Chapter 156: Want to See Something With Real Punch

What does it feel like to become famous overnight?

Dili Reba has plenty to say about it—she's started suffering from insomnia.

At first, it was excitement; her heart pounded hard, as if she'd drunk several cups of coffee, her head spinning slightly.

During this phase, a person is most exhilarated, endlessly scrolling online for news about themselves.

Seeing praise makes her ecstatic, so ecstatic she rolls around in bed.

Occasionally, seeing negative comments instantly darkens her mood, her entire heart seemingly controlled by emotion.

Then, naturally, she begins to worry about losing what she's gained.

It's far worse than last time.

She even developed insomnia.

Normally, such a condition would gradually improve after a few days, but Dili Reba "recovered" quickly.

The very next day after insomnia began, she returned to normal.

No choice—there's one Capybara in the crew who remains utterly calm as always.

When she sat beside Bai Liang with dark circles under her eyes, without even saying a word, just locking eyes with him, she suddenly felt at peace.

At that moment, Dili Reba was astonished to realize he seemed completely unaffected by the overwhelming online traffic.

Even though he's now one level more famous than she is, with hundreds of billions of online discussions about him, he still sits there muttering about what to eat for dinner.

As if nothing could possibly be more important.

Of course, just being around Bai Liang does ease some inner anxiety and fear of loss, but to fully "cure" herself, she needs another approach.

Zhu Zhu Xudan: What sin did I commit?

She thinks Dili Reba is downright inhuman.

Never mind her brazen behavior at the hotel entrance—she and Dili Reba's assistant were forced to cover for her.

This time, it's even worse.

She was perfectly fine outside, just finished filming a scene, ready to eat some fruit Bai Liang bought.

Then Dili Reba grabbed her hand and sincerely invited her to sit in the RV together.

At the time, Zhu Zhu Xudan didn't think anything was wrong—girls shouldn't go into boys' RVs; rumors would spread.

She'd often gone into Bai Liang's RV before—even played on his computer.

The rest of the crew were used to the girls hanging out together in Bai Liang's RV; they saw it and said nothing.

So when Dili Reba called her, Zhu Zhu Xudan climbed aboard, hoping there might be some snacks to eat.

Yeah, there were snacks alright.

Absolutely fresh dog food!

What the hell is this?!

Just as Zhu Zhu Xudan stepped into the RV and barely had time to greet Bai Liang, Dili Reba slammed the door shut and threw herself into Bai Liang's arms right in front of her.

Petrified on the spot!

Like looking into Medusa's eyes~ Zhu Zhu Xudan's greeting was halfway out when her mouth hung open, unable to close.

Watching Dili Reba sit in Bai Liang's lap, happily nuzzling his face, stroking his ears, she felt her head buzzing.

"Wait… why did you call me up here?" Zhu Zhu Xudan's voice trembled, almost on the verge of tears—no one does this, shoving dog food straight into someone's mouth, how cruel!

"I was too scared to close the door alone."

"You're so confident about it—what am I supposed to do?"

"Uh… I can give you an eye mask?"

Dili Reba felt a little embarrassed—sneaking cuddles with a boy while her best friend watched from less than two meters away.

No, this distance wasn't just watching—it was practically participation.

It really was excessive.

But she couldn't help it—she just couldn't resist, so this was her only option.

If she'd come up alone, someone would've knocked on the door soon—her company definitely had people watching.

So she had to make her best friend suffer a little~

And while she was at it, let this little girl who keeps eyeing Bai Liang's cotton T-shirts see reality.

Recently, Bai Liang started wearing shirts instead—because Zhu Zhu Xudan kept nagging him, telling him to hold his hat in his hand.

That demand was too weird; Bai Liang occasionally indulged her, but he couldn't keep doing it forever.

"No, I'm getting off. I can't take it anymore."

"Don't~"

Hearing this, Dili Reba panicked, grabbed a piece of clothing from the bed, and hurled it at Zhu Zhu Xudan.

