Chapter 116: He Came at the Perfect Time

"Wrong!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Meng Zi Yi, who had been shopping with Li Yitong outside, looked curious—why the sudden alarm?

Li Yitong smiled awkwardly. "Nothing, just messing with you."

"Whatever~" Meng Zi Yi rolled her eyes, putting on an exaggerated act.

Someone unfamiliar might think she was such a classic tea girl, but Li Yitong was already used to it by now.

That's just how this girl is.

She didn't blame her at all—she even felt a little sorry for her.

Watching Meng Zi Yi still enthusiastically picking out a belt for Bai Liang, Li Yitong wondered: as a good friend, shouldn't she help out?

Just earlier, the two of them had been brainstorming ways to "cut men."

But now it seemed this particular man had serious issues!

On the way back, while Meng Zi Yi went ahead to her room to shower and change, Li Yitong slipped straight into Bai Liang's room.

The door wasn't even closed.

Bai Liang was lying on the sofa playing with Gouzi, tossing a small ball for him to fetch back.

After each round, he hugged the dog and patted its head, as if giving a reward.

The scene was utterly harmonious.

Watching this, Li Yitong felt it was like a mother going out and the father staying home to care for the child—he was surprisingly patient.

Her initial nervousness about entering a male celebrity's room suddenly eased.

It felt like coming home.

Bai Liang: I've really raised kids before~

"You're here? Where's my belt?"

"The belt's with Meng Jie—she's hiding it like a treasure, planning to give it to you herself."

"Don't close the door—watch out for gossip!" Bai Liang immediately warned her as he saw Li Yitong instinctively reaching to shut it.

"Wow, you're really maintaining male virtue?"

"I'm thinking of you—if people find out, how will you ever get married?" Bai Liang said casually.

"Then I'll just stick to you!"

The moment Li Yitong said it, she regretted it—but hearing Bai Liang's reply, her regret turned to anger.

"Stick to me? I don't want you—you're a mess." Bai Liang spoke honestly, implying two broke people together couldn't even afford hot meals for their kids.

Li Yitong was the poorest female actress Bai Liang had ever seen playing a lead role—she earned next to nothing.

The few coins in her pocket probably vanished just on makeup and clothes.

Then he remembered something. "Do you remember Li Xin?"

"Li Xin? What does she have to do with this?"

"You two look so alike—she debuted long ago and still isn't famous. I'm worried you'll end up just like her."

This made Li Yitong, who had been on the verge of blacking out, start to genuinely wonder.

Maybe… there was some truth to that.

Earlier, when Jin Cheng said she and Li Yitong were classmates, Meng Jie had been so shocked—because Jin Cheng had debuted four years earlier.

But in reality, Li Xin, who debuted in 2008, was actually a few days younger than Li Yitong.

Not by much—just twenty days.

They were born twenty days apart, yet she was already a veteran with nearly eight years in the industry.

In the entertainment world, they weren't even from the same generation—truly a generational gap.

Looking at Li Qin's resume, she wasn't lacking resources or backing—she'd played plenty of female leads, yet never made a splash.

Li Yitong suddenly thought of herself—though she'd debuted recently, she'd also played female leads.

A wave of panic rose inexplicably—was this face just inherently unlucky for fame?

They say small fame comes from promotion, big fame comes from fate—do their faces have a missing red in their八字?

"Hey, what're you thinking about?"

Bai Liang picked up Gouzi and handed him to Li Yitong; feeling the dog's warm, wet tongue lick her hand, she suddenly "came back to life."

She suddenly wondered if she'd been overthinking—why scare herself like this?

At that moment, someone knocked at the door. "Door's not closed, Master. I'm leaving too—thanks again for yesterday."

It was Han Dongjun—he seemed sober now, came to say goodbye, a bit embarrassed. But when he walked in and saw Li Yitong sitting beside Bai Liang, he froze.

Good good good! That's you all right!

I knew it—Master wouldn't just stir up drama in Tang Ren's set—he'd spread his charm everywhere.

Didn't he meet Zha Bu on the set of Wu Shen Zhao Zilong?

Now this girl from The Legend of the Condor Heroes?

Sorry to interrupt, bro—you came at the worst time.

No—he came at the perfect time.

After seeing Han Dongjun, Li Yitong suddenly had an "epiphany."

This guy looked drained, tired, neck red, clothes disheveled—clearly had done something naughty last night.

Also, though Bai Liang had recently exploded in popularity, Han Dongjun and Jin Cheng had been炒作 a couple too.

Thinking this, Li Yitong suddenly felt she'd "solved the case."

Please... collect... 6... 9... books...!

She suddenly realized she had wronged Bai Liang—he had gone jogging that very morning.

How could anyone be so self-disciplined after playing around like that?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

"Your eyes tell me you want to apologize for something?"

When Bai Liang said this, Li Yitong felt a pang of shame—could he really be that perceptive? Could he tell just by looking?

"I—"

"No need to say sorry," Bai Liang cut in immediately.

Though he didn't know what it was, he didn't care—Miss had already admitted her mistake; there was no need to dwell on it.

He could "guess" it, at most she'd said something bad about him to Mencius.

Female best friends are often in a quantum superposition state.

You never know what kind of antics they'll pull.

Including but not limited to: frantically pushing for a breakup, actively undermining relationships, blocking happiness, then swooping in to pick up the pieces.

Watching the dog struggle to wriggle out of her arms and return to Bai Liang, Li Yitong felt another wave of guilt.

Just like when a person cries, they feel compelled to speak their heart.

Once that guilt surfaced, she always wanted to do something to make up for it—even though Bai Liang had already "forgiven" her.

"When we were shopping earlier, I picked out a tie—do you need it?"

Bai Liang's gaze turned oddly peculiar; the dog in his hand, Chocolate, seemed to understand, lifting its head to look at Li Yitong.

He thought for a moment, then said gently: "I think you should focus your energy on your career for now."

This remark couldn't be pondered—think about it too long and your face would flush.

Dammit, he wouldn't think I was confessing to him, would he?

Li Yitong hurried to explain: "You misunderstood!"

Bai Liang smiled. Okay, let's hope he'd misunderstood.

But the tie Li Yitong had given him was slightly outdated in style.

No one knew who it had originally been bought for.

Since becoming an actor, the gifts Bai Liang received often had that "daughter buying for dad" vibe.

He didn't know whether he was intercepting gifts meant for others, or if all the girls just used the same excuse.

But Bai Liang had plenty of experience accepting gifts from girls.

He felt no psychological pressure—you dared to give, he dared to take.

That afternoon, when they set off to record "Daily Upward," Bai Liang was wearing a new LV belt and a Dior tie.

Sister Yanzi, seeing these new "gear" on her Little White brother, felt her eyelids twitch.

Had he "farmed" again and scored new loot?

Jin Cheng's belt had just broken—now another one? And two at once?

They'd learned the rhetorical device of "metaphor" back in middle school, but never thought they'd get a live lesson today.

The belt broke, symbolizing that a brief relationship had temporarily snapped.

When would the new belt and tie break?

Who knew how the Hermès belt had broken? Yanzi couldn't imagine how one could possibly use it enough to snap it.

Good things must be handled with care—she'd never seen someone driving a supercar and stomping the gas pedal like that.

Unless you'd driven so many that you got used to it.

(End of Chapter)