The manager’s decision, which essentially reflects the company’s stance, was to assign a new makeup artist for Cheng Ping the day after his film wrapped up. Concurrently, they kept adding new engagements to his schedule, making sure he was constantly busy, with the intent to keep him from thinking about romance.

After Cheng Ping sent his schedule to Li Baixi, he pondered what the latter would do with it. Therefore, whenever he arrived at a filming location, he would look around expectantly, yet he never caught sight of that familiar figure.

Li Baixi’s attitude was so ambiguous and elusive that it often made Cheng Ping question whether he was being overly sentimental.

The entire team could sense Cheng Ping’s low spirits. They were wary of this ticking time bomb, yet it seemed like it had become a dud, as he meticulously completed all tasks and even smiled while enduring pranks on variety shows, portraying himself as a dedicated and mature artist.

He had good looks, a unique style, and a natural knack for creating buzz. Leveraging the lingering hype from his movie and the early promotion of his new series, his fanbase grew at an astonishing rate during this period of active engagement.

This industry thrives on excitement—some people spend a lifetime without making a name for themselves, while others skyrocket to fame, and some plummet as if bungee jumping.

Sometimes, when Cheng Ping stopped to think, he knew his temperament wasn’t suited to being elevated too high in this circle. But at this moment, he couldn’t care about anything else; he just wanted to rise quickly, faster and faster.

In all these days, he only had one mishap. It was during a program with Young actor, where the host jokingly said, “Many people think you two are a good match.”

The host said this to boost the program and also to hype their series, assuming everyone understood the game rules. Unexpectedly, as soon as the words were out, both Cheng Ping and Young actor sternly and in unison declared, “Impossible.”

Host: “…”

Young actor: “We hope everyone can distinguish between actors and their roles.”

Host: “…” Brother, your eloquence is not surprising at all.

Cheng Ping added, in the host’s desperate gaze, “The characters only have a normal friendship.”

Host: “…………” Fair enough.

The broadcast didn’t cut this segment; instead, it highlighted the host’s desperate expression as a joke, with a caption: “Clarification from a true straight man.”

The fans split into two factions. One faction saw sugar in everything: “They’re in a rush, they’re in a rush. If there’s nothing going on, why the hurry? You know what I mean.”

This made Cheng Ping’s face turn livid.

The other faction clearly preferred the “true straight man” narrative: “Can you respect their wishes? Isn’t my brother obviously straight enough? It’s disgusting to see everything through a ‘gay’ lens.”

This made the manager’s face turn livid.

The manager held back for a few days before bringing up the matter on the way to the New York fashion show: “If you’re not that kind of person, don’t create that kind of persona. If you’re exposed later, fans who might have been forgiving will feel deceived.”

Cheng Ping: “I’m not trying to create a persona.”

Manager: “Then why were you in such a hurry?”

Cheng Ping suddenly froze.

The car stopped outside the show venue.

Following Cheng Ping’s gaze out the window, the manager’s mouth slightly opened.

A large crowd of celebrities had already gathered outside the venue, with flashes of cameras creating a sea of stars.

Even in such a setting, a certain figure stood out remarkably.

Today, he was still in men’s clothing, but the flair was even more pronounced. With the draping silk fabric and robe-like cut, paired with his long, black satin-like hair, he exuded an extravagant charm, outshining the male models in style.

Some of the photographers hadn’t even figured out who he was before snapping a bunch of photos.

The manager led Cheng Ping, the translator-assistant, and their own photographer and makeup artist out of the car, saying through gritted teeth, “We’ll go around.”

But it was too late; that figure gracefully approached, smiling flirtatiously, “Ah, what a coincidence.”

Cheng Ping instinctively stepped forward, blocking the manager behind him, “You, you’re here to watch the show too?”

Li Baixi: “Yes, didn’t expect to run into you here.” He said while examining Cheng Ping’s makeup.

Cheng Ping’s eyes darted around nervously.

Li Baixi remarked softly, “The new look is handsome too.”

Cheng Ping: “…”

Cheng Ping awkwardly replied, “Thank you.”

The new makeup artist, oblivious to the atmosphere, eagerly approached, “Hello, Mr. Li, I’m your fan.”

Li Baixi: “Hmm, the makeup is well done. Truly, the Yangtze River’s waves push forward the waves before them; the new replaces the old.”

Makeup artist: “Not at all! I still need to learn a lot from you…”

Li Baixi smiled sorrowfully.

