ASPWL Ch49: Appology

The filming location fell into a brief silence as the guests looked at each other in confusion.

Liu Yan spoke first: “Gou Shi…? Shouldn’t our Weibo names all be our real names?”

The director nodded.

Which celebrity doesn’t use their real name for their Weibo account?

It’s just that the name “Gou Shi” seems a bit familiar to him.

“Could it be some netizen?” Wen Xiangyue suggested.

After all, their live broadcast was still going on, so it’s possible some bored netizen joined them.

[Not likely.]

Ye Leyao sighed inwardly. He had just seen that the profile picture was indeed from Song Zhehan’s secondary account.

That yellow bean character with the middle finger was unforgettable at first glance.

Zhou Zijian, Duan Haoyan, Yan Liu, and others agreed with Wen Xiangyue’s guess and nodded in agreement.

Li Siyuan even laughed heartily: “Which silly person gave themselves such a nice name again?”

The other guests laughed as well.

Even the viewers in the live broadcast were laughing happily:

—“Hahaha, to be honest, that name is indeed quite unique.”

—“It reminds me of Song Zhehan’s dog. I think it’s also named that?”

—“Yeah haha, Song Zhehan said the name has special meaning, so he named his dog Gou Shi.”

Everyone present and not present laughed, except for the trio—Ye Leyao, Qin Yao, and Huo Yan.

Ye Leyao even had the urge to dig into the ground with his toes again.

[Li Siyuan, maybe you should say less!]

【Aren’t you afraid that Song Zhehan will dig a pit for you later?!]

Ye Leyao silently mourned for Li Siyuan.

Qin Yao and Huo Yan were not as nervous as Ye Leyao.

Qin Yao just found it troublesome.

The recording was supposed to be ending soon, so why did an unexpected issue come up now?

Fortunately, he had prepared for PR early, so it wasn’t a big deal.

But what was Song Zhehan thinking?

Why did he choose this moment to retweet using a secondary account?

Huo Yan was also curious.

After spending time with Song Zhehan, he found that he wasn’t particularly difficult to get along with. As long as you didn’t cross his line, he could maintain a smile and interact well with you.

But maintaining an image for a long time is certainly tiring.

So even without Ye Leyao’s reminder, Huo Yan would notice Song Zhehan’s fleeting genuine emotions.

Could it be that Song Zhehan was really exhausted from maintaining his image?

So he decided to start being himself from now on?

Qin Yao and Huo Yan both looked up at Song Zhehan.

When they did, both were taken aback.

The sunset had long fallen below the horizon, and the lights at the filming location had turned on.

Song Zhehan was sitting directly opposite Ye Leyao, wearing a coat against the evening chill of the grassland. On his left was a cup of steaming water. As a gust of wind blew, the mist from the cup drifted onto his face. When the mist cleared, Song Zhehan’s slightly furrowed brows and the serious expression on his face were revealed. He was looking down at his phone, his expression rarely serious.

Qin Yao found it unbelievable.

From Song Zhehan’s expression, could it be that he really accidentally reposted with his alt account?

Huo Yan was equally surprised.

Impossible!

With so many celebrities in the entertainment industry, which celebrity doesn’t keep their alt accounts strictly guarded?

Even Huo Yan himself carefully checks before posting to confirm he hasn’t switched accounts. How could someone as smart and cautious as Song Zhehan make such a basic mistake?

Ye Leyao finally managed to calm down, ensuring his expression wouldn’t betray him, and quickly glanced at Song Zhehan. Upon seeing him, his eyelid twitched.

【Still smirking! Song Zhehan! Alright, confirmed, you’re definitely doing this on purpose!]

Qin Yao and Huo Yan looked up again at Song Zhehan.

Indeed, both saw a fleeting smile in Song Zhehan’s eyes.

As expected!

Song Zhehan couldn’t have made such a basic error!

His serious expression earlier—

Huo Yan glanced at the camera in front.

Was it an act for the audience?

Qin Yao and Huo Yan both sighed inwardly.

That was close. They almost got fooled by Song Zhehan!

Meanwhile, a perceptive viewer in the live chat noticed something was off:

—“Hey, wait a minute, don’t laugh yet! Look at Ye Leyao’s expression… Usually, he’s the one laughing the most. Why isn’t he laughing tonight?”

—“Ah? Ye Leyao isn’t laughing? Could it be that he doesn’t find Li Siyuan’s comments funny?”

—“I don’t think so… Look, not only is Ye Leyao not laughing, but Qin Yao and Huo Yan aren’t laughing either…”

—“Hmm? All three of them aren’t laughing. Could this alt account be related to them?”

