Chen Fei had fully expected Zhou Min Li to storm off angrily. After all, it was not the first time.
As for Xiao Bai, anyone surviving in the entertainment industry had his own methods. That was not Chen Fei’s problem. His problem was figuring out how to edit this episode into something remotely coherent. It looked like he would have to insert more commercials and clips from The Legend of the Black Lady. Fortunately, this was not a live broadcast, so many mistakes could be fixed in post-production. If Xiao Bai’s Guest Room stayed on the air, Chen Fei suspected he would have plenty of white hair waiting for him in the future.
The rest was handed over to post-production, and Xiao Bai and Lin Bi Wei both dusted off their sleeves and left.
Before Xiao Bai even made it downstairs, he received a call from Gao Qin.
Gao Qin’s first sentence was, “Zhou Min Li’s agency says they’ll never appear on your program again.”
Xiao Bai was silent for a moment. “Because of today’s recording?”
“So you actually know.”
Xiao Bai did not know the exact reason, but he could tell Zhou Min Li had been very unhappy when she left. “Why don’t I apologize?”
“Oh? What are you planning to say?”
“Uh…” Xiao Bai seriously considered the matter and finally concluded that the problem lay in his chest being too narrow. “I’ll work hard on my chest muscles.”
“……”
Gao Qin said, “Don’t bother going unless you manage to build yourself an F cup.”
The call ended. Xiao Bai began seriously wondering how large an F cup was. A pomelo? Or… a watermelon?
He took the elevator downstairs and heard a burst of noise the instant the doors opened.
A huge crowd of reporters had surrounded the elevators on the left, all fighting to conduct interviews.
Camera flashes flickered wildly. Lin Bi Wei stood trapped in the center, dodging left and right while wearing an extremely awkward smile.
Xiao Bai heard Onlooker A beside him say disdainfully, “Hmph. Those reporters originally came upstairs to interview Shi Da Ming. She stopped them here.”
Onlooker B said, “She’s stopping them for an awfully long time. Why isn’t she leaving? Even if she’s a popular newcomer, this is a little excessive. Shi Da Ming is still her senior.”
Onlooker C agreed. “Exactly. And in such a huge lobby, she could stand anywhere, yet she deliberately picked the elevator entrance. Really…”
Xiao Bai stood there for a moment, then suddenly walked toward the reporters.
Onlooker A: “Where did this guy come from?”
Onlooker B: “He seemed to be standing beside us the whole time. Could he be unable to watch anymore and be going over to uphold justice?”
Onlooker C: “There are still righteous people in this world! Give her a left hook! Let her know we’re all Chinese!”
“……”
Onlookers A and B: “What does being Chinese have to do with anything?”
Onlooker C: “Nothing. I was just reciting lyrics while I had the chance.”
Xiao Bai’s figure disappeared into the crowd. The onlookers widened their eyes one by one, waiting for a cry of alarm.
The cry came—but from the reporters.
The three looked at one another. The figure earlier had been a little small, but he was still a man. Surely he could not be knocked down that easily?
They rushed over and squeezed far enough into the crowd to look.
Xiao Bai was crouching beside Lin Bi Wei’s feet, both hands moving around something they could not see.
Onlooker A: “Did she beat him to the ground?”
Onlooker B: “Maybe he fell at her feet because of her beauty?”
Onlooker C: “That’s an excellent angle for looking up someone’s skirt.”
Onlookers A and B: “……”
The reporters’ lenses had already shifted from Lin Bi Wei to Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai kept his head lowered as he carefully twisted the heel of her high-heeled shoe. After turning it several times, he gave a gentle pull and finally freed the heel from the crack.
Lin Bi Wei moved her liberated ankle and released a long breath. When she had been trapped there earlier, unable to advance or retreat, she had practically wanted to die. If she had not been a public figure and unwilling to lose face in front of the cameras, she would have taken the shoe off and walked away ages ago.
The reporters collectively let out an enlightened, “Ahhh.”
They had been wondering why the scandal queen, whom they normally could not stop even if they tried, had been so cooperative today, obediently standing beside the elevator without moving while they interviewed her. So she had literally been stuck.
Someone suddenly said, “Xiao Bai really is a gentleman. At the crucial moment, the hero saved the beauty.” Immediately, everyone’s attention shifted to the two people who had only begun co-hosting a program together that very day.
Embarrassed by the praise, Xiao Bai turned to leave, but Lin Bi Wei suddenly said, “My car broke down. Could you give me a ride?”
“……”
As expected of two scandal-generating machines with powerful engines. In only a few hours, sparks were already flying.
The reporters became excited and held their breath, waiting for Xiao Bai’s answer.
Even the onlookers craned their necks.
Xiao Bai thought for a moment. “Where do you live?”
Lin Bi Wei sweetly answered, “Lindao Bay.”
Xiao Bai dug two coins out of his pocket. “Take the 256 all the way to the last stop. There’s a bus stop about five or six meters to the left when you go outside.”
“……”
The reporters’ mouths fell open.
Lin Bi Wei’s smile became extremely difficult to maintain.
The onlookers had far less concern for her dignity and immediately burst into loud laughter.
Xiao Bai seemed to realize something and explained, “Zhi Qing is in the hospital, so I’m taking the bus home too.”
Lin Bi Wei regretted everything. If she had known, she would have offered to take him home.
