Chapter 172: Pure Mutual Run-Together (Double Vote Beg for Monthly Tickets)

"Little Bai-ge, what are you thinking about? You didn't just come out and start missing Nazha jiejie already, did you?"

On the way to pick up Bai Liang for the dinner, Sister Yanzi spoke up and teased him directly.

"Yep~" Bai Liang laughed and admitted it openly — so what if he did~

After all, it was Gulina Nazha — beautiful, pretty, and with top-tier looks.

Damn, Nazha's set of catchphrases — he's almost picked them up too.

Sister Yanzi let out a snicker. She had seen it herself — when the two of them parted in the underground parking garage just now, they had sneakily kissed.

Tch tch, those online CP-shippers have nothing on her! Watching it live, up close and personal.

Besides, Sister Yanzi said she could see more than just one CP in person.

Shipping CP in every flavor~ So satisfying! Even more addictive than anything on TV.

Mhm. As for his behavior, although she didn't really approve of Bai Liang's conduct in her heart, she somehow couldn't bring herself to dislike him for it.

After all, it's Little Bai-ge — whatever he does, it somehow feels like it's fine.

He's just a tiny bit more romantic — what fault is that of his?

"But from the look on your face, does it have something to do with Nazha jiejie going out at this hour?"

"Yanzi, oh Yanzi, you're getting smarter and smarter."

Although Bai Liang hadn't heard what Cai Yi-nong said on the phone, Nazha's mouth had also dropped phrases like "listen to Boss Cai" and "go nuclear with her."

That sounded like they were about to go to war.

Of course that would make a person think it over.

But he really had no experience in this area, so he simply shared it with Sister Yanzi and let her guess what was going on.

Sister Yanzi: Do I even need to guess?

After hearing Bai Liang out, she reacted immediately: "They're about to tear each other apart."

"Huh?"

"Nazha jiejie and Reba jiejie — the two of them are about to tear into each other. Little Bai-ge, you're the culprit, you know."

"It can't just be because of the two nine-grid posts they put up, right?"

"It's exactly because of that! You're overthinking this. Last time when she went on the show to find Meng Jie, it didn't cause much of a stir mainly because Meng Jie was too washed-up — otherwise those CP fans wouldn't have let her off. But Nazha jiejie is different. Right now her popularity and buzz definitely can't compare with Reba jiejie's, but she's famous too! What a perfect target — if I were Jiaxing, I'd take her out first too."

After rattling off a whole speech in one breath, Sister Yanzi gazed at Bai Liang meaningfully. "Little Bai-ge, what's your take on this?"

"I'm looking at it with my eyes, obviously~"

"You must lean one way a little, right?"

"After Nazha loses, I'll go comfort her."

And you still say you don't get it? You clearly get it plenty!

Right — in Sister Yanzi's view, it was the same: Nazha was doomed to lose, there was no way she could win a catfight.

But some things aren't about whether you can win or not — you still have to step up. At the very least, you have to let people know you're not someone to be messed with.

If Jiaxing came in swinging and Nazha and Tang Ren immediately backed down, then from then on everyone would dare to step on her.

She might end up as a stepping stone for the next top female star.

When that time comes, every kind of monster would crawl out of the woodwork, and every resource would have people reaching for it.

Of course, online it's just about winning a breath of pride, but offline... hasn't Nazha already won big?

Tonight was definitely going to be a wonderful night.

In the new home, the new bedroom, the new bed — the two of them were bound to have a glorious time.

Oh right, can't be too limited to one area either...

Sister Yanzi silently pulled out a bag from behind her — mhm, one she'd had Old Zhou go buy today.

Better safe than sorry!

Bai Liang glanced at it, his eyelid twitching. That bastard Old Zhou — his tastes had even changed.

Holy shit, studded, spiral, and flavored too? Strawberry?

Did he think the reason Bai Liang hadn't used any before was because he found them too boring?

But this time he really couldn't help it — he took two individually wrapped ones and slipped them into his pocket, and of course the rest went into the RV with Sister Yanzi.

Sister Yanzi: Just as I thought! Old Zhou was right!

Ten-odd minutes later, Bai Liang arrived at the crew's dinner spot.

There weren't many people — just one table, and most of them were familiar faces.

