My Idol System: An Idol, But Also A Savior-Chapter 202: Joshua’s “Thatched Hut”

Liona didn’t pay it any mind as she flicked a strand of hair back, then suddenly turned to look at the screen. She extended her thumb and index finger, pointing straight at the camera. "Surprised by just this little bit of talent? Stay tuned for my new project to see just how cool the assassin Shadow really is..."

What followed was a round of promotion for her upcoming project, a television series scheduled to air in half a month.

The fans applauded nonstop.

[The moment she picked up the darts, I knew a scene like this was coming, hahaha.]

[So this is how the promo’s being done? Interesting. Either way, I’m definitely tuning in.]

[Because Liona is just too cool, I’ll absolutely watch it.]

Promotional segments like this naturally relied on the show’s loyal viewership, but even more so on the fans of other guests—and even antis—who were drawn in after a guest officially confirmed their participation.

After finishing, Liona patted Joshua on the back. "Alright, Joshua, go on."

Joshua was still clapping after her speech. Hearing that, he couldn’t help but laugh. "You really went a bit overboard there. If you keep this up, how am I supposed to take first place?"

Liona laughed. "I already told you—first place is mine."

Joshua smiled and stepped forward. At this moment, the fans were already cheering wildly.

To be honest, aside from throwing darts at amusement parks, Joshua had never really played this game before.

Of course, if he were good at it, he wouldn’t end up never winning anything. Still, Joshua had always believed that there must be something wrong with the darts at the mall.

He could be bad—but not this bad.

Joshua narrowed his eyes and released his throw. Just as the fans were about to comment that his grip on the dart was wrong, they suddenly stopped.

Tina covered her mouth and let out a small cry.

"Wow! Ten points!"

Joshua’s eyes widened as he stared at the dart embedded right in the center of the target, utterly unable to believe it himself.

He looked at the target, then down at his own hands. Both of them were trembling slightly, light shining in his eyes.

Damn it—so there really was something wrong with the darts at the mall after all!

Liona couldn’t help saying, "Ten points on your first throw. You’re not planning to take all forty points, are you, kid?"

Joshua replied, "I’m only two years younger than you."

Lucas smiled from the side. It would actually be even better if Joshua scored forty points—then he could accuse Joshua of stealing Liona’s spotlight. After all, this was part of Liona’s film promotion, and her fans would definitely be unhappy.

But Lucas’s wish was destined not to come true.

Because Joshua continued throwing, yet it was as if his luck had run out.

The next two throws both scored three points. Thinking it might be his position, he adjusted where he stood slightly. As a result, the final dart flew straight outside the target.

Who could accept an outcome like that? Joshua was completely devastated.

He slumped down and hugged his head. Could it be that the darts at the mall really weren’t the problem after all?

Liona laughed as she walked over and pulled Joshua up. "Hahaha, I know you wanted me to take first place, but you really didn’t need to be this modest."

Liona was truly good at comforting people. Joshua’s pitiful skills were instantly reframed as him deliberately letting her take first place.

Joshua couldn’t help feeling embarrassed. "You’re the best, Liona. I really have useless hands."

Seeing Joshua’s watery eyes, Liona couldn’t help asking, "Are you crying?"

At that, Joshua bristled like a fluffed-up cat. "Of course not!"

Lucas laughed from the side. "Joshua, it’s just a game. Are you really crying just because you lost?"

Joshua blinked. "I really’m not crying."

Liona also felt that Lucas’s words sounded a bit strange. They had clearly been joking around, but once Lucas chimed in, the atmosphere no longer felt like a joke—especially when the fans on both sides had never gotten along in the first place.

[Can’t even handle losing a game? And crying on top of that—he’s a grown man, not some teenage girl.]

[But Joshua isn’t even crying. Are you guys crazy?]

[That’s just how his eyes look. Do you actually see any tears at all?]

[It really feels like Lucas is deliberately steering the narrative. His words keep hinting at things.]

[Your idol’s eyes look like that and you go blaming Lucas? Lucas was just showing concern.]

[Stop making excuses already. A bunch of fake fans, everything you say reeks of green-tea energy.]

[I think they were just joking around normally. Everyone’s being way too sensitive.]

[...]

In any case, the final rankings were announced. From lowest to highest: Joshua, Tina, Lucas, and finally Liona.

Liona spoke up directly. "I choose the villa."

Lucas pretended to think for a moment, then looked at Joshua. "Sorry about that, Joshua, but I’ll choose the vacation house."

[What’s there to apologize for? If you lose, you accept it, hahaha.]

[Ew, Joshua doesn’t even need Lucas’s apology at all.]

[Seriously, does he look like he cares where he’s staying?]

Indeed, Joshua’s expression was completely calm, as if the villa were already right in front of him. He even maintained his usual faint smile.

Tina naturally chose the house with the hot spring. After all, Joshua’s fate of staying in the thatched hut had already been sealed.

The group chatted as they went, quickly making their way to their new accommodations.

The live broadcast rooms split again, and a huge wave of fans flooded over to Joshua’s stream. There were also plenty of onlookers who just wanted to see how Joshua would deal with the thatched hut.

[I just went to see Liona’s villa and then came back here... comparing people really does drive you mad.]

[Hahaha, the other three rooms are actually all great. And then suddenly there’s this awful one—this show really knows how to create topics.]

[More like Joshua knows how to create topics. He probably knew the hut would draw more attention, so he deliberately lost.]

[Make up your minds. Just now you were saying he cried because he lost and mocking him for losing even to Tina, and now you’re saying he lost on purpose. So what exactly are you trying to say? Is Joshua good or bad at the game?]

[These idiots just want an excuse to scold Joshua.]

[Go back to watching your own idol admire flowers. Just reading the comments, you can tell whose fans these are.]

[Hahaha, not supporting your own idol and running over here instead—aren’t you afraid your idol’s viewership will be so low you’ll get laughed at?]

At the moment, the difference in viewership between Joshua and Lucas was indeed quite obvious, with Lucas only slightly ahead of Tina.

However, Tina had just mentioned wanting to soak in the hot spring, and her towel-draped appearance immediately attracted countless curious viewers. Her viewership was about to surpass Lucas’s.

Joshua looked at the room in front of him. At first glance, it really did look like a thatched hut, but in reality the walls were fairly solid. It wouldn’t collapse just because of a strong gust of wind.

That said, the interior was extremely simple. The bed in one corner looked as if it had been built from stone, and there was a stove right beside it.

Moreover, Joshua felt that the bed had a rather special design, though he couldn’t quite tell what was special about it. After observing it for a while, he still couldn’t figure it out.

Just then, a voice suddenly sounded from outside. "This is a kang-style bed. You can light a fire underneath when you sleep, so you won’t get cold."

"Light a fire under the bed?"

Joshua couldn’t help asking, then looked at Liona in surprise. "Liona, why are you here? So you finally decided to switch villas with me? You see, this room actually has quite a few special features—"

Before Joshua could finish, Liona directly raised her hand and flicked his forehead. "Stop rambling." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Joshua hissed softly and clutched his forehead, taking a small step back. "Liona, you really don’t hold back at all!"

[Why hold back? Just hit him—spank him if you want.]

[What on earth are you people saying?!]

[How could my goddess spank that kid in pink shorts?!]

[What’s wrong with pink shorts—and besides, he’s not even wearing them now!!!]

[Who said anything about spanking?]

[Can you stop with the spanking already? I’m starting to feel secondhand embarrassment for Joshua.]

[Seriously, if Joshua read these fan comments, he probably wouldn’t dare go online anymore.]