The dinner felt like the guests were attending each other’s funeral.
During the first few days of the show, they would still exchange polite greetings. Now, only cold air remained.
The staff were worried the guests’ silence would hurt the ratings.
But the director wasn’t worried at all. Just putting this group together was enough for the audience to watch with relish.
【Did Chu Wei deliberately pull his chair farther away from Wen Zhenghan? That was so obvious. Isn’t he afraid Wen Zhenghan will blacklist him after the show?】
【Blacklist? LOL. Do you think your Film Emperor rules the world? Other than having fewer awards, Chu Wei isn’t worse than Wen Zhenghan at all, okay?】
More people were studying Shen Fu and Jiang Shu.
【The Young Master’s elbow brushed Shen Fu just now. Was it on purpose?】
【You guys are overthinking it. It’s an eight-person table, it’s cramped. Bumping into each other is normal. Even Wen Zhenghan and Chu Wei bump into each other often, why aren’t you shipping Wen–Chu then?】
【……ew】
Fans of Wen Zhenghan and Chu Wei simultaneously shuddered.
Normally, once every two days there would be a “heart message” segment, but at the last punishment-reward segment, Wen Zhenghan made an excuse to opt out. The production team was afraid viewers would complain if they repeated it, so they quietly removed the segment.
And replaced it with a temporary “Any Door” selection segment.
At dinner the production team announced: “This selection will take place tomorrow night.”
If the heart-message segment was choosing the person you’re interested in, then the “Any Door” segment was the complete opposite, choosing the person you believe is interested in you.
Once the rules were explained, viewers in the barrage were thrilled.
They had always been unsure about what the guests were actually thinking, only guessing through behavior. Now things would finally become clearer.
The guests at the table didn’t care much.
What could this segment possibly reveal?
Were they really going to choose based on what they truly thought?
Chu Wei glanced at Wen Zhenghan.
Take Wen Zhenghan for example. Even though he had realized Shen Fu had been acting with him before, did he truly think she had zero affection for him? That shameless man probably believed Shen Fu still liked him a little, right?
But even so, would he choose Shen Fu tomorrow in front of the audience? He’d never do that, he’d want to protect his pride.
If there were a “None” option, everyone would probably choose “None”.
The female guests were thinking the same, just pick “None”.
No one took the segment seriously.
Dinner continued in the cold atmosphere.
Across from Zuo Mei sat Wen Zhenghan. He remained indifferent the entire time, not interacting with her at all.
This was the first time since the variety show aired.
Before, no matter what, because he had promised to help her make a comeback, he would at least respond to her gaze a little.
Could it be that he found out the company sent Kuang Yueyi onto the show?
No, that matter was still only fermenting online. Guests who had difficulty communicating with the outside world couldn’t possibly know so quickly. And the company immediately handled crisis PR, clearing themselves completely. Wen Zhenghan wouldn’t blame her for it.
Then why?
Zuo Mei only felt that ever since they returned from Cuirujia, Wen Zhenghan’s expression had been off, and he would often stare at Shen Fu, eyes dark and unreadable.
He must have been hooked by Shen Fu’s repeated cold-shouldering.
Gu Qingshuang was sitting right next to Wen Zhenghan and diagonally across from Zuo Mei. With a shift of her gaze, she also noticed the frozen atmosphere between the two.
Seeing Wen Zhenghan finish dinner, pull out his chair, and prepare to leave, Gu Qingshuang quickly looked up and asked him: “Zheng Ge, later Mei Jie and I were thinking of going upstairs to watch a movie. Do you want to come with us?”
Anyway, Wen Zhenghan couldn’t possibly be interested in her. She also had no feelings for his type, so she might as well help Zuo Mei.
Zuo Mei would be grateful.
Just as Wen Zhenghan was about to speak, Zuo Mei calmly said: “We’re watching a comedy. He won’t be interested. Just the two of us.”
Wen Zhenghan frowned, then simply said nothing and went back to his room.
He left, and Zuo Mei didn’t even look up.
Gu Qingshuang looked at Zuo Mei in confusion.
Why was she pushing him away on purpose?
