"Is this it?" Wen Ting looked at the phone and then at the hotel in front of her. The building was the same but the picture was taken during the day but it was dusk now.
"Let's go in, most of the people from the show have probably arrived already." Wen Jiexi urged.
The four of them walked into the hotel and then….as soon as they entered they were 'attacked' by colorful confetti and ribbons falling from the sky. They froze and stood there with awkward expressions.
"Wahahaha! Congratulations on making it here!" Old Zhan leaned forward and laughed.
"Uh…we're here to find the mysterious guest stars…" Wen Ting seemed frightened by the sudden fanfare and then looked at Old Zhan with caution. She did not want to end up like Wen Jiexi who has turned into a gloomy ghost that kept pondering the meaning of life.
"Hey, don't look at me like I'm some kind of weird uncle or stranger you met on the street! This uncle here is actually a very kind person!" Old Zhan said with his hands on his hips. The circle of suspicious, indifferent, and disgusted eyes made him feel heartbroken. Even his staff looked at him like this! Hmph, you guys just don't know how to appreciate me!
"So, where are the mysterious guest stars?" Huo Lin'er looked around curiously as she ignored Old Zhan's words.
Being ignored by the person he considered to be the most angelic one here, Old Zhan felt like he was hit with 10,000 points of damage. He could only rub his nose sheepishly and say,
"They're over there. It's a big surprise!"
"Who are they? Who are they?" Wen Ting ran over excitedly and then stopped as if she saw something shocking,
"Whaaaaaa! It's Su–"
The Wen Jiexi who stood behind Wen Ting watched as Wen Ting's mouth was forcibly covered by a Xue Molin who suddenly appeared in front of her. The fox smiled at them,
"Aiya, naughty little girl~ You must keep calm at all times, don't you know?"
"Wuhhmmm-" Wen Ting nodded quickly.
"Will this part be filmed?" Wen Jiexi asked softly.
"Don't worry, the crew should cut this part out but they might also release the filming for this to let everyone see the natural interaction between stars and agents. It makes things interesting." Chu Heling leaned close to Wen Jiexi's ears and whispered. Then she suddenly stiffened, her gaze frozen on someone far away.
Wen Jiexi followed Chu Heling's gaze and saw two women standing nearby. They were two very different types of women, but both beautys in their own rights. One of them exuded a very steady but not stale temperament and someone Wen Jiexi had met several times. She is Li Lingmeng's sister, Li Lingqing.
The other….a person she had separated from a few months ago…..Sister Su!
Both of the women wore similar expressions. While they were both smiling in their direction, their gazes locked onto Wen Jiexi and Chu Heling, the emotions behind their gazes felt a little strange.
"Wuoooo! It's Goddess Su! And the beauty who has appeared in many magazines and often seen on TV, also a president of a big company…President Li!" Wen Ting broke the awkward silence in excitement.
"Hello" Li Lingqing nodded towards Wen Ting but her eyes only glanced at the girl for a few seconds before staring at Su Chenyu.
Li Lingqing: Hey, hey, go manage your little fellow.
Su Chenyu: Stop spewing nonsense and go tell your people to stay away from Jiexi.
Li Lingqing: Can't be helped, our Heling is just that gentle with everybody.
Su Chenyu: Hah?
The two exchanged a few glares and then Wen Jiexi ran up to Su Chenyu,
"Sister Su, why are you here?"
"Jiexi, long time no see." Su Chenyu patted Wen Jiexi's head.
"I wanted to temporarily join a variety show and just happened to join the one you were in."
"This is great! If Suster is the mysterious guest star, that means we can work together again!" Wen Jiexi said excitedly.
"En…"
"Heling, come sit over here, why are you still standing for?" Li Lingqing beckoned for Chu Heling to sit next to her.
"You…why are you here?" Chu Heling's face revealed an awkward and uncomfortable expression as she moved over slowly with hesitation before being pulled by Li Lingqing to sit down on the sofa.
