He's Still That "Top-Tier Idol"!

[Ugh, is it really that bad? If that's the case, I actually know why Dong Lu cheated.]

[Damn, the whole 'handsome, tall, well-endowed, former top-tier idol who made a lot of money' thing!]

[He's handsome, tall, and has a big... well, he was a top-tier idol and made a lot of money. The summary upstairs is spot on.]

[No way, how did this guy pop up again? Is he really going to participate in 'New Rap'?]

[He was a mentor last year, and now he's a contestant? Has he no shame?]

[It's not just 'New Rap' either. Reliable sources say he's also participating in 'Talent Show', which airs tomorrow. He's even in their promotional material, with about two seconds of screen time.]

[Bai Youlou is truly desperate!]

[Honestly, if I had his looks, I'd rather find a rich sugar mama to support me. Why would I bother trying to break into the entertainment industry? Who would want him after such a huge scandal?]

[I'm just curious if he passed the audition for 'Talent Show'. If he didn't, it'll be an even bigger embarrassment.]

[... ]

Here they come~

The familiar "cyberbullying."

But it's a shame.

Cyberbullying only harms gentlemen; it's hard to hurt scoundrels.

The comments above are considered relatively civilized. There were many more that included profanity targeting his ancestors, which I can't possibly present in full.

As it turns out, Bai Youlou is still that "top-tier idol"!

Before his scandal, Bai Youlou was considered a quasi-top-tier idol. But after the incident, he's a bona fide "top-tier idol."

However, this kind of top-tier traffic is something other artists probably wouldn't want.

Fortunately, Bai Youlou doesn't mind; he wants it.

"Ding~"

A WeChat notification sound.

When he opened it, the sender genuinely surprised Bai Youlou.

Jiang Yuanchu.

This girl, who knows when she took him off her block list, sent several beautiful photos.

Such short skirts, such fair legs, such long safety shorts.

After "peeking through the gap," the "peeping cat" was back online.

She cursed as soon as she logged in!

Damn it!

Who the hell invented these stupid safety shorts?

Especially the extended version, which is longer than the mini-skirt itself. What's the point of a mini-skirt then?

After critically reviewing those photos, Bai Youlou sent a voice message, "Don't pay attention to all that garbage online. What they're saying is... it's true!"

A clear attempt at teasing.

He sent a voice message because he wanted to be quick.

As expected, when he sent his second message, she blocked him again.

Bai Youlou had no idea what this girl was thinking. He felt like he was being treated like a dumping ground for her emotions.

He couldn't be bothered to figure it out. Don't try to guess a girl's thoughts.

—

"Netizens just keep repeating the same old insults... Why can't they be more original?"

Bai Youlou complained to Long Ziqiang while cooking hot pot.

The latter was meticulously rinsing a slice of tripe. After the typical "seven up, eight down," he dipped it for two seconds in his sauce bowl, which was mixed with cilantro, chili oil, sesame oil, and minced garlic, then eagerly shoved it into his mouth, giving a thumbs-up. "Cooked perfectly! Awesome! Speaking of insults, how can they be more original?"

"They should pretend to be my die-hard fans and say some really idiotic things, like 'I'd support him even if he committed murder,' then create a buzz, preferably clashing with official media, and then completely overwhelm them..."

Long Ziqiang was utterly stunned. What a vicious strategy!

Is this something a human would even think of?

While Long Ziqiang was still processing, Bai Youlou quickly used his chopsticks to grab all the fatty beef that Long Ziqiang had just put into the hot pot.

His seasoning was identical to Long Ziqiang's because they had only managed to buy these few ingredients. Still, the simple seasoning tasted great.

When eating hot pot, the key is the time, place, and company.

It's all about the atmosphere.

For example, right now, in 'The Voice' practice room, the two of them completely ignored the nearby open cameras and were eating heartily.

But something still felt missing.

They exchanged a look. Ah! Alcohol!

"Ahem." Bai Youlou cleared his throat. "A Qiang, get some white tea for us to drink."

