Chapter 422: Rainstorm, Tokyo, Maybach

The Awakening Years cast and crew.

Bai Liang, wearing a slightly oversized old suit and sporting a bowl cut, felt a bit dowdy.

Especially this hairstyle—when he took a few photos and shared them with some young ladies for their feedback, nearly all of them laughed and teased him for looking clueless~

Clueless? Perfect!

If Bai Liang dressed like a trendy guy in this drama, wouldn't the audience scold him?

But this look had a strangely effective effect.

Especially after Miss Jing Tian saw Bai Liang's character design, she jumped around excitedly, begging him to call her "sister" a few times.

No way around it—though this outfit was a bit dowdy, it genuinely had a youth-reducing effect.

In Miss Jing Tian's eyes, Bai Liang was shamelessly pretending to be younger.

But it didn't matter—she loved youthful high school boys!

Call me sister!

Otherwise she'll throw a fit~ the kind with screaming and rolling on the floor.

Bai Liang naturally didn't indulge her sudden outburst; for some reason, among all the girls he knew, calling others "sister" came naturally—but calling Miss Jing Tian that always felt strange.

She thought this meant he "disrespected her."

But Bai Liang felt it was because he saw her as young.

Later, when he made her choose between two options, though she still desperately wanted to hear him say "sister," she ultimately chose the latter—shamefully.

Younger is better than sister!

But Miss Jing Tian declared that when they filmed The Silent Spring, she'd be his great-great-aunt.

That would instantly boost her generational rank!

Bai Liang, who hadn't yet studied The Silent Spring script in detail, was confused: Huh? Is Qin Fang and Si Teng really related like that?

If the original novel portrayed it this way, wouldn't they change it? Otherwise, flirting with a great-great-aunt would definitely be inappropriate.

There's even a kissing scene?

That'd be way too taboo—real old tree blooming!

But imagining normally goofy Jing Tian playing a cold, aloof, dominant woman while he plays a sweet, timid, innocent puppy—this strange contrast actually felt kind of interesting.

Bai Liang didn't dwell much on The Silent Spring—the male lead role held no real acting challenge for him, and some traits even mirrored his own. He heard Jing Tian had contributed to part of the script, offering plenty of inspiration.

The crew said so, but Bai Liang suspected this girl was just trying to sneak in some wish fulfillment.

But while The Silent Spring was easy, the drama he was currently filming—The Awakening Years—was far more difficult.

Main-theme serious dramas are never easy to act in.

Especially when you need to portray it convincingly, making the audience feel it's logical, while also keeping it engaging and not boring.

Because today's youth simply can't imagine that the things they memorized by rote in politics class—things they themselves didn't believe—were once genuinely fought for and sacrificed for by a group of people as their lifelong ideals.

And to convince them, logic is, of course, the most important thing.

The story of The Awakening Years begins in 1915.

That year, Yuan Shikai, President of the Republic of China, was forced to sign the humiliating Sino-Japanese Twenty-One Demands.

Chinese intellectuals plunged into pain and confusion: Where was the republic that was supposed to save China? What could truly save China?

Some believed the republican system had been established, but feudal thought remained.

This led to the starting point of the New Culture Movement—the founding of The New Youth magazine by Chen Duxiu in 1915.

The screenwriter was truly skilled; structuring the plot felt like writing a literature review, using a combined vertical-horizontal approach.

"Vertical" meant tracing the New Culture Movement chronologically; "horizontal" meant comparing the various intellectual currents within it.

Representative figures and their signature statements were all presented.

For example, Chen Duxiu's "To the Youth," Cai Yuanpei's "Speech upon Assuming the Presidency of Peking University," Lu Xun's "A Madman's Diary," Li Dazhao's "Youth" and "The Victory of the Common People"—classic "lines" from Chinese language and history textbooks appeared nearly verbatim.

With logic and historical sources in place, the next step was filling in historical details—the series achieved this through a blend of realism and poetic expression.

This was also what Bai Liang found most fascinating about the drama.

Character portrayal.

There are many ways to shape characters—through story to reflect their character, through others' dialogue to reveal their personality.

