Li Baixi had no idea that Cheng Ping’s confrontation with the movie star was done out of anger for him; he simply thought that the young man needed to control his temper.

He wanted to offer some advice but was interrupted by his junior. After some reflection, he realized he wasn’t in a position to give unsolicited advice and let it go.

A few days later, a piece of gossip hit the headlines.

Zhang the Movie Star, during an interview, harshly criticized some of today’s “young idols” for having no acting skills, no significant works, and disrespecting their seniors, yet still behaving arrogantly.

If the intention of his words wasn’t clear enough, the next statement made it almost explicit: “No matter what achievements you have in other fields, stepping into this industry means starting with a blank slate. You should have the humility of a newcomer.”

It was almost a direct jab at Cheng Ping.

The industry was abuzz with gossip.

Li Baixi, hearing the discussions, couldn’t help but comment, “A distinguished movie star, making such a fuss over one backstage remark?”

“You don’t get it. It wasn’t just a backstage remark,” the female celebrity he was doing makeup for said, opening up for some girl talk.

Li Baixi: “What happened?”

As it turned out, after the ceremony ended, the artists in the audience began to leave. Naturally, Zhang the Movie Star was surrounded by admirers, and many young artists and industry insiders tried to get close to him.

Cheng Ping’s manager pushed him in that direction, “Find an opportunity to smile and apologize. A smiling face receives no slap. Please, act maturely…”

The manager, being shorter, couldn’t see how crowded and chaotic it was ahead. Cheng Ping, unprepared, was pushed into the crowd and before he could steady himself, he got stepped on hard.

His manager, unable to see, kept pushing.

Finally, Cheng Ping exploded in anger, shouting, “Hey!”

His voice was so loud that the crowd fell silent.

The woman who stepped on him turned around and glanced at him.

Zhang the Movie Star also looked over, smirking, “Xiao Cheng, hurry up and apologize to Ms. Cheng.”

The woman wore a professional smile, “I’m really sorry, Mr. Cheng, did I hurt you?”

Cheng Ping: “…”

The manager, finally seeing what had happened, hurriedly pulled Cheng Ping back, “Sorry, sorry, it was our fault for not watching where we were going. It’s all a misunderstanding…”

But Zhang the Movie Star was already walking away with a cold smile.

The manager, pale, turned to Cheng Ping, “You should’ve said something to smooth things over…”

Cheng Ping, puzzled, said, “She stepped on me. What should I have said?”

Manager: “.”

Manager: “Do you know who she is? That’s the movie star’s sister and his manager.”

Cheng Ping had offended Zhang the Movie Star twice that night, once backstage with few people around, and once at the exit with many witnesses.

But even once was enough. Where there were people, there was gossip.

The gossip soon spread beyond the industry, and with Zhang the Movie Star’s pointed comments in the interview, even Cheng Ping’s fans couldn’t completely defend him.

Zhang was an established star, while Cheng Ping was a true newcomer. In such a scenario, public opinion was overwhelmingly against Cheng Ping, further fueled by his rivals.

With the mounting pressure, even Cheng Ping’s former captain didn’t miss the chance to take a jab.

During a live stream, someone commented, “If Cheng Ping were still here, you guys would’ve made it to the finals.”

Stung by the comment, the captain retorted, “He had lost focus on the game. Let’s just say everyone has their own ambitions.”

The next day, a new trending topic emerged: “Cheng Ping: Everyone has their own ambitions.”

Cheng Ping’s acting career hadn’t even begun to rise, and his public image was already taking a nosedive.

Li Baixi felt he had to talk to Cheng Ping.

Whether it would help or not, he needed to try. After all, the grudge with the captain was partly his fault too. He had been a bit tipsy and acted out at the restroom door.

Knowing that Cheng Ping responded better to soft approaches, Li Baixi tactically eased into the conversation during a voice chat session in their game, offering some public relations advice.

The former captain, being from the esports circle, lacked mature PR strategies and couldn’t present any solid evidence. Cheng Ping, on the other hand, had more tangible records.

“You’ve saved the team multiple times when he played poorly. There’s a record of that. Have your team compile that and guide the public narrative.”

