Chapter 94. No one will disturb us. ...

Qiao Yimo anxiously inquired about Li Yichen's condition.

The director said, "The rescue experts and doctors examined Mr. Li. He is fine and needs to rest. All of you guests, please go and rest first and don't disturb Mr. Li."

"We will let everyone know when Teacher Li's condition improves."

The live stream had already been shut down, and there was intense online discussion about the incident involving the production team. The official account simply issued a statement informing viewers and fans that Chu Ruofu and Li Yichen had been rescued.

Viewers and fans remain worried and do not believe the program's statements. The controversy continues to escalate, trending on numerous social media platforms.

Chu Ruofu and Li Yichen's agents have been inquiring about the situation, and the director, the production team, and all the staff will definitely not be able to sleep tonight.

Lu Xubai carried Chu Ruofu back to the room, with Gu Junsheng and Shen Wuyang following behind him. After watching Lu Xubai put Chu Ruofu on the bed, Shen Wuyang, regardless of what the other male guests thought, went over to take off Chu Ruofu's shoes.

Lu Xubai and Gu Junsheng saw this and their eyes darkened, both showing some displeasure.

Among the male guests, Shen Wuyang seemed to be the least competitive. He was young and inexperienced, and always acted like a shy and timid younger brother, which made them overlook his presence.

Shen Wuyang silently took off Chu Ruofu's shoes and rubbed her feet.

The production team made ample preparations for the guests and planned out the routes. Wilderness survival was as simple as hiking, but he was still worried about Chu Ruofu, afraid that she would get cold or hungry.

As it turned out, his worst fears came true. It was all Li Yichen's fault for being such a good-for-nothing and failing to protect her.

When he learned of Chu Ruofu's accident, his whole world turned gray. He couldn't imagine what he would do if something happened to her.

Shen Wuyang stared at Chu Ruofu's pale face, his eyes filled with self-blame and heartache. He wanted to go find her immediately, but he didn't have the skills for wilderness survival and couldn't cause trouble for the production team. He could only wait in the castle for her to be found.

Gu Junsheng considered Chu Ruofu his woman. If it weren't for the dating reality show, he would have already asked these annoying men to leave.

He used to take off Chu Ruofu's wet windbreaker so that she could sleep more comfortably.

Chu Ruofu was exhausted and in a deep sleep, unaware that the men were working together to serve her. Xia Yuqing entered and was stunned by the scene.

After regaining his senses, he immediately urged them, "I'll take care of Chu Ruofu. It's not convenient for you men to stay. You should leave now."

Shen Wuyang was the most obedient. He glanced at Chu Ruofu reluctantly, gave Xia Yuqing a few words of advice, and left the room. Lu Xubai and Gu Junsheng, not wanting to stay in the female guest's bedroom, left one after the other.

Xia Yuqing took on the responsibility of taking care of Chu Ruofu, removing her extra clothes so that she could sleep comfortably in bed.

Chu Ruofu slept very soundly until she woke up the next day at noon when she was hungry. She quickly got up to wash and change her clothes, and just as she was about to go downstairs, she ran into Song Yi in the corridor.

"Sister Song," Chu Ruofu hurriedly went over and asked, "How is Li Yichen? Is he alright?"

"He injured his leg, but it was treated promptly and is nothing serious." Song Yi asked with concern, "How are you? Are you feeling any better?"

Chu Ruofu replied, "I'm fine."

Li Yichen protected her well; she wasn't seriously injured, but he was in a mess and injured his leg. I wonder if this will affect him.

Chu Ruofu thought about going to see Li Yichen and said, "I'll go see Li Yichen."

The two parted ways in the corridor. Chu Ruofu went to Li Yichen's bedroom door, knocked on it, and a slightly annoyed voice came from inside.

"Please come in."

Chu Ruofu pushed open the door and went in.

The air conditioning was on in the room, and the temperature was just right. Li Yichen sat leaning against the headboard, his handsome face bearing some scratches, and he looked irritable.

He looked up and saw Chu Ruofu. A hint of joy flashed in his eyes, and as his gaze shifted, a vulnerable expression immediately appeared, making him seem pitiful.

Li Yichen is a natural performer. When he acts, it's hard to tell whether he's acting or just expressing his true feelings.

To put it simply, he's a professional con artist who manipulates the emotions of the audience. There's a saying: "The actor is a madman, and the audience is a fool." Only when the actor is fully immersed in the role can the audience be immersed in it.

