Looking at Bai Jinyan, Qiao Huaiyao moved away from his side and sat down, saying, “Let’s have breakfast; it won’t be as good when it gets cold.”
Qiao Huaiyao smirked and replied, “Okay.”
Bai Jinyan had planned the timing precisely.
At each designated time, Lu Lu would send him a message promptly.
The driver was waiting downstairs.
The drive from home to the company was only about ten minutes, but during the morning rush hour, traffic congestion could cause some delays.
Qiao Huaiyao looked out of the car window, observing that all the lanes were tightly packed, advancing with the rhythm of traffic lights and occasional slow movement.
He asked, “Won’t we be late because of the traffic?”
Bai Jinyan sat beside Qiao Huaiyao, holding his hand, and said, “No, we won’t. The drive time is included in the schedule. Unless something unexpected happens, we won’t be late.”
Lu Lu, who was driving, turned around to look and saw that Bai Jinyan had moved closer to Qiao Huaiyao’s side, leaving ample space in the backseat.
He was puzzled as to why two people sitting together seemed so crowded, even though there was enough room for three people, and four could squeeze in if needed.
But it seemed like the two of them didn’t mind at all.
Were they happy being so close together?
Lu Lu, sitting alone in the passenger seat, couldn’t quite comprehend it.
While he was pondering, Lu Lu suddenly felt something was amiss and looked up to find Bai Jinyan looking directly at him.
Lu Lu quickly smiled apologetically and turned to sit properly in the front passenger seat without drifting back.
Bai Jinyan raised his hand to open the partition between the front and back seats, holding Qiao Huaiyao closer.
In the backstage dressing room of most award ceremonies, there were makeup artists available.
Most artists would choose to use their own teams, as their personal makeup artists were used to their preferences and knew how to enhance their features.
The company had a dedicated floor for Bai Jinyan, which included dressing rooms and office spaces.
He rarely came here, only when there were events to attend.
After Lu Lu came in, he went to the back and brought two well-ironed suits. “Brother Bai, these are the outfits for this event. I’ve checked them, but you can see if there are any issues.”
Bai Jinyan took the two suits and handed the light blue one to Qiao Huaiyao directly, saying, “Try this one on to see if it fits.”
Qiao Huaiyao raised an eyebrow. “Me? But I’m not going on stage, and I won’t walk the red carpet.”
“Yes,” Bai Jinyan unwrapped the dust cover. “I’ll take you to the fitting room.”
Since the outfits were already here, Qiao Huaiyao had no choice but to accept it.
Lu Lu watched from the back. Initially, he thought Bai Jinyan would pick the best size after trying them on and then let Qiao Huaiyao choose.
It was common for artists to have their outfits adjusted for the best fit.
However, now it seemed that these suits were specially prepared for Qiao Huaiyao.
Two identical suits, same brand, same style, different colors—dark blue and light blue.
Compared to black and white, these two colors looked more relaxed.
The white shirt underneath didn’t need any adjustments.
After Qiao Huaiyao came out, Bai Jinyan had also emerged from another fitting room.
Qiao Huaiyao had fair skin, so the light blue color suited him well.
Bai Jinyan raised his hand to tidy up Qiao Huaiyao’s collar. “It fits well, and the color suits you.”
“Let’s go to the makeup room now. The main focus is to style your hair,” Qiao Huaiyao said as he held Bai Jinyan’s hand, leading him out.
Bai Jinyan primarily focused on styling, as he rarely wore makeup on his face except for some special roles that required elaborate makeup, such as injuries or bloodstains.
There was only one seat at the makeup mirror. Lu Lu noticed this and quickly brought over a rolling chair from the side. “Sit here!”
Qiao Huaiyao initially intended to stand beside Bai Jinyan to keep him company. Seeing the situation, he said, “Thank you.”
“No need to be so polite,” Lu Lu smiled. “It’s all part of my job.”
Bai Jinyan came over from behind and opened the partition between the front and back seats again, holding Qiao Huaiyao closer.
Makeup application was not too complicated.
The hairstyle had been predetermined, with minor modifications from their original styles.
Compared to makeup, the waiting time for the hairstyle to set was relatively longer.
Qiao Huaiyao watched as the hairstylist worked efficiently, adjusting angles and directions precisely, striving for accuracy in every curve and wave.
Red carpet looks often reflected an artist’s recent condition, and while the high-end couture outfits were one aspect, the artist’s overall demeanor could be enhanced through styling.
Qiao Huaiyao felt that Bai Jinyan’s appearance hadn’t changed much; his brother always looked good no matter what hairstyle he had.
Makeup was just the finishing touch.
After a while, the hairstylist finished and sprayed a layer of fixative. “All done. Do you see any issues?”
Bai Jinyan asked, “How is it?”
Although he didn’t look at him, Qiao Huaiyao immediately understood that Bai Jinyan was asking him. He promptly replied, “It looks great.”
Bai Jinyan nodded and said, “No issues.” The hairstylist nodded as well and instructed, “Alright, you can’t touch it for about 30 minutes. It should be fully set in about an hour.”
After giving his instructions, the hairstylist packed up his things and left without taking the makeup kit with him. His team members followed suit and entered the employee elevator.
Lu Lu was sitting nearby, and when the hairstylist was done, he walked over and said, “Brother Bai, I’ll be waiting downstairs. Just call me if you need anything.”
Qiao Huaiyao wondered, “Why did they all leave?”
Lu Lu explained, “Brother Bai doesn’t like having too many people around. After the styling is done, there’s no need for everyone to sit here. Brother Bai suggested they do whatever they want while waiting, and they’ll come back to check later when it’s time.”
In the past, the makeup team would leave after their work was done, but Lu Lu was supposed to stay behind.
Apart from occasionally going downstairs to order food for Bai Jinyan, he wouldn’t leave for too long.
As for why he left now… someone whose year-end bonus had doubled should understand the reason behind it and have a little self-awareness.
” They’ve all left,” Lu Lu reminded before leaving. “If you get hungry or want something to eat, just send me a message. I’ll be at your service.”
Qiao Huaiyao said, “Thank you.”
“Don’t be so polite,” Lu Lu smiled. “It’s all part of my job.”
Once Lu Lu left, the entire floor fell into silence.
They were the only two people left in the vast space.
Bai Jinyan had already grown accustomed to it, absentmindedly holding Qiao Huaiyao’s hand and playing with it.
Qiao Huaiyao had beautiful hands, long and fair, with distinct knuckles.
As Bai Jinyan held his hand, he warmed Qiao Huaiyao’s fingertips and discreetly lifted his hand a bit, gently kissing the back of it.