Chapter 488: Fireworks for the Birth of a King!

"You haven't done anything illegal, have you?"

After witnessing Bai Liang's entire "criminal process," Lu Han couldn't help but ask this question.

"What kind of talk is that? How could I break the law? Do you think I'm your ex-teammate?"

Bai Liang's casual remark left Lu Han and the production crew speechless.

Bro, is that even something you can say?

What could the production team do? They had to cut this segment.

One reason Bai Liang delivers such strong program effects is because he says anything without fear.

The amazing part is, while he speaks nonsense on the show, he almost never attracts hate.

Sometimes you can't tell whether he's just saying whatever comes to mind due to sheer luck and everyone's high tolerance—or whether his EQ and IQ are so high that he knows how to drop shocking statements others dare not make, yet still faces no consequences.

Of course, there's really no big difference between the two—both prove the Immortal is awesome.

Lu Han shook his head, deliberately skipping the ex-teammate who stepped on the sewing machine, and sighed: "You're really something else~"

"Xiao Tong said the same thing."

"Huh?"

"I mean, you two couples have similar evaluations." Bai Liang patted Lu Han's shoulder, signaling the kid not to worry—he wasn't into that kind of thing.

Lu Han: How the hell can I not be nervous?!

If it were anyone else, he'd truly "look down on it"—after all, if he lacked even this much confidence, how could he have dated someone in the entertainment industry?

Formerly the overwhelming top idol, the ultimate pretty boy ceiling, you know?

But if it's Bai Liang, how can he not feel like his head's turning green?

"Big Brother Liang! Talk properly!"

"Hey~ That's not what I meant. It sounds like I'm trying to extort you again, but I'm not that kind of guy." Bai Liang waved his hand, indicating he was just joking.

He really was quite self-aware. Although he was friends with Xiao Tong and had her contact info, outside of occasional events where they'd chat briefly, he had zero private contact with her.

Their chat records were things like: "Immortal, Big Brother Liang, help me post a promo Weibo, muah!" "Bro, can you repost my new drama's Weibo?" "."

Bai Liang always helped with these requests, and his replies were always just "ok" or simply a single "1."

His chat records with Huang Jingyu, Lin Gengxin, and others were far more "ambiguous" than this.

Because among men—even straight men—sometimes you just can't help being a little dumb or "flirty."

But Lu Han clearly didn't think that way—he couldn't relax even a little!

Wait a sec~ What did Bai Liang just say?

Something like: "It sounds like I'm trying to extort you again," right? That was his exact wording!

But why does that sound so much like an implication?

Lu Han: This bastard has only bought me two cups of Mixue Bingcheng.

Bai Liang: Now it's three.

He'd just used money earned from the eagle to order several milk teas—one for each guest.

"By the way, ask Wang Mian what flavor he wants." Bai Liang asked while placing the order.

There were currently four guests on Five Ha, and today Tian Yu was also joining, bringing the total to five.

Bai Liang knew everyone fairly well—including Chen Chichi, whom he'd drunk with twice and considered a half-friend.

Only Wang Mian was truly unfamiliar to him—wasn't he a stand-up comedian?

At dinner yesterday, Wang Mian hadn't stood out much, mainly because they weren't close—he'd exchanged greetings but said little.

"Alright." Lu Han picked up his phone and messaged Wang Mian, then suddenly realized something odd: "Aren't you asking the others?"

"I already know everyone else's preferences." Bai Liang replied casually.

"What? You know all of them?" Lu Han said in disbelief.

Bai Liang looked up at him. "Yeah~"

"You remember all this?!"

"I shot a drama with Zhao Ge, drank twice with Chen Chichi—back then we ordered milk tea, and I saw what flavor he picked. Tong Tong and Dou Xiao Tian don't need mentioning—Bro Tian Yu and I are already familiar. Now, do you still have any questions?"

The questions were gone—Lu Han only felt this guy was somehow not human.

How could anyone remember so many people's milk tea flavors?!

