The next day, Xiao Bai and Jia Zhi Qing both got up bright and early.
Jia Zhi Qing even dragged Xiao Bai to the barbershop downstairs—the one whose only regular customers seemed to be mosquitoes—and had his hair properly trimmed. Then they went to a shop notorious for selling counterfeits and bought a bottle of perfume masquerading as BOSS; the instant the bottle touched water, its black paint would start peeling right off.
He was still wearing the clothes Gao Qin had given him yesterday.
Once everything was in place, Jia Zhi Qing looked at the fresh, clean-cut Xiao Bai in the mirror with satisfaction and nodded. “Mm. Now you actually look a little like an idol.”
Xiao Bai touched the extra lock of bangs hanging over his forehead and asked in puzzlement, “Why did you leave this?”
“It’s the latest trend.” Jia Zhi Qing pulled a magazine out from under the sofa cushion. “Look! The standard hairstyle for a cover star!”
Xiao Bai looked at the date. “1999. That was ten years ago.”
“Hey, forget what year it was. Barbara Yung played Huang Rong back in ’83, and that’s still a classic.”
Elio’s Notes:
Barbara Yung was a Hong Kong actress whose portrayal of Huang Rong in the 1983 television adaptation of Jin Yong’s The Legend of the Condor Heroes became particularly iconic.
Xiao Bai knew that once Jia Zhi Qing entered one of his excited phases, he was basically incapable of hearing any dissenting opinions, so he obediently shut his mouth.
“Mm, the boss said two in the afternoon, right?” Jia Zhi Qing bounced around excitedly. “We absolutely, definitely cannot eat garlic, scallions, or ginger for lunch… Oh, right. It’d be best to take a dump before we leave too. No sweet potatoes either, or we might fart.”
“We don’t even have sweet potatoes at home,” Xiao Bai said.
Jia Zhi Qing thought for a long time before making a solemn decision. “Xiao Bai, how about we just eat chewing gum for lunch?”
“……”
And so their entire lunch passed with the two of them chewing, chewing, chewing.
It was Jia Zhi Qing’s first time at Yimate. In terms of sheer size, Yimate’s building was actually a little smaller than the insurance company where he used to work. But in Jia Zhi Qing’s eyes, this was a glorious paradise filled entirely with handsome men and beautiful women, without a single “dinosaur girl” in sight. That difference alone was enough to separate the two workplaces like heaven and earth.
Elio’s Notes:
“Dinosaur girl” (恐龙妹妹) is dated Chinese slang for a woman considered unattractive. The source uses the deliberately shallow expression as part of Jia Zhi Qing’s characterization.
Xiao Bai, already familiar with the route, led him straight to the top floor.
The female secretary, who had been boredly browsing the internet in search of every potentially scandalous romance she could uncover, immediately brightened.
“Xiao Bai.” She greeted him with a smile.
Jia Zhi Qing lunged forward in one stride and grabbed the hand she had extended before Xiao Bai could. “Hello. I’m Jia Zhi Qing, the new manager. I hope you’ll look after me from now on.”
Without changing expression, the secretary smoothly withdrew her hand and smiled. “Oh, so you’re the person Sir Gao recommended. The boss is inside. Please go in.”
Elio’s Notes:
The source writes 高sir, mixing Gao Qin’s surname with the English “sir,” a playful English-Chinese form of address.
Jia Zhi Qing stared fixedly at her.
What a beauty. An actual beauty—the rarest resource of all at my old company.
Xiao Bai could not resist poking him in the waist. Only then did Jia Zhi Qing reluctantly tear himself away.
The secretary watched the two of them disappear through the door together. The smiling mask instantly vanished from her face. With a few quick clicks, she opened the QQ group and announced her latest discovery:
Brown-Nosing the Boss Is Hard: A scandalous affair! A gloriously scandalous affair! o(≧v≦)o~~
Rather Die Than Obey the Police: Don’t tell me your boss finally made a move on Feng Ya Lun?
Cui Hua: Feng Ya Lun finally made a move on Gao Qin?
Brown-Nosing the Boss Is Hard: Why doesn’t anyone guess that he made a move on me?
