"Of course!"

Xia Siyu confidently puffed out her small chest. She felt amazing, and even though rationally she knew that not winning the award might be due to her not performing well enough or the competition being too strong, at the time of the performance, she genuinely put in a great effort. As long as she gave her best, if she ultimately didn’t win, it just meant she still needed a bit more work and should continue striving.

Though she was fully aware of her abilities, she was brimming with self-confidence. If she spent another decade without winning any awards, she wouldn’t be too upset. It would prove that perhaps she truly wasn’t cut out to be an actress; it was her own lack of talent, and she’d only manage to be a star, not an actress.

There’s no helping it; the acting profession truly relies on talent. Only with talent can one talk about the effort that follows. Without talent, it’s not impossible to be an actor, just don’t expect to win awards.

Bo Yan glanced at her; this girl was both clear-headed and confident. Outsiders only seeing Xia Siyu’s domineering side might think that’s all there is to her. In reality, her self-awareness was incredibly sharp and precise, knowing what she should and shouldn’t do, and knowing how far she’d come. She wouldn’t belittle herself nor aim unreasonably high.

Seeing her alright relaxed him. In contrast, Xia Siyu began to tease him, "I overheard your phone call; no chance for your Best Actor award this year, right? Oh well, if there’s no chance, there’s no chance. There’s no harm, just sit down there and clap your hands. That’s something I’m really good at, quite experienced."

Bo Yan had come this time knowing his chances of winning were slim. Partly to accompany her and partly to fulfill other commitments, attending a variety show and filming abroad, which led him here. The Golden Moon Awards were inherently biased against outsiders; occasional awards for mainland actresses were possible, but nearly impossible for mainland actors.

With no lofty expectations, there’s no deep disappointment. But Xia Siyu dared to tease him, which was utterly intolerable. Bo Yan turned his head, "Looks like the halftime break is over; should we start the second half?"

Xia Siyu quickly sprang up, immediately darting away, "I don’t want to! You can play by yourself."

Bo Yan watched her step out of the bathtub; after stabilizing her stance, he grabbed a towel to wrap around her and then lifted her up. Xia Siyu obediently stood for the wrapping, stood still for the lifting, and once lifted, coyly kicked her legs, "No, no."

This girl truly mastered the art of "playing hard to get." Considering her well-being, Bo Yan didn’t immediately start the second half. Instead, he dried her off and got her pajamas before turning to tidy himself up. The man was quick; he dried off, put on his sweatpants, and came out while still towel-drying his hair. Xia Siyu hadn’t put on her pajamas yet, lying on the bed supporting her upper body, browsing her phone, while her feet dangled in the air, covered only by a thin blanket. From above it, her silhouette was distinctly visible.

Being a celebrity necessitated regular skincare, resulting in smooth, elastic skin. She was exceptionally fair, soaking in the bath had left a warm red glow, and owing to regular exercise, her muscle lines were perfectly toned. Despite not being overly slim, recently getting teased for being "pregnant-like" in trending topics, in reality, seeing such a healthy and graceful figure, nobody could dislike it.

Even though Hong Kong was still thirty degrees now, with central air conditioning inside, it was easy for one to catch a cold like this.

Bo Yan promptly scolded her, "Why aren’t you dressed, or why haven’t you dried your hair?"

Xia Siyu giggled sweetly, "I haven’t applied body lotion yet; could you help me?"

Such a demanding little tyrant, yet he had no temper against her. Not only no temper, but he was oddly eager to help. Clearly, she intentionally offered a tempting bait, only to bait Bo Yan. As soon as the fish bit, she’d promptly reel it in and swiftly escape.

She had played this trick countless times before; he wouldn’t fall for it!

Bo Yan seriously picked up the hairdryer and instructed her to sit up, "Come on, sit up and dry your hair."

Xia Siyu just smiled but decisively refused to move, "You carry me, and then I’ll get up."

Carrying her now was nothing more than an attempt to watch him get hot and bothered or flustered. This little thing was too mischievous. Bo Yan didn’t waste words with her, turned around to grab a clean towel, and wrapped it around her without hesitation, resembling a dumpling, then turned on the hairdryer to dry her hair.

Her hair, straight and shiny like satin. One had to admit, she was incredibly lucky in her choice of genes, taking her parents’ strengths perfectly. This time she traveled abroad to shoot a superhero movie with a Chinese female lead who specially kept her long hair. When blown by the hairdryer, strands cascaded through his fingers as if flowing water.

Once dried, Bo Yan solemnly uttered, "Done."

Xia Siyu finally turned her head, her eyes sparkling, "Body lotion. And skincare products, I haven’t applied them yet. You do it for me."

Still need to apply lotion, right? Still testing him? Fine. Bo Yan’s expression turned inscrutable; turning around, he squeezed some toner and without reservation rubbed it onto her face, followed by applying essence and lotion, each time giving her face a thorough massage. He rubbed her cheeks till flushed red, employing an absolute "mom-style" application method. Afterward, Xia Siyu wasn’t satisfied, "Quick, we need to use eye cream too."

Easy peasy, Bo Yan squeezed a pea-sized amount of eye cream, and performed a set of "Eye Exercise Part Four," rubbing the eye sockets back and forth, bearing down till the little fringes on her forehead swayed left and right along with it. Finished, Bo Yan felt justified, "Do you want to continue?"

Still want to continue, so he would, continuing the mom-style routine, becoming a heartless skincare assistant.

Of course, Xia Siyu wasn’t about to let go easily; she hadn’t teased him enough yet, just a bit more to go. She wouldn’t give up.

Thus she deliberately nodded, "Alright, thanks for the trouble."

Bo Yan turned around, picked up her body lotion, then, like unwrapping a dumpling, pulled off that outer large towel. One tug, and Xia Siyu rolled half a turn; although now the thin blanket still covered her, half-exposed made things—indeed irresistible.

Bo Yan took a deep breath; now crucially keeping his cool, he used his fingers to dab some body lotion, unwrapped her final layer, seriously starting to apply it. Xia Siyu didn’t continue provoking him; instead, she obediently lay down and felt his fingers circle in one operation after another.