Chapter 409: Epic Meeting

After Bai Liang got offstage to speak up for Peng Peng, this incident, which seemed like a battle for ranking but was actually about defending rights, did not continue until the movie's release as everyone expected.

Instead, a result came out immediately.

The production company apologized, stating that due to a work error, both individuals had been signed to lead male actor contracts, hence this "misunderstanding."

Wang Dalu also posted his contract, claiming he never intended to suppress the ranking—his contract was the same, and he was the "victim"~

Bullshit.

This movie wasn't promoted just yesterday; when Bai Liang promoted "Qing Yu Nian" and "Ne Zha" on "Back to Field," Peng Yuchang had already been promoting this film nonstop.

Moreover, the lead position in early promotional posters and all official rankings clearly listed Peng Yuchang as the male lead—unless Wang Dalu's team was collectively blind, how could they have missed this?

No noise at all until right before the official release?

Netizens said they weren't stupid—this excuse was fooling ghosts~

Ordinary ranking battles usually leave both sides worse off, with netizens thinking it's just an annoying mess.

But this time, it became a single win and a double loss.

As for why it was a double loss, the lead cast of "A Little Wish" also included Wei Daxun.

This guy watched helplessly as the other two fought over the male lead role, while he, equally a male lead, vanished entirely from attention.

Honestly, his screen time was about the same as Wang Dalu's—why could both of you sign lead male actor contracts?

But just as one wave subsided, another rose.

Another ranking battle~

In Shanghai, the Bulgari gala.

This was the very venue where Bai Liang and Wu Moufan first "faced off head-on," a moment of great symbolic significance.

It's still fondly recalled by fans today.

It was also the fiercest battle ever fought by Capybara fans.

The clash between the two top male idols' fanbases was far more intense than the feud between Zha and Reba.

After all, at the time, the two were like needle against grain—Bai Liang hadn't yet become as powerful as he is now, only starring in his first film, while Wu Moufan was at his peak; their confrontation was like a meteor colliding with Earth.

They competed everywhere, targeted each other at every turn.

Unfortunately, Wu Moufan's moment in the spotlight didn't last long—he quickly collapsed~

Nowadays, Bai Liang is thoroughly familiar and utterly at ease attending such commercial events.

He doesn't even bother pretending to be humble~

He arrived very early, got out of the car, posed for a few photos with the media, then walked straight inside.

Inside, he immediately saw Li Xin and Li Yitong chatting—Li Yitong was laughing so hard her eyes turned into crescents, while Li Xin wore a miserable expression, looking utterly pitiful.

What's wrong again?

"Xin Xin got torn apart in another ranking battle~" Li Yitong said, sounding almost gleeful.

"Why say 'again'? Who tore her apart before?"

Li Yitong thought for a long time, then gave a strange look and pointed at herself: "Me?"

Okay okay, the evil little kitten is getting worse and worse!

Bai Liang couldn't help but want to clap for her, "Aren't you afraid she'll jump up and hit you?"

"We're united against the outside now~ Xin Xin, tell him—he can back you up, he can't just back up Peng Yuchang and not you~"

Before Li Xin could speak, Bai Liang couldn't help asking: "You didn't get into a ranking battle with Zhang Tian'ai, did you? What's there to fight over—you're not the female lead."

He remembered《Chinese Pilot》was coming out at month's end, alongside《My People, My Country》and《The Climbers》.

Three major patriotic blockbusters competing in the National Day slot.

In《Chinese Pilot》，it was hard to say who had higher ranking between Li Xin and Zhang Tian'ai—probably a tie.

And there's Yuan Quan above them—do the female second and third leads really need to fight over ranking?

Upon hearing this, Li Xin couldn't help rolling her eyes at Bai Liang: "You think I'm that low?"

"Then… are you fighting over ranking with Yuan Quan?!" Bai Liang gave her a thumbs-up in admiration—really impressive!

"Oh no!" Li Xin nearly stomped her foot, but remembered she was wearing beautiful high heels and quickly explained: "Another movie—it was originally planned for online release, but now it's going to theaters. I'm the female lead."

"What movie?"

