Chapter 06 Chapter 6
The mist from the bathroom trickled into the room through the glass door. A man in a bathrobe emerged, just as his phone rang. He glanced at the clock on his desk: 1:30, then dismissed the ringing. He first pulled the carton of cocoa milk, which had been warming in his portable kettle, out of the container, cut a small opening, and poured it into a black mug. Then, he sauntered over to the screen and hit enter to answer the call.
"You're still taking so long to answer the phone!" The person on the other end was clearly less relaxed than him and got straight to the point. "I heard you learned a lot? That show you were on was pretty interesting, wasn't it?"
"It's a little late today. Looks like you've made it?" His bathrobe didn't fit him well, so he shrugged and tugged at the collar, taking a sip of his cocoa. "I'm fine. We haven't even started dating yet, but it seems like the other party is sincere."
Shen Xingyu rubbed his eyes. The man on the video screen was wearing a deep V-neck top that reached all the way to his waist. His chest muscles, pointed at the screen, extended smoothly to his abdomen. The shadows cast by the warm lighting left room for imagination. Shen Xingyu leaned back and began to wink and smirk.
"You're just not very smart. You can seduce me when necessary..."
Lu Ye was so frightened by the stare that he put down the cup and tightened his bathrobe. He glanced at Shen Xingyu and said quietly, "...Everyone has their strengths. I'd better not invade your moat."
"Are you drinking those overly sweet things again? Tsk tsk, it's a shame that Boss Zhu gave you the handmade flower tea..."
"I'm not an expert. I've sent you the scented tea. Please enjoy it." Lu Ye held the warm cup in his hands and rubbed it. "Although it's not very healthy, drinking something sweet when you're up all night will make you more bearable. I've gotten used to it over the years. Besides-"
Besides, the moment he saw her, these bad habits etched into his bones gnawed at his nerves like an addiction. Lu Ye lifted the cup to his lips, inhaling the sweet aroma through his nose into his lungs. "Order a cup of chocolate," she pleaded pitifully with sleepy eyes, "or else I really can't hold on any longer."
Yes, she really couldn't hold on any longer. He'd caught a glimpse of her expression of sadness and disgust hidden behind the camera during the daytime recording, and it had stayed with him, now stirring in his chest like a raging storm. Lu Ye took a gulp, choking and coughing, his face flushing a rare red.
"I have to get busy. I still have to go to bed early because I have a new recording session tomorrow."
Before hanging up, Shen Xingyu frantically urged, "Make yourself look good, and remember to choose Boss Zhu. It's a no-brainer! The whole team is waiting for your good news!"
——
The sample footage, edited overnight, was first used to record the observer segment. An Jiyue had no role to play, but somehow she slipped in and found a corner seat. The five members of the observation team each performed their duties. The host controlled the conversation, the two celebrities occasionally dropped some minor gossip, and the relationship blogger, seated off to the side, delivered catchy lines. They also invited a well-known older variety show artist to offer some male perspectives.
"Hai Fu's behavior towards Lu Ye is a reflection of both her admiration for the strong and a slight fear of those in higher positions or seniors," said Lihua, a blogger on relationships. "After further contact, she might become disenchanted with Lu Ye. This probably won't be their final relationship."
"Indeed, when I first started filming, I had this attitude towards my senior co-stars," one of the actresses nodded in agreement. "But after working together for a few scenes, I was able to let go completely. The acting skills of some of my seniors were also quite different from what I expected..."
"Eh? For example?" Another female celebrity took over and asked, deliberately disrupting the show to create an effect. The previous celebrity didn't answer. The two exchanged glances and laughed at the same time. The host also jokingly smoothed things over:
"Then we also hope that Hai Fu can 'see Lu Ye's true face' as soon as possible. In comparison, wasn't Lu Ye and Zhu Ling's first time together more harmonious?"
The uncle artist shook his head and sighed, "These two are like masters fighting each other. I even feel that the content and familiarity of their true communication are much deeper than what we see and hear."
An Jiyue, listening in, had a sudden flash of inspiration. Following the prevailing sentiment that "urban romances are half conducted on mobile phones," the program team allowed the male and female guests to start private conversations after their one-on-ones, with a few excerpts of their chats shown during each weekly interview. Lu Ye had proactively exchanged contact information with Zhu Ling; perhaps they had already had a lively conversation last night?
In a moment of daze, the observation group's recording session had concluded, and the director announced the next stage: the "warm-up" segment for the guests. Several guests had anonymously written down their hobbies, but each could choose to "attack" or "defend" their participation. "Attack" meant abandoning their chosen activity and choosing one of the other five; "Defend" meant sticking to their chosen plan.
Zhu Ling, Lu Ye, and Rong Rong all chose "defense," while Guan Haifu, Zhan Nianqing, and Shu Jun decided to "attack." However, the results of the blind selection were surprising: Rong Rong, Haifu, Zhan Nianqing, and Shu Jun would act together, while Zhu Ling and Lu Ye would be left alone.
