Chapter 24 You've come at the wrong time.
Chu Ruofu ignored the live camera and quietly focused on eating, showing no desire to interact with the guests.
The viewers in the live stream saw this scene.
[Fu Mei is so cute, a true master of showing off her food!]
[The female lead was a breath of fresh air among the guests. While the other guests were busy chatting and trying to get to know each other, she seemed completely unconcerned about the outside world, her only focus being dinner.]
[Was the dinner provided by the production team really that delicious? It's making my mouth water.]
What is the second male lead doing opposite the female lead?
[What's so great about an ugly-cute keychain? It's just funny.]
Chu Ruofu ate until she was half full, then slowed down and looked up at the table.
Just when Li Yichen thought she was finally looking at him, her gaze fixed on him. He smiled and deliberately placed his phone on the table closer to her.
Chu Ruofu looked at Li Yichen, who had a strange smile on his face, and asked, "Do you want some chicken wings?"
Li Yichen's smile froze slightly as he glanced at the dishes on the table. It turned out that Chu Ruofu's gaze was fixed on the honey-glazed chicken wings in front of him.
"If you're not going to eat it, I'll take it." Chu Ruofu, having already asked Li Yichen's opinion, stood up slightly and used her chopsticks to take the chicken wings from the plate in front of him.
Li Yichen was furious and extremely annoyed. How long had it been since she had eaten a proper meal? Was she so greedy that all she could see were vegetables? Had she never tasted anything good before?
Chu Ruofu took a bite of the chicken wing, her eyes slightly narrowed, her expression very satisfied.
As for Li Yichen on the other side, who looked strange, she didn't care about him; she had already politely asked him anyway.
Soon, the guests had finished their dinner.
Xia Yuqing volunteered: "I'll clear the table, who can help me wash the dishes?"
She glanced around, her eyes filled with anticipation.
The kitchen and living room are the most frequently filmed areas in the dating reality show, where the guests often linger, interact, and strengthen their bond.
Song Yi looked apologetic: "I still have work to do."
Qiao Yimo remained silent.
Chu Ruofu knew that Xia Yuqing wanted to interact with the male guests, so she remained silent.
Lu Xubai looked at Chu Ruofu. He hadn't seen her for several days and missed her. He wanted to wait for her to finish her meal so he could chat with her.
Xia Yuqing now really dislikes Li Yichen. Apart from Li Yichen, she wants to get to know any of the other three male guests.
This is a dating reality show, and everything revolves around romance. To gain more popularity, it needs to find couples that viewers can ship.
Live stream chat:
[Is the third female lead so unpopular despite being cute and sexy?]
[That's outrageous! So many guests, and not a single one offered to help?]
I felt embarrassed for others.
The third female guest wanted to interact with the male guests, but none of them were interested in her.
The atmosphere was too quiet. A look of embarrassment flashed across Xia Yuqing's face as she said, "If everyone is busy, I can manage on my own."
Gu Junsheng said calmly, "I have work to do."
Shen Wuyang was not good with words, so he got up and left the living room. He still had a manuscript to finish and had to submit it by the deadline.
Xia Yuqing lowered her head to tidy up the tableware.
As the guests left the restaurant one after another, only Chu Ruofu, who hadn't finished eating, Li Yichen, who remained motionless, and Lu Xubai, who rolled up his sleeves and neatly cleaned up the mess, were left at the table.
Xia Yuqing looked at Lu Xubai, who was clearing the table with her, and felt a little happy. But then she remembered Lu Xubai's announcement to everyone in the previous episode that Chu Ruofu was the number one and the best choice in his heart, and her happiness faded a little.
As Xia Yuqing tidied the table, she thought that as she spent time with everyone on the show, their level of affection for each other would change.
For example, she had been looking forward to developing a romantic relationship with Li Yichen, but she found that Li Yichen, who appeared to be humorous, witty, gentle and gentlemanly, was actually eccentric and aloof.
After a period of dating, she fell head over heels for Li Yichen. Even though he was handsome and a famous movie star, it couldn't hide his terrible personality.
Lu Xubai appears cold and aloof on the surface, but as a top lawyer, he is meticulous in his work and considerate in his dealings with others.
He was tall and had a healthy tan that she liked. He was sexy and full of hormones. Thinking about it, this kind of powerful man was very much to her liking.
Xia Yuqing's mind was filled with fantasies. Seeing Lu Xubai clearing away the dishes, she quickly picked up her rice bowl and followed him to the kitchen.
Live stream chat:
Has the third female lead changed her target?
[Last time on the date, the third girl must have given up on the second guy.]
