Chapter 419 – The Movie Emperor’s Beloved Neighbor – Thump, Thump (02)
Just as Bai Tang was about to lose his composure under his manager’s disgusting gaze, the manager received a phone call and turned to leave the hospital.
Bai Tang let out a sigh of relief. It had been too long since he last acted—he’d gotten rusty.
The limp in his walk was something the system had created; Bai Tang didn’t actually feel any pain. He first went to the ward to visit his parents.
“Tang Tang, you’ve lost weight. Have you not been resting well lately? If filming is too tiring, then don’t do it anymore. As long as we have enough money, that’s all that matters.”
It had been a long time since she last saw her son. The moment Bai Tang appeared, his mother grabbed his hand and spoke with concern.
Although his father said nothing, the concern in his eyes was unmistakable. He silently went to wash an apple and peeled it with a small knife. If not for his failed business and being swindled, Tang Tang wouldn’t have had to enter that complicated, murky industry—smiling at everyone he met.
Bai Tang took the large apple his father handed him and bit into it with a crisp crunch. The sweet, refreshing taste spread through his mouth. He smiled brightly at his father. “Thank you, Dad~”
The boy’s face was thin, making it obvious he hadn’t been doing well recently.
His parents’ hearts ached for him. The public backlash against Bai Tang had only spread online, and gossip rarely made it onto television, so they still didn’t know what had happened to him. They assumed it was simply due to overwork.
While they were chatting, there was a knock at the door. A pretty girl wearing sunglasses politely asked, “Excuse me, is Mr. Bai Sheng staying here?”
Bai Sheng was Bai Tang’s father’s name. Bai Tang paused for a moment before Qiu’er reminded him, “It’s the female lead. Today is the day she returns to visit his parents.”
“I’m Bai Sheng. May I ask who you are?” Bai Tang’s father looked puzzled—he didn’t recognize the girl.
Liu Lingfan took off her sunglasses and smiled. “It’s me—Xiao Fan. Don’t you remember? I used to live next door before we moved away…”
With her reminder, Bai Tang’s parents finally recalled who she was.
“Oh, it’s Xiao Fan! Come, sit. When did you come back?” Bai Tang’s mother warmly pulled her over to sit.
Seeing his mother so happy, Bai Tang quietly gave up his seat to Liu Lingfan. He obediently listened to their conversation, while in reality chatting with the system.
“Qiu’er, Xiao A—if I go out and get into a car accident, do you think I’ll run into the male lead?”
“Host, please don’t act impulsively. The male lead is a top celebrity in the entertainment industry—he doesn’t just show up on the streets. I can predict the chance of encountering him, but the probability of you getting killed in a car accident is as high as fifty percent.”
Xiao A patiently tried to persuade him, leaving Bai Tang feeling extremely frustrated.
Qiu’er poked Xiao A with his paw. “Can’t you say something nicer?”
Xiao A replied, “I think the host needs accurate judgment.”
While chatting with Bai Tang’s mother, Liu Lingfan’s gaze kept drifting toward Bai Tang, who seemed lost in thought. “You’re Tang Tang, right?”
Before entering, Bai Tang hadn’t introduced himself, so she wasn’t entirely sure.
Bai Tang snapped out of his thoughts and gave Liu Lingfan a friendly smile. “Yes, that’s me~”
The boy’s eyes curved as he smiled. Even his thin face couldn’t hide his radiance. For a moment, Liu Lingfan was stunned—there seemed to be a soft glow around him.
“Sister Xiao Fan, long time no see.” She was a year older than the second male lead, and they used to address each other as older sister and younger brother.
“Tang Tang, long time no see.” Seeing that Bai Tang was still warm and friendly toward her—nothing like the despair described in his letters—Liu Lingfan felt much more at ease.
Watching Liu Lingfan’s poised and graceful demeanor, Bai Tang’s parents recalled how the two had once been childhood sweethearts. Wanting to give them a chance to reconnect, they made an excuse about being tired and sent the two of them out of the hospital room.
With no other choice, Bai Tang walked out of the hospital side by side with Liu Lingfan.
Neither of them brought up anything about the entertainment industry. Liu Lingfan didn’t dare to, afraid of touching on painful memories, while Bai Tang simply felt there was nothing to say. After all, the one who had truly shared that childhood bond with her was gone—between him and Liu Lingfan, they were essentially strangers.
As soon as they stepped out of the hospital, the two little dogs came trotting over, panting as they circled around Bai Tang’s feet.
Being a dog lover, Liu Lingfan was delighted. She immediately crouched down to play with them, her bright, cheerful laughter ringing out.
Not far away, beneath a tree, stood two men. The one in front was strikingly handsome, with sharp brows and bright eyes—impossible to ignore. Fortunately, they were standing in a relatively secluded spot; otherwise, they would have already been surrounded by people.
After watching for a while, he said to the assistant behind him, “Go find out who he is.”
Following Heng Xingjian’s line of sight, the assistant looked over. A pretty young woman was laughing happily, holding a small dog. Understanding immediately, he memorized her appearance and set out to investigate.
Aside from Bai Tang’s deviation, everything was proceeding in an orderly manner according to the original plot.
Before long, Liu Lingfan’s information appeared on the desks of Xingyu Company’s upper management. Heng Xingzhou tapped his fingers lightly against the table. Since it was someone his younger brother had taken an interest in, of course he would help make the connection.
After parting ways with Liu Lingfan, Bai Tang returned to his rented apartment. Though small, it had everything he needed. The simple, clean space lifted his mood—at least he didn’t have to come home to a mess.
This body had already been pushed beyond its limits—jumping off a cliff and then visiting the hospital. Bai Tang took a quick shower and fell asleep without even drying his hair.
