Chapter 55

“Final scene of Mountain Path, that’s a wrap!” Director Li Lei shouted through a loudspeaker at the departing figures in the distance. The entire crew erupted in cheers.

If one looked closely, some people even had snot bubbles under their noses.

The final scene mirrored the opening scene perfectly!

At the beginning of Mountain Path, the female protagonist, Huang Xiujuan, arrived at the impoverished Huang Family Village. Back then, no one believed she could change the fate of this destitute mountain village—not even the village party secretary, who assumed she was just another graduate student and county official coming down to “polish her resume.”

Huang Xiujuan went door to door, persuading and mobilizing people. Even when she fell on the muddy mountain paths, she would hum her favorite song, Sailor:

“He said, what’s this little pain in the storm? Wipe away your tears, don’t be afraid, at least we still have dreams…”

Time passed. In just over thirty episodes, the drama told the story of two generations of poverty alleviation workers in a silent relay across time and space.

In Mountain Path’s final scene, Yang Fan led a group of newly recruited college volunteers, walking together with high spirits along a mountain road now paved with cement.

In the distance, birds returned to their nests, the sunset filled the sky, and a few young men couldn’t help but start humming that old song again:

“He said, what’s this little pain in the storm? Wipe away your tears, don’t ask why…”

Through the interplay of time, on a mountain path blooming with wildflowers, two renditions of the same song seemed to nod to each other.

One voice said: I’m leaving now! Fellow villagers of Huang Family Village, I leave the future in your hands!

Another voice replied: Don’t worry, Secretary Huang! Look, our numbers are growing…

Yang Fan had never met Huang Xiujuan, nor had she left him any words. But the faith of the Huaxia people is sometimes like this—etched into their very blood.

One Huang Xiujuan may have fallen, but millions more stood up, silently picking up the baton, carrying on the responsibility of their generation!

So, enough talk about the so-called “lost” post-90s and post-00s generations. There has never been a generation of Huaxia people that truly collapsed!

When the nation and its people need them to shoulder their responsibility, every generation of Huaxia youth unhesitatingly takes up the torch from those before them!

“Perfect! The emotional elevation in this ending is brilliant!”

“This is the true meaning of a poverty alleviation drama! The faith lives on! The flame is passed down!”

Director Li Lei was very satisfied with the final revision suggested by Wei Sheng. When his assistant asked where to host the wrap-up banquet, Li Lei, upon hearing that Wei Sheng liked Northeastern cuisine, immediately booked an entire restaurant named Northeastern Courtyard.

The wrap-up banquet allowed cast and crew to bring family members. Director Li brought his wife, He Yaru, along with his love-struck, wild-vegetable-digging sister-in-law, He Yani.

He Yaru wasn’t just there for the meal. She specifically asked her husband to seat her at the same table as Wei Sheng so she could personally deliver good news—

“Our company has reviewed the investment proposal for the large-scale outdoor extreme sports base in Huang Family Village, and they’re very satisfied!”

“The old… ahem, the senior executives at the company also said that when the sports base is completed and opens, we must invite you and Teacher Shen to the opening ceremony. You both have to come~”

Having the lead actors of Mountain Path, who played Huang Xiujuan and her successor, personally witness the improving lives of Huang Family Village’s residents—that was something meaningful. Shen Yi and Wei Sheng agreed without hesitation.

Halfway through the meal, He Yani went to the restroom to touch up her makeup. He Yaru glanced around, making sure no one was watching, then discreetly pulled out a thick red envelope from her handbag and stuffed it into Wei Sheng’s coat pocket.

“Sister Yaru, this…?” Wei Sheng was stunned and immediately thought of something bad.

After all, when he had just joined the company, a rich woman had tried to forcefully sponsor a young male star, almost pushing him out of his own show. He had since developed a wariness toward wealthy women.

“Take it! Just consider it an early New Year’s red envelope from your sister!” He Yaru patted his arm with a gratified smile. “If it weren’t for your advice, my little sister’s life would have been ruined by someone like Ding Chengcai.”