Some main-theme works overemphasize heroism, making them overly didactic; others, as commercial main-theme films, overemphasize ordinariness, losing idealism.

Slightly better ones paint heroes in bold strokes while sprinkling in moments of ordinariness—but end up feeling like two different people.

So the question arises: why can't a historical figure be both a hero and an ordinary person?

The Awakening Years handled this brilliantly—light touch, silence louder than words.

Chen Duxiu had a fiery, unrestrained personality, yet never lacked warmth.

Lu Xun, obsessed with eating—he'd buy two pounds of candy to treat himself after leaving the dentist's office~

And Chen Yanian, who released ants.

Left as a boy, returned as a hero's soul! —

During the filming of the scene where he released the ant trapped in the water bowl, Bai Liang succeeded on the first take—no retakes needed.

The entire drama features many animal shots—they all carry their own metaphors; nothing is superfluous.

The most fragile, of course, is the ant—its symbolism speaks for itself.

The difficulty of this scene wasn't in the acting—it was in how carefully, how painstakingly, he had to avoid crushing the ant.

Of course, this shot could've been filmed in parts, but since it could be done in one take, there was no need.

Fortunately, when it came to "controlling" himself, Bai Liang had plenty of experience.

The capybara's gentleness—today, the little ant experienced it too.

Held between his fingertips, unharmed.

But before the director could shout "Cut!", a butterfly—no one knew where it came from—suddenly landed on Bai Liang's handback.

Why bother calling "Cut" now?

Just keep filming for now.

Only after the little thing flapped its wings a few times on his hand did it take flight again, and only then did they hear the "Cut!"

Bai Liang turned his head and saw Director Zhang Yongxin beaming—he could guess what the man wanted to say.

The romance of an artist, huh~

He immediately preempted him: "Butterflies land on people mostly because they sweat too much—they love that."

Before filming this scene, Bai Liang had just acted a part where he carried a heavy sack.

To achieve realism, he actually carried it!

The weather hadn't cooled much yet—it still clung to summer's tail—so he'd sweated plenty. It was perfectly reasonable the little butterfly was drawn to him.

Director Zhang Yongxin:

He looked at Bai Liang helplessly, then scratched his head. "So you scholars, you really…"

That's a bit too broad a target~

Bai Liang casually said: "That was the science student's explanation. There's also a humanities student's version—you'll love it, Director."

"Hm?"

"Butterflies feed on decay. They appeared because they smelled the rotting, stinking soul."

Zhang Yongxin was about to say, "Chen Yanian was…"

But before he could finish, he suddenly understood Bai Liang's meaning—his eyes lit up: "So it flew away again."

"Exactly~" Bai Liang nodded. "There's another version too."

"Another?"

"A more artsy one. I know the scientific explanation—but I don't want to hear it."

Three sentences made a director bow in silent admiration.

Classmates, this is the meaning of reading.

Fortunately, Bai Liang had no intention of becoming a diva on this set—otherwise, he'd already laid the foundation.

After finishing his own scenes for the day, Bai Liang removed his makeup, changed clothes, and rested briefly in the trailer—not rushing to leave, but planning to watch others' performances.

This drama was genuinely fun to shoot—after all, there were so many skilled actors!

Just then, a phone call came, making him slightly furrow his brow.

The wind has risen.

"Mai Mai, if I remember right, shouldn't you be in school right now? Today's still Thursday."

Zhao Jinmai, on the other end, was about to sweetly call him "Brother," but was immediately met with Bai Liang's lecture on studying.

Her expression instantly soured.

Beside her, Yang Tianbao, hearing this opening, had question marks floating on her forehead—she'd originally thought… cough, well, she truly lacked experience in schooling and had never undergone nine-year compulsory education.

"I—I took leave to record a show…" Zhao Jinmai muttered, pouting.

"Record a show? Oh right—you did mention you signed up for a variety show." Bai Liang remembered now.

Now it was Zhao Jinmai's turn to "strike back": "Brother, how can you forget my affairs so easily?"

"I apologize~ Sorry."

Bai Liang didn't blame Zhao Jinmai for not giving him the exact time—he was just coaxing a child, after all.

As expected, after his apology, the little girl felt embarrassed and took the blame back herself.

