The twenty-second day of wanting a divorce.
The director handed each person a flashlight. At four in the morning, without a moment to rest, the group plunged back into the deep forest.
“Lin Jingxi! Come out!”
Calls for Lin Jingxi echoed through the woods. No one cared anymore whether shouting would attract dangerous creatures; getting lost in this kind of forest was no joke. Even if you did not encounter a brown bear, a run-in with a wild boar would be more than enough to handle.
Shen Yi was particularly frantic, searching every inch of the tall grass and even overturning rocks. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the thicket ahead. Hearing the noise, everyone tentatively shone their flashlights toward it. “Lin Jingxi, is that you?”
The next second, a large, furry paw reached out from the grass. Everyone’s breath hitched. Then, a pair of emerald eyes shimmered with a ghostly, cold light in the pitch-black night. A massive wolf, carrying a staggering sense of pressure, slowly stepped out of the brush; its sharp eyes were fixed on the group with a murderous intent.
“Holy, it is a wolf!”
Once they realized what was hiding in the grass, everyone’s forward momentum stopped instantly. A chill ran down their spines, and their feet backed up uncontrollably. In an instant, countless pairs of glowing green eyes emerged from all directions, stepping through the grass and forming an arc as they slowly closed in on the group.
An Rao stared at the wolves, falling into deep thought. Wolves are social animals; typically, only one pack occupies a single territory. That being the case, that massive wolf should be the one. An Rao narrowed his eyes, peering through the night. When he locked eyes with the great wolf, its sharp, predatory gaze instantly shifted into the round, innocent eyes of a puppy.
“Awooo?” the big wolf howled tentatively.
Its previously tucked tail gave a slight, happy wag, and it trotted toward An Rao with light, bouncy steps.
“Careful.” An Rao was suddenly pulled back. He looked up to see Chu Guannan watching the wolf king with unwavering vigilance.
An Rao brushed his hand away and looked at the wolf king. “It is me. Do you remember me?”
The wolf king stopped just a meter away. After scanning the surrounding people and seeing no hostile movements, it slowly sat down and lowered its head. In wolf behavior, this signifies submission.
The production crew was stunned. The cameramen, who had been ready to use their equipment as weapons, slowly lowered them to capture the scene. VJ Wang smiled; this was clearly the same cute wolf pup that had clung to An Rao for hugs before. Ignoring the warnings of others, he crept closer, pointing his lens right at the wolf king’s face for a close-up.
The wolf king glanced at him, and its eyes suddenly flashed with aggression. It bristled and let out a low, menacing snarl.
“Baby! Stay!”
Seeing that VJ Wang was about to become the wolf king’s snack, An Rao quickly shouted and stepped forward. The wolf king exhaled, and its eyes returned to their round, soft shape. An Rao did not dare to be too reckless; he stopped half a meter away and reached out his arm, wanting to touch the wolf’s head to show he meant no harm. The wolf king obediently lowered its head, leaning it into An Rao’s palm and slowly wagging its tail.
The director looked hesitantly at the others and asked, “Is that really a wolf and not a Husky?”
A cameraman smacked his lips and whispered mysteriously, “It is a wolf. While wolves are naturally bloodthirsty, they only become this submissive in two situations. First, when they encounter an animal or human who has done them a great favor; they will do anything to repay the debt. And second, toward their mate. They only choose one partner in their life and remain loyal until death.”
The director pointed at the wolf king. “So what is the deal with this one?”
The cameraman laughed. “Perhaps both.”
An Rao, seeing that the wolf king had no intention of attacking, slowly crouched down. The bandage on the wolf’s leg had been chewed off, revealing newly healed flesh underneath. It looked much better. Relieved to see it in good spirits, An Rao suddenly remembered that wolves are canines with exceptional night vision and an incredible sense of smell. He turned to Shen Yi. “Do you have any of Lin Jingxi’s personal items?”
Shen Yi, still frozen in fear of the pack, hurriedly fumbled through his backpack and threw over Lin Jingxi’s jacket. An Rao patted the wolf’s head and brought the jacket to its nose. “Good boy, can you do me a favor?”
The wolf king sniffed the clothes, sneezing from the strong perfume. It stood up and began sniffing the ground like a well-trained police dog. Instantly, all cameras were focused on the wolf and An Rao. The cameramen marveled to themselves: “If this airs, the ratings will explode! Domesticated wolves are hard enough to train, let alone a wild alpha!”
