Chapter 161: Like a Clown
Ye Weiyu couldn’t understand how things had ended up like this.
After fighting tooth and nail to stand out in a talent show, he certainly hadn’t done it to waste time studying.
What he wanted was popularity and traffic—numbers in his bank account constantly rising.
In this day and age, what does skill even count for? Green screens, dubbing, editing, beauty filters—there are plenty of ways to complete a production and make easy money. What’s wrong with that?
Whether it was Tang Huocai, Jinxiu Culture, or his fans—why couldn’t they be more understanding of him? Why couldn’t they just serve as stepping stones for him?
He had finally seized the opportunity to escape from Jinxiu Culture, secured a reliable manager at Jinding—so why did he still have to be stepped on by someone like Bai Hanshan?
Ye Weiyu’s thoughts grew muddled. The only thing he remained clearly aware of was—
The livestream was still ongoing.
Because of the earlier conflicts, many viewers had flooded into his livestream, quite a few just to see if he would lose control again.
From his throat—no, from his chest and mind—he felt something spreading like a creeping mold, wrapping tightly around his nerves, whispering of a craving.
He swallowed unconsciously, gripping the cigarette pack in his right pocket tighter.
Just a quick smoke to relax, he thought. He’d only step away briefly—say the director had called for him.
After greeting Mei Qingying and the others, he walked straight out.
He had intended to find a secluded spot, but there were quite a few students moving around near the venue.
Some looked familiar, but he didn’t bother. Avoiding them, he found a quiet corner, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with practiced ease, taking a deep drag.
An unfamiliar “fragrance” entered through his mouth, down his windpipe, into his lungs, then drifted out through his nose.
Ye Weiyu felt as if every part of his body—his limbs and organs—was soaked in that “fragrance,” and he gradually relaxed.
His mind became sluggish and lethargic. He neither wanted to think nor could muster any energy, just standing there in a daze, like a skeleton propped up by a decaying soul.
Then, he saw Bai Hanshan—alone.
Facing a wall, Bai Hanshan seemed to be practicing his recitation, occasionally adding arm movements, using body language to convey emotion.
“Like a clown,” Ye Weiyu muttered viciously.
If he hadn’t paid much attention to Bai Hanshan at the beginning of filming, since yesterday, he had grown increasingly unable to tolerate him.
Bai Qingyin’s younger brother. Handsome, attending a top-tier private school, ranked first in his grade. Even Yan Zhengqing treated him politely. He was practically the perfect male lead straight out of a novel.
Being put side by side with someone like that—Ye Weiyu wanted nothing more than to reject it.
He was about to turn and leave when a thought suddenly surged uncontrollably in his mind.
Why should he be the one to leave? Why couldn’t Bai Hanshan be the one to go?
As if possessed, Ye Weiyu walked toward Bai Hanshan.
Today, aside from the four groups each having their own livestream, Walking with the Light also had an official stream.
The footage there could switch between various hidden cameras. Previously used for filming, these cameras were now being used by Mingde to showcase the campus—also serving as a form of promotion.
Many netizens stayed in that stream, curious to see what a private high school looked like, occasionally posting screenshots on the show’s discussion page.
Until someone posted a screenshot tagged with Ye Weiyu: [Isn’t that Ye Weiyu? Is he smoking in a corner?]
Within minutes, a wave of viewers rushed in.
Smoking itself wasn’t a huge issue—Ye Weiyu was an adult, after all. It was his freedom.
The problem was, he had previously marketed himself as someone who didn’t smoke on variety shows. That meant his persona had just collapsed—and he was immediately criticized again.
More viewers flooded into the official livestream, hoping the camera would switch back to catch more drama.
The person controlling the feed noticed that most viewers were there for Ye Weiyu and decisively kept the camera on that angle, drawing cheers from the audience.
As they watched, some people began to feel something was off:
[Is that really a cigarette? Can any smokers explain—is this how people smoke?]
