Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 146 Not hard work, but a bitter life

"What? He already has a girlfriend, and so quickly?"

Cheng Xiao's anger flared up instantly, and she looked at Wu Xuanyi with eyes full of burning rage.

If she were to confront Gu Jingyi face to face, she definitely wouldn't give him the slightest bit of a friendly look.

She even interrogated him aggressively, wishing she could slap this scumbag across the face.

Did she say she wanted to cut off contact? She clearly explained things to Gu Jingyi on WeChat before: "Let's calm down first!"

It's just a delaying tactic to "calm down first."

Good grief, you managed to get her out of the game while you were trying to calm down, didn't you?
Cheng Xiao was furious, and the more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt.

How could Gu Jingyi be like this? He's such a scumbag. She's already given herself to him, isn't that enough to show her feelings?
A jumble of thoughts swept through Cheng Xiao's mind like surging waves.

But after seeing Wu Xuanyi, she began to doubt whether it was true or not.

"Xuanyi, does he really have a girlfriend?"

Cheng Xiao looked at Wu Xuanyi with some suspicion, staring intently at her face to make sure he didn't miss any of the smallest expressions.

Wu Xuanyi rolled her eyes at her, annoyed. "How could this be fake? Why would I lie to you about something like this? If you want to verify it, just ask Gu Jingyi."

After being treated this way by Cheng Xiao time and time again, Wu Xuanyi's patience was finally exhausted. She was truly fed up with Cheng Xiao's baffling behavior; she knew better than to interfere in her friends' relationships.

Cheng Xiao's expression froze. She had actually been caught up in her emotions. She was already resentful when Gu Jingyi ignored her in the waiting room, and when she saw Gu Jingyi and Wu Xuanyi rehearsing "Heart Attraction" on the wall-mounted TV, she became even more jealous. In a fit of anger, she deleted and blocked Gu Jingyi.

Is she unwilling to ask? Or is it that there's simply no way to ask?

Seeing that Cheng Xiao looked unwell, Wu Xuanyi softened her tone.

"He told me this himself. His current girlfriend is Dilraba. And he's not just dating one girlfriend; he's been dating three at the same time."

To everyone's surprise, Cheng Xiao breathed a sigh of relief after hearing those words.

"He's lying; it can't be such a coincidence."

Wu Xuanyi's lips twitched, but she didn't say anything.

Cheng Xiao grabbed her wrist and asked earnestly, "Xuanyi, do you believe me?"

“Me…?” Wu Xuanyi tilted her head, her expression absurd and somewhat frightened.

"No, why are you asking me whether you believe me or not? You should ask Gu Jingyi. That's my opinion..."

Before they could say two or three words, they saw tears glistening in Cheng Xiao's eyes.

"Hey, I... I'm not you... oh well, never mind..."

Seeing her like this, Wu Xuanyi couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh, her expression a jumbled mess. Her face was so contorted it could easily become a meme, making her look somewhat comical.

"Xuanyi... could you lend me your phone for a moment?"

Cheng Xiao looked at Wu Xuanyi with teary eyes, looking pitiful.

After all, their sisterly bond wasn't fake; the two had trained together in South Korea.

Wu Xuanyi had some reluctance, but still unlocked her phone and handed it to her.

She was very considerate and handed Gu Jingyi's chat box over.

"I'll go out into the hallway for some fresh air first."

Wu Xuanyi left Cheng Xiao with her private space, and the door was gently closed.

With a soft sigh, it twirled and fell like a leaf.

Cheng Xiao breathed a sigh of relief for no apparent reason, and she grabbed Wu Xuanyi's phone with both hands and started typing.

"Are you there?"

[? ]
The other party replied quickly; a single question mark said it all.

Cheng Xiao gritted her teeth, "Gu Jingyi, what do you mean?"

"Why did you choose me for the opening dance of the show...?"

the other side

Gu Jingyi smiled when he saw the message.

It seems Wu Xuanyi is very quick; Cheng Xiao can't sit still any longer.

[I don't think this is something you should be asking.]
Upon seeing this sentence, large tears streamed down Cheng Xiao's face.

She just wanted to test the waters from Wu Xuanyi's perspective to see what Gu Jingyi would say.

If he had said "it's part of the program schedule," the knot of emotion that had been weighing on her heart for so long would have dissipated.