The wolf king sniffed as it moved forward, with An Rao following closely behind. The others, however, kept a safe distance, as the rest of the pack was still following them.
Suddenly, the wolf king stopped and climbed a huge boulder. It sniffed the surface vigorously, then jumped down to poke around the bushes before nudging a shiny object into An Rao’s hand. An Rao looked closely; it was the necklace Lin Jingxi had worn at his birthday banquet. Not only had he failed to hand over his valuables as required, but the necklace was also perfectly intact; it had not been broken or accidentally dropped.
The wolf king, clearly overwhelmed by the perfume, kept sneezing. After walking for about half an hour, it stopped in front of a small cave and peered inside. An Rao looked into the cave; it was dark, but he could hear rapid, heavy breathing. He crouched down and stroked the wolf king. “Good boy, you are amazing.”
The wolf king sat down obediently, eyes wide and tail wagging.
“Is he in there?” the director asked anxiously.
An Rao stepped aside and made a gesture to invite the group in. A few minutes later, the director emerged from the cave, dragging a shivering Lin Jingxi out by the collar. As soon as he saw the massive wolf, Lin Jingxi tried to dive back into the cave.
“Give it a rest.” The director rubbed his temples. He had not slept at all and was in a foul mood; Lin Jingxi’s lack of cooperation was the last straw.
Seeing that its mission was complete, the wolf king nuzzled An Rao’s leg and let out a howl toward the pack. The other wolves immediately gathered and followed the wolf king back into the depths of the forest.
“An Rao, was your family a line of wolf tamers? Why do they listen to you so much?” VJ Wang could not help but ask.
An Rao tilted his head and smiled. “Maybe we just clicked? Perhaps I was a wolf in my past life.”
Seeing that the cameras were all on An Rao, Lin Jingxi remained silent for a long time before finally speaking up: “I am sorry, everyone. I got lost while escaping from the cannibals and was afraid to wander. I am sorry I kept everyone awake to find me.”
Though he sounded apologetic, his words carried a tone of boastfulness. It was as if he were proud that everyone had stopped everything just for him.
“Got lost?” An Rao raised his hand, dangling the shiny necklace between his fingers.
Lin Jingxi’s smile froze instantly. The rules explicitly stated all valuables must be handed over. He reached out to grab it, but An Rao held it high above his head, using his height advantage.
“I forgot. I did not hide it on purpose.”
An Rao gave a cold laugh. “That does not matter. But do you know where the necklace was found? The wolf found your necklace right next to the big boulder at the entrance of the forest. It spent a long time sniffing that rock, meaning your scent there was very strong. Tell me, how long did you sit on that rock after escaping the cannibals?”
The realization hit everyone like a ton of bricks. After a long silence, the director asked, “That boulder is only a dozen meters from our camp. You could not see us?”
Everyone’s gaze shifted suspiciously toward Lin Jingxi.
“I was too nervous. I tend to ignore my surroundings when I am panicked. I really,” Lin Jingxi tried to give one last explanation.
“Lin Jingxi,” An Rao interrupted impatiently. “Choosing to survive on your own in a life or death situation is understandable; it is human nature. But when the opportunity for rescue was right in front of you, you chose to ignore it. We did not ask you to risk your life, just to call for help. Was that so hard? Even if you do not care about us, do you not care about your little lover anymore?” Yin Xueya sneered.
Lin Jingxi looked up at Shen Yi. Shen Yi looked back for a long time before turning his head away. “Forget it. Jingxi was probably just too scared to know what to do. Stop blaming him. Let us go back and rest.”
An Rao was exhausted and did not feel like arguing further. He walked to Lin Jingxi and slapped the necklace into his palm. “At the very least, you should live up to your own conscience.”
Holding the necklace, the night wind made Lin Jingxi tremble all over. He slowly crouched down, his fingers clenching the jewelry tightly.
The group returned to camp exhausted. They did not even take off their clothes, simply lying on the ground to catch some sleep. Survival was the priority. VJ Wang tossed and turned, getting angrier the more he thought about it. He took his phone out of the tent, found a spot with a signal, and let his anger flow through his fingertips onto the screen.
Little Wang Loves Photography: “Never try to guess what is in a person’s heart. The malice and darkness inside are enough to ruin you forever!”
Netizens were confused, wondering what happened. VJ Wang posted again: “Compared to those who are black inside, idiots are even scarier.”
