Chapter 69: On the Ninth Day After the Escape, Who Did Xie Ruan Choose?
"28 seconds."
"27 seconds."
"26 seconds."
...
The director team's countdown continues.
Xie Ruan stood frozen in place.
The three people were way too close to him.
Xie Ruan felt Yu Yin's long, beautiful fingers pressing on his shoulder.
Xie Ruan was trembling all over, and her gaze, which she wanted to avoid, fell on Wen Hezhou's smiling eyes.
Turning her head again, Xie Ruan saw Zhou Jingchi leaning over to her.
Xie Ruan even sensed that the other people in the living room were acting strangely.
But Xie Ruan could no longer pay attention to them; she could only breathe shallowly.
When the director counted down "3...2...1..."
Xie Ruan quickly spoke up: "Teacher Wen..."
Xie Ruan shrank her neck.
He was already extremely delicate-looking, and the light shining down from above made his fair face appear even more pristine. The pearlescent reflection made it almost impossible to look away from him.
Xie Ruan's thin lips were moist.
He slowly pursed his thin lips, and after a long pause, he called out Wen Hezhou's name.
Xie Ruan dared not look at Wen Hezhou's expression.
But Xie Ruan knew that the most suitable person among them was Wen Hezhou.
Xie Ruan shrank back: "Teacher Wen... I'm sorry."
Xie Ruan is very sorry.
Xie Ruan is someone who often avoids conflict.
The production team deliberately arranged a choice, forcing him to make the decision on Wen Hezhou.
After Xie Ruan spoke, she felt a chill run down her spine.
Then, Xie Ruan's thin lips, which had just been moist, suddenly became dry and uncomfortable, as if all the moisture had been drained away.
Xie Ruan's voice was hoarse: "Because..."
Xie Ruan needs to explain.
Xie Ruan is still working on the wording.
Unexpectedly, the man's large, icy fingers landed on Xie Ruan's fluffy, soft, milk-tea-colored feverish hair.
Xie Ruan looked up in a daze, and the light shining down from above fell on the tips of her hair, creating a beautiful halo.
But the sight was so dazzling that Xie Ruan could barely see Wen Hezhou's expression.
Xie Ruan only felt...
Wen Hezhou didn't seem as angry as he had imagined.
Wen Hezhou, on the contrary, slightly curved his thin lips.
He gently ruffled Xie Ruan's hair, as if he had already anticipated that Xie Ruan would choose him: "Then you'll have to go on a date with me in a few days, Ruan. I'm really looking forward to it."
Wen Hezhou's voice was extremely pleasant to hear, and Xie Ruan subconsciously trembled slightly when it reached her ears.
Xie Ruan didn't know how she saw Wen Hezhou walk out.
He just felt...
Wen Hezhou was much better than he had imagined.
Xie Ruan was far too unguarded.
He didn't even notice the man's slight upturn of his eyebrows as he looked at him, and the subtle, hidden smile on his lips.
[Why is it Teacher Wen? Teacher Wen's story ended badly, sob sob, what happened?]
Yu Yin raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by the result: "Why not Zhou Jingchi? He looks tough and thick-skinned, perfect for sleeping in a sleeping bag. Or, Teacher Zhou could go too."
Yu Yin blinked her slightly upturned eyelashes, as if to ease the atmosphere, and put her arm around Xie Ruan's shoulder: "Teacher Zhou and Teacher Wen will keep me company, and then I will sleep with Ruan in tears."
?
Zhou Jingchi's face darkened slightly, and he hugged Xie Ruan's arm: "It's because A-Ruan feels sorry for me."
Yu Yin: "I knew A-Ruan wouldn't let me go out. It's a pity that Teacher Wen has A-Ruan all to herself for a day. I'm a little envious."
Zhou Jingchi: "Aruan, even if I didn't go out, you would still choose your brother, right?"
[Yu Yin is killing me! These two, one with his arms around her shoulders and the other with his arms crossed, didn't you notice? Xie Ruan is sandwiched in between, and her ears are all red!]
[I don't know who Xie Ruan blushed for, but I can ship Zhou Jingchi x Xie Ruan and Yu Yin x Xie Ruan! How come I'm so eclectic?!]
Yu Yin's gaze fell on Xie Ruan.
Seeing Xie Ruan's uneasy clenched fingers, he paused for a moment and said, "A-Ruan."
Xie Ruan blinked.
[Xie Ruan kicked our brother out, but there was nothing they could do; they had to accept their loss.]
[Sigh, Zhou Jingchi seems to be sleeping outside more than he should. It's a bit cold. I wonder if he'll catch a cold.]