But Gu Jingyi doesn't play by the rules; he's cold and distant.

Unfortunately, she was too weak-willed and her feelings for him weren't over. She started to feel jealous because of this unrequited love, humbling herself to the point of feeling worthless.

"I believe that, as the person involved, it's essential for me to know why you chose me..."

Tears fell onto the screen, blooming into cold flowers. Cheng Xiao's eyes were blurry with tears, and the words in the chat box appeared indistinct and indistinct.

There was a moment of silence on the other end, and then Gu Jingyi's reply came quickly.

[You must be Cheng Xiao.]
Cheng Xiao felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave; she really didn't understand how Gu Jingyi had recognized her so quickly.

Her fingertips trembled as she sent a short message to Gu Jingyi.

"Jingyi, let's make up. I just can't stand being without you. I think about you every night these days..."

"Didn't you say you liked my sandwiches the most? I promise you, I promise you everything, okay..."

"Jingyi, what are you looking at? Why have you been glued to your phone since just now? We're about to record the show."

Lin Ze noticed that Gu Jingyi was staring at his phone in a daze, so he nudged his arm to remind him.

And just like that, I saw the short essay that Cheng Xiao had sent me.

"Oh, so that's why you're collaborating with Wu Xuanyi on 'Shiny' for the third time. Jingyi, you've been preparing for this whole thing since then."

Lin Ze winked at Gu Jingyi, "Wu Xuanyi is pretty good-looking, she looks like both Tang Yan and Chen Qiaoen. Her legs are so straight and long, 106 centimeters is practically unbeatable for someone her height..."

"No, it was Cheng Xiao who was sending me messages on her phone."

Gu Jingyi smiled and explained that he and Wu Xuanyi were now in a completely innocent relationship.

Gu hates being misunderstood more than anything in his life. How could he have been slandered when he did nothing wrong?

"It's Cheng Xiao..." Lin Ze pursed his lips, somewhat uninterested.

It's pretty boring. I thought it was another "Gu Huang Pick" from Produce 101.

After all that, it turns out it's still the same old folks fighting amongst themselves.

Will she win the repechage?

Lin Ze asked another question, looking at Gu Jingyi.

"A revival match?" Gu Jingyi was amused by this interesting analogy.

"Don't talk nonsense. How can a secret friendship in bed be considered one of the 'resurrection rounds'?"

Gu Jingyi waved his hand, refusing Lin Ze's offer to promote Cheng Xiao.

During his time on "Idol Producer," Gu Jingyi had a closed-door relationship with Cheng Xiao, and over time, they developed feelings for each other. Gu Jingyi did indeed have the idea of ​​promoting Cheng Xiao from a mentor to a higher level.

But Cheng Xiao didn't seize the opportunity and said, "Let's calm down first!"

Several months have passed, and those feelings of goodwill that arose impulsively have gradually faded away.

Gu Jingyi now has several girlfriends: the pure and innocent top girl, the youthful and bright Xiaotian, the sexy and charming Reba, and the gentle and considerate Tongtong.

Among these sisters-in-law, Jianmei has the best legs, Xiaotian has the best chest and muscular arms, Reba has the best body proportions, and Tongtong has the best dimples.

Each one possesses both good looks and a unique personality, making them completely irreplaceable.

Cheng Xiao? It seems that his chances of winning are not very high at this stage.

Although Xiaotian and Reba are slightly less numerous, they make up for it in terms of looks.

Seeing that Gu Jingyi had just left with a single sentence and then nothing more, she waited a long time for a reply.

Cheng Xiao had to admit that her emotions had been stirred up and wouldn't just dissipate easily.

Her makeup today was different from her usual sweet look; the makeup artist had given Cheng Xiao a heavy makeover.

These emotions, accentuated by her makeup, made Cheng Xiao's features appear even more aggressive, giving her a somewhat unapproachable and arrogant vibe.

When Wu Xuanyi returned after the storm, she saw this scene, and Cheng Xiao's chest heaved with anger.

"what happened?"

"Too lazy to talk," Cheng Xiao said, lowering his eyes and handing his phone to Wu Xuanyi.

Wu Xuanyi also quickly glanced at the chat history and roughly got the gist of it.

The two of them just didn't have a good talk. Gu Jingyi's attitude was ambiguous, and Cheng Xiao was putting on airs. It's hard to judge either of them.

