MengMao TV VIP Guest Room.

  Wang Lu took the lead and pushed open the door. Initially, he had prepared himself to bow his head low to apologise, but he did not expect that he would not even catch a glimpse of Bai Yao when he entered. Instead, there were only a few familiar-looking people turning their heads to look over.

  Wang Lu was startled but it was quickly followed by a burst of joy. It seemed like Bai Yao had yet to come up……

  During the short pause, the people in the room had already mutually observed each another, and they swiftly stood up. Politely, they said, “You’re here.”


  Wang Lu responded with a noise, and the two people who were already waiting in the guest room adjusted themselves and moved to the back their seats. Kang Shengzhe was slower than Wang Lu by a few steps, and when he entered, he shocked everyone else.

  “.…… That’s KK?”


  Wang Lu was full of smiles as he replied, “Yes.”


  The person who had spoken was Piaoluo’s agent. Besides him, there were two more persons, namely Piaoluo himself and the staff responsible for coordinating this meeting. Piaoluo’s agent froze as he scrutinised KK before he plastered on a forced smile. He said: “Piaoluo, introduce yourself.”


  Slanting his body away, the space opened up for Piaoluo and Kang Shengzhe to meet. A handsome and clean young man, roughly around the age of twenty-five or twenty-six, stretched his hand out towards Kang Shengzhe and said: “Piaoluo, Qiao Yishu.”


  Kang Shengzhe was taller than Piaoluo by more than a head. And since Piaoluo chose not to raise his head, Kang Shengzhe could not see his face, and he could only bend his legs down a little until their eyes were level with each other before he stretched out his hand as well. “KK, Kang Shengzhe.”


  The action of him squatting down had been executed quickly, and it was reminiscent of the posture one would make when talking to dwarfs. Piaoluo was not short to begin with, but against KK, he was shorter by a fair portion. Unable to suppress his smile, Wang Lu could only turn his head sideways and cover his mouth.

  Piaoluo stiffened and he stared at the face that was right in front of him for a long while before he tugged up a smiling expression. “Despite watching KK’s broadcast for a long time, I never thought that the person himself would be so remarkable.”


  Kang Shengzhe replied in a placid manner: “Not really.”


  Although they were merely platitudes, they were undoubtedly true at the present moment. Piaoluo and his agent shared a look, eyes darkening a little.

  The initial display of strength with the act of squatting to provoke him could be disregarded first. Not once had he thought that KK would have such an appearance, especially when the anchor hid behind the screen and refused to reveal his face, which contributed to the impression that he would look unattractive. However, it turned out that……

  When he saw Wang Lu bring the person over just now, he had assumed that Wang Lu had temporarily found someone else to be his replacement out of desperation. But speaking at a close distance only served to confirm that it was the person himself, for he revealed an indelible voice that could not be faked, especially when it was being live broadcasted daily.

  The person in front of him was KK.

  Although there was a smile on Piaoluo’s visage, his heart was in a quagmire. Wang Lu, on the converse, felt a wave of glee. Previously, he had seen Piaoluo’s light-coloured casual outfit which looked good and amicable, but comparing the two people now, he felt that it was more toned down and he was only slightly better looking as compared to someone ordinary.

  Wang Lu pulled Kang Shengzhe towards their seats, and both sides maintained their composure as they sat down after their introductions. First and foremost, they were competitors; the fact that they could greet them with a smile after eating a secret loss was already commendable.

  Wang Lu and Kang Shengzhe sat at the side. Pleased as a punch, his heart could not help but drum up a beat again. Meanwhile, the VIP room was utterly silent, and a ten-minute duration seemed to stretch into that of an hour. Everyone else was nervous save Kang Shengzhe who seemed rather absent-minded, which caused Wang Lu to covertly toss him a glance or two.

