I Won Over My Best Friend’s Idol - Chapter 13

It was early summer in C City. While the temperature wasn’t boiling yet, any kind of manual labor was still enough to leave a person drenched in sweat and right now, Zheng Yi was learning that the hard way.

He honestly had no idea how a nice, relaxing travel show had devolved into him hauling bricks. In his mind, this was supposed to be an easy gig.

Just a little while ago, their group had been strolling along the road when Kong Yinmeng suddenly struck up a conversation with a crew of migrant workers laying down drainage pipes. One thing led to another… and suddenly, they were part of the crew.

Zheng Yi stumbled over, pushing a wheelbarrow full of red bricks, and found Kong Yinmeng down in the trench. She was laying bricks like a pro. The worker supervising her was full of praise, telling her how clean her work looked.

“Hey, young Zheng, you need a bit more practice!” A worker slapped him on the shoulder, nearly knocking him off balance. “I know you stars don’t do much heavy lifting, but staying in shape never hurts!”

Zheng Yi nodded sheepishly. Compared to these guys, he really was a lightweight. He glanced over at Kong Yinmeng. Her makeup was completely ruined from the sweat, but she didn’t care at all, wiping her brow and keeping right at it.

Even the camera crew hadn’t expected the show to turn into such an inspirational hustle. After a quick huddle with the director, they were told to just keep rolling and not interfere. The cameraman had been worried Zheng Yi might lose his temper and storm off after all, he was a massive pop star with a huge fanbase but to everyone’s surprise, the guy endured. They worked for four hours at thirty yuan an hour, earning a combined total of 240 yuan.

They even ate lunch right there on the street with the workers, with Zheng Yi experiencing what it was like to eat a meal on the sidewalk for the first time, right in front of passersby.

“What should we do next?” Zheng Yi asked, holding their hard-earned cash. He checked the time; it was just past two in the afternoon, meaning they had at least three or four hours until dinner.

Kong Yinmeng led the cameraman through a maze of alleys, eventually stopping by a roadside stall to pick out a tank top and a pair of flashy, floral-print shorts for Zheng Yi which only set them back twenty yuan. Finally, they pulled up outside a rather dated-looking bathhouse.

“Go on in,” she said. “Get washed up and change into the new clothes. We’re done with manual labor for the day.” After four hours of moving bricks, their clothes were filthy, and the sweat didn’t smell great either.

She had asked the crew to wash her original outfit earlier, which was completely dry by now. When she came out of the bathhouse, she reapplied her makeup and changed back into her own clothes, looking every bit the stunning beauty again.

As for Zheng Yi… he had instantly transformed from a top celebrity into the boy next door. He was rocking the sleeveless tank top and the loud floral shorts. If it weren’t for his handsome face saving the look, he wouldn’t even be fit for television.

Kong Yinmeng couldn’t help but burst out laughing, and the cameraman’s lens shook along with her. These camera operators were professionals who rarely broke character, unless it was truly impossible to hold it in.

Subtracting their minor expenses, they were left with three hundred yuan. Given the cost of living in C City, a hundred and fifty yuan per person was technically enough to book a standard hotel room. However, Kong Yinmeng felt that booking separate rooms was a waste of money, and the production team obviously couldn’t let male and female guests share a room unless they wanted the show canceled overnight.

Since they didn’t have their phones, they had to ask the crew for the locations of the other two pairs.

“Let’s go find Brother Liang and figure out the rooming situation for tonight,” Kong Yinmeng suggested. “One room per team. You stay with Brother Liang, and I’ll share with Miaoke.”

Between the younger girls on the show, she definitely preferred the likable Miaoke; at least they hadn’t clashed.

Meanwhile, back when Kong Yinmeng had first brought up the accommodation issue that morning, the director, Xiao Wu, had quietly canceled the hotels he had already booked. As a director, he saved money wherever he could. The guests were being incredibly resourceful, and Xiao Wu was thoroughly satisfied.

Eventually, Kong Yinmeng and a highly dressed-down Zheng Yi tracked down Miaoke and Liang Sihan, who were currently handing out flyers. It turned out the crew had dropped a hint to them that they could earn living expenses through odd jobs.

Their team had started with 188 yuan, but thanks to Miaoke’s “I want this, I want that” shopping spree, they were down to a measly 30 yuan. If they didn’t work, they’d be going hungry. Liang Sihan had spent the entire time helplessly paying the bills, watching Miaoke stuff her face until she literally couldn’t eat anymore.

“Oh my gosh, Brother Zheng, what happened to you? Why are you dressed like that?” Miaoke swore she had never seen a celebrity look so down-to-earth. He looked exactly like an old grandpa out for a casual stroll.

Liang Sihan just stared, equally curious.

Instead of explaining his morning, Zheng Yi proudly produced the cash they had earned. “We came to find you guys so we can pool our money for tonight. Combined, we have enough to get two double rooms.”

“Wait, the crew isn’t covering our stay?” Miaoke looked at the staff, and when they nodded in confirmation, her jaw dropped. “Brother Liang, do shows nowadays really push boundaries like this? I mean, we’re fine, but aren’t they worried Brother Zheng will get mobbed by fans?”

Aside from Zheng Yi, the rest of the cast were either entirely unknown, past their prime, or had never managed to break through.

Right then, Kong Yinmeng reached out and playfully ruffled Zheng Yi’s hair into a messy nest. “Look at him now. Do you think anyone would recognize him? Even if he runs into fans, they’ll just think he’s a lookalike.”

Silence fell over the group.

Even the staff hadn’t expected her to do such a number on Zheng Yi. There was a collective feeling that once this episode aired, she was going to get absolutely roasted by his fans online.

