Chapter 514: The Cast of the Premiere Grows Increasingly Absurd

What's it like holding a girl in your arms while watching yourself kiss another woman on TV?

Bai Liang couldn't quite put it into words.

It's kinda weird~

He'd never done anything like this before—usually, if he kissed someone on a drama, the person beside him was the one he was kissing.

That kind of setup didn't bring up any strange questions; instead, it added a certain unique atmosphere.

But now~

Just before Na Zha picked up the remote, her lips were pressed against his~

Then the TV turned on, and there he was, his "husband," kissing another woman passionately.

Na Zha stared, stunned, and only after several seconds did she react: "Xiao Bao, weren't you just a guest star? Why are you kissing the lead actress?"

"Good question—we're both guest stars here on The Era."

That example didn't hold up—even Na Zha, this little fool, spotted the difference and immediately retorted: "Exactly! So it's just us kissing each other—you didn't go kiss Yao Yao."

Bai Liang: "How do you know I didn't?"

Cough, cough.

"This drama's like this—the theme's fairly realistic; just look at the title, Thirty Only, it's about older women's lives. Two of the three female leads are married, so kissing is perfectly normal."

Na Zha was a bit confused now: "Really?"

Thinking it over, it did seem to make sense.

At this moment, Bai Liang really hated how ridiculously smart modern TVs had become.

They could even rewind and replay.

Na Zha watched Bai Liang and Mao Xiaotong's kiss scene again, noticing more details.

"Why are your hands so dark, and why are you cupping her face?"

Seeing Na Zha's "I'm here to pick a fight" expression, Bai Liang had no choice but to explain.

"It's a contrast—a woman who used to be rule-abiding ignites after divorce; she's gotta do something totally different from before."

"But your hands being all dirty isn't okay—I'd never stand for that! You'd smear her face!"

Na Zha first touched her own cheek, then grabbed Bai Liang's hand and examined it—hmm, his nails were neatly trimmed, his hands were clean overall.

But hearing this, Bai Liang couldn't help smiling: "You? Clean? Really?"

Na Zha instantly bristled: "Where am I not clean?" Her voice rose an octave, ready to shout.

Bai Liang found it hard to say it was just that she was comparatively less clean—even though comparing Na Zha to Sister Reba was unfair, who could resist the urge? You'd naturally compare them.

Like Sister Reba—when she had the chance, she'd make him wash up before everything, then "inspect" him; if he didn't "pass," he'd have to "redo" it.

She took much longer to get into the mood, as if she had some kind of "entry requirement."

But Na Zha? She went by feeling—even if Bai Liang had just broken a sweat, if the mood struck, she didn't care at all and just went right in.

Oh right, she did the same herself—often skipped bathing and just "got things done" first.

Her whole thing was getting into the mood fast, and seeming totally hooked.

It seemed that sticky or slightly unclean states actually stimulated her more.

But Na Zha herself had plenty to say about this.

Not at all~

She was super clean—otherwise, how could she shave so thoroughly?

As for the rest—

"I'm only like this because I love you! And now you're saying I'm not clean? I'm gonna be mad!"

She pouted, turned her eyes aside, clearly in "you better soothe me properly" mode.

Bai Liang had a perfect remedy for this kind of pouting—just kiss her cheeks repeatedly.

And if he kissed even more broadly—

After about ten seconds, she broke first: "Ticklish~ I give up! I'm not clean! I'm unhygienic! I'm filthy!"

"Children who aren't clean get punished!"

Hearing this, Na Zha's cheeks puffed up like buns, understanding his meaning—yet her eyes already shimmered with seduction; she gave Bai Liang a lazy side-eye, then pushed herself up with her knees.

Plop~

She glanced at him, picked up her hair tie, and tied her hair while feigning disgust: "You're the unclean, unhygienic child—filthy, stinky man~"

Bai Liang protested—he'd already taken a shower.

The truly unhygienic girl hadn't bathed yet—her stockings were still the same ones she'd worn all day.

But they didn't even need washing—they'd been ripped open wide; she'd just toss them later.

Still, at this moment, none of that really mattered.

After all, Na Zha had only brought it up to pretend to complain—but in truth, she didn't mind at all.

Bai Liang relaxed, leaned back, and used the remote to resume playing The Era.

Contributing even a little viewership to this hit drama—he had been in it, after all.

And Na Zha genuinely loved watching this drama, perhaps because she wasn't far from thirty herself.

Indeed, even while busy, she kept glancing sideways at the screen.

——

Just how popular was The Era right now?

A phenomenon-level hit!

It sparked nationwide discussion immediately after airing.

In 2020, the first batch of post-90s turned thirty.

It directly addresses humanity's shared anxieties and growth transformations, particularly those of women in their thirties—enough to strike a nerve in many people!

The three female leads in the drama represent three fairly typical female archetypes, making it easy for viewers to find reflections of themselves.

Lines like "Marriage is a harbor—but if everyone wants to shelter, who becomes the harbor?" and "At thirty, you don't have the carefree ease of twenty, nor the calm detachment of forty," strike straight at the pain points and spark widespread emotional resonance.

