Chapter 58: We're on a Romance Show—What Else Should We Focus On If Not Relationships?

Pei Qiaonian is here?

Xie Zhiyuan was taken aback at first.

But almost immediately, she found it hard to believe.

Outsiders might not know her situation, but how could she be unaware of her own circumstances?

She had only met Pei Qiaonian once before, and even then, it seemed as if he’d been forced by his mother to come. His face had been filled with impatience, his eyes constantly flicking to his watch. No matter how well she presented herself, he wouldn’t spare her a glance.

It had left her feeling deeply frustrated.

All her life, this was the first time she’d been so thoroughly ignored by a man.

Yet, it also stoked her desire to win him over.

So, knowing full well that Pei Qiaonian was unlikely to seek her out, her first thought was of Xu Yunzhuo.

Pei’s mother had told her as much: Pei Qiaonian was only temporarily blinded by some wanton temptress, but in his heart, he truly liked the poised and elegant Xie Zhiyuan.

Whether in terms of knowledge or status, she far outshone Xu Yunzhuo. And she wasn’t lacking in looks either—perhaps not as flamboyant as Xu Yunzhuo, but dignified and striking in her own right.

Among the socialites, she was the very image of a fortunate woman.

Noticing Ning Qinghuan still watching her intently, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a hint of shyness. “Is that so? Ah Qiao didn’t mention it to me, but his mother did say he’s in Haicheng and invited me to visit their home in Beijing after the show wraps up.”

Ning Qinghuan, seeing how much weight this clearly carried for her, didn’t press further. Instead, she smiled with a touch of envy. “I really envy you, Zhiyuan. If you marry into the Pei family, you’ll surely be happy.”

But Xie Zhiyuan was unconcerned.

Within the entire Beijing circle, she was Pei Qiaonian’s best choice.

At this hour, it was break time and the cameramen had all finished for the day.

When the two women returned to the villa, the livestream formally resumed.

As soon as the broadcast began, hundreds of thousands poured in.

“Two hours of rest after lunch? Director, don’t you want to make money?!”

“Is there any behind-the-scenes footage of what they did at noon? When will these randomly-paired couples be shuffled?”

“We’ll have to wait until next episode. If they find the pairings don’t work at the end of this episode, they’ll reshuffle.”

“Will Xu Yunzhuo still be here next time?”

“Most likely not. I heard she only signed on for this episode.”

“Good riddance. I can’t stand her—stay away from my Yan-ge!”

The barrage of comments rolled by, covering all manner of opinions.

That afternoon, filming resumed.

The production team assigned a task: among the three groups, whichever could manage to eat dinner first without spending any money would win a reward. As for what the reward was, the team only hinted that it would be very important to them.

Pei Qiaonian was indifferent—it had nothing to do with him anyway.

After all, he wouldn’t be around for the next episode.

As they were about to head out, Yan Feixing came over, still unwilling to give up, and threw out an olive branch: “Yunzhuo, you see you’re getting nowhere in Pei’s group. Why not switch targets and observe me? Things are sweet on my side.”

He even sought confirmation, turning to Ning Qinghuan. “Isn’t that right?”

Ning Qinghuan forced an awkward smile. “Mm.”

“Haha, is Yan Feixing trying to kill me with laughter? After two days of livestreaming, he’s either looking for Xu Yunzhuo or on his way to find her. Has he forgotten who his partner is?”

“This guy is a true romantic—he wears his heart on his sleeve.”

“Ning Qinghuan: Am I just a prop in your game? Has anyone noticed Ning Qinghuan can barely force a smile anymore?”

“My poor Qinghuan, stuck with these two. And Xu Yunzhuo is so shameless—she’s just an observer and doesn’t even try to avoid suspicion!”

“Are you blind? Yan Feixing is the one clinging to her. How is that Xu Yunzhuo’s fault?”

“I heard next episode is a survival special—I’m actually a little excited, hope the original cast stays.”

Pei Qiaonian glanced at Pei Jin not far away, who kept a polite distance from Hu Biting.

He nodded approvingly at Yan Feixing, a half-smile lingering on his lips. “You’re right, this is the worst couple I’ve ever seen. And Pei is hardly professional—he leaves Sister Hu standing all alone. Anyone who ends up liked by him is really out of luck.”

Yan Feixing: “…”

He’d just been making conversation, but why was he getting insulted?

Ning Qinghuan frowned slightly, noticing the open disdain in Pei Qiaonian’s eyes as he looked at Pei Jin. So, she thought, now that she’s found a new backer, she’s already starting to look down on her former fiancé?

Pressing her lips together, Ning Qinghuan spoke up for Pei Jin. “Yunzhuo, even if they’re paired, both people need to be interested in each other. Forcing it doesn’t work. Maybe he just hasn’t found someone he likes.”

“Oh? So you’re saying Pei Jin didn’t come here for the show, but to find someone he likes? Don’t tell me that someone is you?”

“What the—are we about to get some juicy gossip? So Pei Jin really does have something going on with Ning Qinghuan?”

“Sis, please, spill it! If you do, you’ll be the only one I stan in the entertainment world. I’ll be your loyal fan—please, tell us, have you two been together all along?”

“That’s a lot to take in. But didn’t Ning Qinghuan rely on Xu Yunzhuo before her debut? Then she became a minor star and Xu Yunzhuo stayed unknown. They must know each other, and Xu Yunzhuo probably knows some inside info!”

“Have you noticed? Whenever Xu Yunzhuo argues with Pei Jin, Ning Qinghuan immediately steps in to defend him. And rumor is, Pei Jin wasn’t invited to the show initially—he only joined after Ning Qinghuan was confirmed. Damn, this is pure love! I’m shipping it already.”

Ning Qinghuan’s face went pale.

How could she possibly expose anything about her relationship with Pei Jin?

Besides, there was nothing to expose—Pei Jin’s feelings were one-sided.

She took a deep breath. “Yunzhuo, Pei Jin and I are just colleagues. We have a drama awaiting release, and he’s here on the show to promote it.”

Then, turning to the camera, she offered a gentle smile. “We hope everyone pays more attention to our work rather than our private lives.”

But Pei Qiaonian was relentless. “You’re on a dating show—if not romance, what else should we focus on? Maybe why you get up in the middle of the night to put on makeup?”

The words left the room in utter silence, except for the lively scrolling of the livestream chat:

“Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, I’m dying here.”

“You upstairs, you’re hurting my eyes.”

“Xu Yunzhuo is hilarious—is this the kind of beauty that ignores all consequences?”

“Is this really a dating show? Or is it a comedy special?”

“Stop it or Ning Qinghuan will break down—first time seeing a female star lose control of her expression, I’m loving it.”

Before long, two topics quietly climbed the trending charts.

#RumoredRomanceOfPeiJinExposed#

#MinorStarNingQinghuanPuttingOnMakeupAtMidnight#