  After a short while, footsteps came from outside the door and everyone readied themselves for battle. As they stood up, the door was pushed open and a tall and bright figure came into view. Although he was psychologically prepared for the arrival of Bai Yao, Wang Lu’s heart still throbbed for a good while when he met the actual person.

  Bai Yao was clad in a white shirt while her lower half was draped in a red skirt and the cut of fabric accentuated her slim waist. Her figure was extremely bewitching but the entirety of her body seemed to exude a noble temperament which it did not feel gaudy in the least. And in spite of the pains she had taken to conceal it, she still had the aura of a celebrity through and through.

  The atmosphere in the VIP room changed instantaneously.

  The coordinator responsible for the meeting approached her with a smile on his face and painstakingly exchanged pleasantries with her &#k2013; like &#k2018;are you tired’ to which she replied &#k2018;not tired’ &#k2013; spitting one sentence after another. When she stepped into their field of view, Wang Lu immediately nudged Kang Shengzhe, signalling for him to move up and speak.

  Kang Shengzhe bowed his head: “Hello……”


  He only got half his words out when a sudden exclamation that was neither light nor heavy reverberated from beside him. When he turned his head back, he saw that Piaoluo’s face was tinged red and his face was full of excitement.

  “Wah, it’s really Bai Yao, that…… I’m your fan!”


  The calm and collected demeanour Piaoluo had shown prior to this had turned into sudden fervour, and it stunned Wang Lu momentarily. In a blink of an eye, Bai Yao’s gaze, which was originally drawn to Kang Shengzhe’s height, shifted to Piaoluo instead. She smiled, saying, “Oh? Really?”


  Piaoluo: “En!! I’m so nervous, it’s really Bai Yao, this, just, wow!”


  As he was speaking, he tugged on his agent several times, and his agent gave Bai Yao a helpless smile, “Piaoluo has always been a fan of yours and he’s seen all your works. Once he heard that he was meeting you today, he started going a little crazy early in the morning. So, haha, please don’t laugh at him.”


  With his idle chatter, Piaoluo departed from the impression of maturity he gave. However, it was done too abruptly to someone who had witnessed the entire process, and Wang Lu gritted his teeth, hating the fact that Piaoluo resorted to such a trick. But what was done was done; the distance between Piaoluo and Bai Yao was already closing right before his eyes.

  “Ah, right, right, please take a seat first.”


  The person in charge snapped out of his dream-like state, and hurriedly offered Bai Yao a good position. He said: “Let me briefly introduce them to you, these two are the most popular and mechanically skilled anchors in our company. This person is Piaoluo, and that is KK.”


  The pair greeted her at the same time. Bai Yao took off her sunglasses and said: “Are all the game anchors this handsome these days? They can make a group debut at this rate.”


  When she said that, Piaoluo’s smile faltered. If he hadn’t seen KK today, he would have accepted those words with a peace of mind, but now that he was standing side by side with KK, he was well-aware that he could not compare. In a split second, he recovered his smile and said: “It’s over, it’s really over, I’ve been praised by Bai Yao. I feel a little dizzy.”


  Piaoluo had exceptional control over the atmosphere and his conversational skills were nothing to scoff at either. In the few short minutes where Bai Yao had seated herself, a large portion of her time was spent talking to Piaoluo. Perceiving that Kang Shengzhe had been squeezed to the peripheries of their conversation as he was only allowed a few occasional words, Wang Lu felt so anxious he wanted to die.

  “Turns out the goddess also likes playing King’s Glory.”


  Bai Yao said: “I just started out and my skill level is average. I’ve been losing a lot more by comparison.”


  Piaoluo chuckled, “That’s just part and parcel of being a novice; it’s normal. So…… do you frequently watch live broadcasts?”


  The expectation was evident in Piaoluo’s tone. Bai Yao stated: “I’ve watched some.”


  “Who do you typically watch?” The expectation in his tone grew heavier, and even Wang Lu waited on a bated breath for the answer to the question. Did she watch Piaoluo or KK?

