After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

“What? Really? A new guest is coming?” Shen Xuanzuan asked cheerfully, full of curiosity.

“Huh?” Lin Ruijiao’s expression showed surprise. Why didn’t she remember this happening in her past life? Where did this ‘special guest’ come from? She suddenly felt a little flustered. She sincerely hoped that whoever was about to arrive wouldn’t disrupt the current balance. It had taken her a lot of effort to maintain the warm and harmonious atmosphere.

Everyone was getting along with their potential partners; even if the CPs were forced, they were still somewhat shippable. But if that balance were broken, things could go sideways.

As more and more people gathered and sat down, they chatted casually while also trying to make a good impression on their crushes. But most of the discussion centered around the new guest arriving today.

“No way, there’s a new guest?!”

“OMG, poor Jiaojiao! What’s going to happen now? I just love seeing her flustered like this!”

“Hahaha, same here! That moment when Jiaojiao’s expression froze—she worked so hard to maintain the current vibe, and now this… hahaha.”

“+1 hahaha. Can’t wait for the upcoming mess. Bet the pairings will get all messed up now.”

“Jiaojiao, hang in there! We’re always on your side!!”

After breakfast, everyone moved leisurely into the courtyard. The sun was shining, the air was fresh, even the clouds in the sky drifted lazily. Everything felt warm and peaceful—perfect for romance.

But before long, the so-called “special guest” appeared, slowly walking in while dragging a suitcase behind them.

A cool and graceful figure came into view—dressed in a simple yet elegant long dress, with long jet-black hair. Her frame may have been slender, but she exuded confidence and presence.

That face—so unmistakably familiar—made Lin Ruijiao freeze.

The other guests quickly stood up to welcome her. Who didn’t know Ye Ruihuan? Only Lin Ruijiao remained rooted to her spot, her expression a mixture of shock and unwillingness.

Meanwhile, the live chat in the show’s livestream room exploded:

“WTF, Ye Ruihuan? How much did XX Station have to pay to get her?”

“What the hell—wasn’t Ye Ruihuan the one who swore off variety shows, saying they were “too low-brow”???”

“No way… Poor Jiaojiao?! Doesn’t the production team know they have beef? And they still put them on the same show?!”

“AAAAHHHH Ye-jie’s finally back on screen! But wait… on a dating show??”

“Don’t tell me this is a setup against Jiaojiao. Did HuaRui Entertainment lose its mind, pairing them together?!”

“LOOK, everyone’s welcoming Ye-jie, but some people (cough Lin Ruijiao cough) are just standing there! She’s SHOOK!”

“Stop flexing. Just ‘cause she’s older? Our Jiaojiao just debuted, okay? Watch her slap that smug face soon enough, hmph.”

“You all got issues. Who slaps who is yet to be determined.”

“I bet Jiaojiao won’t even speak to her.”

“As if Ye-jie would care about such a low-tier newbie.”

“Did no one else feel that “Ruijiao” sounded kinda soft and sweet??”

“Shut up already, CP stans. It’s just how Ye-jie talks. Nothing special.”

“Mm. Ruihuan, hi,” Lin Ruijiao managed, swallowing hard and nodding stiffly.

To fans, it was obvious how forced that response was.

“See? Our Jiaojiao clearly didn’t want to respond. Ye Ruihuan, stop clout-chasing, okay? Not everyone wants your attention.”

“Yeah! Jiaojiao is being so gracious—even saying hi despite their feud!”

“No one else thinks that greeting was way too intimate?”

“+1, but maybe not the time to be shipping anyone. This is a straight-up battlefield.”

“Can the CP stans leave?! Not everything is about ships—you’re ruining lives.”

The moment they locked eyes, the tension in the air was palpable. Everyone instinctively held their breath. The rumored feud between the two had even trended on social media once. For Lin Ruijiao, appearing on this kind of show was perfectly natural. But for Ye Ruihuan? This was a bombshell.

Ye Ruihuan wasn’t just a well-known actress—her face was iconic. Even people who didn’t follow entertainment knew her from TV and film.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Lin Ruijiao stepped slightly aside, making way.

“Welcome,” she said.

Ye Ruihuan’s smile visibly faltered as she walked into the house.

“WTF, how dare Lin Ruijiao BLOCK Ye-jie’s path like that?! So rude!”

“Excuse me?! She literally moved aside and said “welcome”! What more do you want?!”

The livestream comments devolved into chaos. Every little interaction became ammo in the fandom war.

Lin Ruijiao followed the group inside, her mind in a fog. She hadn’t expected the new guest to be Ye Ruihuan. And on a dating show, no less. Was Ye Ruihuan out of her mind? Hadn’t she always looked down on these shows?