Zuo Mei continued eating her vegetables on her own, sneering inwardly.
Playing hard to get, did she think no one else knew how?
Men are cheap. The more you ignore them, the more they care.
【……】
The Emperor–Empress CP fans behind the barrage were collapsing more and more.
It’s over. Why did it feel like the Film Emperor and Film Empress were speeding straight toward a BE?
Chu Wei wasn’t very interested in whatever was going on with Wen Zhenghan and Zuo Mei. Holding his bowl, he quietly observed the people at the table, also thinking through his own situation.
The show had been airing for ten days.
Twenty days left. He couldn’t keep being this passive.
Currently, Wen Zhenghan had clearly taken a stance opposite him, completely incompatible. Jiang Shu, who knew what was going on in his head, but he definitely wouldn’t side with him.
That only left Xiang Lingyun as someone who might help him.
Gu Qingshuang was helping Zuo Mei because they were close, so he also needed a friend like that.
Xiang Lingyun had no interest in Shen Fu, and he had no conflict of interest with him. The girl he was pursuing, Xu Tiaotiao, was even close to Shen Fu and could speak in his favor, he was simply the perfect wingman candidate.
Thinking this, Chu Wei turned and said to Xiang Lingyun: “Bro, wanna hit the gym later?”
Among the male guests, ever since they joined the show, the relationships were all tense and awkward.
He couldn’t talk with Wen Zhenghan, and he and Jiang Shu felt like they were from different dimensions.
Since Chu Wei was taking the initiative, Xiang Lingyun naturally wouldn’t refuse: “Sure.”
After they finished eating, the two went to the gym.
The barrage was relieved: 【The male guests finally have some normal interaction.】
Just then, Wen Zhenghan came out of his room after a shower. Seeing Chu Wei and Xiang Lingyun suddenly with their arms around each other heading toward the gym, his brows instantly furrowed.
How old were they, still playing the pulling-factions game?
Wen Zhenghan still hadn’t recovered from the blow Shen Fu gave him that night, but that didn’t mean he’d tolerate Chu Wei doing little tricks right under his nose.
He saw through Chu Wei’s intentions. Xiang Lingyun was the only outsider. Getting close to Xiang Lingyun meant the two could join forces against him.
Wen Zhenghan disdained dealing with Chu Wei, but he also didn’t want any future game segment where those two helped each other and left him behind.
He changed direction and headed for the gym as well.
Someone in the barrage posted: 【Oh? The two concubines are about to run into each other in the gym again.】
Wen Zhenghan’s fans were furious: 【Concubines your dad!!】
Just because during those days in Cuirujia Wen Zhenghan seemed to have been kicked in the head by a donkey and dismantled his CP with Zuo Mei, and was nice to Shen Fu a few times?
The “simp” memes would never die?!
【These past two days after returning home, the Film Emperor hasn’t interacted with Shen Fu at all!】 Wen Zhenghan’s fans weakly defended: 【There must’ve been some misunderstanding that day!】
Chu Wei’s fans had already given up. Seeing Wen Zhenghan’s fans still struggling, they comforted them (while gloating): 【Little Ge, that’s not good. Be careful your Film Emperor won’t get Shen Fu’s affection.】
Wen Zhenghan’s fans: 【……】
If they had a curse-word template, the whole screen would have been filled with Wen Zhenghan fans copy-pasting it by now.
Gym.
Chu Wei and Xiang Lingyun had just stepped onto the treadmills when Wen Zhenghan opened the glass door, came in, and got on another treadmill.
What the h*ll? Why did he come too?
Not only stealing women, but stealing men as well?
Chu Wei turned his head and glanced at Wen Zhenghan, meeting Wen Zhenghan’s cold gaze.
Wen Zhenghan ignored Chu Wei’s eye-dagger. Jogging easily on the treadmill as if taking a stroll, he said to Xiang Lingyun: “Little Xiang, want to watch the game together tonight?”
Xiang Lingyun: “……”
Chu Wei gave a dry laugh: “Film Emperor, I already made plans with Ling Ge to play games tonight. You can watch the game replay. It doesn’t have to be tonight.”
