Chapter 72 The Aftermath of the Runaway Battle: Day Twelve - It Was All You Who Took Xie Ruan Away...
Xie Ruan got too close.
Yuan Yuan's unbalanced heartbeat pounded in her chest, but Xie Ruan was completely unaware and moved even closer.
Xie Ruan carried a faint scent of cedar, instantly transporting Yuanyuan to a wintertime atmosphere that felt distinct from autumn.
Yuan Yuan carried Xie Ruan's scent, her mind blank, unable to find any words.
Xie Ruan moved a little closer. "This seashell is also very beautiful, and it suits you well, brother."
...
What?
A jolt of electricity coursed through Yuan Yuan's veins.
Xie Ruan's voice was so sweet and gentle. The warm breath and pleasant voice brushed against Yuan Yuan's ear, almost making him forget what he was saying.
Yuan Yuan was no longer able to discern what Xie Ruan's soft, thin lips were saying.
He just kept his back and nerves tense, letting Xie Ruan whisper something in his ear.
In Ke Yuanyuan's mind, only Xie Ruan's words remained—
elder brother.
elder brother.
Brother~
The recurring sound spun in my mind like a top.
Yuan Yuan's body felt weak.
Xie Ruan's fingers lightly touched Yuan Yuan's wrist.
Yuan Yuan trembled and could no longer move.
Xie Ruan, seemingly oblivious, reached out and leaned closer, turning off Yuan Yuan's and her own microphones.
【Depend on! ! 】
【Damn it!! No way? Our Ah Ruan has completely gone astray!!】
[Previously, it was always others who muted Xie Ruan's microphone, but this time it's Xie Ruan who's muted it! Jiang Zhi, Ji Ye, Wen Hezhou, Yuan Yuan!! Look at the mess you've made, you've all corrupted the children!!!]
The viewers in the live chat erupted in groans of despair.
Xie Ruan felt that the opportunity to spend time with Yuan Yuan was rare and precious.
Xie Ruan leaned closer to Yuan Yuan and spoke slowly in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Brother Yuan Yuan."
Xie Ruan's voice was so beautiful, so unknowingly seductive, that it almost drained all the moisture from Yuan Yuan's throat, who was being called "Brother Yuan Yuan".
Adam's apple bobbed.
Yuanyuan has almost lost its distinctiveness.
I just felt weak all over.
It was as if if Xie Ruan said she liked him now, he would disregard everything and leave with her.
Loss of judgment.
Yuan Yuan's heart beat even faster.
Could it be that Xie Ruan really likes him?
Yuan Yuan turned her head away.
From this angle, the camera couldn't capture them; it could only show Yuan Yuan turning her face towards Xie Ruan, leaving the back of her head visible to everyone.
【Wait, from this angle it looks like they're kissing. Did they kiss so quickly?】
[Yuan-ge!! You're still young, don't start dating so soon.]
[I used to be a fan of Yuan Ge's girlfriend, but now I feel like if Yuan Ge really were dating Xie Ruan, I could actually accept it.]
Viewers in the live chat are still discussing it.
Xie Ruan's face, which was almost touching Yuan Yuan's, suddenly appeared right in front of him.
Xie Ruan originally only wanted to get close to Yuan Yuan's ear.
For Xie Ruan, the secret cooperation couldn't be made public yet.
But Yuan Yuan turned around way too quickly.
Before Xie Ruan could react, Yuan Yuan turned around.
And then.
Yuan Yuan's eyelash brush landed on Xie Ruan's eyelashes.
Too close.
Xie Ruan blinked.
Yuan Yuan's eyelashes brushed against his eyelids.
It's so itchy.
Xie Ruan subconsciously shrank her slender, fair neck, and leaned back gently, getting close to Yuan Yuan's ear.
From this angle, Xie Ruan was completely unaware that the distance was too close, and a beautiful red mole was just visible at the loose collar of her dress.
Yuan Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
Xie Ruan had been waiting for this moment for too long, and her voice, barely audible, said, "Brother, you probably don't want to actually date someone in a dating reality show, right?"
