After Transmigrating as Cannon Fodder, I Became the Darling of the Variety Show - Chapter 8

On the bus, the celebrities’ idle chatter served as excellent filming material.

The group was lively, sharing family stories or interesting work anecdotes. Only An Rao sat alone in the corner of the last row by the window, quietly listening to music with his headphones on.

“What song are you listening to?” A soft female voice suddenly whispered in his ear.

An Rao took off his headphones and turned his head to see Yin Xueya smiling at him. He handed his phone to her so she could see.

” Sound of Rain? That is a very old song. You like listening to this kind of music?” Yin Xueya’s eyes lit up.

An Rao admired her. This song was a product of the seventies, and people from the post-nineties generation like Yin Xueya rarely knew about it.

“I like this song too. The first time I heard it was with my father.”

The singer of Sound of Rain, Lan Jiao, was an obscure artist. She only had this one hit song in her entire life, and it only became popular after her death. Lan Jiao dedicated her life’s passion to music, but fate was unkind; she never found her benefactor before she passed away.

This was also An Rao’s mother’s favorite song. Whenever she painted, she would play it on an infinite loop, sighing that success is not always up to human effort.

Hearing the commotion, Su Xiangming also sat over. In his eyes, An Rao had always been an insufferably vulgar person with endless scandals, someone who brought bad luck to anyone he touched. He never expected that his beloved Goddess Lan Jiao would find resonance with this vulgar person.

“I love this song too!” Su Xiangming could not help but exclaim.

“Are you not a rapper? Do they not say that this kind of nostalgic, sentimental style is what you look down on most?” Yin Xueya joked.

“Prejudice! Fallacy! Lan Jiao is my goddess. Regardless of whether her songs are famous or not, I can name them just by hearing the intro.” Su Xiangming could not resist humming his favorite track.

” The Moonlight is Thick,” An Rao said instinctively.

Su Xiangming froze for a moment, then suddenly reached out and grabbed An Rao’s hand, shaking it vigorously. “It is hard to find a soulmate in this world!”

In an instant, all the cameras in the bus were pointed at these three. Seeing that no cameras were on them, the others crowded over.

Lin Jingxi asked with a smile, “What are you talking about that makes you so happy?”

Su Xiangming played a mysterious game. “We are talking about The Moonlight is Thick.”

Lin Jingxi looked out the window at the scorching sun and said with feigned humor, “But it is morning, and the sun is quite strong.”

Su Xiangming’s smile froze on his face. He cleared his throat. “Just joking, do not mind it.”

The cameraman looked awkwardly at the director and mouthed: “Should we cut this part?”

The director smiled without speaking and shook his head. If this part was broadcast, many nostalgic fans would surely go after Lin Jingxi, but at most, he would be criticized for being young and ignorant.

Yin Xueya looked at the people in front of her, and her eyes suddenly reddened. She quickly turned away from the camera, discreetly wiping her eyes. No one seemed to notice this gesture except for An Rao, who pulled a tissue from his pocket and quietly handed it to her.

Yin Xueya looked at him with slight shock, then smiled and mouthed: “Thank you.”

The Lan Jiao they spoke of had eventually become depressed because she never became famous. One late night, after getting drunk, she left behind her husband and two young children to jump from a tall building, ending her life.

Everyone talked and played until they were tired, then returned to their seats to take a nap. The driver said they would arrive at the filming location in about half an hour.

However, when the bus stopped and everyone got off, they were stunned.

Looming mountains were hidden behind thick forests that blocked the sun. The terrain was rocky and jagged; it did not look like a place where people could live.

Xiao Zhang, a staff member of the program team, stood before the seven of them with his hands behind his back like a military instructor. His voice was loud and clear:

“According to the program’s requirements, everyone will undergo one month of closed filming here. You must hand over all electronic products, valuables, snacks, and skincare products to be kept by the program team. Clothes and medicine may be kept.”

Su Xiangming, who was halfway through a bottle of water, shook the bottle. “Even mineral water is being confiscated?”

Xiao Zhang nodded coldly.

After the participants reluctantly handed over their prohibited items, they had to open their suitcases for inspection.

An Rao’s suitcase only had a few pieces of clothing, so the inspection went quickly. However, the process stalled when it came to Lin Jingxi. Lin Jingxi had brought three large suitcases filled with clothes. After searching for a long time, Xiao Zhang pulled a bottle of moisturizing lotion from under the clothes.

Lin Jingxi frowned. “There is no need to be this strict. We all rely on our faces for a living.”

Xiao Zhang glanced at him. “An Rao does not have a single bottle of skincare. Does he not also rely on his face for a living?”

An Rao thought: “Do not include me; I really do not rely on my face.”

Lin Jingxi bit his lower lip and retreated to the side, looking aggrieved. Shen Yi, acting as his protector, hurried forward to comfort him. “It is okay. We are naturally beautiful; we do not need those things.”

