The next day—weekend.

With everything in Modu settled, Gu Xingyi returned to Jiangcheng. Now that Xia Xiyao had more on her plate, he needed to quickly send Tao Lele, the temporary nanny, back.

As one of Xia Xiyao's top lieutenants, Gu Xingyi couldn’t let her turn into a “kid-slave” like himself.

When Gu Xingyi arrived home, Tao Lele was curled up on the sofa, holding Xiao Nainai in her arms while they watched cartoons. Both of them were grinning ear to ear, their eyes nearly disappearing into their smiles. The table in front of them was piled high with snacks.

Three giant cartoonish stress lines practically popped out on Gu Xingyi’s forehead.

The moment the door opened, both on the sofa turned their heads. Xiao Nainai, upon seeing Gu Xingyi, immediately beamed and wriggled out of Tao Lele’s arms, throwing herself into Gu Xingyi’s embrace.

Gu Xingyi caught her and lifted her up. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but… did Nainai feel a little heavier?

Tao Lele also stood up, looking at Gu Xingyi with a proud expression, as if saying, “See? Whether it’s Xiyao-jie or Xiao Nainai, I can raise them both into fair and chubby little dumplings.”

Gu Xingyi was too exhausted to even make a comment. All he could do was sincerely say:

“You’ve done a great job. Time to go back. Your Xiyao-jie needs you now!”

At his words, Tao Lele proudly put her hands on her hips, completely full of herself, radiating a “Mission Accomplished!” vibe.

She quickly packed her things, held her head high, waved gallantly at a dazed Gu Xingyi, and strode off in full glory—leaving behind a stunning heroic silhouette.

???

Wrapped things up and walked away like a legend? Quietly hiding her contributions and name?

Yeah right~

“Aren’t you gonna say goodbye?”

Gu Xingyi’s mouth twitched slightly as he watched her retreating back. He could practically hear a certain tune echoing in his mind—

♪ Being invincible… is just… so lonely… ♫

In the end, Gu Xingyi still carried Nainai and caught up with Tao Lele, personally driving her to the station.

The following half month was the first time Gu Xingyi had a breather. During this time, aside from picking up and dropping off Nainai at school, he stayed home working on the script for Under One Person, fully stepping into the role of a domestic husband.

Meanwhile, Xia Xiyao was getting busier by the day. Between recording sessions at the company and running from one promotion to the next, her schedule was packed from morning to night, leaving barely a moment to rest.

Because of that, the only time they could really talk was during their nightly video calls, where they’d chat about all the little things that had happened that day.

It’s worth mentioning that due to Xia Xiyao’s top-tier contract, some people at YinHai Entertainment were starting to grumble—especially when she began turning down certain commercial gigs. The complaints behind her back grew louder.

Luckily, the buzz surrounding Xia Xiyao lately was so intense it drowned out those voices. On top of that, the company chairman, Yang Xian, personally ordered a stop to the gossip. In his words: “Just follow the contract.”

September was shaping up to be anything but ordinary. Thanks to the successful promotional campaign, the internet was now flooded with buzz about Xia Xiyao’s new album.

The album featured The Wind Rises, Courage, Sea of Flowers, and other songs that had appeared in StarSong Gathering. Rumor had it there was even one brand-new track the audience had never heard before—stoking massive anticipation for the album’s release.

Right on cue, Xia Xiyao’s Weibo was updated with the official announcement: The album would be released on the HuaYin platform at 8 PM, October 1st.

Due to Xia Xiyao’s overwhelming popularity, several other singers who had originally planned to release songs on October 1st quietly moved their release dates. Their reaction?

“No choice. We just can’t compete!”

Xia Xiyao’s emergence had disrupted the balance of the Chinese music industry. Everyone knew why, but no one could do anything about it. Behind her stood not only Yin Hai Entertainment, but also a man who was like a monster!

On just the second day after returning, Gu Xingyi had already received many song requests from various companies, including Tianmei Entertainment. The price they offered was quite attractive, but Gu Xingyi ignored them. Xia Xiyao’s album was about to launch, and only a fool would be helping others write songs at this time.

No matter how turbulent or full of hidden currents the entertainment industry was now, Gu Xingyi’s life remained calm.

On September 20th, Gu Xingyi finally completed the full script for the first season of Under One Person. Fengzi had already called earlier to ask about the progress, and now he could finally hand over a complete script.

Early the next morning, after dropping Nainai off at school, Gu Xingyi contacted Chen Feng and drove to the studio where he used to work.

Though they were both in Jiangcheng, Chen Feng’s studio was still a bit far from his home, and it took Gu Xingyi over forty minutes to arrive at the familiar commercial building once more.

On the sixth floor, Chen Feng was already waiting inside the company. When Gu Xingyi entered with a thick file folder, he was stunned by the scene before him.

Was this really the same rundown studio from before?

Last time he came, the place was filled with beer cans and empty rooms—it had left a strong impression. But now, the studio was vibrant with greenery from several pots on the windowsill, the brand-new desks were neatly arranged, and over twenty uniformed staff members were busily working at their stations.

With a wide grin, Chen Feng threw his arm around the stunned Gu Xingyi’s shoulder.

“Bro, what do you think? Not bad, right? Looks pretty legit now, huh?”

Gu Xingyi turned his head and stared at Chen Feng before suddenly asking,

“Did you empty your savings for this?”

Chen Feng scratched his head and chuckled foolishly, quickly pulling Gu Xingyi toward the office. As they walked, he whispered,

“Shh! Keep your voice down! I didn’t empty everything… but it wasn’t easy either. What you’re seeing is just for show. Honestly, once the anime production kicks off, I might not have enough money left!”

Gu Xingyi frowned and asked with some doubt,

“Fengzi, don’t tell me you're just putting on a show for face? Alright, you’re already chubby enough, you don’t need to puff yourself up any more. So? How much did you actually prepare?”

“Five million...”

“What?!”

Gu Xingyi thought he’d misheard and raised his voice, making everyone in the room look at him. Fortunately, he had his mask on, so no one seemed to recognize him.

“Keep it down! I know it’s not much, but my parents have already given me an ultimatum—this five million is my final chance!”

“Lao Gu! This is do-or-die! I’m betting my whole future on you!”

Gu Xingyi’s mouth twitched, and he looked at Chen Feng with a gaze that screamed existential crisis. Five million? And that’s not enough?

“Fengzi, don’t tell me the next thing you’re going to say is: if you fail, you’ll have no choice but to go back and inherit your family’s nationwide supermarket chain worth over a billion?”

“??? How did you know?”

“I know your damn ass!”