Chapter 244: A Line of White Egrets Ascending Into the Blue Sky

Chapter 244: A Line of Egrets Ascends to the Blue Sky

"Voice Master? A guest performer? Sister Bai, are you sure you aren't joking?"

Voice acting was one of Meng Fan's dreams. He had certainly watched the first domestic variety show dedicated to the craft, having seen every episode of the first season and catching up on the second season as it aired. He considered himself quite familiar with the program.

The first season of "Voice Master" had been a massive, brilliant success. Though it wasn't without its flaws—such as the typical Mango TV editing that led one weekly winner to tear into the production and withdraw from the grand finale, or the accusations of foul play when the great Bian Jiang was eliminated—it remained a show that didn't merely exploit celebrity status. It was a well-produced, genuinely satisfying piece of conscience-driven television.

Meng Fan was stunned by Bai Zhi’s invitation. The guests on this show were without exception famous actors from the entertainment industry, and the guest performers were no different, including top-tier voice actors like Bian Jiang. Their fame was immense.

Meng Fan truly didn't believe he possessed the level of notoriety required to be a guest performer.

Double Eleven?

A street fight?

That kind of fame had absolutely nothing to do with voice acting.

Besides, he had no body of work to speak of; the only projects where he played significant roles, "Forest Adventure" and "Nine Heavens," had yet to be released.

This made Meng Fan suspect Bai Zhi was joking, yet her expression suggested otherwise, which was rather strange.

Bai Zhi said, "I'm not joking, kid. I'm serious. I've watched your voice acting livestreams; your talent puts most others to shame. I’m genuinely asking for your help."

"No, Sister, you aren't just taking me along to boost your popularity, are you?" Meng Fan speculated. "Let's not do that. I’m not entering the entertainment industry, so I don't need the fame. It would be awkward if everyone else brought big stars, and you showed up with a nobody like me, making it look like you have no friends in the circle."

"What popularity would I be boosting with you? If you wanted fame, you would have taken those earlier variety show offers," Bai Zhi replied. "I really need you. Fine, fine, just pretend I have no friends in the industry. One word: I’m asking for your help. Are you in or not?"

"I'm in, I'm in! But will the production team agree?"

To be fair, while Meng Fan had no interest in previous show offers, he was genuinely intrigued by this one.

As for the fame, he didn't care much. He knew that popularity could be converted into livestream views, but his current "Livestream Master" task would be completed soon anyway.

It was just... seeing that Bai Zhi claimed the production team had already agreed, Meng Fan quickly asked, "What about the recording time? Is it long?"

He was still preoccupied with his combat training.

"We fly out this afternoon and finish recording tomorrow," Bai Zhi asked. "Do you have something on your schedule?"

Hearing the timeline, which was acceptable, Meng Fan said, "I do, but it’s not urgent."

"Then you're agreeing!"

Seeing Meng Fan nod, Bai Zhi immediately told her assistant, Sister Sun, to book tickets for the earliest flight. She told Meng Fan, "The flight is at 11:45. Pack your things; we’re heading to the airport immediately. No problem, right?"

"Right."

Meng Fan went to his room to grab some clothes. There wasn't much to pack, just a simple set would do.

Ding-dong.

Just as he finished, the doorbell rang. Bai Zhi, who was in the living room, checked the peephole and turned to Meng Fan with a smile. "And you said you weren't hiding a beauty!"

The door opened to reveal Wu Tong, carrying bags of groceries.

"Sister... Sister Bai!"

Wu Tong was stunned to see Bai Zhi opening the door. She had noticed Meng Fan wasn't in good spirits today and had come over to cook him a meal, never expecting to find Bai Zhi here.

"Little Wu Tong is here! Come in, come in! Oh, did you just go out for groceries? No wonder I didn't see you when I arrived. Are you cooking? That won't do. Don't spoil this kid; cooking should be left to the men. Fumes are bad for your skin!"

Bai Zhi was a sharp-witted woman; her words made Wu Tong blush instantly and effectively cleared up any potential misunderstandings.

As she was pulled into the apartment, Wu Tong said, "Sister Bai, you've misunderstood. I don't live here."

