PANT - Chapter 32
Chapter 32
“The Love Competition, as the name implies, is a game that tests memory and chemistry, as well as how much attention you pay to the partner by your side. I hope everyone will perform to the best of their ability.”
“We will present a few questions. Each pair of guests will write their answers on a whiteboard. Then, when instructed, you’ll flip your own board over. If your answers match, you win. If you fail, you’ll have to accept our punishment.”
Shi Ning was curious. “What’s the punishment?”
“Can we get something a little more exciting?” Shi Ning complained. “A punishment like performing a talent feels like something elementary schoolers would do.”
Su Tianxue tugged on her sleeve.
This woman really loved to stir up trouble, completely forgetting that she was part of the trouble herself.
Faced with the director’s sudden introduction of the game rules, Su Wanxing quickly raised her hand. “Director, I have a question. Given Zhu Jiejie’s and my situation, does this mean we don’t have to participate?”
Zhu Yu followed up with an explanation. “We’re the show’s love experience officers, but our situation is different from the other guests. Isn’t it… that this competition isn’t suitable for us?”
When the director nodded, both Zhu Yu and Su Wanxing breathed a sigh of relief. Instantly transitioning from actors in the play to spectators, their mindsets changed completely.
But their relief didn’t last two seconds before they exchanged a glance, seeing obvious worry in each other’s eyes.
They both knew that Shi Ning and Su Tianxue weren’t actually in love.
Therefore, there was no such thing as romantic memories.
Playing this kind of game… they were bound to lose. But beyond that, if they got every single question wrong, it would definitely arouse the suspicion of the netizens, wouldn’t it?!
And if they were being compared to a couple like Xin Ya and Zhou Lu…
Su Wanxing thought to herself, this is bad.
Her years of experience following idols and navigating the internet were almost as long as her nine years of compulsory education. She already had a rough idea of what netizens would say if a situation like this arose.
But under the current circumstances…
She and Zhu Yu were exempt because of their special situation; it was clear they weren’t in a relationship and were just there to fill the numbers.
There was absolutely no reason for Shi Ning and Su Tianxue not to participate.
Refusing to play a game like this would be tantamount to telling everyone they had something to hide, wouldn’t it?
But even if they did participate… they wouldn’t gain anything from it.
They would be criticized either way; it was just a matter of which scenario would earn them a lighter scolding and which a heavier one.
Su Wanxing lamented inwardly. She should have known long ago that letting her sister and Shi Ning fake a relationship to go on this romance variety show was the worst idea ever.
Although her sister seemed to have gotten the money and solved their urgent problem, the thought of the endless torrent of criticism that would rush toward her sister and Shi Ning once the truth was exposed filled her with worry.
Zhu Yu had likely thought of the same things.
Her expression remained unchanged, but her gaze deepened slightly.
While Zhu Yu and Su Wanxing were worrying about Shi Ning and Su Tianxue, their hearts in their throats, Shi Ning herself was only surprised for a moment before instantly calming down.
She would cross that bridge when she came to it.
There would always be a way.
She looked at Su Tianxue and found that Su Tianxue was also looking at her. She secretly reached out, squeezed Su Tianxue’s palm, and asked in a low voice, “Are you nervous?”
Su Tianxue didn’t pull her hand away, letting Shi Ning squeeze her palm as if it were a toy. Her emotions and heartbeat seemed to gradually settle with Shi Ning’s reassuring gesture.
Su Tianxue shook her head.
Seeing their interaction, Zhu Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. The worry she felt for them, that heart of hers that had been suspended high up, slowly settled back into place.
However, what they didn’t know was that in the same room, there were people even more nervous and afraid than they were.
That was the couple, Xin Ya and Zhou Lu.
If Shi Ning and Su Tianxue were on the romance show to resolve an unexpected situation, then Xin Ya and Zhou Lu were a bona fide fake CP.
The two of them hadn’t intended to pretend to be a couple on Douyin at first.
Xin Ya made the videos, and Zhou Lu was just there as a paid supporting actress.
But for some reason, every video Zhou Lu appeared in got more comments and likes, and the stats were always better.
Xin Ya wasn’t a fool. She discovered that quite a few netizens were shippers of her and Zhou Lu.
Xin Ya was quite happy about this.
Because it meant her account’s stats would look much better.
Later, as Zhou Lu appeared on camera more and more, Xin Ya simply proposed that they pretend to be an on-screen CP. They wouldn’t confirm or deny it, just film couple-related videos every day, looking incredibly lovey-dovey.
Initially, Xin Ya just wanted to use this method to solidify her fanbase. She had only recently become popular, and the path of an internet celebrity was littered with people who were pushed aside midway. She hadn’t found her precise niche yet.
Who would have thought that her CP with Zhou Lu would explode in popularity online.
Outsiders even called them the number one couple on the platform.
Whenever the two of them were mentioned, everyone’s faces would light up with smiles.
Everyone thought they were a comedy CP.
With the current economic downturn, society always seemed to be shrouded in a dark cloud. At this juncture, people were always hoping to find something to entertain themselves.
And that was how Hali-Lu-Ya burst onto the scene.
Xin Ya and Zhou Lu had thought about explaining, but even when they made videos to clarify, netizens didn’t believe them. They would even joke, “Is this some new gimmick or a new persona?”
They were numb to it.
The story of the boy who cried wolf never got old, even after being told a thousand times.
It was all their fault for always using breakups as a creative starting point when brainstorming scripts for their short videos.
Xin Ya had been thinking of continuing like this for a while longer, then coming up with a reason to say that she and Zhou Lu weren’t compatible and had broken up.
As for why they weren’t compatible, she would just let the netizens guess. In any case, Xin Ya knew that as long as she and Zhou Lu were careful, neither of them would be vilified for the breakup. If such a situation did arise, she would take all the blame herself.
After all, in this business arrangement of pretending to be a couple, she had always played the role of Zhou Lu’s boss.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t mentioned profit-sharing with Zhou Lu. They had come this far and could be considered top-tier internet celebrities. But Zhou Lu just didn’t want it. According to her, “Hali-Lu-Ya” was Xin Ya’s product; she was just a part of the decoration.
Compared to taking a share of the profits, Zhou Lu preferred the feeling of settling payments for each job.
Once she took a share of the profits, it would imply something else.
Getting paid per job meant that once the work was done, her relationship with Xin Ya was also over.
But if she were paid through profit-sharing, it would seem like even after a video was finished, she and Xin Ya still had a connection, a relationship beyond that of colleagues.
Coming on the show this time was a complete accident.
They heard that someone was paying couples to appear on a show. The pair they were originally looking for had previously agreed to participate but then backed out for some unknown reason.
By the time they were contacted again, that couple had already broken up.
All within less than three days.
When Xin Ya gossiped about it, she learned that the couple had broken up entirely because of an uneven distribution of the money they received.
A dispute over profits had led to an ugly falling out. The two of them started exposing each other’s dirty laundry online, as if they wanted the other to die a horrible death.
Although that couple tried to get back together after learning that someone was offering them money to be on a show again, the netizens weren’t buying it anymore.
And the other party wasn’t stupid enough to approach them again.
So, after some twists and turns, the opportunity to make money landed in front of Xin Ya and Zhou Lu.
When they first received the proposal and invitation, both Zhou Lu and Xin Ya were hesitant.
Although one of them desperately wanted to be famous and the other desperately loved money, they were both self-aware.
They both clearly understood that their flimsy CP could maintain the facade of a couple in the world of short videos, hidden behind editing and scripts, fooling viewers into shipping them to death.
…But if they were to step in front of a 360-degree, no-blind-spot camera, wouldn’t there be flaws everywhere?
But… but…
The offer was just too generous.
Zhou Lu and Xin Ya made a decision. They would go on this variety show first, maintain the relationship for a little while longer, and as soon as the show’s hype and the netizens’ attention died down, the two of them would immediately announce their breakup.
For Zhou Lu, the money the show was offering was enough for her to start her retirement.
Her dream was small, so small that all she wanted was a little convenience store at the entrance of an elementary school. She would hire someone to sell things, and she would just nestle inside the store, eating whatever snacks she wanted.
She would never again have to be like she was in her childhood, unable to even afford a fifty-cent spicy gluten strip.
