If Su Ge was the big favorite to win this year, then Xi Nian was the absolute dark horse. Netizens might have bet on the second-place Yu Fan, or the third-place Meng Qianlin, or even the fourth or fifth place, but Xi Nian was definitely not among them.

Su Ge's fans had already fantasized about their idol dominating the competition, but unexpectedly, a dark horse emerged and caught them off guard. Although there were still three rounds of competition left, and it wasn't impossible to turn the tables, it seemed a bit... iffy?

Ever since the Star Games began, there had never been an instance of the first-place contestant being defeated by the last-place one. If word of this got out, it would absolutely become a huge joke.

Some audience members had already started whispering and asking about Xi Nian: "Why haven't I seen him before? Is he a newly debuted rookie?"

"He's so handsome, sniff sniff!! That waist, those legs, I'm dead!! Sisters, are you fans of Xi Nian? Is there a group? Add me!!!"

Perhaps sensing that this competition would generate a lot of buzz, even the camera turned to give Xi Nian's fans a shot.

The few paid posters Sun Ming had hired for two hundred yuan to act as fake fans: "..."

Damn it, they were just here to slack off and fill the seats. Was this part of the job too??!

What was this sudden feeling of being overwhelmingly flattered...

Under the surrounding fervent gazes, the few paid posters braced themselves and raised their light-up support signs, feeling like they were facing the biggest challenge of their professional careers. As for those who wanted to join a fan group or asked for the group number, they could only look around and pretend not to hear.

To hell with it, how would they know what Xi Nian's fan group was!!

Su Ge's fans kept repeating the word 'calm' in their hearts. The competition wasn't over yet, so it was too early to say anything. Maybe this Xi Nian fellow just had a stroke of shit luck. They'd see what happened in the second half.

Strictly speaking, Su Ge's score wasn't bad. He had also hit a ten in the end. It wouldn't be hard to catch up. The decisive point still lay in the next three rounds.

Xi Nian's right hand had been injured a few days ago, and a dull ache was now faintly radiating from it. During the few seconds of rest, his gaze inadvertently swept across the audience. When he caught sight of a young man in a hoodie sitting in the corner, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes—

Lu Xingzhe...

Right, how could he be absent from an occasion where so many stars were gathered.

The other person was wearing a black baseball cap, the upper half of his face hidden in the shadow of the brim, making his expression unreadable. Only his high-bridged nose and well-defined lips were visible. He sat in his seat, fiddling with his camera. He probably didn't find any shot he wanted, so he finally crossed his arms and casually cast his gaze towards the center of the arena—

The second round of competition had already begun in the archery area.

The hot topics of this season's Star Games were none other than Shen Xilin and Su Ge. If one were looking for a bombshell, it would naturally have to be found with them. Unfortunately, the protective measures of Shen Xilin's management team were too tight, making it basically impossible to find any fault. Therefore, the paparazzi and media were more willing to target the latter.

'Lu Xingzhe really lived up to his identity as a paparazzi. He still liked to stay in unnoticed corners, just like in his previous life, never letting the camera leave his hands. Whichever star was targeted by his lens was ninety-nine percent certain to face a great disaster.'

Su Ge was actually already a little uneasy, feeling that something was vaguely slipping out of his control. But at the referee's signal, he could only continue to compete against Xi Nian in the second round.

There wasn't much rest time between rounds. As the matches progressed, his arm muscles grew sore and numb, his strength gradually faded, and his accuracy would also decline. Su Ge's results in the second round were clearly not as ideal as the first, hitting an eight, a nine, and an eight respectively.

As for Xi Nian, his aim seemed to always be focused on the same spot.

Ten points,

Ten points,

Still ten points.

Those hands were unbelievably steady. Even the referee glanced over several times. The sounds of gasps or sighs from the audience didn't seem to affect Xi Nian at all. He was clearly in his twenties, a prime age, yet he possessed the composure and restraint of a thirty-year-old. There wasn't a hint of the rashness or recklessness of adolescence on him. It was utterly contradictory, yet it held a fatal attraction.

This man is kind of interesting.

