Even if Qin Huai felt like the world was crumbling inside, he still politely invited the two of them to stay for lunch. Naturally, the cameraman and other accompanying staff were included.
The lunch was takeout very extravagant takeout but that couldn’t hide the fact that it was, indeed, takeout. Wen Ze didn’t mind; he had long since grown accustomed to this lifestyle during his recent time in the human world.
Gu Chao, however, didn’t fare as well. As a genuine high-society elite, his living arrangements had been managed by others since childhood, and he always felt takeout was unhealthy, even if it had been ordered from a luxury hotel. He had originally intended to cook a meal himself, but then he saw the refrigerator in the studio so clean that even mice wouldn’t visit it.
Gu Chao was speechless.
【Hahahahaha, this look of existential dread on President Gu’s face is too funny.】 【Thank you, I’m getting the same vibe as my mom looking at me.】 【User above has hit the truth.】
After lunch, the two spent the rest of the afternoon in the studio, though this time it was more casual—they painted whatever they saw, yet their brushes remained imbued with a spirited brilliance. The two exchanged canvases, critiquing each other’s work and leaning in close, looking for all the world like an old married couple.
As for Qin Huai… although he had been squeezed out, he didn’t leave. After they finished critiquing each other’s work and set the canvases aside, he would sneakily pick them up to look again. He didn’t offer any extravagant praise, but judging by his expression, he was certainly holding some back. Netizens affectionately described him as: A man like a husky sometimes foolish, sometimes sharp. Just like a husky, when he was being foolish, it lasted longer than when he was being sharp.
As dusk fell and the sunset faded, the two sat in the production team’s car to return, taking only the portraits they had painted of each other. The portrait of the Flame Demon, of course, had also been critiqued by Qin Huai, who praised it as a product of “filters.” Indeed, Gu Chao’s true temperament leaned more toward mature stability, completely unrelated to the domineering look on the canvas.
Qin Huai asked, “Can I keep your paintings?”
Wen Ze looked surprised. “Do you like running an art studio that much?”
Qin Huai answered frankly, “Not really.” Wherever there is oppression, there is resistance; his so-called rebellion and squandering of wealth were merely his ways of resisting his family. Since the fact that he lacked talent was plain for all to see, he should obviously let go immediately what was the point of forcing it?
Gu Chao offered a sincere suggestion from the side: “Little Qin Huai, art and the like really aren’t for you. Your greatest strengths are your wit and eloquence; those two are very advantageous at the negotiating table.” Even if negotiations usually required drinking, who would idly dare to force-feed alcohol to the young master of the Qin family, unless they had lived too long?
Qin Huai fell into thought. “Thank you, Brother Gu.”
Running into an old friend in a strange place was an unexpected adventure, but it was certainly less interesting than the two miserable-looking figures currently sitting in the living room. It was unknown who had been so bold, but someone had leaked the address of the cinema where Zhou Zichen and Shen Ruan were supposed to date. Since they weren’t filming on location, just filming a variety show, they hadn’t cleared the area; they had just entered a private booth, only to be immediately surrounded by fans and anti-fans.
Zhou Zichen’s fans and anti-fans were now split 50/50, and his reputation with the public was poor. Shen Ruan wasn’t much better; at most, he just had fewer fans. Where there were fans, there were inevitably reporters, and the situation eventually escalated to the point where the local police station was notified. The two had to be forcibly squeezed out under the protection of security guards and police, their clothes stained with various filth.
After hearing an earful of abuse and the rapid-fire questions from reporters who had caught wind of the scene, Zhou Zichen finally learned what had happened recently. Yet, even so, he still didn’t believe Wen Ze was doing this on purpose. He was so confident: Wen Ze loves me.
Seeing Wen Ze walk through the door, Zhou Zichen greeted him with a beaming smile: “Ah-Ze.”
The two simple words flowed from his lips as if coated in a layer of honey, astonishingly sweet. He was truly a man worthy of being a Best Actor. Shen Ruan, sitting on the sofa nearby, looked livid.
Wen Ze glanced over to assess the situation, sneering inwardly, though his face displayed a look of surprise before quickly turning somber. Zhou Zichen, receiving no response, wasn’t annoyed; he smilingly nuzzled up to him, whispering warm greetings and sweet nothings. The fans and the trolls Liu Ming had hired finally managed to break through the wall of abuse:
【Boohoo, Best Actor Zhou is so gentle; he really is a warm guy.】 【I love him, love him! Dialing in for my idol!】 【Are they getting back together? The interaction is so sweet!】 【Gentle Top x Shy Bottom, hehehe, shipping this!】
Some unknown wealthy fan even tipped a “Wedding Castle” gift, and the chat was instantly filled with pink hearts and white flowers, as if the two in front of them were genuinely a pair of intimate lovers.
Gu Chao saw through Zhou Zichen’s pretense at a glance, his face full of impatience. He wanted to go over and drag Wen Ze away, but he hesitated, fearful of their current relationship and terrified of annoying him, so he didn’t dare move.
