Recaps

Xie Ran spent the day photographing Old West City while Meng Feixuan told him about the city and its Chinatown. At the evening budget meeting, Xie Ran revealed that his stock trades had earned him about two thousand dollars, leaving his group well ahead of the others.

• Meng Feixuan guided Xie Ran through the view of Old West City and explained the history of its Chinatown.
• Xie Ran spent most of the day standing in one place and submitted only the first photo he had taken.
• The groups compared their remaining funds, and the girl group duo discovered they had overtaken the veteran group.
• Fang Huiwang told the others that Xie Ran had spent two hundred and thirty dollars that day.
• Xie Ran revealed that he had earned about two thousand dollars trading stocks, surprising the other groups.
• A waiter delivered Xie Ran's dinner.

Xie Ran’s stock-market profits undermined the competition on Somewhere Else with You, prompting the production team to negotiate with him. He agreed to stop trading in exchange for three days of Snowball TV launch-screen advertising, while Fang Huiwang saw a chance to secure Ruiyan’s resources.

• Xie Ran’s repeated stock-market wins demoralized the other groups and left the production team worried that the show had lost its suspense.
• After the third day’s tasks, Xie Ran earned another 3,200 dollars in stock profits, while Zhu Chuanjia lamented the lost competition and Jiang Wei and the girl-group duo called Xie Ran President Xie.
• The chief director asked Xie Ran to stop making money through the stock market, and Xie Ran said the request violated the contract.
• The director offered three days of Snowball TV launch-screen advertising, and Xie Ran agreed to stop trading.
• Fang Huiwang realized Xie Ran’s profits could help him obtain Ruiyan’s resources and planned to make a comeback through later tasks.

Xie Ran questioned whether the splash-screen advertising belonged to him individually, embarrassing Fang Huiwang and separating their interests. Fang Huiwang expected to win the photo vote, but the tally suddenly showed Xiao Ran in first place.

• Xie Ran asked whether the splash-screen ad was an individual resource, and the director left it to him and Fang Huiwang to decide.
• The director announced that Fang Huiwang had nearly twice as many votes as the other guests and praised his photography.
• Xie Ran watched Fang Huiwang accept the praise while Meng Feixuan told him the vote had been boosted by paid trolls.
• A staff member interrupted the director with updated voting results, and the director announced that Xiao Ran was in first place.
• Fang Huiwang blurted out that the result was impossible before trying to conceal his reaction.

Xie Ran’s photograph went viral after an art blogger claimed it matched the real-life source and composition of Shahi’s painting New and Old Xi, causing a fierce online debate and boosting the show’s popularity. The other guests praised Xie Ran, while Fang Huiwang questioned when he had become interested in art.

• A staff member told the director that Xiao Ran’s votes had surged, and the team discovered Shen Ya’s post comparing Xie Ran’s photograph with Shahi’s New and Old Xi.
• Meng Feixuan admitted he had boosted Shen Ya’s post, and Xie Ran was surprised by how quickly it spread.
• Netizens argued over whether the photograph truly matched the painting, while searches for Shahi, New and Old Xi, the show, and its guests rose on the trending list.
• Zhu Chuanjia praised Xie Ran’s artistic talent, and Fang Huiwang asked when Xiao Ran had started studying Xia Xi’s paintings.

Xie Ran’s photo was confirmed by Xia Xi as the exact location and composition of her painting, New and Old Xi, drawing widespread attention and embarrassing Fang Huiwang. After filming, Fang Huiwang learned that netizens were scrutinizing his unusually high vote count and had begun uncovering signs of manipulation.

• Xie Ran said his photo showed the location depicted in New and Old Xi, and Xia Xi confirmed it on Instagram.
• The crew and guests reacted to Xie Ran’s achievement, and he explained that he had seen the original painting at an art museum and that Data had helped identify the location.
• The director decided to include footage of Xie Ran viewing the painting in the show and praised him as a photography superstar.
• After filming, the crew returned Fang Huiwang’s phone and told him that Kuang Youfang wanted to speak with him.
• Fang Huiwang called Kuang Youfang and learned that netizens were investigating his inflated vote count, though deleted comments had limited the evidence.

Fang Huiwang’s manager urged him to win Xie Ran back, but Xie Ran ignored Fang Huiwang’s question while playing Fight the Landlord. The show then began its final Chinese cuisine promotion challenge, with the other guests hoping Xie Ran had no special plans.

