Tan You: "I’m an engineering major. Isn’t this just standard procedure?"

"Really? Mom, is that true?" Shen Yu asked his mother, confused. "Are engineering students’ eyes basically rulers?"

"Your sister’s just teasing you," Shen Yu’s mother said, amused. "I’ve heard that the really skilled master tailors don’t even need to take measurements. They can just look at someone walk past and know all their sizes. I bet that’s how it is for Ali, right?"

Tan You smiled. "I’m not as amazing as Aunt makes me out to be."

This was a skill she had developed through training; it was simply a matter of practice makes perfect.

Shen Yu preened as he pulled on the T-shirt. "It’s a perfect fit! Sis, you’re a miracle worker!"

Tan You put away her small tools. "If you like it, I can make you a few more when I have time. It’s no trouble."

Shen Yu grinned. "Awesome! My sis is a true jack-of-all-trades. She can dance, make clothes, cook, and earn money. Compared to you, I’m completely useless!"

Tan You laughed. "If you’re willing to put in the time, you’ll be amazing one day too. I wouldn’t say I know how to earn money yet. Let’s wait until I’ve actually made some before we say that."

Xu Liang was conflicted, all because of two videos he had received. One was of some aerial scenery, and the other was a dance video. The aerial footage was nice, but not exceptionally so. Compared to the breathtaking views Xu Liang had seen, it was average at best.

But the dance video had genuinely stunned Xu Liang. Even with such simple attire and casual filming, it was so beautiful. ’How much more beautiful would it be if I were the one shooting it?’

His friend couldn’t stand it anymore. "Her intention in sending you those two videos is perfectly clear. Why else would she do it if she wasn’t interested in your photography skills?"

"Just give me a straight answer: are you going or not? This girl has the potential to go viral. In fact, she’d probably get a great video even if she had a dog do the filming."

Xu Liang’s face twisted. "Are you comparing me to a dog?"

"How could a dog compare to you?" his friend said dismissively. "You’ve watched that video dozens of times, haven’t you? Subconsciously, you want to go. You just won’t admit it."

Xu Liang made a last-ditch attempt. "I... I rarely shoot portraits..."

His friend chuckled. "If you really don’t want to go, I’ll just recommend myself. My photography skills aren’t bad either, and I specialize in shooting models and industry insiders. If I contact her, there probably won’t be a spot left for you."

"Who said I don’t want to go?" Xu Liang shot up from his seat. "I’ll contact her right now! I may not shoot portraits often, but I usually do it for free, purely for the love of the craft. You, on the other hand, charge such high fees. It’d be a miracle if she chose you."

His friend wore an expression that said ’I saw right through you’. Someone like Xu Liang needed a push from behind. ’Speaking of which, why didn’t she contact me? For a beauty like that, I’d shoot for free too.’

Once Xu Liang made a decision, he was a man of action. That very night, Tan You received his reply.

’Coming the day after tomorrow? I’d better hurry up, then.’ Tan You glanced at the pile of fabric, decided against sleeping, and began to burn the midnight oil.

Making the dance costume was still quite a chore, so Tan You had no choice but to work overtime. But no matter how busy she was, she had to make sure she rested. What if she didn’t look good on camera?

From Tan You’s experience, photographers loved doing close-ups, and they especially liked her with light makeup. So, Tan You had to pay special attention to this and make sure there were absolutely no slip-ups.

Rushing against the clock, Tan You finally finished her "battle armor" the next afternoon. Shen Yu’s mother helped her wash and iron the dance costume, smiling as she said, "It’s gorgeous. I saw you in front of that sewing machine all day. Get some rest early tonight and try to be in top form tomorrow."

Tan You didn’t refuse her aunt’s help. Ever since watching Tan You dance yesterday, her aunt’s attitude had done a complete one-eighty. She hadn’t even gone home last night, staying at the old house to help Tan You instead.

Tan You just focused on her work, while her aunt took care of everything around the house.

While Tan You was resting and recharging, Xu Liang finally made it to the town. After another round of communications, he located the Shen family’s old house. He looked weary from a long journey, but he was in good spirits and seemed full of energy.

By now, Tan You was fully rested and had started cutting and making a second dance costume.

"Is anyone home?" Xu Liang had asked for directions all the way here, but he didn’t enter immediately, instead calling out from outside. He was a cautious person. On his way, he had been asking around to confirm that a person named Ji Li really lived here. Only after getting a positive answer did Xu Liang relax a little.

Shen Yu happened to be returning with his fishing rod. He saw someone pacing outside the house from a distance and quickened his pace. "Who are you?"

Xu Liang turned around and saw a young man shouldering a fishing rod and carrying a bucket, with a few cats trailing at his feet. The youth was looking at him, his eyes full of curiosity.

Xu Liang smiled. "I’m Xu Liang, a photographer."

"Brother Xu, my name is Shen Yu," Shen Yu said, naturally friendly. He expertly pushed open the main gate. "My sis should be busy at home. Come on in."

Xu Liang was still cautious. "Your sister? Ji Li?"

"Yep," Shen Yu said, setting down his bucket. "Sis, Brother Xu is here."

Tan You snapped back to reality. ’Xu Liang is here?’ She turned off the sewing machine and walked out of the bedroom. Just as she stepped out of the main hall, she saw a young man standing in the courtyard. He looked to be in his early thirties, dressed like a hiker, and was even holding a trekking pole.

’Of course, if anything unexpected happened, that could also be used as a weapon.’

"Hello, my name is Ji Li. It’s an honor to meet you, Teacher Xu." Tan You greeted him with natural poise. She had addressed him directly as "teacher," a title that was never a mistake.

Before coming, Xu Liang had wondered if Ji Li’s beauty could possibly be real. But now, seeing her in person, he couldn’t help but exclaim, "You’re not very photogenic. You look even better in person than in the video."

Shen Yu jumped in. "My sis is the most beautiful! No arguments."

Xu Liang chuckled. "You hired me to film that dance, right? Shooting in the mountain forest won’t be easy. The location you sent me is good, but I plan to scout around the area to see if there’s an even better spot."

Tan You: "That’s fine. You can have Shen Yu take you. If you’re still worried, you can also find a few people from the village to go with you."

Xu Liang: "What’s there to be worried about?"

Tan You just smiled and didn’t argue with him. It was a good thing for people to be cautious. In truth, Tan You had put in a lot of effort to successfully lure Xu Liang here. Who could blame her when she was dirt poor? She had to find a way to get his services for free.

’At least this face, with its 90-point beauty value, is still effective. Plus, there’s my dancing skill...’ Mulling over these things, Tan You went back into her room.