Bi Tan rubbed his eyes and confirmed again.

Hmm, he wasn’t mistaken. In Ye Lin’s phone was clearly the high-definition image of Yan Man in a red dress.

Bi Tan didn’t lock the screen and waited for Ye Lin to finish shooting before rushing over.

Bi Tan: “Care to explain?”

The man lowered his eyes slightly: “Explain what?”

“You were looking at Yan Man’s picture! And you don’t need to explain this? You even clicked on the original image—we didn’t click on the original!”

“Accidentally scrolled by, just took a look.” Ye Lin sounded unconcerned, “What’s so strange about it?”

Bi Tan seemed不服气 (unwilling to accept): “You casually look and still click on the original image? Did you also click on the landscape photo above? Did you scroll through that too?”

Ye Lin: “Why don’t you check?”

Bi Tan swiped up and long-pressed—

Hmph, this landscape photo, he actually did click on the original image.

Bi Tan looked at him suspiciously: “No, do you have this habit now when viewing pictures? Since when? How did I not know?”

The man calmly accepted the scrutiny, not at all like someone who had been exposed, remaining very calm.

He took off his gloves and hat, leaned back into the sofa, stretched out his long legs, and closed his eyes to rest.

Bi Tan: “...”

“Alright, you win.”

On the other side, the person in the picture, Yan Man, was already seated backstage, preparing for makeup and styling.

Simon: “I’ve arranged for a top-notch styling team in the industry for you. Today’s dress is a Chanel haute couture little black dress, suits you perfectly, extremely beautiful.”

“Also, a reminder, the event will be live-streamed throughout, so be mindful.”

One had to admit that in certain aspects, this agent made her feel quite reassured.

Yan Man first changed into the dress and sat in front of the makeup mirror to start working on her look. The makeup artist was very meticulous, attaching false eyelashes one by one and using three different shades of lipstick.

Her hair was even more exaggerated, taking an hour and a half to style.

When Yan Man stood up from her seat, Simon also raised his head.

“Very beautiful,” he praised, “but it doesn’t seem much different.”

“...”

“I won’t let you dismiss my three hours of sitting idle,” Yan Man said, “I think I might get cervical spondylosis.”

Simon: “Isn’t this complimenting your good foundation?”

“Ahh, no need to compliment that,” she said, “I already know.”

Simon: “...”

Why did he have to open his mouth unnecessarily.

Yan Man adjusted her skirt in front of the mirror while Simon explained the process behind her: “When you go on stage, just stand next to Ye Lin.”

She turned her head and blinked: “Who?”

“Ye Lin, from your drama set.”

She exclaimed: “Such a distant name.”

“...”

This was a sponsor event for “Floating Life Old Years,” so it wasn’t surprising that Ye Lin would attend.

And since they were in the same circle anyway, they were bound to bump into each other sooner or later. She didn’t find it unusual.

Just a normal runway show.

Soon, under the host’s introduction, Yan Man walked from backstage to the event area.

The ground was covered with fine velvet carpet, and her high heels made no sound stepping on it.

She lifted her skirt and had just stepped onto the platform when a figure approached from the opposite side.

Ye Lin was wearing a suit with a white shirt inside, and there seemed to be a white square scarf pinned at his collar. His pace was unhurried, exactly like his demeanor.

Cheers erupted from all sides like a tidal wave, deafening. Yan Man unexpectedly heard her name among the cheers and followed the sound, meeting the man’s gaze.

Their eyes met for less than a second before both quickly averted their gazes and faced the camera, standing poised.

In the live stream, Yan Man’s skirt reached her knees, revealing a pair of beautiful and well-proportioned calves. The black dress gave her an air of mystery and unapproachability, while a white camellia flower at her chest added elegance and playfulness.

Her nose was lightly dusted with blush, her eyelashes distinct and refined, exuding a sense of vitality. Even her stray hairs became focal points.

In the live chatroom, comments flew wildly:

[This is the kind of beauty a female star should have. I’m absolutely smitten.]

