Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 18: Male Guest No. 1 Quits, A Replacement Appears!

　　Miss W, who claimed to be Lu Shixuan’s ex-girlfriend, posted on Weibo late last night, saying she had faced a storm of online abuse because of Lu Shixuan’s inappropriate remarks.

　　She used nine long images to explain the whole story.

　　It all started on the day of the camping truth-or-dare episode. On the show, Lu Shixuan said that his ex-girlfriend dumped him because she thought he was poor.

　　When the episode aired, curious netizens immediately started digging into the ex-girlfriend’s information.

　　The study-abroad community is small, and after Lu Shixuan returned to China and became a CEO of a listed company, he was a well-known figure among alumni. Many people already knew about some of his previous relationships, so word spread quickly about who his ex-girlfriend might be.

　　From the moment her name and photos were exposed, everything went out of control.

　　Miss W’s name, photos, and social media accounts were circulated online. Her inbox and comment sections were flooded with people calling her gold digger, criticizing her for lacking foresight, and mocking her for not realizing how successful Lu Shixuan had become.

　　The sheer volume of insults and attacks almost drove her crazy while she was just trying to live a normal life.

　　Friends comforted her, saying that online abuse comes in waves and it would eventually die down.

　　But she couldn’t swallow her anger. She decided to speak up and clarify the truth.

　　So she stayed up all night creating long image posts, pulling out all the evidence she had, and revealing the real story.

　　The reason they broke up was not that she was after money or that they had incompatible values. The real reason was that Lu Shixuan cheated!

　　During that time, they did have arguments, and she had expressed concerns about Lu Shixuan’s business plans, but none of those conflicts were irreconcilable.

　　What truly made her decide to break up was discovering flirtatious messages between Lu Shixuan and another girl on his phone.

　　During their arguments, he would complain to other girls, whining that Miss W didn’t understand him as a girlfriend, didn’t support him, and didn’t stand by him while he was under so much pressure trying to start his business.

　　He chatted with that girl every day, venting and complaining, and over time, it became more than just simple venting.

　　Following tiny clues, Miss W quickly found records on his phone showing that he had booked hotel rooms with another girl.

　　At the time, she felt shocked and hurt, but she stayed rational and first saved the evidence. Then she confronted Lu Shixuan to ask if he was cheating.

　　Lu Shixuan, of course, denied it flatly and accused her of being overly suspicious.

　　By then, she was already deeply disappointed and felt there was no point in dragging things out. She gave him the last bit of dignity, not revealing the evidence, and simply broke up with him.

　　She had no idea that after the breakup, Lu Shixuan would go around claiming behind her back that she was materialistic.

　　Even more surprising was that after returning to China and appearing on a dating variety show—achieving success and fame—he would actually bring up their relationship on the show, brazenly misrepresent the truth, and blatantly throw all the blame for the breakup on her.

　　He became the much-praised protagonist of the show Don't Despise the Poor Young Man.

　　And she became the short-sighted ex-girlfriend, slapped in the face by his success.

　　This time, she couldn’t take it anymore. She was going to set the record straight.

　　Miss W not only made all the evidence she had collected public, proving that Lu Shixuan had cheated both emotionally and physically, but she also revealed that, to her knowledge, he had dated at least two or three other girls after their breakup.

　　After he returned to China, they had no further contact, so she couldn’t verify any of his later relationships.

　　Miss W, a master’s graduate from a prestigious Ivy League school, laid out her case with an extremely clear mind map. In just nine simple images, she made everything understandable to the public.

　　At the end of her long exposé, she even quoted a screenshot of Chu Ling from the show and said:

　　“I really think now that it’s my luck we didn’t end up together. Being with someone like that—someone who actually did something wrong but then backstabbed me after the breakup—shows that I’ve got good judgment.”

　　She tagged the show’s official account in her post, and it quickly gained traction. In just a few hours, the comment section exploded.

