Chapter 44 Drinking, Blackout?
Chu Ruofu stayed in the bathroom for a long time.
After taking a shower and leaving the bathroom, she peeked around to check the activity in the second-floor lounge area. She found that Li Yichen hadn't returned to his room yet and was sitting on a chair in the lounge area, lost in thought. He had a smile on his face and seemed to be in a good mood.
Chu Ruofu, clutching her clothes, tried to sneak away, but Li Yichen spotted her. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he stopped her. "Finished washing?"
Chu Ruofu lowered her eyes and hummed in agreement.
Seeing her shy and adorable appearance, Li Yichen felt his heart burning and wanted to touch her fair and tender face, but he restrained himself.
"Get some rest..." He paused, then said, "It's getting late, go back to sleep, goodnight."
Chu Ruofu quickly made her escape.
As Li Yichen gazed at her graceful figure, he felt a surge of joy. He couldn't sleep; his body and mind were both excited, and he longed to run a lap around the artificial lake downstairs.
This is probably what love feels like; once you're in the middle of a relationship, you can't experience this feeling anymore.
It felt like receiving the most wonderful thing.
It felt like flying up into the clouds, floating in the air—it was wonderful.
He originally just came to the dating show to play a part, to become a hunter and capture the hearts of the female guests, but unintentionally fell into the gentle embrace of a woman named Chu Ruofu.
He doesn't care about winning or losing. Having seen the money and benefits of fame and fortune, he feels more accomplished than winning any award to find a true love.
...
The recording of the third episode has officially ended.
The next day, the guests will leave the Heartbeat House and return to their respective accommodations.
Chu Ruofu woke up naturally, her mind still a little groggy. An extra memory flashed through her mind, and she lay there dumbfounded on the bed.
What did she do last night?!
Drunk and slightly tipsy, she actually kissed Li Yichen. How could such a thing happen?
Chu Ruofu held her head in deep regret. How should she interact with Li Yichen on the show afterward? She was only attracted to his good looks, not to the point of being in love.
It was just a kiss. He couldn't possibly chase after her and make her take responsibility like Lu Xubai did. They were both adults, and it was understandable that they made a mistake in an ambiguous atmosphere.
Chu Ruofu calmed herself down for a while, then got up to pack her luggage.
The door was pushed open, and Xia Yuqing came in from outside, saying, "You're up."
Chu Ruofu: "Good morning."
Xia Yuqing gave her an ambiguous smile, ran to her bedside and sat down, saying, "You've decided to be with Li Yichen?"
These words were like a thunderbolt, leaving Chu Ruofu frozen in shock.
She swallowed hard, looked at Xia Yuqing, and asked, "No, why do you say that..."
"Your kissing even made it to the trending topics." Xia Yuqing blinked and said, "Everyone knows about it."
Chu Ruofu's vision went black, her face flushed, her mouth went dry, and she couldn't speak.
If she pretends to have blacked out from drinking now, could she get through this ordeal?
Seeing her so shy she looked like she was about to explode, Xia Yuqing chuckled and said, "Why do you look like that?"
Chu Ruofu lowered her head and continued packing her luggage, wanting to leave the Heartbeat House as soon as possible. She had to escape. The trending topics would only stay on the hot search list for a few hours at most, and after a few days of cooling off, people would forget about it.
Xia Yuqing said, "Li Yichen is quite good at kissing. This is his first on-screen kiss. How did it feel?"
What do you mean by "first on-screen kiss"? He's been acting for years, and this award-winning actor still has his first kiss? Who would believe that?
In short, she's just an honest person who's been bewitched by him; she won't take responsibility.
Chu Ruofu pretended not to hear and buried her head in packing her luggage quickly.
Seeing that she wished she could dig a hole and bury herself, Xia Yuqing said, "Fufu, say something! Why aren't you talking to me?"
“I…” Chu Ruofu looked up at her and managed to choke out a sentence: “I blacked out last night.”
Since joining the show, she has been able to lie without feeling flustered.
"Blackout?!" Xia Yuqing's eyes widened, and she clapped her hands and laughed loudly, "Hahaha, Li Yichen, you've finally met your match!"
Regardless of whether Chu Ruofu's words were true or false, they represented Chu Ruofu's attitude. Li Yichen, who was overjoyed like a fox in heat, was about to turn into a dejected fox being slapped by cold, icy rain.
Li Yichen had a smooth life, but now he was going to suffer in love. Xia Yuqing smiled smugly.
After packing her luggage, Chu Ruofu went to wash up and change her clothes. She returned to her bedroom, pulled her suitcase, and went downstairs.
"Mimi, sit down. Ao Bai, sit down. Daddy will give you both canned food today," Li Yichen's clear and pleasant voice rang out.