Meanwhile, this drama perfectly rides the wave of popularity ignited earlier by "Sisters Who Make Waves."

It's precisely when everyone is interested in these older young women~

On top of that, Bai Liang had recently been sweetly romancing Na Zha and Sister Reba for a long stretch, the screen flooded with sugary romance—so much so it was almost cloying—and the market now needed a change of taste, something more melodramatic.

So this drama exploded suddenly, yet inevitably.

All three female leads reaped considerable benefits.

Yet one twist emerged: the second lead overshadowed the first—Tong Yao's Gu Jia forcefully surged ahead, completely overwhelming Jiang Shuying.

But even though she was suppressed, this blockbuster still generated wildly exaggerated discussion.

Even Mao Xiaotong, who had the least screen time and least discussion, saw a meteoric rise after Bai Liang's special appearance and their romantic subplot were unveiled.

Netizens jokingly called Bai Liang a candidate for "Prince of the Sea."

With so many rumors, why not become a sea king and flirt with luxury store clerks instead of playing pure love with some local girl next door?

Poor Yang Lei, the male lead paired with Mao Xiaotong in this drama.

On the neighboring Gu Jia storyline, the third party Lin Youyou was being vilified to death—yet when Yang Lei's "third party" appeared, the barrage and comments were all hoping the third party would take over.

Lin Youyou. This character truly went viral—she's great at licking ice cream.

Even Na Zha learned from her.

Bai Liang sensed something was off at the time, but given his luck, Na Zha couldn't possibly have sneaked out for tutoring—yet it turned out she learned it from a TV drama~

Watching TV dramas really can teach you knowledge!

But since Na Zha had been binge-watching this drama so intensely, Bai Liang couldn't resist teasing her: "You're aiding the enemy. If 'Thirty Is Just Right' keeps exploding, our drama's throne as King of Dramas might not be safe."

"Huh?!"

Upon hearing this, Na Zha immediately declared she wouldn't watch anymore—she'd wait until next year!

As if whether this drama threatened "Affection's" throne as King of Dramas depended entirely on her support.

Yet Na Zha herself stopped watching TV dramas—only to discover that Bai Liang, this big-eyed traitor, had also gone over to "aid the enemy."

He had already reposted a Weibo promoting "Thirty Is Just Right," and now he was editing his second Weibo post.

How could this be allowed?

"Traitor!"

Na Zha didn't snatch his phone, but she stepped forward indignantly to accuse Bai Liang.

"I did appear in it, after all~ Helping promote it is perfectly normal."

"But what if this drama surpasses ours? I want the King of Dramas title!" Na Zha now wished she had a tail growing from her butt, wagging it furiously at Bai Liang.

"First beat 'Glory'—how easy do you think it is?"

Bai Liang still hasn't fully counted how many buffs "Affection" received—it had so many promotions, with nearly a dozen trending topics daily.

During its broadcast, every metric was benchmarked against the King of Dramas, "The Longest Day in Chang'an," achieving nearly the absolute peak possible for a sweet romance drama.

So even though "Thirty Is Just Right" is also a phenomenon-level blockbuster, it's incredibly hard to surpass it—only "The Knockout" might come close.

Unfortunately, "The Knockout" hasn't been filmed yet—and Bai Liang holds the script in his hands.

Precisely speaking, it's one of the scripts.

These scripts all came from iQIYI; among the major platforms, Bai Liang has collaborated with iQIYI the least and Tencent the most.

Even though some dramas aired on iQIYI, they mostly just served as distribution channels, not dominant partners. But recently, Sister Yanzi happened to "favor" iQIYI and picked out a script called "Police Glory" for Bai Liang, saying it had the vibe of guarding Liberation West.

As a result, iQIYI seemed to think Bai Liang had suddenly developed an interest in police-themed material—and immediately sent over a whole pile.

Their goal was clearly to secure his future schedule.

After all, Bai Liang's schedule is extremely hard to book—without reserving two years in advance, there's little chance, unless you're like the girls and cut in through backdoors.

But whether to accept it or not, Bai Liang hasn't decided yet.

Ding dong~

While Na Zha was still accusing Bai Liang of "colluding with the enemy," a message arrived.

It was Mao Xiaotong thanking him for reposting the Weibo.

This sister seemed to be putting on an act—the long opening paragraph was clearly a template someone else wrote for her; the only real substance was the last line.

"Can I attend your movie premiere?"

"Can you say that so strangely? Am I going to block you at the door?" Bai Liang laughed.

Na Zha, however, spoke confidently: "I'm afraid some people won't want me to show up—then I'll steal all the spotlight!"

"You're confident."

"I'm this beautiful, this gorgeous—it's perfectly reasonable! When the time comes, those two female leads in your movie? I'll crush them effortlessly."

For some reason, Na Zha saying such childish and arrogant lines felt completely natural.

It was exactly the kind of thing she'd say.

As for overshadowing the female leads—truthfully, Na Zha could easily overshadow Dou Dou. No problem there.

But Dou Dou in "Better Days" doesn't need to be overshadowed.

She's under immense pressure right now—her most unflattering look is about to appear before the public, and Dou Dou carries the burden of her goddess image.

