Chapter 64 – Petty and Narrow-Minded

The recording of “Happy Match-Up” had come to an end, leaving the set sparsely populated and somewhat desolate.

The dressing room was at the end of the hallway. A woman in high heels hurriedly passed by several rooms but suddenly halted a few steps away from the dressing room.

A sliver of white light seeped through the door crack—someone was inside.

Hua Mei hesitated for a moment before smoothing her long hair and pushing the door open to enter.

The dressing room was thick with the scent of cosmetics. LED-lit makeup mirrors lined both sides, and at the far end of the dazzling light stood a tall, stocky woman in a red dress.

The woman was bent over, her large, round buttocks sticking out as she braced one hand on the dressing table and meticulously applied lipstick with the other. Beside her sat a flamboyantly dressed man in a short-sleeved shirt embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, his orange hair styled outrageously. He lounged with his legs crossed, playing on his phone as WeChat notifications chimed nonstop.

Hua Mei was puzzled. Though she had never seen them before, the overwhelming flamboyance they exuded told her they were industry insiders—the kind of over-the-top colleagues she despised the most.

Suppressing her disgust, Hua Mei rummaged through her own makeup kit, her long hair falling into her face. She irritably tucked it behind her ears, clearly agitated.

She couldn’t find the foundation she had used on Chu Yin the other day. She distinctly remembered putting it in her kit, but now that she wanted to retrieve it to throw it away, it was nowhere to be found. A sense of unease gnawed at her, and she had rushed back in a panic to search for it.

“Little sister, are you looking for this?” A deep yet oddly coquettish voice sounded beside her ear. Hua Mei’s breath hitched as she spun around and came face-to-face with a heavily made-up visage, startling her into stumbling back several steps.

Hua Mei: “You… you’re a man?!”

Booty-san leaned flirtatiously against the dressing table, his red lips curving into a smirk as he dangled a plastic bag in front of Hua Mei. Inside was a bottle of foundation, barely used.

Booty-san let out a throaty laugh, batting his lashes. “Not just a man—a beautiful one at that.”

Hua Mei eyed the foundation in Booty-san’s hand warily. “…Who are you people? Why did you steal my things?”

“Oh?” Booty-san’s eyes flickered. “So you admit this foundation is yours?”

“No!” Hua Mei instantly backtracked. “I just lost one that looks similar.”

“Is that so…” Yan Yunshui finally looked up. “This foundation is expired. No professional makeup artist with any ethics would use it. Wouldn’t you agree, miss?”

Hua Mei nodded absently, realizing with dread that these two were clearly here to cause trouble for her. She couldn’t afford to engage with them any longer. Clutching her bag, she edged backward, eyeing them warily—but strangely, they made no move to stop her. Instead, they exchanged glances, as if waiting for something, their gazes sliding past her to the doorway.

A chill ran down Hua Mei’s spine as she turned her head.

Leaning against the doorframe was a man in a black suit and a burgundy tie, his posture casual but his expression icy. His long legs were crossed at the ankles, and he regarded her with an unreadable stare.

“Wei… Wei Lai.” Of course, Hua Mei recognized Wei Lai—Yao Chaowu’s former manager, who should have been his greatest ally but had instead been brainwashed by Chu Yin and turned into his lapdog.

Cornered, Hua Mei summoned the desperate fury of a woman with nothing left to lose. “What’s the meaning of this?” she shrieked. “Blocking me in here—what are you planning to do?”

Yan Yunshui wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Quit screeching. Even if we were planning something, it wouldn’t involve you, you hag who bullied our crybaby!”

Hua Mei snapped, “I’ve said it a million times—everyone has their own makeup style! If you weren’t happy with how I did it, fine, I’ll apologize! Just let me go! If I’d known your precious celebrity was more delicate than a national treasure, I would’ve chopped off my own hand before touching him!”

“Then chop it now, little sister,” Booty-san sneered, miming a slicing motion. “It’s not too late. If you’re scared of pain, I’ll help you.”

“Why bother?” Yan Yunshui drawled. “There’s a slaughterhouse a few streets over. The butcher there could lop off your useless trotters in seconds.”