As soon as this comment appeared, the chat exploded:

—“You’re right! It’s really possible!”

—“Look at Ye Leyao’s tense expression. I’ve never seen him look like that before!”

—“No way, I’m curious. The post hasn’t been deleted yet, right? I’m going to check the repost records.”

—“I think something’s off. If this account really belongs to Ye Leyao, Qin Yao, and Huo Yan, why did I see all three of them in the repost records?”

Just then, the staff finally brought over a tablet: “Director, this account seems like a black fan. The latest post is still a rant…”

The director glanced at the repost list on the tablet but didn’t look into it in detail: “Looks like this account should be excluded. The top reposter is Qin…”

“Wait.” Song Zhehan suddenly spoke, interrupting the director.

The director was taken aback: “Is there a problem?”

Ye Leyao turned his head and saw Song Zhehan’s slight smile, feeling a pang of anxiety.

【No way, Gou Shi, are you really planning to out yourself as a wolf?]

At that moment, Song Zhehan asked, “Director, you didn’t specify that we had to use a major Weibo account for reposts, did you?”

At the same time, a comment in the chat stood out:

—“This Weibo account named Gou Shi doesn’t belong to Ye Leyao, Qin Yao, and Huo Yan!”

The chat immediately exploded with exclamation marks.

The guests who were still unaware of the situation were somewhat confused.

What did Song Zhehan mean by this?

Li Siyuan instinctively looked at Song Zhehan but saw no abnormal expression on his face. His gaze then shifted to Ye Leyao.

His pupils instantly widened.

Wait a minute, no way?

The director, confused by Song Zhehan’s question, thought for a moment and said, “Yes, we don’t have that rule…”

Then, the next moment, Song Zhehan said with a feigned helplessness, “Well, there’s nothing I can do. It’s my fault for accidentally switching accounts.”

Live chat viewers: 

—“Gou Shi is the name of Song Zhehan’s dog, and this secondary account posted a picture of the dog a month ago!”

Song Zhehan said, “Gou Shi is my alt account.”

Live chat viewers: —“So this alt account belongs to Song Zhehan!”

The moment the words were spoken, the entire scene fell silent.

Ye Leyao immediately looked at Qin Yao.

Qin Yao closed his eyes.

Ye Leyao couldn’t help but laugh.

【Some people seem to be asleep but are actually peacefully asleep.]

Qin Yao: “……”

Huo Yan pressed his fist against his mouth, trying not to laugh out loud.

Li Siyuan’s brain seemed to crash for a moment. After several seconds, he finally spoke, “Wait, you’re saying…”

“Yes, I’m the so-called silly person you mentioned,” Song Zhehan glanced at Li Siyuan with a hint of hostility in his eyes, then curled his lips into a slight smile, “And you just praised my username as nice.”

Ye Leyao:

【Hahahahahahaha.]

【Li Siyuan, I told you to say less!]

Li Siyuan: “……”

He really was being sarcastic just now. Song Zhehan couldn’t have not heard it.

So now you’re being sarcastic towards me?

Li Siyuan took a deep breath and, excited by the unfolding drama, asked, “So have you posted any rants about people in the industry…”

“Of course.” Song Zhehan did not avoid the topic and, noticing other guests looking over, added with a slight smile, “Don’t worry, I’m someone who likes to be fair, so everyone has a share.”

Other guests: “……”

Thank you very much.

Ye Leyao was almost laughing himself crazy.

【Alright, confirmed, Gou Shi is really going to be himself!]

After Song Zhehan finished speaking, he ignored the other guests’ reactions and directly looked at the director: “So can the director announce me as the winner now?”

The director was sweating from his forehead.

At this moment, he finally remembered where he had heard the name Gou Shi before!

Hadn’t Qin Yao mentioned it in the meeting?

What did Qin Yao say back then?

He said that this Weibo alt account was suspected to be Song Zhehan’s and that it was uncertain when Song Zhehan’s alt account would be exposed by netizens, so he advised him and the producer to be more alert.

Even later, Qin Yao had a special meeting with the PR team, discussing emergency PR for the exposure of alt accounts?

How did he not think of this immediately!!!

What to do now!!

For a moment, the director wanted to call for help, but he forced himself to calm down and put on a serious face: “We also don’t have a rule against using alt accounts for reposts, so… I announce that the winner of this Weibo repost competition is Song Zhehan.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Song Zhehan looked around and wondered, “Aren’t you going to congratulate me?”

【How dare they!]

【Didn’t you see everyone is now checking the content of your alt account?]

【Look at Brother Zhou, he’s sweating coldly!]

