001’s emotions were complicated : {She’ll probably choose the male lead.}
Shen Wanwan didn’t say anything more.
Bai Ling had already stepped into the team-selection room.
This time, the director didn’t have everyone write down their team preferences again. Instead, a large screen was set up in the switching room, showing a live broadcast of the competition venue, with real-time comments scrolling wildly across it.
When the director announced that Bai Ling could now see every single comment—and might even take the comments into consideration—the barrage instantly exploded—
[Will Bai Ling choose Jin Xiaoyu again? Haven’t seen the sisters’ team in ages!]
[Please don’t assign Jin Xiaoyu to Su Tingxuan again, Su Tingxuan is such a drag, he’s really annoying!]
[Can Bai Ling put ‘Petty Revenge Duo’ in one group? Please! Brother Ye worked so hard the entire episode, anyone would feel heartbroken watching!]
[Don’t split up ‘WanZhou’, don’t split up ‘WanZhou’, don’t split up ‘WanZhou’! Important things must be said three times!]
[Actually kind of want to see Shao Yuye and Zhang Yiran team up—two goofballs together should be really fun.]
[Ahhh, Bai Ling, please divide the teams properly for us!]
When she saw this comment, her gaze trembled slightly.
This opportunity was a double-edged sword. It allowed her to allocate the teams according to her own wishes, yet at the same time, it couldn’t be entirely up to her. The final results would be made public—she needed to satisfy the majority of viewers to avoid being criticized.
[Everyone can express their wishes, sure, but don’t morally pressure her. The right to divide teams is Bai Ling’s, she can do it however she wants.]
[Bai Ling is so kind-hearted, but as a fan, I honestly don’t want to see her being this considerate all the time. Bai Ling, you should plan a bit for yourself too…]
Those words—plan for yourself—hit her straight in the eyes.
Bai Ling took a deep breath and quickly finished arranging all the teams.
The fourth level area officially came to an end here.
All the guests began preparing to head back.
And Jiang Yuan finally snagged a high-ranking solo trending topic that truly belonged to him—
#Counting Jiang Yuan’s Ten Unlucky Moments#, which astonishingly sat at number five on the trending list!
Previously, whenever he ranked high on trending topics during the show, it was always tied to Qi Luozhou or Shao Yuye, serving as a supporting role.
Of course, he’d had solo trending topics before too, but they were always at the lower end. Sometimes he couldn’t even make the list.
His personality, if put kindly, was versatile; put less kindly, it was too versatile, to the point of having no distinct character.
Viewers habitually overlooked him.
…But now, that clearly wouldn’t happen anymore.
Every move he made would spark discussion.
This episode’s Weibo follower growth was faster than any of the previous episodes!
All because he’d been on the same team as Shao Yuye. His true nature had been drawn out by Shao Yuye!
[Hahaha, after watching this episode, I realized Jiang Yuan is really a hidden gem!]
[Jiang Yuan’s management team, take note! Don’t go with the “nice guy” route anymore. Being overly serious will only hurt you!]
[Jiang Yuan is seriously adorable. First time I’ve ever seen someone sing a battle song to ward off fear, hahaha!!]
Looking at the heartwarming comments on the trending page, Jiang Yuan felt dizzy as three words floated into his mind.
—Late-blooming fandom.
He had debuted ten years ago—the longest debut time and the oldest among everyone on this variety show. Over those ten years, he’d never been particularly hot or cold, often appearing in popular dramas. His presence wasn’t low, but he rarely generated much buzz.
But now, many warm comments were appearing under his Weibo posts, and some fans were even making memes with his expressions.
His blood boiled with excitement, and he rushed over to Shao Yuye to discuss things intensely:
“I’m serious. If you don’t manage to draw Shen Wanwan next time, how about you draw me?
“I’m not joking. I can be your strongest support!”
Shao Yuye was dragging his suitcase along. Hearing this, he spat out mercilessly, “Pah!
“I treat you like a brother, and you’re actually cursing me?”
Jiang Yuan covered his mouth and coughed lightly.
“…*Ahem*. I’m just giving you a backup option in advance.
“I’m leaving.”
Shao Yuye waved coolly at him and walked off.
Jiang Yuan watched his retreating back and clicked his tongue.
He really wanted to be on the same team as Shen Wanwan, and then get swapped over by Shao Yuye’s terrible luck…
Wait, no. If he were already on the same team as Shen Wanwan, why would he need to be swapped away?!
In the parking lot, Brother Li skillfully opened the nanny van door for Shen Wanwan.
Ever since learning that the brooch Shen Wanwan gifted to Shao Yuye was worth over thirty million, he had gained a newfound respect for her.
Having a sister like Shen Wanwan was truly Shao Yuye’s blessing!
Heaven knows how hard they’d had it all these years!
Although most people say that having no background doesn’t matter—as long as you work hard and stay inspiring, you’ll eventually get what you want—
In reality, because Shao Yuye lacked background and connections, he’d been taken advantage of plenty of times over the years. Now that he’d become a top star, such things happened far less, but the previous GML incident still firmly proved one truth:
One more backing means one more path. A powerful background will inevitably become a stepping stone for one’s career—part of one’s strength.
There was just over a month left until the New Year, and the next recording session had been scheduled for after the holiday. This meant that from now on, Shen Wanwan was officially on vacation.
After getting into the car, Shen Wanwan adjusted her seat to a comfortable angle and casually asked, “Where are you spending the New Year this year?”