• Kuang Youfang told Fang Huiwang to use every means to win Xie Ran back, believing Xie Ran would soon control the industry’s resources and attention.
• Fang Huiwang asked Xie Ran whether they still had a chance, but Xie Ran focused on his card game with Meng Feixuan and announced that he had beaten him.
• The show introduced its final task: three guest groups had to promote a Chinese restaurant and meet revenue targets within three days.
• Zhu Chuanjia asked Xie Ran for a promotional strategy, and Xie Ran said he had none.
• Zhu Chuanjia rallied the guests after hearing Xie Ran’s answer, while Meng Feixuan sighed about the world of the weak.

Xie Ran judged the guests’ Chinese cuisine promotion task to be a short-term business challenge rather than meaningful cultural promotion, but offered practical advice on where to distribute flyers. The restaurant opened with a lion dance, while Fang Huiwang privately confronted how far Xie Ran seemed to have surpassed him.

• Xie Ran agreed with Meng Feixuan that the task had little room for genuine cultural promotion, and the guests settled on familiar marketing tactics.
• Zhu Chuanjia produced clappers to attract customers, and the guests teased him as they finalized their plan.
• Fang Huiwang reflected on Xie Ran’s growing abilities and worried that Xie Ran had left him behind.
• Xie Ran named nearby commercial and entertainment areas where the guests could distribute flyers, impressing Jiang Wei and Zhu Chuanjia.
• The guests prepared their materials, and the Chinese restaurant opened with a lion dance troupe performing.

The groups competed to earn revenue, and Xie Ran came last after doing little to attract customers. When renowned painter Xia Xi contacted the production team, she booked out the restaurant for dinner so she could meet Xie Ran, leaving the celebrity guests busy serving her friends.

• Zhu Chuanjia's group earned more than Xie Ran's group during the first half-day, and Zhu Chuanjia calculated they might catch up because Xie Ran spent money freely.
• Xie Ran said he had no intention of saving money or worrying about winning, while Fang Huiwang realized he no longer knew how to persuade him.
• Xia Xi contacted the production team to find the photographer who took a picture of the filming location, and Xie Ran spoke with her in fluent English.
• Xie Ran learned that Xia Xi wanted to meet him and booked the restaurant for the evening, prompting Zhu Chuanjia to protest.
• Xia Xi arrived early with friends, turning the restaurant booking into a lively gathering, while the celebrity guests spent the evening working as waiters.

Xie Ran spent the restaurant shift talking with Xia Xi and her friends, while the other guests served customers and struggled to remember that he was a waiter too. After Xie Ran explained that his AI had recreated the photographs, Xia Xi praised the machine’s artistic achievement, and the conversation continued after the dining period ended.

• Xie Ran sat with Xia Xi and her friends while Zhu Chuanjia and Jiang Wei served the guests, then both men realized they had forgotten Xie Ran was also a waiter.
• Fang Huiwang paused with a tray and watched Xie Ran chatting confidently with Xia Xi, feeling the distance between them.
• Xia Xi praised Xie Ran’s photographs, and Xie Ran explained that his AI had created them through deep learning.
• Xia Xi said that teaching a machine to learn art was itself an extraordinary artistic achievement, delighting Meng Feixuan.
• After the dining period ended, Xia Xi and her two friends stayed behind to continue their conversation.

Xie Ran impressed Pete, a television producer, enough to pursue acquiring the show, then helped the production crew negotiate favorable terms with Old West City Television Station. The other guests abandoned the competition and spent their remaining funds, leaving Xie Ran’s group to win the final task without suspense.

• The director urged the guests to keep competing and suggested taking Xie Ran shopping, but Xie Ran introduced Pete as a producer interested in acquiring the show.
• Pete told the director he wanted to discuss a possible partnership, and the director told the other guests to admit defeat to Xie Ran.
• During the final two days, the guests gave up competing, spent their funds freely, and turned the show into a relaxed travel outing.
• Xie Ran helped the production crew resolve negotiation problems with Old West City Television Station and secure generous terms.
• Xie Ran’s group won the final Chinese food promotion task, while Zhu Chuanjia played his clappers beside the prize presentation.

At the cast’s final dinner, Fang Huiwang marked the tenth anniversary of his and Xie Ran’s debut with a song and a video of their time together on Tomorrow’s Star. The video revived memories of their closeness, and Fang Huiwang asked whether Xie Ran remembered the anniversary.

• The guests shared irreverent reflections on the trip, while Xie Ran said Old West City was a good place for a vacation.
• Fang Huiwang asked Xie Ran whether he remembered what day it was as the New West Building’s glass wall lit up.
• Fang Huiwang sang the Tomorrow’s Star theme song while a video showed his and Xie Ran’s competition days and ordinary moments together.
• The guests and tourists watched the footage and recognized the tenderness between the younger Xie Ran and Fang Huiwang.
• Fang Huiwang revealed that it was the tenth anniversary of their debut, and Xie Ran had already remembered.