[TT, try to look on the bright side. Your brother was so gentle and smiling as he left, probably to put Xie Ruan at ease. Maybe this gesture will give him a chance, right?]
Yu Yin smiled and looked at Xie Ruan: "Ruan, why did you let Teacher Wen go out? Do you like Teacher Wen and give her special privileges? Hmm?"
Yu Yin seemed to see through Xie Ruan's unease.
It seems they also anticipated that the comments would continue to discuss Xie Ruan kicking Wen Hezhou out.
This is perfectly normal.
If Xie Ruan had to choose one of the three options, she would be the subject of gossip no matter who she chose.
But Wen Hezhou is the more controversial one.
If Xie Ruan had avoided Wen Hezhou and chosen Yu Yin or Zhou Jingchi instead, the topic wouldn't have generated so much buzz.
Because Yu Yin is an ordinary person and has no fan base.
Although Zhou Jingchi is very famous, she is thick-skinned and her fans won't feel too sorry for her.
Wen Hezhou is different now.
Xie Ruan's choice of Wen Hezhou will embroil Xie Ruan in controversy.
Yu Yin originally just thought Xie Ruan was funny.
His gaze fell silently on Xie Ruan.
Seeing Xie Ruan's remorseful expression, Yu Yin reached out to tease her, "Ruan, you don't actually like Teacher Wen more than me, do you?"
Yu Yin's words were a complete joke.
His words, however, could be an attempt to bring Xie Ruan down.
If Xie Ruan preferred Teacher Wen and only made things difficult for him in order to go on a date with him, and then apologized afterward, the audience would be more accepting.
Anyway, this is a dating reality show. As a guest, she can like this now and that tomorrow. As long as the public opinion is good, it's all acceptable for Yu Yin.
Yu Yin was also curious whether Xie Ruan would take the opportunity to back down.
Yu Yin raised an eyebrow at Xie Ruan.
Unexpectedly, Xie Ruan shook her head.
Yu Yin was stunned for a moment.
Xie Ruan replied in a soft, obedient voice: "Teacher Wen slept with me and Ji Ye yesterday."
Wen Hezhou is the most famous.
If Wen Hezhou's fans get angry, their attacks on Xie Ruan will naturally be even more powerful.
They might even cyberbully Xie Ruan.
But Xie Ruan told Yu Yin that he hadn't expected to be cyberbullied; he was simply wondering, "I slept with Wen Hezhou yesterday? So I'm not choosing tonight?"
Yu Yin raised an eyebrow, her tone towards Xie Ruan more inquisitive.
Xie Ruan.
That's interesting.
Yu Yin originally thought Xie Ruan was a cute type, someone you couldn't help but want to tease.
But I never expected that their thoughts were so simple.
Yu Yin thought Xie Ruan was just pretending to be innocent.
As for now...
Yu Yin still couldn't shake the idea that Xie Ruan was either fabricating her naivety or genuinely naive.
Yu Yin's gaze silently fell on Xie Ruan, scrutinizing her from head to toe.
Xie Ruan was completely unaware of Yu Yin's gaze. She simply pursed her thin lips, nervously twisting her slender fingers, "...Besides, Teacher Wen is a good person..."
Yu Yin: "?"
Xie Ruan: "He doesn't seem...too angry."
Yu Yin: "..." This child, how come she's speaking the truth so completely?
Yu Yin was testing Xie Ruan before she answered.
Yu Yin thought that even if Xie Ruan answered very obediently, he would still feel that Xie Ruan might still be faking it.
But the child remains the same.
This is...
Yu Yin couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Somewhat.
Are you really that naive?
Yu Yin's gaze silently fell on Xie Ruan, her fingers tapping a suitable rhythm on her leg. After a long while, she slightly curled her lips and said, "I understand. You... Wen... He... Zhou..."
Yu Yin's gaze landed on Zhou Jingchi in a very blatant manner.
Yu Yin knew Zhou Jingchi's weaknesses better than anyone else.
Yu Yin looked at Zhou Jingchi and almost immediately labeled him a muscular but simple-minded man, provocatively saying, "You're treating him like a confidant, aren't you... It's just natural dependence, isn't it? That feeling of 'my brother can solve my problems'..."
Xie Ruan nodded obediently.
He truly felt that Wen Hezhou was the gentlest person to him.
[When Zhou Jingchi heard that his confidant was Brother Wen, his face turned black. It cracked me up, hahaha! He probably thinks he's Xie Ruan's confidant now!!]