An Rao had just lied down when he was yanked up by his collar. He opened his eyes to see Chu Guannan.
“What are you pulling me for?”
Chu Guannan said nothing, dragging him to the riverbank. He stood there and said in a commanding tone, “Wash your hands.”
“I am not washing them. I am tired.”
“Wash them. You touched a wolf; there are bacteria.”
An Rao leaned tiredly against a river stone and mocked, “We are not much cleaner than the wolves right now. Do not bother, Hubby, I am dying of exhaustion.” He spread his arms softly and gave a hazy smile. “Why don’t you just hold me while I sleep?”
Chu Guannan did not argue. He pulled An Rao’s hands into the river, using his cold fingers to carefully clean every inch of his palms. Under the moonlight, Chu Guannan’s expression was stubborn and serious, reminding An Rao of his own father. His father was always like this, always speaking in a commanding tone. When he learned An Rao wanted to travel the world after graduation, he had questioned him on what he could learn in deserts or wilderness and how it would help his future.
His mother had chimed in: “An Rao, your father is right. Let us go to Italy after the New Year. It is the city of art; it will help your studies.”
During these days, rolling around in the mountains and seeing so many different landscapes, he suddenly understood. The meaning of travel is to change one’s prejudice against the world.
The program My CP is Super Capable was coming to an end. The guests had spent a miserable week in the mountains. Some were tanned, some were thinner, and some were covered in injuries, none of which could hide the exhaustion on their faces. All they wanted now was to return to a soft bed and sleep.
Before leaving, the director and staff gave the eight guests a round of applause.
“Finally, we will launch a voting segment online. The audience will vote for their favorite group based on performance. The group with the most votes will receive a 300,000 cash prize and a seven day trip to Nepal!”
“Nepal? Director Liu, you really have nowhere else to go,” Su Xiangming teased.
An Rao, however, perked up. “When do we leave?”
The director laughed. “You have to win first. But do not worry; after we return, there will be a surprise visit segment to the guests’ residences. You can use that to lobby for votes.”
Aside from An Rao, the guests felt that Nepal did not matter much, but the surprise visit was a great opportunity to boost popularity. The director gave a final clap. “Everyone has worked hard this month!” He bowed sincerely to the guests.
Artists’ assistants, having heard the news, had already arrived from the foot of the mountain and were waiting in a row. Chen Keke watched her boss’s tall figure from afar, nearly crying with excitement. As soon as the director said they were dismissed, the assistants swamped the camp like a swarm of bees, fussing over their bosses.
Lin Jingxi’s situation was the most exaggerated. He had two assistants: one was already walking ahead with two suitcases, while the other carried the remaining suitcase, held an umbrella, and brought him water. Surrounded by people, Lin Jingxi looked very pampered.
An Rao, however, had no assistant. In the original novel, he never had one because he never received work; the company felt it was unnecessary. He picked up his suitcase and began walking down the mountain alone.
“Xiao Zhu, help An Rao with his suitcase,” Lin Jingxi suddenly said to his assistant with a smile.
Xiao Zhu curled his lips and gave a disdainful look. “I do not think he has anything valuable. He can carry it himself.”
An Rao turned back and politely declined. “Thank you, but no. I have hands.”
Xiao Zhu already disliked An Rao. Not only did he constantly go against his boss, but his popularity online was rising, and he had even reported the boss’s family company. Xiao Zhu really wanted to kick him off the mountain. “Then carry it yourself. You have been in this industry so long and still do not have an assistant. You are truly pitiful,” Xiao Zhu mocked.
Just then, Yin Xueya’s assistant, Xiao Min, caught up from behind. She had a high ponytail and empty hands. “Mr. An, Sister Xueya asked me to see if you need help. I will carry your suitcase.”
An Rao looked back to see Yin Xueya carrying her own suitcase and waving gracefully at him. He gave Xiao Min a friendly smile. “It is fine. I only have one suitcase; even a disabled person could take it down.”
Lin Jingxi’s eyes sharpened as he looked coldly at An Rao.
“Haha, true. These days, disabled people are very self reliant. On the contrary, some young people with healthy limbs live like they are completely paralyzed,” Xiao Min said triumphantly, giving Xiao Zhu a subtle humph. She was one of the top assistants in the industry; who did Xiao Zhu think he was, trying to act big in front of her?
A few steps later, Li Meiwei’s assistant also caught up, holding a bottle of water. “Brother An, Sister Meiwei asked me to bring you water. If you get tired, just tell me. My hands are free anyway.”
