After returning home, An Rao spent the entire afternoon cleaning the house from top to bottom. Once he was finished, he sent a message to Xu Renyu.
“Are you there? Come to my house tomorrow. The production crew wants to supplement a few shots of us.”
Xu Renyu replied, “Is Chu Guannan at home?”
An Rao answered, “No, he is busy filming.”
Xu Renyu said, “Yes, then I will try to get there as early as possible tomorrow.”
An Rao put down his phone. For some reason, he felt that the conversation was a bit strange.
At 8:00 PM that evening, the production crew launched a public poll on the internet. Each person had one vote. Users could not vote multiple times or maliciously manipulate the results, as violators would be disqualified. Furthermore, the backend of the program would strictly review every Weibo account. Any account registered for less than thirty days would be deemed an invalid vote. The voting period was set for one month. The group with the highest number of votes would receive a prize of 300,000 pesos and a seven day trip to Nepal.
In an instant, the fan groups and supertopics of every participating artist switched to combat mode. Friends lists were flooded with pleas for votes. The atmosphere was more intense than a presidential election.
The fan groups of Lin Jingxi were particularly active, and the heat of his supertopic surged.
“Sisters! Vote! Share this to your Moments, Space, and every social app. After your family and friends vote, send a screenshot to me to claim ten pesos. Push! Our Xi Bao must be number one!”
“I have already voted. I have three Weibo sub-accounts. Sisters, please praise me!”
“All members of the supertopic and fan groups must vote and send a screenshot to me. Otherwise, you will be kicked out of the fandom.”
The Weibo supertopic of Lin Jingxi was massive, with over 100,000 posts in a single night. The level of frenzy made even Chu Guannan, who had over a hundred million followers, feel inferior. Numerous artists in the circle also forwarded the poll, saying, “Babies, please cast a vote for Jingxi and Shen Yi.”
In contrast, the supertopic of An Rao was somewhat desolate and pitiful. His total number of fans was barely one-tenth of the total for Lin Jingxi.
“I really want Rao Rao to win first place. Rao Rao follows so many travel bloggers. He must really want to go to Nepal.”
“But our family is too small. Nobody listens when I post on my Moments. My mother even scolded me for posting advertisements.”
“Do not worry, sister. Just do your best. If it really does not work, let us raise money to let the baby go on a trip. He seems to be quite poor.”
“Be confident and remove the word ‘seems.’ He really is poor. He has not had resources in a long time. Where would he get money? He even paid off so much of the gambling debt of his father. My heart aches for my baby.”
Suddenly, a Weibo user with a top fan badge for Chu Guannan appeared in the supertopic of An Rao and posted a comment.
“I am here to boost the popularity of the wife of Nan Nan. I have already shared the poll to help An Rao get votes. Keep going.”
Clicking on the profile of the user revealed that this person was actually the station sister of Chu Guannan, the wealthy fan who had once gifted him a commercial storefront. With her lead, fans of all sizes followed suit. They cast their precious votes for the group of An Rao and Xu Renyu.
The fans of An Rao were stunned. “Sister, are you not voting for the Great Deity?”
The fan of Chu Guannan replied, “Hahaha, Nan Nan is busy filming a new movie recently and has no time to travel. Besides, he is not short of money. Just go support the new movie of Brother Nan when it is released in theaters. Thank you!”
With the addition of the fans of Chu Guannan, the votes for the group of An Rao and Xu Renyu surged from last place to second. However, Lin Jingxi and Shen Yi still held the top spot with a lead of 300,000 votes, far ahead of the second place.
To the fans of Lin Jingxi, a gap of 300,000 was dangerous. It was possible they could be overtaken by the second place group. Consequently, they did not sleep all night and began to discuss countermeasures.
An Rao opened Weibo for the thousandth time to check the voting situation. He really wanted to go to Nepal. The money was not important. The other guests likely had no interest in the money or the trip. Since they had plenty of money, they could go wherever they wanted. They were only competing for first place to increase their popularity and visibility.
The first thing he did after waking up was check Weibo. There had been a gap of only 300,000 votes before he went to sleep, but after a night of fierce competition, the gap had widened to 800,000.
An Rao took a deep breath. He should not worry, as there was still a chance to campaign today.
Before 7:00 AM, the doorbell rang. An Rao washed up and opened the door to find Xu Renyu standing outside. He was meticulously dressed in a well-tailored suit that emphasized his long legs. He looked as upright as a pine tree. Xu Renyu had also bought fresh flowers, specifically vivid red roses.
He handed the roses to An Rao and smiled. “Good morning. Seeing you first thing in the morning makes me feel particularly good. You are a sight for sore eyes.”
When they first teamed up, Xu Renyu had rarely paid attention to An Rao. At that time, his mind was entirely on Lin Jingxi. Perhaps because of his prejudice against An Rao, he had thought the man was plain and average. He had wondered how someone with such qualities could follow the idol path and even have fans.
Now, however, looking at the clean face of An Rao and his radiant appearance, Xu Renyu felt he was as beautiful as the morning clouds. The drowsy look of someone who had just woken up was alluring. Xu Renyu thought to himself that this was wonderful.
