CHAPTER 185: 085 YOUTH IDOL (FIRST UPDATE)

In the cargo bed of the tricycle heading back, Zhang Xiaoyu hugged a giant stuffed bear larger than herself, grinning ear to ear as the breeze filled her mouth.

Zhang Feifei gazed at Shen You’an with an expression full of admiration: "Sister An’an, you’re really incredible, you know everything."

Zhang Xiaoyu practically wagged her tail in pride, "Of course, just look at which family she’s from!"

Then she leaned in close to Shen You’an, speaking muddled words as the wind filled her mouth, "An’an, dear An’an, I haven’t sent little hearts to my idol today. Can I borrow your phone for just a bit?"

Shen You’an swept her a glance, her expression indifferent.

Zhang Xiaoyu quickly raised one hand in surrender: "I’ll do my homework as soon as I get home, I promise I’ll catch up on everything I missed. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it, please, please."

Zhang Xiaoyu had this ability—her sweet talk was utterly irresistible.

Shen You’an shook her head helplessly and handed her the phone.

Zhang Xiaoyu grabbed the phone, logged into Weibo, first sent little hearts to her idol, and was relieved to see him comfortably ranked at the top.

Then she searched for clips of her idol singing and huddled with Zhang Feifei to watch. Though Zhang Feifei was usually shy and reserved, she was equally bold and enthusiastic when it came to fangirling.

The tender and handsome idol sang right into their hearts, and the delight in Zhang Feifei’s wide eyes couldn’t be more obvious.

Seeing her success, Zhang Xiaoyu gloated, "See, I told you investing in this idol would never be a loss. Even his name, Rong Xianning, suits his vibe perfectly!"

Zhang Feifei’s eyes sparkled: "When I get home, I’ll also give him little hearts."

With that, she held the phone and watched the video again.

It was extraordinary—this young man seemed destined for the stage. Every move, every smile was irresistibly captivating, as if surrendering to him was only natural.

Truly, he was born to be a superstar.

Once they reached the village, Shen You’an took the phone back, ignoring Zhang Xiaoyu’s wistful glances.

Zhang Xiaoyu kept her word and obediently went to study.

Not long after, Zhang Feifei came over with textbooks in hand, carrying a bag that she handed to Shen You’an.

"Sister An’an, this is dried beef jerky my mom made; it’s really tasty. She asked me to bring some for you."

Shen You’an took it and raised an eyebrow, "Your mom is too kind."

This thing weighed several kilograms at least.

Blushing, Zhang Feifei pursed her lips, "My mom said you finally got a holiday but still took the time to tutor me. It must be tiring. She made this jerky herself—it’s clean and has no additives. You can eat it without worry."

"Got it, I’ll definitely try. Let’s go study now."

Zhang Xiaoyu worked on a sheet for a while, then lazily yawned. Quietly, she snuck away when Shen You’an wasn’t paying attention.

In the kitchen, she grabbed an apple, rubbed it on her clothes, and stuffed it directly into her mouth.

"Crunch." One bite—sweet and crisp.

Luo Wan’s family was in nearby Luo Village, and she had gone there early in the morning with Luo Qian. She agreed with Zhang Jian to return to Qingzhou in three days.

Aunt Guihua took Zhang Jian to the neighboring village to visit relatives—elderly family members—and before leaving, had prepared food and left it steaming in the pot; they could eat whenever hungry.

Zhang Xiaoyu wandered out of the front gate, where two grandmas in their eighties squatted at the intersection gossiping about their neighbors, flanked by two toddlers playing with squirt guns and two little yellow dogs circling the group occasionally.

Seeing the two old women made Zhang Xiaoyu’s head ache, and just as she was about to turn back, they spotted her.

"Xiao Yu, come here," one of the grannies gestured to her.

Zhang Xiaoyu reluctantly approached, "Granny Hua, it’s already noon, why haven’t you gone home to cook yet?"

The old granny chuckled, squinting at her, "Xiao Yu, has Xiao Yun’s daughter come back to visit? The village is abuzz about it; why hasn’t she come out yet?"

Village gossip sure traveled fast. Zhang Xiaoyu rolled her eyes secretly but plastered on a smile, "Granny Hua, about An’an..."

Just then, a thundering roar that sounded like rolling thunder echoed from ahead.

Zhang Xiaoyu and the two grandmas instinctively looked up.

The next second, Zhang Xiaoyu’s eyes nearly popped out.

A sleek blue motorcycle zoomed into view, impossibly cool.

Executing a perfect drift, the motorcycle stopped right in front of Zhang Xiaoyu, a long leg extended to support the vehicle as the rider casually removed his helmet.

Throughout the process, Zhang Xiaoyu covered her mouth, eyes sparkling with stars.

It was like a scene straight out of an idol drama.

This was too cool.

When the boy removed his helmet, his face was nothing short of stunning—the kind of perfection that could silence all criticism.

"So handsome, so handsome... uh..."

Zhang Xiaoyu’s face suddenly fell, her tone full of annoyance as she glared at him: "Why is it you?"

Jiang Cheng hopped off the back seat with a smile, "Hey, little sister, we meet again."

Zhang Xiaoyu glared at them warily: "What’s your deal? You followed me all the way home? Is this a revenge thing because I beat you? Fine, I already knew you were bad news! I’m calling the police and having you arrested."

