Chapter 64 The Final Choice
Mu Jiu was slightly taken aback, then looked at Fang Yucheng behind the glass door, and then at Ling Zhao.
Her mind went blank for a few seconds before she hesitantly said, "Then you guys should go to sleep early. I'm going to get some water."
Seeing that Mu Jiu was about to turn and leave after saying those words, Ling Zhao almost instinctively wanted to take a step and follow.
However, the sound of a gentle knock on the glass door stopped him in his tracks.
When he turned around, Fang Yucheng stood in the shadows, looking at him with a gloomy expression, and tapped the door lock with his knuckles.
"..."
Although I really want to ignore the other person, if I actually do that, this matter will most likely become a trending topic tomorrow.
Therefore, Ling Zhao could only frown and stop walking.
Only after Mu Jiu's footsteps faded away down the stairs did he raise his hand and pull open the glass door again.
"Whether you believe it or not, I never considered you an enemy before."
With his back to the live stream camera, Ling Zhao's eyes swirled with a dark glint: "But if you continue to spread rumors about her, then things might change."
Fang Yucheng, whose expression had been grim, suddenly broke into a smile upon hearing his words: "How do you know it's a rumor? She might be even more..."
Seeing that Ling Zhao's aura was becoming increasingly imposing, he shook his head and said, "Forget it, people only believe what they want to believe."
Fang Yucheng shrugged and walked away, looking quite pleased with himself.
Only Ling Zhao remained standing there.
[Is there anyone skilled in lip reading who can tell me what Chaomu said? This is really crucial for me!!!]
[Not a pro, just trying to translate. Mu Jiu: Still up so late? Ling Zhao: What brings you here?]
I think what was said before was right, I'm totally hooked, KSWL!
[Please, Chao Mu, give us more sweet moments! I'm going to die if there aren't any more sweet moments between Chao Mu and Ling Zhao! That missed connection between Chao Mu and Ling Zhao, and the part where Ling Zhao looked at his ex's room, I almost cried my eyes out!]
[Waaaaah, please stop! I finally calmed down.]
【Why are these two chatting again... Oh, they're gone? Am I the only one in the live stream who cares what they're talking about on the balcony in the middle of the night?】
What can we talk about? Isn't it just that Fang Yucheng plagiarism scandal? /laughs
After that sentence was uttered, a flood of comments appeared on the screen.
[Get lost if you're spreading rumors that Yu Cheng plagiarized! Making baseless accusations of plagiarism without any evidence is unfounded. Fans of Yu Cheng, stop trying to exploit this situation and leech off others. Have some shame!]
[Breaking news: Ling Zhao has been eyeing Yu Cheng's resources for a long time. Not only did he plagiarize his work, but he also tried to steal Yu Cheng's commercial endorsements. This appearance on the same dating reality show was a deliberate attempt to cause trouble. It's disgusting!]
[Hilarious! Ling Zhao used to be so obscure he was practically unknown, but now he's trending by piggybacking on Yu Cheng's fame. He's even resorting to such a low-down trick as plagiarism. He's willing to do anything for a good cause?]
[Some people, lacking personal charm to attract fans, resort to creating fake couple pairings to grab attention. This move by Erzi is just too disgusting.]
Please focus on Yu Cheng's work and do not believe the rumors circulating online.
...
A barrage of aggressive comments completely baffled the regular viewers who stayed up late to watch the live stream.
At the same time, a series of messages in the Chaomu CP fan group interrupted Tan Xi's actions, who was trying to zoom in on the screen after blocking the bullet comments.
[0909: Chaomu's supertopic has been flooded by Fang Yucheng's fans! It's full of negative comments! Why have these people suddenly gone crazy again??]
[Leopard Cat's Leg Pendant: Huh? Is it because of that negative trending topic about Fang Yucheng? But if it's a rumor, shouldn't the target be the marketing accounts spreading the rumor?]
[A bunch of people are saying: What should we do? Even if each of us goes up to complain and report, we still don't have as many people as the other side!]
Tan Xi took a deep breath.
[Sigh: Are there any law students or people with appeal/defense experience in this group? If so, please message me privately.]
After a while, a chat box popped up.
[Group admin: What do you need me to do? I can contact a lawyer.]
This night is destined to be a sleepless night for countless people.
The next morning.
The trending topics related to Fang Yucheng that were still on the social media charts late at night suddenly disappeared without a trace at dawn.
As the sunlight gradually rises, the street scene outside the window slowly brightens from a gray-blue hue. The camera cuts to a glass curtain wall in a corner of the street, where warm, soft light ripples through the glass.
As soon as the clock struck midnight, the live stream of "I'm Going" started on time.
The program's introductory text was then inserted:
[The four seasons have come full circle, the unspoken feelings linger in my heart, the long entanglement of misunderstandings, stirrings of the soul, regrets, and obsessions—all the unspoken sentiments, all the longings hidden in my eyes, will finally be written down today. The road to the ending begins anew, and everything feels as if it were the first time.]
It was rare for everyone to be present in the small house.
No one had a joyful expression on their face; some were lost in thought, others were worried, and still others were staring blankly into space. Everyone seemed absent-minded that morning.
It wasn't until the production team sent a text message that everyone seemed to be jolted awake.
Today will be the day everyone makes their final choice, and before that, the five pairs of guests in the cabin will have one last secret conversation.
——
The warm yellow light separated the indoor and outdoor areas, while the green ivy by the window meandered along, its layers of leaves casting dappled shadows on the glass, blurring the outdoor scenery into a soft, dreamlike image.
The soothing jazz background music and the delicate yet clear clinking of cups and saucers create an atmosphere that seems to allow you to almost smell the rich aroma of caramel and roasted coffee beans, even through the screen.