"Xuanyi, you've worked hard."

"Not hard work, just a tough life."

Wu Xuanyi gave a bitter smile; being caught in the middle was incredibly uncomfortable. How could she have been so bewitched by Gu Jingyi's charm and agreed to be his messenger?

This guy must have had this in mind from the very beginning.

Seriously, that old bastard, he's playing dirty...

"Knock knock knock," came the knocking sound from outside the standby room.

"Xuanyi, Xiaoxiao, get ready, it's time to enter."

"it is good"

Wu Xuanyi responded energetically, and her expression turned serious as she glanced at Cheng Xiao, whose mood was still off.

"Xiaoxiao, calm down. The show is about to start recording, and you're being too obvious right now."

"Um"

Cheng Xiao forced a smile, composed himself, and went out with Wu Xuanyi.

On the other side, Gu Jingyi locked her phone and handed it to her agent, Lin Ze.

"If the production team needs to call the first contact in the address book later, they will use the same work number phone number we used before."

"Okay, Jingyi."

Lin Ze nodded; he seemed quite reliable.

Sometimes, "Happy Camp" will have these surprise segments, where the artist's team is not informed beforehand, and the punishment for losing a game is used as an excuse.

The host randomly selected a phone number from the artist's contact list and called it in front of the recording of the show.

This "anyone" is usually chosen from celebrities who have been romantically linked to other celebrities or are the most popular and talked-about female celebrities.

The man who ran the restaurant had previously called an ordinary person, and the person's sincere emotions resonated with him. Years later, this revelation struck him like a boomerang, becoming a topic of gossip even when he was eating beef noodles.

Cheng Xiao had also suffered from this before. When the host called, the other party simply answered 456 on the phone. The crucial point was that at that time, his rumored affair with Zhao Xiaodao was all the rage.

Because of this incident, even more than a decade later, fans still brought up that criticism of Cheng Xiao.

Gu Jingyi's past isn't exactly spotless, given his current popularity. "Happy Camp" might very well target him, and if that leads to an incident, it would be catastrophic.

The reach of information through new media is far greater than before, and Gu Jingyi has no desire to be crucified like this. She doesn't want everything to be used as evidence and arbitrarily judged by passersby after the scandal breaks.

He had Lin Ze prepare a work device for him beforehand, which contained the phone numbers of some magazines, advertisements, members of Milkballs, and male and female actors he had worked with on dramas.

Yang Zi and Dilraba are both very likely to be mentioned; Lin Ze understood with just one look from Gu Jingyi.

After Gu Jingyi left, Lin Ze started making phone calls to Yang Zi and Dilraba's agents one after another.

Planning ahead is a fundamental skill for top-tier teams.

Gu Jingyi ran into Cheng Xiao again; she and Wu Xuanyi were standing arm in arm backstage.

Wu Xuanyi greeted Gu Jingyi in a graceful manner, but Cheng Xiao acted as if he hadn't even seen such a grown man.

"No need for such formalities, we'll meet again on stage in a little while."

Gu Jingyi smiled gently, breaking the ice.

The backstage area isn't just for artists who are about to go on stage; staff members are also waiting there.

However, since they signed a cooperation agreement and didn't say anything too explicit, Gu Jingyi wasn't afraid of being gossiped about; he was deliberately trying to provoke Cheng Xiao.

Wu Xuanyi laughed "hehehe," completely losing her previous "official" demeanor.

"Then Gu Jingyi, you'll be here in a bit..."

"it is good"

As Cheng Xiao listened to the two people talking about the stage again, he felt an uncontrollable pang of sadness in his heart.

Gu Jingyi saw it, but couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

He really gave him another way out. Since Cheng Xiao was so stubborn, he shouldn't blame Master Gu for being ruthless.

He's not someone anyone can easily control. If Cheng Xiao continues to act so aloof:

Then let's stay angry and wait until we can communicate normally before talking about it.

Gu Jingyi's subsequent negotiations went very smoothly, and he didn't even bother to give Cheng Xiao a second glance.

"The next person I'm going to introduce is really amazing. His new album broke sales records, and he became a national school heartthrob because of a TV series."

He Jiong gave a somewhat exaggerated introduction, using a series of prefixes on Gu Jingyi.

