Chapter 149 Family Connection

The moment the projection screen lit up, Bai Lang was obviously stunned for a moment, and his cold brows softened unconsciously.

In the picture, Bai Lang's mother was busy adjusting the camera angle, turning her head from time to time to confirm details with the people next to her.

She dressed fashionably and had fair skin. If the subtitles didn't clearly read "Bai Lang's Mother", no one would have thought that she had such a big son.

And the man next to him, who was wearing a neat suit and had a serious look behind his gold-rimmed glasses - everyone looked at the screen, then stole a glance at Bai Lang, and couldn't help but secretly click their tongues: the cold faces of this father and son were simply cast from the same mold!

However, this feeling did not last for three seconds before it was shattered by Bai Lang's mother's loud shout of "Baby Lang".

The entire audio-visual room suddenly fell into a vacuum-like silence. Many people bit their lips tightly, trying hard to control themselves from turning around to look at Bai Lang's expression at the moment.

Bai Lang's mother in the video clearly holds the final say in the family.

She excitedly revealed her son's embarrassing childhood memories: "When he was born, he was white and tender like a little sugar bun, so we named him Bai Tang. But he came home from kindergarten crying miserably, saying that the kids in the class thought he was a girl and he refused to go to school no matter what..."

The screen cuts to a yellowed photo at the right time. The chubby little dumpling is grinning with his rice-grain teeth. Oh, he could still smile at that time~ So cute~

The contestants' shoulders were shaking from trying to hold back their laughter. Auntie, you are tearing your own son's idol image to pieces!

It wasn't until someone off-camera reminded her that time was almost up that Bai's mother pushed her husband reluctantly, "It's the last one, you should say a few words too~"

Only then did Mr. Bai turn his gaze away from her face, glanced at her condescendingly, and said with a slight smile, "Keep going."

The video suddenly stops.

Everyone: “…” It’s over? ! !

This is probably the most perfunctory message from a parent in history.

Unlike the others who were surprised, Bai Lang's expression didn't even change. He was used to it anyway.

The projection screen dimmed briefly and then lit up again, and this time Sun Lele's brother appeared on the screen.

As for why it wasn't the parents, who would be stupid enough to ask? Maybe the parents were too busy.

"Brother, my mom and sister will definitely be on camera later." Looking at Brother Sun who was sending his blessings to Sun Lele, Leo couldn't help but move closer to Xie Qingyu and whispered something in a low voice.

Xie Qingyu tilted her head to look at him and asked in a low voice, "Who's cuter, your sister or you?"

"Of course it's me! I'm the cutest!"

Leo raised his chin proudly, and tried to rub his furry head against Xie Qingyu's shoulder again, but was ruthlessly pushed away by Wei Liangchen on the other side. He also wanted to get close.

"My parents are probably busy," Wei Liangchen lowered his voice and joined the whispers, "I guess my grandpa is dragging You Jinzhao's grandpa to record it together again."

Thinking of the two inseparable old men, he sighed helplessly.

They are all neighbors. Mr. Wei and Mr. You were comrades-in-arms when they were young. They are inseparable in everything they do.

Leo immediately exploded and protested in a whisper, "You're so rude! Why did you listen to my brother and I whispering?"

I was clearly speaking very quietly, but still Wei Liangchen, the "brother snatcher", heard it. Damn it!!!

Wei Liangchen curled his lips and, in order not to disturb the video that was playing, he also retorted in a huffing voice: "You're so loud? Everyone in the room heard it!"

Besides, he was so close to me, and his ears were naturally very sensitive to gossip. Who could blame him?

Xie Qingyu raised her hand and skillfully covered the two little mouths that were chattering. The more they talked, the more excited they became. So, stop talking!

Because he acted quickly, the spark of "war" was quickly extinguished as soon as it appeared.

Xie Qingyu let go of his hand only after both of them calmed down. After a while, the family videos of Wen Yan and Zhou Yu'an were played one after another, and Leo finally couldn't hold it in any longer.