Put simply, anyone who shows up could overshadow her.

Bai Liang had already replied to Mao Xiaotong's message on his phone: Come to the premiere—of course you can! What's there to say about "can" or "can't"?

Ding dong~

Ding dong~

Ding dong~

Throughout that day, Bai Liang's phone felt as if it wouldn't stop ringing.

Even Chen Yao couldn't help but glance over slightly, "So many people looking for him?"

She muttered softly, but accidentally let that note hear it; he merely replied indifferently, "Probably some group chat keeps chattering away—forgot to mute it. I'll remind him later."

Group? Doesn't seem right.

Because the Qing Yu Nian sisters' group was also quite lively today.

Everyone was discussing whether to attend the premiere.

Though they all said they might be busy, perhaps couldn't make it, Chen Yao knew these women well enough to sense none of them would miss it.

Probably these vixens are secretly messaging Bai Liang behind the scenes.

The reason it suddenly became so lively is that today, for the first time, the movie "Youth" officially announced its premiere and made the news public.

That's why Bai Liang's phone wouldn't stop ringing.

A savior work!

The film industry has been sluggish for so long; this is the first battle for market recovery, carrying the weight of absolute necessity.

Yet Bai Liang himself didn't care at all, didn't take it seriously, and felt zero pressure.

But the older sisters and young ladies insisted: even if you don't say anything, I still care deeply about you.

As if they could see right through his "pretense" to the "fragility" beneath.

How could they not show up to support him!

They must attend in person, cheer for him, and back him up.

Then this fearless man agreed to all of them.

Come, come~ The more people, the livelier it'll be.

"By the way, Yao Yao, are you going to his movie premiere?" Na Zha casually asked Chen Yao.

Hearing this, Chen Yao paused slightly, then nodded firmly, "Of course I am!"

"Aren't you still filming? Can you wrap up that early?"

No problem, Chen Yao said she could take a special leave.

——

"Sis, it's arranged. I barely squeezed out half a day—have to leave right after the premiere, can't stay longer."

Hearing this, Sister Reba nodded in clear satisfaction.

At that moment, her assistant asked curiously, "Sis, why do you have to go? We can just promote Xiao Bai's movie more on Weibo."

Sister Reba replied bluntly: "Because she's going~"

"Gu Li Na Zha? Not necessarily—she didn't show up for every one of Xiao Bai's previous premieres."

"She'll definitely go this time!" Sister Reba stated with certainty.

She knew her hometown girl too well—on such a crucial milestone, the other would cancel any appointment to attend.

That's what love-struck people are like.

If she can do it, so can I!

——

Li Yitong: "Xiao Tian, sister's taking you to the premiere~ Make sure to clear your schedule."

"Got it, sis! Just the two of us?" Xiao Tian thought to herself that she'd be facing off again against that annoying little dog Zhou Ye—but for the sake of the premiere, she'd temporarily hold off on the rivalry.

"Uh…" Li Yitong hesitated, "There might be some other 'bad women' too—Xiao Tian, protect me then~"

This left Xiao Tian stunned. Other bad women? How many?

Still, as a seasoned soldier, she declared she wasn't afraid of any number of "enemies"—just charge ahead!

"Mission accomplished, no matter what!"

——

Big Mi Mi, Sister Tian Tian, Xiao Zhao, and Unlike Ni Ni each cleared their schedules one after another.

As the release date of "Youth" drew nearer, Du Du truly began to feel nervous.

Image issues were secondary—her hair had already grown back.

The main worry was dragging Bai Liang down.

During her conversations with Zhou Ye, she couldn't help but reveal this concern.

Zhou Ye replied instantly: "Du Du, I think you should worry about something else."

"Huh? What else?"

"Didn't Meng Jie say in the group chat? They're all going to the premiere."

"So what? Showing up to cheer is normal."

"Them!" Zhou Ye emphasized again.

Chen Duling looked utterly confused, unable to grasp the situation.

Then, when she saw her own "Death Note," she shuddered.

Them?

How many?

Previously, Chen Duling had prepared to charge—only to be casually crushed by Xiao Zhao.

When she spent the night in Bai Liang's room and mustered courage again to strike, Sister Tian Tian immediately went wild on Weibo, delivering a psychic blow from afar.

Recently, Du Du felt she'd regained her strength.

She'd summarized her past shortcomings and timidity, determined to launch a fresh, all-out assault.

She felt that when she faced Little Zhao again, she definitely wouldn't be like last time, because after going back she had done a thorough review and studied it carefully.

It's just that~

Zhou Ye's "they" suddenly left her feeling a bit muddled.

Wait, just how many people does this "they" actually refer to?

After thinking it over a little, Dudu felt she was scaring herself.

Nowadays the entertainment industry has fully resumed work, everyone's very busy, the more popular the artist the busier they are, it's not like they'd all specially take time out to attend a premiere.

It probably wouldn't be that bad, right?

A nameless sense of unease began drumming in Dudu's heart, a very inauspicious premonition.

At this moment, Dudu still didn't know just what kind of premiere lineup her leading lady was about to face.

(End of chapter)