A week later, after finishing the last scene of the day, Baili Xiao suddenly received news from Mike.

A high-end wine brand was hosting a charity gala in Shanghai, and since this wine brand was the title sponsor of * Chang An*, they requested the male and female leads from the cast to attend in order to lend their prestige. Given that the male lead was older, the brand decided to extend another invitation to other male actors.

Baili Xiao casually handed his costume to a young assistant and asked, “Is this opportunity rare?”

“Of course.” Mike looked at him with a complex expression. “You really are a little innocent in this industry. They say it’s to lend prestige, but what artist wouldn’t want to attend such events? This brand holds a charity gala in Shanghai every year, and only a handful of invited artists attend. They’re either first-tier or super-first-tier. Not to mention the chance to meet well-known directors, but more importantly, these charity galas attract the entire upper class from Beijing and Shanghai. For an artist, it’s absolutely a golden opportunity.”

“Hmm…” Baili Xiao hesitated. “I’m not interested in high society, I’m just in this to get rich.”

“…” Mike lowered his head and tried to persuade him again. “There will be famous directors attending! You’ve just entered the industry. Although your exposure and public image have been good so far, don’t you want more opportunities?”

“Hmm…”

“The rival company, Xingcan Entertainment, just announced a new drama today featuring all young actors, and it’s creating quite a buzz. Your GW endorsement still has a while before it’s released, and there’s unlikely to be any big news from * Chang An* in the short term. If you don’t think of ways to maintain your momentum, it feels like your European Emperor image will soon be forgotten.”

“Well… fine. This spot isn’t guaranteed to be mine, but if I really get it, I’ll go.” Baili Xiao said helplessly. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go, but ever since that night, just hearing the words “red wine” made him feel uneasy.

“Dai Jue is still in the hospital on an IV drip, and the third male lead isn’t getting any younger. The only healthy and age-appropriate young man in the crew is you.”

Baili Xiao muttered a vague agreement before returning to his room.

He searched for the name of the wine brand online and found a bunch of advertisements. From the pricing, it was indeed a very luxurious high-end wine merchant. Attending such an event would mean engaging in conversations with everyone he met, or else he would completely lose the purpose of being there. And conversing was precisely what Baili Xiao was most unwilling and least skilled at doing.

“Wait… what did Mike just say? It can gather the upper class of Beijing and Shanghai?”

That meant…

Baili Xiao suddenly thought of something and quickly grabbed his phone to send a WeChat message to Yu Jinghao—“President Yu, do you know about the charity gala in Shanghai in a couple of days?”

—“Yeah, I go every year. I haven’t decided yet for this year, I might be a bit busy.”

—“Oh.”

Baili Xiao put down his phone, a hint of disappointment rising in his heart that he barely recognized.

—“Why are you suddenly asking? Are there any items you’re interested in bidding on?”

Items he was interested in bidding on?

He clearly couldn’t bring himself to touch those high-end wines again.

Baili Xiao replied speechlessly, “No, Mike said I might be invited. I’ve never attended an event like this, so I wanted to ask.”

After finishing his reply, Baili Xiao felt the conversation should end there, so he casually tossed aside his phone and grabbed a bath towel to shower. The dormitory wasn’t large, but the bathroom was spacious, featuring a high-quality mirror. Baili Xiao disliked cosmetics, so he washed his face and stared at his damp reflection in the mirror.

The fog swirled, and his dark eyes still appeared cold and deep, but they lacked the steadiness they once had. In his previous world, he was one of the most powerful beings, never experiencing confusion or crisis. But in this world, every step was taken with caution.

Even though he was gifted and had mysterious powers, this world seemed… ultimately not his true home.

Baili Xiao suddenly missed his family, his parents, his teachers, and even the little black cat he used to care for. In this world, even though he was strong, he still lacked someone he could rely on for mutual support.

Feeling increasingly restless, he wiped the fogged-up mirror with his hand, but a second later, it became blurry again.

Cool water poured down his neck, tracing along his attractive back and splashing onto the floor. His mind felt chaotic, as if he had thought of many things, yet also nothing at all. After showering, only one thought lingered in his mind: he wanted to adopt a cat, just like the little black one he used to have. It was hard to find a person like that, a cat should be easier.

Feeling a tinge of melancholy, Baili Xiao emerged from the shower. His slightly damp fingers opened WeChat, only to find that Yu Jinghao had replied to him again.

—“Just now, my secretary said that the event was suddenly canceled by the supplier. I should still go! Let’s go together, I’ll have my secretary book the tickets for us.”

Baili Xiao was stunned. He had replied to Yu Jinghao about his attendance at 23:04. Yu Jinghao sent his message at 23:05. What event could be canceled exactly within that minute?

After a moment’s hesitation, he deleted his pre-written reply of “What a coincidence” and instead replied to Yu Jinghao, “The selection hasn’t been finalized yet, so it might not be me.”

Yu Jinghao responded instantly: “It’s definitely you.”

Baili Xiao was speechless. Although he hadn’t been in this world for long, his understanding of different social circles might not be deep enough. However, Yu Jinghao’s displayed personality didn’t align with any of the labels he carried. He seemed mature and steady, aloof and capable. But it appeared that the moment something touched a certain nerve within him, he became as excited as if he had been given a shot of adrenaline.

