The “image rehabilitation plan” meant exactly what the name implied.
To Li Wanbai, cleansing the reputation of a top “blackened celebrity” like herself seemed like a long and arduous journey. But to Su Chengzi, it appeared effortlessly achievable. She had been in a state of extreme excitement all night, tossing and turning beside Li Wanbai until the latter couldn’t sleep properly and had to physically intervene.
The next morning, the dark circles under Su Chengzi’s eyes were particularly prominent.
Naturally fair-skinned, her sleepless night made the shadows under her eyes even more conspicuous, looking from a distance as if someone had punched her twice.
“Duo Duo, you—oh, was this really necessary? I’m not particularly invested in the entertainment industry anyway. Whether I’m notoriously famous or genuinely popular makes no difference to me. You don’t have to go to such lengths just to help me clean up my image…” Li Wanbai looked at Su Chengzi, pursed her lips, and after mentally scrambling for words, finally managed to utter: “…this excited.”
Su Chengzi rolled her eyes. “Mind your own business! This is the kind of passion that arises when one witnesses a grand undertaking. Just imagine—completely rehabilitating the image of today’s most controversial viral celebrity! What a magnificent, what a formidable mission! Only a genius like me could accomplish it.”
With a light humph, Su Chengzi turned and walked toward the entryway.
Li Wanbai asked curiously, “Where are you going?”
“Duh, obviously going to the company with you! What? Does Canyang Entertainment not even have a clock-in system?” Su Chengzi finished putting on her shoes and glanced back at her, slightly frowning. “Why aren’t you getting ready?”
“Seriously? You’re coming to the company with me? You’re not actually planning to become my personal assistant, are you?” Li Wanbai’s expression shifted repeatedly. “I understand your determination regarding the rehabilitation plan, but there’s no need to actually abandon your own career and stoop to being a mere personal assistant at my company. Maybe you should reconsider and take on some other position?”
Being a jewelry designer seemed like a wonderful profession—at least that’s what Li Wanbai had thought during high school.
For Su Chengzi, a jewelry designer with her own studio, to lower herself to being just a small-time assistant by her side—Li Wanbai felt aggrieved on her behalf.
“Stop feeling indignant for me! If I want to do it, I’ll do it! If you think I’m lowering myself as an assistant, then find me another job! Do you currently have the power or qualifications to challenge Canyang Entertainment? Since you don’t, just obediently accept my generosity!”
Seeing Li Wanbai’s eyes dim, Su Chengzi hastily added, slightly raising her chin with a tsundere expression, “Now get yourself ready. I’ll warm up the car downstairs. I’ll only wait ten minutes! If you’re not down by then, you can walk to Canyang Entertainment yourself!”
With that, the villa door opened and closed. Li Wanbai stood frozen for a few seconds before snapping back to reality and rushing into the bathroom.
When Su Chengzi said she’d only wait ten minutes, she meant exactly ten minutes—no false advertising whatsoever.
Their friendship ran deep: they had attended the same kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school. Eventually, Su Chengzi even gave up the opportunity to study abroad to attend the same university as Li Wanbai.
With their families being long-time neighbors, they naturally commuted to and from school together frequently.
Su Chengzi often set a strict deadline – if Li Wanbai hadn’t come down by that time, she would turn and leave without any room for negotiation. In the end, it was always Li Wanbai who had to buy some spicy strips to appease her.
The procrastination ingrained in Li Wanbai’s genes vanished without a trace before it could even manifest.
In a way, she ought to build a temple in Su Chengzi’s honor.
Brushing her teeth, Li Wanbai’s thoughts drifted.
She still remembered one time when she exceeded Su Chengzi’s ten-minute limit and indeed found her gone when she went downstairs.
At that time, Li Wanbai was solely focused on catching up with Su Chengzi and ended up bumping into a young man at the corner.
To this day, she could still recall the sharp scent of cedar on the youth.
“Are you okay?” The startled young man reached out to her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. Let me introduce myself – I’m Yu Baichuan. What’s your name?”
With her toothbrush still in her mouth, Li Wanbai couldn’t help but smile.
Her encounter with Yu Baichuan had been so full of romantic drama, which was probably why she had never been able to forget him all these years.
The young Yu Baichuan seemed to be right before her eyes.
Li Wanbai slowly reached out her hand, but only touched the cold surface of the mirror.
Fortunately, the mirror’s chill made her shiver, goosebumps rising as she suddenly snapped back to reality. After splashing cold water on her face, she rushed downstairs – already eleven minutes late.
Her heart filled with anxiety, but to her surprise, she spotted Su Chengzi’s back not far away.
Without thinking too much, she shouted, “Duo Duo, wait for me!”
Su Chengzi abruptly stopped and turned around, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes filled with complex emotions.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Alright, alright, I apologize!” Li Wanbai clasped her hands together, her tone sincere. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have spaced out while brushing my teeth, and I definitely shouldn’t have taken eleven minutes when I clearly knew you wanted me downstairs within ten.”
While racking her brain for apology phrases, she continued loudly, “But… but I don’t think it’s entirely my fault! I told you before that ten minutes is completely unreasonable, you…”
Her words cut off abruptly as Su Chengzi suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her.
Li Wanbai heard her low voice by her ear: “Now I’m 100% certain that you’re the Xiaobai I know!”
Over the past ten years, she had left countless times. But only today, only at this moment, had Li Wanbai asked her to wait.
So she stopped.
And she actually waited for her.
Li Wanbai’s train of thought clearly couldn’t keep up. Scratching her chin, she said curiously, “So you were planning to disband your studio to become my life assistant without being 100% sure I was the real Li Wanbai? Duo Duo, oh Duo Duo, you call me stupid, but you’re not much smarter yourself!”
Su Chengzi’s expression changed. Releasing her, she rolled her eyes: “Less meddling in this princess’s business! Enough talk, get in the car with me!”
Su Chengzi was indeed the same familiar Su Chengzi – tough in action and never short on words.
Even her driving skills were just as wild!
Gripping the seatbelt tightly, Li Wanbai swallowed hard: “Duo Duo, I’d still like to live a few more years.”
“Like I said, would I dare mess with a princess?” Su Chengzi mumbled around her chewing gum. “Relax, I’ve got experience. We’re not gonna die.”
Li Wanbai watched her stomp on the accelerator to overtake three cars in a row, instinctively tightening her grip on the seatbelt.
Cherish your life, stay away from speed-demon best friends!
Why did she feel like an icy wind was blowing right in her face when they were in a sedan with the windshield intact?