Chapter 161: Idols Surpass Even the Emperor of Heaven

The weather in Bangkok was exceptionally lovely, hovering just a little above twenty degrees Celsius. With a clear blue sky, fluffy white clouds, and a gentle breeze, it felt nothing like the biting winter wind of Beijing that felt capable of ripping your head right off.

Everyone eagerly changed into summer clothes.

Lu Yiting wore a simple white T-shirt, jeans, and canvas shoes. Looking at him, it was impossible to tell that he belonged to a completely different generation from the other guests. If someone claimed he was just a college student, no one would ever doubt it.

Bai Lu once again found herself wondering if Uncle Gu fed her dad preservatives as daily meals. Whatever brand he was using, she wanted to eat it too!

Shen Xinlu and Liu Jiajia both wore light-colored floral mini dresses, perfectly fitting their pure and innocent public images.

However, Shen Xinlu’s figure was far too curvaceous, causing her to pull off a tight, sexy look in a dress meant for a soft, sweet girl. Yet, Shen Xinlu’s face was utterly plain. Trying to pull off the vibe of a gorgeous, glamorous femme fatale simply didn't work with her bland features.

It was rather awkward.

Standing right next to Liu Jiajia—who looked the absolute picture of a pure goddess and girl-next-door—Shen Xinlu completely became the dead weight ruining the aesthetic of this variety show.

As a result, in this episode, Shen Xinlu stopped clinging to Liu Jiajia. Last episode in Seoul, the two of them had been inseparable like conjoined twins.

After a brief discussion, the group decided to first check off the Grand Palace from their sightseeing list and then head out for lunch.

When asked for Teacher Lu’s opinion, they agreed that if Teacher Lu was hungry, they would eat first before tackling the sightseeing tasks.

Lu Yiting smiled gently, his tone refined. "I am a guest, so I will follow the host's arrangements. I'll listen to you all."

The executive sedan had been provided free of charge by the presidential suite—complete with a driver. There was no need to wonder; this was undeniably a special privilege granted to the Movie Emperor by the production crew.

As they neared their destination, Shen Xinlu said, "Teacher Lu, walk in the middle of us later. We'll all surround you."

"There's no need," Bai Lu said casually while applying sunscreen layer by layer. "Teacher Lu left a message for his overseas fans on Instagram. Fans won't do anything that would displease Teacher Lu. They will definitely watch, but they won't disrupt the filming."

Not only that, but the sisterhood of the Ting Xiangxue fan club had also acted with astonishing speed and efficiency, translating and publishing images in various languages on overseas social media platforms to make it easy for fans from different countries to read.

Putting everything else aside, making sure not to disturb Lu Yiting’s normal filming schedule was the most basic rule.

The local fans not only responded enthusiastically but also spontaneously launched an initiative to protect Lu Yiting.

By the time the guests arrived at the attraction, a fan-formed bodyguard squad was already in place.

As the guests walked along, the fan bodyguards surrounded them, forming a massive circle.

Even if there were a few disloyal sasaeng fans or radical followers, they had no way of getting close to Lu Yiting. Breaking through the fan-bodyguard perimeter was simply impossible.

The director shed tears of poverty: "We saved the money we would have spent on hiring local staff!"

Lunch was served at a very famous restaurant in Bangkok.

Because their accommodation and transportation were entirely free, their entire budget could now be spent purely on food. They no longer had to pinch pennies like in the previous episodes, eating merely to fill their stomachs.

Lin Ye possessed a childlike innocence after all, and unlike the others, he wasn't intimidated or timid around Lu Yiting. He practically cried as he took a bite of his steak. "Teacher Lu, will you still come next season?"

Lu Yiting smiled and replied, "I'll consider it."

Lin Ye whimpered, "Come on, please come, Teacher Lu! You're the only one who ensures I get a full meal."

Lu Yiting asked with concern, "Did they always leave you starving before?"

Under the oppressive might of the older brothers and sisters, Lin Ye shook his head to save his own skin. "It's just that I could never eat my fill. Plus, the food wasn't nearly this good."

