Chapter 556
Old Guo: Kid, don't run away
……
……
When Hua Shao took the stage, all the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed three degrees, leaving only a spotlight shining on him.
He was dressed in a sharp black suit and looked very energetic.
He began with a fluent and rapid-fire monologue—from thanking the organizers to talking about the sponsors, from the concept of charity to the original intention of the dinner, speaking at a rapid pace like a machine gun, yet every word was clear and his breath was incredibly steady.
"Thank you all for attending this year's Bazaar Charity Night. Let's give a round of applause to kick off tonight's grand event!"
The applause was sporadic, some genuine, some perfunctory, and some artists were even looking down at their phones.
But the live stream signal had already been switched in—the number of viewers in the live stream rooms of various platforms began to skyrocket instantly.
The barrage of comments poured out like a flood, overwhelming everything and making the screen unreadable.
"Ahhh!! Little brother! I'm here!!"
"Do any of you sisters know if Gu Qing's brother is on a show tonight?"
"I don't think I saw any shows featuring my younger brother on the list that was released online."
"I don't care if he exists or not, as long as I can see my brother!"
The live stream was filled with copied and pasted support messages from various celebrities and their fans, densely packed together like a locust swarm.
Students watching TV at home immediately switched to Moon Channel, hugged their cushions, curled up on the sofa, and stared intently at the screen, afraid of missing a single scene.
Gu Qing's fans watched the TV show while eagerly anticipating his program in the group chat.
Unfortunately, Gu Qing had to decline Bazaar's invitation because she was busy filming a drama and didn't have enough free time to rehearse.
This also left fans feeling very disappointed.
"Sigh, my brother isn't singing this year, so what am I supposed to watch tonight?"
"Looks are fine too! My brother's face is the best show!"
"Exactly, I could sit there and watch all night!"
Fans are also masters of self-consolation.
On stage, Hua Shao had already introduced tonight's program, his voice booming like a rallying cry: "Next, let's give a warm round of applause to our opening performance guests tonight—the five beauties from Ode to Joy! They will be performing the song 'Sisters' for you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, applause broke out, not enthusiastic, but polite enough.
"sisters?"
Sister Zhao shrank back, her round face looking slightly odd. She glanced over instinctively and saw Gu Qing holding his phone up to the stage, excitedly preparing to record.
Oh no... I forgot to tell my brother!
"Haha, little brother is so cute, did you even take out your phone?"
"Shuhuang CP! Shuhuang CP raise the banner!!"
"One person wrote a petition in blood, begging the director to make a second season of 'Nirvana in Fire'!"
"Blood letter +100086!"
As a wildly popular drama in the first half of the year, "Nirvana in Fire" cleverly gave close-ups of Gu Qing and Liu Tao respectively.
On the big screen, Gu Qing held up her phone with a serious expression, while Liu Tao smiled dignifiedly on stage—this scene instantly ignited the frenzy among fans and drama enthusiasts.
The words "Shuhuang CP" were flooded with comments, making the screen almost invisible.
Just when everyone was filled with anticipation—
The moment the five appeared, it sparked some questions in the live stream chat.
Why is Jiang Xin in the center position?
"The organizers are dreaming. Tao Jie only rose to fame in the first half of the year with 'Nirvana in Fire,' and you're giving her a supporting role? Is that reasonable?"
Liu Tao's fans were furious and unleashed a torrent of angry comments in the live chat, each one more vehement than the last.
The other fan groups were not to be outdone, and they argued back and forth, creating a chaotic scene with the barrage of comments as if a war was raging.
The five people who went on stage all had different expressions, which was completely different from the harmonious and affectionate atmosphere they had last year.
Jiang Xin stood in the center, looking around as if she wanted to say a few words to someone, but Wang Ziwen next to her tossed her short hair and turned to find Liu Tao;
Yang Zi and Qiao Xin huddled together, but they only whispered to each other with their heads down, not daring to look down at the audience.
The five people stood in a row, but the distance between them seemed like a galaxy.
The scene resembled five random passersby who had been temporarily brought in to make up the numbers, and none of them knew each other.
"What's going on?" Gu Qing asked, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment as she held up her phone.