Lin Ruijiao truly didn’t know how to handle what came next.

After Ye Ruihuan’s arrival, the relaxed atmosphere turned instantly stifling. People who had been cheerfully chatting now clamored to impress her, but few dared to speak again. The mood was cautious, serious—like walking on eggshells.

Ye Ruihuan scanned the room, licking her lips slowly. “I’m not sure if you all know me, so I’ll introduce myself. I’m Ye Ruihuan. I’m an actress.”

“We know, Ye-jie,” several people quickly said, nodding fervently.

Maybe it was Lin Ruijiao’s imagination, but even everyone’s breathing had turned cautious…

“What’s wrong? No need to be so tense,” Ye Ruihuan said breezily, her expression calm and perfectly measured.

The group nodded in response, but no one said anything.

“…Let’s introduce ourselves. Ye-jie might not know everyone,” Lin Ruijiao finally offered, trying to defuse the awkwardness.

Ye Ruihuan shot her a flat look, but said nothing. In reality, she already knew everything about everyone here.

“Ye-jie, I’m Shen Xuanzuan. I love your movies,” Shen Xuanzuan said brightly. “Can you sign something for me later?”

Everyone introduced themselves in turn. Afterward, Ye Ruihuan responded lightly, “Mm, I know you all. I’ve watched the show before. It’s quite fun.”

That simple sentence ratcheted up the pressure again. Ye Ruihuan’s aura was so overwhelming, no one dared speak freely anymore. This was supposed to be a dating show, but it now felt like a disciplinary meeting.

Lin Ruijiao sighed inwardly. All her prior efforts to keep the atmosphere friendly and sweet now felt wasted.

How could anyone date like this? How could anyone ship couples like this?

“What’s Ye Ruihuan even doing here? Just here to throw her weight around?”

“I love her work, but come on—this is a dating show, not a film festival.”

“Yeah, yeah. If you hate variety shows so much, why show up and ruin everything?”

“This show went from light-hearted to corporate HR meeting in five minutes…”

“Ruijiao’s trying so hard to keep things going. She worked so hard to maintain peace, and now it’s all gone…”

Ye Ruihuan’s public image took another hit.

The production team hurriedly moved things along. A crew member handed out the next mission card: a jigsaw puzzle challenge. The guests split into four groups, and the fastest team would receive a reward.

Pairings formed quickly. Soon, only Lin Ruijiao and Ye Ruihuan were left—together.

The room went dead silent. You could practically hear people breathing. Even the crew didn’t dare say a word to break the tension.

“Looks like it’s just the two of us,” Lin Ruijiao said with a faint smile.

Off to the side, Shen Xuanzuan gave a guilty shrug. Ye-jie’s aura was just too much. She didn’t have the courage to pair up with her.

“…Mm.” Ye Ruihuan’s smile remained unchanged, her eyes holding a tender warmth.

With her agreement, the room finally relaxed a little. Everyone was relieved that she wasn’t about to storm out.

When the game started, Ye Ruihuan immediately took the lead. Within minutes, she’d solved the puzzle.

Meanwhile, Lin Ruijiao hadn’t even figured out what the picture was. She was still dazed. Ye Ruihuan’s efficiency stunned everyone—how were they supposed to compete with that?

Ye Ruihuan’s calm smile held a hint of self-satisfaction. She turned to look at the “little bunny” beside her. If she was going to do this show, she might as well come prepared. Memorizing a few puzzles was no big deal.

“Ye-jie is unstoppable! Even in games, she dominates!! Love her!!!”

“Ugh. Stop forcefully praising her just ‘cause you have nothing better to say.”

“Poor Jiaojiao, forced to team up with her! She’s been through enough today, sob sob.”

“No one else noticed something weird between them? The way Ye-jie smiled at Jiaojiao? That was sweet!!!”

“CP stans, GTFO. Jiaojiao hates Ye Ruihuan!!”

“Like Ye Ruihuan would be interested in Lin Ruijiao. Don’t flatter yourselves. She only smiled because they won.”

Every moment the two shared on screen was caught by the cameras—and immediately dissected by fans. Their combined presence stole the spotlight. Every tiny movement sparked argument after argument.

Not long after, their pairing trended on social media. Hashtags like #YeRuihuanOnDatingShow and #YeRuihuanLinRuijiaoCP shot up into the top 10.

The show’s livestream maxed out its capacity, crashing the servers. A second room was opened just to accommodate the overflow. The cameras were fixed firmly on the two of them.

