Chapter 306: A Rather Undignified Curtain Call

The adult world is really too freaking "filthy"!

Xi Zi Ge cursed inwardly.

Because the game was genuinely fun, he accidentally played a bit too long.

When the director called them for the rehearsal, Xi Zi Ge finally realized: Oh no! He hadn't rehearsed a single line!

His reaction was very fitting for his age at this point.

At first he was a little worried, similar to being caught by the head teacher for not having done his homework.

But after worrying for a moment, seeing Bai Liang and Ni Ni beside him who also seemed equally lost, his suspended heart immediately settled back down.

What's there to worry about? None of them had rehearsed either.

If the sky fell, those two would be holding it up; the director couldn't just pick on him, a minor, right!

However, when the rehearsal started, Xi Zi Ge was dumbfounded.

This scene was about Li Bi Sect's Junior Secretary Li Bi being ordered to investigate the Wolf Guards, but the secret arrest plan failed and the Wolf Guard leader Cao Poyan escaped.

Li Bi sent Tan Qi to the great prison to bring the prisoner Zhang Xiaojing, assigning Zhang Xiaojing to continue the investigation, explaining the stakes to him, and promising to restore his freedom once the matter was done.

This scene was actually quite important, mainly because it had to make the character of Li Bi stand out.

As Junior Secretary of the Jing'an Bureau, confidant of the Crown Prince, a man with the world in his heart, the youngest court official of the Great Tang!

Beneath the appearance of a frail scholar, there had to be not only lofty pride and aloofness but also sharp methods and decisive ruthlessness.

And the prototype of this character was the recluse Li Mi, who won the trust of four emperors. Historically, Li Mi was the Marquis of Ye County, later posthumously granted the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and was successively valued by Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Suzong, Emperor Daizong, and Emperor Dezong of Tang.

Obviously, even if Xi Zi Ge had prepared well.

For him, making this character stand up was not that easy.

Let alone that he had just finished playing games and came to perform, dropping a massive one on the spot.

He didn't even need the director to scold him; he himself knew he had performed like a pile of crap.

However, while his own poor performance was certainly distressing, the absurdity of his "companions" made him feel even more despair.

Since joining the crew, he had never seen Bai Liang touch the script once, but the other guy's lines were memorized crystal clear, able to recite them backwards.

He could even discuss with the director and screenwriter whether certain lines could be revised, and what state the death-row criminal Bad Commander Zhang Xiaojing, freshly released from prison, should be in, and so on.

It completely stunned the young Xi Zi Ge.

As for Ni Ni, she did pick up the script and glance at it twice before the rehearsal, and even smiled at him before they ran lines together.

Mm. The big sister's smile was really pretty!

That smile had originally steadied Xi Zi Ge's heart a bit, but the result was a stylish beatdown!

His lines came out stumbling and halting, while Ni Ni's were smooth and natural.

Ni Ni: I'm also a Mou Nü actress, Director Zhang's standards are very high~

Even if her acting was considered relatively weak among Mou Nü actresses, it still depended on who you compared her to.

Basically every single one of the 85 Flowers currently active on screen, Ni Ni could take them down.

At this moment, the image of a "bad woman" was established in Xi Zi Ge's heart!

After that, whenever Ni Ni smiled at him again, it gave him the creeps!

He estimated that for a long time afterward, he would remember that the first TV drama he starred in his life had him encountering such a "wicked" big sister.

Wait, weren't you two also just playing games and chatting earlier?

Bah! Disgusting! So disgusting!

"What's up?"

How warm-hearted was Bai Liang—after noticing Xi Zi Ge standing there with a blank stare, looking like he was about to pass out, he did show timely concern.

Caring for minors is everyone's responsibility, after all.

Xi Zi Ge swallowed hard, looked at Bai Liang's expression that didn't seem fake, his mouth moved but he couldn't say anything.

A young man's pride kept him from saying anything.

"No need to be nervous, if there's anything you don't understand later, I'll teach you."

"Huh? Really?"

Bai Liang gave him a thumbs-up. "Really. Oh, by the way, there was one round of the game I wanted to tell you about—"

Xi Zi Ge, who had been led down the rabbit hole by Bai Liang again, gradually felt something was off as they chatted.

How did it end up being about games again?

This kind of temptation was way too freaking huge for an eighteen-year-old kid like him!

In some ways, it was even more tempting than having a girl seduce him!

In the subsequent filming, if Xi Zi Ge hadn't asked Bai Liang some questions and Bai Liang had really patiently guided him, he would have suspected Bai Liang was deliberately sabotaging him.

Bai Liang: Look, I conveniently helped you train your concentration too~

In the entertainment circle, there are way too many temptations! How can you do without strong concentration?

