The show is called Journey of Love and Detection, and all the challenges are designed to test the depth of love between the couples.
Now, in the third episode, the regular guests have already passed the basic challenges, and the difficulty has been further upgraded.
As a guest participant, naturally, one must keep up with the others.
The female guests were gathered together, and the production team handed each of them a script.
“This morning’s challenge requires each of you to perform a scene with your boyfriend based on the script. Please read and memorize the script thoroughly, and perform it within the allotted time. After all performances are completed, the judging panel in the observation room will give the final evaluation results.”
“Lunch will be distributed according to the evaluation results, with different levels.”
As the female guests flipped through their scripts, the content of each person’s script was simultaneously displayed on the live stream screen.
At this sight, the comments exploded.
[Is the production team trying to stir things up?]
[Are they trying to cause chaos? But suddenly it feels even more interesting, what should I do?]
[Not only testing the guests’ acting skills but also the depth of their relationship—it’s just a bit hard on the male guests… I’m already feeling sorry for the guys.]
The time pointed to ten o’clock, with lunch scheduled for twelve. The time allotted for preparation and performance was a full two hours.
So, the four female guests quickly began flipping through their scripts.
At this, everyone’s expressions turned strange.
Especially Song Ying, who, after reading it, immediately uttered a curse and turned to ask the staff, “Which idiot came up with this script? Can I forfeit?”
“No, you can’t~”
“Then can I just admit defeat?”
“That’s also not allowed~”
“…” Song Ying was speechless.
At that moment, Zhou Ruoyu raised an eyebrow beside her. “What, Miss Song, are you worried about your acting skills?”
Song Ying already knew what kind of person Zhou Ruoyu was. Seeing her provoke her now, she nodded perfunctorily, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I really don’t have the ability for this.”
Feeling like she had punched cotton, Zhou Ruoyu was met with a soft rebuff. She glared at Song Ying and snorted, ignoring her from then on.
Apart from Sweet Bean, the others were all actors by profession. Jiang Yuyao debuted the earliest, with nine years in the industry so far, followed by Zhou Ruoyu, who had been in the industry for six years, and finally Song Ying, who had returned to the scene for less than a year.
The audience could already see that the production team had set up this challenge to test both acting skills and relationships, and Jiang Yuyao was no exception.
Half an hour later, she closed her script and stood up confidently.
“I’m ready.”
The camera followed her to the small garden outside.
“Linzhou, what are you doing?” Jiang Yuyao sat down beside Shen Linzhou.
“My new drama starts filming next month, so I’m taking advantage of the time to look over the script,” Shen Linzhou turned off his phone screen and wrapped an arm around Jiang Yuyao. “What task did the production team give us? Where are the others?”
In previous tasks, the couples had worked together. The female guests had been away for a long time, and the male guests had nothing to do, so Shen Linzhou guessed they had gone to receive a task.
“The Director said that since the guest participants are here today, the morning is free time, and the tasks will start in the afternoon.”Jiang Yuyao continued according to the script. Because her tone and demeanor were natural, Shen Linzhou didn’t notice anything amiss and even nodded in agreement. “Taking a break is good too. Filming for half a month straight is indeed a bit tiring.”
The two exchanged a few more casual words when Jiang Yuyao suddenly gazed at Shen Linzhou, staring at him with deep affection.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Shen Linzhou asked with a smile, then leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Jiang Yuyao’s curved eyelashes. “When you look at me like this, I can’t help but want to kiss you.”
Shen Linzhou had a typical deep, resonant voice, and knowing the camera was rolling, he added a hint of a breathy tone. Though the sweet words were directed at Jiang Yuyao, they were actually meant to charm the audience.
Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, the barrage of comments exploded.
【Kiss me, brother!】
【Looking down on us premium members? Give us two more hours!】
【If Shen Linzhou knew that Yuyao is brewing a big move, would he cry later?】
Shen Linzhou didn’t know Jiang Yuyao had a script, so he acted as usual, treating her with utmost tenderness.
However, as soon as he moved his lips away, he saw Jiang Yuyao suddenly frown, cover her nose, and hesitate to speak. “Linzhou…”
“What’s wrong?” Shen Linzhou asked.
“Did you… not brush your teeth this morning? There’s a bit of a smell…”
“…” Shen Linzhou froze, looking utterly confused. “I did brush them.”
