Chapter 129 "Keep it up! Make a heart shape with your hands for the camera!"...

Chapter 129 "Keep it up! Make a heart shape with your hands for the camera!"...

For a moment, you could hear a pin drop in the private room.

The expressions on the faces of the several people were quite different.

Yuan Sui and Ming Yi both thought that Tao Tao's claim of having a wealthy ex-fiancé on the show was fake, an excuse to hide her family background!

"Tao Tao?!" Mingyi dropped her chopsticks. "You really have an ex-fiancé?! And it's Cheng Zhao?!"

—What a coincidence!

Ye Hantao nodded emphatically.

Earlier, when Cheng Zhao said that the sapphire jewelry was an apology for the childhood betrothal, he said that Cheng Zhao was too naughty and a scoundrel, and that his family didn't approve of him, which is why they broke off the engagement.

Later, Ye Hantao asked her parents and received similar answers.

Dad and Mom didn't mention what Cheng Zhao looked like when she was little. They only said that she had recovered and didn't need to find a fiancé with a tough life anymore, so the two families naturally dissolved the engagement.

Lu Yiyan's face was ashen.

Oh no, oh no.

What did he say?!

Chen Xiaofeng propped himself up on the table and hurriedly said, "Tao Tao, Lu Yiyan always had a loose tongue when he was in school, don't believe him—"

What are you talking about?

A sudden question interrupted Chen Xiaofeng.

He turned and met Cheng Zhao's probing gaze, "..."

Chen Xiaofeng silently sat back down in his chair and pulled the unlucky culprit, Lu Yiyan, to the middle to block him.

If Cheng Zhao and Tao Tao have a falling out, make sure to direct your attacks at Lu Yiyan!

Lu Yiyan's face was stiff, and even his once-flamboyant red hair looked droopy.

Under Cheng Zhao's gaze, he forced a smile that looked worse than crying.

Help! His brother has fallen for someone for the first time and just confessed successfully.

If anything goes wrong, he will be utterly culpable and deserve to die!

Cheng Zhao frowned slightly, walked behind Ye Hantao's chair, leaned down and asked, "Did they both smear me in front of you?"

Ye Hantao turned her head to look at him, "I didn't smear it."

Cheng Zhao stared intently at Tao Tao's face, a strange sense of unease rising in his heart.

He glanced at Lu Yiyan, who was so guilty he was practically huddled in his chair, then looked back at him. "Lu Yiyan told you about the unpleasant things that happened to me when I was a child?"

How bad was it?

"...You really said it?"

Ye Hantao rested her chin on her hand and said, "I'm saying you have a lot of backbone."

Cheng Zhao felt a growing sense of unease.

Looking across the table, Lu Yiyan wished he could bury his head under the table.

Ye Hantao mimicked Lu Yiyan's emphasis, "Whoever agreed—marries him!"

Cheng Zhao gripped the back of the chair tightly.

Ye Hantao continued smiling, enunciating each word clearly, "I don't care!"

Cheng Zhao: "".

He said that he deserved a beating when he was a kid.

Cheng Zhao had classes in the afternoon, so he drove Ye Hantao home, but even though the car was already at the school gate, he didn't drop her off.

Cheng Zhao hugged her tightly, saying, "When I was a child, I was rebellious and foolish, and I said things that were hard to hear."

When they get really mean, they don't even spare themselves.

Ye Hantao wasn't actually angry.

They met for the first time on the show, and no one would be happy to suddenly be burdened with an engagement.

Ye Hantao let him hold her, "Besides that, you didn't say anything else?"

"The rest were just angry words I said to the old man." Cheng Zhao rested his chin on his girlfriend's neck, his usually lazy voice now tinged with tension and affection.

Unspoken vows don't count; for example, he might lie in bed at night and secretly swear that he'll make the person cry when he sees them.

"..."

So why didn't he get to see Tao Tao when she was a child?

Cheng Zhao said in a muffled voice, "If I had been able to see you back then, I definitely would have held onto you and wouldn't let go."

