Chapter 343: A Brand New Curtain Rises!

"Ahhhh! I'm so nervous. Is anyone watching the show? Did I go off-key?"

After finishing a song, Meng Jie couldn't help but post the question in the group chat.

But no one paid her any attention for a long time.

However, she was very patient, @-ing everyone one by one and giving them a little pat~

Her close girlfriends, who were in another group chat roasting her together, couldn't take it anymore.

"Meng Jie, sing that song you sang last time, just two lines, send a voice message."

"What song?"

"Zhou Chuanxiong's song."

"Oh~"

After a few lines, everyone realized Meng Jie was still the same old Meng Jie. Not a single bit changed.

"Aren't you only able to sing that one 'Summer Fruit'? You go off-key on any other song?"

Faced with this "interrogation," Meng Jie gave a sheepish grin. "Now I know two!"

"You're trending! Ahhh, everyone's saying you're gorgeous, oh no, Meng Jie, you're about to blow up!"

"Why would me blowing up be a bad thing?!"

"Seeing you blow up is harder to swallow than being killed! Will you still remember me, Meng Jie? Don't forget your buddies when you make it big, woof woof woof, Meng Jie~"

So the group chat erupted in a collective "woof woof woof~," and the whole vibe instantly went off the rails.

Of course, a single New Year's Eve gala wasn't going to actually make Meng Jie blow up overnight.

But this time, dressed to the nines, she stood prettily beside Bai Liang, holding his hand as they sang together, and indeed grabbed a considerable amount of attention.

Plenty of people went digging into her past, and besides the old scandal of once outshining Lin Wan'er, everyone discovered that this obscure-yet-gorgeous beauty could actually be considered someone who had been "by his side" since Bai Liang's debut.

An "OG-level" Miss, just like Nazha.

One could even say they debuted together—her and his very first work was both "God of War Zhao Zilong."

And counting "Joy of Life," they'd actually collaborated a whopping three times.

But because Meng Jie really wasn't famous, most people focused on the other female artists who had stories with Bai Liang.

Meng Jie's fans felt deeply moved by this.

"Has our Meng Jie finally made it to the table? The Great Immortal didn't forget her!"

"No choice, Bai Liang took off way too fast. Honestly, normally speaking, it would be pretty normal for him not to remember the Xia Yuhe by the shores of Great Ming Lake, but I've always remembered Yang Kang and Mu Nianci—I was totally shipping them back then."

"Go Meng Jie! She's been left way behind by the Great Immortal. Hoping for the day they can meet at the peak."

"That's asking a bit much, our Meng Jie is still a small-time star. Also, why is she called Meng Jie? Who started that nickname? I'm a new fan."

"Seems like Bai Liang was the first to call her that."

"Everyone says Nazha has a cat given to her by Bai Liang, and it's still a super internet-famous cat, but actually our Meng Jie also has a dog he gave her."

"Other people dig up more and more dirt, why does digging into Meng Jie just make her seem more and more pitiful?"

"It's actually fine, her resources are still decent, but her debut time is still too short. It's only been a few years, don't use Bai Liang as a benchmark—that guy isn't normal."

"."

The online commotion didn't affect Meng Jie, who had finished her New Year's Eve.

Happily heading back to the hotel to ring in the New Year~

Before leaving with Bai Liang, passing through the corridor coming down from the stage, she spotted a Miss leaning against a trash can, dry heaving.

Meng Jie even went over to check on her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Sang until I wanted to throw up."

"Huh?"

Yu Wenwen glanced at Meng Jie and sighed. "If you had to sing the same song for an entire year, and then keep singing it after that, you'd throw up too."

"What song?"

"'Dignity.' Bleeech~"

Now Meng Jie remembered, and she recognized who this was.

Someone could actually sing until they wanted to throw up? That must be psychological.

Meng Jie suddenly had a bad premonition, wondering if she should put in more hard work and practice a few more songs in the future?

But it was really hard to practice. Even she, a small-time star with plenty of free time, had to sacrifice her rest time just to barely manage that one song.

As for "Summer Fruit," that song belonged to the type where it's actually hard to go off-key, making it perfect for a singer like Meng Jie.

But even that took many, many karaoke sessions before she could handle it with ease.

Bai Liang blinked. "What's up? You think you'll be getting invitations to these kinds of galas often in the future?"

Hearing this, Meng Jie's face turned red. "No way."

"Tsk, getting an idol complex?"

"Really not! Ugh—" Now Meng Jie was truly blushing, feeling her cheeks burning hot.

Having her little secret ruthlessly exposed just made her lose face~

After leaving the backstage area of the gala and getting in the car, she immediately threw herself onto Bai Liang, buried her face in him, and started playing ostrich.

But in her heart she was muttering: if she ran into a singing situation in the future, should she sing or not?