After moving closer in slow motion, he asked in a voice that was barely loud enough to contain air currents: "Brother, who in your family is filming the video?"

He was really too curious and couldn't help asking. He was so cute, his brother's family would definitely like him very much!

But even though Leo was very careful, Wei Liangchen still heard everything. He lowered his voice and asked with a hint of tentativeness and curiosity: "Yes, benefactor, who recorded it in your family?"

It seems that Xie Qingyu has never mentioned his family once in all the time he has been on the show. I have no idea what his family situation is like.

Xie Qingyu raised a faint arc at the corner of her lips, but there was no smile in her eyes: "I don't know either."

It's best to just skip him.

If a so-called "family" suddenly appeared at this time, how ironic would it be for the original owner who was truly alone?

At this time, the projection screen on the ceiling had just ended the video footage of Liu Xiu's father.

The 'green tea chili' who usually talks so much that it kills people is now pulling the pillow to cover her face and making suppressed sobs.

The room was filled with intermittent sobbing. These young people chasing their dreams, and their families, were not the only ones who left after entering the program.

Most of them have rarely returned home since the day they joined the company, and some can't even remember when they last saw their families.

When working hard outside, no matter how hard or tiring it is, you can grit your teeth and hold on. But when the faces of your loved ones suddenly appear in front of you, all the grievances will rush out like a flood that has broken through a dam, and you can't stop them no matter what.

Most parents choose to encourage their children with warm words, telling them to keep calm, and saying simple but heartwarming words like "No matter what the outcome, your family will always be your retreat and your strongest support."

Xie Qingyu looked at the screen, and a little warmth rose in his heart.

Although it was a clichéd tear-jerking segment about family affection in a talent show, it was particularly touching because of the sincere emotions.

When the camera cuts to Leo's family, the scene suddenly brightens.

His blonde mother was generous and beautiful, and his seven or eight-year-old sister had obviously inherited more of her mother's genes and also had a pair of green eyes.

He jumped around in front of the camera and spoke childish words in a mixture of Chinese and English, making everyone laugh.

Leo's mother moved closer to the camera. Although it was just a pre-recorded image, it seemed as if this would allow her to be closer to her child.

She blinked her tearful eyes and said in clear Chinese, "Leo, my big boy, I've witnessed every one of your performances off screen and have been there with you through every transformation. You will always be my greatest pride. I wish you continued growth and happiness."

Leo looked at his mother's face which suddenly enlarged on the projection screen, wrinkled his nose, raised his hand to cover half of his face, but tears still slid quietly into his temples.

Xie Qingyu silently handed over a small doll. Unexpectedly, Leo's mother in the video suddenly changed the subject and said with a smile: "Also, Mom noticed that Leo has made a lot of good friends, right? I wonder if he invited any friends to his house for fruit pie?"

So here comes the highlight. How many friends did Leo invite home to eat fruit pie for his mother to ask this question subconsciously?

Leo turned to look at Xie Qingyu and nodded vigorously. He had invited her many times!

"Brother Qingyu!" Leo's sister, who was originally sitting quietly in the video, suddenly rushed in front of the camera and shouted crisply, but was quickly grabbed back by Leo's mother.

"Orla likes Brother Qingyu the most, right?"

In the video, Aura sighed like a little adult, and silently glanced at her mother who was pretending to be ignorant in front of the camera.

What she meant was, why do you have to go through so many twists and turns if you want to invite your favorite brother to your home?

It's obvious that he has watched Brother Qingyu's performance more times. Leo is already very stupid. Is such a little lie necessary? I don't understand!

Just when she was about to find another opportunity, the video recording had already ended due to time limit.

Ola curled her lips and said: Forget it, let the stupid brother continue to immerse himself in mother's love ~ He has never crawled out anyway!

If the heartwarming interaction between Leo's mother and sister in the previous video made people smile, then the atmosphere in the entire audio-visual room froze instantly when Weiran's mother's video was played.

