Morning. 7:30 a.m.
Xia Ying's Place.
Xia Ying who was supposed to have worked at 9 a.m. is currently on his bed sleeping so peacefully as if no one could wake him up. His agent, the one he calls Brother Wen, full name Wen Lin, drove over to his address and was stunned to see his new place.
The mansion of his little prince was unexpectedly bought within one of the most expensive districts in the city.
A single mansion worth a few million especially for a customized one like the one in front of him. Wen Lin didn't expect that his little ice prince was someone who is extremely wealthy. But think how many years this little prince lived in that condominium that the film emperor bought under his name and was given to Xia Ying. He could understand why.
This little prince has never been one to spend his money on anything except food. Moreover, this little Ice Prince is already a first-rate actor who is only missing the film emperor title but because of his secret relationship with the current film emperor, this little prince of theirs never took jobs noteworthy of his talents.
Xia Ying would never take jobs that are beyond the level of his younger twin brother, Xia Yang. They've thought he is doing such a thing because he wanted to hinder the latter but thinking about it. This naïve little prince would never have thought of such a thing. He is doing so because he wanted to pull up this scheming brother of his using his own reputation as a stepping stone.
Now that the little prince had broken any relationship with the film emperor, Wen Lin is now able to bring him jobs that are suitable for his level. Being a second male lead is suitable for his level as a first-rate artist if not for his ugly reputation, being a male lead is not a problem at all.
Wen Lin tried to knock on the gates of the mansion only to hear a monotonous voice telling him to voice his name.
'Please speak your name for verification.' A mechanical voice was heard from the mansion's gates after Wen Lin knocked.
"What?" Wen Lin exclaimed in confusion.
'Please speak your name for verification.'
"W-Wen Lin."
'Verification completed. Agent Wen of the house owner. Please put your hand over the scanner for security verification.'
A palm-sized hand scanner suddenly appears on the door.
Dumbfounded, Wen Lin followed the instruction and put his palm over it. It only took a few seconds for the scanner to finish his verification.
'Scanned Complete. Identity verified!'
The gate before him opened by itself.
'Please enter the gates. The master is still asleep. Please wake him up, Agent Wen.'
Stunned for a moment, Wen Lin entered the mansion in bewilderment. This was the first time he witnesses such advanced security, with high technology as this one. Once he entered the mansion he learned that aside from Xia Ying, no one lives in such a huge place except for humanoid droids that solely work as housekeepers and cleaners.
Wen Lin was surprised and felt skeptical to see such a rare thing that he had only seen on movies and television. But nonetheless, the one in front of him sure caught his attention. To put it bluntly, it really deserved the worth of an expensive humanoid droid butler that the famous Wonderland Company is selling. A limited-edition humanoid droid. He was nodding in favor that such security is indeed a match for this little prince.
Once he found the master's bedroom, he saw that the little prince was still sleeping peacefully. He gently wakes him up while the housekeeper prepares the master's change of clothes, prepping the bath, and makes ready to cook for breakfast. This was his scheduled routine.
Wen Lin spoke, "Prince. Wake up already. You'll be late for work Prince."
"Um, ~ Wen-ge… what time is it?" asked Xia Ying who languidly woke up.
"It's already 8. You only have half an hour to prepare. I can bring you to the audition location within half an hour. Go. I will wait for you in the living room." Said Wen Lin.
"Un…" Xia Ying stood up and went straight to the bathroom to clean himself while Wen Lin waits for him in the living room passing the time as he drinks his coffee. He also looked around such a high-tech house with curiosity in his eyes.
After Xia Ying finished his preparation, Wen Lin drove their little prince who is currently munching cupcakes in the car. This is something their boss told him to bring to Xia Ying for comfort. Those who worked with Xia Ying knew that he loves eating sweets the most. Despite his cold demeanor, he is a well-known foodie.
"Drink water. Don't choke. We'll be there in a moment." Wen Lin said as he passes him a bottle of water preventing the little prince from choking on his food afterward.
---
Silver Entertainment.
This is where the location for the audition of Xue Jing will take place. This is the company where the Sun Twin, Xia Yang, is under contract. Once they arrived at the venue, Wen Lin asked Xia Ying to wait in the lounge while he locates the exact room where the audition will take place. Everything seemed to be going smoothly as they arrived 15 minutes earlier than expected because there was no traffic on the way.
Wen Lin passed Xia Ying the box of cupcakes and the thermos he brought for him and made the little prince comfortably take a seat at the couch in the open lounge.
"Prince will wait here for a while. Wen-ge will ask around which room will be the audition," said Wen Lin as he pats the little prince's head who is preoccupied from eating his cupcakes and abstracted like there is no one's around.
Once Wen Lin left, Xia Ying continued eating in silence. Even ignoring the clamoring females and males in the distance, giggling while taking pictures of him even without his permission. Though as an artist this kind of event is something normal for him.
'Wow~ look at that beautiful child.'
'He's so adorable.'
'Look at him nibbles on those cupcakes. It looks delicious.'
'Isn't he the Ice Prince of the Empire!?'
