But in modern society, that was obviously the wrong thing to do. We live under the rule of law now, and the concept of clan loyalty has all but vanished. So, from now on, I’ll stick to business instead of getting tangled up in personal obligations.

Tan You had learned a very valuable lesson.

Of course, her online followers knew nothing about what had happened in the village. Tan You’s life had become much more relaxed than before. Tea, various mountain products, and other goods were still listed in her online shop, and she would send the order information to the village committee every day.

As for the village’s own account, its follower count was steadily growing thanks to the traffic Tan You directed its way, and it was making sales every day. But Tan You wasn’t paying much attention to any of that anymore.

Every day, she went to learn tea roasting, processing, and tasting from Uncle Qiao on a set schedule. Tan You used to think her sense of smell was quite sharp, but after just a few days of studying with him, she felt like a total amateur.

Take tea tasting, for instance. First, you had to smell the aroma, and there were countless nuances to identify just within the fragrance of the tea. In any case, Tan You would head to the tea factory happily each day, only to return home feeling completely dazed.

Xu Liang teased her, "Is it really that hard? I thought your sense of smell was pretty sharp. Aren’t you great at the whole ’smelling the aroma, observing the color’ part?"

Tan You’s shoulders slumped. "But it’s so hard. I’m really no good at the tasting part. Uncle Qiao said I just need to keep trying."

Sighing, Tan You patted her cheeks. "Oh well, I’ll just have to study hard. I’m planning to continue making velvet flowers today. Where did we stop filming yesterday?"

Xu Liang expertly set up the tripod. "You’ve already twisted plenty of velvet strips. What are you planning to make?"

Tan You said, "I have a lot of ideas, so I’ll just make them one by one. The fans want me to list these for sale, but I don’t think that’s necessary. I’ll just hold a giveaway for a few of them later."

Xu Liang let out a muffled laugh. "They’d be fighting tooth and nail over them, then. Do you know what your fans call you now? ’The Talented Lady.’"

"Huh? That makes me a ’talented lady’?" Tan You was a bit baffled. "How am I a talented lady?"

Xu Liang counted on his fingers. "You can dance, make clothes, create velvet flower jewelry, you’re good at making money, you can tutor a high schooler, and you’re an amazing cook. If that’s not a talented lady, what is? What’s your definition of one, then?"

Tan You answered without hesitation. "Shouldn’t it be someone who has mastered the four classical arts—zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting—and handles every social situation with perfect grace? Of the first four, I can only do a little sketching, so I barely scrape by on one. And as for social graces, I’m pretty average."

Her aunt found this amusing. "Ali, you’re wonderful in every way, except you’re far too modest. If I could do everything you can, I’d have been looking down my nose at people long ago."

Tan You laughed. "How can you say I know how to do everything? I’ve been learning tea tasting from Uncle Qiao for so long, and I’m still completely lost."

Xu Liang said, "Uncle Qiao’s skill is something most people could never master. He’s spent his entire life working with tea; it took him decades to get that good. You’re still young, you have plenty of time."

Tan You said, "Yes. I have plenty of time."

While chatting with them, Tan You’s hands never stopped moving. Soon, a pale blue palace flower appeared on the table. Xu Liang stared at it for a long moment before smiling. "It would look absolutely beautiful if you wore it while dancing. Speaking of which, when are you planning to release that dance video?"

"Your fans are clamoring for it."

Tan You set the velvet flower aside. "Tomorrow, maybe. I’ll practice the dance some more today."

Xu Liang said, "By the way, advertisers have sent you a lot of offers. See any you like? There’s everything from snacks, clothes, shoes, and bags to cosmetics, furniture, and appliances—all sorts of categories."

Tan You thought for a moment. "I think there’s a Hanfu brand that does good work. Let’s go with them. I perform classical dance anyway. Besides, I recently got in touch with another influencer, and we’re planning a collaboration."

Xu Liang asked, "You mean that dough figurine maker?"

"Mhm, that’s her. I love her work; she’s so incredibly deft. We arranged to meet tomorrow." Tan You’s smile brightened. Her own spatial reasoning wasn’t the best, so she had a special admiration for nimble-fingered people.

Xu Liang’s interest was piqued. "Then I’ll definitely film you two beautifully. I knew I’d see a lot of new and fascinating things by following you."

Tan You smiled. "It’s because the world is so big, and there are so many people. Everyone has their own special talent."

Her aunt asked curiously, "What’s a ’dough figurine maker’? Is that about those little dough figures?"

"Yes, exactly," Tan You explained. "It’s a form of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It used to be passed down only from father to son, but not anymore. She’s the most talented one in her family."

"Just like the velvet flowers I’m making now. They’re also a form of Intangible Cultural Heritage."

Her aunt shook her head. "There really aren’t many young people these days with the patience to do things like this. So, what’s the point of those dough figurines? You can’t eat them or use them."

"’You can’t put a price on something you love.’ They’re works of art. If you preserve them properly, they can last a very long time." Tan You didn’t try to force her aunt to accept her point of view. "Her most amazing skill is that she can make Gundams. They’re incredible."

Xu Liang was genuinely curious now. "So how are you two planning to collaborate?"

Tan You shrugged. "You’ll see when she gets here tomorrow."

「The next morning」

Xu Liang was sent by Tan You to pick someone up from the train station. If she hadn’t been so tied up, she would have gone herself. Unfortunately, something came up at the tea factory, so Tan You had to miss greeting Wang Jue personally.

When Tan You returned from her business at the tea factory, Wang Jue was already sitting under the eaves of the old house, kneading a ball of dough in her hands. Xu Liang stood quietly behind the camera, his eyes filled with fascination.

Tan You paused. "Hello. I’m so sorry, something came up at the tea factory at the last minute, so I couldn’t come to pick you up."

Wang Jue looked up. After getting a clear look at Tan You’s face, she froze for a couple of seconds before continuing to stare, completely captivated. Seeing that her gaze was clear, Tan You didn’t feel offended. She simply let her lips curve into a slight smile. "Do you like what you see?"

"Beautiful," Wang Jue nodded. "Incredibly beautiful."

Tan You smiled. "You’re beautiful too. I think you’re at your most beautiful when you’re making your dough figurines."

Wang Jue’s gaze was fixed on Tan You. "How do you want to collaborate with me?"

’She was passionate about dough sculpting, but she wasn’t a fool. She didn’t have a huge number of followers, while Tan You had many. If they collaborated, she would obviously be the one to benefit more.’

Tan You said, "I just think dough sculpting is a craft that should be carried on and seen by more people. Of course, it would be even better if you could give me a few of your figurines as a gift. I’m really not that deft myself."

Wang Jue pressed her lips together. "But you can draft patterns and make clothes. How can you say you’re not deft?"

Tan You smiled. "That’s different. I feel like your hands can create entire worlds. It seems like anything and everything can take form under your fingers."

Wang Jue was silent for a couple of seconds, then said abruptly, "I rarely make figurines for other people. I want to see you dance first."