“Whether I’m single or not is hard to say. Lately, there’s always been a dog sticking to me, following me everywhere, impossible to shake off.”
Xia Yu’s tone carried a hint of impatience, her eyes filled with unmistakable disgust.
The Original Host was straightforward and meant no harm, but in an entertainment industry where everyone had eight hundred schemes up their sleeves, she often ended up offending others for no apparent reason. As the plot unfolded, misunderstandings piled up, and the Original Host, unable to defend herself, grew increasingly cautious.
Xia Yu refused to swallow such grievances. Having transmigrated into the Original Host, she was determined to crush everyone!
That idol group member who’d stirred up controversy—did he think he could smear someone and then retreat unscathed? Xia Yu never took insults lying down!
Yan Qing was somewhat surprised by Xia Yu’s response. His eyes flickered as he asked, “Hard to say?”
“Just like now, aren’t you, Mr. Yan, questioning whether I’m single or not?”
Xia Yu waved her hand dismissively, implying, “My reputation has been tainted.”
The entire internet had defaulted to the assumption that she was dating Qin Gang and had been dumped after the relationship was exposed. No matter how much she explained, it fell on deaf ears. Even if she issued a statement, people would dismiss it as stubborn denial.
Yan Qing chuckled softly and changed the subject. “Just call me by my name. How about we keep things casual?”
“Alright, Yan Qing.”
…
The two clinked glasses, appearing to converse quite pleasantly.
Xia Yu maintained a remarkably calm attitude toward Yan Qing, a figure who held both a pivotal role in the original plot and a lofty status in the entertainment industry.
His composed demeanor surprised Yan Qing. He thought to himself, She’s quite the actress, isn’t she?
In his mind, Yan Qing quietly assigned Xia Yu a label—profoundly cunning.
【Xia Yu’s got some nerve… Could the ‘dog’ she mentioned be Qin Gang?】
【It’s definitely him! The rumors about him and Xia Yu have been spreading like wildfire lately! His fans pressured his agency to take a stance, and they all changed their profile pictures to black in protest.】
【Such sharp words! Xia Yu’s answer was so clever—it seemed like she didn’t say much, but everyone understood the underlying meaning: I’m single, but Qin Gang, that dog, dragged me into his publicity stunt. No one believes me when I say I’m single. My reputation’s ruined, ruined.】
【With this attitude, are the two of them about to clash? Can’t wait to see Xia Yu and Qin Gang battle it out!】
…
…
At that moment, Piao Jie was about to lose her mind. A simple explanation would have sufficed! Why provoke trouble?!
Qin Gang was backed by Xingquan Entertainment, an established agency with formidable resources, controlling eight hundred Marketing Accounts. His manager was notorious in the industry for underhanded tactics! They’d been backing down all along precisely because they couldn’t contend with such a powerful opponent.
Screaming, contorting, crawling in the shadows… Piao Jie was so furious she wanted to pinch her philtrum. Was this how the brat was going to perform for her?!
While moving from the pavilion to the Love Cottage, Xia Yu seized a moment to send a message on her phone to Piao Jie, who looked displeased.
【I have a plan for that dog Qin Gang. We’ll talk tonight.】
Receiving this message did nothing to comfort Piao Jie. The show was broadcasting live—what was done was done. They could only take things one step at a time.
Xia Yu thought she and Yan Qing had finished their meal rather quickly, but unexpectedly, they were the last pair to return to the villa.
During their meal, chatting with Yan Qing, she constantly felt like every sentence he uttered carried deeper implications. Indeed, the White Moonlight who even gave the female lead headaches was no ordinary person to handle.
As the last pair to return, they drew everyone’s attention the moment they entered the room.
Both remained perfectly composed, taking their seats according to their assigned positions.
Inside, the male and female guests sat in two rows, facing each other. Then An Ran, the professional host, took charge and began speaking.
“Alright, now that everyone’s here, let’s officially introduce ourselves.”
In order, Yu You went first. She stood up from her seat, like a student called upon by the teacher to recite a text she hadn’t memorized, trying hard not to appear nervous, but the tremor at the end of her words betrayed her.
“My name is Yu You. I’m a newcomer actress who just debuted. I’m twenty-two years old, and I usually enjoy reading…”
Because of Yan Qing’s presence, Yu You felt particularly restless, but her demeanor made others find her simple and adorable, eviting knowing smiles.