Actually, she really did quite like singing~

But if everyone found out she only knew those two songs and went off-key on everything else, would that be embarrassing?

Meng Jie quickly looked up at Bai Liang. Mhm, not embarrassing~

Her heart suddenly felt a little sweet.

She had only specially learned one song for Bai Liang. What was there to be embarrassed about? She should be proud.

Now we should think about something happy.

For example, she's gone viral!

Unfortunately, Meng Jie's "viral moment" didn't even last a full day.

After barely leveraging her connection with Bai Liang to outrank Song Qian on the trending list, just as netizens were preparing to dig into the little story between her and Bai Liang, a massive piece of news shattered the trending board.

Yang Mi officially announced her divorce!

Against the backdrop of such a life-defining event for a top 85 diva, whether it's Meng Jie or Song Qian, all must step aside.

It was casually crushed underfoot.

Shortly after the official announcement, the news rapidly climbed to the top of Weibo's trending list, reaching over a billion views in a short time and generating over a million discussions.

Simultaneous massive traffic caused Weibo's servers to briefly lag!

This was Weibo after it had been "tortured" by the overwhelming traffic of Lu Han and Bai Liang.

Though it didn't crash outright, the fact that it even lagged was terrifying enough.

Not just Weibo—this was a full internet-wide sensation.

Platforms like WeChat, Douban, and Zhihu also flooded with discussions; netizens speculated about the reasons for the divorce, asset division, and custody of the daughter, even sparking a public debate around the "independent woman" theme.

Even mainstream media came to join the frenzy—Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, and other authoritative outlets republished the statement, while Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas media covered it extensively. The impact was truly insane!

Yang Mi's divorce wasn't just the entertainment industry's "headline news"—it became a textbook case in societal discussions about women balancing marriage and career.

Its influence far surpassed that of any ordinary celebrity breakup!

So prestigious!

If her official divorce announcement had coincided with Ah Feng's incident, it'd be hard to say who would've topped the trending list.

But clearly, in 2019, a brand-new chapter began in this way.

And for Bai Liang, his 2019 would also unfold in a rather peculiar manner.

——

Can a variety show promote three films at once?

Hmm. Actually, yes.

But no one has ever tried promoting three films on the same show—films that were scheduled in the same window and directly competing with each other.

The Wandering Earth, The Wandering Man, Crazy Alien.

The lead actors of all three films gathered together.

There was no choice—before the Spring Festival season, there simply weren't many well-known variety shows, so everyone ended up crammed into one.

So when Bai Liang arrived at the recording site of Season 4 of The Amazing Race with Zhao Jinmai,

He saw Shen Teng on his left and Huang Bo on his right—and laughed.

"How about we just fight it out? The loser drops out of the Spring Festival slot," Bai Liang said bluntly.

"That's a sneaky suggestion! How could either of us possibly beat you? Even Wu Jing couldn't beat you," Huang Bo chuckled, shaking his head.

Shen Teng, for once, wasn't acting his usual exaggerated comedic self—only a faint smile on his face: "I've already suffered enough because of you. Don't even think about tricking me again, kid. Besides, this is my home turf—you think you can kick me out? Not a chance."

"What do you mean?" Huang Bo asked curiously.

"This kid drove his car up onto the roof of my house—I was terrified."

"A car can drive up onto a roof?!" Huang Bo gasped.

"Tell me about it. Come watch The Wandering Man later—you'll see exactly how a car gets driven onto a roof."

"Then I'll recommend you watch Crazy Alien. Hey! What's the point—I starred in it with you!" Huang Bo slapped his thigh.

Shen Teng suddenly remembered: "Oh right—I'm in two movies! Let's team up and take this kid down!"

"Sounds good," Huang Bo grinned wickedly at Bai Liang, rolling up his sleeves.

Two old rascals teaming up to bully the "newbie"?

Luckily, Bai Liang had his own "trump card."

He pulled Zhao Jinmai over: "Mai Mai, if either of them makes a move, scream 'Assault!'"

"Got it!"

Little Zhao Jinmai didn't say much—she just followed her brother's lead~

Whoever moves, she hits. Whoever it is, she doesn't care.

Shen Teng, Huang Bo:???

That's that ruthless? Using a minor girl?

While the three of them chatted, none of the other artists recording this episode of The Amazing Race came over to join in.

Everyone knew their place—clearly not qualified.

Even if you were the eternal god of the Chinese music scene, it still didn't matter.

Bai Liang glanced out of the corner of his eye at Hua Chengyu, and unexpectedly thought of his child's mother—he wondered if she'd given birth yet.

But was this guy also in the "god" tier?

It was all Shuangzi's fault—she had to write that book, now Bai Liang was lumped together with Hua Chengyu and Ou Hao as the same type.

