“She’s Jiang Yuyao! How could you not recognize her?” Zhou Ruoyu chimed in from the side, her face full of disbelief.
“Do you think she’s like the Chinese yuan?” Qin Shu retorted.
Even if she were the Chinese yuan, not everyone would recognize her.
Zhou Ruoyu was left speechless, not expecting this person to be so prickly and utterly ungentlemanly. Just as she was about to snap back, she suddenly heard him speak, “So you’re Jiang Yuyao?”
“That’s me.” Jiang Yuyao smiled gracefully, letting out a subtle sigh of relief as she slightly lifted her chin.
She knew it—he must have recognized her.
However, his next words stopped her in her tracks.
“Where’s your boyfriend, Shen Linzhou?”
Jiang Yuyao’s smile stiffened, surprised that he knew her because of Shen Linzhou.
Well, Shen Linzhou had debuted earlier than her and was more famous, so it made sense that he’d know her because of him.
Just then, Shen Linzhou, who had heard the commotion at the door, walked out.
“Looking for me?”
“So you’re Shen Linzhou?” Qin Shu’s gaze fell on Shen Linzhou.
“I am.”
Whether it was his imagination or not, after uttering those two words, Shen Linzhou felt as if he had suddenly been targeted by a fierce, wild jackal in the forest. The intensely aggressive and invasive aura made his hair stand on end.
But the feeling vanished almost instantly, as if it had been nothing more than an illusion.
Before Shen Linzhou could process what had just happened, a lazy, disdainful remark drifted over.
“Not much to look at, are you?”
Shen Linzhou: …
Jiang Yuyao: …
Zhou Ruoyu: …
[Hahaha, I’m dying! “Not much to look at” is absolutely savage!]
[New beauty standard—Shen Linzhou is just average-looking, so I must be downright ugly.]
[Even though this is outrageous, coming from him, it somehow makes sense…]
In the livestream, the three veteran actors all lost control of their expressions.
Especially Shen Linzhou. After years in the industry, he was more confident in his looks than his acting skills. He had even insured his face for millions and spent as much on daily skincare at beauty salons as Jiang Yuyao did.
Now, being openly provoked and belittled like this, how could he not be angry?
Yet, he couldn’t find the words to refute it.
Because while this face in front of him was undeniably punchable, it was also infuriatingly handsome.
Shen Linzhou didn’t want to admit he was inferior, especially not in front of the camera.
Swallowing his frustration, he took a deep breath and forced a smile. “What kind of man relies on his looks to get by?”
“What’s wrong with relying on your looks to get by?”
It wasn’t a provocation but a genuine inquiry.
In fact, after realizing Shen Linzhou wasn’t as good-looking as himself, Qin Shu’s hostility toward him had diminished significantly.
When it came to relying on looks, it was this face of his that had caught A Ying’s eye in the first place.
So, Qin Shu had always prided himself on conquering the world with his looks.
Otherwise, he might never have found a wife.
“I think relying on your looks is perfectly fine,” Qin Shu added, emphasizing his point.
Shen Linzhou scoffed at this, his tone pointed. “Well, it seems our values differ. After all, I’m not in the habit of living off others.”
Implying he was a freeloader?
Qin Shu raised an eyebrow, giving Shen Linzhou a once-over before nodding. “True, with a face like yours, you wouldn’t have the capital for it anyway.”
“You!”Shen Linzhou nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood. It was only thanks to Jiang Yuyao’s timely intervention that the film emperor avoided losing his composure during the live stream.
“Linzhou, enough, stop talking.”
Holding Shen Linzhou’s hand, Jiang Yuyao gently squeezed his fingers. “There’s no need to dwell on these things. Everyone knows who you are, so don’t engage in pointless arguments.”
After saying this, Jiang Yuyao turned to Qin Shu. “Mr. Qin, regardless of any past grievances between you and Linzhou, since we’re all here to participate in the show and will be spending the next week together, wouldn’t it be better to prioritize harmony? Don’t you agree?”
At this point, even if Jiang Yuyao was reluctant to admit it, she had already guessed Qin Shu’s identity.
Who else would have those fox-like eyes and be so fixated on Shen Linzhou’s appearance?
Although the arrogance and defiance in those eyes now were quite different from the hazy, unintentional allure in Song Ying’s Weibo photos, the shape of the eyes was unmistakable.
“Yuyao, what are you talking about? This person is also here for the show?” Zhou Ruoyu couldn’t believe it.
He seemed more like someone here to cause trouble, didn’t he?
“If I’m not mistaken, this should be Miss Song Ying’s boyfriend.”
[Damn! Song Ying’s boyfriend? Help, did Song Ying save the galaxy in her past life?]
[Handsome men and beautiful women—this pair is absolutely stunning. Will Jiang Yuyao and Shen Linzhou’s title as the pinnacle of celebrity couple looks in the entertainment industry be replaced?]
[What’s the use of just being good-looking? Didn’t you hear him say he relies on his looks to make a living? A freeloader with no manners—such a gilded vase, rotten on the inside, is only fit for someone like Song Ying, who lacks substance herself. How could he possibly compare to my talented and handsome Film Emperor Shen?]
Seeing these comments, some viewers calmed down.
Right, looking at it this way, Film Emperor Shen does seem more refined.
But…
[He’s really too handsome. Sorry, my moral compass just followed my aesthetic preferences.]
[I just want to know how much Song Ying paid to keep him. I’ll double it—can she give him to me?]