Lu Yiting smiled softly. "Then eat more today. Order whatever you want."

Lin Ye asked, "Really?"

"Fake," Bai Lu said darkly, glaring at him. "This restaurant is ridiculously expensive. If you eat your fill now, how are you going to survive the next few days?"

Lu Yiting pulled out his budget envelope and smiled. "It's fine. Order whatever you like. It's my treat."

His envelope was noticeably thicker than the envelopes of the other seven people combined.

No wonder the budget wasn't handed out uniformly before filming started, but was instead distributed in advance by the production crew.

They were feeling guilty!

Gitting her teeth, Bai Lu turned her head. "Director Uncle, you guys can't be this biased!!!"

The production crew: "............"

If we don't treat Movie Emperor Lu well, his fans will tear us to pieces!

Since that was the case, they wouldn't stand on ceremony.

Bai Lu and Lin Ye happily ordered their favorite dishes.

She even egged the others on: "Brother En, don't hold back. Teacher Lu is a wonderful person. Since he said it's his treat, let's not let his kindness go to waste. Order away with peace of mind!"

After offering their thanks, everyone ordered the dishes they had been craving.

Zuo Xinen and Digar even followed Lu Yiting’s lead and ordered a glass of champagne each. Li Huan ordered a glass of red wine to pair with his steak.

Then, when the bill arrived, everyone was struck dumb.

Lu Yiting’s individual budget wasn't even enough to cover the lunch; it took everyone pooling their budgets together just to pay for the meal.

After paying the bill, the total remaining amount left among the eight of them was...

One thousand Thai baht.

Which wasn't even enough to buy a bowl of noodles by the roadside.

"Lin Ye, come over here and meet your maker!" Bai Lu grabbed Lin Ye by the neck. "I'll teach you to order the most expensive beef tenderloin! I'll teach you to eat the most expensive truffles and caviar!"

Lin Ye's eyes rolled back from her grip. "L-Teacher Lu also ordered truffles and caviar..."

Bai Lu: "Can you compare yourself to Teacher Lu?! You don't deserve to!"

Lin Ye: "Teacher Lu, save me..."

Bai Lu: "Calling Teacher Lu won't save you! Even if the Jade Emperor himself came down today, I'm going to finish you off!"

Lu Yiting: "......Xiaolu, let go of Xiaoye."

"..." Bai Lu obediently released her grip, but still, in her lingering anger, she gave the back of Lin Ye's head a smack. "We blew the entire budget on the very first meal. We might as well just drink the northwest wind for the next few days."

Lin Ye clutched his head, not daring to speak.

After all, he had single-handedly eaten away half of the budget.

Lu Yiting: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

"Teacher Lu, don't apologize!"

"It has nothing to do with Teacher Lu!"

"Teacher Lu was only being kind and wanted to treat us!"

"It was us who dragged Teacher Lu down!"

Bai Lu gnashed her teeth darkly. "It's because Lin Ye eats too much."

Lin Ye: "............"

[Hahaha, a bunch of spendthrifts. They ate through the entire budget in a single meal.]

[The universe where only Xiaoye gets hurt has been completed.]

[Oh Lu, Lao Lu, your heart is truly too big. Did you honestly have no idea how much Xiaoye can eat?]

[Now I finally understand why the Boss rarely does variety shows. With this pure, airheaded personality of his, it's completely exposed... Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter!]

[Why am I not feeling sorry for the Boss, but instead finding this a bit funny?]

[Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha]

[You're laughing so loudly, you're hurting my eyes!]

[It's over, it's over. Lao Lu has never suffered a day in his life; he's never doing a variety show again after this.]

[Doing it just this once is enough, what more do you want! What more do you want!]

[Bai Xiaolu, where is your backbone?! Didn't you say that even if the Jade Emperor came, you wouldn't let go? Why did you obey so instantly when Movie Emperor Lu told you to?!]

[Bai Lu: My idol > The Jade Emperor]