Chapter 61: Both male guests were jealous...
Xia Yuqing walked ahead alone, searching for NPCs that could trigger quests, unaware of the three people walking behind her.
Gu Junsheng was on her other side. He only needed to glance down to see her and Shen Wuyang holding hands.
The cameraman was following behind; it's unclear whether this scene will be recorded in the live stream.
If Chu Ruofu forcefully broke free from Shen Wuyang's grasp at this moment, it would definitely attract everyone's attention. Chu Ruofu stared at Shen Wuyang with a puzzled look, signaling him to let go with her eyes.
Shen Wuyang's eyelashes trembled slightly. Pretending not to see her hint, he lowered his head like a puppy afraid of being abandoned by its owner.
A bitter feeling welled up inside him like boiling water, and jealousy almost surged forth. He wanted to tell her how wronged he was, since he was supposed to be her partner. But she was distracted by Gu Junsheng, who had suddenly appeared in the middle of their relationship.
Chu Ruofu knew that Shen Wuyang was jealous, but she had already decided to contact Gu Junsheng, and she could not hesitate to choose between the two.
Shen Wuyang held her hand tightly; the scalding heat almost burned her skin.
Chu Ruofu was glad that the sleeves of her Qing Dynasty Hanfu were long enough to slightly cover their clasped hands, so that people wouldn't notice that she and Shen Wuyang were holding hands unless they looked closely.
Gu Junsheng glanced at Shen Wuyang, who had suddenly arrived, and saw him clinging to Chu Ruofu's side. A faint coldness flashed in his eyes.
He knew that Shen Wuyang would send Chu Ruofu some gifts every time. The jade hairpin that he sent to Chu Ruofu this time was now in her hair. The exquisitely carved jade hairpin was beautiful and complemented her skin tone.
He felt a little uneasy when he saw that she had received gifts from male guests other than him.
But he has no right to make her throw away gifts given to her by others; it would make her feel that he has overstepped his bounds and that he is petty.
Compared to the other two male guests who were aggressively pursuing Chu Ruofu, Shen Wuyang appeared harmless. He was obedient and clingy, and many girls like young boys.
Gu Junsheng lost his usual composure, his mind filled with analyzing Shen Wuyang and figuring out how to make him back down.
He moved closer to Chu Ruofu, and a cool, woody fragrance wafted over. Chu Ruofu sensed his approach and her body tensed for a moment, afraid that Gu Junsheng would discover that she was holding hands with Shen Wuyang.
Chu Ruofu took the initiative to ask, "How many keys did you get?"
Gu Junsheng said calmly, "We've only got one key so far."
After thinking for a moment, Chu Ruofu decided to tell him: "The old man playing the erhu is actually pretending to be blind. He can see."
Gu Junsheng was taken aback: "Pretending to be blind?"
Chu Ruofu nodded and explained to him how Shen Wuyang discovered that the old man with the erhu was pretending to be blind and lying, and that the order of punches in the game was regular.
"President Gu is usually cautious and meticulous, how could he not have noticed that he was pretending to be blind?" Shen Wuyang's voice was clear, but it contained a hint of sarcasm.
Chu Ruofu noticed that Gu Junsheng was looking at Shen Wuyang, and her heart rate instantly rose, and she became tense all over.
Faced with Shen Wuyang's provocation, Gu Junsheng said calmly, "I really didn't notice."
He spent the whole afternoon playing games and looking for keys at the scenic spot, hoping to run into Chu Ruofu. Xia Yuqing volunteered to play the game but quickly lost. He didn't participate at all, his mind wasn't on the game, so he didn't notice.
Chu Ruofu smoothed things over, saying, "I didn't notice he was pretending to be blind either. The old man playing the erhu was too good at disguising himself. It's really hard to notice unless you observe him carefully."
Gu Junsheng looked at her face and said, "You look very beautiful in this ancient costume."
A faint blush appeared on Chu Ruofu's face as she whispered, "This is my first time wearing Qing Dynasty Hanfu, and I'm afraid it will look strange and inappropriate."
Gu Junsheng said in a gentle voice, "It suits you very well."
She possesses a unique, gentle, and elegant temperament; her shy, girlish eyes are more captivating than the sunset.
Chu Ruofu looked at him wearing a light-colored plaid retro suit with a pocket watch tied around his neck and said, "You look like a young master who returned from studying abroad during the Republic of China era, noble and composed."
