Chapter 233 The Days of Youth
Lu Yanhe took the heated roast duck and pizza out and called out to Li Zhibai, who was still sitting on the sofa playing games. Li Zhibai then lazily stood up and said, "Coming, coming."
Lu Yanhe glanced at him.
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed clear that although Li Zhibai was deliberately pretending to be no different from usual, someone like Lu Yanhe, who had lived under the same roof with him for four years, could still clearly see that his state was different from usual, and he was somewhat depressed and irritable.
Zhou Ping'an has been doing inhuman things for quite some time now, and Lu Yanhe doesn't know what to say.
Have dinner.
Yan Liang said, "I'm leaving tomorrow to record 'The Days of Youth.' I don't know who I'll run into. Have you heard the news?"
Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "They are very secretive, making it all mysterious, hoping to see us get to know other people without our knowledge."
"Anyway, as long as Ma Zhiyuan isn't here, it's fine," Li Zhibai said. "If they manage to bring Ma Zhiyuan over, I'm not recording this lousy show anymore."
Lu Yanhe: "It wouldn't be that bad."
He thought for a moment and said, "They should all be around our age. With Li Zhibai here, they probably don't have much money to invite other popular celebrities. It doesn't seem like this show is very well-funded."
“Yes.” Yan Liang nodded. “I feel the same way.”
It's difficult for a single program to afford to invite several artists of Li Zhibai's caliber at the same time.
The price difference between artists is so vast that it can be as big as an insurmountable chasm.
That's a difference of several digits.
Just like the three of them tacitly never mention money or compensation.
Previously, only Li Zhibai was particularly popular, and now Lu Yanhe is also gaining popularity, while Yan Liang is still lukewarm in various programs and commercial performances.
The differences are an objective reality. They've never discussed them, yet they share a similar feeling: these things are difficult to express verbally. Once spoken, many things are laid bare before them, unavoidable and only adding to the awkwardness. Therefore, it's better to remain silent and simply be friends.
"Do you think this show will be a hit?" Yan Liang asked.
Li Zhibai shook his head, "I'm not interested in this show. If you guys weren't participating, I wouldn't bother going. I don't care if it's popular or not."
Lu Yanhe said, "That depends on how well the program is filmed."
Yan Liang: "This is the first time I've recorded a show for such a long time. In the past, it was at most one or two episodes, and it was a reality show. I've seen many celebrities say that reality shows are hard to record because there are cameras filming you 24 hours a day. There is no time to rest. Even if you want to pretend, you can't. You can't keep up the act."
Lu Yanhe said, "The three of us don't need to pretend, and there's nothing to pretend about."
He felt that the three of them didn't need to worry about showing their true selves to everyone; they didn't have any bad habits, nor were they the kind of people with terrible personalities or tempers.
Yan Liang looked somewhat conflicted and said, "Zhou Ping'an said that my real personality is rather mild and doesn't have any distinctive features, so people can't remember me when I'm on TV. He asked me to find a label so that people can remember me."
"Zhou Ping'an's words are utter nonsense," Li Zhibai immediately retorted. "What tags did he ask you to find?"
Yan Liang shook his head. "I haven't thought of one yet. He said if I haven't, he'll help me think of one later."
Li Zhibai complained: "He really only knows how to play these kinds of games, create a persona, and generate buzz."
Li Zhibai's popularity has remained high in recent years. While this is partly due to Li Zhibai's own charm and the help he received from his family, it is also related to Zhou Ping'an's constant efforts to create a persona and generate buzz for Li Zhibai. For example, the most prominent label on Li Zhibai, "a rich second-generation with genuine personality," was created by Zhou Ping'an.
This label has become Li Zhibai's most well-known attribute, and he has gained a lot of fans because of it.
Li Zhibai's criticism was purely based on his personal, subjective disdain. From Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang's perspectives, especially from a pragmatic standpoint, Zhou Ping'an's actions were understandable. Of course, neither of them would refute Li Zhibai's words at this time.
Everyone knows that Li Zhibai is currently experiencing the strongest personal emotions towards Zhou Ping'an.
Who is Zhou Ping'an?
Who is Li Zhibai?
At this point, they will naturally side with their relatives regardless of the facts.