【Oh, my second brother and President Qin seem quite calm though.]

Ye Leyao sighed and took the lead in clapping: “Alright, congratulations!”

With Ye Leyao starting, the other guests finally put down their phones and stopped searching for how Song Zhehan had criticized them, and joined in the applause.

Although most guests still didn’t understand what Song Zhehan was up to, they keenly noticed that Song Zhehan’s smile at this moment was different from all the smiles they had seen before, as if—

【The smiles Song Zhehan had shown before seemed fake, but this one seemed genuinely heartfelt.]

【Indeed, Song Zhehan must have been tired of pretending!]

Huo Yan nodded in agreement.

After the applause ended, Song Zhehan smiled and said to the director, “Then I’ll send the list of people I want to invite to the director later. Let’s go have hotpot now?”

He said this very lightly: “After all, if I don’t eat now, I won’t have time later when my manager calls.”

Ye Leyao, sitting next to Song Zhehan, heard this very clearly and couldn’t help but laugh again.

【Who can you blame? You chose to self-destruct in front of so many live viewers.]

【Why couldn’t you be more tactful!]

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Song Zhehan suddenly leaned over and asked, “Ye Leyao, what are you laughing at?”

Ye Leyao cleared his throat: “Nothing.”

“Are you laughing because you think I’ll be scolded later?” After ripping off his facade, Song Zhehan spoke more recklessly.

“You know it and still ask!” Since Song Zhehan didn’t care about Ye Leyao, Ye Leyao naturally didn’t care about him either.

Song Zhehan laughed.

And it was a very hearty laugh.

Ye Leyao realized that his laugh was also genuine, so he changed the topic: “Let’s have hotpot! If we don’t start, the broth will dry out.”

Huo Yan helped smooth things over: “Let’s have hotpot!”

Qin Yao also said: “We can start cooking the beef now!”

Unexpectedly, Duan Haoyan suddenly spoke: “Wait… Song Zhehan, so all those things you said when we worked together last time were just to fool me?”

Ye Leyao perked up his ears.

【Hmm?]

Song Zhehan dropped a few slices of beef into the soup and, upon hearing this, raised his eyebrows slightly, his tone very good-natured: “Yes!”

His smug expression seemed to say, “Yes, that’s right, I was the one criticizing you!”

Duan Haoyan: “…”

Duan Haoyan looked quite hurt: “Well, you shouldn’t be so…”

Ye Leyao couldn’t help but be curious.

【So what exactly did Song Zhehan criticize Duan Haoyan for before?]

Ye Leyao was just hesitating whether to dig into Song Zhehan’s alt account when.

Duan Haoyan, sounding aggrieved, said: “Although I do have a love brain, you shouldn’t have said it so harshly. Also, if the zombie virus really broke out, I’d definitely be eaten! How could zombies possibly refuse to bite me just because I’m a love brain? You guys say—”

Ye Leyao: “Puhahahahahahahaha.”

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold back, covering his face and laughing out loud.

Qin Yao also had a hard time containing his laughter, slightly turning his head.

Li Siyuan laughed even more exaggeratedly: “I have to admit, the criticism is quite accurate…”

The other guests were also smiling to varying degrees, except for Huo Yan, who felt a slight sense of offense, feeling targeted!

But after Duan Haoyan’s reminder, Zhou Zijian suddenly realized: “So does that mean I also…”

Song Zhehan raised an eyebrow: “Brother Zhou, you can just check my Weibo yourself, can’t you?”

Zhou Zijian couldn’t hold back anymore.

Li Siyuan was also itching to check.

Liu Yan had already picked up her phone.

Ye Leyao thought for a second—wouldn’t it be a bit fake if he didn’t take out his phone now?

Just as he was about to take out his phone to check Song Zhehan’s alt account, he suddenly heard Song Zhehan’s gentle voice: “You don’t need to.”

Ye Leyao’s heart skipped a beat.

【No… Could it be? How does Song Zhehan know I know his alt account?! Ahhhhh—]

Ye Leyao almost couldn’t keep his expression.

Then he heard Song Zhehan say, “I’ve criticized everyone, including your brother Huo Yan, but I haven’t criticized you.”

After saying that, Song Zhehan winked at Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao: “……”

【Although I know what Song Zhehan said is true, how should I respond?!]

“Don’t believe it.” Ye Leyao took a deep breath.

Song Zhehan laughed directly: “Really, I’m quite honest!”

“Yes,” Ye Leyao nodded, “You even revealed your alt account yourself, who can top that?”

Song Zhehan shook his head with a smile and didn’t explain further.

Seeing that the beef in the pot was cooked, he started fishing out the beef.