[I love this grandeur and freshness, like dressing up beautifully to see the most important person. She respects the audience so much (??). Being her appearance fan must be such a joy.]

[Seeing the most important person? Who’s shipping them? I am shipping them again...]

[Sorry, just the eye contact and I’m already kdl. Delicate princess x cold-faced knight, shaha shaha, immediately glue their mouths together!]

[Divine Couple slayed me, I ask you, who else, who else?!]

[Thinking of that video again… Only if they hook up tonight can they soothe my wounded heart.]

[Why does the upstairs comment like that? Isn’t it ridiculous? Why only tonight? Can’t they hook up in the backstage dressing room later? They haven’t seen each other for days, why wait till tonight?]

[Your mouths are so flirtatious, can you teach me?]

...

Facing the live camera, Yan Man was completely unaware of the dangerous remarks inside. She was guided by the host to move slightly to the right and began the flash photography session.

The media held their DSLRs, and amidst the clicking sounds, flashes went off continuously, dazzling everyone with bursts of white light.

—Actually, before coming, she had undergone flash training.

The photo-taking process for celebrities isn’t so simple. To take good photos, not blinking or losing composure under prolonged flashes is a basic requirement.

But today’s flashes were too many and too intense; she had never encountered this before. Compared to this, the training felt too elementary—

Yan Man couldn’t help but blink twice and shielded her eyes with her hand: “Sorry, sorry.”

Her eyes stung, and instinctively, she stepped back. Yan Man took two steps backward and stepped on something soft yet firm.

It seemed like she stepped on Ye Lin.

She turned her head and smelled his low and deep clove scent, pondering whether to apologize again. Looking up, she met his gaze as he lowered his head.

After a few seconds, she thought Ye Lin probably understood her meaning, which spared her from speaking further, so she turned her head back.

Ye Lin: “...”

This brand event was relatively simple; they just needed to answer a few questions related to the product. After more than forty minutes, the event ended, and after thanking them, the host indicated they could leave.

Yan Man felt like an eyelash had fallen into her eye, so she hurried down the steps and straight to the restroom, taking a while to remove it.

Outside, Simon had been waiting for her for a long time.

“Hurry up, hurry up, we still need to discuss an endorsement. A director from headquarters has come, we can’t keep them waiting too long!”

“So fast—” Yan Man was pushed forward by him while frequently looking back, “What endorsement?”

“It’s a foreign jewelry brand. They say you match their style perfectly.”

Tension spreads mutually, and the backstage paths were winding. Yan Man, wearing high heels, couldn’t walk fast and almost took the wrong exit, struggling a bit to find the right direction, lifting her skirt and jogging along.

Her high heels tapped out crisp sounds on the ground.

Outside the door, Ye Lin glanced at his watch.

The tall and elegant man leaned against the car door, exuding incomparable grace. Hanging at his collar was unmistakably a white camellia earring.

Bi Tan couldn’t contain his laughter: “What’s going on with you two? Taking a picture together, and her earring falls on you, and she didn’t even notice? Doesn’t she feel her ear lighter?”

Ye Lin glanced down at his watch again.

As he looked up, Yan Man appeared from around the corner.

The red carpet extended forward in twists and turns. She clutched a matching white handbag, her long hair flowing behind her, with barriers alongside her.

In the artist-exclusive passage, she ran with full concentration and under countless gazes, indifferent to how many mobile phones and cameras were aimed at her, like a black swan crossing the water, proudly lifting her neck towards where she was headed.

The female star’s chin was small and delicate, outlined beautifully by the light.

Bi Tan whistled: “How many days has it been? The aura of a female star comes so naturally. Those who don’t know might think some leading actress has run away, without any sense of being overshadowed.”

Approaching the parking spot, her pace slowed down.

Ye Lin, expressionless, glanced downward, his peripheral vision noticing her left ear was empty.

“What else needs confirmation? It’s definitely hers!” Bi Tan nudged him, “Here she comes, here she comes—”

Bi Tan: “What are you standing there for! She’s leaving! Call out to her, give it back to her!”

