Chapter 371: The One Who Came Was the Most Famous One

Bai Liang and Zhao Liying's failure to win the Bai Yulan award also made the hot search list.

Not winning an award but still trending, with fans comforting him—this is truly unbelievable.

Of course, they know how to comfort people, each one saying things like, "You're the Weibo Film Emperor anyway~"

It's so abstract that outsiders might think they're Bai Liang's haters.

The fans did the haters' job, leaving the haters speechless for a moment.

Isn't "Weibo Film Emperor" just a term used to mock people?

Why has it become increasingly positive when applied to Bai Liang?

Weibo: I don't know either, but he's always talking about this title, making us all feel more confident.

If this year's Golden Rooster Awards were clearly going to be a big event, and with the Golden Horse Awards dead, Weibo thought they could raise their own flag.

These bastards actually considered making Weibo Night bigger and stronger, but the higher-ups didn't give a damn.

Fuck you, you shitty Weibo—did you really think your made-up film award could enter the mainstream? Go play somewhere else~

Weibo: Fine, don't let us, why get so angry?

This wave has given them too many illusions, making them believe they could truly ascend to highbrow status and seize cultural authority in the entertainment industry.

Capybara had a bit of soap water on its mouth and, bored, blew big bubbles.

It's fine for him to play around, but you can't take this bowl of soap water seriously.

However, for Bai Liang himself, something was even "more serious" than not winning the Bai Yulan for Best Actor.

The cast of "Dear, Love You" was about to wrap, and they gave him an interrogation: Where did you go last night?

How bold of you—not coming home all night!

She stood with hands on hips, looking like she demanded an explanation today.

Bai Liang didn't give the absurd excuse of staying overnight at an internet cafe; instead, he scratched his head: Wait, let me make up a story.

Then Na Zha burst out laughing: "You sneaked home, didn't you~ Why didn't you say so earlier? I'll go home too."

"Huh?"

Seeing his confused expression, Na Zha thought: Of course it's you—acting so well!

"My assistant went to your house this morning to pick something up for me. She said she saw you leaving alone."

The junior assistant had indeed given Na Zha very "clear" information.

This morning, she'd seen Bai Liang take the elevator down, then stealthily hid to the side before rushing into the apartment, ready to trap any other woman inside if she found one.

Of course, there was no one inside, and the place was unusually tidy, with no strange odors.

It seemed he'd just stayed home and slept—bedsheets slightly wrinkled, but dry, no water stains.

In short, according to the assistant's judgment: Xiao Bai is perfectly fine!

In fact, Bai Liang had just gone home this morning to change into a new pair of underwear.

Clearly, the assistant had no potential as a Sherlock Holmes—she hadn't even noticed the bedcovers hadn't been touched at all.

So Na Zha was just scaring him for fun.

Fortunately, he hadn't had time to finish making up his excuse.

"No, actually, I did something bad last night," Bai Liang admitted frankly.

But at this moment, telling the truth made no one believe him.

"Alright, alright, you did something bad—who doesn't do bad things sometimes? Our little Bao does bad things all the time." Na Zha said in a doting tone.

Little Bao, lying on the sofa, looked up at Bai Liang, indicating he indeed did bad things often—destroying Na Zha's cosmetics and more.

This morning he'd even clumsily smashed a bottle of essence on the floor.

He's guilty, but so what?

Spoiled brat~

After all, as long as he doesn't set the house on fire, the things he destroys are nothing compared to his value.

But compared to Bai Liang's "overnight absence," Na Zha actually cared more about another thing.

She was nearly done filming, and soon Bai Liang would go shoot with Di Li Reba.

Just thinking about it made her furious—she wanted to storm over and scream at her right now.

But right now, Reba was too busy to care—she was planning her birthday party.

This wasn't about making money or exploiting fans, since it wasn't even charged—and she'd even give fans gifts.

At the same time, her birthday party had a very peculiar twist: the cast of "You Are My Glory" would be arriving.