Li Baixi was serious about the advice, but Cheng Ping seemed indifferent, “That’s the team’s concern, not mine.”

To Li Baixi, it felt like dealing with a petulant child, “Grow up.”

Cheng Ping had heard this countless times.

But coming from Li Baixi, it hit a nerve. He raised his voice, “You couldn’t get rid of Zhang the Movie Star, so I did it for you, and now you’re blaming me?”

Li Baixi: “?”

Li Baixi was stunned.

After a round of questioning, Li Baixi finally understood what had happened.

He couldn’t help but laugh, “He was joking, trying to flirt. There was nothing between us… I was just playing along. I couldn’t offend him… He’s not a bad person, just a bit oily…”

Cheng Ping couldn’t bear to listen.

Cheng Ping, “So, that night at the bar, all your talk about being hurt and being strong was just made up?”

Li Baixi: “.”

Li Baixi cautiously said, “It had some fictional elements, mainly to comfort you.”

Cheng Ping fell silent.

After a moment, Li Baixi asked a dangerous question, “Are you mad?”

Cheng Ping: “That night at the bar, did you say anything true?”

Li Baixi thought about it.

No, he hadn’t.

Cheng Ping said, “You’re more suited to be an actor than I am.”

Li Baixi sighed, “You misunderstand what it means to be an actor.”

Cheng Ping felt stifled, “How can you be so… insincere?”

He blurted out, “Are you made entirely of lies?”

Feeling guilty, Li Baixi couldn’t refute.

They parted on bad terms.

Cheng Ping couldn’t explain his frustration, only feeling that Li Baixi was worlds apart from his initial impression.

Li Baixi, with his seemingly rebellious appearance, had climbed to the top of his field. He wasn’t rebellious at all; he conformed to the rules and used them to his advantage.

His job was to put masks on people, and he probably wore a mask he couldn’t take off himself.

Cheng Ping thought of Li Baixi’s smiling junior.

Maybe they were the same kind of people, in the same circle as those charming actors.

Maybe he didn’t belong to that world.

Li Baixi and Cheng Ping still had a long-term contract, but Cheng Ping had not sought his services for several times now.

After some introspection, Li Baixi concluded he had been too much.

The young man had borne so much, and his actions were out of goodwill. Li Baixi had failed to appreciate that and hurt his feelings.

Li Baixi wasn’t the type to brood over social interactions. Once he figured it out, he sought opportunities to reconcile with Cheng Ping.

During a brand invitation to travel abroad, Cheng Ping, unable to resist his team’s persistent persuasion, appointed Li Baixi as his makeup artist.

They departed from different cities, meeting only at the shooting location. Li Baixi waved from afar, while Cheng Ping gave a curt nod.

“Come on, it’s too hot. Let’s all have a cold drink,” Li Baixi said, taking a bag of chilled bottles from Ma Koukou.

Ma Koukou sighed, shaking his arm.

Cheng Ping took a bottle and set it aside.

He had two small pimples on his face, indicating even worse sleep quality lately.

Li Baixi cleaned his face with a makeup pad, taking a sharp breath, “Ouch.”

Cheng Ping glanced at him in the mirror. Li Baixi seized the opportunity, explaining, “Our luggage got lost at the airport, and we lost all our makeup supplies. We ran around half the city without an umbrella to catch up and got a bit sunburned.”

“…”

Yang Assistant, the only one who really ran around the city, gave Li Baixi a cool look.

Li Baixi signaled her with a “3” behind his back—three bags.

Yang Assistant immediately composed herself, indicating a deal.

Cheng Ping observed Li Baixi’s face, “Really? Are you lying again?”

Li Baixi: “.”

Pausing, Li Baixi admitted, “Yes.”

Cheng Ping: “???”

Li Baixi dropped the act, “I don’t know how to win your forgiveness without lying.”

Cheng Ping looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.

“I’ve thought it over,” Li Baixi said, “I need to learn from you, to live more truthfully.”

Cheng Ping: “…I also…”

Yang Assistant suddenly asked coldly, “Are the three bags still on?”

