Chapter 74 A First Kiss

The Ferris wheel was slowly rising into the air, still some distance from its highest point. Chu Ruofu was taking pictures with her phone.

Sitting in the Ferris wheel and looking down at the beautiful city view from high above is a truly exhilarating experience.

Chu Ruofu was taking photos with her phone from different angles. After taking the photos, as she was checking if they were taken well, she heard Chen Wuyang's voice in her ear.

“Fufu.” His voice was unusually tense.

Chu Ruofu thought he was afraid of heights, so she looked up at him, about to say something to comfort him.

Shen Wuyang leaned over and gently kissed her lips. The Ferris wheel had just reached its highest point, and the entire city was below them.

Chu Ruofu was stunned, her whole body stiffening on the stool, gripping her phone tightly.

The kiss lasted less than a few seconds before Shen Wuyang's face turned bright red. He hurriedly sat back down, muttering intermittently, "I'm sorry... It's said that if you kiss your lover at the highest point of the Ferris wheel on the island, you'll stay together forever."

"I kissed you in a moment of impulse... I'm sorry..."

The kiss was as light as a floating cloud, and it was over before Chu Ruofu could react. When she came to her senses, she looked at Shen Wuyang, whose eyes were full of tension and anxiety.

For a moment, she didn't know how to react.

A young man's passionate love and a shy kiss took place on a dreamy and romantic Ferris wheel, all captured by a camera in another Ferris wheel box.

[The scheming young man kissed her first and then apologized; Fu Mei simply couldn't bring herself to scold him.]

Does a light touch count as a kiss?

[Lovers need kisses to stay together, has Shen Wuyang forgotten that he and Fu Mei aren't lovers yet?]

[This puppy's first kiss was so sweet it melted my heart; Fu is practically a first kiss magnet.]

A chaotic battle erupted between viewers and fans, with CP (couple) fans tearing each other apart and solo fans offering both praise and insults, filling the entire live stream with comments.

Shen Wuyang looked at Chu Ruofu cautiously, and said with annoyance, "Fufu, please don't be angry, it's my fault, scold me if you want, just don't ignore me..."

Chu Ruofu couldn't bring herself to curse. She rarely cursed, and besides, seeing Shen Wuyang's state, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Stop talking." Chu Ruofu's expression was unreadable as she said, "I'm not angry."

Shen Wuyang's eyes instantly lit up with a bright, puppy-dog-like light, as if he had seen some hope.

His hopes were destined to be dashed.

Chu Ruofu lowered her thick, black eyelashes slightly, concealing the reluctance in her eyes, and said, "I already have someone I like."

Shen Wuyang's eyes dimmed instantly, his expression turning ashen and lifeless. He asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

Before she could answer, he asked, "Gu Junsheng?"

Chu Ruofu nodded gently.

Shen Wuyang felt a pang of bitterness and unease. He was right; it was indeed Gu Junsheng. Chu Ruofu's eyes kept glancing at Gu Junsheng, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

"Was there something wrong with me?" Shen Wuyang's heart was breaking as she asked with difficulty, "Why did you choose him?"

Chu Ruofu couldn't bear to see his dejected expression, so she looked out the window and replied, "You're not bad, you're very good, but I..."

She couldn't really explain it; liking and loving were based on feelings in her heart. After weighing the options, she felt that Gu Junsheng was more suitable.

"I prefer him."

Live stream chat:

[Sigh, I thought there was a chance for the fourth male lead.]

It seems no one can influence the female lead's choice; she only has eyes for the male lead.

[Poor younger man number four, rejected on their first date, his heart is breaking. So heartbreaking.]

[In dating reality shows, you can only choose one, not multiple. It would be great if you could collect them all.]

The Ferris wheel slowly reached its landing point.

Chu Ruofu unbuckled her safety harness, stood up, and said, "It's time to go out."

Shen Wuyang silently followed behind her, and the two of them finally felt the ground beneath their feet.

Chu Ruofu thought the date was going to end early, but Shen Wuyang quickly composed himself and tried to smile at her: "We still have a lot of things to do, let's go together."

The two played at the amusement park until the afternoon before leaving. Shen Wuyang and she had dinner together at an animal restaurant near the amusement park.

If Shen Wuyang were her lover, this date would probably be very sweet. She only sees him as a good friend and keeps the appropriate distance.

Shen Wuyang showed no impatience and had a great time playing with her all day.

Before the date ended, Shen Wuyang lowered his eyes and said to her, "Fufu, I don't care if you like Gu Junsheng. I just want to be by your side."

Back in her bedroom before going to sleep that night, Chu Ruofu was still pondering the meaning of those words.

What does it mean to just be able to stay by her side?

Should Shen Wuyang step aside and become her male friend?

...

The recording of the sixth episode has ended.

Chu Ruofu went to four dates by herself, creating a highly entertaining show. Her name was constantly trending online, and every couple's fans were thrilled.

The Fusheng CP is the most popular. Whoever the female lead chooses becomes her CP. Now that Chu Ruofu has chosen Gu Junsheng, the Fusheng CP is celebrating like it's Chinese New Year, with firecrackers going off like crazy in their super topic.

Images of the wife as a door god frequently appeared, and there were even fan fictions depicting the two getting married and having children, along with various related products and video edits.

Chu Ruofu returned to her new house, and Xue Fangfei came over to help her unpack and chat about some new gigs she had taken on.