Wen Ting scratched her head as she watched this scene and opened her mouth to speak when Huo Lin'er pulled her to the side,
"Let's take a break first. Didn' you say you were tired? Aren't your hands sore? We're finally here, might as well rest up a bit." Huo Lin'er said quietly.
"Ai, but I want to ask for an autograph from the Goddess! I didn't get one last time, I want one so much!~" And like this, Wen Ting was dragged away by Huo Lin'er.
"Why are they leaving?" Wen Jiexi stood up and wanted to go with them but was gently pressed back into her seat by Su Chenyu.
"Sister Su…"
"The person in charge has arrived." Su Chenyu said as Old Zhan came to sit in front of the four of them.
"Congratulations! You've found the mysterious guest stars so you'll receive the reward of having your basic needs met!"
"What about Wen Ting and Lin'er?" Wen Jiexi asked.
"They've helped, so of course they'll have their share!" Old Zhan said with a smile.
"As for you two…the mysterious guest stars will now follow the two of you! Take care of them well~~"
Why does he sound like he's selling off his daughters? Wen Jiexi thought, speaking of, does Sister Su have any money on her??
Wen Jiexi and Chu Heling looked at each other and then at the people next to them. Seems like they were both thinking the same thing.
"They don't have any money~ The mysterious guest stars will only guarantee your basic needs are met but that's it~" Old Zhan seemed to have seen through their thoughts.
The Li Lingqing and Su Chenyu who both received a disdainful look from their partners: "…."
'Where are the others?" Chu Heling asked. All of the women have returned, but they can't just leave the men behind, right?
"Ah, our people have gone out to recapture our lost little animals and they should be back soon." Old Zhan looked at his watch and smiled.
Lost animals? Wen Jiexi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If the men hear this, wouldn't they want to punch someone in frustration?
Ten minutes later, Yan Haocheng and Lan Yuyan were the first to return. They were both in a sorry state like they've been ransacked and robbed. Their animal costumes were crooked and their fur had lost several patches like they were going bald. The worst of it all was Yan Haocheng's lion man which looked like it went through a blender. He had still looked handsome and full of vigor when he first went out, but now….
"Welcome back, you two!" Old Zhan beckoned at them.
"What did you two do…." Wen Jiexi looked at the two of them but couldn't bear to look directly at their miserable state.
"We played with children and helped watch over them for their parents. Seems like these costumes are a hit with parents and children although it is a bit tiring. The work was ok, but the clothes have become…" Lan Yuyan explained and then looked at his clothes in embarrassment as he scratched his head sheepishly.
No, no, no, I think the reason why those parents let their children play with you is because you're both stars and very handsome, not because of the costumes. However, just thinking about Yan Haocheng's iceberg expression as he played with the children made them want to laugh!
The last pair to return was the teen idol Shi Junmao and the old uncle Mu Du. Although they were also in a rather sorry state, they weren't as bad as Yan Haocheng.
The smell of smoke on their bodies was rather strong and the black and white fur on Shi Junmao's panda costume had turned gray in the white places and scorched in other places. Was he burnt by something? There were also some kind of red and black sauce on his costume?
Big Brother Mudu on the other hand was flushed and sweaty, his long-sleeved animal costume pushed up to show off his strong arms.
"Hahaha, hello ladies, we are back! Seems like we were the last to arrive!" Mu Du said and waved to everyone.
"Hey, we're back." Shi Junmao said with a smile.
"Alright, go and sit down already, everyone is waiting for you!" Old Zhan didn't bother being polite to Mu Du and snorted directly with disdain.
"Tsk." Mu Su rolled his eyes and sat down without a second glance.
On the other hand, Shi Junmao who saw the two big beauties, Su Chenyu and Li Lingqing, held the hem of his clothes nervously before carefully sitting down.
"Alright, let's talk about your gains today. This is your livelihood for the next week, after all ~" Old Zhan said as he chuckled darkly and then crossed his legs.
"I'll start first. Little Mao-zi and I worked at a few shops with some nice vendors for the day. We got about 5,000 yuan." Mu Du scratched his head and said.
