Chapter 393: The New Generation of Sad Frog

When Bai Liang uttered the word "Mom," Reba, this new Jiangren, suddenly became like someone from Sichuan.

Her sudden face-changing act left Bai Liang stunned.

She had merely been smiling and refusing, but in an instant her eyes widened, like a kitten catching the scent of fish.

And she was in a hurry!

She tugged at Bai Liang, trying to see his WeChat chat interface, her bare feet stomping in place.

Her expression turned pitiful, her eyebrows drooping into a cute little八字.

"Didn't send it, just kidding~"

Bai Liang didn't tease her further; he showed her the chat history with his mother.

The voice message indeed hadn't been sent.

This relieved Reba, and she immediately started slapping Bai Liang hard, "You scared me to death!"

"It's not that bad."

"It totally is! I've never even met your mom—what if she takes a dislike to me because of how you acted?" Reba muttered anxiously.

But then she realized, "Wait—your mom invested in that animated movie?"

"Yeah, otherwise why would I be jumping around like this~"

To be fair, Bai Liang's fans had all sensed something off.

It was just voice acting—why would he be putting in so much effort to promote it?

It felt like he mentioned it in everything he did.

But since this was Bai Liang's first voice-acted film, and he'd always been active in promoting his earlier projects, no one dug deeper.

Even Reba only now learned this from him.

But the girls from the "The Longest Day in Chang'an" crew all knew—back then, Bai's mom had been "conned" on set.

They promoted it enthusiastically; every teaser for "Nezha" that came out, they all forwarded with wild enthusiasm, gushing over it endlessly.

Meng Jie, the most exaggerated of them, even dared to tell fans in the comments, "I think this movie will make three billion."

Her fans laughed at her for talking nonsense.

After all, the current ceiling for animated films is "Monkey King: Hero Is Back," with just over nine hundred million in box office—still nowhere near the billion mark.

Of course, given Bai Liang's involvement, the highest reasonable estimate would be two billion at most.

This kind of estimation already stretched Bai Liang's box office pull to its absolute limit.

After all, he's only doing voice acting—his box office draw shouldn't be so absurd that just his voice alone could do this.

Otherwise, how could the neighboring second "sci-fi epic" dare to pull this kind of comparison?

But Reba's focus had now shifted!

Promotion! Must promote it hard!

This movie must be a huge hit~

To her delight, Bai Liang really did report his "contribution" to his mother.

Seeing Bai's mother reply, "Wow~ Thank you so much!" Reba felt a warm, happy glow in her chest.

Clearly, due to their different social roles, men and women approach each other's parents with different attitudes.

Bai Liang was worried about avoiding his mother's "yellow-hair beating," while Reba's concern was simpler: how to make Bai's mom like her even more.

She used the word "even more."

Clearly, because of her well-behaved, sensible nature, she was already quite liked.

At this moment, Reba fell silent, her eyes wide, lips pressed together, expectant.

She reached out and tugged gently on the hem of his shirt.

"What's wrong?"

"You know what I mean."

"Why not say it plainly? Why suddenly make me guess?"

"Ohhh, I'm a little shy." Reba puffed out her cheeks and kept tugging Bai Liang's shirt, that adorable, bashful little-girl act he'd rarely seen from her before.

Pure, unadulterated pouting.

Anyone watching might think she'd been possessed.

"You want my mom to thank you directly?"

"That's not what I meant."

At this moment, Reba felt like the most ridiculous person alive, but she couldn't help it.

She also genuinely couldn't bring herself to say it outright.

So she kept pouting, "Please, you get what I mean, right?"

Bai Liang truly understood.

After a brief pause, he tapped the little plus sign at the bottom of the WeChat chat interface, his finger hovering between "Video Call" and "Voice Call," then asked: "Which one?"

Reba quickly replied: "Voice call, voice call is enough!"

He started the voice call and handed the phone to her.

Reba gripped the phone so tightly she nearly dropped it, her heart pounding thump-thump-thump.

Just a few seconds passed, but it felt like an eternity.

Until a gentle voice came through the speaker: "Little handsome boy, what's up~"

"A-Auntie, I'm Di Li Reba. He told me you wanted to talk to me."

The flawless vocal skills that had helped Reba defeat opponents and advance on "The Sound" vanished completely—her speech stumbled.

But she still remembered to use Bai Liang as a shield.

Otherwise, it would make her seem too forward.

As for whether Bai's mom really had something to ask her?

Even if there wasn't anything before, there's definitely something now.

Bai Liang didn't bother listening to the two of them chat—he was initially a little interested, but later realized their conversation was truly boring~ It was just the same old things repeated over and over.

And yet they still managed to chat for over an hour!

If the director hadn't called "Action!", those two would've kept awkwardly chatting.

Women are truly terrifying in this regard!

But after chatting with Bai's mom, Reba's mood clearly improved a lot.

That night, she didn't even insist Bai Liang take a shower.

But maybe because he was used to being clean, after sniffing twice, she still chose to wipe him down with a wet wipe.

