Chapter Summaries

Zou Yan tried to get Sheng Ke’s treasured watch for Xie Yibai, who had jokingly asked for it while preparing for a film audition. The chapter ended with Xie Yibai facing an audition despite his limited film experience and uncertain appeal to cinema audiences.

• Sheng Ke refused to give Zou Yan the watch, explaining that it carried deep family significance.
• Zou Yan revealed that President Xing had secured sixty million in post-production funding, then kept pleading for the watch.
• Sheng Ke finally gave in when Zou Yan threatened to end their friendship.
• Xie Yibai auditioned for the second male lead in Someone in the World Will Always Love You after preparing with Yin Ran.
• The narration outlined why film producers had rarely favored Xie Yibai, citing his polished image, modest acting skills, and limited box-office draw.

Xie Yibai finished an audition and joined Zou Yan and Sheng Ke for dinner, where an earlier joke led Sheng Ke to put his treasured watch on Xie Yibai's wrist. As dinner ended, Xie Yibai reflected on the deep friendship between the two men and wondered whether it would last.

• Xie Yibai auditioned for a supporting role and impressed the producer and assistant director with his performance.
• A Chu told Xie Yibai that Zou Yan had asked him to meet at a restaurant, where Sheng Ke was also waiting.
• Xie Yibai tried to explain that his earlier wish for Sheng Ke's watch had been a joke, but Zou Yan and Sheng Ke put the watch on his wrist.
• Sheng Ke explained that his mother had given him the watch and that things had gone smoothly since he started wearing it.
• During dinner, Xie Yibai observed Zou Yan and Sheng Ke's close rapport and wondered whether their friendship would last.

After Sheng Ke returned Xie Yibai’s lost ear-cuff pendant, he teased him, then agreed over WeChat to cast him as the male lead in his next movie. Xie Yibai ended the chapter unable to sleep, thrilled but unsure whether Sheng Ke would keep his promise.

• Xie Yibai rode with Sheng Ke and Zou Yan, returned Sheng Ke’s watch, and refused Zou Yan’s offer to buy him one.
• Sheng Ke slipped Xie Yibai the pendant from his lost ear cuff and let him mistake the gesture for something intimate.
• After Sheng Ke got out, Xie Yibai discovered the pendant, then received Sheng Ke’s message apologizing for teasing him.
• Xie Yibai asked Sheng Ke to let him play the male lead in his next movie, and Sheng Ke agreed to write a script.
• Xie Yibai saved their chat and spent the night excitedly wondering whether Sheng Ke would really cast him.

Xie Yibai learned that Qi Lan was involved in Zou Yan’s drama, Beacon Fires West of the City, and confronted Zou Yan about being kept in the dark. He revealed his lasting resentment toward Qi Lan, while Zou Yan explained that Qi Lan would only make a special appearance and that his popularity could help promote the drama.

• After A Chu warned him that fans were worried about his lack of work, Xie Yibai was called to a script meeting at Zou Yan’s home.
• Xie Yibai arrived with A Chu and discovered that Qi Lan was attending the meeting too.
• Xie Yibai pulled Zou Yan aside and objected that neither Zou Yan nor Yin Ran had told him Qi Lan was involved.
• Xie Yibai recalled how Qi Lan’s team had once spread rumors about him, costing him work and damaging their friendship.
• Zou Yan said Qi Lan was only making a special appearance in the drama and that his popularity could help promote Xie Yibai’s role.

Xie Yibai secured Zou Yan’s agreement to exclude Qi Lan from his company, then attended a meeting about shaping the male lead in Beacon Fires West of the City. The meeting ended without resolving the romance, while Qi Lan messaged Xie Yibai and hinted at his recent fame.

• Xie Yibai asked Zou Yan to share his likes and dislikes, and Zou Yan indulged him by kissing his hand.
• Xie Yibai learned Zou Yan’s injured hand was still splinted and persuaded him to keep him away from Qi Lan during the meeting.
• Xie Yibai joined the drama’s creative team as they debated Jinshu’s romance with Yu Zhen, but Zou Yan and Yin Ran did not reach agreement.
• Xie Yibai ignored Qi Lan in person, then exchanged sarcastic WeChat messages with him during the meeting.
• Qi Lan said he wanted to make up for the past and told Xie Yibai that he had become famous lately.

