Was Chapter 61 something you planned?

"Huh?" Jiang Luo turned her head to look at her.

Snap.

Xu Jingyan closed the lipstick cap, turned around to face her, and smiled, "Let's keep you in suspense for now."

It's a playful and intimate tone.

Jiang Luo suddenly remembered Shi Yan's evaluation of her: You seem to be very resistant to intimate relationships.

If Shi Yan's honesty is that of a friend, then what are she and Xu Jingyan?

She turned off the tap, took out a tissue, wiped her wet hands, then straightened up and looked at Xu Jingyan.

"Was it something you arranged beforehand that we had coffee on the rooftop last time?" she finally asked.

Expressionless.

It wasn't indifference, it was calm.

Even when Xu Jingyan said "yes," Jiang Luo was able to accept it calmly.

As long as Xu Jingyan tells the truth.

Jiang Luo would accept any answer as long as Xu Jingyan gave a sincere answer.

Press releases are very common in the industry.

They're just creating a "best friend" persona; many people in the industry do that.

Jiang Luo had already prepared her words of comfort.

However, Xu Jingyan did not answer this question.

A moment of astonishment flashed through her eyes, and her small face turned deathly pale.

In her view, it was as if Jiang Luo had not only revealed his weapon when she was completely unprepared, but also pointed the sharp blade at her.

She was speechless for a moment.

Jiang Luo was in no hurry and simply waited silently.

She thought that her relationship with Xu Jingyan, which had troubled her for so long, was finally about to face its final verdict today.

This was a real relief.

"Luo Luo, there are some things I can't control." Xu Jingyan said this and then quickly left.

clatter.

clatter.

clatter.

The sound of high heels on the ground faded into the distance, soon mingling with the distant noise.

As Jiang Luo watched the direction where Xu Jingyan disappeared, her brows gradually furrowed.

She tossed the crumpled paper she used to wipe her hands into the trash can and shook her head bitterly.

Brother Lin is right.

She was too naive.

She and Xu Jingyan were not friends in the past, nor are they friends now.

That won't be the case in the future either.

"Ring ring..."

The bell rang.

This comes from Brother Lin, who has already seen through everything.

Connected.

"Luo Luo, is it convenient to talk now?" Brother Lin asked mysteriously.

Looking around, Jiang Luo took a few steps forward and slipped into the stairwell. "It's convenient. Brother Lin, what's wrong?"

"Lily wants you to renew your contract." She got straight to the point.

Continued...?

The renewal means she cannot return to her previous life.

She will remain in her current state.

"But I... didn't even make it into the top three in popularity." She offered an excuse.

“But your pairing with He Ziyan is quite popular, and Lily hopes you can stay.”

Do you want to stay?

Will staying mean continuing to create a CP (couple pairing) with He Ziyan?

“But…” Jiang Luo hesitated and resisted.

"Moreover, Sister Lily said that if you stay, you will no longer be tied to He Ziyan. You are free to choose, which gives you more room to maneuver."

Listening to Brother Lin's enthusiastic sales pitch, Jiang Luo went straight to the point: "So... Brother Lin, do you want me to stay?"

"Of course we hope so!" Brother Lin exclaimed. "Luo Luo, now is not the time for us to pick and choose jobs. If you don't want to have any deeper contact with He Ziyan, then you should avoid him from now on."

"Okay," Jiang Luo agreed.

After a moment of contemplation, she asked softly, "Where is He Ziyan?"

His voice was barely audible, as if he were afraid of being overheard.

"According to Sister Lily, He Ziyan will most likely withdraw as originally planned," said Brother Lin.

He sensed something unusual and couldn't contain his excitement. "Are you reluctant to part with him?"

"No, no, no, I was just asking casually," Jiang Luo hurriedly explained.

Without teasing her any further, Brother Lin continued, "However, Sister Lily also said that it's not entirely certain whether He Ziyan will continue or not. If He Ziyan doesn't continue, someone else will fill the gap. If He Ziyan does continue, it won't affect your choice of someone else."

"Okay." Jiang Luo had no other choice; if she didn't work, she would starve. "Let's renew the contract."

People always have to do some jobs they don't like before they can find the jobs they like.

After hanging up the phone, the thought that these might be the last two days she spent with He Ziyan filled her with a deep sense of loss.

In truth, she and He Ziyan had only spent three days together.

These three days felt incredibly long, like an eternity.

-

"The first thing is done."

lounge.

The only places where the dating reality show crew won't follow you are the dressing room and the restroom.

He Ziyan stood by the window, while Ji Bei leaned against the sofa.

Outside the window, the bustling city lights reflect the twinkling stars, painting the world with vibrant colors.

Ji Bei crossed his arms, raised his eyebrows, and said smugly, "In addition, I also helped you improve your plan."

"What?"

“I asked Lily to tell Jiang Luo’s agent that you might not renew your contract.”

He Ziyan's gaze was deep, and he didn't reply, looking slightly bewildered.

Seeing that He Ziyan also had moments of not being so clear-headed, Ji Bei felt extremely pleased. "Call me 'brother,' and I'll tell you why I did this."

His face was ashen, and He Ziyan glanced at him without saying a word.

"Call me 'brother' and let me hear it!" Ji Bei urged, his smile resembling that of a smug little man.

He Ziyan stared at him, her mind racing. After a long while, she analyzed, "You made her mistakenly believe that I wouldn't continue participating in the dating reality show. You wanted to stir her emotions, break her current unchanging feelings for me, and even make her realize that I'm not always there, and that she might lose me, right?"

He gazed calmly at the person on the sofa.

Ji Bei clapped his hands and asked in return, "Aren't you supposed to be very insightful? How come you become so passive when you're around her?"

"I can't bring myself to do it." He Ziyan lowered his eyes and turned to look out the window.

He knew where his problem lay.

Pursuing someone isn't something that can be achieved simply by working hard.

In fact, nowadays, it is rare to see cases where hard work alone leads to success; sometimes, the methods and approaches are more important than hard work.

Heaven rewards diligence; first, you must ensure that the path leads to heaven.

But as he spent more and more time with Jiang Luo, his heart softened more and more.

These days, even the usual practice of deducting favorability points for not logging in at the designated time is now met with hesitation.

A soft heart will never lead to great achievements.

He understands it, but putting it into practice is another matter entirely.

Pursuing something is like flying a kite; you need to aim carefully and then pull it back and let it go.

Ji Bei touched his brow bone and remained silent.

He was merely a theorist; if he were to actually demonstrate his military strategy to Lin Shuang, he would probably only choose the honey trap.

There are countless tricks and schemes, but when facing someone you like, even the most sophisticated tricks become meaningless.

"well."

"well."

The two of them sighed deeply in unison.

-

On the way back.

Jiang Luo returned with Shi Yan and Qin Ning.

Everyone was quite tired and didn't say much.

Jiang Luo leaned back in her seat the whole way, gazing out the window, looking lost and forlorn.

From the very first day she entered this variety show, she looked forward to its end and to meeting Yan Zihe on Saturday night.

I'm looking forward to staying home for two or three days after the recording ends so I can play some games.

But now, it's all gone.