You Guys Wouldn’t Have Taken My Casual Acting Seriously, Right Chapter 43

【Shen Fu was the one who asked the staff for the slippers! And she’s pretending it’s a coincidence. What do we do? I feel like she actually kind of likes the Crown Prince.】

【But she also seemed to have a great conversation with Gu Zhidao. And remember that “Three Minutes in the Dark” game? When the Crown Prince sat on her lap, she shoved him away immediately. But Gu Zhidao hasn’t been rejected by her even once yet. That alone puts him way ahead of the other male guests.】

【AHHHHH what is even going on?!】

The comments felt completely lost.

【The only thing we can be certain about is that Chu Wei currently has the lowest competitiveness.】

Chu Wei’s fans were furious.

Several men were competing, yet everyone kept singling out their guy as having the weakest chances.

Wasn’t that basically saying he lacked masculine charm?

D*mn it.

How had things turned out like this?

If they’d known things would end up this way, they wouldn’t have spent the beginning of the show relentlessly attacking Shen Fu.

If they had enthusiastically shipped the two of them together from the start, maybe Chu Wei and Shen Fu would already be a couple by now!

【So what if the chances are low? At least our couple was officially confirmed and made headline news before. Unlike all of you fake ships running around shipping random people. Hope all the couples you’re shipping are just acting!】

Chu Wei’s fans raged helplessly in the comments.

Meanwhile, Chu Wei was helping Gu Zhidao carry his suitcase down the bedroom hallway. “Ge, coming from the living room, these are the rooms for the eight of us. The male guests are on this side, and the female guests are all over there.”

Since Gu Zhidao wasn’t a romantic rival, helping the newcomer integrate into the group could also earn some goodwill from the audience.

The career-minded side of Chu Wei, which had been missing for a very long time, had finally resurfaced.

Gu Zhidao asked, “Who owns these fish?”

Chu Wei enthusiastically explained, “Shen Fu feeds them pretty often. The production team takes care of them the rest of the time. Oh, and we also have a corgi named Little Yan.”

Wen Zhenghan: “…Little Nao.”

He corrected him coolly.

“Pfft.” Chu Wei continued,

“…It’s out on the lawn. The production team feeds it, but you can go play with it.”

Gu Zhidao nodded. “Okay.”

Xiang Lingyun crossed his arms and frowned. “But there are only eight rooms on this floor, and they’re all occupied. Where’s the new guy supposed to stay?”

Gu Zhidao casually looked over the eight rooms and noticed that among the male guests, Chu Wei’s room was the closest to Shen Fu’s.

A staff member from the production team explained: “There are still empty bedrooms on the fourth floor. Teacher Gu can stay upstairs. Or, if one of the male guests is willing, they could share a room with him and free up half of their room.”

Jiang Shu, that young master, hadn’t even bothered coming over for the newcomer-introduction segment.

As for Xiang Lingyun, there was naturally no way he was willing to share a room with anyone else.

As for Wen Zhenghan, given his status in the industry… even if he were willing, the production team wouldn’t dare ask that of him.

At the right moment, Chu Wei smiled and said, “How about sharing a room with me? The room is pretty big anyway. The fourth floor is too quiet and too far away from everyone else.”

Maybe the newcomer could even give him some advice. Weren’t artists supposed to have lots of inspiration?

Gu Zhidao smiled. “Chu Wei, then I’ll trouble you.”

The livestream comments couldn’t stop laughing.

【HAHAHAHA HELP. Chu Wei, what are you thinking? You’re literally inviting a wolf into your house!】

Chu Wei’s fans were utterly hopeless.

【Laugh all you want. Our Ge is just a little too innocent.】

After the room assignments were settled, Gu Zhidao wheeled his luggage into Chu Wei’s room.

A little later, the production team delivered a second bed. Chu Wei stayed behind to help Gu Zhidao get settled.

Most of the cameras inside the room had already been removed by the guests.

Looking at the tablet on Chu Wei’s desk, Gu Zhidao asked, “What are you watching?”

The show prohibited guests from using personal phones or tablets to access the internet, but before arriving, Chu Wei had downloaded several videos onto his tablet. When he couldn’t sleep at night, he’d put on headphones and watch them.