Hearing Chu Ruofu's appreciative voice, Shen Wuyang squeezed her hand, eagerly seeking praise: "Me too, me too."
Chu Ruofu turned to look at him.
Shen Wuyang was dressed in a dark Tang suit. He had fair skin and a sunny and refreshing smile. When he wasn't smiling, he exuded a gloomy aura, giving off the feeling of a sickly young master from the old era.
The dating reality show production team is very good at capturing the characteristics of each guest, amplifying their strengths, and ensuring that the makeup and styling they wear on camera are very suitable for them.
"You're like the second young master in an old mansion, handsome and adorable."
Chu Ruofu never expected that her casual guess would come true tonight.
As Chu Ruofu praised Shen Wuyang, Gu Junsheng noticed that the two were very close together, with Chu Ruofu's sleeve and Shen Wuyang's hand connected, making it look like they were holding hands.
His gaze sharpened as he stared intently at Chu Ruofu's sleeve.
Chu Ruofu noticed that Gu Junsheng was looking at her and Shen Wuyang holding hands. She subconsciously tried to block his gaze, her expression guilty and uneasy.
Viewers in the live stream also noticed this.
[Look what I've discovered! Right under the nose of the male lead, the fourth male lead is holding the female lead's hand.]
Ahhhhh, this is so exciting!
Did the male lead realize that these two male guests might also start fighting?
[Silently lighting a candle for Fu-mei's chaotic situation.]
[Sneaking around is definitely more exciting than being open about it. Young men love playing the scheming, manipulative girl game. So sweet!]
Chu Ruofu was terrified that Gu Junsheng would expose her.
The next second, Gu Junsheng casually looked away, preventing her from being put in an awkward situation.
Xia Yuqing's voice came from ahead: "I've found an NPC, come quick!"
Gu Junsheng said calmly, "Let's go, let's go take a look."
Chu Ruofu responded and pulled Shen Wuyang along, quickening their pace towards that direction. Shen Wuyang obediently followed beside her, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction.
Three large jugs of clear water were displayed on the vendor's table. He flashed them his professional, signature smile and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, take a look and see if there's anything you'd like."
Xia Yuqing pointed to a box on the table and said, "I want the key in the box."
The NPC said, "If you want to take the key, you have to play a game with me. If you win, you can take it."
Xia Yuqing asked impatiently, "What game are we playing?"
She and Gu Junsheng have only obtained one key so far, and time is of the essence; they must find more keys.
NPC waiter: "Please wait a moment, sir."
He poured three clear liquids from three transparent jars: "Use your eyesight to identify which of the cups on the table is the lychee-flavored drink. If you successfully identify it, drink the drink and you will receive a key."
The NPC guy smiled and said, "Of the three drinks, one is vinegar and the other is salt water. Please do not make any mistakes; I am not responsible for any errors."
Xia Yuqing's expression changed instantly. She looked at Gu Junsheng and asked, "Can you tell?"
Gu Junsheng stared at the three cups on the table, examined them carefully, and shook his head, saying, "I can't tell for now."
Chu Ruofu looked and looked but couldn't tell which cup was the real lychee drink. If she chose the wrong one, she would have to drink a cup of white vinegar or salt water, and she would either die from the sourness or the saltiness.
When Shen Wuyang encountered a challenge, he released Chu Ruofu's hand and went forward to observe.
Chu Ruofu took two steps back, giving him space to observe.
With the key right in front of her, Xia Yuqing didn't want to give up. She leaned on the table, staring at the liquid, trying to figure out which cup was the correct one.
The NPC kindly reminded everyone: "Please don't get too close to the cup."
Live stream chat:
[You can only look at it, not smell it; what a rip-off!]
The thought of drinking a whole glass of vinegar makes my teeth chatter.
[This vinegar is perfect for CEO Gu, haha, he's been incredibly jealous for ages.]
Gu Junsheng stood next to Chu Ruofu and asked in a low voice, "How did things go after you returned to Haicheng?"
Chu Ruofu looked at him upon hearing this and said, "It's all taken care of."
Gu Junsheng said casually, "I had my lawyer submit some evidence against that person, and he will be punished."
The settlement in Beijing that day was only a temporary measure. Boss Ma wanted to take advantage of Chu Ruofu, and Gu Junsheng had no intention of letting that guy off the hook. After seeing Chu Ruofu off, he immediately went back to discuss with his lawyer how to get her arrested.
A warm feeling welled up in Chu Ruofu's heart; she knew that Gu Junsheng had done this for her sake.