Because Ye Ruihuan joined the show last minute, there weren’t enough rooms. As the winning team, she had the special privilege of choosing any female guest to room with.

Ye Ruihuan scanned the room. All the women looked down nervously, terrified of being chosen. Only Lin Ruijiao looked unbothered, yawning slightly.

A small smile curled Ye Ruihuan’s lips. She pointed toward Lin Ruijiao. “I choose her.”

Everyone was stunned—even the crew struggled to respond.

The livestream comments exploded:

“What the hell?! This is definitely a publicity stunt. No way Ye-jie would willingly choose Lin Ruijiao.”

“Yeah, I bet she’ll end up in a hotel suite by tonight anyway.”

“Fine by us! Stay away from our Jiaojiao. She doesn’t need your nonsense.”

“Pfft. Don’t flatter yourselves. Ye-jie clearly picked her to ease everyone’s nerves.”

“This is a joke. Why even come on the show if you’re going to ruin the vibe? Jiaojiao worked so hard for that peace.”

“Without Ye-jie, no one would be watching this lame show anyway!”

“Seriously, no one else sees the… CP vibes?”

“SHUT UP!!!”

“+10086”

Lin Ruijiao looked completely bewildered. The day felt too surreal. Not only had Ye Ruihuan crashed the party, but now she was sticking to her side like glue. And now they had to room together? With all these cameras around, one wrong move could ruin everything…

As the staff announced the result, Lin Ruijiao frowned, mentally scrambling for a plan.

In the end, she had only two words: No solution.

She’d just come here to flirt and play along. Why was this show suddenly turning into emotional torture? She sighed quietly.

No one—guest or crew—dared go up and comfort her.

Who’s to blame, when Ye Jie (Senior Ye) is still standing there? With her powerful presence—cool, aloof, and distant—no one dares approach, and even nobody dares to speak up…

“See that? Our Ruijiao even sighed!”

“Poor Jiao‑jiao’s worked so hard for this show.”

“Ye Jie is so magnanimous—she didn’t snub you. What gives you the right to show attitude toward her? A junior should at least respect her senior!”

“Get lost, Ye Ruihuan—what kind of senior are you? What help have you ever given Ruijiao?”

“Did you really think Ye Jie would choose you? It’s just marketing for the show with forced pairings.”

“Oh, so you get to tag along with our Jiao‑jiao? She doesn’t need you—stop trying to freeload off her!”

The audience started interpreting Ruijiao’s slight frown in all sorts of ways, and both sides’ fandoms were raging—even though the two main characters themselves were completely unaware.

Then came lunchtime. Because Ye Ruihuan had arrived, the production team prepared a lavish spread—and everyone felt lucky. They all took their seats to eat.

Unquestionably, Ye Ruihuan sat in the center. Usually, the seating order was fixed, but this time everyone politely vacated the best seat for her. She didn’t refuse. Ye shuokuan (leisurely and generously) took the prime seat directly under the main camera, positioning herself between Lin Ruijiao and Chen Xuanxuan, while the rest sat far away. The two who normally sat together were now split—it looked intentional.

Ruijiao showed no visible reaction, but Ye Ruihuan wore a faint, enigmatic smile—odd, since she normally maintained a cold, stern expression on her public appearances. It almost felt like she was playing along with her fans’ comments to save face.

“Let’s eat, everyone.” she said softly—and reached for a green vegetable.

On the table were over a dozen regional specialty dishes. Yet the guests, having lost their appetite, hesitated to start eating.

“Dig in,” Lin Ruijiao urged with a smile—and promptly grabbed a piece of juicy beef for herself.

The others swallowed hard and finally began to eat—though in measured bites and with refined elegance. Even the male guests followed suit, chewing slowly and politely.

A meal that should’ve been lively felt tense—everyone seemed subdued, as if in awe of Ye Ruihuan. Even Jin Yan, usually chatty, stayed silent. The focal point was clearly Ye Ruihuan; everyone was waiting for her.

Perhaps because no one dared speak, the atmosphere became stifling. Ye Ruihuan suddenly asked, “Why is no one talking?” Her smile held no malice, yet still… nobody spoke.

“Food in silence; bed in speechlessness,” Ruijiao quoted softly, and silence returned.

Ye Ruihuan sat in the center under the cameras—but what she did under the table was hidden. She gently tugged at the person beside her. Her face remained calm.

Ruijiao fixed her clothes as if ignoring the childish gesture—but the next moment she felt a warm, soft touch on the back of her hand.

Ruijiao was startled. She lowered her gaze, pretending to look at her bowl. She tried to pull her hand away, to no avail. With cameras and crew all around, what on earth was Ye Ruihuan doing?