“Then why does it smell…” Jiang Yuyao trailed off, wearing an expression that spoke volumes. “…so unpleasant.”
On camera, Shen Linzhou stood awkwardly frozen in place, his expression completely out of control. The look he gave Jiang Yuyao was no longer as affectionate as before.
In his conflicted gaze, there was embarrassment, shame, resentment toward Jiang Yuyao for saying such things in public and not saving face for him, and even a hint of simmering anger.
【I knew the production team was ruthless. I feel embarrassed for Shen Linzhou even through the screen.】
【If it were me, I’d definitely lose my temper on the spot. What kind of twisted script is this?】
【The more outrageous it is, the more it tests whether it’s true love? I have to hand it to the production team’s hellish logic.】
Whether it was true love or not, Shen Linzhou didn’t consider. He just didn’t forget that he was still live-streaming.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his emotions and abruptly stood up. “I’m going to the restroom.”
To brush his teeth and calm down.
“Linzhou, are you… angry?” Jiang Yuyao stood up, with a hint of self-reproach, gently tugging at Shen Linzhou’s sleeve and shaking it. “I didn’t mean it, I just…”
“Alright, don’t say any more.” Shen Linzhou’s knuckles turned white as he gripped his phone, while his other hand pulled his sleeve free. He was about to walk away.
At that moment, Jiang Yuyao suddenly hugged him from behind. “Alright, Linzhou, I’m sorry… That earlier part was just the production team’s script…”
“?” Shen Linzhou stiffened, then stiffened again. It took him a while to process it before he managed to suppress the faint anger in his heart.
“Are you… mad at me?” Jiang Yuyao pouted, nervously trying to act cute.
“How could I… be mad at you?” Shen Linzhou forced a smile. “Don’t I know you well enough? I understand you meant no harm. But next time, don’t be so mischievous.”
“Mhm!” Jiang Yuyao nestled into Shen Linzhou’s arms, wearing a triumphant smile.
She had successfully fooled Shen Linzhou, proving that her acting skills were up to par.Although Shen Linzhou almost lost his temper and walked away, he didn’t get angry even after learning it was part of the script. This shows that their feelings have also withstood the test.
In this round, she is definitely the winner!
The production team deliberately stirred up trouble. The scripts for everyone were more or less the same—making their boyfriends experience extreme social embarrassment or provoking them, then testing their reactions afterward.
While Jiang Yuyao’s situation was resolved without major incident, on another split screen, Zhou Ruoyu, who went out second, wasn’t so fortunate.
Her younger boyfriend, Qiao Yu, was in the room. When he saw Zhou Ruoyu approaching, he quickly hid what he was holding behind his back.
“Baby, what are you doing? Are you hiding something?”
“Nothing…” Qiao Yu evaded, but Zhou Ruoyu eventually pulled it out.
It was a notebook.
Inside were many copied breakfast recipes.
“What is this…” Zhou Ruoyu didn’t quite understand.
“You were really envious of how Brother Linzhou made breakfast for Sister Yuyao, so I thought I’d learn too and cook for you in the future…”
Zhou Ruoyu and Qiao Yu were in a relationship where she was older. Online discussions had long claimed that Qiao Yu wasn’t considerate enough and that Zhou Ruoyu was simply throwing herself at him, moved by her own efforts.
Now, with Qiao Yu’s little notebook revealed, fans of the “Gemini Couple” immediately squealed with delight.
[Qiao Yu is scoring major points! Go, little brother!]
[Mom, I’m back on board—older woman-younger man relationships are just too good!]
[If I were Zhou Ruoyu, I probably wouldn’t be able to keep acting… Don’t hurt the little brother, please!]
Zhou Ruoyu bit her lip, clearly conflicted.
Her script… was very unfriendly toward Qiao Yu.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Qiao Yu noticed Zhou Ruoyu’s hesitation, but being young, he didn’t think too much of it. He assumed she didn’t believe he could do it. “Don’t worry, I said I’d do it for you, and I mean it. Tomorrow morning, I’ll—”
“You don’t need to do it.” Zhou Ruoyu abruptly cut him off, her tone somewhat harsh. “Even if you do it perfectly, you’ll never compare to even one hundred-thousandth of Shen Linzhou.”