"Thank you," she said softly.
The cameraman was filming Xia Yuqing and Shen Wuyang doing a task. The two were off-screen, so the audience couldn't hear their conversation.
Chu Ruofu felt a void in her left ear and subconsciously touched it. "Where's my earring?"
She was wearing a pair of jade earrings today, and was afraid of losing them the whole way. When the wind blew by, she suddenly felt something was wrong with her ears. She raised her hand to touch them and sure enough, the earrings were gone.
Gu Junsheng's gaze fell on her fair ears. She wore an earring on her right ear, but not on the other.
"Don't worry, I'll go with you to look for it," Gu Junsheng said. "It might have fallen on the road we just came from."
Chu Ruofu hummed in agreement and started walking back, with Gu Junsheng following beside her.
The two walked back for more than ten meters and sure enough, they found the emerald green earring in the crack in the ground. Chu Ruofu squatted down, picked it up, and blew the ash off the earring.
"Thank goodness it wasn't lost." Chu Ruofu breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Gu Junsheng: "Let's go back."
Chu Ruofu put on her earrings as she walked. She rarely wore jewelry, and without a mirror to look at herself, she couldn't put them on for a long time.
Gu Junsheng noticed that she hadn't put her earrings on properly and asked, "Do you want me to help you?"
Chu Ruofu hesitated for a moment, then looked at the stall not far away, where Xia Yuqing and Shen Wuyang were identifying the liquid in their cups, with cameras surrounding them.
"Okay, please help me."
Chu Ruofu handed the earrings to Gu Junsheng, who took them and walked towards her, his long fingers holding the earrings.
The two were very close.
Chu Ruofu's heart began to race. She looked up at his handsome face, and the memory of their kiss from that day suddenly flashed through her mind.
Gu Junsheng lowered his eyes, took the earring, and carefully and gently put it through her ear piercing, putting the emerald green earring on her. His fingers inadvertently touched her fair earlobe.
Her earlobes were slightly red, making her look cute and alluring.
Gu Junsheng's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes dark and unsettled. If the timing and occasion weren't so inappropriate, he would have loved to taste it and see if it was as delicate and sweet as he imagined.
"What are you doing?" Xia Yuqing's surprised voice came from behind.
As if caught red-handed, Chu Ruofu hurriedly stepped back. Without thinking, Gu Junsheng reached out and grabbed her elbow to steady her flustered figure.
"Don't panic," Gu Junsheng said calmly.
Chu Ruofu looked toward the stall. Shen Wuyang stared at Gu Junsheng with a gloomy expression. He had seen Gu Junsheng's fingers touch Chu Ruofu's earlobe just now.
The two were like intimate lovers, their atmosphere ambiguous and romantic.
Shen Wuyang felt a sharp pain in his heart, a bitter pang of jealousy, and he wished he could rush up, grab Chu Ruofu's hand, and take her away from Gu Junsheng.
But he is not qualified; he cannot do that.
From Xia Yuqing's perspective, Gu Junsheng is touching Chu Ruofu's face. She looks surprised and puzzled. When did President Gu's relationship with Chu Ruofu progress so rapidly that they were touching each other's faces so intimately?
Shen Wuyang took a deep breath, walked up to Chu Ruofu, and said in a low voice, "Fufu, I'm sorry, I guessed wrong just now. I chose a glass of vinegar."
The sour taste of vinegar made his teeth ache, and the bitter taste filled his mouth, spreading to the bottom of his heart.
Seeing his aggrieved and sad expression, and remembering that she hadn't been there to help him identify the drink, Chu Ruofu quickly comforted him, "It's okay, failure is normal. I can't tell which one is the lychee drink either."
Xia Yuqing's suspicious gaze swept back and forth between Chu Ruofu and Gu Junsheng as she asked, "What you just did..."
Shen Wuyang clenched his hands. He also wanted to know what Gu Junsheng was doing, secretly getting close to Fufu while he was playing a game.
Gu Junsheng said calmly, "Chu Ruofu lost her earring, so I'll put it back on for her."
Xia Yuqing looked at Chu Ruofu with a teasing gaze: "So Mr. Gu was helping Chu Ruofu put on her earrings. I thought you were touching her face."
Live stream chat:
I also thought Mr. Gu was touching Fu Mei's face.
[The charm of an older man is unparalleled; he's gentle, considerate, and composed. I love Mr. Gu.]
[Can older men please stay away from young couples? This episode is our Fuyang CP's show.]