Helping out shops and vendors was a rather ordinary thing, but the income was not bad.
"5,000 yuan….that's less than 3,000 yuan per person." Old Zhan raised his eyebrows and then pointed at Yan Haocheng and Lan Yuyan.
"What about you guys?"
"We went to supermarkets and shopping malls to help parents who need people to look after children. One child was about 200 yuan per hour and so we earned about 10,000 yuan in total." Lan Yuyan replied.
"Whoa, directly two times the amount of the previous group~" Lao Zhan whistled.
Parents who are able to shop at shopping malls naturally must earn a lot of money. If they didn't want their children to disturb them while they were shopping, it was indeed a good choice to hand them off to other people. However, one must have the prerequisite of liking children….and lots of patience.
"What about our beautiful four-woman group? You've found the mysterious guest stars so you must have gotten the corresponding rewards. Tell me about your gains." Old Zhan turned towards Wen Jiexi and the others.
Chu Heling: "Violin, modeling, passing checkpoints."
Wen Jiexi: "Breakdancing, passing checkpoints, beating people up."
Wen Ting: "Drawing, passing checkpoints, comedy sketches."
Huo Lin'er: "Spraying protective film, comedy sketches, passing checkpoints."
"About 35,000 yuan in total." Wen Jiexi finished.
"3-35,000 yuan?!" Many people among the production crew exclaimed loudly. They did watch Wen Jiexi and the others make a lot of money, but they didn't think it was this much! They thought at most it would be around 20,000, but it was actually this much?!
The other stars also found it incredible, especially Mu Du and Shi Junmao who had earned the least. They thought their earnings were already pretty good but didn't expect that they weren't not only the poorest group, but they also weren't even a fraction of the others! Even if the money was divided in four, it was double what they made. That was heartbreaking for them….
"I can understand the street performances and checkpoints…but what's this about beating people up?" Mu Du scratched his head. Could it be that the current world is so strange now that people can earn money by hitting another person? Was he so old now that common sense has changed?
"It was one of the checkpoints. I was at a bank, I just happened to encounter a robbery. After beating up the robbers, the bank manager forced a red envelope into my hands and told me to accept it." Wen Jiexi explained. Without the 'sponsorship' from the bank manager, their current earnings would've probably been about the same as Yan Haocheng's group.
"The methods you guys used….nothing is too bizarre I guess…" Shu Junmao touched his nose and sighed. He had desperately carried plates, cooked, washed dishes, and more just to earn so little. However, someone's bravery and righteousness allowed them to earn twice as much. Although if he had encountered a robbery he probably wouldn't have even been able to move let alone have the strength to beat the robbers up. He could only sigh and stare at them enviously. Of course, he also wouldn't wish to encounter such dangerous situations in the first place.
"Alright, the statistics have been recorded. Now you have two choices. If you pile your money together, you have enough for food and shelter as long as you save a little. Of course, you can divide the money, and then your financial burdens are your own business and nobody else's. Oh, by the way ladies, if you want to upgrade your lifestyle, you can do that too. But…let me remind you that some of the future games may need money to pass~ If you don't have the money, you might not be able to pass the game and then there will be punishments~~" Old Zhan put down the pen and paper in his hands and then pointed at Wen Jiexi and Chu Heling.
"Also, you two have to support the mysterious guest stars as well. Their food, clothing, housing, and transportation will be handed over to you. Ah, of course, the mysterious guest stars will have their uses in the future. There will be some special rules involving them~ Em, not a loss at all~"
Wen Jiexi hadn't decided if this was a loss or not yet but she has to support two people with the money she earned….. With about 4,000 yuan per person, it should be enough to pay for living expenses….she couldn't upgrade their lifestyles…instead she should save it for emergencies.
"Alright, time to get to your lodgings.' Old Zhan clapped his hands and stood.
"Huh? Aren't we living here?" Wen Ting asked.
