The next day, Ji Xingzhu woke up early to apply her makeup. Her movements were as unhurried as usual, meticulously and lovingly caring for that exquisite, delicate face of hers.
The Cannon Fodder System had been secretly observing her for a long while before cautiously testing the waters: “Host… what are you going to do about today?”
Ji Xingzhu calmly retorted, “About what?”
“It’s just… didn’t you agree with the Male Lead yesterday to make ‘Ji Xingzhu’ fall in love with him today?” 999 said anxiously.
“Right.” Ji Xingzhu was surprisingly composed. “Then I’ll ‘love’ him today.”
“You’re not angry?” 999 couldn’t believe it. With his host’s spoiled temper, logically, she should have been furious about the Male Lead’s demand, possibly even flipping the table and refusing to cooperate. But Ji Xingzhu’s calmness truly exceeded his expectations.
Ji Xingzhu finished applying her lipstick leisurely. The vibrant color made her red lips appear even more luscious. She pursed her lips and smiled at the mirror. The beauty reflected in it, with dark hair and red lips, delicate features, exuded a radiant yet imposing pride the moment her lips curved.
She gave a faint smile, inexplicably tinged with a hint of mockery. “What is there for me to be angry about? It’s Song Qingchi who should be worried…”
“He’d better be able to handle my affections.”
Ji Xingzhu emphasized the words “affections” heavily, her tone laden with profound meaning.
Cannon Fodder System 999: “……” Something feels very dangerous about the host right now!
After finishing her makeup, Ji Xingzhu headed straight for the meeting point, completely ignoring Song Qingchi, who lived in the same small villa.
“Host, aren’t you going to call the Male Lead to come together?” 999 cautiously asked. “After all, you like him now…”
“So what if I like him?” Ji Xingzhu rolled her eyes impatiently. “Even if I like him, does that mean I have to mother him? Something as simple as going to a meeting point requires me to repeatedly urge him?”
The Cannon Fodder System instantly fell silent. Better not provoke her, better not!
The so-called meeting point was a large auditorium, reportedly used by the village for meetings and events, conveniently located near all the guests’ accommodations. By the time Ji Xingzhu arrived, quite a few people were already there.
“Dammit, what kind of crappy house did the show prepare? There wasn’t even a window! I almost got eaten alive by mosquitoes last night,” Shao Rui grumbled.
Lin Yifei, with his head of red hair, sighed gloomily. “I had it worse. That wooden plank bed left me sore all over.”
“Didn’t I come here for sweet, sweet romance? How did it turn into a trial by ordeal?!”
The two male guests were huddled together complaining, while the female guests were also chatting in their own group. Despite being a dating show, the male and female sides were distinctly separate, like classmates who had drawn a firm line down the middle of their desk in elementary school.
Ji Xingzhu’s arrival immediately drew everyone’s attention. Her graceful figure and stunning beauty held their own even among the three other female celebrities; in fact, her cool, glamorous aura decidedly overshadowed theirs.
“Miss Ji,” Cen Xuan and Bai Zhiyi greeted her politely with smiles. Ji Xingzhu nodded slightly in return as a greeting.
Wen Yajun instantly put on a look of pleasant surprise, trotting over as if to warmly link arms with her. “Xiao Zhu, you’re here.”
Ji Xingzhu directly avoided Wen Yajun’s arm, not bothering to hide her distaste. “Stay away from me.”
Wen Yajun’s smile froze immediately, but she quickly explained to the camera as if nothing was wrong, “My younger sister isn’t very fond of physical contact. I was just too excited and forgot for a moment.”
Ji Xingzhu ignored her completely, letting her perform her solo act, while she herself found a spot to sit far away. Unconcerned about being labeled anti-social, she simply did as she pleased.
Shao Rui still harbored resentment from Ji Xingzhu embarrassing him yesterday and couldn’t help but roll his eyes at her. However, after one glance, he found himself stealing another. For no other reason than Ji Xingzhu was simply too beautiful, stirring a bit of restless desire in Shao Rui.