Han Han, Zhao Liying, Deng Chao, Dong Zijian, Gao Huayang.

Today seemed to be an actors-only gathering.

Deng Chao needed no introduction — everyone knew this guy, a leading first-tier middle-aged actor on the same tier as Wu Jing.

Mhm. Before Wolf Warrior 2 was released, his tier might have even been a bit higher than Wu Jing's — it was just that his transition to directing had been a bit of a failure.

As for Dong Zijian, Bai Liang hadn't actually had any contact with him.

But Little Zhao jiejie had briefed him on the film's main cast beforehand.

This guy could absolutely be called the capital-circle Crown Prince, because his mother was the mainland's number-one agent, Wang Jinghua.

It sounded pretty impressive, but Bai Liang wasn't familiar with the scene, and he didn't know whose edge was sharper — this guy's mom or Sister Yang.

But since she was called the number-one agent, she was probably indeed a notch above.

Anyway, his first impression was that the guy actually seemed rather shy — not much like a Crown Prince at all, should be pretty easy to get along with.

Among them, only Gao Huayang wasn't very famous, but Bai Liang had met him a few times on the track before, so they knew each other.

Because he was also a professional race car driver, with the Volkswagen 333 team.

This guy's film debut was in Han Han's The Continent, where he played an idiot — and this time in Duckweed, he was still playing an idiot.

The names are pretty silly, calling it Liu Yi.

A perfectly good race car driver who made the transition, yet Han Han kept using him as a character actor.

After Bai Liang arrived, everyone was fairly enthusiastic, but Gao Huayang's reaction was a bit amusing.

His whole body jolted at the sight of him, and he blurted out: "Holy crap, the torpedo is coming!"

Only Han Han got the reference right away, laughing until he was convulsing.

But Gao Huayang quickly scratched his head, "Should be calling you Phoenix now, right? My bad, my bad, I'll toast you later."

"No worries, next time let's hit the track together for a couple of laps."

"Big bro, cut me some slack, I want to live a couple more days." Gao Huayang pleaded repeatedly.

The others thought he was just doing it for the show, but he insisted he was genuinely scared!

There's no wrong nickname, only wrong names.

These are all "illustrious reputations" Bai Liang earned through his own skill on the track!

"Same old you, showing off the moment you arrive!"

After greeting everyone and just sitting down, Sister Xiao Zhao's "lecture" arrived right on schedule.

She reached straight for his waist and pinched it, "That car accident you had recently, are you trying to die? Still dare to drive? Just sit in the car obediently, alright?"

"I'm fine, just scraped a little skin."

"Bullshit!"

Sister Xiao Zhao was uncharacteristically a bit worked up, though she did keep her voice down, "I watched that car accident video of yours, and it was just a scrape? Keep toughing it out, won't you! Brat!"

"Really, I have the medical report, I'll bring it for you to look at later, sis."

"Fine, I'll be waiting."

Sister Xiao Zhao gave a cold laugh, saying she didn't buy that act, and if there's a report she'll really read it.

That car accident was just too terrifying. When she saw it trending, she really thought Bai Liang was gone, scared so badly she dropped her phone and cracked the screen.

Yet the very next day, this guy was bouncing around causing trouble again.

Sometimes wanting to beat someone to death isn't without reason.

But to be fair, Sister Xiao Zhao really admired that super huge heart of Bai Liang's—getting into such a horrific accident and still daring to drive the next day.

"I'll give you some face today, but I'll deal with you privately later."

After dropping that line, Sister Xiao Zhao went back to normal dinner-table socializing and didn't keep picking on Bai Liang.

But he always felt something was off about that comment—this sister seemed to be overstepping a bit.

Still, Bai Liang wasn't a blockhead; he could tell good words from bad, she really was concerned about him.

If it really comes to it, let her pinch his ear later?

Thinking of this, Bai Liang's ear couldn't help but twitch.

Deng Chao caught this little detail. More accurately, he'd been keeping an eye on Bai Liang on and off.

The current Bai Liang is no small-time nobody; plenty of people in the industry are paying attention to him.

Plus he "replaced" Peng Yuyan and joined the movie "Ride the Wind and Waves." Han Han even wanted to promote him to dual male lead. They're about to collaborate, so Deng Chao specifically looked into his background.