Yuan Yuan's body stiffened for a moment as Xie Ruan's words suddenly entered her consciousness, and she couldn't immediately decipher Xie Ruan's meaning.
Xie Ruan did not give Yuan Yuan time to process things: "Brother, you are in the rising stage of your career. Your goal is to create hype and gain more traffic, but it is also your goal not to hold hands with someone else."
Yuan Yuan's body became even stiffer.
No.
The words Yuan Yuan wanted to blurt out were blocked by Xie Ruan.
He didn't know how to explain it, but he did have that intention at first, but... but now he no longer has that thought.
He was tempted to take Xie Ruan away.
Yuan Yuan thought that even if she lost fans because of her relationship, it wouldn't matter.
Yuan Yuan didn't want to miss Xie Ruan.
Yuan Yuan's fingers curled slightly.
Xie Ruan didn't give him a chance to explain himself. Instead, she whispered in an extremely sweet and gentle voice, brushing against Yuan Yuan's ear again: "You probably don't want to successfully hold hands with someone, right, brother? So, did you send me a message to try and get some attention from me?"
Xie Ruan's voice was soft, her breath gentle, and when it brushed against Yuan Yuan's earlobe, it carried a faint scent of cedar, as well as a slight itch from the breath brushing against the fine hairs on her earlobe.
Yuan Yuan instinctively wanted to shake her head.
Unexpectedly, Xie Ruan's fingers landed silently on his shoulder.
Xie Ruan's fingers were soft and smooth, brushing against Yuan Yuan's slender shoulder through the thin fabric. Yuan Yuan was even more unable to move and could only let Xie Ruan continue: "Brother, do you want to suddenly not choose me on the last day, or do you think I am a cheater?"
The deceivers are among them.
There are always people who join them with the intention of making money.
But Yuan Yuan never considered who it was.
Yuan Yuan felt that Xie Ruan was not one either.
Yuan Yuan quickly turned her head away: "No, that's not it."
Yuan Yuan was too hasty; his lips brushed against Xie Ruan's curly hair, and Xie Ruan's soft hair brushed against his lips, making them tickle.
Yuan Yuan ignored them all: "I never thought you were..."
Yuan Yuan was afraid that Xie Ruan would think he had misunderstood Xie Ruan, so he subconsciously explained.
Xie Ruan interrupted him: "I really am."
Yuan Yuan's body stiffened, her mind went blank: "..."
Xie Ruan looked away again, but her close ear made him completely give up on asking questions.
Only one sentence remained in Yuan Yuan's mind...
He's a fraud.
fraud.
A romance scammer.
Yuan Yuan felt that if he were to imagine, the person holding this identity card would most likely be Yu Yin.
Yu Yin targeted Xie Ruan, who was the softest and cutest, from the very beginning.
He seems like someone who deceives people's feelings.
At worst, it could be Teacher Wen, or perhaps Jiang Zhi, who is decked out in luxury goods and whose watch alone is worth millions.
But he never imagined it was Xie Ruan.
Xie Ruan is so naive, how could she possibly get such a hand?!
and.
Does Xie Ruan trust him that much?
Just tell him directly.
This is against the rules.
It's not good for Xie Ruan.
Yuan Yuan looked at Xie Ruan with worry in her eyes, and said in a voice so soft that she could barely hear herself, "I won't tell anyone."
The two were so close that Xie Ruan could hear Yuan Yuan's voice with ease.
Xie Ruan could only think: He was right about him after all.
Yuan Yuan indeed wouldn't tell anyone.
They make a great team.
Xie Ruan has no romantic skills and knows nothing about love.
Because she had almost no contact with people in the apocalypse, Xie Ruan's understanding of emotions was rather limited.
In the end times, there will be no products of emotion, no symbols of emotion, and no related education.
Xie Ruan's only understanding of relationships came from the very few novels she had read.
But those are all novels.