　　【No wonder she’s a top student, even her gossip posts are so clear.】

　　【Isn’t this my senior?! Her family’s super rich. How could anyone think she dumped him because she was a gold digger?】

　　【Alumni here, I vaguely remember hearing they broke up back then. Everyone thought it was a peaceful split because they were such a good-looking couple, but it turns out he cheated?!】

　　【Did you see that, ladies? Being merciful to an enemy is cruelty to yourself. You gave that scumbag dignity and he turned around to smear you on the show!】

　　【This is exactly how those “deeply emotional” guys act. They mess up first, but as soon as the girl breaks up, they act like their love was betrayed and throw all the blame on her.】

　　【Same old loser script: the wannabe ‘nice guy’ ruins everything, then cries victim while the girl’s left cleaning up his mess.】

　　【Hahaha, when I watched the show, he was the one I hated the most. There’s nothing like seeing someone this annoying finally crash!】

　　—I get it.

　　Chu Ling liked that comment with her alt account, lay back in satisfaction, then sat up in bed.

　　She had just woken up and was planning to scroll through and see how many people were cursing her, when she suddenly noticed countless tags directing her to this comment.

　　【Wait, so Chu Ling was actually right? When the person involved isn’t around, he just goes around spreading lies!】

　　【…Remember how Chu Ling hinted during the date yesterday that Male Guest No. 1 had lots of flings? I knew something was fishy then.】

　　【What kind of outrageous talk is this? She said yesterday that Male Guest No. 1 might be a scumbag—and it really turned out true?!】

　　【Back then, so many people trashed her, calling her a fake prophet. Now the tables have turned. Absolutely hilarious.】

　　【And don’t forget, she even mentioned someone else yesterday. Male Guest No. 2, you better watch out.】

　　Chu Ling herself hadn’t expected it to be so accurate.

　　She had indeed sensed Male Guest No. 1’s scheming and insincerity, and she knew that his description of his ex must have been a clever cover-up. 　　

　　She never imagined this terrible guy would actually cheat and still try to shift the blame.

　　So mean and stupid.

　　Serves him right.

　　“Has our show cut the live feed yet?” Chu Ling asked the system.

　　Even the system, which had witnessed all this, was trembling a little. “Not yet.”

　　Now this is interesting.

　　Chu Ling switched back to the live stream for a glance. Sure enough, amid all the insults flying in the chat, everyone was waiting to see the Male Guest No. 1 appear and wondering how the production team would handle it.

　　Other dating shows had similar situations before, but most were pre-recorded. If someone messed up, they could just cut them out or give them a redemption segment. There was always some room to maneuver.

　　But this one was a live broadcast.

　　Everything had to happen right under the audience’s eyes.

　　Would the ratings-obsessed directors contact the Male Guest No. 1 to figure out what to do, or just sacrifice him for the sake of this traffic?

　　Either way, Chu Ling thought the next part would be pretty entertaining.

　　She finished her morning routine, pushed open her door, headed downstairs, and walked into the public space, entering the camera’s view.

　　【It’s Chu Ling! Chu Ling’s up!】

　　【Looks like she’s not reacting much?】

　　【She seems to be in a good mood. Do you think she’s caught wind of something?】

　　【Hard to say. But if someone I hated got into trouble, how could I not be in a better mood than her?】

　　Chu Ling grabbed a bowl of cereal from the fridge, poured in some milk, and was heading to the table when the Female Guest No. 2, Gao Yan, came downstairs too.

　　She glanced at Chu Ling, her expression full of things unsaid.

　　Chu Ling instantly got it.

　　Good morning, fellow gossipers.

　　Gao Yan made herself a cup of black coffee and sat across from Chu Ling, her eyes darting around. She looked like she wanted to ask something but didn’t know how to start.　　

　　Not long after, the others slowly came downstairs as well.

　　Judging by their expressions, Chu Ling figured most of them had already caught up on the gossip.

　　Only Wen Shu looked the same as usual, probably still groggy from just waking up and hadn’t checked her phone yet.

　　The seven of them sat at the table, each quietly eating breakfast with their own thoughts, and no one took the first step to ask what had happened.

　　【Why is everyone so quiet? Hahaha, this is hilarious!】

　　【Confirmed, they’ve all seen the gossip.】

　　【If there’s a group chat, it’s probably already spread everywhere there.】

　　【Why doesn’t the scumbag come out and apologize? He must be hiding now that he knows about it. Coward!】

　　Chu Ling’s cereal bowl was almost empty. She scraped the bottom a couple of times, looked up, and boldly spoke first. “Is someone still not here?”