Cui Hua: =_= So sleepy. Going to bed.
Rather Die Than Obey the Police: Coming with you.
Brown-Nosing the Boss Is Hard: You… you… you… /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~ I hate you guys…
Lotus in Soup: What are you talking about?
Rather Die Than Obey the Police: We’re talking about your……………………sister.
Lotus in Soup: Fuck, that joke is ancient, okay?
Brown-Nosing the Boss Is Hard: Xiao Bai came again today.
Lotus in Soup: Why “again”?
Brown-Nosing the Boss Is Hard: And he brought a manager with him.
Rather Die Than Obey the Police: BACKING! I knew he had powerful backing!!!
Brown-Nosing the Boss Is Hard: That manager is the guy Gao Qin said this morning he wanted the company to hire.
Rather Die Than Obey the Police: …Then it really is an affair! Could Xiao Bai be Gao Qin’s lover??? O(∩_∩)O Ha ha! Feng Ya Lun is definitely getting dumped this time!!!
Lotus in Soup: I don’t get it.
Brown-Nosing the Boss Is Hard: (≧▽≦)/ A gloriously flashy four-way romance is about to be born! I finally have motivation to work!
Inside the office, Ma Rui was sizing up Jia Zhi Qing.
He knew exactly what kind of person Gao Qin was. In all the years they had known each other, Gao Qin had never left so much as half a weakness for anyone else to seize. Yet this time, he had actually taken the initiative to recommend someone—and his own younger cousin, at that—to join the company. Ma Rui could not help finding that intriguing.
As for Zeng Bai, Ma Rui had seen straight through him from the very first glance.
“I’ve already prepared the contract.” He took the newly drawn-up agreement from his drawer.
Jia Zhi Qing accepted it and was just about to read when Ma Rui added, “Don’t worry. Gao Qin has already reviewed it.”
Jia Zhi Qing felt a tightness in his chest. He knew perfectly well that Gao Qin’s experience and ability in the industry exceeded his own a hundredfold, but hearing Ma Rui say that made him sound like some useless freeloader who did nothing except collect a paycheck. Still, Jia Zhi Qing had spent years fighting his way through the insurance business, so he immediately put on a modest smile. “I just want to learn as much as I can from Brother Gao Qin.”
Ma Rui gave him another look. “Mm. It’s good for young people to learn more.”
When they emerged from the office, Jia Zhi Qing and Xiao Bai simultaneously let out the breaths they had been holding. Ma Rui had not survived all those years as an old fox for nothing. The poisonous fumes coming from his eyes alone had nearly suffocated them both.
The secretary immediately stood when she saw them and asked with a smile, “So we’re coworkers now?”
Jia Zhi Qing looked at her young, vibrant face and nodded emphatically. “I hope you’ll look after me.”
Jia Zhi Qing knew that he was practically a blank sheet of paper when it came to this industry. So while following Yimate’s arrangements for manager training and certification, he also shamelessly went over to Gao Qin’s home to learn from him. Gao Qin’s mouth might have been vicious, but he never once threw him out.
Xiao Bai spent most of his time attending the various classes arranged by the company. Everyone else in his classes was a teenager, making him stick out badly among them. Fortunately, Xiao Bai had always been easygoing and did not feel awkward about it. In fact, his mild temperament made the younger students grow quite dependent on him.
Through Gao Qin’s connections, Xiao Bai found work as a print model for several magazines. His looks were nothing exceptional by entertainment-industry standards, but thanks to GO! GO! SU… SUPER STAR, he had one useful advantage: he was a newcomer whose booking rate was still low, yet whose name recognition was already fairly high. He learned quickly and got the hang of the work within two days. After all, all he had to do was stand there and strike a few poses; he barely even needed to change his expression.
The photographers thought he had a very distinctive personal style because his gaze was frequently blank and distant, as though no one else around him existed.
In Jia Zhi Qing’s words: “Vacant. Just vacant.”
Today, however, was a little different from usual.
The instant Xiao Bai and Jia Zhi Qing entered the studio, they were startled by the pink hearts practically flooding the air.
Jia Zhi Qing stared blankly. “This is an illusion, right? Some kind of lighting effect?”
