After Transmigrating as Cannon Fodder, I Became the Darling of the Variety Show - Chapter 4

Since Chu Guannan had returned, An Rao felt it was inappropriate to continue occupying the bed. He grabbed his pillow, intending to make do on the living room sofa for the night. However, as he headed for the door, he came face-to-face with Chu Guannan, who had just finished showering.

Chu Guannan was tall and well-built, completely blocking the doorway as he cast a cold glance at the pillow in An Rao’s arms.

Before he could say anything, An Rao spoke first: “Hubby, I feel like you do not really want to see me today. I will just go sleep in the living room.”

Chu Guannan stepped aside, shifting his gaze elsewhere.

An Rao took the opportunity to slip past. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Chu Guannan spreading out the quilt inside the room; he was preparing enough for two people.

In August, the mornings and evenings had already begun to carry a slight chill. After a long day of tossing and turning, An Rao curled up on the sofa with icy hands and feet. He huddled his body closer to try and get warm, eventually drifting into a hazy sleep.

Suddenly, he felt a very faint rustling sound nearby.

Opening his eyes groggily, his vision fell into darkness the next second. A warm, thin quilt was gently draped over him, covering half of his eyes. An Rao thought he was dreaming; under normal circumstances, Chu Guannan would not care if he lived or died.

Since it was a dream anyway, he whispered softly, “Thank you.”

The sound of footsteps echoed, moving away from the sofa toward the stairs.

When he woke up, he was sticky with hot sweat. An Rao sat up, and the quilt slid down. Staring at the thin quilt on his body, he fell into deep thought.

Was last night not a dream? Did Chu Guannan actually come over to cover him up?

It felt like a fairy tale. He suspected Chu Guannan probably wished he would freeze to death just so he could finally have some peace and quiet. He was more inclined to believe that it was so cold last night that he had gotten up himself to fetch the quilt from the bedroom.

He leaned over to scan the large living room. He could not tell if Chu Guannan had not woken up yet or had already left, but there was no sign of him.

After getting up and washing, An Rao planned to appease his complaining stomach first. Having eaten bread and ham for several days, the mere sight of them made him nauseous. He decided to use everything he had learned in his life to prepare a beautiful breakfast for himself.

Following an online tutorial, he found some flour and added eggs and water. He punched and kneaded the dough as if he had a personal vendetta against it. Once he had beaten the flour into a dough, he pinched off a hunk and rolled it into strips of varying thicknesses.

When the water boiled, he dropped the strips into the pot one by one, followed by a few stalks of green vegetables. Fearing it would be tasteless, he specifically added salt. He tasted the broth; it was bland. He added a large spoonful of salt. He tasted it again; there was still no flavor.

This salt was of poor quality, he thought.

An Rao added spoon after spoon. By the ninth spoonful, his sinful hands finally stopped. The noodles expanded drastically after heating, turning into a mushy clump in the pot that broke into chunks with a gentle stir.

An Rao comforted himself: “This is not noodles; it is dough drop soup.”

He filled a large bowl and had just placed it on the dining table when the sound of the fingerprint lock echoed at the door.

Chu Guannan entered wearing sportswear with his collar slightly open. His white T-shirt was damp with sweat, outlining his lean, firm chest muscles. Water dripped from his hair; he had clearly just finished a morning run. As soon as he walked in, his nostrils flared slightly as he sniffed the air.

There seemed to be a strange odor.

“Hubby, you are back! I made breakfast, come try some,” An Rao greeted him enthusiastically.

Chu Guannan changed clothes and came downstairs. Looking at the white, mushy mass in the bowl, he paused for a long time before he could not help but ask, “What is this?”

“Dough drop soup! It is a specialty from my hometown. You have never had it, right? Try it; I guarantee you will love it so much you will lick the bowl clean.” Without giving him a choice, An Rao stuffed a spoon into his hand and sat down, resting his chin on his palms with a brilliant, blooming smile.

Chu Guannan frowned slightly. He used the spoon to scoop up a lump and studied it closely. Finally, with a look of hesitation, he put it in his mouth.

“Good, right?” An Rao waited shamelessly for a compliment.

Chu Guannan remained silent. He put down the spoon and stood up. “I am full.”

“No! You cannot leave, you have not finished!” An Rao dashed to his side like a koala climbing a tree, clinging to him. He scooped up a spoonful of the dark cuisine and brought it to Chu Guannan’s lips. “Hubby, eat a bit more. It would break my heart if you went hungry.”

Chu Guannan raised his hand, the veins on the back of it bulging. He pulled An Rao off him and looked at him with dark and heavy eyes.

“Have you tasted it?”

An Rao replied righteously, “Why would I taste it? I prepared it specifically for you.”

After a long silence, Chu Guannan dropped a single sentence: “A person should know when to give up.” He then nimbly fled the crime scene.

