Yudu—
A city destined, this summer, to witness a generational shift in the art world.
A city fated to alter countless futures.
Its beauty made hearts stir.
Its intricate, serpent-like streets left outsiders awestruck.
Yes…
Here, some lives would inevitably change.
But in this forest city, on the cusp of summer, one girl was already drowning in work.
She sat there—
Behind a desk flooded with sunlight.
Strictly speaking, this desk wasn't hers. But as the acting student council president, she faced stacks of documents and a landline that rang endlessly. The sheer existence of it all made despair flicker in her pale blue eyes beneath her simple bangs.
Ten days earlier—
"Wow, this restaurant is packed! Hey, pretty lady, mind if I share your table?"
"Ah… sorry, I already have someone here. I'm waiting for my boyfriend. Maybe you can ask someone else?"
"Haha, no worries. Thanks anyway, pretty lady. But—ah, I just spotted a familiar face."
"Ji Yu, little sis?"
"Eh? Mo-jie? What are you doing here?"
"Eating, of course. Just happened to run into you."
"But your film set is pretty far from Yuyang, isn't it?"
"Hehe, don't worry about the details. Fine, truth is—I came specifically to find you."
"…Huh?"
"Normally I wouldn't bother, but this time I'm in a bit of trouble. So I had to."
"Oh? What kind of trouble brings you all the way here?"
"Cough. I'll be direct. Ji Yu, are you free these days?"
"Sort of… though soon I'll—"
"Great! That's enough! Listen, you know I'm shooting a web drama, right? I'm desperate for help!"
"Uh… I'm really no good at acting…"
"Not acting. We've already filmed for months. You're a broadcasting major, right?"
"Then your diction and delivery should be great. What I need is someone to dub the female lead's lines."
"Don't worry, I'll pay. Two thousand per episode. How about it?"
"E-eh… but I'm really swamped. Mo Yachen dumped a mountain of student council work on me—I haven't even touched my guitar in three days. Just paperwork nonstop…"
"No problem! It's just dubbing, not dragging you to the studio right now. After you're done, you can come."
"…But why me? Aren't there plenty of voice actors out there?"
"Reason? Well, you're my little brother's girlfriend, for one. And also because I want to get along with you. Plus, my drama really needs a pretty, sweet voice like yours."
"Mm… give me a few days to think about it?"
"Sure, sure. Ten days max. After that, I'll ask someone else."
When Ji Yu left the restaurant, bare-faced and casually dressed, she went straight to the building that swallowed her days in paperwork and meetings.
Behind her oversized black-rimmed glasses, her sapphire eyes glimmered softly. The corners of her lips carried a faint, helpless smile. Half an hour ago, she'd only planned to grab lunch before more student council meetings. But half an hour later—
A new task sat before her. One wrapped in personal ties, and carrying a hidden secret.
She squeezed in eye drops, pulled open the student council office curtains, and let the warm summer breeze tousle her tired hair. Yudu's sunlit skyline reflected in her eyes.
Early summer was coming.
"Whoa—look at all these different styles you've painted already?!"
The villa's door unlocked. Mo Xunhan stood behind her brother. Qin Xiao entered with Ji Yu in tow, while three fluffy Samoyeds bounded out of their kennels, circling the girls playfully.
"Quiet! Do you have people yelling like this on your film sets? Give the little artist some peace."
Qin Xiao carried the twin of Ji Yu's handbag, though hers was stuffed with jewelry and cosmetics she rarely used. Whenever she hung out with Ji Yu, she loved dressing her up.
Since Mo Xunhan's latest film had run into distribution restrictions, she'd financed a web drama herself—half out of spite, half determination. For local partnerships in Yuyang, Qin Xiao was the perfect investor: wealthy, connected, and willing to supply costumes and props.
Ji Yu stood gracefully by Qin Xiao, watching Mo Yachen paint with closed eyes, chasing inspiration. The three dogs quickly abandoned the other two women, crowding eagerly around Ji Yu instead. She couldn't resist—gathering her skirt, she crouched to pet their snowy fur.
"You know," Mo Xunhan began proudly, "ever since my brother picked up painting again, our mother has been overjoyed. She even mobilized her art-world contacts to book the Vanstar Art Museum in Yudu exclusively for his comeback exhibition."
When it came to her own films, Mo Xunhan could be modest. But when it came to her brother, she was overflowing with pride, rattling off his childhood awards as if she had personally presented each one.
"Alright, alright, I get it," Qin Xiao cut in. "But why was there a seven-year gap with no public work?"
That question snapped Ji Yu's full attention. Her eyes widened, her curiosity burning. She had long suspected something strange about Mo Yachen, but the fragments she'd gathered were too few, too scattered.
She wanted a clear answer.
But Mo Xunhan only smiled, leading her investor and her new "voice actress" into the kitchen. After slicing fruit and leaning on the counter, she finally said:
"Honestly? I don't know what happened back then. I was studying at Shanghai Film Academy during that time."
"Then what kind of change could make Mo Yachen nearly abandon art altogether?"
Ji Yu tilted her head, thinking aloud. Suddenly, like a spark, she blurted:
"Could it be… something he's afraid to talk about?"
Qin Xiao didn't know him well enough to follow—she only sipped her juice, watching the drama unfold.
"Heh, who cares," Mo Xunhan waved it off. "The point is, he's painting again. And it's thanks to you, Ji Yu. When the exhibition ends, I'll introduce you to our parents."
Ji Yu flushed, shaking her head quickly. She lowered her gaze, hiding her embarrassment by nudging the fluffy dogs with her foot.