Chapter 234: Coming Means No Good Fruit to Eat

"It's not our turn to go over yet? This line is way too long."

Hearing Bai Liang's complaint, Yanzi held back a laugh. "Little Bro, you're the grand finale. Do you know what 'grand finale' means?"

"Testing me?" Bai Liang looked at Yanzi with a smile. "The sixth edition of the Xinhua Dictionary changed 'second-to-last' to 'last,' and the eighth edition changed it back. Which usage does the entertainment industry use?"

"It's the sixth edition's usage. The grand finale means the very last one to appear."

Yanzi was impressed. She truly hadn't expected Bai Liang to pull out the Xinhua Dictionary edition numbers as his answer.

How would a normal person even know this stuff?

Bai Liang: Those CCTV hosts probably know plenty of it~

The various usages of Chinese really are quite interesting.

Sometimes what's become established by convention isn't necessarily the true meaning, but as time goes on, the authorities might just change it to match that conventional meaning.

Because these words are used by people, there's no need to deliberately go against the grain.

"Am I the last one to appear? No wonder we have to wait so long. Next time it's like this, we can order takeout first." Bai Liang felt a little hungry. He had skipped dinner precisely because he'd heard the Bazaar Charity Gala had good food.

"That's not a bad idea~"

Yanzi could keep up with Bai Liang's train of thought.

She knew that many things the industry people valued meant nothing in her own Little Bro's eyes.

Grand finale? That's impressive?

He didn't care about this stuff, but the organizers eagerly delivered it to him on their own. Wasn't that far more awesome than those who actively fought for the grand finale spot, or even refused to leave and insisted on waiting for everyone else to go first?

To be even more arrogant about it—setting aside respect for seniors—among all the artists at today's Bazaar, who has the guts to steal Bai Liang's grand finale spot?

In this day and age, traffic is king!

This year's Weibo Night's Weibo King trophy could just be handed straight to Bai Liang—no point in voting.

He is this year's undisputed number one artist in popularity and traffic, and it's a massive gap.

Who told Lu Han to publicly announce his relationship~

At the same time, what if on top of traffic there's also terrifying real achievements?!

So even those so-called top-tier actresses have to obediently give up their spots today, unless Jackie Chan shows up.

Anyone else, whether it's Fan Bingbing or Zhang Ziyi—damn, just thinking about it makes Yanzi feel ecstatic!

Like taking a sip of ice-cold cola on a hot summer day~

Of course, her own Little Bro wouldn't be that arrogant.

Yanzi could already imagine Bai Liang's leisurely voice: Grand finale? Sure~

Hehe.

The Bazaar Charity Night is somewhat similar to the Bulgari gala Bai Liang attended before.

Except relatively speaking, far more celebrities attend.

It's more of a show than an advertisement, but the social scene vibe feels even stronger.

Sitting in the car waiting out of boredom, Bai Liang quickly found new entertainment.

"Oh ho, a couple act!"

The one going up on stage right now was a familiar face—Jing Boran.

He walked the red carpet with his girlfriend Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni, and was now over there taking photos and giving interviews.

Yanzi beside him instantly became the commentator:

"This seems to be the first time they've appeared together at an event since going public with their relationship."

"Didn't he bring Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni to the Wolf Warrior 2 premiere last time?"

"No, he didn't." Yanzi confirmed.

How could she not remember whether such a famous 85 Flower contestant came or not.

Bai Liang nodded. Tsk tsk, good buddy keeping things hidden, really not cool.

Who are you guarding against?

Still, Jing Boran's presence as the current boyfriend isn't as strong as Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni's ex-boyfriend's.

Bai Liang still remembered Feng Shaofeng's line to this day: If we break up, we'll write our names backwards.

And after they broke up, one became Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni; the other became Feng Shaofeng.

Backwards it's still the same!

Just as Yanzi was about to continue gossiping about the two with Bai Liang, she saw her own Little Bro suddenly sit up straight!