"That's hard to say." Ye Hantao hugged him back. "I was also naughty when I was little. If we meet, we might fight."

Like adding wasabi to the steamed buns I give you, drawing a turtle on your face while you're sleeping, waiting for you...

Before she could finish speaking, warm lips covered hers.

The partition screen creates a private space for each person, where only a refreshing fragrance can be smelled.

As their breaths warmed and the setting sun cast its shimmering light, Ye Hantao unconsciously grabbed his shoulder.

After a while, Cheng Zhao stepped back slightly.

He touched nose to nose with hers, "One day you'll do all the things you've said, and that will be my punishment."

Ye Hantao: "?"

The tone didn't sound like a punishment at all.

Pushing open the car door, Ye Hantao turned around before entering the school gate.

"Cheng Zhao, there's something I haven't told you yet."

"What's up?"

Ye Hantao laughed, "I've only been engaged to someone I met once."

Cheng Zhao was startled and instinctively raised his foot.

Ye Hantao was prepared and dashed into the crowd of teachers and students.

From a distance, she turned around and saw Cheng Zhao still standing there looking this way, so she raised her hand and waved to him.

That evening, Ye Hantao received a call from the production team of the TV program "Classmates Are Here".

Director Wan: "Tao Tao, I heard you're going to watch the Flash competition on Saturday afternoon. I was wondering if you'd mind if we did a live stream? It would also be the finale of our show, 'Classmates Are Here'."

Ye Hantao readily agreed, "Sure, I can."

Upon hearing this, Director Wan felt much less stressed. After hanging up the phone, he made calls to other people.

After delivering the exact same opening line, add: Tao Tao has already agreed!

In just ten minutes, Director Wan obtained the consent of the others.

The assistant director listened to the whole thing and gave Director Wan a thumbs up, saying, "Director, brilliant!"

Director Wan patted him on the shoulder, "I knew Tao Tao was extraordinary the moment I saw her!"

"We've really struck gold! First, Ye Hantao's identity as the young boss of Guangsheng Group was exposed, and then she was photographed on a date with Cheng Zhao. Her popularity continues to rise," the assistant director exclaimed. "The edited version of the show that was released has more than tripled in viewership these past few days!"

Director Wan: "The fee is only 50,000."

The assistant director couldn't help but feel embarrassed, "I really thought Ye Hantao didn't agree because she thought 50,000 was too little, and she only came because Liao Jiayue added another 50,000."

Now that I think about it, with Ye Hantao's family background, what difference does 50,000 or 100,000 make?

"Tao Tao only agreed to come to the show because of our friendship, but unfortunately, some people just can't catch her."

The assistant director shook his head. "If we had really managed to catch him, we wouldn't have ended up being blacklisted and in debt."

The previous agent not only took the blame for Liao Jiayue, but was also forced out of the industry by the Liao family. Furthermore, Liao Jiayue's fans doxxed the agent and even beat the agent's elderly mother so badly that she had to be hospitalized.

The agent, unable to tolerate it any longer, revealed that Liao Jiayue had previously framed several rivals, including using her own company to evade taxes.

"That's why people shouldn't do anything against their conscience," Director Wan said sincerely.

The following day, the "Classmates Are Here" program team updated their status.

After reading the content, netizens wondered if they were seeing things.

[They're suddenly streaming live again?! Wasn't the show supposed to be suspended?!]

[The live stream is running as scheduled on Saturday, but it's only at 3 PM? It used to stream in the morning.]

【Ughhhhhh, why is it 3 PM on Saturday afternoon?! The Flash competition starts at 4 PM, which one should I watch?! !!!】

Wait, why did they choose this time? Doesn't that mean Flash can't participate?

The netizens' questions were answered on Saturday. As soon as the live stream started, the camera focused on the e-sports center in Yuncheng.

The futuristic building, resembling a giant seashell, has a constant flow of people at its entrance; these are spectators entering to watch the game live.