But an even greater disaster is about to begin.
"Springtime~ The wind sings a cheerful song, and you are like a happy bird..."
As soon as Liu Tao spoke, the entire room fell silent.
The sound was sharp and ethereal, sliding off the melody and shattering into pieces.
Because it was a live broadcast, with no audio editing, the three-minute-long car crash scene unfolded from there.
Suppressed laughter rose and fell from the audience.
The live stream chat exploded with comments, the word "awful" flooding the screen.
Interspersed with cries of "What the hell is this?", "My ears!", and "Help!", it was like an auditory disaster movie.
Yang Zi and Qiao Xin, who were already in a mediocre state of mind, became increasingly weak and timid as they sang, until they couldn't even make a sound in the end.
Liu Tao tried hard to find his rhythm, his brows furrowed, pausing after each line, as if he were fighting with the melody, and the fight was getting more and more intense.
Wang Ziwen remained calm and composed, a smile playing on his lips, assuming he was a master.
As a result, she sang the most off-key, so off-key that even she herself didn't know which line she was singing. Her singing was so unrestrained and wildly imaginative.
Jiang Xin sang the best, perhaps because she was carefree. She had a loud voice and strong breath control, and although her tune was a bit off, at least it didn't go completely astray.
The interactions between the five people amplified the controversy.
Jiang Xin looked around but no one paid any attention to her, so she could only sing to herself, which was incredibly awkward.
Wang Ziwen tossed her short hair and went to hug and kiss Liu Tao, laughing affectionately.
Yang Zi and Qiao Xin huddled together for warmth, shivering.
"What on earth are these five people doing?"
"Last year they were all as sweet as a bunch of lesbians, how come they don't even recognize each other this year?!"
"They sang terribly, and they're a bunch of fake friends. It's really hilarious."
The viewers watching the live stream were very dissatisfied, offering sharp criticisms and endless insults.
The atmosphere in the audience was also heating up.
"Are these people deliberately trying to grab the trending topics?"
"That's a really good method..." I've learned something...
"Hurry up and get down, isn't this embarrassing!"
Most of the artists are watching the show and speculating.
Even the director didn't want to show the stage anymore, and habitually switched to Gu Qing again.
All of this elicited continuous laughter from the audience.
The screen looks brand new.
The female celebrities laughed so hard they were shaking, covering their mouths and smiling.
The male celebrities clapped and leaned back, making expressions of "I can't take it anymore," their acting was even more intense than when they were filming.
Gu Qing, who was initially recording a video on her phone, had long since put it down and looked utterly dejected.
He tilted his head, covered his ears with his fingers, and looked at the performance on stage with despair, his expression saying, "What did I do wrong to have to listen to this?"
This scene instantly stole the show.
"Haha, Sister Tao almost made my brother cry! Who says Sister Tao's singing isn't touching?"
"Mei Changsu, you really need to teach your Princess Nihuang how to sing! I can't stand it anymore!"
Fun fact: Tao Jie is actually a crossover singer and has won the championship.
"Is this how the Crossover Singer sings?"
The sentiment in the comments section changed without us even realizing it.
What started as "awful" and "awkward" has transformed into a screen full of laughter. The originally biting criticisms have been replaced by playful, humorous mockery.
More people's attention shifted from the car accident scene on stage to Gu Qing.
"I could laugh for a year at that expression on my brother's face!"
"Record it! Record it! We can use it as memes later!"
"Ahhh!! My little brother is so cute!!"
The comments section was filled with joy.
Liu Tao and the others on stage could see Gu Qing's funny face with his hands covering his ears up close, even through the screen or standing on the stage.
They were certainly not foolish enough to think that Gu Qing was mocking them.
Even the most oblivious Jiang Xin had already greatly increased Gu Qing's favorability after experiencing Director Feng's incident that afternoon.
She didn't interact with anyone on stage, but she did interact with Gu Qing—while singing, she pointed at Gu Qing with her finger in a deliberately menacing manner, her mouth opening and closing as if threatening something.
As laughter filled the room, their tense and embarrassed mood eased considerably.