Although the official launch hadn't been announced yet, the pre-production team had already gathered people to film some preliminary footage.

Di Li Reba's birthday? Or rather, Qiao Jingjing's birthday.

So if it's Qiao Jingjing's birthday, the male lead Yu Tu must appear.

Of course, to preserve the integrity of Reba's birthday party, this filming had no room for retakes.

At most, after the party ended, fans would be asked to help film a few extra scenes outside the birthday event.

This had been announced in advance, and the fans were thrilled.

We get to act in a TV drama?! Wow~~

For them, this was clearly just an extra show added on!

So, under Na Zha's resentful gaze, Bai Liang packed his bag, packed his bag, packed his bag.

Of course, he wasn't rushing straight to Reba's birthday party—he first had to record two variety shows to promote "The Longest Day in Chang'an."

Na Zha pouted and grumbled: "I'm gonna start causing trouble now~"

"How are you gonna cause trouble?"

She thought for a moment, then made a fierce face: "I'll go wreck her birthday party! She's showing off so much—throwing a big party. My birthday wasn't like this at all, and nobody promotes this anymore!"

Good, good, good, you've made progress—you've even brought over the civil servant routine.

Na Zha's ideological awareness is still quite impressive.

"Didn't we celebrate my birthday on set? I even specially ordered that huge cake. And Xiao Qi and Dapao nearly got caught with the fireworks—I forgot Shanghai banned these things since the year before last."

Bai Liang listed one by one all the preparations she'd made for her birthday just a few days ago.

Dapao and Xiao Qi really did nearly get grabbed by the cops.

Luckily we ran fast enough.

Afterward, Bai Liang checked the Shanghai Fireworks and Firecrackers Safety Management Regulations and found the spot where they'd set off fireworks was ambiguous—almost skirting the line, since their location was right next to the outer ring road, making it hard to say whether it was allowed.

"Oh come on, no need to explain~"

Na Zha's face flushed red—her memory wasn't that fish-like.

Her birthday with Di Li Re Ba was only a month apart; she'd already thrown a big celebration on set. Oh right, she'd also filmed some footage—after all, it's a sweet little drama~ Celebrating a birthday is an important plot point.

They even filmed a kiss scene~ They were so into it, the director yelled "Cut!" and they still didn't break apart.

"So will you come back after you go?"

"Don't be silly—we haven't finished filming yet, of course I'll come back."

"That's not the answer. Say it again."

"You're here, so of course I'll come back."

That's right! Kiss~

Though she'd given him a parting kiss, this girl clearly still held a grudge—she ended up leaving a hickey right on Bai Liang's collarbone.

Stamp it and be done.

So Na Zha's a little fool—right now, Re Ba is still preparing for her birthday party. Bai Liang isn't even going to attend today or tomorrow.

So the hickey she left won't last until then.

Besides, her mouth isn't that strong—female stars are weak in this regard because they eat too little, so their lip muscles aren't properly trained. Bai Liang has ample data and case studies to back this up.

——

"Order food!"

The booming voice startled Zhang Zifeng, who was answering the phone at Mushroom House.

"Umm… someone called~" she hurriedly called out to He He He He Laoshi.

"Who is it? Who is it?"

"I don't know. The voice is really loud."

Zhang Zifeng, newly become a regular guest on "The Yearning Life" this season, clearly wasn't used to such an aggressive diner—He He He He Laoshi, the seasoned veteran, had to step in.

"Hello~"

"Oh! Movie Emperor! Back at Mushroom House again? You just scared our little sister half to death."

Just one "hello," and He He He He Laoshi instantly recognized who was on the other end—the production team hadn't leaked anything.

That kind of skill was truly impressive.

"I thought Peng Yuchang would answer—I wanted to prank him. Who did I scare?"

"Zhang Zifeng—maybe you'll work together someday; her acting is excellent." He He He He Laoshi said, waving urgently for Zhang Zifeng to come over.

But the girl was shy and waved her hand, refusing to approach.

He He He He Laoshi: You had your chance and blew it.

