Chapter 4  

At three in the afternoon, an ordinary furniture factory in the capital suddenly received a visit from a royal secretary. The managers were terrified out of their wits, trembling as they cooperated with the “investigation.”  

Especially the factory director—the moment he saw the small silhouette image the secretary presented, he immediately recalled that kid named You Mi and Prince Joseph, who had come to film a variety show here before!  

You Mi’s first day at work happened to be the final day of Prince Joseph’s recording. But he remembered You Mi’s job had no contact with the prince at all… Wait, no. You Mi had just arrived then and didn’t know his way around. He might have wandered into the wrong workshop!  

The factory director was petrified. He knew You Mi came from some godforsaken backwater village—there was no way he could have any connection to the royal family.  

If the royal family was investigating him out of the blue, it was likely that the little guy had unknowingly offended the prince!  

Sure enough, the secretary got straight to the point, asking only about You Mi’s whereabouts.  

The director wiped his sweat. “H-He was fired a long time ago. That kid isn’t from the capital. Couldn’t find work, so he probably left the main city district already…”  

Hearing this, Carl, Anshus’ secretary, frowned instantly. “Why was he fired? Did he make a mistake?”  

“Not at all!” Another manager quickly waved his hands. “That kid was obedient and diligent, full of energy at work. But he was weak and only 1.7 meters tall… Not being able to handle heavy labor was one thing, but if he got trampled by other workers someday, we’d have to—” Pay a hefty compensation!  

Carl understood. His expression darkened as he asked, “Did he have any friends here?”  

“No, he was so small and inexperienced, knew nothing about the world. Doubt anyone wanted to be friends with him.” The manager naturally knew Lin En and You Mi got along well, but he didn’t want his employee dragged into trouble.  

Carl knew these guys were all slippery old foxes. He wouldn’t get the information he wanted from them. With a cold laugh, he decided to check the surveillance footage instead.  

He patiently sifted through the footage for traces of You Mi. The little guy was shockingly serious during work hours—not even slacking off or chatting with others! So, just by watching the workshop footage, it was impossible to tell who he was close to… The employee break area had no cameras, and the factory’s external surveillance had limited angles. You Mi was tiny, so only a few clips of him existed.  

On the day he was fired, during work hours, You Mi pushed a small cart the factory had discarded and left alone.  

Using his Optical Brain access, Carl pulled up nearby surveillance footage.  

After leaving the factory, You Mi spent half a day shaking milk tea at a bubble tea shop—only to get fired again. By evening, the little guy had pushed his cart out of the main city district…  

Did he really go back to his hometown?  

Not every part of the capital had surveillance. Since the Sina Star People had two forms, and Carl didn’t know You Mi’s monster form, the kid could have walked right past him in his other shape without him realizing.  

Finding this little guy was like searching for a needle in a haystack!  

Carl immediately contacted the local government.  

They quickly pulled up all records of Sina Star People named You Mi… Aside from a few with completely mismatched heights, they found nothing.  

Carl had a headache.

It seems the factory manager wasn’t lying. You Mi indeed came from some wasteland outside the main city district. There were no household records of him here, not even Optical Brain information—completely untraceable.

This was probably just a whim of His Highness Anshus. But regardless, it was the only request he’d made since being injured. Merely meeting a commoner—they had to do their utmost to fulfill it.

Yet what they’d assumed would be extremely simple had turned out to be so troublesome.

They couldn’t conduct a high-profile search. Even considering issuing a bounty notice was unthinkable. If the public found out, it would surely damage the Crown Prince’s reputation.

In the eyes of all Sina Star People, Crown Prince Anshus remained the empire’s strongest warrior and pride. The fact that he couldn’t transform after his severe injury was the royal family’s greatest secret.

Carl walked out of the furniture factory gloomily. Just thinking about Anshus’s terrifying expression when displeased sent chills down his spine. He muttered, “Forget it, let’s just send people to search the Black Miasma Wasteland…”

Meanwhile, completely unaware that the furniture factory had received a “distinguished guest,” Lin En was in the restroom answering a call from a phone booth through his Optical Brain:

“You passed the interview? That’s amazing! I’m getting off work soon. How about meeting at that new fast food place near your place?”

Half an hour later.

At the fast food restaurant entrance, You Mi frowned deeply. In his excitement to find someone to celebrate with, he’d suddenly forgotten one thing: he couldn’t eat with Lin En—his mouth would give him away.

When Lin En arrived by bicycle, he saw the small figure standing outside looking miserable. Puzzled, he asked, “Why wait outside? You can sit inside.”

You Mi shook his head while clutching his stomach.

Lin En immediately jumped off his bike. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

You Mi guiltily shook his head, staring at the ground. “It’s nothing… probably just ate something bad. But I’ve been wanting to try their signature meal. Maybe we could take it home? I’ll eat later when I feel better.”

Lin En agreed without hesitation. “Alright, I’ll take you back. We’ll get some medicine on the way.”

You Mi stayed silent for a long while.

Lin En grew more concerned. “Are you really okay?”

