After Transmigrating as Cannon Fodder, I Became the Darling of the Variety Show - Chapter 7

The seventh day of wanting a divorce.

In the afternoon, Zhang Ze’an sent over the official announcement.

The variety show An Rao was scheduled to participate in was a wilderness survival program titled My CP is Super Capable. The filming would last for one month, totaling four episodes.

The premise involved eight participants split into four pairs in an undeveloped, deep forest. In a situation where money was useless, they had to rely on their own survival skills to last the month. It was the “one dog at the start, all equipment scavenged” model. Aside from a hunting dog provided to each group to help catch prey, the participants had to return entirely to a primitive lifestyle.

The program was promoted as a summer special. Taking advantage of the school holiday crowds, the production team had invited several big names to boost ratings and traffic.

An Rao scanned the tentative guest list.

Unsurprisingly, Lin Jingxi and Shen Yi were on it. The rest were various individuals whom the original novel had not even bothered to name. However, only seven names were revealed; the eighth was placed in parentheses with the words “Secret Guest.” It was clearly a gimmick by the production team to capture everyone’s shocked expressions when they finally saw this heavyweight guest.

The show’s ratings had always topped its category. Everyone knew what appearing on this show meant: peak popularity and massive exposure!

Fans had long been camping in front of their screens, waiting for the announcement. When they saw Lin Jingxi and Shen Yi’s names, they reacted with excitement:

“Ahhh! ‘Yi Xi Yi Yi’ is real! Lock them together, make them a team!” “Xibao! Sending flowers to the production team!”

But when they saw An Rao’s name, the tone shifted:

“What the heck? Why is this guy everywhere? Is he bringing capital into the group? Is he selling himself for the spot? His skin is thicker than a city wall.” “Damn, the production team has no shame. Bad publicity is still publicity, right? To chase this kind of traffic is low.” “An Rao is actually quite good; I am looking forward to it.” “I agree with the person above. Anti-fans said he used a ghostwriter for his art, and he slapped them in the face. They said his handwriting was trash, and the Chairman of the Calligraphy Association schooled them. If that is not enough, let me be blunt: what is Lin Jingxi anyway? He sings like a chirping chick and acts like his father just died. If anyone brought capital into the group, I would suspect it was him.”

Fans from both sides quickly rallied for a fight. Within half a day, the production team’s Weibo comment section was completely overrun.

Looking at the digital battlefield, the producer felt a massive headache: “These young idols’ fans are too aggressive. Should we replace An Rao? I am afraid it will hurt the ratings.”

The director watched the storm with a meaningful smile: “Learn to look at it from a different perspective. In an era that mocks poverty but not immorality, who cares if the fame is ‘black’ or ‘red’? Topic leads to traffic. Just find a sack and wait to collect the money.”

An Rao remembered that according to the plot, Chu Guannan was supposed to fly abroad to film a week after returning from Libya. He should have left today. An Rao had been happily thinking he could finally reclaim the big bed and escape the sofa, but there was a complication.

Why was Chu Guannan quietly leaning against the headboard reading a script like a normal person?

An Rao loitered by the door for a long time, wanting to ask why he had not left yet. Chu Guannan, seemingly annoyed by his pacing, frowned and looked at him coldly.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, it is just… Hubby, did you not have a new movie to film in the United Kingdom? I thought you were leaving today. Was the date pushed back?”

Chu Guannan looked away. His gaze drifted to the pink roses on the opposite wall, and his eyes darkened. He said lowly, “I did not take the role. I am not going.”

This was different from the original novel. Chu Guannan was supposed to win an Oscar for that movie, becoming the first Chinese actor to do so. How could he give that up?

An Rao gave a soft “oh” and grabbed his pillow, intending to endure the sofa for a few more nights.

“Are you sleeping on the sofa again?” Chu Guannan stopped him.

An Rao was not used to sleeping with strangers, but he could not say that. He made up an excuse, looking pitiful: “Because you dislike me, Hubby, and you do not want to sleep with me.”

Chu Guannan was silent for a long while. He put down the script and moved to one side of the bed, leaving a large space: “Sleep on the bed.”

This was not a question of space. Not only was the man a stranger he had only known for a few days, but he also slept naked.

Fearing he might arouse suspicion, An Rao slowly got into bed. He used a thin blanket to mark the distance, stacking it in the middle like a low wall between them. He lay down, keeping his body as close to the edge as possible. On the two-meter-wide bed, a “Chu-Han Border” had miraculously appeared.

An Rao closed his eyes, but he was not sleepy. The scent of the man beside him and his steady breathing were incredibly clear in the silent night.

“I heard you took a variety show,” Chu Guannan asked into the darkness.

An Rao’s nerves jumped. He moved further toward the edge, almost hanging off the bed. “Yes, the very popular one.”

“Interact more with the famous guests. They get more screen time, and you can get more exposure that way.”

An Rao opened his eyes. Was he teaching him how to play the game? Or was this just a casual remark?

He intentionally acted sweet: “My husband is the most famous, but since you are not participating, it does not matter who I interact with.”