"Live here?" Old Zhan looked stunned for a moment, a strange expression on his face,
"Are you sure you want to live here?"
"Wen Ting, our money is not enough to support us living here for a week." Huo Lin'er whispered.
"Ah…is that so…then it's fine, let's get going!" Wen Ting was the first to run out of the hotel. Did they think she was a fool? She was not an idiot who would spend all her money on accommodations!
Everyone took a company car provided by the program and followed them to a very isolated place. It looked like there were somewhere in the suburbs and there was a small villa standing in the middle of nowhere.
"Come, this is where we will stay for the night today!" Old Zhan announced loudly.
"Here…?" Wen Jiexi looked around her surroundings. It was very quiet except for the occasional dog bark or cow mooing. They seemed to be a small pasture or something.
"Let's go." Su Chenyu said and patted Wen Jiexi on the shoulder.
"Oh!" Wen Jiexi hurried forward.
As they walked, she saw Li Lingqing and Chu Heling in front of them walking side by side….wait, were they holding hands? Is she seeing things?
Just as Wen Jiexi wanted to take a few steps forward and confirm if she was mistaken or not, someone pressed her shoulder gently and she turned around.
"Don't disturb other people." Su Chenyu said lightly.
"Disturb?" Wen Jiexi tilted her head in confusion. Girls holding other girls' hands were normal when they were young and although it was not as common when they were older, it still wasn't seen as anything strange. How would she be disturbing them? She was just curious.
Su Chenyu thought Wen Jiexi's innocent and confused face was rather funny and helplessly sighed as she patted Wen Jiexi's head. Then she grabbed Wen Jiexi's hand as they headed towards the villa.
Wen Jiexi: !!!! Sister Su is holding my hand?!!!
Wen Ting and Huo Lin'er looked at the pair in front of them and then glanced at each other. Was holding hands popular now? Should they also go with the trend and walk hand in hand?
Beside them, Lan Yuyan whispered to Yan Haocheng,
"Ah-Cheng, look, their holding hands! How strange!"
"Do you like that stuff?" Yan Haocheng asked meaningfully.
"Like? Well, I don't exactly hate it. It's just embarrassing to hold hands when I'm all grown up and with someone I'm not a couple with." Lan Yuyan scratched his head and said.
"Really?" Yan Haocheng raised his eyebrows and grabbed Lan Yuyan's hand before walking forward quickly.
"Ai, Ah-Cheng, what's the matter? Why are you suddenly walking so fast?"
Production crew & Mu Du & Shi Junmao: ???!!! We seem to have seen something amazing?!!
When they entered the villa, a young man at the counter looked at them indifferently. He seemed to have been informed they were coming a long time ago. He calmly grabbed a sign that had prices listed on them and then explained to the group,
"Here we have single, double, and quad rooms. The prices for one night are 300, 500, and 800 respectively. We also provide breakfast in the morning."
"Old Zhan, how long are we going to stay here?" Mu Du asked.
"Two days, so you can buy two nights worth of lodgings! Well, from me of course." Old Zhan replied. He walked forward with a small book in his hands:
"I've already booked ten quad rooms, eight double rooms, and four single rooms. Let's take a look here…Oh, that's right, the girls have to stay in separate rooms. No sharing with guys~! Think about which rooms you want to live in and whether you want to live separately or together."
"Sister Su, shall we live together?" Wen Jiexi asked.
"I'm fine with anything, I'll follow you. The money is in your hands, after all." Su Chenyu rubbed Wen Jiexi's head. Her tone was gentle and seemed to say 'the money is in your hands, you decide. This week I will rely on you so you must take responsibility for me.'
"Then let's stay in together. Anyhow, we did live in the same room together before." Wen Jiexi said and then happily jogged over to Old Zhan to grab a key without noticing the look in Su Chenyu's eyes.
Same room? The little girl had no idea the connotations that arose from her words but since she was in a good mood she was just going to say anything.
While Su Chenyu was thinking this, Wen Jiexi had already returned with a key.
