Wu Man felt her lottery draw luck was quite good, especially compared to others.

Some people drew gender-bending roles. A grown man drew the topic “Lolita.”

That grown man was Ji Zhou.

The moment Wu Man saw his draw result, she almost couldn’t hold back her laughter. Because after drawing lots, they needed styling done. She automatically imagined him with two high bun pigtails, wearing a floral dress—what a sight that would be.

She couldn’t help teasing him. “With this styling, I estimate all your fans will turn into muddy sculpture fans, calling you wifey, little sister, sweetheart whenever they see you from now on.”

Ji Zhou’s face turned from pale to flushed, finally settling into a helpless sigh of worldly resignation. “Sister Man, just don’t call me little sister.” He leaned over to peek at her slip. “Let me see yours… It’s actually ‘Malèna’!”

Ji Zhou’s eyes lit up. “This is so perfect for you! Really looking forward to Sister Man’s styling later!”

Wu Man smiled. “I’m also looking forward to yours.”

His smile froze. He clasped his hands together and said goodbye.

*

The same lipstick—on some people it looked like red putty scraped on a white wall, tacky and heavy. While on others, it was a prairie fire that could ignite with one look.

After the stylist finished applying lip gloss for Wu Man, such a sentiment suddenly arose.

Without question, Wu Man belonged to the latter category.

She was especially suited to this heavy makeup styling—raised brows, intense lips, smoky eyes. Curled dark red hair scattered behind her ears. The languid coldness emanating from her suppressed the seductiveness. Two feelings competed, forcefully colliding into contradictory poignant beauty. Drawing people near, yet making them feel that approaching her was a kind of desecration.

The segment she was performing was the scene where Malèna decided to become a prostitute—the low-key, clean her transformed, walking gracefully through the small town. With one lowered head, countless men swarmed to offer her their lighters.

The production team naturally wouldn’t have countless men available. She only needed a monologue to display Malèna’s state of mind at that moment.

Good luck with the draw meant suffering backlash with the appearance order. The random sequence result—she was first up.

When taking her position, Wu Man raised her head and looked from backstage toward the stage. Someone was already sitting in the Big Demon King’s position.

Even though she only saw the back of a head, she recognized who it was at a glance.

Big Demon King… Of course, who else could it be? Besides Zhui Ye, it wouldn’t be anyone else.

But the production team kept it mysterious, not letting them know what role the Big Demon King actually played in the competition system. So she didn’t know what purpose Zhui Ye served in this, only that her heartbeat unconsciously became chaotic.

…Just the nervousness of going on stage. Wu Man self-regulated and quickly regained her composure.

The lights dimmed. She wore a black velvet low-cut bodycon dress, black stiletto heels stepping up the stairs.

In this moment, she was Malèna. A life like drifting duckweed, forced to become a parasitic flower.

No man didn’t admire her. No man truly loved her.

Wu Man lowered her brows and eyes. With each step forward, her spine straightened a bit more, until she sat down. Her eyelids lifted slightly, looking toward the camera.

Those were extremely clear eyes. Rumors, lust, jealousy, possession… these things couldn’t tarnish those eyes. Making eye contact with her was itself an offense.

But the next second, her expression was tinged with sorrow. She lowered her eyes again and took out a cigarette from her pearl handbag.

Two slender fingers pinched it, placing the cigarette at her lips.

She was no longer a handmaiden beside God, forced to fall to the mortal world, permeated with worldly allure yet wrapped in helpless sadness.

The audience watching on-site, whether male or female, all felt an impulse rising from their hearts to light her cigarette.

And someone actually did just that.

That person stood up from the throne under everyone’s gaze, casually walked down from the altar, pulled out a lighter from his pocket—click—and lit her cigarette.

The cigarette addiction she’d quit for so many years was broken by Zhui Ye’s effortless action.

Extreme shock and astonishment, mixed with not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

In such a scenario, the habit she’d persisted in for so long and even stubbornly resisted before was crushed by his one thumb press.

She raised her head to look at him. He had already turned and returned to the throne. No looking back, no lingering.

The host came on stage awkwardly. “Big Demon King, did you use your ability this quickly?”

Only then did Wu Man learn what the Big Demon King’s role actually was—one chance to actively perform opposite someone.