[However, as a fan of Wen Ge (Wen Hezhou), to be honest, I'm a little upset that Xie Ruan drove my brother away, but I can't hate Xie Ruan, so I didn't post any comments just now. But after hearing what Xie Ruan said, I understand a little now. After all, I'm also a fan of Wen Hezhou, and I know the natural charm of him as an older brother. Even if he's a bit distant, it still makes people want to rely on him.]
Thinking about it carefully, I feel the same way. My brother seems to have a kind of reassuring quality about him.
[Hahahaha, I knew Ah Ruan didn't have that many bad intentions, hahaha, help, I didn't misjudge her.]
[Our brother really hit the jackpot! He had a chance this morning, it seemed hopeless, but after sleeping outdoors all day, he got to go on a date with A-Ruan! Everyone else must be green with envy, right? Hehe, I bet he's thrilled, so I won't worry about it. Our A-Ruan is real!!]
The comments section has already calmed them down.
The unscrupulous Director Li turned on the loudspeaker again: "Hey, everyone's talking about whether those who were eliminated today will have a chance to date the guests."
Unscrupulous Director Li: "Sorry, I didn't explain the rules completely just now. Those who are deleted today cannot go on dates with Xie Ruan, the person who made the selection, for the next few days. So, Teacher Wen, you can't choose Xie Ruan to go on dates with for the next few days."
?
? ?
No, Director Li's comment is just hindsight...
[This is hilarious! I used two devices to see my brother's perspective and the living room, and I found that his face turned black when he heard that sentence.]
[What have you done to our gentle brother?! Director Li! This is outrageous!]
#Wen Hezhou is forbidden from dating Xie Ruan#
#Wen Hezhou is heartbroken#
The two trending topics quickly rose from the back of Weibo to the front.
Netizens were both amused and exasperated, laughing at Director Li's sudden announcement of the rules and Wen Hezhou's dark expression, while simultaneously lamenting that their favorite actor had absolutely no chance of getting a role.
Director Li added, "But this doesn't prevent Xie Ruan from taking Teacher Wen away on the last day."
[This is hilarious! The pressure is on Xie Ruan. I saw her trembling. Does anyone understand?]
[Director Li scared the child! Xie Ruan was still so young!! She was under immense pressure and traumatized by Director Li all night.]
Xie Ruan did not speak.
The atmosphere around us was getting increasingly strange.
It was Zhou Jingchi who spoke up: "Director Li, if we can't choose Wen Hezhou, I think he's fine too."
Director Li: "Would you be willing to be screened out by Xie Ruan another day?"
Zhou Jingchi: "..."
[Hahahaha, Zhou Jingchi's face turned black, I'm completely done for.]
Zhou Jingchi wrapped his arms around Xie Ruan's waist: "That won't do, Ruan likes me the most."
[Zhou Jingchi! Don't you dare touch me!!]
*
After a short while,
The guests did not immediately pick up their suitcases.
Instead, the "heart-fluttering text message" segment took place in the living room.
Generally speaking, people tend to hesitate on dating reality shows on the second night.
Xie Ruan did not hesitate on this matter; instead, she quickly sent a message.
[I'm a little curious, who did Xie Ruan send a message to today?]
[Yuan Yuan? Wasn't his text message expressing his affection sent to Yuan Yuan?]
[Zhou Jingchi's hints were so obvious, Zhou Jingchi is acceptable.]
Don't you think any of these people are right?
Xie Ruan glanced at Jiang Zhi.
The comment section quickly picked up on this subtle detail.
[Xie Ruan watched Jiang Zhi? No, what does this mean? Isn't he a Jiang Zhi x Yu Yin shipper?]
[This is hilarious! Explaining to Jiang Zhi that there's absolutely no spark between Yu Yin and me, but that you two are still together, isn't necessarily a bad thing...]
The comments section erupted with discussion.
Xie Ruan's fingers tapped out the text, sending it swiftly.
Director Li: "The heart-fluttering text messages have all been sent and will be announced after the guests arrive at their rooms."
After Director Li finished speaking, the guests all nodded.
Xie Ruan was the first to get up and went straight back to her room.
[Is Xie Ruan upset? She promised, but now she can't keep her promise. She feels like she owes her brother something?]
[Help! This is all because Director Li is being inhumane, it has nothing to do with our Ah Ruan, and our brother won't be angry!!]
The hot springs in Wenhezhou are named after their idols.
They all have exceptionally good tempers.
Although Wen Hezhou was sent to sleep in a tent, he was not as fragile as he appeared.
Wen Hezhou is not the kind of artist who relies solely on acting skills. Similarly, his popularity in serious dramas and crime dramas is also due to his physical strength, perseverance, and ability.
