Chapter 622: A Botched Ending?

In Xicheng, inside the spacious living room of a large flat.

Dong Dong, sitting beside Han Ziyi, asked in confusion, "Did I just hear some kind of sound?"

Han Ziyi, whose black stockings had been torn open by the fright, didn't make a sound, pretending that nothing had happened.

The stockings she was wearing today were from a luxury brand and were very expensive.

Since she was meeting Director Luo today, she naturally had to dress up carefully.

And as everyone knows, the quality of luxury goods is not as good as fakes...

Plus, she had already worn this pair of stockings during a previous singing and dancing performance, and during the dancing, some unseen parts had already stretched and torn a bit.

But it felt a pity to throw them away after only one wear.

Who could have guessed that a glamorous female idol on the surface would be wearing a pair of torn stockings?

"It's all Zhang Dongsheng's fault!" Han Ziyi clenched her hands tightly, cursing in her heart.

Although this character came from Luo Mo's script and was filmed by him personally.

But who could blame the handsome Director Luo?

On the television, Wang Yao was also searching around in the aquatic products factory, and then she ran into Zhang Dongsheng.

She shouted loudly, and Zhang Dongsheng used an iron rod to hook her neck directly, then pulled her backward.

Before long, this most troublesome woman in the entire show was rendered unable to move just like that.

Zhang Dongsheng: Another day of slaughtering everyone.

What terrified the members of Aurora Girls the most was that this man, having just committed a crime, was actually tidying up his hairstyle as he walked out, pressing down his messy hair.

If the bullet comments were turned on right now, I'm afraid some silly netizens would leave messages:

"I want the link to Teacher Zhang's wig."

"This is a wig commercial, right? It's product placement, isn't it!?"

"This jungler has too many kills, his economy is too high."

Time passed second by second, and Zhu Chaoyang arrived at the aquatic products factory.

He still used his old routine to deal with Zhang Dongsheng, telling him that Yan Liang was outside and if he didn't return within half an hour, Yan Liang would call the police.

But Zhang Dongsheng was no longer falling for that.

"My life has already been ruined, do you think I'm still afraid of you calling the police?"

Zhang Dongsheng brought Zhu Chaoyang to a place where Zhu Yongping was tied up; it turned out he hadn't been killed.

Zhang Dongsheng, driven to anger by embarrassment, said: "You're usually quite good at talking, aren't you? Tell your dad how much money you extorted from me and how you tricked me. Speak up, or do you want me to say it for you!?"

Zhu Yongping, whose mouth was covered with tape, listened from the side with a look of shock, completely unable to understand the situation.

This scene could barely be considered a twisted version of—a teacher inviting a parent for a meeting to complain, right?

For Zhang Dongsheng, whose mental state had already collapsed, what he cared about most was betrayal.

"I gave them all the money, and they copied a card for me!"

Zhu Chaoyang insisted that there was no copy.

Zhang Dongsheng glared: "No copy? Then what did you use to trade with me today, huh!? Tricking me again! Is there any truth left in your mouth at all!"

A math teacher, logic at 100%.

—"Hard to Deceive".

At this moment, Yan Liang was actually lurking outside the whole time.

But this simpleton hadn't set his phone to silent.

Upon hearing the ringtone, Zhu Chaoyang's first reaction was to shout: "Run! Run away!"

He kept shouting, louder and louder.

Dong Dong whispered: "Is he doing it on purpose, just to lure Zhang Dongsheng out to chase Yan Liang so he can get a moment of safety?"

"Not necessarily," Han Ziyi said softly.

As soon as Zhang Dongsheng went out, he shouted: "Yan Liang, come out. Aren't you here to find Pupu? She's dead, come out and avenge her."

Once these words were out, the girls were stunned: "Is Pupu really dead?"

"Not necessarily, this might be Zhang Dongsheng's tactic, after all, Yan Liang is a bit slow!" Han Ziyi's stockings were torn, but her intelligence was still online.

However, was it really just a tactic?

By the time Zhang Dongsheng returned after finding nothing, Zhu Yongping had successfully broken free, and the two men immediately began to brawl; Zhang Dongsheng, holding a sharp weapon, struck with one blow.

Before Zhu Yongping died, Zhu Chaoyang was tearful and cried out: "Dad, I'm sorry, I've actually been lying to you all along. The day Zhu Jingjing died, I was also on the fifth floor! Dad! Dad! I'm sorry!"

