Chapter 364

After the College Student Film Festival, Bai Liang's award win and his assistance in winning awards naturally trended on hot search.

Nobody felt any regret about him not winning Best Actor.

Even his fans didn't mind.

His fans had become even more capybara-like, thinking having a Weibo Best Actor title was enough, given his box office numbers—after all, you've got to leave some room for others.

They were quite skilled at sarcastic remarks, but fans from other camps dared not retort.

Bai Liang's fans now almost never argued with anyone; they simply overwhelmed with facts, screenshotting and burying all opposition.

Instead, people were more interested in the stunts he pulled at the College Student Film Festival—the campus students showed strong support, enthusiastically responding and cooperating seamlessly to maximize the show's entertainment value.

People also wondered whether Bai Liang had attended Peking University's graduate admissions retest.

Even Yang Mi came to check in, then said her uncle could help make an introduction.

Bai Liang first thanked her, then realized her uncle was actually from Tsinghua!

Ah, Tsinghua didn't quite like Bai Liang—though his antics were amusing, they were genuinely dissatisfied with some of his past statements.

What does it mean to "produce a guide to China's top university's postgraduate entrance exam"?

Why is Peking University the top?

Great Immortal, come translate this!

But they welcomed Bai Liang to reapply next year for Tsinghua's graduate program—the true China's top university~

Because Bai Liang never went to Peking University's retest.

He didn't have time to study.

Study? Study a pile of shit!

But Peking University wanted to award him an honorary alumni title and invite him to give a speech.

A public figure with immense fame, overwhelmingly positive social evaluation, official endorsement, and a scholar's reputation—Peking University giving him an honorary alumni title carried zero risk.

No one inside or outside the campus would dare oppose it.

They didn't ask him to donate money—couldn't, because it would ruin the vibe, and Peking University didn't need Bai Liang's few scraps anyway~

But honestly, this gig carried enormous risk.

College students are quite lovable—they'll follow the rhythm if there's one, and they'll truly get fooled if there's a scam~

But when something matters, they truly step forward; as ivory tower dwellers, they may be one of society's most passionate and most righteous groups, and their numbers are enormous.

But some among them are extremely aggressive!

Especially these elite students from top universities—many have a deep disdain for celebrities.

Just look at Zhai Tianlin, still being viciously attacked to this day—this is what happens when you anger this group.

The scariest part? No one stays a college student forever, but every year new college students emerge, while Zhai Tianlin from the entertainment circle still enjoys the same "hot" treatment from his peak days.

Bai Liang might be one of the few celebrities these girls can tolerate slightly better.

After all, he actually passed the entrance exam to Peking University—he could've been their classmate.

Naturally, this bridges many gaps.

But in the world of scholars, classmates are divided into gods, ordinary people, and paramecia.

Is Bai Liang actually talented, not just a fraud?

Then that's great! We must ramp up the intensity even more!

Against certain nine-leak-fish celebrities, these elite students might not go too hard—but against Bai Liang, a "matched opponent," they'll unleash full firepower.

This is respect!

Honestly, Bai Liang didn't really want this respect, so he accepted Peking University's honorary alumni title, but for the speech—he'll do it next time.

Who wants a balanced, head-to-head showdown?

I love bullying noobs. I'm the kind of gamer who always creates alt accounts to dominate Silver and Gold tiers.

This lighthearted buzz accidentally buried the trending searches about celebrity relationships and childbirths.

For some reason, this year's celebrities seem especially prone to having babies—constantly announcing pregnancies and births.

How many have there been since the start of the year?

Ling Xiaosu had her second daughter; Zhang Xinyi gave birth to a son; He Jie had her third child; An Yixuan is pregnant; Guo Fu Cheng had his second daughter; Zhang Xinyu is pregnant. Even Aoi Kuriyama gave birth to twins!

Yesterday, Liu Shishi gave birth again.

Bai Liang suddenly remembered he'd never accepted Liu Shishi's WeChat friend request—it must've expired by now.

Good thing he didn't add her; otherwise he'd probably have to send a red envelope.

He didn't contribute anything, so he didn't want to send a red envelope just to feel involved.

Surprisingly, Long Long Liqi was also quite impressive—still so efficient at his age.

In comparison, Bai Liang, a young man, still hadn't produced any "offspring," making him seem rather useless.

One can only say—the seniors are truly seniors.

Bai Liang had been suspected by girls more than once of being infertile.

After all, he always spat everywhere, yet somehow never managed to sow a single seed.

But hospital test reports were clear: this kid was in perfect health, with zero issues in his urology—he was extremely active.

Ah~ he just never hit the mark.

Later, to spare girls from worry, he stopped saying his tests were fine.

He now says he has a minor issue, but it's being treated.

The effect was naturally excellent!

Though sometimes, there were slight… side effects.

For instance, that evil little cat Li Yitong actually told him, "Want to try some Chinese herbs?"

To be honest, Bai Liang thought he just needed an iced Americano, while Li Yitong seemed to need herbal medicine.

I heard she's gotten increasingly fond of sleeping in the same room with girls.