Next was Xia Yu, who was seated beside Yu You. When it was her turn to introduce herself, she kept it very brief.
“My name is Xia Yu. I’m twenty-two. It’s a pleasure to meet everyone here.”
That was it.
With Yu You going first, Xia Yu’s voice and attitude seemed somewhat cool by comparison. She also didn’t stand up.
At that moment, the red-haired male guest across from her whistled and raised an eyebrow at Xia Yu, saying, “Cool!”
Clearly, this was a sign of interest in Xia Yu.
Meeting his gaze, Xia Yu gave a slight nod, recalling his identity in her mind: Cong Hua, Yu You’s obsessive pursuer.
Xia Yu’s assessment of him was just one sentence—a mad dog that went wherever Yu You pointed.
He was also the culprit who forced Piao Jie to change careers. If he dared reach out again this time, she’d see how she’d chop off his dog paws!
Cong Hua glanced toward the air conditioner. Why had it suddenly gotten so cold?
The next two, An Ran and Qin Qi, also didn’t stand up to introduce themselves, mainly because there was a table in front of them. Standing up would require pushing their chairs back, and no matter how they did it, it wouldn’t look elegant.
Everyone was just chatting casually anyway, not in a formal setting where it was necessary. They weren’t newcomers either, so it was fine to be a bit more relaxed.
Seeing that she had become the “odd one out,” Yu You dug her fingers into her palm, worried. Would Mr. Yan think she was being petty?
Soon, it was the male guests’ turn to introduce themselves. Shen You’an’s first move was to stand up, which greatly eased Yu You’s embarrassment.
Xia Yu inwardly scoffed, sneering at the male lead’s “gentlemanly” behavior.
Before the show started recording, she had received a message from Shen You’an saying he was coming as a male guest. He mentioned that when his mother and Xia’s mother were chatting, they said dating reality shows were different and were worried the two of them might be bullied on the show, so he came to take care of them a bit.
The Original Host had mistakenly thought Shen You’an came for her, not realizing he was there for the true daughter. In the early stages, Yu You was entirely focused on Yan Qing, while the male lead, Shen You’an, stayed by her side, accompanying her in everything, eventually moving the female lead, and the two ended up together.
What a tale of unwavering devotion! Even knowing the female lead liked someone else, he remained gently protective.
The Original Host was just a part of these two’s love story—a plaything. Knowing full well that the Original Host felt differently about him, he still showed concern everywhere, giving her hope. Yu You often encouraged Shen You’an to treat the Original Host better, saying they were childhood sweethearts and more suitable for each other, and so on.
The malice in such tactics was all too obvious, yet they had the male lead completely wrapped around their fingers.
The male guests who introduced themselves afterward probably wanted to appear gentlemanly and polite? They all stood up to introduce themselves.
When it was Yan Qing’s turn, he simply stated his name, then raised his glass. Everyone clinked glasses, and that was considered an introduction for all.
After everyone had introduced themselves, the TV in the room suddenly lit up, playing a VCR. It turned out this was a segment arranged by the production team—the “Familiar Support” segment.
The people recording the VCRs came from various backgrounds and were close acquaintances of the guests.
Take Yan Qing for example, the person who recorded the video for him was his agent, while for Shen You’an, it was his close friend. The other two male guests also had people from their inner circle recording for them.
Starting with the female guests, Xia Yu was first. The person who recorded for her was Piao Jie, who expressed hope that Xia Yu would have a great time on the show and highlighted many of her strengths.
After Piao Jie finished speaking, the TV screen switched to Mother Xia appearing in the video, opening with “my dear baby Youyou.”
In daily life, she often claimed to love both daughters equally, yet when it came to recording, she only made one for one daughter, completely disregarding the other.
Xia Yu remained calm. If it were the Original Host, she would likely have been devastated, but Xia Yu wouldn’t.
In the entertainment industry, people only knew that the Original Host came from a wealthy family, but her parents’ identities were never exposed. Xia’s Father and Mother Xia had always been unwilling to appear on camera.
Yet, as soon as their biological daughter returned, they immediately recorded a VCR to show their support.
A hint of mockery flashed in Xia Yu’s eyes—they really only knew how to bully the Original Host.