“I heard Ruotang is excellent at painting, but I didn’t expect his French to be so good. Everyone says Uncle Jiang adopted a hands-off approach with you, but he actually cultivated you meticulously.”

Jiang Ruotang turned around and saw Qin Zhanchao looking at him meaningfully.

“Haha, those few sentences just now exhausted all my French reserves,” Jiang Ruotang said, while picking up some salmon and shellfish for his plate. “I used to fantasize about studying at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, so I studied French for a while, but then I found out…”

“Found out what?” Qin Zhanchao took two steps closer, a smile in his eyes, but in fact, he was scrutinizing Jiang Ruotang.

The young man in front of him looked clean and fresh at first glance, but a closer look would reveal his eyes were very pleasing to the eye, bright with a hint of playful cunning. There was no trace of the willful young master he used to be as a child.

Jiang Ruotang shrugged, “I found out that I couldn’t get in just by applying. Now it seems my chances of getting into the Central Academy of Fine Arts might be higher.”

“Oh.” Qin Zhanchao smiled and nodded, then asked, “I heard you also have a painting exhibited in this city? Which gallery?”

“Deep Blue Gallery, in a small corner. There’s really nothing special to see.”

Jiang Ruotang didn’t believe Qin Zhanchao had an interest in art; he just wanted to know if Jiang Ruotang was truly pursuing an art career.

Every sentence from the other party carried a judgmental tone, which Jiang Ruotang found quite dull.

“Is that so? But I think it has great artistic conception. When one thinks of that painting at different moments in life, it holds different meanings.”

A somewhat familiar voice spoke, and Jiang Ruotang turned around, only to find Bai Yingchuan standing behind him!

How could he be here? Shouldn’t he be avoiding public appearances right now?

Not just Jiang Ruotang, but the eyes of all other guests in the room focused on him. Everyone was searching for the flaw on his face, but from a distance, it wasn’t clear.

However, it would be impolite to get closer for a better look.

From a social distance, Jiang Ruotang could clearly see the faint line on Bai Yingchuan’s cheek, extending from below his cheekbone to his jawline.

He wasn’t wearing makeup; only his eyebrows were shaped, and his hair styled. He was still handsome, but perhaps because he openly displayed his scar, he appeared transparent and open. If he was once a walking handsome statue, beautiful but lifeless, now, the scar instead added a heartbreaking sense of fragility.

Zhao Changfeng frowned, muttering softly: “Why is this guy here?”

Bai Yingchuan smiled and extended his hand to Qin Zhanchao. On his elegant wrist was a vintage mechanical watch, which didn’t make him look old-fashioned; instead, it added a touch of nobility.

“I also have to thank General Manager Qin for inviting me to Old Master Qin’s birthday banquet.”

Jiang Ruotang understood immediately; this was Qin Zhanchao extending an olive branch to Bai Yingchuan.

Although Bai Yue’s self-exposure led to widespread online attacks on Bai Yingchuan, causing him to lose many scripts and endorsements, when the news broke that Bai Yingchuan was disfigured while saving a child, several influential official media praised him. Coupled with Sister Yu’s public relations efforts, public attitudes towards Bai Yingchuan shifted towards sympathy, understanding, and support.

Even those brands that had terminated their contracts were bombarded by fans, accusing them of kicking a man while he was down and lacking professional ethics.

As a result, other brands that were still observing abandoned their plans to terminate contracts and even issued press releases expressing their support for Bai Yingchuan.

Even though Bai Yingchuan himself didn’t appear, any topic related to him generated immense traffic.

Qin Zhanchao wanted to create a variety show and cultivate some popular stars. If he could invite Bai Yingchuan as a guest, leveraging Bai Yingchuan’s current popularity, the viewership ratings would undoubtedly skyrocket.

Qin Zhanchao subtly observed Bai Yingchuan’s scar. As it seemed now, a makeup artist should be able to cover about 80% of it. Variety shows weren’t like film and television; they didn’t require close-ups of his injured face. Before he was forgotten by the public, Qin Zhanchao decided to quickly drain Bai Yingchuan’s popularity.