“I’ve seen it once before,” Xiao Bai said.
“When?”
“At that variety show.”
“……” Jia Zhi Qing finally understood where all those pink hearts were coming from.
In the very center of the surging crowd, one dazzling face was effortlessly working everyone around him, smiling as though he were having the time of his life.
“Yan Su Ang? What’s he doing here?” Jia Zhi Qing muttered.
Staff Member A happened to pass by. “Great God is the cover star for this issue.”
Staff Member B sighed admiringly. “Ah, then this issue is definitely going to sell well.”
Jia Zhi Qing looked anxiously at Xiao Bai. “How about we skip this one?”
Xiao Bai blinked. “Why?”
Don’t tell me you have no idea that you accidentally offended this Great God? Jia Zhi Qing hesitated over whether to reveal the cruel truth to him.
Clearly, however, heaven had no intention of giving him time to decide.
Yan Su Ang’s sharp eyes had already spotted them. He parted the crowd and walked over with a smile. “Xiao Bai.”
Xiao Bai looked up and smiled politely. “Hello.”
Yan Su Ang’s gaze swept over Jia Zhi Qing before settling back on Xiao Bai’s face. “Long time no see. I really have to thank you for taking such good care of me last time.”
Every hair on Jia Zhi Qing’s body stood on end.
The vigilance Gao Qin had beaten into him abruptly awakened. Painful experience told him that the amiably smiling man in front of him was absolutely the same breed as Gao Qin. The only difference was that Gao Qin was much more blatantly and flamboyantly vicious about it, while this man had simply wrapped himself in… all these pink hearts.
“Uh, Great God, you’re far too polite.” Jia Zhi Qing shifted half his body protectively in front of Xiao Bai and gave Yan Su Ang an exaggerated bow. “Being able to appear on the same stage as Great God was a blessing he must have cultivated in his previous life. Please give him plenty of opportunities and look after him in the future.”
Yan Su Ang smiled faintly. “Isn’t Xiao Bai already constantly being looked after by the auntie upstairs? Why should I make myself redundant?”
There it was. He really was still holding a grudge over that.
Sweat poured off Jia Zhi Qing. “Great God really knows how to joke. Ha ha… ahahaha… So funny, really, ha ha…”
The surroundings gradually fell silent. Only his laughter continued, and continued, and continued…
Yan Su Ang stared at him expressionlessly until the laughter grew drier and drier, finally dying somewhere deep in Jia Zhi Qing’s throat.
“Besides,” Yan Su Ang continued with his next killing blow, “isn’t Feng Ya Lun the number-one male star at your company?”
Sure enough. The moment he finished digging up the old grudge, he moved straight on to provocation.
Jia Zhi Qing racked his brains desperately for some way out of the predicament.
Xiao Bai suddenly said in his faint, absentminded voice, “Are you here for Brother Ya Lun’s autograph too?”
……
……
……
This was beyond silence.
This was solemn silence.
Xiao Bai looked in confusion at Jia Zhi Qing’s back, which had suddenly become completely soaked with sweat. Over the past few days, plenty of people had come asking him for Feng Ya Lun’s autograph. Thanks to Jia Zhi Qing and Gao Qin being cousins, Xiao Bai had never had any trouble getting one whenever he asked Feng Ya Lun. So even if Yan Su Ang really had come for an autograph, Xiao Bai could get him one.
Clatter.
Everyone’s gaze simultaneously snapped toward the sound.
Staff Member A had gotten so nervous that the ballpoint pen in his hand had slipped and fallen to the floor, instantly making him the focus of everyone’s attention.
For the first time in his life, Staff Member A realized that dropping a ballpoint pen could be such an unforgivable crime. Boohoo. I swear I’ll never carelessly drop things on the floor again.
Yan Su Ang slowly drew in a breath, then smiled faintly at the photographer. “Let’s start.”
“Uh, yes, yes, yes. Let’s hurry and shoot.” As though granted a royal pardon, the photographer immediately sprang into action.
The shoot centered on Yan Su Ang. The other ten models, Xiao Bai included, were nothing more than background, positioned behind him to make him stand out.