When the song reached its climax, Liu Tao finally hit a high note, his voice deep and powerful, his breath steady, proving his strength as a crossover singer and preventing the car crash from continuing from beginning to end.
The applause was sparse and scattered; it wasn't enthusiastic, but at least it wasn't mockery.
The performance ended, and the five people filed off the stage.
"..."
After the performance ended, Gu Qing blinked, hoping they would understand.
"Do I sing that badly? Why are you covering your ears!"
"It's pretty average, not as good as mine."
"You're great, you come next time!"
As they stepped off the stage, Jiang Xin, whether she understood what was going on or had come here intentionally, looked at Gu Qing, who was still covering his ears in disgust, and couldn't help but laugh and pinch Gu Qing's cheek.
"You're so good, you do it!"
"Yes, you're so good, you do it!"
Yang Zi and Qiao Xin, relying on their boldness and taking advantage of Jiang Xin's power, stood behind him and lightly tapped Gu Qing's shoulder as they passed by, pretending to be embarrassed and annoyed.
The force was similar to tickling.
"Why aren't you this aggressive when you're performing on stage? Are you all just bullies within your own group?"
Gu Qing was both amused and exasperated.
Wang Ziwen, on the other hand, is clearly the one with the highest emotional intelligence and IQ among the five sisters.
She realized that Gu Qing was trying to help them out of a predicament, and a complex emotion flashed in her bright eyes.
Is this child living too hard a life?
I wonder if Wang Ziwen's artsy tendencies have resurfaced, but I felt a little sorry for her.
She had seen too many people who were adept at navigating the entertainment industry, and too many people who were indifferent and self-protective. But someone like Gu Qing, who could have stayed out of it, but chose to help others out of trouble in this way, was truly rare.
He could have done nothing, he could have watched the spectacle like everyone else, he could have pretended he saw nothing. But he didn't.
He used the most clumsy and childish way to shift everyone's attention from "how badly they sang" to "him".
“Little brother, we’re family, of course we’ll only dare to be tough on you.”
With a smile on her small face, she naturally reached out and shook hands with Gu Qing as she passed by, her grip slightly firm as she expressed her gratitude.
"Yes, we are family."
Liu Tao, who was at the back, smiled gently when he heard Wang Ziwen's words.
She didn't deliberately try to get close to Gu Qing, but instead put her arm around her best friend's shoulder and said goodbye to Gu Qing.
Her smile was as gentle as ever, showing no sign of anything amiss, but deep in her eyes lay a hint of inexplicable tenderness.
The director was also at a loss, so he simply used a long shot to capture all the interactions between Hua Shao, who was reciting the advertising slogans on stage, and Gu Qing and others.
In the footage, Hua Shao is seen talking non-stop at the edge of the stage, speaking at a speed like a machine gun.
Meanwhile, in the audience, Jiang Xin was still bickering with Gu Qing, Yang Zi and Qiao Xin were watching the fun from the side, Wang Ziwen covered her mouth and laughed, and Liu Tao glanced back before turning away again.
The scene was like a slice-of-life drama, warm and vivid.
The audience was naturally very curious about what they had said to each other.
The heartwarming and fun interactions, in particular, greatly reduced the tense atmosphere of the rivalry between the fans at the party.
"Xiao Gu, I'm impressed."
After everyone left, Zhang Ruoyun peeked over again, looking quite surprised. Her expression suggested she had discovered some incredible secret.
"What did you submit to?"
Gu Qing took a sip of water from her glass, looking at his suddenly enlightened expression with surprise.
"I've discovered that being handsome really does have its advantages."
Zhang Ruoyun sighed enviously and jealously, shaking her head like an old scholar, "If I did it like you, not only would I be cursed to death by netizens, they would kick me twice after I stepped down."
He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and gave him a knowing look, his eyebrows furrowed: "I'm not trying to be mean, but your emotional intelligence is just too low. Why did you cover your ears when you heard something awful?"
Just bear with it... If the reporters take pictures of you, they'll start making up stories about you again..."
He kept talking and talking, patiently teaching Gu Qing how to become a person with high emotional intelligence.
Gu Qing: "..."
He turned to look at Tang Yixin.