Lin Jingxi looked at him and lowered his head.

“Alright, inspection complete. Everyone may head up the mountain. Staff members will be waiting for you at the camp.” Xiao Zhang stepped aside with the lotion and allowed them to pass.

The mountain path was rugged and difficult to walk. Even walking empty-handed would be a challenge, let alone dragging a large suitcase. An Rao did not have much luggage, so his walk was relatively smooth.

The most miserable one was Lin Jingxi. Assistants were not allowed to go up the mountain, so he had to drag three suitcases by himself. Before he had gone far, he let out a sharp gasp of pain. Everyone looked over to see Lin Jingxi sitting on the ground, painfully rubbing his ankle.

The program team would not bother with such minor issues or ask about his condition. Some of the guests asked concerned questions, but Lin Jingxi gave a bitter smile. “I accidentally twisted my ankle. Do not worry about me; I will rest for a while and then catch up with the group.”

An Rao looked at Yin Xueya, who had also twisted her ankle but was still persevering. Then he looked at Lin Jingxi, who was acting as if he were giving his last words after a minor sprain. An Rao shrugged, caught up with Yin Xueya, and said with a gentle smile:

“Let me help you carry your luggage.”

Yin Xueya shook her head. “It is fine. You have your own luggage; do not worry about me.”

When he looked back again, Shen Yi had already picked up Lin Jingxi on his back. With his teeth clenched, Shen Yi dragged two suitcases with one hand while two more hung from his arms. His forearms were marked with deep red lines from the handles.

An Rao truly admired Shen Yi. This must have weighed over two hundred pounds in total. He wondered if the original author had used their brain when writing this; they only cared about mindless sweetness without considering human survival.

After walking for more than an hour, An Rao and Yin Xueya were the first to find the small camp flag. The two immediately forgot their fatigue and ran over to pull the flag and wave it. After waiting for half an hour, everyone had arrived except for Shen Yi, who finally climbed up carrying Lin Jingxi.

All the cameras were pointed at this pair in distress. The director was very happy; if this part was broadcast, the discussion volume would explode.

“Alright, everyone is here. Next, please welcome our special guest for this episode!” The staff member said, stepping aside.

Everyone craned their necks in anticipation of this mysterious guest.

“Who is it? Could it be Brother Nan?” “You are dreaming. Brother Nan is very busy, and when have you ever seen him on a variety show?” “It cannot be Shen Weizhou, right? Shen Yi, is it your brother? Have you heard him mention it?”

As they spoke, a pair of long legs wrapped in casual pants stepped out from the jungle behind them. The guests were stunned and looked up. A pair of eyes as dark as ink looked back with a hint of indifference. His dark brown hair was turned into a sweet honey color by the sunlight.

“Wow! It really is Brother Nan!” Su Xiangming dashed forward, grabbing the guest’s hand and shaking it wildly. “Brother Nan, I am your fan! My life is complete!”

Li Meiwei also ran over, looking as if hearts were about to pop out of her eyes. “I did not expect it to be Brother Nan. I am so happy!”

An Rao was shocked. Why did this man turn down a masterpiece script that could have made him famous just to come here and gather equipment?

Chu Guannan’s gaze passed through the guests who were fussing over him and saw that exquisite face. An Rao was also staring at him, the slightly upturned corners of his eyes looking like strokes from a calligraphy pen. Chu Guannan looked away and began greeting the guests.

The guests knew that Chu Guannan and An Rao were married. They guessed that the team pairings for this episode were a done deal, and they could not help but feel disappointed. Chu Guannan was a walking guarantee of screen time; surely all the cameras would follow him. They were unwilling to let a flop like An Rao get the advantage.

An Rao looked Chu Guannan up and down a dozen times. On second thought, it made sense for him to come. Chu Guannan liked Lin Jingxi so much that he would definitely give up great opportunities for him. After all, in this kind of dangerous mountain setting, the misattribution of arousal effect is a classic trope.

Even Lin Jingxi’s eyes were sparkling with joy when he looked at him. In contrast, Shen Yi’s face darkened, and he turned his head away. In the original novel, after Chu Guannan turned villainous, he snatched several major endorsements and a Best Actor title from Shen Yi. Seeing enemies was bound to spark tension.

“This time, the pairings will be decided entirely by luck through a draw.” A staff member brought over a table with eight paper cups.

“The cups contain different drinks. Those who drink the same kind will be a team. The order of the draw will be decided by Rock Paper Scissors.”

The guests were delighted. Did that not mean there was still a chance to be paired with Chu Guannan? Thank God!

As the child of fortune, Lin Jingxi naturally won the first choice. He picked a cup at random, drank it in one go, and pitifully stuck out his tongue.

“So sour.”

It was vinegar. According to the plot, Shen Yi would drink the other cup of vinegar.

An Rao was the second to draw. He looked through the remaining cups, picked the one on the far right, and took a sip.

It was Sprite.

