Over the next few weeks, Xiao Bai proved the media’s earlier pessimistic predictions wrong with average ratings of 21.6 percent. Online, the praise was even louder.
Forums bearing Xiao Bai’s name sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain. Quite a few fans began calling themselves “Bai Powder” and formed the Bai Powder Family, which grew like a rolling snowball. Their slogan was—When it came to Xiao Bai, they were hopelessly addicted.
Elio’s Notes: 白粉 literally means “white powder,” but here 白 refers to Xiao Bai and 粉 is short for “fan.” 白粉 is also slang for white powder/drugs, which is why the fandom jokes that they are “addicted” to Xiao Bai.
The television station immediately seized the opportunity to launch another brand-new program hosted by Xiao Bai—Sit Down and Watch Together.
The program mainly reviewed overseas films and television dramas. “Reviewed” was perhaps too generous a word: nobody expected Xiao Bai to provide professional criticism. They simply wanted to use his poisonous tongue to boost the ratings. Since Yimate had already decided to put Xiao Bai on the variety-show path, there was no particular need to establish diplomatic relations with foreign entertainment industries.
The moment a short introduction to Sit Down and Watch Together appeared on the official website, the internet was buzzing before the program had even aired.
At this point the media seemed to have gone both deaf and mute, maintaining total silence. The lone exception remained Star-Chasing Times, which optimistically declared that a new-generation leader of the variety world was rising and would sweep across the field with unstoppable momentum.
The “leader” himself was clearly still completely oblivious to all of this. At the moment, his biggest problem was deciding what to wear to the Tears of a Man wrap party.
Yan Su Ang and Gao Qin had both sent him formal suits at the same time, one white and one black. Apart from the colors, the designs were identical.
Jia Zhi Qing worried along with him from the side. “I guarantee that if you wear the black one instead of the white one, Great God is going to unleash the thunder of heaven.”
Xiao Bai stared. “Lightning will strike me dead?”
“No. First it’ll strike me dead, then Gao Qin.”
Xiao Bai could understand why Gao Qin might get struck, but Jia Zhi Qing made considerably less sense. He asked curiously, “Why you?”
“……” Jia Zhi Qing sighed. “Generally speaking, because he doesn’t like the look of me. More specifically, because he really doesn’t like the look of me. If I absolutely have to give you a reasonable explanation… then it’s because every time he sees me, he doesn’t like the look of me.”
“……”
Xiao Bai carefully studied his face. After a long time, he said, “Maybe it’s because your face looks a little asymmetrical.”
“Asymmetrical? My face is asymmetrical?” Jia Zhi Qing sprang to his feet. “Can’t you tell the left and right sides of my face overlap perfectly? And my features were built entirely according to the golden ratio. I’m practically God’s most perfect masterpiece.” He paused, lowered his voice, and added, “It just doesn’t happen to fit current beauty standards very well.”
“But the pimple on the left side and the pimple on the right side aren’t in the same place.”
“……They’re only temporary tenants.”
In the end, Xiao Bai still chose the white suit Great God had sent him.
Jia Zhi Qing’s reasoning was this: “At least we’re still Yimate employees, and we’re insured. With Gao Qin being such a miser, he probably wouldn’t give us a reason to take sick leave and collect insurance money.”
Xiao Bai said, “But Yimate doesn’t belong to Brother Gao Qin.”
“……”
Jia Zhi Qing asked, “Then what do we do?”
The two discussed it a little longer and decided they would deal with whatever came when it came.
Besides Xiao Bai’s outfit, Gao Qin had also sent Jia Zhi Qing a suit, although the taste was clearly on a completely different level. The huge cuffs, the hem hanging down to his thighs, and enough room inside to add a padded winter coat all demonstrated the plaid suit’s nostalgic aesthetic.
Xiao Bai frowned deeply when he saw it. “Why don’t you wear the black suit instead?”
“Absolutely not.” Jia Zhi Qing shook his head while fastening his belt. “Not everyone can pull off matching parent-and-child outfits. I’m just an ordinary mortal. I’d rather not challenge Great God.”
