Chapter Forty-Two: Calamity—Is the Original Love Triangle Unfolding?

“Sister Bai Ling, it’s actually Bai Ling!”
“Damn, Bai Ling is among the invited guests this time.”
“Damn, this is great—I’m getting more excited.”
“I was just following her recent drama; she really is trending. The production team actually invited her.”
“Bai Ling’s loyal fan here, cheering for my goddess!”
“My queen, I’m here for you!”
“Who are the other guests for this episode? I’m so curious.”
“I watched her last livestream; she was so miserable. I hope she’s moved past the gloom this time.”
“Yes, after learning about Bai Ling’s story, I truly understand how important good parents are. It’s not even New Year yet, but I’ve already stocked up lots of festive goods for my family.”
“My favorite show and my favorite celebrity—a double feast!”
“Is Bai Ling watching the livestream on her phone?”
“Bai Ling, look here!”
“Woohoo!”

Barrage after barrage flooded in, with at least half mentioning Bai Ling’s name.
The rest discussed the show itself.
Seeing this, Bai Ling’s lips curled into a small smile.
She had to admit, it felt good to be so popular.
However, after reading some of the comments, she realized a problem she’d overlooked.
“That’s right, I haven’t found out who else is participating in this episode.”
To be honest, Bai Ling was a bit curious.
Of course, she hoped there wouldn’t be any surprises this time.
Last time, running into Wen Yan at the company almost gave her a psychological scar.
That cute-looking girl, in Bai Ling’s eyes, was nothing short of a vengeful specter.
Still, though she was curious, Bai Ling didn’t ask the production team at this moment.
Simply put, it’d be pointless.
The team was clearly keeping the guest list under wraps for the sake of suspense.
There was no need for Bai Ling to embarrass herself by pressing for answers.
After waiting in silence for a while, with nothing much to do, she noticed the audience’s enthusiasm gradually waning.
The livestream room returned to its usual calm.
The production team seemed to be growing impatient.
From the look of things, Bai Ling was the only one to arrive early; the others either planned to show up at the last minute or had been delayed.

This kind of atmosphere felt almost like the later arrivals were meant to be the highlights.
Of course, Bai Ling didn’t want to speculate too much; perhaps they were simply held up.
But just as she was thinking this, a commotion broke out at the village entrance.
Bai Ling immediately stood, using the vantage point on the hillside to peer down.
Ha!
Sure enough, several guests had arrived.
Bai Ling’s eyes flashed; most of them were male.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
Generally speaking, boys were easy to get along with, so the upcoming shoot should be less stressful.
Unless, of course, those in the entertainment industry were different from the ordinary men she knew.
But as she was feeling grateful, suddenly, she spotted two familiar figures.
“Oh damn, no way!”
“I’ve been waiting and waiting, only for these two harbingers of disaster to show up?”
Bai Ling’s face darkened instantly.
She was not pleased.
The reason for her annoyance was simple: among them was Wen Yan, and the other was Lin Yubai.
As this group moved from the entrance of Zhoujia Village up toward the guesthouse, Bai Ling’s expression grew even gloomier.
Because the number of ill-fated arrivals had suddenly doubled.
Aside from Wen Yan and Lin Yubai, there were two more young men.
Bai Ling had never met them before, but after deciding not to tangle with Wen Yan’s protagonist clique last time, she had researched them online.
She soon identified the original novel’s second and third male leads.
The second male lead, Zhuge Ming, had a name that sounded clever.
Unfortunately, he was hopelessly love-struck.
A pure romantic, he fell deep and couldn’t extricate himself, willing to give everything for Wen Yan, the female lead.
He was handsome and rich, cultured and poised, with plenty of admirers wanting to be his girlfriend.
Within the industry, his suitors were countless; his status was nearly on par with Lin Yubai.
But stubbornly, he refused to give up, refusing to let go of his obsession with Wen Yan.
One couldn’t help but sigh—men in this world must be blind.
Incidentally, he was a playwright, originally a bestselling novelist who later switched to scriptwriting.

In “Splendor,” the female lead Wen Yan never accepted Zhuge Ming, but whenever she wanted a role, she’d ask for his help.
Likewise, Zhuge Ming’s best scripts would invite Wen Yan as the lead actress.
In other words, Wen Yan exploited her backup to the fullest.
By the end of the novel, Zhuge Ming remained unmarried for Wen Yan’s sake, always alone.
“No, I can’t take this.”
“I feel sick already.”
Bai Ling recalled her complicated feelings when she first read the novel.
Subway, elderly, cellphone—those memes barely captured her mood.
As for the one helping Wen Yan carry her suitcase, that was the third male lead, Ouyang Ruofeng. His name wasn’t particularly odd.
Though he looked like a sunny, energetic young man, his gaze betrayed a certain innocent stupidity.
He wasn’t love-struck per se, but strangely, he admired Wen Yan for no apparent reason, willing to run errands and serve her faithfully.
A bit more eager, and he could have been a cab driver for her.
In “Splendor,” Ouyang Ruofeng finally confessed at the end, only to receive a “good person” card for his troubles.
Bai Ling remembered her bewilderment at Wen Yan’s behavior—such devotion was obvious even to a fool.
How could the female lead fail to notice, unless she had ulterior motives?
Bai Ling was never shy about seeing others in the worst light, but she had to admit—
She found these tangled relationships somewhat repulsive.
Oh, and she suddenly recalled that Ouyang Ruofeng had switched from acting to directing.
In the novel, Wen Yan used Zhuge Ming’s script, had Ouyang Ruofeng direct, and acted out romantic scenes with the male lead Lin Yubai.
That spectacle was beyond imagination.
Perhaps, people just loved a messy drama.
Thinking of the chaos, Bai Ling suddenly realized that over the next few days,
She might get swept up in it.
“Emmmmmm”
“Is it still possible for me to withdraw from the recording?”