After looking into it, he felt it was amazing—this kid either has a big background or incredible luck!

All the good things just happened to land on him.

But after chatting with Han Han and Zhao Liying, Deng Chao added another tag: he might also have real skill.

Just the things he's shown publicly are already pretty outrageous, making people can't help but sigh that this kid has something going on.

You know, the evaluation "has something going on" is almost on par with "you're impressive."

"Huh? That's kinda interesting!"

"Not bad~ exclusive skill, works great for hitting on girls." Bai Liang twitched his ear again and explained its use.

But Deng Chao seemed a bit skeptical: "You're pulling my leg, who picks up girls with that?"

Bai Liang: Huh? You don't believe it?!

"Sis~"

"What?"

"Look~"

"Pfft!"

Seeing Bai Liang's ear twitch, Sister Xiao Zhao couldn't hold it in and instinctively reached out to pinch his ear, "Nice feel~"

"Not bad, two hundred per pinch."

"Are you kidding me~ trying to rip me off?" Sister Xiao Zhao originally wanted to give it a hard tug, but thought about it and couldn't bring herself to. Considering Bai Liang was being relatively well-behaved, she let him off.

Deng Chao: Awesome~ you kid really do have something going on.

Han Han had something to say: "He's impressive, but his manager is even more so. I've never seen someone who owes money be that arrogant."

He could never forget Sister Yanzi's line back then: "Our Dou Xiao Bai still owes you money~"

It really broke through his defenses.

Whether it's the artist or the manager, they're completely different from anyone he's dealt with before—their style is way too unorthodox.

Sister Xiao Zhao: The style really is too unorthodox!

After pinching Bai Liang's ear and pulling her hand back, she instinctively glanced down.

What a coincidence, she happened to see something colorful in Bai Liang's coat pocket.

Unable to contain her curiosity, she reached in and took it out to look.

This book's latest updates are at ##!! Update!

"Are you trying to die?! Why are you carrying this thing?"

Xiao Zhao's gaze was a little dangerous—this time, she was serious.

At the table, she was the only actress, Bai Liang, carrying something like this—could it possibly be to challenge someone to a duel?

But she also knew this kid had previously clashed with Li Xin on the set of "Chu Qiao Zhuan."

So the question arises: Bai Liang's orientation is clearly female, and today, Zhao Liying is the only woman here.

It's obvious who this thing was meant for.

"It's a misunderstanding, not your fault, Sister."

Bai Liang wasn't fazed at all—he truly had no ill intentions, so why panic?

"How is it a misunderstanding? Little lecher!"

"Cough, cough, after dinner, I still have to rush back."

Ahhh~

You've got plans, huh?

Xiao Zhao felt slightly awkward, then covered her ears: "I won't hear it, I won't hear it."

She immediately confiscated the two items from Bai Liang's pocket.

Doesn't matter if you're telling the truth or lying—I'm confiscating them anyway.

What does a young guy spend his days thinking about? Doesn't this sister know?

Even thinking is forbidden—thinking is a crime!

But this inner monologue—was it meant for Bai Liang, or for herself?

Bai Liang: Fine, if you like it, it's yours~ Consider it a launch gift.

Old Zhou bought a lot anyway.

——

While Bai Liang was drinking and chatting with others, the "battle" between Gala and Tang Ren had officially begun.

There's a saying: fan behavior, idol pays.

It's actually somewhat true.

Many people think artists can't control their fans, and sometimes get dragged down by them.

This is partly true, partly false.

Some artists truly lack this ability—they have no organization, and their fans are scattered; there's little they can do to control them.

At best, they can just post on Weibo to guide the narrative.

But legitimate company artists with real traffic are highly organized in this regard.

First, you must understand the composition of fans: broadly, they fall into two categories—true fans and fake fans.

True fans aren't important—they just follow along, though they're also the ones who spend the most money.

Fake fans are commonly called professional fans.

These people don't actually admire anyone—they're paid to do jobs like meeting flights, boosting data, and so on.

Among professional fans, there are ranks: station sisters, fan leaders—commonly called big fans—who often drive the trends.

Usually, the artist's work team drops subtle hints—only hints, or else they'd be temporary workers.

