The commotion outside the Broadcasting Building showed no signs of quieting down.

Qiao Yusi stood in a daze for a long moment, her thoughts swirling with mixed emotions as she recalled what had just happened.

What had Ms. Lei said?

“The makeup team has been waiting for quite a while, just for you to arrive.”

She had come to record a show, and lining up for a makeup artist often took over an hour.

Yet, when she urged the team, they dismissed her impatiently. So, they had been waiting for Jin Yaotiao instead?

Qiao Yusi knew Shen Qiming carried a lot of influence.

Across Linjiang, and even further afield, no one would dare ignore Jingmao’s clout.

If Jin Yaotiao had received this treatment because of Shen Qiming, Qiao Yusi wouldn’t have been so surprised.

But from what she knew, the two of them had broken up!

So, what was Jin Yaotiao relying on now?

Nearby, a minor celebrity, barely a blip on the radar, watched Qiao Yusi’s shifting expressions—first pale, then livid.

She covered her mouth, stifling her laughter, and nearly rolled her eyes trying to suppress it.

Just then, another nanny van arrived, and Ning Shun stepped out, sparking a fresh wave of excitement.

This was a true crowd favorite.

Even the proud Broadcasting Building treated him with utmost courtesy.

Fans who had been waiting outside erupted into screams, prompting security and staff to rush forward to escort him.

The minor celebrity glanced at Ning Shun, then back at Qiao Yusi.

Grateful she hadn’t laughed out loud earlier and offended her, she tugged at Qiao Yusi’s sleeve. “Sisi, Sisi, it’s Ning Shun! Ning Shun!”

She hoped Qiao Yusi might introduce her to the big shot she’d never had a chance to meet.

Qiao Yusi swayed as she was pulled, but her eyes lit up as she spotted Ning Shun.

She eagerly stepped forward.

Ning Shun waved to his fans, then turned to the staff escorting him. “Why are there so many people downstairs? Is someone important coming today?”

The staff member replied vaguely, “Yes, there’s an official promotional shoot going on. Earlier, Ms. Jin from Linjiang Mingde Company arrived for filming. Uh… Ms. Lei personally went downstairs to meet her. All these people are here for the excitement.”

The staff paused, then added, “Oh, but you probably don’t know this Ms. Jin…”

However, Ning Shun’s expression shifted subtly.

Upon closer inspection, it appeared as normal as before.

At that moment, two young women approached.

He turned to see them—unfamiliar faces, likely small-time celebrities here for promotional appearances based on their attire and demeanor.

One of them acted as if she were well-acquainted with Ning Shun, approaching with a bright smile. “Ning Shun! I didn’t expect to see you here. It’s been so long since we filmed that MV together…”

Ah, so they’d collaborated before.

Hearing this, the staff assumed the two knew each other and didn’t stop the woman from approaching.

They even paused to allow them to chat.

Unexpectedly, Ning Shun didn’t stop walking.

He glanced briefly at the woman and responded coolly, “Yes, I’m here for a shoot. Excuse me.”

He kept moving.

The staff member snapped back to attention, realizing they had fallen a few steps behind, and hurried to catch up, inwardly berating themselves.

Damn, my ability to read the room needs serious improvement.

The fans outside continued screaming.

In less than ten seconds, all the focal points of attention had disappeared.

The onlookers dispersed quickly. Qiao Yusi lingered for a moment and faintly overheard a dissatisfied fan’s comment:

“Who was that woman? Suddenly trying to tag along. Good thing they stopped her.”

“I’ve never seen her before. Must be some D-list nobody.”

Clenching her fists tightly, Qiao Yusi turned and left, fearing she’d been photographed.

The minor celebrity stood frozen in shock.

After Qiao Yusi left, she finally couldn’t hold back.

She pulled out her phone, hid in a corner, and texted her friends furiously:

“Oh my God, I’m laughing so hard the residents within a 200-mile radius of the Broadcasting Building will need hearing aids…”

---

In the office, Rachel unscrewed the lid of the thermos she’d been holding all the way. Inside was a pot of thick porridge.

A faintly sweet aroma wafted out with the steam, making her cheeks flush.

It had been so long since someone had cared for her like this.

The sudden warmth left her at a loss.

Rachel looked down at the dark red porridge, her voice soft. “You didn’t have to… This is too much…”

Jin Yaotiao took out the accompanying bowl and spoon from the thermos, wiped them clean with a disinfectant wipe, and handed them over. “Too much? I just made it casually before heading out. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I cooked black rice porridge with red sugar.”

Black rice porridge…

Rachel had been dieting recently and wasn’t particularly hungry. Yet the sweet aroma suddenly whetted her appetite.

She took the bowl and spoon carefully, scooping up a small spoonful.

As the warm porridge entered her mouth, she couldn’t help but let out a soft “Mmm.”

The aroma of the porridge wasn’t overpowering, but its taste was surprisingly rich.

The black rice had been cooked until it bloomed, soft yet with a slight chewy texture.

It wasn’t just black rice—occasionally, she bit into plump, sweet goji berries, with a hint of red dates adding depth.

Rachel usually disliked red dates.

She was picky about food, often finding their skins scratchy. But today, the date flavor didn’t bother her at all.

The red sugar tied all the flavors together seamlessly.

The temperature in Linjiang had dropped sharply.

Winter was setting in, each day colder than the last.

Rachel had noticed her body wasn’t what it used to be. Since November, her hands and feet had been perpetually cold.

Recently, her period made things worse—painkillers wore off too quickly, leaving her in misery.

The porridge was boiling hot and had to be scraped along the edge of the bowl little by little to eat.

The sweet, warm flavor slid down her throat and settled into her stomach.