The manager: “…”

Where did this thick atmosphere of a primary partner catching a cheater come from?

The primary partner was very self-aware and naturally followed Cheng Ping towards the entrance of the venue.

He was alone, without an assistant or translator, chatting and laughing with the staff, handing over his invitation.

As the staff checked the invitation, Cheng Ping glanced over and saw Li Baixi’s English name, which suddenly struck him as familiar.

It felt like he was on the verge of remembering something.

After entering, Li Baixi turned to bid farewell: “You’re in the front row, right?”

Cheng Ping: “Ah, you’re not?”

Li Baixi: “I’m seated at the back. It’s a last-minute seat, not a VIP spot.”

Linking this to his request for Cheng Ping’s schedule, Cheng Ping felt uneasy. Last-minute? Could it be just for him?

Li Baixi asked at that moment, “You’re watching the show today and shooting for the magazine that invited you tomorrow, right?”

Cheng Ping couldn’t help but look into his eyes, “Yes.”

Li Baixi blinked, “Good, see you after the show.”

Cheng Ping, feeling dazed, found his seat.

This year’s big show featured a collaboration series between the clothing brand and a famous artist, with the prints derived from the artist’s abstract paintings.

Cheng Ping couldn’t make sense of the abstract designs, so he zoned out while staring at the runway, occasionally glancing around with the corner of his eye, and secretly pulling out his phone.

He sent a message to Li Baixi: “I just saw Actor Zhang sitting across from me in the front row. He saw me too and looked like he’d swallowed a fly.”

Li Baixi, not paying much attention to the show, replied immediately: “I know. Before you arrived, he had a brief encounter with me, but we didn’t speak. Even at his age, he’s still keen on watching shows. Truly young at heart.”

Cheng Ping suddenly rediscovered the joy of passing notes and gossiping during school days: “He brought someone with him, looks quite close. It’s not Xiao Liuliang.”

Li Baixi: “Xiao Liuliang’s done. That’s his new favorite. He even snatched the lead role from Xiao Liuliang for his new film.”

Actor Zhang’s new film had a last-minute recast, officially citing scheduling conflicts. However, the role had been announced with even the character posters released, making the switch particularly ruthless.

Xiao Liuliang’s fans, realizing the lost opportunity, created a ruckus, accusing the new favorite of having a shady background and attacking the crew for misleading them. The messier they got, the more Actor Zhang disliked Xiao Liuliang, cutting off contact completely.

Xiao Liuliang had to swallow his pride, unable to voice any complaints.

Actor Zhang’s disdain for Xiao Liuliang didn’t stop him from disliking Cheng Ping. He was very concerned about face, and anyone who embarrassed him had to pay.

Actor Zhang’s gaze swept lightly across the young man opposite, a flash of malice in his eyes.

The brand’s female designer took the stage with the collaborating artist, giving a long thank-you speech.

Cheng Ping only caught the gist of it, with the translator behind him whispering the details in his ear: “They’re classmates and have been close friends for many years.”

Cheng Ping raised an eyebrow and messaged Li Baixi again: “Classmates can collaborate? I thought artists despised each other, like you and your junior.”

Li Baixi: “Nonsense, we’re very harmonious. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here for this show.”

Cheng Ping: “?”

Li Baixi: “My junior did the makeup for the models in this show. Didn’t you notice?”

Cheng Ping: “…! How would I notice that!”

Li Baixi: “No worries, he’s backstage. You won’t run into him.”

Cheng Ping noted that Li Baixi had no intention of meeting his junior, feeling a bit pleased. Yet, he also felt a pang of inferiority, realizing that unlike his junior, he never shared Li Baixi’s student days.

At this moment, something flashed faintly in his mind.

Cheng Ping quickly opened the streaming platform from his gaming days and checked his account’s donation leaderboard.

This time, he finally identified the right ID.

It was a combination of English letters and numbers, ranking third in his total donations.

The English letters matched Li Baixi’s name, and the numbers were his birth year.

Cheng Ping was stunned.

He

 watched the models dressed in haute couture lining up to bow, but his mind couldn’t process any visual information. One question kept circling: Where did Li Baixi get so much money?

Calculating the timeline, Li Baixi would have still been a college student back then.

The more Cheng Ping thought about it, the more wrong it seemed. He checked the ID’s profile again, his mind going blank.

Li Baixi was not only high on his donation leaderboard but also among the top donors for other esports players, with amounts ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands.