Wen Zhenghan: “What game? How about we all play together?”
Chu Wei smiled: “It’s a young-people game. Ge might not fit in.”
Wen Zhenghan’s expression turned cold: “Chu Wei, have you been getting too full of yourself lately?”
Seeing the sparks about to fly, Xiang Lingyun felt crushed by pressure. He quickly turned off the treadmill and hopped off: “You two keep working out. I suddenly remembered Xu Tiaotiao asked me to go to the supermarket with her.”
After saying that, he hurriedly left the gym.
Leaving Chu Wei and Wen Zhenghan with the atmosphere frozen solid.
Chu Wei and Wen Zhenghan didn’t start a fight, but in the barrage their two fandoms were already fighting.
One side cursed the other for pretending, and the other side quickly countered that the first was being “tea.”
Xiang Lingyun’s fans stirred up trouble everywhere while also feeling relieved.
Ever since the variety show started, Chu Wei and the Film Emperor’s personas had collapsed again and again, yet only their “Ge” had managed to hold his ground.
Someone in the group said: “Look at them fighting like this, total mutual destruction. Luckily our Ge has a clear head and isn’t getting involved at all.”
At first, when Xiang Lingyun was getting close to Xu Tiaotiao, there were fans in the group who weren’t very happy. They always felt that Xu Tiaotiao had hyped a CP with Chu Wei before, which was unpleasant.
But now, it seemed only their Ge was the wise one.
Thinking this way, Xiang Lingyun’s fans also silently allowed those passersby in the barrage to ship Xiang Lingyun and Xu Tiaotiao.
【Shopping at the supermarket? So sweet!】
【What are they going to buy?】
The ingredients bought last time at the villa were already running out. Xu Tiaotiao called Shen Fu to go to the supermarket with her, and since they needed a male guest to carry things, she simply called Xiang Lingyun along.
Jiang Shu didn’t leave after dinner, waiting to go with them.
Shen Fu and Xu Tiaotiao were changing shoes at the entrance. Seeing Jiang Shu lazily follow them with his hands in his pockets, Xu Tiaotiao said: “Eh, we’re not short on people anymore.”
Jiang Shu’s expression was one of “I’m only helping because I’m free, don’t think too much”: “I’ll drive.”
With one more handsome guy, and the extremely handsome type at that, the four of them appearing in a supermarket could directly perform ‘chaos in troubled times.’ Xu Tiaotiao imagined it and got a little excited, quickly saying: “Okay, then let’s all go.”
Previously, the camera had never shown the guests’ feet.
Only now did the barrage see that the pair of men’s “too rich” slippers were actually on Jiang Shu’s feet.
And they matched perfectly with the “too rich” slippers on Shen Fu’s feet.
【D*mn, coincidence or…?】
As soon as the four left the villa, the place instantly became quiet.
Chu Wei had been stuck in a standoff with Wen Zhenghan in the gym. Hearing noise outside, he rushed to the window.
These four were going to the supermarket, and didn’t call him?
Chu Wei quickly rushed out, changed shoes in a flash, and chased toward the elevator.
Wen Zhenghan: “……” This brat had completely given up dignity now, starting to shamelessly chase after people.
Downstairs.
Jiang Shu opened the car door, signaling Shen Fu to get in.
Xiang Lingyun glanced at him, then at his flashy new car. That feeling of being outdone hit him again, the car, and the sunglasses too.
Xiang Lingyun cleared his throat and looked at Shen Fu and Xu Tiaotiao: “Who… do you want to ride with?”
Even just for the sake of his own pride, at least one girl should get in his car…
Just as he thought that, Xu Tiaotiao excitedly said: “I’ll ride with Mr. Jiang.”
And Shen Fu had already been stuffed into the passenger seat by Jiang Shu.
Xiang Lingyun: “……”
So he had to drive alone to the supermarket???
Xiang Lingyun felt his heart go cold. He simply shoved his car keys back into his pocket, knocked on Jiang Shu’s back seat window, and said: “Driving two cars is a hassle. Why not trouble Jiang Shu to take all of us together?”