The reporters regretted everything. Xiao Bai, how can you be this thoroughly Bai, this hopelessly incapable of reading romantic atmosphere? Even without a car, couldn’t you take a taxi and escort her home? Even if you couldn’t afford a taxi, couldn’t you ride the bus with her and see her to the door? Most importantly, wouldn’t that have created more suspense for the gossip? Wouldn’t this little scenario become a continuing serial? Wouldn’t we be able to stop running around every day piecing scraps together and simply camp outside your homes? Ah, your mistake has disappointed so many people.
After saying goodbye to the reporters and Lin Bi Wei, Xiao Bai obediently walked to the bus stop and waited.
It was rush hour, and many people were waiting.
When the bus arrived, Xiao Bai quietly followed behind the crowd. He never fought for seats, and whenever he had one he always gave it up. If civilized citizens were being judged, he could absolutely make the top ten.
But today the passengers moved unusually slowly, constantly looking around instead of paying attention.
Honk, honk.
Two blasts of a horn came from behind the bus.
Xiao Bai thought, They really are walking a little too slowly. No wonder someone’s impatient.
Honk, honk. Two more blasts.
The crowd moved even more slowly.
Xiao Bai thought, The horn is loud, but surely it isn’t loud enough to scare everyone into being unable to walk.
Honk, honk, honk. The car behind them had become extremely, extremely impatient.
Everyone simply stopped moving.
Xiao Bai stared blankly ahead. “Aren’t we getting on?”
The person in front of him said irritably, “Bro, grow some eyes, will you?”
“……” Xiao Bai said seriously, “I already have eyes. I can see the nose hairs inside your nostrils.”
“……”
Unable to stand it, the man grabbed his head and turned it toward the left. “I meant grow them over there.”
Behind the bus stood the elegant figure of a Lamborghini.
Yan Su Ang sat behind the wheel and waved at him.
Only after watching Xiao Bai climb into the car did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief and start shoving one another toward the narrow bus entrance.
“Didn’t you have a ribbon-cutting ceremony? Why are you here?”
Seeing Xiao Bai’s surprised expression, Yan Su Ang smiled. “A ribbon-cutting ceremony is one snip of the scissors. How long could it take?” In reality, he had turned down the organizer’s banquet afterward. There was nothing he could do. Xiao Bai’s word like had sent him floating somewhere above the clouds and neon lights, and he could not return to earth without seeing him.
“Oh.” Xiao Bai responded absently, then silently stared at his profile.
Jia Zhi Qing had said spending your whole life together did not merely mean being together. You also had to do the things married couples did… Xiao Bai actually knew a little about what married couples did. His health-class teacher had hinted at it before. But married couples were a man and a woman, and they had different physical organs. Two men, though… they couldn’t exactly borrow one from somewhere.
The word sex change suddenly entered his mind, and his face turned white.
Yan Su Ang kept one eye on Xiao Bai’s expression as he drove. Seeing confusion flicker into alarm, he could not resist asking, “What are you thinking?”
“N-nothing.” Xiao Bai instinctively hid what had just crossed his mind.
Yan Su Ang was about to ask again when his phone began ringing at an extremely inconvenient moment.
“Who is it?”
Xiao Bai glanced at the phone beneath the CD player. “Old Fox…”
Yan Su Ang frowned and pulled over.
Zhang Fu Man’s voice was leisurely over the phone, but his words carried plenty of weight. “Su Ang, I don’t care whether you plan to sign with another company after your contract expires or go independent, but at least while you’re still under contract, you need to handle your obligations properly.”
Yan Su Ang sighed. “I only slipped out for one drive and he already ran to complain to you.”
“If you know your limits, I won’t say more.”
Xiao Bai cautiously watched Yan Su Ang’s dark expression after he ended the call. “What happened?”
The corner of Yan Su Ang’s mouth curved upward. “Nothing. I’ll take you home.”
Taking him home meant exactly that.
Once they reached Xiao Bai’s building, Yan Su Ang drove away.
Xiao Bai remained standing there alone for a while, because of the sudden, intense reluctance rising inside him.
After going upstairs, Xiao Bai had only cooked noodles and eaten two bites when the phone in Jia Zhi Qing’s room rang.
Ever since both he and Jia Zhi Qing had gotten mobile phones, the landline had not rung in a very, very long time, though they still paid the monthly fee. In Jia Zhi Qing’s words, it was a high-tech product. Keeping one in the apartment could at least raise their social standing.
Xiao Bai answered. The voice on the other end was unusually sweet.
It took him quite a while to say, “Lin Bi Wei?”
Lin Bi Wei giggled. “I thought once we weren’t working, you wouldn’t recognize me anymore.”
Xiao Bai said, “Your voice on the phone sounds different from how you normally talk.”
“How is it different?” She lowered her voice a little, instantly creating an ambiguous atmosphere.
Xiao Bai thought for a long time before finally coming up with a description. “You sound like a six- or seven-year-old girl.”
“……”
Lin Bi Wei returned to her normal voice. “To thank you for rescuing this beauty today, I’ve decided to treat you to dinner. You’re not allowed to refuse.”
“But I’m already eating.”
Lin Bi Wei refused to give in. “Then we’ll have a late-night snack.”
Xiao Bai hesitated. “But Brother Gao Qin doesn’t let me eat late-night snacks.”
Lin Bi Wei began to grow anxious. Since debuting, she had never failed to successfully invite a man out before. “I don’t care. I haven’t eaten dinner yet. Just come keep me company.”
“But…”
“I’m coming over now. See you soon.” Without giving him another chance to refuse, she hung up with a click.
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