Ye Hantao pulled out a stack of support banners from her bag and handed them out to her invited friends with a smile.

"Sui Sui, Fang Hao, Hui Hui, Xia Ying, Le Chu, you are the cheerleaders I invited for my brother, so you must take my brother's support banner." Ye Hantao handed out the Q-version support banner she drew to them without saying a word. Unfortunately, Ming Yi and her great-aunt were both unable to come, and the cheerleading team lost two members.

Chen Xiaofeng picked up one of the drawings and praised it, "You drew this very well, it highlights the key features."

"What do you mean 'pretty good'? This is clearly a masterpiece!" Lu Yiyan had just made a mistake a few days ago and was trying his best to improve. "Tao Tao, your choice to study law is a loss to the art world!"

Ye Hantao also sent him a copy, saying, "Even though you were invited by Cheng Zhao, you still have to cheer for my brother."

Lu Yiyan accepted the support banner, saying, "Even if he hadn't asked me, I would have come! This is your brother! I had to come!"

The audience was somewhat confused.

[Maze's cheerleading squad and banners? Maze isn't even playing, so what's the point?]

[So what if we don't need it? Does that mean we can't cheer? Maze is HT's coach, after all!]

[At every HT tournament, there are always a few fans holding up Maze banners in person.]

[Hahaha, after Maze appeared on the show, her fanbase has grown from a few to over a dozen.]

[Having a lot of fans is useless, Maze never appears on the stage during matches. HT played against Raven and they lost 3-2 last time, it was so nerve-wracking.]

If Maze were there, BP would never have made that mistake.

[The main problem is that Crow and his team have been hiding their true strength too well! They've actually become quite adept at operations!]

[That's Crow! A top-eight team globally! It's an accident they had to clash with so early; this time it'll be a breeze.]

Tang Jiahui waved the support banner and joked, "Tao Tao, we're supporting your brother, but where's someone else?"

Yuan Sui and Gu Fanghao followed closely behind, "Yes, yes, where is someone?"

Before Ye Hantao could speak, Cheng Zhao took one of the support banners.

He remained calm and composed, saying, "Someone is also supporting my elder brother."

He said "Big Brother" very naturally.

Jin Shiyue and He Qiang both gave each other the same cold look, making Chen Xiaofeng and Lu Yiyan feel so jealous.

[Old Chen & Jin Shiyue & He Qiang: The sour smell of love.]

[Insulin is dropped remotely!]

I just love watching lovey-dovey, sentimental stuff!

[I'm curious if Maze acknowledges this "big brother" title, hahaha.]

[Maze: Ha. 】

Ye Hantao had Cheng Zhao hold one of her hands, and with her other hand, she rummaged through the remaining stack of support banners in her bag.

All the support banners were placed in front of Jin Shiyue, He Qiang, Chen Xiaofeng, and Wu Xia.

"You guys choose!" Ye Han said with a heart shape. "Anyway, Angang and my brother are both HT, so it's not a loss to cheer for either of them."

Chen Xiaofeng had already taken Zhou Mingsheng's share, and then he took Su Yi'ang's share as well. "I can't be biased."

"Favoritism?" Jin Shiyue retorted coldly, "Do you have a relationship with Brother Tao Tao?"

Chen Xiaofeng chuckled, "Cheng Zhao and I are brothers, and Maze is Tao Tao's older brother, so he's practically my brother too!"

Others: "..."

The audience: "..."

Jin Shiyue, He Qiang, and Wu Xia also each received two support banners. Even if they weren't close, they were still Tao Tao's older brothers.

They entered through the VIP entrance and did not join the regular audience.

As Ye Hantao approached, she saw her maternal grandparents, parents, and uncle all there, holding a Q-version support banner for her older brother.

When they sat down, Ye Hantao sat next to her uncle, with Cheng Zhao sitting next to her.

The cameraman adjusts the camera position.

As a result, the audience unanimously realized that all of Ye Hantao's family members were present in the family photo.

I have a bold guess...