It turned out that He Yani had been forced by her sister to dig wild vegetables in Huang Family Village for half a month before she finally broke down and cried to go home.

By then, He Yaru had already discussed a strategy with the family: You can come home, but if you insist on being with that Ding guy, you are no longer a daughter of the He family. You will not take a single penny or possession from us.

He Yani thought her doting family would never be that ruthless. But to her shock, the moment He Yaru brought her home, they immediately confiscated all her credit cards and phone. Even her diamond earrings and her million-yuan wristwatch were taken away.

“Little sister, as you’ve learned in Huang Family Village, in rural families, the higher the bride price, the better the dowry. Now that the Ding family elders won’t even show up and haven’t offered a single word about a bride price, you can forget about getting a dowry. Go back and tell Ding Chengcai—if he wants a dowry, he should bring a proper bride price first.”

And with that, He Yaru mercilessly kicked her out.

Devastated, He Yani returned to the apartment she had rented for Ding Chengcai, only to find the landlord waiting to evict them—the apartment had been sold.

“How convenient?” Wei Sheng glanced at He Yaru with amusement.

“What? You think the He family’s finances would struggle to buy a second-hand apartment in full?” He Yaru chuckled.

Timing the eviction right when He Yani was cut off and had nowhere to go was intentional—He Yaru wanted her sister to personally experience just how difficult it was to play the role of an ancient romantic martyr like Wang Baochuan.

In the old days, if you had nowhere to live, you could at least find some desolate mountains and dig a cold cave to survive.

Now? Try digging randomly in the mountains. Forget it—even protected areas wouldn’t allow you to dig, and non-protected lands had already been contracted out for fruit farming and medicinal herb planting. Who would let a beggar squat on their land?

Having struggled to eat wild vegetables, and now with not even a “cold cave” to shelter in, the modern-day Wang Baochuan, Miss He Yani, immediately collapsed.

Wiping away her tears, He Yani and Ding Chengcai found a hotel to stay in for the night. Ding Chengcai silently cursed his bad luck. He had originally planned to rough it out in a hotel for a couple of days and then ask He Yani to rent a bigger apartment for him so that his mother could come over to take care of him—cooking, doing laundry, and so on.

But unexpectedly, He Yani sobbed as she told him that her family had kicked her out. They even said that if she married him, she wouldn’t get a single cent in dowry. If she wanted a dowry, she would have to bring over a betrothal gift first. Given the He family’s wealth and status, the minimum acceptable amount was 880,000 yuan, a lucky number.

880,000 yuan?!

Their family couldn’t even come up with 80,000 yuan!

That night, the two of them slept on the same big bed. When Ding Chengcai’s rough palm slowly covered the high curve of her chest, He Yani suddenly recalled how Granny Cuimei had mocked her younger daughter-in-law—

“Why are you pretending to be some pure, untouched maiden? Didn’t you already sleep in the same bed as my son before getting married? Your belly was already showing, yet you still thought of yourself as some precious, untainted flower?”

“My son is truly something! He didn’t spend a single cent on betrothal gifts and still managed to bring home a pretty wife…”

So, was Ding Chengcai planning to make things irreversible?

Maybe it was the half-month of eating nothing but wild greens that had upset her stomach, or maybe it was the sheer disgust from Ding Chengcai’s scheming. Either way, He Yani suddenly gagged and threw up an entire bowl of Huainan beef soup all over Ding Chengcai!

Earlier that day, after getting kicked out by the landlord, the two of them had been starving and couldn’t find a place to eat right away. They had left their luggage in the hotel room and then gone downstairs to a nearby Huainan beef soup shop, each having a bowl of beef vermicelli and two baked flatbreads.

Now, covered in vomit, whatever dirty thoughts Ding Chengcai had were immediately wiped clean. Enraged, he flipped He Yani onto the bed, ignoring whether she was sick or not, and stormed into the bathroom to scrub himself clean.

By the time he finally washed off the filth and stepped out of the bathroom, He Yani was gone…

—

“Yani this time… really feels like she’s been reborn!” He Yaru’s eyes turned slightly red as she patted Wei Sheng’s arm with a sigh. “Xiao Wei, our He family truly owes you a huge favor!”