“After working at the restaurant, I can buy an Optical Brain…” You Mi lifted his head slightly to look at him, speaking in a low voice.

Lin En replied, “Of course! You’ll have money then—you can buy a really good Optical Brain!” He didn’t catch the underlying meaning in You Mi’s words: Before buying the Optical Brain, I’ll definitely have bought the horns. Then we can eat together.

Soon after, Lin En hung two takeout bags from his bike handles and pedaled You Mi home.

Upon arrival, You Mi picked up his takeout box and said, “Lin En, use your Optical Brain to bill me for the ride.”

“…What?”

“The manager said my transportation costs can be reimbursed starting today. I’ll be taking your bike to and from work from now on.”

Lin En froze, taking a while to process this. “If your manager knew… knew the transportation you’re getting reimbursed for is a bicycle ride, he’d laugh himself silly. Hahaha…” He doubled over with laughter.

Seeing Lin En’s tentacles flailing wildly from laughter, You Mi grinned too.

Back home, after eating, You Mi immediately started using his wristband projector to carefully study ballet dancers’ postures, diligently practicing the movements.

After practicing indoors for a while, he stepped out of his small wooden cabin and repeated the exercises on the spacious wooden deck outside.

After a long while, a “click” sound was heard as Lily upstairs took a photo of him with her camera: “Mi Mi is dancing, so amazing!”

You Mi shook his head while moving on tiptoe: “Not dancing, it’s work.”

…

At seven in the morning, a music box with a real person standing inside appeared at the Garrow Restaurant in the city center.

You Mi had already put on the snow-white Ballet Tutu Dress provided by the manager. The layered skirt, stopping just above the knees, seemed to envelop a slender doll-like figure inside without any hint of incongruity.

The new white mask also had an added lace trim, making his overall attire even more cohesive.

You Mi’s work shift had begun as he stood on the wooden floor inside the music box.

When the music box rotated, the ballerina atop it seemed to come alive, limbs gracefully shifting with the music. Though not as skilled as a professional ballerina, it still created the illusion that this was the dancer from the music box rather than a staff member.

The crew from the *Exchange Lives* program had arrived not long ago. At first, nearly everyone was captivated by the figure inside the music box, about to approach in delight when the director’s urgent calls snapped them back to reality, forcing them to busy themselves with setting up the scene.

The guests hadn’t arrived yet, so the director instructed the cameraman to start recording to gather some authentic footage. Smiling at the manager, he said, “We won’t start for another half hour. You all carry on with your work.”

This was the manager’s first time on a show, so to be safe, he went around reminding the staff of their duties. Finally, his gaze landed on the most eye-catching music box in the restaurant, and he stepped closer to whisper, “You remember everything, right?”

The exquisitely dressed youth atop the music box remained motionless, like a doll.

The manager was instantly reassured.

If only the previous performers who broke character could see what true professionalism looked like!

Ten minutes later, a handsome, blond, blue-eyed man pushed open the door. Dressed impeccably, he greeted the staff and waiters with gentlemanly charm. When one waiter nearly slipped in nervousness, he swiftly reached out to steady them, laughing, “The floor is so slippery—I almost fell myself.”

The waiter he helped blushed slightly. “Thank you, Your Highness Joseph…” Compared to the cold and stern Prince Anshus often seen in the news, Prince Joseph was like a ray of spring sunshine.

“Just call me Joseph. Starting today, I’m your colleague.”

A wave of laughter and murmurs spread around them.

Joseph smiled as he walked past the crew, heading toward the director when his gaze suddenly paused, catching sight of the music box with a person standing inside…

As a guest, he only knew the general task and location for this episode. About the music box with a person inside—since it wasn’t related to the mission, he had no prior knowledge.

Clearly, it was just a gimmick by the restaurant to attract attention.

Yet, even so, Joseph couldn’t tear his eyes away from that small figure.

Before he knew it, he had already walked over. “It’s practically a work of art… Good morning, little beauty.”

The little beauty atop the music box remained still as a statue, offering no response—not even a glance in his direction.

Thinking he might be nervous, Joseph turned to the camera with a smile and asked, “Is this really just a doll?”

The cameraman replied, “No, I’ve seen him move before.”

Joseph looked at You Mi again and chuckled lightly, his magnetic voice carrying a comforting kindness: “This isn’t a live broadcast, no need to be nervous.”

At this point, it was impossible for anyone to ignore the concern and greetings from such a distinguished prince.

Yet the figurine on the music box remained motionless.

After a few awkward seconds, the shopkeeper hurried over to explain: “Your Highness Joseph, he’s not deliberately ignoring you. He’s playing the role of a dancer in a music box, so naturally, he can’t converse! If he speaks, people would instinctively see him as an actor… Interacting with him is actually quite simple—just wind up the music box!” With that, he immediately turned the key at the base of the music box.

The next moment, an ethereal melody began to play, and the central floor of the music box started to rotate as You Mi changed his pose.

“Your Highness, you see? Just like this,” the shopkeeper said, wiping his sweat.

Joseph’s smile stiffened slightly: “My apologies for the intrusion. However, I’ve already switched lives with that waiter—I’m now Joseph the waiter, so please don’t address me as ‘Your Highness,’ shopkeeper.”