Recalling Ji Xingzhu’s icy glare from yesterday, he suddenly found a hint of intrigue in it. A proud, domineering little firecracker like her must be very satisfying to conquer…
Following his impulse, Shao Rui directly sat down opposite Ji Xingzhu. He raised a hand to brush the strands of hair from his forehead, revealing a confident grin. “Miss Ji, there was some misunderstanding between us yesterday. How about we start over today…”
Before he could finish, Ji Xingzhu looked down, rummaged in her bag, pulled out a pair of sunglasses, and elegantly put them on. Then she tilted her head, her lips curling downwards in clear disdain. “Get lost. You’re an eyesore.”
Shao Rui: “……”
Shao Rui’s face instantly flushed crimson with anger. He stood up abruptly, wanting to say something, but a clear, magnetic voice interrupted him, also attracting the attention of the others.
“Sorry, I’m late.” Song Qingchi arrived belatedly. He smiled apologetically, greeting each guest politely, his manners impeccable.
With Song Qingchi’s deliberate intervention, Shao Rui couldn’t vent his anger and had to leave resentfully, just like the day before.
After watching Shao Rui leave, Song Qingchi naturally shifted his gaze to Ji Xingzhu. His smile deepened, his voice low and magnetic. “Miss Ji, good morning.”
Ji Xingzhu could feel Song Qingchi’s gaze lingering on her, as if assessing, even probing. She couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. It seemed Song Qingchi was observing whether she had truly “fallen” for him.
She had indeed promised Song Qingchi to make his fiancée fall in love with him for a day. But so what?
Was she, Ji Xingzhu, the kind of person who would desperately chase after a man she liked? Did Song Qingchi actually expect her to be all smiles and attentive care toward him now?
In his dreams!
And so, under Song Qingchi’s subtle scrutiny, Ji Xingzhu gave him a slight, dignified nod, her red lips parting gently. “Good morning.”
Cannon Fodder System: “……That’s it? Host, you’re supposed to be in love with the Male Lead now! Don’t forget our grand plan!”
Ji Xingzhu asked incredulously, “I already greeted him politely, and that doesn’t count as liking him?!”
Cannon Fodder System: “……”
What’s absurd is that many viewers actually felt the same way!
【Ahhhh! Clearly, before this, Miss Ji never gave Song Qingchi a friendly look. Now she actually said ‘good morning’ to him! The young lady must be smitten! My CP is real!】
【Ji Xingzhu’s attitude toward Song Qingchi is so special! She’s really… I’m crying!】
【Ji Xingzhu is definitely interested! If she didn’t like Song Qingchi, why would she greet him?!】
After reading the online bullet comments, 999 was speechless.
Faced with Ji Xingzhu’s “good morning,” Song Qingchi also raised an eyebrow imperceptibly, seeming somewhat surprised. The smile on his lips deepened as he calmly accepted this “kindness” from his fiancée.
Once all the guests had arrived, Lu Xuguang began announcing the day’s shooting plan.
“The place we are in now boasts beautiful scenery and rich cultural heritage, worthy of our careful appreciation. Today, we will once again split into four groups to enjoy the local scenery. Experience the charm of the environment along the way, and also get to know your partner’s personality.”
“Yesterday, the male guests chose the female guests. So today, we’ll let the female guests make the choice. Each of you will pick a male guest to be your travel buddy for the day.”
Lu Xuguang had an assistant hand each of the four female guests a piece of paper, asking them to write down the name of their preferred male guest.
“After the female guests have made their choices, the male guests can choose whether to accept the invitation. Guests who achieve a mutual match can proceed alone. As for the male guests not chosen and the female guests whose choices were unsuccessful, they will automatically form a group together.”
Upon receiving the paper, Ji Xingzhu didn’t hesitate at all. She was the first to write her choice and hand it in.