　　The others froze.

　　Jiang Yicheng was startled. He was just about to ask her to wait when a voice rang out behind him.

　　“What’s going on? Everyone waiting for me?”

　　【The scumbag’s here!】

　　【Apologize! Get out of the Heartbeat Lab!】

　　【How is he so calm?】

　　【He can’t still be clueless about what happened, right?】

　　At the table, everyone else’s expressions instantly became complicated.

　　“Everyone’s been waiting for you.” Chu Ling laughed. “Morning. Did you check your phone?”

　　“Didn’t charge it last night. Still charging now.”

　　“What’s up?” Lu Shixuan instinctively felt Chu Ling’s question was a little odd. After a moment, realization hit him. “You’re not asking if I got a message last night, are you?”

　　Last night, Chu Ling had followed the rules and sent Lu Shixuan a crush message. The effect was immediate, driving Lu Shixuan crazy enough to personally boost her earnings by several thousand in the middle of the night.

　　“Alright, I got it. So?”

　　“I know it was you who sent it.” Lu Shixuan snorted. “Doesn’t matter. Whatever you send me won’t shake my mind. I have my principles. Of course, if your goal was to get my attention, that’s another story.”

　　【Help, I'm so embarrassed on his behalf that my toes are curling so hard right now.】

　　【…He’s way too confident. Pretty sure he doesn’t realize he’s already screwed.】

　　【If I had a skin that thick, I’d be winning at life.】

　　【I came for the gossip, didn’t watch the previous episodes. Can someone explain what Chu Ling sent him yesterday?】

　　【Checked it, it was a little science explainer about narcissistic personality disorder.】

　　【…I’m dying laughing, that’s so Chu Ling.】

　　【Totally Chu Ling, only she can handle guys like this! Hahahaha.】

　　Chu Ling just looked at him and smiled, saying nothing.

　　Seeing her unusually quiet, Lu Shixuan got fired up and continued. “Chu Ling, I don’t know what I did to offend you, but since you’ll still be in the entertainment industry, let me give you a piece of advice. Don’t do anything too extreme.”

　　“I’m definitely staying in the entertainment industry.”

　　Chu Ling, unusually calm, didn’t snap back. She just curved her lips into a peaceful smile. “After all, there are people who can’t stay no matter what.”

　　Lu Shixuan: “?”

　　Jiang Yicheng couldn’t help but speak up, looking a little uneasy. “Louis, maybe you should go check your phone. The producers might be trying to reach you.”

　　Lu Shixuan noticed something was off from the complicated expressions of the others and went back upstairs.

　　Soon, everyone downstairs heard the sound of things being thrown around in his room.

　　The seven of them exchanged glances.

　　Gao Yan finally couldn’t resist and gossiped, “So… you all already know?”

　　“Woke up and saw it first thing.”

　　Chu Ling shrugged. “Never expected the person involved to be the last to know. That’s kinda funny.”

　　Only Wen Shu looked a little lost. “What are you talking about?”

　　Chu Ling just moved her hand and sent a link to Wen Shu.

　　After a quick glance, Wen Shu’s expression became complicated. “…No way.”

　　The male guests stayed silent as if on cue.

　　The female guests couldn’t help but feel disgusted.

　　Ye Weiyang, who had gone on a date with him once and unfortunately got stuck with him, felt particularly grossed out.

　　“Last night… that message should have been from him, right? The one about seeing more scenery before knowing what type I really want…”

　　Ye Weiyang frowned. “Now that I think about it, that sentence feels kind of weird.”

　　Lu Shixuan probably meant to say that after dating Chu Ling, he was even more certain about his choice.

　　But to Ye Weiyang, it sounded like the superior smirk of a seasoned playboy, even putting down other girls, which made her feel uncomfortable at the time.