Three meters away.

Two meters.

One meter.

The man furrowed his brows slightly, and his lips parted ever so slightly—

Yan Man leaned forward, her beautiful long lashes half-closed, revealing a stretch of fair and lovely neck. Her gaze, however, was fixed straight ahead, her pace hurried, without stopping.

It was as if time had rewound for a moment. Just before they were about to pass each other, she uttered the same line he once did—

Yan Man lightly nodded her chin: “Excuse me.”

…

Three minutes later.

As if still not quite processing, the man frowned and looked in the direction the car had disappeared. His posture hadn’t changed from earlier, except that his slightly opened lips were now pressed together again.

The white luxury van quickly vanished from sight. The live stream, adhering to the principle of “as long as the artist doesn’t disappear, we won’t stop,” continued on.

The barrage witnessed this century-defining brush past:

[Longing eyes! That’s longing eyes, right?!]

[Stop looking, Ye Lin! Your wife’s car exhaust has already drifted kilometers away.]

[Car? [Drooling] Where’s the car?]

[Fans of Che Xixi’s explicit images, get out! Alright, I’ll leave first.]

[Are there any paparazzi? That brush past just now felt so cinematic, I love it!]

Some barrage viewers couldn’t take it anymore: [Can some people stop already? Must you keep spamming? Do you think everyone is a CP fan? KY also has its limits.]

Expecting a massive argument, the comment section surprisingly showed understanding:

[It’s okay. I scolded like you do just a few days ago. Watch a few more scenes and you’ll find it irresistible.]

[I cursed even harder than you just a few days ago. Now I’m totally obsessed, kneeling on the ground pinching myself. Does anyone understand? I ask, does anyone understand?!]

Yan Man didn’t realize the earring incident until she got out of the car.

She felt like her time was stretched into a countdown state. Under Simon’s urging, every minute and second, her brain kept spinning, as if she had ten thousand things left undone.

At times like these, how could she have room in her mind to think about anything else?

Finally entering the YL Jewelry brand headquarters, she breathed a sigh of relief.

On the first floor were displays of YL’s classic accessories. This was a trendy and attitude-filled fashion brand that had just entered the domestic market, blending whimsicality with understated dreaminess. Each piece of work was unexpected yet unexpectedly beautiful.

Yan Man tried on rings and bracelets.

Her skin was fair, her bone structure good; trying these things on with her eyes closed wouldn’t go wrong.

The director seemed pleased with her, but soon their gaze fell on her left ear.

“Why is this side empty?”

Only then did she seem to realize, raising her hand to rub it, then beaming radiantly.

“Maybe it’s to wear your designs.”

The director paused for a moment, smiling even wider.

In the end, the signing went very smoothly. Simon quickly finalized all the resources, including advertising placements and promotional videos, and preliminarily discussed the style of the advertisements.

“So impressive.” Finally, the director praised her to Simon.

…

Back in the car, Yan Man felt almost drained, her brain no longer turning.

She grabbed a blanket and rested with her eyes closed in the cold air conditioning.

Simon was a workaholic and was still talking about her variety show on the phone: “Ah, yes, yes, so it’s confirmed, right? Okay, great. We’re free tomorrow.”

After hanging up, Simon spoke as softly as possible: “Are you asleep? ‘This Is Acting’ has been arranged. Tomorrow we’ll head over to Huachu Mansion, have a meal, play around, and sign the contract while we’re at it.”

Yan Man responded with a sound, then a few minutes later asked: “Have the mentors been confirmed?”

She was quite curious about which seniors she would collaborate with, what she would learn, and what rich themes they would shoot.

Simon: “The production team keeps things under wraps. It’s unclear for now, but it definitely won’t disappoint. You can look forward to it.”

“Maybe we’ll know tomorrow when we go over.”

Yan Man said okay. Night fell, the lights came on, and the city was rendered into neon dots floating on the car window.

At 10 PM, Ye Lin finished his scenes for the day.

The man returned to his room, followed by his talkative agent.