He was simply too tired. Even without his lover holding him, he fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow. Still, the occasional restless movements of his body and the slight furrow of his brows showed that his sleep was far from peaceful.
Liu Lingfan originally had no intention of entering the entertainment industry. It was too vast—she had neither connections nor money. Even if she managed to become popular, it would likely be short-lived, and she might end up trapped by the system. It simply wasn’t worth it.
But Xingyu Entertainment Group was determined to sign her. No matter how demanding her conditions were, they kept lowering their requirements.
The young girl was inexperienced. Faced with such unconditional accommodation, she didn’t know how to refuse. In the end, she nodded in agreement in a daze. It wasn’t until the assistant brought out the contract that Liu Lingfan began to regret it—how had she given in so easily? Wasn’t Bai Tang a perfect cautionary example?
The assistant smiled warmly. With no way out, Liu Lingfan could only grit her teeth and sign her name at the end of the contract.
The assistant took the contract back with a smile and extended a hand. “Miss Liu, I look forward to a pleasant cooperation.”
“Likewise.”
Liu Lingfan lacked experience, so she wanted to ask Bai Tang about the current situation in the industry.
When she asked him out and told him about it, Bai Tang didn’t seem surprised at all, which made Liu Lingfan a little puzzled.
“Tang Tang, in your letters before, you wrote a lot about the entertainment industry—I read all of it. And yet I still ended up entering it. Don’t you think…” Liu Lingfan hesitated. She was kind by nature, and it felt as though she had ignored a friend’s advice—almost like betraying him.
Bai Tang already knew the plot, so of course he wasn’t surprised. What troubled him now was how he could meet the male lead—his lover.
Though preoccupied, Bai Tang didn’t hold anything against Liu Lingfan. After spending time with her, he didn’t think she was the scheming type at all. On the contrary, she was overly compassionate. Perhaps it was precisely this kind of kindness that attracted the male lead.
Bai Tang listened absentmindedly, until Liu Lingfan’s words—“I don’t even know how I caught the attention of a talent scout from Xingyu Entertainment Group”—suddenly caught his attention. In the original plot, she hadn’t been discovered by this company. And that company name sounded very familiar…
Qiu’er: “I know, I know! It’s the male lead’s family’s company—the one run by his older brother.”
Xiao A covered Qiu’er’s mouth and dragged him away.
For a brief moment, shock flashed through Bai Tang’s eyes. Then his expression grew even more dejected. The male and female leads were about to connect, yet he hadn’t even met his own lover.
In Liu Lingfan’s eyes, his gloom looked like worry over his future. And it made sense—his parents needed money for hospitalization, and he was now entangled in scandal, unable to get any work.
After interacting with Bai Tang, Liu Lingfan realized he was nothing like the rumors online. In the entertainment industry, truth and lies were so intertwined—who could really tell what was real?
Out of past affection and sympathy, Liu Lingfan felt that she should help Bai Tang. Didn’t Xingyu say she could set her own conditions? Then she could ask them to give Bai Tang one or two gigs to help him make a comeback. If he succeeded, it would also ease his financial difficulties.
Having made up her mind, Liu Lingfan planned to tell the assistant who signed her as soon as she got back.
She grabbed Bai Tang’s hand and said firmly, “Tang Tang, wait for me—I’ll definitely help you.”
Bai Tang: “???”
Completely clueless about what Liu Lingfan had imagined, Bai Tang looked baffled. Still, being cared for like this felt genuinely nice. He smiled sincerely. “Let nature take its course. Some things can’t be forced.”
At the moment, Bai Tang was more worried that the overly kind female lead might be taken advantage of.
Liu Lingfan waved it off. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ve lived abroad for more than ten years—I’ve seen quite a lot.”
After learning that his older brother had signed the wrong person, Heng Xingjian came over. The moment he stepped into the café, he saw Bai Tang and Liu Lingfan holding hands, and his expression immediately darkened. Beside him, Assistant Yan didn’t even dare to breathe loudly.
“Excuse me, is this table number 15?”
A warm, low male voice came from above. Bai Tang and Liu Lingfan looked up at the same time—and a handsome face that frequently dominated online headlines appeared before them.
It was Heng Xingjian!
Heng Xingjian—a top-tier celebrity in film, television, and music, adored by fans from eighty-year-olds to three-year-olds. Nine out of ten girls were his fans, and Liu Lingfan was no exception.
“U-um, this is table 15, but we’ve already reserved it.” It was Liu Lingfan’s first time seeing her idol up close. Her heart pounded wildly, and she stumbled over her words.
Bai Tang’s heart was pounding just as hard. He had finally met his lover. If Qiu’er and Xiao A weren’t biting tightly onto the hem of his pants beneath the table, he might have already pounced on him.
Qiu’er: “Tang Tang, stay calm. Your reputation is already bad—you can’t ruin your first impression even more.”
Xiao A: “Host, stay composed. You can’t lose to the calm female lead. Generally speaking, the favored ones of heaven don’t like people who are too proactive. Being too forward makes you seem cheap.”
After spending so much time with Qiu’er, Xiao A had surprisingly developed quite a knack for spouting relationship theories.
Bai Tang suppressed the urge to rush forward and hug him, biting his lower lip tightly, as if a thousand unspoken words were hidden in his eyes.
Heng Xingjian found himself extremely fond of the way the boy was clearly delighted yet trying hard to remain composed.
The boy liked him—he could tell. And that realization was undoubtedly the most pleasant surprise of his day.
Author’s Note:
Heng Xingjian (opens his arms): Tang Tang, come here
Bai Tang (wants to pounce but doesn’t dare): Xiao A said being too proactive is cheap
Heng Xingjian: holding a grudge…