Many viewers on the forums couldn’t sleep either.
“Couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night, so I went back through the entire show from the beginning. Ended up smiling like an idiot again. I found so many new details. Going to organize everything and post an analysis thread in a few days.”
“Wuwuwu, I’m losing sleep over someone else’s love story too. Waiting for OP’s analysis. Side note: how that ring ended up around the Crown Prince’s neck is still an unsolved mystery. Is there seriously no genius who can figure it out with frame-by-frame analysis?”
“Whether D put it on himself or Shen Fu put it on him, both versions are delicious. The first is premeditated. The second is following her heart.”
Elsewhere, someone tagged the famous editor Running Lighthouse on Weibo: “Master editor, can you make a mashup of the male guests using Storms of a Chaotic Era? We probably won’t see a dating show with a cast this attractive again for years.”
To everyone’s surprise, Running Lighthouse was still awake.
He replied: “Mashup my *ss. The only thing I can make is Chaotic Dog Era. The other four aren’t even in the same league as my son-in-law in terms of looks. They don’t deserve to appear in the same video as him.”
“Your son-in-law?”
Bro, wake up. Doesn’t your profile say you’re eighteen years old?!
Another famous video editor posted a preview: “Hehe, I’m actually editing a The Truth Is True fan video for Shen Fu and Jiang Shu right now. Look forward to it! It’ll be released tomorrow night at 8 PM.”
The comments immediately exploded: “AAAAHHHHH EVEN YOU HAVE STARTED SHIPPING THEM?!”
The show was nearing its finale. The topic surged onto the trending charts once again.
Back at the hotel, Shen Fu hadn’t gone to sleep either. She was packing her luggage in advance.
After nearly a month of filming, the variety show was finally ending. Honestly, it really had been exhausting.
Once she had mostly finished packing, she sat down on the bed and started dealing with work messages on her phone.
Suddenly, there were two soft knocks at her door.
At the same time, her phone vibrated. A message from Jiang Shu appeared: “It’s me.”
Shen Fu got up and opened the door. The moment their eyes met, both of them felt a little embarrassed.
Meeting now felt like one of those ancient marriage customs where the bride and groom were strictly forbidden from seeing each other before the wedding, Yet the couple secretly couldn’t resist sneaking around to meet beforehand.
“If you can’t sleep…” Jiang Shu tilted his head toward the rooftop terrace. “Want to go look at the stars?”
He had just finished washing his hair. His black hair was still damp, making his already striking features look even more handsome. For once he wasn’t wearing sunglasses. His dark eyes were lowered slightly as he looked at her expectantly.
Shen Fu poked her head out and glanced down the corridor. “Right now?”
“Even if we get caught, it doesn’t matter,” Jiang Shu said. “It’s not like we’re high schoolers sneaking around in puppy love. I came here openly and with a clear conscience.”
Shen Fu glanced at him and couldn’t help laughing. “Sure.”
The moment she laughed, Jiang Shu’s ears immediately turned red with embarrassment and annoyance. “What are you laughing at?”
Even if they were going to see each other again tomorrow, couldn’t he come see his wife in the middle of the night?!
What was wrong with that? Was she making fun of him for being impatient?
“I’m not even allowed to laugh?” Shen Fu said. “Why are you so fierce?”
“Am I?” Jiang Shu instantly became a little nervous. He adjusted his tone and asked, “Shen Fu, how about now?”
Shen Fu squeezed his hand. “I’m joking.”
Jiang Shu let out a sigh of relief. Turning sideways, he took down the coat hanging by the entryway and handed it to her. “Put this on first.”
Jiang Shu had originally wanted to set everything up on the rooftop. But some idiot had occupied it in the middle of the night, and when he went up there, he almost stepped on a beer bottle. So he simply gave up on the rooftop and asked the staff to help him tidy up a terrace garden on the top floor instead.
Holding his hand, Shen Fu followed him upstairs.
She had no idea that the huge white tent and the decorative lights had all been arranged by him. She thought they had always been there.
“Jiang Shu, you’re really good at finding places.”
…Couldn’t she think in a more romantic direction?
But since she already assumed the hotel had prepared everything, it would seem too deliberate if he suddenly announced that he had arranged it himself.
With his hands in his pockets, Jiang Shu followed behind her and lazily replied, “Of course I am.”
The two sat down on a small loveseat inside the tent.
Looking up at the night sky overhead, Shen Fu said, “Summer’s almost here.”
Jiang Shu’s legs were too long, so he had to kick a storage box out of the way to make room for them. Sitting down, he opened a drink and handed it to her. “Weren’t we supposed to be stargazing? Why did you bring your phone up here?”