'The Ice Prince? Are you sure? He looks so cute to be called Ice Prince.'
'No. no. that is definitely him. But… I've never thought of this adorable prince off cam.'
Xia Ying ignores the clamor around him as he continued to nibble on his cupcakes. There were so many flavors that he desires and wanted to taste everything which is why he tried to eat fast to taste every flavor.
Good thing that the cupcakes were bite-size and there are three pieces available for each flavor. There were five flavors: Strawberry, chocolate, blueberry, pistachio, and white cheese. He was, at that moment, eating white cheese after strawberry.
Xia Ying was solely focused on his food that he didn't even realize that two people suddenly shares a seat on both his sides as his full attention was on his cupcakes. The two who sat beside him were artists that worked under the same company like his, The Empire. The royal pair who were called king and queen in the empire. They were titled artists whose skills were only second to the film emperor, Lu Ziyun. Actually if not for Lu Ziyun's protagonist halo, his talents would fail parallel to this couple.
Their names were Hu Tian and Fei Lan, the pair who were chosen as the male and female leads of horror tales which Xia Ying is about to audition. They recognized Xia Ying. They knew of his bad reputation and believed it until they saw him eats its cupcakes without care for the audience at this moment.
In their eyes, they saw Xia Ying as an adorable rabbit nibbling on his cupcakes. Silent and cute. As if he lives in a different world than others. They could also see that he had a presence that was tightly hidden within that silent temperament.
Xia Ying emits the confidence of someone who is always a winner and elegance to never care of those outside his sight. A demeanor of a lord. Seeing him they knew that this Ice Prince is never a simple opponent. They sat beside him wanting to observe him closely.
But despite that, the former didn't even raise his head and just focus on eating.
Fei Lan thoughts as she looked at the adorable baby eating cupcakes, 'Are those really delicious? He looks so happy eating it.' Her eyes couldn't help to wonder inside the box placed on Xia Ying's lap.
Seeing those cupcakes placed beautifully inside the box like gems. Fei Lan even heard his boyfriend, Hu Tian gulped loudly on the other side of Xia Ying.
The couple looked at each other and knew they were both allured by the cupcakes in the box, but the little prince just finished a cupcake on his hand and was about to take another in the box only to feel two heated gazes on him. Looking for the source of the gaze, Xia Ying was stunned for a moment. Two pairs of pleading eyes were intently staring at him and his cupcakes. Startling him out of nowhere.
Xia Ying spoke to his system in his mind, "E-Exe who are these two? God! Surprised me badly."
[According to the world's database they were just mob characters. Both were artists under the Empire like you do. Their talents were only even second to the protagonist gong, the current film emperor. If not for his halo the Emperor title would be given to one of them. They were a couple who are about to be married. In the movie the host is about to audition, these two were the pair of main leads.]
Xia Ying acted as if he flinched once he finally noticed the couple beside him. "W-Why are they looking at me like that?"
Though his instinctive gesture of trying to hide his food didn't escape the eyes of the couple. Seeing his adorable reaction, the couple couldn't help but smile.
[They wanted to ask you for cupcakes, but they were your seniors and strangers which is why they couldn't speak to ask you for some.]
Xia Ying stared at the couple blinking innocently until he heard a silent grumbling sound. The two blushed immediately in embarrassment. That sound was coming from their stomachs. The sounds of hunger. Xia Ying, even against his will, offered his cupcakes to them. Wanting to share.
"D-Do you want some? There's strawberry, blueberry, chocolate, white cheese, and pistachio." Said Xia Ying.
The couple could see the little prince pouting but still shared some of his precious snacks with them. The pair looked at each other and grinned as they took a few cupcakes to tease the boy. They took three each and watched the little prince's eyes watered as if they bullied him while staring at the remaining cupcakes inside his box. His reaction shows that the couple took too much and left him too little.
Seeing his teary expression the couple couldn't help but laugh as they pinched Xia Ying's cheeks.
Fei Lan said smiling, "Little baby we're only teasing you. Don't cry~ Big sis is wrong okay?" She returned two cupcakes in the box except for a strawberry one.
Hu Lian did the same thing and took only chocolate while patting the pouting child's head. "Big bro will treat you to lunch with big sis there later. Eat with us, okay?"
Seeing his cupcakes returned, Xia Ying's eyes start to sparkle as he stares at the couple who was kind enough to return his snacks to him.
"Little cutie. You're the Ice Prince, Xia Ying, right? They were lying when they said you were a cold person." Said Fei Lan while munching on the strawberry cupcake in her hand.
"I'm Xia Ying, big sister and big brother, who are you? Are you from here?" asked Xia Ying.
Fei Lan and Hu Tian looked at Xia Ying in surprise. They couldn't believe how this innocent bunny survived in their industry. If they just didn't catch him acting from his real nature, they could have fallen to his adorable act. Fei Lan smiled and pinched his cheeks stretching them.
"Little baby stop acting. Big Sis know you recognized us." Said Fei Lan.
Hu Tian said. "There is no need to act towards us. We are not that blind man, Lu Ziyun after all."
