Chapter 17 The Catfish Effect

Something's off about her business partner.

This was Mu Jiu's first thought.

Despite her explicit instructions last night to proceed with caution, Ling Zhao, who had never contacted her before, came knocking on her door today.

Whether it was the evasive look in her eyes when she spoke, or the sudden, inappropriate yet determined determination to go out with her, everything revealed a hint of strangeness.

When all the doubts come together, they can only prove one thing.

Ling Zhao is hiding something from her.

Clearly, now is not the right time for an in-depth conversation.

So Mu Jiu gave him a complicated look before speaking, "Wait for me outside."

Seeing that the other party sensibly walked towards the blind spot of the camera, Mu Jiu continued to walk towards the underground parking garage with a cold expression.

In conclusion, her car tires are very safe and it is indeed capable of carrying passengers.

The fact that the vehicle ran over nails on the day of the live broadcast, forcing the driver to change a tire in front of the audience, is said to have garnered considerable attention from the production team.

So not only did they replace her tires with a brand new set for free, but they also sent her car for a full inspection before handing it over to her.

She was probably afraid that next time she would suddenly stop to fix her car on her way to a date.

Regardless of the process, she profited in the end.

After arriving at the parking space, Mu Jiu walked around the car to check the tires before getting in, fastening his seatbelt, and naturally taking out his phone.

The live streaming equipment on the vehicle is different from the live streaming equipment around the cabin. Because it cannot interfere with the driver's driving, and also for budget reasons, the cameras installed on their vehicles can only capture images of their frontal faces.

In other words, viewers cannot deduce the content on their phones by taking screenshots and zooming in on the live stream, which is why she chose to confirm the information in the car.

[0N: The production team sent me the date location you're supposed to go to.]

[0N: They told me they could pay extra if I asked you to come along.]

[0N: I refused, but they offered me too much later.]

[mujiu: ……]

Go eat exhaust fumes.

Mu Jiu typed away on his phone screen expressionlessly. Before he could finish typing, a new message popped up:

[0N: I'll share half the money with you]

[mujiu: 行]

Actually, when Ling Zhao explained his reasoning, Mu Jiu had already guessed why the production team would do this.

Last night, Qi Youxiang unexpectedly ignited a wave of negative news, so his company couldn't possibly sit idly by.

It's understandable that they would want to use the popularity of other guests on the variety show to overshadow this issue. Even if they can't turn the page immediately, it's good to divert attention.

The reason she was willing to accept this task, besides the financial aspect, was also because she had thought of something:

Meng Shuning and Fang Yucheng must have received their own "scripts" as well, and those two had no reason not to let go of this opportunity to gain wider popularity.

This time, either Meng Shuning will choose Fang Yucheng, or the two top couples will have their dates arranged at the same location.

In contrast, the second type of conflict would be much more intense.

Audiences are naturally more drawn to the romance of top celebrities than to these two artists who don't have much of a positive reputation, but that kind of thing has nothing to do with her...

Even so, after Ling Zhao sat in the passenger seat, Mu Jiu still vaguely felt that something was wrong.

Mu Jiu: "Aren't you going on your date?"

Ling Zhao: "My date location is the same as your destination."

Upon hearing the answer, Mu Jiu suddenly swerved to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes.

She finally realized what she had missed.

The production team won't let go of an even bigger bombshell.

Since both of them are naturally connected to Fang Yucheng, what could be more exciting than her and Ling Zhao appearing at a top celebrity's date?

"Take a taxi there yourself."

In an instant, Mu Jiu thought of a way to refuse, and then righteously rebuked, "What kind of talk is it to let your date see you getting out of my car?"

Ling Zhao:? !

He was suddenly thrown forward by the inertia, and when he came to his senses, he heard Mu Jiu's words, his eyes filled with disbelief: "But..."

We had just reached an agreement.

These words couldn't be said in front of a camera, and the other person didn't say anything more, just looked at him quietly.

After spending these past few days together, Ling Zhao could roughly sense that Mu Jiu's expression was a silent rejection of his proposal.

