Lu Bairan Joins a Variety Show

Before crossing over, Nan Pei had never been in a relationship, and his current persona was also single since birth. The system knew this and almost blurted it out in front of Huo Yao, making Nan Pei feel a bit awkward.

He looked at Huo Yao, feigning calmness, and said, “Ahem, my cousin, he’s just… immature.”

Huo Yao masked his emotions and replied calmly, “It’s fine.”

Seeing that Huo Yao didn’t seem to overthink it, Nan Pei relaxed. However, he also started wondering if Huo Yao was like him.

The thought startled Nan Pei—why did he care about Huo Yao’s status?

He glanced at Huo Yao, and their eyes met, prompting him to quickly look away.

The atmosphere was slightly awkward.

Huo Yao broke the silence, looking at the two of them, and asked, “Are you taking your cousin home now?”

Nan Pei paused, then began to think.

Since Huo Yao knew about the system, there was no need to book a hotel room. It might be better to let the system stay at Huo’s villa overnight.

After all, by morning, it should revert back.

So, Nan Pei thought for a moment and said to Huo Yao, “President Huo, would you mind… letting my cousin stay here for the night? Will it disturb you?”

Huo Yao looked at them, pursed his lips, and slowly said, “It’s no bother, let him stay.”

Nan Pei smiled, “You’re so kind, President Huo.”

The system also smiled, “Uncle Huo is so nice.”

Huo Yao: “…”

Couldn’t escape being called uncle.

Nan Pei watched as a crack appeared in Huo Yao’s calm expression, trying hard not to laugh.

Then the system suddenly said to Nan Pei, “I’m hungry.”

Nan Pei glared at the system, communicating telepathically, “Don’t even think about making me cook for you.”

He didn’t want to serve the system!

The system looked pitiful, responding telepathically, “I rarely get to be human; let me try human food. Besides… I’m really hungry.”

The child clutched his stomach, making a “gurgle” sound.

Although Nan Pei resented the system, it now had the appearance of a human child and looked so pitiful. More importantly, it had a face similar to his…

It felt like seeing his younger self hungry.

Huo Yao spoke up, “I’ll have the housekeeper make him something.”

Nan Pei paused, then said, “Maybe I should cook myself.”

Huo Yao looked at Nan Pei and said, “You seem a bit tired; go upstairs and rest. I’ll take care of the child, and the housekeeper will handle the food.”

Nan Pei was indeed exhausted from running around for tasks, moving the bike, and dealing with the chaotic scene. He was physically and mentally drained.

Huo Yao’s considerate words touched him.

Then, Huo Yao casually picked up the “cousin” and walked inside with long strides.

Nan Pei followed, and as they entered, they saw the butler.

Despite the butler’s good manners, he showed a surprised expression, his gaze falling on Huo Yao holding a child who looked remarkably like Nan Pei, leaving him speechless.

The scene seemed strange yet harmonious—

The child couldn’t possibly be Huo Yao and Nan Pei’s, but the three of them looked like…

The butler was startled by the words “family of three” that popped into his mind and quickly looked away.

Huo Yao instructed the housekeeper to prepare some children’s meals for the “cousin,” then took him to the study, letting him sit on a chair, and turned to Nan Pei at the door, saying:

“Go take a shower; I’ll stay with him.”

Nan Pei smirked, looking at the system, and said, “Cousin, you’d better sit still.” His tone carried a hint of threat.

The system dared not speak.

Nan Pei then looked at Huo Yao and said, “This kid isn’t good at math; give him a math book to study.”

He still remembered the system’s math blunder that turned an eighty-year-old into a five-year-old.

Huo Yao was puzzled for a moment, but Nan Pei had already left.

When Nan Pei returned from his shower, Huo Yao was at the desk working on his laptop, while a child sat on the carpet reading a book.

Nan Pei suddenly found the scene quite heartwarming.

Out of curiosity, Nan Pei peeked at the book the system was reading and was stunned.

The book in the system’s hands was—”Thomas’ Calculus.”

Nan Pei felt like he was going to crack, staring at the kid burying his face in the book, he asked:

“Calculus… can you understand it?!”

The kid nodded seriously, “I understand.”

Huo Yao suddenly spoke, “Your cousin is quite interesting. Twenty minutes ago, I gave him a basic math book, and shortly after, he said he finished it. Ten minutes later, he was reading a college calculus textbook.”

Huo Yao looked at Nan Pei, “And he seems quite serious.”

The system explained telepathically to Nan Pei, “I have strong self-learning abilities and can scan to directly acquire information.”

“Ha, haha…” Nan Pei awkwardly glanced at Huo Yao, “He, he probably doesn’t understand it; he’s just a bit precocious…”

A bit too precocious.

Huo Yao didn’t say much, casually remarking, “It’s not bad for him to be exposed to calculus at his age,” and didn’t continue.

Nan Pei was full of questions—

Was Huo Yao serious? Is it okay for a five-year-old to learn calculus?