Fang Huiwang recreated a memory from his and Xie Ran’s debut anniversary to win Xie Ran’s response, but Xie Ran criticized his singing instead. Meng Feixuan then appeared through the Sky Garden’s holographic system and challenged Fang Huiwang to a singing contest as a vivid sci-fi cityscape formed around him.

• Fang Huiwang revisited memories of his and Xie Ran’s early days together and resolved to patiently persuade Xie Ran to give him another chance.
• Fang Huiwang sang their old theme song and spoke earnestly to Xie Ran about their tenth debut anniversary, but Xie Ran remained unmoved.
• Xie Ran told Fang Huiwang that he had sung off-key and advised him to improve his professional skills.
• Meng Feixuan appeared as a hologram behind Fang Huiwang and declared that he sang better than him.
• Red and blue light gathered across the Sky Garden’s glass wall and formed a neon-lit, futuristic cityscape behind Meng Feixuan.

Meng Feixuan dazzled the guests with a song he had once created to move Xie Ran, while Xie Ran rejected Quest Technology’s offer to partner on Meng Feixuan. Guan Shunan then warned Xie Ran that a sudden surge in Wangran CP content was boosting speculation about him and Fang Huiwang.

• Meng Feixuan performed his original song for Xie Ran, captivating the audience and eclipsing Fang Huiwang’s earlier video.
• Guan Shunan told Xie Ran that Quest Technology valued Meng Feixuan at 1.2 billion yuan and had made its final offer, but Xie Ran rejected it as too low.
• Meng Feixuan protested that he was irreplaceable, and Xie Ran agreed with him before telling Guan Shunan to set the offer aside.
• Guan Shunan showed Xie Ran reports that marketing accounts and fan creators had revived the Wangran CP, pushing it to the top of Weibo’s CP rankings.
• Guan Shunan said someone was clearly promoting the pairing and suggested that another CP rumor could distract attention, but Xie Ran did not hype dating rumors.

Xie Ran turned down Ruiyan’s two-person commercial, while Fang Huiwang pushed to strengthen Wangran and pursue new business for Ambition Studio. Fang Huiwang learned that Xuanran had overtaken Wangran online, and a forum post showed the pairing trending.

• Xie Ran told Guan Shunan he had turned down Ruiyan’s two-person commercial because he had another collaboration with Ruiyan.
• Fang Huiwang told Kuang Youfang to keep promoting Wangran and arrange a meeting with Lansi’s representative.
• Fang Huiwang ordered Kuang Youfang to bring Ni Le over to discuss Nangong Xu, insisting the virtual idol could compete with Meng Feixuan.
• Fang Huiwang told Yashen Internet Marketing to keep Wangran at the top of the rankings, but Boss Duan reported that Xuanran had surpassed it.
• Fang Huiwang reacted in shock when Boss Duan explained that Xuanran content was spreading across platforms and overseas.
• A gossip forum post noted that Xuanran had reached fifth on the trending searches and asked who was shipping Meng Feixuan and Xie Ran.

Xuanran surged past Wangran in an apparently organic wave of fanworks and online discussion, baffling the entertainment industry and enraging Fang Huiwang. Guan Shunan asked Xie Ran whether he had caused the sudden popularity, but the chapter left the mystery unresolved.

• Xuanran rapidly overtook Wangran in popularity, turning their competing fan camps into a public CP war over Xie Ran.
• Fang Huiwang checked the CP data and angrily demanded that his marketing company explain how Xuanran had beaten Wangran.
• Boss Duan told Fang Huiwang that no marketing company appeared to be promoting Xuanran and that ordinary users were driving its growth.
• Guan Shunan investigated Xuanran's rise and found that its fanworks, including foreign-language translations, were not being produced by a company.
• Guan Shunan asked Xie Ran whether he was behind Xuanran's sudden popularity.

Meng Feixuan pursued his study of CP fandom by creating popular Xuanran content, escalating the rivalry with Wangran. The variety show Somewhere Else with You premiered to record ratings, and longtime Wangran fan Cao Paoli watched with her roommate Yu Man, ready to analyze Xie Ran and Fang Huiwang’s interactions.

