74 Chapter Seventy-Three

◎It got much harder. ◎

The top idol's surname is Ai, and he started out as an idol. His fanbase is so massive that the total population of the Ai Family Army is roughly twenty to thirty times the total population of Fengtan. If his fans surrounded Xiaohuacheng, Xiaohuacheng would be nothing more than a helpless ball of yarn.

Ai Dingliu has never acted in a drama, has no drama fans, and his fan base is very homogeneous, but it is very powerful.

Before his debut, Ai Dingliu was also part of the "gambling father, deceased mother, younger brother in school, and broken him" series. He was discovered by a talent scout at a young age and thought he could debut, but his former company cheated him out of all his savings and left him with huge debts. He had no choice but to work in an underground dance troupe to pay off his debts. Many fans accompanied him through that darkest period when he lived on instant noodles.

He finally became a top star in recent years by making memes and videos, but without any real works to show for it, and with younger artists eyeing him, his fans are uneasy. They keep urging him to join a film crew and act in a drama, but instead, he took on a variety show...

Fans have always looked down on You Xiaofan, not for any other reason than the fact that last season's dance variety show became popular entirely because of the fierce infighting among the contestants, with various revelations and comments during the broadcast being more entertaining than the show itself. This season's lineup looks pretty much the same, and they've found a bunch of controversial B-boys again.

Just two days into filming, someone had already "thrown the bait," posting an ultrasound image on social media and saying to the production team: "I've had an abortion, remember to transfer the money to me." "Going on this lousy show because you're afraid your fans will get jealous and break up with me—if you're so dedicated, why didn't you manage your semen properly in the first place?"

Fans were inexplicably worried for Ai Dingliu. The show hadn't even started yet, and the intensity was already so high. Who still believed that You Xiaofan had any street dance spirit?

The key to this woman's cleverness lies in not naming names. She wants to wait until the show airs to see if this "dedicated guy" becomes famous before revealing the answer. This has whetted the appetites of netizens, their curiosity is off the charts, and while they may not necessarily enjoy the news, they'll certainly spread it far and wide. As a result, this season of the dance variety show has gradually climbed in popularity among all the other recorded shows, eventually surpassing them all, becoming a hit even before it aired.

The hashtag #WhoIsSoDedicated# trended on Weibo for several days.

Of course, the contestants in the studio were completely unaware of these matters. Learning from past mistakes, You Xiaofan confiscated everyone's phones before they even joined the production, promising to return them only after the competition. Even if the production team monitored public opinion, You Xiaofan certainly wouldn't spend money to clean up this mess of their private lives; they would handle the matter as it was, and the competition would continue as it should.

Even though fans were pulling each other's leg hairs outside the studio, the two people involved inside got along quite well. They were about the same age and had both worked illegally in underground dance troupes, which fostered a sense of mutual respect between them. In the first match, as soon as Yu Jinyang stepped onto the stage, several Power Moves and a freeze-frame move locked him in place without even revealing his signature move.

Because Yu Jinyang's freeze-frame of his back slamming into the ground and bouncing back up was so beautifully done, so clean and crisp, it really had an anti-human sense of hovering in the air. It was as if his body was equipped with invisible springs, but in fact, it wasn't. It was all due to the force of his waist and abdomen colliding with gravity.

The fans at the scene might not have noticed the trick, but the atmosphere was all about creating it. Several veteran breakdancers got so excited that they couldn't help but jump on the spot, with beeping sounds rising and falling. They all wanted to take off their clothes and run around the venue three times before the scene really went wild. The mentors then openly went down on stage to recruit contestants.

There are only a handful of well-known B-boys in China. They had looked at the list before they came and had a general idea of ​​who to choose. However, no one wanted to let go of this one who had slipped through the net. With their keen sense of popularity, they knew exactly who would become popular and who would be the center of attention after the show aired.

But Ai Dingliu didn't expect that Yu Jinyang wouldn't choose him in the first round of the talent war, even though he had broken the program rules and made a promise in advance that if he joined his team, he could give him a 30-second golden solo spot in the finals.

