Chapter 56 – Signboard
Qiao Huaiyao chuckled lightly, curling his fingertips.
His gaze involuntarily glanced to the side, not looking at Bai Jinyan, but unable to suppress the curve of his lips.
Bai Jinyan had waited here for quite a while, surrounded by many classmates.
The tightly held hands showed no intention of letting go, and Bai Jinyan calmly walked through the crowd with Qiao Huaiyao.
Bai Jinyan said, “Let’s go directly to the film set.”
Qiao Huaiyao nodded, “Okay.”
Today’s two sessions were not major courses; there was only one session per week. It was fine to take the books to the car or directly to the film set.
No rush.
The overall progress on the film set was not slow, and the shooting times were well organized.
During the days Bai Jinyan was not on the film set, except for the times when the actors couldn’t get into the mood and the shots were unsatisfactory, giving him a break to go back, the rest of the time went smoothly.
At noon, the film crew didn’t take a break and continued shooting.
Bai Jinyan didn’t put on makeup in the morning, just accompanying the crew.
The director shouted through the microphone, “Cut, cut! What are you doing? The murderer is coming after you. Are you trying to escape? Don’t act all timid and helpless.”
“Actors, get ready, focus on your emotions,” the director waved the script rolled into a tube and warned, “If you can’t do better this time, step down and let someone else take over!”
…
As they were speaking, the director turned around and waved, saying, “Jinyan is here.”
Upon seeing Qiao Huaiyao beside Bai Jinyan, the director was momentarily surprised, then smiled and said, “No wonder you’re in such a hurry; you left before finishing this scene.”
So, you’re here to pick up your younger brother.
The director said, “Go get your makeup done first; you have a few scenes in the afternoon.”
Bai Jinyan replied, “Okay.”
There were more actors with the crew, and two more makeup rooms.
Bai Jinyan didn’t go inside but stayed in the modified classroom where Qiao Huaiyao had been waiting.
This served as a temporary makeup room.
Qiao Huaiyao propped his chin with one hand, looking at Bai Jinyan from the side.
The makeup this time was quite elaborate, with a lot of smudging on the face and materials used to create a bloody wound.
Overall, the makeup looked dirty.
Qiao Huaiyao took Bai Jinyan’s script and flipped through it. They were shooting the big finale today.
The filming on the set didn’t follow the order of the script; there were many factors that determined which scenes were shot on a given day, mostly considered by the director to ensure the day’s progress was optimal and didn’t compromise the quality of the final product.
They had to closely monitor the weather forecast as well.
Judging by Bai Jinyan’s current makeup, the grand finale would likely involve an intense fight scene.
The upcoming scene was the aftermath, right after the fight.
The makeup this time was quite detailed, and just dealing with the makeup on the face took quite a bit of time.
The makeup couldn’t be too subtle; it might not show on camera. Hence, it was applied quite heavily.
A similar gray-brown color was applied generously on the face.
They would probably need to break a fruit capsule to simulate the appearance of a serious injury and spitting out blood.
But the fruit capsule dried up easily if applied in advance, making it look unrealistic.
They would bite it open when it was time to start filming.
However, just with this makeup…
Qiao Huaiyao smiled provocatively and said, “Brother, looking at your dirty face, you look like a beggar from a period drama…”
Bai Jinyan slowly raised an eyebrow, and his fingertip brushed over the ashy foundation. He reached out and directly applied it to Qiao Huaiyao’s face.
“Haha, brother.” Qiao Huaiyao sat in a chair and didn’t have time to get up, so he moved back a bit, but this distance was futile.
Qiao Huaiyao had a smile all over his face, and he couldn’t run away.
He raised his hand and held Bai Jinyan’s wrist, but he couldn’t stop his brother’s hand from approaching.
Qiao Huaiyao was laughing and unable to speak properly. He closed one eye and said, “W-wait… uh, brother…”
Before he could finish speaking, his face was rubbed.