[My ex didn’t even look this messed up.]
[If it’s not a cigarette, then what is it…]
[Wait—who is he looking at?]
[Ahhh it’s Bai Hanshan! What is he trying to do?!]
[He’s moving—he’s walking toward Bai Hanshan!]
The staff responsible for the livestream immediately reported the situation. Director Xu Hanhai and Assistant Director Wu Changxiao confirmed the location and rushed over.
Meanwhile, under the watchful eyes of the livestream audience, Bai Qingyin received a call from her assistant. Her expression changed instantly. “What happened to Xiaohan?”
The viewers were confused, while Bai Qingyin quickly switched her phone to the official livestream and urgently asked Ning Fu, “Ning Fu, can you tell where this is in Mingde?”
Ning Fu looked and hesitated, shaking her head. “It looks like somewhere around here, but I’m not sure exactly where.”
Bai Qingyin rushed out of the makeup room and knocked on Yue Yi’s group’s door.
Seeing her anxious expression, Gu Qinghuan immediately realized something was wrong and stepped forward. “What happened?”
Grabbing Gu Qinghuan’s hand, Bai Qingyin said urgently, “Check the official livestream—quickly help me figure out where that is. Ye Weiyu looks like he’s about to do something to Xiaohan!”
Gu Qinghuan noticed that as Bai Qingyin held her hand, her little finger lightly scratched the side of her palm.
From the camera’s angle, it was completely hidden.
Ah, Gu Qinghuan understood—it was an act. Looks like Bai Hanshan was carrying out a plan.
She also feigned panic, then steadied herself, gripping Bai Qingyin’s hand firmly. “Got it, I’ll take a look right away.”
Understood, Sister Bai—you’re acting, I’ll play along!
Gu Qinghuan immediately called over Jiang Chuchu, Yu Yuan, and Lu Jian to check the official livestream, while she secretly switched to the class group chat.
As expected, the “troublemaking squad” had already noticed the anomaly. Yu Xin quickly identified the location based on previously mapped hidden cameras.
Seeing Gu Qinghuan online, Yu Xin immediately sent the coordinates: [Song Yi and Ai Ning have already rushed over. Qin Yue is following with a phone to record. Zhan Chuchen went to the school gate to call security. Shi Guanghui is also nearby, ready to capture shots.]
Gu Qinghuan quickly replied “Nice work,” then leaned over to Jiang Chuchu and quietly told her the location.
Jiang Chuchu immediately understood. As Ye Weiyu’s teammate, it made sense for her to be the first to rush out.
“I know where it is!” she said at once.
With that, she called out to Bai Qingyin, “Follow me!” and ran off, with Bai Qingyin right behind her.
Gu Qinghuan naturally followed her friend. Yue Yi was about to go after them but hesitated upon seeing Yu Yuan and Lu Jian still standing there in confusion. After a few seconds, he stopped.
“There seems to be an issue, but don’t worry. They’ve already gone, and the director must have noticed. We’ll stay here and wait for the results,” he reassured them.
Someone had to stay behind to keep things stable, or the whole situation would descend into chaos.
He led Yu Yuan and Lu Jian to another makeup room, only to find that Lou Zheng had also rushed over—after all, Bai Hanshan was her teammate.
Thus, Ning Fu, Mei Qingying, Mu Tianxiang, and Fang Shao—who were left behind—ended up under Yue Yi’s watch as well.
Though the livestream audience was tense, they couldn’t help joking when they saw this:
[So “Wing” doesn’t mean wings for flying—it means a mother hen protecting her chicks!]
Fang Shao looked like she was about to cry. “Xiao Yu, he… how could he…”
“Don’t cry!” Mu Tianxiang shouted through clenched teeth. “Let’s not make things worse—just wait for the outcome!”
But judging by her reddened eyes and tightly clenched fists, she wasn’t faring much better.
Yue Yi sighed inwardly.
What a mess.
