After scheduling the time for the next contract signing and audition, Xie Guan left Xihua Entertainment and couldn't help but give Huo Mingjun a call.

He was so caught up in his happiness that he only realized it was inappropriate after dialing the number. Huo Mingjun was a domineering president who managed countless affairs daily; what right did he, Xie Guan, have to disturb him so casually?

It was strange. Every time Xie Guan had seen Huo Mingjun before, his first instinct was to stay as far away as possible. Now, upon hearing good news, the first person he thought of telling was him. He had no idea what had gotten into him.

It was probably because Huo Mingjun had helped him many times that Xie Guan subconsciously believed he was a good person who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. But the state of their relationship was very strange: to call them friends felt like Xie Guan was being wishful. If he tried to be more cautious and proper, it seemed like he wasn't being open and honest, more like a little lover trying to climb up by clinging to a patron's thigh—and that was fucking awkward.

Before Xie Guan could come to his senses and hang up, Huo Mingjun had already answered the phone: "Xie Guan? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Xie Guan said, laughing it off and pretending to be relaxed and happy. "Good news, I've settled things with Xihua Entertainment, so I wanted to call and thank you."

"..." Huo Mingjun was silent for a moment. He glanced at the several people around the conference table, made a gesture to Lu Ming who was taking notes, and paused the meeting to step out and take the call.

"Such great news," he said unhurriedly, "and you're just going to thank me with a phone call and be done with it?"

Xie Guan was dumbfounded. "What else?"

Huo Mingjun guided him patiently, "At the very least, you should express your sincerity."

"..." Xie Guan helplessly ran a hand through his hair and stammered, "Then what... do you think would count as sincere?"

"You're asking me?" Huo Mingjun leaned back, resting leisurely against the smooth glass curtain wall. "If I'm the one making the demands, I'd say you must have too much money and are itching to burn it."

"That's not it at all," Xie Guan flatly denied, saying sincerely, "How could I play with fire in front of you? Wouldn't that be asking for humiliation?"

Huo Mingjun chuckled softly. "Stop trying to fool me with that well-behaved act. I'm in a meeting right now, so let's stop here. Call me back when you've figured it out."

A little figure in Xie Guan's heart erupted, pinning Huo Mingjun to the ground, slapping him hard across the face while roaring, "Why the hell are you so hard to please!"

"Oh, right," he suddenly remembered something. "The interviewer today praised my resume for being well-done. Did you..."

Huo Mingjun glanced back into the conference room and hurriedly cut him off. "It was nothing. You can thank me for that along with the job later. Lu Ming is rushing me. Hanging up."

The little figure in Xie Guan's heart sheepishly stopped its assault.

President Huo might be a bit cold and a bit of a jerk, but overall, he was still a very good person.

Huo Mingjun returned to the conference room with a calm expression and resumed the meeting. Lu Ming keenly sensed that the boss's state seemed slightly different from before, as if he had just finished bullying someone. He was refreshed and in a pleasant mood, not even interrupting the group's most long-winded vice president who spoke for a full five minutes.

Who on earth was so thoughtless as to bewitch the boss at such a critical moment!

As Lu Ming recorded the vice president's lengthy speech with the look of someone who had lost all will to live, he was in agony, thinking, 'Please, I beg you, give me back the original cold and ruthless Big Demon King. Can't you just interrupt him already?'

As soon as the meeting ended, Lu Ming printed out the meeting minutes and handed them to Huo Mingjun, then immediately made an excuse to go to the restroom, pulling out his phone to report the "military intelligence" to his two comrades-in-arms.

Fang Hui was in the break room drinking coffee. After a casual glance at WeChat, she burst into an earth-shattering fit of coughing.

Fang Hui: Holy shit! It couldn't be that person... Paging big bro @Zhong Heguang.

Lu Ming: A personal call during work hours, and the Big Demon King paused the meeting for a full 4 minutes and 32 seconds for him. What kind of heaven-and-earth-moving true love is this?

Fang Hui: But wasn't big bro just sent home to farm by the boss the day before yesterday because of him? Although I don't know the details, I still feel bad for big bro for 30s @Zhong Heguang.

Zhong Heguang: I'm here.

Zhong Heguang: What's wrong with Xie Guan?