Bai Liang himself didn't mind—he just watched for fun—but his fans were not happy.

They'd been grumbling: "I'm Xiao Feng, a true man—how can I be mentioned in the same breath as someone like you?"

These dumb fans didn't realize that saying that was just admitting Bai Liang was also in the "god" tier.

Besides Hua Chengyu, the show also featured Wang Yuan, one of the "Three Little Ones."

But Bai Liang didn't smoke, so he couldn't offer him a Furongwang.

As a representative of the "conservative faction," this young brother who'd shown promise in his early years now seemed to have gradually fallen behind his two teammates.

Still, Xi Zi Ge probably wasn't having it as easy as in the original timeline—after all, Bai Liang had already taken The Youth.

From this perspective, Bai Liang made a tremendous contribution to the "balance" of their lineup.

"We've finally got a real hunk on the show! Don't worry about those two old guys—I've got your back."

The contestant who appeared now was more controversial—but that was in the future. Right now, she wasn't a director yet; she was still just that chubby comedy actress.

Jia Ling.

Being fat is actually a kind of armor.

Take Jia Ling right now—she's funny, round, and stands there harmless as a lamb.

Any "CP" with male entertainers is purely for show; no one takes it seriously.

Acting like a fangirl around all these handsome guys? Everyone just thinks it's part of her comedy routine.

Being fat reduces a female actress's sensitivity to her femininity, shielding her from gossip and slander.

Because of her overly chubby image, the public, when watching her, is essentially viewing a cute, joyful, round little mascot.

Many variety show or movie effects can only be achieved by an actress like Jia Ling.

If you replaced her with Reba or Naza, they'd get roasted to death.

But if Jia Ling lost weight, the public would lose this filter of seeing her as a cute mascot.

!

But do comedy actors really exhaust themselves just to make audiences laugh?

There are several talented comedy actors on stage today.

Shen Teng is noticeably different on and off stage; Huang Bo seems to be growing less willing to play minor roles, and Jia Ling is planning a transformation.

"Hello~"

The last old familiar face is naturally Guan Xiaotong, the girlfriend of that unlucky Lu Han.

But today, Guan Xiaotong seems to have a "little secret" and wants to chat privately with Bai Liang.

He didn't mind—as long as Lu Han didn't mind.

They didn't sneak into some hidden backstage room; they just found a spacious spot.

Bai Liang even brought Zhao Jinmai along, thinking things through thoroughly.

"You reached out to me about that high school bullying movie? But I went for an audition—they didn't pick me. Big hunk, can you say a word for me?"

Guan Xiaotong was direct—she didn't beat around the bush with Bai Liang, just got straight to the point.

"Even if I could, I wouldn't." Bai Liang refused firmly.

This made Guan Xiaotong panic. "Why not? My acting's fine—I won't drag you down."

"No reason. There's a kissing scene. If Lu Han asks me himself, I'll ask about it."

Bai Liang naturally wouldn't say that Guan Xiaotong's vibe made her seem capable of bullying others, but if others bullied her, it felt weird.

Instead, he used a better, more acceptable excuse.

This left Guan Xiaotong instantly deflated.

There's a kissing scene.

Others might be okay with it, but if it were with Bai Liang—given how nervous Lu Han was about him—it was out of the question.

"Alright then~ Thanks. Hope we can work together someday."

"Got it~"

Guan Xiaotong didn't press or linger, but Zhao Jinmai heard her words—and her eyes lit up.

High school student. School bullying?

She was a high school student!

"Brother~"

"Don't even think about it. You're a minor."

"It'll be soon—I'll be almost an adult."

Soon? She was born in 2002—what a joke.

Bai Liang looked at her and still saw the little girl she was at fifteen—it broke immersion.

The script had kissing and thigh-touching.

If the female lead were Zhao Jinmai, forget whether her cute, likable look would fit being bullied—would it even make sense?

Bai Liang simply couldn't bring himself to do it; he felt utterly guilty.

"Don't rush. Wait until you're a bit older. Didn't I give you that already? I won't break my word."

Zhao Jinmai had kept the talisman safely.

Miss Mai pouted, but didn't dwell further—age was a barrier. No matter how much she counted up her years, she couldn't erase the fact that she was only sixteen.

She really wanted to grow up fast… but for now, she could only obediently follow Bai Liang and record the show.

"The King of Kings" mainly involved small games, perfect for Zhao Jinmai—she could play happily.

But right now, another contestant was also troubled.

Chen Duling bit her lip and looked at her agent. "What did the producers say? Can I do it?"

The agent shook his head helplessly. "Your image is too pure, Dulu—you're the top student, the white moonlight. You get bullied? That really does seem odd."

"Actually, I could become a bit more… What about him? Did the senior say anything?"