"Sister Su, let's go."
"Ok."
As for the other people, Li Lingqing and Chu Heling were in one room, Wen Ting and Huo Lin'er in one, Yan Haocheng and Lan Yuyan in one, and finally Mu Du and Shi Junmao were the last ones left. They didn't have enough money to live in a double room for two nights or a single room for each of them. If they chose the double room they would lose almost a quarter of their money in just two nights. How would they be willing to let that happen?
In the end, they decided to rent a single room while taking turns sleeping on the floor and bed.
Inside their room, Wen Jiexi took out a new set of the sheep's costume she had gotten from the staff and was about to take a bath when she suddenly turned towards Su Chenyu,
"Sister Su, did you bring any luggage?"
"I did not." Su Chenyu shook her head. One of the requirements for participating in the show was not to bring anything with them.
When Wang Anyi and Lin Yunxi learned that one of the mysterious guest stars of the variety show was going to be their own LittleSu, they were unbelievably shocked. Su Chenyu, a woman who has never participated in a variety show before actually wanted to join their company's variety show? People usually participated in variety shows to raise their fame, but did Su Chenyu need that?
"You're doing this for Jiexi?" Wang Anyi said with a frown. Sometimes she felt that Little Su paid too much attention to Wen Jiexi. Even if she was a relative of Wen Linshu…but Su Chenyu has never been polite to Wen Linshu in the first place…so what's with the abnormal change recently?
"I think it's a good idea to relax once in a while." Su Chenyu did not deny nor agree to Wan Anyi's words and replied calmly.
"I think Little Su is already quite relaxed…" Lin Yunxi sat to the side and mumbled. If one wanted to know which artist had the most freedom, then one only needed to look at Su Chenyu. She had the power to arrange her own schedule and reject the projects she didn't want to do. She was also fast at her work (in terms of shooting scenes).
Other actors would have to rack their brains to gain a presence in front of the crowd, They would constantly fight for large-scale events just to show their faces in front of the camera. But what about their Little Su? Out of the three hundred sixty-five days in the year, Little Su doesn't even work for a third of that time.
When Lin Yunxi said those words, both her bosses looked towards her and she immediately clammed up,
"Treat it like I said nothing just now…"
"Anyway just accept it, consider it as…I'm trying out something new." Su Chenyu's tone made it clear she would not accept rejection.
"I understand…" In the end, Wang Anyi could only compromise.
Su Chenyu felt she was rather fortunate to have been able to participate in this show. She thought back to the few photos she had received earlier from a certain person….those photos had allowed her to see a totally different side of Jiexi. Maybe she should ask Jiexi to try on a few clothes for her later?
"Huh? Then what are we going to do about your change of clothes after bathing?" Wen Jiexi looked down at her little white sheep costume and thought about the probability of Su Chenyu wearing it. She had no idea that the other person was currently thinking about some strange things instead of listening to her.
"You can go in and wash first, the production crew said they will send me a change of clothes later." Su Chenyu said.
"…Ok…" Wen Jiexi studied Su Chenyu's face and confirmed she wasn't joking before walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.
Ten minutes later, Wen Jiexi walked out of the bathroom. Ah, it feels so comfortable after a nice bath~
"Sister Su, you can go in now."
"Alright."
Wen Jiexi watched as Su Chenyu carried a set of what looked like black clothing in her arms and guessed that those were the so-called change of clothes the production crew provided for her.
Feeling a bit relieved, she leisurely looked through the small refrigerator. The arrangement of the room was similar to the previous room they shared but the difference was that there were no floor-to-ceiling windows and there was only one double bed.
Woohoo, sleeping in the same bed as Sister Su! How exciting…I feel a little bashful….
Wen Jiexi suppressed her excitement and turned on the TV to watch a few shows, as she flipped through the channels while looking for programs to watch,
Ka-da….
The bathroom door opened and Su Chenyu walked out.
Wen Jiexi's mouth widened into a large 'O' as she stared at Su Chenyu's clothes.....