"《Zhu Xian》," Li Yitong answered from beside her, "the movie starring the new top idol Xiao Zhan—Xin Xin plays Lu Xueqi, Meng Meiqi plays Bi Yao, and they're fighting over ranking."

This was truly classic~

Although he had no memory of the movie itself, Bai Liang still had strong impressions of Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao.

Not just in adaptations—the original novel's debate over which woman was the true female lead was fiercely contested!

Even during the novel's serialization, readers argued over who was the real heroine; in the internet age, the debate grew even fiercer.

From 2003 until now, a fifteen-year-long "Red Rose vs. White Rose" feud.

Hmm… then the original author drastically revised the book, and Bi Yao was cut out.

Too bad it hadn't been done yet—if it had, Li Xin would've won outright.

Now it's unclear, because Xiao Zhao's sister played Bi Yao as the female lead in《Qing Yun Zhi》, not Lu Xueqi.

But Bai Liang was surprised: "Is Meng Meiqi doing this well now? She can even fight for ranking with you?"

"You know her?!"

"I went to their《Create 101》and bought them milk tea," Bai Liang affirmed.

Although the milk tea money came from Zhu Yilong, the girls all remembered it as Bai Liang's treat~

The moment Bai Liang said that, Li Xin immediately dropped the idea of inviting him to the《Zhu Xian》premiere.

Don't bring a super外援—instead of hurting the opponent, you'd just make them cling tighter.

Although she thought Meng Meiqi probably couldn't pull it off, better safe than sorry~

Rich people's tastes are hard to predict; maybe Bai Liang's gotten tired of fine bran and wants to try coarser grains instead.

Li Yitong: Mm-hmm, I'm fine bran, you're coarse grain.

Li Xin: Get lost!

She'll "kill" this evil little kitten someday!

Punch her moon-shaped eyes black!

"It's really impressive—his fans even mocked Li Xin, saying she's been stuck in mediocrity for years, unable to boost even a drama king."

With Li Yitong, the detail-obsessed one, here, Li Xin wouldn't dare say it herself—so she spilled it all clean as a mouthpiece.

It forced Li Xin to reach out and pinch her; the two girls wrestled playfully, drawing plenty of attention.

Bai Liang: No need to spell it out so precisely.

He never expected that "The Longest Day in Chang'an" brought Li Xin not just normal boosts, but negative ones too.

Opponents attacking from this angle is truly deviously clever.

"So… you need legal aid?" Bai Liang asked softly.

Seeing his attitude, Li Xin's heart softened instantly—a sweet, bubbly feeling, like champagne.

"Just you asking me that makes me happy," she murmured gently.

But the evil little kitten beside them ruined the mood, teasing: "Li Xin, got夹起来了?"

"Go die!"

After glaring at Li Yitong, Li Xin's confidence surged: "She's just a girl who came from a talent show—if I can't beat her, I should quit the industry and get married!"

Excellent! That's some real spirit!

But Bai Liang instinctively glanced at the evil little kitten, wondering what sharp remark she'd make.

True to form, she raised an eyebrow and said: "Li Xin, you're really milking this—eating and taking away at the same time."

This time, Li Xin didn't retaliate; she felt exposed, like her secret thought had been pierced: "No… don't say nonsense!"

As for quitting the industry to get married—that was just talk, of course~

Though Li Xin had been grumbling earlier, she actually felt confident she could crush Meng Meiqi; what puzzled her was: who the hell dares to push her now?

What she agonized over wasn't whether she could win the battle—it was that the other side actually thought they could snatch her role.

Just that thought made Li Xin furious!

It made her feel like all these years in the industry had been wasted.

In this regard, she could sync with Huang Xiaoming—he too was furious after being dragged into a comparison with Bai Liang and losing, feeling like his years had been wasted, getting humiliated by younger guys.

Luckily, Huang Xiaoming adjusted his mindset quickly; after scanning around, he realized few could truly match Bai Liang, so losing was normal.

Didn't Huang Bo and Shen Teng also lose?

After analyzing it, Huang Xiaoming figured it was probably because he was just too handsome, hence chosen for comparison.

Huang Bo? He wasn't even on the same track as Bai Liang. As for Shen Teng—he was a military academy heartthrob in his youth, but now? His looks have crashed.