"Right, right, you don't live here."

Bai Zhi certainly knew what a room occupied by a girl looked like, but she kept teasing, "I've known Little Fan's sister for a long time, and I've met his mother. His mother is a very open-minded person; she doesn't interfere in Little Fan's affairs, especially his love life."

Meng Fan rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. Sister, how I wish what you said were true!

Wu Tong caught Meng Fan’s expression and suppressed a laugh. As for Bai Zhi’s misunderstanding, she had already said her piece and saw no need to explain further. She took the bags into the kitchen and asked, "Sister Bai, will you be staying for lunch?"

"I'm afraid I won't have the pleasure."

Bai Zhi looked regretful as she explained the invitation and their imminent departure for the airport.

Meng Fan felt equally regretful and even a bit remorseful. Had he known Wu Tong was coming to cook, he wouldn't have agreed to go, or at least he would have chosen a later flight.

Wu Tong smiled and said, "Then I'll have you taste my cooking next time you visit, Sister Bai."

Knowing they would be back in two days, she unpacked the groceries, separated the refrigerated items from the frozen ones, and then headed downstairs with Meng Fan and Bai Zhi.

Sister Sun’s car was already waiting.

"I'm leaving then."

Meng Fan wasn't in the best mood, having just seen Wu Tong only to leave immediately.

"Mm."

The subtle shift in Meng Fan’s mood didn't escape Wu Tong. After a moment's thought, she added with a smile, "If you run into any stars I like, get me some autographs."

"I think Young Master Zhang is in the grand finale this time. If I run into him, I’ll definitely get one for you. If I don't... well, I'll go hunt him down."

Meng Fan nodded and waved as he got into the car. They chatted often; beyond poetry and life ideals, they discussed movies and music. He knew exactly which celebrities Wu Tong liked.

Take this Young Master Zhang, for instance. Once, when they were discussing black comedy, they went from foreign films like "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch" to domestic ones like "Night Shop" and "Crazy Stone." When talking about actors, Wu Tong said her favorites were Jason Statham from "Lock, Stock" and Young Master Zhang from "The Looming Storm." Their commonality was that they were tough guys who excelled at comedy while being versatile enough for other roles.

Meng Fan had thought to himself back then that he seemed to be cut from the same cloth. He even let his imagination run wild, wondering if Wu Tong had said that specifically for his benefit, and he had been secretly happy for a long time.

After Meng Fan and the others left for the airport, Wu Tong returned to her apartment and then to school.

This trip to the capital had been fruitful, providing much inspiration for her Chinese painting. If not for her desire to cook for Meng Fan, she would have been buried in the studio.

"That guy, leaving the moment I get back. Anyone would think he was avoiding me on purpose!"

Thinking of this, Wu Tong felt a surge of annoyance, which prompted her to paint over a dozen donkeys in one go.

After finishing, she took a photo and sent it to Meng Fan, then changed his contact nickname to "Stupid Donkey" and sent him a screenshot of that, too.

"Painted a bunch of donkeys. For some reason, they remind me of you, so I changed your nickname to Stupid Donkey."

I am magnanimous, but I still have to be a little petty, hmph!

By 9102, most domestic flights allowed the use of mobile phones and portable electronic devices. Meng Fan, still on the plane, naturally received Wu Tong’s WeChat messages.

After reading them, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Perhaps it was the altitude, but Meng Fan’s courage was boundless. He replied: "You know, the animal I love to paint most is the bird, because birds can land on the phoenix tree (Wutong tree)."

"So, are you going to change my nickname to Stupid Bird? (Angry emoji)"

"Of course not. Do you know which bird I like best? The egret."

"Egret?"

"Yes, because I love the line of poetry: 'A line of egrets ascends to the blue sky.' It’s wonderful, isn't it? When they fly, they reach the heavens; when they land, they rest on the Wutong tree."

"The phoenix that lands on the Wutong tree is better! Enough talk, are you going to nickname me Egret?"

"Of course not. I plan to nickname you 'A Line'."

"...I’m giving you one chance to retract that message! (Sword emoji)"

(End of chapter)