What if some female artist comes knocking on your door at night, and your concentration isn't enough—wouldn't you fall for it?

And if you happened to run into a bad woman, your acting career could very well be ruined.

Ni Ni: Little brat, who are you implying?

She thought to herself that she hadn't done anything like that~

After "bullying" the little brother together with Bai Liang, Ni Ni's days in the "The Longest Day in Chang'an" crew were quite comfortable.

Mainly because she discovered that Bai Liang really didn't mind her climbing onto his trailer.

His words seemed to subtly hint: Whatever publicity stunt you want, can you just get it over with?

This guy also kept liking to contact Jing Boran these days, arranging to play games with him, and doing it right in front of her.

Ni Ni: Sometimes I really want to take out our contract couple "agreement" and slap it in your face!

Hehe, she won't say it.

Nothing else—just wanted to see Bai Liang like this, kinda cute.

Sure, she can team up with Bai Liang to tease Xi Zi Ge, but don't forget: in Ni Ni's eyes, Bai Liang is also her little brother.

Which older sister doesn't like teasing her little brother~

Sometimes she dresses more revealingly; after Bai Liang sneaks a glance, he forces himself to stop at just one look—that sight makes Ni Ni smile inside for half the day.

Human beings truly are highly complex.

Just like Shuangzi back then—Bai Liang couldn't predict her train of thought, even weirder than Meng Jie by tenfold.

And Ni Ni is also quite complex.

At first, her motive was pure: just wanted to ride some hype, stir up some buzz.

When she met him in Tokyo, her thoughts were nearly identical to Zhang Tian'ai's.

But later, Ni Ni gradually noticed something odd: Bai Liang seemed flashy on the surface, yet always kept a respectful distance from her.

It made her wonder if she lacked charm, which annoyed her deeply, almost triggering a rebellious streak.

Fortunately, she eventually figured out why.

Turns out it was her "boyfriend" causing it.

And Bai Liang is actually quite principled: since they were friends, even after "breaking up," he still wouldn't cross the line.

From then on, Ni Ni became genuinely interested.

But just as she got interested, the entertainment circle erupted with "explosive news"!

Fan Fan Bingbing, "convicted"!

The tax authority released its findings: Fan Fan Bingbing must pay back taxes, late fees, and fines totaling approximately 884 million yuan.

Simultaneously, her films and TV dramas were suspended from broadcast—like "Ba Qing Zhuan"—her brand endorsements terminated, and public appearances canceled.

Clearly, this "legendary" female star of the entertainment industry has officially announced: her downfall.

As soon as the news broke, everyone was talking about it; the entire internet buzzed.

"Long overdue! Stars earn so much already, yet still evade taxes? This greed has no bottom! Ban them immediately!"

"I earn 3,000 yuan a month—what dynasty do I have to start working in to make this kind of money?"

"Ordinary workers pay taxes honestly—why do stars use fake contracts?"

"Won't they jail her?! Liu Xiaoqing went to prison for over a year—why isn't Fan Fan Bingbing getting arrested?!" "Hope they investigate thoroughly—don't just make an example of one!"

"."

The main issue is that the amount is just too shocking.

Hmm. Of course—it has to be this high to match her number-one ranking on the celebrity list.

This is Fan Ye's final grand spectacle in the entertainment world; this time, she completely overshadowed the entire industry.

No one could compete with her for the "red carpet" at this moment.

Too bad, this red carpet leads only to her—she alone will walk to its end, completing an undignified farewell.

Others? They still left themselves an escape route.

Self-report and pay back taxes.

"Oh my god! Over 800 million?!"

This number left Ni Ni's mouth hanging open—no wonder the investigation took so long! They must've dug up every last secret.

!

Clearly, as the "chicken" meant to scare the monkeys, Fan Fan Bingbing's downfall served as a perfect example for others.

See how dare you film industry folks still try this?

Hmm, they still dare.

The impact of this incident extended far beyond trending topics—the entire circle shook.

Though it didn't seem to affect that capybara~

Ni Ni looked at Bai Liang—he wasn't gaming today; he was studying for the postgraduate entrance exam.

He's so calm! He must be clean~

The moment this thought crossed Ni Ni's mind, she idly scrolled through Weibo.

The next second, her eyes nearly popped out.

#Bai Liang Studio Under Investigation#

In just a few moments, this topic surged into the top five.

At this moment, eight of the top ten were about Fan Fan Bingbing—yet Bai Liang still broke into the top five. No wonder he's a tier-one top streamer!

Pfft!

Ni Ni shook her head sharply, thinking: this has nothing to do with being a "top streamer."

