Chapter 1 : Mr. He is so Handsome!

By the time the alarm rang for the third time, the bundle of blankets on the bed finally stirred.

A furry orange paw slowly reached out from under the covers and smacked the noisy alarm clock with perfect precision.

The clock wobbled, teetered on the edge, then fell onto the carpet with a thud.

The annoying ringing came to an abrupt stop.

Xie Xiaobao let out a breath of relief from under the blanket.

He wriggled up toward the pillow, revealing half of his fuzzy feline face.

With a sleepy yawn, he snuggled back into the warmth and quickly drifted off again.

Outside, the sky had already begun to darken.

The evening glow mingled with the twilight, splitting the sky in two.

Street Lights flickered on one by one, like fireflies, forming a long river of light that signaled the approaching night.

The city buzzed even louder as night fell, but in Xie Xiaobao’s room, everything was peaceful.

Apart from the occasional soft snore, it was completely silent.

Xie Xiaobao had spent the entire day editing videos, working nonstop from morning to dusk.

He had only just closed his eyes for a short nap when the alarm began ringing one after another.

Flipping over with his belly exposed and paws curled slightly, the sleeping Xie Xiaobao murmured softly.

In his drowsy haze, he felt like he was forgetting something important.

Before he could figure it out, his phone on the nightstand began buzzing insistently.

His sweet dreams were interrupted once again.

Xie Xiaobao groaned and cracked one eye open, annoyed, then reluctantly shifted back into human form.

He reached for the phone and picked up the call.

He had it on speaker.

Song Kewen’s voice came through, loud and urgent.

“Xie Xiaobao, are you there yet? The celebration’s about to start!”

“What?”

Xie Xiaobao blinked, still groggy.

It took him a moment to register the words.

“Celebration? What time is it?”

Startled by the sudden change in tone, Song Kewen quickly responded, “It starts at eight! There’s only half an hour left—where are you?”

“Crap, crap, crap!”

Xie Xiaobao shot out from under the covers, clutching his phone in one hand and rummaging through the wardrobe with the other.

“If Old Wang asks, just say I had a stomach ache and went to the restroom!”

Hearing the chaos on the other end of the line, Song Kewen gasped.

“Don’t tell me… you’re still at home?!”

Xie Xiaobao gave a guilty laugh as he yanked out a shirt and a small suit from the closet.

“No way! I’m already on the way. I’ll be there soon—just stall for me, okay? Gotta go!”

Tossing the phone onto the bed, Xie Xiaobao changed clothes at lightning speed.

Today was the 20th anniversary celebration for He’s Entertainment.

As a minor livestreamer signed by the company just to test the waters, he was essentially invisible amidst the sea of celebrities.

The event technically had nothing to do with him.

But He’s Entertainment was a subsidiary of the larger He’s Media, and this anniversary was a big deal to the parent company.

Even their elusive general manager, He Yu, was going to attend.

So Old Wang had been reminding them for days to show up early and look sharp to make him proud.

Though Xie Xiaobao didn’t understand how a few obscure streamers could help someone “save face,” he still followed orders.

After all, it’s better to listen to your current boss than complain about the system.

Thinking about Old Wang’s prematurely thinning hair made Xie Xiaobao chuckle.

He splashed water on his messy hair, smoothed it down quickly, and sprayed on a generous amount of styling product before grabbing his phone and rushing out.

He called a cab and received two more calls from Song Kewen during the ride, both of which he ignored guiltily.

The screen had barely gone dark before a WeChat message popped up:

[Song Kewen: Xie Xiaobao, you’re dead. Old Wang went to the restroom looking for you.]

Xie Xiaobao didn’t reply. He pressed his slightly plump lips together and leaned forward.

“Driver, could you go a bit faster?”

The driver sighed and gestured to the congested road ahead.

“Kid, it’s not like I’m not trying, but look at this traffic.”

Xie Xiaobao could only mumble “oh” in response. He glanced at the screen.

Only five minutes left until eight.

He clenched his fingers in frustration.