"Oh, really?" Sheena chimed in, "The one I'm going to introduce is also very impressive. She just debuted from a phenomenal talent show and is known as the nation's sweetheart."

He Jiong patted his chest and said with great certainty, "Yours is not as good as mine. Mine is a huge C-cup."

"Really? Then let's have a competition."

The cheers from the audience rose and fell as the two hosts introduced the contestants.

"Ahhh, Gu Jingyi!!!"

"Jing travels the world, but Yi walks alone!"

The recording of each episode of "Happy Camp" is a public event.

Gu Jingyi's participation in this episode of "Happy Camp" had already been included in the promotional materials made by her big fans.

A large number of fans holding support items were waiting for his arrival. In order to improve the ratings, "Happy Camp" gave Gu Jingyi the last appearance.

The previous guests had already finished recording their segments before it was Gu Jingyi, Wu Xuanyi, and Cheng Xiao's turn to appear.

When they heard that Gu Jingyi was about to come out, screams erupted from all directions.

As soon as Gu Jingyi appeared on stage, he felt the enthusiasm of the fans.

During the recording of "Happy Camp," viewers were required to sign a confidentiality agreement, prohibiting them from posting behind-the-scenes photos online before the show aired. This was also a rare instance of Gu Jingyi appearing on stage without being photographed by flashes from all directions.

Only the fansite admins would carry photography equipment and adjust the telephoto lens to take direct shots of him.

These can only be released simultaneously after the show airs. In fact, "Happy Camp" initially refused entry to fansites.

But given Gu Jingyi's terrifying popularity, "it's better to guide than to suppress."

Gu Jingyi's fan site admins are known for their excellent camera work; their camera movements in various fancams are far superior to the messy camera movements found in many other Chinese entertainment websites.

Fortunately, the production team allowed Gu Jingyi's fansite admin to film the stage, and after the show airs, this will generate a new wave of buzz that will benefit the show.

On stage, a soft spotlight focused on Gu Jingyi and Wu Xuanyi.

"I'm a bit far from you, and my view is blocked. I have to stand on tiptoe to pretend I'm closer."

When the lively and playful rhythm ended, Gu Jingyi picked up the microphone and his gentle, magnetic voice resonated throughout the entire studio.

Today he was wearing a Dior printed embroidered denim jacket, paired with jeans and shoes from the same brand.

Looking trendy and fashionable, Gu Jingyi's appearance immediately drew a chorus of frogs from the audience.

"Ahhh, honey!!"

"Gu Jingyi!!!"

"If you can't learn to act, you can only make funny faces. Carefully test how the person opposite you will react."

Wu Xuanyi also came out from the other side, holding a microphone.

She was wearing a short skirt today, and her legs were straight and shapely, which was pleasing to the eye.

Needless to say, this kind of stage is top-notch; both of them are among the most talented active idols.

Wu Xuanyi isn't just a pretty face; it's just that Tencent didn't expect her to lose to the "dark horse" Yang Yunqing at the beginning of Produce 101.

He revised the script overnight and chose to give the "Great Demon King Script" to Sanji.

She had a lot of facial expressions, and the overall stage atmosphere was great.

As the lyrics progressed, the two exchanged simple glances, yet the stage was filled with a sweet, romantic atmosphere that made everyone smile.

"I think this is the law of attraction, finding what you want to say to someone."

"Together, you and I have slowly grown closer."

"I want to go to Antarctica with you, and I want to watch shooting stars with you."

When the song reaches the chorus, "I think this is the law of attraction, finding what you want to say to me. Together, you and I have slowly grown closer."

The backup dancers around them also started dancing the waltz in groups. Gu Jingyi took Wu Xuanyi's hand in a gentlemanly manner, and the two of them danced together.

Singing together at this close range, the ambiguous feeling between the handsome man and beautiful woman in their eyes almost overflows the screen.

As the rehearsal concluded, Wu Xuanyi was embraced by Gu Jingyi.

Gu Jingyi smiled tenderly, looking down at Wu Xuanyi, and sang the last line of the song:
"It's strange that I could even think of growing old with you."

Wu Xuanyi smiled and looked at him, then gently poked Gu Jingyi's cheek with her finger.

"Ah, no! Don't poke my husband's dimples!"

"We will protect Gu Jingyi's dimples, sob sob sob."

This move immediately made Gu Jingyi's fans uneasy.