An Rao thought he was being dramatic. These were the simplest ingredients; how bad could it be? Refusing to accept defeat, he scooped a spoonful into his own mouth.

The flavor was terrible. Chu Guannan was right.

Since it was food, An Rao forced himself to finish every last bit despite the taste being bad enough to send someone to the afterlife. Afterward, he felt terrible and lay on the sofa for a long time before he finally felt like he had regained his life.

In a daze, he opened Weibo. The opening screen featured an extremely handsome man with a line of large text below: “Encountered the best you at the best age. August 3rd, Happy Birthday Lin Jingxi.”

Only then did An Rao remember it was Lin Jingxi’s birthday. The momentum on Weibo was massive; a single birthday had occupied the top three trending spots.

The internet was as festive as New Year’s Day. Fans were incredibly arrogant.

“Comparing people only leads to anger. I remember during An Rao’s birthday last year, he posted a ‘Happy Birthday’ to himself and tagged every celebrity in the industry, and not a single one replied to him, hahaha.”

“Do not compare Xibao to An Rao; they are not even from the same planet.”

Sitting at home, An Rao found himself getting hit by a stray bullet once again. These fans really could not walk on their own without mentioning someone else’s name.

He scrolled through the Weibo accounts of the top ten most popular celebrities. Sure enough, without exception, they had all written long, sincere blessings for Lin Jingxi. Even Chu Guannan’s Weibo, which was usually as quiet as a zombie account, had posted: “Happy Birthday @LinJingxiJX.”

The fans reached another climax. “Nannan’s only Weibo post is to wish our Xibao a happy birthday! I declare my ship canon!”

Shen Yi, the protagonist of the original novel, was a textbook character: handsome, rich, and charming. He and Lin Jingxi officially confirmed their relationship during a variety show filming. Later, he guided Lin Jingxi to success, eventually kicking Chu Guannan off his pedestal, and they became the celebrity couple everyone envied.

An Rao scratched the edge of his eyebrow, feeling completely speechless. This author really spared no effort in doting on her beloved son. In contrast, the original host, this cannon fodder, had no purpose other than being told to hurry up and die by the readers.

Out of politeness, An Rao also posted a Weibo wishing Lin Jingxi a happy birthday, but the outcome was predictable.

“Low-class dog, do not try to leech off my brother’s popularity. We cannot afford to provoke you, but we can afford to avoid you.”

In the original story, An Rao and Lin Jingxi debuted in the same group. However, just as Lin Jingxi’s momentum was picking up, An Rao snatched several endorsements and scripts from him. After the Bullying Scandal occurred, An Rao and Lin Jingxi became complete rivals. Of course, most of the time, it was just An Rao being scolded unilaterally.

As for what specifically happened in the Bullying Scandal, An Rao did not know. He had not read the whole novel; he had only heard a classmate mention it. He figured it was likely that the original host had been his usual arrogant self and bullied Lin Jingxi.

Unexpectedly, Lin Jingxi replied to An Rao’s Weibo: “Thank you, and I wish you a bright future as well.”

The fans went wild. “Xibao is truly generous. An Rao should learn from him.”

An Rao closed Weibo. After a moment of thought, he went to the study to find brushes, ink, and paper. He laid out the felt and paper, soaked the brush in thick ink, and lifted his hand. After a moment of thought, he wrote four large characters in a grand, sweeping style: “Shui Pei Feng Shang.”

The calligraphy flowed like water and moved like a dragon, revealing a maturity that was completely inconsistent with his age.

Once the ink was dry, An Rao found an art supply store to mount it in a mahogany frame. At 6:00 PM, he stood at the entrance of his home with the frame, ready to go.

Chu Guannan came downstairs. It was obvious he had put effort into his appearance, having changed into a high-end custom suit.

“Hubby, you look so handsome today.” An Rao approached and gently rubbed his arm against Chu Guannan’s.

Chu Guannan pushed him away subtly, put on his shoes at the door, and pulled the handle.

“Are you going to Jingxi’s birthday party?” An Rao asked.

Chu Guannan did not hide it from him. “Yes.”

“Take me with you?” An Rao blinked. “I even prepared a gift.”

“You did not receive an invitation,” Chu Guannan said succinctly.

“But we are a married couple! It does not make sense for a husband to attend a banquet alone. Take me along!”

Everyone knew An Rao and Lin Jingxi were mortal enemies. Bringing him would be asking for trouble. Thus, Chu Guannan replied coldly, “Stay at home.”

An Rao chuckled inwardly. Looking at his expression and tone, his favorability in Chu Guannan’s heart had likely plummeted to the freezing point. But he had to go. With Lin Jingxi, that supreme White Lotus, to compare him to, Chu Guannan might get so angry that he would come home tonight and write the divorce papers immediately.