Bai Jinyan hooked his mouth, and the back of his hand passed over Qiao Huaiyao’s cheek, gently rubbing it.
The fingertips, touched by foundation, were curled slightly in the palm, not getting a speck of it on Qiao Huaiyao.
Qiao Huaiyao also noticed and narrowed his eyes, leaning his head on Bai Jinyan’s shoulder with a crooked smile. “Brother, will this makeup be used for the promotional photos?”
“It will.” Bai Jinyan wiped off the foundation from his fingertips and raised his hand to encircle Qiao Huaiyao’s waist. “The promotional posters are divided into two groups, and this is the content for the second group.”
Qiao Huaiyao nodded and took out his phone to check the storage.
They should still be able to take quite a few…
The promotional photos hadn’t been taken yet.
Bai Jinyan then immersed himself in the next round of filming.
During the filming, the marks on Bai Jinyan’s body were more realistic than deliberately aged ones.
So, the director had Bai Jinyan film first and then shoot the promotional posters after that.
The chair in the lounge was turned towards the window on the other side.
The scene changed, but from this angle, Qiao Huaiyao could still capture Bai Jinyan in action.
Buzz, buzz
Buzz, buzz
…
The horizontally taken photos made the phone vibrate several times.
Qiao Huaiyao saved the photos and opened them to view.
Director Zhao Jiamo sent several emojis.
Zhao Jiamo: [Help, help, help—Recently, the popularity ranking on that live streaming platform is important. Huaiyao, can you help me when you have time? Just open a live stream, even if it’s only for ten minutes, just open it and then close it, no need to interact, just pretend to be filming the sky. It’s the last day today, please, please.]
[This time, the live stream has double points, you can use them for the next variety show, and you can exchange the popularity for money during variety show recordings, it’s definitely worth it!]
Other platforms have invited quite a few heavyweight guests for this ranking.
Zhao Jiamo contacted the other guests from the variety show, but from yesterday until now, the popularity hasn’t been improving.
Qiao Huaiyao thought for a moment. During the recording of the previous few episodes, they seemed to have spent a lot of points and money.
To exchange for good items, they naturally didn’t save up much.
Qiao Huaiyao typed: [Can I end the stream anytime? No need for live interaction?]
Zhao Jiamo: [Yes, yes, it’s all up to you.]
Qiao Huaiyao looked at the time and typed: [Alright. Please send me the live streaming account.]
Typically, the account for live streaming is logged in on the phone provided by the program team. Qiao Huaiyao didn’t have one.
To live stream under the variety show’s name, he would definitely need to use the previous live streaming account.
Zhao Jiamo: [Sure.]
Qiao Huaiyao’s phone was used for taking photos, but luckily, his brother’s phone was with him.
The crew had set up a wired connection, so the wireless streaming wouldn’t lag too much.
Qiao Huaiyao adjusted the camera and made sure it wouldn’t capture the outside before opening the live stream.
After a long silence, the live stream appeared on the screen, and the barrage was filled with people spreading the news.
[“Grandpa! The streamer you follow is live!”]
[“Qiao Qiao, wuwuwu, my Qiao Qiao…”]
[“Rare indeed.”]
[“It’s indeed rare for them to go live.”]
[“No, I mean, it’s rare for Bai Jinyan to not be around Qiao Qiao. I feel like something is missing without him sticking around Qiao Qiao.”]
…
Although Zhao Jiamo said there was no need for interaction after starting the stream, seeing so many barrages, Qiao Huaiyao still greeted, “Good afternoon, everyone.”
After saying that, he glanced outside and saw Bai Jinyan, who had just tidied up, walking into a pile of messy tables.
Qiao Huaiyao quickly took out his phone and started taking photos.
Bai Jinyan, with a swift movement, leaned on the table as he passed by.
Qiao Huaiyao directly recorded a video.
Sometimes, when special effects are added during the movie’s broadcast, it doesn’t have the same impact as seeing the live version with your own eyes.