The door was pushed open, and the wind chimes tinkled.
As Mu Jiu stepped into the coffee shop and looked up at the interior, she was slightly surprised.
The person who looked up after hearing the sound did not look away after noticing her.
If his silver-gray hair gave him a more untamed look, like a sharp silver blade, then the wispy strands of hair falling in front of his eyes now seemed to carry an air of detached melancholy and mystery.
Ling Zhao with black hair.
His gaze seemed heavy, carrying a weight.
[We've actually ended up back at the coffee shop where we first met!]
Wait... that back view, huh?
Wow, now I know why Ling Zhao dyed her hair!
[I only thought they looked a little similar before, but from behind, it's really hard to tell them apart from Fang Yucheng.]
Is this something I can say? Even with the same black hair, you can really tell at a glance that Ling Zhao is much more handsome.
[This face is what truly deserves to be called the face of a first love!]
Mu Jiu: "Why did you suddenly dye your hair?"
When she saw Ling Zhao last night, he still had that silver-gray wolf tail, and he didn't even mention that he would be dyeing his hair today during their conversation.
Their pairing has now become quite popular, and without Ling Zhao's approval, the show's stylist wouldn't dare to make such a decision on their own.
"I sometimes want to change my hairstyle."
The other person's eyes held a question: "Is it inappropriate?"
"It suits you perfectly."
The gazes opposite her had been fixed on her the whole time. Realizing this, Mu Jiu looked away uncomfortably: "I thought you wouldn't change before the show."
She always thought that Ling Zhao treated her as a business partner he knew well on the show.
But after her understanding was refreshed, when she watched the show again, she saw some details that she had previously overlooked.
Although Mu Jiu still couldn't fully accept reality, from a purely professional perspective, she could see that Ling Zhao's gaze towards her was gradually changing.
The most obvious change was during her date with Fang Yucheng at the haunted house.
The day before the date, Ling Zhao's negative trending topic was at its peak.
When you're being attacked online and overwhelmed by negative comments, it's not surprising that someone comes to your aid. Upon reflection, this kind of change is quite normal.
But strangely, after figuring this out, I couldn't feel the same peace of mind as before.
"...People always change."
Ling Zhao paused slightly: "No one is always like the first time they meet."
[It just occurred to me that Ling Zhao dyed his hair when he was being most stigmatized after his debut, right?]
I have a bad feeling; it seems like both of them are ready to cut ties with the past.
[Tonics, tonics, you can kill me all you want! Do you know how vulnerable I am when I'm on these tonics? /crying/crying/crying]
[I thought Ling Zhao wouldn't change... I feel like I was really hurt a long time ago, but Zhao Zhao clearly didn't want to be like that either. This problem really has no solution /crying]
...
"There are some things I feel I need to make clear to you."
Mu Jiu straightened up slightly and looked at Ling Zhao with great seriousness: "There was no special reason why I spoke up for you on the live stream that night. I would have done the same for anyone else I know."
She did not act without considering the consequences. Her decision to go live was based on three factors: first, her analysis of the novel's plot; second, her real-world investigation; and third, her feelings about Ling Zhao, which led her to defend him based on evidence and trust.
This is not a particularly special action.
As she finished speaking.
I don't know when, but all I could hear was the faint sound of the coffee machine running and the scattered "ding-a-ling" of the wind chimes as they swayed slightly.
"I know."
She seemed to hear a soft sigh from the other side.
Ling Zhao propped his head up, his gaze seemingly looking directly into her eyes: "When I fell in love with you, I knew you were this kind of person."
[Aa ...
[Will they get back together? Will they get back together? Will they get back together? I feel like I could really confess in this atmosphere! Who knows, maybe things will actually work out between Chaomu and melodrama!]
[How can someone be a million times more adorable after breaking up than when they were together?! Chao Mu is a match made in heaven!!!]
Am I the only one who thinks that although Ling Zhao's words made people want to cry, the weight of their mutual statement, "You've always been a good person," is only increasing.
[No, do you guys really think this atmosphere is sweet? I actually started crying the moment Zhaozhao opened her mouth. The subtext of that sentence was 'Because I know you are a good person, I know that even if you no longer love me, you will still protect me without reservation.']
Let's respect the opinions of both of them, okay? Although Asagami and Asagami are a great couple, don't forget the previous bad ending preview.
Thank you, I hope you'll remind me of this next time I take supplements :)
Mu Jiu stared at him blankly, unsure how to respond to such an unexpected answer.
Just then, their eye contact was interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone.
At the same time, text messages from the production team were also broadcast in the live broadcast room:
[Now for the final selection. Guests, please choose the name of the person you want to confess to in the cabin. If the person you choose is your ex, please confess in the café. If you leave the café without confessing to your ex or sending a text message, you will be considered to have forfeited your participation.]
[This show's rules are really something! Although, given Neiyu's personality, no one should choose anyone other than their ex.]
[Hard to say, I actually ship Xiang Wan and Deng Minzhou /winking emoji]
[Praying for dawn and dusk to meet again (cat praying.jpg)]
Just as the chat in the live stream was filled with anticipation and tension as people waited for the two to make their next move, the room inexplicably fell silent.
The only sound in the room was the low hum of the coffee machine, which made the stillness all the more apparent, until a crisp porcelain sound suddenly broke the silence.
Mu Jiu lowered his head, pausing in his hand as he stirred his coffee: "Is there anything else you want to ask me?"
Sunlight streamed through the clouds and into the room, casting shimmering gold dots on the tabletop.
Ling Zhao looked at her with a complex and unreadable expression.
Finally, she lowered her eyes and asked in a deep voice, "Is it true that you like Fang Yucheng?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Here it comes, but I missed it again... [laughing and crying while covering face]
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