The next morning, Baili Xiao was in the makeup room, being fussed over by the makeup artist. While he was typically resting with his eyes closed, he suddenly overheard his assistants whispering. Although their voices were very soft, he caught the words “Li Xiao” and “Dai Jue.”

He opened his eyes to glance at his manager, Mike, who was about to hand him his phone, saying, “Check Weibo.”

Baili Xiao swiped through the app and quickly realized that Dai Jue had made headlines early that morning—#Dai Jue Allegedly Robbed of Screen Time by a Newcomer# and #The Status of the Top Celebrity in the Universe is in Jeopardy#.

“What’s this?” Baili Xiao asked Mike with a questioning look. Mike snorted coldly and replied, “Someone is trying to upstage themselves.”

“Hmm…”

The topic trending wasn’t initiated by Dai Jue’s official fan club but rather by a notorious tabloid journalist. Although this person had a terrible reputation in the industry and was disliked by netizens for their character, their information was always sharp and accurate, making them quite authoritative in this circle. Early that morning, the journalist had posted a sarcastic Weibo update.

Baili Xiao clicked on the journalist’s profile and indeed found that post pinned at the top. He knew this matter might involve him, but since he had nothing to hide, he remained calm and read the post word for word: “I was curious how a top-tier male star ended up with a character that has less screen time than the male lead and is less likable than the male four. Turns out the male four was robbed of his scenes. Rumor has it that he also lost the chance to attend some diamond-level banquet yesterday. Tsk, tsk, such is the entertainment industry, where you only see the newcomers laughing.”

As Baili Xiao read the sarcastic post with a flat and emotionless tone, it surprisingly became somewhat amusing, causing the makeup artists nearby to chuckle, easing the tense atmosphere.

“What do you think?” Mike asked.

Baili Xiao scoffed, casually tossing the phone back to Mike. “Very clever, but it doesn’t seem like something someone with Dai Jue’s intelligence could pull off.”

“How so?”

“If Dai Jue wanted to distort the facts and put me on Weibo, today’s headline wouldn’t be the vague ‘Dai Jue Allegedly Robbed of Screen Time by a Newcomer,’ but rather ‘Li Xiao Robbed of Screen Time.’ This tabloid journalist is skilled at playing with language; every word refers to Dai Jue, yet not a single one mentions him directly, leading fans to guess who was robbed of scenes and who did the robbing, painting Dai Jue as the innocent one.”

Mike looked at Baili Xiao with a bewildered expression: “You’ve got a point. You haven’t done public relations, yet you understand it so well.”

Baili Xiao chuckled softly, lazily sipping his coffee. “Let them stir the pot. Once they’ve set the stage, I’ll come out and slap their faces.”

“How will you do that?”

Baili Xiao replied with the same phrase: “The secrets of heaven cannot be leaked.”

…

Coincidentally, there were several scenes for Baili Xiao that day, including one where he would be acting alongside Dai Jue. The atmosphere in the crew was quite delicate; on the surface, everyone seemed harmonious, but underneath, tensions were palpable. It felt as though everyone had their ears pricked, observing every little movement. Even Dai Jue’s expression appeared tenser than before.

In contrast, Baili Xiao remained unflustered, listening to the director’s instructions, discussing the scenes, and performing with remarkable efficiency, exuding an aura of “All is well in the world; I am at peace.”

Yu Jinghao even sent a text to Baili Xiao, asking what was going on and whether he needed help. Baili Xiao simply replied: “I know what I’m doing.”

After dinner, the temperature soared to an unbearable 42 degrees Celsius, with no breeze and a muggy heat that drove everyone crazy. There were supposed to be two outdoor scenes, but just two minutes outside would cause the actors’ makeup to melt away in the sauna-like weather. No waterproof products could withstand it; everyone ended up looking oily. Reluctantly, Director Luo Wei had to move the outdoor shoots to the next day, waving his hand to send everyone back to rest and to take precautions against the heat.

Baili Xiao had no scenes scheduled, so he went back to his dorm and took a quick shower. He figured it was about time for Dai Jue to come out and play the tragic role, so he opened Weibo with the mindset of watching a show.

To his surprise, the trending topic was gone.

Baili Xiao was taken aback and clicked on the tabloid journalist’s profile. The post was still there, but it had been unpinned. The comments below were still speculating about Dai Jue, with quite a few people mentioning his name. After all, the references to “male four” and “male two” were too clear, making it hard to avoid him. However, the tabloid journalist, who usually interacted with netizens in the comments, was unusually silent this time.

Baili Xiao was puzzled. Without thinking, he scrolled down to refresh the page, only to be met with a prompt—

“The content you’re looking for does not exist or has been deleted!”

Deleted?

How could that be?

Baili Xiao felt a bit dazed, unsure of what the journalist was up to. He searched for Dai Jue’s profile and discovered that about an hour ago, Dai Jue had posted a Weibo update showcasing his life on set. Sweating profusely, holding an iced latte bought by his assistant, with whipped cream on his lips and a cute expression on his face.

It was as if this incident had nothing to do with him at all.