An Jiyue is a competitive swimmer, and since her previous show had involved water filming, Director Zhang assigned her to film the pool segment. She arrived early at the hotel pool, checked the lighting, and arranged a few camera positions with the camera operator. Then, she settled into an armchair, waiting to see which guests she would be filming.
She knew Lu Ye never touched water, so it was only Zhu Ling, or perhaps the other four. This hotel's semi-outdoor pool was renowned for its quality. The changing rooms connected to the pool on one side and the private sauna on the other. The hotel even performed an extra cleaning of the pool for their shoot. The guests were filmed from the moment they entered the changing rooms. The people themselves were secondary, with the main focus being on the amenities, a bit of advertising for the hotel.
"Director An, the guests at the swimming pool are ready."
"Roger that. Attention everyone, Action!"
A man's figure slowly appeared on the surveillance camera. He pushed open the door, slowly walked to the locker, and removed the black sports bag from his broad shoulders. The camera then cut away from the figure and began to pan around the locker room. An Jiyue was stunned for a long time before she remembered to breathe. Fearing her eyesight was blurry, she looked up and checked with her assistant Xiao Xu: "Who just came in? Lu Ye?"
"It's him," Xu Mu replied, feeling oddly forgetful of his boss. "Director An, shall we proceed with the solo shoot plan?"
An Jiyue nodded stiffly. Xu Mu gestured to the filming team, saying that a single-person shoot wouldn't require much manpower or equipment, so most of them, carrying their cameras, retreated to the lounge.
Why would he choose swimming? He clearly couldn't even hold his breath. An Jiyue's mind was in a tizzy, but in the blink of an eye, Lu Ye, dressed in swimming trunks, had emerged from the shower area, dripping wet. He put on his swim cap while listening to the stage control team explain the script, occasionally stretching his back and calves with familiarity.
"Director An, we've already spoken with male guest number 3, and he's decided to stay. So let's shoot a few solo pool shots first, wait for news from the other groups, and then finally do an interview?"
An Jiyue pressed the headphones: "No problem, urge the other two groups to notify us in advance if the 'retract' mechanism is triggered."
Due to the unexpected groupings for the "warming up" segment, the directors implemented a temporary mechanism to allow guests to change their decisions, ensuring that everyone can interact. The other four are fine, but the main hope is that one of Zhu Ling or Lu Ye will take the initiative and go to the other. The writers are already gearing up to add more drama to this pairing.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of someone entering the water by the poolside. She quickly stood up, only to see the fleeting splash. A figure shimmered beneath the water, a body piercing the waves beneath the ripples. Lu Ye's pace wasn't fast, as if his first stroke was just a warm-up, but his arm movements during the freestyle were impeccable. Perhaps because he wasn't glued to his computer or phone while submerged, he looked more relaxed than usual, his muscles faintly visible on his elongated back, instantly bringing everyone present to a state of silence.
An Jiyue was also among the silent crowd, but she had already sat down, watching Lu Ye's figure from a different viewing angle on the monitor. The underwater photographer struggled to keep up with Lu Ye's increasingly rapid pace. Her wheat-colored skin was immersed in the pale blue water, and the shadows on her chest seemed to be carved into lines, rising and falling with particular clarity. Her abdominal muscles at the waist connected to a smooth mermaid line, one half tense and exerting force, the other half hidden in her high-waisted swimming trunks, inviting reverie. An Jiyue couldn't help but bite her lower lip, suddenly realizing that the scene had been quiet for too long. She quickly raised her head and glanced around guiltily, but was thankful that no one noticed her slightly hot cheeks.
She waved at Xu Mu and whispered a few words. He nodded knowingly and then shouted, "Cut! Teacher Lu, Coach An praised your swimming skills. Please try a few more strokes!"
An Jiyue's vision darkened, and before she knew it, Lu Ye was gazing at her with a cryptic gaze, his eyebrows raised. She was about to fumble for an explanation when she saw the person in the pool put their goggles back on and plunge into the water. This time, they were even slower, as if choreographed to the photographer's rhythm and angle. An Jiyue stared at his sharp jawline and lip lines on the screen, feeling as if he were mocking her, so she silently turned her head away.
"How's Zhu Ling doing? What about the other four?"
"No one changed their decision. The guests we invited this time are all quite unique."
"Then let's get ready for the harvest." An Jiyue breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't expect to finish work so early."
[Q: Why did you choose swimming?]
Lu Ye: First, it's my personal interest and expertise, and second, it's because I don't have to talk too much. But it seems to have surprised many people.
Q: Why didn't you successfully team up with the other guests? Do you feel any regret?
Lu Ye: The biggest possibility is that we don't know each other well enough, after all, I only met the female guests once. I don't have any regrets, the pool is in great condition, and I was praised for my good swimming, so I enjoyed the swim quite a bit. Can I continue after we finish?
[Q: If you could, who would you most like to team up with?]
【Lu Ye: Of course, with a girl who can swim well.】
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