The second male lead was indeed quite shameless; he hadn't done any planning for the date at all, and his photo angles were disastrous, which severely detracted from his overall impression.
[Get away from the third female lead! Don't go near the third male lead!]
Xia Yuqing put the bowl in the sink and looked at Lu Xubai, saying, "I'll wash the dishes."
"Okay." Lu Xubai used hand sanitizer to wash off the lingering food smell from his hands, dried them, and left Xia Yuqing behind.
Xia Yuqing stared at his tall back, stunned.
He just left like that?
Lu Xubai hadn't planned to wash the dishes, but seeing that Xia Yuqing had spent a long time cleaning them all by herself, he tidied up the messy dining table as well.
His personal cell phone rang in his pocket, so he left the kitchen to find a place without cameras to take care of his personal business.
At the dining table, Chu Ruofu put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth.
She served herself rice twice, and there was still half a bowl left over from the last bowl, but she didn't have the habit of wasting food, so she finished the whole bowl.
Across from her, Li Yichen remained seated in the restaurant, staring at her with a gloomy gaze, seemingly troubled by something.
She had only eaten a chicken wing from the plate in front of him, but he stared at her as if she had committed some heinous crime.
Unable to bear his reproachful gaze, Chu Ruofu decided to put the bowl in the kitchen, leave the first floor where the guests were vying for the spotlight, and go for a walk in the backyard to digest her food.
Little did she know, Li Yichen was following her everywhere; wherever she went, he went too.
Chu Ruofu stopped and looked at him, frowning as she asked, "Why are you following me?"
Li Yichen picked up his phone, waved it in front of her, and asked, "You don't recognize this?"
Chu Ruofu looked closely and saw a small orange fox hanging on his phone. It looked silly, not exactly cute, but not ugly either; it was a very unique little thing.
"...Should I know him?"
Li Yichen's expression changed instantly, turning gloomy and ugly. Did she really not remember, or was she deliberately playing a trick on him?
He spent the entire night finding the gift himself, and treated it like a precious treasure, displaying it prominently on his phone. Surprisingly, she didn't recognize it.
"This is a gift you gave me." Li Yichen reminded him through gritted teeth, "I didn't lose it; I've kept it in the storage room all this time."
A look of surprise flashed in Chu Ruofu's eyes, and then she said "Oh".
Unexpectedly, Li Yichen actually found the gift she had given him when he got home. To be honest, she didn't feel anything special. Once he found it, he had found it. He had helped her back then, and she had made the gift with care to express her gratitude.
They are completely even now.
The two were talking in the corridor leading to the backyard, where cameras were installed, and staff members quickly switched the screen to show the audience.
Bullet comments:
Something's up!
Did I hear that right? The female lead gave the second male lead a gift?
[Top-tier actor x third-tier celebrity, this couple is also quite likable.]
No wonder Li Yichen kept looking at his phone at the dinner table tonight, hahaha, it's hilarious!
He loves it and cares about it a lot!
[Waaaaah, the truth is out! My brother was showing off his love by posting those pictures on Weibo.]
Seeing Chu Ruofu's perfunctory and indifferent attitude, Li Yichen felt resentful. Shouldn't she be pleasantly surprised?
Chu Ruofu glanced at the adorably ugly little fox and said, "You like it very much?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yichen feigned indifference with his handsome face and said with a disdainful tone, "It's hideous. If it weren't for the fact that you made it yourself, I would have thrown it away long ago."
Chu Ruofu said honestly, "Then you can throw it away. This thing is worthless. I bought it on Pinduoduo for a little over ten yuan."
Li Yichen felt as if he had been dealt a heavy blow to the heart. His fox-like eyes stared straight at her as he said, "Is this all your gratitude is worth?"
Live stream chat:
Hahaha, I can't help it, it's kind of funny!
[Saying it's ugly and then displaying it on your phone and carrying it around—doesn't that make you feel ashamed?]
[They deliberately posted pictures on Weibo and even flaunted them in front of the person in question. The second male lead is dead and burned to ashes, all that's left is their stubbornness.]
[The female lead is so stingy, giving a gift that only costs a few dollars. How embarrassing.]
So what if it's cheap? As long as the recipient likes the gift, that's all that matters.
Handmade gifts, whether expensive or cheap, are valued for the sincerity in their creation. Actually, this little fox wasn't that cheap; Chu Ruofu deliberately annoyed Li Yichen by overhearing his disdain.