Under that post, the comments began to shift in tone. Dai Jue’s official fan club commented that judging by Dai Jue’s reaction, this matter shouldn’t be related to him. They noted that the journalist had deleted the post, suggesting he had recently been unable to find any big news and was just stirring up trouble for no reason.

The onlookers expressed their relief, saying it was over and that they would go somewhere cooler to enjoy their gossip.

Baili Xiao watched as this incident flared up dramatically only to quietly fizzle out. He had been mentally prepared to engage in his first public relations battle since debuting, but instead, it felt like he had hit a pillow with a punch, leaving him utterly confused. However, as he calmed down and reflected for a moment, he suddenly sensed that things weren’t so simple. This strategy of retreating to advance contained a significant hidden agenda, and it would surely be useful later. Yet… was it possible that Dai Jue was even more astute than he had imagined?

As night fell, a hint of a breeze finally mixed into the air, dissipating some of the evening’s oppressive heat. However, most people still preferred to stay indoors with the air conditioning on, leaving the outside of the film set unusually deserted, with even the cicadas too lazy to make a sound.

Baili Xiao received a message from Yu Jinghao, saying that an assistant would come to deliver the plane ticket. He stepped out alone, wearing a T-shirt, and made his way through the film studio, turning several corners before finding the designated alley.

This time, it wasn’t Yu Jinghao’s car that pulled up, but a black Mercedes. A low-profile entry-level model, worth about three hundred thousand, definitely not Yu Jinghao’s vehicle. Baili Xiao glanced at the back of the car and thought, so they really did send an assistant over. But these days, boarding passes no longer needed to be collected in advance. Was it really necessary for Yu Jinghao to have an assistant run this errand?

The air was hot and humid, and Baili Xiao couldn’t stand the heat. Without thinking too much about it, he opened the back door and got in.

With a thud, he closed the door, and the cool air enveloped him, making him sigh in relief. When he turned his head, he found himself staring into a pair of familiar black eyes.

Yu Jinghao smiled like a sly fox. “You’re quite self-aware, sitting right next to me.”

Baili Xiao was startled. “What are you doing here?”

“What’s wrong with me? I’m sitting in my own car.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to deliver the ticket. If I’m not here, who else would be?” He spoke confidently.

“You…” Baili Xiao stared wide-eyed, pausing for a moment, only to realize he couldn’t counter that argument. He glanced at the driver, who was doing his best to minimize his presence, and then surveyed the understated vehicle. Suddenly, he found himself at a loss for words. Yu Jinghao naturally knew what he was thinking and laughed, “My car is too recognizable; it wouldn’t be good for you. This car is a classic model for the middle class, and even if it gets photographed, it won’t attract any negative headlines about you.”

Baili Xiao let out a soft sound of acknowledgment, secretly admiring Yu Jinghao’s thoughtfulness and consideration, but he feigned disinterest, saying coldly, “Sorry, I can afford that one too.”

Yu Jinghao chuckled, “Sure, sure, Baili Xiao, the service fee is sky-high, and there aren’t many in Beijing who can afford it.”

Baili Xiao snorted and fell silent. Yu Jinghao also toned down his demeanor, pulling out his phone to ask, “What do you think about today’s incident?”

Baili Xiao glanced at the screen, which showed a screenshot of the trending topic from that morning. He sighed and said softly, “Given Dai Jue’s personality, if he acted on his own, he would have named me directly. But this time, a third party subtly stirred up the news. I thought he would come out later to admit it and play the victim, but I didn’t expect that the person advising him would be more cunning than I imagined, actually managing to suppress the incident.”

Yu Jinghao nodded, not hiding his admiration. “He will definitely make a big move soon; this is all part of building momentum.”

“What about Dai Jue’s relationship with Mike?”

Yu Jinghao just smiled. “Some people think they’re clever and keep making small moves, but others have already seen through them. Dai Jue is restless and arrogant; reaching this point today is purely due to his luck two years ago. They call him the top star, but the agency has never really treated him as the one to cultivate.”

“Hmm… is there anyone else in the company more favored than Dai Jue?” Baili Xiao recalled. “I haven’t heard of anyone.”

Yu Jinghao just smiled silently and said softly, “Since they’ve managed to suppress this incident, why not go with the flow? Dai Jue’s connections are indeed stronger than I initially thought, but I still need to investigate who exactly is backing him. However, he shouldn’t be with Huanyu for much longer, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

Baili Xiao lazily rubbed his temples. “Him? Worry me? He’s just an ant…”

Yu Jinghao let out a laugh, glancing at a certain seemingly delusional artist beside him for a long moment before shaking his head and saying nothing more. He handed the tickets to Baili Xiao, who flipped through them and discovered not only his own ticket but also Mike’s. He couldn’t help but think that if Mike knew Yu Jinghao personally bought his ticket, he’d probably be all flustered, burning incense and praying.

“By the way,” Yu Jinghao suddenly remembered something and said to him, “how’s your energy lately?”

“Energy?”

“If all goes well, that good-for-nothing rich second-generation guy I mentioned last time should also be attending that banquet.” “Oh, right.” Baili Xiao recalled and nodded casually. “Don’t worry; I’ll help you check his fortune when I see him. It’s a small matter.”