The cross soaked and worn by water and that purple garment became the last scene Apoli left for everyone at the temple.
After calming down, Fu Li immediately rushed to Apoli’s room, only to find that the black basalt had vanished.
None of this was yet known to Yijie and No.0, who had left the temple and "Military Road."
Qinyang City, despite being a major economic city by the sea, has greenery that could rival some mountain cities in the southwest of Hua Country.
Sitting on the inter-city bus at five in the afternoon, Xia You watched the greenery flash past the windows.
In the early 21st century, after rapid economic development, Hua Country experienced a terrifying period of pollution. Xia You had not yet been born at that time, and heard that the severe environmental pollution and a series of radiation resulted in a high rate of deformed newborns. To pacify the public, the government eventually cooperated with international environmental organizations to sign the Urban Forest Project, and the situation slowly improved.
The bus stopped at the entrance of "Golden Splendor." Around five o’clock, the decorative lights flickered but weren’t very noticeable. The handsome men and beautiful women entering and exiting "Golden Splendor" were also in a drowsy state. In this city that never sleeps, a large number of "night owls" have been cultivated. Thinking that she would have to spend some time in a topsy-turvy life, Xia You realized that she hadn’t informed Yijie during her last time on "Military Road."
Forget it, she would think of a way to go up and speak to him around midnight, Xia You took out her phone. It was her first official day at work, and she didn’t have any regulars yet, so she figured no one would call her by name today.
"First, take a hard photo for the brochure, then choose a stage name," the supervisor was a young man around twenty-five or twenty-six, handsome, but looked unenergetic due to excessive nightlife.
Xia You wasn’t aware that being a "Young Master" required such a complicated process. As she hesitated, Yu Xiaonan arrived. Without a word, he patted his chest and said, "We’ll decide on the stage name in a bit. As for the photo, since it’s a matter of face, I have a way." Yu Xiaonan was a shrewd person. Before being sent to "Golden Splendor," he had also done some research. However, his information was quite different from what Xia You and Mo Xixi had gathered.
"Do you know who was the most popular in ’Golden Splendor’ in the past?" Yu Xiaonan didn’t regard the supervisor highly.
The two were walking upstairs at this moment, and between five and six o’clock, many staff members were already entering.
Looking down from the top of the stairs, Xia You saw men and women, each either handsome or glamorous. She had never seen so many attractive people at once.
At that moment, a man came up, walking alongside several other "Young Masters" who looked like favored sons of the nation, but none could match this man, who was beyond criticism.
"Handsome from every angle," no matter from which side, his height, face, and demeanor were flawless. Xia You was convinced that if she were a female client, she would choose such a "Young Master." His skin was completely poreless, with a moderate height, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, carrying a hint of melancholy.
"Let me take you to look," Yu Xiaonan walked over to the reception desk downstairs and flirtatiously called out, "Beauty, bring me a brochure."
Two thick brochures were delivered, and both receptionists were very friendly towards Yu Xiaonan.
"Is it him? And her?" Xia You looked at the most prominent male and female in the photos, who she had also noticed earlier, matching up to the features. Upon viewing the melancholy handsome man she saw earlier, she was surprised to find he wasn’t even in the top ten.
She flipped through several pages until the problem became evident upon seeing the photos.
"Have you ever heard the story of Wang Zhaojun? A good photographer, like a good painter, can turn a sow into a Heavenly Immortal, and also turn a handsome man into Zhu Bajie." The photos in the brochure were worlds apart from the real person, completely failing to highlight the best features of the no-angle handsome man.
"But all that is a thing of the past. Once I join in, I will be the hottest," Yu Xiaonan was quite confident in his own allure, immediately sending flirtatious glances to the two female receptionists, making them squeal continuously, utterly fan-like.
Xia You followed Yu Xiaonan as he drove, crossing most of Qinyang City, until they found a private studio in several alleys.
The studio was cluttered with various photography props, and the lights that were turned on were not bright, giving off a dim, yellow glow.