Xie Ruan hardly relied on anyone during the apocalypse.
He believes in love.
But he didn't believe anyone would love him.
Xie Ruan's beautiful eyelashes fluttered slightly. "Thank you, Brother Yuanyuan."
Yuan Yuan's cheeks flushed.
Xie Ruan was unaware.
Xie Ruan simply looked at Yuan Yuan and addressed the important matter: "So, how about we cooperate?"
Yuan Yuan's eyes gradually became confused.
Their voices could only be heard by each other.
Neither of them had time to pay attention to the anxious comments in the live chat.
Xie Ruan continued: "I am the deceiver, and you will be deceived by me. We can create a CP (couple pairing) and then choose each other in the end, but you will not be able to successfully date and hold hands."
When Xie Ruan approached Yuan Yuan, Yuan Yuan was still smiling.
When Xie Ruan spoke and leaned closer to Yuan Yuan again, Yuan Yuan's smile gradually faded in the camera's view.
Xie Ruan's voice was soft and obedient: "I'll wait for my brother's reply."
Xie Ruan leaned closer and pressed the microphone button on Yuan Yuan's microphone, then stood up and pressed her own. Only then could the crowd faintly hear the sound of their clothes rubbing together.
Yuan Yuan remained rooted to the spot.
He remained in a daze for a long time.
[Um, what did Xie Ruan say? Yuan Yuan's expression is strange.]
Yuan Yuan's eyes seem a little red.
[No, Xie Ruan wouldn't say anything mean. Were you touched? Ruan suddenly confessed! Hehe, this is so sweet!]
The chat was still screaming.
Yuan Yuan, however, was not in the right state of mind.
Xie Ruan strolled along the beach, looking for seashells and trying to strike up a conversation with him, but Yuan Yuan seemed lost in thought and remained silent.
[Hurry up and ask! Isn't today a day for asking about your date? Why isn't Yuan Yuan asking? I'm so curious about Xie Ruan's identity.]
[Why doesn't Xie Ruan, who is so beautiful, debut? I'm so speechless. I've scanned Xie Ruan's photos all over the internet, but I still can't find her account.]
I search for Xie Ruan's name every few minutes. He doesn't have an account on any of the major platforms. Why doesn't he have one?
[Not only that, I also discovered that almost everyone's official Weibo account has tagged them, except for Jiang Zhi and Xie Ruan, who haven't posted any information at all.]
[Yu Yin did open one for the show, but there was nothing inside. These three people are completely a mystery. I'm so anxious! Yuan Yuan, ask them quickly!!]
The comments section erupted with frantic shouts.
Yuan Yuan, however, remained frozen in place, unable to move.
Yuan Yuan is wearing a short-sleeved shirt today, and a long-sleeved plaid shirt tied in a knot and draped over her shoulders.
What should have been a youthful and vibrant outfit has completely lost its energy.
Yuan Yuan's mind was filled with thoughts of Xie Ruan being a liar and wanting to cooperate with him.
Actually, when Yuan Yuan came to the dating reality show, she felt that she had several options—
One approach is to find the most popular person to snatch up, then not become their favorite, ultimately ending up heartbroken and receiving a feeling of deep resentment.
One option is to collaborate with a fraudster.
However, after Yuan Yuan entered the dating reality show, she found that the success rate of finding the cheater was too low, and the first option was safer.
Yuan Yuan initially did indeed choose Xie Ruan partly for the first reason.
Yuan Yuan didn't think she could win Xie Ruan's heart, so she figured her agent would probably be satisfied with her choice.
Yuan Yuan schemed against Xie Ruan.
They schemed against this program.
All they want is their own traffic, resources, and reviews.
But those who have never seen the light can perhaps tell everyone from the bottom of their hearts that they do not crave the light and do not need the light.
However, those who have seen and touched the light cannot ignore it again.
Yuanyuan remained in a stalemate.
The midday sun shone brightly on Xie Ruan.
It shines, stirring the darkest desires of possession within people.
I want to put it somewhere that only I can see.