Qin Zhanchao extended his hand to Bai Yingchuan: “You performed so brilliantly in Uncle Jiang’s movie; you’re a rising star. You and Ruotang seem quite close?”

“We’re classmates,” Bai Yingchuan nodded, but didn’t get any closer to Jiang Ruotang, maintaining a perfectly appropriate distance.

“Is that so?” Qin Zhanchao smiled.

Qi Yanfeng had been observing the atmosphere around Jiang Ruotang, noticing Qin Zhanchao’s scrutiny and observation of Jiang Ruotang. He wasn’t worried that Jiang Ruotang couldn’t handle it, but there was no need to spend the entire evening playing games of tug-of-war and probing with Qin Zhanchao; they weren’t dating, after all.

So, Qi Yanfeng deliberately walked over and started chatting with Qin Zhanchao about idol drama production, leading him away.

Jiang Ruotang smiled and nodded at Qi Yanfeng. This partner was someone he could work with.

---

Only when they had walked further away did Bai Yingchuan look into Jiang Ruotang’s eyes and say softly, “Indeed, if I were to attend this kind of event without my facial scar completely healed, it would cause a lot of public relations trouble for Sister Yu. But I still remember what you said in the hospital room that day.”

“Oh. Just say what you want to say,” Jiang Ruotang said calmly.

“This scar on my face cannot disappear completely, but it’s not beyond hope. I won’t hide in the shadows like a coward or retreat behind the scenes. If anyone wants to see this scar, let them come closer and look. I’ve talked to Teacher Feng Moshan, and I can join him in acting in stage plays during university. It will be difficult to appear on screen during the recovery period, but stage plays can effectively hone my acting skills, especially my lines and infectiousness. Even if one day this mark can still be seen on screen, I will use my acting to make the audience forget it.”

After speaking, Bai Yingchuan waited for Jiang Ruotang’s response.

“Oh.” Jiang Ruotang nodded, indicating he understood.

This would be a thorny path. Not only would it require explosive acting skills, but also an incredibly strong character charisma to make the audience and investors overlook his scar, or even embrace it.

He could no longer rely on or attach himself to anyone as he did in his previous life. Even the effect of his good looks was greatly diminished by the flaw.

How cruel reality could be, and how fast this industry would change, didn’t require Jiang Ruotang to remind him.

Bai Yingchuan clearly knew that whether he fell into the mud or was reborn from the ashes, Jiang Ruotang wouldn’t care.

And now, he just wanted to be respected by Jiang Ruotang.

Without further lingering or hesitation, Bai Yingchuan turned and walked away, heading towards the group of senior media professionals who were observing and discussing him.

Though your courage is admirable now, I hope that after your halo fades and you are battered by reality, you will still remember your initial resolve.

Jiang Ruotang picked up his plate and ate a melon and ham sandwich as if nothing had happened.

Zhao Changfeng, however, squeezed closer, frowning and seriously asking, “You’re not getting back together with Bai Yingchuan, are you?”

Jiang Ruotang was about to put a small egg tart in his mouth when he almost choked on that sentence.

“Are you truly a master of four-character idioms? Why ‘old flames rekindled’ and not ‘parting ways, each to their own’?”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on Bai Yingchuan, ready at any moment. The moment his eyes start ‘trailing threads,’ I’ll drag you away.” Zhao Changfeng stretched his wrist.

“Is that so? Whether his eyes ‘trail threads’ or not isn’t important. But if you keep dawdling, this pizza of yours will get cold and definitely won’t ‘trail threads’ anymore,” Jiang Ruotang said with a chuckle.

“That… if you absolutely have to be with a guy, I wouldn’t trust someone like Bai Yingchuan.”

This ‘old father’ tone amused Jiang Ruotang, “Then who would you trust?”

Zhao Changfeng almost said “someone like me,” then immediately stopped himself. Though he was tall, handsome, and of good character, he really didn’t like men. He then added, “I’d only trust someone like the class monitor. Not only me, but the whole family would feel at ease.”

Jiang Ruotang’s heart fluttered. He smiled, feigning calm: “In your heart, what is ‘someone like the class monitor’ like?”