She tugged harder and gave a sharp sideways glance as a warning.

Ye Ruihuan met Ruijiao’s eyes with a gentle smile—and didn’t let go. How could she resist teasing the “soft Jiao-jiao”?

A subtle caress tickled her hand, and Ruijiao’s body trembled.

“Ruijiao, what’s wrong?” Ye Ruihuan asked, her smile deepening—as if performing flawlessly.

Even Ruijiao had to admire it—Ye Ruihuan’s acting was top-tier, holding her hand like that in front of everyone, and yet showing no sign of wrongdoing. Especially since these two were rumored rivals.

She wasn’t afraid of being seen—she was messing with her!

At that moment, another female guest dropped her chopsticks, bent to pick them up—embarrassed.

But still, Ye Ruihuan didn’t release her hand. Ruijiao panicked, heart pounding, breath shaking, her hand trapped.

“I—I’m fine,” she murmured, setting down her chopsticks. Pretending to fix her clothes, she secretly pinched Ye Ruihuan’s hand fiercely.

Ruijiao clearly felt Ye Ruihuan freeze, then release the pressure. She slowly lifted her hand and continued eating, her expression noticeably tenser than before.

The guest picking up the chopsticks had her head down and missed that intimate moment between them.

Ye Ruihuan’s grand smile faded slightly, and her eyes darkened again, making everyone sit like schoolchildren.

Ruijiao gulped down a couple of spoonfuls, then declared, “I’ve finished.” She grabbed her bowl and headed for the kitchen.

Ye Ruihuan immediately followed, trailing behind her as they went to tour the rooms.

The other guests at the table finally relaxed and dug in. They no longer had to worry about Ye Ruihuan—she was with Ruijiao, after all.

Public comments lit up with chatter:

“WTF? Ruijiao just gave Ye Jie the side-eye? Where’d she get the nerve?!”

“??? Are you guys crazy? Ruijiao just glanced away—that wasn’t a side-eye. Stop slandering.”

“Our Ye Jie didn’t even smile—must be Ruijiao stirring trouble.”

“No, stop framing it. Ye Jie was totally normal eating.”

“…Look at the affection in Ye Jie’s eyes toward Ruijiao!”

“Affection? Ye Jie doesn’t even pay attention to her!”

“Hah… how often do you see Ye Jie showing fake politeness? Rare sight.”

“?! They actually went to see the rooms together?!”

“Of course it’s all acting—poor Ruijiao’s getting harassed in this script.”

“This place is beneath Ye Jie, she couldn’t care less.”

Overwhelmingly, the comments drowned out any CP fans.

Since cameras and crew were broadcasting live, Ruijiao had to restrain her expression around Ye Ruihuan and keep enough distance.

She wondered, what was Ye Ruihuan planning this time? It felt like she didn’t care at all.

As she walked Ruijiao through the room’s features, Ye Ruihuan stared blankly at the two beds inside. Disappointment flickered in her eyes—she’d been expecting a single big bed.

Ruijiao gave a quick, quiet tour. Ye Ruihuan listened with feigned interest. They exchanged glances—then fell silent.

They stood awkwardly, the staff freezing around them. The livestream comments paused as everyone watched their every move, fearing a dramatic clash.

They stared at one another for ages—yet nothing happened.

Ye Ruihuan’s expression remained that cool, calm smile—Ruijiao’s smile stiffened.

“I’ll go to the bathroom.” Ruijiao demured, removed her mic, and left.

Ye Ruihuan paused thoughtfully, scanned the room one last time, then took off her mic and followed her in.

Moments later, a voice from inside crackled: “Why are you here?”

“??? Are they both in the bathroom?!”

“What’s going on?”

“What’s happening? Cameraman, peek through the gap!”

“Did they start fighting in there?”

“If they’re fighting, I hope Ruijiao’s okay—Ye Ruihuan, you monster.”

“Ye Jie? In the bathroom? Just leave them alone!”

“Oh no, Ruijiao—protect yourself, don’t let her mess with you.”

“Why no sound? Bathroom or boxing ring?”

Ruijiao had just washed her hands and adjusted her face when Ye Ruihuan barged in—without a word.

She turned on the faucet, wearing a radiant smile, and looked at Ruijiao with tender eyes.

Ruijiao, perplexed, was about to call her out for earlier—but Ye Ruihuan moved first.

In a flush of motion, Ruijiao was pressed against the sink, her head held firmly. Then, Ye Ruihuan’s soft lips met hers—an intense, overwhelming kiss that spun her mind blank.