She would circle the stall, back and forth, her heart in turmoil, all because her family was poor and she had no money in her hands.
Zhou Lu had once met a kind-hearted old woman who, seeing her hesitating and pacing back and forth in front of the stall, quietly slipped her a piece of “big knife meat.”
Although the snack had that name, it wasn’t meat at all.
The appearance and taste of this snack were probably similar to today’s “kiss burn” snacks.
The only difference, perhaps, was the price.
Seeing the grandmother’s concerned gaze, Zhou Lu was too embarrassed to accept, but she was also craving it. In the end, she said thank you and ate that small snack.
The next day, she sold the mineral water bottles she had been saving for a long time, got some money, and when she bought a snack, she gave the grandmother a few extra cents.
At that moment, Zhou Lu felt that being a convenience store owner was the best job in the world, and they were the happiest people.
You didn’t have to do anything and could lie on a pile of fun and delicious things.
And if she became a boss in the future, she would also learn from the grandmother and occasionally give a snack to a timid little girl like herself.
It wasn’t expensive, nor was it particularly important.
But that little snack, that moment of gentleness and light, was enough for Zhou Lu to grit her teeth and endure many hardships that came later.
Zhou Lu loved money too much. She wanted to take this risk.
Xin Ya agreed.
She had her own considerations.
As an internet celebrity on a live-streaming platform, once you reached the top, you either continued streaming or transitioned to selling products. But she didn’t want to do that.
She wanted to step onto the screen.
Although she also enjoyed filming cringey, crazy short videos and was happy to see her fans’ reactions, deep down, Xin Ya still harbored a dream of the big screen.
Initially, it was because she had no resources to enter the industry that she started live-streaming from home. The results were surprisingly good, and she quickly became an internet celebrity.
Xin Ya didn’t hate being an internet celebrity. The hardest days were over, and now she could earn money while lying down. But there was still an idea in her heart: she wanted to step out of the sixteen-by-nine screen and see a bigger world. If she said it out loud, others might laugh at her, but Xin Ya’s original dream was to be a comedy actress.
Now that she had become a funny female internet celebrity, it seemed not too different from her past dream.
For Xin Ya, the romance variety show was an opportunity to completely expose herself to the camera, a gamble.
Everyone had their own agenda, so they quickly agreed to join forces and go on the show.
Since they came prepared, they had naturally studied in advance. The two were determined not to let the truth about their relationship be discovered on the show, otherwise… things would get complicated.
Even though they were prepared, suddenly facing the production team’s “Love Compatibility Challenge,” Zhou Lu and Xin Ya were still a bit nervous.
The two exchanged a look.
Zhou Lu reached out her hand toward Xin Ya. After a moment’s hesitation, Xin Ya took Zhou Lu’s hand in hers.
Xin Ya’s palm was sweaty. It was hard to tell if it was from the heat or from nervousness.
As the two partners in crime held hands, they suddenly felt that their mood wasn’t so difficult and conflicted anymore.
They didn’t have to win, but as long as they didn’t make too many mistakes and give the audience something to pick on, it would be fine.
Xin Ya lowered her head, her gaze sweeping over the small, fair hand that Zhou Lu was holding.
Although Zhou Lu’s hand was small, at this moment, it inexplicably gave her strength.
Right, they had come prepared.
It probably wouldn’t be too bad.
As for Shi Ning and Su Tianxue… when the two women heard the setup of the competition and the director’s supplementary explanation, they both knew in their hearts that what was coming was inevitable.
What is to be, will be. You can’t dodge fate. Even if you dodge it today, you can’t dodge it forever.
It was better to face it sooner and get it over with.
A quick death meant a quick rebirth.
Shi Ning and Su Tianxue exchanged a look with perfect understanding.
Seeing that everyone seemed ready, the director had the staff distribute the whiteboards for writing answers.
To make reasonable use of Zhu Yu and Su Wanxing, the director instructed them to read the questions.
Seeing this, Zhu Yu had an idea.
Her eyes flickered, her lashes trembling slightly. Not wanting her friend and Su Wanxing’s sister to suffer criticism, she always wanted to try the unreliable idea in her heart.
At this moment, all she could do was take a gamble.
A gamble on Shi Ning and Su Tianxue’s chemistry and intelligence.
She was also betting on her assessment of Shi Ning over the past few days. Regardless of whether Shi Ning and Su Tianxue’s relationship was real or fake behind the scenes, she felt that Shi Ning cared more about Su Tianxue than anyone else. So, she was betting that this bit of care would make their loss in this competition not too ugly.
Not too ugly meant that if there were ten questions, Shi Ning and Su Tianxue should get at least five right.
A perfect score was for the perfect couple; Zhu Yu didn’t dare hope for such a result.
But if they got everything wrong, their relationship would surely be questioned by others.
A fifty-fifty split would allow them to lie and explain it away if asked, perhaps by saying they’d been in love for too long and couldn’t remember clearly, or that they hadn’t paid attention to such details on a daily basis. This way, although they would inevitably be chided a bit, with people saying the one who got it wrong wasn’t taking it seriously, it wouldn’t lead to a situation where both of them were torn to shreds by criticism.
Zhu Yu made up her mind and looked back at the director. Her gentle and heroic face was as usual, showing no sign of any hidden selfish motives. “Shall I begin?”
The director nodded and added, “Later, for every question Zhu Yu asks, the person who answers incorrectly will have to drink the special beverage we’ve prepared for everyone.”
After the director finished speaking, someone cleared away the finished food, tidied the table, and replaced it with a pile of enamel mugs. The mugs were decorated with old-fashioned illustrations, giving them a very retro feel.
Shi Ning leaned over for a look. The enamel mugs weren’t transparent, so you couldn’t see what was inside from the outside. Plus, they were covered with lids, making it impossible to tell what was in them with the naked eye. Just as Shi Ning was about to lean in for a sniff, raising her hand to fan the air, Su Tianxue grabbed her. Her expression was calm, her light brows slightly furrowed. “Don’t smell it. Your cup is cilantro juice.”
Shi Ning: “You can smell it from that far away?”
Su Tianxue: “I have a good sense of smell, didn’t you know?”
Shi Ning: How would I know?
Shi Ning swallowed her retort and tossed her long hair back. “Then, Wife, take a sniff. What shampoo did I use today? Is it a scent you like?”
Su Tianxue couldn’t be bothered with her.
But seeing her expression, her brows had already relaxed. Shi Ning guessed that she didn’t dislike this faint cherry blossom scent.
Seeing this, she probably had some idea.
“First question.” Zhu Yu glanced at the question board that Su Wanxing had flipped open and read it out. “When was the date of your first meeting?”
This wasn’t a multiple-choice question, so there was no room for Zhu Yu to maneuver. Her little trick was useless, so she could only pray silently that Shi Ning and Su Tianxue both had good memories.
As soon as the question was asked, the four people answering all buried their heads and started writing.
Xin Ya and Zhou Lu wrote very quickly.
The two had prepared long ago. They naturally had a story designed for how they fell in love and got together.
For this, Xin Ya had even found a screenwriter from her company to write a script.
The general content was that the two of them developed feelings for each other over time at work—the safest and least error-prone plot.
After discussion, they set the date of their first meeting as the day Zhou Lu first came to see Xin Ya to film a video.
Now, being asked this question, both Zhou Lu and Xin Ya felt a thrill of having correctly guessed a question they had studied for. They quickly picked up their pens and wrote down the date.
Su Tianxue and Shi Ning weren’t so unhesitating.
Shi Ning pondered for a moment and quickly wrote down a number.
Su Tianxue glanced at her, unsure if this woman, who was full of nonsense, would write down an outrageous date. The two of them weren’t as professional at faking a relationship as Zhou Lu and Xin Ya. Shi Ning also hadn’t used her position as the boss to get all of the production team’s arrangements. Right now, they could only rely on guessing, on luck, on fate.
Su Tianxue pursed her lips slightly and finally wrote down the real number.
When the four people’s boards were flipped over, everyone had answered correctly. The few people in the room, each with their own thoughts, all breathed a sigh of relief.
Since Zhu Yu had taken over the director’s job, it was only natural that she now had to ask some questions to guide the show.
She smiled and said, “So, regarding the day you first met, is there anything worth sharing?”