Once this kind of greed arises, it will be impossible to resist.
It even disrupts all of his own plans.
They focused their gaze solely on the light.
But the light was not his light.
The light only lingered on him for a moment.
Just this once.
Yuan Yuan's fingers trembled slightly.
Xie Ruan's approach disrupted everything for him.
It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance.
It is difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.
Feelings developed.
Those additional resources seem insignificant.
But Xie Ruan told him that he wanted to cooperate with him.
Yuan Yuan found it unacceptable to hear these things.
But he had no reason to say anything to Xie Ruan.
Xie Ruan chose him because she had his best interests at heart.
Yuan Yuan grew up in a very harsh environment. As the second child born unexpectedly into his family, no one liked him.
All the love in the family was given to my older brother.
From childhood to adulthood, he has always longed for his parents' love.
Whether he tries hard to study, tries hard to please others, or tries hard to make money, he is always hoping for something better.
Until nothing can be done to change anything.
My parents will still say, "Why don't you learn from your brother?"
All your past efforts will crumble when your parents criticize you for being utterly useless.
Yuan Yuan no longer believes in feelings.
Even family ties are like this.
Not to mention love, which is something ephemeral and unattainable.
A person is rich and famous.
Even if it's just a little bit.
Everyone will start to feel anxious and insecure.
Yuan Yuan sometimes feels that it is because she has received too little that she is even more afraid of receiving love when she has money and fame.
Before he came to the dating reality show, he was determined to gain benefits.
Yuan Yuan firmly believed that when he was rich and famous, no one who got close to him could be trusted.
Everyone will kick him to the curb when he has nothing left, when he's completely useless.
Family members are.
The agent is.
The company is.
Yuan Yuan felt that this was also a lover she had never had before.
Yuanyuan held a purpose that was avoided by almost everyone.
But he never expected that just as a glimmer of hope was beginning to emerge...
But when they get what they want...
It hurts so much.
It seems he has always loved but never received the love he desired.
To love someone you can't have unconditionally.
Refuse to love what you can have.
Then, after taking advantage of others.
It's painful to see others conform to your own desires.
*
Xie Ruan and Yuan Yuan barely interacted.
Everyone hadn't spent their dating funds at Yuanyuan, and when they hurriedly returned to the Heartbeat House, they realized something was wrong.
What did Xie Ruan say that caused Yuan Yuan to break down?
【What could Xie Ruan baby possibly say?!】
[Is Yuanyuan feeling unwell? Her face is so pale.]
That's quite possible; you should see a doctor.
When Xie Ruan returned, the kitchen was surprisingly well-stocked with all the guests.
I don't know if they anticipated the two would return, or what the reason was.
Xie Ruan vaguely thought she heard her own name: ?
Yu Yin: "I'll make the cake. I think A-Ruan will like it. He can eat it even when he comes back from dinner."
Zhou Jingchi: "Are you really sure you know how to do this? I've studied this before, so I'd be better at it."
Yu Yin looked Zhou Jingchi up and down: "Did you know that eggs can't be put in the microwave?"
Zhou Jingchi: "What do you mean?"
Yu Yin chuckled softly: "What I mean is... I think you should practice more before you speak."
Zhou Jingchi, who had indeed blown up a kitchen, tensed up: "Do you think I lack this kind of common sense?"
Yu Yin pursed her lips.
Raise an eyebrow.
Yu Yin: "You do look like a potential kitchen hazard."
Yu Yin spoke with a smile on her face, but when she looked at Zhou Jingchi, her finger twitched slightly. "I can't trust you."
Yu Yin remembered that when Zhou Jingchi cut potato shreds, he didn't cut them into shreds at all, but into strips... or even chunks.
Making cakes? Yu Yin felt that Zhou Jingchi couldn't even distinguish between all-purpose flour, low-gluten flour, and high-gluten flour.
Yu Yin glanced at her watch and realized that Xie Ruan would be back soon, so there was no time for Zhou Jingchi to make any more mistakes.