The lottery draw segments the production team set up seemed like monologues at first glance, but actually all had room for interaction.

If Zhui Ye chose to actively perform opposite someone, it meant that person had drawn him into the scene. The person who gained this Big Demon King’s favor would be this episode’s Acting Star and would absolutely not be eliminated.

And she, as the first person to appear, had made the Big Demon King surrender.

All the suspense the production team had anticipated fell flat.

The host said with some resentment, “Didn’t you consider it at all?”

Zhui Ye played with the lighter, looking down at the stage, saying very matter-of-factly, “Facing such a Malèna, who wouldn’t submit to her?”

Wu Man still had the unexpectedly lit cigarette between her lips, the familiar yet strange taste pouring into her body. Hearing Zhui Ye’s words, her hand reaching to remove the cigarette paused. She finally let that cigarette remain at her lips, biting it and saying unclearly, “…Then thank you, Big Demon King.”

Next came the directors’ choices. Those wanting to recruit Wu Man to their teams would light up the star lamp on the table.

She quietly took a deep breath, feeling nervous.

What level was she really at? These four people’s buttons could answer seventy or eighty percent.

One lamp lit. Then two lamps… three lamps…

Wu Man felt like she was on a roller coaster, rising to the highest point with the button presses, then being heavily thrown down.

—One lamp still hadn’t lit. That lamp belonged to Wei Jinghua.

*

After a period of intense promotion, “Acting Masters” finally aired its first episode. Real-time viewership exceeded the platform’s imagination.

Wu Man happened to have no schedule that evening and was lounging at home, opening the first episode to watch along. Though she was the first to appear during recording, the official broadcast order was completely scrambled. To maintain suspense about the Big Demon King, she could roughly guess the editors had placed her later.

As for the edited version, the first to appear became He Huiyu.

The segment she drew was the classic twist dance between the female lead and John in the dance hall from “Pulp Fiction.” The production team’s intention in selecting this segment was also to leave John’s role for Zhui Ye to join.

He Huiyu’s styling was so cool it made the audience’s legs go weak. She wore a wig with bangs above the eyebrows, an oversized waist-cinched white shirt, black bell-bottoms—completely replicating the female lead’s styling.

She completely treated the stage as a dance floor, freely swinging her limbs, bobbing her head, as if the overhead spotlights had all turned into alcohol, intoxicating and alluring.

Bullet comments flew past like crazy at this moment.

“Is there anyone more beautiful and cool than sister? No!!!”

“Peak at the opening, the production team is killing us—”

“The Big Demon King won’t come down for this? Is he even a man?”

“Aren’t these two together? Is Zhui Ye avoiding suspicion?”

“Previous comment, spreading rumors has legal consequences. They’ve never said they’re together!!”

“Why isn’t Wei Jinghua lighting up? No taste!”

The next round of explosive topics was triggered by cross-dressed Ji Zhou. He played Lolita’s little girl in reverse, needing to perform the first encounter segment lying on the garden lawn reading. The role reserved for Zhui Ye was the tenant who stared from the living room.

“Holy shit, this is too exciting, Zhui Ye hurry down I’m waiting to ship this CP!”

“Wuwuwu where did this little beauty come from, let me see, oh it’s my wife!”

“This staunch fan declares death on the spot…”

“Stupid production team forcing my brother to wear women’s clothes, go die!!”

“Hahahaha I declare Ji Zhou surpasses He Huiyu ranking as my top 1 styling!”

Then successive contestants’ performance segments aired. The audience didn’t see the Big Demon King leave his throne, nor did they see Wei Jinghua light up.

Anonymous forums opened betting threads about who between the two would lose composure first.

[Report: Results are in———]

OP: “Zhui Ye went down first, I lost my fifty cents, wuwu, the Best Actor was really misled by beauty [screenshot.jpg]”

1L: How can this be? He actually went down for He Huiyu’s mortal enemy Wu Man. Is the Zhui-Hui CP ending like this?

2L: I haven’t watched the show yet. He gave it to that vase Wu Man? Is he crazy?

