Entertainment Circle’s Mascot

A group of people took a walk along the Thames River. Seeing that it wasn’t too early, they decided to return to the hotel together.

As soon as they entered the room, the cameraman immediately turned on the live broadcast switch. The timing of their program’s live broadcast was not clearly defined, nor was there a strict requirement for it to last exactly two hours. Moreover, even on the broadcasting platform, the live windows were separate. Additionally, the program itself had a live room, but since the guests didn’t often gather at the same time, they had never used that number.

Each of the five guests had their own individual live room, which meant that many viewers couldn’t watch them all simultaneously and had to choose. Among them, Lian Qing had the highest number of viewers in his live room.

It wasn’t just because he had many fans. Speaking of fan numbers, Shaman, who became famous early and has always been popular, had the most, followed by Zhao Chengyi. But who could resist Lian Qing’s natural humor, especially when he had an adorable little monk by his side? The combination of the two was greater than the sum of its parts.

Fortunately, the purpose of this program’s live broadcast was simply to allow fans to get closer to the daily lives of their favorite idols. It was based on voluntary participation and had no competitive nature. The number of viewers was not even displayed on the screen. Fans could only catch a glimpse of the popularity of the various celebrities from the barrage of comments.

Otherwise, other fans of individual artists might have held some resentment towards Lian Qing.

After everyone returned to the hotel villa, they didn’t do anything else and gathered in the living room. When the director of the program saw this, he asked one of the cameramen to log into the program team’s live room and close the other rooms.

While everyone was sitting in the living room drinking tea, Zhao Chengyi took out a guitar and played for a while. Bu Youmeng, a sweet singer, was naturally invited to join him in a cheerful duet.

Both of them were talented singers, and their harmonies sounded delightful. After one song, Xiao Lian excitedly clapped her hands without reservation and praised, “Brother, sister, you sing so beautifully!”

Lian Qing touched his bald head and smiled, asking, “Did you understand the lyrics?”

“No, I haven’t started school yet,” the little one replied, giving his Shixiong a curious look. “But I know that they sing better than you.”

Lian Qing, who only knew how to sing the songs taught in school music class, “…”

The others, “Ah hahaha…”

The audience in the live room couldn’t stop laughing.

[Xiao Lian is telling the truth again, haha]

“Like brother, like brother. Little monk is indeed naturally witty, hahaha.”

“Oh my, this is so hilarious. Luckily, I watched the live broadcast from the company restroom in advance. Otherwise, the whole company would have heard me laughing.”

…

Little monk, who perfectly inherited his Shixiong’s natural wit, touched his bald head in frustration, not understanding why all the older brothers and sisters were laughing. He had only spoken the truth.

Distracted by the little one’s interruption, Bu Youmeng and Zhao Chengyi lost interest in singing and gathered around the little monk, teasing him or teasing his Shixiong.

After the two monks brought a lot of joy, Shaman brought out some props and suggested that they play a game of Truth or Dare.

This got everyone excited, including Xiao Lian. They all gathered together.

Shaman’s props were drawn by lots. It started with a small wooden barrel filled with dozens of covered wooden blocks. Inside each block was a challenge. If someone was chosen by the spinning spoon but didn’t want to answer a truth question, they could draw a block and complete the corresponding dare.

The small and delicate spoon quickly spun around and soon stopped, pointing at Shaman.

“Oh, me? Okay, let’s have Miaojie ask the first question, and then each subsequent question will be asked by the person who was chosen previously. If it turns to me again, Miaojie will ask,” Shaman said, looking at the eldest one, Fu Miao.

Fu Miao didn’t refuse and thought for a moment before asking, “When do you plan to get married?”

“Oh my, why such a direct question all of a sudden!” Zhao Chengyi exclaimed.

“What do you know? I’m asking on behalf of Shaman’s fans,” Fu Miao smiled at Shaman.

Shaman didn’t shy away and said openly, “We’re discussing it. Probably next spring, but we haven’t officially set a date yet.”

Lian Qing was surprised and quickly pulled Zhao Chengyi aside, whispering, “Brother Chengyi, how much should I give as a wedding gift? What’s appropriate?”

Zhao Chengyi burst into laughter and, under the curious gaze of everyone, relayed to Shaman, “The little monk is asking how much red envelope he should give you as a gift!”

