Tang Tianman froze in place, staring at the two young girls as her mind struggled to make sense of it.
Was there really any need to rush up and ask for an autograph from every pretty face they saw? Did they even know her name?
The girls quickly answered the question in her head. “It’s Zheng Xiyu, right? Zheng Xiyu from N University, on the Volleyball Team!”
As they spoke, their eyes raked her over from head to toe, lingering for several long seconds on Zheng Xiyu’s legs.
The lounge’s heating was cranked up high. With her coat slung over one arm, nothing obscured those long legs of hers. Even wrapped in ordinary jeans, their shapely lines drew envious stares.
Tang Tianman edged forward, wedging herself between Zheng Xiyu and the two girls.
But the girls had no attention to spare for her. They craned their necks like eager little sparrows, eyes locked unblinkingly on Zheng Xiyu.
Zhou Qingpei glanced from one to the other but said nothing.
Suddenly, Zheng Xiyu spun around, draped an arm over Tang Tianman’s shoulders, and strode off with long steps.
The two girls stood there, dumbfounded.
Zheng Xiyu didn’t utter a single word. She didn’t even spare them a glance. She left as if the people who’d just spoken to her didn’t exist.
Tang Tianman let herself be pulled along for several steps until they reached a sofa and sat down. Only then did she snap out of it.
Zhou Qingpei’s expression turned awkward. She cleared her throat. “Irrelevant personnel, please step out. Our makeup artist needs to get to work.”
The two girls were ushered away. Zhou Qingpei closed the door and approached Tang Tianman and Zheng Xiyu. “Sorry about that. There’s been a lot of foot traffic today.”
Zheng Xiyu replied, “No worries. It doesn’t affect anything.”
Zhou Qingpei hesitated for a moment before adding, “It’s all because of that mess yesterday. Who would’ve thought we’d stumble right into that influencer’s cheating scandal.”
Tang Tianman pouted. Zheng Xiyu gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Tianman’s up next, right?”
“Yeah, yeah—right away,” Zhou Qingpei said.
The pair looked like they wanted no further interruptions, and Zhou Qingpei was swamped today anyway. She gave a few quick instructions and slipped out of the dressing room.
She hadn’t gone two steps when a young intern planner hurried after her. “Sister Zhou, is that super tall girl a celebrity?”
“No,” Zhou Qingpei paused to say, “but she might be soon.”
“Huh?” The intern blinked in confusion.
Zhou Qingpei asked, “Don’t you use Weibo?”
“I do.”
“You don’t check the hot searches?”
The intern fumbled for her phone. “I’ve been slammed with event prep these last couple days. Haven’t had time to scroll…”
Her words trailed off. The influencer cheating drama had spawned endless backlash and finger-pointing, keeping it firmly on the trending charts.
That video had been taken down countless times, only for bored netizens to repost it endlessly. Zheng Xiyu’s dedicated trending tag had climbed past thirtieth place.
“That girl,” the intern murmured, impressed. “She really is gorgeous.”
“Yeah,” Zhou Qingpei sighed.
“Then I’ll sneak a few extra looks later,” the intern said.
“Go for it,” Zhou Qingpei replied, her feelings mixed. “Might not get many more chances.”
Everyone figured Zheng Xiyu was on the verge of blowing up.
In this day and age, all it took was a stroke of luck, and virality came easy.
Especially for someone like Zheng Xiyu—beautiful, talented. Her path forward would be smooth sailing.
Even landing as a minor influencer would net her a massive fanbase and endless cash flow.
Zhou Qingpei glanced at her phone’s lock screen, already picturing Zheng Xiyu’s next decade.
Zheng Xiyu herself, though, had zero interest. While Tang Tianman got her hair and makeup done, she waited quietly at her side, not even bothering with her phone.
Once the eye makeup was finished, Tang Tianman shot her a sideways glance. “Quit staring at me like that.”
Zheng Xiyu smiled faintly. “Who else should I look at? You’re the only one I know here.”
“Play on your phone, then.”
She regretted the words instantly. “Bad idea right now. Grab a magazine over there to pass the time.”
“Mm.” Zheng Xiyu murmured agreement but didn’t budge. She kept watching Tang Tianman.
She watched the makeup artist contour her face, swipe on lipstick, then curl her hair strand by strand.
“Aren’t you getting bored just watching?” Tang Tianman asked with a grin.
Zheng Xiyu nodded and turned to the makeup artist. “Thanks for all your hard work.”
The artist—a young guy behind a mask—smiled with his eyes. “Tianman’s got flawless skin; makeup’s a piece of cake. It’s just the hair—tons of it. Curling takes forever, so hang tight.”
Having thick hair was the kind of compliment everyone loved.
Tang Tianman beamed at her reflection. “I’ve got natural waves already. Won’t this turn me into a giant poodle?”
“We’ll braid it up for you,” he assured her.
Zheng Xiyu cut in unexpectedly. “Very pretty.”
Tang Tianman blinked. “Huh?”
Zheng Xiyu elaborated, “You’d make the cutest little poodle.”
Tang Tianman went speechless, torn between irritation, laughter, delight, and embarrassment.
The makeup artist glanced between them without batting an eye, then addressed Zheng Xiyu. “Won’t go that elaborate on you later. Sleek and sharp plays to your strengths.”
Zheng Xiyu shot back immediately, “I’m not doing styling.”
“Eh?”