[The whole family is here, could this be Maze's comeback debut?!]

[Impossible. If they really came back to play, HT's official account would have announced it beforehand.]

That being said, when the lights came on and the starting players from both teams prepared to take the field, some spectators still clung to a sliver of hope.

Ye Hantao watched as Su Yi'ang led the way onto the stage, followed by Sky, Lao Ning, and others whom she had met at the base.

They shook hands with the referees one by one, and before taking their seats to adjust the equipment, Su Yi'ang gave them an OK sign and then waved to the other side with a bright smile.

Ye Hantao tilted her head and recognized the two as Su Yi'ang's parents. She had seen them in a video call with her great-aunt yesterday.

"His father is having surgery next week?" Cheng Zhao asked in a low voice.

Ye Hantao nodded, "That's what my great-aunt said: surgery first, followed by rehabilitation training."

According to my great-aunt, the chances of recovery are extremely high, and she should be able to live for another ten or twenty years without any problem.

When Ye Hantao was little, she always thought that people died in batches, one batch at 100 years old, another at 90 years old, another at 80 years old...

Later, she was admitted to the hospital more and more frequently, and she became accustomed to seeing patients of all ages in the hospital.

Ye Hantao suddenly realized that death is random, and you might never see your loved ones again.

"Cheng Zhao, let's go on a trip during the National Day holiday?"

"I'm free anytime, where do I want to go?"

Ye Hantao thought for a moment, "Antarctica? I want to see penguins and the aurora borealis."

Cheng Zhao hesitated for two seconds, "We can charter a plane, and then take snowmobiles to the White Desert camp. I have the whole place booked out year-round."

He spent a month filming in Antarctica last year and plans to go again in the next year or two, so he simply booked the entire camp.

Ye Hantao's idea was impulsive, but little did she know that Cheng Zhao had already made plans. "Besides the aurora and penguin watching, are there any other activities?"

“Yes, there are, like the blue ice cave, but it might be crowded during winter break. There’s also skiing, wide-tire cycling, and ice diving,” Cheng Zhao listed them one by one. “If you’re interested, you can also visit the research station.”

As they spoke, all the starting players from both teams took their seats.

Seeing that they were already setting up the equipment, the audience couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Maze did not reappear as expected.

The next second, they suddenly saw Ye Hantao raise her support banner and look brightly at the stage.

The audience's hearts raced.

Under the bright lights, Zhou Mingsheng, wearing the HT team uniform, walked forward step by step and sat down alone in the coaching area next to the HT team's seats.

The entire room fell silent.

The opposing team's teammates and coach stared wide-eyed.

Are they so strong that they had Maze personally take to the field?!

Immediately, the entire audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers, shouting in unison, "Maze!!!"

【Maze! ! ! ! ! 】

Holy crap!!!

[Maze is here in Taiwan!!!]

[Aaaaaaaahhhhh! Why is HT Base keeping quiet?! Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!]

【Maze!!! !!! 】

The camera pans across Ye Hantao and Cheng Zhao, along with their family and friends, all holding up support banners.

Ye Hantao: "Brother! Keep it up!"

Cheng Zhao: "Brother! Keep it up!"

Others: "Go, Tao Tao!"

Zhou Mingsheng's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.

The outcome of this match was a foregone conclusion.

The JJK team members felt their legs were wobbly when they stood up.

Even so, they still went to take a photo with Zhou Mingsheng despite their physical disabilities.

Ye Hantao couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at the older brother on stage who was surrounded by people asking for photos.

She turned her head to find Cheng Zhao to laugh with, but unexpectedly saw him taking pictures of her with his phone, his clear blue eyes smiling.

Ye Hantao made a heart shape with her hands for the camera, her almond-shaped eyes curving upwards.

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Author's Note: The main story is finished! Thank you all so much for accompanying Tao Tao along the way and witnessing her growth! [heart emojis]

There will be a few bonus chapters later~

--Randomly dropping red envelopes [fireworks]--