Chapter 2: Why Is a Grown Man Wearing Perfume?

So there really is a cheat... Qi Hui felt a slight joy in his heart and silently recited:

"Draw!"

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the skill: Primary Psychological Analysis]

"..."

Qi Hui was a bit bewildered. Why did he draw psychology?

He would have preferred something like acting or vocal music.

This system is a bit unreliable.

"Senior brother?" Zhang Ruoyun tilted his head, looking puzzled.

Why was his senior brother spacing out?

Could he be sick?

"...Come in." Qi Hui snapped back to reality and brought his junior brother inside.

Zhang Ruoyun was a junior brother he had a very good relationship with back at school.

Class of '07, two years his junior, though he was in the vocational program.

If he had been in the undergraduate program, he would have been a classmate of that unit of measurement, Shuangzi.

Of course, the vocational program was also full of talent, such as Tan Songyun.

"Sit wherever you like, don't be a stranger." Qi Hui hosted him warmly: "I'll go pour you a glass of water."

"Where... where am I supposed to sit?" Zhang Ruoyun looked grim; the room was so small that even lifting a leg was a struggle.

After looking around, he finally sat on the bed.

Qi Hui walked over holding a cup and a bowl; the bowl was for his own use, and the cup was for little Zhang.

He had no money, so naturally, there were no extra water glasses.

"Is there something you need?" Qi Hui asked, confused: "Why didn't you even call, just showing up like this?"

"Heh, I was afraid you'd reject me over the phone again," Zhang Ruoyun said, annoyed:

"This is the production crew and role I found for you."

As he spoke, he handed the documents in his hand to Qi Hui.

"Senior brother, you can't refuse again. You helped me so much in the past; at least give me a chance to help you. Society isn't like school; you can't make a living playing bit parts..." Zhang Ruoyun rambled on and on.

He couldn't imagine how one could survive on a few thousand yuan a month.

Before he could finish, Qi Hui took the documents from his hand:

"Fine, as you say."

Zhang Ruoyun froze for a moment; he didn't feel happy, but rather felt a sting in his nose.

His senior brother was such a proud person, yet now he didn't even offer a polite refusal; it showed just how much life had pushed him into a corner.

This damn society!

"...What kind of wild thoughts are you having?" Qi Hui looked at his reddened eyes, a line of black sweat appearing on his forehead.

Is this kid feeling sorry for me?

Thinking of this, Qi Hui got goosebumps.

"What have you been up to lately?" Qi Hui began to change the subject.

"Nothing much, playing the third male lead," Zhang Ruoyun said with a cough.

Qi Hui: "..."

Truth be told, he was still a little envious.

Zhang Ruoyun noticed something was off and quickly said: "Let's talk business, senior brother. Let's go meet the assistant director this afternoon."

Qi Hui flipped through the documents in his hand and discovered it was a classic drama: *Temptation of Going Home*.

Looking at the title, the image of Hong Shixian's evil, charming smile surfaced in his mind.

However, the role given to him was the second male lead Gao Wenyan's... doctor friend.

It was the doctor who treated the female lead after she was rescued from jumping into the sea.

Although it was a role with very few lines, it still counted as a minor supporting role.

"Who is the male lead for this show?"

"Not decided yet," Zhang Ruoyun said: "The originally cast male lead thinks the role isn't good enough and keeps refusing."

"Let's go." Qi Hui closed the file.

"Where to?"

"To eat, then change into an outfit," Qi Hui said.

Clothing store.

After filling their stomachs, Zhang Ruoyun followed Qi Hui to rent some clothes.

Qi Hui didn't have much money and hadn't considered buying; what if it didn't work out? How would he live then?

Besides, nowadays you can even rent discs, so isn't renting clothes a perfectly normal thing?

In front of the fitting room, Zhang Ruoyun and the landlady were waiting, and not far away, a child was watching the cartoon *Fruit Force*.

Before long, the door opened, and Qi Hui walked out.

On his feet were black leather shoes, and above them were slim-fit white suit trousers.

Further up, under the white shirt, his sharp, angular muscles were faintly visible.

Little Zhang felt a bit envious; he wondered how many girls this physique could charm.

The landlady's eyes lit up, and she stepped forward on her long, silk-clad legs.

"Sir, this outfit fits you very well," the landlady smiled like a flower: "This is the first time I've seen someone so handsome who looks so good in a white suit."

As she spoke, the landlady reached out directly to help Qi Hui adjust his collar and smoothly tied his tie.

Inadvertently, her slender fingers slid across Qi Hui's firm chest.

"Thank you... landlady, the boss is still at the register," Qi Hui reminded her, feeling that the landlady's hands were being somewhat unbridled, like she was playing a piano.

"Don't worry about him..." the landlady laughed: "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Leon Lai, and are just as handsome as him?"

"You're the first."

"Haha, really?" The landlady laughed until she trembled:

"You're so outstanding, you must be a young and promising business genius, right?"