It wouldn't matter if Zhou Jingchi was eating the cake alone.
If Xie Ruan were to come and see the blackened cake, how heartbroken she would be.
Yu Yin did not want Zhou Jingchi to try.
Zhou Jingchi's face darkened slightly.
Zhou Jingchi had no patience for these blatant rivals.
However, he had to admit that before meeting Xie Ruan, he was indeed a pampered young master who never experienced worldly pleasures.
He Yuyin is right.
Zhou Jingchi didn't know that eggs shouldn't be put in the microwave.
I don't know the difference between different types of flour.
Zhou Jingchi can't even cook.
However, Zhou Jingchi had specially studied for Xie Ruan.
Now that Zhou Jingchi felt more confident, he told Yu Yin, "Don't judge a book by its cover."
Yu Yin raised an eyebrow: "Alright, sir, but regardless of whether I judge people by their appearance or not, you need to know one thing."
Zhou Jingchi looked at Yu Yin with complete confusion.
Yu Yin poured the flour into the bowl according to the weight: "First come, first served."
Yu Yin: "I took it first. Even if I don't give it to you, you can't just take it from me, can you?"
Zhou Jingchi's face darkened: "..."
As if showing off, Yu Yin started making a cake.
Yu Yin smiled even more deeply when she thought of Xie Ruan's bright eyes.
Yu Yin did not feel that Yuan Yuan posed any threat.
Unlike Yu Yin, Zhou Jingchi, and Ji Ye, whose faces instantly darken when they see Xie Ruan going out with someone else.
Yu Yin has a very strong intuition.
He did not see any genuine love for Yuan Yuan in Xie Ruan.
Even Yu Yin couldn't see that Xie Ruan harbored feelings for anyone.
So why was Xie Ruan so determined to choose Yuanyuan?
Yesterday, I even went up to the rooftop with Yuanyuan.
Yu Yin is not stupid.
His keen intuition had long ago allowed him to sense Xie Ruan's purpose.
It's not about feelings at all.
Yu Yin turned her head and saw Xie Ruan and Yuan Yuan entering the room.
Yu Yin checked the time—11:30.
People who are on a date don't even have the heart to go out for a meal.
Xie Ruan has indeed revealed her identity.
Xie Ruan is very naive.
Yu Yin realized that if Yu Yin were a liar, he would definitely choose to meet Yuan Yuan today.
Because Yuan Yuan is the only one here who needs to simply create a romantic pairing to gain viewership through a dating reality show.
Yuan Yuan's status is not as high as anyone else's.
Others disdain creating a romantic pairing.
As for him, Yu Yin, he doesn't work in the entertainment industry, nor does he need to.
If Xie Ruan were a liar, given his conscience, he would have revealed it from the start.
It's a pity.
Xie Ruan is too naive.
Xie Ruan did not see Yuan Yuan, but her feelings and heart had already quietly changed.
Even Yuan Yuan might not understand that much.
Yu Yin smiled slightly and stepped forward.
Yu Yin hooked her finger around Xie Ruan's index finger and pulled him into the kitchen. "Ruan, do you like chocolate cake?"
Xie Ruan nodded.
Zhou Jingchi, Wen Hezhou, Jiang Zhi, and Ji Ye interrupted, "Aruan likes to eat strawberry cake."
Yu Yin: "?"
[Holy crap, wait a minute, did Jiang Zhi speak up too?]
This isn't right.
Wait, how did they all know Xie Ruan liked strawberries? The production team never even served strawberries!
[It is known that Ji Ye and Zhou Jingchi knew Xie Ruan before.]
Wen Hezhou most likely knows Xie Ruan.
[So, who else knows the same information? Jiang Zhi should also know Xie Ruan!!]
Is Xie Ruan very rich?
Looking closely, it seems there isn't; his clothes look like they cost only a few tens or hundreds of yuan.
[...]
