Chapter 383: Terrific Mouth (Please Vote)

“Do you prefer boys or girls?”

In the spacious studio of “A Date with Luyu,” the bright lights shone, and the not-so-high stage was surrounded by a dense circle of audience members, mostly enthusiastic young people who had fiercely competed for the tickets, eagerly awaiting this moment; for this, many had been practicing their Mandarin recently. At this point, all eyes were focused on Wang Yang, who was sitting on the pale yellow sofa on stage, casually attired in a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, while beside him on the adjacent sofa, Chen Luyu was in a black dress, revealing her slender shoulders and calves.

Wang Yang had just tactfully refused to answer the question about the gender of his wife’s unborn baby, saying he wanted to privately hoard this joy for a little longer, when Chen Luyu continued with another favorite question. Although an idea popped into his head, Wang Yang did not make a boring joke about sexual orientation; instead, he seriously replied, “I like both! But I prefer my first child to be a daughter.” Chen Luyu suddenly interjected, “It’s a daughter, isn’t it? It must be a daughter!” She thought that if the baby were a boy, he would not have a second sentence, for what would the baby think in the future? The clever Yang would definitely have taken this into account.

Wang Yang raised his eyebrows, suddenly as if declaring love or making a wish, he said, “Chen Luyu, I like you.” The whole audience burst into laughter; an unexpected wave of laughter filled the studio. They all understood his meaning—if liking could make it come true, then? Those who did not catch the implication also smiled, influenced by the atmosphere; Chen Luyu was momentarily stunned before she burst out laughing, her body shaking with mirth as she covered her mouth and laughed, “Hehehe! Really?”

Smart and friendly banter leaves room for the other person and thinks ahead on how to cover for them if they can’t respond; Wang Yang was clear about these things. That day, during the recording of “Artistic Life,” he had become irritable towards the end, targeting Zhu Jun with lots of jokes that left no room for reply. Today, however, he had no such intention. A harmonious and intriguing talk show was the best. He smoothed things over with a laugh, “Of course it’s true, my liking you is in the sense of admiration, you’re very smart.”

“Hehe! So the baby really is a girl?” Chen Luyu asked with a surprised look on her face, and the audience was also ready to give fervent applause, but Wang Yang simply shrugged, not confirming with a nod: “I never said that. Do you know what smart people always end up doing? There’s an old Chinese saying, ‘Cleverness may overreach itself’; in Cantonese it goes, ‘You’re too clever!'” The audience’s laughter erupted once more, everyone relishing the humor; especially the national idol’s lazy manner and tone as he spoke Cantonese “You’re too clever!”, hitting their funny bone even harder than “A Glossary of Cantonese.”

Suddenly going from a clever person to a know-it-all, Chen Luyu was naturally caught off guard. She laughed, “Hehe,” and followed up with, “So it’s a boy?” Wang Yang raised his index finger and wagged it, grinning mischievously, “You see, cleverness has overreached itself! Really too clever for your own good.” With his use of Cantonese, the audience’s laughter grew even louder; “Too clever for your own good” is used to describe someone who, thinking they are very clever about something or a problem, rushes to speak or act without fully understanding it and ends up embarrassing themselves. In fact, Wang Yang also knew the other saying “stupid as a fart,” but it was too crude for the current setting.

“So it is a girl?” Chen Luyu laughed and asked again, but Wang Yang just shook his finger, and amidst a wave of laughter, she seemed to realize that it was a looping trap and remembered that this was the funniest Best Director who had just humorously defeated Zhu Jun! Chen Luyu playfully glared towards the direction of the camera and laughed heartily.

Wang Yang’s reluctance to disclose the baby’s gender was because he did not want his precious daughter to be subjected to pointing fingers by the media and the public before even arriving in this world. Having deflected Chen Luyu’s persistent questioning, he helped move things along with a laugh, saying, “There’s a line in ‘Firefly’, ‘You know too much,’ so stop asking! Be careful or I’ll send the Blue Hands after you.”

“Haha!” Knowing that Young Master Yang wanted to end the topic, the audience clapped non-stop, many cheering and shouting in praise. Wang Yang subtly inserted an advertisement, promoting without leaving a trace, and Chen Luyu laughed for a while, not forgetting the question she had intended to ask earlier, “Why do you want your first child to be a daughter?”