And who would want to be this kind of "top streamer" anyway!

She scrolled through the comments below—people gloating, hoping Bai Liang would "die," demanding "strict punishment"—it felt like a coordinated black hat and bot army gathering.

Many comments were clearly bots.

Ni Ni felt something was off—was someone deliberately targeting Bai Liang? The preparation seemed too thorough, the speed too fast!

But when she clicked in, she saw: Bai Liang's studio really had been investigated.

Pictures and video evidence—undeniable.

A group of stern, serious tax officials stormed into Bai Liang's Shanghai studio—the sight made viewers' eyelids twitch.

Bai Liang's rivals: Perfect! Open the champagne!

Cough cough, you know—I'm also saddened he did something like this. Bai Liang is a very talented actor, but the bottom line of the law cannot be trampled.

The rival company thought, when reporters asked later, they'd say it this way — guaranteed no problem!

But Unlike Ni Ni didn't keep watching. She quickly jumped off the sofa and ran to Bai Liang's side without even bothering to put on her shoes.

"Stop reading — you're in trouble!"

Bai Liang: "Huh? What trouble could I possibly be in?"

"Besides sleeping, it's taxes, right? Have you been paying your taxes properly? Is it still not too late to make up for it?"

After saying that, Unlike Ni Ni subconsciously glanced at the RV, then helplessly held her forehead.

"You spend money like crazy — do you even have the cash to pay back taxes?!"

"Uh—"

Bai Liang scratched his head, looked at Unlike Ni Ni, and wondered whether he should tell her that this whole thing was Sister Yanzi's self-directed operation.

At this point Bai Liang hadn't even turned on his phone — mainly because he didn't want incoming calls or messages to disturb his reading.

Of course, the people he was closer with had actually been tipped off in advance, so there wouldn't be any weird mix-ups.

But once he looked at her like that, Unlike Ni Ni got a bit flustered — don't look at me like that! Ugh!

Still, looking at Bai Liang's innocent, doe-eyed little expression, she couldn't quite bring herself to be harsh.

How could someone like him get dragged into something like this?

She sighed helplessly. "I can lend you twenty or thirty million tops — any more and I don't have it."

"You've been in the industry this long and that's all you've saved? No wonder you say you're washed up," Bai Liang commented.

"I don't need to buy houses or invest — who keeps all their money in a bank? And you dare talk smack to me right now? No matter how washed up I am, I'll still be able to get by in the circle later. What about you? Fines, breach-of-contract penalties — you'll be ruined! You might end up a deadbeat!"

Unlike Ni Ni shook her head. "So that's why you met with Fan Fan Bingbing earlier — you two, you two are hooking up, aren't you?"

Bai Liang:.

Sometimes he really couldn't understand these women's thought processes.

How did the conversation drift back onto this kind of topic?

"She has a boyfriend. I'm not some cradle-robber."

"She really did seduce you?"

Bai Liang:??? Holy crap, amazing… what is actually going on in these women's heads?

Actually, at this point Unlike Ni Ni felt inexplicably a little more at ease.

After all, if this guy could even reject Fan Fan Bingbing, then it proved the issue had nothing to do with charm or anything like that.

Unlike Ni Ni didn't keep hammering on the man-woman angle either, and quickly steered the topic back. "So what are you gonna do?"

"Let me read a bit first — take the Peking University entrance exam?" Bai Liang asked tentatively.

The other party nodded. "That is indeed a fallback. Your brain's so sharp — even if you leave showbiz, I feel like you'd succeed at anything else."

"You really know people well!" Bai Liang gave her a thumbs-up.

"Still showing off at a time like this — your drama's probably not getting filmed either. Sell this crappy RV later, what a mess you've made of it. The only decent thing is that bed."

At this point, Unlike Ni Ni simply switched into ruthless-roast mode.

She had the air of someone seizing the chance to fire off a few more jabs before Bai Liang completely rolled out of showbiz.

To this, Bai Liang didn't bother explaining anything — just smiled and watched her yap away.

But in the end, her heart softened after all.

"If things don't work out… you can come find me."

"That's not gonna happen," Bai Liang said, shaking his head.

"You—" Unlike Ni Ni thought, looking like death warmed over and still pulling the 'a friend's wife is not to be touched' routine? Where's my contract? Find it, show this kid…

Bai Liang smiled and spread his hands. "There's no way I'll do badly~"

I've had enough!

This punk is outrageously arrogant!

Unlike Ni Ni really had never seen anyone so cocky when they were already at death's door.

"Oh, right."

At that moment Bai Liang seemed to suddenly remember something, fished out a small box from beside him, and handed it to Unlike Ni Ni.

"Happy birthday."

(End of chapter)