In the living room, a large cat and a small dog sat on the floor.
Li Yichen sat lazily on the sofa, relaxed and happy. He was wearing a gray V-neck knit sweater and light-colored trousers. He was a natural clothes hanger, and he wore this casual outfit as well as a model on the runway.
He opened a can of food for the two pets, and patted each of their heads with a loving look in his eyes.
Chu Ruofu pulled her suitcase, intending to leave quietly, but the silent wheels made it impossible to leave without making a sound, which caught Li Yichen's attention.
"Good morning, how did you sleep last night?" Li Yichen immediately got up and walked towards her, his gaze sweeping over the suitcase in her hand: "Are you leaving now?"
Chu Ruofu said softly, "I'm going back."
Li Yichen said gently, "I bought you breakfast. Have breakfast before you go?"
"I'm not hungry," Chu Ruofu said against her will.
Li Yichen grabbed her suitcase and said, "Then I'll take you there."
He went to bed late last night and woke up early this morning. He doesn't know how to cook, so he went out to buy breakfast nearby and put it in a pot to keep it warm for her.
She didn't want to eat, and he didn't force her. They wouldn't see each other for several days, and he couldn't bear to open the package, so he could only send her away.
Living Room Live Streaming Room:
The second male lead perfectly embodies the lyrics: obedient, sweet, and clingy.
[The Fuchen couple has already gone to buy firecrackers and set them off. Congratulations to the young couple, may you be very happy together.]
[Waaaaah, I'm not sad. The variety show has only aired a few episodes, and the guests haven't been able to confirm their relationship yet. Lu Ge still has a chance.]
【Fu-mei, don't leave yet. Stay and cultivate your relationship with Brother Li.】
[I went back to watch last night's kissing clips again. It's true what they say, those who stay up late get the treats—it was so sweet!]
Chu Ruofu declined Li Yichen's offer to see her off, politely saying, "No need, no need, I can manage on my own."
Li Yichen noticed her polite but distant tone, and his smile faded slightly. He said, "Your suitcase is very heavy, and there are steps outside. Let me help you."
Chu Ruofu lowered her head and didn't look at him, then let go of his hand.
Li Yichen was quick to notice something was wrong. He carried his suitcase and followed behind her to the door of the Heartbeat House.
He racked his brains, but couldn't figure out what was wrong. Standing at the door, he asked, "Last night..."
"I blacked out, sorry, you've forgotten." Chu Ruofu spoke very quickly.
Li Yichen chewed on a few words: "Drink, blackout?"
He didn't believe it. She was perfectly sober last night, and her shy behavior and reactions didn't seem like she was drunk or not sober.
"I'm so sorry." Chu Ruofu lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye, afraid of seeing his reproachful expression.
Li Yichen broke down and said, "I don't want your apology, Chu Ruofu. You're lying to me, aren't you? You didn't have any blackouts at all. You just don't want to take responsibility for me."
"I..." Chu Ruofu felt a little guilty when she heard him ask her to take responsibility.
Li Yichen took a deep breath and tried to soften his voice as he said, "Don't rush to distance yourself from me. Last night, you gave your consent before I kissed you. It was my first kiss with a girl, my very first kiss."
His voice, tinged with a hint of grievance, said, "It's okay. If you don't want to take responsibility, I won't force you. It's all because I'm not good enough. Don't avoid me."
"Look up at me, okay?" he coaxed.
Chu Ruofu felt even more guilty and finally raised her eyes to look at him.
Li Yichen's handsome face was filled with sorrow, and the corners of his eyes were slightly red, making him look like a concubine abandoned by the emperor, exuding innocence and pitifulness.
"I don't want you to take responsibility. Let's get to know each other slowly. If you're not interested in me, I won't bother you."
What else could Chu Ruofu say? He was so humble; in the end, she was half responsible for the kiss last night.
"Um……"
A car stopped at the entrance, and a woman dressed in fashionable clothes jumped out and took Chu Ruofu's hand: "Baby, I've come to pick you up."
Xue Fangfei looked at the tall man next to Chu Ruofu and greeted him politely: "Hello, Teacher Li, I am Chu Ruofu's agent."
Li Yichen wanted to pull her hand away, but said indifferently, "Hello."
Xue Fangfei affectionately hugged Chu Ruofu and complained, "Teacher Li, there are so many of your fans outside, crowding the entrance to the villa area. It's so hard to get your car in."
Li Yichen glanced at Chu Ruofu and said, "I'll have someone handle it immediately."
Xue Fangfei easily lifted Chu Ruofu's suitcase and stuffed it into the car trunk. She opened the car door, let Chu Ruofu get in, and quickly drove her away. Li Yichen watched the car leave, wiped his face, and showed no sign of weakness. He picked up his phone and called his manager, asking the big fan to handle the situation of fans surrounding him and picking him up from work.
