Xu Zhao worked extremely fast.
Before Qin Sizheng could even adapt to his new identity, Xu Zhao had already called him to go to the company and sign a contract.
He put on a mask and a hat, kept as low-key as possible, and took a taxi to the company.
The Shengyu Building towered into the clouds. Relying on the little bit of memory he had, Qin Sizheng found the elevator and pressed the floor. Inside stood a man who was cursing someone in a low voice.
“You say you won’t act and you just won’t act? What do you mean, ‘a role Qin Sizheng didn’t take’? What the hell is he? You’re comparing yourself to that trash who’s flopped all the way to the earth’s core?”
The man was loud and animated. Qin Sizheng shifted slightly to the side.
“What are you standing there for like an idiot? Press thirty-seven.”
Qin Sizheng paused, then realized the man was ordering him around. He raised his hand and pressed the button for the thirty-seventh floor.
“He debuted at fourteen! That idiot is only eighteen now! You’re already twenty-one this year! He has a sugar daddy—do you? You debuted cleanly and want rumors about being kept too?!”
The man kept pointing and scolding. Qin Sizheng’s palm itched; he was barely holding himself back from throwing a punch and smashing him into the elevator wall so hard he’d never peel off.
Bang!
The elevator suddenly jolted and stopped. The man’s cursing stopped too as he frantically pressed the emergency call button.
“What kind of piece-of-shit elevator is this?!”
As he cursed, a long, fair hand suddenly reached out, and he froze.
…That hand was way too beautiful.
That hand quickly lit up every floor button. When it reached the nineteenth floor, the rapidly descending elevator abruptly stopped again.
The man glanced sideways. The boy tilted his head, as if considering something. Just as the man was about to speak, he saw him reach out and hook his fingers into the gap between the elevator doors on both sides.
“Don’t mess around! What if you break it—”
Before he could finish, the lean boy forcibly pulled the two elevator doors… open?
Just like that—using both hands, he pried them open by force.
The man was dumbfounded, his phone dropping to the floor with a “thud.”
The boy stepped out of the elevator, paused, then turned back and beckoned to him.
The man blinked as if waking from a dream, hurried over. “Something wrong?”
“I saved you.” Qin Sizheng pointed behind him.
The floor indicator lights plummeted uncontrollably, and the ground seemed to shake. The man’s heart skipped a beat. Still shaken, he managed to say, “Amazing… you actually pried open the elevator doors with your bare hands! May I know your name?”
The hand lowered the mask, revealing an exquisitely striking face, lips slightly parted.
“Qin Sizheng.”
Cold sweat ran down the man’s face. He collapsed on the spot.
Using his memory, Qin Sizheng located the meeting room. Xu Zhao was chatting amicably with another man—Qin Sizheng guessed he must be Hu Cheng, the person in charge of Traveling with Cute Kids.
“Take off the mask. This is Hu Cheng, call him Brother Hu,” Xu Zhao said.
Qin Sizheng removed his mask and hat, revealing long, artfully shaped eyebrows and a cluster of black hair falling over his forehead. The mix of cold elegance and soft sweetness was dizzying.
“Brother Hu.”
The entertainment circle was never short on beauties, but Qin Sizheng’s kind of beauty made Hu Cheng freeze for a moment. No wonder all the high-ranking fat cats upstairs wanted a piece of him.
“Truly beautiful. No wonder everyone’s fighting over you.”
Qin Sizheng’s instincts for danger were sharp; that man’s gaze made him want to smash his head open.
Seeing Qin Sizheng’s expression, Xu Zhao grew nervous. He feared a fight might break out, and that the Cute Kids team might back out. “Since everyone’s satisfied, let’s sign the contract quickly. Sizheng, you have things to do later, right?”
Qin Sizheng softly replied, “Mm,” and relaxed his fingers.
Xu Zhao watched anxiously until the contract was signed, his eyes occasionally drifting to Qin Sizheng’s face.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that Qin Sizheng had just looked at Hu Cheng with murderous intent.
“Oh, I’ve arranged a new assistant for you. He’ll handle your daily affairs from now on.”
The boy knew of Qin Sizheng’s “feat” of changing nine assistants in a month. He cautiously clenched his fists and greeted him. “Brother Qin, I’m Jiang Xi.”
Qin Sizheng curved his eyes at him, two shallow dimples appearing on his cheeks. His smile was like the stars scattering across the sky.
Jiang Xi whispered, “Brother, you’re really handsome.”
Xu Zhao thought: obviously, with his relentless drive to court disaster, if he weren’t good-looking, he would’ve been finished in the entertainment industry long ago.
“After signing the contract, filming starts in half a month. Tonight the official announcement will go out, and you should also do a live broadcast. If anyone criticizes you, just treat it as nonsense—don’t confront them.”
Qin Sizheng nodded. “Got it.”
“Here’s your phone back, but you cannot post recklessly on Weibo anymore, understand?”