The tone of the bullet comments gradually shifted, and some even started searching for Qin Shu online.
But no matter how they searched, there were no photos or information—not even the combination of those two characters existed.
It was absurdly transparent.
Because of this, the hashtag #WhoIsQinShu quickly climbed the trending charts. Many passersby, seeing screenshots from the live stream, exclaimed in awe at his stunning appearance, and more and more people flooded into the live stream.
The Director was quite satisfied that such high popularity could be achieved even on a weekday.
Only Song Ying’s manager, Sister Hong, clutched her assistant Xiao Lu’s hand tightly.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have let Song Ying bring her boyfriend on the show…”
She had originally planned to capitalize on their looks, but this boyfriend turned out to be more of a liability than Song Ying.
Not only did he have no filter, but he was also a freeloader.
Meanwhile, in an old mansion somewhere, Old Master Qin sat in front of the television, nodding in satisfaction.
“A Shu wasn’t lying, after all. The Qin family bloodline is naturally handsome.”
When Song Ying finished packing and came downstairs, she had no idea what had just happened.
But the atmosphere in the living room felt strangely tense.
Shen Linzhou and Jiang Yuyao sat stiffly on the sofa, their faces cold. Zhou Ruoyu and her boyfriend sat together, casting unfriendly glances at Song Ying. Da Meng seemed to have a stomachache and was in the bathroom.
“What happened?” Song Ying whispered to Qin Shu.
“Nothing much. I’m just too handsome, and they’re feeling a bit inferior.””I see.” Song Ying nodded. “Don’t feel too pressured; it’s their own fragile mentality. Go upstairs and pack your things.”
“Should I go up now?” Qin Shu blinked, his fierce expression melting away as he winked flirtingly at Song Ying.
“Rein in that flirtatious energy.” Song Ying smacked him lightly on the forehead and glared. “Hurry up and come back quickly.”
“Alright…” Qin Shu nuzzled against Song Ying like a puppy before reluctantly heading upstairs.
The two whispered intimately, their conversation inaudible to others in the living room, but the audience heard every word clearly.
[I thought he was a ruthless wolf, but he turned out to be a fluttering butterfly.]
[He’s both a wolf and a puppy—my heart can’t take it!]
As soon as Qin Shu left, Sweet Bean hurried over to Song Ying. “Sister Ying, was that your boyfriend just now?! He’s so handsome!”
If it were anyone else, they might have humbly downplayed it, but Song Ying was brimming with pride.
“Of course! I’m a total sucker for looks… and his abs, hehehe…”
“Am I allowed to hear this for free?!” Sweet Bean widened her eyes. “Tell me more!”
Jiang Yuyao could no longer sit still and stood up, heading straight for the women’s restroom.
As soon as she closed the door, her gentle and charming face instantly turned cold and sour.
Taking out her phone, she found Xu Lanyan’s number and dialed.
“Hello, Lanyan? Are you busy right now… Painting? I’m so envious of you, living a life full of artistic vibes. Not like me, streaming every day lately—I’m exhausted…”
“Yeah, don’t worry, I’ll rest well~ Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask you something. Do you remember that Qin Shu from your grandfather’s birthday party at your place last year? Do you know who he is?”
On the other end, Xu Lanyan had been coloring when Jiang Yuyao mentioned Qin Shu. Her brush suddenly slipped, losing control.
A painting that was eighty percent complete was ruined in an instant.
She tore the paper off, crumpled it, and tossed it into the nearby trash bin. Xu Lanyan stood up from her painting stool and walked to the window.
“Why are you asking about him?”
“I saw him on the show today, but he seemed to have a lot of hostility toward me and Linzhou…”
“He’s like that with everyone.” Thinking back to how Qin Shu had treated her, Xu Lanyan casually plucked a leaf from a pothos plant, her voice turning colder.
Jiang Yuyao keenly sensed Xu Lanyan’s mood. “Between you and him…”
“Strangers.” Xu Lanyan cut her off. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”
Without waiting for Jiang Yuyao to respond, she ended the call.
In the restroom, Jiang Yuyao, usually so proud, felt no resentment at all toward such dismissiveness.
The Xu family was considered a second-tier wealthy family in the capital.
The first tier belonged to the top-tier elite families—the Qin, Wen, and Zhao families—unattainable for ordinary people.
But even a second-tier family like the Xus was far beyond the reach of a celebrity like Jiang Yuyao.
In the eyes of these wealthy families, celebrities were nothing more than entertainers who couldn’t grace proper occasions. Over the years, after befriending Xu Lanyan, Jiang Yuyao’s resources had skyrocketed, and she had even won the title of Best Actress. To her, Xu Lanyan was someone she could only admire from afar and flatter.
When Qin Shu had appeared at the Xu family’s banquet, she had thought he must be someone of extraordinary status.
Especially since his surname was Qin—what if he was connected to the Qin family…
Now, it seemed she had overthought it.
The Xu and Qin families were related by marriage, but if Xu Lanyan said Qin Shu was a stranger, it meant he had no connection whatsoever to that Qin family.Now that he could be kept by a minor celebrity like Song Ying, perhaps when he appeared at the Xu family, he had just latched onto some big shot…
Facing the mirror, Jiang Yuyao adjusted her bangs. When she emerged again, she had regained her previous arrogance.
At the same time, all four couples were in place.
The challenge tasks for the new episode of the show also began to be officially distributed.