Wei Sheng didn’t dare accept such a statement.

Besides, He Yani’s “bitter reflection” at Huangjiabao was mostly thanks to her brother-in-law, Li Lei.

“I just gave a suggestion. The main reason is that Yani has family who genuinely love her.” Wei Sheng chuckled.

—

After the wrap-up party, Wei Sheng and Shen Yi took the same flight back to J Province. While waiting at the airport, Wei Sheng was unexpectedly approached by fans for an autograph!

Well… they were members of a senior citizen tour group.

Watching Wei Sheng get surrounded by a bunch of elderly folks eagerly discussing square dance routines, posing for hilariously awkward photos, Shen Yi couldn’t help but cover her face and sneak off to the VIP lounge.

Anyway, there were no acquaintances around. As long as she didn’t say anything, no one would know she was Wei Sheng’s senior sister!

But the unexpected happened. Before their plane even landed, the group photos of Wei Sheng and the seniors at the airport had already gone viral!

The person who secretly filmed the video didn’t even know who Wei Sheng was. They had just been passing by and saw a young man, as if setting up a formation, striking all kinds of exaggerated senior-citizen-style poses in the stylishly designed airport lounge. He even positioned himself as the “formation core,” enthusiastically taking group photos with the elderly tourists.

Finding the scene amusing, the person assumed Wei Sheng was the tour guide and uploaded the video online.

At first, no one paid attention to it—until a 90s-born seller of square dance outfits suddenly had a shocking discovery.

Their best-selling livestream host, the TOP Male God of Square Dancing, Wei Sheng, was standing right in the center of those photos!

Immediately, the seller screenshotted the images and posted them in Wei Sheng’s fan group.

That’s right! Ever since Wei Sheng started teaching elderly folks square dancing on Douyin, even these square dance clothing sellers had benefitted from his influence. This month alone, their sales had doubled across multiple platforms!

Sensing the golden ticket to viral success, the sellers rushed to follow all of Wei Sheng’s social media accounts!

Every time he posted a square dance tutorial, the comment section would be flooded with sellers advertising their dance outfits and props.

Some even became genuine fans.

As soon as the screenshots were posted, the group chat immediately erupted with reactions from Wei Sheng’s chaotic and “intermittently unfaithful” fanbase.

They set down their phones, thought about it for a moment, and decided—no way! They couldn’t be the only ones suffering this visual assault!

So, in the spirit of sharing, these kind-hearted and mischievous fans decided to go full-on clickbait mode.

They crafted a series of outrageous, eyebrow-raising headlines, paired them with the airport photos, and quietly tricked unsuspecting netizens into experiencing the visual horror together.

Examples included:

“In broad daylight, a handsome young man does this with a rich woman at the airport…”

“Shocking! After being coerced by twelve wealthy women, he actually…”

These titles were the kind that destroyed one’s moral compass at first glance. But if you didn’t click on them, you’d feel an unbearable itch of curiosity. Classic Zhihu-style gossip bait.

Of course, once people clicked in, they’d realize they had been thoroughly scammed.

And just like that, the first-ever “Wei Sheng Airport Photos” were propelled to trending status—by a bunch of trolls.

By the time Wei Sheng got off the plane, the hashtag #WeiShengAirportPhotos was already soaring at No. 3 on the trending list.

“Huh? I have airport photos now?”

Wei Sheng happily tapped the trending topic, eager to admire some high-definition, candid shots taken by devoted fans.

Ahhh—if only he’d known fans were waiting, he would’ve put in a bit more effort! Maybe done a quick skincare routine, applied a face mask or something. Isn’t it common knowledge that many celebrity airport photos are actually staged shoots?

However—

The next second, Wei Sheng was utterly shocked by what he saw.

This… this was an “airport photo”?!

More like a “live-action public humiliation photo”!

The entertainment industry was truly a ruthless place. (o╥﹏╥o)

“One dedicated fan is worth ten haters”—the internet was right!

