The moment Ba Zong appeared, having held the center position all evening with an imposing demeanor, the veteran actor Huang Yuehua sprang up as if his seat were coated with double-sided tape.
“President Gu, your presence honors us! Welcome, welcome, please take the honored seat!”
Not only did Huang Yuehua rise, but everyone else in the private room followed suit. You Xiaoxia had no choice but to go with the flow, though this didn’t stop her inner commentary.
[And here I thought veteran actors were above it all! Seems even they have to bow to financial realities!]
Gu Sicheng cleared his throat lightly. “I came here to discuss some matters and happened to notice your wrap-up banquet. I hope you don’t mind me dropping by unannounced?”
“Not at all, not at all!” the director and Huang Yuehua chimed in simultaneously.
After all, he was the investor of this production—the true host. Talking about disturbing them seemed unnecessarily formal.
Gu Sicheng scanned the room, his gaze lingering on You Xiaoxia for a few extra seconds before he said calmly, “Please, everyone, carry on.”
The director and Huang Yuehua escorted Ba Zong to the center position while the others returned to their seats and resumed eating and drinking.
You Xiaoxia was growing impatient. Though the big gossip was enticing, sacrificing sleep to stay up late for it somewhat diminished the appeal!
Fortunately, Zhang Xiaoya soon returned from the neighboring room. The previously drowsy You Xiaoxia perked up immediately, straightening her posture.
[Here they come, the protagonists have arrived!]
Everyone in the room except Huang Yuehua tensed with anticipation.
Zhang Xiaoya paused briefly under the intense collective gaze but quickly composed herself. Approaching Huang Yuehua, she said, “Teacher Yuehua, President Gu, everyone must be tired of sitting. How about stepping out for some fresh air? There’s a performance downstairs right now!”
Huang Yuehua sought opinions from Gu Sicheng and the director.
Just then: [Yes, yes! Quick, quick, or we’ll miss the show!]
Gu Sicheng nodded immediately. “Let’s go take a look then.”
Hearing the mental voice, Zhang Xiaoya faltered momentarily. But remembering what she had planned—something she’d prepared for so long specifically for today—she brushed aside the strange sound and led everyone out of the private room.
Most present were public figures. Under normal circumstances, they would never venture out so openly to avoid trouble. But today, for the sake of the gossip, they threw caution to the wind!
Outside the room, the corridor faced a railing overlooking the first-floor booths and central stage.
The first floor had just wrapped up a round of dancing, and the atmosphere was electric. The bar host emerged with a microphone: “Lucky guests at our bar tonight! We have a special guest performance coming up…”
As the host hyped up the crowd, a man emerged from backstage wearing a white shirt and black trousers. Aside from being barefoot, he looked fairly normal—if you ignored the cat mask on his face and the black cat ears!
The second-floor railing was crowded with onlookers, several girls already stomping their feet in excitement.
“Ahhhh, he’s so adorable!”
“First time I’ve seen someone make a shirt and trousers look… provocative!”
“But… is he going to do a striptease?!”
Gu Sicheng and Jing Feng beside him stiffened simultaneously, both turning to look at You Xiaoxia: Was this the big gossip she mentioned?!
You Xiaoxia leaned against Qingqing, holding her wine glass and chuckling to herself for reasons known only to her.
The host pointed the microphone at the man wearing the cat ear headband: “Is your performance today dedicated to someone special?”
The cat ear headband man nodded: “Yes, it’s for my beloved! I hope he stays happy every day!”
The host acknowledged this and asked a few more follow-up questions.
Upstairs, Huang Yuehua had been watching with interest, but upon hearing the voice, he chuckled and remarked to Gu Sicheng beside him: “That voice sounds oddly familiar.”
He just couldn’t quite place who it belonged to!
[Of course it’s familiar! That’s your son! Your biological son!]
“Pfft—” The portly director, who had just taken a sip of his drink, spat it out in shock.
Being unfamiliar with You Xiaoxia, he didn’t recognize whose voice this was, but his eyes darted around the crowd in disbelief!