But from this, you could understand why he managed to charm a total stranger girl into such a state.

Everyone says details matter. This was just too detailed!

Impressed! Truly impressed! Totally convinced.

"Immortal, you're really a freak."

"I just have a slightly better memory than you—not that extreme." Bai Liang said modestly.

"It's not the same thing!"

Seeing Lu Han still about to gush and praise, Bai Liang couldn't help blurting: "A Fei, be a man—don't be so girly."

"You dare insult me again?"

"Hey, getting defensive? You know who else I said this to? You're the second person to get this treatment."

Though he suspected Bai Liang had no good intentions, Lu Han still couldn't help asking: "Who else?"

"Wu Jing."

Ah~

Hearing this, Lu Han actually felt… okay, it wasn't really an insult.

Bai Liang: Stupid roe deer, gets insulted and still smiles? I'll insult you again next time.

After playing a bit more, the two picked up their milk teas and headed to "reward the troops."

No choice—one gold coin from Yingjiang was enough to feed these two; going back to work was out of the question, better to sip bubble tea and watch how others suffer and toil.

When they found Wang Mian and Chen Chichi at a certain film set, those two poor souls were bustling like spinning tops.

They seemed to be working as set assistants on the crew, but really they were general hands—doing everything: setting up scenes, hauling equipment, finding props, serving actors; sometimes even doubling as security to maintain order.

The workload was unimaginably huge.

Among all the groups working, theirs was the heaviest.

When the two saw Bai Liang and Lu Han walking over with bubble tea, their eyes lit up like starving refugees spotting imperial relief grain.

"Brother Liang, you still remember what flavor I like? I'm so touched!" Chen Chichi said, taking the bubble tea, and even changed his address for Bai Liang from "Great Immortal" to "Brother Liang." The next second, he turned into Zeng Xiao Xian: "If I were a girl, I'd marry you."

"Then Brother He'll have to wait in a line that stretches all the way to France~" Wang Mian added with a grin.

"Say hi to the guy chasing Zhang Yuqi for me."

"Who?"

"The one chasing Zhang Yuqi."

"Hahahaha~"

Speaking of Zhang Yuqi, they casually chatted a bit about "Sisters Who Make Waves"—the variety show was about to end, and the sisters would soon "officially debut," igniting the summer with fresh energy~

Right now, online debates over who would and wouldn't debut were still fierce, nearly matching the buzz of real talent shows like "Create 101" and "Youth With You."

The absurd hype generated by these "old ladies" was plain to see.

Chen Chichi and the others were also curious about who the final seven debutants would be.

Bai Liang, of course, couldn't reveal anything—even though he already knew the list.

One of the basic rules of being human is not to be a spoiler.

After delivering the "supplies," Bai Liang and Lu Han didn't linger at the set; they headed straight to the Hengdian imitation show to find Deng Chao and the others.

The imitation show featured talents mimicking celebrities, usually by portraying their iconic roles.

It was quite fun—the live audience even had performers impersonating Deng Chao and "Her Majesty," and the production team was clearly pulling off a Li Kui vs. Li Gui stunt.

But by the time they got closer, the fake Deng Chao and "Her Majesty" had already finished their performance and left the stage; right then, Li Yitong stepped up.

"Who's she impersonating? Herself?" Lu Han held his bubble tea in one hand and rested his chin on the other, eyes full of confusion.

Impossible to tell—absolutely impossible.

Bai Liang studied her closely, then suddenly smacked his thigh!

He didn't smack his thigh out of surprise—he did it to stifle his laughter.

Lu Han gave him a wounded look: "Can't you hit your own thigh? You hit so hard, it hurts~"

He reminded Bai Liang he'd just paid a "friend fee," because Bai Liang said he'd return to tip the previous livestreamer girl a top rank as thanks for her emotional outburst.

After being made to cry, Yingjiang didn't forget to reveal her own identity as a livestreamer, clearly trying to scam two followers.