"What's up?"

Bai Liang: The heavyweights have arrived!

Jia Nailiang and Li Dou Xiao Lu!

At this moment Jia Nailiang was firmly holding Li Dou Xiao Lu's hand, turned to the side, gazing at her with sweet eyes.

Who could have expected that by year's end, the youngest Golden Horse Best Actress would truly deliver an "Best Actress-level" performance.

After the "doing hair" incident, the two of them doing a New Year's concert together is really wild.

Yanzi: Little Bro, tone it down a bit. That's somebody's wife.

She felt her own Little Bro had never been this "interested" before, and thought he'd taken a liking to Li Dou Xiao Lu. Good thing they were still in the car.

No way, right? Downgrade in taste?

Today really did seem to be all about couples. After those two pairs, it was Huang Xiaoming and Yang Tianbao walking the red carpet together, followed by Fan Bingbing and Da Hei Niu—all couples.

In fact, the Bazaar side really wanted Bai Liang and Nazha to walk the red carpet together.

But Nazha simply didn't come.

In her own words, it was time to cool things down.

She said she wouldn't appear in public with Bai Liang for at least half a year, though of course, private snuggles definitely don't count.

It wasn't about breaking up the CP, but about not wanting to cause Bai Liang unnecessary trouble.

When their CP was at its most explosive moment — the final episode of "Divas Hit the Road 3" airing — there really were tons of CP fans asking: when are you two going to make it official?

It already felt like a "forcing the palace," so she had to cool things down.

Nazha: Can't make it official at all.

Lu Han's "dead look" — did she think she didn't see it?

Even though everyone says Bai Liang is different from other traffic stars, Nazha absolutely wouldn't take that kind of risk.

Now she can already go toe-to-toe with Dilraba Dilmurat, and many times even hold the upper hand — that's enough.

After that, quite a few familiar and unfamiliar female artists took turns appearing.

What a scene of competing beauties — it made Bai Liang realize even more clearly why the red carpet has always been female artists' battlefield.

Speaking of which, I always feel like Reba is really suited for occasions like this.

But she didn't come today either. Yang Mi did come though, apparently forming some kind of "Tiny Times" sisterhood group.

Little Sister Zhao also very low-key walked the red carpet and went right in.

Quite a few familiar faces.

When the car finally started moving, Bai Liang straightened his suit and tie and the like.

At an occasion like this, they might really enforce an "improperly dressed need not apply" policy.

"Dou Xiao Bai, do we still need to pull that move from last time?"

As the car slowly started moving, Sister Yanzi suddenly asked.

Bai Liang blinked. "Which move?"

"That time at the Bvlgari dinner — you deliberately waited in the car a bit longer, it was absolutely perfect! So much vibe."

"That was pretty pretentious indeed, but isn't it a bit inappropriate today?" Bai Liang felt that today's occasion's theme was charity, after all.

Sister Yanzi didn't quite agree with that.

Charity?

How many people here actually care about charity?

Just a vanity fair wearing charity's skin~

But after thinking it over, she felt it really wasn't appropriate. Given Bai Liang's age, being the finale act at an occasion like this was already pretty, well, something.

If he also had to put on a show there, it would be a bit too attention-grabbing in a hostile way.

The black Maybach stopped in front of the red carpet, and Bai Liang suddenly froze before getting out.

The original scattered noise seemed to vanish in an instant.

But he didn't think much of it and directly opened the car door and stepped out.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Bai Liang! Bai Liang!" "Great Immortal~ look this way!"

"Xiao Nai!!!"

"."

The car door opened, and the instant Bai Liang appeared, an enormous roar suddenly rose.

He even felt his eardrums vibrate a little — kind of itchy~

"Bai Liang! Bai Liang!"

"."

Fans' screams rising higher and higher set the whole venue buzzing, while the host on stage stumbled through her introduction.