“Principled and responsible, finds solutions to problems instead of blindly rushing in as cannon fodder, very gentle but not a central air conditioner, only provides warmth to specific people. Smart, learns everything quickly, handsome, and his physique… just a tiny bit worse than mine!”

Jiang Ruotang patted Zhao Changfeng’s shoulder and said, “Except for the last sentence, praise as much as you can.”

“Humph.” Zhao Changfeng tilted his head, looking around. Everyone’s face was etched with fame, fortune, and connections. He didn’t like such occasions. “Can’t a person just enjoy their food peacefully…?”

The two reached a consensus, deliberately finding a table in a corner, sitting down, putting down their plates, and getting drinks. They no longer paid attention to the adults’ toasts and chatter, leisurely eating.

Jiang Ruotang placed a glass cup in front of him, leaned on the table, brushed his bangs off his forehead with one hand, and held his phone out with the other to take a selfie.

The lens perfectly passed through the water glass, capturing half of Jiang Ruotang’s face. He was smiling happily, like a little fox who had successfully stolen food.

“I feel so childish, completely lacking the texture of those flat models’ photos.”

Jiang Ruotang pouted. Others had a lazy sexiness; he was just a goofy, smiling goofball. This was the difference between a seller’s photo and a buyer’s photo.

But on second thought, he was also too embarrassed to send overly pretentious photos to Lu Guifan. In this picture, half of himself was visible, and half of the banquet scene was blurred by the glass cup, allowing for imagination about the banquet. At least the composition was decent.

Jiang Ruotang sent the photo to their small group chat.

After sending it, he regretted it. School evening self-study should have started by now. If his phone vibrated because he sent a message for no reason, and a teacher noticed, confiscating the phone or something, he would be to blame.

---

At this moment in the classroom, everyone was busy doing practice problems, and the physics teacher was leisurely patrolling between the seats.

Jian Sha’s phone vibrated in her drawer in the front row. She couldn’t resist, pulled it out for a quick look, then whispered, “So Jiang Ruotang looks this handsome when he dresses up?”

Hearing that name, Lu Guifan, who had been calmly writing on his practice paper, suddenly paused.

Jiang Ruotang, who usually sought opportunities to talk to him, wasn’t there, and he was already unaccustomed to it. Now, suddenly hearing his name, Lu Guifan’s heart felt as if it was being pulled down by an invisible force, then immediately sprang up, almost breaking free from his chest.

He controlled his breathing, and for the first time during class, took his phone out of the drawer.

It was their small group chat. Jiang Ruotang had sent a photo of himself.

It was still the same hairstyle he saw every day, no greasy hair gel, no embellishments, just a change to a black suit. He was leaning on the desk, a plate of what looked like delicate pastries blurred in front of him because they were close to the camera. Most of Jiang Ruotang’s face emerged from behind a glass cup.

Perhaps because the lighting in the venue was very bright, unlike usual, it gave Jiang Ruotang a translucent quality.

His smiling, curved eyes and dimpled mouth had a touch of boyishness, but with a second glance, they created a subtle, almost ticklish feeling in one’s heart.

This guileless appearance seemed to inherently make people want to bully him, to make him do something more outrageous.

…to make him cry.

“Class monitor! The teacher wants you to go to the board and solve the problem!”

Cai Ji’s voice pulled Lu Guifan back to reality.

Lu Guifan looked up; the physics teacher was looking at him with an inquisitive gaze.

He glanced at Cai Ji, who tapped his finger on the second major question of the practice paper.

Even as he walked up to the podium and picked up the chalk, his surging emotions had not subsided. The image in his mind was still fixed on Jiang Ruotang’s smile.

He subtly exhaled, initially wanting to clear Jiang Ruotang from his mind, but then thought better of it.

He’d just explain the problem for Jiang Ruotang’s sake. Otherwise, if he solved it in his academic genius way, few of the students below would probably understand.

---

“Changfeng, take a picture of me.” Jiang Ruotang handed his phone to the other.

Zhao Changfeng was stuffing a small cake into his mouth, while Jiang Ruotang, who had only eaten a few slices of salmon, started acting up: “It’s not a red carpet or some entertainment event. Why are you so narcissistic taking pictures again and again?”