She claimed she hadn't explained clearly, blah blah blah.

After that exchange, Bai Liang immediately put on his "shameless face": "I heard you signed with something called 'Dongde Culture'?"

At this, the girl bloomed like a flower—her heart cried: Brother still cares about me!

"Mm-hmm!"

But then Bai Liang added: "Isn't that Dong Zijian's company? That shameless bastard exploiting child labor. After this call, I'm calling him to yell at him—half a year left till the college entrance exam, and he's still getting you on variety shows."

Zhao Jinmai: Oh no~

Not only was she getting teased by her brother, now her boss was getting teased too.

As for whether Bai Liang could actually yell at Dong Zijian—obviously, he could.

Yang Tianbao was barely holding back her laughter, covering her mouth and giggling quietly.

Good grief—she finally understood why Zhao Jinmai had seemed so "difficult" before. Turns out, this guy treated the little girl like this behind the scenes.

Lecturing about studying?

Who could withstand that~

After chatting so long about nothing, Zhao Jinmai nearly forgot why she'd called.

She'd almost started bickering with Bai Liang over the phone like a rebellious teen.

Fortunately, Yang Tianbao reminded her.

Zhao Jinmai snapped back: "Brother, are you busy with filming lately?"

"Not too bad~ Want to play a role?" Bai Liang asked casually.

It just so happened that Zhao Jinmai had arrived at the right time—there was a small issue with one character in "The Awakening Age."

A female character named Liu Mei, with no historical prototype, was Chen Yanian's close confidante.

Of course, they never got together—the screenwriter wouldn't dare give Chen Yanian a romantic subplot.

The disaster of "The Climbers" was still fresh in everyone's mind.

But in an earlier draft of the script, this character had a noticeable romantic vibe with Chen Yanian and had substantial screen time.

It seemed they wanted to evoke the feeling of "A seven-foot frame has already pledged itself to the nation; it can no longer belong to you."

Then Bai Liang politely offered a small suggestion: Chen Yannian did not need to sacrifice love to highlight the greatness of the revolution.

As a result, the role originally played by Chu Yunfei's daughter was significantly cut.

Then she refused to act anymore~

Of course, it wasn't that she didn't want to play the role because she couldn't fall in love with Bai Liang.

The main issue was still the reduced screen time.

Thus, the role of this wealthy young lady temporarily had a gap.

Coincidentally, at this moment, Zhao Jinmai called. Bai Liang casually asked.

"Huh?! Really?" Zhao Jinmai said, surprised.

But after asking, she immediately added: "I don't want to."

"Huh? Why not?"

"I can't use a promise in this context," Zhao Jinmai muttered softly.

Bai Liang patted his forehead—girls are so childish~

"This doesn't count. Consider it an early graduation gift from me. The drama's pretty good—you can learn from it."

The moment she heard the word "learn," Zhao Jinmai's head ached; she could only hope to finish her college entrance exam and turn eighteen soon.

Yang Tianbao:

I can't take it anymore!

She even wanted to snatch the phone and speak for Zhao Jinmai—when would these two finally get to the point?

Fortunately, Zhao Jinmai finally felt a bit embarrassed, gave Yang Tianbao a sheepish smile, and hurriedly said: "Brother, so you're busy these days, right? You definitely don't have time to come see me."

Yang Tianbao: Oh no! Classic wrong phrasing! Little girl, little girl—she just negated herself right away.

And she even provided the reason for him.

If Bai Liang still agrees to come over, I'll eat this table right here!

But Bai Liang replied: "Alright, send me the time, place, and production team's contact info."

"Then this—" Zhao Jinmai didn't celebrate immediately; instead, she asked cautiously.

Bai Liang on the other end of the line genuinely laughed—was this little girl playing "Stone Defense"?

He really could get that little lamb back.

"Not quite."

Zhao Jinmai: Yes!

Yang Tianbao:???

He just agreed?!

Even after the call ended, she still couldn't process it.

Only when Zhao Jinmai blinked and tugged at her sleeve did she suddenly "wake up," and blurted out: "Mai Mai, are you dating him?"