Do kindergartens teach calculus now??

Or… was Huo Yao a prodigy himself?!

Seeing Huo Yao’s calm expression, Nan Pei felt like he was going to crack.

Fortunately, the housekeeper’s arrival interrupted this shocking scene.

She prepared many delicious and easy-to-digest foods for Nan Pei’s “cousin,” and the butler followed, bringing a small table.

The system didn’t hold back, devouring the food, eating as much as several adults.

Huo Yao remained expressionless, turning to Nan Pei, “What’s your cousin’s name?”

“Rice Bucket,” Nan Pei blurted out.

Huo Yao: “?”

“Fan Tong,” Nan Pei smiled stiffly, explaining, “Surname Fan, given name Tong. You can call him Xiao Tong.”

Huo Yao: “…”

The system didn’t protest the name, continuing to eat at the small table.

While Fan Tong ate, Huo Yao said to Nan Pei, “I have to go on a business trip for a few days.”

Nan Pei paused, about to say, “Then go ahead,” when he noticed Huo Yao looking at him, his eyes carrying a different emotion.

“…Ah,” Nan Pei thought for a moment. Since he and Huo Yao were friends now, he should show some reluctance, “That’s a shame, I won’t see you for several days.”

Though his tone didn’t sound very reluctant, Huo Yao still appreciated it.

He suppressed a smile, deliberately keeping a straight face, and asked, “So?”

Nan Pei asked, confused, “So what?”

Huo Yao looked at Nan Pei without speaking.

The room was filled only with the sound of Fan Tong eating.

“Didn’t you forget what we talked about last time?” Huo Yao’s voice was calm but deeper than before.

Huo Yao’s long eyes watched Nan Pei, carrying not only inquiry but also a barely visible expectation.

Nan Pei looked into his eyes, momentarily lost.

Huo Yao patiently waited for his answer.

The system reminded Nan Pei telepathically, “Host, President Huo is asking you something.”

Nan Pei snapped back, swallowed, and cautiously answered, “Are you talking about the drawing?”

It had been days since Nan Pei promised to sketch Huo Yao, but he hadn’t had time to fulfill it.

Huo Yao nodded subtly, raising an eyebrow, “A certain philanthropist does charity every day; surely he wouldn’t deceive me?”

“I won’t forget!” Nan Pei nodded vigorously, “I’ll definitely draw you when you return from your trip!”

Nan Pei felt guilty, like someone who always says, “Next time, for sure.”

Huo Yao finally smiled, saying slowly, “Then you’d better prepare well, hone your skills, and don’t disappoint me.”

Nan Pei replied, “I’ll do my best.”

Huo Yao’s eyes showed satisfaction.

A moment later, Nan Pei picked up the water the housekeeper had prepared for them and took a sip.

Then, Huo Yao looked at Nan Pei and suddenly asked:

“For your sketch, do I need to take off my clothes?”

“Poof—”

Nan Pei spat out the water, spraying it all over the little gluttonous kid’s head.

Fan Tong: “…”

Nan Pei choked, coughed a few times, and looked up to see Huo Yao handing him a tissue.

He took it, wiped his mouth, and feigned calmness, saying:

“President Huo, you want a nude sketch?”

Huo Yao leisurely watched Nan Pei, his tone teasing, “I didn’t say that. Why are you so scared?”

“I…” Nan Pei pursed his lips, slowly saying, “I just think that’s not appropriate.”

Imagining Huo Yao standing like a sketch model, wearing nothing in front of him…

Nan Pei felt like his head was going to explode.

Huo Yao’s lips curled, calmly saying, “I was just asking.”

Nan Pei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“But you are indeed a pure… ahem,” Huo Yao deliberately paused before continuing, “just like your cousin said.”

It took Nan Pei a few seconds to realize what Huo Yao meant.

He thought Huo Yao hadn’t understood the system’s words, but he remembered.

He glared at Huo Yao, embarrassed and angry, asking:

“I am, so what, aren’t you?”

Huo Yao was taken aback by the question.

After a moment, he looked away, lightly coughing to cover his discomfort.

Seeing Huo Yao’s reaction, Nan Pei found it unbelievable—

A successful CEO, surrounded by people, could he really be like him?

His curiosity was piqued, and he asked, “Are you… or not?”

“Are you very interested?” Huo Yao composed himself, raising an eyebrow, countering.

Nan Pei answered without thinking, “Of course, and you know my privacy, so it’s fair for me to ask, right?”

“Not telling you.” Huo Yao replied calmly.

Nan Pei pouted, “It’s not a big deal, and you won’t say…”

A certain wet-haired child suddenly spoke up, “Isn’t it inappropriate to discuss this in front of me?”

Both turned to him, saying in unison:

“It’s fine, you’re precocious.”

System: “…”

After eating, the system slept in Nan Pei’s room for the night.