As she ate, a fine layer of sweat formed on Rachel’s forehead.

She had initially planned to take just a polite few bites, but now she couldn’t stop.

She kept blowing on the spoon to cool it, stuffing over half the bowl into her mouth, still reluctant to put it down.

“This is delicious!” she exclaimed between breaths of hot air.

Her whole body warmed up, like soaking in a hot spring, a comfortable sensation that even eased the soreness in her lower back. “Did you add red dates?”

“I used red date paste,” Jin Yaotiao replied, leaning against the sofa armrest as she watched Rachel eat.

For someone who enjoys cooking, nothing is more satisfying than seeing someone instinctively express their delight with the food. “Whole red dates don’t give the right texture; the skins don’t soften completely when cooked, and that ruins the smoothness of the porridge. Besides red date paste, I also added red bean paste. Eating this now is good for your health.”

Perhaps it was the taste of the porridge or the thoughtful words, but Rachel suddenly felt her eyes heat up.

Without much concern for her usual composure, she tilted the bowl to scrape up the last bit of porridge and swallowed it clean.

---

Jin Yaotiao was here to shoot a magazine cover along with a short interview.

Before it began, Rachel had the draft questions brought to her for review.

She read through them carefully and found they were indeed full of standard, officially approved questions.

She double-checked the list of interviewees, which included herself and other young entrepreneurs from Linjiang. Of course, “young” was a flexible term.

According to the World Health Organization, individuals aged 14 to 44 are considered young, so the inclusion of two nearly 40-year-old state-owned enterprise managers seemed perfectly reasonable.

Rachel recalled that Shen Qiming had participated in a similar interview years ago.

That was old news now.

Given Shen’s current status at Jingmao and his capital influence, he no longer needed to engage with the young entrepreneurs’ circle.

Instead, Linjiang’s officials would likely extend countless olive branches to Jingmao, the well-rooted pillar of their local economy.

For Mingde, which was less prominent, this interview was a rare opportunity, whether to promote the soon-to-launch “Hidden Feast” restaurant or to chart Mingde’s future trajectory.

The official interview team was evidently experienced, and the lead journalist, a senior figure in broadcasting, had clearly interviewed many prominent figures before.

While preparing, the journalist chatted with the makeup artist about past experiences:

“During the economic summit earlier this year, I got singled out by Jingmao’s Shen for a half-hour interview where I asked several questions…”

Jin Yaotiao ignored the chatter, flipping to the next page of the interview script. Suddenly, the studio door opened, and someone came in looking for Rachel.

“You booked Studio 7?”

The newcomer seemed to hold some authority at the station.

Though Rachel didn’t like him, she patiently replied, “Yes, for an hour. Why?”

“Let me borrow it for half an hour,” he said. “There was a mishap with the equipment in Studio 5. The judges for The Small Voice are already here, and all the other studios are in use. We need your Studio 7 for some promo shots.”

Rachel’s face darkened. “What’s going on? I have an interview to record here, and the guests are already waiting.”

The man’s expression stiffened as he glanced around the studio, meeting the gazes of the journalists.

The lead interviewer immediately stood up and greeted him, “Mr. Nian.”

Mr. Nian smiled at the interviewer. “Could we trouble you to delay your work a bit?”

The journalist looked uneasily at Rachel and then at Mr. Nian, clearly unwilling to offend either side.

The New Youth interviewees represented their companies, not just themselves.

While not as prominent as major corporations, they weren’t insignificant either.

On the other hand, the judges of The Small Voice, though celebrities, had influence that extended deeply into capital circles.

Moreover, everyone at the station knew that the “Iron Lady” and Mr. Nian had long been at odds.

The timing of his request to borrow Studio 7 seemed deliberately provocative, leaving no one daring to take sides.

In the tense silence, Jin Yaotiao glanced at Rachel, then snapped the interview script shut with a crisp sound. She turned to Mr. Nian. “So, you’re asking me to step aside and wait?”

Mr. Nian looked her over, noticing her striking appearance but failing to recognize her. He assumed she was some minor celebrity and asked, “And you are…?”

“Jin Yaotiao, Project Director of Mingde Catering Co.,” she replied with a polite smile. “You can call me Director Jin, or Ms. Jin.”

Mr. Nian paused, clearly caught off guard. “Mingde?”

He searched his memory and finally recalled the company, along with the project Rachel was managing. His expression shifted.

Mingde wasn’t a large enterprise, but it was still a proper company.

Though Mr. Nian held a high position at the station, he wasn’t the director-general.

Jin Yaotiao wasn’t just some entertainer but also someone with a strong presence.

He couldn’t dismiss her entirely. However, considering the heavyweight judges of The Small Voice, Mr. Nian felt stuck in a difficult position.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind. “Mr. Nian, let’s not disrupt their work. Waiting an hour isn’t a problem, as there’s still time before recording begins.”

Everyone turned to see Ning Shun entering the studio, causing the journalists to gasp in recognition.

“Ning Shun!”

Ning Shun offered them a polite smile. “Apologies for disturbing your work.”

With such a prominent figure personally apologizing, Rachel’s expression softened considerably.

Ning Shun ignored the attention, casting a complex glance at Jin Yaotiao. “Sister.”

Jin Yaotiao barely looked at him, responding with a faint “Mm.”

Mr. Nian stared between them in shock. “You know each other?”

Ning Shun nodded, noting Jin Yaotiao’s usual indifference toward him. Frustrated by Mr. Nian’s earlier disruption, he was also visibly annoyed.

Jin Yaotiao, seeing Ning Shun’s gaze lingering on her, waved dismissively, signaling him to leave quickly.