“Some fan-edited videos of me and Shen Fu from Bilibili,” Chu Wei said, tapping the screen and showing it to him.

His tone carried a hint of melancholy. “I never expected there’d actually be so much material. There are already several thousand videos. The most popular one, Those Adventurous Dreams, has over a hundred thousand views.”

“Watching them makes my feelings really complicated. My heart hurts. Sigh. But I still can’t stop watching.”

Gu Zhidao: “…”

His own feelings were pretty complicated right now too.

Judging from the timeline, Shen Fu had met him less than a month after breaking up with Chu Wei.

If he told Chu Wei that Shen Fu might never have been sincere toward him in the first place, otherwise how could she have fallen for Gu Zhidao so quickly, wouldn’t Chu Wei jump off the building?

Out of humanitarian concern, Gu Zhidao wisely kept his mouth shut.

After unpacking, Gu Zhidao headed outside.

Gu Qingshuang was sitting on the sofa and pouted at him. “Ge, pour me a glass of orange juice.”

The comments noticed too.

【These cousins seem pretty close.】

【Gu Qingshuang is probably the youngest in the family and the most spoiled.】

Gu Zhidao glanced at her, lazily walked over to the refrigerator, took out a large bottle of orange juice, and poured her a glass.

Gu Qingshuang happily started drinking it.

…

Then she watched him pour a glass for each of the other three female guests as well.

Gu Qingshuang: “……”

Shen Fu looked around.

All the other female guests had one. If she alone refused, it would just make her stand out unnecessarily.

So she thanked him and casually accepted the glass.

Then that same complicated, unreadable look appeared in Gu Zhidao’s eyes again.

Shen Fu: “……”

Calmly, she put down the orange juice and quickly returned to her room to sleep.

Gu Qingshuang saw everything.

The moment Gu Zhidao wandered over toward the fish tank, she immediately dragged him into her room. “What are you doing, Ge? Did you forget why you came onto this show?”

Gu Zhidao sat down in the single chair beside her bed and casually flipped through a magazine. “I know.”

Gu Qingshuang was practically furious. “Then why are you pouring orange juice for Shen Fu?”

“Not just Shen Fu. You shouldn’t have poured any for the others either.”

She barely had any standout moments on the show as it was. Yet the relative she’d invited wasn’t even helping her.

Gu Zhidao looked up. “If all the other female guests are in the living room and I only pour a drink for you, wouldn’t everyone else feel awkward? It’s just a glass of orange juice.”

Gu Qingshuang said, “Do you even know what a dating show is? It’s a place where either you look good and everyone else feels awkward, or everyone else looks good and you’re the one who feels awkward!”

“I brought you here because I expected you to give Shen Fu the cold shoulder. But look at you.”

Gu Zhidao fell silent for a moment. “Have I ever told you about the little actress ex-girlfriend who was driven away by the Gu family?”

A bad feeling immediately rose in Gu Qingshuang’s chest. “Don’t tell me…”

“That’s right. It was Shen Fu.”

Gu Zhidao sighed. “My mother gave her money, humiliated her, and told her to leave me. But she never accepted the money.”

Gu Qingshuang froze. “How much?”

“Five million.”

“Five million and she still didn’t take it? Isn’t she supposed to be obsessed with money? And she was struggling financially before she became famous, wasn’t she?”

Gu Qingshuang looked shocked. “Then she really cared about you!”

“Exactly.”

Gu Zhidao sighed helplessly. 

“She was the only one in all these years who didn’t even want the money.”

“When you think about it, I was the one who wronged her.”

Although Shen Fu had just accepted five million from him without blinking an eye.

To Gu Zhidao, however, five million now and five million back then were entirely different concepts.

She had refused the money when she was at her most desperate.

Now that her net worth had skyrocketed, how could she possibly care about a mere five million?

After hearing this, Gu Qingshuang became convinced. “She still hates you.”

“Ge, I understand girls. If she truly didn’t care anymore, she wouldn’t still hold resentment toward you now.”

“You still have a chance.”

Though inwardly she wasn’t thrilled that her close cousin seemed to be getting stolen away by Shen Fu, and if things really worked out, would she actually have to become relatives with Shen Fu?