  Bai Yao said, “Howling Wolf, he looks more attractive.”


  After pausing for a beat, Piaoluo laughed : “I’ll go for plastic surgery soon!”


  Bai Yao smiled ceaselessly and Wang Lu could only watch on helplessly as Piaoluo refused to relent on a single gap. The atmosphere Piaoluo created was finely tuned and under his control, and Wang Lu knew, even as he prodded Kang Shengzhe a few times in a fit of anxiety, it would not be easy for him to cut in.

  Furthermore, Wang Lu had come to realise that KK did not like taking the initiative to speak in real life even though he could talk for hours on end and without any interruption during his live broadcasts. The person himself was like a monotone in their private communications, and he was not animated at all.

  The favourability of the atmosphere was mastered by one side and they continued to speak for twenty minutes. The person-in-charge said: “Since the company wants to invite you for a live broadcast afterwards, would you like to play a match as a run through to feel for the synergy?”


  Bai Yao thought for a moment and said: “Sure.”


  It could be regarded as a chance for Kang Shengzhe. Wang Lu revealed a faint smile and eagerly watched as Bai Yao added KK and Piaoluo on her game account before the three of them opened a match.

  Bai Yao stated: “I’m choosing Da Ji, she’s my destiny.”


  Kang Shengzhe and Piaoluo responded with a noise and simultaneously, one of them chose Li Bai while the other chose Luna. Both of them were jungling heroes, and they demanded a high level of mechanics.

  After the match ended, Kang Shengzhe attained twelve kills while Piaoluo had eight. The entire time, both of them had raced against one another to clear the jungle and claim the heads of their enemies but Kang Shengzhe’s hand speed was superior to Piaoluo’s. On that basis alone, his victory was certain.

  However, despite the fact that his charge had thrived in the game, Wang Lu’s complexion did not improve in the slightest.

  Over the course of the game. Kang Shengzhe scantly talked while Piaoluo maintained a constant stream of communication with Bai Yao. The lone threat of his consistent conversation remedied the situation and it was considerably more important than the outcome of the game.

  Thus, when the game ended, Wang Lu’s complexion had greyed with the colour of defeat. On the other hand, Bai Yao remained impartial, but the atmosphere that surrounded the noncommittal chatter already spoke volumes of the issues present……

  Bai Yao kept her phone and wore her sunglasses again: “I’ll contact you again later for the rest, I have matters to attend to, I’ll be taking my leave first.”


  No one dared to keep the big celebrity when she wanted to leave. The organiser stood up politely and ushered her out, leaving the rest in the VIP room.

  They had missed the opportunity because KK had remained cold throughout. Wang Lu’s head drooped, and he mourned in his heart:

  Recognising that the outcome was probably decided, Piaoluo’s agent’s face was full of ecstasy. Piaoluo, who was holding the winning lottery, tilted his head up to meet Kang Shengzhe’s eyes, not even bothering to hide the glint of contempt in his gaze.

  He was obviously the one who had robbed someone of their chance, and yet he dared to display his shamelessness head on. Enraged, Wang Lu trembled but he could not say a word. He lowered his head instead, intending to say a few sentences to console Kang Shengzhe when the unmoving and indifferent Kang Shengzhe suddenly stood up.

  The first thing he had done after he had finished his work was open his WeChat, and what shocked him was that there was one new message from Liang Liang in their designated chat.

  He could not suppress his excitement as he tapped on it, and he saw that below the messages he sent last night, there was a new line.

  — I’m going to Beijing tomorrow…… Can we meet?

  [Liang Liang]: — Okay.

  Kang Shengzhe quivered.

  What did his ‘okay’ even mean, did it mean that Liang Liang was willing to meet him?

  For a brief moment, Kang Shengzhe did not think too much into it, nor could he have expected that You Liangxing was extremely close to him. Stuck in the moment, he was utterly shrouded by the pleasant surprise, and he could only think about how he should reopen the conversation with Liang Liang.

