Dai Jue did not pursue him further. He couldn’t quite articulate his feelings—was it fear, impatience, or simply a reluctance to deal with a newcomer? He watched Baili Xiao’s calm figure and suddenly found the newcomer a bit frightening. It wasn’t the kind of terrifying that stemmed from deep cunning; rather, it seemed to carry an innate quality. There was no strong physique, no illustrious family or background, and his eyes held a tranquil gaze with no air of intimidation, yet he somehow commanded respect.

—“Remember my words.”

That seemingly nonsensical phrase sent a shiver through his heart.

However, Baili Xiao didn’t care whether Dai Jue felt indignant or anxious at that moment. He stepped outside, retrieved his bag from the assistant, and turned to a girl he hadn’t met before, asking, “Where did it hit you?”

The girl’s face instantly turned red. Who in the company didn’t know about this newcomer? He had snagged the best manager in the entire industry during his first audition and landed the role of the male fourth lead in a major historical drama. He was singled out for a private conversation by the president during his very first meeting, and on his first day on Weibo, the influential Baili Xiao praised him. He usually walked through the office with an aloof demeanor, as if no one could catch his eye. Yet here he was, focused on her, his voice gentle and concerned.

Moreover, up close, Baili Xiao was undeniably handsome. Unlike some stars whose faces became unrecognizable after removing their makeup, his skin was flawless, pale, and his eyes were as dark as ink. He exuded a quiet and noble aura.

The girl, dazed, pointed at her abdomen and said, “My stomach.”

Baili Xiao actually followed her finger and glanced down before reaching out his hand to her, his tone gentle. “Does it hurt?”

“Ah?” she was taken aback.

“Let me see your wrist.”

“Oh.” She blankly extended her arm. Baili Xiao rolled up her sleeve and placed three fingers on her wrist to take her pulse.

The Baili family was renowned for their exceptional medical skills; calling them miraculous would not be an exaggeration.

At that moment, the girl, along with the originally noisy crowd in the hallway, seemed to freeze in place, quietly watching the young man as he took her pulse.

The hand resting on the girl’s wrist was remarkably beautiful, with distinct knuckles and an immaculate appearance. The owner of that hand lowered his dark eyes, resembling a painting.

The girl could almost feel her heartbeat, gently thudding against Baili Xiao’s fingertip, separated only by a layer of artery and skin. This realization made her face turn even redder.

After a moment, Baili Xiao withdrew his hand and said softly, “It’s nothing serious, but you seem to have caught a bit of wind-heat. With the hot weather and humidity, you should eat more mung beans and job’s tears. They can help cool your body and clear heat. Western medicine might work quickly, but it can be harmful to your body. Since it’s a minor issue, it’s best to treat it with food.” He turned to his manager, “Mike, arrange for someone to get her a pot of mung bean soup. Remember to use rock candy, not regular sugar.”

Mike was momentarily taken aback but quickly nodded in agreement.

Baili Xiao nodded at the girl, whose face was as red as an apple, then turned to head into the opposite room, gently closing the door behind him.

—It was as if he was completely unaware that the dozen or so people in the hallway were watching him like a deity.

Mike watched his new artist’s departing figure, further confirming his previous thoughts. This person wasn’t lacking in emotional intelligence at all; in fact, he was incredibly sharp. On his first day in the group, while others were being difficult, he perfectly showcased his humility, courtesy, and respect for the crew. In the future, not only would the director support him, but even if the director didn’t favor him, the staff would treat him a bit better.

Without needing to look at the assistant, Mike knew she had become a die-hard fan of Baili Xiao for life, the kind that would never lose her allegiance. And all the crew in the hallway? No doubt that whenever Baili Xiao was mentioned, they would all give him a thumbs up.

A talent. A prodigy.

Mike was genuinely impressed, feeling like he was bowing down in admiration, his face reflecting a proud maternal expression. However, his satisfaction didn’t last long; he suddenly remembered the other party involved in the confrontation, and his expression turned serious. He shooed away the onlookers, closed the door behind him, and faced Dai Jue.

About a year and a half ago, the almost top-tier Dai Jue had taken on a role in another drama adapted from a novel. Nowadays, adaptations from novels often came with built-in popularity. Moreover, the male lead in that drama had a particularly appealing image, and Dai Jue skyrocketed to fame overnight. Since then, he had received numerous offers for films, appeared on the big screen, and participated in the hottest variety shows, keeping him consistently among the top in trending rankings. He gradually became the number one star at Huanyu.