Shen Fu took a sip, casually handed the drink back to him, and continued typing on her phone. “I was handling work when you knocked on my door. I haven’t finished replying yet.”
Her phone had been confiscated for several days. Her email inbox and WeChat had piled up with messages. Some things Liang Xiaochun could decide on directly, but most of them still needed her review. An advertiser had sent over a sample video and wanted her to post on Weibo. Gong Kuan had sent a script and wanted her to familiarize herself with it in advance. As soon as this variety show ended, she would be joining the production team.
“Wait a minute,” Shen Fu said.
Jiang Shu: “…”
He set the drink on the box and rested his chin on his hand, staring at Shen Fu for a while. His gaze was practically predatory, but Shen Fu acted as if she didn’t notice. Unable to endure it any longer, Jiang Shu lowered his voice and called out, trying to attract her attention.
“Wife.”
Shen Fu looked up. “What?”
“Nothing.” Jiang Shu was delighted. So he was still more important than work. “I just wanted to call you.”
Shen Fu: “…”
You’re seriously annoying!
Seeing that she was ignoring him again, Jiang Shu grabbed one of her hands and pointed upward. “Wife, look at that star over there. Why is it so bright?”
Shen Fu didn’t want to respond.
“…”
Jiang Shu’s face darkened. “Wife, it’s almost midnight. Which shameless people are still bothering you instead of letting you rest? Their companies deserve to go bankrupt.”
Without even lifting her head, Shen Fu continued typing.
“…”
Jiang Shu spread his arms and trapped her within them, practically wanting to knead her into his embrace. Yet Shen Fu remained completely unmoved.
Him: “…”
Forceful romance wasn’t working. Maybe a handsome guy acting spoiled?
“Wife, wife, wife.” Burying his handsome face into Shen Fu’s shoulder, he muttered resentfully without stopping.
Those messages had already gone unanswered for several days. What difference would one more day make? Could anything possibly be more important than stargazing together?
How could there be a woman this unromantic?!
Shen Fu shoved his head away. Because he was so tall and broad, she nearly failed to move him. “I think you just want an excuse to say those words.”
Jiang Shu blinked. “How did you know?!”
Shen Fu: “…”
Suddenly, she felt that her future family life might never know peace.
Outside, Jiang Shu was as cold and intimidating as the wind.
In private, he was genuinely insane.
“Can’t you deal with some of your own work too?” Shen Fu asked.
“I don’t want to think about that stuff when I’m on a date.”
Although that was what he said, Jiang Shu still grumbled while pulling out his own phone.
Shen Fu lowered her head and hurriedly finished handling the truly urgent matters. The less urgent ones could wait until after the variety show ended tomorrow.
Finally, Jiang Shu fell silent.
Shen Fu quickly finished reviewing the emails that needed confirmation, turned off her phone screen, and prepared to focus on the date.
Only to discover that Jiang Shu was staring intently at his own phone as well, his dark brows furrowed in concentration.
He really was handsome. His features were so perfect that there was nothing to criticize. From the time he was fifteen until now, Shen Fu had to admit that much. If not for the fact that there was clearly something wrong with his brain, he would be absolutely perfect.
When he worked seriously, he seemed to gain a steadiness that contrasted with his usual rebellious and unruly demeanor.
Thinking this, Shen Fu leaned closer with an appreciative look, curious about what work he was handling.
Then she saw that he was deeply focused on searching for something online.
His search history read:
Which creates a more unforgettable memory for a wife and makes her love her husband more passionately: a sky wedding, a lawn wedding, or an ocean wedding?
What font should be used on wedding invitations to look classy enough to intimidate my wife’s exes?
Should I invite my romantic rivals to the wedding?
If my wife is very cold during dates, does that mean she doesn’t love me anymore?
How can I shift my wife’s attention away from work and onto me?
Shen Fu: “…”
Very good. You have successfully gotten my attention.
…
On the rooftop, Chu Wei and Xiang Lingyun were gloomily drinking. Taking a couple of steps toward the edge, they could see that the terrace one floor below was still lit up.
Chu Wei asked in confusion, “The hotel set up a tent down there?”
However, because the tent and the glass were in the way, they couldn’t see who was over there.
Xiang Lingyun took another gloomy sip of alcohol and said, “The production team probably didn’t book the entire hotel. There’s actually a couple over there stargazing instead of sleeping in the middle of the night. Seriously.”
Chu Wei said bitterly, “I really want to throw a brick over there.”