"What's this?"

"A gift for you," Dili Reba said solemnly.

"Uh…" Bai Liang raised his hand to speak, "That's my shirt—shouldn't you ask my permission first?"

Smack!

Dili Reba kissed him right on the cheek, then smiled.

Oh my~

Bai Liang: "Alright then."

He felt this girl was acting a bit off—just now, her cheeks seemed flushed.

Probably just overexcited lately.

After receiving Bai Liang's pure cotton white T-shirt, Zhu Zhu Xudan sat quietly, looking like she'd just been cursed to be Dili Reba's best friend.

He even feigned covering his eyes with his hand, "Hurry up! Don't take off your clothes, and don't do anything weird!"

That was nonsense—neither of them would start anything wild with someone else still in the car.

Not to mention Dilireba; Bai Liang himself felt too embarrassed to do such a thing.

They were just cuddling.

Bai Liang could also sense Dilireba's restlessness.

At this moment, he soothed her like calming a kitten, gently stroking her back as she buried her head in his arms.

His hands were perfectly well-behaved—certainly not reaching inside a girl's clothing.

Even Zhu Zhu Xudan, feigning to cover her eyes, peeked through her fingers and thought: This doesn't match my imagined passion at all—why is it so tender?

It made her unconsciously break into a dopey smile.

Fortunately, her best friend Dilireba didn't let her down!

Want to see something spicy?

I'll satisfy you, sister!

Because she soon grew unsatisfied with mere emotional comfort—the online female fans were right, this man was insanely sexy!

She knew this better than anyone; she'd felt it countless times before in the pool.

When her hand slipped inside Bai Liang's shirt and touched his abs, Bai Liang didn't react much, but Dilireba felt goosebumps rise behind her ears.

She lifted her head at once, her big eyes fixed on him, gaze sticky~

Oh no, the sound of kissing!

After stealing two glances, Zhu Zhu Xudan truly couldn't bring herself to peek anymore—these two were too cruel, shoveling dog food straight into her mouth!

But soon after, Bai Liang suddenly said, "Actually, my car has a partition."

Partition?

Watching Bai Liang open the bathroom door and perform a series of flashy maneuvers, he truly split the RV into two separate spaces.

The front held seats and a table; the back held a bed.

Zhu Zhu Xudan's inner mind screamed: They're getting into bed?!

Yet she didn't hear anything too outrageous.

Like, say, splashing sounds~

About half an hour? Or maybe just ten minutes?

Dilireba emerged, her face as red as the red Fuji apple Bai Liang had just bought—right now, Zhu Zhu Xudan was eating one.

The two girls exchanged glances; Dilireba lowered her head and feigned adjusting her clothes.

"D-did you take off your clothes just now?"

"N-no!"

"Then why are you fixing your clothes?"

"It's a bit messy."

"You definitely took it off! Where did he kiss you?"

"Ah!"

Dilireba felt Zhu Zhu Xudan had picked up bad habits from Yang Mi—why was she suddenly using such wolfish phrases?

After saying this, she took a bottle of ice water from the fridge and pressed it to her face, as if trying to cool down and reduce the redness.

But a flush clung to her cheeks like thickened sauce—no matter what she did, it wouldn't fade.

This added a touch of allure to her still-slightly-chubby face.

Unconsciously, she licked her lips—and just that motion made Zhu Zhu Xudan, another girl, involuntarily swallow.

Honestly, she suddenly felt a bit impressed by Bai Liang.

Such a stunning beauty, cuddling for so long, yet he hadn't taken her right there—he truly had incredible self-control.

Xiao Bai, a true gentleman!

In the final step, Dilireba rinsed her mouth—but still wasn't satisfied. She dropped the pretense and directly used the toothbrush Bai Liang had left in the car. This left Zhu Zhu Xudan confused.

It was just a kiss—what are you doing? Can someone smell Bai Liang's scent from half a meter away?

So weird~

Then, just as she'd pulled Zhu Zhu Xudan into the RV, she dragged her back out.