Lian Qing hurriedly explained, “It’s the first time I have a friend getting married, so I don’t have any experience…”

Shaman couldn’t help but burst into laughter inside, but she kept a straight face and playfully said, “Well, of course, the bigger the better! If you don’t have money, just give me a ten million red envelope. If you have money, then a billion is fine too…”

After saying that, she secretly signaled the others while Lian Qing wasn’t paying attention. The others understood and immediately played along.

Fu Miao: “Of course, at least a ten million red envelope is necessary.”

Zhao Chengyi: “Actually, ten million is already considered less. Sha Jie is both a friend and a boss…”

Bu Youmeng: “Sha Jie, let us know in advance so that I can prepare.”

Cai Jingfeng: “Indeed, starting at ten million is necessary; otherwise, it wouldn’t be presentable.”

Upon hearing these amounts, Lian Qing was stunned. But when he looked at the others, they all had a “this is normal” expression. He felt overwhelmed and depressed, saying, “But what if I’m super broke?”

He didn’t have that much money! His savings didn’t even amount to ten million!

Xiao Lian stood on tiptoe and comfortingly touched his Shixiong’s hair. He didn’t have much understanding of money, but it seemed like his Shixiong couldn’t come up with such a sum.

The clever little one reassured him, “It’s okay, Shixiong. You can borrow from Yu Gege or give Sha Jie a promissory note.”

Lian Qing took it seriously and rubbed his chin, pondering, “Borrowing money is impossible; I can only give a promissory note and work to pay off the debt…”

If he were to use a ten million promissory note as a red envelope, he would probably have to work for Sha Jie for a year without pay. In that case, he might not be able to buy a house for his younger sibling before they start school…

So, in the entertainment industry, do friends have to give so much money for weddings? It seemed a bit unfair. He and his elder brother wouldn’t have a wedding, so he wouldn’t be able to recoup this gift money!

He emphasized with a bitter smile, “I’m really super poor…”

“Hahaha…”

Everyone burst into laughter, and Shaman even laughed again with her infectious “hehehe” laughter.

“Heh… heh…” Shaman was almost laughing uncontrollably and intermittently said, “I can’t imagine… me getting married, opening red envelopes, and finding a bunch of promissory notes… Ahahaha…”

“Oh my… you two…” Fu Miao laughed while holding her eye wrinkles. “I can’t take it anymore. My eye wrinkles seem to have deepened, hahaha…”

Zhao Chengyi and Bu Youmeng were laughing so much that they couldn’t even speak. Cai Jingfeng was still clear-headed. During their time at school, Lian Qing often entertained him, and his sense of humor was already quite high.

The online viewers watching the live broadcast were also in hysterics. They were all laughing uncontrollably.

“My desk is about to collapse from me pounding it, hahaha…”

“The little monk who got fooled by his older brothers and sisters, LOL.”

“The hilarious concept of working to pay off debt, hahaha…”

“Oh my, these two brothers are absolutely toxic!”

“Camera operator, please steady your hands. Don’t laugh, the footage is shaking too much, hahaha…”

…

Seeing everyone laughing so exaggeratedly, Lian Qing had no doubts left. Shaman took the opportunity to laugh and say, “I was just kidding you, I won’t accept any wedding gifts! You foolish monk… hehehe..”

If it were an ordinary person being fooled, they would probably get angry and embarrassed. But in Lian Qing’s case, he just breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Amitabha, it’s good, it’s not true…”

Little Lian Sang also breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “It’s good, it’s good.”

“What’s good for you?” Cai Jingfeng looked at the little guy and asked.

The little one shrugged and said, “As long as Brother is good, I’m good.”

This sentence made everyone burst into laughter again. It took a lot of effort for them to gradually calm down and continue playing the game.

This time it was Lian Qing’s turn, and he asked Shaman, “Little monk… forget it, you better play Grand Adventure. I can’t think of anything I need to ask you.”

“You live too transparently, don’t you?” Zhao Cheng understood, “There’s no way, blame him for being too straightforward usually.”

The only thing that made him and Shaman extremely curious was whether Lian Qing or Yu Wenning would be on top. Although they both bet that Lian Qing would be on the bottom, it was hard to tell from their power levels.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t discuss this topic, otherwise Lian Qing would probably reveal that Yu Wenning is his lover.