Qin Sizheng, who didn’t like using his phone much anyway, took it and glanced at it. To his surprise, Xu Zhao had set that photo from before—the one reading Cherish life, stay away from Lu Xianqing—as his wallpaper, providing real-time motivation.
Traveling with Cute Kids chose a format of revealing one guest per week. Even before filming, the show had already gained buzz.
Four guests had been announced, and Qin Sizheng was the last.
Less than ten minutes after the official Weibo announcement, the show’s account shot to the top of trending.
【Is there no one else in the entertainment industry? You brought in a rotten egg to ruin everything?!】
【I’ve seen self-destructive people, but never this self-destructive. First time I’ve abandoned a show before it even started, bye.】
【Capital’s power is insane. Qin Sizheng can be this shameless and still get resources? Are audiences just chives to them? Shouldn’t this kind of celebrity be blacklisted?】
【No wonder he apologized to Wen Li the other day. So he’s planning a comeback. I thought he was quitting this line of work.】
【#BoycottQinSizheng He debuted and stole an award from Fourth Brother. His acting is terrible—does he think we’re blind? So many resources despite being self-destructive, still not blacklisted. And people say he has no backers, who believes that?】
【[Link] I said he has backers, probably more than one. Timeline’s obvious, yet fans still pretend not to see. Ridiculous.】
【#QinSizhengQuitsCuteKids Poor guy or Fourth Brother? Let this waterhead keep causing trouble. Responding is gross, ignoring is worse. And his “rival”? Does he even deserve to rival Fourth Brother?】
【Qin Sizheng’s scandals compiled! Throwing things on set, being a diva, buying hot searches, sidelining peers, assaulting assistants—all included. Click to see!】
Qin Sizheng stared at the avalanche of comments. How bad was the original owner’s reputation? He scrolled for half an hour and barely found a few voices defending him.
Jiang Xi adjusted the camera, checked the angle, and worriedly said, “Brother, maybe wait to go live later, let them calm down first.”
Qin Sizheng rubbed his ears and said, “Stick your neck out, get cut. Keep it in, get cut. I’m not going to be the one hiding. What do you call someone who hides?”
Jiang Xi added, “A turtle.”
Immediately, he covered his mouth—oops, he almost spoke too quickly. Qin Sizheng would definitely get angry.
Taking a deep breath, the boy started the live broadcast. Having spent so much time in competitions, he wasn’t afraid of the camera.
His smile had just formed, “H-hello everyone…” The platform crashed before he could finish.
Jiang Xi: “…Brother, being a top star is like this—recognition and blessing.”
“Top star everyone wants to hit, indeed very top,” Qin Sizheng smiled faintly. “What’s that saying… this blessing is yours if you want it.”
Jiang Xi waved nervously.
After a while, the platform was back. Qin Sizheng adjusted his expression and greeted the camera again. “Hello everyone, I’m Qin Sizheng. The platform just crashed—it’s too fragile.”
【Idiot go away! Idiot go away! Idiot go away! Idiot go away!!】
【Still daring to go live? Truly shameless. Please quit Cute Kids! I want to see my Qianqiu brother, stop grossing me out!】
Jiang Xi saw Qin Sizheng’s expression change, recalled Xu Zhao’s instructions, and quickly wrote a note: Brother, stay calm. They’re just talking nonsense.
Qin Sizheng let out a soft laugh. His eyes curved into two crescent moons, and as the starlight scattered, the barrage was stunned into silence for a full two seconds by that dazzling smile.
Jiang Xi whispered a reminder, “Brother, talk about the variety show.”
Qin Sizheng glanced at the script Xu Zhao had prepared, subconsciously pressed his lips together, and said, “Traveling with Cute Kids is a variety show I really like. I followed the entire last season, so being able to participate this time is a great honor for me.”
“Personally, I really like children, and I’m very much looking forward to this new journey. I hope I can give the kids some wonderful memories, and also show everyone a brand‑new Qin Sizheng.”
【An honor for you—so the other guests are about to be unlucky again? What, buying more ‘outshining everyone’ articles this time? Who are you planning to slander for plastic surgery now?】
【We don’t want a brand‑new you. We just want you to crawl out of the entertainment industry and disappear from our sight forever.】
【Back when he was filming with the Huaxia crew, didn’t Qin Sizheng change seven personal assistants in one month? I’ll say it here today: Young Master Qin won’t last past the first episode before quitting. If I’m wrong, I’ll build a Hope Primary School locally as consolation for the kids he’s harmed.】
【Qin Sizheng’s face really is good-looking. As a passerby I don’t care about the gossip—just licking this face sends me straight to heaven. With a face like this, what more do you need?】
【Where did this idiot come from up front? Trash fans, don’t pretend to be passersby. Don’t you know whoever your idol works with ends up unlucky? What, going after kids this time?】
Given his current situation, even if the moderators had eight arms each, they’d still be exhausted banning people one by one. Qin Sizheng decided not to create extra work for them and didn’t have Xu Zhao arrange to mute the haters.