Xiao Bai seemed to half understand.
Jia Zhi Qing used hair wax to slick his hair backward, every strand scraped into rigid order like iron wire. Some extra wax had rubbed onto his forehead, leaving it gleaming with oil.
Xiao Bai said, “You look like the sidekick of the sidekick of the male lead in Shanghai Beach.”
“……”
Jia Zhi Qing comforted himself. “At least that still makes me someone close to the boss.”
By the time they arrived at the banquet hall, the party had already been going for nearly an hour.
Yan Su Ang, Lian Jue Xiu, and Zhang Jia Jia were all surrounded by people.
The entire room was roaring with noise. Conversation, laughter, clinking glasses, and the band’s music mixed together into the unique melody of a banquet.
Sharp-eyed Jia Zhi Qing spotted Gao Qin standing in a corner, silently swirling his wine. “Should we go say hello?”
Although Jia Zhi Qing had sold insurance before, this was the first time he had attended an event on this scale. He could not help feeling somewhat uneasy, afraid he might put a foot wrong. Gao Qin might be poisonous, but at least he was one of their own. After weighing the matter from every angle, Jia Zhi Qing decided that if he had to die, he would rather die at the hands of his own people.
Xiao Bai nodded. The two of them moved through the crowd like fish through water, feeling their way forward.
Given Xiao Bai’s rapidly growing popularity, they encountered quite a few reefs along the way. Whether people knew him or not, everyone seemed to want to stop him and chat for a few sentences. Unfortunately, Xiao Bai was terrible at socializing, forcing Jia Zhi Qing to frantically drag him away every time he was about to say something astonishing.
After overcoming countless hardships, they finally reached their destination.
Gao Qin asked, “How did you get rid of all those people?”
Jia Zhi Qing said smugly, “Bathroom escape. Pretty good method, right?”
Gao Qin said blandly, “So you came over here to pee on me?”
Jia Zhi Qing: “……”
After sending Jia Zhi Qing off to the restroom, Gao Qin said to Xiao Bai, “You haven’t dealt with the investors before, have you?”
Xiao Bai stared blankly. “Who are the investors?”
Gao Qin had long since trained himself into an indestructible golden body against reactions like this. “You’re taking the variety-show route anyway. Movies are only icing on the cake. Don’t worry about it.” In truth, even if Xiao Bai were focusing on films, Gao Qin still would not consider introducing him to investors a brilliant idea.
Xiao Bai asked, “Then what should I do now?”
“Eat, stare into space, or sleep standing up. Just don’t snore.”
Xiao Bai nodded and was about to head toward the food when Gao Qin suddenly added, “Did Yan Su Ang give you the clothes you’re wearing?”
Xiao Bai’s body stiffened.
Jia Zhi Qing happened to come out of the restroom at that moment. Seeing the situation, he hurriedly said, “No, no. That’s the one you gave him.”
“……”
Four eyes immediately turned toward him at once.
Jia Zhi Qing licked his lips. “Uh… we used bleach. It turned white.”
“……”
Yan Su Ang had noticed Xiao Bai the moment he walked in. Unfortunately, one of the investors had kept him trapped in an endless conversation, and he could not get away. Once he finally managed to shift the investor’s attention onto Zhang Jia Jia, he immediately seized the opening and slipped over.
Seeing Xiao Bai looking so striking in the outfit he had personally chosen filled Yan Su Ang with pride.
Gao Qin suddenly said, “I gave him that outfit.”
Yan Su Ang: “……?”
Gao Qin continued, “He just bleached my black one white.”
Xiao Bai stared at his toes.
Jia Zhi Qing stared at the ceiling.
Yan Su Ang slowly said, “Next time, remember to use disinfectant.”
The four of them naturally attracted plenty of attention standing together, yet very few people nearby actually approached them to strike up a conversation.
Jia Zhi Qing could not help asking curiously, “Did your popularity multiply by itself and turn negative?” With Great God’s appeal, they should not be getting ignored like this.