【MC Zhu Yu is online!!】
【I love Zhu Yu’s ability to control the room. The production team really struck gold by inviting her to this show. Inviting Zhu Yu alone is like inviting a publicist, a traffic magnet, and a host. She can also pull out a guitar for accompaniment at any time and can even cooperate with the production team’s requests to fill in as a guest. Hmph, I strongly demand that the production team give Zhu Yu a raise!】
Zhou Lu nudged Xin Ya, who answered Zhu Yu’s question, “It was nothing special, really.”
“That day happened to be the first time Zhou Lu came to film a video for me.” At this moment, Xin Ya was a bit more serious than usual. Recalling the past, a genuine smile appeared on her face. “At the time, I saw that she was small, but she had a big attitude. She dared to ask for three thousand yuan to help me film a thirteen-second video.”
Zhou Lu: “Am I not worth that price?”
Zhou Lu looked like she was about to file a complaint. “Don’t just look at the final thirteen-second clip. If one move wasn’t right, Xin Ya would make me shoot it over and over more than ten times.”
Xin Ya’s face turned slightly red. “Why are you exposing me!”
Her blush was genuine, mainly because she thought about how, over the years, Zhou Lu’s flat rate was three thousand for ten seconds. For a long time after they became popular, Zhou Lu never asked for a raise. It was Xin Ya who felt bad and insisted on giving Zhou Lu a salary increase.
Sigh.
Xin Ya glanced at the fair-faced, usually quiet, money-loving little miser, Zhou Lu, and suddenly felt that it was a good thing, a very good thing, that the person she filmed videos with, accidentally became famous with, and ended up in a CP relationship with was Zhou Lu.
With her around, it felt somewhat reassuring.
After hearing Zhou Lu and Xin Ya’s conversation, the live comments were flooded with “I’m shipping this so hard.”
As the temporary host, Zhu Yu couldn’t show favoritism, so she had to turn and ask Shi Ning and Su Tianxue the same question.
…I really don’t want to ask!
The more you say, the more mistakes you make. It would be better not to answer at all.
Seeing that Su Tianxue and she had both written the same date, Shi Ning smiled, feeling confident. When Zhu Yu asked the question, Su Tianxue just turned her head to look at her, her eyes clearly indicating that she should feel free to improvise. So, Shi Ning spoke lazily, “There was nothing special about the day we first met. The same twenty-four hours in a day, the same sky, the same sun.”
“Yeah, pretty ordinary.”
【Nonsense literature spotted 2333】
【Does Shi Ning not like Su Tianxue very much?】
【Personally, I feel like neither of them is a good match for the other. They should just break up already.】
【TBH I think what Shi Ning said is quite right. When I think back to the first day I met my girlfriend, it doesn’t feel that special either. It was just an online friend meetup, both of us were super nervous, afraid the other was a catfish. Who knew we’d hit it off so well when we met!】
【Just post your comment, don’t just randomly show off your relationship, okay? My dog is already full, and I can’t eat anymore either.】
【Am I the only one who wants to go listen to “Ordinary Disco” right now??】
Everyone thought her words revealed her indifference toward Su Tianxue and their first meeting, but Zhu Yu was the one in the group who knew her best.
Based on her understanding of Shi Ning, this sentence wasn’t finished.
Sure enough, Shi Ning gently lifted the small teacup in front of her, took a sip of tea, and then smiled again. When she smiled, it was like radiant spring light, and she looked as if she was reminiscing about something wonderful. She turned to look at Su Tianxue, her gaze direct, hooking onto Su Tianxue and making her feel a little uneasy.
“A very ordinary day.”
When she spoke, her tone was filled with endless affection.
“I pushed open the door, saw a beauty, and it was love at first sight.”
Half-truths and half-lies, spoken by her with a mix of romance and flirtatiousness, which suited her appearance.
Su Tianxue avoided her gaze, the tips of her ears turning slightly red. She wanted to drink some water but found that the tea in front of her was already finished. Shi Ning happened to pass her own cup over. Without hesitation, Su Tianxue took it and drank.
Only water could suppress the strange feeling in her throat at that moment.
Reason told her that Shi Ning was just putting on an act, that she was lying.
This person was a habitual liar, full of nonsense, capable of spouting any random thing.
What beauty, what love at first sight—it must all be nonsense.
But, but.
When Shi Ning said those words, the look in her eyes as she gazed at her swayed her firm reason just a little.
This person was so annoying. Even when she gave her the cold shoulder, she could still come over. Was it because… because it was love at first sight?
Shi Ning noticed Su Tianxue’s expression and saw her drink the remaining tea from her cup. She raised an eyebrow and teased her, “Are you that nervous about my confession?”
“The fact that I fell in love with you at first sight, are you only finding out about it today?”
Hearing these words, Su Tianxue cooled the fleeting thought in her mind.
Right.
Love at first sight was impossible.
They were both Alphas, and both women. No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t logical.
Someone like Shi Ning was probably just being playful, a lecherous person.
【…Just kill me and offer me as a sacrifice to them!!】
【Playful, romantic wanderer x pure, ice-queen older sister…! Ahhh!】
【I was wondering why the date of Shi Ning and Su Tianxue’s first meeting was so recent. So, so, these two are going the love-at-first-sight route.】
【Haha! I reasonably suspect it’s the love-at-first-sight, lust-at-first-sight, dry-tinder-and-raging-fire route~~】
The first question was muddled through, but the second one wasn’t so lucky.
Zhu Yu: “Name the food your partner hates the most.”
The director reminded them, “Write the answers in two rows. On the top, write what your partner hates, and on the bottom, write what you hate.”
This prevented the possibility of couples cheating by deliberately hiding the correct answer to avoid losing the competition if they only had to write their partner’s hated food.
For the second question, Xin Ya and Zhou Lu seemed much more confident.
The two had been around each other for so many years, after all. Writing down the food their partner hated was, in Xin Ya’s opinion, incredibly easy.
So she wrote swiftly.
Shi Ning and Su Tianxue looked at each other. They both simultaneously shifted their gazes to the enamel mugs in front of them, an answer forming in their minds.
At Zhu Yu’s prompt, everyone flipped over their boards.
Seeing the results, Su Wanxing covered her mouth in surprise.
Her sister and Shi Ning actually won!
Both of them had correctly written the food the other hated.
Shi Ning hated egg whites.
Su Tianxue hated cilantro.
Everyone else marveled at their chemistry, but only Shi Ning and Su Tianxue knew that they had only just discovered this today… They were just a bit more observant than others, had good memories, and had taken note of it.
But Xin Ya and Zhou Lu failed.
To be precise, Zhou Lu answered correctly, but Xin Ya failed.
When writing the foods Xin Ya disliked, Zhou Lu wrote a whole list: sour plums, hawthorn, raisins.
It perfectly matched the three things Xin Ya had written down.
When Xin Ya wrote the food Zhou Lu hated, she only wrote: meat.
But Zhou Lu wrote: bitter melon.
When the answers were revealed, Xin Ya was stunned.
She liked to eat scrambled eggs with bitter melon. Sometimes when ordering boxed lunches for filming, she would always order this dish.
Zhou Lu had been eating this dish for a long time without a single complaint. Every time she checked her lunchbox, it was always clean.
Zhu Yu was curious. “Xin Ya, why do you think Zhou Lu hates meat?”
Xin Ya explained, “Every time we eat, even if it’s beef noodle soup, Lu Lu always pushes all the meat to one side. She eats everything else first, and only then does she start on the meat.”
Xin Ya couldn’t figure it out.
She, for one, would eat what she liked every day, eat it on sight, and eat it first.
Whatever she liked, she had to have it the moment she saw it.
So, according to her logic, she thought Zhou Lu had been saving the meat for last for so long because she didn’t like it.
But she never expected…
Xin Ya looked down. Having answered the question incorrectly, she was a bit at a loss. This girl, who usually used exaggerated and comical behavior to hide her inner emotions, was now racking her brains but couldn’t find a single solution.
Zhou Lu helped her out of the predicament.
“Jiejie is right.” In front of others, Zhou Lu always called her that.