We rehearsed and rehearsed repeatedly beforehand, basically just relentlessly attacking them.

My emotions reached their peak, and I could no longer hold them back.

Thankfully it was pre-recorded, otherwise Gu Jingyi and Wu Xuanyi would have really burst out laughing.

"Welcome back our old friend from Happy Camp, Jingyi!"

Teacher He smiled and smoothed things over, putting his arm around Gu Jingyi's shoulder.

"Hello friends from Happy Camp, I'm Gu Jingyi."

Gu Jingyi wore a smile on his face, but his heart was actually indifferent.

He's hardly a regular on "Happy Camp"; this is only his third time on the show since his debut.

He's not a Hunan TV artist, and he didn't get much exposure on Happy Camp before.

They only started fawning over Gu Jingyi after he became an undisputed top star.

The recording of "Happy Camp" is very boring; it's just some casual chatting and playing games.

After the opening, Gu Jingyi just sat in his seat and waited to be called on.

He made a point of finding Wu Xin, who was on the margins of society, and sat down next to her in the second row.

Then Xie Na prompted, "Jingyi, come sit in the front."

He Jiong and Xie Na both hold relatively central positions on "Happy Camp," so Gu Jingyi had no choice but to give up his idea of ​​slacking off.

He sat down in the first row, and as soon as he did, he saw several cameras pointed at him.

Popularity is something that snowballs.

When they weren't famous, they didn't get much screen time, and even if they wanted exposure, they couldn't get it.

When someone is popular, even if they want to slack off, there will be plenty of people to bring up topics and focus the camera on them.

Gu Jingyi actually has a decent sense of variety, but he didn't come to "Happy Camp" with any promotional mission.

I'm too lazy to steal the spotlight, so I'll just sit here and kill some time.

"Jingyi, what's your take on this issue?"

"Let's have Jingyi learn from him."

He was the subject of countless conversations.

Gu Jingyi's repeated efforts have finally led to the main event.

In a game similar to "Radish Squat" on the show "Happy Camp", the punishment was to connect with a friend live on air.

Gu Jingyi's brow twitched. Oh no, this was aimed at him.

He was completely focused during the game and fought his way into the finals.

"Jingyi, you won't get any screen time if you do that."

During halftime, Teacher He whispered a reminder in his ear.

"Oh? It's okay."

Gu Jingyi smiled and waved his hand. Of course he knew that if he kept winning, his scenes would be easily edited out.

But what he wanted was the contrast; the more the production team thought he had something special to offer, the more authentic the subsequent phone interview would seem to the audience.

"Jingyi lost!"

As expected, during the subsequent recording, the others immediately banded together to hunt down Gu Jingyi.

Gu Jingyi deliberately revealed a flaw and lost the game.

"Gu Jingyi, as part of the punishment, you need to hand your phone to the director in the audience. We will randomly select an artist for a live video call. Please cooperate with us."

Lin Ze, who was sitting in the audience, cooperated by handing over the phone he had prepared beforehand.

The director was somewhat excited. He pretended to browse through Gu Jingyi's contacts and then dialed a number.

"Beep...beep...beep"

The phone started ringing and was answered just before it was about to hang up.

"Hey"

Dilraba's voice is highly recognizable, and the staff of "Happy Camp" were very excited as soon as the call was connected.

"Hello, this is Gu Jingyi."

Gu Jingyi introduced himself somewhat awkwardly, his expression showing a hint of embarrassment.

"Hmm...I know, I actually made a note about it here."

Dilraba paused for a moment, then gave a somewhat awkward explanation.

"Did you just finish filming, Teacher Dilraba?" There was some noise in the background on Dilraba's end.

Gu Jingyi spoke, asking probingly.

"Yes, that's right..." Dilraba's voice on the other end of the phone was also a little unsteady, and a faint embarrassment filled the room.

He Jiong and Xie Na exchanged a glance and began to take control of the situation.

"Is this Reba? I'm He Jiong."

"I am Nana"

As soon as the two main hosts from Hunan TV spoke, Dilraba's attitude instantly became warmer.

"Ah, Teacher He and Sister Na, hello."

He Jiong said with a smile, "Hello Dilraba, this is the recording site of 'Happy Camp'. Jingyi just lost a game, and her punishment is that our director will randomly call a co-star she has worked with before."