Bai Liang had already told the "Five Hahas" production team that when this episode aired, her livestream room number wouldn't be blurred anymore.

Considered compensation for making her cry~

Lu Han added that this Go-streaming girl had truly delivered in a time of need, so he wouldn't be stingy—he'd chip in for the top rank too. That's how this new "friend fee" came about.

This gave Bai Liang a strange feeling that he was fleece-pulling from both ends—but honestly, it didn't matter.

"You hit yourself already. Now satisfy my curiosity—who's Li Yitong impersonating?"

Hearing Lu Han's question, Bai Liang slightly adjusted his expression, trying not to laugh too wildly.

But he couldn't hold it: "Hahahaha… She's impersonating Li Xin."

"Huh?!"

Lu Han couldn't hold it either—he shook with laughter, shoulders bouncing, and gave Li Yitong a thumbs-up.

You're incredible, Young Lady!

The "Sister Chicks" brand was now huge—this duo's fame surpassed the individual fame of either girl; some people unfamiliar with female stars might only know "Sister Chicks" without knowing who exactly they were.

But to directly impersonate another person on the show? Li Yitong really went all out—she was throwing caution to the wind.

"Oh~ I get it—this isn't Xue Baochai? Yeah, definitely Li Xin—the makeup's similar."

Reverse-engineering the answer, Lu Han quickly spotted all the details.

Honestly, Li Yitong's performance was uncannily convincing.

Indeed, she was the last performer—Tian Yu, sitting as a judge, laughed while giving her the highest score of the entire show!

In this celebrity imitation show, Li Yitong's portrayal of Li Xin won the championship!

Applause!

After giving the score, Tian Yu was still chuckling uncontrollably: "Oh my god—Fan Ruoruo impersonating Lin Wan in front of Wang Qiniang? That scene was absolutely breathtaking."

He didn't know what else to say—just: "So real! So incredibly real!"

The "Five Hahas" production team really knew how to do things—they invited just one person, yet somehow pulled off the effect of having the Sister Chicks appear together.

The evil little kitty playing two roles at once~

"A genius performance—from the Himalayas to the Mariana Trench, your victory is known to all! Fireworks for the birth of a king!"

"Hmph~"

Li Yitong took the bubble tea from Bai Liang's hand with a touch of pride, her expression almost smug.

While the others were still at a distance, she covered her mic and Bai Liang's mic with her hand, leaned close, and whispered: "Tonight, I'll keep playing Li Xin—just to make you happy, how about that?"

Bai Liang:???

It was all Chinese—but why did it suddenly make no sense when strung together?

Two seconds later, it finally clicked: "You want to drink champagne?"

"You jerk~"

She didn't say yes, didn't say no—that meant yes.

To be fair, Li Yitong used to be cute mainly because of her crescent-eyed smile, but now that she's older, all traces of that youthful innocence have completely faded.

It's basically the difference between a cute girl and a cute woman.

A woman is far more appealing than a girl.

Girl? Hey? Bai Liang spotted the blind spot, "Where's Xiao Xiwa?"

"Here!"

Dou Xiao Tian suddenly dashed out, giving her signature kitten salute, startling Lu Han, who was just arriving.

Damn, where did this girl come from?

But she really is adorable like this~

Lu Han had just smiled at Dou Xiao Tian when she shot him a fierce glare.

He wasn't sure if he'd just been glared at—must've been an illusion.

Because right now, Dou Xiao Tian was looking at Bai Liang expectantly, as if waiting for something.

No choice—Bai Liang scratched his head, took two bubble teas from Lu Han's hands, "One's for you, one's for Chao Ge. Take his to him, then you can come back and drink yours."

Dou Xiao Tian: Got it~

She shot off like a bolt, moving like a frantic rabbit.

Bai Liang now felt like an NPC—whenever Dou Xiao Tian stood in front of him, he had to give her a task.

As if a question mark floated above his head.

Could Dou Xiao Tian have awakened some kind of system that lets her complete tasks on him for rewards?