Xin Ya looked at Zhou Lu. When she spoke, her eyes were bright, which looked great on camera. Sometimes, when the post-production team was too busy, and Xin Ya edited the videos herself, she would always get lost in Zhou Lu’s beautiful eyes for a while.
When she came to her senses, she would think, how could such a young girl be an Alpha?
With those big, sparkling eyes, she should be a little princess who had been pampered and doted on since childhood.
Now, Zhou Lu was looking at her with those same eyes.
Zhou Lu: “I’ve always had this habit. But I save these things for last not because they’re not delicious, but because I can’t bear to eat them.”
Zhou Lu: “When I was little, my grandmother raised me. Grandma was a Buddhist and a vegetarian. Our family wasn’t well-off, so I rarely got to eat meat.”
Perhaps to lighten the mood, Zhou Lu also mentioned an amusing incident.
Zhou Lu: “When I was little, I was ignorant and insisted on eating meat. Grandma couldn’t say no to me, so she went and bought me some ‘big knife meat’ for one cent each. At the time, I ate it and, hearing the name, really thought it was meat. It wasn’t until I was older that I learned it was just a flour product, seasoned to taste like meat.”
Xin Ya had worked with Zhou Lu for many years, but she had never heard her mention these things.
They had collaborated for so long, yet Zhou Lu always came and went quietly—work, clock out, and then wait for the next meeting.
The two had almost no private interaction, let alone moments of heart-to-heart talks.
Xin Ya liked lively places. Every time they wrapped up, she would invite people to go to a bar together. Zhou Lu never went.
Over time, they just didn’t hang out together.
Xin Ya never expected that she and Zhou Lu, on a romance show as a fake couple, would get to hear Zhou Lu’s heartfelt words on the show.
And she was saying all this just to cover for the question she had just answered incorrectly.
Xin Ya’s heart stirred, and she gave Zhou Lu a big hug. She thought, no matter how this fake couple act with Zhou Lu ended, she would definitely take care of Zhou Lu like a younger sister.
Having been the big sister for so long, she always wanted to lend a hand when she heard things like this.
Suddenly enveloped in the taller Xin Ya’s arms, Zhou Lu’s face was forced into her ample… oh god, Zhou Lu could barely breathe.
She managed to squeeze her face out, looked up at Xin Ya, and said helplessly, “Jiejie, you… let go.”
Seeing that Zhou Lu’s entire face had turned red from being smothered, Xin Ya quickly let go.
【Woman! Such good fortune! If you don’t want it, give it to me!】
【hiss hiss… I really want to see Xin-jie do the pendulum dance. Am I a sinner?】
【I support this!!! I beg the production team to make the punishment for the next game the pendulum dance!!】
【As if there’s anyone on this internet you care about…】
【My pants are already in the mail, they’ll be here soon.】
Zhou Lu didn’t want others to think she was pitiful, so she quickly urged Zhu Yu, “Next question, next question.”
Shi Ning glanced at Zhou Lu. Being skilled at lying herself, she was also skilled at discerning others’ lies.
Zhou Lu had just lied too.
But she wasn’t concerned about it. She just spoke up to remind them, “You lost the competition, don’t forget to drink your beverage.”
Only then did Xin Ya remember this headache-inducing matter. She scratched her head, looking at the many enamel mugs in front of her. For a moment, she couldn’t tell which one was more terrifying.
Xin Ya gritted her teeth, randomly picked up a cup, opened the lid, closed her eyes, pinched her nose, and chugged it down.
The second that thing went down her throat, she regretted it.
Bitter, so bitter.
Although she liked scrambled eggs with bitter melon, there was no way she loved drinking bitter melon juice.
Xin Ya’s pretty eyebrows knitted together tightly. Seeing her expression, Shi Ning sucked in a breath. She quickly reached out and hugged Su Tianxue. Su Tianxue glanced at her but didn’t say anything more about her sudden affectionate gesture.
She just thought to herself, Is Shi Ning afraid of bitterness too?
She pondered, feeling most certain that Shi Ning probably wasn’t afraid of sourness. Last time when she made the mock crab roe, she was supposed to add vinegar and ginger. She had added too much, but she herself hadn’t noticed. Su Tianxue didn’t usually like sour food, but that day was the first time Shi Ning had cooked for her, so she didn’t mention that minor taste deviation.
Xin Ya was still drinking, and halfway through, she felt like throwing up.
She really couldn’t take it anymore. With a loud clang, she slammed the cup on the table, her face turning whiter than dumpling flour. She turned around and dry-heaved.
Zhou Lu lowered her eyes, silently picked up the enamel mug, and expressionlessly finished the remaining half for Xin Ya.
When Xin Ya turned back, she saw Zhou Lu wiping her mouth with a piece of paper.
“Wuwu, Lu Lu.” Xin Ya was genuinely touched. When she looked at Zhou Lu again, her eyes were glistening.
That was bitter melon.
The bitter melon that Zhou Lu hated the most.
Wuwuwu, Zhou Lu could actually drink bitter melon juice for her…
A spark suddenly flashed in Xin Ya’s mind.
She thought, all this time, Zhou Lu had silently eaten bitter melon with her and never said she disliked it. And now, she even helped her drink bitter melon juice.
Could it be… could it be that she was too good-looking, had too good a personality, and after spending so much time together, Zhou Lu had developed real feelings for her, turning the act into reality?
It wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
Just as Xin Ya was starting to imagine how she would respond if Zhou Lu really confessed to her one day, she suddenly felt a soft, ticklish sensation in her palm.
Then, a familiar situation occurred.
Zhou Lu’s hand silently wrote a number in her palm.
Xin Ya understood the meaning, the secret signal, completely.
It probably meant that half cup just now had to be paid for.
…A thousand yuan!
Xin Ya’s face didn’t show it. She hugged Zhou Lu and kissed her, while laughing sarcastically in her heart.
Sure enough, she must have had too much bitter melon just now, her brain must have short-circuited, her nerves must have been affected, for her to think that Zhou Lu had been secretly in love with her for years, unable to confess, and could only use this method to accompany her.
She was truly a beautiful little fool.
For the next few questions, the competition was tight, with no clear winner.
Whenever a two-choice question appeared, Zhu Yu would slightly emphasize one of the words when reading it.
As she had hoped, Shi Ning noticed this and wrote her answers according to the word Zhu Yu emphasized.
At first, Su Tianxue didn’t understand, but after two questions, she also caught on. From then on, they never lost again.
As the questions went on, the live comments started to show some dissatisfaction with the scale of the production team’s questions.
【I want to see adult-oriented questions!!】
【Ask them some NSFW questions!!!】
【Just do the 100 questions for couples already…】
The production team couldn’t withstand the pressure from the live comments and finally asked one last question.
Even Zhu Yu felt a bit embarrassed reading it out.
“Um, may I ask the two groups of guests, when you’re… doing it, how do you divide the roles?”
This question was indeed something everyone was curious about.
Not to mention that Shi Ning and Su Tianxue were a rare double-A pairing in society, which made everyone curious about them. Even for Zhou Lu and Xin Ya, because of the significant difference in their body types and personalities, even though they were an A-O couple, people couldn’t help but wonder, couldn’t it be an O-top, A-bottom situation?!
Who made the rules!!
The netizens were curious, and actually, the director was curious too, so she took this opportunity to ask.
Who would have thought that when the boards were flipped, everyone had to drink a cup.
Because, without exception, all four people present had written that they were the one on top.
But…
That’s just not realistic!!!
Seeing the four beautiful women of different styles being tortured on the show, drinking all sorts of strange things, the netizens couldn’t stop laughing.
【This is the consequence of forcing yourself to be a 1!!】
【So the question is, after ‘Who is the Spy,’ we finally have a new game: Who is the 1.】
【Why though, being a 0 isn’t that bad, is it?】
It was normal for Shi Ning to write 1. Su Tianxue wrote 1 because she felt that with her academic achievements, she could immediately turn the tables and be on top. If, ahem, there was a next time.
As for Zhou Lu, she felt that as an Alpha, she was naturally the one on top.
And Xin Ya? She thought Zhou Lu was so short and petite, if they really did that kind of thing, she would probably be crying while doing it. Sigh. That wouldn’t do. She had to be the one.
Anyway, there was nothing between her and Zhou Lu, so just thinking about these things wasn’t illegal, right?