They stood there in a standoff for a few seconds.

In the end, Ling Zhao was defeated. Just as he opened the car door with a gloomy expression, his cell phone vibrated inside the car.

Mu Jiu glanced indifferently at the message pop-up on his phone.

The message came from a staff member of the production team.

It was the same content she and Ling Zhao had just discussed in their messages.

Mu Jiu's eyes darkened.

Seeing that she didn't move, another number was quickly announced.

It also subtly implies that this opportunity should not be missed.

The fact that the other side is now willing to negotiate is clearly because they see the commercial value that her collaboration with Ling Zhao brings.

Such persistence must be because someone has a special request—perhaps they want to use her and Ling Zhao as a diversionary tactic.

A firm refusal would not only mean she might not receive the same treatment on the show, but Qi Youxiang's company might not do anything to the production team or the two top stars, while she and Ling Zhao were just unknown celebrities with no background.

If those people don't make it through, they might try to trip them up.

Mu Jiu lowered his eyes and suddenly called out to Ling Zhao, "Wait."

As soon as he stepped out of the car, Ling Zhao paused, glancing at her in surprise.

Mu Jiu: "Why do you want to hitch a ride with me?"

Ling Zhao: "..."

Neither of the reasons is convenient to announce to the public.

Then, the air fell silent again.

Mu Jiu sighed softly.

Considering that the other side also gave her extra money, let's do the best she can.

at the same time.

In the director's control room, a hundred meters away, the producer rushed in anxiously: "Did they all agree?"

Before the staff could answer, the enlarged video and audio were simultaneously transmitted.

In front of the camera, those beautiful fox eyes dimmed for a moment, but she quickly raised her head and snorted like a proud fox: "Fine, get in the car."

"Don't blame me when your date hates you."

She gives off a different vibe than Meng Shuning.

Meng Shuning always exudes a sunny and sweet aura, making her the type of person who can be noticed at a glance in a crowd.

Mu Jiu... clearly has nothing in common with the warm and sunny qualities, yet at this moment, she still forcefully captures people's attention in the scene.

Like the moon, carrying a faint chill, hiding its shadow under the cover of night, yet still emitting a soft light.

Director Wu glanced at the stunned producer, snorted disdainfully, and then asked the staff, "What's the data in the backend?"

"Although it's far less than the number of viewers on Teacher Fang and Teacher Meng's side, it has still reached 500,000."

For a variety show that has only been airing for a few days, this number of viewers is already at the level of an average second-tier celebrity. Considering the previous reputations of these two, the fact that they have reached this level also indicates their commercial potential.

Director Wu: "Their plan backfired. It won't be as easy as before to get these two people to step in and draw the fire from the haters."

——

The storm in the public opinion arena has not yet subsided, and the popularity of Fang Yucheng and Meng Shuning's live broadcast room can no longer be described as simply soaring or skyrocketing.

Meng Shuning's outfit today was both sweet and spicy, while Fang Yucheng wore gold-rimmed glasses and a restrained white shirt, which excited their CP fans so much that they kept taking screenshots and posting beautiful photos of them together on Weibo.

Fans who ship "Meng Xiang Cheng Zhen" are celebrating like it's Chinese New Year, and the two have suddenly become trending topics again.

After parking smoothly in the parking space, Meng Shuning subconsciously turned her head and smiled sweetly: "Thank you, Teacher Fang, for giving me a ride here today~"

This time, Fang Yucheng did not speak immediately.

They were closer than ever before, gazing into each other's eyes.

"The production team has already released our trailer... Are you still calling me Teacher Fang?"

Meng Shuning's smile gradually faded, and she pursed her lips: "Yu Cheng."

I'm totally shipping them, KSWL!

I've lived this long just to see this!

【Meng Xiangchengzhen! My Meng Xiangchengzhen! Waaaaaah!】

【OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOH】

Oh my god, I can't imagine how much they missed each other when they broke up.

The comments section started scrolling wildly again because of that sentence.