At this point, all the other guests had the same pose: one hand holding chopsticks, the other hand scrolling through Weibo.

Only Song Zhehan was eating particularly happily, and he occasionally answered everyone’s questions while eating.

Li Siyuan suddenly stood up: “Why am I called the grumpy guy?!”

Song Zhehan didn’t even blink: “If that’s not grumpy, then what is?”

Li Siyuan was rarely at a loss for words, standing there dumbfounded for a few seconds before frowning and sitting back down.

Liu Yan said quietly, “I’m not that princessy, am I?”

Song Zhehan: “Hmm, you just thought it was unsafe to sleep in the camping tent, had a cleanliness obsession, didn’t eat wild vegetables, thought the bowls at the herdsmen’s house were dirty, couldn’t carry heavy items and had to get someone to help, do I need to give more examples?”

Liu Yan was embarrassed and quickly waved her hand: “No, that’s enough!”

Zhou Zijian raised his hand: “I…”

Zhou Zijian took a deep breath: “I didn’t realize, Xiao Song, you’re quite nice.”

Song Zhehan laughed when he heard this: “Brother Zhou, are you thanking me for reminding you to lock the door?”

Ye Leyao burst into his second loud laugh of the night.

Zhou Zijian’s expression was incredibly complex.

Then Song Zhehan continued, “Just say I’m kind-hearted.”

【How can it not be kind-hearted! It is indeed kind-hearted!]

Ye Leyao laughed until he was doubled over.

The atmosphere on the filming set relaxed completely at this moment.

Although most of the guests had been criticized, the perspective Song Zhehan used for criticism was indeed hard to refute.

After two episodes, the guests had gained some understanding of Song Zhehan and knew that although he could be “occasionally” sharp-tongued, or rather, he was just sharp-tongued, he was not a double-faced person.

Having seen many two-faced people in the entertainment industry, everyone actually enjoyed interacting with straightforward people like him.

In no time, the atmosphere on set became more harmonious.

The guests shared the funny Weibo posts they found with each other.

The harmony, however, was limited to the filming set.

At this moment, live chat rooms, Weibo, and other major platforms were in an uproar among netizens, Song Zhehan’s fans, and fans of other celebrities.

When Song Zhehan exposed his alt account, both the onlookers and Song Zhehan’s fans were somewhat shocked.

Wouldn’t other celebrities, upon discovering their alt accounts had reposted the wrong Weibo, usually delete the post secretly and pretend nothing happened?

Why did you, Song Zhehan, have to come out directly?

If it weren’t for Song Zhehan taking the initiative to speak up, the live chat viewers wouldn’t even have noticed!

Could it be that Song Zhehan did it on purpose?

Of course, there were celebrities who had exposed their secondary accounts before.

But those celebrities’ alt accounts were managed by professionals, intentionally released to shape their public image and attract fans.

Now look at Song Zhehan’s alt account.

Good heavens.

The first Weibo criticized Lu Bo as a kappa.

The second Weibo mocked Lu Bo’s post about spring.

And in the comments of this Weibo, there were jokes about warming hands and being eighteen.

Seeing this, Song Zhehan’s fans were stunned.

Wait, why does Song Zhehan’s secondary account have this kind of content?

Where did the gentle, kind, big warm guy Song Zhehan go?

Why does Song Zhehan know every meme and dare to say anything in private?

Fans felt they urgently needed a quick relief pill.

Meanwhile, the onlookers were laughing heartily.

—“I knew it! Song Zhehan is far from as easygoing as he seems!”

—“I’m really a bit disconnected, I can’t believe these are the words from Song Zhehan, but somehow, I feel like he’s not wrong!”

—“Yes, yes, he’s sharp-tongued, and his mouth is bad, but he criticizes the right people!”

—“I’m laughing so hard, Song Zhehan… Hahaha, have you seen the first episode’s rants? Help, his mouth!”

—“Hahahaha, I’ve seen it! He’s really bold with his criticism!”

—“Ahhhhh, Song Zhehan, how can you be so sarcastic? Can you lend me your mouth?”

Of course, these were the reactions of indifferent onlookers.

Others who arrived after hearing the news were all fans of celebrities who had previously worked with Song Zhehan.

After searching precisely and seeing Song Zhehan’s past critical Weibo posts, these fans’ anger flared up.

—“Wait, Song Zhehan, are you okay? Who did you say had a head like a winter melon?”

—“Help, did Song Zhehan not consider that his alt account might get exposed when he posted these? He doesn’t look great himself, how dare he criticize others’ height?”

—“Ahhhh, he even called my beloved a foul-mouthed person? Who has a worse mouth than you?”

