After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

After everyone finished introducing themselves, they chatted casually. Lin Ruijiao kept a low profile throughout, only appearing in front of the camera at appropriate moments. Before long, the production team handed out a mission card, stating they needed to go to the balcony to complete a task in order to earn ingredients for lunch.

It was the usual “Draw and Guess” game, and Lin Ruijiao was quite skilled at these kinds of games. Having participated in so many variety shows, she already knew most of the tricks.

The game required the group to split into two teams and take turns. They drew lots to divide into teams, and in the end, Lin Ruijiao ended up being the extra person.

That was fine too. Lin Ruijiao smiled and stepped aside, watching the subtle interactions between the others — some couples already seemed to have taken a liking to each other.

She noticed the cameraman Wang Wen was being particularly attentive to the doll-like blonde girl, Shen Xuanxuan, treating her very differently from the rest.

And it seemed like the model Lin Xuan also had feelings for her — he kept complimenting her drawing skills.

The game went smoothly, and everyone became more familiar with each other. Unsurprisingly, the winner of the game was the adorable little sister, Shen Xuanxuan.

Although Lin Ruijiao didn’t participate in the game, she stayed on the sidelines cheering them on and stepped in to help when needed. She acted as the group’s “situation-saver,” skillfully maintaining the atmosphere among a group of semi-strangers.

The production team had prepared a special reward for the winner, but they didn’t reveal what it was — leaving some suspense.

They now had the ingredients for lunch, but everyone had to show off their cooking skills. Among them, only Shen Xuanxuan volunteered — so reliable! Lin Ruijiao silently vowed to help pair her up with her crush.

“Ruijiao fangirling over her ship is literally me — so cute!!!”
“Ship them properly, please. Who will Xuanxuan choose?”
“Lin Ruijiao is honestly great. I’m a fan now…”
“What’s Meng Yi doing? Jealous much? And that model guy — seriously?”
“Exactly. Compared to them, Ruijiao is amazing. Not only was she left out, she still cheers others on and keeps the peace. So sweet!”
“I’m a new fan. Lin Ruijiao is so gentle and graceful! Love her! Who wouldn’t adore such a soft girl?”
“What even — none of them can cook except one girl? And no one’s helping her…”

Of course, Lin Ruijiao had to go ship her CP. Naturally, she went to help out in the kitchen with Shen Xuanxuan.

“You know how to cook? Xuanxuan?” Lin Ruijiao rolled up her sleeves to help wash vegetables.

Cameraman Wang Wen had somehow shown up too, silently washing vegetables and cutting meat nearby.

“Yup! I love good food. For the sake of my appetite, I learned to cook! Thanks, Ruijiao-jie.” Shen Xuanxuan flashed her a sweet smile.

That smile nearly melted Ruijiao’s heart.

With her fluffy golden curls and round face, Shen Xuanxuan really did look like a doll — so adorable.

Lin Ruijiao quietly glanced at Wang Wen. He had a faint smile on his lips — love was hidden in the smallest details.

Ruijiao turned away and bit her lip, wearing an obvious “auntie smile.”

“What’s Ruijiao smiling about? Hahaha our baby girl is so cute!”
“She’s literally acting like me — same expression on my face right now.”
“+10086”
“This is hilarious. Guess we know which CP to ship now! Amazing!”

While the three cooked in the kitchen, the others sat in the living room chatting. The actor Jin Yan wandered around casually talking, but honestly didn’t help much.

“Smells amazing,” Jin Yan complimented with a sunny smile. Though he was an actor, he had only played minor roles so far.

“Yeah, Shen Xuanxuan is amazing. Even knows how to cook,” Yu Chen added.

“Mhm.” His words were quickly overshadowed by another girl, Meng Yi, who was busy chatting up the two male guests.

“Dinner time!” Lin Ruijiao came out of the kitchen with a plate, smiling brightly as she called them.

But the dining table was a mess — cluttered with everyone’s belongings.

“Can you help clear the table? Please take your things away,” Lin Ruijiao said, her smile fading slightly.

“Ah, sorry, I didn’t notice.” Jin Yan quickly got up and started cleaning, looking a bit embarrassed.

“Seriously? They’re only here to flirt, huh? Won’t lift a finger!”
“They can’t even pick up on obvious cues? Don’t eat, then!”
“Ruijiao is so sweet and patient. I would’ve flipped the table!”
“Exactly! Thank goodness for Xuanxuan and Ruijiao. Everyone else is useless!”
“Our Ruijiao not only sets the mood, helps out, and now has to manage everything too. She’s amazing! New fan here!”