Knowing that these two noticed that his acting was adorable and decided to act normal. "Okay. Okay. Stop stretching. I still have to audition later. Lan-jie! Ow. Ow. Ow. Tian-ge saved me~" said Xia Ying as he tried to pry the hands-on his cheeks but unable to.
Hu Tian and Fei Lan weren't surprised to see him talking at them without fear. His aura is enough to say that he has enough confidence to act this way towards them. This kind of assurance, they've only felt it towards their Empire's big boss, Wang Tian. That Demon Emperor.
Xia Ying is finally freed when Fei Lan hears him call her Jie. She took another cupcake from the box, a chocolate one.
"Okay forgiven."
"Ah, Jie~ I haven't tasted that yet. Ge already ate the first one. Wuwu~" complained Xia Ying.
Fei Lan hesitated for a moment and split the cupcake into two and put the half to Xia Ying's mouth while the rest to her mouth.
"These cupcakes seem to be homemade. Did you make it Baobei (mean Little Baby)?" asked Fei Lan.
With his mouth full Xia Ying couldn't reply and just shook his head. Beside him, Hu Tian took the pistachio cupcake for next while listening to their conversation.
"Didn't make it? Did someone give it to you? Didi (Younger brother) don't eat things from strangers. That's dangerous." Said Hu Tian as he stiffed for a moment but remembering that he just finished the second cupcake and felt nothing wrong that the dessert must be clean.
"Wen-ge, my agent gave it to me. They said from the HR department. A gift for comfort. They said I'm heartbroken." Replied Xia Ying as he took a blueberry cupcake this time.
"Ge, I don't eat pistachio, you can eat the second one. Jie, try the white cheese, it's delicious."
The two took the respectively offered cupcakes without restrain. They felt they could get along well. Well the three of them seem to share a common thing. They love sweets and food. A creature called a foodie.
"(Baby) Baobei leave that slag man. He is not for you! Jie will look for a good man for you instead." Said Fei Lan while eating white cheese cupcakes.
"Your Jie (Elder sister) is right. (Younger brother) Didi listens to her." Said Hu Tian.
Xia Ying looked at the empty box on his lap and placed it at the table before them. Before taking his thermos bottle and uncapped it to use it as a cup. Inside the thermos is hot milk tea his agent, Wei Lin prepared for him. Fei Lan smelled the aroma of hot milk tea and got attracted to it.
"Baobei let me taste that too!" Said Fei Lan as she watched the former finish the first cup of milk tea and gave her the next cup.
"Be careful, Jie. It's hot." replied Xia Ying to the excited lady on his right then he looked on his left and said, "Do you want hot milk tea too?" asked Xia Ying while looking at the kind big brother on his left while on his right a playful big sister is carefully savoring the hot milk tea with a smile.
"Sure. Your Jie and I skipped breakfast so we're a bit hungry. Your agent prepared that hot tea too?" asked Hu Tian.
"Un. Wen-ge rarely accompanies me to work because he's busy. I usually go alone. But today Wen-ge freed his schedule to accompany me. Must be because they felt they've wronged me when the company ordered to withheld the reporters for that scandal in the hotel where I and Lu-ge… I mean the film emperor was caught by the media with me." said Xia Ying as if he wasn't the one who was wronged.
Fei Lan and Hu Tian frowned when they heard what their little brother, Xia Ying, said. They understand that the company is trying to save Lu Ziyun's image as he is the film emperor, but in this case, it is unfair for Xia Ying as his reputation is bad as it is.
The circle knew that Lu Ziyun was in love with Xia Yang instead of Xia Ying. But they also know that Lu Ziyun is in a relationship with Xia Ying using him as a substitute.
"A'Tian this is unfair. I don't like this!" complained Fei Lan.
Hu Tian has a serious expression on his face too. "Calm down, Lan'er. Leave it to me. I'll talk to my cousin about this."
"I'm okay though…" Xia Ying mutters.
"No, you're not!" The couple retorted.
"Leave it to A'Tian. If the company doesn't do anything. I would do it! Humph!" said Fei Lan.
"Leave it to me, Didi. Ge will clear your name." said Hu Tian as he slowly sips the sweet hot milk tea from Xia Ying.
Fei Lan and Hu Tian for some reason ended up doting Xia Ying. They got close because of cupcakes and hot milk. Their personalities just clicked well. These couples intended to treat Xia Ying as their precious little brother.
Fei Lan remembered something about Xia Ying saying about the audition, "I heard you saying audition. Are you here to audition for Xue Jing of Horror Tales, Baobei?"
"Un. Wen-ge left to look for the audition room." Said Xia Ying.
"No need to worry. We'll bring you over. Go and take the role so you could act with us." Said Fei Lan as she pulled his arm to bring him to the room.
Behind them, Hu Tian called for Wen Lin who was staying at the corner ever since he arrived. Wen Lin had returned faster than Xia Ying thought but seeing him seated with Fei Lan and Hu Tian, Wen Lin decided to wait in the corner and only approach the group when they decided to leave the lounge. Hu Tian gestured for him to follow as they walked behind the two in lead.