As the number of people cursing increased, some couldn’t help but reply:

—“Isn’t it possible that Song Zhehan’s criticisms are actually valid? Your head does look a bit like a winter melon.”

—“Song Zhehan may not look great, but he’s tall! It’s not a problem to criticize height, right?”

—“Foul-mouthed… Hmm, I remember he was filming intimate scenes at that time, right? Could it be the co-actor… um, physically foul-mouthed?”

Song Zhehan’s fans hadn’t even come to terms with how to respond when countless onlookers stood up.

Seeing the netizens’ brilliant replies, Song Zhehan’s fans had mixed feelings but liked the replies.

Other fans were completely caught off guard—

—“Criticizing coworkers behind their backs is still reasonable? I really give up on you fans.”

—“I really don’t understand, are modern netizens’ values messed up? Do you guys actually think Song Zhehan’s behavior is correct?”

—“Song Zhehan’s character is totally ruined! He should be banned immediately!”

The onlookers were laughing even harder:

—“Do you want to check out our homepage and see if we’re actually Song Zhehan’s fans?”

—“Oh no, you’ve discovered it, I don’t follow celebrities after all!”

—“I don’t think Song Zhehan’s actions are right, but I find him quite genuine. After all, I also criticize the client behind their backs!”

—“Exactly, everyone’s under so much pressure now, am I not allowed to complain a bit?”

—“And Song Zhehan’s criticisms weren’t distorting the facts; he was criticizing based on facts. Fans, don’t be hasty; Song Zhehan’s fans aren’t rushing!”

Song Zhehan’s fans: “…”

No, it’s not that they’re not anxious; they really don’t know what to do!

On one hand, they really liked the persona Song Zhehan had previously created and thought no one in the entertainment industry could be warmer than Song Zhehan.

But now you’re telling them that Song Zhehan’s whole persona was fake, that it was all just an act. How could fans not be disappointed?

On the other hand, although fans were disappointed, they couldn’t help but look at Song Zhehan’s alt account Weibo. After browsing through it, they found it funny. Why didn’t they notice how sharp-tongued and interesting Song Zhehan was before?

For a moment, fans were both angry and amused.

At this crucial moment, Song Zhehan’s phone rang.

Ye Leyao glanced at his phone screen and saw the words “Agent Miss” in big letters.

【Good luck! I mourn for you!]

The attention of the other guests also turned to him.

Song Zhehan calmly put down his chopsticks and said with a smile, “Just right, I’m full now, so you guys continue. I’m going to get scolded.”

Leaving this line, Song Zhehan took his phone and walked out of the camera’s view.

They were too far away to hear Song Zhehan’s voice.

So Huo Yan and Qin Yao both turned their attention to Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao! You must know something, right?

Qin Yao remembered very clearly that Ye Leyao had only mentioned that Song Zhehan would have an accident but didn’t say what would happen after the accident.

So, is Ye Leyao really not going to recall?

At this moment, Ye Leyao was indeed recalling.

He even took out his phone and quietly opened the memo, skimming through it to find the aftermath of Song Zhehan’s accident.

But after flipping through it for a long time, he still couldn’t find any crucial information.

Ye Leyao couldn’t help but murmur:

【Could it be that the accident didn’t have a big impact on Song Zhehan?]

【If it had a major impact, I would definitely remember something.]

Thinking of this, Ye Leyao simply exited the memo, opened Weibo, and prepared to see the trending comments.

Before he could click on the trending topic #SongZhehanPersonaAccident#, a new topic suddenly appeared on the trending list—

#SongZhehanApologyStatement#

【Hmm? Song Zhehan apologized? No way, is this the Song Zhehan I know?]

Ye Leyao quickly clicked on the topic.

Huo Yan and Qin Yao also immediately picked up their phones.

Before they could open Weibo, they heard Ye Leyao laughing heartily—

【I knew it! Gou Shi would never apologize! Gou Shi never apologizes!]

Qin Yao and Huo Yan looked down and saw the apology statement just posted by Song Zhehan:

It wasn’t even from Song Zhehan’s main account but from his alt account called Gou Shi. The apology statement was brief and to the point, but it made the black fans so angry that they stumbled:

【Gou Shi: Apology Statement: Sorry, I admit I was indeed thoughtless in what I said earlier. I sincerely apologize to all the coworkers I offended before. Since everyone thinks it’s unethical for me to criticize people behind their backs, I’ll try to criticize everyone face to face in the future ^v^.】

Huo Yan: “?”

Hmm, wait a minute?

Qin Yao: “……”

A face-to-face criticism!

As expected of the daring Gou Shi!