Thanks to Ruijiao’s prompting, everyone finally managed to eat properly. It hadn’t even been a full day, but the dynamics among the guests were already clear.

Lin Ruijiao had seen it all — as had actor Jin Yan. It was obvious that some people were already ignoring others.

Model Lin Xuan, who initially seemed interested in Shen Xuanxuan, now seemed to have shifted his attention elsewhere.

Not that it affected Ruijiao much. She wasn’t here to fall in love anyway. Still, she was mildly annoyed. Watching variety shows in her past life, she never realized how messy things could get. She just wanted a chill cameo — now she was practically running the show.

During dinner, the guests who hadn’t cooked were chatting like no one else was around. Lin Ruijiao didn’t call them out, but they clearly got the message — and offered to do the dishes afterward.

“Sure, thanks so much!”

“No worries…” Jin Yan jumped into action and started clearing dishes into the sink.

“That’s my idol! Even doing chores looks hot! What about the rest?”
“Right? And Meng Yi’s attitude — so annoying. Does she think she’s a princess?”
“Seriously. Doing nothing and expecting others to clean up? What a green tea move.”

That night, the production team announced that based on the day’s game results, Shen Xuanxuan had won a chance to go on a walk with the male guest she liked.

Everyone was laughing and chatting, subtly probing each other’s feelings. They were told to write the name of their crush on a card. If two people chose each other, they could go on a date too — though the odds were low.

There were seven people, so someone would inevitably be left out. Lin Ruijiao knew this well. She stared at the card in her hand for a long time, unable to write.

The cards weren’t revealed. Each person could later go check their mailbox to see if they received any love notes.

Ruijiao packed up early and went to bed. She figured no one would choose her anyway. But just as she was about to change into her pajamas, a staff member stopped her.

“Ruijiao, there’s a letter for you.”

She pointed at herself, dumbfounded and full of question marks.

And the livestream ended there, leaving a wave of suspense.

“What the heck?! Who was it?!”
“Yeah! What happened next? Did anyone start drama?!”
“Who did Shen Xuanxuan pick?!”

…The comments were flooded with confusion.

The show aired in a semi-livestream format. Ye Ruihuan, who usually didn’t care about such things, actually watched it — thanks to her assistant who set it up.

Now, staring at the dark screen, Ye Ruihuan frowned deeply. Did Lin Ruijiao like the cute little girl? Or that actor Jin Yan? Whose name did she write? What was that letter about?

She was full of questions, overwhelmed with irritation, but with nowhere to direct it.

She had already instructed the production team to isolate Lin Ruijiao, yet she still managed to warm up to others.

Ye Ruihuan was at her wit’s end. She opened their chat, typed a message, then deleted it all.

What right did she have? In what capacity could she advise or warn Ruijiao to stay away from others? She knew clearly that she meant nothing to Lin Ruijiao.

With a long sigh, she suppressed the dark emotions in her eyes and called for her assistant.

Meanwhile, Lin Ruijiao stared at the line written on the card, doubting her ability to read.

Shen Xuanxuan invited her on a date???
Wasn’t her CP supposed to be Wang Wen??

What kind of twist was this? A dating show going this far?!

And then the program asked her to check the mailbox alone. She wasn’t close with anyone, and everyone else seemed to have their crushes. Who would pick her? Probably only the one she wrote to herself.

She reached into the mailbox with a sigh — and her face grew complex.

But with the camera on, she had to keep calm. She slowly pulled out a stack of cards.

From Lin Xuan. From Jin Yan. And from Shen Xuanxuan?!

Weren’t they all already matched up?

After reading them, she awkwardly handed them to the staff — even including the one she’d written to herself. The embarrassment was unreal. Could she just… choose none of them?

She looked at the staff for help, who only smiled at her like a doting aunt. Resigned, she dragged herself to the meetup — what was even happening anymore?

With no makeup on, she shuffled like a snail to the beautifully staged outdoor date setting… where she saw the ever-adorable Shen Xuanxuan.

“Ruijiao-jie!” she called out excitedly, her face full of happiness.

“Hi, Xuanxuan.” Ruijiao pulled her jacket tighter, smiling a little stiffly.

“Oh come on, don’t be so nervous! We’re just going to chat and enjoy the breeze.” Shen Xuanxuan immediately linked arms with her.