A few minutes later, Li Zhibai said, "Actually, if I had to give you a label, I think self-discipline and exercise would suit Yan Liang very well."
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback, and subconsciously wanted to say that such a label was too simple and too common.
Li Zhibai seemed to immediately realize the kind of reaction his suggestion would elicit, and added, "Don't think this kind of label is vulgar. Although many people create such a persona, how many people can actually stick to it day after day like Yan Liang? I think Yan Liang is just like Lao Lu. He should livestream his running every morning. If he had been livestreaming for the past four years, Lao Yan, you might have already made a name for yourself on that."
In an instant, Lu Yanhe suddenly understood what Li Zhibai meant.
Indeed, putting everything else aside, as Yan Liang's close friend of the past few years, if you had to find one consistent trait in him, it would be his dedication to exercise. His daily morning run is what impressed Lu Yanhe the most.
Lu Yanhe nodded and said to Yan Liang, "I suddenly feel that Li Zhibai is quite right."
Yan Liang chuckled in confusion, "Can't many people do that?"
“Yes, that’s true, but in most people’s world, that’s impossible.” Lu Yanhe added for Li Zhibai, “And among idol artists, there aren’t many who can do that. Most of the time, people just occasionally post a photo of themselves at the gym or share a picture of their healthy meal, right? But you’re someone who can stick to a morning run every day, not just putting on a show or taking a picture at the gym.”
Li Zhibai: "I think we shouldn't say anything more. Just open a live streaming account and stream yourself running every day."
Yan Liang looked puzzled: "How do I do a live stream like this? I'm supposed to be holding a selfie stick and running at the same time? That's too much."
Lu Yanhe said, "Why don't we buy a head-mounted selfie device?"
"And then you just film my big face and me panting?" Yan Liang suddenly became concerned about his image and immediately shook his head, "That's too ugly, no way."
Li Zhibai thought for a moment and said, "At least you can keep doing this in 'The Days of Youth,' where you'll have your own personal photographer. You can strengthen this label through the show, which is fine."
Lu Yanhe nodded in agreement, "It would be best to also take a picture of Li Zhibai sleeping soundly for comparison."
Li Zhibai: "..."
Lu Yanhe: "Let's talk to Li Zhenzhen and see if this kind of filming is okay."
"Old Lu, do you really intend to hurt each other like this?"
"It's not really about hurting each other," Lu Yanhe laughed. "It's more about stating the facts."
Li Zhibai raised his middle finger, pointing it at Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang both laughed.
Just then, a knock sounded on the door.
The three of them were all taken aback.
Yan Liang was the first to get up and check the situation. He glanced through the peephole before turning back and saying, "Cheng Hai."
He opened the door.
Cheng Hai stood at the door, a hint of embarrassment in his smile.
"Cheng Hai, you're looking for us?" Yan Liang feigned surprise.
In fact, Yan Liang knew why Cheng Hai had come here.
Cheng Hai looked past Yan Liang's shoulder and at Li Zhibai inside, saying, "I need to speak with Li Zhibai. Is now a convenient time?"
Yan Liang turned around and glanced at Li Zhibai.
Li Zhibai nodded with a normal expression and said, "It's convenient, why are you being so polite? Have you had dinner yet? If not, let's eat together."
Li Zhibai's attitude surprised not only Cheng Hai, but also Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang.
None of them expected that Li Zhibai would greet Cheng Hai as if nothing had happened, as if the fact that Zhou Ping'an had given the role originally intended for him to Cheng Hai had never occurred.
Cheng Hai's awkwardness was immediately tempered by a subtle hint of gratitude.
Cheng Hai came in and said apologetically, "I didn't expect you to be having dinner. Sorry to disturb you."
"What's the big deal?" Li Zhibai rolled his eyes at Cheng Hai and said, "Stop dawdling like this. I've never seen you like this before, and we've known each other for a long time."
Cheng Hai sat down and scratched his head.
He seemed to want to say something to Li Zhibai, but couldn't bring himself to speak, looking very embarrassed.
Seeing this, Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang exchanged a glance, and he said, "I'll go buy some drinks, what do you want?"
“I’ll go the same way as you.” Yan Liang immediately understood.