“Ah! My apologies, my apologies…”

Joseph headed straight for the staff rest area.

The other four guests arrived shortly after—they were a singing group, two men and two women.

Once everything was ready, the host stepped out to guide the proceedings. He boldly interacted with the guests, made a few funny faces in front of the motionless You Mi, and once everyone was laughing and the atmosphere was lively, he got down to business: “Welcome, everyone! The name ‘Gallo’ is surely familiar to all of you. Gallo Restaurant has a long history in the capital of Sinar Star. It’s said that its founder was a ballet dancer who lost both legs. After several bouts of despair, encouraged by her family, she chose to open a restaurant and start anew…”

A red-haired singer couldn’t resist interrupting: “I know! To keep her ballet dreams alive, the restaurant must have had a music box with a ballet dancer back then. Who would’ve thought her past dance career would help her succeed in this new venture…”

The host smiled and shook his head: “Wrong answer. Due to limited technology at the time, the founder’s prosthetic legs weren’t very functional. Mobility issues and other problems nearly caused the restaurant to fail in its early days. It wasn’t until later, when a girl played with a music box in the restaurant, that everything took a turn…”

“That day, the founder noticed that the dancer on the music box never left it—no matter what. As long as the key was wound, the dancer would spin to the music… Inspired, she personally modified the mechanics and established the only ‘music box’-style fast-food restaurant on Sinar Star—where customers would wind up their tables after ordering, and with a beautiful chime, their meals would arrive through a rotating channel.”

“This novel concept quickly spread by word of mouth, making the restaurant a sensation in the capital. Though many later imitated it, and as technology advanced, more fantastical and innovative restaurants emerged, the ‘music box’ fast-food style gradually faded. Even now, Gallo no longer serves fast food at all. But without a doubt, without that music box idea, the founder wouldn’t have earned her first life-changing fortune, let alone the legendary transformations that followed…”

Amid the sighs and astonishment of the guests, the host laughed loudly into the camera, “Whether it’s the old restaurant model or the music box, neither is popular anymore. But Garlo Headquarters still wants to showcase its original philosophy—no matter how much time passes or how the world changes, as long as you’re willing to wind the key, the dancer in the music box will always dance for you. Just like us and good food, we’ll always be here waiting for you!”

The guests applauded with laughter, then received their tasks and began serving customers, joking and teasing each other… Some hammed it up for the camera with jokes, others clashed with the chefs in the kitchen, and some dropped dishes, shouting incessantly… Two guests even deliberately tried to make the “doll” on the music box laugh, telling jokes and making silly faces. When they realized the doll actor never reacted, they awkwardly walked away…

The restaurant was incredibly noisy.

But the corner with the music box remained quiet.

Those initially very interested in You Mi gradually lost interest when they noticed he only moved with the winding of the key.

Until a little girl noticed something odd.

The little girl came to eat with her mother. After the meal, her mother ordered her a dessert. Happily eating her strawberry cake, she suddenly felt someone watching her after a few bites.

The girl looked up and saw the small doll on the music box quickly avert its gaze, standing gracefully in place.

The little girl’s eyes slowly widened.

She had thought it was just a fake doll! Without hesitation, she ran over with her cake and asked, “Are you hungry? Do you want some?”

You Mi stayed perfectly still.

The little girl giggled, “I saw you!”

You Mi panicked slightly.

Before the girl could say more, her mother came over. “Don’t bother him, sweetheart. Go finish your cake.”

The girl reluctantly returned to her seat, glancing back repeatedly. After finishing her cake, she pointed at You Mi and said to her mother, “I want a doll like that for my birthday! I want to feed him cake…”

“Dolls don’t eat cake,” her mother replied. “Dolls don’t get hungry.”

You Mi did get hungry, but his unprofessional moment of staring at someone else’s cake earlier was just because he hadn’t had dessert in a long time.

Fortunately, lunch included sweets.

The morning filming wrapped up, and the guests dropped their professional smiles the moment the cameras stopped, heading back to their hotels to rest.

The director and crew also left, exhaustion written on their faces.

As one guest left, they wound the music box’s key, and You Mi immediately began moving, the wooden platform rotating to the music.

Joseph had injured his finger earlier and was just bandaging it in the staff lounge. He was the last to leave, and when he looked up, he saw the restaurant’s eye-catching music box still turning.

The small figure on top maintained its pose—slender yet strong arms, eyes as lively as ever, as if full of longing for the world.

Joseph paused, then walked over and couldn’t help saying, “There’s no one left now, you can take a break… Don’t worry about the boss giving you trouble. Just say I allowed it.”

You Mi seemed to hear nothing. The manager had already told him his mealtime was in half an hour, when the music box would close, and he could use the back passage to the staff area.

It wasn’t time yet.

He was only a little hungry, but the thought of the lavish lunch ahead lifted his spirits.

The melody came to a halt, and You Mi quietly and softly withdrew from her pose.  

This small body seemed to contain countless springs—within the tracks of a music box, she was forever full of energy.