This instantly made Zhao Jinmai's face flush red; she quickly waved her hands. "No no no."

No?

As if sensing her doubt, Zhao Jinmai added: "Brother is really kind."

"That's too kind!" Yang Tianbao couldn't help but exclaim.

She didn't believe everything Zhao Jinmai said; she planned to observe carefully later—was he genuinely kind, or was he just as insincere as the guy on the show?

In this regard, her eyes were a ruler—she'd definitely spot any signs!

Of course, if Bai Liang really did… well, she'd happily help cover for him.

Yang Tianbao: Am I being a bit hypocritical? —

"'Trend Partners'?"

Though she didn't know why her little Bai brother suddenly wanted to join this show, Sister Yanzi was now extremely reliable.

She arranged for someone to communicate with the production team, thought for a moment, then immediately called Ni Ni's agent.

"Promoting 'Twelve Hours in Chang'an'? Of course! Our Ni Ni will fully coordinate with Brother Liang's schedule—even if she's busy, she'll make time. Don't worry, Sister Yan."

Ni Ni's agent assured her repeatedly.

Before agreeing, she didn't even check whether Ni Ni was free—just take a leave, no big deal.

After this exchange, another person was added to the variety show trip.

Sister Yanzi felt her planning was spot-on—no matter what mischief her little Bai brother was up to, she'd make sure the whole trip made sense.

'Twelve Hours in Chang'an' was still over a month away from release; the original promotion plan was to wait at least another two weeks.

But Bai Liang wanting to move it up wasn't a big issue.

As for promoting his own project on Youku to an iQIYI show, this wasn't the first time he'd done it.

Similarly, these platforms weren't the first to compromise before Bai Liang.

He could promote wherever he wanted.

Whether online platforms or broadcast TV channels, none would refuse him.

As for the other male lead, Xi Zi Ge, Sister Yanzi didn't contact him—one was enough.

She had just studied the guest lineup of 'Trend Partners,' her gaze shifting between Wu Moufan, Yang Tianbao, and Zhao Jinmai.

Zhao Jinmai didn't matter—she was just a little sister; her relationship with her little Bai brother was good, but only that.

As for Yang Tianbao, bringing Ni Ni along served a second purpose: to keep an eye on her.

After all, the rumors about her divorce from the Yellow Master were loud outside the circle, and nearly as loud inside—it spread everywhere.

Though there were no concrete details, the likelihood of divorce seemed very high.

Sister Yanzi found this scene vaguely familiar, couldn't help but think of Big Mi Mi back then—also a mom who'd raised kids and gone through a divorce.

Yang Tianbao was now in exactly the same state she'd been in!

Sister Yanzi still hadn't asked when exactly her own Xiao Bai had gotten involved with Big Mi Mi—or whether they'd even slept together.

It was too awkward to ask.

What if it happened before the divorce? Wouldn't that embarrass her own Xiao Bai?

Besides, Big Mi Mi hadn't caused any trouble—she was a very "sensible" confidante big sister.

So Sister Yanzi had finally breathed a sigh of relief; she'd truly feared Xiao Bai would end up like Dorgon.

Big Mi Mi had climbed up on her own merits; she probably looked down on the idea of relying on men—but Yang Tianbao's rise was painfully obvious.

Either way, taking precautions first was definitely no mistake.

What about Wu Moufan?

That one was much simpler and more brutal.

"Get all the dirt you've collected on him over the past two years ready!" Sister Yanzi said with murderous intent.

Xiao Shan Airport.

"Big star, big shot, big name—do you know that one message from you made me drop my entire film crew and rush over to you? Aren't you moved?"

Unlike Ni Ni gracefully removed her sunglasses, shook out her leather jacket, and tilted her mouth sideways at Bai Liang.

Honestly, if anyone else did that move, they'd look like a crooked-mouthed Dragon King.

But with Unlike Ni Ni, it somehow gave off a unique charm and coolness.

Yeah, she really was hot~

Under the leather jacket she wore a fitted short-sleeve top, black jeans, and Martin boots—this outfit had a peculiar wild sensuality.

Bai Liang stared at her Martin boots for two seconds, didn't answer her question, but said instead: "You wear these shoes, your feet must stink."