When the first sentence came out, it was already suffocating.

The first half of the three-minute video is almost entirely filled with sharp criticism.

——"Not enough stage presence", "Movements not precise enough", "Expressions too stiff", and the most frequent one is "Why do things always go wrong at critical moments?"

He even mentioned that he had enrolled him in a new special training class, firmly believing that "quantitative change leads to qualitative change" and that as long as he learned enough, confidence in his abilities would follow.

Her tone was not one of negotiation but of an unquestionable command, as if Weiran was not her son but a work that she had meticulously crafted but was never entirely satisfied with.

What was even more suffocating was the second half, when she actually took out her phone and read out the malicious comments about Wei Ran from the online haters!!!

Although it was urgently edited in post-production, the abrupt frame skipping and mute marks are very obvious.

Without even looking, Xie Qingyu could guess the shocked expressions of the contestants around him, as well as their surprised looks towards Wei Ran.

He did not follow the crowd to look at Wei Ran. As he said before, he would not comment without knowing the full story.

What's more, any look of pity or sympathy at this moment is just another form of burden to the person involved.

Some shackles are already heavy enough and do not need the addition of self-righteous "care" from outsiders.

In the intervals between video switches, Weiran lay quietly in the corner, his eyes fixed calmly on a certain point in the void.

His expression didn't fluctuate at all, as if the suffocating scene just now had nothing to do with him.

He could feel most people in the room looking at him vaguely, including those with dark cameras.

If he wanted to, he could take the opportunity to play the victim. Just by making his eyes slightly red or showing a forced smile, the effect would be amazing.

But he couldn't, or absolutely wouldn't allow himself to do so!

No one knows that his mother was once as gentle as the other contestants' mothers, but she became what she is now after experiencing that broken marriage.

Weiran remembered her white temples from overwork, her calloused hands from working three jobs at the same time, and how she would rather eat steamed buns for a month than not enroll him in the best dance class.

She is a victim and a sacrifice.

Back then, he followed her out of that home without hesitation, and now he can't step on her shoulders to climb up.

There are many paths, he will walk out of them with his own strength, and he will also lead his mother out of this haze.

After Wei Ran's mother's video ended, the next one was from Wei Liangchen and You Jinzhao. Wei Liangchen's guess was correct. The two old men really recorded the video together, which saved a lot of trouble.

The background seems to be outdoors, with chess pieces leaning against the corners. It feels like I was suddenly pulled here to shoot this scene.

However, the two of them still have a good sense of variety shows. They talked to each other and performed a two-person opera for everyone.

They vividly described the 'battle of the century' between Wei Liangchen and You Jinzhao when they were children, and jokingly added: "If these two guys start fighting in there, there's no need to notify us, just send them directly to the hospital!"

His tone and expression were extremely exaggerated, making the contestants burst into laughter.

Ding Zai's grandparents also saw Xie Qingyu smiling all the time.

The two elderly people were obviously not very familiar with electronic equipment. They didn't look at the camera the whole time. Their strong local accent made it difficult to understand them, but they still felt quite happy.

Everyone also understood why Ding Zai was so good at cooking pig food for everyone. It turned out that his family was a big pig farmer who ran a pig farm!!!

This little one, she's hiding this from her brothers, how many do she raise without telling them? Huh? ! !

Ding Zai was really wronged. When he was a child, he indeed fed 13 pigs. Later, he discovered this "talent" and the scale of his pig farming was expanded again and again.

Besides, has anyone asked him?

Even at the end of the video, Ding Zai's grandparents were shouting in dialect: "Grandson! When you're tired, come home and inherit the pig farm! Aren't you the 'little prince of pig farming'?"

What is prince, plum or peach? Grandpa and grandma didn’t understand, but they really remembered the title, which made Ding Zai feel a little embarrassed (no wonder).

Qian Song's family was also very impressive, because in the video, his entire family, young and old, and even the little yellow dog at home appeared.