Lian Qing casually picked up a wooden block from the bucket, opened it, glanced at the small characters on it, and read aloud, “Call the first person in the call log and confess in the gentlest tone…”

Everyone: “…………”

Shaman quickly said, “Change it, change it! I don’t want to see you flaunting your love!”

In fact, she was afraid that if Lian Qing’s first call was Yu Wenning, and he confessed, Yu Wenning would also confess or say something like “I know.” The scene… Shaman couldn’t bear to think about it. Sigh, being a boss is difficult, being Lian Qing’s boss is even more difficult!

Lian Qing naturally knew her concerns, but he chuckled and said confidently, “Who said the first person in my call log is my partner?”

“That’s right, Brother and his partner don’t call each other.” Little Lian Sang interjected, “They prefer video calls.”

“Yeah, calling costs too much money…”

While Lian Qing was talking, he had already dialed the first number in the call log.

In no time, the call was connected, and a strong voice came from the other side, “Hello, Lian Qing, what’s up?”

Lian Qing cleared his throat and, imitating a deep voice, said, “Shifu~”

With a “click,” the call was hung up.

Lian Qing: “…………” Shifu, you’ve changed!

Little Lian Sang asked, “No signal?”

Lian Qing shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Just as he was puzzled, a message notification popped up on his phone’s WeChat.

Lian Qing opened it and saw a long voice message from his Shifu.

Without hesitation, he clicked on it, and his Shifu’s voice immediately came through: “Lian Qing, the phone scam you told me about before, it actually happened! Someone just called me, pretending to be you, calling me ‘Shifu’ in a *feminine voice. It really scared me! I quickly hung up, but I’m afraid they’ll call again. Disciple, what should I do?”

The phrase “娘里娘气” (niáng lǐ niáng qì) is a Chinese expression that can be loosely translated as “effeminate” or “acting like a sissy.” It is often used to describe a man who behaves or speaks in a manner that is considered overly feminine or lacking in masculinity. 

Lian Qing: “…………..”

Others: “Ahahaha…”

Little Lian Sang shook his head playfully. “Shifu mistook you for a scammer, Shixiong.”

Lian Qing: “You don’t have to emphasize it… I know.”

He sighed helplessly and called his Shifu again. This time, he was smarter and let Little Lian Sang speak first to strengthen the credibility.

The little one cooperated quite well and, as soon as the call connected, he shouted, “Shifu, Shixiong wants to talk to you.”

His Shifu happily responded, “Oh, oh, Xiao San’er! Does Shixiong want to talk to me about the phone scam? Tell him he doesn’t need to say anything. My friends here told me that there’s nothing to deceive me for. Let them go.”

Shaman chuckled, “Haha… I guess I understand why you two brothers are so peculiar.”

“Probably a family trait, haha…” Fu Miao chuckled softly.

“Shifu, Shixiong wants to tell you something else.” The little one finished speaking and handed the phone, which had the speaker on, to his Shixiong.

Lian Qing first called out “Shifu” in a normal voice and then said in an extremely gentle voice, “Shifu, I love you.”

His Shifu responded, “…Xiao San’er, did Shixiong get a fever?”

Little Lian Sang looked at his Shixiong in confusion and honestly replied, “I don’t know.”

“Then later, find a thermometer and if he has a fever, ask an adult you know to take him to the hospital. Really, such a grown person but doesn’t know how to take care of himself, running around with injuries! Now look, he must be suffering from discomfort due to the change in environment, making his brain go haywire, so feminine…” 

Little Lian Sang mumbled in confusion, then looked at his Shixiong. His Shixiong hung up the call without any expression, and then he seriously said to his younger brother, “I’m not sick.”

Little Lian Sang: “Oh…” His eyes were filled with suspicion.

The others were already laughing uncontrollably, each in their own positions, their images completely gone. Even Cai Jingfeng was laughing so hard that he was lying on the table, his shoulders shaking.

The staff in the room were even more miserable. They had to work while stifling their laughter, which was very difficult. The cameraman was the most tragic. He held back his laughter in his mouth, but his body was honest and trembled uncontrollably. Even the live broadcast footage was shaky, causing a protest from the online viewers.