The photographer had originally placed Xiao Bai in the farthest corner, but Yan Su Ang suddenly said, “Let him stand beside me.”
Cold sweat simultaneously appeared on the photographer and Jia Zhi Qing.
“Uh, but…” The photographer looked at Xiao Bai after he was pulled beside Yan Su Ang. There was almost half a head’s difference in height between them. Standing side by side like that made the entire composition look terribly unbalanced.
It was like a perfectly even row of teeth with one suddenly pushed inward. If Xiao Bai stood at the back, the photographer could compensate with distance and positioning, but standing this close together left him no room to adjust. He could hardly put Xiao Bai right at the very front.
The photographer struggled desperately, trying to figure out how to voice an objection in front of Great God without making Great God angry.
“Is there a problem?” Yan Su Ang asked with a smile.
The photographer gathered his courage and said gravely, “Great God… of course there’s absolutely no problem.”
Boohoo. Great God is always right. And if Great God is wrong, please refer to the previous sentence.
The magazine came out soon afterward and, just as most of the magazine staff had predicted, became their best-selling issue of the season.
Standing beside Yan Su Ang, Xiao Bai looked a little like a piano keyboard with one key pressed down because of the height difference. But to borrow the words of two female readers: “He may be short, but that expression of his, like his soul is wandering somewhere outside this world, makes you want to pull him into your arms.” “Standing beside Great God, he’s like the moon beside the sun, shadow beside light. They’re obviously so different, yet somehow they look perfectly harmonious together.”
Soon afterward, a new section appeared on a certain secret forum—
ShenBai Supremacy.
The most-clicked threads included:
[Images] Great God and Xiao Bai’s Intimate Moments
[Poll] Support ShenBai!
[Fanfic] When I Suddenly Look Back, You’re Still There
[Fanfic] Long Live Pushing Him Down!
Elio’s Notes:
ShenBai (神白) is the fandom pairing name formed from Great God (大神) and Xiao Bai (小白). 王道, literally “the kingly way,” is fandom slang for a favored or ultimate pairing, hence “ShenBai Supremacy.” The fanfic title 压倒万岁 also carries a deliberately suggestive “push him down/overpower him” implication.
But just as that forum section was rising to prominence, another piece of news gloriously seized the front page of every major entertainment magazine—
BATTLE OF THE HEAVENLY KING’S LOVERS! PURE XIAO BAI VS. GLAMOROUS HEAVENLY QUEEN?
Smack!
Gao Qin threw five or six magazines onto Feng Ya Lun’s desk at once. “Care to explain?”
Feng Ya Lun glanced at them and shrugged unconcernedly. “I just had Xiao Bai come shopping with me for a few clothes.”
“And along the way you just happened to put your hand around his waist?”
“My arm got tired from all that shopping. I needed somewhere to rest it.”
A vein at Gao Qin’s temple twitched slightly. In a low voice, he said, “Do you have any idea how much talking—and how much money—it took me to get Zhou Min Li to act as your cover girlfriend?”
Elio’s Notes:
挡箭牌 literally means a “shield.” Here Zhou Min Li is being used as Feng Ya Lun’s supposed girlfriend to deflect public attention from his sexuality—the role English slang often calls a “beard.”
Feng Ya Lun shrugged and looked at him with spectacularly fake sympathy. “I’m sorry. It must be terribly unfair to you, having to be the manager of a gay man.”
Ignoring his sarcasm, Gao Qin said expressionlessly, “She feels humiliated now and doesn’t want to do it anymore.”
Feng Ya Lun clapped his hands and laughed. “Perfect. I don’t want to keep getting tangled up with that ‘public bus’ either.”
Elio’s Notes:
“Public bus” (公交车) is an offensive sexual insult for a woman portrayed as promiscuous—the crude implication being that “anyone can ride.” The source deliberately has Feng Ya Lun use the slur for Zhou Min Li.
Gao Qin asked coldly, “Then do you still want to stay tangled up with me?”
Feng Ya Lun paused, slightly startled, then immediately turned coquettish. “Qin-Qin, you wouldn’t abandon me over one little thing like this, would you?”
“…I wasn’t planning to. Now I’m considering it.”
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