As for what that nerve was, Baili Xiao didn’t know; he just knew that he always seemed to manage to touch it.

……

The next morning, before Baili Xiao had even gotten out of bed, someone suddenly started knocking on his door again. He half-opened his bleary eyes and pulled the door open, only to be grabbed by an overly excited agent who shook him vigorously. “Stop sleeping! Wake up! Something’s happened!”

“Hmm?” Baili Xiao tugged at his bathrobe and lazily glanced at his phone to check the time.

06:14

“Are you out of your mind? My shoot isn’t until tonight.”

“It’s not me! It’s David Phillips! He’s gone and messed something up in his brain. He was supposed to have a meeting in Shanghai tomorrow with the head of the China division, but he suddenly decided to come to Beijing a day early and wants to check out the production he invested in!”

Baili Xiao was puzzled. “Who is David Phillips?”

“The CEO of that wine brand!” Mike exclaimed in exasperation. “Don’t ask, don’t ask! Thanks to the time difference, he’ll officially arrive at the set in about three hours. Even if there’s a huge traffic jam on the Second Ring Road, he won’t be able to avoid arriving before noon. I’ve already sent someone to buy you a suit. A custom one won’t make it in time, so just get a designer brand to make a good impression. And your English… can you…?”

“Stop.” Baili Xiao cut off his overly energetic agent. “Why all the fuss? What’s he coming to the set for?”

“God knows! Maybe he’s just taking a quick look to scout potential spokespersons for next season. Maybe he just wants to see how his little investment is doing. But more likely, he’s coming to check out the cast and decide on the spot who’s going to the charity gala.”

“Uh… Didn’t you say I was the only eligible, healthy male actor?”

Mike’s expression turned sour, as if he’d just eaten something terrible. “Dai Jue somehow got wind of this last night, checked out of the hospital, and is already back on set.”

“Oh…” Baili Xiao nodded, giving Mike a knowing look. “Seems like you’ve been sidelined as an agent.”

Mike gritted his teeth. “I’ll handle it. Please, just give me a break and get moving.”

“I’ve got it under control, you don’t need to worry.” Baili Xiao patted Mike on the shoulder. After a moment’s thought, he added, “Don’t buy a fancy suit. Just have them iron my costume and send it over.”

“Huh? What are you planning to do? Don’t pull any surprises on me! My heart can’t take it anymore; I’m getting old…”

“Stop rambling.” Baili Xiao rubbed his ears. “You really don’t seem like a Ziwei person anymore.”

“Ziwei?”

“Yeah.”

Mike rolled his eyes. “Please, stop using phrases I don’t understand. I’m not Er Kang, and whether Ziwei is round or not has nothing to do with me.”

“……Talking to a brick wall.” Baili Xiao silently pushed his agent out of the room.

Once the room fell silent, Baili Xiao’s morning grumpiness began to fade. Sitting at the edge of his bed, he thought carefully about the unexpected visit from the CEO. It seemed that even Yu Jinghao didn’t know about this. But Mike was right: regardless of how impulsive this trip was, it posed a crucial opportunity for anyone eyeing the last invite to the charity gala.

No wonder Dai Jue had checked out of the hospital overnight.

Since he had already set his sights on this opportunity, he was determined that it would be his.

**Beijing Time: 09:00 AM**

After locking himself in his room all morning, Baili Xiao finally emerged from the dormitory. He was still in his costume, but it had been ironed more sharply than usual. He wasn’t wearing a suit and had even gone without makeup, showing his bare face.

—According to reliable sources, the foreign CEO was less than two kilometers from the set.

Mike, who had been anxiously waiting at the door all morning, nearly collapsed when he saw Baili Xiao. “What are you doing? If you want to show your everyday self, fine, but at least put on some makeup! You might have a good foundation, but your features are lost on camera.”

Baili Xiao looked at him with a bemused expression and replied calmly, “Isn’t the CEO coming? I’m dressing to meet him, not for a casual appearance on camera.”

Mike forcibly held back his temper. “You know you’re meeting the CEO and you’re still wearing a costume?”

“I know, but this is my everyday wear on set,” Baili Xiao replied.

Mike: “??? You’re insane!”

“You’re the one who’s insane.” Baili Xiao glanced at the other well-dressed male actors nearby and asked calmly, “Where’s Director Luo? I’m still a bit unclear about that one-take scene tonight, I need to ask him.”

At this point, Mike had decided to stop communicating with Baili Xiao altogether. He was so frustrated that he began to pace in circles, muttering under his breath. Baili Xiao listened carefully and realized that Mike was grumbling about how he shouldn’t have joined this entertainment company, shouldn’t have brought Dai Jue, and shouldn’t have provoked this middle school boy…

Baili Xiao let out a long sigh, finally showing some sympathy as he patted his agent’s shoulder for comfort. “Don’t worry, my luck is strong. If there are good things coming down from the sky, they’ll definitely land right on my face.” With that, he ignored Mike and calmly made his way through the crowd to find the director to discuss the scene.