Meng Shuning turned her head away shyly, pretending to be casual as she asked, "Where's your date?"

Fang Yucheng paused for a moment before looking up at her: "I don't have a date."

Meng Shuning was stunned: "How is that possible..."

But as soon as she blurted it out, Meng Shuning quickly realized something. Before she could change the subject, a car following behind them stopped in a parking space not far away.

A familiar figure stepped out of the car.

At first glance, what leaves a deep impression is that silver-gray wolf tail.

Fang Yucheng gave her a puzzled look: "Is he your date?"

He's jealous!

On such a fine day, someone as low-class as Ling Zhao should know better than to leave. :)

However, isn't it the girl who chooses the date?

Wait, didn't anyone notice that it was Shushu who asked Mu Jiu a question this morning? So Shushu cares a lot; Meng Xiangcheng is truly going for both of them!

After locking the car, Mu Jiu got out and saw Ling Zhao leaning against the car door with a calm expression, looking into the distance. Mu Jiu subconsciously followed his gaze and glanced at him.

Noticing the two people locked eyes in the car, she looked away and asked, "Shall we go to the visitor center together?"

Ling Zhao nodded and prepared to leave with her.

Just then, the car door opposite opened.

Meng Shuning.

"Now that your date is here, I'll be leaving."

Mu Jiu glanced at them, said one sentence to Ling Zhao, and then left, leaving behind the negative comments that were surging in Fang Yucheng's live stream.

Suddenly, the barrage of comments also came to a halt, leaving behind a bunch of uninformed bystanders.

[Wow, no way, this two-character girl is haunting us here too!]

[Even here, he keeps bothering Chengbao; I'm really disgusted.]

[Does the production team have to pollute my eyes like this?]

...

【No, I just jumped over from next door. Aren't they the ones who come here for dates and drop someone off at the same time?】

Why are they scolding this young girl so harshly?

Both Xiang Wan and Guo Zifu chose Deng Minzhou. Given how much they like to piggyback on others' success, they wouldn't choose Qi Youxiang, who recently fell out with her. They must be after Yu Cheng.

【No, I remember Mu Jiu didn't choose Fang Yucheng back then?】

Amidst the chaos, before the comments section could even process what was happening, a car happened to drive in from a distance.

Initially, no one noticed until the car was parked in a parking space between several people.

The car door opened, and before anyone was seen, their voice was heard.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

The person who arrived was about 1.75 meters tall, in his early thirties, with a shrewd and capable appearance, but not overly mature, possessing just the right balance of boundaries and sophistication.

Although his features weren't exactly handsome, they were clean and bright, and his warm smile instantly won people's favor.

Meng Shuning hesitated before asking, "Brother Mo?"

"Shu Ning, it's been a long time... as has Yu Cheng."

After warmly shaking hands with the two people standing in front, the newcomer walked towards Mu Jiu and Ling Zhao.

The other person introduced himself in a confident and open manner: "This is my business card. My name is Mo Chuhe, and I am a relatively unknown short film director."

While politely shaking hands with the other party, Mu Jiu recalled the plot of the novel.

Despite his modesty, the fact that he was so familiar with Fang Yucheng and Meng Shuning meant that they were no ordinary people.

In fact, Mo Chuhe was never described in detail until the original novel's ending.

Therefore, Mu Jiu didn't know much about him, but one thing was certain.

As a "catfish" introduced by the production team to stir up trouble, it cannot simply serve as a background element.

"I'm a little sorry..."

Mo Chuhe glanced at Ling Zhao with some trouble in her eyes: "I might need to borrow some of Mu Jiu's time?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he keenly noticed that, in addition to Ling Zhao, Fang Yucheng was also looking in his direction.

So, he subtly observed the atmosphere between the group.

It was close to what he had guessed when he came.

As Ling Zhao stepped aside, Mo Chuhe took another step closer to Mu Jiu, gentlemanly extending his hand to indicate that she should hand him the handbag.

He asked casually, "Where would you like to go first?"