Jiang Shu glanced at him through the rearview mirror. Although he felt annoyed…
But Xu Tiaotiao was also in the back seat, and if he carried another girl while carrying Shen Fu, he’d look like he had no “male virtue.” Letting Xiang Lingyun sit in the back to balance things out was acceptable.
Jiang Shu reluctantly unlocked the door.
Xiang Lingyun got in, and Chu Wei immediately squeezed in after him: “I’m going too!”
Jiang Shu’s face darkened completely behind his sunglasses: “You two together weigh three hundred jin. The tires are going to explode. Get out.”
Chu Wei refused, grabbed Xiang Lingyun’s arm tightly, pulled his legs in, and slammed the door shut.
Just like that, three people were squeezed into the back. Xu Tiaotiao didn’t mind, she didn’t take up space. But Xiang Lingyun, trapped in the middle, looked terrible and cursed Chu Wei and Jiang Shu eight hundred times in his heart.
Shen Fu leaned against the passenger seat and couldn’t help yawning: “If we keep dragging around, it’ll be ten soon.”
Jiang Shu glanced at Shen Fu. Seeing the tiredness under her eyes, he held back his irritation and started the car.
Without even giving a warning, the car suddenly drifted sideways, and Xiang Lingyun and Chu Wei’s heads immediately banged into the backrest. Sparks went off behind their eyes.
The two of them silently cursed Jiang Shu’s ancestors for eighteen generations.
The filming crew couldn’t keep up and only caught the exhaust trail.
The barrage couldn’t see what was happening in the car and was still sighing: 【This car is driving so aggressively.】
Xiang Lingyun’s fans: 【The crown prince has a bad temper, but he did open the door for my Ge earlier. To be fair, my Ge also likes cars, and he isn’t interested in Shen Fu. Maybe they could become friends.】
Having a good relationship with Jiang Shu would indeed mean more resources after the show.
Chu Wei’s fans felt sour.
…
Meanwhile, Wan e returned to the company, was called into an office, and came out beaming.
《Limited-Time Love》was trending every day. She was a nobody, but after appearing for just one episode, she gained some fans. Her Weibo grew tens of thousands in a single afternoon.
Sure enough, a drama crew immediately contacted Chunqiu Entertainment, giving her an important handmaiden role beside the female lead, with plot twists and emotional development.
Compared to her previous minor roles, this was much more exposure.
Other trainees who hadn’t debuted heard this and were extremely envious: “If you play supporting characters around the lead a few more times, sooner or later you’ll get to play the lead yourself.”
Wan Ge didn’t have the looks for a lead role, but maybe she could become a stable supporting actress in the future.
The entertainment industry looked glamorous on the surface, but competition was brutal. Many people struggled until forty or fifty without ever getting a role with any screen time.
Someone couldn’t help saying, “If I’d known earlier, I would’ve gotten along well with Shen Fu.”
If that were the case, the one who might have soared in one step on today’s show could have been them.
As for Kuang Yueyi, it was miserable. Secretly contacting other companies behind the company’s back, now still stuck in the executives’ office and hasn’t come out. She might get terminated.
Someone scrolled through Shen Fu’s Weibo with her follower count rising nonstop, looking on with jealousy, wishing they could swap lives with her on the spot: “After this variety show, won’t she become our company’s top female artist?”
“Her resources skyrocketing compared to before is definite, but becoming the top female artist? Probably not. She’s about to shoot that magazine, and the sales might not even be that high.” The person beside them analyzed, “Fashion resources also look at numbers. If the magazine sales are bad, the follow-ups will be hard to say.”
“How not? I think since Shen Fu showed up, the company doesn’t even care about Su Qiuyue anymore.”
“Shhh….”
The first person was startled by their companion’s “shhh”, and when he looked up, Su Qiuyue was passing outside the window.
He shut his mouth immediately.
Su Qiuyue kept walking forward, her gaze sweeping over the framed photos on both sides of the corridor. Her mood was terrible.
No wonder.
Previously, they were her artistic photos. Now, they had all been replaced with large promotional posters of Shen Fu’s magazine.
