Chapter Ten: The Variety Show Begins

Lu Wenchuan paused for a moment. “Grandfather, let’s talk about this matter later.”

“What issue do you have with the Ming family?” Old Master Lu raised his eyebrows and asked, and seeing Lu Wenchuan’s expression unchanged, continued, “Since you don’t, why won’t you meet them?”

“Perhaps it’s because you’d rather find yourself a daughter-in-law from the entertainment industry,” Lu Wenchuan replied quietly.

Old Master Lu fell silent, then let out a laugh, half exasperated. “Really?”

“Perhaps,” Lu Wenchuan neither confirmed nor denied it.

“And who, exactly?” Old Master Lu considered for a moment, then realized why this boy had so readily agreed to go on a couples’ reality show. He must have had plans long ago and was just borrowing someone else’s words to bring up the matter. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at him. “I don’t care what you’re thinking. If anyone wants to enter the Lu family, her background must be spotless!”

Lu Wenchuan pondered this for a moment. “Then I’ll marry into her family.”

Old Master Lu nearly choked, his beard bristling in anger. “Lu Wenchuan!”

“If you want to send me to an early grave, you might as well say it outright!”

“No, Grandfather, you’ve misunderstood.” Lu Wenchuan denied it. “I understand, Grandfather. Don’t take my words just now to heart.”

Old Master Lu, having reached his limit, put down his utensils and left, leaning on his cane without sparing Lu Wenchuan a glance.

Lu Wenchuan looked after him, then calmly continued eating.

—

A day of rest passed quickly.

The day for recording the reality show finally arrived.

Sang Yijia arrived at the place arranged by the production team at the appointed time. As soon as she got out of the car, she saw cameras and various props.

She stood dazed for a few seconds before finally feeling the sensation of having entered the novel’s world.

Facing the camera, Sang Yijia was briefly uneasy, but she soon adapted.

The show was broadcast live, and would later be edited for rebroadcast.

The moment Sang Yijia appeared, the streaming audience exploded.

“What is this?”

“Can the director change the camera? I don’t want to see this trash.”

“Gross. I’m skipping this part.”

The production team were delighted at the sudden surge of viewers, but their joy vanished as each newcomer hurled abuse and then left.

Sang Yijia was oblivious to the chaos in the livestream chat. After getting out of the car, she took a look around the farmhouse and finally understood why her agent, Mo Yani, had said this place was different from what she’d expected.

“Yijia, for the sake of authenticity, assistants can’t stay here,” the director explained when Sang Yijia’s little assistant tried to follow her in and was stopped.

“Jiajia...” The assistant glanced at Sang Yijia, torn.

Sang Yijia shook her head. “It’s all right. Head back. I’ll be fine on my own.”

The production team were surprised by her cooperation, but, remembering that Shen Jin was already inside, guessed Sang Yijia was eager to see him.

“Thank you for your understanding, Yijia,” the director replied politely.

Sang Yijia nodded, turned, and wheeled her suitcase inside.

The suitcase wasn’t large—just a twenty-six inch case packed by her mother. Sang Yijia had wanted to sort it herself, but in the end, she couldn’t refuse her mother’s insistence.

She hadn’t brought many clothes. Most of the items were daily necessities—her mother, worried she wouldn’t be used to things outside, had packed small bottles of toiletries for her.

There was a high threshold at the entrance to the courtyard. Seeing how delicate Sang Yijia looked, the production team considered sending someone to help, but she lifted the suitcase over with ease.

The cameraman focused on this scene, but unfortunately, hardly anyone was watching the livestream.

Inside, Sang Yijia immediately met the leading man, Shen Jin, and her gaze then fell upon the other male guest by his side—the currently popular actor, Bian He, the novel’s second male lead.

After this reality show, the second lead would act alongside the heroine in a xianxia drama. Though still playing the second lead, his sincerity touched many viewers, who began rooting for him and the heroine to end up together.

Afterward, fans of Lan Qing and Bian He as a couple soared in number, and in real life, many hoped they’d become a pair.

But in the end, the heroine was destined for the male lead.

Sang Yijia nodded slightly, greeting both men.

“Hey, wasn’t it said she’s always liked you?” The show had started recording, and Bian He’s question was exactly what everyone wanted to ask. The chat instantly lit up.

“That’s not true!”

“He’d never like such a disgusting woman.”

“Look at Bian He’s smile—he’s just watching the drama!”

“He’s trying to stir the pot, isn’t he? Who cares if Sang Yijia likes him!”

As more people flooded the chat, the director, seeing the response, ordered the cameras to focus on the trio. This, he knew, would make for explosive content in the edit.

At Bian He’s words, Shen Jin’s expression darkened. He turned his back coldly on Sang Yijia. “It has nothing to do with me. Don’t drag me into this.”

His tone was frigid, and with a little attention, one could hear the disdain and aversion in it.

Sang Yijia recalled what the original character had done, and remembered the look of dissatisfaction in Shen Jin’s eyes when she first transmigrated. Her lips pressed together for a moment, and then she met Bian He’s dark eyes and replied calmly, “I did before, but not anymore.”

She added, “And I won’t in the future, either.”

“So, Mr. Shen, you don’t need to worry about me affecting you during the show.”

Her eyes were lowered, her expression tranquil—she didn’t look like someone lying.

Shen Jin glanced back, lips curling in a mocking smile. “That’s for the best.”

“Disgusting—she’s definitely playing hard to get!”

“Total lie!”

“Don’t fall for it, brother!”

“I don’t buy it. I’m going to keep an eye on her and see what she’s up to!”

In an instant, thousands more joined the stream—almost all of them Shen Jin’s female fans.

The director hadn’t anticipated this effect and now wanted nothing more than to give the two of them as much screen time as possible, to stir up more buzz.

Bian He gave a surprised hum and asked, “But what if the director pairs you two up later?”

“What if I end up paired with you instead?” Sang Yijia countered.

Bian He’s eyes widened in innocent alarm. “That wouldn’t be good, would it?”

“So you know it wouldn’t be good?” Sang Yijia gave him a sidelong glance, dragged her suitcase to a sofa, and sat down. She looked at the table—there was nothing but two half-finished bottles of water.

She’d forgotten to bring her own water when she got out of the car, and now, feeling a little thirsty, she wondered how long it would be before the other guests arrived.

“Did you see that? Sang Yijia just stared at Shen Jin’s water bottle—she wants it!”

“Ugh, what a creep!”

“Why hasn’t she faded into obscurity yet?!”

“She should leave the industry and stop affecting our brother!”

The audience in the chat launched into renewed abuse.

Qi Yue, munching on a bag of chips in her dorm as she watched the stream, couldn’t help clicking her tongue at Sang Yijia’s performance. “See? Everyone’s saying you’re faking it.”

But for some reason, Qi Yue felt that Sang Yijia was telling the truth—she really didn’t care about Shen Jin anymore.

But why?

Qi Yue narrowed her eyes. Her roommate came over, saw what she was watching, and looked twice. “Hey, isn’t this that dating reality show?”

“That girl just now is Sang Yijia, right?”

“She really did come running after him, hoping to date Shen Jin.”

Qi Yue offered her the chips. “Not really. She said she doesn’t care anymore.”

“I just want to see if she really doesn’t care.”

Her roommate looked dismissive. “It’s all fake—just a little trick.”

“Wait and see. Next, she’ll definitely pull all sorts of stunts to get Shen Jin’s attention.”