Chapter 48: I'm So Handsome and Charming, Yet You Still Don't Get It

Xu Mengbai was filled with a growing sense of regret. She wished she could slap herself—how could she have lost her composure and made a fool of herself in front of the film emperor? Ugh!

“No need to be so polite,” she finally replied after much hesitation, her tone careful and tentative.

Meanwhile, Si Shaozhe lay in bed, glancing sideways at the nurse who had just changed his bandages. With her fair skin, striking beauty, and long legs, her figure accentuated in all the right places, he wondered if the program team had arranged this as some sort of special surprise. After all, as a celebrity, his every moment was broadcast live before the cameras.

Suddenly, his phone chimed with a notification. He tore his gaze from the nurse, only to find it was just an advertisement from Weibo. The message he was sure Bai Yichu would reply to remained unread in the app.

Tch, playing hard to get, are we?

Annoyance churned inside him, but it was quickly overridden by self-confidence. If this one didn't work out, he'd simply move on to the next—there were always other options. Bai Yichu, oh Bai Yichu, if you insist on refusing such a powerful alliance, don’t come to regret it when I set my sights elsewhere.

Collaborating with him on a couple pairing would surely draw massive attention. What a pity that Bai Yichu had the looks but not the vision. Still, there were plenty of wiser female celebrities out there.

“Yichu, thank you for your hard work today~ By the way, when will you split the love card from this afternoon?”

Messages between celebrities would be magnified and displayed on the livestream, so when Si Shaozhe shamelessly persisted like this, the barrage of live chat comments exploded.

“Damn, top idol acting like a kept man—this is a first.”

“LOL, Yun Yue worked hard the whole day by herself, and this useless guy already got a love card—that’s more than he deserves. Now he’s still lying in bed daydreaming about more?”

“In my hometown, we call this kind of guy a complete loser.”

“My rebellious sister who never studies said Si Shaozhe is a pretty boy. I smacked her right then and there!”

“What’s your problem? What did my idol ever do to you? All you do is whine!”

“Do these average guys really think they’re that handsome?”

“Compared to our idol, what are you, really? Have some self-respect, will you?”

“Showing off how low you can go? My idol is amazing!”

“I can’t stop laughing. What a pack of rabid dogs! Some fans are terrifying!”

When Si Shaozhe saw the other side had read his message instantly, he was smug for half an hour—until his entire face fell.

Despite being a top-tier male idol with tens of millions of Weibo followers, he now found himself unable to draw even a glance from a mere newcomer who had just debuted.

Excellent. Absolutely excellent! To be treated with such humiliation now—he swore he’d have his female fans help him settle the score someday.

Lin Yunyue, too, felt a sting of disappointment at not receiving a response from that person. Anxiety gnawed at her, but for now she had no solution. She turned away from the cameras and, sighing repeatedly, drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, Lin Jia led a team to wake up Lin Yu and Ji Ya.

It was only a little past six. Lin Yu, still half-dreaming, stared blankly at Lin Jia.

“What’s the rush…?”

Lin Jia raised an eyebrow. “Do you know what time it is? Get up—it’s time to work.”

Surely he didn’t think being a celebrity was so easy? That he could sleep in as late as he wanted? Dream on.

Resigned, Lin Yu was promptly ushered by Lin Jia’s staff to the dressing room, where Ji Ya was already in front of the mirror applying makeup.

Seeing the setup, Lin Yu sighed. Was this really necessary? It was just a day out—did he really need makeup? What kind of man wore makeup? It felt ridiculous.

He closed his eyes and let the makeup artist do as they wished. After about ten minutes, he heard the gentle reminder, “All done.”

He opened his eyes. Under the lights, even the lightest makeup made him look much more energetic. The makeup artist’s skills were superb, amplifying his sunny, handsome vibe several times over.

“Boss, how about a compliment?”

Ji Ya was busy putting in contact lenses and didn’t even bother to look at Lin Yu, until she heard the makeup artist exclaim, “He looks so much more handsome with makeup!”

“Don’t joke. He’s already handsome without it,” someone quipped.

When Lin Yu opened his eyes, he saw that he really did look much more refreshed—and he admired his own good looks in the mirror. Ji Ya raised an eyebrow. “Mmm, yes, you’re very handsome.”

“We’ll have to get you a dedicated makeup artist from now on—debut with both talent and looks.”

Lin Yu grinned. “Boss, you’ve finally discovered my greatness. Not bad, not bad.”

Ji Ya couldn’t help but roll her eyes dramatically and gave him a firm slap on the face. “You really are something…”

Give him a little praise and he’ll start climbing the walls!

The costume designer appraised Lin Ning’s wool sweater, then selected the most suitable outfit and handed it to him.

…

On the sofa in the dressing room, Ji Ya was the first to catch sight of Lin Yu after his transformation and was instantly impressed.

The stylist had dressed him in a relaxed look: a white short-sleeved shirt on top, cargo shorts below. The ensemble brought out his heroic aura, reminiscent of a genteel young lord from ancient times. The loose, unfitted shirt, in the sunlight, even hinted at his impressive chest.

This captivating masculine charm struck Ji Ya with a jolt. Lin Yu’s faint, mischievous smile gave him an added rogue-ish appeal.

As soon as he stepped out, cameras zoomed in on his face.

The livestream’s comment feed went wild at the sudden appearance of such a handsome guy.

“Damn, where did this hottie come from?! Is this Dog Yu?!”

“Holy crap! This man is that handsome?! I swear, I’m moving the marriage registry office over here!!”

“My god, do men this good-looking actually exist? I’m in love!!”

“Back off, all of you! I’m claiming him as my first fandom! Husband, look at me!!”

“What’s wrong with all of you, dreaming this early in the morning? Don’t make my husband have to snuggle up and explain to me tonight that you all mean nothing to him!”

“Miss Ji is mine!”

“Some people are getting out of hand! All you do is call people husband and wife—what will your future spouses think if they see this? Everyone stop, let me shoulder this burden!”

“To the one above, you’re something else—daydreaming this early? Is there something wrong with your brain? Which mental hospital let out a severe schizophrenic with delusions? Someone please do something!”

“What’s there to argue about? Miss Ji and Dog Yu already belong to our province. Without our approval, no matter how much you fight, you can’t have them!”

…

Ji Ya kept a close eye on him, and even Lin Jia was stunned. She’d assumed this guy was just a backup sent by Ji Fei, someone she could kick out at any time, but yesterday he’d taken first place.