"Third? How is that possible?"
Ning Tingyu couldn't contain himself, and his face darkened on the spot. "There's no one here!"
The director fell strangely silent for a few seconds, then pointed to the left. "Over there."
Zou Yuxing looked over but saw only lush, green grass.
He and the director looked at each other. The director wore a wry smile and didn't seem to be lying, so Zou Yuxing tentatively took a step forward.
Wen Feiran and Zou Yuxing were lying there comfortably, breathing slow and deep.
"..."
"..."
"..."
They had actually fallen asleep, just like that?!
Chapter 7: How Many Sisters Do You Have, Anyway?
The grass was soft, and sunlight fell on Wen Feiran, making every one of his eyelashes seem to glow. He was a stark contrast to the bedraggled Ning Tingyu.
Before Ning Tingyu could vent his dissatisfaction, his gaze disturbed Zou Yuxing, who was beside Wen Feiran. Zou Yuxing rubbed his eyes and sat up, muttering, "What took you so long? We waited until we fell asleep."
Ning Tingyu: "..." Well, sorry about that.
He couldn't afford to offend Zou Yuxing. The corners of his mouth twitched twice before he forced out a smile. "You two were just too fast."
"Feiran took me along a shortcut. He knows this area really well," Zou Yuxing said without a care.
Ning Tingyu finally seized his chance and deliberately said, "Must be nice. Feiran already knew where the finish line was, unlike us. All we knew was which direction to go."
The discussion in the livestream was steered off course.
[That's cheating, isn't it? They clearly weren't starting on an even playing field.]
[That's what these celebrities get for staying indoors all the time. Who knows what they're even talking about?]
[Agreed. If it were me, I'd be out exploring every day. I couldn't let such beautiful scenery go to waste.]
[Why does Ning Tingyu sound so two-faced? That sounded a little snide.]
Wen Feiran was no longer the nameless extra he had been at the start, someone Ning Tingyu could use as he pleased. Even though Ning Tingyu's fans tried hard to speak up for him, they couldn't sway the discussion.
Another fifteen minutes passed before Mu Qianyu reached the finish line as well.
Although the ends of her hair were damp with sweat, her smile was radiant, and she radiated a tremendous vitality. When she learned her ranking, she accepted it with grace and composure, a special charm in her every movement.
As for Su Shangting, he was spoiled and willful. After realizing he had been going around in circles, he withdrew from the race in a fit of anger.
Wen Feiran deservedly won first place in the race. His prize was to move into the Dreamy Cottage and live with everyone else.
??? Was this a reward or a punishment?
The director met Wen Feiran's gaze, his smile unchanged, and ignored him.
Although Wen Feiran had opened a livestream channel, he was always by himself, either wandering around outside or staying home quietly reading, listening to music, or playing games. His life was monotonous and dull, with nothing worth watching. It was simply a waste of all that popularity.
The director had no choice but to take a risky approach, forcibly packing Wen Feiran off to the Dreamy Cottage and making him socialize.
The Dreamy Cottage had the most cameras. He refused to believe Wen Feiran could still make himself invisible on camera there!
Wen Feiran pulled his suitcase up to the Dreamy Cottage, dazed and on the verge of a breakdown.
He had planned to quietly coast through the last two days, then terminate his contract with his agency and leave the entertainment industry. He hadn't expected such a major setback at the very end.
Wen Feiran tried to resist, but Zou Yuxing was so enthusiastic that he came straight out to help carry his luggage.
"I thought something was off before. There are so many rooms here, but the director insisted on splitting us up. Now we can see each other every day." Oblivious to Wen Feiran's mood, Zou Yuxing went on, "Your room is right next to mine. If we can't sleep, we can chat."
Wen Feiran: "..."
Given how talkative Zou Yuxing was, he seriously doubted he would get any sleep that night.
Su Shangting heard the voices and came out too. He deliberately opposed Zou Yuxing, and the two started arguing again. Caught between them, Wen Feiran couldn't sit or stand comfortably and silently shed two streams of broad noodle tears in his heart.
But to Ning Tingyu, the scene looked entirely different.
He had lived with Zou Yuxing and Su Shangting for so long, always humbling himself and trying to please them, yet they paid him no mind at all. Instead, they were getting close to his stepping stone. They were clearly humiliating him on purpose!
Why should they!!
They had excellent family backgrounds, and everything came easily to them, but they themselves were worthless.
And him? Everything he had, he had earned through his own hard work. Setting aside the favor of fate, he was a hundred times better than Zou Yuxing and Su Shangting.
Just you wait. I'll show you what I'm capable of!
Wen Feiran was forced into communal living. After dinner, Zou Yuxing kept him talking for a long time, and by the time he returned to his room, it was already eleven, his usual bedtime.
But Wen Feiran felt strangely empty. If he went to sleep as soon as he finished being busy, he wouldn't have any nightlife at all.
He couldn't bear to go to bed, so he spent a long time on his phone. By the time he had finally made it up to himself, it was three in the morning, and his stomach gave a rumble.
Thinking it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble, Wen Feiran fought back his hunger and crawled under the covers.
Five minutes later.
Ten minutes later.
Fifteen minutes later.
In the dead of night, Wen Feiran's eyes glowed green. His foraging instincts kicked in, and his body moved of its own accord.
With a socially anxious person's innate skill, Wen Feiran found a route that avoided most of the cameras. He slipped out of his room, keeping close to the walls, and crept into the kitchen.
He didn't dare turn on the light, so he crouched in front of the table by moonlight, nibbling on a biscuit.
Outside the window, the night was dark, and the house was so quiet that even the faintest sound stood out. Suddenly, muffled voices echoed from a distance, accompanied by footsteps.
!!! It's haunted!
Wen Feiran's nerves went taut. His hair stood on end, and he jumped up in fright.