He automatically skipped over those comments and continued reading the script step by step. “Film Emperor Lu is a senior I greatly respect, and also an actor I really admire. I’ve watched every one of his movies.”
【Please don’t. Stay far away from our Fourth Brother. Don’t watch his movies—I’m afraid Fourth Brother will feel dirty.】
【Baby, what plans do you have for the future? Looking forward to your new variety show, supporting you!】
【Baby has grown up, sob sob sob. Mom loves you, but promise me you’ll focus on your career first and not date—unless it’s with me!】
【Wuwu my husband is even prettier again. Mom orders you to go live and post on Weibo every day, do you hear me? Mom is kneeling and begging you.】
Qin Sizheng’s sharp eyes caught those two friendly comments amid the dense barrage. He pressed his lips together, flattening the bead of his lower lip, dimples faintly appearing.
“In the future, I’ll focus on my career and won’t be dating.”
After that message, there were gradually a few more comments supporting him and telling him to keep going, but they were quickly drowned out.
Qin Sizheng kept smiling throughout, responded to a few kind remarks, said everything Xu Zhao had instructed him to say, bade everyone farewell, and turned off the live stream.
Jiang Xi had been a little worried when he first arrived, but after these few days of interaction, he genuinely liked Qin Sizheng. He ripped the script to shreds in indignation. “They’re being way too vicious! I really want to rush in and beat them up!”
Qin Sizheng smiled with curved eyes, his dimples like two wells filled with syrup.
“Brother, aren’t you angry?” Jiang Xi protested. “So many people are scolding you without knowing the truth at all, and you’re still smiling!”
Qin Sizheng looked up at him. “Then I’ll treat it as bouncing back from rock bottom. Anyway, it’s already like this—every step I take from now on is progress. Isn’t that good?”
Jiang Xi didn’t really understand. He muttered silently to himself: with that much optimism, can you really bounce back?
What he didn’t know was that Qin Sizheng’s past “wins” had been earned punch by punch—championships piled atop countless injuries and fractured bones. He had never been afraid of failure.
Since heaven had given him a second life, he was going to bring Qin Sizheng back to the top!
But… he didn’t understand the entertainment industry at all!
This was killing him.
Qin Sizheng sprawled on the desk like a salted fish, completely drained, cursing the original owner in his heart. How could someone be this good at self-destruction? Being hated to this degree was truly unmatched.
After the live stream ended, another trending topic quietly climbed the hot searches.
#LOL_QinSizheng_Says_He_Wants_To_Focus_On_His_Career
Xu Zhao saw it and immediately video-called him. “Not bad, not bad. Your responses were pretty appropriate. You didn’t like smiling before—you wasted those two little dimples. Smile more in the future, act a bit cute with fans, it doesn’t hurt. Soften up. When you can’t answer something, just redden your eyes and beg for mercy. They eat that up.”
Jiang Xi chimed in from the side, “Yes, yes! Pure-looking little girls on the surface, total perverts underneath.”
Qin Sizheng looked at himself on the screen. He couldn’t deny it—using this face to act cute and beg for mercy…
The damage would be devastating.
This live stream sent him straight to number one on the hot searches, with an added explosive tag. Xu Zhao was very satisfied. “Traffic is life. Black fame is still fame. For now, we get the heat up first and slowly clean up later. Don’t be anxious, don’t rush, understand?”
Out of trust for the version of Xu Zhao in the original story—who at least buried him properly in the end—Qin Sizheng nodded. “I’ll follow Brother Xu’s arrangements.”
Xu Zhao was momentarily dazed, seeing the Qin Sizheng from when he’d first signed him. He was so moved that tears welled up. “Good, good, good. For the next few days, just relax and wait to join the production. Oh right—I found you a gym. Go lift some weights for a couple days. That variety show seems pretty physically demanding. Don’t end up collapsing before filming even finishes.”
Qin Sizheng thought to himself: I’ve got more strength than I know what to do with. I could lift you with one hand and spin you three times.
Give you the full roller-coaster experience.
Xu Zhao rambled on with more instructions, and in particular emphasized to Jiang Xi, “Keep an eye on Sizheng. Don’t let him post on Weibo, or I’ll twist your head off!”
Jiang Xi shrank his neck. “Brother Qin, you won’t randomly post on Weibo, right?”
Qin Sizheng tilted his head, smiling with crescent-moon eyes. Resting his chin on his hand, he thought for a moment. “Then how about you sacrifice yourself, Xiao Xi? Let Brother Xu twist your head off to help hype my comeback?”
Jiang Xi was horrified. “N-no thanks.”
Xu Zhao couldn’t laugh at all. With a furrowed brow, he thought: with a reputation like this, turning things around is really notughand on top of that, there’s still that massive mountain named Lu Xianqing pressing down on him.
He had a knack for picking fights with the wrong people, always targeting Lu Xianqing—was he looking for trouble?
Fortunately, Fourth Brother was like a high‑mountain flower: he didn’t act in TV dramas, and for now, there was no chance they would cross paths in the next three to five years.
No rush.