Chapter 25: One Pit, Two Pits—All Dug and Ready

“You just said you and Li Wanbai are very close and have known each other for many years?” Quan Hao raised his eyebrows, his voice sharp.

Ye Xiruo hadn’t expected him to speak to her so suddenly, and she was both flattered and startled, nodding repeatedly. “That’s right, I’ve known Xiao Bai for many years.”

“In that case, you should have greeted Li Wanbai first. Why did you speak to Yu Baichuan before her?” Quan Hao sneered. “Looks to me like your relationship isn’t as close as you claim. I’ve never heard of greeting your best friend’s husband before your best friend. That’s quite a stunt.”

If he hadn’t pointed it out, it might have gone unnoticed, but as soon as he said it, the audience caught on.

[Yeah, why did she greet Baichuan first? Didn’t she say she’s closest to Li Wanbai?]
[I really don’t get it. Did she fall for Yu Baichuan too?]
[Although I know everyone eventually falls for Yu Baichuan, this is just off-putting! Is she leeching off Li Wanbai while also trying to steal her husband?]
[Ha, well, birds of a feather flock together. If she’s such good friends with Li Wanbai, how good can her character be?]
[Let’s keep it factual here. Spreading rumors is easy, clarifying them is hard. What gives you the right to judge Ye Xiruo? Do you even know her?]

Just as Ye Xiruo hadn’t expected Quan Hao to speak to her, she never imagined he’d suddenly turn aggressive. Her face went pale, and she stammered, “It’s because Yu was sitting closest to the door. When I walked in, he was the first person I saw, so…”

“That excuse might work on me, since my back was to the door, but Li Wanbai was facing it directly! From both distance and angle, the first person you should’ve seen when you entered was Li Wanbai.” Quan Hao sneered coldly. “Don’t try to fool me. I came in through that door too—I know better than you who’s visible from the entrance.”

Quan Hao pressed her relentlessly, leaving Ye Xiruo no room to retreat.

Even Li Wanbai, let alone the production team hidden behind the big screen, could only tense up at his onslaught. What was he planning? Was he really going to cause a public meltdown for someone on day one?

Suddenly, Quan Hao turned to look at Li Wanbai, his chin slightly raised.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but Li Wanbai felt as if he was gloating, showing off something to her.

She looked baffled, but smiled and said, “Teacher Quan, aren’t you being too sensitive? You can’t just assume Xiruo has bad intentions because she greeted someone else first. And who you see first when you enter is a matter of perspective—you can’t judge everyone by your own standard.”

Anyone else would have been too intimidated to contradict Quan Hao in public—he wasn’t known for being forgiving. But Li Wanbai didn’t care.

So what!

If it came to it, she could just leave the entertainment industry, which would honestly be a relief.

Quan Hao glanced at her, his expression falling. This was the look of someone disappointed their plan hadn’t succeeded.

Li Wanbai didn’t know what he was after, but he clearly wasn’t pleased. Best not to draw his attention.

What a baffling guy.

Just when she and Ye Xiruo were playing out their sisterly act, he barged in and almost tore their friendly facade to shreds. Li Wanbai didn’t even have time to be annoyed—he got angry before she did.

She glanced at the other two. Yu Baichuan was expressionless, detached from the drama, and Quan Hao was certainly not about to help Ye Xiruo save face.

Only she was left to smooth things over.

With a hint of resignation, Li Wanbai said, “Don’t mind him, Xiao Yezi. Teacher Quan was just joking with you. By the way, there are six guests on this show, right? So that means there are only two left to arrive? I haven’t really kept up. Teacher Yu, Teacher Quan, do you know who the other two guests are?”

[Heh, she’s really good at lying with a straight face. Quan Hao was anything but polite, and she wants to brush it off as a joke? If I recall, a joke is only a joke if both sides find it funny!]
[This is hilarious.]
[But you can’t really blame Li Wanbai for this, can you?]
[Are you blind? Quan Hao was the first to be rude, and Ye Xiruo’s actions were certainly confusing. What’s it got to do with Xiao Bai? She tried to smooth things over, and you still criticize her?]
[Let’s just leave Quan Hao behind, we’re not interested.]
[Are you all fixated on Ye Xiruo? Am I the only one noticing that, at a time like this, Li Wanbai still found a way to mention Baichuan and look good?]
[Unbelievable, Li Wanbai is something else. Four people in the room, two men, two women, but she ignores the other woman and insists on talking to the two men. Her motives couldn’t be clearer.]

Quan Hao leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes slightly. Li Wanbai thought he wouldn’t speak again, but to her surprise, he was the first to respond, as if he’d been resting. “The other two—one’s a veteran in the field, and the other just debuted as the center of a music show not long ago. Pretty popular, I think his name is Tang something?”

His tone was matter-of-fact, without contempt, but he spoke as if these were self-evident truths.

The veteran was a well-known variety show regular, not someone Quan Hao held in high regard, but given the man’s age and seniority, he kept his opinions to himself. The younger guest wouldn’t be so lucky.

He claimed the newcomer was popular, but clearly didn’t care. No matter how popular, it couldn’t compare to his own fame, and since they weren’t in the same field or vying for the same resources, it didn’t matter to him.

Yu Baichuan glanced at him and replied coolly, “His name isn’t Tang something. It’s Ma Xu.”

“Oh, my apologies,” Quan Hao let out a small laugh, then straightened and raised an eyebrow. “Yu Baichuan, you’re in music, and so is he. Which one of you is more accomplished musically?”

Li Wanbai blinked in surprise, her gaze instinctively shifting to the two men. Maybe it was her imagination, but the previously calm atmosphere instantly became tense and combative.

For Quan Hao to raise such a question was, frankly, aggressive.

Ma Xu had only just debuted recently, taking center position by overwhelming vote, and had become quite a sensation. He and Yu Baichuan were otherwise worlds apart, but Quan Hao’s question forced a direct comparison.

In terms of popularity, sales, or any metric, Yu Baichuan was leagues ahead of Ma Xu. The trouble was, everyone knew this, but if Yu Baichuan stated it outright, it would sound arrogant—a liability for the future, something people could use to paint him as conceited and full of himself.

But to concede or claim Ma Xu was better would be equally suspect—no one would believe it, and who knew what trap Quan Hao had laid for him next.

Yu Baichuan’s fans couldn’t really take issue with Quan Hao—he was an actor, and a rival at that. Maybe he was just stirring up trouble for Yu Baichuan, which fit his public persona.

Yu Baichuan gave him a cold look, just about to answer, when Li Wanbai smiled and said, “I think Teacher Yu’s musical accomplishments are certainly greater.”