Seeing this situation, the director couldn’t stop laughing.
Excellent, the show was getting good results. She liked it.
It was worth mentioning that when drinking the punishment beverage, Shi Ning noticed that Su Tianxue was holding a cup of strange-flavored fruit wine and was about to offer to drink it for her. But just as her hand reached out, Su Tianxue downed it in one go.
Shi Ning wasn’t sure about her alcohol tolerance.
She had never drunk with Su Tianxue before.
Seeing her chug it like that, she observed her for a while. Seeing that her expression was natural and there was nothing amiss, she finally put her heart at ease and stopped worrying about whether she was drunk.
After the first day’s ice-breaking activities were all over, before getting on the bus back to the villa, the production team specially called all the guests over individually and handed each of them an envelope.
The director said mysteriously, “This is something we asked your partner to write down before the show started—the thing they most hope to achieve in your relationship. We hope that during the first stage of the journey, you can help your partner realize their wish.”
“If you succeed, you can get a pair of matching rings provided by our sponsor, TOLOVE Diamonds!”
As she said this, the director’s gaze swept over Su Tianxue’s ringless hand.
It wasn’t that she was overthinking it, but she couldn’t help but suspect that the boss had deliberately brought in her own jewelry company as one of the sponsors just to put a ring on her own wife.
Su Tianxue took the envelope, hummed a light “en,” and said thank you.
The director wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that the current Su Tianxue wasn’t as cold as she was during the recording just now.
Su Tianxue held onto her reason, not letting the alcohol consume her mind.
She opened the envelope. The three wishes were all filled out by Shi Ning.
Her handwriting was unrestrained, exuding a wildness that was different from Su Tianxue’s.
After one glance, Su Tianxue’s face turned red. She crumpled the letter into a ball, intending to throw it away. It flew out and rolled a few times on the grass. Then she bent down and picked it up again.
She did this mainly because the production team said not to throw it away, that it was still useful. They also asked Su Tianxue to pick up the letter and show it to the camera.
Su Tianxue had always been very serious and responsible when it came to work. Even though she just wanted to throw this piece of paper away right now, she still listened to the director, smoothed out the letter, and held up the wrinkled paper for the camera to see.
With that one action, the audience saw all the contents clearly.
Shi Ning wrote:
1. I want my wife’s good morning kisses, good night kisses, and all the kisses in between…!
2. I want to see my wife in a formal dress and high heels, and then kiss.
3. I want to cuddle and sleep with my wife. (The kind where it’s too hot in the summer, so you turn on the AC and use a blanket.)
Seeing this, even the director wanted to burst out laughing.
Boss, aren’t you being a little too shameless!!
No wonder Su Tianxue reacted that way!
Compared to the wishes Shi Ning proposed, the wish list Su Tianxue wrote could be said to be overly concise.
When Shi Ning was being interviewed alone, she opened it and took a look. There was just a simple line of text, with no extra notes.
【Everything is good, be content with what you have.】
The director even laughed at her. “I say, Shi Ning, is it because you usually do everything so well that Su Tianxue can’t even come up with any requests now?”
Shi Ning smiled, folded the paper, and gave a perfunctory answer.
But in her heart, she was thinking that Su Tianxue writing this was nothing more than because she had no requests for her.
And having no requests for her meant having no desire for her.
No desire meant…
Thinking further, Shi Ning’s heart became crystal clear.
Although she was a romantic person, she had little experience in pursuing girls. Basically, others came to her. If their personalities were compatible, their looks were good, and they could spend time together for mutual amusement, Shi Ning would tell them, “I probably won’t fall for you, and I don’t want a relationship, but if you’re willing, we can be lovers.”
She was a very good lover.
When they were together, she was flawless. She knew what romance was, what tenderness was.
But she would not be a good partner.
The girls who came and went by her side would all leave with the same sentence.
“Shi Ning, I really want to see you lose.”
She seemed passionate, but she was actually the most heartless. When others cried, she would gently offer a tissue and then advise, “I’m not a good person, you shouldn’t like me either.”
Money, tenderness, thoughtfulness—if they were lovers, she could give it all.
But it was precisely love that she couldn’t give a single bit of.
The girls who left were either able to move on gracefully or couldn’t get over it and resented her, which was why they would say things like that: “I want to see you lose, Shi Ning.”
Such a proud person, who came and went freely in the world of love, who didn’t care about anything.
They just wanted to see her lose.
At that time, hearing such words, Shi Ning was quite dismissive.
Lose?
She curled her lips, thinking, she had lost many times in her life, but in the matter of love, she would not lose.
If you don’t invest, you don’t start, then you won’t lose.
But now…
This situation was really quite thought-provoking.
Su Tianxue asked for nothing from her, unlike the other girls.
Some wanted her for her looks, some for her money, some for her gentleness and thoughtfulness, and some because taking her out would give them face.
And Su Tianxue?
Shi Ning thought, perhaps this woman wished in her heart that she would leave as soon as possible.
After the interview, they got into a car. Both of them were a bit silent.
Shi Ning maintained her usual smile on her face. Su Tianxue was still immersed in the embarrassment of being laughed at by everyone just now. She turned her head to look at the receding shadows outside the car window, unwilling to initiate a conversation with Shi Ning.
Only the two of them knew the reason for this strange atmosphere.
The live comments were oblivious. Some were shipping them, some were arguing.
【Wuwu, the line Miss Su wrote really hit me! Everything is good, be content with what you have.】
The imaginative netizens had clearly thought the same thing as the director.
【I’m so envious of this state. When you have a lover by your side, what else is there to ask for??】
There were also those who were skeptical.
【They fell in love at first sight and had a flash marriage… logically speaking, they shouldn’t be in an old-married-couple state, right? /facepalm】
【To be honest, these eight characters are like something I would say to my husband hahaha! Mainly because there’s really nothing to say, and nothing I want to ask for, so to be perfunctory, I can only write a few random words.】
Shi Ning and Su Tianxue were both charismatic people. If some people shipped their CP, it was inevitable that others would think they were not a good match. Besides CP fans, there were also solo stans in this world. Even when watching a romance variety show, everyone had their own preferences and couldn’t help but have a favorite.
People who liked Shi Ning were complaining: 【Aren’t these things all things that couples should do? As expected, Su Tianxue’s personality is too cold… I just feel like she’s not a good match for Shi Ning at all. A stunning beauty should be with someone equally stunning. One is fire, the other is ice. Love at first sight might be okay, but after being together for a long time, it definitely won’t last.】
People who liked Su Tianxue were not to be outdone: 【Su Tianxue is a top student and a chief researcher, she worked her way up step by step. What is Shi Ning? Just an idle rich second-generation! They definitely have no common language, their spiritual worlds are not the same, they should just break up.】
Where there was argument, there was heat.
W was very idle, as if she didn’t have to work all day. She watched the live stream without missing a minute, then silently liked all the comments that spoke ill of Shi Ning and Su Wanxing, as well as those that wanted Su Tianxue and Shi Ning to break up.
Right.
That made her feel a bit better.
At the same time, she was very satisfied with Xin Ya and Zhou Lu’s performance.
With these two as a foil, Shi Ning and Su Tianxue’s interaction seemed less intense by comparison. Perhaps because Hali-Lu-Ya already had a large number of CP fans, now that they were on a romance show, the live comments about them were also mostly harmonious. Only Shi Ning and Su Tianxue were surrounded by controversy.
She didn’t need to do anything now. As long as she found the right opportunity to fan the flames, she might be able to use public opinion to deal a heavy blow to Shi Ning and Su Wanxing.
As for Shi Ning, she just had to wait for her to make a mistake on the show.
Once the news about Shi Ning was released tonight, W was certain that when she opened her eyes tomorrow morning, the live comments about Shi Ning would be a torrent of abuse.
She was looking forward to it.
The fact that Su Wanxing was gaining fans by singing made W very dissatisfied. She had, of course, seen the live comments and noticed the mention of “Night Star.”
So she also had someone investigate and happened to discover that back then, Night Star had a large number of CP fans online with a CV named “Chen Shuang.”
Regardless of whether Night Star was Su Wanxing or not, W was certain that she could use this matter to stir up some trouble.