From Bai Liang's TV dramas to his films, naturally she also had to heavily emphasize "Wolf Warrior 2," which had just created absurd results.

It felt like she said the number 6.6 billion several times, but nobody had any objections.

Even now, many people still feel that such box office numbers are like a dream — only when they see Bai Liang standing there do they get a bit of a sense of reality.

After finishing with "Wolf Warrior 2," the host didn't even let "Divas Hit the Road 3" off the hook.

No errors in any chapter, no missed first release, no missing content — all in one read!

Then she also had to mention Bai Liang's "charity track record" — honestly, he didn't even know his own money had been spent on these things.

But clearly she'd done her homework.

In the end, the female host actually grew more fluent, even improvising on the spot:

"Through ten thousand mountains and rivers, I believe the fans are willing to go see them with him!"

"Let's welcome Bai Liang!"

After that line, the fans really went crazy — instantly cranking up the intensity for the security guys on site.

Alright alright! Nazha herself didn't come, but that line did.

But that's a line from her anime — don't go asking Nazha for royalties later.

Meanwhile, the deafening commotion outside made many guests already inside look sideways — good lord, this finale act truly lives up to the name, what an exaggerated presence.

Many simply turned around, waiting to see this finale top-tier's "elegance."

Actually, Bai Liang wasn't the only top-tier here today.

Lu Han came too.

But to be fair, maybe affected by his relationship announcement, the fans who came to support didn't seem to be that many.

The once-dominating top-tier seemed to be falling at an especially fast pace.

This might also have something to do with Bai Liang's fierce rise.

If Bai Liang hadn't burst onto the scene so viciously, even if Lu Han had made it official, he wouldn't have dropped so fast.

A starved camel is still bigger than a horse; one way or another, it can still hold on a bit longer.

But when one sun goes out and another pops right up, the sunflowers know which way to turn.

To put it bluntly, it's taking in Lu Han's "heartbroken fans."

Still, Bai Liang's side wasn't really much better. He hadn't made it official, but the CP presence on his end was actually stronger than Lu Han's.

Way stronger!

But fans would rather accept that their idol has many CPs—even if those women tear each other apart—than see their idol monopolized by one woman.

Besides, Bai Liang's CP is a powerhouse alliance; who the hell is Guan Xiaotong on Lu Han's side?!

Fan psychology is a hard thing to explain clearly.

So, who knows if Lu Han, feeling hurt, might just not donate today, eat a free meal, and vent his frustration.

And under everyone's eager anticipation, Bai Liang outside was "tribulating."

Fans going crazy, media swarming, the host copping a feel—even Su Mang came over specifically to take a photo with Bai Liang.

Apparently she was a bit displeased that the host dared to reach out and touch Bai Liang: Damn it, I don't even dare to reach out, what gives you the right to take advantage?

The rather pretty host, after being glared at by Su Mang for a few seconds, sheepishly took two steps back—couldn't help herself~

And Bai Liang didn't even get mad, he just smiled at her~

But looking at the unusually well-behaved Su Mang, she did find it strange.

Has our President Su changed her ways?

Several times she saw Su Mang wanting to reach out and hook Bai Liang's arm, but in the end she pulled back.

Don't laugh—even a pair of underwear, a piece of toilet paper, has its use.

Su Mang's arrival really helped a lot.

She directly shooed away the media still trying to cling to Bai Liang, gently saying she was going to take Bai Liang home—no, into the venue.

Bai Liang: You accidentally said what was on your mind, Auntie~

But he wasn't afraid of this seemingly agitated auntie. He'd been calm when he went to shoot for *Bazaar* magazine before, so naturally he was the same now.

However, after entering, a wave of scrutinizing gazes from peers and industry bigwigs seemed to draw a line between Bai Liang and them, like the Chu River and Han Border.

As if waiting for him to show humility on his face, to go over, bow, and greet them.

Bai Liang: How interesting.

