Xize is either on set filming or reading scripts and discussing work. He has little time to go out and make friends, so the people he knows now are all from Tom's crew.
After performing a scene with Xize, Anquiro came to know him better. He admired Xize's composure and, due to their frequent interactions on set, gradually became close friends with him.
Sometimes on set, when Xize, Arnold, and Anquiro are all present, after a scene, Xize and Anquiro would gather to chat and laugh, while Arnold would sit alone reading his script.
Uninformed fans continued to cheer "Anqi is so cute," while crew members, under strict orders from the director to keep silent, shed sympathetic tears for their idol.
Shouldn't the idol be chatting and laughing with Xize alone at this time? Why has it completely reversed? Idol, where is your dominance? Has it all leaked out?
By now, Xize and Anquiro had become familiar with each other. Xize felt that Anquiro was somewhat like his past self—their acting styles and approaches in the industry were similar, and their ways of dealing with people were alike. People of similar nature tend to come together, and since Arnold was always taciturn on set, Xize naturally gravitated towards Anquiro. He became Xize's first actor friend in the industry.
Since becoming friends, the relationship between Anquiro and Xize grew even stronger. They were kindred spirits who could talk deeply, discovering each other's shining points, thus forming a deeper bond.
Anquiro once mistakenly made headlines in real-time news because of Xize, which unexpectedly brought him unprecedented popularity. In the eyes of his fans, Anquiro was a righteous actor and a senior in the entertainment industry. However, since he unexpectedly reposted Ivy's status last time, enthusiastic fans realized that Anquiro wasn't as serious and unapproachable as they thought.
Fans gave Anquiro the nickname "Anqi" and would call out "Anqi" on his message board every day. Anquiro had never been this close to his fans before. He always felt that due to his acting style and appearance, he lacked fan affinity. He never expected to be treated like an idol star by his fans at this time.
Now, during breaks on set, Anquiro would often take out his mobile light screen to check fan messages. He was genuinely happy about it. Every actor loves passionate fans, and he never thought he could get so close to his fans. Whenever he saw fans calling him 'Anqi' and acting cute, Anquiro felt "cute" himself!
Anquiro was like a girl with pink bubbles in her heart, showing a smile that was never seen before whenever he checked his messages, making the crew members feel intoxicated.
Thanks to Xize, Anquiro seemed to have entered a second spring in his life, always smiling on set. He and Xize would discuss scripts and chat together, occasionally going out for food when filming night scenes.
Anquiro would sometimes post photos of himself eating and chatting with Xize, giving fans a visual treat. Each time, fans would collectively "whimper" in the replies, calling Anquiro "awesome," and some even asked Anquiro to introduce Xize to more new friends.
But fans were anxious at this point! Anqi and Xize discussing scripts together! Anqi and Xize having late-night snacks together! Anqi and Xize taking several photos together! But where is the idol? Where is the idol?! Does the idol go to the bathroom every time there's a photo or snack time?
Finally, once, a fan visiting the set took a photo of Xize and excitedly posted it online: "Xize is so handsome!!! I saw Xize and the idol filming a scene together!!"—but the photo showed Xize chatting with Anquiro off-set, not with Arnold.
Fans' hearts were shattered. Can't my idol appear within two meters of Xize during photo time? Is he in the bathroom again?
Underneath the photo, a bunch of fans whimpered, "Where is the idol?!"
The visiting fan could only reply helplessly, "The idol, the idol always stays alone after filming, he still seems too aloof and somewhat solitary. What to do?"
As Arnold's staunch supporters, fans were anxious too. What to do?! Leave it to us!!
Fans turned to Anquiro's page and acted cute—
"Anqi, you're awesome! Can you bring the idol into the photo next time?"
"Anqi, you're so cute! Doesn't the idol join you for late-night snacks?"
"Anqi, you're so good! Can Arnold be in the next photo you post?!"
Anquiro, delighted by the fans' cuteness, decided to be kind-hearted. When he looked around the set and saw Arnold's solitude, he felt the need to take care of him as a senior. Arnold, though high-ranking in the industry, was polite to him as a senior. So, with the mindset of a senior taking care of a junior, Anquiro started inviting Arnold for late-night snacks.
Arnold was very passive, but he wouldn't refuse when Anquiro invited him. Thus, Anquiro finally fulfilled the fans' wishes by posting a photo of Xize and Arnold having late-night snacks together.
As soon as the photo was posted, fans screamed and commented, "Anqi, you're the best!! Anqi is the real idol!!"
"Arnold, what kind of idol? Just have late-night snacks with Xize!! Let Anqi be the idol!!"
"Anqi, you're the most handsome idol!"
So many comments... the feeling was exhilarating... Anquiro's heart was jumping like a little sparrow... Ah, being called an idol feels so exhilarating!
Ivy, as Anquiro's friend in the industry, initially saw Anquiro's drastic change and disdainfully said, "It must be because Xize is too cute, and fans misunderstand Old Ro."
But when she saw the photos Anquiro posted of Xize online, she immediately knelt down and worshipped without any dignity, "Anqi idol, I'm your brainless fan!!"
