Chapter Summaries

Fang Huiwang tried to rekindle old memories with Xie Ran, only to discover Xie Ran had fallen asleep, then worked hard selling souvenirs while Xie Ran traded stocks. The other guests reviewed their earnings without knowing how Xie Ran had done, until he arrived at the hotel looking composed.

• Fang Huiwang reminisced to Xie Ran late into the night, but Xie Ran fell asleep before responding.
• Fang Huiwang woke exhausted and chose souvenir sales, earning three hundred and twelve dollars by targeting Huaxia tourists.
• The guests compared their earnings: Zhu Chuanjia and Jiang Wei made four hundred dollars, the girl-group pair earned three hundred and eighty-seven, and Fang Huiwang earned three hundred and twelve.
• Fang Huiwang regretted that Xie Ran had not joined him, while the others assumed Xie Ran's stock trading would not earn much.
• Xie Ran arrived as the guests discussed his absence, looking composed despite their exhaustion.

Xie Ran revealed that he had earned 1,500 dollars trading stocks with leverage, dwarfing the other guests’ earnings and leaving Fang Huiwang embarrassed. The production team’s publicity staff then asked for behind-the-scenes photos, but Xie Ran’s filming director said there probably weren’t any suitable ones.

• Jiang Wei and Zhu Chuanjia criticized Xie Ran for trading stocks instead of helping Fang Huiwang earn money.
• Xie Ran said his stock had risen thirty percent and explained that he had used five-times leverage to make 1,500 dollars.
• Fang Huiwang called Xie Ran lucky, but Xie Ran insisted his profit came from data analysis rather than luck.
• The guests doubted Xie Ran’s explanation but held back their jealousy because his earnings surpassed theirs.
• A publicity staff member asked for photos and videos of Xie Ran, and his filming director said there probably were none suitable to post.

The guests watched footage of Xie Ran spending a leisurely day at the beach and an art museum, then struggled with the contrast between his expensive lifestyle and their own tight budgets. After dinner, they faced a new challenge: choosing rooms while planning around the costs and rewards of getting to the task location on time.

• The follow director showed the guests footage of Xie Ran swimming, sunbathing, eating at the hotel buffet, and visiting an art museum instead of checking his stocks.
• Jiang Wei, Zhu Chuanjia, Meng Xixi, and Chen Xiaoxuan felt crushed by the contrast between Xie Ran's relaxing day and their own earnings.
• Jiang Wei and Zhu Chuanjia ordered cheap set meals, while the girl group sisters ate instant noodles; Xie Ran ordered the hotel's most expensive meal.
• Meng Xixi pointed out that Fang Huiwang and Xie Ran's meals made them look unlike partners, leaving Fang Huiwang unable to complain.
• The guests began choosing rooms, which now affected their costs and their chances of earning cash for arriving early at the next task.

Xie Ran insisted on staying at the five-star hotel despite its cost, reducing his group’s financial advantage and reviving the other teams’ hopes. The next morning, Fang Huiwang prepared to leave early for the task, but Xie Ran went to swim instead.

• Xie Ran chose to keep staying at the five-star hotel and told Fang Huiwang he could choose a different place if he wanted.
• Fang Huiwang yielded and stayed with Xie Ran, while Jiang Wei and Zhu Chuanjia chose the guesthouse and calculated that their remaining funds would be close to Xie Ran and Fang Huiwang’s.
• Meng Feixuan commented on the other guests’ frugal calculations, and Xie Ran wondered whether their lively discussion was the atmosphere of everyday life.
• Fang Huiwang got up early the next morning, but found Xie Ran already awake and washing up.
• Xie Ran came out in swimwear under a bathrobe and told Fang Huiwang he was going swimming instead of hurrying to breakfast and the task.

Xie Ran and Fang Huiwang arrived last at the meeting point after Xie Ran chose to swim, eat breakfast, and take a taxi. For the photography mission, Xie Ran traveled to New West Building and took a carefully composed photo with Meng Feixuan’s precise guidance.

• Xie Ran went swimming and ate breakfast while Fang Huiwang worried that they would miss the mission deadline.
• Xie Ran called a taxi, and he and Fang Huiwang arrived last at the meeting point, where the production crew announced a city photography contest.
• Fang Huiwang asked Xie Ran where he wanted to take a photograph, and Xie Ran chose New West Building.
• Xie Ran and Fang Huiwang took another expensive taxi to New West Building, where Meng Feixuan guided Xie Ran’s camera positioning through an earpiece.
• Xie Ran took the photograph and declined Meng Feixuan’s offer to edit its lighting.

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.