Chapter 104: The Ageless White Cloud

Although Chloe Luo Xi hadn’t seen Bai Yun in any of her works, Bai Yun’s fame in the previous life was far from low. For such a distinctive and brilliant top-tier screenwriter, it was impossible for any actor not to recognize that face. So when the appointed time came and they both arrived at the agreed location, even before entering the reserved private room, they recognized each other instantly.

Bai Yun was quite surprised. It was such a coincidence that they arrived nearly simultaneously. It was unlikely that Chloe, having never met him before, could have guessed it was him, right? “Are you joking? You saw me and walked straight over—how could you possibly recognize me?” He genuinely didn’t recall ever posting a photo online! He hadn’t even greeted her first, yet Chloe was more straightforward.

“What joke are you talking about? Do others’ eyes light up as brightly as yours did when they saw me?” Chloe blinked teasingly. Of course, she wouldn’t tell him she already knew what he looked like; otherwise, after chatting online for so long, why would she never have mentioned it?

To tell the truth, Bai Yun’s real name was just Bai Yun. It was said that his father’s surname was Bai and his mother’s surname was Yun, hence the name. When he first started writing, he thought his name was already quite internet-friendly and easy to remember, so he rarely changed it.

Unexpectedly, after becoming a renowned figure, it turned out to be very convenient for both him and his audience.

Though Bai Yun had graduated and been working for two years, at around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, those who came later knew that Bai Yun had a face envied by countless actors—not because of exceptionally delicate or beautiful features, but because it was an ageless face!

Initially, Chloe had some doubts, thinking the media might have exaggerated or been overly promotional, especially since she only remembered Bai Yun’s face when he was already famous.

But seeing Bai Yun now in his early twenties, just starting out in society for less than two years, Chloe realized that Bai Yun truly had that advantage—his face was almost indistinguishable from the one she had seen before she was reborn, separated by at least twenty years!

As for his features, Bai Yun’s weren’t particularly striking, even somewhat ordinary, with a bit of baby fat forming dimples on his cheeks. Yet, it was precisely those little pockets of baby fat that made him look far younger than his actual age, which was the secret behind his legendary eternally youthful appearance. Most people couldn’t cultivate such appealing baby fat even if they tried, but it had won the admiration of many celebrities.

“Bright eyes?” Bai Yun followed Chloe into the private room, politely greeted by a waiter. “It’s on my tab, right? Who’s eyes wouldn’t light up seeing a beauty like you?” Feeling the explanation was illogical, Bai Yun found it a bit odd.

Chloe cast a sideways glance, her eyes naturally settling on the two patches of baby fat on Bai Yun’s face, circling twice around the alluring dimples. “So you mean your eyes light up when you see a beauty?”

One couldn’t deny that Bai Yun’s most eye-catching feature was those dimples nestled in his baby fat, which seemed to radiate a peculiar glow with every muscle movement, unconsciously drawing attention. When talking to Bai Yun, this was invariably where one’s gaze landed first.

Scratching his nose, Bai Yun felt slightly embarrassed and frustrated. “Your words are just as sharp as ever!”

Chloe’s remarks were difficult to answer. He had said it himself, but if he continued along this line, wouldn’t he turn into a lecherous scoundrel? On the other hand, if he denied it, his words would contradict each other—ah, the so-called linguistic trap…

Seeing the impossibly youthful face reveal a helpless, mature weariness, Chloe felt it was a bit strange but decided not to press the matter, sparing him.

Bai Yun ordered quite frugally. After watching for a while, Chloe added a few more dishes herself. Since she was treating, it shouldn’t be too meager, right?

Sighing, Bai Yun exclaimed, “They even charge a ten percent service fee? Ugh, places like this really aren’t for ordinary folks like us.”

“Come on, this place is just for the name. It’s world-famous, after all,” Chloe said, unimpressed. She only came occasionally, usually as a guest—big-name places were more about appearances. “You’re ‘ordinary folk’? You’ve been making quite a bit these past few months, haven’t you?”

During summer vacation, Bai Yun had used his first month’s manuscript fee to buy her a laptop. Now, several months later, his writing output had exploded like a geyser, skyrocketing in popularity. The numerous reader tips he received each month were no small sum, and he would only be earning more.

“No matter how much I make, it’s nothing compared to you actors. Just casually taking on a TV drama nets you tens or hundreds of thousands—like a bank ATM,” Bai Yun said with a smiling dimpled face, seeming to regress to sixteen years old.

Chloe’s eyes continued to circle those small dimples twice, a visible black line appearing on her forehead. “Casually taking on tens or hundreds of thousands? Then why don’t you try for me? A top-tier star might get five thousand per episode for a lead role in a drama. With forty episodes, that’s two hundred thousand, and it takes half a year of hard work. You call that making money?”

Every profession had its hardships; acting wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed.

“Then take on films! Their shooting schedules aren’t as long as dramas, and the pay is ridiculously high. Even a few minutes as an extra can earn tens of thousands!” Bai Yun said enthusiastically, assuming it was so.

Nowadays, entertainment writing was common online. Some professionals earned extra income by sharing insider stories unknown to outsiders, so the audience wasn’t as clueless as before.

“You’re crazy! Many drama actors set the big screen as their goal. Do you think it’s just that easy to get a film role? You might as well expect pies to fall from the sky,” Chloe raised an eyebrow, suspecting Bai Yun of deliberately provoking her.

“Forget it, every industry is tough. I don’t understand yours. By the way, is something wrong at your school?” Bai Yun suddenly remembered and asked quickly.

Only then did he fully relax. After all, they had truly met online. If the “light of day” ruined their ease in chatting, he would be genuinely upset.

Nodding, Chloe recounted the Wang Yanan incident. “...So this whole semester, the students at Emperor Film Academy have had it rough. Although it’s been several months and things have calmed down, it’s still best to stay cautious to avoid new troubles.”

After pausing, Chloe suddenly recalled that Xiao Jingxuan had said they wouldn’t meet again. She hadn’t heard any news about Wang Yanan, as if the person had completely vanished. Didn’t she say she signed with a company? By now, she should have debuted if she’d been put to good use!

Bai Yun was dumbfounded, taking a moment to recover. “Wow, students these days are fierce, huh? S-M… *sweat*…”