Lu Xingzhe looked at the obscure little star next to Su Ge and curled his lips. This slightly playful thought unconsciously popped into his mind, but it dissipated in an instant.

No matter how vibrant and bright a person was, once they entered the great dyeing vat of the entertainment circle, they would invariably become mediocre and vulgar in the end. No one was an exception.

The gap between Su Ge and Xi Nian's scores had gradually widened. Anyone with eyes could see that if things continued this way, he was bound to lose. Su Ge's agent paced back and forth anxiously off-stage, clearly also caught off guard. He already couldn't imagine what kind of storm would be stirred up after the show aired.

Su Ge was young, after all. Under such high pressure, his back was already drenched in sweat. He avoided the camera and discreetly gave Xi Nian a slightly dark, warning look, moving his lips silently: "You'd better not show off in front of me. Consider the consequences..."

So what if Xi Nian won this competition? Su Ge was someone the company had spent a great deal of resources and energy to promote. His popularity and seniority were there for all to see. They would never take the risk of promoting Xi Nian just because his momentum had slightly improved.

Cultivating a newcomer not only involved taking certain risks, but it was also too time-consuming.

It was unclear if Sun Ming had received a call from the higher-ups, but his originally cheerful expression instantly turned vexed and annoyed. He stood in the shadows and made a gesture at Xi Nian, first making a ten, then frowning and shaking his head. The meaning was clear.

Don't shoot any more tens.

The company's upper management didn't want him to overshadow Su Ge, or at least not overshadow him too much.

Xi Nian looked at Sun Ming, his gaze momentarily scornful. The latter, perhaps sensing his mood, repeated the gesture with a warning in his eyes. This time, his frown was deeper, leaving no room for refusal.

Lu Xingzhe had sharp eyes. He inadvertently noticed this scene and thoughtfully raised his camera, pressing the shutter.

Meanwhile, the cheers on the field grew louder and more enthusiastic.

"Xi Nian! Go! Xi Nian! Go!"

"Ten points, ten points!"

"Hit another ten! A perfect score!"

Su Ge felt disdain upon hearing this but didn't let it show. The third round had already begun. He forced himself to calm down, his eyes fixed on the inner circle of the ten-point ring ahead. Then he drew his bow and aimed. The desire to surpass Xi Nian grew stronger in his heart, but unfortunately, he still only hit an eight.

There were some boos from the audience, but not many. His fans were still cheering for him, a testament to his popularity.

When it was Xi Nian's turn to draw his bow, everyone's eyes were on him. But for some reason, he didn't shoot his arrow as swiftly and decisively as before. Instead, he aimed at the target for a few seconds, then slowly lowered his bow.

It wasn't just because of Sun Ming frantically gesturing at him from off-stage, but also because of the faint tearing pain coming from the ligaments in his wrist.

It wasn't impossible to hit another ten, but Xi Nian's contract with the management company hadn't expired yet. If he went against their wishes this time, he would likely be shelved later on. This was undoubtedly a fatal blow for an artist on the rise.

In that brief moment, Xi Nian seemed to have weighed the pros and cons. He glanced at Sun Ming expressionlessly, then drew his bow again. The muscles in his arm tensed once more, his aim subtly shifting between the ten and nine-point rings.

Perhaps his pause for a few seconds had given something away, or perhaps his motion of drawing the bow this time wasn't as powerful as before, but Su Ge's fans began to whisper among themselves.

"Why isn't he shooting?"

"He's probably running out of strength. I saw his hand tremble on the big screen just now. What's the use of showing off earlier? He's not as steady as Su Ge."

"Does he really think he can hit a ten every time? What a daydream."

The distant and nearby murmurs drifted over, the words somewhat blurred and indistinct. Xi Nian's fingertips twitched slightly, and he finally released the bowstring. With a muffled 'whoosh', another arrow appeared in the yellow ring area of the target—

But it wasn't a ten, it was a nine.

The announcer's voice clearly reached everyone's ears: "Number nine, Xi Nian, first arrow of the third round, nine points."

Before the voice had faded, those who had been hoping for him to hit a ten looked at each other, unable to hide their disappointment. In contrast, Su Ge's fans let out a sigh of relief as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

"I told you, Xi Nian must have just been lucky. How could he hit a ten every time."