Feels like they're trying to pressure him~

But do these people not know that a capybara never falls for that?

Bai Liang blinked, faced the various gazes—curious, concerned, cold, or hostile—and smiled, waving at them.

No need to be so polite~ Eat well, drink well~

Many thought internally: What strong nerves!

Thinking about it, it made sense—this kid was the tough guy who dared to slap a lion's butt, chat and laugh with African warlords, and jump from several kilometers up with a parachute on his back.

But to be blunt, the so-called industry bigwogs in the entertainment circle, all their pressure combined isn't worth a single 7.62 round.

Only Bai Liang was a bit curious—tonight's occasion, how many of the industry bigwigs that Wu Jing claimed tried to "rape his movie" were sitting here?

No wonder that guy didn't come; if he had, he'd definitely get no good end~

Smiling, waving, looking down at the whole room as equals, a hint of playfulness even crept onto Bai Liang's face.

Such an attitude made many narrow their eyes.

Hearing about him wasn't as good as meeting him; many had only heard Bai Liang's name and were seeing him in person for the first time today.

After seeing him, they felt a contradictory sensation.

This kid seemed calm and gentle, but something about him felt off.

To sum it up: Arrogant?!

Doesn't seem like it~

But there was indeed something out of place, different from the image of an artist many people had in mind.

Bai Liang: It's not as wild as Wu Jing said; so-called industry bigwigs, they all just have one nose and two eyes.

His verdict was: pretty average, not as much pressure as when Sister Little Zhao got angry at him.

After all, Sister Little Zhao really has "leverage" on him~

"Brat, stand out less and keep a lower profile, yeah?"

Sister Little Zhao's not-so-polite concern always came so timely.

After entering, Bai Liang didn't go straight to his seat at the very front, but wandered around like a street loafer, chatting with familiar faces.

His seat was arranged too far forward; at that table, apart from Fan Fan Bingbing, he didn't recognize a single person—to be precise, he hadn't worked with any of them.

With Fan Fan Bingbing, at least they had the "friendship" of accepting an award together.

The banquet hadn't started yet, and no one would be sneaking food from the tables, so Bai Liang wasn't in a hurry.

"Sister, why are you sitting in some forgotten corner? Come on, I'll take you to the front table."

"Are you trying to kill me? I just don't want to stand out—" Sister Little Zhao resisted the urge to twist Bai Liang's ear, just glared at him and said.

"Isn't sitting in front good?"

"No need—look, Yang Mi's seat isn't in front either~"

Bai Liang observed, and indeed it seemed tonight wasn't the battlefield and stage for actresses of Yang Mi and Zhao Liying's generation.

It belonged to Fan Fan Bingbing, Zhang Zhang Ziyi, Li Bingbing, and the rest.

"Brat, be careful when talking to people up front."

Like Sister Little Zhao, Yang Mi also gave a similar reminder, but she was sneakier—in a blind spot of the on-site cameras, she secretly brushed the back of her hand against Bai Liang's hand.

As expected of Sister Mi, she really knows how to play!

Watching Bai Liang chat with Zhao Liying and Yang Mi one moment, then run off to find Jing Boran the next to scold him for not bringing his girlfriend to the last premiere, and after that go chat with Deng Chao—Miss Jing Tian was getting a little anxious.

Me! Me here!

Is it that he didn't see her?!

Her seat was actually pretty good, right behind Bai Liang's table—in fact, Miss Jing Tian had even specially arranged it so that Bai Liang could turn around and talk to her.

But this guy just kept wandering around the outer perimeter, with no intention of coming over at all. Street loafer! So annoying!

And just when Miss Jing Tian was getting a bit angry, no longer watching where Bai Liang was wandering off to, in what felt like just ten or so seconds, a familiar voice suddenly rang out by her ear.

"Sister Tian Tian~"

"You have to call me sis!"

——

Third watch, fourteen thousand characters, see you tomorrow, muah!

Begging for monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)