……
The next day, Shen Fu was picked up by her assistant and squeezed in time to shoot the OT magazine.
Although the haters were again gathering under the forum, loan-shaming her and ridiculing that the magazine’s sales would definitely be bad, and that the people who followed her on Weibo were all variety-show fans who wouldn’t be dedicated enough to buy magazines,
The OT staff was still very courteous to her.
Recently, whether in popularity or resources, Shen Fu had been rising rapidly. They had no idea what height she might stand at in the future. She might just soar.
So for now, they would hold her up first, and see the sales after the cover came out.
The assistant felt flattered and, upon returning to the company, sighed to Liang Xiaochun, “Big magazines really know how to treat people. They were so polite to me today. They brought out eight types of drinks: Longjing, lemon water, lemongrass, everything.”
Liang Xiaochun: “Do you think that’s the difference between a big magazine and a trash magazine? This is because Shen Fu’s situation has improved, so you got that treatment.”
In the entertainment industry, people treat you based on your status. Someone with a high ranking gets special seating, bodyguards, and respectful treatment everywhere.
The unknown ones can only eat closed doors.
“That’s true.” The assistant said, “When I accompanied her to shoot magazines before, there wasn’t even a cup of plain water.”
Liang Xiaochun didn’t seem very happy. “Don’t get excited too soon. We’re still far from done.”
One thing the haters said was correct: this OT issue was the stepping stone to open Shen Fu’s fashion resources. This time the pre-sale numbers not only needed to be high, they needed to be ridiculously high, beyond everyone’s expectations.
Only then could she consider the first step solid.
But would the recently gained fans really buy the magazine?
Liang Xiaochun wasn’t confident at all. She had even mentally prepared to privately spend money hiring water armies to boost sales if needed.
……
Shen Fu finished the magazine shoot and returned to the villa. It was already nine at night.
She yawned and collapsed onto the sofa, without even the strength to go change in her room.
The other guests were gathered by the production team into the living room, and tonight’s segment began.
The audience had been waiting long ago.
Rong Xiaozhen also helped promote Shen Fu’s magazine news everywhere on the forums.
If it were before, she might’ve been mocked. But now Shen Fu’s treatment had improved a lot, and even attracted many casual viewers willing to buy.
The production team first had all the guests go to the fourth floor.
Then, in the hot spring room area, they set up eight small rooms, each with a name tag of a guest.
Outside the eight small rooms was another soundproof big room, where almost the entire filming crew was gathered.
Earlier in the afternoon, the comments saw the crew coming and going setting things up here. Some equipment was even mysteriously covered with cloth so the audience couldn’t see. Everyone was dying of curiosity.
Now, the production team finally unveiled the equipment inside the soundproof room. Some knowledgeable viewers immediately shouted:
【Holy cr*p, a lie detector!】
【D*mn, my show’s production team really brought in the kind used in foreign interrogations.】
If yesterday the anticipation after hearing the rules was at eight out of ten, now with this move from the production team, it instantly became ten.
In other words, the guests would have to speak the truth later.
The guests were still waiting on the fourth floor, not knowing what the production team was doing, only feeling a bad premonition.
Following the principle of ladies first, Zuo Mei went down first.
Entering the big room, the production team asked, “Among the male guests present, who do you think has an arrow toward you?”
Zuo Mei’s expression was dark. Her answer was “None.”
The bullet comments felt a bit sorry: 【The Film Emperor was really baffling. Suddenly switching targets to chase Shen Fu with no warning. So all the past kindness toward the Film Empress was fake?】
But the lie detector sounded.
Bullet comments: 【……】
Zuo Mei never expected that the device next to her, which looked like a heart monitor, was actually a lie detector. Her face changed repeatedly.
A moment later, she said, “Then maybe, I guess, at most Wen Zhenghan might have some arrows toward me.”
This time, the lie detector did not sound. Zuo Mei let out a breath and was escorted to the room labeled Wen Zhenghan.
Next were Xu Tiaotiao and Gu Qingshuang.
Xu Tiaotiao was straightforward and openly said she felt Xiang Lingyun had arrows toward her.