"I have to laugh. Is nine points that bad? It seems Su Ge only hit an eight, right? Xi Nian isn't a professional archer; this result is already very good."

"Xi Nian got nine points this time, maybe next time it'll be seven. Although Su Ge's scores aren't that high, his performance has been very stable. There's still hope for him to win the championship."

Xi Nian's paid fake fans: "..."

Damn it, I'll just sit here and watch you spout your serious-sounding nonsense!

The fans of both sides were at daggers drawn, and the smell of gunpowder began to spread silently, even affecting the atmosphere between the idols themselves. After Xi Nian hit a nine, Su Ge visibly relaxed. His next shot was consequently less tense, but the continuous drain on his stamina made it difficult for him to even maintain his previous scores.

"Whoosh!"

The announcer automatically reported the score: "Number one, Su Ge, second arrow of the third round, seven points."

Xi Nian glanced at him, then looked away and drew his bowstring. This time, he only took five seconds from aiming to shooting. After the muffled sound, the arrow landed squarely on the eight-point ring. For some reason, his attitude gave Su Ge a feeling of perfunctoriness.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one with this misconception. In the following few rounds, the scores of the two were truly subtle. At first, Su Ge's fans were happy about Xi Nian's decline, but as they watched, they suddenly fell silent.

If Su Ge hit a seven, Xi Nian would hit an eight.

If Su Ge hit an eight, Xi Nian would hit a nine.

Even on the final arrow, when Su Ge rarely performed above his level and hit a nine, Xi Nian immediately followed with a ten. Once or twice could be called a coincidence, but it couldn't be so coincidental every single time, always beating Su Ge by exactly one point, could it??

Xi Nian was controlling his score...

Everyone looked at the grim-faced man in the arena, and this absurd thought suddenly popped into their minds.

The competition ended in such a thrilling yet suspense-free manner. Xi Nian, who had been last in the ranking match, had completely defeated Su Ge with an absolute, overwhelming advantage. This was an event that had never happened since the show began.

When the referee announced the results, the media all turned their cameras over. The dense flashes of light were so blinding one couldn't open their eyes. Su Ge's face turned a little pale, and he could no longer maintain his composure.

No matter how foolish Xi Nian was, he wouldn't show any smugness at a time like this. He simply put down the heavy recurve bow, took off the protective gear from his hand, and his gaze swept over the packed audience, just in time to catch a glimpse of Lu Xingzhe's departing back—

The other person's steps were light as he turned sideways to avoid the crowd, quickly disappearing from sight.

Xi Nian raised an eyebrow slightly, belatedly recalling that Lu Xingzhe's leg wasn't lame from birth. He had been injured when staking out a famous male star having a tryst with his mistress in a car, and the other party, out of shame and anger, had hit him with his car.

He vaguely remembered that in his past life, the other man had also once leaned lazily against a table, smoking. Amidst the curling smoke, he had casually joked about his own crippled leg: "I sold the photos for one hundred and fifty thousand. Tsk, if I'd known I was going to lose a leg over it, I should've quoted a higher price."

A foul paparazzi, with not a shred of warmth in his eyes, only cold, hard profit.

In a way, he and Xi Nian were the same kind of person.

And those of the same kind should stick together, helping each other out. Lu Xingzhe was a double-edged sword for Xi Nian. Used well, he could clear all obstacles; used poorly, he would hurt others and himself, just like in the last life.

'Then what about this life?' Xi Nian thought to himself.

Although that stinking paparazzi Lu Xingzhe was as hard to get rid of as a persistent ulcer, it had to be said that he also brought a lot of convenience. After all, not everyone knew all the dirt on every star in the entertainment circle in such detail. And at this moment, Xi Nian was still tempted by this double-edged sword.

It was unclear if it had detected his thoughts, but a blue ball of light suddenly floated up.

[Ding! Dangerous thoughts have been detected in the host. Please dispel them immediately. If the regulations of the Interstellar Reformation Manual are violated, an electric shock punishment will be administered. Life is precious, please cherish it. We must turn over a new leaf and become a new person!]