"Bullshit!"

Unlike Ni Ni snapped, "Do you think I'll pull off my socks and shove them in your mouth? How could my feet stink? Do you even understand fashion?"

"Not really," Bai Liang replied honestly.

"If you don't understand fashion, why even go on 'Trend Partners'? Lucky I'm here—I get it, I've got your back."

"With your stinky socks?"

"Shut up!"

After not seeing each other for a while, Unlike Ni Ni seemed much more cheerful than before.

Not because she'd come to terms with things, but because her career had finally turned around.

She was currently filming the CCTV drama "The Flowing Years," produced by the same team behind "My Previous Life," even bringing in Chen Daoming as a guest star, and she and Liu Shishi were the dual female leads.

Sure enough, she brought it up right away, covering her mouth as she giggled: "You know? Someone's planning to give you trouble."

"Give me trouble? Who?"

"Liu Shishi."

"I don't know her," Bai Liang replied simply—and truthfully.

How many times had he even met Liu Shishi? Maybe just once?

He definitely didn't know her well—and after meeting, she'd married and had kids. They had zero story between them, so of course they weren't close.

But Unlike Ni Ni said: "Really? But she's been thinking about you nonstop!"

She was clearly teasing Bai Liang, deliberately speaking in an ambiguous tone.

But the guy rubbed his chin, then actually nodded: "Makes sense. Since I was a kid, girls have always liked me—whether big sisters or little sisters."

Unlike Ni Ni was defeated, yet couldn't refute it—after all, he really was likable.

"Didn't you ghost her? She said so herself."

"Don't believe her nonsense—why doesn't she say the kid's yours?" Bai Liang insisted he wouldn't accept blame for something she'd never even told him about.

But Unlike Ni Ni misunderstood, staring at Bai Liang like he'd just swallowed a dog: "Is the kid yours?"

Bai Liang:.

They quickly re-explained everything: Unlike Ni Ni learned Bai Liang and Liu Shishi truly weren't close, and Bai Liang finally understood what "ghosting" meant.

Oh, petty—she was mad just because he didn't add her WeChat.

And she'd been holding onto that for this long?

This time, Unlike Ni Ni had slipped away from the newly launched "The Flowing Years" to accompany Bai Liang on a show; Liu Shishi found out and couldn't help but snipe a few comments.

She was still holding a grudge.

They chatted all the way to boarding, countering Liu Shishi's sniping—Unlike Ni Ni honestly admitted she'd wanted to fight over billing too, ugh, but she couldn't win.

Still, she was determined: even if she couldn't win, she'd keep fighting—she'd at least demand equal billing.

After all, one was slightly obscure, the other had taken a break to marry and have kids—they were pretty evenly matched.

Bai Liang verbally supported her, saying he stood by family, not justice.

Unlike Ni Ni was initially moved—but then realized something was off: "Stand by justice"? Do you think Liu Shishi should be the top billing?

So after boarding, Unlike Ni Ni pulled a big stunt on Bai Liang.

She took off her Martin boots—no big deal, first class had disposable slippers anyway.

But she didn't stop—she actually "fulfilled her promise" and took off her socks too.

She didn't just take them off—she tossed them right at Bai Liang.

"Ahh~ So comfortable~"

Unlike Ni Ni stretched her legs out straight, her pale feet wiggling her toes.

"Are my feet beautiful, Your Majesty?"

Bai Liang ignored her, picking up the fashion magazine on the plane and starting to read.

After all, they were going to record "Trend Partners"—might as well sharpen the axe before chopping wood, even if late, it still shines.

Ni Ni, meanwhile, didn't disturb him, lying down peacefully to sleep.

Who understands, fam? She was summoned at the last minute, stayed up all night last night—so damn tired~

But just as the plane neared Japan, its body suddenly began shaking.

Bai Liang remained unmoved, continuing to read his magazine, but Ni Ni, jolted awake, grabbed his arm.

"Scared?"

This time, Ni Ni nodded seriously, her expression pitiful—but then she added: "If this plane crashes, wouldn't we be star-crossed lovers dying together?"

"Nope. I'm not your boyfriend."