White tea?

Long Ziqiang immediately understood. He agreed, grabbed his bag, and left. Ten minutes later, he returned with two half-filled bottles of "mineral water."

They each opened a bottle and took a sip. The expressions on their faces already revealed what this "white tea" really was.

Actually, Bai Youlou wasn't a big fan of drinking the stuff, but it was hard to get alcohol in this place. Anyway, it was mostly about the atmosphere, so a little bit was fine.

However, before the two of them had even eaten for half an hour, Zhen Dongjun pushed the door open and came in.

Today's recording was the "guidance" segment for the mentors. As a mentor, he needed to select songs and guide the singing for the trainees in his group.

He had deliberately scheduled Bai Youlou and Long Ziqiang for last.

This was because they didn't need any guidance at all; they had even prepared their own songs. He also didn't want to bother with what these two wanted to sing.

But the moment he walked in and smelled the hot pot and alcohol, Zhen Dongjun felt a bit speechless.

They were actually eating?

"Where did the hot pot come from?"

"It was a delivery from an outside vendor. Teacher Zhen, want some?" Bai Youlou casually said upon seeing Zhen Dongjun.

To his surprise, the other man actually nodded and sat down.

Since there wasn't much to guide them on, it wasn't unreasonable for him to eat something, right? Bai Youlou, even if he might have been wronged, had truly gone all out against him.

The three of them ate quietly for over half an hour, and the production crew was starting to get impatient.

A staff member came in to say that if there was no other footage, they would wrap up for the day, as they needed to go home.

They weren't rushing them out, though, because some contestants would genuinely practice in the production crew's practice rooms for a long time.

These rooms were open 24 hours. When not filming, contestants could stay there anytime. The production crew also hoped they would perform well on the show.

After all, the show now had two and a half monsters.

The hot pot trio seemed unfazed by whether anyone was filming.

They didn't even glance at the cameras to see if they were turned off.

At the same time, the atmosphere changed during this meal when Zhen Dongjun, after being hit by the spice, thought the bottle contained water and picked it up for a big gulp.

"Damn it! It's alcohol?!"

Zhen Dongjun, coughing and cursing from the intense spice, said he had smelled alcohol but hadn't seen any, and had assumed these two had already finished drinking.

Long Ziqiang felt a bit regretful: Damn, he himself hadn't even had a few sips.

He stated he wasn't that uncouth. Since Zhen Dongjun had drunk it, he didn't want it anymore.

After Zhen Dongjun recovered, Bai Youlou actually raised his mineral water bottle slightly towards him.

"A toast to you."

"Hm? Why?"

"Drink it and I'll tell you."

Looking at Bai Youlou, whose smile was relaxed and carefree, Zhen Dongjun seemed to realize something. Without hesitation, he picked up the mineral water bottle and took another small sip.

After the "clink," the atmosphere changed again.

Bai Youlou casually took out his phone, searched for a photo online, and placed it on the table. "Here, it's him."

Zhen Dongjun squinted and looked. The person in the photo was naturally the "wife-lover."

However, what was surprising was that Zhen Dongjun didn't seem overly shocked, only offering a wry smile.

He knew the "wife-lover." In fact, his relationship with the other person was surprisingly good. After the other person became popular, they had collaborated on stage, exchanged contact information, and even had private gatherings.

It wasn't that Zhen Dongjun particularly liked rapping; his career development at the time was very limited, and he wanted to explore more possibilities.

The newly emerged hip-hop scene was one of those avenues; he was desperate for any opportunity.

He met his wife around that time.

After looking at the photo again, Zhen Dongjun gestured towards Bai Youlou's mineral water bottle. "This time, it's my turn to toast you. Sorry, for causing you trouble."

"Why aren't you surprised?" Long Ziqiang couldn't help but ask.

Zhen Dongjun's expression was too calm. Apart from a slight twitch in his cheek, he showed almost no other reaction.

He just took another sip.

This time, the "water level" in the mineral water bottle had reached the halfway mark!