  Spirits raised, Kang Shengzhe raised his eyes and saw Bai Yao’s departing figure. A flash of inspiration entered his mind and he typed in WeChat: — Do you like Bai Yao?

  The other party seemed very puzzled by his question, but he still replied very quickly to his question in spite of their previous cold war.

  [Liang Liang]: — I’m…… alright.

  A smile slipped out, and under Wang Lu’s surprised gaze, he dashed after Bai Yao quickly. With his tall stature and large strides, it only took him a few steps to reach her, movements seemingly carrying the force of thunder.

  Bai Yao expressed some confusion: “What’s wrong?”


  Kang Shengzhe clenched his fists, and with a voice tinged with comparatively more excitement than before, he asked: “Can you give me an autograph?”


  Bai Yao said: “Are you a fan of mine as well? Your reaction is a little too slow, no?”


  Kang Shengzhe said simply: “I’m not, I’m giving it to someone.”


  Bai Yao: “.……” She did not expect this reason.

  A short while later, she tilted her head and smiled, “Sure, where do you want me to sign?”


  Kang Shengzhe felt around his body once but he did not find anything that could be written on like a book. Hence, he could only pat his own white t-shirt and said: “The shirt will do.”


  With no paper or pen on hand, Bai Yao could only take a lipstick out of her bag. As she was about to start, she suddenly had a queer idea: “My lipstick is very expensive, what are you giving me in exchange?”


  Kang Shengzhe: “I brought some good stuff you can’t buy in the Imperial City.”


  Bai Yao blinked owlishly before she flicked her wrist and like floating clouds and flowing waters, she finished signing in a flourish. Smilingly, she extended her hand out to Kang Shengzhe.

  Kang Shengzhe eyed the autograph a few times and decided it was satisfactory. He put down the backpack that was around his shoulders and pulled open the zip before he stretched his hand in with the greatest care.

  Bai Yao’s gaze shifted alongside Kang Shengzhe’s transition of actions. Seeing that Kang Shengzhe was rather serious, she became extremely curious about what precious object was being kept in his bag, such that she did not even blink.

  Finally, Kang Shengzhe slowly withdrew his hand from his bag, and what entered her vision was a tin of pink-coloured candy, with a label that said ‘Small Sweet Heart’ on the outside……

  Bai Yao felt like she had been cheated.

  She paused for a while, voice dry, “The ‘good stuff’ was sweets?”


  Kang Shengzhe nodded. “En, you really can’t buy it in Imperial City.”


  Bai Yao: “.…… Fine.”


  Although she was disappointed, it was better than nothing. She sighed and opened up her hand, wanting to take it and go. Unexpectedly, the ridiculously tall man solemnly unscrewed the lid on the tin before he took out one small sweet and placed it in her palm.

  Perhaps seeing that the Bai Yao’s expression was overtly complicated, Kang Shengzhe hesitated for a beat before he took out two more sweets from the tin and placed it in Bai Yao’s palm too. However, after two seconds, he retrieved one back in distress and put it back into the tin. He said, “Two should be enough.”


  Bai Yao: “.…… I don’t think it’s enough.”


  With a serious face, Kang Shengzhe said: “You’ll get fat.”


  Bai Yao: “.……”


  Bai Yao felt like she had trouble breathing and her expression became increasingly complicated. Finally, she said: “Alright…… you have successfully attracted my attention.”


  Once the conversation ended, Bai Yao gave Kang Shengzhe a meaningful look before she opened the door to leave. As soon as she exited, she saw two familiar figures approaching from the distance.

  Bai Yao: “Ah Liang?”


  Hearing her call him, You Liangxing halted completely and turned around reflexively. Bao Yao lifted her foot to take off her shoe, but just as she was about to do so, she remembered that there were people in their vicinity. Thus, she could only wear them back stiffly and shout: “Stand right there!!”