Jiang Cheng froze, "Little sister, we’re not bad guys, we’re just..."

Zhang Xiaoyu grabbed a squirt gun from one of the toddlers nearby and sprayed them thoroughly before tossing it back to the child, then ran off home and locked the gate.

The soaked Jiang Cheng: ...

Jiang Shengyao shook the water from his hair, a faint smile curving his lips as he gazed at the two-story house before him.

"Young Master, you can still laugh at this?" Jiang Cheng shot him a look.

Jiang Shengyao stretched his long legs, climbed off the bike, crouched down, and addressed the two elderly women politely: "Excuse me, do you know Shen You’an?"

The two grannies blinked at him with cloudy eyes, "Shen who?"

Jiang Shengyao maintained his polite smile, "Shen You’an."

"Shen what?"

Jiang Shengyao struggled to keep smiling, "Shen You’an."

The two grannies shook their heads in unison: "No idea. Everyone in the village is surnamed Zhang, not Shen. You must’ve gotten the wrong place."

Granny Hua pointed to a westward road: "Just follow that path, go south, and then west, and you’ll find Shenjiazhuang. That village has a lot of Shens—maybe your person’s there."

Jiang Shengyao’s brows furrowed slightly and instinctively glanced at the two-story house ahead.

Could it really be that Shen You’an wasn’t here?

In truth, he wasn’t entirely sure if the person was Shen You’an.

Even if he did meet her, and confirmed it, or even if it wasn’t her—what then?

Jiang Shengyao himself didn’t know why he was doing this, visiting someone’s home like this—a step he would never have taken before.

Intense ringing suddenly interrupted him.

Jiang Shengyao glanced down at his phone and instinctively wanted to hang up but decided otherwise and answered.

"Your family elders want to meet you. Come back right now."

A stern woman’s voice came through the phone.

Jiang Shengyao pressed his thin lips together and hung up.

He stood, donned his helmet, and mounted the bike again.

Jiang Cheng asked suspiciously, "Are we heading to Shenjiazhuang or...?"

"Head back."

The motorcycle roared to life and sped away, leaving behind clouds of smoke.

"Is Xiao Yun’s daughter surnamed Shen? That guy must’ve been looking for her."

"That’s right. Xiao Yun’s husband had the surname Shen. I remember him accompanying her back once—he was so handsome, there wasn’t anyone like him within ten villages."

"Do you think Xiao Yun’s daughter got into trouble out there? People actually tracked her down at home."

"Who knows. Poor girl lost her parents so young..."

"An’an, An’an!" Zhang Xiaoyu burst in energetically.

Shen You’an looked up calmly, "What’s wrong?"

"Let me tell you, that guy from the fair who lost to you showed up here, right at our door! I didn’t expect him to be this sore loser—daring to come all the way here. No way, I have to make sure he learns his lesson!"

With that, she grabbed a stick from the corner and prepared to storm outside.

Shen You’an sighed helplessly and returned to her book.

Soon after, Zhang Xiaoyu stormed back inside, fuming, and tossed the stick aside.

"Lucky for him, he ran fast or I’d have smacked him black and blue."

Shen You’an lowered her gaze.

She hadn’t expected to encounter Jiang Shengyao here.

Shen You’an pondered, recalling a story she’d read about Miss Lanya.

The founder of the Lanya Group, Jiang Shengyao’s grandmother, Miss Lanya, had risen from humble beginnings in Qingsong Town to build her empire—a narrative both inspiring and legendary.

The articles didn’t specify which town Miss Lanya was originally from. Could it be Qingsong Town?

Considering today’s events, Qingsong Town was larger and more prosperous than most towns, likely thanks to Lanya Group’s contributions.

Returning home for Chongyang—a time for ancestral veneration—was tradition, particularly for families like the Lans. Encountering Jiang Shengyao here was logical after all.

Since he managed to find his way here, he likely already knew her identity.

Shen You’an sighed softly, knowing trouble awaited her once school started.

Meanwhile, Lanya High School’s forum was buzzing with activity.

Tonight at 8 PM, the results and rankings for the monthly exams were set to be released.

The rankings didn’t concern most students—they fixated instead on who would claim first place.

This determined Cold Young Master’s romantic future.

And whether Shen You’an, who had held the throne for nine years, could maintain her legendary streak—or whether she’d lose her crown. Even if she did, she’d still remain Cold Young Master’s girlfriend.

Either way, Shen You’an was the winner.

The forum was flooded with posts.

At this moment, one topic emerged: [Has anyone been watching Chunzhou TV’s boy group competition, "Teen Idol"?]

Replies poured in instantly.

[My cousin’s obsessed. I took a peek and ended up falling for contestant 48—his looks are exactly my type.]

[I don’t usually fangirl, but damn, I can’t believe I’m obsessed with someone now. Contestant 48 is absolutely top-tier.]

[If you’re not voting for 48, I’ll be heartbroken!]

[Who’s 48? I’m getting curious. Let me check him out.]

[Just watched—omg, I’m head over heels for soft boys. I’m in the fandom now.]

[Lemons, finally found my tribe! My idol is worth it—investing in him is totally the right choice.]