Li Baixi kept a straight face, “What are you talking about? I said get three coffees.”

“What were you reflecting on again?” Cheng Ping asked.

“Three bags, I’ll buy them.”

Ma Koukou timidly raised his hand, “I helped a bit too. Sam went to buy makeup, so I got the drinks and got tanned by zero-point-one shade.”

Li Baixi noticed a hint of a smile on Cheng Ping’s

 face and seized the moment, “How about dinner after work? For the sake of Ma Koukou’s sacrificed complexion?”

Cheng Ping restrained his smile, “I wouldn’t dare. Treat your assistant instead.”

Seeing Li Baixi’s awkward expression, Cheng Ping relented, “…Okay.”

At the restaurant, Cheng Ping discovered Li Baixi had pre-planned everything, even booking a table.

“How’s the PR going?” Li Baixi asked seriously.

“Okay, bought a couple of positive trending topics,” Cheng Ping said, “But those are superficial.”

Hearing this from Cheng Ping, Li Baixi wasn’t surprised, “True, but some things you can’t avoid…”

“I’ve figured it out.” Cheng Ping interrupted, “I need to seriously learn.”

“…Learn what?”

“Acting. Only real skills give you confidence. One Zhang Movie Star is enough. I don’t want a second person looking at me like that.”

Li Baixi barely contained his smile, “That’s great news.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“Of course not! It’s wonderful you’ve realized this. When you know what you want, the world helps you.”

Li Baixi’s sincerity touched Cheng Ping, finally lowering his guard completely, “Sounds a bit mystical.”

Li Baixi smiled, “I’ll step out for a smoke.”

Outside, he made a call, “Mom, is Uncle X working on a new film?”

Uncle X was his mom’s current partner, a renowned director.

“Can you recommend someone for a role? Not the lead, just a screen test…”

“You’re actually asking me for a favor? First time in eight hundred years?” Li Baixi’s mom asked, “For a boyfriend?”

“I’m straight, remember?”

“Still straight?”

“…”

Li Baixi’s whole family had Wikipedia pages.

On his dad’s side, generations were painters, with enough art pieces to fill a mountain, even after historical events. His mom, aside from avant-garde paintings, did performance art, living an ethereal life, and was almost ghostly thin. She’d wear a white dress, smoke a cigarette, and wander the rooftops of New York skyscrapers.

But Li Baixi knew the truth.

As a child, he’d watch his dad smash a cup of tea on a canvas, then pick it up to sell. During interviews, his dad could sing a Zen poem about the meaning of the work.

His mom was slightly better, changing clothes before shopping after rooftop photo sessions.

Li Baixi was groomed as the successor, drawing in the morning, watercolor in the afternoon, and oil painting at night.

After his parents’ divorce and new partners, he grew distant from the family but continued his studies, living a bewildered life.

It was indeed absurd.

He was just an ordinary kid, enjoying chips and video games, finding no profound suffering or grandeur in the canvas.

During an event at his top-tier art university, he was roped into painting people’s faces.

With no experience or abstract art skills, he just painted them beautifully. Every face was stunning.

“What talent! You should be a makeup artist,” a classmate joked.

It was an offhand remark, but it struck a chord.

He was a commoner, suited for painting the mundane, bringing color to skin and flesh, more lively than a canvas.

After graduation, he enrolled in a makeup course.

His parents, thinking it was a phase, didn’t stop him, believing he’d return to painting eventually.

When he made headlines in drag, his dad was pleased, “Finally making a statement. Your previous looks were too ordinary.”

Li Baixi warned, “I had no choice, unlike you.”

His dad, cryptically, “Not so different after all.”

Indeed. When praised as a “brave pioneer,” he sometimes felt a sting, recalling his dad’s Zen-like musings over tea stains.

“You could be an actor yourself with your looks,” his mom suggested.

Li Baixi snapped back, “No.”

“What does your boyfriend look like?”

“He’s not my boyfriend. I’ll send you his name, you can find his pictures.”

“Alright… Oh, Cheng Ping, the one who trended recently?” his mom was surprised.

“What kind of stuff do you follow?”

“Do you think I meditate on mountain tops all day?”