"Something like that," Qi Hui said: "I played one when I was doing bit parts."

"Oh... a bit player, huh." The landlady took two steps back.

"Wrong, not a bit player." The child watching *Fruit Force* looked up and shouted with a cheeky grin:

"It's a damn~~ bit player—!"

He was mimicking the villainous character scolding Xiao Guoding.

On the TV, the final battle of *Fruit Force* was underway, and the supervillain Xiao Guoding had just appeared.

Zhang Ruoyun frowned, his face becoming expressionless.

The landlady pointed to the front desk and said: "The rental period and price list are at the counter; just go settle the bill yourself. Remember to leave your phone number and a deposit."

Zhang Ruoyun raised his hand and said: "No need, we'll buy it directly..."

Before he could finish, Qi Hui pressed his hand down.

"Senior brother, why did you stop me just now?" Zhang Ruoyun was a bit unhappy.

"Why waste the money?" Qi Hui said, annoyed: "A suit costs several hundred!"

Come to think of it, little Zhang is being too good to me... Qi Hui muttered to himself, his eyes darting around.

Although Zhang Ruoyun's family situation was decent, his parents had divorced when he was young, his mother went abroad, and his father ignored him; he was raised by his grandparents.

The lack of a nuclear family caused him to crave fatherly and motherly love; simply put, this kid was starved for affection.

And he, Qi, had played a role that was part friend and part father to little Zhang at school to some extent.

So, it wasn't strange that little Zhang was in such a hurry to stand up for him just now.

"..." Realizing this, Qi Hui fell silent.

I treat you like a brother, but you want to be my son?

Huh?

No... Qi Hui touched his nose. Why would I know these things?

Could it be the psychological analysis skill?

"I... forget it." Zhang Ruoyun was a bit depressed. He looked at Qi Hui in his white suit and asked:

"Senior brother, this outfit of yours doesn't look like you're going for a supporting role."

"Then what does it look like?" Qi Hui put aside his wandering thoughts and took out a bottle of perfume, spraying it lightly on himself.

Immediately, a faint, natural fragrance wafted out.

"Looks like you're playing the lead..." Zhang Ruoyun looked grim: "Why is a grown man wearing perfume? Senior brother, you're a bit of a closet pervert."

"What closet pervert?" Qi Hui also looked grim:

"This is men's perfume, natural fresh scent. The top note is citron and bergamot, the middle note is lavender, hedione... forget it, never mind."

Zhang Ruoyun found him a bit uncomfortable.

Little Zhang curled his lip. You know so much about perfume, and you still say you're not a closet pervert?

Qi Hui shrugged: "Don't look at me like that, I'm just using perfume to cover up my poverty."

……

Fire Phoenix Hotel, this is where the crew of "The Temptation to Go Home" is holding auditions for actors.

"Senior brother, are you really going to audition for the lead role?" Zhang Ruoyun asked with some uncertainty.

"It hasn't been decided yet anyway, so there's no harm in trying," Qi Hui said.

"What if they've already decided?" Zhang Ruoyun hesitated: "It's just that our information is lagging, and we don't know about it."

"Then let's find an acquaintance to ask." Qi Hui thought that made sense, and immediately let his gaze wander, preparing to find someone to chat with.

"Where would we have an acquaintance here?" Zhang Ruoyun was speechless: "That assistant director hasn't arrived yet."

"Then we'll just turn a stranger into an acquaintance." Qi Hui scanned the area, pointed at a young man in front, and smiled:

"That's an acquaintance."

"Uh, that's an actor, we don't know him..." Zhang Ruoyun said.

Before the words had even faded, Qi Hui had already walked out and shouted loudly:

"Senior brother!"

Up ahead, Ling Xiaosu heard the shout, stopped, and turned his head in a daze.

He discovered a handsome man wearing a white suit walking up with a face full of smiles.

The suit was very white, the person was very handsome, and he looked a bit flashy.

However, Ling Xiaosu had a pretty good impression of him.

The natural, fresh fragrance coming towards him, combined with an appearance comparable to Leon Lai, made one subconsciously feel a sense of goodwill.

With this face, half of life's success is already achieved.

"Senior brother, it's me." Qi Hui lightly punched Ling Xiaosu on the shoulder and said with immense enthusiasm: "Don't you remember me? I'm Qi Hui from the 05 acting class."

"When you came back to school for the charity performance, you even signed an autograph for me!"

Did I sign an autograph for him... Ling Xiaosu was stunned for a moment, then had a look of sudden realization:

"Oh~~~ I remember now, little junior brother... My goodness, long time no see, long time no see!"

Ling Xiaosu shook his hand enthusiastically, patting Qi Hui on the shoulder and calling out repeatedly.

A man from the Northwest doesn't stand on ceremony; since he couldn't remember, he stopped trying.

Not far away, Zhang Ruoyun watched the two of them being incredibly enthusiastic, his face full of shock.

This actually works?