The next morning.

Baili Xiao sat at one end of the desk, gazing calmly at the woman seated across from him. She was about twenty-five years old, surnamed Wang, a regular HR clerk from Oneworld International. This woman’s fortune was plain as day, like a straight line—completely uneventful, as if one could foresee her life until she turned forty.

In her hand, Miss Wang held Baili Xiao’s resume. Or rather, a piece of A4 paper that was 80% blank.

“Are you sure this is the right document?”

“Yes.”

The one-word reply visibly made Miss Wang uncomfortable. The resume contained nothing but basic personal information. There was no educational background, no acting experience—only under ‘Personal Skills’ were two characters written: “Stargazing.”

Who knew what that even meant.

Oneworld International was a top-tier media company, and they received countless resumes from starry-eyed young people dreaming of fame every day. But such a ridiculous resume—this was a first for her in her three years in the HR department. Normally, she would have dismissed this person outright. Yet, for some reason, her intuition nudged her to give this aloof, seemingly unqualified young man a chance.

Maybe it was his looks. He truly was striking, with a unique aura about him.

So, she decided to kindly help Baili Xiao dig into his own potential.

“I understand you might not come from a traditional background, but you still need to fill out your educational history. I need to know where you studied and what your major was.”

Baili Xiao remained silent. If he remembered correctly, the real Li Guanxiao hadn’t even graduated from high school.

“Not a single day of formal schooling?”

After thinking for a moment, he carefully replied, “Since childhood, I’ve been taught by private tutors, studying the transcendence, celestial phenomena, medicine, and the art of kings.”

“…”

Miss Wang was stunned for a long time, then silently made a note in the large blank space of his resume: *No formal education, and was in the school trimester*.

“And… why do you want to become an actor?”

This question made Baili Xiao hesitate briefly. “My educational background is too poor. If I don’t want to do hard labor, the only option left is to try my luck in the entertainment industry. Plus, if you make it big here, there’s a lot of money to be made. I’m lucky, so it’s easy for me to get rich overnight.”

“…”

With a swift stroke of her pen, Miss Wang added two more words to the page: *Blunt honesty*.

At this point, it seemed the conversation had run its course. As a clerk, she didn’t have the authority to make decisions about whether to hire him or not. But for some reason, she still felt inclined to help this person in front of her. After a moment of thought, she added one more note after the word *Blunt honesty*.

—*Very handsome, exceptional charisma*.

With a final flourish, she exhaled deeply, feeling she had done all she could. She then set Baili Xiao’s resume aside to pass on to her supervisor later and stood up. “We’ve got a good understanding of your situation now. If there are any developments, we’ll contact you. Good luck.”

Baili Xiao nodded. “Thank you.”

It was already noon when he walked out of the Oneworld International building. Yesterday, he had absorbed a considerable amount of luck from the drunken man, yet for some reason, upon waking this morning, he felt his own fortune had become unclear, difficult to read. When fate is uncertain, it’s even harder to predict whether he’d pass this strange, out-of-place interview.

But if not Oneworld, then where else could he go?

He only wanted to work with the top-tier companies—he had no interest in anything less. Even though, technically, he had never been an entertainer before.

Baili Xiao frowned slightly, feeling a bit troubled. He had lived through two entirely different worlds, yet this was the first time he couldn’t clearly foresee his own fortune. How peculiar.

Just then, his phone suddenly vibrated. It was a local number, and he recognized it as the one from a client who had contacted him via Weibo earlier that morning to purchase some luck.

He stepped into the shade of a nearby tree and answered the call. “Hello.”

“Is this Master Baili?” The voice on the other end came through the speaker, and he immediately furrowed his brows. This wasn’t the client himself—he could tell just by the tone. Having dealt with so many high-profile clients, this was the first time someone had sent their assistant to make the call.

His tone grew even colder. “Yes, I am.”