She found out that Night Star and Chen Shuang had once performed a slightly risqué audio drama script together on YY Voice.
Night Star had also covered some famous songs in the circle.
Right, the colorful kind.
W immediately informed the marketing account she had bought off about this and told him to release an article tomorrow to give Su Wanxing a little surprise.
Once this article was out, Su Wanxing’s reputation would surely be ruined.
After all, she was only seventeen or eighteen at the time. Doing such things would surely be criticized by netizens, right?
As for Shi Ning…
Just randomly finding one of her ex-girlfriends to expose something online would be enough to make her suffer.
W wasn’t worried about this at all.
As long as she labeled Shi Ning as a player, then throughout this show, Shi Ning would probably be constantly criticized.
That night, some were plotting, some were silent.
The group returned to the villa.
The production team had arranged separate rooms for everyone.
Because Zhu Yu and Su Wanxing were the most special, their room was like a standard hotel room, with two single beds placed together.
As for Shi Ning and the others, they had clear-cut double-bed rooms.
Everyone had been busy all day, and because of the recording, their nerves were a bit tense. Now, back at the villa, they were all slumped on the sofa.
Zhu Yu stood up to pour water for everyone.
Su Wanxing couldn’t bear to see her working alone, so she went to help.
Xin Ya, touching on a sore subject, asked curiously, “What wishes did you all write?”
Hearing this question, Su Tianxue secretly glanced at Shi Ning’s expression, thought of those ridiculous requests, and with a cold face, flicked her long hair to cover her slightly red ears.
This person was so annoying.
As for Shi Ning…
She smiled and replied half-truthfully, “Maybe I’m just too good, my wife has no requests for me.”
Xin Ya was envious. “That’s so nice.”
When she thought of Zhou Lu’s requests, her heart ached.
That person! She had unhesitatingly written money-related wishes.
First wish: A raise for the new year.
Second wish: Overtime pay for overtime work.
Third wish: It would be great to have social insurance and a housing fund.
Never mind the live comments, even the director, upon seeing it, had asked in confusion, “Zhou Lu, this is for writing your relationship wishes, not your work wishes.”
Zhou Lu probably felt she was being too direct, so she added on.
First wish: A raise for the new year, so I’ll have money for dating.
Second wish: Overtime pay for overtime work, so I’ll have money for dating.
Third wish: It would be great to have social insurance and a housing fund, so I’ll have money for dating when I’m old.
Seeing this, the netizens didn’t think much of it. They all thought she was just a quirky girl with an unusual way of thinking and even found her cute.
Only Xin Ya felt a chill down her spine when she saw it.
……
So scary!
She was terrified that others would see through it.
The requests she wrote for Zhou Lu were much more proper and fitting for the theme, things like: going to an amusement park, hoping to watch the sea together, being able to count the stars at night.
In short, they were all girly wishes.
She was so normal!
Seeing that she couldn’t get any gossip out of Shi Ning and Su Tianxue, Xin Ya looked up at Zhu Yu, who was handing them water. She said thank you and asked curiously, “Do you two have wishes too?”
Zhu Yu smiled and nodded. “Of course, but Wanxing and I aren’t here as a couple. The director gave us cards but didn’t ask us to write them now.”
“So, unlike you, we received empty envelopes.”
Hearing this, Shi Ning couldn’t help but wonder, was it possible that if the production team hadn’t made Su Tianxue write something, she would have handed in a blank sheet too?
Thinking about this woman’s style, she felt it wasn’t impossible.
Everyone chatted in the living room for a while. Zhu Yu mentioned that they would be going on a date tomorrow and told everyone to rest early.
The six of them returned to their respective rooms, each with their own awkwardness.
Su Wanxing followed Zhu Yu into the room, not daring to randomly glance at her.
Zhu Yu reminded her gently, “During the recording, there are suppressant air diffusers in the villa, you don’t need to worry.”
Su Wanxing quickly shook her head. “I’m not worried.”
She had been a fan of Zhu Yu for so many years; she knew what kind of person Zhu Yu was.
If it were any other Alpha, Su Wanxing wouldn’t have the courage to share a room with them on the show.
After the incident with Jiang Ningran, Su Wanxing now had an instinctive aversion to almost all Alphas.
Her sister was an exception.
Because her sister was the person who had been with her since childhood.
Zhu Yu was also different.
Zhu Yu was the idol who had accompanied her through her angsty teenage years, who had always been in her heart, whom she treated like her own child.
Shi Ning… well, although Su Wanxing’s opinion of Shi Ning’s character had changed for the better, such a risky thing was still a no-go.
Zhu Yu, afraid that Su Wanxing was nervous, chatted with her while removing her makeup, casually asking about her singing.
Su Wanxing only said that she loved to sing, that she had enjoyed belting out songs since she was little.
She never mentioned that she had initially started covering songs under the alias Night Star because after Zhu Yu released an album, her company held an event where the top three fan covers posted online would win a signed album.
Su Wanxing’s video didn’t make it into the top three, and she didn’t get Zhu Yu’s album.
But by a twist of fate, she fell in love with covering songs.
Because, although she didn’t get Zhu Yu’s album, she met a very good friend and some lovely fans who supported her. For Su Wanxing, who was in her youth and longed for attention and appreciation, this was a very happy thing.
Su Wanxing didn’t dare to tell Zhu Yu these things, afraid that if she did, it would expose the fact that she was a fan of Zhu Yu’s.
…And then the netizens would find out.
She would be fine, but she was afraid that others would misunderstand that Zhu Yu was privately contacting fans by being on the show with her.
For an idol, that was a cardinal sin.
Although, Zhu Yu was now gradually transitioning from the stage to film and television.
Su Wanxing, of course, knew why Zhu Yu was doing this. It wasn’t that she didn’t love the stage, but that there simply wasn’t enough room for her to shine in the domestic market.
Su Wanxing’s heart wavered a little. When she looked up at Zhu Yu again, her eyes were filled with a care that baffled Zhu Yu.
“Zhu Jiejie, you’ve worked hard today, you should sleep early. You can take the bed on the inside.”
Su Wanxing had seen Zhu Yu’s other variety shows and knew that she liked to sleep against the wall. Of the two beds in the room, the one on the inside was right against the wall.
Zhu Yu smiled and accepted her arrangement, casually saying, “You sing so well. Next time I have a concert, do you want to be my guest?”
Su Wanxing just took it as a polite gesture. Zhu Yu was a nice person. Although she was popular, she didn’t have any real rivals in the industry. Su Wanxing believed this was related to her gentle personality.
“Okay,” she said with a smile, opening her suitcase.
In Xin Ya and Zhou Lu’s room, the two had never shared a bed before.
As soon as they entered the room, Xin Ya’s first reaction was to check for cameras.
When she found only one fixed-position camera, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She went into the bathroom first, then pulled Zhou Lu into the room.
The two were discussing.
Xin Ya: “Before we go to sleep later, let’s cover the camera first. Then, we’ll go steal a blanket. You get one, I get one, okay?”
Zhou Lu: “…Are you sure you can steal one?”
Xin Ya: “I already checked. There are other rooms in the villa. After everyone’s asleep and no one’s filming, we’ll go get one and hide it the next day.”
Zhou Lu: “Why not just ask the production team for one?”
Xin Ya glared at her. “Are you stupid? Two blankets would prove that we’re not on good terms.”
Looking at Xin Ya’s stubborn expression, Zhou Lu thought, forget it.
Let her be.
At worst, they would have to make up a lie when they woke up the next day.
So she hummed in agreement.
As Xin Ya was about to leave, Zhou Lu stopped her.
Xin Ya turned back, confused. “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Lu reminded her, “My extra pay for today.”
Xin Ya rolled her eyes. “I’ll get my phone from the production team in a bit and send it to you.”
She felt angry just looking at Zhou Lu.
She felt that the thought that had suddenly popped into her head today was something only an idiot would have!
Zhou Lu secretly in love with her? Likes her?
…Only a ghost would believe that!
Compared to the other two pairs, Shi Ning and Su Tianxue were the most experienced duo when it came to sharing a bed.
After all, the reality of their first day meeting was that they had spent it in bed.
As soon as they returned to the room, Shi Ning was busy unpacking. Su Tianxue was the same.
The styles of their suitcases were completely different.