Gu Qingshuang said none.
The lie detector didn’t sound for either of them. They were sent to Xiang Lingyun’s room and another vacant room respectively.
Soon it was Shen Fu’s turn.
Shen Fu thought a moment and said it was Chu Wei. The lie detector also didn’t sound.
She entered the room labeled Chu Wei.
The bullet comments were in heated discussion: 【Why didn’t she mention D?】
【Who will D mention?】
After the female guests went down one by one, it was the male guests’ turn.
Chu Wei was the first called down.
Because earlier, Shen Fu’s gaze had stayed on the lie detector for a moment before she answered.
So this time, to prevent the guests from overthinking and losing authenticity, the program team covered the lie detector with a cloth, making the guests think it was just a simple heart-rate machine.
Chu Wei didn’t glance at the lie detector. When the program team asked, he answered confidently, “Shen Fu.”
No matter what, Shen Fu had exposed their relationship for him. She had at least had genuine feelings for him.
The lie detector didn’t go off, and Chu Wei was sent into the room with Shen Fu’s name on it.
【So Chu Wei and Shen Fu are a mutual pick??? They both think the other once had an arrow pointing at them?】
【But now Shen Fu’s arrow toward Chu Wei is already gone. D*mn, this is a complete BE.】
The second male guest called down was Wen Zhenghan.
The director watched the replay of Chu Wei’s answer. He still felt the rules weren’t perfect. Didn’t Xu Tiaotiao and Chu Wei hype CP before? Not a shred of emotion? Why didn’t Chu Wei finish answering about the two of them?
Sure enough, the rules still had loopholes!
When it got to Wen Zhenghan, the questioning style suddenly changed.
“Among the opposite-sex guests on the show, how many do you think have arrows pointing at you?”
Wen Zhenghan had been in a gloomy mood for days, just wanting to get things over with, and casually said, “One.”
The audience had seen his CP with Zuo Mei. Zuo Mei should have chosen him too. Answering like this should be fine.
But unexpectedly, just after he finished answering, a machine beside him began beeping.
Wen Zhenghan’s face darkened. He suddenly realized that the thing his palm was pressing on was actually a lie detector?!
The barrage was stunned: 【Wait? If not one, then how many?】
Wen Zhenghan realized the program team was messing around again. But since it was live, he couldn’t lose his temper on the spot.
The program team asked again.
This time Wen Zhenghan gritted his teeth and said, “Two.”
The lie detector finally didn’t go off.
Program team: “Who are they?”
Wen Zhenghan answered with an ugly expression: Zuo Mei and Shen Fu.
Even though Shen Fu said everything before was acting, he couldn’t believe she had absolutely zero genuine feeling.
“Should we send the Film Emperor into the Film Empress’s room, or Shen Fu’s room?” a staff member whispered.
The director whispered back, “Are you stupid? What’s interesting about sending him to the Film Empress’s room? Of course we send him into the room with Shen Fu’s name. And isn’t there already someone inside? Stuff them together and the ratings will be even higher.”
Wen Zhenghan was sent into Shen Fu’s room.
As soon as he entered, he met Chu Wei’s eyes.
Both their expressions turned ugly.
The barrage fans from both sides were about to faint.
Onlookers were laughing themselves sick: 【Two bootlickers gathered together.】
Wen Zhenghan fans: 【Get lost!】
Chu Wei fans were upset: 【Is your Film Emperor overly confident? How the h*ll did I not see Shen Fu liking your guy? Shen Fu liking our guy is much more likely.】
Wen Zhenghan fans: 【……】 Get lost. Who wants to compare anything with you idiots!
The hot spring room was a bit warm. Chu Wei and Wen Zhenghan each sat leaning against a wall. The atmosphere was awkward and stiff.
At that moment, they both heard the doorknob move. Their faces instantly stiffened even more.
No way, someone else is coming?
Could it be Jiang Shu?
He also thinks Shen Fu likes him?
This crown prince is way too confident!
The next second, Xiang Lingyun walked in, looking awkward.
Chu Wei: “?”
Wen Zhenghan: “?”
Barrage screen: 【????】