Chu Ruofu looked at Li Yichen. Last year, on the set of "Flying in the Snow," it was he who helped her out of a predicament, preventing her from losing her job. A word from a big shot in the industry was worth more than the humble pleas of an unknown actor.
That's reality.
Chu Ruofu looked at him and said, "Then what do you want?"
Li Yichen didn't really have any particular intentions. He went to great lengths to find the gift, and he himself wasn't sure why. Maybe he just didn't want to disappoint her.
As for why he doesn't want to, he doesn't quite understand the meaning behind it.
In short, he didn't want to strain his relationship with Chu Ruofu. He smiled at the other male guests but disliked him, which was unfair.
Li Yichen suppressed his complicated emotions, put on his usual handsome smile again, and said, "Hmm, let me think about it. How about you send me your 'heart-fluttering' text messages next time and help me boost my popularity?"
Chu Ruofu was shocked by his shamelessness for a few seconds, and said, "Don't even think about it."
"Just kidding." Li Yichen tried to save face, saying, "There are plenty of female guests who send me messages of interest, I don't need you."
Chu Ruofu: "...Oh."
Live stream chat:
[Question: Has the Best Actor always been this narcissistic?]
[Second male lead, your feelings are too obvious.]
I won't say who broke down.
The charismatic movie star always seems to fall short in front of the leading lady.
[This is unbearable to watch, bro, did you get bewitched by a girl on a dating reality show?]
At this moment.
"What are you talking about?" a cold voice asked.
Chu Ruofu turned around to look.
Lu Xubai came into view, looking at them with a dark gaze and a slightly somber expression.
Bullet comments:
[Aaaaaaah, the third male lead is here!]
The atmosphere is starting to feel off.
Fortunately, the third male lead didn't know that the first female lead had given the second male lead a gift.
Lu Xubai's appearance made Chu Ruofu a little nervous.
Li Yichen's smile grew even brighter, his fox-like eyes gazing tenderly at Chu Ruofu, his slightly magnetic voice pleasant to the ear: "I have some private matters to discuss with Sister Fu."
Fu Mei? ??
Chu Ruofu felt as if an electric current had run down her back, and goosebumps rose all over her body.
Li Yichen is a natural actor. He is good at acting in front of the camera and even better at disguising his personality. He is very popular with fans, and there are countless female celebrities who admire him.
He can easily pretend to like someone, and when he wants to flirt with someone, it's hard for anyone to escape his gentle trap.
Unless he does so willingly, no one can see through his hypocritical mask.
Upon hearing Li Yichen's words, Lu Xubai's eyes grew even colder, and his thin lips pressed into a straight line.
He looked at Chu Ruofu. During the recording of the last episode, Chu Ruofu and Li Yichen barely interacted. Could it be that the two were having a private meeting?
Li Yichen is a film emperor, and Chu Ruofu is an actress. Since they are both in the entertainment industry, they do have many opportunities to interact.
Lu Xubai wanted to guard against any man getting close to Chu Ruofu. He wanted to take the initiative, but she always avoided him. He was afraid that being too forceful would startle her and annoy her.
A strong sense of possessiveness filled his mind. Lu Xubai suppressed the anger and bitterness rising in his heart and said in a cold voice, "Are you finished talking?"
Li Yichen couldn't stand the way Lu Xubai treated Chu Ruofu as his possession. He put his hand affectionately on Chu Ruofu's shoulder, his expression casual and carefree: "Not yet, you've come at the wrong time."
He winked at Chu Ruofu and said, "Sister Fu, right?"
Live stream chat:
[Haha, second male lead, you're good at stirring things up.]
The air seemed to freeze; I was even afraid the third male lead would kill the second male lead.
[Second male lead, you're not allowed to call the girl "Fu-mei" (a term of endearment for a young woman).]
Lu Xubai's face looked terrible; he seemed very angry.
Wow, that's amazing!
Chu Ruofu quickly pushed Li Yichen's hand away and said, "I've finished talking to you, there's nothing more to say."
This statement indicates that she was indeed discussing private matters with Li Yichen.
Lu Xubai's handsome face darkened slightly as he looked at Chu Ruofu and said, "Shall we go for a walk?"
Chu Ruofu hesitated. Lu Xubai seemed to be in a bad mood, and she felt a little timid.
Li Yichen chuckled and said, "Fu-mei doesn't seem to want to go out with you. Forcing a girl is ungentlemanly behavior."
Chu Ruofu decided to escape this suffocating scene: "I haven't unpacked my luggage yet, I'm going back to my room first."
After saying that, he hurriedly slipped away from the two of them, quickened his pace, ran back upstairs, closed the door, and only then did his pounding heart calm down.