After the call ended, Zhang Zifeng finally dared to creep over and ask, "He He He He Laoshi, who called?"

"The most famous one," he replied with a smile.

This phrasing was exactly how he'd once described Zhou Xun: she's won every award.

"Most?"

Zhang Zifeng froze—certain words in the entertainment industry couldn't be used lightly; they easily sparked rumors.

But after He He He He Laoshi said that, a name instantly appeared in her mind.

Clearly, even He He He He Laoshi's simple description was enough for her to immediately identify the person.

She instantly regretted having chickened out when He He He He Laoshi called her over to take the call!

"Who? Who's the most famous?"

Huang Lei, overhearing their chat, also became interested, clearly ready to set a trap for He He He He Laoshi.

Old friends exchanged glances and knew exactly what the other was up to—but He He He He Laoshi wasn't fazed at all. "Guess. If you guess wrong, netizens will surely tell you who it is."

"I'm just afraid the person I'm thinking of isn't the same one you mean~"

Two old foxes trading blows—every move a trap.

Watching the two of them trap each other, Peng Yuchang beside them wore a Han Han-like smile.

"Bro, can you guess who it is?"

While the elders played their game, Zhang Zifeng, the youngster, clearly wasn't letting Peng Yuchang off the hook either.

His smile vanished, replaced by a look of helplessness. "Why are you dragging me into this?"

"Don't you know?"

"I'll let Chen Feiyu answer that question," Peng Yuchang deflected immediately.

The previous batch of guests hadn't left yet—there were four of them: Ren Xianqi, Zhang Bozhi, Chen Feiyu, and He Lándòu.

Teacher Huang had been warmly reminiscing with Ashe about his father—within just twenty minutes, he'd mentioned "your dad" seventeen times.

As people age, they all love to reminisce.

But Ashe felt a bit uneasy—he'd just been through a brutal experience with his father; "Daylight Meteor" had been the most painful shoot of his life, and now even hearing his father's name made him shiver.

So under Teacher Huang's constant mentions, he nearly vibrated like a massage device.

But right now, he really liked the topic Peng Yuchang had brought up.

Zhang Zifeng and Peng Yuchang dared not say the name outright—they were too timid—but Arthur didn't care about any of that.

When they first arrived, Wu Moufan and his group had just left; Arthur ran into them face-to-face, his expression dripping with contempt.

It left Wu Moufan completely stunned.

Isn't this kid always copying me? Why's he making that sour face now?

Arthur: Copying you is my black history—I've got a better model to copy now~

"Bro Liang! Who else could it be?"

Hearing him blurt out the name without hesitation, Peng Yuchang gave him a thumbs-up, then nodded in agreement.

"Too bad, we're leaving soon," Arthur clicked his tongue. He'd wanted to share his latest "battle reports" with Bai Liang.

"Oh? You're this close to Bai Liang? That reminds me of when I used to…" Teacher Huang wore a maternal smile, drifting back into memories of bygone glory.

Arthur: Ssshh~ Here we go again! Help! Bro Liang, come save me!

"Achoo!"

"What's wrong? You caught a cold?"

"Let me check~"

As Bai Liang sneezed, two small hands immediately appeared on his forehead.

Li Xin and Li Yitong's hands met on his forehead; they exchanged a glance and neither pulled back.

How to put it? The bond between girls is strange.

Though they're currently "strategic partners," temporarily allied as the "Sassy Chick Sisters," and get along well privately, when it's just the two of them, it's a whole different story.

Originally, Bai Liang had planned to bring all the "sisters" from The Story of Yanxi Palace to promote The Longing for Life.

But the girls' schedules didn't cooperate.

Meng Jie and Chen Yao were filming, and Jin Cheng was busy coordinating resources with her new agency.

And if we brought them, should we bring Xin Xin Zhilei too, since she has more screen time? Not bringing her would seem impolite—then again, could Teacher Huang even cook enough food for everyone?

