A top star in the Chinese entertainment industry, but also a Taoist priest.

Liang Yin's eyes lit up. She knew that Chen Shouyi had the contact information of many people in the industry in his WeChat account, and who knew when a surprise might pop up.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Taoist priest."

"It was just a small favor."

Just then, a series of light footsteps came from the doorway.

Zhang Ruonan appeared at the door, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, her hair tied in a low ponytail, and a canvas bag slung over her shoulder.

The moment she entered, she saw Chen Shouyi sitting on the sofa, and her eyes lit up.

"Master Daoist!"

She walked in quickly, and only when she reached Chen Shouyi did she seem to remember something, so she quickly bowed.

"I was just wondering on my way here if you had arrived yet."

Chen Shouyi nodded to her: "Have you packed everything?"

"Everything's packed." Zhang Ruonan patted the canvas bag. "I just put my suitcase in the car, and all my personal belongings are here."

Liang Yin added from the side, "Ruonan learns very quickly. After going through the coordination process with the production team, she has mastered the basics."

Chen Shouyi glanced at Zhang Ruonan, and the girl became a little nervous under his gaze, subconsciously straightening up a bit.

"Okay." He stood up, handed the script and file folder to Zhang Ruonan, and said, "Let's go then."

Zhang Ruonan quickly took it and put it in her bag, then bowed to Liang Yin: "Thank you for taking care of me these past few days, Sister Liang."

Liang Yin smiled and waved her hand: "Work hard with the Taoist priest."

Chen Shouyi led Zhang Ruonan downstairs, where a van was already waiting at the door.

On the way to the airport, Zhang Ruonan would steal glances at Chen Shouyi next to her from time to time.

She had learned a lot from Sister Liang during her time in Shanghai, but she was still a little nervous about actually going out to work with the Taoist priest.

Despite the nervousness, I felt more at ease, knowing I wouldn't be drifting alone anymore.

Upon arriving at the airport and passing through security, the two found seats near the boarding gate.

Chen Shouyi took out his phone and scrolled through the messages. He was replying to them one by one when his phone suddenly rang.

He answered the phone, and Shouzhuo's voice came through the receiver, full of energy:

"Master! Have you boarded the plane yet?"

"Not yet, waiting for my flight."

"Master, what time will you be landing? I'd like to go to the airport early to wait for you."

"We'll probably land around 7:30, so you don't need to come too early."

"Okay!" Shouzhuo replied, then eagerly added,

"Master, please rest assured, I've cleaned the temple thoroughly! I've swept the main hall and side halls, there's not a speck of dust on the ancestral master's altar, I've wiped the incense burner, and I've even aired out the bedding in your room!"

He spoke quickly and urgently, as if afraid of missing something. Chen Shouyi listened, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

This kid isn't usually this enthusiastic about work; it seems he's really been cooped up for days by himself.

"Okay, I understand."

"And another thing," Shouzhuo said, clearly not having finished his report, "this morning a benefactor came to the temple to fulfill a vow."

Chen Shouyi's eyebrows twitched slightly. Bai Mengyan had called him a few days ago, excitedly saying that the short film was finished and that she was coming to see him. Given her impulsive nature, it wasn't surprising that she would show up today.

"Haku Mengken?"

"It's not Benefactor Bai," Shouzhuo replied, "it's Benefactor Sun Yisun."

Chen Shou paused for a moment. Zhang Ruoyun had mentioned her on set before, saying that she had taken on the lead role in "Fifteen Years to Wait for Migratory Birds" and that she had said she would come to fulfill her vow. He didn't expect her to come so soon.

"She was quite disappointed that you weren't here," Shouzhuo continued. "I told her that you would be back tomorrow, and she said she would come again tomorrow."

"Understood," Chen Shouyi said. "I'll hang up now, the plane is about to take off."

"Alright! Have a safe journey, Master!"

Chen Shouyi hung up the phone and was about to close his eyes to regulate his breathing when he felt a gaze fixed on him from the side.

He turned his head and saw Zhang Ruonan looking at him with her eyes wide open and her face full of curiosity.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Master," Zhang Ruonan hesitated for a moment, "shall we go directly to your Taoist temple?"

Chen Shouyi could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her expression.

A young woman is on her first business trip with her boss. The destination is a Taoist temple in the mountains. Anyone in her shoes would have a few questions in their mind:

Is it a thatched hut to stay in? Is there running water? Is there electricity? Do we need to light candles at night?

Chen Shouyi smiled and said, "Do you think a Taoist temple is just a few dilapidated houses where you have to fetch water from a well and light oil lamps at night?"