The fourth male lead's jealousy was practically overflowing from the screen.
Chu Ruofu quickly said, "You're mistaken. I just realized my earring was missing, and Gu Junsheng accompanied me back to find it. I didn't have a mirror, so he helped me put the earring back on."
Shen Wuyang said, "Fufu, you don't have to bother President Gu. Just call me and I'll come over and help you put it on right away."
Chu Ruofu changed the subject: "Is your mouth sore? Do you want to rinse it?"
Shen Wuyang said pitifully, "Yes, I do. My mouth is so sour it's bitter. Fufu, come with me to buy water."
Chu Ruofu readily agreed: "Let's go."
Shen Wuyang glanced at Gu Junsheng and led Chu Ruofu away.
Seeing Gu Junsheng staring at Chu Ruofu's back, Xia Yuqing said, "Mr. Gu, let's hurry up and pick out a drink, then go find the other keys. We don't have much time left."
Seeing Shen Wuyang drink a whole cup of vinegar, Xia Yuqing didn't want to choose anymore and decided to let Gu Junsheng fall into this trap instead.
Gu Junsheng always respected the wishes of normal women, and said calmly, "I'll do it."
The three cups contained identical white liquids, almost indistinguishable to the naked eye, leaving only luck to decide. Gu Junsheng chose one, held it to his nose, and smelled it; a sour aroma wafted out.
The NPC guy looked on with amusement: "Selection complete, sir, please have a drink."
Gu Junsheng drank a glass of white vinegar expressionlessly. The sour taste filled his taste buds, and he tasted the same flavor as Shen Wuyang.
Live stream chat:
Both male guests were jealous.
[That younger, more cunning guy snatched Fu away, keeping her away from his rival.]
How does it feel for President Gu to be jealous? Isn't it very sour?
Shen Wuyang intended to take Chu Ruofu away. On the way, he told her that it would be faster to find the key separately if they searched together, as it would be too slow. He also suggested that they could share information and help each other when they encountered other guests.
Chu Ruofu thought about it and realized he was right, so she followed him to look for the key elsewhere.
Before 5 PM, the program team announced the deadline for the task, and all guests left Xuezhen Ancient Town and returned to the task location.
The guests found the NPC character for the quest and won the key, ranked in order:
1. Chu Ruofu and Shen Wuyang: nine keys; 2. Gu Junsheng and Xia Yuqing: eight keys; 3. Li Yichen and Song Yi: six keys; 4. Lu Xubai and Qiao Yimo: five keys.
After a short rest and dinner, each guest was given a unique identity tag by the production team before heading into the ancient town to explore.
A large-scale live-action murder mystery game set in an ancient city is coming soon.
Viewers in the live stream room were waiting for the broadcast to start.
Open the door!!!
[Finally, the guests from the dating reality show are back to participate in a mystery-solving game.]
[Xue Zhen 2.0 is here! I'm both scared and eager to watch it. I'm going to watch it under the covers.]
[The script has changed? It's not the same version the guests played in the first season of the dating reality show?]
[The production team listened to advice too much. The second season of the dating show didn't have so many games and challenges, which made it particularly boring. I prefer watching the dating show guests go through various trials and tribulations to find true love.]
Chu Ruofu received her identity token and knew that she would be going to the ancient city that night to explore the truth. She felt excited but also a little scared.
The character she plays this time is called: Chu Lian'er.
Currently, all I know is my name; I have no idea about my background.
8 PM.
The program team first cut to the night view of Xuezhen Ancient Town in the live broadcast room. The ancient town, which is bustling during the day, is pitch black at night and looks somewhat eerie and terrifying under the moonlight.
The narration, even when filming distant shots, also introduces the background story.
Three hundred years ago, Xuezhen Ancient Town was a bustling town. There was an abandoned old house in the town where a ghost marriage once took place, and the bride died mysteriously on the wedding night.
Seven days later, all of the Xue family members, numbering over a dozen, had perished. Young girls began disappearing one after another in the town, causing unrest and spreading rumors of ghosts. To appease the vengeful spirits, the town mayor ordered his men to seal off the house, prohibiting outsiders from entering.
In recent years, Xuezhen has gradually become sparsely populated, and people never go out at night.
You mistakenly entered Xuejia Village. Because of the thick fog, you would get lost if you drove there, so you chose to stay in Xuejia Village temporarily. However, when you entered Xuejia Town, you could not find the exit.