Only Huang Xiaoming had maintained his appearance perfectly, as handsome as twenty years ago!

He could still compete with today's young stars~ This wasn't a comparison—it was an endorsement!

Reasonable! Now his mood improved greatly.

As for Li Xin, she really needed to brood and reflect on why Meng Meiqi could snatch her role.

Just then, Li Yitong suddenly poked her.

"Stop it."

"Li Xin, look who's over there," Li Yitong's tone had shifted from playful to serious, instantly making Li Xin lift her head.

Right then, a face both familiar and strange walked toward them.

Strange because she'd never met her before, never interacted—but familiar because she looked just like!

After看清, Li Xin's eyes widened slightly: "She's the one…"

"Bai Lu."

Seconds after the name was spoken, Bai Lu—who had come specifically to join the commotion—had already greeted Bai Liang.

"Little White Brother, we meet again!"

She smiled brilliantly, her little tiger teeth showing.

She also nodded to Li Xin and Li Yitong, her gaze holding a hint of surprise.

Three girls with identical faces—today's "epic encounter."

It happened so suddenly; luckily, media cameras were there to capture it.

Watching Bai Lu chat with Bai Liang, Li Yitong and Li Xin exchanged glances.

They exchanged looks without speaking—as if they'd already communicated everything.

Okay okay, this girl probably wants to do what we once did.

This one's not friendly!

Just moments ago, Li Xin and Li Yitong were bickering—but now, all their "grudges and conflicts" vanished instantly; their girl-bond friendship was unbreakable.

Their synchronized step forward could've launched mechs in "Pacific Rim."

Their thought was identical: Take her down!

But Bai Lu seemed to have unlocked Observation Haki—she'd only come to greet Bai Liang, then walked away immediately.

Perfectly dodged the two Li girls' combined attack.

"What are you two doing?" Bai Liang asked, pretending not to know.

"N-nothing!" Li Xin and Li Yitong feigned looking around, acting utterly innocent.

But once Bai Liang was pulled away by others for greetings, the two girls huddled together whispering—then looked up again to find Bai Lu right back beside Bai Liang.

Sss. Guerrilla squad of the entertainment industry?!

"What do we do?" Li Xin couldn't help but look at Li Yitong and ask.

"You're asking me? How would I know? Can I just go over and beat her up? She's here to support the brand too—can you kick her out?" Li Yitong rolled her eyes, helpless.

"So we just watch?"

Li Yitong thought for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Did you bring champagne today?"

Hearing this, Li Xin paused slightly, interlaced his fingers and rubbed them together, whispering: "I did."

"You actually carry it with you?!"

"Shut up!" Li Xin pressed his lips together and shot back: "Aren't you carrying your custom item too?"

Li Yitong:

Fine, fine, fine—now nobody gets to judge anyone. We're all showing up with props.

So… is today a prop battle?

Sister Tian Tian disagrees!

What's the point of arriving early? The most important people always show up last!

Besides, she didn't come alone—she's got more people over here~

Surrounded by a group of girls, Sister Tian Tian felt like she was walking on air today.

Even her expression had a touch of prideful cuteness~

Is Dili Reba here? Gulinaiza? Who else?!

Come out together!

Sister's going to wipe you all out today~

Unfortunately, she scanned the venue with wide eyes and found no "heavyweight players"—just a few scattered cats and dogs.

She glanced briefly at Li Xin and Li Yitong, not giving them a second thought.

She marched straight toward Bai Liang with an intimidating aura, as if this army of women were about to gang up and beat him senseless.

Seeing this, especially those few familiar faces, Li Xin was so startled he instinctively opened his mouth—then quickly slapped a hand over it.

Meanwhile, Li Yitong was still curious: Why is Sister Tian Tian here? She's not even at a level where she'd need to piggyback on a endorsement.

Sister Tian Tian: Group team-building in the chat!

It turned out this was a highly successful team-building event.

"Hey? How'd you end up together?"

Bai Liang, however, wasn't fazed by this odd lineup. After a quick glance, he directly "accused":

"Um… just came out to have fun~" Sister Tian Tian instantly lost her bravado, putting on a cute, adoring smile.