　　【Ugh, cheating guy, stay away from our Weiyang!】

　　【Good thing none of the female guests had a crush on him, or that would have been terrible.】

　　【Speaking of which, didn’t Chu Ling warn Weiyang yesterday not to fall for a guy like that?】

　　【I have to say, Chu Jie, you're a master at identifying scumbags.】

　　【Yesterday people were roasting Chu Ling for spreading rumors about Male Guest No. 1, saying she was jealous that Weiyang had a man chasing her. Get out here and apologize!!!】

　　【I think she noticed something off during the date, that’s why she warned Weiyang. Both men really did reveal a lot during their dates.】

　　【Even knowing she’d get roasted, she still wanted to warn the female guest. Honestly, I’m crying.】

　　【Chu Ling might be rude, but her points against the male guests were spot on. This is the episode I'm most supportive of Chu Ling!】

　　When Chu Ling saw this barrage of comments, she felt a sudden chill.

　　Don’t like her!

　　The internet can’t turn against her like this!

　　Then Chu Ling scrolled down and saw another comment:【Is Chu Ling actually just trying to clear her name with this? Just because Male Guest No. 1 is a cheating scumbag doesn’t prove Chu Ling is a good person, right?】

　　Chu Ling finally relaxed.

　　Okay, that’s better.

　　These were the netizens she was familiar with—the ones who knew her long before the rumors spread.　　

　　……

　　After Miss W spoke out, a few more of Lu Shixuan’s ex-girlfriends came forward, insisting that he had lied on the show.

　　Lu Shixuan claimed he had been single for a long time and that his last relationship was with Miss W. But all of these girls dated him after he returned to the country.

　　Plus, Lu Shixuan never treated his exes well. Many relationships lasted only a month or two before he dumped them, usually using the same excuse—that they were only with him for his money.

　　No matter how much the girls tried to explain, it didn’t matter. Lu Shixuan was rich, he had taken them to fancy X restaurants and bought them gifts, so the label of a gold digger got stuck on them.

　　They even shared photos of the X restaurant that Lu Shixuan had taken Chu Ling to. Every time he went on a date, he took his girlfriends there too.

　　【LOL, has this become his official date check-in spot?】

　　【No wonder he’s so familiar with it. How many times have you been here?】

　　【Some collect gifts, some collect X restaurant trips. Pre-made dates, you deserve it.】

　　One of the girls boldly spoke to the camera: “I know that during the relationship and even after we broke up, I faced a lot of doubt from people around me. Maybe some of you watching this video are thinking, ‘You were only with him for the money, right? You’re a gold digger, and now you’re daring to expose him?’”

　　Chu Ling watched the video and smirked, saying, “What’s wrong with being a gold digger? In other words, didn’t he also gain emotional benefits from these girls? We haven’t even called him a gold digger yet.”

　　Guys like Lu Shixuan are cunning.

　　Taking you to expensive X restaurants and hotels isn’t a special treat—it’s just his normal spending level. But after the breakup, he turns around and uses that as evidence to accuse you of being a gold digger. And he says it like it’s completely reasonable.

　　“Getting something out of a guy like this isn’t so bad,” Chu Ling said to the girls around her. “After all, what we’re eating now is exactly what I scored from him yesterday.”

　　Wen Shu nearly choked at that.

　　Right now, all the female guests were in Wen Shu and Gao Yan’s shared room, eating the food Chu Ling had packed from the fancy X restaurant yesterday, and chatting about today’s top gossip.

　　Wen Shu coughed a few times, then turned to check the camera before saying, “You talk way too boldly.”

　　“Did I say something wrong?”

　　Chu Ling added with mock regret, “Oh, and the priciest caviar wasn’t packed because it didn’t taste that good. If I’d known, I would’ve chosen a few other things to take. Free is free, might as well make the most of it. It’s not like there’s going to be a next time anyway.”

　　Gao Yan, curious, asked, “What do you think the production team will do about this?”

　　“What else can they do anyway.” Ye Weiyang frowned. “Kick him out, obviously.”

　　Wen Shu whispered, “M-maybe they’ll just make him apologize…?”

　　Have him come out and respond, say he messed up. He won’t dare to do it again.

　　Ye Weiyang shook her head. “Such a huge scandal. As long as he’s here, the audience will reject him. This is a live broadcast, and the negative impact is huge. Besides, no one will want to date him anyway. Keeping him here is pointless.”

　　The other three discussed it briefly, their eyes finally settling on Chu Ling.

　　Chu Ling, the expert in spotting scumbags, had earned even more credibility in their eyes.