Under the guise: Don't stay too long, or people will gossip.

Oh right, she hadn't yet retrieved the pure cotton white T-shirt she'd tossed to the other girl earlier.

"You're taking it back?!" Zhu Zhu Xudan stared in disbelief.

"I'll buy you ten new ones later."

"But that's not the same—I want this one!"

"No way, this one's dirty. I'll get you a new one, sweetie~"

Zhu Zhu Xudan: Wanted to curse, but didn't know many curses.

Having such a good best friend was truly her fortune.

Let's go?

!. read

After both girls had exited the vehicle, Bai Liang cautiously peeked out from the bed.

How to put it? When girls get impulsive, they really get impulsive—their courage skyrockets.

Not just courage, but also boundaries.

But from any angle, he didn't lose out at all~

At this moment, Sister Yanzi called over:

"Big Brother Dou Xiao Bai, I've lined everything up with the 'Grade One' production team—we'll head over right after 'Three Lives Three Worlds' wraps. After that, we've got ads and fashion magazines to shoot, then we'll see when 'Wolf Warrior 2' starts filming."

"Got it~"

Sister Yanzi had grown increasingly polished; her professional skills had skyrocketed, arranging everything for Bai Liang with perfect clarity.

He loved this kind of feeling—no need to overthink. Otherwise, constantly using his "super brain" would be a waste of talent.

"Oh, by the way, we agreed a bit late, so we might have to go with the other guest stars."

"Fine, whatever."

"But the guests are both people you know."

Hearing this, Bai Liang paused. "What are the odds? Who?"

"One is Sister Zhao Liying, and the other is Hu Ge."

"Wait a second—I definitely know the first one, but I've never even met Hu Ge, let alone know him."

"Huh? You've never met Hu Ge?"

Sister Yanzi realized she'd probably jumped to a conclusion—when she started working with him, he was already thriving under Tang Ren's wing.

He had no agent at all, yet landed roles in two of Tang Ren's projects, and got along well with many of Tang Ren's artists.

So naturally, she assumed Hu Ge would be no different~

Then she suddenly froze. "What about Liu Shishi?"

"I don't know her either. Never met her."

"That's great," Sister Yanzi said on the phone, as if relieved.

"Huh?"

"Nothing!"

The call ended. Bai Liang was certain Sister Yanzi was gossiping about him behind his back—he'd deduct a hundred yuan from her salary!

And he couldn't shake the feeling that this whole thing had a familiar scene to it, as if someone had said it before.

Why did people always assume he'd have some story with Liu Shishi? She's married.

Bai Liang swore he was no such scoundrel!

Since Sister Yanzi had already arranged his next projects, Bai Liang began preparing for the two upcoming film roles.

But the details of his role in 'Wolf Warrior 2' were still unclear—Wu Jing said he'd make slight adjustments based on Bai Liang's personal traits and add more scenes.

This guy, after pulling off that "empty-handed grab of Bai Liang," had turned out surprisingly honest—he felt the young brother had promised to join on a drinking table, then suddenly went viral.

It was as if Wu Jing had lucked into a rising star, one soon to enter the top tier.

The guy was genuinely decent—he called specifically to say he'd raise Bai Liang's profit share and increase his screen time to make the character richer.

It made Bai Liang feel a bit embarrassed—was he being handed money like this?

But this also meant his role in 'Wolf Warrior 2' still wasn't finalized, so he could only focus on preparing for the second male lead in 'Riding the Wind and Breaking the Waves.'

Han Han hadn't misled him—the role of Xu Zhengtai had heavy screen time; calling it a dual male lead wasn't exaggerated.

For Bai Liang, issues like character background weren't a problem—he could handle them with a bit of time. But one thing was troublesome.

Xu Zhengtai smoked, but Bai Liang had never smoked—not in this life, not in his last one.

The only modern drama he'd ever done was 'Microsmile'—Xiao Nai was the all-around campus god; he'd never pull out a cigarette.

