew what had happened.

Coincidentally, the Qin family invested in this movie! They were even the largest investor!

Choosing to film in Jiang City was also a way to promote the place and give Lu Weizheng some extra popularity.

“I see that Youyou is also interested. Why not give it a try?”

“Wenyin, don’t worry. My brother is also coming over in a few days. I’ll have him take Youyou to the set for a visit. I guarantee no one will dare to bully her!”

“We are entering the crew with funds.”

Xu Wenyin: “……”

It does sound pretty cool.

Seeing Xu Wenyin agree, Qin Yiren took charge of the matter directly.

When the producer received the call from the assistant of the major investor, he thought something big had happened. However, he was stunned to find out that the child he had selected in the afternoon had a connection with the major investor, and his jaw nearly dropped in shock.

“Yes, yes, yes, you can rest assured. We will definitely not let Miss Youyou get hurt.”

“Only two hours of filming per day? No problem.”

“Additional investment? Sure thing! Would you like to revise the script so that Miss Youyou can have more screen time?”

No matter how many principles they have, it’s not worth mentioning in front of money!

———pr

Soon, it was the day when little Youyou joined the crew.

As the group of people got out of the car, the producer, director, and others who came to greet them couldn’t help but feel like they had walked into some film festival. The presence of so many handsome men and beautiful women before them was just too exceptional.

Qin Xiao, Qin Yiren, Xu Wenyin, and even the young Xu Youyou and Lu Chenjun, each one of them was more good-looking than most celebrities.

Even Wei Dong and Yao Fanyu took the initiative to come out and greet them. They had crossed paths with Qin Xiao a few times and naturally knew his worth and abilities.

They just didn’t expect that with Qin Xiao’s busy schedule and rarity of appearances, he would personally come to see off a child this time.

After giving Xu Youyou a quick glance, Wei Dong and Yao Fanyu simultaneously decided to make an effort to please the child. Who knows, they might just be able to establish a good relationship with Qin Xiao through her!

This was a golden opportunity that countless celebrities could only dream of.

Qin Xiao, busy as ever, hastily left the set after giving a few instructions.

But Qin Yiren and the others all stayed behind.

This was Xu Youyou’s first day of filming, so of course they wanted to encourage and cheer her on.

Upon learning that the stunning woman before him was Qin Xiao’s sister, the director instantly thought of her other identity.

The wife of Jiang City’s mayor, Lu Weizheng.

T-t-this…… Not to mention just staying to observe, if Qin Yiren were to say she wanted to add another role, the director would happily agree.

The theme of this movie is child trafficking, and Xu Youyou will be playing the role of an abducted girl. However, her screen time wasn’t extensive.

Mainly, she appears in the memories of the male and female leads, reflecting their originally happy family life. There were also scenes where the female lead goes through all sorts of hardships to finally find her daughter.

Today, the scene Xu Youyou was filming was playing at the amusement park with Wei Dong and Yao Fanyu. The set was already prepared, so Xu Youyou just needed to change her clothes.

With her good skin and big eyes, she doesn’t even need makeup.

So, while the male and female leads were getting their makeup done, Qin Yiren and Xu Wenyin were both cheering and encouraging Xu Youyou.

Qin Yiren said, “Don’t be afraid, Youyou. If you don’t want to film anymore, we can leave at any time!”

Xu Wenyin chimed in, “Don’t worry, Youyou. If someone bullies you, just tell Mom.” She would gather a bunch of dirt on whoever it was and ruin their reputation!

Xu Youyou nodded vigorously. “Mom, Aunt Qin, Youyou remember~”

Then she turned her gaze to Lu Chenjun, clearly hoping that her friend would also say a few words to her.

Lu Chenjun: “……Have fun.”

In his view, with his Mother and Aunt Xu there, and with Uncle escorting her, Xiao Lu could do whatever she wanted, right?