An Rao accepted the flowers and his dimples appeared as he smiled. “Thank you. You did not have to bring a gift.”
Xu Renyu changed his shoes and entered the house. He looked around and noticed how bright and clean it was. He asked, “Did you clean all of this yourself?”
An Rao casually placed the roses in a glass vase on the console in the entryway and smiled. “It is usually quite clean. I did not do much cleaning.”
The two sat on the sofa to chat. A short while later, they heard a knock at the door. When An Rao opened the door, a dozen people with cameras squeezed inside.
“Ta-da! Surprise inspection!”
Upon entering, the MC stared in surprise. “This house is too big! How much does it cost?”
As he spoke, he checked the real estate prices for the area on his phone. He held his phone up to the camera in disbelief. The screen showed a price of 220,000 pesos per square meter. The staff lamented their choices in life. This set was worth nearly 80 million pesos. Their understanding of the wealth of Chu Guannan was still too shallow.
“The first segment is our wardrobe inspection! Everyone is very excited to see the private clothes of the artists.” The MC saw that everyone was becoming emotional and changed the subject.
An Rao led them upstairs and went straight to the walk-in closet. When he opened the door, two walls of cabinets were filled with clothing and accessories. The light from the crystal chandelier was brilliant. Luxury seemed to overflow from the screen.
However, the wardrobe of An Rao occupied only a small corner. When opened, it revealed only a dozen or so outfits, but the walls were covered with hundreds of hats.
The MC looked through the clothes and remarked, “Xiao An does not have many clothes.”
However, after he saw the labels on the clothes, he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.
“My husband bought them all for me. He also picked out the clothes,” An Rao said with a smile.
“That is not right. I remember that Teacher Chu usually wears formal wear. Does he actually like this loose style of clothing?”
An Rao remembered Chu Guannan using a measuring tape at the counter to measure the length of each piece of clothing. “Perhaps people have many sides.”
“But you really have a lot of hats. There must be over a hundred. Is this a collection hobby of yours?”
“Sort of. Hats can provide a sense of security,” An Rao replied.
The MC thought to himself that a person as beautiful as An Rao did not need that kind of security. When he saw An Rao leaning against the wardrobe, his loose white shirt revealing his exquisite collarbone, the MC realized how much the man seemed to glow.
While the production crew was studying the clothes of An Rao, a tall shadow suddenly fell across the doorway.
“Oh, Teacher Chu is here too?” The MC turned around and was intimidated by the tall figure. He immediately stepped forward to greet him.
Chu Guannan looked at Xu Renyu and gave a faint “Mm” in response. “The crew is resting, so I came back.”
“That is perfect! Fans are particularly curious about the love nest of you two. Why not show us around today?”
Chu Guannan walked to the bedroom and pushed the door open. The production crew circled the room and remarked that it did not seem any different from the bedrooms of other couples. Then the camera turned toward the solitary pillow on the bed. There was only one pillow and one quilt on the double bed.
The MC asked jokingly, “Have you two been fighting recently? Why is there only one pillow? I want to know which one of you was kicked to the sofa to sleep.”
An Rao walked quickly to the side of Chu Guannan and intimately hooked his arm. “Because my husband has been filming away from home recently and has not been back, I decided to enjoy the single life. I threw his pillow into the closet.”
He knew that if this were broadcast, fans would likely think they were on bad terms. This would affect his voting results. The production crew pretended to believe him and changed the subject.
During a break, An Rao and Xu Renyu sat on the sofa downstairs and drank tea. They were sitting quite close to each other, talking and laughing about happy things from the show.
Chu Guannan suddenly walked over and blocked the path of Xu Renyu. He picked up a newspaper from the table, his voice cold. “Excuse me, can you move?”
Xu Renyu felt a bit awkward and stood up quickly. An Rao followed suit. “Let us talk somewhere else.”
The two went to the dining room. An Rao washed some fruit for Xu Renyu and they continued their conversation while leaning against the dining table. A short while later, Chu Guannan arrived again. He did not look at the two of them at all. He acted as if he were looking for something. After looking around, he stood in front of the dining table, plugged his charger into a socket, and began to read the news on his phone.
An Rao looked at him and could not help but ask, “Are there not plenty of sockets in the living room? Is it not tiring to stand here?”
Chu Guannan did not look up. “No.”
Xu Renyu certainly knew what Chu Guannan was thinking and changed the subject. “It is almost noon. Why do I not show everyone my skills?”
The production crew heard the commotion and ran over with their cameras. “We have long heard that Renyu has great skills. Today we can have a feast!”
Xu Renyu pointed to the refrigerator and asked An Rao, “Can I open it?”
An Rao nodded.
Xu Renyu found beef and potatoes in the refrigerator. He intended to cook his specialty: braised beef with potatoes. Once the beef was thawed, he picked up a knife and skillfully cut the meat into small pieces. An Rao watched from the side in awe. This knife technique was something he could not achieve even after many years of practice.
“Your technique is so professional. Do you usually cook for yourself?” An Rao, who had no talent for cooking, instantly became a fan of Xu Renyu.
“Yes, because I live alone and takeout is too expensive,” Xu Renyu said with a smile as he continued to cut the beef.