“Honestly, I think it’s fine,” Zheng Yi chimed in, surprisingly relaxed. “It keeps things easy for the crew, and we can finish filming without any incidents.” He had honestly just come on the show to coast along, though he hadn’t expected to coast quite this hard.

Liang Sihan pulled out their remaining thirty yuan with a miserable look on his face. “If we really have to pay for our own rooms, we might end up sleeping on the streets. We have to hand out flyers until five o’clock, which only pays thirty yuan each. That’s ninety yuan total, and we still have to buy dinner…”

They were once again feeling the sheer malice of the production team. If the director had told them upfront that they needed to pay for their own lodging, they would have been much more careful with their budget.

Miaoke looked appropriately remorseful. “I’m sorry, Brother Liang. I thought that money was just for food and drinks. I didn’t realize we had to cover our rooms too.”

“Tell you what, let’s keep looking around to see if we can make a bit more money. We can’t actually sleep on the street,” Kong Yinmeng said. She habitually reached out to tug on Zheng Yi’s sleeve, only to grab thin air. The man was in a tank top; there wasn’t a sleeve in sight.

Meanwhile, Director Xiao Wu was dealing with a massive headache brought on by Xiao Hong’s team. Originally, he hadn’t intended to leave them completely stranded without accommodation, but seeing the other two teams actively working for their keep made Xiao Hong’s group look incredibly bad by comparison.

Their footage was practically unairable. Every time Niu Niuniu asked for money, she did it with an air of entitlement, which stood in stark contrast to Miaoke’s cute, playful way of begging for treats. It wasn’t that you couldn’t ask for things, but you had to have some charm. The way Niu Niuniu did it made it look like Xiao Hong owed her something.

Xiao Wu finally seized the opportunity to pull Xiao Hong aside for a quiet chat while Niu Niuniu was in the restroom. “Sister Hong, what is up with her? You know how the internet is these days. If we air this as-is, she is going to get absolutely torn apart by the viewers!”

The two of them were on good terms, and he didn’t want a reality show to ruin their friendship.

“I don’t know what to do with her either,” Xiao Hong sighed, deeply frustrated. “My sister completely spoiled her. She’s only sixteen and should be in school, but she keeps taking days off. She pulled a whole two-week leave just to shoot this show, and I have no idea what her school was thinking letting her do it.”

To say she was stressed was an understatement. Xiao Hong regretted her choices immensely; if she hadn’t gone to that family dinner a few weeks ago, she wouldn’t have been saddled with this mess.

“Look, try talking to her again,” Xiao Wu suggested, feeling equally drained. “If she doesn’t fix her attitude, I’ll have to cut her screen time significantly in editing. Less visibility means the audience won’t focus on her, which should protect her from the backlash.”

It was exhausting. They were paying appearance fees for six guests, after all. Fortunately, reports from the field showed that the other two teams were delivering fantastic television…especially Zheng Yi’s group. They were practically carrying the show on their backs.

When Xiao Wu checked in on Zheng Yi and Kong Yinmeng’s progress, he was left speechless yet again. It turned out Kong Yinmeng had far better connections than the actual production team. While the show relied on throwing money around to get things done, she just used her face.

Inside the bustling kitchen of a local restaurant, Zheng Yi was frantically handing over dishes. He was originally supposed to be the one washing them, but after accidentally shattering three bowls due to slippery hands, Kong Yinmeng had swiftly swapped positions with him.

“Brother Liu, I remember when I first came here, you were just a junior kitchen hand. Look at you now, you’re the head chef!” She chatted effortlessly with the chef while scrubbing dishes at lightning speed. Zheng Yi found himself seeing her in a whole new light yet again. From the deftness of her movements, it was obvious she had done this kind of work many times before.

“Just good luck,” the chef chuckled, sitting comfortably to the side cracking sunflower seeds as he watched them work. “My master had to head back to his hometown for some family business. Before he left, he passed all his recipes down to me and let me take over his spot.”

Out of nowhere, the chef added, “You know, you two look pretty good together. Are you guys dating?”

Kong Yinmeng’s hand slipped instantly. Luckily, her reflexes were sharp and she caught the dish before it hit the floor, narrowly avoiding another broken bowl. “Brother Liu, what are you talking about? We’re just friends. He’s a massive star with a mountain of fans. I’d rather not end up with a target on my back.”

“My fans are actually very reasonable, they aren’t as terrifying as you think,” Zheng Yi countered smoothly. “Next time I hold a fan meeting, you should come see for yourself. Stop talking about them like they’re some kind of terrifying monster.”

Zheng Yi knew that once this line aired, his management would have no choice but to schedule a fan meeting. Truthfully, he had already held one earlier that year, and his manager, Chen Yuan, hadn’t planned on another. But Zheng Yi genuinely wanted Kong Yinmeng to see his fans up close, to show her the difference between real fans and obsessive stalkers. Stalkers were a nightmare for any celebrity, but genuine fans didn’t just love him…they also extended that warmth to his family, his friends, and whoever he might choose to be with in the future.

Kong Yinmeng rolled her eyes at him when the camera wasn’t looking. Please, spare me, she thought. Once this show wrapped, she fully intended for them to go their separate ways and ideally never speak again.

The chef had originally agreed to pay them thirty yuan an hour for a two-hour shift, which was already quite high for casual help. However, once the restaurant manager caught wind that a television crew was filming in the kitchen, he rushed over to greet them and immediately bumped their pay up to fifty yuan an hour. Even better, it was put on the restaurant’s promotional tab. The initial rate was going to come out of the chef’s own pocket as a personal favor, but now it had turned into an official marketing opportunity.

The show would give the restaurant free publicity, the restaurant would get business, and to top it all off, the duo’s dinner was officially taken care of.

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