"It's said that after Bai Liang kicked out Zhou Dongyu, he didn't interfere with the female lead selection. But that's just hearsay—I don't know the details. Why don't you ask him?"

"I'm afraid to ask. What if I can't contact him again next time? What if he finds it awkward?"

"You really don't qualify for this resource. There's nothing we can do."

Chen Duling looked helpless, and strange thoughts even surfaced in her mind.

Could it be because I single-handedly defeated the god?

I should've held back more during the exhibition match!

The matter regarding the female lead of "Youth" isn't much of a secret in the industry anymore.

Let me put it this way.

Yang Mi has even inquired about it.

The production team got really speechless. No way, sis, are you crazy? You just got divorced!

You're playing a high school student!

Yang Mi: I take good care of myself. Uh, never mind, never mind—what about Reba?

Production team: Not good enough.

Yang Mi: My company has other young female artists—pick one, why not?

The production team smiled politely: Next time for sure! (Go away!)

Yang Mi isn't an isolated case—dozens of female stars whose ages don't even match the casting criteria are scrambling to inquire.

Because this movie's female lead isn't some prop—she has massive screen time and gets to collaborate with Bai Liang. Landing this role would basically mean half your career has taken off.

Unfortunately, the restrictions on the female lead role are too severe.

Most successful female artists are barely under twenty-five, and many are already hovering around thirty.

Even Bai Liang didn't know this: many girls close to him had inquired about this project.

And the result? Total failure!

A whole group was wailing in the group chat.

Even Reba and Naza privately felt regretful.

Everyone was just bold enough to ignore whether the role suited them—they just wanted to try.

Their thinking was simple: What if?

This left the production and investment teams speechless, yet once again reminded them of just how powerful Bai Liang's appeal is.

This guy doesn't just have box office appeal—he's top-tier in attracting female stars.

The most extreme case? Jing Tian actually said she'd act without any salary—not only that, she'd even pay a little.

That "a little" wasn't an investment—it was outright bribery.

She'd just hand cash directly to the relevant personnel to secure the role.

Many were tempted, but unfortunately, even ignoring age: a rich and beautiful girl being bullied? That's just ridiculous.

The more this happened, the more cautious the production team became, afraid to mess around.

If they picked someone unsuitable and Bai Liang backed out, they'd be devastated.

After the older sisters all failed, younger girls began to move in.

Mostly post-95s and post-00s—otherwise, Guan Xiaotong wouldn't have directly approached Bai Liang, trying to get in through back channels.

This project is just too tempting!

With Bai Liang involved, attention, buzz, and box office are guaranteed—and the subject matter is perfect for awards.

Add to that the weight of the female lead role—this might be the biggest, most desirable cake for female actresses in the film industry this year.

The buzz grew so loud that the media found out about the fierce competition and began running follow-up reports.

They even occasionally released lists, announcing who got eliminated.

Netizens found it hilarious, exclaiming in shock: There are so many obscure idols in the entertainment industry?!

The "Youth" crew never expected such a huge stir before filming even began—they saved tons on promotion.

As for the female lead candidate list, it didn't shrink—it actually grew larger than before.

Even after eliminating many, there were still so many they couldn't decide.

If not for the massive disruption of open auditions, the final outcome might've been even more chaotic—the production team seriously considered holding a grand-scale casting.

In the future, who knows—every famous post-95s and post-00s female artist in the industry might turn out to have auditioned for their crew.

"Mai Mai, if you don't audition, you'll be the one special case!" Bai Liang said to Zhao Jinmai with a serious expression.

"Brother, you're just teasing me."

"Am I?"

"Yes, hmph!"

Zhao Jinmai declared that if she got two more years to "grow," she didn't believe she wouldn't be good enough by eighteen.

Watching this little girl bite her lip, Bai Liang felt an invisible force pressing down from the void.

It was the first time in both his lives he'd felt such a massive threat—what the hell?!

Even his luck wasn't working?

Fortunately, the threat came fast and vanished just as quickly.

Relieved, Bai Liang declared: Let's have some fun with the game!

The first episode of Season 4 of "The King of Games" is now launching!

On the other side, Guo Fan, gazing at his painstakingly crafted work, couldn't help but feel emotionally stirred.

All that effort, all that collective labor, was finally about to be unveiled to the world.

He felt inexplicably nervous, yet faintly imagined a capybara smiling at him, smoothing out the creases in his heart.

He couldn't help but smile, then clasped his hands together firmly: "Great Immortal, bless me!"

People sometimes believe in a little mysticism—it's not a big problem.

It doesn't affect his identity as a sci-fi film director.

He took a deep breath.

"The Wandering Earth," prepare to launch!

——

Three a. m., eighteen thousand — begging hard for monthly tickets!

(End of chapter)