While others wanted to record more variety show appearances to increase their exposure, she inadvertently found herself caught between two male guests, torn between them, and only wanted to escape their deep and gloomy gazes.
Opening her suitcase, Chu Ruofu took out the pretty new dress and skincare products her best friend had bought for her. After resting for a while, she took her pajamas and prepared to go to the bathroom to take a shower.
There was no one in the public bathroom on the second floor at the moment, so she quickly took a shower and came out with her wet hair wrapped up.
Back in her room, Chu Ruofu dried her hair, went to the balcony, leaned on the railing, and gazed at the distant starry sky.
Everything was quiet at night, except for the sound of the waves coming from outside.
It was still early before bedtime, so Chu Ruofu took out her phone to browse the news and trending topics. A notification popped up.
#Li Yichen Clarifies# Breaking News!
Chu Ruofu tapped her finger in.
The entertainment industry is full of things happening every day. This celebrity has gained or lost weight, that celebrity has been slandered or had their career collapse. Celebrities are either clarifying or on their way to clarify.
This is generally true for popular celebrities; only actors who focus on acting and whose dramas become hits occasionally make it to the trending topics.
Li Yichen debuted as a singer through a talent show and became the most popular singer by a wide margin. He is not only good-looking, but also has top-notch professional skills. He is very good at singing, dancing and acting, and is the most popular top star in the industry.
His every move is closely watched.
An account with hundreds of millions of followers reposted a clarification post from Li Yichen's official studio.
[Solemn Declaration:]
The online rumors about Mr. Li Yichen and Ms. Qiao Yimo being in a relationship are false.
Photos of Mr. Li Yichen and Ms. Qiao Yimo in a romantic relationship, which were secretly taken on the internet, were actually photos of a crew dinner and behind-the-scenes footage of the show's broadcast.
...
Please stop spreading rumors about Mr. Li Yichen and Ms. Qiao Yimo, smearing the two artists and causing incalculable damage to their reputation.
We apologize for taking up public resources; this is a formal statement.
Li Yichen Studio
[Date: Month x, Day x, 2025]
Chu Ruofu glanced at it briefly, feeling quite puzzled.
Since Li Yichen chose to tacitly acknowledge his relationship with Qiao Yimo back then, creating the illusion that the male and female leads of a hit drama were in love and that the actors were actually dating in private, why is he only now coming forward to clarify?
Clarifying now is tantamount to breaking up the CP (couple pairing), admitting that he was hyping things up back then, and that deceiving fans and netizens is a very bad behavior that will be condemned by the entire internet.
Li Yichen is probably the first celebrity in the entertainment industry to personally cause his own downfall, losing the good image he has maintained for many years, damaging his reputation, and also harming his commercial value.
He went to such lengths to avoid Qiao Yimo's entanglement.
Was this scene in the original storyline?
Wouldn't doing this mean breaking ties with Qiao Yimo?
Chu Ruofu couldn't understand why Li Yichen suddenly did this. His style of doing things was indeed very casual and unscrupulous.
As expected, after the clarification was exposed, the internet was filled with curses and cries. What could be more explosive than the fact that a couple you've been shipping for years was just a publicity stunt?
Some fans are clearing the comments section of Li Yichen's official account to maintain order, while a barrage of negative comments is appearing.
Qiao Yimo, who was shocked, was ridiculed by netizens for pretending to be in a passionate relationship with the movie star despite never having dated him, and for being unable to forget Li Yichen, thus creating a deeply affectionate persona.
Li Yichen's die-hard fans went to vent their anger, cursing Qiao Yimo for being incredibly fake, having been riding on Li Yichen's coattails for so many years, and still not letting him go, calling her as filthy and ugly as a bedbug in the sewer.
Qiao Yimo almost crushed her phone when she saw the trending topic.
Li Yichen actually tried to distance himself from her even after being criticized; he really went too far.
Qiao Yimo was severely criticized and quickly contacted her agent to handle the public relations.
The controversy lasted for a full day and night without subsiding, sparking heated discussions across the internet. The next day, a large influx of viewers flooded the live broadcast room. After the guests woke up and had lunch, the director announced that the afternoon's activities would involve game tasks.
This game mission will determine your next date.
The guests changed back into their swimsuits and gathered on the beach planned by the production team. The production team provided water balloons, and in the open area, the guests threw water balloons at each other. Whoever hit the balloon the most times was the first to be eliminated.
Chu Ruofu thought to herself that she would definitely be eliminated first.
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Author's Note: Here I am!
There will be another update at midnight.
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