Should he practice first?

He had someone buy him a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, planning to practice a bit in his room.

But he saw the no-smoking sign on the nightstand—and given his strict adherence to rules, he absolutely couldn't do that.

So he ran all the way to the hotel rooftop, ready to strike a few brooding-smoker poses.

The rooftop was a great spot—many Xiangjiang films loved using rooftops for negotiations.

Sorry, I just want to be a good person~

Today, Yang Mi felt a touch of melancholy—because of a divorce agreement.

She no longer cared about right or wrong; since last year, when she unhesitatingly chose to fight for her career, this marriage had already begun its end.

But she wouldn't let anyone see her occasional vulnerability—even if she truly signed the divorce, she wouldn't make it public for over a year.

Until then, she'd remain the glamorous, successful, envied queen of the entertainment industry with a perfect family.

For the past two nights, she'd loved staying on the rooftop, letting the wind blow away her mental fatigue.

But today she was puzzled—why was this kid everywhere?

In her line of sight, Bai Liang popped out like a little mouse from some corner.

The moment she saw him, Yang Mi nearly laughed out loud.

No special reason—she just felt like laughing.

She stayed silent, curious to see what this kid was up to.

Then she noticed him hunching his shoulders, sneaking around like he was doing something wrong, fumbling in his pocket.

She tiptoed forward two steps, utterly baffled—smoking? And he came all the way up to the rooftop?

But she hadn't expected Bai Liang to smoke at all—he'd been on set with her for so long, she'd never smelled smoke on him, and his teeth and fingers showed none of the usual signs.

He always smelled clean, like sun-dried fabric.

Definitely the type of pure, wholesome boy—every angle made him likable.

He'd hidden it so well?

Yang Mi figured he probably didn't want anyone to know—understandable. A rising young idol caught smoking by fans? Not good.

But it wasn't that bad either~

At least Yang Mi wouldn't think worse of Bai Liang because of it.

Huh? That's strange!

Before Bai Liang came up, he tried this lighter, and it could light up, so why isn't it working now?

The cigarette was already dangling from his lips, and he'd struck a handsome pose, but the flame wouldn't catch. He felt instantly awkward standing there.

"It's windy up on the rooftop, of course your lighter won't light."

A familiar voice reached his ear.

The next second, Yang Mi shot him a look, undid the coat draped over her shoulders, and leaned in closer, seemingly to shield Bai Liang from the wind.

Faced with this scene, Bai Liang froze for a moment, and the cigarette in his mouth accidentally dropped to the ground.

Five yuan gone, and this was a pack of Golden Leaf that cost a hundred yuan.

But he didn't have time to dwell on that, because he was a bit confused.

The principles of being a real man compelled him to take a polite step back.

Then he raised his hand in refusal: "No thanks, sis, I'm not hungry right now."

Yang Mi:???

What the heck are you saying, kid?

At that moment, a chill made her suddenly shiver, as if remembering something. She looked down!

Damn—she hadn't changed clothes when she came out. She'd thought she was dressed neatly underneath, but it was actually just a set of silk pajamas, the kind with cutout designs.

Now that the outer coat was open, vast expanses of snowy white and deep shadows displayed her wealth and generosity.

It wasn't actually that revealing—some evening gowns show about this much.

But the nature of pajamas is different!

It's like the difference between swimwear and underwear.

The former can be shown off openly, even if it has less fabric than underwear.

She quickly wrapped her clothes back around herself, but Yang Mi didn't rush to feel shy—instead, she felt a bit annoyed.

Has she really gotten so old that she's lost all her appeal?

That half-step back Bai Liang just took stung a little!

"Hold on, what did you just say, kid? Not hungry?!"

—

Third watch, fifteen thousand words done. See you tomorrow, muah~

Thanks, bros, for the monthly tickets! You guys are insane! Over thirteen thousand monthly tickets in a single day.

Little Hippo will keep working hard to update like crazy!

(End of chapter)