　　After thinking for a moment, Chu Ling said, “Hard to say. Most likely he’ll be removed, but if they set this precedent, what happens if a male guest does something similar in the future?”

　　Gao Yan forced a laugh. “I-it won’t get that far…”

　　Chu Ling, meanwhile, just thought these guys were all bad news.

　　Lu Shixuan’s mess-up was only because he was too dumb. Cheating and still daring to bring up the relationship? Anyone with a normal mind wouldn’t stand it.

　　“Hey,” Ye Weiyang said, “do you think Teacher Qin’s ex might also come forward?”

　　After all, it wasn't just Lu Shixuan who had been discussing his ex that day, but also Qin Shuo.

　　Just like Lu Shixuan got roasted for being exposed, Qin Shuo also received the same harsh comments from Chu Ling - belated affection is cheaper than grass.

　　Wen Shu shivered. “N-no way.”

　　She whispered, “Qin Shuo didn’t really say anything too extreme. He’s not like Lu Shixuan.”

　　Chu Ling gave her a glance.

　　Yeah, anyone normal wouldn’t tolerate this, except ¹Baozi.

　　Wen Shu also has her own considerations.

　　Lu Shixuan has no fans, but Qin Shuo does.

　　If she stood up and said that Qin Shuo was pretending to be affectionate and talking nonsense, Qin Shuo's fans would tear her apart.

　　Still, Wen Shu was curious. She asked Chu Ling, “How did you figure out that… both of them were lying?”

　　Whether it was Lu Shixuan claiming his ex was a gold digger, or Qin Shuo acting all sentimental, on the surface it didn’t seem like there was anything wrong. That night, after listening to their stories, only Chu Ling had noticed the clues besides the people involved.

　　“Hmm…”

　　Chu Ling thought for a moment and said, “Just intuition.”

　　The system piped up, “Isn’t that what the spoilers are for?”

　　Chu Ling rolled her eyes and replied, “I already felt like they were talking nonsense at the time.”

　　“People tend to only present the side that benefits themselves. That’s normal. It’s just that in their stories, they made themselves look way too much like victims, so my intuition told me something was off.”

　　After this incident, Ye Weiyang now has more faith in Chu Ling's judgment. She asked, “Then your intuition… among the remaining male guests, is there anyone else who’s a problem?”

　　Chu Ling said, “You’re really asking me?”

　　Ye Weiyang nodded.

　　Chu Ling smiled slightly. “Most likely, no one’s safe.”　　

　　—

　　At the end of this mess, the one who finally spoke up was Lu Shixuan’s current girlfriend.

　　She hadn’t planned to come forward at all, but the netizens were digging so fast it was only a matter of time before they found her. Rather than being exposed by strangers online, it was more dignified to come out herself.

　　She admitted she knew Lu Shixuan would appear on the dating show, but at the time he swore to her that it was just for publicity and wouldn’t affect their relationship. He promised everything would be fine once the show ended. She even shared the chat records of him saying this.

　　In the end, she was shocked by everything Miss W had revealed. She couldn’t believe he was that kind of person and had already decided to break up with Lu Shixuan.

　　【He has a girlfriend and still goes on a dating show, what’s wrong with your show? facepalm】

　　【It’s not the first time someone with a girlfriend goes on a dating show, but to be hammered by so many exes and the current girlfriend together, that’s probably a first. This is historic.】

　　【So… what’s the outcome? Can we finally make him leave?】

　　After the incident, the production team immediately contacted Lu Shixuan to figure out a solution.

　　But at the same time, they didn’t let the attention go to waste.

　　Because Miss W had quoted Chu Ling at the end of her post, that clip went viral on every platform.

　　Chu Ling had originally been brought in to stir up controversy for the show, but this time her words had an unexpectedly positive effect. Hashtags like #Chu Ling The Prophet#, #Chu Ling Master Of Detecting Scum#, and #Chu Ling Roasts Scumbags# started trending one after another.

　　【Chu Ling really hit the nail on the head.】

　　【Honestly, no one believed her at the time… the live chat even criticized Chu Ling.】

　　【Good thing Miss W spoke up, otherwise Chu Ling would still be getting slammed by his fans.】

　　【What’s even more infuriating is that the Male Guest No. 1 later asked Chu Ling how many boys she had dated, then tried to humiliate her by calling her a slut. She’s a celebrity—why should she have to spill such personal things to him?】

　　【It’s none of his damn business. He’s been in dozens of relationships himself, yet still has the nerve to interrogate her! What a rotten man. Get lost and stop harming the female guests!】

　　“Director, please, listen to me. This is really just a misunderstanding.”