Chu Guannan was silent for a long time before pulling up the covers. “Sleep.”

Despite lying next to a formidable antagonist, An Rao was truly exhausted. He blinked, moved as far as possible to the very edge, and fell asleep half-hanging off the bed.

When he woke up, however, An Rao felt a strong sense of suffocation, as if his body were being pinned down. He opened his eyes groggily to see a cold, handsome face magnified right in front of him.

The situation was clear: he was curled up in Chu Guannan’s arms. Chu Guannan had one hand under his own head and the other around An Rao’s waist. He was shirtless and sleeping soundly. The blanket that was supposed to be a wall had been kicked onto the floor.

An Rao’s pupils dilated. He calmed himself and tried to slip away quietly. Even though he was careful, he still woke Chu Guannan. Chu Guannan looked at him with half-closed eyes, seemingly still in a daze between sleep and wakefulness.

An Rao gave an embarrassed smile. Then he caught himself; why be embarrassed? He should be using every trick in the book to annoy Chu Guannan so he could get those divorce papers sooner.

Chu Guannan rubbed his brow and sat up. He grabbed a robe, tied it loosely around his waist, and left his collar open, revealing well-defined muscles.

“Hubby, I will go prepare breakfast for you,” An Rao said in a sickly sweet voice.

Chu Guannan reached out and stopped him. “I will do it.”

An Rao sat at the table, watching Chu Guannan’s tall figure busying himself at the stove. The novel mentioned he had debuted early and lived alone, so he was quite skilled at cooking.

Before long, the rich aroma of pork congee filled the air. An Rao’s stomach let out a treacherous growl. Since entering this book, he was finally about to eat a proper meal.

It was a bowl of pork congee with a fried egg and oiled greens. The congee was savory, the meat tender, the egg yolk slightly runny and sweet, and the greens crisp. It was better than what his family’s nanny used to make.

After finishing, An Rao held up his empty bowl. “Hubby, can I have another bowl?”

Chu Guannan, already in his sportswear for a morning run, saw An Rao’s appreciation for his cooking. He walked over and refilled the bowl. “Eat slowly. I am going for a run. Leave the dishes; I will wash them when I get back.”

An Rao lifted his spoon, his mouth curving into a heart-shaped smile. “Be safe, Hubby.”

To catch the tail end of the summer rush, the My CP team started filming a week early. The schedule was tight. An Rao was still taking a nap when he received the news; a moment later, he was at the recording site.

Chu Guannan was not home when he left. Out of politeness, An Rao sent him a message:

“Hubby, I am going to record the show. See you in a month! Remember to miss me! O(∩_∩)O”

After sending the text with a frown, he looked up to see the final guest arriving late.

Lin Jingxi always looked radiant. He was slender, held himself straight, and walked with elegance. As soon as he arrived, the other guests rushed to welcome him. However, due to the misunderstanding at the birthday party, Lin Jingxi turned his head away when he saw Shen Yi, looking aggrieved.

Shen Yi, knowing he was at fault first, took the initiative to greet him kindly. In front of so many people, Lin Jingxi had to save face. He gave a trademark fake smile and held out his hand. “Mr. Shen, long time no see. I look forward to our cooperation.”

Shen Yi’s face fell as he shook Lin Jingxi’s hand.

Seven guests had arrived. Aside from An Rao and the others, there were:

• • Su Xiangming, a top-tier rapper.

• • Li Meiwei, a dark-horse female idol from a survival show.

• • Xu Renyu, a rising first-line actor and gold medal supporting actor.

• • Yin Xueya, a superstar known as the National Wife.

Then there was the secret guest.

At this point, Shen Yi was only near first-line, having just won one Best Actor award. Lin Jingxi had not yet shed his traffic star label to become a formal artist. They were roughly at the same level as the others.

The original host had allegedly used pestering tactics with Chu Guannan to get an invitation. Thus, most guests did not look kindly on An Rao. No one wanted to be paired with him; being his partner meant having no screen time. Without exposure, the show was a waste of time.

An Rao smiled kindly and greeted everyone politely. Most just nodded, but Yin Xueya reached out warmly: “Hello, nice to meet you. I am Yin Xueya.”

Yin Xueya had started as a model and became an overnight sensation through her acting. She was later scouted by a major director for films and reportedly had significant influence abroad.

There was also Xu Renyu. He came from a grassroots background and was the oldest in the group. He had been an extra for over a decade. People told him to quit and go home, but he was resilient. Earlier this year, he had finally won three Best Supporting Actor awards. The director invited him because his career was skyrocketing.

In the original novel, Xu Renyu was part of the protagonist’s circle. When times were hard, only Lin Jingxi told him, “The one who remains is king; persistence is the greatest victory.” That simple encouragement helped him hold on until he caught his break. To Xu Renyu, Lin Jingxi was both a benefactor and an idol.

Now, the guests were about to board a bus for a border region 1,700 kilometers away. It was said the vegetation there blocked the sun and the mountain roads were treacherous.

Before boarding, someone asked, “Why are there only seven of us? Is there not an invited guest?”

The director smiled mysteriously. “He left this morning. He should arrive before us.”