At that moment, Chu Guannan, who had been sitting in the dining room for a long time, walked over. He opened the refrigerator and took out a tin of black tea. His gaze fell on the hand of Xu Renyu. He pointed to the knife and his expression remained indifferent. “I am sorry. I have germaphobia, especially regarding kitchen utensils and ingredients. Can you return the knife to me?”
An Rao did not know when Chu Guannan had developed germaphobia. Xu Renyu smiled awkwardly and returned the knife to Chu Guannan, wiping his hands on his clothes.
An Rao said, “I will go out and buy new utensils for you.”
But the production crew was already starving and suggested that ordering takeout would be faster. Ultimately, the group did not get to taste the excellent skills of Xu Renyu. They ate noodles that were not very good.
Finally, the production crew asked the guests to give a campaign speech to the camera. The camera turned toward An Rao. This was the first time he had faced a camera so formally. He was a bit shy and scratched his neck. Then he looked up and smiled at the camera.
“Hello everyone, I am An Rao. I want to go to Nepal.”
Then he stopped talking.
The MC asked, “Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Then what does Renyu want to say?”
Xu Renyu smiled. “An Rao wants to go to Nepal. I hope everyone helps him fulfill his dream.”
The MC looked at Chu Guannan. “Does Teacher Chu have anything to say? Help your wife get some votes.”
Chu Guannan looked at the camera and thought for a long time. He said coldly, “Vote for him.”
The next stop for the production crew was the high-end villa of Lin Jingxi. The guests from the first stop had to go along as well. Before they even got out of the car, the staff looked at the mansion of Lin Jingxi and praised it. “This is the first time I have seen such a luxurious house. Do I need to bathe and change before entering?”
The people in the car laughed. When the car stopped, the production crew rang the doorbell. Soon, the door opened. Lin Jingxi came out wearing a dark blue silk shirt. He appeared to be wearing light makeup, which emphasized his features. From a distance, he looked like a prince from a fairy tale.
“Wow! Jingxi looks so good today,” the MC remarked after looking him over.
Lin Jingxi smiled and opened the gate to welcome the group inside. His house was magnificent. Everything from the chandeliers to the floor tiles was opulent. The staff was so cautious that they wiped their shoes on the carpet for a long time before entering.
In truth, the house of An Rao was just as impressive, but his father preferred a minimalist style and did not like flashy decorations. Although it looked simple, each floor tile cost tens of thousands of pesos. Consequently, An Rao was not as impressed by the mansion as the production crew was. Since he had been there once before, he was not surprised.
The MC checked the real estate prices for the area on his phone. A cameraman took a close-up shot of the bracelet on the wrist of Lin Jingxi. There were only twelve of them in the world, and it was worth over 800,000 pesos.
“We have already seen the collection of hats in the home of An Rao. Does Jingxi have any collection hobbies? Why not let everyone see them?” the MC asked.
Lin Jingxi knew that there was no shortage of wealthy people in the entertainment industry. If he said he liked to collect luxury goods, it would seem too vulgar. He smiled and made a heart gesture to the camera. “I like to collect love.”
“Love?” the MC asked in surprise.
Lin Jingxi turned and asked the crew to follow him upstairs. He opened a room filled with various handicrafts. In the center was a desk made of ash wood, which was exquisite and expensive.
“My friends usually send me many gifts. I value friendship very much, so I save every item carefully.” Lin Jingxi opened a drawer and pulled out a small box. Inside was a car key. “This was a birthday gift from Brother Guannan.”
He then pulled out a large red box and opened it. The gold jewelry inside was dazzling. “This was a gold set given to me by Xiao Mian.”
The production crew listened to him for nearly an hour. They saw many precious items that they might never see again in their lives. The camera was shaking with excitement.
VJ Wang looked around the room and suddenly asked, “By the way, did Xiao An not give you a piece of calligraphy he wrote for your birthday? Why do I not see it?”
Remembering the calligraphy he had torn to pieces, the gaze of Lin Jingxi flickered. He looked at An Rao. An Rao was also looking at him with a smile, as if silently asking where the work was.
But Lin Jingxi was someone who had seen a lot of the world. He immediately calmed down and smiled. “It is hanging in the bedroom, but I accidentally lost the key to the bedroom. I have to find a locksmith later.”
An Rao raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Would you believe me if I said I can pick locks?”
The smile of Lin Jingxi faded. “There is no need. If you break the lock, I will have to buy a new one.”
An Rao slowly removed his guest badge from his neck, took out the pin, and straightened it. He looked up at Lin Jingxi. “If I break it, I will pay for it. It is a hassle to call a locksmith, do you not think?”
“Let him do it, Jingxi. Everyone wants to see your bedroom,” VJ Wang added.
Cornered, Lin Jingxi felt he had no choice. He gripped the key in his pocket and looked at An Rao with a strange expression. “Fine. Open it.”
An Rao is certainly full of surprises! First the wolves, and now lock-picking? It’s interesting to see how he uses these practical skills in such a high-stakes environment. Do you think he’s actually going to find his calligraphy inside, or is he just trying to call the bluff of Lin Jingxi?