Bai Jinyan’s solo shots were usually done in one take.
But now, with so many people filming together, there were bound to be problems in the midst of the chaos.
The set was quite messy, and Qiao Huaiyao couldn’t hear what they were saying.
He stopped for a while before continuing to shoot.
After this scene was shot, it was the chase upstairs.
Running up and down the stairs, there was no suitable place to film, so Qiao Huaiyao didn’t go upstairs.
He held his phone and looked at the video he had just recorded.
The barrage in the live stream kept scrolling.
[“Wife, what are you watching? Let me see.”]
[“This little house doesn’t look like a dorm. Where is Qiao Qiao now?”]
…
Qiao Huaiyao occasionally glanced at the barrage. Since he had nothing else to do, he took the lemonade from the nearby and answered, “At the film set.”
Barrage: [“??? Snacks, recliner, TV, computer, iPad… This is more than what I have at home.”]
[“Aoaoao, is this accompanying your husband to work?”]
[“Why did Qiao Qiao suddenly start a live stream today? I received the message while at work and secretly took out my phone to watch. It was close, almost missed it.”]
[“Watching Bai Jinyan act from the first person perspective is so cool! The group Bai Jinyan is in, there are really few leaked pictures. Except for the ones officially released, it’s hard to see anything in advance.”]
…
Seeing this barrage, Qiao Huaiyao nodded in agreement.
Indeed, that was the case.
Qiao Huaiyao placed the live streaming phone aside and leaned it against a book.
He picked up a notebook from the side. Since Bai Jinyan hadn’t returned yet and he had some free time, he continued writing notes.
However, he didn’t have the textbooks for the relevant courses with him.
Qiao Huaiyao opened a new page and began to write from memory.
The number of viewers in the live stream quickly surged.
With millions of viewers, countless pairs of eyes were watching Qiao Huaiyao write notes.
Barrage: [“…”]
[“Look at the title and can’t help but doubt ourselves. Is this really an entertainment live stream?”]
[“Is it possible that the study god’s way of entertaining is different from ours?”]
[“Never mind, I’m willing to watch whatever Qiao Qiao broadcasts!”]
[“Tsinghua students come uninvited, and they’ve already shared it in the dormitory group.”]
[“Study god ahhh—aren’t you going to talk about your notes? Professor Fang said we should learn from you, but you won’t let us see your notes. Wuuuu…”]
[“Talk about the notes? Although I don’t understand, talking about the notes = hearing Qiao Qiao speak. If not, we can only watch Qiao Qiao quietly writing. I choose talking about the notes!”]
…
Longer barrage messages will fill the entire screen in the livestream room. Even without looking up, you can sense it—too many words darken the screen.
Qiao Huaiyao opened this barrage message, [“Talk about the notes?”] Sorting out the previous knowledge points would be good. There are no rules about the livestream content; discussing knowledge points can also be considered interaction.
Qiao Huaiyao took another notebook that Qiu Shufeng had returned to him and left in the dormitory. Wang Zhan mentioned yesterday that he wanted to see it. So he brought it with him to class today and finished reading it during Wang Zhan’s class; he didn’t take it away.
Qiao Huaiyao lightly tapped the desk with his fingertip and said, “Let’s talk about something simple, like the D3 molecular constant series.”
Barrage: [“Wife, keep up the good work, I’m trying my best to listen, I’ll definitely learn it in my next life!”]
[“The new students who failed the exam before are overjoyed. Is this the benefit of being a fan of the study god? I’ll see who doesn’t become a fan of the study god!”]
After that, Qiao Huaiyao didn’t pay much attention to the barrage. As he spoke, he occasionally added content to the notes. Because he had already written a lot, writing more to the side would make it messy.
Qiao Huaiyao tore a few blank pages from the new notebook and, after filling them, inserted them into the corresponding note pages.