Xie Yibai learned Qi Lan was being considered for a role in Zou Yan’s show and asked Zou Yan to drop him after recalling how Qi Lan had mistreated him. The chapter ended when Xie Yibai’s mother called to say she had fought with his father over a ruined pot of ribs.

• Qi Lan teased Xie Yibai about Xing Zhanyun, and Xie Yibai insulted him in return.
• Yin Ran said Qi Lan would play a memorable supporting role in the show, while Shu Lin relayed Zou Yan’s promise to Xie Yibai.
• Xie Yibai asked Shu Lin to tell Xing Zhanyun he would spread a humiliating rumor if anyone called Xing Zhanyun his ex-boyfriend.
• Xie Yibai told Zou Yan about Qi Lan’s past mistreatment, and Zou Yan agreed not to hire him.
• Xie Yibai discussed Jinshu’s character with Zou Yan over dinner, then answered a call from his mother about her argument with his father.

He Limei arrived in the capital to stay with Xie Yibai after leaving her husband following a kitchen mishap. As Xie Yibai made time for her, he continued to grow closer to Zou Yan, while trying to keep the two from meeting; the chapter ended with He Limei asking who he was messaging.

• He Limei explained that she had left the stove on while cooking, argued with her husband after he scolded her, and decided to visit Xie Yibai.
• Xie Yibai arranged to postpone his work commitments so he could spend time with He Limei, and Zou Yan agreed to handle the schedule changes.
• Xie Yibai walked hand in hand with Zou Yan, shared candy with him, and asked whether they were dating; Zou Yan said it would count when Xie Yibai stopped dodging his kiss.
• He Limei flew to the capital, where Xie Yibai and Xiaodao picked her up; she rejected the handbag Xie Yibai had bought and said she would choose one herself.
• Xie Yibai avoided inviting Zou Yan to meet He Limei, then told his mother that the person he was messaging was the producer he had mentioned.

Xie Yibai discovered that He Limei planned to visit a nightclub and eventually agreed to accompany her. He helped disguise her and set rules for the outing, then she asked whether he was worried about being recognized.

• Xie Yibai found a nightclub reservation on He Limei's phone and confronted her about her plan to go with an old classmate.
• He Limei admitted she wanted to see the male models, and Xie Yibai initially forbade her from going.
• He Limei argued that she deserved to enjoy herself, and Xie Yibai agreed to go with her to keep her safe.
• Xie Yibai helped He Limei dress inconspicuously and told her not to exchange contact information, tip performers individually, or drink.
• He Limei asked Xie Yibai whether he was worried someone would recognize him at the nightclub.

Xie Yibai disguised himself to accompany his mother, He Limei, to a nightclub, where Sheng Ke recognized him. Sheng Ke teased him about hiding the outing from Zou Yan, then led him away without threatening to tell.

• He Limei transformed Xie Yibai with extravagant makeup and a wig so nobody would recognize him at the nightclub.
• Xie Yibai lied to Zou Yan that he and his mother were staying home to watch a movie, then went with He Limei to Blaze Era.
• He Limei enthusiastically filmed the male models while Xie Yibai headed toward a booth to wait for her.
• Sheng Ke recognized Xie Yibai, questioned why he was disguised, and asked whether Zou Yan knew he was there.
• Xie Yibai admitted he had come with He Limei, and Sheng Ke joked that his own mother was the DJ before pulling him away.

Sheng Ke brought Xie Yibai to a nightclub private room to research a male host for a film role he had written for Xie Yibai. After interviewing Xiao Qian, they brought in He Limei, and Sheng Ke urged Xie Yibai to observe the host’s work and learn to portray a person rather than a character profile.

• Sheng Ke told Xie Yibai that he had written the film’s male lead as a gigolo for him and explained that he was waiting to interview a top host.
• Xiao Qian arrived, and Sheng Ke asked him about his work, customers, drinking, and boundaries while taking notes.
• Xie Yibai brought He Limei to the private room and asked her to pretend to be his boss rather than his mother.
• He Limei played dice with Xiao Qian, while Sheng Ke observed their interaction and stopped taking notes.
• Sheng Ke advised Xie Yibai to study Xiao Qian as a real person to prepare for the role, and Xie Yibai regretted coming across him.

Xie Yibai spent the holiday with He Limei, heard her advice about choosing happiness over wealth, and decided to buy Zou Yan a thoughtful gift. The chapter ended with He Limei guessing that the gift was for Xie Yibai’s boyfriend.

