The former captain, of course, wasn’t intimidated by the two “your daddy” statements. He struggled a bit more with his free hand and legs, but quickly recognized the disparity in their physical strength.

The captain forced himself to calm down, thinking: My hand is indeed valuable. I’m not sure if he can afford to hit me, but I certainly can’t afford to fight him.

Grinding his teeth, the captain reluctantly withdrew his strength.

Li Baixi smiled down at him before turning to Cheng Ping, “Let’s go, Xiao Cheng.”

Cheng Ping, who was still in shock, took a few moments to follow Li Baixi, who walked away casually with his hands in his pockets.

When they reached a dim, secluded area, Li Baixi turned and asked quietly, “Did you take off all your makeup?”

“Uh…”

“Then we can’t continue staying at the bar; someone might recognize you.”

Cheng Ping finally snapped out of it, “I was a bit drunk, my mind was foggy.”

Li Baixi patted him reassuringly, “No worries, we’ve had enough. Let’s leave through the back door.”

They walked in silence for a while before Cheng Ping managed to say, “Thank you.”

Li Baixi was also somewhat shaken: the great Cheng Ping, the iron-willed straight man, had confessed to a man…

But Li Baixi quickly adapted, having already accepted this reality—it was part of his job to adjust to unexpected situations.

Taking a serious tone, Li Baixi said, “I should apologize first. I came to help you remove your makeup, not to eavesdrop. But don’t worry, I’m very discreet.”

Cheng Ping forced a smile, “I know.”

Looking at Li Baixi sincerely, he added, “Thanks for your help earlier. Your acting was excellent.”

Li Baixi: “…”

Finally, Li Baixi, slightly tipsy, understood: to Cheng Ping, he was a gay man pretending to be straight to help him out.

Li Baixi sighed, “You’re welcome.”

Before Cheng Ping could respond, Li Baixi suddenly stopped.

Standing still for a few seconds, Li Baixi slowly took out a cigarette and lit it.

Cheng Ping: ?

Li Baixi leaned against the wall, taking a deep drag, his eyes hidden in the shadows, staring at Cheng Ping for a long time before speaking, “I have a secret to tell you.”

Cheng Ping: ?

Li Baixi continued to stare at him for so long that Cheng Ping started to feel uneasy. Was this guy about to confess now?

Cheng Ping quickly reviewed his prepared rejection speech, while Li Baixi’s mind raced with thoughts.

Li Baixi wondered if now was the right time to reveal the truth. He had heard most of the conversation earlier and knew Cheng Ping probably had a psychological shadow regarding straight men.

As a straight man, he realized he might cause Cheng Ping more discomfort than solace.

Deciding it wasn’t the right moment, Li Baixi thought it better to be a gentle and caring friend for now. When Cheng Ping recovered, he would confess and accept whatever consequences followed.

Both of them made up their minds and spoke simultaneously.

Cheng Ping: “You actually…”

Li Baixi: “I, um…”

Cheng Ping paused, “You go first.”

Li Baixi: “Well, I’ve also been hurt by love. Don’t take it too seriously, men are no good.”

Cheng Ping: ?

Li Baixi got more into character, “Happiness can only come from within. The stronger you are inside, the less others can hurt you. We sisters need to be strong, right?”

Cheng Ping: ?

Cheng Ping hesitated, “So you learned all that fighting skill… and that imposing presence… for sisterly empowerment?”

Li Baixi: …

Li Baixi steeled himself, “Yes. From now on, you’re my little sister.”

Cheng Ping was skeptical but since Li Baixi said so, he decided to trust him. Thus, he inexplicably gained a sister.

Knowing Cheng Ping wasn’t in a good mood lately, Li Baixi frequently took him out for drinks. But with both being busy, these opportunities were rare. When they couldn’t meet, Li Baixi would drag Cheng Ping to play mobile games.

Li Baixi chose a game similar to Cheng Ping’s old one but with lower skill requirements. Cheng Ping’s expertise made the game easy, and they dominated together.

Li Baixi enjoyed it immensely.

However, he sometimes wondered if Cheng Ping was neglecting his work, given his long gaming hours.

During this period, Cheng Ping’s projects started airing. Li Baixi, tired of Ma Koukou’s fangirling, watched a few episodes.

Cheng Ping had some talent but clearly hadn’t put in much effort. Even with fan filters, he could only be described as “a diamond in the rough.”

Unexpectedly, despite his temper, there were no scandals of him being difficult on set or arguing with colleagues.

Instead, a co-actress mentioned in an interview that she had heard rumors of Cheng Ping’s bad temper but had only seen him get angry once—for her. He had chased away an extra who was overly handsy.

This earned Cheng Ping praise.

But Li Baixi remained worried, feeling like a ticking time bomb was buried, waiting to cause trouble. He could only hope Cheng Ping had enough sense to smooth out his rough edges without needing a harsh reality check.

One night, Cheng Ping, on a business trip, checked into his hotel and immediately logged into the game. Shortly after, he received a message from Li Baixi: “So early?”

“Yeah, nothing to do tonight. Team up?”

Li Baixi sent a voice chat invite.

Cheng Ping, sitting cross-legged on the bed, put on his headphones and started the game, chatting idly with Li Baixi.

Hearing the background noise on Li Baixi’s end, Cheng Ping asked, “Still working?”

“Just finished. We were filming night scenes…” Li Baixi explained, interrupted by another voice, “Hey, who are you talking to?”

Cheng Ping fell silent, the voice familiar yet unplaceable. He heard Li Baixi respond with a smile, “Guess.”

The person laughed, half-joking, “Oh, so you ditched me for a new lover.”

Li Baixi’s tone turned cold, “Let’s not talk about the past.”

Cheng Ping frowned.

Even though Li Baixi wouldn’t show it, he detected a rare hint of coldness in his voice, “Who was that?”

Li Baixi wouldn’t reveal, “Just an annoying guy.”

Cheng Ping didn’t press further.

Later that night, after logging off the game, Cheng Ping checked Li Baixi’s social media and saw a new post. It was the usual pose, but this time, Li Baixi’s pout was noticeably distant from the other person’s face.

The other person was the octopus-like actor who had hugged Li Baixi at the red carpet.

Cheng Ping recalled the earlier words, “I’ve been hurt by love…”

“So you ditched me for a new lover…”

“Men are no good.”

With a scowl, Cheng Ping threw his phone aside.