A few days ago, her group of female friends had a gathering; there was a room just for her, yet she insisted on squeezing in with someone else, saying it felt more comfortable cuddling a sweet, soft girl.

Marvelous! She understands life—her tastes are much like Bai Liang's~

"Bro, we're here."

Hearing the reminder, Bai Liang glanced out the car window and realized it was already dusk.

The twilight resembled a shaken glass of red wine, dyeing the clouds and auroras a tipsy rose-gold.

The fading evening glow had become even more beautiful.

Before Bai Liang could open the car door,

the person who had just gotten out in another direction seemed to sense something and suddenly turned back.

In less than a second, he recognized the owner of this business car.

Though wearing a mask, her eyes radiated pure joy.

As she dashed over with quick steps, her young assistant behind her shouted: "Sis, where are you going?"

Clearly, the only person besides long-term paparazzi who could identify Bai Liang's business car without relying on the license plate was Dou Xiao Qi.

"How did you know this was my car? Wouldn't it be awkward if you got it wrong?"

Bai Liang didn't open the door; instead, he rolled down the window and leaned out, smiling at Dou Xiao Qi.

"I just can tell—it's a secret!"

Looking at the sweetly naive Dou Xiao Qi, Bai Liang pretended to be shocked: "You didn't scratch my car, did you?"

"No way! How could I ever do that?! I just can tell~ I'll tell you, I wasn't even looking this way—I suddenly felt something, turned around, and knew it was you!"

"That's amazing?"

"Mm~"

If we were to say it in a dramatic, romantic way: on this street of reunion, your heartbeat recognized you before your eyes did~

Dou Xiao Qi adored this feeling—or rather, no girl could dislike it.

It was a genuine surge of delight.

Dou Xiao Qi's assistant had been peeking over for a long while; seeing Bai Liang, she naturally didn't dare approach.

She just felt this scene truly had atmosphere.

It had a cinematic quality—as if, the moment these two stood there, everything around them accelerated.

The passing neon lights became perfect decoration; even the wind and car taillights seemed to favor her, gilding her hair with a soft halo.

Assistant: Where's the camera? My sister Dou Xiao Qi needs a viral shot!

Click~

Paparazzi are present—rest assured.

"Someone seems to be photographing us," Dou Xiao Qi noticed the lurking paparazzi, but only pouted slightly—she was still wearing her mask, so only Bai Liang could see the gesture.

"It's fine; today I'm starting filming, so what they shoot counts as leaked footage."

"You're so mean—then kiss me." Dou Xiao Qi dared to say.

Bai Liang: Fine.

Just as he leaned forward, Dou Xiao Qi opened the door herself, playfully saying: "Prince, please step down~" Clearly, she was still timid~

But now that Bai Liang had stepped out, he gently wrapped his arm around her waist and pecked her mask.

Assistant: Oh no, I can't look! Are they going public?! Wow~

Dou Xiao Qi blinked in stunned silence—she clearly thought the same thing.

But when she turned to look at the paparazzi she'd spotted earlier, she saw a figure staring at the camera, scratching his head.

Of course, there were more than one group of paparazzi photographing the two.

But Dou Xiao Qi, who had exited earlier, used her position to block most paparazzi angles.

Bad news: the shot wasn't captured.

Good news: the camera survived.

Only a few unlucky ones suffered—one paparazzo's camera slipped from his grip, rolled several times on the ground, then was crushed under a passing mud truck.

Camera: I've been transported~

Paparazzo: What the hell—how the hell is there a mud truck in downtown Shanghai?!

The police car trailing behind seemed to explain: this thing really shouldn't be here—they're chasing it right now.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Dou Xiao Qi lightly slapped Bai Liang, pretending to be angry—but her expression was clearly delighted.

!

At this moment, she was in a strange state of both worry and joy.

He actually dared to kiss me here?! He actually dared to kiss me here?!

"It's fine—they can say it's a scene from the drama."

"Will that work? If it's not in the script, won't it be exposed?" Dou Xiao Qi still worried.

Bai Liang blinked: "Not in the script? Then add a scene. I can be a drama tyrant for you once."

Regarding being a drama tyrant, Bai Liang now had plenty of experience—he'd gained it by working with the legendary director Chen Kaige.

That high-level boss boosted him several levels~

"Nonsense—you've never been a drama tyrant. I've never heard you bully any director."

To Dou Xiao Qi, Bai Liang was always gentle—he never bullied anyone.

Mm. Only bullying her~

But she's willing to be bullied.

After the two entered the hotel, Dou Xiao Qi silently sent a photo to Bai Liang.

That atmosphere shot the junior assistant was obsessed with—he's got it right here~

Dou Xiao Qi's salary? Not a single cent was overpaid!

——

The drama "My Dear Love" began filming in Shanghai, constructing a set exceeding 2000 square meters, primarily for the male lead's club scenes; it took over a month to complete.

It included training grounds, meeting rooms, and other facilities, equipped with dozens of professional competition devices, plus all manner of basic living amenities.

Every detail was meticulously restored to replicate the club's environment, with a carefully designed young, trendy training space.