The drinks were all transparent and hard to distinguish by sight alone, but Sprite was different because it had bubbles. Before leaving, An Rao had specifically observed the remaining drinks and confirmed the last cup was also Sprite.

Next was Yin Xueya. She looked up and quietly glanced at An Rao with a slight smile, as if hinting at something. An Rao understood; Yin Xueya wanted to be on his team. He also pointed his eyes toward the drink on the far right and exchanged a look with her.

An Rao: “Do you understand? The one on the far right.” Yin Xueya: “Understood, it is the one on the far left.”

…

Finally, the results were announced:

Lin Jingxi × Shen Yi Chu Guannan × Su Xiangming Yin Xueya × Li Meiwei An Rao × Xu Renyu

An Rao laughed. Heaven never favored him; he should have understood that from the moment he transmigrated as a cannon fodder after the plane crash.

Next was the selection of hunting dogs, again decided by the order of Rock Paper Scissors. The staff brought out four dogs: a Golden Retriever, a Labrador, a Border Collie, and a Husky?

An Rao thought his bad luck would end there, until he was left staring eye to eye with the wise looking Husky. He stopped thinking. He finally understood that beauty is a sin, and this was his punishment.

Husky: “Let me see if I can tear this human apart.”

Because it was a summer release, the program team increased the survival difficulty. Many items required winning competitions to get passage to the next stage. Ranking determined whether one continued walking in the wilderness or could return to a tent to sleep.

There were no supermarkets here; all food had to be obtained through hard work. It was a true test of the guests’ ability to handle emergencies and their survival knowledge. An Rao wanted to show off his skills, but with Chu Guannan appearing halfway through, what could he do except continue to act obedient to annoy him?

Xu Renyu said nothing, maintaining a cold face the entire time. While setting up the tent, An Rao saw that he had placed a frame incorrectly and spoke up to remind him. However, Xu Renyu was completely unmoved, acting as if he had not heard and continuing the wrong setup.

Everyone else’s tents were arched, but theirs looked like a pyramid. The Husky was also causing trouble, frantically digging up dirt until the tent was full of mud.

Seeing that others had finished their tents and received their survival tools, An Rao looked at Xu Renyu, who was still playing with the Husky, and said softly:

“I know you are unwilling to be on a team with me because I am a low tier celebrity and not much camera time will be wasted on capturing my expressions.”

Xu Renyu looked up, his deep eyes focusing on An Rao.

“But you should know better than I do that a good actor must perform every script well.” An Rao smiled, the corners of his mouth looking as clear as a stream in the sunlight.

Xu Renyu felt he was no longer the lowly extra who had no choice in scripts, and he treated An Rao’s words as a joke. He pulled the Husky into his arms despite its struggle. This left An Rao alone to dismantle the entire frame and rebuild it.

Two hands could not beat four, and the result was predictable. The first place team, Chu Guannan and Su Xiangming, received professional German made kitchenware. The other two teams managed to get at least some rusty knives and basins. Only An Rao and Xu Renyu received a simple axe made of hemp rope and a rough piece of iron.

Looking at the crudely made axe in his hand, An Rao weighed it and turned to Xu Renyu. “Are you not going to look for food?”

Xu Renyu did not even look at him, leaning halfway into the tent while teasing the Husky with a small twig. An Rao did not push him. He took the axe and went to the stream by himself.

Just as he was crouched by the bank observing the fish swimming in the water, a small commotion suddenly broke out nearby.

“You are being too heartless. How can you joke with our lives?”

An Rao had just filled a container with water when he saw Yin Xueya urgently explaining something to the program team. The team was indifferent, and the cameraman was busy capturing Yin Xueya’s anxious expression, something the public had never seen before.

“What is wrong?” He walked over to ask with concern.

“Li Meiwei is showing symptoms of dehydration, but the program team refuses to give her water,” Yin Xueya complained, glancing at the staff.

Several cameras aimed at their faces. An Rao handed over his water bottle. “Drink this.”

Yin Xueya looked at the water of unknown origin and asked hesitantly: “Is this drinkable?”

An Rao pointed to the rushing stream nearby. “We are currently upstream. The water flows down from the mountain top. It is clean. There might be some impurities, but saving a life is more important.”

Seeing Yin Xueya’s hesitation, An Rao unscrewed the bottle, held it high, and took a sip. He wiped his mouth. “I have tested it for poison. It is fine; let her drink it.”

Yin Xueya thanked him and ran quickly to Li Meiwei’s side.

Li Meiwei had not had a drop of water since going up the mountain. Her lips were cracked and bleeding, and her eyes were unfocused. She was leaning against a rock, looking extremely miserable. When she saw the water bottle, she sat up impatiently, ignoring her image to snatch the bottle from Yin Xueya. After taking one sip and feeling the sweet spring water, she reflexively hugged the bottle, wanting to drink her fill.

But the next second, the water bottle was taken back by An Rao.