Shi Ning had practically just shoved everything in, stuffing it in however she could.
Su Tianxue had packed everything neatly in suitable storage bags.
One messy, one neat—two extremes.
Afraid the atmosphere would be awkward, Shi Ning took out her phone, turned on Bluetooth, connected to the speaker, and played some music. The song was directly from NetEase Cloud Music’s daily recommendations, playing randomly.
As luck would have it, today’s song was Jordan Chan’s “I Don’t Have That Kind of Fate.”
Shi Ning had never listened to this kind of song before. She didn’t know what was wrong today; maybe the algorithm had gone crazy and recommended it to her.
And so, in the quiet room, a man’s sorrowful singing began.
“I don’t have that kind of fate, it will never be my turn. Love is always out of stock, what am I fighting for.”
……
Shi Ning suppressed her anger and threw her pajamas onto the bed.
Su Tianxue turned to look at the clothes lying messily on the bed and frowned imperceptibly.
Shi Ning grabbed her phone and pressed the skip button on the lock screen.
As the next song started, Shi Ning felt a bit fired up.
What was going on today?
Was she stuck on Jordan Chan?!
The lyrics sang again: “Facing your flirtatiousness, why can’t I resist? I am so strong, yet I am buried like this. Loving you is like a faith, no matter how painful, I will still yearn for it. I will lay down all my lifelong might, to be a stepping stone for you. It’s not low, it’s not low, if you want me to bark.”
………
Shi Ning rarely showed her temper. She was good at hiding her emotions, but at this moment, she suddenly didn’t want to hide them anymore.
This song really annoyed her.
Before, when she didn’t think she liked Su Tianxue, even if she gave her the cold shoulder, she could still approach her. It was just for fun, no one should take it seriously.
But now that she had confirmed she had feelings, and the other person was hot and cold, hard to figure out, this was a first-time experience for Shi Ning. She really disliked her current state, and she really disliked this version of herself. Her already fluctuating mood was made even more irritable by this damn song.
When she grabbed her phone and saw the song title, she was really going crazy.
“Contemptible.”
……
Jordan Chan! Can you sing fewer simp songs!
Seeing Shi Ning suddenly throw her phone onto the bed again, Su Tianxue’s brows furrowed once more.
She wasn’t good at caring for people. Besides her sister, whom she had grown up with, this was the first time she had directly faced someone else’s emotions like this.
She quietly took out all her things and arranged them in their proper places.
She glanced at Shi Ning, who seemed to be getting up to go to the bathroom to remove her makeup.
She followed.
When Su Tianxue came in, Shi Ning was squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush. Seeing her, she also helped her squeeze toothpaste, prepared a cup of water, and handed it to her.
It was almost subconscious.
Su Tianxue took it. “Thank you.”
Shi Ning smiled.
There were no cameras in the bathroom.
Su Tianxue immediately became polite.
She shifted her body slightly, creating some distance from Su Tianxue. The two of them silently watched themselves brushing their teeth in the mirror.
Shi Ning was originally looking at herself, but her gaze couldn’t help but drift to Su Tianxue’s reflection in the mirror.
At first, she felt that this woman didn’t fit her past aesthetic standards—she looked too assertive, too arrogant. But now, the more she looked, the more she felt that she had a kind of beauty that no one else had. The saying “a belly full of poetry and books naturally brings forth elegance” probably had some truth to it. Having studied the universe for a long time, Su Tianxue’s body seemed to be tinged with the same kind of mysteriousness that made people yearn, be curious, and unable to resist exploring.
Su Tianxue, who had been looking down to spit out the mouthwash, suddenly looked up. Shi Ning’s gaze didn’t have time to retract and met hers head-on.
Su Tianxue rinsed her toothbrush and asked her, “What are you looking at me for?”
Shi Ning also spat out her mouthwash, washed her toothbrush, and then said, “I wasn’t looking at you. I’m in the mirror too. I was admiring my own beauty.”
Hearing this, Su Tianxue tilted her head. “Are you unhappy today?”
Shi Ning: “…I’m happy.”
Su Tianxue: “Mm. As long as you’re happy.”
Shi Ning: ……
Great. This Su Tianxue person could just freeze her to death.
Shi Ning silently began to remove her makeup. After finishing, she found that Su Tianxue was doing the same thing beside her. She saw Su Tianxue frown while washing her face and guessed that her eye was probably uncomfortable.
If it were any other day, she would have casually asked and then teased her with a joke.
But Shi Ning wasn’t in a good mood today and couldn’t be bothered with her.
She cleaned her own face, threw away the face towel, and saw that Su Tianxue was still troubled, not knowing what to do…
Sigh.
She sighed in her heart.
“Come here,” Shi Ning said to Su Tianxue. “I’ll help you.”
Su Tianxue obediently turned around, no longer facing the mirror, but half-squinting one eye, looking at Shi Ning.
Shi Ning: “Where is it uncomfortable?”
Su Tianxue pointed to her closed right eye. “I feel like an eyelash fell in.”
Shi Ning: “Mm, let me see.”
“Do you mind?”
When Shi Ning suddenly asked this, Su Tianxue pursed her lips.
She was almost used to Shi Ning’s previous unreasonable behavior—saying nonsensical things to her and then, regardless of whether she wanted to or not, always approaching her unexpectedly. During the romance show recording today, Shi Ning had always held her hand when they walked together, asked her to link arms, or leaned on her.
All day long, from the initial discomfort of linking arms with Shi Ning at the beginning, Su Tianxue had already accepted by default that she had a clingy person by her side.
Shi Ning seemed to have skin hunger.
When she was around her, she just couldn’t help but do something to her.
It wasn’t too excessive, just very intimate.
Su Tianxue was rarely this intimate with anyone.
And then she discovered that she didn’t dislike it.
When Shi Ning leaned on her, the warmth of another person would transfer from the point of skin contact, like a flame that didn’t burn, making her heart feel warm too.
Just now, when Shi Ning said she wanted to take a look, Su Tianxue had already slightly lifted her chin, her face tilted up, but she hadn’t expected Shi Ning to ask, “Do you mind?”
The most ill-mannered person she knew was suddenly starting to speak politely.
Su Tianxue couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart, she just shook her head.
Shi Ning reached out and cupped her face.
This gesture looked very much like they were about to kiss.
Su Tianxue inevitably thought of the kiss they shared on the sofa.
A woman like her, so proper and devoted to her studies, had done such an exaggerated thing for the first time. And in front of the camera.
Thinking of this, Su Tianxue felt her face getting a little hot. She was afraid Shi Ning would feel it.
Su Tianxue closed her other eye as well. With Shi Ning so close, looking at her like this, Su Tianxue felt a bit awkward.
She had no choice but to close both eyes.
But she didn’t know that when they were closed, her eyelashes would secretly betray her nervousness. The black, curled lashes fluttered like a butterfly’s wings, faintly, little by little, stirring up a breeze in Shi Ning’s heart.
Shi Ning’s fingertips were very gentle. When they touched the eyelid of the uncomfortable eye, Su Tianxue also felt their gentleness.
Her movements were very light. She pulled open Su Tianxue’s eyelid and found a fallen eyelash in the corner.
She carefully removed it.
Su Tianxue felt her eye was much more comfortable. She blinked a few times to confirm it was fine.
Shi Ning handed her the eyelash, as if returning it to its rightful owner.
Su Tianxue: “You can have it.”
Shi Ning: “…What am I supposed to do with this?”
Was she a trash can?
Su Tianxue explained, “My grandmother said you can make a wish with someone else’s fallen eyelash.”
Shi Ning laughed. “Su Tianxue, you’re so childish.”
Saying so, she didn’t throw away the eyelash in her hand.
As Su Tianxue finished up and walked out of the bathroom, she stood alone in front of the mirror, holding the eyelash. Then she clasped her hands together, holding it in her palm, looking somewhat devout.
After doing all this, Shi Ning felt a bit foolish herself.
She quickly turned on the water, rinsed her hands, and the eyelash was washed away.
Entering the bedroom, the black, fixed camera was conspicuously placed there.
Shi Ning picked up the cover prepared by the production team, walked over, and waved at the camera. “Good night.”
She was a flirtatious person, and now she even blew a kiss at the camera.
