The next day...
Top-floor meeting room
"Good afternoonnnn, everyone," Muyao said as she walked into the meeting room
"Good afternoon, Little Miss," Agent Li and Assistant Chen said at the same time
Agent Li shifted his body slightly to indicate the girl who was standing stiffly along the wall. "This is Fang Xiaocheng, the assistant I mentioned yesterday. She'll officially start working today."
Muyao's eyes immediately lit up, and she exclaimed, "Oooooohhhhhh! You're Xiaocheng! Hi!" and walked over to the girl in real delight
The girl almost straightened further, or so it seemed. "Hello, Miss Lin. I'm Fang Xiaocheng," she added, her tone polite but firm, almost as if she was reporting to her superior
Muyao blinked and then chuckled. "Whoa, don't be so serious! You can chill a little. Just call me Muyao from now on, okay?"
Fang Xiaocheng paused as if to take it in, and then her obstinate disposition nodded. "Understood, Miss—I mean, Muyao."
Agent Li chuckled quietly. "See? I told you she was like that. Don't worry, she just needs to get accustomed."
Muyao grinned even wider. "That's totally fine! I'll get her to loosen up in no time."
"Since you're here today, there's a variety show I just heard about this morning from Director Tu," Agent Li said. "He's planning to film a travel variety show, and it's actually an idea from the head of our country's Department of Culture and Tourism."
"Why are they filming this? Isn't Hua Xia's tourism already growing every year?" Muyao asked, tilting her head
"It is," Agent Li said, "but most tourists only visit tier-one and tier-two cities. Very few go to tier-three cities, and almost no one goes to tier-four cities. Because of that, a lot of smaller places aren't developing well, and many traditional cultures are slowly disappearing. The head of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism wants to change that—to bring more visitors to those lesser-known places and protect the old traditions. That's why they came up with this variety show."
Muyao blinked. "Then why are you telling me this? Since it's a government-led show, shouldn't every artist be fighting for a spot? It's basically the perfect chance to prove they're law-abiding citizens in front of the audience."
"Well, that's the problem," Agent Li said with a sigh. "You see, I once owed Director Tu a favor. So when he called me this morning, I immediately agreed to help him out—by sending one of our company's completely clean artists to join the show. Someone who's never broken any laws or caused trouble."
"So the first person you thought of was me?!" Muyao asked, pointing at herself in disbelief
"Mhm," Agent Li said, nodding without hesitation
"But why me?" she asked, still confused
"It's because this time, the government isn't just checking your personal background—they're also checking your family's," Assistant Chen cut in, glancing between the two. "They want to make sure you're completely clean."
'It's just a variety show, right? Why does it sound like a national security check?' Muyao thought, raising an eyebrow
Assistant Chen quickly continued, "There's a reason for that. The show's going to be livestreamed across the whole country. And, you know, there are always hackers digging into celebrities' families—if they find anything bad, rumors spread fast."
Agent Li nodded. "Exactly. And that's why you were the first person who came to mind. Lin Muyao—youngest child of the Lin and Xia families. Both are aristocratic families with spotless reputations. The Xia family donated most of their fortune during the war in 1937, while the Lin family were all either scientists or soldiers who took part in that same war. Almost all of them passed away, and the only one who survived to rebuild the Lin family was your great-great-great-grandfather. That's why I'm not worried about you joining this variety show," Agent Li said
Muyao rested her chin on her hand. "So, if I join this show, will they find out who I really am?"
Agent Li shook his head. "Of course not. You'll join as a newcomer, just like everyone else. The background check only goes to the government. They won't make your information public."
"Then won't people find it suspicious for a newcomer like me to get into an A-list director's variety show? They'll probably think I traded my body to some investor or did something even messier just to get a spot. I don't want my reputation to start off on a bad note as a newcomer in the entertainment industry," Muyao said, frowning
"Don't you think that you're overthinking?" Agent Li raise an eyebrow
"Overthink?" Muyao crossed her arms, a hint of anger in her voice. "Isn't this exactly how the audience treats female celebrities in this industry? One wrong move, one weird rumor, and suddenly everyone thinks the worst. You know better than I do that female celebrities constantly deal with this. Even if I clear up the rumors someday, no one will believe me—they'll only believe what they heard."
"That's why the government background check exists," Assistant Chen said calmly. "As long as you stay clean and your family background is spotless, nothing like that can stick."
Agent Li leaned forward, his tone softer. "Muyao, think of it this way—you're starting as a newcomer. That gives you freedom. No one expects anything from you yet. You control how they see you."
Muyao frowned. "But I'm still worried. Some celebrities feel threatened by newcomers—they worry that one day we'll become more popular than they are. Even if I do nothing wrong, people will spread rumors."
"Listen, Muyao," Agent Li said, trying to reassure her. "You're just worrying too much. Born as the youngest miss of the Lin Group, I trust my instincts—you're not as innocent as you look. You can handle this."
Muyao's frown remained, but inside, a sly grin formed. 'Not innocent? Hah, maybe not. But don't get the wrong idea—I know exactly how to play this game. If anyone dares to spread rumors about me, they'll regret it. Let them watch—they'll see exactly how careful, clever, and untouchable Lin Muyao can be.'
"See! I knew it! I knew it! Young Miss Muyao isn't nearly as innocent as Young Master Bohan made her out to be!" Both Agent Li and Assistant Chen looked like they wanted to scream at the same time, their expressions a mix of frustration and disbelief