• Xie Yibai declined Zou Yan’s invitation for a late-night snack and asked Sheng Ke to keep their chance encounter secret.
• He Limei left the nightclub after playing games, and Xiao Qian told Sheng Ke that he treated customers as customers after one had refused to lend him money for his hospitalized mother.
• Xie Yibai discussed his parents’ marriage with He Limei, who said she was content with her life and advised him to choose the person he liked best.
• Xie Yibai spent the four-day holiday accompanying He Limei and buying her whatever she wanted.
• Xie Yibai chose a tie clip as a thoughtful gift for Zou Yan, and He Limei asked if it was for a boyfriend.

Xie Yibai visited Zou Yan with a tie clip and discussed his inexperience with relationships, while Zou Yan tried to reassure him about Sheng Ke. The chapter ended with Xie Yibai asking Zou Yan to get Sheng Ke to stop confusing and teasing him.

• Xie Yibai gave Zou Yan a tie clip and checked whether his injured hand had recovered.
• Zou Yan teased Xie Yibai about wanting a kiss, then asked if he had ever been in a relationship.
• Xie Yibai explained that he had avoided dating and clarified that Xing Zhanyun was not his ex.
• Zou Yan described Sheng Ke as straightforward and promised to protect Xie Yibai if Sheng Ke bullied him.
• Xie Yibai told Zou Yan that Sheng Ke's jokes made him uncomfortable and asked him to make Sheng Ke stop.

Xie Yibai tried to focus on his career and avoid becoming involved with Sheng Ke, then joined Zou Yan for a work gathering after seeing his mother off. The chapter ended with Xing Zhanyun mistaking Zou Yan wiping Xie Yibai’s lipstick for a kiss.

• Sheng Ke accepted Xie Yibai’s refusal to work with him, though he remained unsettled by being rejected.
• Xie Yibai realized he was attracted to Sheng Ke but decided to avoid him out of loyalty to Zou Yan and focus on his career.
• He Limei left for Sanya, while Xie Yibai encouraged his father to travel too and then headed to a gathering with Zou Yan.
• Zou Yan rubbed Xie Yibai’s lipstick while they rode the elevator, smudging it around his lips.
• Xing Zhanyun saw them as the elevator doors opened and accused them of getting intimate in public.

Xie Yibai attended a business dinner with Zou Yan, refusing alcohol while Zou Yan drank in his place and shielded him from pressure. Their closeness led the guests to speculate that Zou Yan was investing in Xie Yibai’s career, and the chapter left Xie Yibai drawing interest from other industry figures.

• Xie Yibai cleaned the lipstick from his face and returned to the private room, where he told Zou Yan he would rely on him to handle Xing Zhanyun.
• Xie Yibai ordered Zou Yan to drink for him and gave him a ring as a voucher for a future kiss.
• Xie Yibai drank two glasses of wine for the platform guests, then switched to orange juice while Zou Yan accepted toasts in his place.
• The guests concluded that Zou Yan was promoting Xie Yibai and hoped to gain access to his future film projects.
• Xing Zhanyun and Xie Yibai attended the same dinner, but Xie Yibai ignored Xing Zhanyun and focused on Zou Yan.
• A guest approached Xie Yibai to ask for his WeChat, while other guests passed him business cards.

Xie Yibai grew closer to Zou Yan after Zou Yan reassured him that his acting could earn him lasting recognition, and the two shared a playful embrace before Zou Yan took him home. Later, as Xie Yibai began working long hours, Zou Yan brought him on a weekend trip to a sunny southern island.

• Xie Yibai accepted He Qingchuan’s WeChat request after Zou Yan said the connection might be useful.
• Zou Yan offered to take Xie Yibai home instead of making him attend another dinner, and Xie Yibai asked why Zou Yan treated him so well.
• Zou Yan told Xie Yibai he wanted him to become an accomplished actor, and Xie Yibai promised to work hard in return.
• Xie Yibai kissed Zou Yan’s chin, and Zou Yan agreed to take him home.
• After Xie Yibai began working long hours, Zou Yan took him on an overnight flight to a sunny southern island for the weekend.

Xie Yibai spent the day at the beach with Zou Yan, then waited while Zou Yan worked in their suite. Yin Ran called to tell Xie Yibai he had landed the role of Lin Wen in an urban romance film.