“What… what did you say?” Qiao Yu wondered if he had misheard.
“I said, when will you be able to stand on your own? Haven’t you seen what people are saying online? You only got the chance to be on this show because of me. Don’t you have any self-awareness? And now you want to compare yourself to Shen Linzhou? How could you ever measure up?”
These words were a devastating blow to Qiao Yu.
In the half-month since the show started, he had already faced a lot of criticism online. As time went on, he also realized many of his shortcomings compared to others, and the psychological pressure was immense.
To him, Zhou Ruoyu was the only person who could give him strength and a sense of security.
But now, what was she saying?
The notebook in Qiao Yu’s hand clattered to the floor. His eyes reddened as he stared at Zhou Ruoyu, disbelief and disappointment written all over his face.
“So even you think that way?”
“Right… I’m just a nobody. It’s normal for you to look down on me.”
Qiao Yu nodded repeatedly, then suddenly tore off his earpiece and threw it aside. “Since you look down on me, there’s no need for us to continue this relationship.”
“Go find your Shen Linzhou!”
Blinded by anger, Qiao Yu turned to leave. Sensing something was wrong, Zhou Ruoyu quickly grabbed him and began to explain.”Baby, I’m sorry, don’t be angry. What I said just now wasn’t my true feelings—it was a script given by the production team. That’s not what I really think, so please don’t be upset.”
Hearing it was a script, Qiao Yu’s anger intensified.
“A script? Hah, Zhou Ruoyu, you’re really something!”
“You know perfectly well what bothers me the most!… You wanted to be on the show, so I endured the pressure of being called a freeloader and joined you. When netizens criticized me, you told me to bear with it, saying controversy brings attention.”
“As long as you’re happy, I was willing to endure all that criticism for you. But now, just for a show task, you say whatever they tell you to say?”
“Zhou Ruoyu, do you even treat me as your boyfriend?! Do I even matter to you at all?”
Qiao Yu practically shouted the last sentence.
After saying this, he turned around furiously and stormed out the door without looking back.
“Qiao Yu!”
Zhou Ruoyu hurriedly chased after him.
[I feel so bad for Qiao Yu…]
[Even though the production team is awful, Qiao Yu is right. If you truly care about someone, why would you care about winning or losing on a show? You’d only be concerned about whether your loved one is hurt, right?]
[Shen Linzhou must have been really angry earlier too, right? His expression changed, but in the end, he still forgave Yue Yao. Honestly, I think Qiao Yu is just being overly sensitive and can’t take a joke.]
[If anyone dares to joke like that with me, I’ll twist their head off!]
[Do you think the production team set up this ridiculous activity not only to test the guys’ tolerance but also to see how much the female guests actually care about their partners?]
True love is never just about the guy’s one-sided tolerance—it also requires mutual understanding from the girl.
A healthy relationship is about both parties moving toward each other and caring for one another.
Some people gradually realized the deeper meaning behind the production team’s setup.
Meanwhile, Sweet Bean and Da Meng were also going through their part.
Their script required Sweet Bean to mock Da Meng for being ugly, saying he couldn’t compare to Shen Linzhou, Qiao Yu, Qin Shu, and others.
But because Sweet Bean kept forgetting her lines and froze several times while looking at Da Meng, she eventually burst out laughing on the spot, immediately tipping Da Meng off that it was a production team prank.
As a result, this pair was directly disqualified.
However, their interaction was full of funny moments, which attracted a lot of fan attention.
Losing the competition but gaining popularity wasn’t a bad deal either.
One camera focused on Song Ying.
From the moment she flipped through the script, Song Ying wasn’t very cooperative. While the others were memorizing their lines, she took a nap on the sofa, completely slacking off.
The guests had two hours to prepare freely.
But as it approached noon and Song Ying was still asleep, the cameraman couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Miss Song Ying, wake up. Time is almost up. Please complete the task as soon as possible.”
Song Ying yawned and opened her eyes, finally shaking off some of the exhaustion from the flight and long journey.
“Do I really have to act this out?” Thinking about that script, she found it utterly ridiculous.
“Yes, you do~ Otherwise, no lunch~”
She could lose the competition, but she had to eat lunch!
For the sake of lunch, Song Ying had no choice but to pull herself together.