[Camerman, if you can’t handle it, don’t hold the camera with your hands. Use a tripod to stabilize it. I can’t see them clearly with all the shaking.]

[Shake as much as you want, I understand. I was so busy laughing that I didn’t even have

 time to watch, hhh.]

[Damn, so the Shifu is also naturally mischievous? So feminine, haha…]

[Are they trying to make me laugh so hard that I lose my rank in King of Glory, 666?]

[I’ve realized one thing: When pursuing stars, it’s best to have some regrets beforehand.]

[Especially when pursuing the little monk, otherwise, who knows, one day he might laugh me and my family to death.]

[That previous act was genius! My adorable goddess couldn’t stop laughing.]

[Oh my goodness, why is this whole family so funny, hahaha…]

…

Lian Qing, who was tricked by his Shifu, couldn’t quite digest the phrase “act like a sissy”. As a result, he remained silent for the rest of the game. Zhao Cheng couldn’t help but tease him, saying, “Looks like I can’t mock you anymore; you’ve gone into self-isolation online!”

Lian Qing responded with a forced smile.

In the following games, the spoon never landed on him. Zhao Cheng was the first to be chosen, and he chose the “Daring Adventure” option. The task he drew was: Give a kiss to anyone present.

Zhao Cheng glanced at Bu Youmeng instinctively and then approached Little Monk with a pleasing smile, saying, “Little cutie, let big brother give you a kiss, okay?”

Little Lian Sang shook his head, saying, “No.”

“Just one kiss, and after that, big brother will treat you and your Shixiong to a barbecue, okay?”

Little Lian Sang’s heart wavered. Seeing his Shixiong remaining silent, he pretended to be helpless and said, “I can’t do anything about it. I can only give you a kiss!”

“Hahaha… Xiao San’er, don’t look at me like a cat that has stolen fish!” Fu Miao laughed uncontrollably. “If you look like that, I also want to kiss you.”

“Girls can’t kiss casually,” Little Lian Sang pointed to his Shixiong. “Shixiong said, men and women… shouldn’t kiss.”

“No kissing when it comes to accepting and giving,” Lian Qing habitually added.

“That’s right, men and women shouldn’t kiss!” The little one nodded earnestly with a serious expression.

Everyone was amused and started teasing the two brothers.

Afterward, they played two more rounds of the game, with Fu Miao being chosen both times. She answered two truth questions sincerely. As it was getting late, they packed up their things, bid each other good night, and returned to their respective rooms.

Returning to the room, Lian Qing bathed the little one and placed him on the bed, then turned off the room’s surveillance camera. He was about to go in and wash himself when the phone rang.

Seeing the name displayed on the screen, Lian Qing felt a wave of sweetness in his heart and immediately answered.

“Big brother.”

A deep and gentle voice came from the other end of the phone, “Lian Qing, come to the balcony and look downstairs.”

Lian Qing’s heartbeat accelerated, and he ran to the balcony to take a quick look below. Finally, he saw a familiar figure near the flower bed not far away.

If humans could see their own facial expressions, Lian Qing would surely see how radiant his smile was, with his mouth almost reaching his ears.

He waved at the person and then turned around, rushing back into the room. As he put on his shoes, he said to his Shidi, “San’er, stay in the room, big brother is going out for a moment, but I’ll be back soon.”

Little Lian Sang was busy nibbling on his freshly cleaned little feet. Upon hearing this, he stopped and asked, “Where are you going?”

“To meet your brother.”

The little one immediately jumped up, saying, “Brother Yu is here? Then take me with you, I also want to see him!”

Lian Qing shook his head without looking back while putting on his shoes. “No, no, no. I’m going to meet someone. What are you going to do, be a third wheel?”

The little one responded unhappily with an “Oh” and lay back on the bed, continuing to nibble on his feet.

Before Lian Qing left, he knocked on the door of the adjacent room belonging to Cai Jingfeng. Cai Jingfeng quickly opened the door and asked, “What’s up?”

Lian Qing put on his coat and said, “Keep an eye on my Shidi while I’m out.”

Cai Jingfeng nodded, about to inquire further when he saw the person rushing downstairs in a hurry.

Puzzled, he entered Lian Qing’s room and asked the little one on the bed, “Where did your Shixiong go?”

The little one continued nibbling on his little feet and replied when he had a moment, “He went to meet someone.”