Chapter 6 is terrifyingly strong.
Even though Ling Zhao had never been in a relationship, he knew that he should take the initiative to take responsibility for driving in this situation.
Unfortunately, he didn't have a driver's license.
When driving on the road, you must abide by the road traffic law.
On the other side...
Faced with such a warm invitation, Fang Yucheng was stunned for a few seconds before turning to look at Mu Jiu, who was gripping the driver's car door.
Finally, he hesitated before speaking: "...No need, you can sit in the back."
Seeing this, Mu Jiu could only shrug regretfully, close the car door, and walk to the back seat.
The viewers in the live chat also recovered from the initial shock of the visuals:
[That's strange. Mu Jiu and Ling Zhao seem pretty cool on their own, so why do they act like social thugs when something happens?]
When the phrase "reasonable suspicion" was used together in the same car, the atmosphere was just like now, where one would practically swear brotherhood on the spot.
Are people's thresholds for laughter really that high? Am I the only one who gets this "laughing whenever Mu Jiu and Ling Zhao are in the same frame" thing?
Where's that guy who said he'd do a handstand while washing his hair? Someone did fight for the passenger seat, so you've completed half your bet; you just need to do a handstand live on stream.
...
The farce has come to an end.
Given Fang Yucheng and Meng Shuning's popularity, any supermarket would be overrun if there were no restrictions on customer flow.
To avoid disturbing public order, the production team only informed Fang Yucheng of their destination after the car had left the small house.
It was almost five o'clock when we arrived at the supermarket.
As Mu Jiu pushed the trolley, she put things into it according to her memo. Just as her finger swiped to the third item she needed to prepare, her phone vibrated.
[Agent: ...I'm watching your live stream]
[Agent: Who was your ex?]
[Agent: Ling Zhao?]
Although she works for a company, she gets along quite well with her agent, Sister Chen.
The other person was only three years older than her, but she spared no effort in securing resources for her artists. When she heard that the company had accepted this variety show for her, she even called and cursed the scoundrel boss for half the night.
In the novel's plot, when the original owner was completely abandoned by the industry and fans, apart from her parents, only her agent was left to run errands for her in court and recommend reliable caregivers.
This time was no different. If she hadn't been busy running around with other artists these past few days, the other party would have originally planned to take her to the cabin today.
Therefore, if the other party knows that you are live streaming, they must still send you a message, which means they must have their own reasons.
[mujiu: What's up?]
Mu Jiu released the stroller, and as soon as she looked up, Ling Zhao wisely took over and blocked the live-streaming camera not far away.
[Agent: You two don't look like you've ever been in a relationship among this group of people.]
Mu Jiu's expression remained unchanged, but a chill ran down his spine.
[mujiu: Why do you think that?]
The primary task for participating in a dating reality show is to stay away from the male and female leads and their fans. Secondly, it's crucial to avoid arousing suspicion among viewers regarding their identities.
Mu Jiu originally thought this kind of thing was not difficult, and even just now, she felt that she was just a little unlucky, but her behavior was very polite.
Her performance was theoretically not outstanding, let alone enough to raise suspicions that she was a lifelong single.
[Agent: Uninformed viewers will only think your actions are bizarre, but if this continues, sooner or later someone will start to guess the same thing as me.]
[Agent: Just look at the couple 'Meng Xiang Cheng Zhen,' and you'll see the gap between you two isn't just a little bit, it's like the East African Rift Valley.]
The fact that this usually considerate agent would use such an impolite adjective can only mean that there are indeed problems between the two of them.
So, what is the difference?
Mu Jiu, feeling a sense of crisis, turned his gaze to Meng Shuning and Fang Yucheng, who were not far away.
At the same time, Meng Shuning had just tucked the stray hairs that had fallen across her face behind her ear, her gaze focused and serious as she watched Fang Yucheng selecting goods not far away.
The other person being watched turned around and happened to meet her gaze.
A few seconds passed before Fang Yucheng lowered his gaze: "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
Meng Shuning, the ACE on stage and even known as the "Queen of Beauty" for her concert performances, suddenly trembled slightly, but quickly revealed a shy and lovely smile: "Teacher Fang, it's been a while since I've seen you, and you've become more and more handsome."