“Our boss has scheduled a meeting with you tonight at 10 p.m. at the executive floor of Huanzhu Hotel. Just give the front desk your name—Baili—and someone will escort you to the private suite.”

“I understand,” Baili Xiao replied.

“Sorry, but I need to remind you,” the voice on the other end continued, “our boss doesn’t like people being late. Please make sure you arrive at least five minutes early. And also, he might only have thirty minutes for you…”

Baili Xiao chuckled coldly, cutting the person off. “I’m afraid my time is valuable too. I might only have three minutes for your boss. Kindly relay this message: I don’t like people being late either, so please make sure he’s there five minutes ahead of time.”

Without giving the other person a chance to respond, he ended the call, thinking to himself: People with too much money often put on airs. In both lives, no one has ever dared treat him like this.

He instinctively disliked this client. For a brief moment, he considered canceling the appointment altogether, but then he recalled the absurdly high offer the client had made. He decided to put up with it for now.

The entertainment industry was unpredictable, and although he had the ability to manipulate luck, recently his own fortune had become unclear. There was no telling how long he would have to wait before making it big. He needed money—enough to give him the security he required.

However, this client hadn’t even disclosed their name yet, remaining more mysterious than Baili himself.

…

At exactly 10:00 p.m., Baili Xiao arrived at the executive floor of Huanzhu Hotel. The hotel staff were well-trained, and after he gave the name “Baili,” the receptionist promptly led him to the innermost private suite.

The heavy pearwood door opened soundlessly, revealing an expansive room. The hostess gestured for him to enter before quietly closing the door behind him.

Inside the luxurious French-inspired five-star hotel, the suite was unexpectedly designed in a traditional Chinese style. Ornate partitions and intricate screens created layers of visual richness. The sounds of soft music, the scent of tea, a bubbling fountain, and a misty haze all made Baili Xiao feel like he’d momentarily returned to his previous world.

“Baili Xiao,” a man’s voice called out from behind the screen. The deep, magnetic tone made Baili Xiao pause for a moment.

He had always prided himself on his ability to discern people through their voice, but now he realized that the image he’d formed earlier of a rotund, greasy businessman might have been wrong. A voice like this couldn’t possibly belong to someone vulgar and reeking of wealth.

Without a word, Baili moved around the screen. What greeted him was a low tea table and a man in a black suit sitting there.

Suddenly, the room’s fountain added boiling water to the mix, sending a thick, white mist swirling through the space. Baili lowered his gaze, and when the man looked up, their eyes met through the haze—two pairs of dark eyes locking onto each other.

—Yu Jinghao had never felt anything like this before.

The man in front of him, half of his face obscured, had eyes that struck something deep within him. Earlier, when his friend had introduced him to this so-called “Baili Xiao,” he’d found it amusing and had wanted to see for himself. His friend had mentioned that this mysterious figure always concealed half of his face, and Yu had felt a trace of disdain at the time. But now, with just one glance, all those feelings vanished.

Baili Xiao had arrived precisely on time, but now it was three minutes past, and yet Yu Jinghao, who was usually so particular about punctuality, seemed to forget his usual strictness. He stared for a long time before finally speaking: “Baili Xiao, please, have a seat.”

There was a strange feeling lingering in his chest—something itchy, but also unsettling. It was a sensation he had never experienced before. He even found himself pouring Baili a cup of tea.

Meanwhile, Baili Xiao sat down, his mind equally stirred. But it wasn’t Yu Jinghao’s appearance or his impeccable taste that left him stunned. It was the scent of citrus surrounding him.

That was the scent of boundless luck and fortune, undetectable to ordinary people, but one of Baili’s favorite aromas. In his lifetime—both past and present—he had come across countless people, and even if he included the powerful Baili family, none possessed such overwhelming luck as this man. This person’s very fate was blessed with purple qi, the aura of utmost prosperity. Baili didn’t need to enhance his fortune; just being near Yu Jinghao would elevate anyone’s fate.