The others were much more decisive. Xie Tingyan, who had been forced to spend a whole day at an amusement park, was currently in a sour mood, and being forced to listen to this hypocritical sweet-talk made him feel even more nauseated. He sat on a single-seat sofa, chewing on an unlit cigarette, his eyes full of mockery: “Yo, Best Actor, didn’t you demand ‘three obediences and four virtues’ from your ex-boyfriend before? Now that he’s gone on a date with someone else, it absolutely falls under the category of ‘not keeping the womanly virtues,’ so why are you trying to eat the ‘returned grass’ (get back together) now?”
“Pfft… cough, cough.“
Ji Yun and Ji Hang were the last to return. Logically, there was nothing to do at a milk tea shop, and they weren’t close, so they should have been the first to return, but unfortunately, the production team had chosen a far-off address, causing them to be delayed on the road. But arriving now wasn’t too late; they had just crashed into a grand drama.
Before Ji Hang had even stepped into the room, he followed up on Xie Tingyan’s words: “That’s right. Your face looked like a donkey’s these past two days clearly unhappy. Don’t force yourself now; it’s torture for yourself and torture for others. Our Ah-Ze is doing just fine; don’t get in his way of finding someone new!”
The audience was laughing hysterically:
【I never realized Ji Xiao-Hang’s mouth was so venomous!】 【Because he rarely uses sarcasm; he usually just… strikes from the shadows.】 【Hahahahaha, ‘Sub-rule Killer’ Ji Hang, appearing again!】 【Best Actor Zhou can’t call this a ‘sub-rule’—this is sexual harassment.】 【The user above is right; anyone who disturbs an ex-partner’s new relationship should be treated as a scumbag.】
Anyone could tell that Zhou Zichen was only acting this way because he was scared of being scolded, but…
“It is forbidden to slander guests during the show. Mr. Ji, you must accept a penalty.” The director looked expressionless and impartial, though a hint of schadenfreude could be glimpsed in his eyes. “I wonder if you’d prefer today or tomorrow?”
Ji Hang’s mouth twitched, refusing to accept it. “But Heavenly King Xie said it too! Why are you only punishing me?!”
The director replied: “Heavenly King Xie’s character trait is being sharp-tongued; his sarcasm is the norm. Furthermore, your comment was a direct slander.”
Ji Hang still refused, but to no avail.
“Fine,” he said, looking utterly defeated. “Then Director, can you give me a hint about tomorrow’s schedule? I’ll decide which day is less exhausting.”
“Sure. I suggest doing it today.”
Since the information would have to be known tomorrow anyway, the director didn’t try to hide it at all: “Actually, the itinerary was changed at the last minute; a public welfare organization contacted our production team wanting to collaborate.”
“Tomorrow’s task is for any two guests to freely pair up and film a romance-themed short film. All proceeds from the broadcast will be donated to the public welfare organization.”
“Just for tomorrow?!” Ji Hang didn’t even care about the penalty anymore, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. Filming a short film in one day was a tall order even for professional actors; it required a deep foundation, not to mention that they had non-professionals and “newbie” guests in their midst.
“Don’t worry,” the director comforted him, “we’ve read the script; it’s a very simple story, otherwise we wouldn’t have scheduled it so tightly.”
Ji Hang’s face looked like a funeral, and even the other guests’ expressions weren’t very pleasant. “So you do know the schedule is tight?”
The audience, however, was delighted:
【This idea is good; it distributes candy and is meaningful at the same time—it can be continued.】 【But the director’s scheduling is indeed too rushed; I always feel like he’s doing it on purpose.】
One netizen hit the truth: 【I have some inside news: Zhou Zichen might leave after this episode, and then they’ll bring in new guests. The director is probably trying to milk one last wave of traffic while he can.】
Zhou Zichen was already quite famous and had a relatively high status; now that he had this traffic, the production team was truly doing “use it or lose it.”
Ji Hang said helplessly, “Then I’ll accept the penalty tonight… I have a ‘useful body,’ contributing such big news for everyone. If the penalty is related to you all, please go easy on me!”
The others burst into laughter, and even Xie Tingyan, who had been dark-faced since the director spoke, couldn’t help but curl his lips. Ji Hang was indeed a bundle of joy, even if he was also a “white-on-the-outside, black-on-the-inside” type. Gu Chao even generously decided not to bicker with him, treating it all as thanks for him mocking Zhou Zichen today.
The director had someone fetch a drawing cylinder from the side, leaving everyone speechless. Can we just say—Director, how much do you love drawing lots?
The cylinder was actually used for the nighttime “Truth or Dare” game. The director randomly drew a slip of paper, a somewhat strange smile appearing on his face.
Ji Hang was about to cry. This doesn’t look like anything good!
As expected, the director announced straightforwardly: “Please choose any person present, and with their consent, perform a French kiss with them.”
Ji Hang’s face turned thoroughly green.
The audience was rubbing their hands in excitement:
【Damn, the director is so good at drawing long live the director!】 【From now on, let the director draw for all ‘Truth or Dare’ games; this luck is absolutely god-tier!】 【Who will Little Ji choose? Wen Ze? Ji Yun?】 【Is there any chance he wants to disgust Gu Chao or Zhou Zichen?】 【Pay attention to the rules! It has to be with the other person’s consent!】 【Director: I don’t do ‘forced love.’】