“Zhao Changfeng, if you keep this up, you’ll lose me as a brother!”

“Who cares!”

Despite his words, Zhao Changfeng still took Jiang Ruotang’s phone. He didn’t care if Jiang Ruotang was posing or not, just snapped a few random shots, aiming to simply capture the person and call it a mission accomplished. Then he returned the phone to Jiang Ruotang.

Jiang Ruotang took one look and was so angry his nose almost breathed fire.

“Zhao Changfeng, what kind of ghost stuff did you take?!”

“That ‘ghost stuff’ is you,” Zhao Changfeng said coldly.

Jiang Ruotang couldn’t stand it anymore. He went behind Zhao Changfeng and put him in a headlock: “When you take my picture, can’t you lower the camera a little? Look how big my head is, and how short my legs are! And this one—the person’s blurred! This one, my eyes aren’t even open! Zhao Changfeng, are you toxic? With your photography skills, be careful no girls will like you in the future!”

“It’s fine. When I find a girlfriend later, I’ll first ask who wants me to take their picture. Anyone with that demand is a pass!”

Jiang Ruotang’s eyes almost rolled up to the ceiling.

“I’ll take it for you,” a slightly teasing voice sounded from behind Jiang Ruotang.

Jiang Ruotang turned his head and was surprised to see Chen Dan.

Without his leather jacket, Chen Dan, in a men’s tuxedo, actually had a hint of scholarly refinement.

“Wow, Brother Dan… you really look like a prince in those robes…”

As soon as the words fell, Chen Dan tapped Jiang Ruotang’s head with his phone.

“Our family was also invited. It seems Old Master Qin is laying the groundwork for his eldest grandson’s industry connections. A bunch of people just came to discuss business for Sweet Fruit with me, making me hardly eat anything. My stomach’s rumbling, so I quickly hid away,” Chen Dan said.

Chen Dan, this guy, even if he hadn’t eaten pork, he had probably seen pigs run. His aesthetic and photography skills were likely not on the same level as Zhao Changfeng’s.

“Then, Brother Dan, I appoint you as my imperial photographer. If the photos aren’t good, the penalty is wasabi wine.”

He trusted Chen Dan wouldn’t make him look like a hobbit again.

Zhao Changfeng rolled his eyes at the two of them: “It’s just taking pictures. Can this guy, who’s either an egg or a grenade, turn you from a little frog into a white swan?”

“Get lost.” Jiang Ruotang picked up a small grape from his plate and threw it at Zhao Changfeng. “His name is Chen Dan, the ‘Dan’ as in ‘as simple as a chrysanthemum’!”

Unexpectedly, Zhao Changfeng was exceptionally quick, effortlessly catching it with his arm, popping it into his mouth, and then giving Jiang Ruotang a provocative glance.

“Come on, superstar. Photographer is in position.” Chen Dan raised his phone.

Jiang Ruotang sat sideways at the table, one hand propped on the tabletop, fingers naturally curled, resting on his lips.

This was originally a pose for a cool, mature businessman, but Jiang Ruotang’s expression lacked that profound seriousness; his eyes were smiling, especially the dimple at the corner of his mouth was subtly covered by his fingers, giving him a mischievous and lively feeling.

“Very cute, anything else?” Chen Dan couldn’t help but laugh.

“What? Cute? My pose was clearly very mature, okay!”

Jiang Ruotang was indignant. He had watched male stars pose for flat photos for many years; how could he not grasp their essence?

---

It seemed he still needed to show off his youthful face.

Jiang Ruotang moved the hand that was on his lips to his shoulder, turned his face, making his jawline more prominent. His upturned nose made his boyishness even more distinct, that quality between innocence and maturity made Chen Dan, who was taking the photos, feel a sudden sparkle.

“Don’t tell me it’s still cute?”

Jiang Ruotang tilted his face, and when he looked over, Chen Dan smiled without speaking.

Yes, still cute.

“A little more handsome than just now,” Chen Dan asked, “Any other poses?”

Zhao Changfeng looked up, wanting to say “vanity,” but he realized that Jiang Ruotang’s poses were indeed quite good-looking.

“I want to take a standing picture. Remember to make me look broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, and with long legs.”