[Wait, did you guys see the keychain Xie Ruan just pulled out? It flashed by, wasn't that...? Wen Hezhou's early days keychain? That rare, discontinued piece that's impossible to get.]
Wait a minute, did you guys notice? Xie Ruan's pants today don't look like the cheap ones that cost tens of dollars. They look like a collaboration with Ji Ye, the kind that costs several thousand dollars a pair.
Is he rich or poor?
As an ordinary person, you might not be able to tell whether someone is rich or poor.
[But if he's a fan of Ji Ye, then you'll understand... Some fans are like that; they won't miss out on their idol's collaborations, but they'll make do with others.]
Looking closely, the shoes seem...well, they look somewhat familiar.
[It seems to be the same style as Ji Ye's, the one that costs 8888 yuan a pair.]
Wow, Xie Ruan is so rich? My brother collaborated with her back then, but I only saw the ad and couldn't afford it.
[But if you say he's a fan of Ji Ye, why is he wearing Wen Hezhou's keychain?]
Even if he's a fan of Ji Ye or Wen Hezhou, how could he possibly know Zhou Jingchi?
Even if Jiang Zhi knew Zhou Jingchi, how did he meet him? Jiang Zhi is so wealthy, is Xie Ruan some kind of rich scion?
The comments section was filled with speculation.
Xie Ruan, however, knew nothing about it.
Xie Ruan was just helping out in the kitchen.
He let Yu Yin fork a grape and feed it to him.
Xie Ruan took another step and let Zhou Jingchi feed her a piece of chocolate.
Even Jiang Zhi made a move, cutting up some strawberries and feeding them to him.
Romance reality shows are almost turning into puzzle games.
The meal scene made it seem like the guests were about to fight over who would feed Xie Ruan.
Only Yuan Yuan seemed distracted, lost in thought.
Even the next morning, everyone was surprised to find...
Xie Ruan's heart-fluttering text message was still sent to Yuan Yuan.
However, Xie Ruan only received five messages the next day.
The last text message that sparked my interest.
Sent to...
Wen Hezhou.
Wen Hezhou looked down at the text message that made him feel excited.
[Heartfelt message: I've always admired you, senior, and I hope to have the opportunity to work with you someday.]
Even if this message is anonymous.
However, the people present who would actually call Wen Hezhou "senior" were definitely not Ji Ye and Zhou Jingchi.
so……
This message is most likely...
Yuanyuan's.
Netizens were struck by Yuan Yuan's distraught appearance.
I looked down at my screen.
[Heartbeat signal: Brother^^, I'm having so much fun collecting seashells.]
Netizens were completely devastated to see that Xie Ruan had only received five "heart-fluttering" text messages today.
【Wait, is the Yuan Yuan and Xie Ruan couple's relationship really falling apart?】
Everyone looked at the match list for the next day—
[Yuan Yuan → Wen Hezhou (Not matched)]
[Wen Hezhou → Ji Ye (Not matched)]
[Zhou Jingchi → Xie Ruan (Not matched)]
Jiang Zhi → Xie Ruan (Not matched)
[Yu Yin → Xie Ruan (Not matched)]
Viewers were stunned by the strange result, their minds blank, and it took a long time before they started posting comments.
[Wait, is there some mistake? Has Yuanyuan really changed its target? What exactly happened to Xie Ruan yesterday? Did they secretly release information behind our backs?]
What kind of information could make Yuan Yuan change her mind so easily?!
[He's probably not feeling well. I think I can continue to observe.]
But today, probably no one can go out, right? After all, Xie Ruan definitely chose Yuanyuan, and no one else managed to match.
[It's not necessarily a bad thing if they all start fighting in the Heartbeat House?]
The comments section was buzzing with discussion.
Just when everyone thought that Xie Ruan would also stay in the Heartbeat House because of the failed match with Yuan Yuan.
But everyone heard Director Li's voice: "Thank you, Ruan."
Director Li: "Match successful."
Everyone: ?
Everyone: No, there were only six people to choose from, and none of them were successful. Who did Xie Ruan match with?
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