Hmm… back to her true, simple self.

But Bai Liang glanced again at her "allies" and said: "Don't hang out with them—you'll get corrupted."

"What's that supposed to mean, Bai?"

"You jerk, we're not supporting your sales today!"

"Wow~ So cold! You're really…"

"."

Facing the collective onslaught of the Bai Fumei, Bai Liang wasn't the least bit flustered—even dared to counterattack.

The Bulgari staff watching nearby were inwardly awestruck.

Amazing! You actually dare to talk back to customers like this?

If this were any other brand ambassador or loyal client, Bulgari's team would've stepped in—no one hires you to insult our clients.

Because these high-end luxury clients hold enormous influence.

If they're unhappy with a spokesperson, a collective complaint can genuinely force the brand to replace them.

It might not end the partnership outright—too ugly for that—but next year, they'd almost certainly switch ambassadors.

Something like this actually happened before—Li Wen endorsed Chanel, then was collectively boycotted by the Xiangjiang rich women—and the very next year, she was no longer the ambassador.

So… let Bai Liang do whatever he wants.

Bulgari's staff didn't think these Bai Fumei would complain about Bai Liang as their ambassador—didn't they see how they were laughing while being scolded?

Getting scolded feels this good?

This ambassador hire? Absolutely perfect. He's literally riding on top of his clients.

Bai Liang wasn't the least bit intimidated by this army of women, but Bai Lu—who hadn't used her Insight Color in time to slip away—was now painfully awkward.

Oh no, surrounded by Bai Fumei.

The problem was, she couldn't easily push through—they were packed shoulder to shoulder, blocking every possible escape route.

She was forced to fake a smile, standing there awkwardly and out of place.

Bai Liang noticed her predicament and immediately said: "Don't block her—make way."

"Huh? You're…"

"Sister Tian Tian, hello, I'm Bai Lu," she quickly introduced herself.

But one of the young rich women who didn't know Bai Lu asked: "Aren't you his cousin?"

"No, no, we just share the same surname," Bai Lu hurriedly explained.

"Same surname's great! If I also had the Bai surname, after marrying him, our kids would carry both father's and mother's surnames—both families would be happy!"

Holy crap—who came up with that genius idea?

Bai Liang immediately tried to find the culprit, but the girls had already launched into full chatter.

They all agreed Bai Lu's name was wonderful—especially the surname, so advantageous!

Bai Lu: Huh? Why didn't I think of this before? I was just fixated on them being from the same family~

She had just barely let a hint of joy show on her face when, the next second, she met Big Tian Tian's slightly furrowed brow.

Little sister, what bad idea are you thinking up?

Ahhh~

To be honest, Bai Lu isn't intimidated by those two sisters who look just like her—they're both backed by powerful capital, so who's afraid of whom?

It's still anyone's guess who'll develop better in the future.

But the pressure Big Tian Tian brings—she really is a little flustered.

A flower of earthly wealth and luxury comes with her own aura and presence, let alone after clinging to Bai Liang's leg, she leapt straight into the top tier of the 85 Flowers.

In truth, if Bai Lu spent a few more moments with Big Tian Tian, she'd realize Big Tian Tian only has three tricks: glaring, frowning, and pursing her lips—before she even adds her accent, she's completely a paper tiger.

She was almost turned into a top by Re Ba and Na Zha working together to whip her~

Her combat power is mostly weak; though she occasionally bursts forth, so far she's only done it once.

She gave it to Big Mi Mi.

Even if her usual moves are just those three tricks, scaring off a little girl like Bai Lu is no problem at all.

Bai Lu had just begun to feel a hint of retreat, thinking the flower of earthly wealth was too powerful, and that she should step back for now.

But as soon as she took one step back, she suddenly felt two people appear behind her.

She turned her head—and saw two smiling faces.

One sweet, one cold.

In that instant, even though Bai Lu had never exchanged a word with Li Yitong or Li Xin, the three girls, whose faces bore some resemblance, somehow reached an unspoken understanding.

Bai Liang: Huh?

He thought he heard someone shout: Armor Warriors, merge!

——

Mmmmm!

Don't forget to cast monthly votes for the raffle~

(End of Chapter)