The captain was overthinking it a bit. "If you two get together, does that mean you’ll be staying over there from now on?"

Ji Mingxi nodded. "Yeah. Everyone in the group is focused on their own careers anyway. I’ve been thinking about moving behind the scenes for the past few years myself. I’m so envious of the life Sister Wen has now."

The youngest member said, "Bro, not everyone can become like Sister Wen. Think about it. So many people in the industry have stopped performing. How many of them ended up like her?"

They might not know much about Sister Li, but Sister Wen? Who didn’t know about her? Especially after Tan You won her award, Tan You’s name became known to everyone.

Ji Mingxi said, "I wouldn’t dare compare myself to Sister Wen, but there are still plenty of options for working behind the scenes. Look at me—my singing isn’t top-tier, and there are a lot of dance moves I can’t do anymore because of my body. I have to take all of that into account."

"That’s true," the captain said. "We’re all drifting apart anyway; we can’t be tied together forever. When you leave, we’ll all see you off at the airport. Who knows when you’ll be back this time."

Ji Mingxi leaned back on the sofa. "I’ll only be gone for a few days at most. My contract with my company here hasn’t expired yet. Besides, I haven’t even talked to Sister Li about it. I have no idea what she’s thinking."

The captain thought about it. "Right. How much longer is left on your contract?"

Ji Mingxi replied, "It’s up next month. Did the company renew with you guys?"

The youngest member said, "Well, we’re staying in the country and continuing as artists, so renewing is a given. What about you? You’re not planning to renew?"

"It depends on what Sister Li wants," Ji Mingxi said. "If I’m going to start a family, I can’t be in a long-distance relationship. How inhumane is that?"

Everyone grew emotional listening to him, but no one objected to his choice. After all, two other members had already left the group to go solo in recent years. Ji Mingxi’s situation was hardly unusual.

Ji Mingxi moved quickly. He was in the country in the morning and at the Capital City airport by the afternoon. He had been in a good mood to begin with, but it got even better when he came out and saw Sister Li waiting for him.

Some people are just blessed by the heavens. Even after several years, her face hadn’t changed much at all; she still looked as refined and beautiful as ever. Sister Li’s gaze swept over Ji Mingxi’s face, and she couldn’t help but admire how handsome he was.

"Sister Li, why did you come to pick me up? Aren’t you busy?" Ji Mingxi didn’t let Sister Li help with his luggage, happily wheeling his suitcase himself as he walked beside her.

"If I didn’t come, Sister Wen would have. And if she came, it would be impossible to maintain security here." Sister Li let out a soft laugh. Things had been going her way recently, so she was feeling good about everything.

Ji Mingxi shuddered at the thought. "If you’re busy, you should get back to work. I can take care of myself."

Sister Li smiled. "I’m just treating this as a break where no one’s bothering me. There are indeed a few things at the office, but it’s about time they gave Sister Wen a headache for a change."

Ji Mingxi grew a little worried. "Is something troubling you?"

Sister Li said, "Our last project won an award, and word is we’re preparing a new film. Now we have investors, all sorts of artists, and their agents coming out of the woodwork. They’re all so annoying."

Ji Mingxi stated the obvious. "They wouldn’t dare approach Sister Wen, would they?"

"That’s true," Sister Li conceded with a nod. "Oh well, we can talk about it later. Are you going to a hotel or to the office?"

Ji Mingxi said, "I’m not tired at all. I’ll go to the office with you first. We can have dinner together tonight?"

Sister Li’s brow twitched. She had a vague idea of what Ji Mingxi was getting at. ’Isn’t he being a little too opportunistic? And when did I ever agree to have dinner with him?’

But when she saw the unconcealable nervousness and anxiety on his face, her heart suddenly softened a little. "Alright. But I’m very busy today, so I probably won’t be getting off work early."

"That’s okay, I can wait." Just the fact that Sister Li hadn’t rejected him was enough to make Ji Mingxi ecstatic. He was grinning like a goofy fool.

"Watch where you’re going. Why are you looking at me?" Sister Li tried to keep a straight face, but a smile still escaped through her eyes.

"You’re beautiful," Ji Mingxi blurted out without thinking, then immediately blushed. Sister Li clicked her tongue in amazement. ’This grown man has been soaking in a cesspool like the entertainment industry for so long, yet he’s still so innocent,’ she thought.

Tan You was also at the company today. While Sister Li went to the airport to pick up Ji Mingxi, Tan You had to take care of her work. The same people who might put on airs in front of Sister Li were all perfectly obedient before Tan You, only capable of saying "yes, yes, yes," and not daring to raise a single objection.

When Ji Mingxi and Sister Li got back, Tan You was just seeing off the last agent who had come to seek a partnership.

Sister Li was surprised. "You’ve finished everything? Does this mean I can take the day off?"

Tan You said, "Mhm, you’ve been working hard lately. It’s rare for Ji Mingxi to visit, so why don’t you take him out and show him around? In my current state, it’s not convenient for me to go out."

Ji Mingxi’s head shot up, his eyes meeting Tan You’s. He was so happy he could have kneeled down to thank her. ’Sister Wen is so good to me,’ he thought. ’She’s even being my wingman!’

Tan You pretended not to notice Ji Mingxi’s delight. She looked at Sister Li and said, "If you’re not willing, I can find someone else..."

Sister Li considered it for a moment. "No need. I’d like to go out and relax too. So, I can just ignore company business for the next few days?"

"Mhm, go and have fun. You’ve been working really hard lately." Tan You wasn’t some ruthless, exploitative capitalist. She considered herself quite good to her employees, never skimping on benefits, bonuses, and the like.

Watching Sister Li and Ji Mingxi leave, Tan You smiled. This was as much of a push as she could give them. What happened next was up to them. Whether the two of them would end up together was all down to fate.

Those in power tend to be decisive and efficient. One day, Tan You was wondering what progress the two would make, and not long after, she heard Ji Mingxi reporting to her that Sister Li had said yes. Furthermore, because his collaboration with his company had gone so well over the years, they had actually let him out of his contract early.

Tan You tapped on her desk. "So, what are your thoughts? What’s your plan for the future?"

Ji Mingxi laughed with pure joy. "I’ve already told Sister Li; I’ll be at the airport at nine tomorrow morning. As for the future... Miss Tan, please take me in! I’ve been wanting to move behind the scenes anyway."

Tan You narrowed her eyes. "Sister Li agreed? A big star coming to work at my company? Isn’t that a waste of your talent?"

"What big star?" Ji Mingxi had a clear sense of his own standing. "I was just thinking that if I worked at your company, Miss Tan, I’d be closer to Sister Li."

"Besides, I have a lot of experience. Doesn’t your company have trainees, Miss Tan? I have plenty of insight into all that."

Tan You mulled it over. "I’ll discuss it with Sister Li. We’ll talk more once you’ve arrived."