Finally, Zhang Dongsheng set a fire to burn the aquatic products factory, intending to burn everything to the ground.

Relying on his calmness and intelligence, Zhu Chaoyang escaped with Yan Liang.

On the other side, Zhang Dongsheng, whose life was completely ruined, knew there was no turning back. He stood on the balcony wanting to jump, but after trying several times, he ultimately couldn't do it.

Facing the police, Zhu Chaoyang was still lying.

Later, when Yan Liang questioned him why, he only said: "I want to start over, just like my dad hoped."

The child stood up, his eyes completely different from before.

He stared at Yan Liang with extreme calmness and said: "Do you want to call the police?"

"I owe it to Pupu, they can't have died in vain," Yan Liang insisted.

Zhu Chaoyang just stared at him silently, then nodded slightly.

It was this image that caused a strong, ominous premonition to rise in Shen Yinuo.

This premonition filled her chest, showing how ominous it was.

She turned her head to ask Luo Mo, but Luo Mo said directly: "Shh!"

"Learn from Jiang Ningxi, watch silently, analyze for yourself, and stop chattering," Luo Mo said. "We agreed you wouldn't ask me questions."

Shen Yinuo glanced at the Leg Fairy, who was watching television with rapt attention, pursed her lips, and said, "Fine, if I'm not supposed to ask, I won't."

Sure enough, the top student Zhu Chaoyang started to steer the Drama again; he took the initiative to call Zhang Dongsheng, set a meeting place, and used the copy card as a threat once more.

Jiang Ningxi frowned, feeling that something was not right.

"Zhang Dongsheng already wanted to commit suicide; his mindset should be different from before."

"If he still cared about the copy card, he should be trying to find a way to kill Zhu Chaoyang, yet he hasn't made a move for the time being and continues to work as a teacher at the Shaoniangong."

"But you said his heart was dead and he had already given up, so why would he go to the appointment?"

The Leg Fairy glanced at Luo Mo from the corner of her eye. Because Luo Mo had just complimented her earlier, she kept her long legs tightly pressed together and her delicate lips pursed: "I won't ask, I won't ask!"

After being scolded by Luo Mo, Shen Yinuo, who had truly kept her mouth shut, had a whole series of doubts bottled up inside, but when a certain segment of the Drama appeared, she simply could not hold it in.

Zhu Chaoyang told his mother, Zhou Chunhong, that the report cards for the summer class had been handed out, and he was number one again.

"Did you study?"

"Did you study this summer?"

"How are you number one again!" Shen Yinuo was exasperated.

Even though Shen the Academic Slacker had been away from school life for many years, the dead memories began to attack her.

She couldn't find any balance in her heart!

——The world of the academic god, you don't understand.

The next day, the group arrived at the location of the Promise; Zhu Chaoyang and Zhang Dongsheng were both wearing pristine white shirts, their attire almost identical.

The two spoke on the boat, and Zhang Dongsheng said: "Zhu Chaoyang, I know why you asked me to come here."

"Then why did you still come?"

"I want to help you," Zhang Dongsheng said.

Before their conversation ended, Yan Liang had already found Zhang Dongsheng; he held a sharp blade, wanting to finish him off.

On the other side, at the home of the retired police officer Lao Chen, a bag was received containing three hundred thousand and a note.

The note said this money was for Xinxin's medical treatment, please pass it on.

Zhang Dongsheng from the Shaoniangong is a murderer, but the evidence is already gone.

Because of my selfishness, I have harmed many people...

Yan Liang and Zhang Dongsheng wrestled together, the scene switched again, and Zhang Dongsheng had already arrived in front of Zhu Chaoyang.

"Yan Liang is already dead."

"Come, avenge your father." Zhang Dongsheng picked up the knife and handed it to Zhu Chaoyang.

Two people dressed almost exactly the same stood together.

One big and one small, just like looking in a mirror.

As if you are my past, and I am your future.

Zhu Chaoyang took the knife and stabbed him with it.

"Very good, just a little off," Zhang Dongsheng smiled.

"Come, come," Zhang Dongsheng said with a Gentle tone, telling him to try again.

As if at this moment, he had become Teacher Zhang again, teaching his most prized student!

Zhang Dongsheng already wanted to die, but he lacked the courage to commit suicide.

And this person, whose psychology had long been twisted, had a new idea.