"Sister Yixin, are you usually very busy?"
"Hey—stop talking."
Tang Yixin sighed deeply, her beautiful face full of bitterness. Exhausted, she pinched her husky's thigh hard under the table.
The force was visibly fierce.
"Shut up, you idiot!"
Zhang Ruoyun grimaced, gasped, and scrunched up her teeth, her face contorted in pain, but she still couldn't help muttering under her breath, "I'm doing this for his own good..."
"Shut up!" Tang Yixin pinched him again, this time even harder.
Gu Qing looked at the loving couple and couldn't help but smile.
The subsequent stage performances were finally online.
The next performer is pop diva Calvin Choi.
The energetic music blared, the lights flashed, and Cai Yilin, dressed in a sequined outfit, walked onto the stage to the rhythm. Every step he took was perfectly timed with the drumbeats, as if he were riding on wheels of fire.
Zhang Ruoyun's small eyes widened as she stared intently at the performance on stage, her mouth slightly agape, as if frozen in place.
This pop diva is known for her avant-garde, sexy, and fiery singing style, which is completely opposite to her pure and innocent image before her debut.
The stunning scenery on stage captivated many, leaving them mesmerized as if drawn to a magnet.
But immediately, Zhang Ruoyun was elbowed by her own boss.
"Look at me again and I'll gouge your eyes out!"
Tang Yixin's eyes flashed with a fierce message, and she waved her fingers in front of his face as if she were about to actually make a move.
"Boss, I'm not the only one who thinks this way!"
Zhang Ruoyun felt very wronged and felt that she was going to be elbowed to death sooner or later.
He pointed at Gu Qing, who was filming with his phone, trying to drag someone down with him, "Little Gu is recording with his phone! Aren't you going to say anything to him!"
"Stop fooling around, I'm enjoying the song."
Gu Qing was intently holding her phone, completely absorbed in the joy of shipping a couple.
He was thinking about whether he should do something reckless later and send the message to Jay Chou to get his opinion on Cai Tianhou's singing and dancing skills.
This elderly man, who lives a secluded life at home, is incredibly leisurely every day—he doesn't release albums, doesn't hold concerts, stays at home taking care of his child, and is constantly asked to play video games with him.
When he's bored, he'll share a few magic videos, as well as his amazing basketball and tennis skills.
"Am I handsome? Am I awesome?"
Even though the actions in the video were incredibly awkward, Gu Qing still had to go against her conscience and say a few words of praise.
Otherwise, this chauvinistic "Milk Tea Princess" would be genuinely angry.
Gu Qing wondered if she should put some pressure on him.
Back in the day, Jay Chou was known for his numerous affairs and scandals.
The three romantic relationships, in particular, have left fans ecstatic – the Jay Chou and Jay Chou relationship, the Patty Hou relationship, and the JH relationship…
It's fair to say that it left many fans completely disoriented.
This even led to the infamous scene where Jay Chou posted a photo with his wife, which resulted in him being labeled a "scumbag" and "broken-up" by fans of the couple and trending on social media.
In terms of the obsession of CP fans, Gu Qing felt that they were no less obsessed than his sibling CP.
Who knows?
After the banquet ends tonight, what tricks will those persistent ghosts pull this time?
After Cai Yilin's performance, Bazaar officially began the charity auction.
The host of this segment was none other than Lao Guo, who sports a peach-shaped hairstyle.
As soon as he stepped onto the stage, Gu Qing put down his phone, perked up, and straightened his back a bit.
In last year's confrontation, although he had a slight advantage, he was still thoroughly outmaneuvered by this king of crosstalk and almost suffered an unexpected defeat.
This old man has a really sharp tongue.
He can insult people without using vulgar language, yet every word he utters is sharper than a knife, cutting into their hearts.
"Hello everyone, it's been a long time."
As soon as Guo Degang stepped onto the stage, he started joking around, his smile sweeping over the entire audience like an eagle eyeing chicks. "Are you all really reluctant to see me? Are you afraid I'll sneak a few bucks out of your pockets...?"
All the artists: "..."
When the camera pans across the room, all you see are faces forcing smiles.