Now, whenever he saw other people in love, he felt as miserable as a dog.
…
The next day, the guests ate breakfast and lunch in their rooms. By the time the production team called them out, Shen Fu and Jiang Shu had already flown to the snow-covered mountains to film the next segment.
This time, unlike previous dating reality shows featuring ordinary participants, the production team did not make the male guests stand in the cold wind waiting for the female guests to choose them. It seemed they were at least preserving some dignity for the remaining contestants.
The fact that none of the others had ever heard a knock on their doors meant only one thing: On the final selection day, only Shen Fu and Jiang Shu had chosen each other.
Although everyone had known this would probably be the result, now that it was officially decided, it was still difficult to accept.
The production team left part of the filming crew behind and announced: “We’ve invited two guest participants to provide emotional healing sessions for the guests who weren’t chosen. If anyone is feeling upset, you can talk to our guest participants. Also, please don’t rush to pack your luggage, we still need to film some follow-up interviews.”
The seven people left behind at the hotel: “…”
Wow. Thanks so much, production team.
Most viewers in the livestream comments had already gone to watch Shen Fu and Jiang Shu on the mountain, leaving only the contestants’ fans and a small group of spectators who enjoyed the drama.
[I’m dying. “Emotional healing.” The production team is so savage.]
[There isn’t even a scene where Shen Fu walks past several male guests and heads straight for Jiang Shu? I thought we’d get that iconic moment on the final selection day. Looks like the production team showed some mercy before the finale.]
[LOL, you’re too cruel. Haven’t the previous eight episodes already given us enough scenes like that?]
The fans of Xiang Lingyun, Wen Zhenghan, and the others breathed a slight sigh of relief. Thankfully, the final selection day had ended in a relatively dignified manner. If it had really happened the way the commenters described, then after the show ended, the video-sharing sites would have gained endless new “ultimate simp” compilations.
Of course, things weren’t much better now…
As they watched their favorite celebrities rapidly losing followers, the fans of several fandoms collectively fell silent…
With only two people left for the final itinerary, Jiang Shu felt that the entire world had become peaceful.
The production team drove Jiang Shu and Shen Fu in a jeep to the foot of the snow mountain.
“This is the final stop of Limited-Time Heartbeat. Once this segment ends, our program will officially conclude. Thank you to all the viewers who have supported us throughout the livestream. One month from now, at the same time, we will air Episode Nine: Are They Newlyweds Yet? We’ll be filming a trip to see the aurora for the couple who successfully matched.”
[Waaah, thank you, production team! We even get a special bonus episode full of sweetness!]
[By Episode Nine it’ll already be summer, right?! The summer solstice is the perfect time to watch the aurora in Mohe. Crown Prince Jiang, Shen Fu, I’ll have my watermelon and spoon ready while waiting for you two.]
Episode Nine had already been included in the show’s contract, so neither Jiang Shu nor Shen Fu was surprised.
The two changed into thicker outdoor jackets and began climbing the mountain with the production team.
Stepping onto the snow-covered slopes, surrounded by endless white, everything seemed almost sacred.
A cool, icy wind brushed against their faces, carrying tiny snowflakes with it. Some blew into Shen Fu’s eyes.
Jiang Shu removed one glove and gently wiped her eyes for her. “Better now?”
Shen Fu nodded.
The livestream comments immediately started screaming again:
[What is this? What is this? The little couple is at it again!]
[Did anyone notice that Crown Prince Jiang never let go of Shen Fu’s hand even while taking off his glove?]
[This really is a dating show. Now I want a relationship. Single people are crying.]
Walking, stopping, and continuing onward, they finally reached the summit at an altitude of 4,680 meters.
The production team had cleared the area beforehand. There were no other tourists around.
Only the two of them stood before the stone monument.
The cameraman grinned from ear to ear.
“Now we’re going to take photos of the successful couple, ”
Author’s Note:
“Please stand a little closer together. Let’s get a special photo, something memorable.”
Shen Fu glanced at Jiang Shu’s arm, which was already wrapped firmly around her shoulders.
“He’s already pulled me into his arms. How much closer can we get? We’re already close enough, aren’t we?”
Jiang Shu: “…”
Beneath his polarized sunglasses, his handsome face suddenly turned red.
D*mn it.
Was she saying he was being too proactive?
“How about this?”
Without warning, Jiang Shu scooped Shen Fu up into a bridal carry.
A princess carry at the summit of a 4,680-meter mountain should count as special, right?
Shen Fu jumped in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
The livestream comments exploded:
[AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!]