Who did she say that was? The person downstairs is Huang Yuehua’s son?!
As everyone knew, Huang Yuehua only had one son, also an actor who debuted in tough-guy roles. With his upright image, he almost exclusively played respectable characters in state-affiliated roles, with soldiers and police officers being his acting comfort zone!
Gu Sicheng chuckled lightly: “Many people have similar voices. Teacher Huang, you might have misheard.”
Huang Yuehua nodded: “You’re absolutely right!”
Everyone on the second floor who had heard the inner thoughts stared incredulously at the man wearing the cat ear headband downstairs.
The girls who had been stomping their feet earlier stopped, finding it somewhat hard to accept.
“Wait, isn’t Huang Yuehua’s son the one with pimples on his face and a beard on his chin?”
“That’s him, that’s him! Oh my god, my fantasy is shattered!”
“I thought he was a cute puppy, but he turned out to be a gorilla!”
“Some people really should only be seen from behind. One look at their face and the illusion is gone!”
Zhang Xiaoya stiffened completely. However, after observing Huang Yuehua and noticing he showed no unusual reaction, she guessed he couldn’t hear the strange voice and gradually relaxed!
Downstairs, the performance had begun!
Setting aside everything else, Huang Yuehua’s son had a great physique. On stage, he swayed his hips, twisted his waist, and occasionally clenched his fist—as large as a casserole—placing it by his cheek while imitating a cat’s meow.
Everyone on the second floor wore expressions of speechless dismay.
“This is so weird. The more I watch, the more wrong it feels!”
“Wait, why does this dance seem so… Gěi zi-ish?”
Huang Yuehua wore an expression as if he had swallowed a fly: “A grown man dancing like this—completely lacking masculinity! He’s an embarrassment to men!”
The portly director simply looked at him with sympathy and shook his head.
Huang Yuehua, slightly tipsy, became even more talkative: “Isn’t this guy a homosexual?! So the person he loves most must be a man too?”
[That’s right, your son is indeed a Gěi zi! As for the person he loves most… hahaha, you’d never guess—it’s someone who can give you a ‘huge, huge, huge’ surprise!]
Being industry insiders, everyone immediately began speculating silently about who Huang Yanjun’s beloved could be!
Someone who would shock Huang Yuehua—could it be another industry insider?!
There were a few well-known Gěi zi in the circle, but no one could pinpoint which one it might be!
All eyes turned to You Xiaoxia, hoping she would spill more big gossip!
After a series of cringe-worthy floor moves, the absurd dance finally ended. The bar crowd, however, was supportive, filling the venue with cheers and whistles!
Huang Yanjun seemed to be feeling shy, scampering off the stage and fluttering like a butterfly into the arms of a man hidden in the shadows.
Everyone craned their necks to get a clear look at the man’s appearance, but he was extremely cautious—not only concealed in the darkness but also wearing a half-mask.
This only made everyone more curious!
However, Huang Yuehua had no interest in matters related to homosexuality and smiled at Gu Sicheng, saying, “President Gu, shall we go in?”
Gu Sicheng glanced at You Xiaoxia once more before nodding. Beside him, Jing Feng also looked disappointed; he had thought this trip might yield some results, but who knew…
As the group headed back, their private room was right next to the staircase. Just as Huang Yuehua was about to enter, Zhang Xiaoya suddenly let out a gasp, her trembling finger pointing toward the stairs. “Is… is that Yanjun?”
“Oh ho!” Everyone perked up immediately and rushed to the staircase to watch the commotion.
Huang Yanjun had removed his mask and was pinned against the wall by a man, locked in an inseparable kiss, with even half the buttons on his shirt undone.
All eyes were wide open, eager to see who Huang Yanjun’s man was, but the more they looked, the more something felt off.
“That… that isn’t…” The words that followed were too shocking to utter.
At that moment, Huang Yuehua finally got a clear view of the pair. One was indeed his son, and the other was…