Still…

This might create a turning point regarding Jiang Shu.

Gu Qingshuang suddenly changed her stance. “Hurry up and win her back. I’ll help you.”

…

At dinner that evening, with Gu Zhidao included, all nine guests finally gathered together.

The production team announced the rules for Episode Five:

“Love isn’t just about two people. Earning approval from family elders is important as well.”

“Tomorrow, we will invite each guest’s elders to participate in a one-day Family Meeting segment.”

“But before that, tonight we’ll play a small game to welcome our new guest.”

Since the number of guests had increased to nine, the dining table had to be extended.

The production team added an extra table section near Xu Tiaotiao and Chu Wei.

However, after dinner ended, Gu Qingshuang and Gu Zhidao, the cousin pair, moved the table over to Shen Fu’s side instead.

Gu Zhidao got his wish and sat down beside Shen Fu.

Everyone at the dining table looked at the two of them in confusion.

…What exactly were they doing?

Jiang Shu’s expression, which had only just cleared up after dark clouds, turned gloomy again.

Chu Wei also looked at Gu Zhidao with a head full of question marks, but since the production team was still announcing the rules, he couldn’t directly ask.

“The rules of the game are to judge when the air hammer will fall.”

“We’ll select two female guests to compete in a PK match. The winner will earn 1 point. Each participating female guest will draw lots to choose two male guests to help her. The male guests will stand behind her and remind her when the air hammer is about to drop.”

“If the female guest gets hit by the air hammer, the male guests will receive a punishment. A basin of cold water will be poured down mercilessly from above. As for which male guest gets punished, the female guest will decide.”

Just hearing the rules made the livestream comments explode with excitement:

【Doesn’t that mean we might get to see the male guests soaked?】

Shen Fu was selected first.

She immediately reached into the box and drew two male guests.

The director glanced at Jiang Shu and deliberately shook the box a little before handing it to Shen Fu.

Soon, it was announced that Shen Fu had drawn Jiang Shu and Gu Zhidao.

Gu Zhidao smiled faintly and took off his suit jacket.

He was now wearing only a dress shirt. When the punishment came later, Shen Fu surely wouldn’t choose him to get drenched, right?

【Teacher Gu truly lives up to being an artist. He’s really willing to play.】

Jiang Shu, meanwhile, glanced at the transparent buckets hanging above the terrace, each filled with ice cubes, and silently put on an additional black jacket.

【D*mn it, does he have to guard his virtue this hard? What’s wrong with letting us have a look?】

After Shen Fu finished drawing, she went with the two male guests to stand at the game area on the terrace.

“Who would like to try next?” the production team asked.

Zuo Mei glanced sideways at Gu Qingshuang.

Since Gu Zhidao was on Shen Fu’s team for this round, Shen Fu shouldn’t be able to win, right?

Hadn’t they agreed that Gu Zhidao would help them?

She needed more standout moments to wash away the reputation of being a complete disaster at games from the hide-and-seek episode.

Thinking this, Zuo Mei stood up with a smile. “I haven’t played games in a while. I’ll do it.”

Gu Qingshuang: “…”

Gu Qingshuang guiltily rubbed the tip of her nose.

Zuo Mei drew Xiang Lingyun and Wen Zhenghan into her team.

Chu Wei: “…”

How was it that even something as random as drawing lots always left him out?

But what no one expected was that Zuo Mei lost seven rounds in a row.

Whenever the hammer came down, Shen Fu’s side seemed able to sense it somehow. Her reactions were unbelievably fast.

Jiang Shu’s warnings were all extremely accurate.

Yet there had been at least two occasions when, amid the production team’s noisy interference, Zuo Mei couldn’t even hear clearly whether she should dodge or not. Shen Fu, however, still avoided the hammer at lightning speed.

Jiang Shu felt a little proud.

This kind of tacit understanding had been built up back in their younger days while fishing together with Wang Xuanheng and the others.

“Now then, Teacher Zuo Mei, please choose which male guest will receive the punishment.”

Looking embarrassed, Zuo Mei turned to Xiang Lingyun and Wen Zhenghan.