Shao Yuye was sitting beside her, scrolling on his phone. His fingers paused, and without lifting his head, he replied casually:
“Don’t expect me to go back with you.”
Before Shen Wanwan could speak, he added appropriately:
“Give up on that idea early. If you want to go back, go by yourself.”
His reaction was entirely within Shen Wanwan’s expectations.
She nodded. “Then the two of us will spend it together.”
Shao Yuye froze for a moment, completely unprepared for her answer, and immediately sat up straight.
“Really? Or are you messing with me?”
But he soon shook his head again. “It’s fine, you don’t need to stay with me.”
Even though reconciliation was impossible, he couldn’t help thinking of how Shen Mingzhen had an extremely strong sense of ritual.
She was the kind of woman who loved life—changing the flowers in the dining table vase every day, decorating the house differently for every holiday.
Compared to her, Shao Yuye was downright sloppy.
In previous years, he always spent the New Year alone. It wasn’t a big deal anyway. He never had much sense of ceremony to begin with. He treated it as just another workday—practicing in the dance studio until midnight, then walking home under the moonlight while everyone else was celebrating the New Year. In recent years, fireworks had been banned in the city. As long as he didn’t check his phone or turn on the TV, that day was no different from any ordinary day.
Shen Wanwan said, “I want to.”
Shao Yuye looked at her with an amused smile. “Really, it’s fine.”
He curved his lips, trying to prove that he truly didn’t mind at all. “I’ve been spending it on my own for so many years. You think I can’t handle it? Listen to me, go back and spend time with them.”
Shen Wanwan glanced at him sideways, red lips parting. “Narcissist.”
The smile at the corner of Shao Yuye’s lips froze. “?”
How was he narcissistic?!
Shen Wanwan folded her arms across her chest with righteous confidence. “I just want to supervise your cooking skills.”
“……”
“On New Year’s Day, I want a full Manchu–Han feast.”
“……”
“If it tastes bad, I’m going to scold you.”
“…Fine. And if it tastes good, won’t you have to praise me to the skies?”
The corners of his lips lifted high, his tone even happier than before.
By now, Brother Li was no longer surprised by the way these siblings interacted.
After accepting this dynamic, he unexpectedly felt that Shen Wanwan was quite warm-hearted. Just now, she had been afraid that if she said stayed behind to keep her brother company, it would make Shao Yuye feel burdened, so she deliberately changed the subject.
She looked like a spoiled, willful young lady who put herself above all else.
Who would have thought she also had such a soft side?
Brother Li found himself liking this outwardly cold but inwardly warm girl more and more.
Shen Wanwan and Shao Yuye had dinner at a restaurant outside.
After returning home, Shao Yuye showered first. When Shen Wanwan went into the bathroom, he opened his phone and summoned his old teammates in their group chat—
“Back home. Come quick!”
Yu Cheng was the first to respond: “Finished?”
“Yeah.”
Shao Yuye sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of the sofa, comfortably leaning his back against it.
“You’ve been pretty free lately, huh?”
“Can’t help it. Out of all of us, I’m the least career-driven. My mom just retired, so I’m taking her around. She even said my job’s not bad, lots of holidays. I was too embarrassed to tell her it’s just because I don’t have much work.”
As he spoke, Yu Cheng urged him on: “You logged in yet? Hurry up, I’ll carry you.”
“Coming.”
Shao Yuye turned his phone sideways and logged into <Hero Adventure>, showing no mercy as he said:
“You having little work is purely because you bring it on yourself.”
Yu Cheng was picky about jobs.
If it was too tiring, he wouldn’t go. If it was too easy and lacked challenge, he wouldn’t go either. He had a laid-back personality.
There was another reason too. Just like Shao Yuye, he was still waiting for the stage.
Rather than transitioning careers, they both had a deep-seated obsession in their hearts: they wanted the stage, and they loved the stage.
The two entered the game together, chatting casually as they played.
Until Shen Wanwan finished showering and came out of the bathroom.
“Where did you put the hair dryer?”
Shao Yuye stared intently at the screen and replied nervously:
“In the cabinet? Go take a look.”
On the other end, Yu Cheng went “oh, oh, oh” three times. “Your sister?”
Shao Yuye: “Yeah.”
After Shen Wanwan finished drying her hair, Yu Cheng proactively introduced himself:
“I’m your brother’s good friend. My name’s Yu Cheng. What’s your name, little sister?”
Shen Wanwan sat down beside Shao Yuye, watching him control the character on screen as it charged forward, slaying enemies.
She spoke lightly, “Hello.
“I’m Shen Wanwan.”
“Shen Wanwan?!”
The voice on the other end paused abruptly. When it spoke again, it was at least eight degrees more excited than before—
“Shen Wanwan… you wouldn’t happen to be that Shen Wanwan who went on the variety show with him, right…?”
Shen Wanwan greatly enjoyed hearing this kind of exaggerated shock.
It satisfied her vanity immensely.
She curved her lips. “Mm.”
A string of “Holy shit!” burst out from the other end of the call.
Yu Cheng had followed <Extreme Challenge> from start to finish and even watched the livestreams.
He especially liked Shen Wanwan, thinking she was an incredibly remarkable girl.
She was always so calm, always so unexpected…
Without exaggeration, he had once seriously thought about whether he could find someone to introduce him to her.
Who would have thought that Shen Wanwan was actually Shao Yuye’s sister?!