At the Golden Eagle Awards red carpet six months ago, Dai Jue, as one of the most anticipated actors, regrettably missed out on the Best Actor trophy, but he was still the youngest nominee. Almost everyone said that Dai Jue lost because he was too young, at only twenty-five; there had never been a case of a Best Actor winner that young. Next year, the award would surely be his.

Dai Jue himself accepted this notion, becoming increasingly arrogant and conceited.

So arrogant that even Mike, his manager, was beginning to struggle to control him. He had repeatedly arranged private meetings with producers, directors, and even some well-known brands for endorsements. Dai Jue turned his nose up at any script that wasn’t a leading role, even when Mike patiently analyzed the pros and cons for him; he simply found it annoying.

Dai Jue came from a poor family and entered the entertainment industry right after graduating high school, struggling to make a name for himself. Mike had always told himself that although Dai Jue had become an overnight sensation, his low educational background made his behaviors and changes understandable. However, the comparison with Baili Xiao—who also had not attended university—made the differences starkly apparent, and Mike began to feel increasingly uneasy.

He watched Dai Jue, who had returned to his usual carefree demeanor—the so-called number one star at Huanyu—now sporting his sunglasses again and sprawled on the bed, engrossed in his phone. A quick glance confirmed Mike’s suspicion: Dai Jue was once again messaging those new models who had recently joined the company.

“Dai Jue, we need to talk.” Mike’s voice was cold, reminiscent of the day he had first interviewed Baili Xiao. In truth, he had never been easygoing with strangers or those who made him angry.

Dai Jue let out a sneering laugh. “What’s there to talk about? You’ve got a new artist now, right? Maybe you should stop managing me and focus all your energy on him. That cursed star—doesn’t know how to keep a low profile. Don’t let him drag the whole Huanyu company down with him.”

Mike’s anger flared. He couldn’t decide if he was more furious at Dai Jue’s dismissive attitude or his continued insults toward Baili Xiao. What Mike did know, however, was that somewhere along the way, his new artist had started to matter more to him than Dai Jue. But it wasn’t because he had noticed that Huanyu’s CEO seemed to have a special interest in Baili Xiao; it was because Baili Xiao was genuinely exceptional. He had talent, intelligence, work ethic, and most importantly—respect.

Respect for others. In any industry, but especially in show business, that was a rare and valuable quality.

Suddenly, Mike found himself agreeing with what Baili Xiao had said earlier: Dai Jue’s good fortune had run its course. People like him couldn’t sustain success for long.

There was a common saying in the entertainment industry: success was built on connections, background, and the willingness to invest heavily or ruthlessly trample over others to rise. But Mike, with over a decade of experience as a manager, had seen the highs and lows of this world countless times. He knew that while connections and background could open doors and even catapult someone to overnight fame, true longevity in the business relied on talent and character.

Without those, people like Dai Jue were doomed to fade away.

Dai Jue had moderate talent, but his character was far below average.

Looking at the carefree artist, Mike suddenly felt that Baili Xiao was right. The future top artist of Huanyu would definitely be one of his clients, but it wouldn’t be Dai Jue. For someone whose luck had run out, there was no need to waste energy or effort.

The anger that had been building up within him dissolved just like that. He realized that if he adopted Baili Xiao’s mindset, he too could become as calm and poised as the young man.

Mike no longer bothered to argue with Dai Jue; he was too fed up with this artist who didn’t know his limits. Perhaps for him, whether he followed his heart or his reason, it was clear that he should focus more of his attention on Baili Xiao.

…

While Mike was lost in thought on this side of the door, on the other side, Baili Xiao wasn’t thinking about much at all.

His logic had always been simple:

Is this person lucky?

No.

Does this person have good character?

No.

—Then why waste words?

It was this straightforward logic that kept him completely unaffected by Dai Jue. And it was the same logic that, when he realized the young girl who had been hit by the bag was actually quite lucky—a small fortune star—prompted him to create an opportunity to interact with her, even though he knew the bag couldn’t have hurt her.

With his ability to control luck, whenever he encountered someone fortunate, spending even a moment in their presence, if it didn’t boost his own luck, would at least nourish it and bring him more blessings.

However, it was this seemingly absurd and unexpected event that led to another twist Mike could never have anticipated: Baili Xiao ended up on the trending topics again—

Someone on set had snapped a photo of him taking the young assistant’s pulse and posted it on Weibo. The caption didn’t mention Dai Jue but instead said, “Li Xiao comforting an assistant who was the target of someone else’s anger and even taking her pulse.”

The photo was taken from the side, backlit, with shadows all around, yet it perfectly captured Baili Xiao’s serene and ethereal profile, along with the gentle focus in his eyes. His side profile was exceptionally striking—his tall, slender figure, paired with the lighting, made him look almost otherworldly, like a celestial being.