Bi Tan was still persuading: “I’m not saying you must take that variety show. I just feel that it’s called ‘This Is Acting,’ and there’s an inexplicable sense of mission. Think about it, don’t you want to leave something behind before retiring?”

“For example, passing on your experience, letting confused kids avoid some detours, or nurturing someone to inherit your legacy?”

Ye Lin: “Or finding another artist for you so you don’t run out of money to earn.”

Bi Tan, who was hit by the truth: “...”

“Not entirely because of that!” Bi Tan said, “This variety show is quite fun. I thought you might relax a bit. What if you find joy in it and want to continue acting?”

No one would think it wasn’t regrettable.

Such a good actor, only twenty-three years old this year, male actors at their most vibrant stage, able to shoot anything, and can continue for another decade.

When the company’s movie market was sluggish back then, he single-handedly lifted the entire box office level of the company. Every time his movies were released, they could boost the entire screening period.

He was known as the box office ace of the film industry, and no one wanted to see the ace retire this year.

Ye Lin didn’t speak.

Bi Tan added: “Alright, tomorrow night there’s a gathering at Huachu Mansion. Let’s just go check it out, having a meal won’t hurt, right?”

Ye Lin: “Don’t you have food to eat on set?”

“...”

Finally, Bi Tan pulled out his trump card: “Teacher Shi will be there, your mentor from university. Don’t you want to go see him?”

...

The room was silent for a long time.

Ye Lin poured ice cubes into his glass.

“I can take a look,” he said, “but I’m not interested in the variety show.”

“Alright, alright, consider it just a meal and catching up. I’m not forcing you to sign.”

Bi Tan shrugged, thinking to himself that he’d let things take their course. What if Ye Lin suddenly changed his mind?

“I’m leaving,” Bi Tan said, “We’re going to eat tomorrow! I’ve already told them and reserved our seats.”

With a bang, the door closed.

Ye Lin swirled the ice cubes in his glass, making a jumble of clinking sounds. He stood by the window, overlooking the city’s night view.

At 10:30 PM, Ye Lin stepped into the bathtub and turned his phone to airplane mode.

Just as he cut off contact with the world, fresh blood was surging somewhere on Weibo.

At 10:52 PM, the Yan-Ye CP station emerged out of nowhere, accompanied by an opening blog post, grandly pulling back the curtain on history.

Man·Lin Wandering Rainforest:

[In this moment, the deity paused his gaze; amidst the swirling sands, you walked towards me;

Decorating your plumes with the dew on the last green leaf, my dearest youth.

A glance / A glance through eternity.

Happy station opening, forever joyful.

#YanYeSuperTopic#]

The accompanying pictures were from today’s noon brand event—three shots of their gazes on stage, three shots of their brush past at the car.

All were well-taken photos, thanks to their faces, exuding a cinematic atmosphere.

Though it was late, the comments weren’t affected. In just a few minutes, they broke a thousand.

[Eye = Yan, Ling = Lin. So thoughtful. Just a few sentences in the opening announcement cleverly referenced their names. Detail enthusiasts rejoice.]

[The pictures are absolutely stunning QAQ. The slight matte grain really suits their high-class aura! Looking forward to a re-encounter!]

[Ahh, our ship finally has a station too! Hope to accompany you till the end. You two are truly a perfect match.]

[That brush past photo carries such a strong sense of fate from past lives, especially with Lin God’s pocket holding one of Man Man’s earrings.]

[Past lives? What past lives? Are you cutting me with the BE video again? Well, you succeeded. I’ll go watch it again (wiping tears).]

One opening announcement made the super topic lively all around.

Everyone posted interesting content from today’s live stream. Due to the scarcity of outputs, many revisited or dived into that BE video.

Fans in the super topic were active, posting some check-ins and small talk posts, and started boringly following each other. Just as the atmosphere was gradually calming down—

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a CP scholar picked up a microscope and passionately posted just before midnight:

[Wait, sisters!! Am I seeing things wrong?? Was this scene a forced kiss?! Ye Lin, your mouth… something’s off?!?!]