“Sweet dreams.”
【Ahhhhhhhhh!!!】
【Shi-jie… you have a wife, don’t flirt with me like this!! My moral standards are very low!!】
【I’ll say it again, let me join this family…】
【Is the production team chickening out? If you have the guts to install a camera in the bedroom, then have the guts to live stream 24/7, broadcast them sleeping at night too. I love to watch. Let me see.】
【They kissed so passionately during the day, there’s no way they’re just going to sleep like this now!!!】
【My heart is itching, it’s just itching wuwuwu!】
Shi Ning didn’t care what the live comments thought. She picked up the black cover and placed it over the camera.
The screen went black instantly.
The live stream hadn’t been cut off yet. Some netizens had left, but some were reluctant to go.
Those who could watch up to this point were all VIPs who had paid, specifically choosing Shi Ning and Su Tianxue’s live stream perspective.
In the dark screen, the women’s conversation could be heard.
Shi Ning: “Are you sleeping on the inside or the outside?”
Su Tianxue: “Either is fine.”
Then came the sound of changing clothes, a rustling sound.
【Are they going to do it, are they going to do it!!】
【Hahahahaha is the production team bugged!! They forgot to turn off the sound!!!】
【Shhh, keep it down, what if the production team finds out and turns off the sound too!!】
【I realized that when it’s pitch black and you can’t see anything, you can better appreciate that Shi Ning and Su Tianxue’s voices are so damn nice to listen to.】
Someone sat on the bed, making a sound.
Then someone else pulled back the covers.
【What are they doing!!! I want to see so badly!!!】
【Could it be that they’re too embarrassed to make any noise?!】
【How can our risqué CP do nothing!! They’re betraying my trust!!】
After a while, Su Tianxue’s voice came from the darkness.
She said, “Shi Ning, you can come in.”
Her voice was warmer and softer than during the day.
……
【Come in what? Into where? Be clear!】
【Is it the thing Sister Su said she held in her mouth during the day? hhh】
【I was laughing until I saw that terrifying big face on the black screen… I have sinned.】
In fact, Shi Ning and Su Tianxue did nothing.
Su Tianxue had simply lain down, looked at Shi Ning who was covered in clothes, pulled back her own blanket, and said that sentence.
Other than the time Su Tianxue was drugged and they shared a blanket in the hotel, doing that kind of thing under the covers, they had never shared a blanket again.
On the live stream screen, the production team probably finally discovered the bug and cut the feed.
As a result, a group of netizens misunderstood.
@Netizen1: Holy crap, is First Time Seeing Snow really doing it? They cut the live stream at such a crucial moment!!
@Netizen2: Please, can someone provide a non-black-screen version!!
@Netizen3: I’m just a passerby, can someone explain what’s going on??
The two people who the whole world misunderstood to be in the midst of a passionate night were both wearing pajamas, lying quietly.
In the darkness, Shi Ning couldn’t think of anything to say.
She stared at the ceiling, feeling Su Tianxue’s breathing. Light, shallow. Mm, just like her.
She didn’t have the energy to tease her today.
Shi Ning said calmly, “Good night.”
She counted down about three seconds. When she didn’t get a reply from Su Tianxue, she silently turned over. Shi Ning was afraid of hogging the blanket if she turned over, so she moved dutifully to the edge of the bed, with more than half of her body exposed to the air.
Jordan Chan’s song echoed in her head again.
It was all because the melody was too catchy.
Shi Ning gritted her teeth, feeling that she shouldn’t have let the production team take away her phone. Otherwise, now that she couldn’t sleep, she could at least surf the internet, instead of being silent like now, only able to listen to the other person’s breathing and pretend to be asleep.
In the darkness, Shi Ning heard Su Tianxue turn over.
She thought, Su Tianxue probably did the same as her, turning to the other side, her back to her.
Anyway, the camera was off, the live stream was over, no one could see.
Although they had had intimate moments, had ridden the waves together, and were married in name, now they were just lying back to back, sharing a bed but dreaming different dreams.
In the end, they were strangers.
This was fine too.
Shi Ning told herself that she should quickly get out of this messy emotional state. Thinking back and forth like this was very unlike her. When the show was over and she had helped Su Tianxue successfully get the house, she would turn around and go back to being her carefree CEO.
Such a good, unrestrained identity was much freer than when she was a lawyer before.
Shouldn’t she have more fun?
It was better than being like this.
They were clearly sleeping together, in the same bed, yet it was lonelier than sleeping alone.
The distance between their hearts was probably hundreds of millions of light-years.
Just as Shi Ning made up her mind, a pair of soft, warm hands suddenly poked her waist.
Shi Ning didn’t make a sound, so the hand continued.
She had no choice but to speak helplessly, “What’s wrong?”
Su Tianxue: “You’re not asleep?”
Shi Ning: It would be a miracle if I could sleep.
She gave a cold “en.”
The next second, that hand moved closer, and in one motion, it wrapped around her waist. Shi Ning froze. This was the first time Su Tianxue had actively approached her like this. She meant, in a non-drugged state.
There was a soft, warm feeling behind her; a woman had embraced her.
So when she had turned on her side just now, she had turned towards her.
Su Tianxue had been staring at Shi Ning’s side-lying figure for a long time before making such a move. She couldn’t explain why; she just wanted to, so she did.
She hugged Shi Ning, resting her chin in the crook of Shi Ning’s neck.
It was the first time she had done something like this, getting close to someone, being intimate with someone. Su Tianxue’s movements were a bit clumsy, a bit stiff.
Shi Ning was also very stiff. She didn’t even dare to breathe heavily, afraid that one wrong move would scare Su Tianxue away. Then, her mind turned into a mess again, unable to figure out what Su Tianxue meant by this.
There seemed to be a string in the air, pulled taut.
An itchy feeling came over the side of Shi Ning’s face. It was Su Tianxue’s hair, exuding a fresh, simple floral scent. Then, then… Su Tianxue’s lips pressed against Shi Ning’s cheek, with the texture of jelly, or like a peach.
Shi Ning stared into the darkness ahead, imagining Su Tianxue’s appearance at this moment.
Would she be blushing?
She couldn’t see Su Tianxue, but she could hear her voice.
Like melting ice.
“Good night.”
Drip, drip.
The wind blew, and the melted ice water from the treetops fell, crashing into Shi Ning’s heart.
Shi Ning restrained herself, her throat tightening. She spoke in a hoarse voice, “Su Tianxue, you really don’t have to do this.”
Afraid she didn’t know, she explained, “The camera is already off, and the live stream is over.”
The implication was that no one could see them anymore, so there was no need to force herself to do such things just to fulfill the so-called wish she had casually written.
Who would have thought that Su Tianxue would hum in agreement, “I know.”
The hand that was loosely wrapped around her tightened a little.
“But it’s your wish, and I want to help you fulfill it.”
Su Tianxue was puzzled for a moment. “You don’t like it?”
……
This woman was really going to be the death of her.
After a moment of silence, Shi Ning didn’t answer directly, but asked again, “If I write any wish, will you help me fulfill it?”
Su Tianxue warily pulled her hand back. “Not if it’s too excessive.”
Shi Ning grabbed her wrist and placed it back on her waist. “It’s not excessive.” She said with a smile, “The excessive ones, I wouldn’t mention here.”
Su Tianxue immediately regretted her momentary softness, but being held by Shi Ning, she couldn’t leave. She could only continue to hold her like this.
Shi Ning spoke softly again, “Su Tianxue, why do you want to fulfill my wish?”
Su Tianxue was also thinking. She thought for a long time but had no answer, so she said, “I don’t know.”
She was very honest. “Maybe I just felt like it.”
Shi Ning felt the warmth of the woman behind her, her heart rising and falling. Then she thought, forget it.
If she couldn’t figure it out herself, she couldn’t expect Su Tianxue to figure it out either.
She didn’t want to dwell on it so much.
Shi Ning’s fingertips caressed the back of Su Tianxue’s hand, then squeezed her fingertips. She smiled. “Su Tianxue, you’re like a cat.”
They were both animals. Shi Ning felt that this round was a draw. Then she felt that what Su Tianxue’s grandmother said might not be without reason. Making a wish on an eyelash might actually work.
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