　　Lu Shixuan begged the director.

　　“Let me clarify for everyone. My ex is just trying to get back at me! We can’t only listen to her side, right? You have to help me. If I leave like this, I’ll be scolded to death.”

　　The director paused. “You’re already being scolded to death. And this isn’t just one side’s story anymore. It’s multiple accounts.”

　　“We really can’t guarantee anything in this matter.”

　　The director shook his head.

　　“Given the current public opinion, if you don’t leave, the whole show can’t continue.”

　　“If you choose to exit now, we can at least let you keep some dignity.”

　　“If you insist on staying here, what do you even want to do? Can you still face the camera? Can you still go on dates with the female guests? Which one of them would actually want to date you? Does that even make sense?”

　　Lu Shixuan had been pleading for a while, but the director still wouldn’t budge. He lost his temper. “We signed a contract! It clearly says filming lasts two months! You can’t just break it without compensating me!”

　　“Compensate?” The director sneered. “Check your contract! If a guest leaves the show due to their own issues, they must pay the production team compensation. Plus, your actions have caused immeasurable damage to our dating show reputation. If anyone should ask for compensation, it’s us.”

　　“I don’t care how you spin it later. Right now, we just can’t have you here anymore.”　

　　……

　　In the end, this whole blown-up incident ended with Lu Shixuan admitting his mistakes to the cameras and saying he would leave the show.

　　Even though he stubbornly insisted that the online information wasn’t entirely accurate and called for people not to cyberbully him, it was clear he had no defense left.

　　After all, this wasn’t just Miss W speaking out against him. Miss W had sparked the fire, and other affected women joined in, turning it into a wildfire that completely burned Lu Shixuan.

　　At the same time, the stock price of the publicly listed company he owned hit the daily limit down twice in just two days, and it was still trending downward.

　　Now that he was leaving the show, he wasn’t just facing a ruined reputation and social death. He also had to answer to the company, the shareholders, and the massive damage to his career.

　　This harsh outcome made all the other male guests a little nervous. They couldn’t help but think about whether they had unresolved ex-relationships and quickly decided to handle them while they still could.

　　When Lu Shixuan dragged his suitcase to leave, no one dared speak to him. Only Chu Ling went to the door to see him off.

　　Lu Shixuan had always found her annoying, especially since Chu Ling had been posting about his misfortunes online the past couple of days, which had actually improved her reputation a lot. But the fact that she came to see him off surprised him.

　　“…What do you want to say?”

　　Lu Shixuan snorted coldly. “Are you happy seeing me like this?”

　　Chu Ling nodded and admitted frankly. “Very happy.”

　　Lu Shixuan was speechless. He had had some unrealistic expectation of Chu Ling.

　　“I just wanted to say, see, you didn’t listen to me, right?”

　　Chu Ling sighed. “If you had just admitted what I said—that you have narcissistic tendencies—everyone would have cut you some slack. After all, that counts as a mental disorder, and who would go against a patient?”

　　“And now look at the situation. Who can’t stay?”

　　Lu Shixuan was already depressed to the extreme, and before leaving, he was so angry at Chu Ling's words that he vomited blood. He also ended up providing Chu Ling with a large amount of income from his negative emotions.

　　Chu Ling finally felt satisfied.

　　Hmph.

　　After all, the most fun thing for those vicious female supporting roles is to kick someone when they’re down, pile on misery, gloat, and smack the poor guy while he’s already in trouble. If they didn’t, they would feel like they were missing out.

　　Once Lu Shixuan was out, the production team quickly released a statement. They expressed regret over everything that happened and announced that after Male Guest No. 1, Lu Shixuan, left the show, a new male guest would be added within a few days.

　　The guest is ready.

　　It’s just that originally this guest wasn’t supposed to join until the middle of the show. The program team had already written a script for him, and it was definitely meant to be one of the big highlights in the middle and later stages.