The next morning, Nan Pei found an excuse to take the system out, heading to a secluded spot.

It transformed back into data flow in the car, returning to Nan Pei’s mind, ending the farce.

In the following days, Huo Yao went on his business trip, and Nan Pei’s tasks continued in full swing.

Lu Bairan’s idol drama gained further popularity online.

“Love Meteor Shower” became a phenomenally popular idol drama, not only for its melodramatic plot and the high attractiveness of the leads but also because Lu Bairan’s acting skills were finally recognized.

A video of Lu Bairan jumping into the water to find a necklace was clipped and posted on Weibo, quickly trending with the topic #DoIdolDramaActorsReallyHaveActingSkills#.

The topic sparked widespread discussion.

Many believed idol drama actors generally lacked acting skills, catering to young audiences with looks and plot for popularity.

But in Lu Bairan’s video, people were pleasantly surprised to find that idol drama actors could express emotions progressively, with every detail just right, conveying emotion without being exaggerated.

So, while denying idol drama actors’ skills, they had to admit Lu Bairan was an exception.

Those who previously doubted Lu Bairan, thinking he was expressionless, were proven wrong.

After this episode aired, Lu Bairan participated in an entertainment program interview.

During the recording, when asked how he performed the scene so well, he answered, “Regarding this scene… I’m very grateful to my boss, Nan Pei.”

His tone was very sincere.

He shared a simple story about Nan Pei throwing the necklace into the river, providing a highlight for the interview.

Nan Pei sat backstage at the recording site, messaging Song Jingchen to congratulate him on the success of his variety show project and the new film production company’s bright future, while also urging Duan Heng’s training.

After Lu Bairan finished recording and returned backstage, Nan Pei quickly put away his phone.

Agent Chen Zixiao said to Nan Pei, “Nan Ge, Xiao Ran is really popular now. So many endorsements and shows are coming to us. Thanks to your good eye for giving him this role…”

“It’s Xiao Ran’s acting that’s good,” Nan Pei said seriously.

Lu Bairan looked at Nan Pei, pursed his lips, not speaking, but seemed in a good mood.

“By the way, several variety shows have approached us,” Chen Zixiao continued, “These shows have good setups, and the film crew is about to wrap up. Nan Ge, do you think we should let Xiao Ran take the variety show gigs?”

Nan Pei looked at Lu Bairan, recalling the original plot where after Lu Bairan’s idol drama success, Nan Pei indeed let him join many variety shows for popularity, which Lu Bairan disliked.

So, without hesitation, he said, “Take them, of course.”

Nan Pei expected Lu Bairan to be very resistant to recording variety shows, but to his surprise, he said, “Which ones?”

Nan Pei paused, looking at Lu Bairan, thinking for a moment before saying, “Take whatever show seems interesting; that way, you can boost your popularity.”

Sometimes, a variety show might have a few particularly interesting segments that help artists quickly gain attention.

Lu Bairan didn’t refuse, nodding slowly, then looked at Chen Zixiao, saying, “Choose according to the boss’s suggestion.”

Chen Zixiao was also surprised—Lu Bairan didn’t oppose Nan Pei’s decision at all?

Did he open up after one successful drama?

“But I have one condition,” Lu Bairan suddenly said, looking at Nan Pei.

Nan Pei quickly asked, “What condition? Just say it.”

Lu Bairan replied, “Can you accompany me during the recording?”

“Ah, I’ll definitely be there,” Nan Pei said decisively.

After all, without the protagonist’s luck, if Nan Pei didn’t watch over the recording, something might go wrong.

Lu Bairan’s lips curled, his mood improving.

Meanwhile.

In the Song Group President’s office.

Song Jingchen looked at the message on his phone—

[Jingchen Gege, your show will definitely be a hit, and the new company will surely succeed. No matter what happens, I’ll always support you.]

Though as usual, it was lacking substance, reading it put him in a good mood.

Song Jingchen’s new company’s variety show project had officially begun preparations, expected to start recording soon, with Song Jingchen personally producing and guiding on-site.

Currently, they were negotiating artist collaborations.

Without Nan Pei’s strong support back then, this project might have been vetoed by other Song Group shareholders.

Song Jingchen looked at the invitation list and suddenly remembered the artist from Nan Pei’s company he met at the charity gala entrance.

“Candy, add this name,” Song Jingchen suddenly said to his secretary.

Candy paused, confused, “Lu Bairan? The recently popular idol drama actor? Is he suitable for this show?”

“Whether he’s suitable or not,” Song Jingchen said calmly, “talk to his agent, try to get him.”

Candy didn’t dare ask more and went to do as told.

Song Jingchen thought this was his way of repaying Nan Pei, returning the favor for his unconditional support at the shareholders’ meeting.

After all, if Lu Bairan could gain popularity through the variety show, it would be what Nan Pei hoped for.

By then, Nan Pei would surely thank him.

Author’s Note:

A storm is brewing in the love triangle…