Yan Su Ang sighed. “Ever since a certain person used his poisonous tongue to give a healthy fitness trainer in his twenties, with no family history of illness, a heart attack, the area within several meters of him has become completely devoid of man or bird.”
Gao Qin said, “He mocked Ya Lun for being a pretty-boy kept man.”
Yan Su Ang immediately said, “Lian Jue Xiu has mocked me with the same thing.”
Gao Qin said, “He’s always brave enough to state the facts.”
Just then, Lian Jue Xiu quietly slipped over too, although his expression did not look particularly good.
Yan Su Ang guessed first. “Sexually frustrated?”
Gao Qin said, “Constipated?”
Jia Zhi Qing said, “Molested?”
Xiao Bai said, “……Am I supposed to answer with two characters or four?”
“……”
Lian Jue Xiu looked ready to cry. “Disaster is about to strike me.”
It was the first time Jia Zhi Qing and Xiao Bai had ever seen Lian Jue Xiu like this, and both looked bewildered. Gao Qin and Yan Su Ang, however, looked as though they understood perfectly. “Your mother is coming?”
“Mm.”
“To deal with your lifelong relationship?”
“Mm.”
“She still hasn’t given up on finding you a woman?”
Lian Jue Xiu shook his head. “No. She’s already accepted the fact that I’m gay.”
Jia Zhi Qing’s mouth fell open in surprise.
“So now her requirement is: fine, a man is a man, but I have to find one steady partner and settle down. And I have to get regular checkups every month, so I don’t end up catching some questionable disease.”
Yan Su Ang nodded. “That makes sense.”
Lian Jue Xiu rolled his eyes at him. “A while ago, because I wanted to focus completely on making the movie, I lied and told her I’d already found my lifelong partner and couldn’t live without him.”
Even Jia Zhi Qing could guess the rest. It was simply a mother-in-law inspecting the daughter-in-law—or, uh, perhaps a mother-in-law inspecting the son-in-law.
Looking miserable, Lian Jue Xiu said, “I just called home. The housekeeper said she’s already left and will probably arrive tomorrow. So you guys…”
Yan Su Ang instantly sprang over to Xiao Bai’s side and pulled him away from Lian Jue Xiu.
Gao Qin also slowly took two steps backward.
That left only Jia Zhi Qing standing in front of Lian Jue Xiu, still completely confused about what was happening.
Fortunately, Lian Jue Xiu’s gaze quickly passed over Jia Zhi Qing and landed on Yan Su Ang. “Best Actor… brother…”
Yan Su Ang said solemnly, “Even if I agreed, Zhang Fu Man wouldn’t.”
Lian Jue Xiu opened his mouth, but Yan Su Ang immediately cut him off. “And even if Zhang Fu Man agreed, I still wouldn’t.”
“……”
Lian Jue Xiu’s gaze moved downward to Xiao Bai.
Yan Su Ang said darkly, “You can try. I make no promises about what I might tell your mother.”
Helpless, Lian Jue Xiu looked toward Gao Qin.
Gao Qin said, “Ya Lun will be back soon.”
One sentence nailed that coffin shut.
Then everyone’s attention focused on the figure standing in the middle.
Jia Zhi Qing hunched his shoulders and hurriedly waved both hands. “I-I can’t…”
“I never said you could.” Lian Jue Xiu immediately made his position clear, then sighed. “Looks like I’ll have to find someone at a nightclub.”
Gao Qin’s eyes sharpened. “Too late.” He had seen Lian Jue Xiu’s mother in the newspaper before.
“……”
Lian Jue Xiu turned around.
At the entrance, an exceptionally fashionable woman was sweeping her gaze across the banquet hall. Then she fixed her eyes on them, immediately broke into a delighted smile, and strode over.
Lian Jue Xiu felt his hands and feet turn cold as the world spun before his eyes.
The woman walked up to him, looked over Yan Su Ang and the others one by one, then asked with a beaming smile, “Didn’t you say he works with you all the time? Which one is he?”
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