Seeing that he could only sit on the bed and could not move his legs and hands freely, Chu Ruofu felt a pang of guilt.

Li Yichen always seemed so spirited, but now he looks like an artist with broken wings, which is heartbreaking. If his leg is left with any indelible marks, it will be a lifelong matter, and she cannot bear the responsibility.

When the accident happened, the two huddled together, and it was just the two of them in the world. Facing an unknown fate, their feelings were different from before, and she was filled with complicated emotions for Li Yichen.

Chu Ruofu stood in front of the bed and asked softly, "Is your leg serious?"

Li Yichen looked at her with a sad expression, his voice somewhat strained: "It's not too serious. The doctor said that I should try not to move around too much these next few days and it would be best to rest in bed."

Chu Ruofu felt even more guilty and said, "If there's anything I can help with, just tell me, and I'll do what I can."

Seeing her looking like the sky had fallen, Li Yichen said weakly, "Come closer."

Chu Ruofu moved closer to the head of the bed, and Li Yichen reached out to pull her to sit down. She almost bumped into his arms. Chu Ruofu let out a sound of surprise and looked up at him.

Li Yichen's eyes sparkled, as if hinting at something: "If you kiss me, maybe all your injuries will heal."

Chu Ruofu was furious and embarrassed when she heard his frivolous words: "What time is it? You're still joking with me."

"I'm not kidding you." Li Yichen said quite seriously, "I'm serious, if you kiss me, I'll feel all the pain disappear."

Chu Nufu: "..."

Seeing her frowning, Li Yichen reluctantly let go of her hand and said helplessly, "You're just too serious."

"Don't always take the blame upon yourself. Saving and protecting you is what I, as a man, should do. Any other female guest would have done the same." He said against his will, "As a normal person, I would have chosen to protect my weaker companion."

Li Yichen was taught from a young age that in times of crisis, one should abandon the weak, protect oneself first, and then consider other things.

He was lying to Chu Ruofu; he didn't want to see her worried and burdened with immense guilt.

He would never risk his life to save someone else. Call him hypocritical or selfish, he would always put himself first.

Chu Ruofu was an accident. He thought he only liked her, but he was unwilling to be outshone by the other male guests. In a moment of crisis, his instincts led him to make a choice.

Even if it means risking his life, he would go to save her, and he would gladly go to hell with her.

Chu Ruofu parted her lips slightly and said, "Thank you."

Li Yichen reached out and flicked her nose: "Got it, let's call it a day."

Chu Ruofu felt a sense of relief, but then she heard him say casually, "If you care about me, take good care of me during today's recording?"

Li Yichen appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was pounding with tension and anticipation. He didn't want to morally blackmail her, yet he also hoped that she could get closer to him.

Chu Ruofu felt a little less heavy-hearted. She had wanted to do something for him to ease her guilt, so she softened and agreed: "Okay."

Li Yichen needs crutches to support his injured leg, but there are no crutches in the castle, so he has difficulty walking and can only lean against the wall. He stayed in his room because he didn't want to look pathetic or comical on camera.

He hadn't wanted to go down for dinner because he was feeling down, but now that Chu Ruofu was by his side, his mood improved, and he was willing to appear on camera.

The guests were all gathered in the large restaurant. When Chu Ruofu helped Li Yichen out, the other three male guests stared at the two of them with slightly gloomy eyes.

Lu Xubai's voice was sharp: "The doctor said that you have difficulty walking and it's best to rest in bed."

Li Yichen leaned against Chu Ruofu and looked around lazily, saying, "Everyone is eating in the restaurant. It would be impolite if I didn't come."

Xia Yuqing couldn't help but roll her eyes. Looking at Li Yichen's smug expression, she saw that he was limping on one leg and still came over to provoke other men. Wasn't he afraid that his other leg would also be crippled?

Gu Junsheng got up and went over to Chu Ruofu, looking down at her and saying, "Go sit down, I'll help him up."

Just as Chu Ruofu was about to let go, Li Yichen looked at Gu Junsheng with indifferent eyes: "No need for Mr. Gu, I have a personal germaphobia and don't like men getting too close to me."

Gu Junsheng's cold expression darkened slightly. He finally understood why Lu Xubai loathed Li Yichen so much.

Chu Ruofu was unsure how to handle the situation when a hand appeared, pulled Li Yichen over, grabbed his arm, and half-lifted him, pressing him onto a chair.

The smooth, fluid movement left everyone momentarily stunned.

Lu Xubai said coldly, "Everyone, hurry up and eat. The food won't taste good if it gets cold."