Otherwise, why would she be so eager?

Should I sneak up on her later and test it out?

Just as Bai Liang was pondering whether to land a left hook or a scissors leg lock on Dou Xiao Tian, she'd already returned after delivering the bubble teas.

And "the elder" Chao Ge was far behind, walking over with his drink.

"Slow down—you're sweating all over," Bai Liang said, handing Dou Xiao Tian her drink, then added casually, "Yours is hot."

Dou Xiao Tian, who had been gleeful after completing her task, froze instantly, her whole body stiffening for two seconds.

Then she blushed silently and whispered, "Thank you, big brother~"

Li Yitong watched all this, sighing inwardly—sometimes she had to admit, the fox wasn't so charming to girls without reason.

When did it even start for her?

Secretly scraping off wall plaster for her, buying her the right vitamins, remembering every single thing she disliked or loved in meals—countless tiny details she couldn't even list herself—Bai Liang had never once made a mistake in their years together.

Being with him, aside from occasional mild or intense competition from rivals, and his occasional mischief and teasing, gave her a deep, dual sense of physical and psychological comfort.

But Li Yitong knew well: when you feel someone perfectly matches you in every way, it means their level and conditions surpass yours in every aspect.

But knowing it doesn't help.

They say wise men stay out of love rivers—but meeting you makes wisdom impossible.

"Why did you two bring us bubble tea?"

Deng Chao walked up, sipping his drink, asking casually.

Lu Han immediately bragged about his and Bai Liang's joint victory.

"Holy shit? How much did you make?"

"A few thousand~"

"Did you two scam someone?" Deng Chao blurted out.

Lu Han thought about it—actually, it was kind of the same as scamming.

But to keep it broadcastable, he rephrased: "We're online gaming companions—we got matched with a pretty wealthy Young Lady, and she tipped us."

Ying Jiang: I don't have money.

Honestly, now that she was awake, she wanted to file a minor refund request.

But she wasn't actually a minor—saying she was three years old wouldn't work.

And Deng Chao, this "old-fashioned guy," after hearing Lu Han's story, didn't think it sounded absurd at all.

Instead, he nodded and coldly exposed Lu Han: "You two earned this together? I bet Little Lu was just clinging to someone's leg~"

"I played a big role too," Lu Han argued.

Bai Liang nodded graciously: "I confirm—he was indispensable."

"Then tell me, what exactly was his main role? You can't just rely on looks." Deng Chao smirked.

He was close enough with Lu Han and Chen Chichi that teasing him on camera was no problem at all.

"Main role…" Bai Liang fell into thought.

Meanwhile, Lu Han's face lit up with anticipation: Brother Liang, say it, say it quick.

Bam!

Bai Liang snapped his hands together—he'd figured it out: "His main role was laying the crucial foundation for our gaming companion business from the start—basically the successful beginning! He deserves half the credit."

Lu Han lifted his head proudly, but Deng Chao wasn't letting him off: "Explain exactly what that half-credit was."

"When the client was choosing, he created a 'buy one, get one free' effect—otherwise, two new companions like us, who weren't cheap or bundled, who'd pick us?"

"Hahahaha! So Little Lu, you're just the free bonus!"

Lu Han looked helplessly at Bai Liang—why did he have to say the truth?

"I have other roles too, tell him!"

"It's just like xiangsheng—one is the straight man, the other the funny man. Lu Ge played with me this time, next time I'll play with him—we're unstoppable together," Bai Liang smiled.

For the sake of "friend fees," he gave full face—so much so, he even called him "Lu Ge."

Lu Han: The most prestigious episode of his career!

Of course, this is the most face-giving episode since Bai Liang's debut.

To the top-tier stars of the entertainment circle, this guy is truly like that movie last year — a true "demon child descended into the world."

Today, Lu Han hearing such a "honorific" from his mouth instantly made him feel he was ahead of all the other top-tier peers.

Friendship fees have to be paid!

(End of chapter)