Even with all the rushing, he still arrived twenty minutes late.

The hotel entrance was empty, save for a few waitstaff moving in and out.

Peeking inside, he saw the hall already packed with guests.

The host was in the middle of the opening remarks.

He ducked back quickly and called Song Kewen.

“Where are you?”

The background was so noisy he couldn’t hear a word.

The call ended abruptly, and a WeChat message followed:

[Second table from the right in the back. Hurry.]

Slipping in through the side door, Xie Xiaobao scanned the sea of heads.

Spotting the second table from the back on the right, he crouched low and snuck in.

This celebration was extravagant.

From the top stars to the most obscure performers, everyone was present—hundreds of people filled the entire venue.

He scanned the room until he saw Song Kewen’s unmistakable spiky purple hair.

There was an empty seat beside him, clearly reserved for Xie Xiaobao.

He slipped into the seat, about to take a sip of tea to calm his nerves, when he locked eyes with Old Wang’s icy, wintry stare.

He froze mid-motion and gave Old Wang a sweet, obedient smile.

“Hi, Brother Wang.”

Old Wang’s face remained stone cold.

He stared hard at the single rebellious cowlick sticking up from Xie Xiaobao’s head and ground his teeth.

“So early, aren’t you?”

Xie Xiaobao widened his eyes, putting on his most innocent face.

“There was a bit of traffic.”

Old Wang let out a cold, mirthless chuckle.

His gaze swept between the two of them before he turned back toward the large screen up front.

Xie Xiaobao stuck out his tongue behind his back, quickly picked up the tea, and gulped it down.

Leaning close to Song Kewen, he whispered,

“Why’s Old Wang in such a good mood today? Normally he’d be scolding us for half an hour minimum. This time he only said one word.”

Song Kewen clicked his tongue twice and whispered back, “He’s Media sent several higher-ups today. Gotta put on a good show.”

Xie Xiaobao nodded, already losing interest.

These bigwigs had nothing to do with them anyway.

The fruit juice and snacks on the table were far more appealing.

He hadn’t eaten properly all day.

On stage, the event had reached the senior executive speech segment.

He Yu, the general manager of He’s Media, was temporarily taking over He’s Entertainment due to a management reshuffle, which explained his rare appearance at the celebration.

The host, brimming with enthusiasm, invited He Yu up for his speech.

He Yu stood, adjusted his suit with practiced ease, and walked to the stage unhurriedly.

In a company full of beautiful men and women, and with the host already being top-tier attractive, He Yu still managed to outshine them effortlessly.

As he took the mic, his presence dominated the stage.

Even in her sky-high heels, the female host barely reached his shoulder.

She smiled and handed him the mic.

He nodded politely, cleared his throat, and began to speak.

His deep, cold voice echoed through the venue’s speakers.

Just as Xie Xiaobao was sneakily nibbling on snacks under Old Wang’s nose, his hand froze.

He looked up in surprise.

On the large LED screen, He Yu’s face was enlarged—sharp features, high nose bridge, intense eyes.

He looked like someone strict and difficult to approach.

But… he was really tall.

Xie Xiaobao blinked, made a mental note, and went back to nibbling on cake.

Old Wang gave him a glare full of disappointment, but Xie Xiaobao was too lost in desert to notice.

No matter the banquet, there was always a stretch of boring formalities.

After three pieces of cake and a cup of juice, the performance segment finally began.

An entertainment company never lacks talent.

A series of dazzling performances followed one after another.

Feeling overly full, Xie Xiaobao gave a discreet burp and nudged Song Kewen under the table.

“Wanna sneak out?”

Song Kewen was equally bored.

The two shared a look and silently agreed.

Xie Xiaobao winked, signaling him to distract Old Wang.

Song Kewen rolled his eyes.

A strand of his spiky hair drooped down over his forehead, swinging freely.

He couldn’t be bothered to fix it and leaned toward Old Wang.

“Brother Wang, Xiaobao needs to use the restroom. I’ll go with him.”