Just at this moment, Yan Liang suddenly appeared, stopping Zhu Chaoyang and telling him not to do it, otherwise he would never be able to turn back.

Zhu Chaoyang only said to him: "Yan Liang, the thing I regret most is opening the door for you!"

He already regretted meeting these two closest companions.

This also represented Zhu Chaoyang's most authentic inner thoughts.

Yan Liang fell into the sea during a struggle.

The scene returned to when he was fighting with Zhang Dongsheng; Zhang Dongsheng did not kill him.

"I won't kill you, I want you to live."

"Live... like me!"

And on the other side, Zhu Chaoyang had long since called Officer Ye early on.

Before falling into the sea, Yan Liang still issued a Warning to Zhu Chaoyang: "Don't become the second Zhang Dongsheng!"

The police boarded the boat at this moment, pointed their guns at Zhang Dongsheng, and shouted for Zhu Chaoyang to come over.

Zhu Chaoyang walked toward Officer Ye step by step, but Zhang Dongsheng stood up and said to him with a smile: "Zhu Chaoyang, you can believe in fairy tales."

It was as if it returned to the previous discussion among everyone about fairy tales and reality.

Then, he suddenly raised the knife.

Everything happened too suddenly, and the police had no choice but to open fire.

It was obvious that he did it on purpose.

He had a Requirement to die, and to die at this very moment.

To leave no evidence!

But this line of dialogue was not only said for Zhu Chaoyang to hear, but in fact, it was also said for the audience to hear.

Of course, it was also to pass censorship.

A fairy tale is something that is not real.

Yan Liang, who had fallen into the sea, was actually saved from the water by the retired police officer Lao Chen, who had not been out of the hospital for long.

The summer vacation ended just like that.

Zhu Chaoyang went to school as usual.

However, before going to school today, he took a letter out of his drawer.

It was the one Pupu had given him earlier, telling him to open it only after they had left.

In this scene at the school opening ceremony, Yan Liang suddenly appears, yet everyone standing here seems unable to see him, except for Zhu Chaoyang.

Yan Liang walks over bathed in light, standing within the radiance.

Zhu Chaoyang glances at him, ignores his presence, and continues to stand in the shadows.

Yan Liang sighs and turns to leave.

He goes to find Lao Chen.

Lao Chen has truly begun living a retired life, having set down the heavy burden of being a police officer, and is now Dancing in the square.

Yan Liang whistles at him, and only Lao Chen, who is Dancing, turns his head; the others seem not to have heard, continuing to focus on their Dancing.

Lao Chen and Yan Liang sit together, and Lao Chen says to him, "Pupu and Xinxin are a match, the surgery is next week. Do you want me to take you to Ha City to see them?"

"Thank you, Lao Chen."

"Is 'Lao Chen' what you call me? You have no manners! When you get back from Ha City, you better study honestly!"

What a wonderful, perfect ending.

Both Pupu and Xinxin are saved.

Lao Chen didn't die either and became Yan Liang's guardian.

Yan Liang has become sensible, is going to start studying, and even aspires to be a police officer.

But the screen darkens at this moment, the camera gives a close-up of the calendar, and it returns to the early morning of July 1st.

Shen Yinuo watches, completely confused, but Jiang Ningxi sighs, understanding that everything before was merely a false fairy tale.

Zhu Chaoyang opens the drawer, takes out the letter Pupu wrote to him, and opens it.

At the end of the letter, Pupu writes: "I never mentioned the matter at the Shaoniangong to Brother Yan Liang, nor will I tell anyone else. I will keep this secret for you forever."

"But I still hope that one day you will have the courage to say it."

"Because only then will it truly be a fresh start, right?"

The scene changes at this moment, returning to the plot in the second episode where Zhu Jingjing fell from the building.

Zhu Chaoyang lies on the windowsill looking down, and then, he turns back, covered in sweat.

Note, what Pupu says to him at this moment is: "She is about to fall."

Not that she fell, but that she is about to fall!

Zhu Chaoyang clearly looked down, covered in sweat, and then turned back with a look of struggle.

What exactly did he see?

——Zhu Jingjing was caught on something at that moment and hadn't fallen yet!

But undoubtedly....... she eventually fell from the building anyway.

She could have been saved.

There was time to save her.

But he didn't.

The scene switches; Officer Ye brings Zhu Chaoyang to the Shaoniangong to ask about the situation back then.

Zhu Chaoyang walks forward all the way to the windowsill.