Upon hearing that Anquiro and Xize had become friends, Ivy called Anquiro every day, asking him to bring Xize out to meet her.
Anquiro coldly snorted over the communicator, "Oh, it's the fans who misunderstand me."
Ivy cried bitterly, "Anqi idol, it's me who misunderstood you, I won't dare next time."
Only then did Anquiro agree. But due to the tight filming schedule, they always couldn't find time. Every time Anquiro was free, Xize wasn't, and vice versa.
Finally, this Wednesday, Tom generously gave the crew a day off.
Anquiro, being loyal, always introduced his friends to each other. In his circle, there were people like Ivy, a bold diva, Tom, a big-name commercial film director, singers, actors, philanthropists, and even businessmen and politicians from the upper echelons.
Anquiro had a private estate on the entertainment planet, usually used for entertaining friends. This Wednesday, he invited two friends over to hang out, and Tom, considering himself part of Anquiro's circle, also came over with a big smile.
Anquiro had become the fans' representative, and they made him happy with "Anqi is cute." He cared for Xize, both as a senior helping a junior and as a friend.
Before leaving, Tom shamelessly called Anquiro, "Are you picking me up? Or will your driver come?"
Anquiro replied, "Get here yourself."
When Tom arrived at Anquiro's estate, he saw that Anquiro had personally gone to pick up Xize and was furious. He, a director, had to drive himself, while Anquiro personally picked up Xize?!
Anquiro's estate had a European-style castle, with the first floor being a reception hall and various entertainment facilities. When Tom was led in by the butler, he saw Ivy and Stella already there. He angrily plopped his round body onto the sofa and shouted, "Old Ro personally went to pick up Xize? I'm the director!!"
Tom thought his words would resonate with his friends, but no one responded. Confused, he looked around and almost spat blood.
Ivy and Stella were dressed in formal attire, adjusting their hair and jewelry in front of a mirror in the living room.
Ivy's golden hair was half down and half braided, with a sparkling short-sleeved dress, looking very elegant. She was changing her earrings, seemingly not noticing Tom's arrival, and asked Stella, "Do these earrings look gentle and ladylike?"
Tom: "......" Was Ivy's head run over by a car?
Stella, not from the entertainment industry, was a wealthy businesswoman with some Asian heritage, very beautiful. Today, she wore a luxurious purple off-shoulder fishtail dress, looking like she was attending a high-society event. Her black hair was down, and she was applying lipstick while glancing at Ivy's earrings, "Maybe change to studs... these don't look ladylike enough..." Then, looking back at her lipstick in the mirror, she asked, "How's my lipstick? I changed to shade 61."
Ivy frowned, "With a purple dress, isn't this red too bold?"
Both women then exclaimed in frustration, "Ah!" showing a "I'm going crazy" expression.
Tom, sitting on the sofa, looked at them like they were lunatics. Wasn't this supposed to be a casual gathering with a few friends? Why dress so formally?
Ivy usually just tied her hair and wore a t-shirt and jeans. Stella usually wore a suit. Why the earrings and lipstick now?! Did they forget they picked their feet on this sofa last month?!
Ivy and Stella held each other's hands, jumping in excitement. Ivy said, "What to do, what to do?! So nervous and excited."
Stella, also jumping, said, "Me too, me too!! Should have brought the stylist, choosing a lipstick is so hard!"
Tom felt like he was splitting apart. He wondered why Ivy suddenly became so ladylike, and why Stella, the cunning businesswoman, was so picky about her lipstick. Then he realized—they were excited and nervous about meeting Xize!
Feeling invisible, Tom turned back, accustomed to it. His screenwriter would rewrite the script 108 times for Xize, his crew would give Xize the biggest chicken leg, and his makeup artist would change all her tools for Xize... What wouldn't these two women do?
Finally noticing Tom, Stella said, "Oh, Tom, you're here?! Ah! Xize must be arriving soon. Tom, Tom, help me choose a lipstick that matches my dress."
Tom: "..." Mom, why did you make me so ugly? These women put on makeup for Xize but meet me barefaced and picking their feet, this face-obsessed world is despairing.
Ten minutes later, Xize arrived at the estate, brought in by Anquiro. Anquiro told Xize, "Don't be formal, treat it like your own home. Everyone here is a friend."
Xize smiled at Anquiro, curiously looking around the European-style castle as he walked into the hall.
When Xize entered, he didn't see Tom at all. His attention was drawn to Ivy and Stella, who floated over in their formal dresses, greeting him like ladies.
Xize was momentarily stunned by their formal attire but politely and gentlemanly said, "Hello." Recognizing Ivy, he thought, isn't this the diva who had an online spat with Selena? She looks so ladylike in person. He didn't know the woman in the purple fishtail dress, who didn't seem to be from the entertainment industry.
Anquiro couldn't bear to look at Ivy and Stella. Did they wake up wrong today? Tom, already furious, stood up and shouted, "Xize, relax. They just want to leave a good first impression, but it won't last. You'll see."
"Director?" Xize realized Tom was there.