“Not bad at all! You didn’t spend a single cent and got a trending topic ranked third for free. Xiao Wei, you really hit the jackpot!” Shen Yi also saw the trending topic and laughed so hard she almost twisted her ankle in her high heels.

Wei Sheng looked at her gloomily. “I’ll give you this ‘fortune.’ Do you want it?”

Zhou Mingxing tensed up as soon as he heard that Wei Sheng was trending again. His tailbone tightened instinctively—this couldn’t be a good trending topic.

When the assistant said it was candid airport photos, he secretly sighed in relief, took the tablet from the assistant’s hands, and still scolded her, “In our industry, aren’t candid airport photos common?—Holy sh*t!”

This… this was really the first time he’d seen something like this!

For the first time in his life, Zhou Mingxing used two of his go-to phrases in one sentence.

It was just too shocking!

Other celebrities’ candid airport photos might get mocked by haters for looking ugly at most. But Wei Sheng’s photos? Calling them ugly was an understatement—they were downright eye-searing!

In the video, Wei Sheng had at least a dozen brightly colored scarves draped around his neck. He first helped the elderly ladies pose for a group photo, then carefully placed scarves over their shoulders and arms, arranging them into a vibrant floral formation.

Finally, standing at the center, Wei Sheng cradled a bouquet made from the scarves and grinned at the camera like a happy-go-lucky husky.

“Take it away! My eyes hurt…” Zhou Mingxing hastily tossed the tablet back to the assistant.

He was afraid that if he looked at it for even a second longer, his 5.0 vision would be permanently damaged.

He swore he’d never complain about fans taking bad airport photos again.

No matter how bad, at least you could argue it was due to poor photography skills, or that the artist was exhausted from filming.

But Wei Sheng’s candid airport photo… Zhou Mingxing only regretted that the person who took it was just a random passerby and not a professional paparazzo. Otherwise, he’d seriously consider buying this hilariously absurd video!

Online, kindhearted netizens found it amusing. No matter what, in this fast-paced world, someone willing to take the time to pose for these goofy photos with a group of elderly folks was genuinely heartwarming.

But of course, some haters couldn’t stand to see others doing well and left snide remarks under the video—

“Trying to go viral with stupid antics now? Just lowering your class for nothing. Don’t cry when you can’t land any big-name endorsements in the future.”

Everyone knew that international luxury brands—and even high-end domestic brands—had very strict image requirements for their endorsers.

If Wei Sheng kept pushing this “goofy” image, sticking that label on himself, how could he ever land high-profile endorsements? He could forget about it!

At this point, as the discussion took a concerning turn, even Wei Sheng’s fans, who had been having fun making memes, started to worry.

“Did we take the joke too far?”

“Yeah, it seems like we did… What if this affects Xiao Wei’s ability to get endorsements?”

“Sisters, let’s delete the images we posted earlier. We don’t want to cause trouble for Xiao Wei.”

“Exactly. Those luxury brands are already picky. If Wei Sheng really can’t get big-name endorsements because of this, what will we do?”

Just then, amidst the flurry of messages, a few unusual ones popped up—

“Speaking of luxury brands, do they have to be international ones? By the way, my grandfather has some influence in ** Group. He’s a founding member—and also a huge Wei Sheng fan.”

“My family has invested in several industries, and my grandmother is a die-hard Wei Sheng fan. I’ll check with her and see if there’s a business that could have Wei Sheng as a brand ambassador.”

Holy crap!

A few silly candid airport photos ended up exposing a whole bunch of second-gen rich kids!

The fan group chat was instantly flooded with people bowing and calling them “Daddy.”

Some even said they had given up on life, but the thought of Wei Sheng being mocked decades later for never landing a luxury endorsement fired them up. They were now determined to hustle, build their own empire, and join the ranks of Wei Sheng’s “Elderly Tycoon Fans” before retirement.

What no one expected was that the next morning, even official media accounts joined in on the joke.

Leading the charge was none other than J Province TV!

Of course, how could they not ride the wave of their own artist’s trending topic?