“Sorry about this.”

Anyway, Wen Zhenghan had embarrassed her again and again, so they might as well both get drenched.

“Let’s randomly give one person four times and the other three times.”

Xiang Lingyun: “…”

Wen Zhenghan: “…”

Xiang Lingyun was drenched four times in a row, while Wen Zhenghan got soaked three times. Both men wiped the water from their faces with cold expressions.

The fans in the livestream comments were furious:

【What the h*ll is wrong with the Film Empress? If she can’t play games, then don’t play.】

The Emperor-and-Empress CP fans cried their hearts out and completely gave up hope.

Zuo Mei’s fans immediately fired back:

【Are you even men? Getting splashed with a little water and you’re already whining.】

After seven consecutive losses, even the production team felt awkward for Zuo Mei.

A crew member quietly said to the planner, “The director isn’t here. Why don’t you make the call and let Shen Fu lose three rounds? Otherwise people might start suspecting we’re rigging things. At least save some face for the Film Empress.”

Besides, if this kept up and Xiang Lingyun and Wen Zhenghan continued getting drenched, their fans might tear the entire production team apart.

The planner considered it for a moment.

“Alright.”

In the eighth round, the air hammer shifted slightly off course, and Shen Fu was finally hit.

Zuo Mei let out a sigh of relief.

See? It wasn’t like she always lost. Her earlier defeats had just been bad luck.

“Teacher Shen Fu, please choose which male guest will receive the punishment.”

Shen Fu turned around and glanced at Gu Zhidao and Jiang Shu.

The livestream comments instantly became nervous.

【Holy cr*p, who is she going to choose? A huge bucket of ice water dumped over your head is no joke.】

【Will she choose Jiang Shu? They’ve been filming together for half a month already, so they’re familiar with each other. Plus Jiang Shu is pursuing her, so he wouldn’t get angry. Gu Zhidao is the newcomer, and she still, 】

Before the viewers could finish analyzing the situation, Shen Fu pointed at Gu Zhidao without the slightest hesitation.

“Him.”

The livestream comments: 【……】

The moment Shen Fu finished speaking, a basin of ice water came crashing down over Gu Zhidao’s head.

His shirt was instantly soaked through. Even though he normally didn’t have bangs, his hair now hung down over his forehead.

Him: “…”

Looking utterly incredulous, he raised a hand and pushed his wet hair back.

He hadn’t even recovered for two seconds before Shen Fu lost again.

【There’s no way she’ll choose Gu Zhidao again this time, right? One punishment each would be less awkward.】

“Gu Zhidao.”

The livestream comments: 【……】

The transparent bucket above flipped over again, and another basin of ice water poured straight down onto Gu Zhidao.

Even Gu Qingshuang had stood up by this point.

Gu Zhidao closed his eyes and tried to calmly wipe the water from his face.

…

“Round ten. Teacher Shen Fu loses again.”

The staff looked apologetically at Shen Fu.

Even Shen Fu couldn’t help frowning.

What was going on?

She was sure she had dodged.

Unless the air hammer hadn’t actually moved according to the signals the staff were giving.

Fortunately, after winning seven times and losing three times, she still got the points.

Now the only question left was who to choose.

She turned around and looked at the two men behind her.

Gu Zhidao was soaked from head to toe, looking as bedraggled as a drowned rat.

Jiang Shu stood off to the side as if nothing had happened, but the moment she looked at him, his heart skipped a beat.

Gu Zhidao had already been drenched twice. No matter what, the third time should be his turn, right?

Otherwise, she would probably get criticized by the fans.

With that thought, Jiang Shu ran a hand through his jet-black short hair and prepared himself to be drenched.

The livestream comments thought the same thing:

【Even the Film Empress split the punishments between the two men. Shen Fu can’t possibly be that obvious about favoring someone, 】

Before they could finish: “Let’s go with Teacher Gu Zhidao again. Sorry about that.”

The final bucket of ice water came crashing down.

Gu Zhidao: “…”

Livestream comments:

【AHHHHHHH HOLY SH*T】

Jiang Shu couldn’t help himself. He turned around and faced the wall behind him.

D*mn it.

His face was about to turn red.