A man sitting nearby chuckled.

Clearly, he knew Old Wang.

“Your guys are something else. Going to the bathroom hand in hand? Don’t tell me…”

Old Wang glared at him.

“Mind your own damn business.”

Then he turned to them.

“If you’re going, hurry up and get out of my sight.”

As they slipped out, Song Kewen flashed a victory sign behind his back.

The moment they stepped outside, the fresh air hit them.

Xie Xiaobao let out a long breath.

“Ugh, I was suffocating in there.”

Song Kewen ran a hand through his stiff hair and dragged Xie Xiaobao to a sofa by the window.

He looked like he was bursting with gossip.

Having known him for a while, Xie Xiaobao knew that look well—he was waiting to be asked.

So Xie Xiaobao sat up and played along.

“What’s the scoop this time?”

Song Kewen wiggled his leg and raised an eyebrow triumphantly.

“It’s big.”

“How big?”

He leaned in, voice low.

“Rumor is, the higher-ups kicked out the old boss.”

The original president of He’s Entertainment, He Xing, had impressive backing—his last name said it all.

Despite his age, he was full of energy.

Many ambitious artists had reportedly tried to climb into his bed to fast-track their careers.

It was all hush-hush, but word spreads fast.

Even people in marginal departments like theirs knew about it.

When the leadership is rotten, the whole company suffers.

Those unwilling to play dirty either swallowed their frustration or jumped ship.

The rest?

They fell right in line.

He’s Entertainment still held a solid position in the industry, but compared to the growth of He’s Media, its progress was laughable.

No one expected the parent company to suddenly clean the house.

According to Song Kewen’s sources, He Yu had parachuted in with his own loyalists, wiping out most of the senior execs.

“Purebloods are just different,” Song Kewen said with a click of his tongue.

“He Xing was from a side branch. The new He Yu? Rumor says he’s the chairman’s nephew.”

Xie Xiaobao thought of the man on the big screen earlier and mumbled, “He doesn’t look like an easy person to deal with. Wonder if this is good or bad for us.”

Song Kewen didn’t seem to care.

He was more interested in He Yu’s personal life than the company’s future.

“He’s so good-looking. You think he’s into the same stuff as the last one? Honestly, spending a night with him wouldn’t be such a loss.”

Xie Xiaobao popped a chocolate from his pocket into his mouth.

It melted sweetly on his tongue.

He closed his eyes in delight and mumbled, cheeks puffed, “Yeah, he’s handsome. Just… kinda scary.”

Song Kewen leaned on his hand and nodded in agreement.

Just as he opened his mouth to say more, he glanced toward the window—and froze.

“Holy crap… H-He Yu!”

Xie Xiaobao followed his gaze in confusion.

There, by the window, stood a tall man.

He Yu held an unlit cigarette in his fingers, his eyes quietly fixed on the two gossiping boys.

Xie Xiaobao swallowed his chocolate with difficulty.

He couldn’t read the man’s expression.

Nervous, he forced a greeting, “G-Good evening, President He!”

His voice, sharp from tension, startled Song Kewen, who shot him a panicked look.

Realizing his mistake, Xie Xiaobao tried to salvage the situation.

“Just came out for some fresh air too?”

He Yu’s gaze lingered on him, then shifted to their stiff, embarrassed faces.

He gave a slight nod—and walked away without a word.

Once he was gone, the two of them exhaled in unison.

Song Kewen grabbed Xie Xiaobao’s face.

“What the hell did you just say?!”

Xie Xiaobao’s chubby cheeks were impossible to escape from.

Pinned in his grip, he mumbled, “I-I was too nervous…”

Song Kewen let go with a grunt.

“Start praying. Let’s hope the great He Yu has better things to do than remember us.”

Xie Xiaobao rubbed his sore cheeks.

Just thinking about He Yu’s expressionless face made him nervous.

But then he shook it off and optimistically patted Song Kewen on the arm.

“No worries. He doesn’t even know our names. He’ll never find us.”