In the cramped silence of the apartment, Hao Hao sat across from the most famous woman in the country.
Liu Yifei had recovered by now—gracefully so, as if that undignified moment of agony had never happened. Her posture was as straight as a blade, one long leg elegantly crossed over the other, the chipped ceramic cup of cheap jasmine tea cupped in her manicured hands like it was some vintage Bordeaux.
Hao Hao, however, leaned back on the couch, arms crossed, waiting.
Waiting for the system prompt.
Any second now.
After all, wasn't this usually how it worked?
He had cursed her out yesterday in public, kicked her today in the crotch, and now she was here—talking about modelling of all things. That had to mean something. A mission. A prompt. A trait sync, maybe?
But nothing came.
No sound. No text box. Not even the faintest [Ding~].
"…Tch." He let out a long breath, shoulders slumping. "So, nothing?"
Liu Yifei tilted her head. "Hm?"
"Ah, nothing." Hao Hao waved it off and stared at her face. Even sitting still, her aura was overwhelming. That delicate chin. The clear, sculpted lines. The kind of beauty that could shut down traffic or crash livestreams.
Which made her next words hit even harder.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, "but you've got the wrong guy. I don't look good, my body's not there, I've got zero presence. You want a model? Go find one of those cute boys you give free milk tea to."
To his surprise, she nodded without hesitation. "You're right."
"…The hell?!"
She smiled lazily. "You're ugly."
"Oi."
"Your skin's better, but the rest? Meh."
"…Lady, I have feelings too."
"But." She set the teacup down with a quiet clink. "You have an aura."
He blinked.
"You have something," she said. "A presence. Even when you flipped me off yesterday. Even when you kicked me just now. I've seen beautiful men. They're everywhere. You?" Her voice lowered. "You're not someone the camera forgets."
He stared at her, unsure if this was a compliment or another round of psychological torture.
"I'm not saying you should be a model. But you should do something in front of a camera. A streamer, a host, a face for a brand. You'd shine."
"…You really think so?"
"I know so." Her blue eyes swept the apartment again. "This doghouse doesn't suit someone like you. If you wanted… you could move to City Z. Live among giants."
City Z.
The heart of the entertainment world. The capital of influence and stardom. The place where gods and demons alike crawled over each other for fame.
Hao Hao was silent.
His eyes dropped to his hands. Soft. Round. Still weak. Still trembling with remnants of an old life.
He remembered his traits.
[Heroic Aura] – already activated. He hadn't felt much change yet, but the system said: "you will triumph, if you believe."
[Striking Beauty] – ticking away day by day, reshaping his face in the shadows.
If he really pushed for it…
If he leaned into what Liu Yifei saw in him…
He could be someone.
A celebrity, maybe. A national darling.
But was that what he wanted?
To wake up every day and worry about his looks? To smile for cameras? To pose under studio lights and hear fans screaming at every corner?
He remembered yesterday. The screams at the milk tea shop. The suffocating eyes. The way the crowd swallowed her whole.
That wasn't living.
That was performance.
"…I appreciate it," he said finally, voice soft. "I really do. But that life… just isn't for me."
Liu Yifei's expression didn't change.
She simply sipped the rest of her tea and exhaled through her nose.
"…Yeah," she said. "I figured you'd say that."
Then, without another word, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small card.
Her name. Her number. A logo at the top—her own personal agency, the one she built from scratch.
She slid it across the table toward him.
"This was just an introduction," she said. "If you change your mind… call me."
She rose.
He watched as she smoothed her blazer, picked up her clutch, and turned toward the door without looking back.
The apartment felt empty the second she left.
Only the card remained. A glossy rectangle sitting quietly on the scratched coffee table.
Hao Hao stared at it for a long time.
Then, slowly, he exhaled.
"…Pretty people usually have a few screws loose, huh?"
He leaned back, closed his eyes.
+
Inside the tinted luxury vehicle, silence hummed like a blade held against the throat.
Liu Yifei sat in the backseat, legs crossed, her cheek resting lightly against her palm. The screen of her phone glowed in the dim cabin—displaying a single image.
A boy.
No, a rabbit.
Round-cheeked, still pudgy. Soft eyes, awkward posture. But the picture captured a very particular moment—when he had just turned away from her. His back was straight. His eyes were sharp. His face carried an expression that didn't match his mediocre looks at all.
Pride.
Stubborn, quiet pride.
Liu Yifei stared at the photo for a long while. Her lips parted slightly. Then slowly, they curved into a smirk.
Behind the wheel, Agent Fox glanced into the rearview mirror. The mask she wore was unsettling in itself—a sleek vulpine design of black and red lacquer, with mirrored eyes that reflected no emotion.
"…Everything going according to plan, President Liu?" she asked, her voice calm, crisp.
Liu Yifei tapped her phone, closed the image. Her fingers brushed against her lip thoughtfully before she replied.
"Mm. Just as expected."
Agent Fox remained silent.
"He refused," Liu Yifei continued softly, almost lazily. "Of course he would. They always do at first. Especially the ones with fire in their eyes."
She closed her eyes.
"But fire burns. It's easy to warm it into submission. With the right touch… the right stage…" Her lips curled. "Even the most stubborn toys start to sing."
Agent Fox made no comment.
Liu Yifei's smile deepened.
"When he enters this industry… I will sculpt him. Mold him. Break him in all the right places. And when he shines—he will shine only for me."
Her eyes opened.
Sharp. Cold. Burning with the anticipation of a hunter watching prey walk into the snare.
"I've conquered many boys, Agent Fox. Models. Stars. Prodigies. But this one…" Her voice dropped to a whisper, thick with amusement.
"This one will be my masterpiece."
+
The streets of City A were just beginning to stir with the usual morning chaos—cars honking in the distance, delivery scooters weaving between lanes, and the salty wind from the sea brushing past every storefront.
Hao Hao walked down the sidewalk, his tracksuit clinging lightly with sweat from his morning run.
He paused in front of the same milk tea shop.
Same sign. Same dusty menu board. Same girl behind the counter.
Or at least, she looked the same—her hair still tied up lazily, her uniform wrinkled from sleep.
But her expression when she saw him?
Different.
"…Yo," she said, blinking. "You again?"
Hao Hao stepped forward.
The girl stared openly at his face. Her eyes lingered too long, flicking across his cheeks, his skin, his jawline that—while still rounded—was no longer blotchy or inflamed.
"…Did you, like, get a new skincare routine or something?" she asked, leaning forward on the counter. "Because no offense, but last time, you looked like a steamed bun that rolled through sandpaper."
He raised an eyebrow.
She was smiling now. Almost… interested.
It was almost flattering.
Almost.
"Mind your own business," Hao Hao said dryly.
The smile cracked. Her face twisted into a perfect scowl. "Tch, whatever. See if I care."
He took his milk tea and turned away, the cup cold in his hand.
But there was a grin on his lips.