Last time, she beat up the director and ruined a leading role in a popular IP. Xue Fangfei was worried that Chu Ruofu would be blacklisted, but these past few days have proven that her worries were unnecessary. In the entertainment industry, fame is everything.

As long as you're popular enough, resources will keep coming your way.

Xue Fangfei said, "I've found you an assistant."

Chu Ruofu exclaimed, "When?"

Xue Fangfei said, "These past few days you've been recording a program, and I've interviewed several girls who came to recruit. I'm very satisfied with one of them. Let's schedule a time to meet tomorrow, and if you're satisfied, you can sign her."

"Okay," Chu Ruofu replied.

Previously, she couldn't afford an assistant, so Xue Fangfei handled many things. Now that she's become incredibly popular, she has a lot to deal with, including scheduling and handling various matters.

For example, booking flights, hotels, restaurants, and other daily necessities, as well as helping to choose suitable clothing, take photos and videos, all require an assistant.

Chu Ruofu asked, "How much salary should we pay our assistant?"

Xue Fangfei said, "The industry offers assistants a base salary of three to nine thousand yuan, which is a big range. For inexperienced fresh graduates, the maximum salary is three thousand yuan."

Chu Ruofu recalled the days when she was struggling to make ends meet in the entertainment industry and said, "Three thousand is too low."

"Don't worry, I'm not an exploitative capitalist," Xue Fangfei said. "Assistants are hard to find, and finding a suitable one is even harder. I plan to give her a base salary of around six thousand, and as long as she works hard, she'll receive various performance bonuses."

Chu Ruofu agreed, saying that the assistant would only work well if she was paid a satisfactory salary.

Xue Fangfei took a document out of her bag and put it in her hand: "I've accepted a script for you. Take a look and see if it's okay. If not, I'll reject it."

Chu Ruofu opened the script, saw the title in black, and paused slightly.

"The Villainess" is Shen Wuyang's new work, which tells the story of how a taciturn girl uses the people around her to commit heinous crimes and escapes punishment without being found guilty.

A pure and kind girl is more terrifying than a demon from hell. The storyline uses flashbacks, flashforwards, and dual-perspective writing techniques, creating a suspenseful and eerie plot that makes you want to know what exactly happened.

Shen Wuyang sold the copyright to his work before it was even finished. As the author, he has absolute rights. Anyone who wants to buy his work for adaptation must get through him first, from casting to screenwriting and plot adaptation.

These top-tier film scripts usually go through the hands of A-list actresses in the industry, but they don't want them, so only A-list and B-list actresses have a chance to compete for them.

"So? Are you interested?" Xue Fangfei asked.

Chu Ruofu flipped through the script, hesitating. To be honest, it wasn't that she didn't want to act, but that she was worried she wouldn't perform well and would ruin a good suspense script.

Xue Fangfei: "The director and investors are very interested in you. As long as you are willing to participate, you can go directly to take costume photos without auditioning."

"You've chosen me to be the female lead?" Chu Ruofu looked up at her.

Xue Fangfei explained, "The director and investor this time are well-known in the business world, with an upright style. Every film they produce is on the list, and their commercial films are very profitable. As long as you are willing to participate, you will definitely become a big star."

Making movies can bring fame much faster than making TV series. Once a movie is nominated for an award or you win the Best Actress award, you'll have a steady stream of opportunities for at least one or two years.

This is a great opportunity to ascend to immortality.

Chu Ruofu was very tempted. She had never been the female lead before, and now that a cake had hit her on the head, she was eager to try it out.

"I'll take this case."

Xue Fangfei smiled with satisfaction: "There's a dinner party tomorrow night, let's go together."

Chu Ruofu looked worried and asked, "A dinner party? Who's attending?"

“The investors aren’t going,” Xue Fangfei said. “The director, screenwriter, and some of the main actors in the film will meet.”

Chu Ruofu breathed a sigh of relief.

Xue Fangfei: "Dinner parties in the industry are just for people to meet and have a meal. That bastard Ma treated a regular dinner party like a drinking party. If I encounter such an informal dinner party again, I will take you away first."

In the entertainment industry, it's impossible to refuse various dinner invitations. It's very normal for actors and directors to meet for meals, and for film crews to have meals together.

Chu Ruofu hummed in agreement and asked, "Then what should I wear tomorrow?"

Xue Fangfei looked her up and down and said, "The female lead has been decided. Just wear any casual clothes that you're comfortable in. You don't need to dress too formally."

Chu Ruofu said "okay".

The dinner was held at a riverside hotel in Haicheng. The magnificent hotel was like a palace, with bright, reflective floors and extremely luxurious decor.

Chu Ruofu and Xue Fangfei entered the private room. Her gaze fell on a person in front of the round table, and she froze on the spot.

Shen Wuyang was actually in the private room. He prefers to stay at home and write and never appears on important occasions. How could he be here?

Seeing Chu Ruofu looking at Shen Wuyang, the director introduced, "Miss Chu, this is Mr. Shen, the author of the original novel 'The Villainess'."

Shen Wuyang looked intently at Chu Ruofu: "We know each other."

The director didn't usually pay much attention to variety shows, but when he heard that the author knew Chu Ruofu, he thought, "No wonder he chose Chu Ruofu as the female lead; there must be something fishy going on."

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Author's note: The next chapter will begin.