The faucet’s rushing water masked some of the noise, like an emotional shout of passion.

Their breathing quickened; the tight space seethed with forbidden heat, electrifying and disconcerting.

Ruijiao’s knees went weak. She leaned back against the basin, attempting to shove herself away.

But Ye Ruihuan wrapped a hand around her waist, pulling her close.

Ruijiao tried to resist—but stopped under Ye Ruihuan’s closeness. Head bowed, Ye’s lips pressed to the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck.

“Jiao-jiao, I missed you so much,” Ye whispered in a low, clear voice—laced with longing and sorrow.

Ruijiao’s heart jolted; one wave after another of emotion rocked her. She could barely distinguish whose heartbeat she heard—it pounded in her ears.

After a while, she pushed Ye away. To her surprise, Ye complied and stepped back, wearing a satisfied smile—soft, luminous, breathtaking.

Ruijiao’s cheeks flushed deep red. She looked away and murmured, “What are you doing…” her tone scolding, yet soft and sweet, like a kitten pleading.

Ye Ruihuan didn’t seem offended at all. She licked her crimson lips and said, “I kissed you,” an upward curve in her expression that couldn’t hide her joy.

Ruijiao had no reply—her throat caught. She finally said, “Who asked you to kiss me? No more, from now on. Don’t act rashly. There are cameras… live stream.” She spoke seriously. “If you try anything else—you know what’ll happen!”

“Okay,” Ye replied, still carrying that happy smile. Jiao-jiao’s soft and sweet. At least she got her kiss; the rest could wait.

Seeing her calm response, Ruijiao couldn’t say more. She fixed her expression in the mirror again.

Ye softly raised her hand and touched the redness around Ruijiao’s eyes. But in response, Ruijiao slapped her hand away.

The impact left a clear red palm print on Ye’s fair skin. She deliberately held up her hand, showing it—it looked distressed, like a sad, abandoned puppy begging for comfort.

“I’ll head out first. You come out in a bit.” Ruijiao instructed. Then she turned and left.

As soon as she stepped out, a camera zoomed in on Ye—close-up on her face.

Ruijiao hurriedly clipped her mic on, avoiding the camera.

Live-commentators erupted again:

“WTF, Ruijiao’s eyes are red—was Ye harassing her in there?!”

“Did Ye say something? She made Ruijiao so upset!”

“What happened to Ruijiao? Some of us would break her fall!”

“Ye actually hit her? Look at Ruijiao’s expression!”

“Ruijiao’s tear‑filled—what did Ye do to her?”

“CP fans are shook; they must’ve gone full drama in there…”

“Stop the CP nonsense. Let Ruijiao be!”

“What were they even doing? Can the cameraman comment?”

The live chat exploded. Everyone speculated over the five private minutes. Did Ye mentally torment or even physically hurt her? Even Ye Ruihuan’s hardcore fans began to worry she had gone too far.

A moment later, Ye calmly emerged from the bathroom, looking just like before—but her smile was even brighter.

They walked back in silence—first Ruijiao, then Ye. An awkward hush settled.

“Geez, Ye smile through this? Doesn’t that make her look like the bully?”

“Ye wasn’t smiling? No? So Ruijiao’s exaggerating.”

“Our Ye’s face said nothing—why accuse her?”

“There was love in Ye’s glance toward Ruijiao!”

“Love? Ye never even looks at her!”

“Wow… Ye’s giving smiles—total showmanship!”

“Seriously? They went into the bathroom together?!”

“Classic perfunctory performance. Poor Ruijiao.”

“Ye’s above it—doesn’t care about this place.”

Amid the barrage of comments, CP fans were overwhelmed.

Since the livestream hadn’t ended—and viewers kept tuning in—the production opened two more channels, still focused on the pair.

They emerged from the bathroom one after the other—first Ruijiao, then Ye. The atmosphere in the main room grew even more tense.

“Whoa, Ye Jie’s still smiling? Doesn’t that make her look even more like the one who bullied her?!”

“What?! Ye didn’t even smile? So who’s spinning things here?”

“There was actual warmth in Ye’s gaze toward Ruijiao!”

“Warmth? Ye doesn’t even look at her!”

“Wow… Ye smiling like that, total showmanship!”

“Seriously? They both went into the bathroom?!”

“Of course it’s staged. Poor Ruijiao.”

“Ye’s too high up for this to matter.”

Amid all these mixed reactions, fans shipping them were silenced, unable to break through the noise.

Because the livestream hadn’t ended—and audience numbers kept soaring—production opened two more channels, still tracking the pair’s every move.