Baili subconsciously took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he savored the citrus fragrance mixed with the smell of tea. It was utterly intoxicating.

“You like this tea?” Yu Jinghao’s gaze softened as he looked at him through the subtle mist, his voice unexpectedly gentle. “The tea smells bitter, but it tastes sweet. Would you like to try?”

Baili Xiao slowly opened his eyes, his dark gaze deepening. “My surname is Baili. How should I address you?”

“Yu Jinghao.”

Baili nodded. “Yu Jinghao—‘Yu’ with sun and water, and ‘Jing’ with two ‘days,’ representing openness and grandeur. It suits your fate well.”

“Really?” Yu Jinghao smiled faintly. In truth, he didn’t believe much in these sorts of things. The reason he had arranged to meet the famous Baili Xiao was mostly out of curiosity, to see what kind of person had managed to make his normally level-headed friend start believing in such mystical notions.

Baili Xiao noticed his disbelief but didn’t feel the need to convince him. Instead, he simply said, “Mr. Yu, it seems our business deal may not go through. It’s a pity, but meeting you has been Baili’s fortune.”

Yu Jinghao blinked in surprise. “The deal won’t happen?”

Baili nodded. “Your fortune is vast and abundant, with no need for external influence. Love and career are both surrounded by purple qi, which means for the next twenty or thirty years, you’ll experience little fluctuation. However, your Red Luan star—related to romantic fate—is somewhat elusive. I can’t quite discern its trajectory. Perhaps I’m not at my best today. If you’re concerned about your love life, allow me a few days to recover, and we can meet again.”

Meet again?

Yu Jinghao barely registered most of what Baili said but honed in on that one phrase. He nodded decisively. “Alright. When you’re ready, we can arrange another meeting.”

Baili inclined his head. “I didn’t expect to encounter someone like you. This meeting has been a matter of fate. Since there’s no need to enhance your fortune, our transaction ends here. Goodbye.”

With that, Baili stood up, preparing to leave. Yu Jinghao was taken aback and quickly called after him, “You’re just leaving like that? You’ve already given me a reading—aren’t you going to charge me?”

Baili Xiao’s footsteps suddenly halted.

“Fortune-telling.”

This was the phrase he despised the most. Baili Xiao was a descendant of the noble divine family, gifted with the Eyes to See the Heavens and the Hands to Shape Fate. It was one thing for Yu Jinghao not to take his words seriously, but to reduce his abilities to mere fortune-telling? That was crossing a line.

He turned around, his dark eyes now carrying a hint of coldness. “Naturally, there is a charge. I’ve revealed your fate for the next thirty years—an act far more taxing than merely enhancing your fortune. You’ll need to pay me double.”

Yu Jinghao was stunned. “?????”

“My electronic wallet number is my phone number. Kindly complete the payment within 24 hours. And remember, if you go back on your word, misfortune will surely follow,” Baili Xiao said lazily, not bothering to look at Yu Jinghao again. With that, he turned and walked out, leaving the stunned man behind.

A discreet indicator light blinked on the corner of the table, and Yu Jinghao’s assistant’s voice came through: “Mr. Yu… Did that guy not say just a moment ago that the transaction was off? Or did I mishear?”

“You didn’t mishear,” Yu Jinghao said, slowly shifting his gaze from where Baili had exited, his expression slightly puzzled. “If I hadn’t stopped him earlier, I think he meant to leave without charging me.”

“I got the same impression,” the assistant murmured.

“…”

The assistant hesitated, then said, “Do you think Mr. Tang set you up with a scammer to mess with you? This guy sounds just like those monks in temples who spout nonsense—starting off by praising you for your great fortune. Is he legit?”

Yu Jinghao stayed silent for a few seconds, lost in thought. After a moment, he seemed to grasp something and said slowly, “He might be angry. Upset that I… called him a fortune-teller.”

“Isn’t that exactly what he is?”

Yu Jinghao was silent again. After a brief pause, he muttered, “Look into this person for me.”