　　Now that Lu Shixuan has disrupted the plan, they can only have him prepare to go on stage early.

　　In the dressing room, the agent said to the expressionless young man in front of the makeup mirror, “You know the character setting in this script, right?”

　　“Don’t be so upset. I’ve seen it, and the character assigned to you this time is pretty good. Even if the ending doesn’t work out, it’ll attract a wave of sympathetic fans. With such good popularity, you’ll become a celebrity.”

　　He pressed his lips together and said, “Does it have to be this way?”

　　The agent rolled up the script in his hand and lightly tapped him on the head. “Do you still want to get famous?”

　　“.....”

　　He was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, “Got it.”

　　—

　　After Lu Shixuan left, life in the live broadcast’s house quickly returned to normal.

　　That was, until the production team announced the next event: a two-day, one-night cruise date.

　　“Last time it was camping, now it’s a cruise,” Chu Ling muttered. “Do you really have to go up mountains and down rivers just to date?”

　　But once they stepped onto the cruise and put down their luggage, there was no time to rest before a new task came up.

　　That night, the cruise would hold a masquerade ball, and all the female guests had to dress up.

　　This masquerade was a little different.

　　The female guests had to wear big gowns that hid their figures and masks that covered their entire faces. Then they would wait for dance invitations from the male guests.

　　It was also a test for the men.

　　After a few days of getting to know their favorite female guests, the male guests would be tested on whether they truly understood them. Even with the masks hiding their faces and the dresses obscuring their figures, could they still recognize them in a crowd?

　　That afternoon, the girls began preparing for the masquerade.

　　In one room, a dazzling array of masks was laid out for them to choose from. Chu Ling picked one up and looked in the mirror.

　　The masks were all big enough to cover the entire face, leaving only a glimpse of the eyes. It was impossible to tell who was who.

　　Chu Ling’s face looked good in anything, so she casually picked a black cat mask.

　　Wen Shu looked and chose a rabbit mask.

　　Next came the gowns. The production team had prepared similar gowns for all the girls. They were mostly loose, floor-length styles so that girls of different heights could wear heels of varying heights under the dress, making everyone’s height roughly consistent.

　　The hairstyles and makeup were all handled by the production team’s stylists, keeping them almost identical.

　　The whole transformation took about three to four hours. Finally, the girls were fully dressed and ready to head to the party hall.

　　But Chu Ling noticed that ever since they started, Wen Shu had been holding her rabbit mask with a hesitant expression.

　　Chu Ling asked, “What’s wrong?”

　　Wen Shu looked clearly nervous. She glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then quietly said to Chu Ling, “I have a suspicion… but if I say it out loud, you might think I’m too narcissistic, or that I have delusions.”

　　Chu Ling looked at her and then smiled. “Do you really think I’m that kind of person?”

　　The system muttered silently, “You are.”

　　Have you forgotten how many times you roasted about Lu Shixuan?

　　Chu Ling said, “…we vicious supporting characters always focus on the person, not the matter.”

　　Then she turned to Wen Shu. “It’s fine, just say it. If I think you’re overthinking, I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear it.”

　　Wen Shu took a deep breath, then lowered her voice to a whisper. “…I suspect that after I make my choice, the production team will tell Qin Shuo what I chose.”

　　Her voice trembled a little, nervous. “I know it sounds… very narcissistic. He’s a Film Emperor, and I’m just a regular person. You might think I’m imagining things. But…”

　　She struggled on. “The coincidences in the last two dates gave me this feeling.”

　　She couldn’t tell Chu Ling that based on her knowledge of Qin Shuo, he would never have chosen the planetarium for a date. She had chosen it precisely to avoid him.

　　But somehow, she ended up running into Qin Shuo anyway.

　　It was like taking a test where the answers were already written for you.

　　“And now this time.”

　　The more Wen Shu spoke, the tighter her scalp felt. “I know we picked our own masks, and the male guests don’t know which ones we chose. They’ll pick on the spot. But I have a bad feeling… it’s going to be Qin Shuo again…”

　　She wondered if the moment she picked the rabbit mask, the production team had already told Qin Shuo. Then, when they went out, he would inevitably choose her.