• Xie Ran learned that Meng Feixuan had become the top creator in the Xuanran fandom under the account name "Meng Feixuan Alt Account."
• Meng Feixuan explained that he studied CP fandom by creating works about himself and Xie Ran, though fans criticized them as formulaic.
• Xie Ran questioned the most-read work Meng Feixuan showed him, and Meng Feixuan proudly admitted that he had posted an English translation through an external link because it was banned domestically.
• Ambition Studio and Wangran fans tried to defend Wangran’s ranking as the rivalry with Xuanran intensified.
• Somewhere Else with You premiered to record ratings, and Cao Paoli watched with her roommate Yu Man, prepared to collect evidence for Wangran.

Yu Man and Cao Paoli watched Xie Ran ignore Fang Huiwang, split from him, and enjoy a luxurious vacation while the other guests worked on Somewhere Else with You. Before the episode ended, viewers were condemning Xie Ran online, and the criticism had reached the trending topics.

• Yu Man and Cao Paoli began watching Somewhere Else with You, and Yu Man was struck by how powerful Xie Ran seemed.
• Xie Ran barely interacted with Fang Huiwang, then agreed to split up with him during an argument about Fang Huiwang's stock-trading plan.
• While the other guests worked at a tourist attraction, Xie Ran ate breakfast, swam, relaxed by the beach, and visited an art museum.
• Yu Man and Cao Paoli were baffled by Xie Ran's leisurely scenes, which contrasted sharply with the other guests' hard work.
• Viewers reacted online to Xie Ran's behavior, and calls condemning him reached the trending topics before the episode ended.

Xie Ran’s unusually relaxed day on the show drew online criticism until the settlement revealed that he had earned more than all the other guests combined. His popularity surged, and viewers began questioning the Wangran CP narrative as a post about his conflict with Fang Huiwang surfaced.

• Viewers criticized Xie Ran for seeming to enjoy himself while his teammates worked, and Fang Huiwang’s fans used the backlash to praise Fang Huiwang.
• Snowball TV revealed that Xie Ran’s earnings exceeded those of every other guest combined, and he ended the episode ordering the hotel’s most expensive meal.
• The episode topped national ratings and sparked widespread discussion, while a Fang Huiwang fan who had vowed to livestream herself eating shit deleted her post after Xie Ran’s earnings were revealed.
• Xie Ran gained followers and attention after a clip showed him speaking fluent English and discussing finance with the hotel manager.
• Netizens questioned the Wangran CP narrative, and a hot post brought Xie Ran and Fang Huiwang’s conflict into the open.

A viral comparison post argued that Xie Ran had surpassed Fang Huiwang in achievements, and the second episode of Somewhere Else with You further boosted Xie Ran’s reputation. Ambition Studio finally responded by announcing Fang Huiwang as a Lansi brand ambassador and promoting Nangong Xu’s debut EP, which involved Quest Technology’s Heavenly Sound Idol Studio.

• A popular post compared Xie Ran and Fang Huiwang’s careers and concluded that Xie Ran had taken a decisive lead, prompting online debate about their relationship and the show.
• The post damaged Fang Huiwang’s public image, while Ambition Studio stayed silent as the second episode of Somewhere Else with You aired to record viewership.
• Xie Ran made another large profit from stocks in the episode, and the mystery of who photographed the New and Old Xi filming location was revealed, further increasing his momentum.
• Ambition Studio reposted Lansi’s announcement naming Fang Huiwang a brand ambassador, and Fang Huiwang shared the news on Weibo.
• Ambition Studio announced Nangong Xu’s first solo EP, jointly made with Black Star Studio and Quest Technology’s Heavenly Sound Idol Studio, surprising netizens amid rumors about Quest Technology and Meng Feixuan.

Fang Huiwang’s remade virtual idol Nangong Xu became a hit, boosting Ambition Studio and turning public opinion against Xie Ran and Meng Feixuan. After learning Heavenly Sound’s investment had stabilized the studio, Fang Huiwang asked about Meng Feixuan’s current situation.

• Nangong Xu’s upgraded MV featured a digitally recreated Tomorrow’s Star stage and a duet with Fang Huiwang, drawing widespread praise and comparisons to Meng Feixuan.
• Leaks about Fang Huiwang securing the Lansi partnership himself improved his reputation, while online commenters blamed Xie Ran and speculated that Quest Technology had abandoned Meng Feixuan.
• Kuang Youfang told Fang Huiwang that Heavenly Sound’s investment had eased Ambition Studio’s finances, doubled its valuation, and shifted public opinion against Xie Ran Studio.
• Fang Huiwang dismissed public sympathy as meaningless without strength, then asked Kuang Youfang about Meng Feixuan.

Fang Huiwang expected Xie Ran and Meng Feixuan to fall, but Xie Ran’s Stardust endorsement and Meng Feixuan’s claim to a tournament prize disrupted his plans. Meng Feixuan ended the chapter by challenging Nangong Xu to a showdown.