Despite Tom and Anquiro being dazzled by the two women, Ivy and Stella maintained their elegant demeanor in front of Xize. Anquiro introduced them, and as they sat down for tea and chatted, Ivy took out her mobile light screen and asked Xize, "Shall we take a photo together?!"
Xize agreed without hesitation, standing up and walking over to Ivy, a gentlemanly gesture.
Ivy and Stella exchanged excited glances, Xize is so gentlemanly!! So manly!!
Ivy, holding the light screen, posed like a princess, while Xize bent down and smiled, taking a photo together.
Immediately, Ivy excitedly posted the photo online. The picture didn't match her recent crazy image at all. She looked beautiful with her golden hair and blue eyes, smiling elegantly and shyly, with a gentle smile on her lips, and next to her was the smiling Xize.
Ivy, recently acting like a crazy fan of Xize on social media, nearly drove her manager to despair. But this time, she posted the photo with a shy emoji and a sentimental caption, "Meeting is wonderful!"
As Ivy posted the photo, Xize was already drinking tea and chatting with the others, while fans went wild.
The caption didn't match Ivy's usual style. Fans laughed—
"Ivy isn't normal today?! Thumbs down!! You shouldn't be so shy!"
"At first glance, I thought it was some socialite, but it's Ivy the crazy woman. This isn't scientific!! Xize is still lovely."
"Ivy is beautiful when silent and smiling, but... forget it, the queen + crazy style suits you better! Xize, mwah."
"Ivy is abnormally beautiful today. Have you noticed? Everyone acts differently around Xize. Anqi becomes cute, Ivy becomes beautiful. Is 'Xize' a disease?! Please don't cure it!"
Fans then expressed their desire to catch the 'Xize' disease.
By now, Xize was happily chatting with everyone. With his rebirth advantage, he knew a lot about Earth's culture, which intrigued people of this era.
For instance, Stella was curious about Earth's festivals and corresponding foods; Tom wondered how people filmed high-altitude scenes without hover devices; Anquiro was puzzled by the meanings of old numbers like 1314 and 520; Ivy was curious about what kind of dog a single dog was.
Xize patiently explained, suppressing his inner turmoil, telling Stella, "There are many traditional festivals: Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, New Year's Eve. If you're interested, I can compile a document detailing the festivals and their traditional foods."
To Tom, he said, "There were no hover devices back then. Technology wasn't advanced enough; people hadn't left Earth. They used a thing called 'wire,' which is a steel wire. During filming, they hung people with wires, then edited out the wires in post-production."
To Anquiro, he explained, "Numbers had phonetic meanings. In Chinese, 1314 means forever, 520 means I love you. As for 2333... it's an internet term meaning 'hahaha,' indicating laughter."
To Ivy, he said, "A single dog isn't a dog. It's an internet term from that time, a self-deprecating way for single people to refer to themselves. It doesn't insult anyone, just a bit of self-mockery."
They discussed many things, most of which Xize knew well. For things he didn't know, he analyzed and explained based on his knowledge. The more Xize spoke, the more amazed the others were, even checking Wikipedia to verify his answers, astonished to find Xize was like a living encyclopedia.
Tom and Anquiro were impressed, not expecting a nineteen-year-old to know so much. Ivy and Stella were flushed with excitement, thinking Xize was amazing!! Xize knew so much!! Xize was so smart...
Xize, feeling a bit overwhelmed, thought, "A cultural gap of thousands of years is huge. My rebirth advantage is really strong. I must have saved Buddha in my past life to have such an incredible life now."
After an hour of chatting, Ivy and Stella were completely won over. They asked for Xize's autograph, while Anquiro checked his messages.
While Ivy and Stella were around Xize, Anquiro seriously posted, "Xize knows a lot. I just learned that 'single dog' isn't a dog but a self-deprecating term for single people. 2333 means 'hahaha.'"
This post spread like wildfire—
"23333, I'm a single dog!"
"I'm the single dog!"
"Move aside, single dog coming through!"
"What to do? I'm asexual, so I'll be a single dog forever?"
"So what? The president is a single dog!! Our district chief is a single dog!! I just got divorced and became a single dog!! Woof woof!"
That night, Sam found the official message board flooded with—
"Single dog was here.".
"The idol must not be single, single dog was here."
"Envy the idol, single dog was here."
"Xize knows so much, the idol is lucky, single dog was here."
...
At this time, Xize had just received Xize's complete background information from Xia Li. Before he could read it, Xia Li, with a tearful face on the light screen, asked, "Arnold, do you know what a 'single dog' is?"
Without thinking, Arnold replied, "An extinct dog breed, I suppose."
Xia Li, dejected, said, "No... Arnold, a single dog isn't a dog. I just found out, a single dog is actually a person!"
Arnold raised an eyebrow, "A person?"
Xia Li: "Yes, us!! In ancient Earth times, it was a self-deprecating term for single people!! We're all single dogs!!" Heavens, did our ancestors have issues?!
Arnold, incredulous, asked, "Who told you this?"
Xia Li: "No one told me, it's true. Xize popularized this knowledge, and it's gone viral. Even the president's personal social ID is flooded with 'single dog was here.'"
Arnold: "......…"