A playful remark broke the unnatural, invisible silence that had formed between them.
Fang Yucheng chuckled, pulled over the shopping cart, and said with a deep smile in his eyes, "It's your turn to choose what you want to buy."
Just like the long take often used in all romance films, it depicts the eye contact between the male and female protagonists.
Gazing into each other's eyes conveys a sense of lingering affection and unfinished business.
Mu Jiu subconsciously turned her head to look at the man beside her.
She has presented this level of performance in film and television dramas before, and even Meng Shuning's gaze did not contain that much emotion.
In her opinion, it was almost the same as staring blankly at the person opposite her.
Is the point not about affection, but about gazing at each other?
Ling Zhao, who met her gaze, paused for a moment, then seemed to freeze for a second before trying to think for half a second.
"...Why are you looking at me?"
Mu Jiu: "..."
Will the next topic also be about becoming more handsome?
But whenever she recalls the scene from their last meeting, she can't help but remember the sad frog that cried for three days and three nights.
Mu Jiu gasped: "Let me confirm what you look like."
Ling Zhao:?
Before he could ask any further questions, Mu Jiu noticed that the two people in front of him had moved to the snack shelf again, so he also pulled the cart forward and took two steps. Then he heard Meng Shuning's sweet voice.
"Teacher Fang, here's your favorite potato chips."
She poked at the packaging bag, then looked up with expectant eyes like a cat begging for treats: "Shall we buy some snacks for the others to take back with us?"
Another voice came over helplessly: "You're the one who wants to eat it, aren't you?"
Meng Shuning paused as she secretly reached for another bag of potato chips: "You noticed?"
She gestured for silence with her hand and blinked, "Then I'll have to trouble you to keep this a secret, Teacher Fang~"
Mu Jiu thoughtfully withdrew his gaze.
Such scenes are also common in youth romance dramas.
An awkward conversation that begins with asking about preferences, coupled with a shared secret, fuels the growing atmosphere of ambiguity.
So, if we apply this to real-world situations...
Mu Jiu looked up and around.
Although she had done some research with Ling Zhao beforehand and even memorized his preferences.
But now that they've moved from the vegetable section to the fresh produce section, it would be too jarring to deliberately point to items on the snack shelf.
Having no other choice, she focused her gaze on the bloody half-pig hanging on the iron hook, and said with delight, "Here are your favorite ribs."
Ling Zhao:......
Ling Zhao looked up at the iron hook, then at Mu Jiu.
She looked up again at the ribs covered in blood, and then at Mu Jiu.
Ling Zhao: "I didn't like it that much before it was ripe."
Mu Jiu nodded and smiled brightly: "You're right. Please pretend I didn't ask what you just said and keep it a secret for me."
While there are stories of protagonists falling in love against a horror movie backdrop, if they were to confess their feelings to each other in their current circumstances, she would suspect that someone might have Stockholm syndrome rather than genuinely falling in love with the other person.
...But ultimately, does repeatedly doing the same things as those two really create an ambiguous relationship?
Mu Jiu sensed something was wrong.
Ling Zhao also sensed something was wrong.
From the very beginning, he felt like a wooden stake, an insignificant prop in the scene.
This strange feeling lasted until Meng Shuning tripped over a crack in the bricks and was about to fall, reaching its peak.
Meng Shuning frantically reached out to grab the shelf, but Fang Yucheng caught her.
Meng Shuning: "Thank you..."
Her cheeks flushed, and she glanced at him with watery eyes before hastily taking a step back.
At this moment, that ominous feeling welled up in Ling Zhao's heart again—
The woman beside him glanced thoughtfully at the shelf next to them filled with knives.
Ling Zhao, finally realizing something was wrong, widened his eyes and grabbed her wrist with lightning speed: "This thing will cause an accident if it falls. Let's go somewhere else."
Mu Jiu: ...
She would never do that.
[I've been watching them for ages and I finally figured out what they're doing! They must be performing a crosstalk routine!]
[Shouldn't this be the kind of issue we're concerned about right now? Shouldn't you two reflect on yourselves?]