Whether it's complaints or grievances, once big fans repost and stoke the flames, other fans charge forward like a pack.

Whether it's Gala or Tang Ren, both are very skilled at this game.

Tang Ren is more experienced and practiced; Gala is more in tune with the times.

Of course, this is just the battle among fans—real mudslinging could never involve only them.

Where do all those entertainment marketing accounts come from? Someone funds them~

Digging up dirt, exposing old scandals, even spreading rumors and smearing reputations—what tactic can't they use?

Funny enough, whether it's Gala or Tang Ren, both sides, as if prearranged, never held back from the start—they went all in.

Before many onlookers even understood what was happening, both sides were already locked in fierce combat.

The battle intensity was at maximum from the start—pure mutual escalation.

These two rising young stars, both with similar exotic charm, clashed fiercely.

Almost simultaneously, each of their black trending topics surged to the top of the charts.

At this point, you must push up the opponent's trending topic while suppressing your own.

Of course, neither of them would do anything themselves—they fully delegated it to their companies.

Though they didn't need to do anything, they bore the most pressure.

They dared not even look at online comments.

Some remarks were so vicious they could trigger heart attacks—too extreme even for novels to pass censorship.

This is the fan circle.

Fortunately, neither of them planned to look.

While Gala dared not check online reactions, she also worried Bai Liang might think something.

So even though she was exhausted, she still wrote a long essay and sent it to Bai Liang, explaining the situation.

Not just the essay—she also sent several sixty-second voice messages.

God knows how "desperate" Bai Liang felt seeing these things—this girl could sometimes be surprisingly old-fashioned.

Why not just call?

Gala had her reasons.

Some things can only be said through typing or voice messages—phone calls or face-to-face conversations were impossible.

Bai Liang squatted in the restaurant bathroom, sweating bullets, finally figuring out what Gala meant.

Mm, fragile again.

When she's under a lot of pressure, she always overthinks.

Like worrying about what Bai Liang might think of her because of this.

She just laid it all bare, pouring out her whole situation along with every thought and struggle inside her, clean as a whistle.

Through the screen, Bai Liang could almost picture her pitiful, exhausted little face.

Honestly, the contrast is wild — because right about now her fans are probably tearing that Nazha apart online.

Yet the woman herself is curled up over there being emo. Girls really are ridiculously complicated creatures.

So after thinking for a long while, he replied:

"Then do you need me right now?"

Compared to Dilireba's super long essay and all those sixty-second voice messages, Bai Liang's reply was unusually brief.

But the impact was a little terrifying.

The little assistant who had just come back after sending her sister's clothes to be washed and dried saw Reba sprawled on the sofa, crying.

"What's wrong?! Are you okay?!"

"N-no, I'm just, just a little happy."

Assistant:.

Honestly, she believed it.

Because Reba was laughing while crying — how could anyone not believe that?!

It's just a bit over the top. What kind of shock could make someone happy enough to cry?

She didn't understand, but she was deeply moved!

What a coincidence — online, that Nazha might be at a disadvantage, unable to beat the even more popular Dilireba fans and the huge crowd of CP fans who came to back her up.

But offline, she was happy as could be.

After stopping by Tang Ren and discussing things with the company folks, she went straight home.

She had zero interest in keeping tabs on what was happening online.

Once home, she didn't do a thing — first she filled the tub, then scattered rose petals on the water.

Beside it she had laid out all kinds of skincare and haircare products, even hair removal cream. After her bath she still wanted to put on a little makeup.

The bed was also covered in clothes — she'd have to agonize over what to wear later.

You have to know, back in Africa there had actually been plenty of chances for certain things.

But she had a little fixation — it had to be at home.

Otherwise wouldn't the new house, new bed, new sheets have been bought for nothing?

This new home held a very special meaning for her. From the renovation to the furniture being moved in, wasn't every single thing something she and Bai Liang had discussed and decided on together?

Even a little ornament in the house — it all meant something!

Life, after all, needs a little of this kind of ritual to feel richer and more flavorful.

Time drifted by slowly.

Until, finally, there was some movement outside the front door.

The key slid into the keyhole, the door opened~—

Three a. m., ten thousand words done. See you tomorrow, muah.

Begging for monthly tickets.

(End of chapter)