After becoming the stand-in for the four big guys - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As expected of the male lead—his head-to-body ratio was like something out of an anime, and with facial features like a comic character, plus that unruly silver hair, he was unforgettable at first glance.

The moment Su Hua saw Chu Zhi for the second time, the bullet comments on the video app exploded again:

“Oh my god, where did the production team find so many good-looking guys? The first male guest already had me dying, and now here’s another top-tier one!”

“Ahhh my heart is in chaos—I don’t know which one to fangirl over!”

“Asking again, how do you apply for this show? Why didn’t they send *me* an invitation? I also want to fall in love with handsome guys!”

“More importantly, did you notice both of these guys seem rich? The first male guest was wearing what looked like a limited edition Patek Philippe. The fourth one might not wear a watch, but everything he has is luxury—even his suitcase is from Hermès.”

“Honestly, the second and third guests are also above average. It’s just that they’re standing next to two absolute elites.”

“I really want to be that girl Su Hua. I’ve always dreamed of living under the same roof with handsome guys.”

…

Ding dong—your novel mission is now active. Please portray the role of the infatuated supporting female character toward the male lead, Chu Zhi, within the variety show *Sweet Trial Love*. For every 10 points accumulated in ‘infatuation,’ the system will reward one ‘peerless beauty’ trait.

Your first reward is the ‘Clear Autumn Eyes’ trait. With these eyes, your gaze will appear brighter and more spirited on camera. When combined with proper acting, they can convey emotion and depth, becoming eyes that “speak.” This is an essential tool for breaking into the entertainment industry.

“Wow—”

Su Hua had already checked herself in the mirror after transmigrating. Her appearance was identical to her original self. Her natural eye shape wasn’t bad, but her pupils were slightly pale, which made her expression look less vivid.

What was the most important trait for an actor?

In Su Hua’s opinion, it had to be a pair of expressive eyes. Acting depended on subtle details, and eye expression was especially critical. Close-ups on television, detail shots on the big screen—the eyes were what captured the audience.

“Dear host, you do know how to act like an infatuated supporting character, right?”

Excited at the thought of gaining ‘Clear Autumn Eyes,’ Su Hua responded with energy:

“Understood! Even if Party A torments me a thousand times, I will treat Party A like my first love!”

Though she had been single her entire life, she’d watched countless love dramas and movies. As someone who loved acting, she had seen more than enough to know how to portray the emotion.

“You’re the fourth male guest, Chu Zhi, right? The male guests’ rooms are on the second floor, to the right.”

Although she had to act as a love-struck supporting role, she couldn’t come on too strong. After all, this was supposed to be their “first meeting” in the eyes of the audience. She needed to subtly hint at her interest in Chu Zhi.

She’d already taken the initiative to greet him, and her tone was noticeably warmer than it was toward the others.

She had already seen the male guests’ names in the contract. Now that three had arrived, it wasn’t unusual that she could correctly guess the fourth’s identity.

After Su Hua greeted him, Ji Yanshu and the third guest, Mo Yawen, both nodded toward Chu Zhi. Chen Kai even stepped forward enthusiastically to hand Chu Zhi the program’s welcome kit and introduced everyone again.

Now that more people had arrived, Chu Zhi picked up his suitcase and headed upstairs.

Su Hua, maintaining her role as the infatuated supporting character, followed after him.

“I’ll go sort out my luggage.”

Her tone was calm and gentle, with nothing overtly special about it. But sharp-eyed viewers in the livestream chat still noticed something:

“Is the first female guest interested in the fourth male guest?”

“I think so too. She seemed extra warm to him, maybe trying to create a moment alone. Even walking silently with someone you like is meaningful.”

“But didn’t the first male guest Ji Yanshu also go upstairs? It’s just going upstairs—not that deep.”

“They didn’t even speak or make eye contact. It’s only the first day; there’s nothing to read into yet.”

…

Ding dong—Infatuation Points: +1. Keep up the good work, dear host.

Just this and she already got one point?

Before entering her room, Su Hua glanced toward the door of the male guests’ dormitory. At that moment, Chu Zhi seemed to sense her gaze and looked back at her.

Having watched so many movies and TV dramas, Su Hua could easily read his expression.

It was a silent warning, reminding her of what he told her a few days ago.

Her fingers tightened slightly on the door frame. Su Hua gave him a small nod. After Chu Zhi turned away, her gaze lingered deliberately on his back for another three seconds.

“The female guest Su Hua definitely likes the fourth male guest. Was that love at first sight?”

“Ahhh I like the fourth male guest too! The way he gave that cold glance earlier—I felt my heart melt, and she’s actually seeing him in person!”

“I still prefer Guest No.1. Guest No.4 seems too arrogant—I can’t handle that.”

“A new female guest just arrived downstairs! Look, look—those bold red lips and short hair, what a cool woman!”

“Wow, a black cropped tank top with cargo pants—she’s both sexy and strong. I like her!”

“Hahaha, someone upstairs likes both men and women. You were just fangirling over two male guests, now you’ve switched teams. But to be fair, this woman is really cool—and she even has abs!”

When Su Hua came downstairs after organizing her belongings, she noticed two more female guests had joined the living room.

One was a bold, confident woman with a strong presence. The other had delicate wavy hair and a more refined, dainty air.