• Zou Yan surfed while Xie Yibai stayed under the parasol, and the two teased each other about tanning, exercise, and Zou Yan's friendship with Sheng Ke.
• Zou Yan and Xie Yibai held hands on their way to eat, then Zou Yan ran ahead after Xie Yibai complained about his arm resting on his shoulder.
• At night, Zou Yan held a video conference with producers while Xie Yibai played games and checked his phone.
• Yin Ran called Xie Yibai and told him the director had cast him as Lin Wen in "There's Always Someone in the World Who Will Love You."
• Yin Ran said she would arrange the schedule and script through A Chu, and advised Xie Yibai to practice his lines and learn from the senior actors.

After Xie Yibai and Zou Yan celebrated their drama’s approval and Xie’s casting, Zou Yan teased and played with him, while Xie kept firm boundaries. Three days later, old photos of Xie and Qi Lan from a school variety show surfaced online, and A Chu showed Xie that people were promoting their former friendship.

• Xie Yibai told Zou Yan he had passed the audition, and Zou Yan announced that their drama had received project approval.
• Zou Yan said he had told Sister Yin Ran that Qi Lan would not be cast, and he and Xie Yibai toasted their success.
• Xie Yibai rejected Zou Yan’s flirtation, and Zou Yan tickled him before telling him he wanted to make him small enough to carry in his pocket.
• The drama’s registration sparked online discussion because Qi Lan was not in the cast, and Xie Yibai expected Qi Lan to retaliate.
• After Xie Yibai and Zou Yan returned to the city and resumed their appearances, A Chu showed Xie old photos and online posts promoting his past friendship with Qi Lan.

Xie Yibai ignored speculation about his past friendship with Qi Lan, gave A Chu two of his mother’s unused luxury bags, and forgot about an unsigned script she recommended. He later met An Fei, who sought Zou Yan’s help getting a role in Sheng Ke’s next film and arranged for Xie Yibai to try singing her film’s OST.

• Xie Yibai let A Chu monitor online discussion linking him with Qi Lan and offered her two bags left behind by his mother.
• A Chu gave Xie Yibai an unsigned script she thought was promising, but he forgot about it after it was put away.
• Zou Yan introduced Xie Yibai to An Fei, who asked Zou Yan to help her get a role in Sheng Ke’s next film.
• An Fei and Zou Yan agreed that Xie Yibai would try singing the OST for An Fei’s film.
• After An Fei left, Xie Yibai and Zou Yan discussed how difficult it was for even established actresses to find good roles.

Xing Zhanyun visited Xie Yibai and tried to turn him against Zou Yan by showing him photographs of Zou Yan’s former partners, but Xie Yibai refused to believe him. Xing Zhanyun broke down and confessed his feelings, then quietly trimmed Xie Yibai’s nails, bringing back memories of their past.

• Zou Yan told Xie Yibai that his acting career was still beginning and encouraged him to look beyond awards toward choosing his own roles.
• Xing Zhanyun came to Xie Yibai’s home and showed him photographs of Zou Yan’s former partners, claiming Zou Yan would never take Xie Yibai seriously.
• Xie Yibai accused Xing Zhanyun of being jealous and rejected his attempt to make him distrust Zou Yan.
• Xing Zhanyun swept the photographs to the floor, then broke down and begged Xie Yibai to give him a chance.
• Xie Yibai soothed Xing Zhanyun, who stopped crying and began trimming his nails, prompting Xie Yibai to remember their time together when he was twenty.

Zou Yan visited Sheng Ke, discussed his growing relationship with Xie Yibai, and tried to learn about Sheng Ke’s script. Xie Yibai arrived with photographs of Zou Yan and asked who had taken them, while Sheng Ke concealed his disappointment that the visit was not about his script.

• Zou Yan visited Sheng Ke and urged him to share his script, but Sheng Ke claimed he had deleted it despite secretly being satisfied with it.
• Zou Yan told Sheng Ke that things were going well with Xie Yibai, and Sheng Ke warned him that his feelings might not be returned.
• Xie Yibai called Zou Yan and said he had received something he wanted to show him in person.
• Xie Yibai arrived at Sheng Ke’s apartment and spread photographs of Zou Yan across the table, asking whether Zou Yan knew who had taken them.
• Sheng Ke examined a photograph and told Xie Yibai he had never seen the person in it.