Xu Renyu’s assistant joined them as well. “An Rao, Renyu asked me… oh, so many people? I guess I am not needed.”
Looking back, all the artists were carrying their own suitcases, even Shen Yi, except for Lin Jingxi, who was surrounded by people like royalty.
Chu Guannan, walking at the front with his long legs, looked back at An Rao and Lin Jingxi. He whispered to Chen Keke, “Keke, go see if An Rao needs help.”
Chen Keke muttered reluctantly, “He has so many people around him, I do not think I need to go.”
Chu Guannan did not force her. He took a piece of chocolate from his pocket and said softly, “Then give this to him. He gets hungry very easily.”
Chen Keke took the chocolate and walked back slowly. Halfway there, she changed direction and went straight to Lin Jingxi. She handed him the chocolate and looked triumphantly at An Rao. “Jingxi, Brother Nan said he was afraid you would be hungry and asked me to bring you this.”
Chen Keke stole a glance back at Chu Guannan. Seeing that he was not paying attention, she grew bolder. “He also said to call me if you need any help.”
Lin Jingxi took the chocolate, his lips blooming into a smile. “Thank Brother Nan for me. Not only did he give me such an expensive car, but he also cares about me so much.”
An Rao wanted to laugh. He hoped they would say more, preferably within Chu Guannan’s earshot. Maybe Chu Guannan would suddenly realize how deep his love for Lin Jingxi was and divorce him immediately.
“Haha, Brother Nan has good taste,” Xiao Zhu added cryptically.
An Rao walked down the mountain alone. When everyone reached the bottom, they found a massive crowd of fans. Seeing their idols, they jumped and cheered. A few fans with Lin Jingxi signs whispered among themselves that An Rao was about to be abandoned by his company since he did not even have an assistant.
An Rao felt a headache from the noise and rubbed his temples. Suddenly, he noticed several police cars parked at the intersection. He initially thought they were there for crowd control, but he noticed the license plates were from Jincheng. Several officers got out and jogged over to An Rao. Before he could react, they saluted him.
“Hello, Mr. An. Congratulations on completing your filming.”
An Rao was confused. The lead officer handed over a red certificate. “We are here to present you with your Excellent Citizen honorary certificate.”
His voice was loud. In an instant, everyone’s eyes were on them. An Rao took the certificate, feeling a bit embarrassed. “You could have just given it to me when I got back. Why travel so far?”
The officer smiled. “This was our director’s idea. You made a huge contribution to our anti gambling efforts, allowing us to solve the case quickly. We were ordered to welcome you home.” He leaned in and whispered, “Our bureau was even named one of the top ten exemplary public security organs in the country because of it.” He then shouted to his colleagues, “Salute!”
The officers snapped to attention, their eyes bright. The cameramen, who had already packed their gear, quickly started filming this grand moment.
“While gambling does not cause the same direct harm as drugs, it breeds many illegal industries. Countless people commit suicide every year due to massive gambling debts, destroying families. Therefore, we hope all citizens strengthen their anti gambling awareness and call on everyone to learn from you!”
The lead officer saluted the fans, and the police began distributing anti gambling handbooks. The cover featured a cute, traditional ink style chibi character with large eyes.
Lin Jingxi looked at An Rao with disdain, but he trembled at the sight of the police. He quickly lowered his hat and climbed into his car under his assistants’ protection. A Lin Jingxi fan flipped through the handbook and found the chibi character resembling An Rao disgusting. She threw the handbook on the ground and stepped on it.
An officer saw this and walked over, his face cold. “Hello. This is a handbook issued by the Public Security Bureau. Please pick it up.”
The fan rolled her eyes and snapped back, “I do not gamble. Besides, it was given to me, so I have the right to do what I want with it. Why are you telling me what to do?”
The officer placed his hand on his waist, as if habitually reaching for something. His voice suddenly rose an octave, carrying an undeniable pressure: “Final warning. Pick it up!”
Startled by the authority, the fan trembled. Though reluctant, she crouched down and picked up the handbook.
The final episode of My CP arrived. Audiences clicked on the show excitedly. When they saw the bloodthirsty, proud wolf king bow its head to An Rao, the reaction was not excitement, but skepticism. Some claimed it was a script Chu Guannan had written for his wife.
As the fans argued online, they finally turned their fire on the director of the show, swarming his Weibo page.