Xie Xiaobao sipped water slowly, unaware of Hu Jiuli’s gaze fixed on him.
Hu Jiuli stared for a while, long enough for Old Wang to notice and stand, glaring like a mother hen protecting her chick.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Hu Jiuli said with a smile, striding over. He gave Old Wang a perfunctory handshake, then turned to Xie Xiaobao, eyes probing. “Hi, I’m Hu Jiuli. Hu, as in fox.”
Xie Xiaobao: “???”
Though the introduction was odd, Xie Xiaobao resisted correcting him and shook his hand politely. “Hi, I’m Xie Xi. You can call me Xiaobao.”
Hu Jiuli’s smile stiffened. The Hu family from the Northeast wasn’t universally known, but among the demon clan, it was renowned. He’d dropped such an obvious hint, yet this kitten played dumb, still reeking of milk-cat scent, daring to act clueless.
“Xiaobao, huh? Here’s to a great partnership.” Hu Jiuli grinned, grinding his teeth, then shifted gears. “Do you like cats?”
Xie Xiaobao, struggling to follow, nodded blankly. “Yeah, I do.”
Studying his face, Hu Jiuli saw he was still feigning ignorance and pushed further. “Thought so. There’s a kitten smell around. Got a cat at home?”
“Huh?” Xie Xiaobao’s mind fogged, then cleared. “Yeah, an orange cat.”
Hu Jiuli: *…*
After repeated probing yielded nothing, Hu Jiuli eyed him suspiciously, unsure if Xie Xiaobao was a master at playing dumb or genuinely clueless.
“Let’s head inside to talk,” Hu Jiuli said, dropping the teasing and adopting a professional tone. “I’ve got a great theme for you to check out.”
They followed him to his office, its flamboyant decor matching Hu Jiuli’s personality.
The trio sat at the desk. An assistant brought a script, which Hu Jiuli handed to Xie Xiaobao. “Take a look.”
Xie Xiaobao flipped through the short script, skimming it quickly, but found no mention of his role. “What do I do? It’s all about a female model.”
Hu Jiuli clicked his tongue, grinning. “This episode’s theme is cross-gender beauty. Besides you, a female model will dress as a guy.”
Xie Xiaobao let out an “Oh,” glancing at Old Wang.
Old Wang frowned, displeased. “We’re here to cooperate, not to agree to rude terms.”
“You’ve got it wrong,” Hu Jiuli said, setting tea before them. “This theme’s tailored for Xiaobao. It’s not about looking silly—it’s high art.”
Old Wang scoffed. “If it’s for art, why don’t you do it, Teacher Hu?”
Though online culture embraced cross-dressing influencers, Xie Xiaobao didn’t need the attention—or the potential backlash.
They partnered with Hu Jiuli to boost Xie Xiaobao, not to hand critics ammunition.
Hu Jiuli shrugged. “I’ve done it tons—fans are bored of me.”
“You—” Old Wang, fuming, stood to leave with Xie Xiaobao.
Hu Jiuli swiftly blocked them, addressing Xie Xiaobao. “I put real effort into this theme. The dress was designed for you. Try it, and if you’re not comfortable, I won’t push.”
His sincerity made Xie Xiaobao nudge Old Wang. “Maybe we check it out?”
Old Wang’s brow furrowed, eyeing Xie Xiaobao, then Hu Jiuli’s earnest face. “You’d better be telling the truth.”
Hu Jiuli relaxed, hands in his pockets, leading the way. “Of course. I’m all business at work.”
They entered the recording studio, half the top floor, equipped with professional gear and staff tuning equipment.
Hu Jiuli greeted the team, pausing their work, then pulled Xie Xiaobao toward the dressing room. “Come on, let’s get you changed.”
Xie Xiaobao followed. The dressing room was packed with clothes, two makeup tables in the center. Hu Jiuli led him to a green dress hanging at the back.
“This was made for you,” Hu Jiuli said, removing the dust cover. “It’s called Forest Spirit.”
The dress was a rich forest green, its upper half vintage with intricate disk buttons up to the neck, the lower half a flowing gauze skirt-pants, like an elf stepping from deep woods.
“It’s beautiful,” Xie Xiaobao said, eyes wide with awe.
Hu Jiuli handed it over. “Try it on.”
Xie Xiaobao took the dress and changed. Though simple-looking, it was tricky to wear. After some fumbling, he got it right and stepped out nervously.
Hu Jiuli, waiting by the door, lit up. “This dress is perfect on you.”
Barefoot, Xie Xiaobao curled his toes shyly at the praise. He started toward a mirror, but Hu Jiuli stopped him. “Don’t move.”
Xie Xiaobao froze, looking at him uncertainly.
Hu Jiuli knelt, carefully adjusting the skewed hem, then stepped back to admire his work.
Xie Xiaobao wasn’t conventionally beautiful, but his pure aura and soft, round face gave him an androgynous, youthful charm.
Hu Jiuli, chin in hand, admired him a moment, then bowed with a gentlemanly flourish. “Let’s get you to makeup.”
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