“Hmm, why indeed?” Wang Yang pondered, having analyzed his own feelings long ago—on the one hand, Jessica and Joshua were a sister and brother pair; on the other hand, he replied, “Maybe it’s because I’ve always wanted an older sister since I was little. I was very lonely at home, haha.” Chen Luyu immediately asked another question, “Don’t you like younger sisters?” Wang Yang laughed, rolling his eyes, “A lot of times, you end up wanting things you can never have. I might have a younger sister, but an older sister is impossible now, so that’s what I want. If I really had an older sister, maybe I’d want to be a big brother instead. Human nature is always so greedy and fickle.”

Young Master Yang really knows how to put it, doesn’t he? The audience didn’t wait a second before they started clapping, and the studio was immediately filled with thunderous applause!

“So, will you have another child?” Chen Luyu continued after the applause had died down. Wang Yang didn’t shy away from the question and answered, “Of course we will, we both really love children. At the very least, we want to have a basketball team starting lineup.” Chen Luyu was surprised, “That’s five children!” Wang Yang nodded and said with a smile, “Yes, and then I’ll be the coach, and she’ll be the cheerleader, great, right? We’re pretty lucky, you know, we’re not the biggest soccer fans, otherwise, I really couldn’t be a coach…” He paused for a moment and said earnestly, “I don’t mean it that way, I mean, I don’t understand soccer much.”

“Hahaha!” the audience burst into laughter again. Young Master Yang really has no airs about him! Over there, Wang Yang waved his hands with a smile and said, “She can’t be a cheerleader either, you know you have to have the skills like JORDAN to get into ‘The Sun’.”

The boys who knew which Jordan he was talking about couldn’t help but laugh, while the girls laughed and swooned, Young Master Yang is such a trickster! Chen Luyu chuckled knowingly or unknowingly, and sure enough, these days even a simple hello from the legendary Yang would trigger laughter. Laughing was definitely the right response as she continued asking, “Do you have any plans for when to have the next one?” Wang Yang smiled noncommittally and said, “We haven’t thought that much, right now, we’re just basking in the joy this child brings us.” Out of curiosity, Chen Luyu asked, “What’s that feeling like?” Wang Yang curved his lips, “Joy!”

Several years ago, during the first appearance on “A Date with Luyu,” Wang Yang had noticed Chen Luyu’s style of digging deep with questions, often coming with ‘small-stepped’ questions. He had to step out and completely take over the stage; otherwise, the show would be too dull with just those small steps. Thinking this, Wang Yang raised his voice, looked at the audience below, and said with a smile, “That feeling is really wonderful, so great!…”

“Hehe!”, “Haha!”… Just like in the studio of “Artistic Life: Wang Yang,” the hundreds of live audience members at “A Date with Luyu: Wang Yang” couldn’t stop their hearty laughter; but there was a difference. There were no fireworks on stage, Chen Luyu wasn’t crying out like Zhu Jun, “Can you spare me?” or “I can’t do this show anymore!” On the contrary, she laughed more than the audience, even to the point of interrupting the recording. Yet it was clear she had lost control of the show, transitioning from the host to a supporting role.

After the recording of this fun but embarrassing episode of “A Date with Wang Yang,” the producers and directors could only shake their heads helplessly. They knew that Chen Luyu had a long way to go if she wanted to be like Oprah. Despite admiring Wang Yang, Chen Luyu didn’t think she performed poorly. The only person in the world who might speak better than the legendary Yang was probably Jessica Alba!

True to Chen Luyu’s expectations, news broke out that night online! The studio audience wasn’t entirely made up of Hong Kong locals; some were mainlanders studying and working in Hong Kong, so the latest news spread across the internet in both simplified and traditional script. Countless movie fans and fans curious about Wang Yang’s return to “A Date with Luyu,” along with netizens who had been excitedly following the incident of the legendary Yang playing Zhu Jun, were thrilled to learn that the legendary Yang KO’d Chen Luyu!

“There wasn’t the drama of ‘Artistic Life.’ YOUNG was very humorous and friendly, cracking jokes one after another. He was more like the host of the show, while Chen Luyu sat there constantly laughing, chipping in every now and then with ‘Really?’ or ‘Is that so?’, until it became essentially a one-man show as YOUNG took over, asking Chen Luyu questions.”