So, the social media admin for the TV station—posing as the “J Province TV New Year’s Eve Gala Planning Team”—sent an enthusiastic invite to their colleague, Wei Sheng:

“Wow! Who knew our colleague @Wei Sheng, the Accounting Chef, was also a choreography expert? Amazing! That settles it—this year’s New Year’s Eve gala dance routine is yours!”

Damn! The most brutal betrayals always come from your own people!

Netizens, who were just here for the fun, immediately joined in: “Do it!”

Then, out of nowhere, G Province TV—home to Huangjiapu—jumped into the fray.

Turns out, the He family had just announced a ¥6 billion investment into Huangjiapu, planning to build a massive international mountain tourism resort!

He Yayun had guessed right—after she took Wei Sheng’s poverty alleviation documentary (which aired on national television) back to her company, the board of directors, whether out of genuine passion or strategic business interests, all saw great potential in the project.

In fact, they thought He Yayun’s original plan lacked ambition.

Since they were doing it, why not go big? They expanded the project to over 4,000 acres, incorporating Huangjiapu and parts of two neighboring townships.

In addition to the outdoor extreme sports base, they decided to add a high-altitude ski resort, a stargazing campsite, and, of course, the “hidden-in-local-homes boutique lodging” idea that Wei Sheng had proposed.

Only, in the He family’s eyes, “boutique” wasn’t quite their style.

Their clientele wasn’t about that humble spending life!

So they upgraded it to “Authentic Eco-Luxury Villas.”

Damn! Just changing a few words jacked up the price tenfold!

Given the sheer scale of this project, the local government was taking it very seriously. They were even planning a grand signing ceremony to commemorate the deal—an event that would be hosted by G Province TV!

And as the “original proposer” of the idea, Wei Sheng was on the VIP guest list for the signing ceremony.

The G Province TV Station had originally just wanted to ride the wave of popularity, but they never expected that Wei Sheng could actually dance square dancing?

That was perfect! Just imagine—Wei Sheng leading the villagers of Huangjiabao in a lively opening dance at the event. It would be festive, meaningful, and, most importantly, create a perfect cross-media interaction with the drama Mountain Path… G Province TV Station had truly mastered the secret to viral success this time!

Zhou Mingxing had initially been so furious over Wei Sheng’s ridiculous airport photos that his liver ached. But the moment he received the invitation call from G Province TV Station, his liver stopped hurting, his eyes stopped hurting, and he personally oversaw the adjustments to Wei Sheng’s schedule.

This was an official invitation!

Word was that provincial and municipal leaders would be attending. And the invited media weren’t entertainment outlets—they were all top-tier national news agencies like Xinhua News, People’s Daily, and China News Service! The lowest tier of coverage was still local newspapers and TV stations at the provincial level.

What did this mean?

It meant that if Wei Sheng could make an appearance at such an event, he’d officially be recognized as a positive role model contributing to rural revitalization!

When discussing the collaboration, Zhou Mingxing didn’t even bother asking about an appearance fee.

With this level, this scale, was an appearance fee even worth discussing?

If it were any other celebrity, forget charging an appearance fee—they’d probably be willing to pay a million just to secure a spot!

That was why, every year at charity galas, countless celebrities poured in money, hoping to get their names listed. Some spent millions and still only got a minor mention.

But Wei Sheng? Haha!

Not only did he not have to spend a dime, but G Province TV Station was handing him the position of lead dancer for the opening performance!

And at the signing ceremony, the local government would even be presenting awards to the “initiators” of the project…

The award certificates hadn’t even been issued yet, but Zhou Mingxing was already scouting the office for the perfect display spot.

Meanwhile, Wei Sheng, still traumatized by the “Airport Photo Social Death Incident,” was horrified at the idea of performing square dancing in front of a room full of provincial and municipal leaders.

“Can I take sick leave?”

“No!” Zhou Mingxing mercilessly shoved him into the training room. “I’ve already hired a professional choreographer who specializes in square dance and choreography. You’ll train hard over the next few days. Next week, I’ll personally accompany you to G Province for the signing ceremony rehearsal!”