• Kuang Youfang told Fang Huiwang that Quest Technology had withdrawn from working with Xie Ran Studio and that Meng Feixuan’s valuation had fallen.
• Fang Huiwang celebrated Nangong Xu’s success and planned to use Wangran CP nostalgia to damage Xie Ran and Meng Feixuan.
• Kuang Youfang alerted Fang Huiwang that Xie Ran had landed an ambassador deal with luxury brand Stardust, prompting online comparisons with Fang Huiwang’s Lansi endorsement.
• Meng Feixuan posted that Quest Technology had refused to recognize his Fight the Landlord Championship win or pay him the 50,000-yuan prize.
• Meng Feixuan challenged Nangong Xu to a direct showdown.

Meng Feixuan challenged Nangong Xu online and drew attention to a livestream of the Mark Cup Fight the Landlord championship. Xie Ran and Meng Feixuan appeared together on camera, leaving viewers amazed by how natural Meng Feixuan seemed.

• Meng Feixuan posted that he had won the Fight the Landlord championship and wanted to compete against Nangong Xu, prompting netizens to doubt the post was really his.
• Kuang Youfang laughed at the apparent publicity stunt, but Fang Huiwang suspected Meng Feixuan might have posted it himself.
• Meng Feixuan announced a livestream of the Mark Cup Fight the Landlord championship, and netizens flooded into the room.
• Viewers saw Xie Ran sitting in the studio conference room and Meng Feixuan appearing as a flawless, handsome holographic idol.
• Xie Ran questioned the tournament’s name, and Meng Feixuan joked that he had avoided calling it the Feixuan-Ran Cup to seem low-key.
• Meng Feixuan greeted the livestream audience while Xie Ran turned toward the camera.

Xie Ran had Meng Feixuan demonstrate his extraordinary ability by competing in Quest Technology’s Fight the Landlord tournament on livestream. As Meng Feixuan rapidly defeated each viewer who joined, the audience began to realize that his intelligence and gameplay were not scripted.

• Xie Ran decided to hold a Fight the Landlord competition after Meng Feixuan won Quest Technology’s online tournament and was slighted by Ambition Studio’s publicity about Nangong Xu.
• Guan Shunan announced that viewers could enter the competition and receive one thousand yuan, while the comments joked that the game was rigged in advance.
• Xie Ran selected a viewer and opened a live game room with Meng Feixuan, beginning the Mark Cup Fight the Landlord Championship.
• Meng Feixuan and Xie Ran defeated the first viewer in under two minutes, and the livestream showed Meng Feixuan playing with superhuman speed and accuracy.
• More viewers entered and lost to Meng Feixuan, who imitated the game’s voice effects and teased the other players as he played.

Fang Huiwang erupted after a viewer insulted him while praising Meng Feixuan, prompting Kuang Youfang to suspect he was jealous of Meng Feixuan. Meanwhile, Meng Feixuan’s live response to a viewer’s gift convinced viewers that his real-time intelligence surpassed current virtual idols.

• Fang Huiwang slammed the table and shouted that Meng Feixuan could stay young because he was fake.
• Kuang Youfang wondered whether Fang Huiwang saw Meng Feixuan as a romantic rival and felt jealous of him.
• Kuang Youfang focused on the livestream, where Meng Feixuan’s thanks for a viewer’s rocket stirred up the audience.
• Viewers recognized that Meng Feixuan’s real-time interaction showed a level of intelligence beyond existing virtual idols.

Meng Feixuan’s Fight the Landlord livestream amazed viewers and attracted Quest CTO Lan Zhi, whose challenge helped demonstrate the idol’s advanced intelligence. After the livestream ended, Meng Feixuan taunted Nangong Xu, and recordings of his performance spread throughout the entertainment and technology industries.

• Kuang Youfang accused Xie Ran of arranging actors, but Meng Feixuan continued defeating contestants during the livestream.
• Lan Zhi joined the game, and Xie Ran asked him to return Meng Feixuan’s prize money if Meng Feixuan won; Lan Zhi agreed to pay the champion regardless.
• Meng Feixuan played more than twenty rounds against an algorithm system, and Lan Zhi invited him to play Go after noting the card game’s limitations.
• Meng Feixuan complained that losers had no right to call the game simple, and Guan Shunan announced the championship’s conclusion and ended the livestream.
• Before the screen went dark, Meng Feixuan taunted Nangong Xu, and recordings of the livestream spread widely as technology experts analyzed his abilities.