And she couldn't help muttering: "Stinking man!"

That was way too exaggerated—after all, none of us are gods, let alone Bai Liang, who isn't even particularly refined—a "rough guy" at best.

But he considered himself quite particular—he bathed once a day, and sometimes, if he sweated from morning exercise, he'd bathe an extra time.

Plus, he didn't even have stinky feet~

He was ridiculously refined!

Sometimes Bai Liang wondered if he was being too girly like this.

Reba: That's still a long way from being girly.

And she always felt Bai Liang didn't wash properly—just one or two minutes, like he'd barely kissed the water.

It even troubled her: Why do men think they're clean after washing their hair and maybe using facial cleanser?

They just roughly scrub the rest of their body, like they're rushing through it.

And they need her to remind them to use body wash—otherwise Bai Liang wouldn't use it at all, and he absolutely hated using a washcloth to make bubbles.

Hmph, doesn't like bubbles, but sure loves banging.

They say when a man and woman travel together, you can tell if you're compatible for marriage.

Living together like this is about the same.

Everyone thinks the other is wonderful when enjoying sweet moments, but daily habits differ—and that really tests mutual tolerance.

It's perfectly normal to find each other annoying sometimes.

Fortunately, these weren't completely unbearable, fundamental issues. Reba initially had slight disdain, but later gradually began to enjoy the feeling of nudging Bai Liang to do certain things.

Like making sure he used body wash—whether he made bubbles or not? That didn't matter; it was a compromise between them.

Of course, this kind of thing went both ways.

After exercising, both had showered and changed into pajamas, preparing to watch TV before bed, when Bai Liang voiced his own small complaint.

"Reba, why is the toothpaste everywhere again? And after brushing, put the cap on—the paste in front has dried out overnight."

Hearing his complaint, Reba wasn't the least bit guilty or embarrassed—she just blinked her eyes and said, "Then just hold it in your mouth for a bit—it'll soften."

Ahhh!

Bai Liang, instantly defeated, obediently finished cleaning up for her.

After all, there might still be some hardware softening work that needed her help—usually in the morning.

This is how men and women gradually adapt to each other in daily life.

There will always be all kinds of problems.

But as long as the main issues are resolved, the rest usually aren't problems.

Forget these small things—even some women who suffer abuse, because certain aspects of their relationship are too harmonious, may cry and complain, but will never divorce.

But just as Reba felt they'd adapted well to each other in daily life, separation always arrived on schedule.

The last time this happened was over three years ago.

When "Microsmile" wrapped, it had devastated her.

And back then, their relationship hadn't reached this level—their intimacy mostly came from filming, more like a romantic fantasy.

Bright future ahead—keep moving forward.

The heartache in that phrase—only those who've been in love truly understand.

If Capybara hadn't popped up fast enough, reappearing in Reba's world right after turning around, she would've been emo for a long time.

As for now… haven't we already reached the summit together? ~

Although Bai Liang stands a bit higher, Reba felt she could still look up and see him.

Not just see clouds clinging to the mid-slope when she raised her head.

Hmm… she didn't have that "strong woman" complex—she was glad Bai Liang was better than her.

But this time, it was a different kind of discomfort she couldn't quite name.

It even gave Reba a strange feeling: We're living so well together, adapting better and better, next we should be planning for kids—why are you trying to tear us apart?!

The production crew:???

Wait, you two, the shoot's over!

They'd think you're Fahai splitting Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian.

What, do you two need an audience to date?

Actually, whether there's an audience doesn't matter—but having filming as a reason to bring you two together? That's crucial!

Reba, enjoying her cozy little life, looked up and realized she had to go back to working nonstop—this drop in mood left her heart aching terribly.

But no matter how painful, this was a reality she had to face.

Thus, on the day "You Are My Glory" officially wrapped, the entire crew witnessed the female lead's… ferocious, uncontrollable sobbing.

Her tears flowed like they cost nothing.

She cried when taking photos, cried when receiving flowers, and on the wrap party, her tears never stopped.

She cried with terrifying emotional impact.

It could be called superlative crying acting!

The cost was that, when she appeared at a promotional event the next day, her eyes were swollen.

When she took off her sunglasses, she looked like a sad frog.

Miss Jing Tian: Even on such a narrow track, someone dares to compete with me? I yield, I yield.

She had long wanted to shed this nickname; earlier, when she got thread-lift double eyelids, the sutures cut a deep groove, making her eyelids unnaturally wide and swollen—everyone called her "Sad Frog," and for a long time, she stared at her eyelids daily, filled with regret and depression.

Eventually, she managed to fix it~

But the nickname never fully faded away.

Now, Dili Reba actually picked it up—heeheehee.

Miss Jing Tian: Then I hereby crown you the new Sad Frog—take the torch!

Of course, Reba's black fans wouldn't miss such a "perfect opportunity"—that day, they flooded the internet with hate images.