Mandragora Fragrance posted a new thread on Tianya Forum describing the day’s events, with clicks and replies surging upward. She detailed part of the recording about the baby’s gender and other questions, where Wang Yang labeled Chen Luyu as “presumptuous,” “lazy bones,” and “clueless,” completely wrapping her around his finger, leaving her no choice but to laugh uncontrollably. Mandragora Fragrance wrote, “Overall, today Chen Luyu was thoroughly teased by YOUNG, who played her and then bailed her out, leaving Chen Luyu happy, only to be played again…”

Lazy bones? Clueless? Asking silly questions? ‘Really?’ ‘Is that so?’ Those familiar with “A Date with Luyu” sighed in admiration, Wang Yang really understood the show to a tee! This episode was bound to be a classic. Although it seemed calm on the surface, numerous entertainment media naturally reported, “Wang Yang guests on ‘A Date with Luyu,’ discusses marriage and movies” and “‘A Date with Luyu’ hosts Wang Yang and Chen Luyu’s verbal sparring, Eastern Oprah yields the floor”…n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Instigator Wang Yang stayed in Hong Kong for two days, and after completing a packed schedule of media interviews, recording sessions, and fan meet-and-greets, he “escaped” the passionate Hong Kong on the evening of the 26th, heading straight to his next stop, Taiwan.

“Wang Yang is so disrespectful! Always evading and dragging his feet, just dropping dead!” “Screw him!!” “Such a pity! Never got the chance to meet him.” “I really wanted to talk to him.”…

Having flown away, Young Master Yang left behind the residents of Hong Kong still caught up in a wave of frenzied enthusiasm, along with many celebrities and stars either cursing or expressing regret, unresolved in their wishes. To their further annoyance, Wang Yang had praised and thanked the Hong Kong fans on his blog post, emphasizing that he wrote, “Many people invited me to parties, and because of the tight schedule I could only decline their kindness, but it reminded me of a great song by BEYOND, ‘Give Face Party’.”

Escaping Hong Kong, but does that mean the people of Taiwan don’t adore the magical Yang? Does it mean the frenzy index of the Taiwanese fans can’t make the cut? Naively thinking that arriving in Taoyuan, Chiang Kai-shek International Airport at night wouldn’t draw a big crowd to pick him up, who would have known… it’s like escaping the tiger’s den only to enter the wolf’s lair!

“Wang Yang—Yang!!” “YOUNG!!!” “TOP-CAPTAIN—” “Brother Yang—” “Young Master Yang—” “Ah Yang—” The brightly-lit terminal was swarming with people, thousands of fans screaming frantically, holding up various “Yang” banners, flowers, posters, etc., while hundreds of police and airport security staff stood ready on high alert, walkie-talkies non-stop talking; reporters were also on standby. Just as a suspected silhouette appeared in the security checkpoint, a storm of flashes swarmed there, along with footsteps rapidly approaching!

Watching the scene of thousands rushing towards him unfold before his eyes, Wang Yang let out a silent wow, surrounded by his bodyguards and assistants as he moved steadily forward, greeting them in Minnan dialect that he had specifically learned, raising his hand and laughing as he shouted, “Greetings HO!! So happy to come to Taiwan!”

“Ahhhhhhhh—” Hearing their national idol speak a few authentic sentences of Minnan dialect, the fans instantly lost control! The roof of the terminal almost lifted from the uproar, despite the fact that many were deafened by the noise, even though their idol’s voice was strong and clear. As if the chaos wasn’t enough, Wang Yang gestured for everyone to quiet down, and just as the fans had barely managed to suppress their excitement, he shouted again, “I appreciate the summer’s welcome, but I am off now, sorry! If you’re free, come to my place for some tea!”

Utter madness ensued! Everyone was screaming, reporters shouting various questions to attract attention, female fans were crying their eyes out, some tried to break through security to embrace their idol… Scenes reminiscent of Hong Kong International Airport were reenacted, and Chiang Kai-shek International Airport almost lost all order.

In fact, it wasn’t Wang Yang’s first time in Taiwan. One of his honeymoon stops last year was here, but it was his first time coming to Taiwan to promote a movie. Just like in Mainland China and Hong Kong, the Taiwanese people had been chasing and adoring the wonderful Yang for quite some time, to the extent that praises such as “Wenqu star descending to earth, celestial being coming down, true dragon’s son” could go on for seven days and nights, and still be “one of our own,” perfect! The same national heartthrob and idol, his marriage also left countless Taiwanese girls heartbroken. When “Apple Daily” Taiwan edition published its headline with a touch of irony: “Even the Constitution Brother isn’t married yet, Brother Yang, what’s the rush?”

With Brother Yang, there’s box office; with Brother Yang, there are new records!