All of Wen Hezhou's sparring scenes were filmed in one continuous take without any retakes.
Even in dangerous places, he never used a stunt double.
In addition, he has experience sleeping outdoors and filming in the wild.
Sleeping in the garden is a piece of cake.
[Xie Ruan, don't be so upset. That director was truly despicable.]
I don't know why, even though they are clearly Wen Hezhou's fans.
But for some reason, at this moment, I suddenly felt sorry for Xie Ruan.
This isn't right.
Even the vast majority of them, as Wen Hezhou's fans, did not watch Wen Hezhou's live stream, but instead came to Xie Ruan's live stream.
They were so curious about what Xie Ruan would do first upon returning.
The text messages that sparked my interest have not yet been made public.
Xie Ruan opened her backpack, took out a bag, and ran downstairs.
【？】
The place Xie Ruan went down to was not the place she had just come up from.
Seemingly to avoid bumping into others, Xie Ruan deliberately took the back door and a longer route to the garden.
【？？】
[What does that mean? There's only one sleeping bag, and Xie Ruan can't sleep in it according to the rules.]
Are you looking for your brother?
Now it's not just Wen Hezhou's fans who are confused.
Even other viewers who were watching Xie Ruan were confused.
He watched as Xie Ruan, panting heavily, ran towards Wen Hezhou.
【？】
Xie Ruan's physical strength was not very good to begin with, and after only jogging a few steps, he was already panting heavily.
Even under these circumstances, Xie Ruan held onto the bag inside her bag tightly.
Then, upon seeing Wen Hezhou, she handed him the bag.
?
This time, it was Wen Hezhou's turn to be stunned.
Xie Ruan wasn't good at communicating, but he still took a few deep breaths and hurriedly pulled something out of the bag: "This is mosquito repellent."
Xie Ruan felt that Wen Hezhou definitely never imagined that he would one day come here to sleep in a sleeping bag.
Sleeping in the garden isn't very comfortable, so it's always a good idea to be prepared.
Fortunately, Xie Ruan was well prepared.
Xie Ruan subconsciously lowered her head: "This is a flashlight, and then there's ginger tea. It's a bit chilly at night, so I think... you might be able to use it."
Xie Ruan: "And this is food. You can eat it if you're hungry."
Xie Ruan was too close to Wen Hezhou.
A soft tone and warm breath gently flowed over.
Wen Hezhou didn't even notice that the two of them were getting closer and closer.
I only noticed that my heart skipped a beat.
Wen Hezhou looked down at Xie Ruan's obedient, small face and her uneasy expression.
For some reason, the halo of light under the garden lamps added a touch of gentleness to her eyelashes that she herself could hardly perceive.
Wen Hezhou: "Aruan."
Xie Ruan looked up.
Their eyes met.
The warm yellow light cast a halo around a corner of her hair.
The two people in your vision became somewhat blurry, making you subconsciously soften and soothe your tone.
Xie Ruan: "Hmm?"
Wen Hezhou: "You don't need to blame yourself too much."
Wen Hezhou suddenly moved closer to Xie Ruan.
The two were too close.
Xie Ruan's heartbeat and breathing became somewhat disordered.
The man, seemingly in complete control, looked at Xie Ruan and spoke quietly in a voice only the two of them could hear.
【Wait, what did you say? Brother, don't treat me like an outsider, I've been your fan for ten years!】
【It's been eight years!!】
【It's been twelve years!!】
The content that Wen Hezhou said to Xie Ruan could not be heard in the live chat.
As Jiang Zhi stood in front of the living room's floor-to-ceiling window, indifferently surveying the two figures silhouetted against the light, he could not hear them.
The production team and staff, of course, didn't hear it either.
They were all curious.
But only Xie Ruan heard these words.
Wen Hezhou said, "Actually, I prefer sleeping alone to sleeping with Zhou Jingchi."
From the audience's perspective, all they saw was Xie Ruan smiling.
Xie Ruan seemed to have almost no impact on this show, always appearing rushed, leading many to believe she was socially awkward. The thought of someone with social anxiety appearing on this variety show was enough to suffocate them.
So, when they saw Xie Ruan's smile, they quietly pursed their lips and typed a line of text.
I never expected Xie Ruan to be so cute.
Help! Her smile is so cute!
[I'm becoming a fan! I don't know if Xie Ruan will date after leaving this variety show, but I bet she's been scouted like crazy! Xie Ruan's looks are just naturally appealing. It feels like she'll gain a huge following just from filming this show, perfect for her debut—how great is that?]
The comments section was still buzzing.
