Chapter Twenty-Two: The Carnival Party Continued

They raised their glasses once more.

After a round of drinks, the contestants eagerly surrounded the five male celebrities.

Regardless, if they could become familiar to these stars, they might get a promotion later, or at the very least, generate some buzz and exposure.

The previous season's "Supermodel" champion, runner-up, and third-place winner, being senior figures, squeezed in at the front.

Seeing this, the production team quickly moved the ball forward, inviting the five male celebrities to draw lots to choose their dance partners.

With these five incredibly popular male celebrities around, Zhuo Yiyan suddenly became invisible.

Che Yang Erna laughed at him, "Look, you've fallen out of favor!"

Zhuo Yiyan just smiled and remained silent, not caring about Che Yang Erna's words. They weren't anyone to him; it was their freedom to pay attention to whomever they wanted, and he wouldn't feel resentful about it.

"Huh?" Che Yang Erna suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "She actually has the mind to eat!"

Zhuo Yiyan followed Che Yang Erna's gaze and saw Xu Jiaojiao enjoying various snacks and desserts at the long table.

This girl...

Zhuo Yiyan chuckled. To be honest, he was quite curious about this girl's upbringing. He wondered what kind of environment had raised such a unique person. At such a young age, she had a unique understanding of fashion and beauty, and importantly, she didn't have any crushes.

If Sheng Jiaoyang knew what he was thinking, she would definitely scoff. Nonsense, even she was afraid of having crushes when she did. Uh, it seems I've revealed something...

"Who is Xu Jiaojiao?" Xu Yinuo, who drew the first lot, opened her slip of paper and asked, looking at the name on it.

"Wow, Jiaojiao was chosen! Jiaojiao—" Wang Wei shouted excitedly.

Only then did the others realize that someone was missing.

Looking around, they saw Sheng Jiaoyang standing by the table, a cookie dangling from her mouth, a fork in her hand, struggling with the fruit plate. They were both amused and exasperated.

This girl is so carefree!

"Jiaojiao, come here! You're so lucky! You were chosen by our male god Xu right away! You and Xu will dance the first dance!"

Hearing Wang Wei's words, as if she'd won the lottery, Sheng Jiaoyang silently swallowed the cookie crumbs.

Thank you so much! Can I refuse?

Of course, refusing was just a thought. She was just a poor girl with no power or influence. To others, it was a blessing that a big star had chosen her as a dance partner; refusing would be ungrateful.

Under everyone's envious and jealous gazes, Sheng Jiaoyang slowly walked over and stood next to Xu Yinuo.

"Brother Nuo, you two could form a father-daughter duo, haha!" Ye Fan teased.

Xu Yinuo smiled gently and said, "If I had gotten married earlier, I would definitely have a child this big by now."

"Alright, it's Qi An's turn to draw lots."

"Ahhh! My god, you have to draw me!!!" The female contestant, unable to contain herself, started screaming softly.

It's like the emperor choosing his concubines. Sheng Jiaoyang pouted.

Qi An paused in his hand as he crumpled the paper, glancing lightly at Sheng Jiaoyang.

Sheng Jiaoyang blinked innocently; the one who had just accidentally blurted out her true feelings wasn't her!

"Qi Hua," Qi An said, unfolding the paper.

"Is it me? Is it really me?" Qi Hua was incredibly excited; she was finally going to get her revenge.

"It seems you mispronounced it," Qi An said seriously.

Qi Hua's expression changed instantly; Qi An had clearly just read her name.

"Just kidding," Qi An smiled.

The contestants were a little confused; their idol was quite different from the aloof and noble image they remembered…

Sheng Jiaoyang chuckled. Qi An's personality was quite to her liking.

Seeing Sheng Jiaoyang laugh, Qi Hua's face darkened instantly.

What's so funny? You were just chosen by an old man, what's there to be proud of?

Qi Hua quickly walked to Qi An's side, smelling the faint scent of perfume emanating from him, and finally felt a sense of balance. What's so great about an old man? She was the luckiest; the one who chose her was Qi An, whose family background was excellent!

Next, Zhou Zhiyu, Jiang Liqing, and Ye Fan each drew a dance partner.

The music began.

Xu Yinuo bowed slightly to Sheng Jiaoyang, extending his hand gentlemanly.

Sheng Jiaoyang glanced at him, took his hand, and followed him into the circle of people.

"Can the little one dance?" Xu Yinuo asked with a smile.

Sheng Jiaoyang's lips twitched. A little one?

"You call me 'little kid,' so you want me to call you 'grandpa'?" Sheng Jiaoyang tilted her head, asking a question instead of answering.

Xu Yinuo paused, then suddenly smiled. Although he was over fifty with graying temples, his smile was truly captivating. In his youth, he was a universally acknowledged handsome man, charming countless women. Now, time had eroded his youthful face, but it had also endowed him with a gentle temperament refined by time.

He often wore a smile, but everyone could see that he was genuinely happy at this moment.

"Then I'll call you Jiaojiao, is that alright?"

"Whatever you say."

Compared to the other awkward pairings, this couple with the biggest age gap was remarkably harmonious. Anyone could see they were having a pleasant conversation; at least Xu Yinuo's smile never faded, and she would sometimes chuckle happily.

Qi Hua, who had only received a "hmm" or "oh" in response to her sixth attempt to speak, was internally frustrated and on the verge of collapse. Qi An, after dancing, reverted to his aloof demeanor, ignoring her enthusiastic attempts to engage in conversation.

Compared to them, Xu Yinuo and Xu Jiaojiao seemed like close friends despite their age difference. From the occasional conversations overheard, it was clear that Xu Yinuo was always the one initiating the conversation.

Qi Hua was practically grinding her teeth in frustration.

Meanwhile, the "father-daughter duo" continued their relaxed conversation.

"Jiaojiao, you probably haven't heard my songs before, have you?"

"My mom really likes your songs."

"Can you sing my songs?"

"I'm tone-deaf," Sheng Jiaoyang smiled, "but my dad sings your song 'A Promise of White Hair' really well. He used that song to win my mom's heart."

"I never thought my songs could lead to such a beautiful story. It seems your mom really loves my songs. I must invite her to my next concert."

Sheng Jiaoyang paused for two seconds, then replied, "Okay."

Xu Yinuo's eyebrows twitched. He sensed the girl's mood had suddenly become very low. Why? As

one dance ended, the male gods were about to draw partners for the next song from the remaining list.

Sheng Jiaoyang silently walked to the side, looking up at the stars in the sky.

A group of people reveling, one person's loneliness.

"Missing home?" a voice came from behind.

Sheng Jiaoyang's expression hardened, and she turned to look at Zhuo Yiyan approaching.

"I'm drunk, can I go back to my room to rest?"

"Sure."

Upon receiving the reply, Sheng Jiaoyang turned around and went back to the villa without saying another word.

Zhuo Yiyan looked up at the sky; a few stars were scattered across the dark horizon, looking rather lonely.