The originally joyful atmosphere instantly became extremely quiet, as if someone had pressed the pause button.
Many celebrities know that they're going to be forced to donate money by this old man again.
"If you want to donate, go donate yourself! Why are you forcing us?!"
"Do you think it's easy for me (my mother) to earn money?"
"Uh...it seems pretty easy."
The artists were cursing and complaining in their hearts, but they still had to maintain a proper smile on their faces.
That expression was worse than crying, like he had swallowed a live fly.
"Brother, help him! Take Old Guo down!"
Many celebrities who didn't want to donate money turned their hopeful eyes to table A6, eagerly hoping that Guo Degang would continue to make fools of himself and make fun of Gu Qing.
Last year's clash is still a legend in the industry, embellished with incredible detail.
Some say Gu Qing left Guo Degang speechless, while others say Guo Degang was so badly criticized by Gu Qing's fans that he dared not retaliate. There are various versions of the story.
Unfortunately,
Whether it was because Lao Guo was suddenly kind-hearted or realized his mistake last year, he didn't turn his gun on Gu Qing again.
Gu Qing didn't do anything rash at all. He laughed and clapped happily in the face of Lao Guo's teasing, as if he wasn't the one being teased.
Oh...it doesn't seem to be him after all.
Then you should be even happier!
Gu Qing sat there, watching Lao Guo ridicule those usually aloof artists until they blushed and were restless, and felt incredibly satisfied.
These celebrities earn astronomical salaries, drive luxury cars, and live in mansions, but when it comes to doing charity, they all become hesitant and stingy, wishing they could sew their wallets to their belts.
Guo Degang's mouth may be a bit sharp, but it's always right.
Those sharp and sarcastic remarks hit the nail on the head.
Gu Qing clapped and laughed, a genuine and carefree laugh that left Zhang Ruoyun, who was standing next to him, stunned.
Dude, you still dare to say you have high emotional intelligence?!
"Come on, let's see what's up for auction tonight."
After making sarcastic remarks for a while, seeing the artists' faces turn ashen and the organizers waving repeatedly, Guo finally softened his tone and said, "Wow, the first piece, I heard it's an artist's work."
It's called "Beijing Dream No.1 + No.8".
The painting was quite exquisite, with rich colors and a bold composition. It was auctioned for a high price of 350 million yuan, and was successfully purchased by An Yixuan and her husband.
Another painting was purchased by Mr. Huang for 250 million yuan.
Each artwork was priced starting at millions, and artists were constantly raising their paddles, vying for the pieces in a lively and competitive manner.
However, when it came to bidding on a piece of jewelry, the artists at the scene bid listlessly, with the price increasing by tens of thousands at a time, like squeezing toothpaste, which was so slow that it made people anxious.
The auctioneer raised and lowered the gavel repeatedly.
"Increasing your pay by tens of thousands isn't meaningful. Can't your salaries also increase by tens of thousands?"
Old Guo couldn't take it anymore, and his mouth started attacking again, his tone full of sarcasm, sharp as a knife, "Let's be straightforward, I'll offer 280 million!"
How could he not know why these artists are so enthusiastic about buying paintings?
These artworks are worthless. If you actually sold them, they wouldn't be as expensive as jewelry.
But for these famous artists, buying paintings is seen as a favor, a sign of refinement, and a way to enhance their own image.
As for doing charity?
That was just a side deal, a bonus, a buy-one-get-one-free offer.
Old Guo naturally disapproved. With the auctioneer's three taps, he won the bid for the jewelry.
"By the way, this piece of jewelry was purchased separately and doesn't count as a subsequent donation."
Guo Degang gave the artists who bought the artworks another reminder, clearly stating, "Don't even think about escaping; you still have to donate!"
For a time,
The artists and bosses who purchased the works looked grim, as if they had swallowed a fly and couldn't spit it out.
Simultaneously,
Old Guo suddenly smiled, his gaze falling on the front row: "This beautiful one..."
He paused, a smirk playing on his lips, a smile that looked anything but friendly. "Little boy, do you think I'm right?"
Gu Qing: "..."
Is it too late to beat up Xiao Guo now?
……
...(End of this chapter)