3L: Just from the screenshot, such a beautiful vase is worth wasting for. If I were Zhui Ye, I couldn’t help lighting the cigarette either…

4L: How can you judge without watching the show? To be fair, Wu Man really acted with feeling this time. Some people walking in this outfit are completely streetwalkers. Not everyone can perform that dusty yet unworldly charm, just so you know.

5L: Upstairs Wu Man’s bought fan entered, still pretending to be a passerby, hold your skin tight

6L: If I’m not a Wu Man fan, your steamed cook can sink to the earth’s core OK?

7L: Interesting, is Zhui Ye using privilege on Wu Man due to personal feelings or fair judgment?

8L: I think it’s personal feelings… Although Wu Man’s acting has improved, among everyone she’s definitely not the most outstanding. Plus my friend went to the live recording, her report told me Wu Man was actually the first to appear, and Zhui Ye immediately used up his quota. If he were rational, he should at least watch a few more, right?

9L: Wu Man’s bought fans retreating to advance while actually using the Best Actor to put gold on their sister’s face, such a white lotus. What, is the crown prince not good enough to be your sister’s brother-in-law, you have to steal someone else’s boyfriend?

10L: Who told someone incompetent couldn’t become crown princess? After all these years with no name or status, the eunuchs must be dying of anxiety and started matchmaking, even targeting the Best Actor.

11L: River horse fans are the ones with faces as big as plates, ugh, has Zhui Ye ever acknowledged dating? Who doesn’t have the ability to read pictures and talk? Who’s really doing the matchmaking?

12L: Hit a nerve with certain people, your family doesn’t even have capital for picture reading. The production wrapped and no good interactions leaked, hehe, the Best Actor just doesn’t like your Wu Buy-Buy.

13L: Won’t argue with mad dogs, who Zhui Ye gave privilege to in this recording is clear as day

14L: Who knows if your Wu Buy-Buy whispered in the benefactor’s ear again? Can buy the Hong Kong Film Award, buying Zhui Ye is too easy. Worried about being eliminated in the first round, of course she’d grab the privilege thigh.

15L: I’m just a passerby, excuse my bluntness, Zhui Ye is harder to buy than the Hong Kong Film Award…

16L: Alright stop arguing, look at this latest interview material, basically confirmed. Zhui Ye definitely isn’t being personal. If it were personal feelings, he’d have given it to He Huiyu.

Wu Man casually scrolled the forum and saw this thread. The later direction turned into fans of her and He Huiyu tearing into each other. Immediately after, she scrolled to a link thrown in the thread.

She clicked it open. It was He Huiyu’s solo interview.

Judging by the timing, it should have been interviewed a few days ago, but released on the day “Acting Masters” aired to ride this wave of popularity.

One question was: “Recently your Weibo is filled with sweet atmosphere. Are you in love?”

He Huiyu generously admitted, “Yes. But I can’t say who it is.”

She seemed to want to suppress her smile, not wanting to be too obvious. But sweetness was like a seesaw—press it down and it bounces back up. Ultimately she couldn’t hold back, the corners of her mouth lifting shallowly.

Opinions varied. Melon-eating masses were debating whether this unspeakable “who” was Zhui Ye or not.

To prove it was indeed Zhui Ye, Zhui-Hui CP fans dug up a short video interview of him participating in “Acting Masters.”

The reporter asked him, “Previously you said you don’t like participating in variety shows. Why did you take this program? To hone your acting skills?”

“No.” Zhui Ye was direct. “Actually, I haven’t been getting roles recently. Can only take some variety shows.”

The reporter wiped sweat. “…You’re joking with us, right? You’re a massively popular Best Actor!”

Zhui Ye smiled, as if it really was just a joke.

Wu Man’s heart jumped.

That reporter thought Zhui Ye was pulling their leg and continued asking, “Are there any other reasons?”

“What I’m about to say next probably can’t be broadcast.”

The reporter looked sincere. “We’ll gatekeep. If not, we’ll cut it.”

Then the screen emphasized in bold, the voice weighted—

“Because among the participants, there’s someone I care about.”

CP fans went crazy: “Among participants who had scandals with him, isn’t it only He Huiyu? If they’re not dating, I’ll twist my ex-boyfriend’s head off!!”

Wu Man held her phone in a daze, letting the screen dim, taking a long time to digest this shocking information.

He Huiyu was in love, and her partner was… Zhui Ye?!