"Then can you kiss me before I die?"

"Sure~" Bai Liang had no reason to deny such a small wish.

But after Ni Ni puckered her lips, he pinched them with two fingers~

"What are you doing?"

"Of course you can die—but the plane announcement just said it's only slightly affected by a typhoon, no danger."

"Pfft! Is this even a typhoon?" Ni Ni cursed.

Clearly, she wasn't happy she wasn't going to die.

Who knew if it was her "crow's mouth," but when they arrived in Tokyo, they saw the latest news.

The typhoon named Haibei had already caused 80 deaths, 11 missing, and 397 injuries in Japan, with losses to agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and related sectors reaching tens of billions of yen.

Ni Ni: Huh??

Well then, fine—she and Bai Liang were both from Jin Ling; with this buff, crow's mouth or not, it was just fate!

If you've got guts, let the typhoon get even stronger!

Wait, how did they even manage to buy tickets to Tokyo if there was such an extreme typhoon nearby?

No wonder the airport was so empty… hardly any passengers—this was Japan's capital airport.

But the weirdest part was yet to come!

Despite the natural disaster and Tokyo still being drenched in heavy rain, local fans still came to meet Bai Liang at the airport.

When Ni Ni saw those Japanese girls holding up fan signs, she was stunned.

"Did you hire plants? How much do you pay them per day in this weather?"

"Obviously not. But a few days ago, my documentary and a TV drama launched in Japan—apparently the hype wasn't low."

More than not low!

Actually, Bai Liang's first massive hit, "Weird," had already been released in Japan and even been remade there under the title "Cinderella Online."

Just from the title, you knew the Japanese remake was nonsense—it turned into a clichéd love story of an ordinary college girl falling for a prince in both an online game and real life.

Recently, "Zhi Zhu" was also aired in Japan, and combined with the current hype of Bai Liang's documentary, the popularity was genuinely terrifying.

It had completely flooded the extreme sports community.

Japan never reflects, yet it deeply admires strength.

Bai Liang didn't bother to dig deeper—he only knew that now, whether in Japan or Korea, his fanbase kept growing, and he could legitimately call himself an Asian superstar.

Today's airport crowd, unsurprisingly, were indeed his Japanese female fans—after all, fan support culture originated from Japan's entertainment industry.

Ni Ni clearly saw Bai Liang hesitate slightly, then go over and briefly interact with those cherry-blossom girls.

Then those cherry-blossom girls went wild, screaming loudly.

At first, Ni Ni thought: These Japanese girls are insane!

But she soon spotted the blind spot—wait a minute!

Bai Liang was speaking Japanese!

"Just an ordinary language prodigy."

"Yeah, since you even speak Xinjiang dialect," Ni Ni muttered, suddenly feeling sour.

"I speak Jin Ling dialect too—what's so special about that?"

"Of course you do—you're from Jin Ling, we're hometown buddies, why act so high and mighty?" Ni Ni snapped.

Bai Liang blinked: "What hometown buddies? You're from Qinhuai District, I'm from Pukou."

Ni Ni: … Fair point.

But since Bai Liang was playing this game, she didn't hold back: "North of the river."

After a round of mutual teasing among scattered Jiangsu locals, Bai Liang actually felt grateful for the typhoon and rain.

Otherwise, today's airport crowd might've been more than just a dozen or so fans.

There were even a few Chinese international students among them.

Bai Liang scolded them in Chinese: "What are you doing coming to meet me in this weather? Are you crazy?!"

Then he handed each of them some cash and told them to go home early.

Ni Ni's comment: "You're so hypocritical—I like it!"

Because of Bai Liang's "hypocrisy," Ni Ni declared she'd definitely serve him well today.

After all, Wu Fan was on this show—she knew when she arrived that Bai Liang's motives here might not be pure.

No problem—no matter what he planned, she'd cooperate!

She'd already figured out how to help him boost his image later.

Rain, Tokyo, Maybach.

A black Maybach sliced through the rain curtain, rain pounding the windows, blurring the outside world into a watery haze.

Only this time, Odin was sitting inside the carriage.

—

This chapter, eight thousand characters!

Begging for monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)