Unfortunately, before the backlash and rival camps could pile on, the production team's official Weibo released some behind-the-scenes footage:

Stating that Reba's swollen eyes were entirely due to her intense immersion in the crying scene.

It was a powerful praise of her professionalism.

For an actor to make themselves ugly for a role, in a certain sense, counts as political correctness—it's a category you can't mock.

As for whether the tearful content will be cut from the final edit—well, there's nothing we can do.

Just release it as viewer bonus in the trailer, then.

As for fans, after enthusiastically praising Reba's professionalism, they began eagerly anticipating the seemingly full-of-surprises "You Are My Glory," as if they couldn't wait for post-production to finish so they could watch immediately.

They didn't disappoint—the official announcement of the broadcast date for "You Are My Glory" came the very next day after wrap.

Of course, not next month, but next year—but it was pinned to an exact date, declaring absolutely no delays.

Before fans could even cheer, the official Weibo of "Love Me If You Dare" almost immediately announced its broadcast date.

The atmosphere was intensely confrontational!

Moreover, the two dramas' announced broadcast dates were extremely close, almost back-to-back.

It wasn't exactly a direct rivalry—but it was impossible not to be one!

The direct clash between two top-tier 90s female leads seemed to have officially begun.

"Looking forward to 'Glory'—Xiao Nai and Bei Weiwei have become Yu Tu and Qiao Jingjing—just binge it, no brain needed! It'll be sweet enough to explode!"

"Sis, we're on the same wavelength—just the leaked clips and behind-the-scenes footage have made me scream like a groundhog! Pour the sugar into my mouth faster~"

"Still dredging up cold leftovers from three years ago? What's there to be proud of? 'Love Me If You Dare' will win for sure—in theme, character fit, it completely annihilates the competition! Heard the esports elements are intense! So fiery and sweet!"

"Support! Dili Reba's spinning-top industrial-sugar-dog needs that crap—I still remember her gaze at Da Xian during the show, and that line when they skydived. Fake is fake—it can never fake its way into reality!"

"Can Guli Naza's dog just go away?! Are you seriously bringing up scripted moments from variety shows? What's so great about her acting? All her dramas flopped."

"Comparing themes? Aerospace elements are a hundred times more noble than your damn esports! What's there to brag about? How many hit dramas has Ms. Guli Naza actually had? You're not serious, right? Didn't they all flop?"

"Hehe, still calling it a flop? How much did your movie earn to dare talk like this?"

"True, her movie box office isn't there—but she's the female lead of 'The Wandering Earth 2,' personally chosen by the director and male lead. If you disagree, go try yourself."

"Oh come on, people think she's the lead of 'The Wandering Earth'? I just checked—it's Zhao Jinmai! You're even bragging about a loaned movie? Guli Naza is the female lead of 'Wolf Warrior 2'—first finish your own movie before you compare!"

"Movie stars are superior to TV stars—Dili Reba, don't overreach and fake it. She's not even worthy."

"."

What a fiery battle.

The intensity of this fight was truly jaw-dropping, and both sides wielded their tactics with masterful precision.

It even gave off a strange sense of "they were both taught by the same master—neither can break the other's moves."

This left Li Xin and others utterly numb.

Wait, "The Ravages of Time" is still trending with its impending finale—how can these two new Jiang girls be so impatient to start fighting?

Can't you show some respect for the drama king's existence?!

People who don't know might think each of them starred in a drama king—but obviously, that's impossible!

Although industry insiders generally believe both dramas will be hits, due to genre limitations, the title of "drama king" is clearly too hard—almost impossible.

But the battle's momentum is stronger than any drama king.

They haven't even aired yet—just wrapped filming. By the time both dramas are broadcast, who knows how fierce the war will become.

Many industry insiders have memorized the broadcast dates of these two.

If possible, avoid them—avoid them entirely.

Just look at the devastation of "The Ravages of Time"—it's pure AoE.

When separated, neither may qualify as drama king—but together? Who can say.

But some found it strange: why are only these two girls grabbing attention?

As if mirroring the battle on the frontlines, these days Naza and Reba have been constantly appearing in public.

Of course, fundamentally, their teams bought trending topics—mutual competition.

But a problem emerged: the one who had stories and collaborations with both of them—Capibara—suddenly vanished from visibility.

Worse, it wasn't just that he wasn't trending—he was completely untraceable!

Although there's a weird urban legend among paparazzi, Bai Liang's whereabouts have always been fairly transparent.

Finding him wasn't hard.

But this time, it was as if his trail had vanished entirely.

Until a photo was posted by a Dengshan enthusiast at the distant Zhufeng base camp.

The person in the photo was unmistakably the capybara everyone knew well.

His cheeks were slightly flushed, as if he had a touch of altitude sickness, but his expression and complexion looked remarkably natural and healthy.

Not far away, a War Wolf was setting up a tent.

The tent bore a large Red Bull logo, offering a very plausible explanation for why these two were there.

Netizens:???

What the hell are they doing?!

(End of Chapter)