　　Feeling embarrassed and ashamed about her baseless suspicion, Wen Shu said to Chu Ling, “I know it’s hard to believe, but please… don’t tell anyone else.”

　　Chu Ling understood.

　　And she thought it was completely possible.

　　The Film Emperor coming on this show meant he had probably struck some deal with the production team. Considering the original story, the show was basically designed for him to pursue his ex-wife and show off affection. It felt like the perfect trap set up for Wen Shu.

　　All these coincidences, all these twists and turns leading back to her, were part of his long-planned plan.

　　If both sides were chasing each other willingly, it might feel romantic. But for Wen Shu right now, it was definitely not.

　　“I understand,” Chu Ling said after thinking for a moment. “Then here’s what we’ll do. Just before we go in, we’ll switch masks.”

　　Wen Shu froze. “You trust me?”

　　“Trying doesn’t hurt,” Chu Ling replied.

　　She added, “There’s not much time. If your suspicion is true, they won’t have time to inform Qin Shuo at the last minute.”

　　If Wen Shu was right, Chu Ling could help block her for one round and see what happened.　　

　　—

　　On the cruise, inside the party hall.

　　The male guests, each wearing a different suit, were waiting in the hall.

　　The camera panned over them one by one. These already good-looking men looked even more striking after being dressed up. Qin Shuo, in particular, regained some of his star aura, making fans in the live comments scream in excitement.

　　When the camera reached the last person, it revealed an unfamiliar face.

　　It was a young man with single eyelids and light brown eyes. His features were simple and clean, though his expression was a bit cold.

　　He wore a well-tailored tailcoat with a white shirt, giving him an elegant and upright posture, like a young heir from a wealthy family. But the tips of his hair were dyed a bold, bright blue, making him stand out awkwardly against the surroundings and crowd.

　　The live comments exploded instantly.

　　【Who is this?! Never seen him before!】

　　【Must be the new male guest, right? Didn’t the production team say they’d add someone new to replace Lu Shixuan?】

　　【Wow, such an entrance! So young and handsome… total ideal type for me!! I’ve never seen such a gorgeous non-celebrity in real life, who even is he dating?!】

　　【Wait, I don’t think he’s a regular person. I feel like I’ve seen him at some music festival?】

　　【I know! He’s the lead singer and guitarist of the Mayfly Party band! I’ve seen them live!!】

　　【? Why are even rock stars on dating shows now? Has the music scene gotten that bad?】

　　【What’s the difference between a semi-celebrity and a regular person? Let’s just call him a regular person.】

　　【No, the difference is that the risk of scandal is way higher than a regular person…】

　　【They just kicked out Lu Shixuan, and now another band guy is coming? This show feels super risky.】

　　As the clock struck the hour, the girls slowly made their entrance.

　　They wore different masks that covered almost their entire faces, and their figures were completely hidden under the dresses and shoes. Once they took their seats, it was impossible to tell them apart.

　　【I really can’t recognize anyone, they all look exactly the same.】

　　【The production team even made their hairstyles identical, all big waves hahaha, you can’t tell them apart by hair color or style anymore.】

　　【If you can still recognize someone, that’s true love for sure!!】

　　According to the rules, the guys could invite any girl to dance as they wished.

　　If a girl received multiple invitations, she could make a counter-choice.

　　【Go go my Yi Yan! Make sure you pick the right one!】

　　【Qin Wen, Qin Wen, Qin Wen, I want Qin Wen!】

　　【Let’s see who ends up picking Chu Ling, my condolences to that guy in advance.】

　　【That’s so unlucky!!】

　　Chu Ling sat calmly in her seat, waiting for Qin Shuo to come invite her.

　　But to her surprise, the first person to approach wasn’t anyone she knew.

　　The young man in the tailcoat ignored everyone else and walked straight toward her, the girl in the rabbit mask. He bowed like a prince and then extended his hand, saying, “May I have the honor of a dance, my dear lady?”

　　Chu Ling: Yes?!

________________

Glossary:

¹Baozi (包子) literally means steamed bun in Chinese 🍞🥟.

But when used to describe a person, it’s a slang/metaphor:

Baozi = soft, gentle, weak, or too kind-hearted (like a soft bun).

Often used to describe someone who’s easy to bully, overly forgiving, or won’t fight back.

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