Besides, Meng Jie's been getting dragged in online smear campaigns lately, and she really doesn't want to draw attention or trouble.

She used to think it didn't matter, but now she truly doesn't want to suffer the bitterness of being hated for being famous.

Why force yourself to be famous through hatred when you can be happily celebrated?

So in the end, Bai Liang abandoned the idea of bringing five and simply brought the female lead and second lead to the show.

It was a way to lighten the cook's burden.

But with only two, problems still arose.

At this moment, the two Miss Lis were locked in a silent stare-down.

Li Xin: Evil little kitty, why are you picking a fight with me?

Li Yitong: Shameless champagne girl, you started it first!

Fortunately, they're not Zha and Reba—just a little teasing to liven things up is enough.

They wouldn't suddenly start rapping and hurling insults.

When others arrive, they'll still be good sisters. No—when the cameras are on, they're definitely good sisters!

When The Longing for Life's vehicle pulled up, the two girls immediately linked arms, flashing identical sweet smiles.

Anyone seeing them would think these two girls, who looked somewhat alike, were close childhood friends.

"By the way, are we really sleeping in the Mushroom House tonight? Can't we go back to the hotel?"

In the car, Li Yitong glanced at the camera, then boldly spoke up.

After all, the production team definitely wouldn't edit this into the show.

"The conditions are actually fine—I stayed here last year. It's just a few people sharing a room. What, are you not used to sleeping with others?"

After saying this, Bai Liang realized he'd asked a stupid question.

Could Li Yitong possibly dislike sleeping with others?

She practically needed to sleep hugging a girl every night—this habit was even weirder than her old habit of eating wall plaster.

"I'm not unwilling—I just…"

The rest was too awkward to say, so Li Yitong glanced at Li Xin.

Li Xin: Why are you looking at me? Do you think I'm free to say it?

Besides, she couldn't bring champagne on a filming trip.

Without champagne, she couldn't relax.

So the car fell silent, and after a long while, awkward small talk began, one sentence at a time.

After all, they were here to promote the drama—they had to give the crew some material to edit for promotion.

The conversation mostly revolved around "fun stories" from the drama's filming.

"Bro~"

"Huh? How'd you end up here?"

Seeing Arthur hanging out with Peng Yuchang and the others who'd come to pick him up, Bai Liang thought he'd mistaken someone.

"I was in the previous batch of guests," Arthur explained.

"Then why don't you scram? Still trying to mooch another meal? Can Teacher Huang cook for this many people?"

Holy shit!

Bai Liang's tone toward Arthur genuinely shocked everyone else.

He's Chen Kaige's son! Are you really talking to him like that?

Bai Liang: I call his mom "sister," so I'm his uncle. That's perfectly reasonable.

But Arthur himself told you guys not to meddle, he didn't feel like he'd been trained at all.

He still trotted along happily to help Bai Liang carry his luggage.

So Bai Liang turned around, ready to help the two Misses with their luggage, only to find Peng Yuchang even more eager, grabbing one bag in each hand.

Then he could only "tease" the little girl a bit.

At this time only eighteen years old, but still a minor, Zhang Zifeng looked especially shy, the baby fat on her face even a little cute.

After calling out "brother," she trotted along happily behind him.

But Bai Liang has a filter for her, um—a reverse filter. That smile from Detective Chinatown has stuck with him.

Chen Sicheng really is a terrible person, turning a perfectly nice little girl into such a creepy image.

"Sorry about that, I didn't expect the one answering the phone to be you, my voice was a bit loud."

"N-no, it's fine."

Over the phone, Zhang Zifeng was actually quite nervous, especially after finding out who he was.

But now, face to face, that feeling had largely faded.

This brother is really good-looking when he smiles. So gentle!

Just like the rumors say!

Before she could keep staring, Li Yitong silently stepped forward, blocking her line of sight while taking her hand. "I really love watching your dramas."

Li Xin exchanged a glance with her, walked over to Bai Liang's side, half a step behind.

The two of them worked together seamlessly.

(End of chapter)