Chapter 245: The No-Name Star Beckons, the Benefactor Becomes a Simp 18

Chapter 245: A Has-Been Crook Crooks His Finger, and His Sugar Daddy Turns into a Lickspittle 18

Having learned his lesson from last time, Lin Huaiqing obediently swapped spots with Ji Jingzhao this time, sleeping on the side closest to the wall.

If he couldn't sleep at night, he could at least pick at the plaster on the wall to pass the time.

Anything was better than inexplicably waking up in Fei Xiu's arms.

Unexpectedly, the next morning, before the tasks began, the director gathered everyone in the courtyard and solemnly announced:

"Everyone, let's welcome our temporary guest, who will be joining the show and completing challenges with us from here on out!"

All five of them looked bewildered. The show was already nearly halfway through—how could someone just be thrown in out of nowhere?

Never mind them—even the bullet comments started flooding in:

"You've got to be kidding me—did the investors stuff another newbie in here? Isn't one Lin Huaiqing enough?"

"How deep are their connections? The show's been running this long and they're still forcing someone in?"

Honestly, whether someone was being added or not, Lin Huaiqing couldn't care less. But when he saw the man walking in through the door, his expression turned even more dramatic than the bullet comments.

The man was dressed in casual athletic wear, yet it couldn't hide the aristocratic air radiating off him.

Standing at nearly 1.9 meters, he strode toward them with legs longer than Lin Huaiqing's entire life, exuding a unique masculine magnetism with every step.

The moment the man entered, the somewhat weathered courtyard instantly rivaled a red-carpet event. Unconsciously, he drew everyone's gaze.

Even Fei Xiu couldn't help but cast an appraising look his way.

But the man seemed to have his heart set on someone, locking his gentle, warm gaze firmly onto a single person.

Lin Huaiqing felt his back crawl under that stare.

That look—he knew it all too well.

Damn gay!

It felt like being targeted by a starving wolf.

And the worst part? He actually knew this guy.

If he remembered correctly, they'd spent months together just a while back.

Was it really such a coincidence?

After a brief self-introduction, the camera gave Qin Song a close-up, and the bullet comments exploded instantly.

"Holy crap! I thought another capitalist was shoving their ugly son in here, but he's this hot? Forgive my ignorance—if I saw someone like this on the street, I'd call him 'hubby' on the spot."

"Capital's eating this well now? Is he even an entertainer? Why have I never seen him before?"

"I love this type! And has anyone noticed? He's even taller than Fei Xiu? Standing together they look like a disaster scene—makes Fei Xiu's proportions look so off..."

That last comment was quickly drowned out by Fei Xiu's fans.

After his introduction, Qin Song took his place directly beside Lin Huaiqing.

Whether it was for the camera or not, Qin Song was practically plastered against him.

During his time in the hospital, Lin Huaiqing had grown accustomed to close contact with Qin Song. But that didn't mean he could endlessly tolerate the looks Qin Song kept throwing his way.

While the others took on their challenges, Lin Huaiqing and Qin Song stood off to the side as background props.

Lin Huaiqing nudged Qin Song lightly with his shoulder and whispered:

"Hey! Why are you here? Don't tell me you're an entertainer too?"

"Can't a regular person join a variety show? How cold of you, big star Lin—forgetting my name so quickly."

"Of course I haven't forgotten. Aren't you a boss? Did your company go under, forcing you to peddle your talents in showbiz?"

"Next up: Qin Song!"

The two had barely gotten halfway through their conversation when the director called Qin Song over to complete his challenge.

The game rule was push-ups—whoever did the most in one minute got to pick their teammate for the day.

Earlier, Huo Dirui had managed only 40 in a minute, and Fei Xiu did slightly better, hitting 47 before exhausting himself.

After all, in such a short time, it was all about explosive power. Doing 40 was already a solid result.

Next up was Ji Jingzhao, who managed ten in front of the cameras before his arms were trembling uncontrollably.

Everyone else cheered him on, but the netizens' sharp tongues were relentless:

"Zhaobao, if you can't do it, just get up—don't fan yourself into a cold."

"Man, that's some butterfly wing flapping! Ji Jingzhao really needs to work out more—too weak."

In the end, through sheer willpower, Ji Jingzhao pushed out an eleventh rep before bowing out gloriously—undoubtedly in last place.

That left only Qin Song and Lin Huaiqing. Neither was particularly famous, so to save time, the director simply had them go at the same time.

And that was a mistake—because once they went head-to-head, the competitive fire between men ignited.

Before starting, Qin Song deliberately took off his jacket and set it aside. Beneath his thin shirt, the ridges of his muscles were faintly visible.

Lin Huaiqing cursed under his breath: "Show-off!"

"Ready... go!"

They both started moving almost simultaneously, but Qin Song's pace was clearly faster than Lin Huaiqing's. No matter how hard Lin Huaiqing pushed himself, he had no chance of catching up.

"Time's up!"

"Lin Huaiqing: 45. Qin Song: 67. The winner is Qin Song!"

"67? One per second?" Xu Shan exclaimed in disbelief.

She'd only managed a little over fifty squats and thought she had it in the bag—never expected to be outdone by someone doing push-ups.

The bullet comments were already flooded with people lining up to call him "hubby."

That night, the hashtag "Ordinary Guy Does 67 in One Minute" trended on the hot search.

Fans affectionately nicknamed Qin Song "Sixty-Seven Lang."

A video of push-ups so fast they left afterimages went viral across the internet, sparking a wave of physical challenge trends among male celebrities and influencers alike.

As the winning member, Qin Song undoubtedly earned first pick for today's teammate.

Based on yesterday's live stream traffic split, everyone assumed Qin Song would pick the most popular Fei Xiu.

After all, Fei Xiu's group would probably pull in the most live viewers—anyone looking to get famous would be smart to team up with him.

"I choose... Lin Huaiqing. Will you be my teammate today?" Qin Song extended his hand toward Lin Huaiqing, his tone firm and sincere.

The bullet comments were flooded with jokes: "You'd think this was a wedding."

"Turning picking a teammate into a marriage proposal—only he could pull that off."

"But am I the only one who thinks Qin Song and Lin Huaiqing already knew each other? They were whispering behind everyone's backs while doing push-ups."

"You're onto something! If they don't know each other, I'll eat my hat! Who'd pass up teaming with a movie star for a nobody?"

Lin Huaiqing, still spacing out, was caught off guard when his name was called and instinctively nodded.

"Alright! First team is Qin Song and Lin Huaiqing. Next up, Fei Xiu in second place, pick your teammate."

After all the teams were formed, the group was loaded onto a bus headed to town.

Lin Huaiqing chose a quiet corner, and Ji Jingzhao behind him was about to sidle up when Qin Song, out of nowhere, plopped down in the seat right next to Lin Huaiqing.

Being men, Ji Jingzhao could sense a subtle hostility from Qin Song.

Left with no choice, Ji Jingzhao settled into the seat in front of Lin Huaiqing.

"Brother Lin, Qin Song—do you two know each other?" Ji Jingzhao's question happened to be exactly what the audience was dying to know.

Qin Song: "We know each other."

Lin Huaiqing: "We don't."