Logically, such a wealthy donor should have been a prominent figure in the streaming community. But in Cheng Ping’s vague memory, this person had always been very low-key, only occasionally joining the general chat, never asking for any special treatment or private contact.

In other words, the person didn’t think spending that much money was a big deal.

Li Baixi waited by the show’s exit for Cheng Ping, casually trading barbs with the manager.

Cheng Ping finally emerged, looking pale and distracted.

Li Baixi: “I was just telling the manager, it’s a rare encounter. How about we all grab lunch together?”

Cheng Ping looked at him, hesitant to speak.

Li Baixi: “?”

Cheng Ping glanced at the others, swallowed his questions, and said, “…No problem.”

The show venue was near the Brooklyn Bridge, an area almost desolate except for a few cafés. So, after the show crowd dispersed, they all ended up meeting again at the nearby cafés, full of familiar faces.

Li Baixi sat next to Cheng Ping, casually recommending dishes to the manager. Both were experts in maintaining a friendly facade.

The assistant nudged Cheng Ping, signaling him to look at the entrance—Actor Zhang and his new favorite had entered.

Cheng Ping thought Actor Zhang would ignore their table but was surprised when he walked over.

Li Baixi looked up, his eyes crinkling in a smile: “Ah, isn’t this Actor Zhang?” He greeted the new favorite by name, “Nice to meet you.”

The new favorite was entirely different from Xiao Liuliang, with natural features, somewhat plain but with a harmless aura. He sincerely said, “Mr. Li, I’ve heard so much about you. I hope we can work together someday. Mr. Cheng, I saw your movie; it was excellent.”

Cheng Ping: “…Thank you.”

Actor Zhang sneered.

The new favorite, realizing he might have misspoken, retreated behind Actor Zhang, remaining silent.

Actor Zhang ignored Cheng Ping, addressing Li Baixi: “Mr. Li, I heard you recently did a TV series?”

Li Baixi smiled, “Yes, it was quite interesting.”

Actor Zhang glanced at Cheng Ping dismissively and then back at Li Baixi: “Starting from scratch, working together, very touching.” His words were laced with disdain, mocking Li Baixi for turning down his offer and lowering his standards.

Cheng Ping couldn’t bear it anymore, his brows furrowing.

The manager tried to nudge him under the table, but someone else was quicker—Li Baixi lightly stepped on his foot first, his face calm and unruffled: “Indeed.”

Actor Zhang: “…”

As if the drama wasn’t enough, a female voice called out: “Chris?”

Three people approached—the brand designer, the collaborating artist, and the junior.

The junior was diligently holding the door and chairs for the two women. He noticed Li Baixi but had no intention of introducing his rival to the big shots, so he pretended not to see him. However, the designer already knew Li Baixi and insisted on greeting him.

Li Baixi stood up to hug the designer and then shook hands with the junior, feigning surprise: “What brings you here?”

Junior: “I’m the makeup artist for this show.”

Li Baixi: “Wow, congratulations!”

The junior patted Actor Zhang on the back: “All thanks to Mr. Zhang’s support.” Since working on Actor Zhang’s projects, his status and network had soared, gaining opportunities he never dared to dream of.

Actor Zhang seized the chance to mock: “By the way, Mr. Li, when was your last international gig?”

Junior: “Probably the Halloween red carpet makeup.”

The two exchanged barbs with seamless cooperation.

Cheng Ping, clenching his fist, was about to stand up.

Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder, pressing him back down without drawing attention.

Under the cover of his loose sleeve, Li Baixi gently rubbed Cheng Ping’s shoulder, his palm warm.

Cheng Ping instantly forgot what he was about to do.

The junior’s rapid-fire conversation was in Chinese, so the designer was entirely in the dark, smiling as she chatted with Li Baixi: “It’s been so long. I thought you’d forgotten about us.”

Li Baixi: “Of course not. You’re even more radiant now.”

To the middle-aged woman, his sweet flattery was natural, but many in the room felt disdain.

The designer was obviously delighted, her fondness for him clear, not caring about the junior’s presence: “It’s a pity you couldn’t collaborate this time.”

Junior: “…”

Actor Zhang: “…”

Despite the classic face-slapping scene, Li Baixi remained unperturbed, even showing a hint of awkwardness: “Well, unexpected things happen.”

“It’s not that he couldn’t.” Another female voice chimed in.

The artist joined the conversation: “He didn’t come because I was here.”

Li Baixi opened his mouth, trying to redirect the conversation, but it was too late.

The designer, surprised, asked: “Really? Why would you avoid your mother?”