I became a movie star at the age of three; Dilraba and I are childhood sweethearts.

"Put this on."

Avril excitedly accepted it.

"Wow, is this some kind of role-playing game?"

Xiao Chen ignored her wild thoughts and reached out to carefully tuck her blonde hair into the hairnet.

Then he put the wig on and carefully tidied up the stray hairs at her temples.

His fingertips brushed against her earlobe unintentionally, bringing a slightly itchy and tingling sensation.

Avril's cheeks began to heat up again, and her heart skipped a beat.

After a makeover, Avril Lavigne transformed into an Asian girl with exceptionally defined features.

Although she is still beautiful, she is easily overlooked in a crowd.

To test the effectiveness, they deliberately got off the bus on Wangfujing Street, a street with a large flow of people.

The two walked side by side down the street, surrounded by people coming and going, and not a single person cast a strange glance at them.

Avril excitedly tugged at Xiao Chen's sleeve, lowering her voice, her tone full of barely concealed joy.

"Xiao, do we look like a normal couple on a secret date right now?"

Xiao Chen glanced at her sideways; her bright blue eyes were full of anticipation.

He smiled helplessly, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.

"You're overthinking it. We're more like private investigators scouting the area right now."

Although he said that, he did not pull his sleeve back.

Our first stop: the Forbidden City.

When Avril passed through the Meridian Gate and saw the magnificent, endless palace complex, she was utterly awestruck.

The vast square, the majestic Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the golden glazed tiles gleaming with imperial splendor in the sunlight.

All of this was imbued with a profound sense of history, unlike any other European castle she had ever seen.

"Oh my god..."

All she could do was let out a heartfelt exclamation.

Xiao Chen's voice rang in her ear.

"This place was once the home of twenty-four emperors of the Dragon Kingdom."

He was like a top-notch tour guide, yet more skilled than any other tour guide.

Tour guides now have a unique perspective.

"Look at the mythical beasts on the roof; each one has its own story."

"And these gold bricks on the ground, their firing process is extremely complex, and they make a sound like metal or stone when struck."

He pointed to those seemingly ordinary details and recounted them in detail.

It's not about reciting a tour guide script, but about sharing a cultural memory that's ingrained in our very being.

He would even stop in a corner and tell Avril.

"When I was filming 'Farewell My Concubine,' one of the scenes was shot in this area."

"At that time, Cheng Dieyi was looking at the 'Overlord' in his eyes from this angle."

Avril was completely engrossed in listening.

She saw more than just buildings; through Xiao Chen's eyes, she saw vivid stories.

Segments of time flowing by.

She took out her camera and frantically pressed the shutter button, wanting to record everything in front of her, but felt that no lens could capture even a fraction of the charm of this place.

Walking along the long palace corridor, Avril couldn't help but imagine.

Centuries ago, did those emperors and concubines, dressed in magnificent attire, also walk this road, each with their own thoughts and feelings?

A young girl was walking and scrolling through videos on her phone when she nearly bumped into Xiao Chen.

The girl subconsciously apologized and glanced up.

She was stunned.

The man in front of me, wearing glasses and a hat, didn't look familiar, even though I couldn't see his whole face. The curve of his jawline and his straight nose looked strangely familiar.

"You...you are not...?"

The girl's eyes widened.

Avril's heart jumped into her throat.

At this critical moment, Xiao Chen suddenly spoke in a pure Northeastern accent, his voice becoming a bit deeper.

"Oh my god, girl, you'd better watch where you're going!"

"If this happened back home, your phone would have been lying on the ground by now!"

He casually put his arm around Avril's shoulder, looking like a tourist with his girlfriend, with a憨厚 smile on his face.

The girl was taken aback by his strong Northeastern accent, but upon closer inspection, she realized it didn't quite sound like him.

Xiao Chen is from Beijing, how could he talk like that?

Moreover, the overall vibe is completely off.

The girl quickly apologized and ran away in embarrassment.

"Ah...yes, I'm sorry."

Avril leaned against Xiao Chen's chest, feeling the vibrations from his chest.

It took me a while to realize what was happening, and I couldn't help but pinch his arm.

"You're so mean!"

She spoke in a breathy voice, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

Xiao Chen merely raised an eyebrow, as if nothing had just happened.

After leaving the Forbidden City, they went to the Temple of Heaven.

Standing beneath the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Avril was once again captivated by the philosophical thoughts of the ancient Dragon Kingdom.

The concepts of a round heaven and a square earth, reverence for nature, and the pursuit of harmony are all embodied in this perfect architecture.

The two arrived at the Echo Wall. Xiao Chen had her stand at one end, while he walked to the other end.

"I can hear you when you talk to the wall."

Avril was somewhat skeptical, but she did as instructed.

After thinking for a moment, he whispered something in a voice only he could hear.

"Sean, I love you."

As the wind blew by, she saw Xiao Chen in the distance listen intently, then call out back to the wall.

The sound reached her ears clearly.

"What did you say? You want roast duck for dinner?"

Avril was both angry and amused, and made a face at him from dozens of meters away.

This man always managed to defuse all her direct attacks in this way, yet she couldn't bring herself to dislike him.

As we left the Temple of Heaven, it was getting late.

Xiao Chen led her through the old alleyways, where the blue bricks and gray tiles were filled with the sounds of pigeons whistling.

It was filled with the lively, everyday atmosphere of the city.

He bought a string of bright red candied hawthorns and handed it to her.

Avril took a bite, and the sourness of the hawthorn and the sweetness of the sugar coating blended perfectly together, creating a simple and pure joy.

She looked at the man beside her; he had shed all his glamorous aura and was like a boy next door, showing her the most authentic side of the city.

This feeling was more fulfilling than attending any grand Hollywood party.

As night falls, the lights are on.

Xiao Chen flagged down a taxi.

"Finally, I'll take you to an interesting place."

The car stopped in front of an antique-style building with a plaque that read "Deyun Society" hanging at the entrance. Inside, it was bustling with activity and people.

Avril asked curiously.

"Where is this place?"

She could feel bursts of laughter and applause coming from inside.

Xiao Chen explained.

"The crosstalk theater."

"You can think of it as the Chinese version of stand-up comedy, but it has a longer history and is more sophisticated than stand-up comedy."

"Two people, one table, and they can talk about everything under the sun."

When the two entered, the venue was already bustling.

On stage, two men, one fat and one thin, dressed in long gowns, were performing a crosstalk routine.

Although Avril couldn't understand it, she found it amazing that the chubby straight man could make the whole audience burst into laughter with just a few simple "Hmm?" "Ah?" "Hi!"