Chu Ruofu let out a soft breath, glanced gratefully at Lu Xubai, thankful for his timely rescue. After thinking for a moment, she still chose to sit next to Gu Junsheng, even though she and he hadn't exchanged more than a few words this episode.

Gu Junsheng's expression was indifferent. He always had a quiet and composed demeanor, but today he seemed a bit aloof.

Perhaps due to the accident and the cold weather, the guests at the dinner table were less interested in chatting than usual, and were all focused on eating.

The weather on the island is unpredictable, and it started snowing heavily again. The production team informed everyone that they would be doing the guests' hair and makeup in the afternoon, and recording the eighth episode of the dating reality show in the evening.

The male and female guests were separated and spent the afternoon getting ready. The staff decorated the hall to be luxurious and retro, and all the guests wore masks to attend the ball.

Because Li Yichen injured his leg and needed to rest, he was unable to attend the banquet that evening.

The director announced the rules of the ball: "Dear guests, after the lights are turned off, please choose your dance partner within three seconds. Guests who are left out will be eliminated."

Since Li Yichen can't attend the ball, one of the guests will definitely be eliminated in the first dance.

In the live broadcast room, the audience saw four guests dressed in men's suits and three female guests dressed in evening gowns, and were full of doubts.

[Wasn't Actor Li unable to attend the ball? How come there's an extra male guest?]

Where did one of the female guests go? A paranormal event? ???

[Tonight was a feast for the eyes! Every guest looked amazing. I loved it!]

Sunny Sister has become Sunny Brother! So handsome!

Chu Ruofu couldn't help but linger her gaze on Xia Yuqing, who was dressed as a man. Everyone knew that Xia Yuqing was a cosplayer when they were recording a dating reality show and introducing their professions, but they had never seen her cosplay a character on the dating reality show before.

Today, Xia Yuqing transformed into a vampire count, captivating all the girls with his anime-style coolness.

The masquerade ball has officially begun. The director turns off the lights and counts down. The guests need to form teams within three seconds. Those who do not form teams after the lights come back on will be eliminated.

Chu Ruofu immediately wanted to find Gu Junsheng, but her view was obstructed and she couldn't see him. Then someone grabbed her hand and pulled her over.

The lights were a little dazzling for a moment when they came on.

Chu Ruofu opened her eyes and saw the person in front of her, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes: "It's you."

Xia Yuqing was more than half a head taller than her, and she smiled coolly: "Surprised? Unexpected?"

Chu Ruofu was already surprised enough to see Xia Yuqing dressed as a man, but she didn't expect Xia Yuqing to pull her into the dance team. She looked at the other guests.

Three seconds is not enough to find someone, so the other guests could only form a team randomly before the lights came on.

The only one left out was Gu Junsheng, who hadn't found a dance partner. The director announced, "Unfortunately, Gu Junsheng didn't find a dance partner, so he's out."

Gu Junsheng's gaze fell on Chu Ruofu. He nodded slightly and left the dance floor.

The director announced the rules again: "Next, a song will be played, and the guests can exchange dance partners on the dance floor."

As the music began, the guests moved to the beautiful melody, creating a scene as aesthetically pleasing as a high-society banquet ball, with the camera capturing their expressions.

Chu Ruofu seemed somewhat distracted, frequently glancing at Gu Junsheng in the audience.

Xia Yuqing grabbed her hand and spun her around. The crystal chandelier above their heads shone brightly. As they danced, Xia Yuqing called out "Hey!" and she was forced to switch dance partners.

Lu Xubai held her hands and waist, drawing her attention back: "You need to concentrate on dancing."

The dance partner exchange happened in an instant. Chu Ruofu looked at Lu Xubai, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Last night, after being rescued, she impulsively kissed Lu Xubai, and now she couldn't face him.

His heartfelt confession still echoed in her ears, but she could not respond.

Lu Xubai wouldn't let her escape, leading her step by step away from Gu Junsheng. As they danced, their breaths mingled, and she couldn't concentrate at all.

After the dance, those who remained in teams were to go on dates. When exchanging dance partners, Qiao Yimo and Xia Yuqing were forced to become partners, Song Yi chose to abstain, and Shen Wuyang was automatically eliminated.

At this masquerade banquet, only Lu Xubai and Chu Ruofu were going to have a private rendezvous.

The production team prepared a candlelight dinner on the top floor of the castle, a private space where guests could whisper intimately without being disturbed.

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Author's note: Next chapter: Brother Lu.