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. The room next door was overflowing with flirtatious banter, but here, apart from the competitive spirit, there were no worldly desires.
Am I the only one wondering what they're doing?
Isn't it obvious? They're just imitating top-tier celebrity couples to ride their coattails.
...
Just as Mu Jiu was trying to delve deeper into the gap between her and the popular CP, her suspicious actions were ultimately interrupted by a series of messages from her agent.
[Agent: Stop, stop, I said stop]
[Agent: Darling, this track isn't for you]
[Agent: Old Deng just called again to congratulate me on signing you. Tone it down.]
Mu Jiu looked at the information on her phone screen and puffed out her cheeks slightly in dissatisfaction.
[mujiu: Didn't it seem ambiguous just now?]
A gaze full of stories.
The dialogue is delivered in a familiar tone.
Out of concern for the other party's natural physical contact.
Although she felt that something was missing, at least the key elements were there, and at most, she just needed to add some lighting and background music effects necessary for film and television dramas to evoke emotion.
She followed the formula to solve the problems. Even if she didn't get them all right, she should still get the basic points as long as her process was correct.
After all, she was quite confident in her ability to perfectly replicate other people's performances.
[Agent: It's all those scoundrels' fault for giving you villainous roles every day! They've ruined your brain! I told you you needed to take on some positive and uplifting scripts!]
[mujiu: ……]
[broker:……]
[broker:……]
[Agent: Have you heard that girls sometimes show vulnerability in front of guys they like?]
...Showing weakness?
Mu Jiu had indeed read about such plots in TV drama scripts, but in real life, does every girl in love actually use this technique?
Perhaps when dopamine is raging, girls are like cunning hunters, deliberately using the skill of feigning weakness to deliver a fatal blow at the crucial moment?
Before Mu Jiu could figure out how to use it, he felt his phone vibrate again.
[Agent: I originally wanted you to learn to show vulnerability appropriately, but it's no longer necessary.]
[Agent: Right now you seem to care about no one, you're incredibly strong.]
Mu Jiu: ?
After leaving that message, the agent said he was busy and told her to take care of herself and at least persevere until the end of the variety show without being voted out by the audience.
Meanwhile, the cameraman responsible for filming Fang Yucheng and Meng Shuning in the distance also began to approach them at this time.
We need to reunite.
Mu Jiu looked at Meng Shuning and Fang Yucheng, their faces showing shy smiles, their eyes meeting and then looking away.
She decided that when she turned off the live stream in her room that night, she would review her performance for the day.
In short, her acting direction seems to have gone wrong.
Meng Shuning jogged over and waved to Mu Jiu. As she got closer, her gaze fell on the cart in front of them: "Oh, are you buying so many groceries?"
"Should we make a mixed stew or a vegetarian feast?"
The live stream also zoomed in on the products in the shopping cart at appropriate times:
Shanghai bok choy, baby bok choy, spinach, potatoes, enoki mushrooms...
[Are all these vegetables only used for salads? Is she trying to establish a fitness and weight loss persona again?]
Didn't you say you couldn't cook? Why are you pretending and buying so much?
Is this to leave yourself an out in case you mess up your cooking? Even so, it's such a waste of food.
"I can't cook complicated dishes."
Mu Jiu shook his head, looking apologetic: "So I'm planning to cook hot pot tonight."
hot pot.
It's perfectly suitable for food variety shows, but it would be something many people would avoid at all costs if it appeared on dating variety shows.
Imagine a group of elegantly dressed young men and women in a pink-bubble-filled setting, their ambiguous gestures and subtle movements revealing that they aren't smelling each other's perfume, but rather...
Meng Shuning hesitated before speaking, "I'm fine with anything, but hot pot...won't the smell be too strong?"
"Besides the butter base, there are also clear broth and tomato bases. These two broths don't have a strong flavor."
Ling Zhao pulled two bags of supplies from the bottom of the cart: "We'll take care of the cleaning afterwards."
"Today, Ling Zhao and I are in charge of preparing hot pot. Tomorrow, we'll trouble Shu Ning and Teacher Fang to cook a nice meal for everyone."
Mu Jiu spoke earnestly, clasping his hands together: "I'm really sorry."