Then, the filter of the entire scene changes instantly, becoming much brighter.

Just like when Yan Liang appeared earlier, everything became bright.

It is very clear that this moment has turned into a false 【Fairy Tale】 again.

Zhu Chaoyang says: "She missed her step, so I ran over, but it was already too late."

He still chose to conceal the truth!

——End of the series!

And this episode is called 【Corner】.

……..

……..

The entire series finished, the members of Aurora Girls start chattering again.

Shen Yinuo remarks with emotion: "I guess it barely counts as a perfect ending? It's just that it felt very rushed; many things weren't explained clearly, and Zhang Dongsheng's death was inexplicable too. Luo Mo, you're not doing great; the ending is a bit sloppy!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the other five women cast looks at her as if she were a fool.

"You........ why are you all looking at me like that?" Miss Shen says in great Anger, feeling as if they are looking down on her from a high place.

Han Ziyi is the first to laugh: "Xiao Shen, it's really nice to be you."

"What? What is 'really nice'!" The more Shen Yinuo hears, the more dizzy she gets.

Dong Dong, wanting to show off in front of Luo Mo, who is both the director and screenwriter, says: "Yan Liang is dead, and Lao Chen is dead too; no one else can see them."

Shen Yinuo: "Huh?"

Han Ziyi says: "Pupu should have died earlier too. When the emergency call asked Zhang Dongsheng for the specific address, he hesitated; he probably didn't save her, fearing exposure. That's why Pupu never appeared again after that."

Shen Yinuo: "Huh?"

Jiang Ningxi actually has a lot to say, especially wanting to say it in front of Luo Mo, but she doesn't want to be the first to speak, so as not to appear too eager or desperate to show off.

Seeing that Dong Dong and Han Ziyi have already spoken, she says calmly and unhurriedly:

"Didn't you notice that in the final episode on the boat, Zhang Dongsheng and Zhu Chaoyang are on the phone, and Zhu Chaoyang tells him, 'If you keep walking along the corridor, you'll see me.' But strangely, Zhang Dongsheng keeps walking and encounters Yan Liang instead."

"Why would the two children split up, and why, when he followed Zhu Chaoyang's directions, did he encounter Yan Liang? He knew full well how much Zhang Dongsheng hated Yan Liang."

Shen Yinuo: "Huh?"

Jiang Ningxi smiles, intending not to continue hurting her, but when she turns her head, she sees Luo Mo nodding slightly at her and smiling, showing his approval.

It was precisely this simple action that prompted Jiang Ningxi to look at Xiao Shen once more, preparing to say a few more words.

"Also, the ending of Zhu Jingjing's death was explained. What Pupu shouted to Zhu Chaoyang was, 'She is about to fall,' note the word 'about to,' which proves she was still hanging there. It is precisely because of this that when the police arrived, they saw a piece of dress fabric snagged there."

"Whether Zhu Chaoyang pushed her, I cannot reach a conclusion for now, but he definitely stood by and watched, failing to save her."

"That is why Pupu said she would keep it a secret and not tell anyone."

Shen Yinuo: "Huh?"

Jiang Ningxi refused to stop, continuing: "Even though the final episode was a happy ending, with extremely bright scenes appearing repeatedly in the shots, the sunlight was brilliant and blinding. But did you notice? The title of this episode is 'Corner'."

"'Corner,' perhaps it is the place where light cannot reach, or perhaps it is the dark corner in the depths of the human heart."

"And didn't Zhang Dongsheng give you a clear hint as well? He said: You can believe in fairy tales."

Shen Yinuo: "I'm not listening, I'm not listening!"

The Leg Fairy stretched her long, white legs slightly and, refusing to let her off, continued: "By the way, the 'Three Little Chicks' animation in the opening credits also hinted at the end that there were only two little chicks and the fox's bones on the ground; the other little chick became the new fox. Zhu Chaoyang, Zhang Dongsheng, these names have a strong connection."

"The final episode also made it clear that Teacher Zhang wanted this student to become the new him, using this as revenge!"

Shen Yinuo covered her ears: "Stop talking, stop talking!"

"And I discovered that the line Zhang Dongsheng said at the end: 'You can believe in fairy tales,' the Actor's lip movements do not match the spoken lines."

"His mouth only moved twice, yet the line has so many words," Jiang Ningxi said.

At this moment, Xiao Shen had already listened until she collapsed, falling into a state of frenzy.