“I’m just here to keep someone company.”
“Wait, really? But Sister Zhou Qingpei mentioned…”
“Ignore her.” Zheng Xiyu’s face stayed neutral, but an intimidating air rolled off her. “I’m not on camera—just a spectator. Don’t waste your time.”
His job had honed his read on people’s vibes. He picked up on hers perfectly and never brought it up again.
After an eternity, Tang Tianman’s look was complete.
The organizers had pulled out all the stops, even providing outfits. For petite Tang Tianman, they’d chosen a knee-length short skirt.
Cream-white, encrusted with shimmering sequins.
“Gorgeous~~” The makeup artist took her hand and gave her a half-spin.
She truly was. Tang Tianman had always been adorable; the styling dialed it up to eleven. Her fluffy curls were half-braided, half-loose—like an elf girl straight out of the forest.
Who didn’t love seeing themselves look good? Tang Tianman’s spirits soared. She bounced over to Zheng Xiyu and curtsied daintily, skirt hem pinched in her fingers. “How do I look?”
“Drop-dead gorgeous.” Zheng Xiyu’s eyes sparkled.
As they headed out of the dressing room toward the lounge, the makeup artist couldn’t resist whispering to Tang Tianman, “You’re prettier than any girl group member I’ve ever worked on.”
Tang Tianman smiled and took Zheng Xiyu’s hand. They strolled down the corridor—one tall and sleek, the other radiant and sparkling with cuteness.
They moved like butterflies dancing through blossoms, the air itself tinged with the floral sweetness of a movie scene.
The lounge stood empty. Tang Tianman stepped inside and let out a relieved breath.
She teased, “What if we both debuted? Form a duo called ’37-Centimeter Height Difference’.”
“I won’t,” Zheng Xiyu said.
The smile froze on Tang Tianman’s face. “Kidding.”
“I won’t.” Zheng Xiyu repeated, her brow furrowing in earnest.
“Won’t, won’t, won’t.” Tang Tianman reined in her playfulness, turning serious. “Me neither.”
“I don’t want fame,” Zheng Xiyu said. “I hate that kind of thing.”
It was the first time Tang Tianman had heard those words from Zheng Xiyu’s lips.
Zheng Xiyu was always so even-keeled, so resilient. Moments of raw dislike like this were rare.
She loathed it that much—not even open to jokes about it. Amid her shock, Tang Tianman felt a pang of guilt.
She wanted to cup Zheng Xiyu’s face, to comfort her. But standing, Zheng Xiyu towered over her.
So Tang Tianman tugged her down to sit first, then stood before her and patted her head. “Okay, my mistake. No more jokes like that from me.”
“Not your fault,” Zheng Xiyu said.
“Mm. Then don’t worry.” Tang Tianman rested her hands on Zheng Xiyu’s shoulders and leaned down to meet her eyes. “In this world, the only ones who fail to blow up are those chasing it. Nobody gets forced into the spotlight against their will.”
“Mm.” Zheng Xiyu murmured, then went quiet for a long stretch.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Tianman asked, sensing something off in her gaze. Worry crept in.
Zheng Xiyu’s hand twitched with the urge to move. In the end, she simply wrapped an arm around Tang Tianman’s waist and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Nothing.” She paused. “You’re just too good-looking.”
Tang Tianman’s face exploded in red. How did she do this? Tease with a joke, and she turns dead serious. Get serious, and her focus derails completely.
The lounge was empty for now, but the door could swing open any second. Zheng Xiyu’s hand lingered palpably on her waist. Tang Tianman straightened up and eased back a step.
Zheng Xiyu released her and grabbed her coat, shaking it out. “Drape this on. Don’t catch cold.”
“I’m not cold.” Tang Tianman fanned her hands up and down. “The heat’s cranked way up.”
Zheng Xiyu stood up. Whether or not to put on the clothes wasn’t something Tang Tianman could decide. With both hands, Zheng Xiyu draped the garment over Tang Tianman’s shoulders, and the warmth wasn’t coming just from the fabric anymore—it radiated from her palms as well.
“Cough, cough.” Tang Tianman coughed twice for no apparent reason, wondering why she was suddenly feeling shy after having shared a bed.
Once the clothes were in place, Zheng Xiyu’s hands didn’t withdraw. Seizing the excuse of fastening the buttons, she wrapped both arms around Tang Tianman from behind, pulling her into a full embrace.
Zheng Xiyu leaned down, her voice brushing right against Tang Tianman’s ear. “No need to zip it up. Just do up the buttons.”
“Mm.” Tang Tianman murmured in a daze.
“I really want to kiss you right now.” The words came out of nowhere from Zheng Xiyu. “But I’m afraid it’d smudge your makeup.”
“Ah…” Tang Tianman found herself speechless.
“So why go to all this trouble?” Zheng Xiyu’s tone brimmed with reproach. “Getting all worked up is so damn inconvenient.”
Tang Tianman wasn’t convinced. “You’re the one all worked up right now, not me.”
“Wait till the live stream starts. You’ll be right there with me.”
“Then we’re even.”
“Not even.” Zheng Xiyu shook her head. “I won’t give those people the time of day. Will you?”
Tang Tianman opened her mouth to reply, but the lounge door suddenly burst open.
Both women turned to look. A young woman with a work badge stood there, even more flustered than they were. “Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt!”
With a sharp click, the door slammed shut again.