Yu Jinyang still refused, though neither of them seemed to think anything of it. After the recording, they even talked in a private room for a while, without mentioning who they should or shouldn't have chosen on stage. Not choosing someone meant it wasn't a good fit; B-boys are all very individualistic, tough, and have strong opinions. Perhaps Yu Jinyang was afraid that a strong combination of the two of them would be too overwhelming, making the other teams less interesting and leaving no suspense in the show. Ai Dingliu is very good at self-consolation.

However, a minor disagreement still arose among the fans. Pan Xiaoliang and Li Yingqiao arrived at the shop where the argument took place—Grandma Chunzhen's sugar cake shop, which was crowded with people both inside and outside. Yu Jinyang had just joined the program's closed-door program, and Li Yingqiao immediately found Zhao Pingnan and Sun Taihe to learn how to make sugar cakes using Chunzhen's ancestral recipe, and even started a live stream.

Eight out of ten shops on Chuanming Street are now live-streaming, but Chunzhen's live stream of cutting sugar cakes at noon has the most viewers. When she first moved to Xiaohua City, Chunzhen was quite nimble and managed to secure a place among Li Yingqiao and his friends with her sugar cake skills.

Back then, she and Yu Jinyang often squatted by the shop, watching the steaming sugar cakes come out of the oven, watching the old lady wield her knife with swift movements, listening to the crisp sound of the blade cutting into the sugar cakes, and then neatly stacking the sugar cakes one by one. She would then casually give Yu Jinyang, who had angered her in class that day, a sudden slap on the back of the head, and seeing him turn around in a daze, she would laugh along, "Don't be angry, how about I treat you to some sugar cakes?"

"not good."

Back then, Yu Miaomiao was shorter than her and had a quiet personality. When she got angry, she would complain about everything and tell her a lot of bad things.

Yu Jinyang is taller than her now. Sometimes, when they walk together on Chuanming Street at night, he can even block half the wind from her. Even his shadow cast on the bluestone pavement carries the imposing presence of a grown man. Back in the provincial capital, when You Xiaofan urged him to participate in the competition and said so many hurtful things, she thought he would endure it, that he would hide his fists in his pocket like he used to when Shi Dapang and his gang bullied him in the alley. But now he hardly hesitated; in fact, it seems he's been in quite a few fights like this over the years.

You could actually sense that his personality had hardened considerably. Before, he was like a paper tiger, all bluster and no substance. Because he was shorter than her and often got beaten up by her, he wouldn't give an inch more of a verbal advantage. Since their reunion, he hadn't said a single bad word about her. No matter what Li Yingqiao said, he would always smile and say it was good.

The street was bustling at this time, and the entrance to the sugar cake shop was crowded with tourists watching the excitement. Many people were holding up their phones to take pictures. In contrast, Zhao Pingnan and Sun Taihe were frantically setting up their phones, not as composed as these tourists. Chunzhen was annoyed with them, "Hey, I told you not to take the oil out of the pot before the time is right! The Kitchen God will be angry! The first two batches are for preheating, and the third batch is when the oil temperature is highest. Did you two even listen to what I said?!"

The tourists laughed, saying that the old lady was putting on a show, otherwise how could there be such a makeshift troupe? Someone shouted in her ear, "Old lady, are these two your last disciples?"

Grandma Chunzhen rolled her eyes to the sky: "You unlucky bastard, I'll just lock you inside!"

The shop's customers unconsciously split into two groups. Chunzhen's group had a relatively harmonious atmosphere, while the other group was more tense. Li Yingqiao rushed in, just about to say that young people these days are so impetuous. Can't even cutting such neatly into sugar cakes cure you?

Immediately afterwards, a familiar voice was heard: "What are you doing! Why are you so annoying, you little brat? I already told you, I don't know anyone named Yu Jinyang. And those ugly posters are plastered all over the scenic area, they're so ugly."

Wow! It's Brother Siyi! He was leaning against a large pine wood table in the cake and candy packaging area, with a single crutch next to him. His sharp suit was still spotless, and his energy and spirit were as strong as ever. Only one of his trouser legs was bare, with a cold, mechanical metal joint exposed to the air.

***

"Pat-pat, pat-pat—"

Yu Renjie swung his cane on the ground with great enthusiasm, almost showing off. He turned to look at Li Yingqiao and said in his usual tone, "How about it, kid? Does your uncle walk loudly enough?"

