Sister Li: "That’s right. We’ve never thought you were stingy. There’s nothing wrong with loving money, either. Everyone earns a living with their own two hands and a clear conscience, fair and square. There’s nothing wrong with that. And you should cherish every penny you earn."

Wan Yi’s mood lifted. "I knew Sister Wen and Sister Li would understand me."

Everyone chatted and laughed in the van, and they soon arrived at the awards ceremony venue. Since it was the final awards ceremony of the year, the scene was naturally even grander. Security was visible everywhere outside the venue, along with all sorts of fans, reporters, and photographers.

Of course, people were already starting to enter. The first ones to arrive were almost all unknown artists. The bigger the star, the later their arrival.

Sister Li: "We’ll be going in later. We can rest in the van for a bit first."

Lu Wen didn’t mind. She just rested her chin on her hand by the window, watching the other celebrities walk the red carpet. The male celebrities had it a bit better; at least they could wear a three-piece suit. But the female celebrities weren’t so lucky. In this freezing weather, they were wearing low-cut, backless gowns. Lu Wen could even see their knees, which had turned blue from the cold.

"They’re really giving it their all," she remarked, reminded of her own past. An artist with no status, even if they managed to borrow a gown, could only let the brand push them around however they pleased.

Sister Li: "What else can they do? Everyone else dresses like that. If you don’t follow the trend, you’ll just be singled out and compared to them."

"The beauty standards in the industry are so warped these days. They insist that women have to be stick-thin. Is being just skin and bones really that attractive?"

Lu Wen sighed. "Exactly. It’s really scary. I’m glad I’m not that type."

Sister Li: "The way you are is great. Really."

Lu Wen: "Of course I know I’m great. Hey, look over there. Are those my fans? I remember they were here last time I came for a red carpet event, too."

Sister Li looked over as well. "It is them. I can’t believe they came."

Lu Wen: "It’s so cold out. We should order them some coffee or sweets to warm them up. It’s not convenient for us to go over... or maybe we could do what you did last time?"

Sister Li was looking at a map on her phone. "We can do that. There’s a coffee shop nearby. I’ll arrange it."

Sister Li pushed the door open and got out. Ji Mingxi quickly followed. "Lili, I’ll go with you!"

Hu Yi: "Ji Mingxi is so clingy with Sister Li, huh?"

Lu Wen smiled. "They’re in the honeymoon phase. How could they bear to be apart?"

Lu Wen’s fans were all bundled up, and some were holding support signs. The name "Lu Wen" flashed in big letters on them, exceptionally dazzling.

One girl stomped her feet, trying to generate some heat. "It’s so cold! I wonder when Sister Wen will get here."

A girl who looked like an organizer was very calm. "She won’t be early. Sister Wen and her team will definitely be walking the red carpet much later. We came so early today to get a good spot so we can cheer her on better."

"But Sister Wen is so good to us. Last time, she took pictures with us, and then we all went for hot pot together." A girl next to her smiled, her eyes full of fondness and joy.

Jin Xi, ever observant, heard several girls muttering behind him and to his right while he was maintaining order. The subject seemed to be ’Sister Wen’. ’Which Sister Wen?’ Jin Xi mulled it over and quickly connected the name to one of the celebrities attending the red carpet. It was Lu Wen.

"Sister Li! Ji Mingxi!" Suddenly, several surprised voices cried out. Jin Xi turned his head slightly and saw a couple walk up to the group of girls out of the corner of his eye. The fans, whose faces had been red from the cold, were now all smiles.

An enthusiastic fan had already linked arms with Sister Li.

Sister Li gently touched a girl’s cheek. "It’s too cold, the temperature dropped today. You all shouldn’t wait out here. It’ll be a while before Sister Wen walks the red carpet, and it’s not convenient for her to come over right now."

"I get it. We just really wanted to see Sister Wen," the lead girl said with a nod. "Don’t worry, we’re all wearing lots of layers, and we have heat packs on."

"That’s still not okay," Sister Li said, putting on a stern, displeased expression. "Your Sister Wen said that if you all go to a coffee shop right now, then after the awards ceremony, everyone can go for hot pot together. So, are you going to keep waiting here, or...?"

The girl holding the light-up sign immediately changed her tune. "We’ll go find a place to hole up."

Sister Li beamed. "That’s more like it. You all need to take care of yourselves. There’s a coffee shop nearby, so go rest there for a while. The awards ceremony is being live-streamed, isn’t it? You can watch it on your phones just the same."

"When it’s over, we’ll all go to a hot pot restaurant and have a great time. Sister Wen is treating tonight. I’ve already prepaid at the coffee shop, so once you’re there, feel free to order whatever you want to eat or drink."

The girls were still reluctant. "Can we see Sister Wen? We promise, we’ll be quiet... We definitely won’t cause any trouble for her."

Sister Li thought for a moment. "Our van is over there. How about this: we’ll leave quietly, and you can see her there."

The dozen or so girls let out a small cheer, then gathered their water bottles, signs, and other fan merchandise, following Sister Li and Ji Mingxi as they squeezed through the crowd at the edge of the red carpet.

Watching this unfold, Jin Xi pressed his earpiece to speak with his team, then moved to an inconspicuous corner. His gaze, however, unconsciously drifted toward Lu Wen’s van.

Seeing Sister Li and Ji Mingxi approach with the fans, Lu Wen couldn’t get out of the van. She could only roll down the window and greet them with a smile that made her eyes curve. Her smile was radiant, and her deep dimples were clearly visible.

A fan who liked photography raised her camera and started snapping a flurry of pictures of Lu Wen. Clearly, that smile was absolutely killer.

Lu Wen waved to them and made a "talk to you later" gesture before rolling up the window, just as the entertainment reporters started to head over.

Sister Li: "Did you see her? Now, let me take you to the coffee shop first."

The lead girl looked a little worried. "Will this cause problems for you? Sister Li, we can go by ourselves."

"It won’t. I’m not in the industry, and I’m not walking the red carpet. We can just use the staff entrance later," Sister Li said, pulling her wool coat tighter. "Besides, I was thinking of grabbing a bite to eat myself."

The girl looked at Ji Mingxi, who was beside her. "Isn’t Ji Mingxi walking the red carpet?"

Ji Mingxi had his left hand in the pocket of Sister Li’s coat. "I’ve retired from the industry. Since I’m not an insider anymore, of course I’m not walking the red carpet."

"Retired?" The girls got excited, their eyes sparkling as their gazes shifted back and forth between Sister Li and Ji Mingxi.

Sister Li patted the girl’s head, amused. "So I’m not allowed to be in a relationship?"

"You can! Of course you can! We’re just a little surprised." A few girls crowded around Sister Li, and one even audaciously squeezed Ji Mingxi aside. "Sister Li, when did you two get together? We fans had no idea."