Chapter 4

Once everyone had arrived, the crew began filming our first formal introduction.

We introduced ourselves one by one.

The young stars hardly needed to. Their fans in the livestream were already screaming their names.

The non-celebrities, meanwhile, came from all sorts of professions.

There was a lawyer, a content creator, a doctor, and a brand founder.

Quite a mix.

When Zhu Tian’s turn came, she merely said, “I make a few small investments. Nothing special.”

She brushed right past it.

My heart, however, began to pound.

Small investments… She was definitely lying.

You only acquired that kind of presence from being in command for a long time.

I discreetly picked up my phone and searched her name.

Nothing useful came up.

…Tsk.

Could she really be an ordinary person?

Had I misjudged her?

…Impossible. I’d been in this business for years. Whatever else I lacked, I knew how to read people.

At the very least, I could tell whether someone had connections.

Without even that much judgment, I’d never have made it this far.

After the introductions, the crew announced our task.

“We’ve hidden supplies all along the beach. Head down there and see how many you can find! Whoever finds the most gets ten Heart Coins. Second place gets five, and third place gets three. Heart Coins will give you a big advantage in later tasks and resource allocations, so do your best!”

One of the young men immediately raised a hand. “What if we don’t find anything?”

“Then you’ll go hungry tonight. Or you can see if another contestant is willing to buy you dinner.”

Everyone laughed.

Then, calling to one another, they set off together.

The beach was only a ten-minute walk from the house.

White sand, blue sea. As soon as they arrived, the contestants ran wild.

The task could wait.

They’d have their fun first.

I was wearing a sun-protection jacket and a broad straw hat, but the sun still left me dazed.

Dieting had made me very weak.

All I’d had that morning was half a bowl of oatmeal, and I was already ravenous.

The heat made it hard enough to walk. I certainly didn’t have the energy to bounce around like the others.

The young stars were already working hard to sell their pairings: deliberately brushing against each other, saying suggestive things, exchanging meaningful looks for the viewers to swoon over. The livestream was soon buzzing.

I just wanted somewhere shady to sit down.

I was seriously struggling.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over my head.

I turned to find Zhu Tian holding an umbrella above me.

My lips parted.

“Th… thank you…”

She looked down at me. “Hot?”

“…I’m all right.”

Her mouth curved.

I pressed my lips together, annoyed.

She seemed to see through every word I didn’t mean.

So irritating.

But for some reason, perhaps I was imagining it, the air around me seemed cooler with her standing beside me.

It wasn’t so hot anymore.

Maybe her umbrella was particularly good at keeping the sun off.

After playing for a while, the others finally remembered the task.

They broke into small groups and began looking for supplies.

The camera operators followed them around.

Zhu Tian and I had a camera operator too.

Watching the others enthusiastically dig holes in the sand, I turned to Zhu Tian. “Aren’t you going to look for supplies?”

She looked at me. “Want to team up?”

“…You can look without a team.”

“If I don’t team up with anyone, who am I finding them for?”

I blinked.

“You… keep them yourself.”

“Wang Zige.” She said my name suddenly.

My eyes widened.

Granted, this was a dating show. She didn’t have to address me formally.

But since becoming a major star, I hadn’t heard anyone call me by my full name in a long time.

She looked straight into my eyes. Her smile faded a little, her gaze darkening. “I’m not here to play games.”

“Then… then what are you here for?”

“You.”

Just like that. She said it outright.

I was stunned.

I knew it was a dating show.

But wasn’t this a little too…?

No buildup at all? We’d only just met!

I couldn’t help stammering. “I… I like men.”

“Do you?”

Smiling, she leaned a little closer.

I instinctively drew back.

“Wang Zige, you keep saying you like men. But you haven’t spoken to a single one of them of your own accord since you got here.”

She leaned closer still.

Alarmed, I backed away.

But the moment I stepped beyond the umbrella, the heat swept over me.

I ducked back underneath without thinking.

Looking up, I met those amused eyes.

“Don’t go too far. You’re so weak right now, you could easily get heatstroke.”

I had nothing to say.

I ought to keep my distance.

But… it really was cool and comfortable beside her.

Compared with collapsing on camera, Zhu Tian’s intimidating presence was suddenly the lesser concern.

“Zhu Tian, I’m a very traditional woman.”

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“…”

I swallowed my indignation.

“You don’t think I’m traditional? I told you, I expect a betrothal gift.”

She said nothing.

She just kept smiling at me.

I frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. I smile a lot. I’m not making fun of you.”

What?!

My face flushed with anger.

I’d perfected my professional mask years ago, yet somehow it kept cracking in front of Zhu Tian.

She could stir up my emotions so easily.

She didn’t even have to say much. All she had to do was smile.

Damn her!

I wanted to turn and leave, but I couldn’t bear to give up the coolness beneath her umbrella.

As if she’d read my mind, she offered it to me.

“Here. Take it.”

I blinked.

“Me? What about you?”

“I’ll go over there.”

She pointed to the nearby pier.

Silently, I took the umbrella.

She turned and walked away.