Chu Guannan ignored him and walked out. An Rao quickly followed, hailing a taxi and trailing Chu Guannan’s car all the way to the entrance of Lin Jingxi’s house.

A three-story villa with a garden appeared before his eyes. It seemed Lin Jingxi was quite wealthy. An Rao stood at the entrance for a while. He observed the people arriving for the party; everyone was dressed in suits or high-end streetwear. He suddenly raised his hands and ripped off the bottom section of his T-shirt. The perfectly fine shirt became a crop top, leaving his slender waist exposed to the chilly wind.

As soon as Chu Guannan entered, Lin Jingxi immediately came to greet him. He looked elegant and noble, like a little prince from a fairy tale.

He said with a beaming smile, “Brother Guannan, thank you for coming to my birthday party despite being so busy. I hope you have a pleasant night.”

There was no ripple of emotion on Chu Guannan’s lips. He handed over a small box. “Happy Birthday.”

Lin Jingxi’s eyes sparkled. “Is this for me?”

“Yes.”

Lin Jingxi opened the box carefully. Inside lay a car key with a small shield-shaped logo featuring a charging golden bull.

“This is too expensive, I cannot accept it.” Lin Jingxi pushed the box back, his expression firm.

“Take it. It was meant for you,” Chu Guannan said lowly.

Lin Jingxi’s friend, Sun Xue, looked on with extreme envy. The crowd joined in, asking for gifts as well. Lin Jingxi turned back to the cheering crowd and feigned anger. “If you want one, work hard for it yourself. Brother Guannan is not an ATM.”

Lin Jingxi’s birthday party was attended by many industry friends and socialites. In the original novel, the protagonist, Shen Yi, became extremely jealous because Chu Guannan gave Lin Jingxi a car. This provided an opportunity for the original host. They both ended up drunk and climbed into bed together. Of course, nothing actually happened, but Lin Jingxi caught them anyway. It was a drama moment that made readers hate the original host even more.

When An Rao entered, everyone was still gathered around admiring the car key; no one noticed him. That was until An Rao spoke up: “Xibao, I wish you a happy birthday.”

Everyone looked up, a chill running down their spines.

An Rao’s arrival was something no one expected and no one welcomed. For a moment, the noisy villa became dead silent. Especially when everyone’s gaze fell from his face to his slender waist.

“Oh, is this not the top-tier An Rao? What wind blew you here?” Sun Xue twirled the luxury car key in his hand, laughing sarcastically.

An Rao blinked and started singing, “The summer wind.”

Chu Guannan stood where he was. The slight hint of a smile he had vanished instantly, replaced by a cold expression.

Lin Jingxi did not join in the mockery. Instead, he scolded the others: “An Rao is my friend. Is it not normal for him to see me? An Rao, come in and sit.”

An Rao handed over his calligraphic work. “Xibao, Happy Birthday. I wrote this myself. It suits your temperament perfectly.”

An ambiguous chuckle broke out among the crowd. “Wow, he actually dared to give away his own handwriting. Does he really think he is some kind of calligrapher?”

Lin Jingxi looked at the four large characters. He found them quite eyesore-inducing, but he kept a smile on his face and said generously, “Thank you, I like it very much.”

An Rao calmly walked over to the sofa and sat down, looking at the silent Chu Guannan. He quietly tugged at the other man’s sleeve and smiled intentionally. “Hubby, I came without your permission. You are not angry, are you?”

Chu Guannan looked at his slender waist. His Adam’s apple bobbed, though his response was unrelated to the question: “What are you wearing?”

“A crop top. They are very popular this year. Does it look good?” An Rao did not back down; he stood up and did a little spin.

Chu Guannan looked away and ignored him.

An Rao checked the time, guessing it was about time for the plot to progress. Next, the protagonist, Shen Yi, would make a grand entrance. According to the plot, he and Chu Guannan would first have a confrontation over the car. However, because his aura was completely suppressed by Chu Guannan, he could only sit in a corner and sulk.

Then, Lin Jingxi would blow out the candles while surrounded by everyone, who would ask what he wished for. While everyone assumed he would wish for something professional, Lin Jingxi would say innocently, “I want to see everyone’s special talents.”

This move would gain him many fans. As for the original host, he would be egged on to perform a pole dance. His provocative movements would be filmed and posted online. The outcome was predictable: netizens would criticize him severely.

The plot was following the same path, but it seemed his classmate had not told him something.

Lin Jingxi looked at An Rao with a smile. “I remember when we were trainees, the teacher said your dancing was the best in the group.”

As he spoke, he pointed toward a floral pillar nearby. “I want to see you dance.”

It turned out that the unreasonable demand for a pole dance had actually been proposed by Lin Jingxi himself.