Wen Yajun watched this with a flicker in her eyes. Who would Ji Xingzhu choose?
First, Song Qingchi could be ruled out. No one understood better than Wen Yajun how much Ji Xingzhu disliked her fiancé. In that case…
Wen Yajun’s heart stirred. With a nervously beating heart, she carefully wrote down Song Qingchi’s name, then let out a long sigh of relief.
When the results were finally announced, veteran actress Cen Xuan had chosen actor Jian Xingzhi, and Jian Xingzhi raised no objections, so the two successfully formed a pair. The actress known for her pure image, Bai Zhiyi, surprisingly chose rapper Lin Yifei. Lin Yifei, looking utterly bewildered, scratched his head of red hair and readily agreed, so they also formed a pair.
At this point, the rich second-generation heir Shao Rui’s expression turned sour. His gaze swept between Wen Yajun and Ji Xingzhu, guessing which of the two would choose him.
However, the results shocked everyone: both Wen Yajun and Ji Xingzhu had chosen Song Qingchi.
Wen Yajun stared at Ji Xingzhu in disbelief. Didn’t she hate her fiancé the most? Why…?
The others shared the same confusion. Just yesterday, Miss Ji was looking at Song Qingchi with disdain, yet today she not only said “good morning” to him but also chose him for the outing?!
Lin Yifei was straightforward and couldn’t hold back his words. He blurted out foolishly, “Miss Ji, why did you choose Mr. Song?”
Under everyone’s curious and probing gazes, Ji Xingzhu smiled slightly, turned her eyes toward the handsome, jade-like Song Qingchi, and said seriously, “Today, I suddenly find him quite pleasing to the eye. I think I quite like him, so I chose him.”
This direct statement caught everyone off guard. They were dumbfounded for a moment, only able to marvel inwardly at the young lady’s whimsical nature—so capricious and unpredictable. Someone she disliked yesterday, she suddenly fancies today…
Even Song Qingchi, upon hearing Ji Xingzhu’s blunt words, was deeply surprised. Song Qingchi’s smile remained unchanged; he simply gave Ji Xingzhu a few more meaningful looks, appearing exceptionally composed and unperturbed.
Soon, the familiar voice echoed in his mind, “Host, how about that? I successfully made your fiancée fall for you!”
Ji Xingzhu eagerly promoted her own ability, “You know just how much your fiancée looks down on you. She never gives you a pleasant look, yet now she declares she likes you in front of everyone! This fully demonstrates how miraculous my ability is. Now you should believe me, right?”
Song Qingchi chuckled and said calmly, “Let’s talk after today.”
Ji Xingzhu: “……Hmph!”
Devious!
Next, Song Qingchi logically accepted the olive branch extended by Ji Xingzhu. He gazed steadily at the proud girl, a gentle smile curving his lips. “It’s my honor to be chosen by Miss Ji.”
As for Wen Yajun also choosing Song Qingchi… no one paid any attention.
She could only reluctantly pair up with the equally grim-faced Shao Rui.
Lu Xuguang: “Now that everyone is paired up, you can set off! You can choose your own destinations. I hope you all have a great time!”
Before departing, Song Qingchi slightly lowered his head to look at Ji Xingzhu and asked softly, “Where would you like to go?”
A faint smile played at the corner of Ji Xingzhu’s lips as she looked back at him meaningfully. “I’ve already decided where to go. Just follow me.”
Song Qingchi obligingly agreed. He was always tolerant and calm when dealing with Ji Xingzhu. No matter how overbearing she was, no matter what outrageous things she said, he never lost his temper.
Ji Xingzhu gave him a satisfied glance. She was about to set off but suddenly remembered something and said to him somewhat abruptly, “You… have a good attitude. I’m liking you more and more.”
Having said that, Ji Xingzhu turned and walked away, her steps slightly quicker than usual.