After Zhao Jiamo sent Qiao Huaiyao the account for the livestream room and forwarded the livestream room after he started it, he went to attend to his own matters. When he wanted to open the livestream room and watch it later, as soon as he clicked, it showed: <Exceeded the limit.>
Zhao Jiamo: “???”
Can’t… can’t enter?
Huh? What’s going on?
Zhao Jiamo was at a loss.
For their own livestream platform, he didn’t even know there was a limit to the number of people that could be online in the livestream room. It was more accurate to say that the livestream platform was overloaded.
Zhao Jiamo was silent. No wonder when he opened the software, it was all shaky. It turns out the server was on the verge of collapsing.
After meticulously speaking for a few pages of notes, Qiao Huaiyao stopped. The first chapter’s content wasn’t finished yet.
Taking a break for now, he took a sip of lemonade to moisten his throat. He looked at the barrage and it was full of: [“Don’t push! Don’t push!”]
[“My internet is redlining, but I still don’t dare to exit. One of my sisters in the dormitory just refreshed the network and got stuck.”]
[“Crying, the professor asked us to come and listen, but didn’t tell us it would be this hard to get in.”]
[“The study god really deserves to be called the study god. I’ve understood everything he has talked about up to this point. When will he talk about the next chapter? I can hear it till the end of time.”]
[“…If you click on the above barrage, many of their homepage URLs are from prestigious universities.”]
[“Damn, there are more universities on their homepages than on that sheet of paper with the universities I chose for the college entrance exam.”]
[“Phew, luckily my mom came in and caught me playing with my phone just now. Fortunately, I was watching Qiao Qiao’s livestream, and my mom praised me for studying hard. She’s going to cook braised pork elbows for me tonight.”]
Qiao Huaiyao raised an eyebrow. So many people?
The popularity doesn’t show the number of people online; it’s just three dots.
Qiao Huaiyao suspiciously picked up his phone, wanting to ask Zhao Jiamo what was going on.
After opening his phone, he discovered that there were exclamation marks all over the dormitory chat group.
Qiu Shufeng: [Help, why can’t I get into the livestream? I’m about to go down with the campus network.]
Wang Zhan: [I’m different from you. I managed to squeeze in, and then I was kicked out. I might as well not have been allowed in from the beginning!]
Qiu Shufeng: [What did the study god talk about? Why do I see so many students from other schools online talking about the livestream?]
Wang Zhan: [It seems like Professor Fang asked the students to watch, and then the students told their friends, as friends from different universities tend to do. It spread like wildfire! Oh, by the way, I saw a chemistry professor from PING University there too.]
Qiao Huaiyao pursed his lips slightly and typed, [The notes you’re seeing have been shared with you.]
Qiu Shufeng: [This is different!!!]
Qiao Huaiyao: [Feel free to ask me if there’s anything you don’t understand.]
Qiu Shufeng deleted the crying emoticon in the chat box and devoutly typed, [Study God, I’ll kowtow to you. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease.]
Wang Zhan directly sent three kowtowing emoticons, conveying the message that this fool wants to challenge me for the title of Study God?
After that, the group was quiet and there were no more messages, indicating that the roommates were probably discussing this offline.
After Qiao Huaiyao finished the last sentence, he switched to the chat with Director Zhao Jiamo. He asked, [Director Zhao, what’s happening with the viewership in the livestream room?]
Zhao Jiamo responded with an expression of helplessness: [I don’t know either; I haven’t entered yet.]
Headstrong, he couldn’t even get into his own livestream room on his phone, let alone with someone else’s phone. From what he could see now, unless someone leaves the livestream room, it might be possible to squeeze in.
Zhao Jiamo: [I thought contacting you would help boost the viewership and rankings, but, man, the popularity from your side has paralyzed the viewer count for popularity rankings.]
Zhao Jiamo couldn’t help but sigh. Their livestream platform had been running for a long time, and this was definitely the day with the highest concurrent viewership. It wasn’t just the fans, but also the fans of Bai Jinyan and the students who came to take classes, that the server had never seen this kind of demand.