It can be seen that his family is not well-off, but the whole family supports his dream very much. Everyone said a blessing, and at the end, the whole family shouted the slogan together: "Qian Song, make your debut!"

I have to say that it was very thoughtful. Qian Song, who fell on the stage without saying a word, had already wiped away several tears at this moment.

As the videos played one after another, the people in the training room sometimes burst into laughter and sometimes choked up with sobs.

These families from all over the world want to convey warmth and strength to this closed training base in their own different ways.

"Brother, isn't it your turn yet?" Leo puppy has been counting the number of videos. Every time he feels that the next one is coming, but it is still not the next one, he feels a little disappointed.

But the next one will definitely be, because Wei Liangchen and You Jinzhao are in the same video, and now he is the 18th one.

He is worthy of being his brother. Even the relatives’ video program team put him last. Awesome!

Xie Qingyu was just about to tell Leo not to wait anymore when the projection screen lit up again after going out. He felt unhappy for a moment.

But after seeing the identity of the person in the video written in the subtitles next to him, his smile widened again.

Because the identity written on the subtitles is, 'Xie Qingyu's class teacher'.

She was an older female teacher with neatly combed hair, thick glasses and a blue shirt. She looked like a very strict and difficult-to-touch teacher.

But Xie Qingyu saw Teacher Wei appear many times in the original owner's diary.

She did help the original owner a lot. Even Xie Qingyu's smooth request for leave at the start of school was thanks to this head teacher. Moreover, school has not started yet, so she should have recorded this video at home.

Teacher Wei in the video uncomfortably pushed his glasses forward and said to the camera, "Xie Qingyu, when you see this video, you must be standing at an important crossroads in your life.

In literature class, we often say that "writing reflects the writer", and your performance is just like that, like a carefully polished jade, with a smooth surface but a toughness that comes from years of hard work inside.

Just like what the ancient poet Mo Li said in "Listening to the Pines": "The wind blows through the pines with a thousand waves, but only the place where they take root remains unmoved."

No matter what the result of the group formation night is, the fact that you are standing here at this moment is already a victory.

Finally, I would like to give you a line from "The Long Journey" that we read in the morning: "The long road is not over, with the stars as my companions; the lonely journey is not lonely, with the mountains and rivers as my witnesses."

Teacher Wei took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on. "Remember, on the road to pursuing your dreams, there will always be someone lighting a light for you. Xie Qingyu, keep going!"

The diary states that this head teacher teaches Chinese. Xie Qingyu chuckled softly. Indeed, one could tell from the speech.

Most of the other contestants sensed something was wrong the moment the head teacher appeared in the video.

The people in the previous videos were more or less close by blood, but in Xie Qingyu's video there was only one class teacher.

The contrast is so obvious that it almost speaks volumes.

Everyone's gaze was carefully restrained, with restrained concern.

They suddenly realized that this young man who was always calm and at ease in everything he did, actually had no one behind him.

This kind of cognition finally connected with the calm temperament displayed by Xie Qingyu at this moment, which made people feel sad.

Leo's lips were pressed into a straight line, and his eyes were redder than the person himself.

He turned around suddenly, hugged Xie Qingyu and buried his head in his shoulder.

Although he was obviously extremely sad, he pretended to be mature and patted his brother's shoulder. It was unclear whether he was comforting him or calming his own surging emotions.

Xie Qingyu's eyes still contained a faint smile.

In fact, he unexpectedly met Grandma Wu today, and with that not-so-accidental chat, his best wishes were delivered before anyone else.

And now the message from the head teacher on the screen belongs to the original owner - the boy who lived with her day and night and was taught by her carefully, rather than him, a "stranger" whom he had never met.

All the videos ended, the projection screen went out, and the room was once again immersed in the soft starlight, accompanied by the melody of light music that flowed through everyone's heart like water.

Xie Qingyu stared at the flickering light on the ceiling. He could hear Leo sniffling and the whispers of several contestants discussing family videos in the distance.