The only way to escape is to unravel the secret buried for a hundred years and break the curse of the ghost marriage; otherwise, they will be trapped in Xuejia Town forever...
The program team announced the rules for this exploration.
"The guests' task tonight is to search for clues and find out the truth behind the strange phenomenon of people frequently disappearing in Xue Town. Successfully completing the task will earn them a date invitation card, while failure will result in losing their date eligibility."
"The ancient town is fraught with danger at night. Guests must remember not to trigger any mechanisms, or they will attract evil spirits to hunt them down."
After listening to the program team's introduction and the rules they explained, Chu Ruofu felt a chill run down her spine.
This mission was more difficult than we imagined.
The director looked at the guests and announced, "According to the order of the keys, the guests will enter the ancient town to explore in turn."
"Chu Ruofu and Shen Wuyang may enter the ancient town now."
The staff led the two to the entrance of the ancient town, smiling and saying, "We wish you two a pleasant exploration."
Chu Ruofu felt that the staff's smiles were malicious as she walked into the entrance with Shen Wuyang.
At night, almost all the lights in the ancient town went out, with only a few dim streetlights remaining on the streets. The light was weak, and some of the streetlights even flickered. The houses in the entire town were pitch black, and it always felt like there were many ghostly figures inside.
Chu Ruofu swallowed hard, feeling a little scared, and couldn't help but move closer to Shen Wuyang.
Shen Wuyang sensed her fear and comforted her, "Fufu, don't be afraid, there are no ghosts in the world."
Chu Ruofu: "...I know."
Ghosts are something that exist if you believe in them, and don't if you don't.
There are definitely no ghosts in socialist countries, but she was still terrified! The director said that triggering a mechanism would bring evil ghosts to grab people, and just thinking about being chased made her legs tremble.
Fortunately, around dinner time, she suggested to her staff that she change her high heels into embroidered shoes to make it easier to run around.
Seeing that she was scared, Shen Wuyang kept talking to her: "Humans are more terrifying than ghosts. Ghosts seek revenge, but the evil thoughts that arise in a human's heart are more vicious than those of a ghost."
Chu Ruofu thought about some social events she had come across and agreed with them; some people were indeed much scarier than ghosts.
"Have you ever played escape rooms or murder mystery games?" Shen Wuyang asked.
Chu Ruofu shook her head: "I've never played this before, this is my first time."
Shen Wuyang reached out his hand to her: "Fufu, you can hold my hand, I will protect you."
Chu Ruofu wanted to keep her distance from him, but she was so scared that she reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it tightly.
Live stream chat:
[Waaaaah, I'm so scared! Please, production team, don't create such a terrifying atmosphere!]
[I'm worried for Fu Mei. People who are afraid of ghosts might be so scared playing a mildly frightening murder mystery game that they'd kneel down.]
[Family members, does anyone understand? I'm watching the live stream with one eye covered, terrified of any sudden close-up shots.]
A man who can stand on his own gives people a sense of security and reliability; the younger, more charming guy is so handsome, smart and calm.
Chu Ruofu was relieved that Shen Wuyang didn't seem afraid at all. He was intelligent and could write suspense novels. She should just need to follow him and explore the mystery without doing anything else. She could just win without lifting a finger.
The two walked along the stone-paved streets of the ancient town. Some rooms emitted a ghostly glow, which was probably a hint from the production team that the guests could go in and explore.
Shen Wuyang led her over, pushed open the wooden door, and it creaked open.
The room was cluttered with things, and white cobwebs hung from the wooden beams and window frames, making it look dilapidated and desolate, with an extremely eerie atmosphere.
Chu Ruofu's heart trembled. She wanted to go out, but she was also quite scared to wait outside alone.
Shen Wuyang led her to a corner where a tattered cloth covered the box, barely noticeable unless you looked closely. He squatted down to check; the box was locked.
He reached out his hand to Chu Ruofu.
Chu Ruofu took out the key from her person and handed it to him.
Shen Wuyang unlocked the copper lock. Inside the box, an old pocket watch lay scattered, with a letter pressed down on it. By the dim light, he examined it and saw that it was written in black and white on white paper.
[The eldest son of the Xue family returned from studying abroad, but encountered a typhoon at sea, his ship was in distress, and he has been missing for over a month...]
Chu Ruofu bent down to look at the letter: "Gu Junsheng is Young Master Xue, and this is a clue related to him."
-----------------------
Author's note: From now on, my schedule will be fixed: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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