Chen Kai had already enthusiastically helped the female guests carry their luggage upstairs. Mo Yawen, out of politeness, also helped carry one suitcase. Even while passing by, Chen Kai was still cheerfully introducing everyone.

Su Hua looked at the new female guests with a friendly smile.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Su Hua.”

The confident woman’s name was Yu Jing. Despite her cool outfit, she wasn’t cold at all. She gave a bright, straightforward smile that made people feel at ease.

The third female guest, Zhu Zihan, clearly wasn’t as friendly.

When she heard Su Hua greet them, she didn’t respond. Instead, she gave Su Hua a quick glance, her eyes carrying a hint of hostility. Upon realizing Su Hua’s appearance wasn’t as threatening as expected, her gaze softened slightly, but remained distant.

She tilted her chin upward slightly, revealing a hint of pride.

Su Hua already knew from the system that Zhu Zihan was also one of the original novel’s supporting characters. Male guest Ji Yanshu had joined the show because his mother had forced him to attend a matchmaking event—his designated match being Zhu Zihan.

But after living together for 31 days, nothing ever developed between them.

In a way, Su Hua thought the fates of all the female supporting characters were similarly tragic.

So even though Zhu Zihan looked at her with hostility, Su Hua couldn’t bring herself to dislike her.

“Thirsty? I boiled some water—do you want some?”

“No, thank you.”

Perhaps because she didn’t find her match downstairs, Zhu Zihan didn’t linger and soon went upstairs. Yu Jing, on the other hand, happily drank a glass of water and sat down with Su Hua in the living room for a casual chat to get acquainted.

By noon, the production crew had prepared a rich lunch. After all seven guests ate together, those who hadn’t finished unpacking did so, while the rest took a tour of the villa.

The romantic garden villa was warm and cozy in the front, with swings and gazebos perfect for tea and sunbathing. In the back, there was a swimming pool and a basketball court.

The second floor held the bedrooms. The third floor included a romantic home theater, a minimalist indoor gym, a quiet and clean study, and a rooftop balcony suitable for casual drinks.

Since guests were required to return to the villa daily, the space was designed to prevent boredom—and naturally to encourage relationships.

By evening, the production team didn’t prepare dinner.

However, the refrigerator was fully stocked with cooking ingredients. The guests would have to cook together—an opportunity to build rapport, especially for Su Hua, who had her own mission to fulfill.

“I’ll wash this.”

“Could you help me get the apron from up there?”

“By the way, does anyone have any dietary restrictions?”

If Chen Kai was warm and friendly to everyone, Su Hua’s attention was clearly directed at Chu Zhi. This led viewers to start gossiping:

“That first female guest definitely likes the fourth male guest!”

“She asked if anyone had dietary restrictions, but her eyes were only on Chu Zhi. It’s obvious.”

“Even though she wasn’t being over the top, I noticed her glance at him several times.”

“And Chu Zhi didn’t seem to mind. Just now, while she was washing the spatula, he looked at her profile for a whole second… Could they be mutually interested?”

“I don’t think so.”

There wasn’t enough space in the kitchen for everyone, so the seven guests were split into two groups. Four people went into the kitchen, and the others would take turns later.

Ji Yanshu, having nothing to do, opened his laptop and sat alone by the window in the living room, seemingly working and distancing himself from the show.

Zhu Zihan wanted to approach him but was stopped by a glance from Ji Yanshu. She pouted and sat at the dining table, cheeks puffed up in frustration—not clear whether she was upset with herself or with Ji Yanshu for being so indifferent.

Mo Yawen sat with a sketchpad and pencil, occasionally glancing around but mostly focused on his drawing.

The kitchen, however, was lively.

Yu Jing and Chen Kai worked together—he cooked, and she chopped vegetables and washed ingredients.

On the other side, Su Hua didn’t let Chu Zhi do anything.

She took on the washing, chopping, and cooking entirely herself. When she did ask for help, it was only for minor things—perhaps to avoid giving him any pressure.

Chu Zhi wasn’t familiar with cooking to begin with.

He also didn’t want to participate.

But as one of the male guests, if he completely backed out in front of the others, it would be seen as unmanly. Fortunately, the female guest he hired was highly capable and handled everything efficiently, leaving him with no need to step in.

This was written into their contract: if he encountered difficulty during filming, the female guest must assist as much as possible.

He was paying her to work. Chu Zhi felt no gratitude or sympathy.

Still, when he saw Su Hua’s serious expression paired with a hint of bashfulness, he became concerned that she might actually be falling for him, which would create problems later.

With his back to the camera and other guests, he gave Su Hua a warning look.

The meaning was clear: he wasn’t interested in her looks, their backgrounds were worlds apart, and if she wanted to get paid, she’d better stick to the script and not develop feelings.

The girl across from him looked visibly disappointed. She lowered her eyes and continued working silently, obviously speaking less than before.

This satisfied Chu Zhi’s confidence as a man and reaffirmed his authority as an employer.

He curled his lips in satisfaction, but then a strong and domineering aroma suddenly hit his nose. His fast-metabolism, youthful bo

dy—already hungry—was caught off guard and almost salivated from the stimulation.

Author’s Note:

Chu Zhi: I must just be too hungry. They say when you’re starving, everything smells good.