Without saying much, movies like “Initial D” didn’t die gloriously in vain. “Firefly” had been released in Taiwan for five weeks, each week topping the box office, breaking records in Taipei and all of Taiwan, giving cinema owners a new box office champion to laugh all the way to the ground! It took only 35 days to break the previous record of NT$800 million (about 24.61 million US dollars) set by “Titanic,” reaching a box office of 810 million NT (about 25.60 million US dollars) with astonishing momentum!

In 35 days, “Firefly” had an unstoppable box office haul of 87.29 million US dollars across China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, setting a new market record and ultimately hoping to break 100 million US dollars to become the first film to boast this proud achievement.

The busy schedule continued, as Wang Yang would only stay on the 27th for one day, heading to Tokyo, Japan early morning on the 28th to attend the movie premiere in the evening. Thus, his trip to Taiwan was even busier, with a large outdoor fan meet and greet in the morning, a press conference in the afternoon to field questions from the media, and recording a talk show at night. At the fan event, Wang Yang received many gifts again, including several amulets said to be blessed by masters. As for the lively press conference, he could no longer remember how many questions he had answered…

“I’m going to record ‘Kangxi Laile’ today! Looking forward to the conversation with Cai Kangyong and Xu Xidi!”

Given the limited time, Wang Yang did not choose to appear on USC alumna Hou Peicen’s talk show “Entertainment@Asia,” because “Kangxi Laile” had greater viewership and internet popularity, as well as more topical influence. Although more on the prankish side, it fit his usual selection criteria, so he chose the show from UCLA’s rival.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re really sexy? I really want to touch you…” In the studio without a live audience, Xiao S almost lay on Wang Yang on the couch. She didn’t just mess with any guest, especially not someone like Miraculous Yang who had set a new high for the show. But seeing the superstar director laughing heartily, it seemed he didn’t mind the joke. Xiao S boldly touched his arm and admired with a dreamy face, “Such big muscles, do you go to the gym often?”

Wang Yang made a few dodging motions, signaling that was enough, and laughed while shaking his head, “Nope, not often, I just train at home.” But Xiao S continued to touch his shoulder with a giggling smile: “So exciting!” Cai Kangyong, standing to the side and laughing with his mouth wide open, could tell what Wang Yang meant. Playing his usual role, he jokingly said, “Don’t scare Brother Yang! Why do I feel like you are scarier than the girl from ‘Paranormal Activity’ right now…”

“No, not at all!” Wang Yang quickly denied. Xiao S, very narcissistically, posed for the camera, while Wang Yang seriously stated, “Now I’m kind of scared, are you the lead actress from ‘Paranormal Activity’ by any chance?” Cai Kangyong’s mouth opened even wider in laughter, while Xiao S coquettishly said, “That would be good too, I look like Rachel-McAdams! She’s so pretty!” Wang Yang corrected, “Not Rachel, but the male lead Zachary Levi.” Xiao S’s face immediately fell.

Cai Kangyong laughed harder, his mouth opening even wider, continuing to smooth things over. He couldn’t let Xiao S look too bad and said with a laugh, “I always knew Wang Yang was sharp-tongued. Just now, when you were bashfully intimidated, I thought Xiao S had scared you, but it turns out ladies come first. Xiao S, you’ve met your match this time.”

“Not at all! Zachary Levi is sexy, Xiao S is sexy, I’m sexy too.” Wang Yang also chimed in quickly to help smooth things over. Xiao S, again very narcissistically, struck a pose for the camera. Wang Yang sized her up and then seriously added, “However, if you were to audition for the female lead in ‘Paranormal Activity’, you might not get through. Your sexiness rating is on the lower side overall.” Xiao S pouted in protest, “Then I’ll just be the powerful actor type!” Wang Yang laughingly said, “The actor type needs acting skills, you know!” Xiao S leaned in coyly, “You can teach me!”

“Okay, let’s try it right now!” Wang Yang seemed interested and asked, “What challenge should we try? What do you like to act as?” Xiao S immediately said with excitement, “A female thug!” Wang Yang frowned and shook his head, “That would just be playing to type, it doesn’t showcase your abilities.” Cai Kangyong suggested with a smile, “How about something different from your usual self? A pitiful, helpless girl.” Xiao S quickly struck a pitiful pose, and Wang Yang pretended to study her for a long while before suddenly saying, “Hey! I still think you’re more suited for the male lead.” Cai Kangyong burst out laughing again: “Hahaha!”…(