Lu Ming: The boss left a bunch of VPs and directors in the conference room to take a personal call during the meeting today. I'm guessing it was from Xie Guan.

Fang Hui: I'll bet a cucumber it was Xie Guan's call.

Zhong Heguang: Why are you two chatting on WeChat during work hours?

Lu Ming: [Awkward_Silence.jpg]

Fang Hui: I have another piece of intel. I went to the boss's office yesterday and accidentally saw his screen. Guess what he was doing?

Fang Hui; He was editing a resume!!!

Fang Hui: So sweet and spicy! So damn spicy! Can you believe it? Who has enough clout to make the boss edit their resume! Who else!!

Lu Ming; [So_scared_I_hugged_my_little_carp.jpg]

Zhong Heguang: Are you two afraid I'm lonely farming at home and want to come keep me company?

Fang Hui: Big bro, may I be so bold as to ask, were you sent home by that tyrant because you spoke frankly and advised the boss not to indulge in the charms of men?

Zhong Heguang: Don't talk nonsense.

Lu Ming: Don't tell me you mentioned He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named...?

Fang Hui: Who? Voldemort? [Fourier_Confused.jpg]

Lu Ming; Boss?

Lu Ming: If you don't say anything, I'll take it as a yes.

Fang Hui; What are you guys talking about? Whose name can't be mentioned? Hey, hey, what's going on?

Lu Ming; you know who

Fang Hui: Huh? Who?

Fang Hui; Big Bro! Second Senior Brother! Hey, where did you guys go?!

President Huo's mind was as hard to fathom as a needle at the bottom of the sea. After thinking it over and over, Xie Guan finally managed to grasp Huo Mingjun's unspoken meaning: he wanted Xie Guan's "sincerity," but it couldn't be something that could be measured with money.

Huo Mingjun lacked for nothing. If there was anything about Xie Guan that he might covet, it was probably just the "human connection."

After work, Xie Guan called Huo Mingjun again.

Huo Mingjun was in his study handling documents. He asked lazily, "Figured it out so quickly?"

Xie Guan was embarrassed. "Ah... I guess so. But it's very simple, I hope you don't mind."

Huo Mingjun said, displeased, "I helped you out in a big way, after all. If you make it too shabby, won't you feel bad?"

"..." Xie Guan said, "Well, I was just being polite."

"Pointless pleasantries," Huo Mingjun mocked mercilessly, then asked, "So, how do you plan to thank me?"

Xie Guan hemmed and hawed, "...I'll treat you to a meal."

Huo Mingjun was slightly startled.

He repeated as if uncertain, "A meal?"

"Yeah," Xie Guan said cautiously. "Come to my place. Whatever you want to eat, I'll cook for you... Is that okay?"

He was no longer using polite forms of address, having changed his term for "you," and his last sentence suddenly took on a gentle, intimate tone.

Eating is one of life's most important matters. Outside of the profession of a chef, only those with a considerably close emotional connection would personally cook a meal for someone. To take it a step further, the phrase "to wash one's hands and make soup for you" implies an affection that can only be shared between a married couple.

Someone remembering your tastes, tolerating your pickiness and all your preferences. The desires of the palate are easy to resist, but very few people can refuse the tender warmth found in a few home-cooked dishes.

Huo Mingjun was no exception.

"You'll cook for me?" His brow suddenly smoothed out, like a clear green mountain after the clouds and mist have dispersed. "Alright."

Xie Guan hadn't expected him to be so agreeable and breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you have any dietary restrictions, or anything you particularly like?"

Huo Mingjun suddenly wanted to test him and deliberately said, "Steamed fish head with diced hot peppers."

"Forget it," Xie Guan rejected without a second thought. "Your delicate bronchial tubes can't handle it. I wouldn't dare give you anything spicy even if you lent me the courage. Anything else?"

Hearing this, Huo Mingjun couldn't help but laugh. "Then something light is fine. I'm not that picky."

On the other end, Xie Guan sucked in a breath as if he had a toothache and grumbled under his breath, "Couldn't tell."

Huo Mingjun put a hand to his forehead, the smile on his lips unstoppable. "I'm discovering that you're getting bolder and bolder."