Originally, Bai Liang had helped arrange connections, planning for the crew to directly borrow a professional club's facility for filming.

But after visiting the site, the crew decided to build their own set—otherwise it would truly become a gathering spot for internet-addicted teens.

Filming TV dramas and movies actually has its own rules.

Some things can be made more authentic to give viewers greater immersion.

But some things, too real, aren't suitable to show the audience.

For example, many professional players train until the smoke stains the ceiling yellow—can that be filmed?

And all kinds of takeout packaging, messy training rooms, and curses flying out at any moment~

That's the true sight of a group of young internet-addicted teens gathered together.

So the question arises: what kind of esports do audiences want to see?

When you walk this path, your only goal is the championship.

I must consider whether this is my only chance in life.

Once they climb over this mountain, they'll hear your story!

Tonight, I am the chosen one—and the only one.

Talent is merely the threshold to meet me.

What kind of ending could possibly match this journey of hardship and wandering?

A life more thrilling than a short drama, a villain surpassing the protagonist of any novel.

Countless geniuses are like meteors streaking across the night sky, trying to leave their mark on the heavens—but only one champion exists, destined to remain incomplete.

"It's just one match, isn't it?"

At the crew's creative meeting, when Bai Liang heard a female screenwriter say this, he wasn't angry.

He pondered how to explain it to her.

But at that moment, the nearby Na Zha seriously added: "No, that's the youth of many boys."

This remark made many people glance over, especially young men.

Their gazes at her grew peculiar.

Boys, in a certain sense, are truly easy to please!

With just Na Zha's one line, plus her "modeling" appeal, she could instantly win the hearts of countless boys.

Unfortunately, her eyes see only one person.

The reason she could say such a thing? Because of one person.

She truly learned to play games because of Bai Liang, and came to understand many things.

Although "My Dear Love" is primarily a sweet romance, Bai Liang and Na Zha were both pondering the esports portion—even though it wasn't especially lengthy.

This puzzled the rest of the crew.

Aren't your research directions a bit odd?

Na Zha: Because the romance part doesn't need research~

She was instead worried whether the drama's plot was as sweet as her daily life with Bai Liang.

Although the original novel had a sweet, "little girl and older man" romance, since Bai Liang was cast, the original fans didn't cause trouble.

As for whether Na Zha suited the role—she'd already demonstrated just how soft and cute she was on variety shows, at least when facing Bai Liang.

Still, some aspects didn't fit anyone at all.

The female lead, Tong Nian, pursued love bravely but not blindly; she didn't lose herself in emotion, and had her own dreams and pursuits.

Mm. Is Na Zha blind?

She's extremely blind!

The ultimate love-struck girl—Cai Yi had mocked her for years, even making her fellow countrywoman Re Ba stare in astonishment.

But acting—no character is ever exactly the same. As long as she captures the most important parts, that's enough.

The character's age and setting were naturally adapted.

For example, the age gap: originally a nineteen-year-old girl and a thirty-year-old man, now changed to twenty-one and twenty-eight.

The age gap was slightly shortened.

It's a sweet drama, after all—the overall story remains light and romantic, warm and cozy.

This was precisely why Na Zha was drawn to this script.

And that slightly melodramatic, idiotic opening? It struck right at her heart!

A chance encounter in an internet cafe, instant love at first sight, then actively pursuing love, melting the ice king and winning the godlike man!

Scenes like giving a cat, writing a song to confess—Na Zha adored them all!

She even brought along the cat Xiao Bao—it's also an "actor," and gets paid.

As for the song-confession scene, Na Zha had previously starred in "The Sewing Machine Band," where she'd practiced bass; before filming "My Dear Love," she spent time learning guitar properly.

What does it mean to be the most serious role I've ever taken since my debut!

So at the very start of filming, she slipped into character instantly—that uniquely lifelike "acting" left the director stunned.

How to put it

Who exactly is spreading the rumor that Gu Li Naza has no acting ability, she's just a pretty face?

That's total nonsense!

Hearing is believing, seeing is believing—the director felt that Naza was an outstanding young actress, performing exceptionally well.

Right, Liang Ge?

As for what Bai Liang has to worry about~

At the start of filming, the director was very direct: he stared at the monitor for a long time, then turned and asked, "Liang Ge, do you think this take works?"

Bai Liang:???

That left him speechless—were you the director or was I the director?

He was patiently waiting for the other's evaluation and guidance, only to get this in return.

It made him unsure—just recently he'd been a drama tyrant under Chen Kaige, now did they want him to passively become one again?

As for the male lead character, Han Shangyan

Cold, introverted, sensitive—the four words "Do Not Disturb" seemed permanently written on his face, making everyone around him desperate to keep their distance and avoid any communication outside work.

Added to his backstory—when Bai Liang wrote his character profile, he laughed out loud.

A reclusive, cold version of Li Xianghe, equally obsessive.

This role was the one with the most real-life parallels he'd ever found since his debut.

He was already eager to film the esports competition scenes.

—

Three thousand words at midnight, muah~ Please vote for monthly tickets.

(End of Chapter)