Luo Mo, however, looked at Jiang Ningxi in surprise; he had not expected her to capture such details, even noticing the fleeting mismatch between the lip movements and the lines.

Jiang Ningxi did not notice that Luo Mo was looking at her deeply; she continued to speak to herself: "Zhang Dongsheng smiled at the end, and his lip movements seemed to be saying to him: 'Master'."

"He held a knife and called out to Zhu Chaoyang, realizing he had been played in the palm of his hand—or more accurately, that everyone had been played in the palm of his hand. He deliberately called him over, said, 'Zhu Chaoyang, Master,' and even gave a self-deprecating laugh here. Then, by pretending he was going to kill him, he made the police shoot him, ending his own life."

"That so-called 'You can believe in fairy tales' was merely Zhu Chaoyang absolving himself in his own heart, and it also hinted that the subsequent plot was all fake, all a fabricated fairy tale, not reality!"

Shen Yinuo was completely dumbfounded.

She looked at Luo Mo and said blankly: "So in this web drama, the final big BOSS is actually Zhu Chaoyang, this little kid!?"

Luo Mo raised a finger and said: "We agreed on this beforehand, and you forgot again—you are not allowed to ask me questions."

Shen Yinuo felt her chest was about to explode with anger.

………

………

"The Bad Kids" had thus finished updating completely.

Of course, for non-member users, they still had to endure the wait; there were still 4 episodes of VIP-exclusive content that would take some time before they could be watched for free.

On "Petal Net," the original rating for "The Bad Kids" was as high as 9.3.

On a platform where web drama ratings generally couldn't break 5, one could imagine how heaven-defying a 9.3 rating was!

The last web drama to break 9 during its update period was... Luo Mo's "White Night"!

It was just that after "White Night" finished airing, its rating started to slip slightly, sliding to 9.1.

This is a very normal phenomenon; audiences are often the most demanding and harsh regarding endings.

This level of rating drop falls within the normal range.

But it was different for "The Bad Kids."

On the day the twelfth episode finished updating, the rating dropped by 0.1.

A massive number of viewers gave low-score evaluations!

Yet in reality, the number of viewers giving a perfect score of 10 was also surging!

The people on "Petal Net" are famously "stingy" with their scoring.

It is very rare for such a phenomenon to suddenly occur.

However, because its rating was already high, the appearance of a large number of low scores would definitely pull the rating down.

Judging from the current momentum, it was very likely to drop below 9.0!

The most interesting thing was that not only did the audience's scoring show a trend of polarization, but even the Weibo Hot Search list appeared somewhat bizarre.

The number one entry on the Weibo Hot Search list was—【"The Bad Kids," metaphor】.

The second entry on the Weibo Hot Search list was:

【"The Bad Kids," botched ending】!

The various girl group members of Aurora Girls had a group chat with Luo Mo.

When they saw this Hot Search, people like Dong Dong and Han Ziyi were all filled with righteous indignation, speaking up for their dear Director Luo in the group.

Shen Yinuo, on the contrary, was in a good mood, feeling that the reaction of some netizens gave her psychological comfort.

—So I'm not the only one!

Luo Mo had a very indifferent attitude, because he felt it was quite normal.

On Earth, the rating for "The Bad Kids" was just like this; it dropped at a very fast speed.

And according to convention, for high-acclaim dramas, after they conclude, as time passes, more and more people will bash the show.

Every domestic drama is like this, and it is even more severe for domestic films with high box office.

But in the end, "The Bad Kids" still stabilized at 8.8 on Douban, remaining one of the highest-rated web dramas!

In the group chat, Jiang Ningxi did not say a word; she said nothing at all.

Or rather, in this group, she had hardly said a few words from the start.

This Leg Fairy opened Weibo directly and began to edit text.

She kept in mind the standards for being a female idol: be civilized and don't lash out at people randomly.

Therefore, she intended to share her real experience of watching the drama together with Xiao Shen.

(PS: Two-in-one. I don't understand why many readers think writing entertainment-industry novels is easy. These past few days, I have been required to revise previous chapters every day. Today, a chapter of "Year Hare Affair" from half a year ago was even blocked, and it was only released after I revised it. It's exhausting.)

Additionally, I am sacrificing a new book, "Seven Gods"; the author is a veteran, and their old book "I Might Be a Fake Immortal" has already sold many copyrights.)

(End of this chapter)