"Hey, you must have misjudged me then. I've always been this straightforward," Xie Guan said, then asked, "Did you just laugh?"

Huo Mingjun said, "I did. Why?"

Xie Guan let out a "Yo!".

"This is the first time I've heard you laugh. It feels so surreal. Is some company going bankrupt tomorrow?"

He was taking advantage of the fact that Huo Mingjun wouldn't get the meme, laughing so hard he couldn't stop. As he was rolling around on his bed, he heard Huo Mingjun sigh slowly through the phone, "You're playing with fire."

Xie Guan: "..."

The phone fell from the sky, accurately hitting the center of Xie Guan's face.

"Hiss!"

Xie Guan clutched his nose and sat up, teary-eyed. From the other end of the phone came Huo Mingjun's low chuckle, which he could no longer hold back.

However, Xie Guan was busy preparing for his audition, and as it happened, Huo Mingjun had sent Zhong Heguang away and was also busier than usual, so the matter of the meal was temporarily postponed.

After signing the contract with Xihua Entertainment, Xie Guan's acting affairs were formally taken over by his agent, Lin Yao. Lin Yao took the opportunity of discussing the audition with Xie Guan to tour his rented apartment. She had seen many artists in dire straits at the beginning of their careers and didn't comment much on Xie Guan's narrow, old apartment, only saying that she would help him apply for the company's artist dormitory as soon as possible.

Xie Guan was the type of unrefined man who could sleep anywhere he had a roof over his head, so he didn't care much about these things. "Sister Lin, don't trouble yourself. I've already paid half a year's rent here. It's fine if I move to the company dorms after it expires."

"Nonsense," Lin Yao shot him a look. "This is a residential area, anyone can come in. It would be way too easy for paparazzi to stake you out. What if they photograph something?"

Xie Guan spread his hands innocently. "I don't have anything to hide."

Lin Yao couldn't be bothered to argue with him. "I heard that The Rising Tides of the Azure Sea has already gotten its broadcasting license and is set to air on Hulu TV during the winter vacation slot. Even though you've terminated your contract with Xinghui Entertainment, you'll still have to cooperate with some of the promotions. There will be exposure opportunities then, so be prepared."

Xie Guan could only say, "Alright, I'll move after the New Year." He picked up the script from the small dining table and flipped to the character profile page. "Which role am I auditioning for? Is there anything I need to pay special attention to?"

"The male lead Chen Yi and female lead Tang Ou are both full of collagen, you know what I mean." Lin Yao flipped a couple of pages over his hand, her slender fingers tapping on the list of supporting characters. "You should aim for the fourth male lead, He Qiao."

The script Lin Yao showed him was for an inspirational idol drama with a Chinese martial arts competition theme called Jingwu Youth. It tells the story of young martial artists from all over the country participating in the national team selections. During their training, they compete with and help each other, ultimately gaining friendship and love, and forming an elite martial arts team to fight for national honor on the world stage. This type of theme was relatively novel, had upright values, and incorporated many popular elements. It looked like it had the potential to be a huge hit.

The role Xie Guan was to audition for was He Qiao, a member of the martial arts team and a young master from a prestigious family—a textbook tsundere. He Qiao came from a long line of martial artists and possessed formidable personal strength. He was competitive, proud, and arrogant. Initially, he didn't fit in, but later, under the influence of the protagonist's halo, he learned to cooperate and help others, eventually integrating into the group for a happy ending for all.

"The character design is pretty good, very distinct, though a bit formulaic," Xie Guan commented casually as he read the script. "He Qiao is a young genius. Even without a protagonist's halo, he's still talented enough to look down on most people. Geniuses are inherently lonely. A good team should be broad-minded enough to accommodate all types of members. Forcing He Qiao to become a team player at the end of the script to elevate the theme seems superfluous."

Lin Yao looked at him, surprised.

"A character like He Qiao needs to be played by a young, beautiful, swan-like actor to look good," Xie Guan said with a laugh. "Aren't I a bit too old for it?"

Lin Yao said, "Director Pang and Director He Guangping are old acquaintances. He let you audition for this role after seeing the trailer for The Rising Tides of the Azure Sea. No need to be modest. I think you play a chuunibyou youth quite well."