Chapter 41: I’ve Been Doing All His Work!
No one paid much attention to the chaos erupting in the live comments, or perhaps they simply didn’t have time to care. Gathered around the dining table, everyone stared at the four one-hundred-yuan bills in the center, lost in thought.
Li Wanbai’s eyes sparkled as inspiration struck. She laughed and said, “Baichuan, why don’t you perform on the street? You’re so handsome, and your singing is wonderful, you’ll definitely earn a hundred yuan!”
Yu Baichuan was momentarily stunned, not even having the chance to respond before Ye Xiruo objected, “That won’t do. Teacher Yu is worth so much—how could he perform on the street?”
[What kind of lousy idea is Li Wanbai coming up with? Why should Yu Baichuan have to perform on the street? Does he owe her something? If she wants to do it, let her go herself!]
[Exactly! Just because Yu Baichuan sings well doesn’t mean he should be the one to perform. He became famous as the center of his group, his value is sky-high—who could possibly ask him to perform on the street!]
[Did he announce Li Wanbai’s existence right after debuting as the center?]
[Do you have to be so self-deluded? I’ve wanted to say this for a while—even if your idol never finds a wife, you still won’t become his girlfriend! Face reality, everyone.]
[Baichuan announced his girlfriend right after his debut, clearly not accepting girlfriend fans. Let’s just quietly be career fans—it’s enough. Whether it’s singing or acting, Baichuan excels at both, there’s no reason to harshly criticize him.]
[Do you really need to say this in the comments? If Baichuan had chosen a reasonable girlfriend, fine, but this woman is so troublesome. Either she keeps him from holding concerts or interferes with his film awards. I don’t get it—Baichuan has so many more representative works, shouldn’t that be good for them? Why does she keep stopping him again and again? And now she wants him to perform on the street!]
[Li Wanbai, get out of the entertainment industry!]
[Li Wanbai, get out of the entertainment industry!]
[…]
“All right, no problem,” Yu Baichuan nodded.
Ye Xiruo’s eyes widened in disbelief, unable to hold back, “Teacher Yu, you don’t need to do this! Even if Wanbai is your lover, you shouldn’t indulge her unconditionally, doing things you never would and shouldn’t do.”
“Miss Ye, from the sound of it, you seem to know me well?” Yu Baichuan looked at her and laughed softly.
Perhaps because his smile was gentle, so different from his usual cold demeanor, Ye Xiruo was emboldened and nodded with conviction, “Of course I know you! All my fans know—I’m your number one fan! From your debut to now, we’ve witnessed your hardships, and if you do something that lowers your status like this, we’d all be sad!”
[Who’d have thought, Ye Xiruo is a Yu fan!]
[Kindred spirit!]
---
[Ah, it doesn’t matter—falling for Yu Baichuan is everyone’s destiny~ Sister Ye, you’re our only Yu fan with connections in the entertainment circle.]
[I’ve been a fan of Ye Xiruo for years—I can vouch for her, she’s a senior Yu fan! She even posted tickets for Baichuan’s fan meeting on her early social media. Unfortunately, that fan meeting was cancelled before it even started, thanks to a certain wife.]
[Ugh, can we not mention her!]
[Every time this comes up, my heart aches. That was Baichuan’s first fan meeting—so many Yu fans went to great lengths! Many were underage at the time, working hard to get their parents’ permission, and then… and then…! Don’t ask me how I know the pain.]
[Compared to her, Ye Xiruo is so much better!]
[I can’t stand it—there are still people shipping Baichuan with that person? Isn’t that rubbing salt in our wounds as Yu fans!]
[Since we’re talking about it…]
[Li Wanbai, get out of the entertainment industry!]
[Li Wanbai, get out of the entertainment industry!]
[…]
“If that’s true, thank you for your affection. But I think you don’t know me well enough yet,” Yu Baichuan said softly. “I used to perform on the street myself, and I never saw it as lowering my worth. Quite the opposite—that experience means a lot to me.”
Teacher Wang suddenly understood. “No wonder Wanbai wants you to perform on the street.”
He smiled brightly, his tone teasing, “You two are much closer than we imagined!”
Li Wanbai looked a bit embarrassed.
Yu Baichuan simply shook his head and replied calmly, “It’s not about our marriage. We just met early and share many memories.”
Quan Hao sneered, an odd note in his voice, “I think so too. If your relationship was really good, why join this variety show? You’d have been invited to countless romance shows already.”
The atmosphere grew awkward for a moment. Li Wanbai glanced at him, expression unreadable.
You helped me out—I appreciate it.
You said my relationship with my idol isn’t good—I don’t appreciate that.
---
The live comments froze for a moment.
[Wow, Quan is bold! He really says whatever he wants!]
[Does he not realize this show is broadcast live? He says anything!]
[666, so brave—probably the only one in the entertainment circle not worried about being torn apart by YBC’s fans.]
[No, no—the person above is wrong. That certain wife isn’t afraid either.]
[…]
It wasn’t just the comments—even the other guests were momentarily stunned.
After all these years, Yu Baichuan was no longer the naive newcomer to the entertainment industry. He had become one of its power players, and hardly anyone dared to challenge him openly.
The last to publicly contradict Yu Baichuan had been Li Wanbai—but she was his wife.
Quan Hao had neither kinship nor friendship with Yu Baichuan, only a hint of rivalry. Yet he dared to confront him so openly. Relying solely on his company wouldn’t be enough to go up against Yu Baichuan.
Yu Baichuan himself seemed surprised, glancing at him with a hint of astonishment but saying nothing.
At times like these, it was the seasoned guests who stepped forward. Laughing, one broke the tension, “Teacher Quan is angling for opportunities from other romance shows! Director, hurry and cut his mic! He’s helping other shows poach our two teachers!”
Ma Xu and Ye Xiruo quickly laughed along, turning the awkward moment around.
What a day—what a mess!
That’s the trouble with live broadcast formats. Not only must you stay in good shape to participate in the show and complete tasks, you also have to keep the precarious, crumbling atmosphere afloat—and sometimes even cover for others.
These were all jobs meant for the production team!