Xie Ruan left Wen Hezhou.
Wen Hezhou slightly curled the corners of his lips: "Let's go up."
Xie Ruan nodded.
Xie Ruan ran up to it.
Xie Ruan thought she had come out through the back door and was well hidden.
Unbeknownst to them, Wen Hezhou looked up and saw Jiang Zhi standing by the floor-to-ceiling window on the first floor, Yu Yin leaning against the window on the second floor, lazily watching everything, and Zhou Jingchi with a stern face and arms crossed, looking gloomy.
Yuanyuan and Jiye, who were silently watching the garden from the second floor, were also present.
A silent tension, like the smell of gunpowder, filled the air.
[It seems Wen Hezhou really hit the jackpot this time.]
Xie Ruan's affection for Wen Hezhou is skyrocketing.
[Yuan Yuan seems to be thinking about something, sob sob, she looks like she's about to cry, her eyes are red.]
[After all, Xie Ruan's heart-fluttering text message was previously given to Yuan Yuan, so he probably feels quite anxious right now, constantly checking his phone, and seems to be hoping Xie Ruan will send him one today.]
Please, Xie Ruan, you absolutely must send this to Yuanyuan!
[I don't want to see Yuan Yuan sad, but I also don't want to see our Ji Ge sad, sob sob sob. Can't the production team give Xie Ruan special privileges and post a few more updates?]
[A heart can't be split in two, nor can it be divided into three or four parts, so Xie Ruan can only choose one person tonight. Hehe, but no matter what you eat, today is a victory for us Xie Ruan ALL Party!!]
Time passed second by second.
Finally, as Xie Ruan entered the room...
Director Li's voice rang out through the loudspeaker: "Now, please check your favorite text messages. We will now send the messages you edited to your mobile phones."
[Yesterday's post was sent this morning, and now it's being sent tonight? This is infuriating... How will Xie Ruan sleep tonight if she doesn't send it to Zhou Jingchi and Yu Yin?!]
Even if I sent it to either Zhou Jingchi or Yu Yin, I probably still wouldn't be able to sleep.
Poor Xie Ruanbao.
The comments section was filled with expressions of sympathy.
At that moment, Xie Ruan opened her phone, and sure enough, a text message expressing her feelings for him arrived.
Xie Ruan viewed the content.
[Heartwarming text message: Don't worry about me.]
[Heartfelt text message: I don't like him.]
[Heartwarming text message: If I can't choose him, can I choose me?]
[Heartwarming text message: I'll be waiting for you tomorrow.]
[Heartwarming text message: Don't be afraid, he won't be angry.]
[Heartwarming text message: The moonlight is beautiful tonight, and I think the sunshine tomorrow will be beautiful too.]
Xie Ruan received six more messages.
Xie Ruan was able to deduce Xie Ruan's identity based on the content.
The moonlight is beautiful at Yuanyuan.
...
Who is he if I don't like him?
Xie Ruan couldn't understand it.
Xie Ruan went into the bathroom and took a shower.
Meanwhile, the others were still waiting for their text messages.
The photographer seems particularly adept at handling this aspect of emotion.
The audience watched Yu Yin and Zhou Jingchi through a selection process.
Their phones were useless.
Jiye and Yuanyuan.
There was nothing there.
[Only Jiang Zhi and Teacher Wen are left? Xie Ruan glanced at Jiang Zhi; maybe it's Jiang Zhi.]
The relationship between Jiang Zhi and Xie Ruan has always been rather delicate.
The comments section was still buzzing.
Everyone noticed Jiang Zhi's phone, and a new message popped up.
Everyone was excited.
Unexpectedly, the news was—
No text messages today.
Jiang Zhi seemed even more gloomy.
[Is Jiang Zhi waiting for a text message? I thought this cool guy didn't like anyone.]
I'm so curious about whose text message he's waiting for!
【Me too. 】
[They seem to be hoping for Xie Ruan's return, right? They sent all six text messages to Xie Ruan; it seems they're all quite interested in her.]
[By the way, if Xie Ruan didn't send it to Jiang Zhi... then his only text message should have been sent to...?]
Viewers subconsciously typed text in the bullet comments—
[Wen, He, Zhou?]
At this moment, the production team cooperated by focusing the camera on Wen Hezhou.
Director Li even instructed the photographer: "Zoom in, the closer the better, and take a close look at Teacher Wen's expression."
The number of Wen Hezhou's live streams has skyrocketed.
The phone lit up.
Xie Ruan just sent a text message from the living room expressing her feelings.
It just so happened to appear on Wen Hezhou's phone.
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