The agent received orders to handle the situation immediately and issued a statement asking fans to leave as soon as possible and not disturb Li Yichen and the guests on the dating reality show.
The staff were very disciplined. After receiving the message, although they were disappointed that they could not see Li Yichen, they all left the entrance and exit of the villa area one by one. Only some media people were hiding around taking photos.
On the nanny van.
Xue Fangfei excitedly tore at Chu Ruofu, repeatedly asking, "You still say you don't like Li Yichen! You hypocrite! You almost fooled me!"
Chu Ruofu rescued her reddened cheek from Xue Fangfei's grasp and said, "I didn't lie to you."
"You still say you're not lying to me." Xue Fangfei took out her phone and played a clip of the kissing video: "The evidence is all there, and it's trending online."
If Chu Ruofu had kissed another male guest, the production team would have at most pushed it to the top of the trending searches, but it wouldn't have gone viral. However, the person she kissed was a top-tier movie star, so the production team didn't even need to spend money on marketing or buying trending searches.
Viewers in the live stream that evening watched them kiss, quickly recorded the moment, and excitedly posted it online.
It started with fans of the show's couples discussing the kissing topic. Soon after, marketing accounts caught wind of it, and the matter escalated rapidly, becoming an uncontrollable trending topic. By 8 a.m., it had exploded on the trending searches and was being discussed across the entire internet.
A dating reality show featuring a movie star and female guests has generated a surge in popularity.
"You're famous now!" Xue Fangfei hugged Chu Ruofu, kissed her cheek, and said, "You mustn't forget your roots. Any one of our WeChat chat records could ruin your reputation."
"I want to stick with you for the rest of my life. If there's anything delicious, you have to think of me first."
Chu Ruofu was initially troubled because her kiss with Li Yichen had gone viral, but her best friend's antics eased her mind a little.
"OK."
Seeing that her brows and eyes relaxed, Xue Fangfei breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Tell me quickly, what happened last night?"
She had zoomed in on the video and analyzed it frame by frame. If she had realized that Li Yichen was taking advantage of her vulnerability, she would have punched the sly fox in the face the moment they met.
Chu Ruofu hesitated to speak, "These past two days, we've had great chemistry as partners. He's very encouraging. Last night we won the chorus competition, and I had a few drinks..."
Xue Fangfei looked at her with admiration, "My Fufu has become quite successful; she's even learned to be infatuated with men."
Chu Ruofu's ears burned, and she quickly said, "I was drunk and my mind wasn't clear. I couldn't help but kiss you when the atmosphere was right."
"I understand you. You're a male fox spirit of movie star caliber, handsome and gentle. No one can resist you. But our Fufu is an honest person who's easy to bully."
Chu Ruofu's eyelashes trembled slightly as she said, "So it's not that I like him."
"Not even a little bit tempted?" Xue Fangfei asked.
"I have a little bit of a crush on you." Chu Ruofu couldn't lie, and explained with difficulty, "The dating reality show team is so good at creating an atmosphere. When everyone is in a beautiful environment, some hazy feelings will always emerge."
"That's how we get the audience to ship the couple."
Back at the apartment, Chu Ruofu put her suitcase aside and let Xue Fangfei unpack it. The company hadn't assigned her an assistant, and the two of them couldn't afford one. Whenever she was tired from filming, Xue Fangfei would pack her things and prepare her work supplies.
My best friend is the person who spoils me the most in the world.
The third episode of the dating reality show aired, and the couple Chu Ruofu and Li Yichen became a huge hit. The number of fans in their super topic surpassed that of the Fu Bai couple and the Fu Sheng couple. With the support of Li Yichen's fans, the super topic of the couple suddenly became the number one in popularity across the entire network.
Similarly, there are many haters, including Li Yichen's fanatical solo fans who send private messages to Chu Ruofu, scolding her for not being good enough for Li Yichen.
After the third episode aired, Chu Ruofu's number of followers on social media surged, with the duet and kissing being the two most popular trending topics, and the popularity remained high for a long time.
I only had one day to rest after coming back.
The program team sent her the prize for the singing competition: a well-known domestic fashion magazine invited her and Li Yichen to shoot a duo magazine together.
When Xue Fangfei heard the news, she was so happy that she went crazy at home.
"Fufu, only A-list celebrities or the male and female leads of hit dramas can shoot for this kind of magazine. As long as you shoot for this issue, your fashion resources will become more and more abundant and better in the future."
"You must film it well and sell tens of thousands of copies."
Chu Ruofu was already nervous about shooting a magazine photoshoot with Li Yichen before even going.
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Author's Note: Li Yichen: [Please] How am I supposed to seduce Fu Mei today?
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