The two tacitly made room for Li Zhibai and Cheng Hai to speak.
The two of them went out together.
As soon as they went downstairs and into the night, Yan Liang immediately said, "Brother Bai's reaction really surprised me. I didn't expect him to be so magnanimous this time and not take his anger out on Cheng Hai."
Zhou Ping'an gave the role that was originally intended for Li Zhibai to Cheng Hai. Although it didn't seem to be Cheng Hai's idea, Cheng Hai was still the beneficiary. Given Li Zhibai's personality, it wouldn't be surprising if he took his anger out on Cheng Hai. In fact, it was his reaction just now that surprised Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang.
"Brother Bai, it's because this person is Cheng Hai, right?" Lu Yanhe pointed out incisively, "You don't know him? He has a bad temper and little patience with others, but he's quite generous to his true friends."
“That’s true.” Yan Liang nodded. “Cheng Hai is caught in the middle. Zhou Ping’an arranges resources for him, and if he doesn’t refuse, it won’t be right in front of Li Zhibai. If he refuses, he will offend Zhou Ping’an. Zhou Ping’an really doesn’t know how to behave.”
Lu Yanhe: "Cheng Hai arrived just in time tonight. If he hadn't come, Li Zhibai would probably have been really angry with him."
“That’s true. Actually, it’s not that Li Zhibai absolutely needs that role; he just wants to see his stance,” Yan Liang said. “Zhou Ping’an made internal adjustments without even consulting Li Zhibai, so Li Zhibai’s anger is entirely justified.”
For Li Zhibai, the popularity he gained from his role in "Accompany You to the End of the World" has indeed led to a surge in acting offers. He simply can't handle all of them, let alone one or two roles. Zhou Ping'an's approach of communicating with the producers to secure roles suitable for Cheng Hai is understandable; the key issue lies in Zhou Ping'an's attitude and methods.
This isn't Zhou Ping'an dividing the cake; it's giving away the cake that was originally meant for Li Zhibai—even if Li Zhibai can't finish it, it should be Li Zhibai who agrees to give it away.
Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang went to the convenience store at the entrance of the community and bought a few bottles of sugar-free drinks. They didn't rush back, since they didn't know how long Li Zhibai and Cheng Hai would talk. They had to give them at least twenty minutes to talk. So, they simply sat down in the convenience store, each opened a bottle, and drank their drinks while looking out at the sidewalk.
Then, Lu Yanhe was recognized.
There were quite a few pedestrians coming and going at the entrance. A young girl subconsciously turned her head and glanced at the convenience store window. She recognized Lu Yanhe at a glance. Lu Yanhe watched as the girl's eyes suddenly widened, revealing an expression of surprise and disbelief.
Before Lu Yanhe could even try to hide or pretend, the girl excitedly pulled out her phone and started taking pictures of them.
He turned to Yan Liang and said, "We have to go."
Yan Liang smiled and nodded, saying, "Let's go."
Before the girl's actions attracted more attention, the two hurriedly left.
Being frequently recognized is a sign of rising popularity—Lu Yanhe has felt this more and more clearly lately.
Yan Liang asked, "Old Lu, what do you think of Brother Bai's suggestion?"
"What suggestion?" Lu Yanhe didn't react for a moment.
Yan Liang said, "I livestream my running every day."
"Hmm... I think if you can stick to it, it will have unexpected results," Lu Yanhe said. "Just like when I did a live stream about learning before, the online world is vast, and we have no idea how many people are doing the same thing as you. They also like to see bloggers doing the same things as themselves, and following them is like finding a companion. I think it's the same with running in the morning. Many people can't do it, but some definitely can. And even if they can't do it themselves, there are probably quite a few people lying in bed watching you run. Even though they don't run themselves, seeing you run gives them a feeling that they are running too. How do I describe this? A kind of mental victory? Anyway, something like that. I've found that many people online are like this now. The most important thing is that maybe you can motivate many people to do this with you. Aren't many people unable to stick to running alone? If someone live streams their morning run every day, maybe they can stick to it with you."
Upon hearing this, Yan Liang thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll go and look into it and see how to do it."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
He also sincerely hoped that Yan Liang could find his own path and become famous.
(End of this chapter)
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