Having gone this far, it would seem unreasonable to refuse further.
Incidentally, the cunning production team also inserted an advertisement for the range hood sponsor during this segment.
And so, the group returned to the hut with stacks of bags.
Meng Shuning: "Mu Mu, you've already dealt with so much?"
While I was putting frozen food in the refrigerator, I turned around and saw that Mu Jiu had already sliced potatoes, soaked glass noodles, and peeled baby bok choy and soaked it in the vegetable washing basin.
She looked at Mu Jiu with a puzzled expression: "You seem to be a very good cook. Aren't you being too modest?"
Mu Jiu, who was engrossed in preparing the ingredients, subconsciously looked up: "I've only practiced preparing ingredients, but when it comes to cooking them..."
She performed an explosive motion, which made Meng Shuning laugh.
[Me too! Please make sure to clearly state the weight and proportion of "a few," "a little," and "appropriate amount" in the recipe!]
I'm afraid to get close to the oil pan when I'm cooking, so I've never been able to learn how to cook.
[Shushu's smile is so cute. I hope Erzi will always be so sensible and not try to take advantage of her.]
[Ha, wasn't that enough of an attempt to piggyback on others' fame? Their poor imitation even made it to the trending topics.]
[Stop watching Mo Fang! This damn show's producers are trying to use the "brother" label to promote their idol again. A leopard can't change its spots.]
They were unaware of the external disturbances.
Mu Jiu looked up from the ingredients, about to instruct her teammates: "Ling..."
Before he finished speaking, the person at the table looked up.
Fang Yucheng.
Upon seeing the face clearly, Mu Jiu, whose expression had just softened, was taken aback, then put on a polite smile: "Teacher Fang has already set everything up? Then you can call the others to prepare the hot pot."
The tableware, cooking pot, and even the ingredients she had prepared were all perfectly arranged on plates, just like a hot pot restaurant waiting to open.
Whether it was part of the show's production team's task or not, everyone else seemed to have gone up to the attic, and Ling Zhao had disappeared somewhere.
Before Mu Jiu could get past Fang Yucheng, she heard his voice.
"Is it because your ex was there that you deliberately avoided suspicion?"
Like ice, or the first drop of rain before a storm.
He had absolutely no connection with her, yet he inexplicably adopted a gloomy and uncertain expression.
Upon noticing her gaze, the other person seemed to realize their lapse in composure, quickly pursed their lips, and revealed a hurt expression.
"I thought we were still good friends..."
He did nothing, he just naturally exuded the charm of the opposite sex, and even if others saw it, they would never think that they were being ambiguous.
But those eyes, at this moment, seemed to be filled only with her, like the deep sea at night, hiding something.
Although I've always known Yu Cheng is gentle and patient, he shouldn't be so lenient with colleagues who like to freeload.
I bet Mu Biao would start spreading rumors again if he saw this expression.
[Wasn't it Fang Yucheng who was actively seeking out Mu Jiu?]
Am I the only one focusing on the wrong thing? This also confirms that they really aren't exes, hahaha, so Meng Xiangcheng is definitely real!
...
If his agent hadn't sent him a message to remind him, Mu Jiu would have denied it without hesitation.
Because she only intended to be a peripheral figure in the dating reality show, without any angst or sweetness, only extremely boring trivialities, and to break up peacefully.
But... he doesn't seem like someone who's ever been in a relationship?
Mu Jiu wasn't sure why people would have such thoughts. But it was clear that using the previous emergency plan to film this variety show was absolutely not an option now.
If even their "romantic history" is questioned, it will only make their situation worse.
She has to take some extreme measures to solidify her public image.
So, how can she quickly convince people that she once had someone she loved?
Mu Jiu closed his eyes.
“That’s right, Teacher Fang.”
She spoke softly, but her voice trembled as if she were about to collapse.
Whether it was her eyes brimming with tears when she opened them again, or her trembling fingertips resting on the table, it was as if she had shattered the illusion of peace in an instant.
"The one thing I don't want him to misunderstand is..."
Her voice seemed to have swallowed all emotion, simply stating calmly, "Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way before."
A note from the author:
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It's updated! [Thumbs up]
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