Chen Dan nodded and chuckled. In reality, Jiang Ruotang’s body proportions were very good. He definitely had a narrow waist and long legs, but as for the broad shoulders… that was indeed a challenge.

Zhao Changfeng shook his head and sighed: “The moment of truth for your skills has arrived. To photograph a kitten as a tiger, you truly have your work cut out for you.”

“When I get back, I’m selling all your basketball cards!” Jiang Ruotang fiercely threatened Zhao Changfeng.

“I’ll lock the door.” Zhao Changfeng got up to get a second round; he was here for the buffet anyway.

“Brother Dan, does this pose of a successful person look cool?”

With that, Jiang Ruotang crossed his arms and looked seriously at Chen Dan.

Chen Dan couldn’t help but burst out laughing: “Like a child pretending to be an adult.”

“Don’t all those brainwashing lecturers on marketing course covers use this pose? It seems I don’t have the image of someone in multi-level marketing.”

Jiang Ruotang dropped one shoulder, and his originally imposing pose suddenly became less rigid. As Jiang Ruotang bent down, he gradually became more relaxed. When Jiang Ruotang glanced sideways, his gaze piercing through the screen, that unconscious allure made Chen Dan feel a bit of regret.

Why bother with art? If you debuted on the spot, we could make a fortune!

---

Qin Zhanchao, who was chatting with Qi Yanfeng, happened to catch a glimpse of this scene from the corner of his eye. He turned his head and said, “I didn’t expect Ruotang to be so close to the Chen family’s young master?”

Qi Yanfeng knew immediately that the other party was worried about whether the Jiang family had also allied with the Chen family.

More than just an alliance, the Chen family’s young master is actually working for Jiang Ruotang.

“Oh, I heard my brother mention it once. They played billiards together. What else can these unreliable guys do together besides eating, drinking, and having fun? They’ve even led Director Jiang’s son astray.”

After saying that, Qi Yanfeng even sighed.

Qin Zhanchao chuckled, “Playing billiards is just leisure and entertainment; it’s not leading astray.”

At this moment, Jiang Ruotang ran to Chen Dan’s side and took his phone: “Let me see, let me see!”

Jiang Ruotang sat down and scrolled through the photos: “Your technique is really good; you took some pretty nice shots.”

Chen Dan chuckled, “I didn’t know you were so vain. Aze went on a vacation to an island and missed this banquet. If he saw the photos I took of you, he’d definitely be pounding his chest.”

“It’s fine. In a few years, when our transformation is successful, we’ll also hold a banquet and have Aze be the mascot, specifically responsible for handing out red envelopes to employees.”

Just imagining the scene made Chen Dan grin from ear to ear.

Thinking of this, Chen Dan said, “We haven’t taken a picture together, have we?”

“Huh?” Jiang Ruotang looked up, bewildered.

At this moment, Chen Dan’s hand was already gently placed on his shoulder, and the other hand held the phone, pressing the shutter. It was predictable that he would send the photo to Qi Yanzhe to show off later.

“I don’t think I even posed…”

In the photo, Jiang Ruotang’s wide eyes looked like a kitten seeing something interesting, and his slightly parted lips seemed about to speak but didn’t.

“You still want to pose? Like one of those ribbon-cutting poses for new projects?”

“That’s so boring.”

Jiang Ruotang patted Chen Dan’s shoulder, “Come, top salesman, please sit.”

“Oh.” Chen Dan sat down with interest.

Jiang Ruotang took a white napkin from nearby, rolled it in his hand into a ring, and stood behind Chen Dan.

“Zhao Changfeng, come take a picture.”

“Oh my god… Are you two ever going to be done…? I’ve never seen guys who love taking pictures as much as you two!”

Despite his words, Zhao Changfeng still took Jiang Ruotang’s phone.

Jiang Ruotang stood behind Chen Dan, placing the white napkin crown on his head.

“You two are quite playful.” Zhao Changfeng snapped a few random shots and returned the camera to Jiang Ruotang.

“Changfeng, we haven’t taken one yet!” Jiang Ruotang ran to Zhao Changfeng again.

“What? We see each other every day; why do we need to take pictures?”