Zhang Ruonan, her thoughts exposed, pursed her lips a little shyly:

"I... I didn't think that way. I'm just not quite sure."

"Don't worry, although it's a Taoist temple, the accommodations are quite nice. Water, electricity, and internet are all available; everything you need is there. Shouzhuo plays games in the temple every day, so his internet speed is very fast."

Zhang Ruonan's eyes lit up: "Really? There's internet and hot water?"

Chen Shouyi rubbed his forehead and said patiently, "Although we are in the mountains, we still have these basic things."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Besides ordering takeout."

Zhang Ruonan visibly relaxed, and her tone became much lighter: "Then it's alright. If I can't order takeout, I can cook for myself. I'm a pretty good cook."

"You can cook?" Chen Shouyi glanced at her.

"Yes, I can," she said, counting on her fingers. "I can cook a little bit of everything: stir-frying, making soup, and making wontons. When I lived alone in Hangzhou, takeout was too expensive, so I learned to cook for myself."

Chen Shouyi nodded. Being able to cook is a good thing.

Shouzhuo can't do anything but cook noodles. With Ruonan around, at least his meals will be better.

It was completely dark when the plane landed.

Chen Shouyi led Zhang Ruonan out of the arrival gate and saw Shouzhuo standing on tiptoe, peering into the crowd from afar.

He was wearing a clean dark blue short-sleeved shirt today, and his hair was tied up again, making him stand out among a group of passengers holding up signs to welcome them.

"Master! Over here!" Shouzhuo spotted Chen Shouyi at a glance and quickly came over. His smile faltered for a moment when his gaze fell on Zhang Ruonan.

He glanced at Zhang Ruonan, then at his master, his mind racing.

When Master left, he was alone, but when he returned, there was a girl with him. The girl looked to be in her early twenties and was quite pretty; she was following Master around.

Shouzhuo opened his mouth and tentatively asked, "Master, is this...Junior Sister?"

Chen Shouyi raised his hand and patted the back of his head lightly, the sound crisp but not hard.

"Junior sister? What junior sister? This is Zhang Ruonan, my newly recruited assistant."

Shouzhuo rubbed the back of his head, chuckled twice, and quickly bowed to Zhang Ruonan with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Greetings, Benefactor Zhang! My name is Shouzhuo, and I am my master's disciple."

Zhang Ruonan was amused by the interaction between the master and disciple, and gave a slight bow in return.

"Greetings, Master Shouzhuo. You can call me Ruonan from now on."

"No, no, I don't deserve it," Shouzhuo quickly waved his hand, his ears turning slightly red. "You can just call me Shouzhuo."

Chen Shouyi, too lazy to bother with their pleasantries, strode outside and asked, "Where did you park the car?"

"Parking lot! Section C! I'll show you the way!"

As Shouzhu led the way, he started talking non-stop.

From how he single-handedly cleaned the Taoist temple inside and out, to how he caught the wild cat from the neighboring hill stealing offerings, his mouth never stopped moving from beginning to end.

Zhang Ruonan followed behind, listening, and occasionally smiled as she was amused by his rambling.

Once inside the familiar gray Tundra, Shouzhuo started the engine, the diesel engine roared for a while, and the car shook slightly.

Zhang Ruonan sat in the back, looking around curiously. It was her first time sitting in a pickup truck with such a high chassis.

After leaving the airport, the car drove north along the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway for a while, and then turned onto a winding mountain road.

The streetlights on both sides of the road gradually thinned out, replaced by dark shadows of trees and occasional starlight peeking through the gaps in the branches.

"Let me tell you, Benefactor Ruonan, this road is actually quite beautiful to drive on at night," Shouzhuo said enthusiastically while steadily holding the steering wheel.

"During the day, you can see the lake below the mountain; it's huge. There's also an orchard halfway up the mountain. In the fall—hey Master, how about we make some fruit wine this year?"

"what ever."

"Then I'll go ask later!" Shouzhuo became even more enthusiastic and turned to the back row, "Ruonan, would you like some peaches? The peaches in that orchard over there are very sweet. I'll pick a few for you later."

As Zhang Ruonan looked at the gradually brightening starry sky outside the window, and then at Chen Shouyi sitting in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, the tension in her heart gradually disappeared.

The mountains were indeed a bit desolate, but the way the master and apprentice got along made her feel quite at ease.

After a few more bends in the road, a warm yellow light finally appeared on the hillside ahead.

We've arrived at Zifu Temple.