“You… you grown men ganging up to bully one young woman—have you no shame?!”

Yan Yunshui tsked. “Oh please, still calling yourself a ‘young woman’? More like a rotten hag!”

Booty-san smirked. “We’re queens, darling. We don’t care about gender—we’ll drag anyone, male or female.”

Hua Mei’s face twisted with rage, her foundation cracking under the strain. She turned to leave, but Wei Lai blocked her path, cutting straight to the chase. “Did you write that post about the C-list top celebrity?”

Hua Mei: “What post? I’ve never heard of it.”

Wei Lai: “The day Chu Yin had an allergic reaction, I checked everything around him that could’ve caused it. Including your makeup kit.”

Hua Mei: “…You thief!”

Wei Lai shrugged. “Then call the police.”

Hua Mei: “…”

When Wei Lai wasn’t smiling, his usual affability vanished, replaced by a sharp, icy edge. Standing near him felt like standing beside frozen waves—chilling to the bone.

“You mixed peanut oil into the foundation and smeared it on the face of someone allergic to peanuts. A peanut allergy can be fatal.” Wei Lai shoved Hua Mei back. “Who do you think the police would arrest—you or me?”

Hua Mei staggered, screaming, “I didn’t add peanut oil! Do you think I’m insane?! I didn’t even know Chu Yin was allergic to peanuts! The expired foundation was my mistake—I didn’t check the date. But don’t you dare pin everything on me!”

Wei Lai: “Save that excuse for your boss.”

Hua Mei slumped into a chair, dazed. “…What?”

Wei Lai glanced down at her. “You should be grateful Chu Yin washed it off himself and only had a mild reaction. Otherwise, losing your job would’ve been the least of your worries.”

Booty-san chimed in, “Damn right! Otherwise, sis would’ve ended you!”

Hua Mei burst into tears, her words jumbled. “I… I was wrong! I just wanted to stand up for Brother Chaowu! Wei Lai, you used to make trouble for Chu Yin too, didn’t you?! I didn’t add peanut oil… I didn’t know! Maybe it was already in the makeup! What right do you have to play the hero here?! To just take away someone’s livelihood like this?! Just because you’re rich and powerful?!”

Wei Lai couldn’t bear to look at her any longer. “Let’s go.”

As Yan Yunshui passed Hua Mei, he recalled his brief stint as a teacher and sighed. “If you truly loved your job, you wouldn’t have used your tools to hurt someone. If you find work again someday, I hope you remember that.”

On the way back, Wei Lai drove while Yan Yunshui sat in the passenger seat, gazing at him admiringly. “Slutty Wei, you’re a damn prophet! How’d you know that hag would come back for the foundation? When Booty-san held it up, her face went white—so satisfying!”

Wei Lai: “Just luck. I was planning to call her boss and have her brought in.”

Yan Yunshui: “This industry is fucking vicious! What kind of life must my male god lead?! I’m gonna warn him when we get back—he needs to be more careful!”

Wei Lai paused before saying, “Don’t tell him. Just say it was a normal allergic reaction.”

Yan Yunshui: “Why?! He almost got disfigured!”

Wei Lai had his reasons. Chu Yin was already aloof and fragile. If he found out, he might withdraw even further.

Wei Lai: “We’re the ones who need to be vigilant. Chu Yin just needs to focus on his work and stay happy. If we can’t even give him basic safety and security—if he’s afraid to wear makeup, eat, or sleep—then what’s the point of us?”

Booty-san giggled. “Oh, stop making excuses. You just spoil Pouty Princess too much to let him get upset.”

Wei Lai shook his head.

Booty-san: “What? You denying it, Slutty Wei?”

Wei Lai slowed the car and smiled faintly. “No. Just felt dizzy for a second there—everything went black.”

Yan Yunshui tightened his seatbelt. “Have you been staying up late? I told you to quit mahjong!”

Wei Lai: “Nah, I’ve been living healthy lately. Might go to the hospital later. Probably just pent-up frustration from not getting laid.”

Yan Yunshui suddenly switched to shipping mode. “Speaking of which, ever since you became my male god’s manager, you haven’t touched another man.”