"I knew it... why would Gu Jingyi suddenly call me?"

Dilraba covered her mouth and laughed, saying with some burden.

Gu Jingyi lowered his head, his earlobes slightly red. He looked at the ground, pretending to be embarrassed as he scratched his toes on the ground.

"Ahhh, brother is so awesome!"

"Jingyi truly is a born husband, the most virtuous of all male idols!"

He stood at the edge of the stage and heard the wealthy female fans in the front row shouting.

Suddenly I felt a little guilty; male virtues…

Why do fans keep praising things he doesn't actually have? If they want to praise him, they can praise his looks, talent, strength, acting skills, etc.

What's the point of male virtue? Is it tasty?

Xie Na walked over and said to the fans, "Keep your voices down, Jingyi is shy."

"My brother is so innocent, I love him!"

"Jingyi, even if you're a magical little chef, we won't look down on you. Don't be shy."

Those who can sit in the front row are all wealthy female fans, and these two fans are dressed in luxury brands and have an outstanding temperament.

Seeing Gu Jingyi like this, her heart melted.

As expected, my own brother is different from those scumbags like Chris and Fengfeng.

Their gazes toward Gu Jingyi became increasingly unrestrained, their eyes gleaming with lust, as if they wanted to devour him on the spot.

"Jingyi, here's your task. Please name the character in the other person's most recent work. If you get it wrong, you have to post an ugly photo on Weibo!"

He Jiong used those handheld microphones to refer to the process.

Ling Lingqi from "One Thousand and One Nights"

Gu Jingyi answered instantly.

This is indeed a problem that is difficult to avoid, as we all know, because of "Ashes of Love".

Gu Jingyi pretending not to know the answer to this question would be too fake.

"Dilraba, please name the character Gu Jingyi played in his latest work."

He followed suit and continued asking questions.

"Xu Feng from 'Ashes of Love'"

Dilraba's voice is also very clear and crisp, and she spoke it off the cuff.

"Gu Jingyi, do you think this punishment is sufficient?"

Sheena looked at him with a malicious smile.

"Of course, didn't I already say it?"

He Jiong revealed a wicked gardenia smile, "Wrong, please read the question carefully. We are asking about a character in a recent work. It's currently airing, not being filmed."

"Li Huizhen from 'Pretty Li Huizhen'"

Gu Jingyi thought for a moment and then said it with certainty.

"Oops, I'm wrong!"

Dilraba denied it directly on the phone, saying, "That was a work that aired in the first half of the year. I still have another one!"

Gu Jingyi pretended not to understand, and He Jiong patted him on the shoulder.

"I hereby declare that Gu Jingyi has failed in his challenge!"

"Wait a minute, Teacher He, could you let Teacher Dilraba guess my most recently airing work?"

"No, that's too easy. Please accept your punishment: post an unflattering photo of yourself from 'Ashes of Love' after the recording ends."

He Jiong shook his head, denying it.

"Okay, I'm willing to admit defeat."

Gu Jingyi nodded with some regret and accepted.

Suddenly, Dilraba spoke with a hint of guilt.

"I'm sorry, Gu Jingyi."

Gu Jingyi almost burst out laughing; he hadn't expected Dilraba to be so entertaining.

Great, after today's episode airs, the rumors about him and Dilraba will be completely debunked, and he'll have plenty of excuses even if he's photographed on dates afterward.

That was Gu Jingyi's purpose; a real man never waits until the truth is revealed before clarifying it.

He planned ahead, and "Happy Camp" had the highest viewership ratings in the country.

After this, who still believes that Gu Jingyi and Dilraba are in a relationship?
Thanks to Hunan TV's help, Gu Jingyi got both.

Xie Na thought Gu Jingyi was beyond help and quickly tried to ease the tension.

"The way you two are on the phone sounds like the client is calling the service provider! Didn't you just do magazine shoots and commercials together before?"

Dilraba smiled helplessly, "Sister Na, those are all business meetings for two people organized by the brands."

Gu Jingyi followed suit, saying, "It's all work..."

The phone call ended in such a cheerful atmosphere, and Gu Jingyi, back in the center of the stage, pretended to be embarrassed.

Cheng Xiao, who had been listening intently to the phone call, smiled smugly.

[I knew it, it was fake...]
(End of this chapter)