Qiao Huaiyao: [Huh?]
Zhao Jiamo: [It’s intense.]
Converting the viewership into money for the games on the variety show, Zhao Jiamo thought, Did we just lose money on this variety show? This money was well spent!
Zhao Jiamo was overjoyed at heart. The skyrocketing viewership in one day was greater than the accumulated viewership on other platforms over the past few days.
Qiao Huaiyao looked at the livestream room; after this long break, the popularity was still not showing any signs of decreasing. He asked again: [Should I continue the livestream?]
The remaining part of the first chapter had to be covered. Otherwise, unlike the notes he had meticulously added content to earlier, he would have to supplement it when he went offline.
Zhao Jiamo replied, [Sure. I’ll think of a way to get in.]
Several floors of teaching buildings, going up and down the stairs was quite tiring, especially with Bai Jinyan coordinating with the cameras from various angles. Going up and down repeatedly led to rapid energy consumption.
Bai Jinyan adjusted his condition and took a short break of three to five minutes when he felt he might not achieve the desired effect. Then he quickly entered the shooting mode for the movie.
“Good, it’s good!” The director held the script and nodded in satisfaction while watching the scene.
Bai Jinyan jumped down from the railing, casually patted the marks on his body, and said, “Let’s take a break.” The director smiled and fished out something from his pocket, offering it, “Have this; it’ll replenish your sugar levels. This is the last one; try it.”
Bai Jinyan leaned against the wall indifferently, not in a hurry, and calmly adjusted his breathing. He didn’t say much and assumed it was ordinary chocolate. But after taking a bite, Bai Jinyan subtly hesitated for a moment, squinting as he inspected it. “Where did you get this?”
The director said, “While we were out for a walk during the shoot, I stumbled upon an inconspicuous private chef’s small shop. This is their signature dish.”
It was sweet and a snack, quickly replenishing his energy. That’s why he bought some. “How is it? Does it taste good?”
“Mm,” Bai Jinyan took just one bite and didn’t eat more. He resealed the packaging and turned to leave. “Send me the address of that private chef.”
“Sure,” the director smiled in response, watching Bai Jinyan pack up the cake. He couldn’t help but say, “You only took a couple of bites; you could’ve finished it… Hey? Where are you going?”
Before he could finish, Bai Jinyan had already disappeared into the stairwell.
Seeing him rush off like this, the director laughed helplessly, “He’s in such a hurry…”
Qiao Huaiyao flipped through a few more pages in his notebook. With the joint efforts of Zhao Jiamo and the livestream software staff, the livestream room was expanded. After a simple increase in the number of online viewers, there were three dots again.
On Weibo, many users were mentioning the official account of the livestream software.
[I mean, with so many people inside, am I the only one missing? Huh? Am I the only one missing?]
[At my university, even getting into the livestream is more challenging than enrolling for courses.]
The official account was trying, but they could only reply that they were working on expanding capacity and asked for patience.
Qiao Huaiyao only planned to finish the first chapter; there was a lot of content, and the notes were quite detailed. After finishing, Bai Jinyan’s side was also almost done with the shoot.
He was displaying a line of numbers from his notebook to the livestream room when he vaguely heard footsteps outside. To avoid any unnecessary makeup leaks, Qiao Huaiyao turned his phone upside down just to be on the safe side.
He turned around and saw Bai Jinyan. “Brother? Did you finish the shoot so quickly?”
He still had a few pages of notes to cover.
Bai Jinyan replied, “Not yet,” and approached, carefully opening the packaging on top to offer it to Qiao Huaiyao. “Try it.”
“Hmm?” Qiao Huaiyao couldn’t tell what it was and took a small bite. The rich chocolate had a slight bitterness, and the sweetness balanced the bitterness perfectly.
Qiao Huaiyao’s eyes lit up. “It’s delicious.”
Bai Jinyan chuckled and said, “I knew you’d like it.”