The two walked deeper into Chuanming Street along the bluestone path. The little devil from back then had grown up and would no longer chase after him with so many questions.

She remained silent, her gaze lingering. She glanced at him, then glanced at him again, watching him walk straight and upright, just as before. Yu Renjie's steps were steady, like an unyielding pine tree, until the lights of the shops along the street lit up one by one, and the light spilled into her eyes, Li Yingqiao finally noticed the sweat stains seeping through the back of his shirt.

She remembered that during two summer and winter vacations at her maternal grandmother's house, Li Shuli would go to other provinces to work on trains as usual, but she didn't let Li Shuli come with her. Instead, she sent Li Shuli back to her maternal grandmother's house for two summer vacations. Her maternal grandmother's house had a small Buddhist shrine, which was filled with the fine fragrance of sandalwood all year round, and there was also an ever-burning lamp.

Grandma taught her how to pick out the wick. Her withered and old hands were experts at picking out wicks. At that time, her eyesight was not as good as her grandma's, but her grandma could always accurately pull out a piece of wick that was about to be submerged in the lamp oil and charred, and the flame would struggle to burn again with a "whoosh".

Grandma told her that the closer a flame gets to the end, the more you have to lift it up, to raise its head high so that the fire can burn brightly. Living is the same; the light, the brightness, the hope—all are things you have to choose for yourself, from the thick, dark oil, and from the afflictions of fate.

Seeing that she hadn't followed, Yu Renjie stopped at an intersection, leaning on his cane, and turned back. His voice was as crisp and clear as ever, "Anyway, that's how it is. I really didn't provoke her or offend her. I was just standing there waiting for those two rascals to cut the sugar cake. Hey, I happened to hear her cursing my son behind my back, saying that Jin Yang is just a pretty face and doesn't know what's good for him. Of course, I couldn't help but talk back. In the end, she insisted that I was his fan. I said, 'No, I'm his father, do you believe me?' She said, 'How can you be so shameless, old man? Who can I reason with? Luckily you came, otherwise I really would have to go to the hospital for a paternity test.'"

Li Yingqiao stepped forward and laughed, "Then you still say you don't know Yu Jinyang."

"Wouldn't that just make me tired of talking to her?"

"Is it because you're afraid of causing trouble for Yu Jinyang?"

"Who cares?" He turned around and swung his cane around with a crackling sound. He walked briskly, and his back was covered in sweat. Li Yingqiao followed behind him, walking slowly, intending to take him home before leaving. Suddenly, she remembered that she was still staying at his house. Her clothes were still mixed with Yu Jinyang's clothes and left unwashed in the basket. Thinking of this, she suddenly picked up her pace and chased after him.

"No! Uncle Yu! Wait a minute!"

"What are you doing, trying to race me?" Yu Renjie quickened his pace, as if afraid of being caught up, as if there were dogs behind him. "Do you know how much these legs cost? Three hundred thousand! Do you think you can catch me?"

"…………"

Yu Renjie had never seen her disappear the moment get out of class ended. Yu Jinyang, who used to be proud, had never described that vivid scene to his father—Li Yingqiao was being chased by a pack of dogs but could still pick him up and run away, the dogs couldn't catch her at all.

Li Yingqiao caught up with him in less than five seconds, blocking his way at his doorstep. Panting, she said, "Uncle Yu, why don't you come to my office? We can chat about creating a 5A-level university—"

Before she could finish speaking and catch her breath, the door behind her opened. Li Yingqiao turned around abruptly and discovered that the room, which was usually dark at this hour, was now lit. A little person was standing in the doorway. The little person first called out "Daddy," and then looked at her with undisguised curiosity. Afterward, the little person bent down and obediently placed the slippers that Li Yingqiao usually wore on the floor in front of her.

"Kid, come in and eat." Yu Renjie put his cane aside and said without turning his head.

[Author's Note]

Sorry for the clickbait title. I'm begging you kids who clicked on this for the sake of the title.

Tomorrow's Tuesday, right? No need to update, right? No, I'll update tomorrow! [Pleading][Dog head emoji]