Fake Love with the Movie Queen - Chapter 15

A soft mechanical whirring sound clicked as the camera flickered back to life.

After confirming all lenses were functioning properly, the cameraman gave the host a nod.

Meanwhile, director Xiang Ying, who had been monitoring everything backstage, signaled the crew to connect the live stream.

The moment the broadcast went live, the familiar face of the host appeared on screen.

“Good evening, everyone~”

She smiled warmly, greeting the audience in front of the camera.

The live chat erupted with enthusiastic responses:

Good evening! x99

Ahhh, I get to see my favorite actress again! So happy!

“Tonight marks our first evening here in City G,” the host said, turning slightly to reveal the scenery behind her. “And right behind us is the famous tourist attraction of City G—’Scenic Town.'”

The camera followed her gaze, slowly panning backward.

An antique-style archway made of white marble gradually came into view.

Beyond it stretched a long, old-fashioned street lined with shops on both sides. Lanterns hung at the entrances, casting a warm yellow glow that created an enchanting atmosphere.

“Those of you who have visited City G for travel must have heard of ‘Scenic Town,'” the host continued.

From its inception, Scenic Town had been heavily promoted by City G, which was already renowned for its picturesque landscapes.

As a result, the town had been highly anticipated by countless people.

Now that it was finally opening, excitement was at an all-time high.

Live chat:

Wow, it looks amazing. Too bad I don’t have time to travel right now, wuwu.

Hehe, I’m already staying nearby. The scenery here is absolutely stunning!

For those who can’t make it, check out the promotional videos on Weibo or photos shared by other bloggers.

After giving the audience time to take in the view, the host moved on to the main event of the day:

“The ‘Falling for You’ program team will be spending a week in Scenic Town for a life experience segment. During this time, our guests will take on various roles and immerse themselves in the local lifestyle. We welcome all our live audience members to join us offline and experience it together~”

With that, she began introducing the town’s many unique and fascinating features.

Finally, the host dropped a bombshell:

“Of course, if any visitors receive a ‘Special Business Zone Pass’ issued by the scenic area staff, they’ll even get to interact with our guests!”

The live chat exploded instantly:

What’s a ‘Special Business Zone Pass’? How do you get one? Any requirements?

No idea. Probably only people near the scenic area would know.

I’m near the scenic area right now, and there’s no news about this yet.

Wow, they’re keeping it this tightly under wraps?

The audience buzzed with speculation in the comments.

The host continued, “Now that I’ve covered most of the scenic area details, it’s time to hand the camera over to our six guests.”

Following her cue, the cameraman shifted focus to Gu Nanxuan and the others, who had been waiting nearby.

“Hello, everyone~”

Si Kongyuan waved cheerfully at the audience on screen.

The other guests, though silent, also raised their hands politely in greeting.

Only Gu Nanxuan remained motionless.

Fortunately, no one seemed to notice or care.

The host announced, “All six of our guests are now ready, and it’s time for me to reveal the next activity. I wonder if you’re all looking forward to it?”

Sikong Yuan enthusiastically chimed in, “Of course there is!”

The host smiled warmly and joked, “That’s good to hear. I was worried things might suddenly go awkward.”

She then moved on to the main topic:

“After entering the scenic area, our guests will be divided into three groups, each taking on the role of shop owners in our specially invited commercial zone to run their businesses.

Within this zone, we have three types of shops: a food shop, a handicraft shop, and a photography shop.”

“The three groups will draw lots to determine which shop they’ll manage. Each day’s revenue will be converted into your activity funds.”

“These funds can be used for your shop operations and to redeem prizes within the scenic area. We encourage all guests to work hard and strive to become the daily sales champion!”

Zhu Ningyue asked curiously, “Are there any rewards for becoming the sales champion?”

The idea of running a shop piqued her interest—after all, she’d never experienced this kind of activity before.

The host replied with a smile, “Of course there are. But you’ll only find out once you become the champion.”

Hearing that it was a secret, Zhu Ningyue’s enthusiasm immediately waned.

The host waited for a moment, and seeing no further questions from the others, continued:

“As for the groupings, for the first day, we’ll stick to the same room arrangements as in the villa. Does anyone have any objections?”

Sikong Yuan asked, “Does that mean we’ll regroup later?”

The host nodded. “Of course.”

Sikong Yuan was inwardly delighted—this meant she’d have a chance to be grouped with Qiu Qing’an.

Yu Qianxue also looked pleased and even stole a glance at Zhu Ningyue.

Zhu Ningyue, however, felt as if she’d been struck by lightning and didn’t notice Yu Qianxue’s gaze at all.

Gu Nanxuan, Qiu Qing’an, and Ge Jiang showed no change in expression.

Most of the live audience was supportive:

Wow, does this mean we’ll get to see Qiu Qing’an in a different group later?

Great! Finally, Qiu Qing’an won’t have to be stuck with that awful Gu Nanxuan anymore.

“Next, we’ll have one representative from each group come up to draw lots.”

An assistant brought out a tray with three identical envelopes neatly arranged on it.

The host reminded them, “After receiving your envelope, please don’t open it right away. Wait until all groups have drawn before revealing your results together.”

“Which guest would like to come up first?”

She looked around at the six guests.

Zhu Ningyue raised her hand. “I’ll go.”

Since the groupings would change later, it was likely tied to the shop operations.

She had to seize the initiative.

The host smiled. “Then let’s have Ningyue draw the first envelope.”

Zhu Ningyue stood up and glanced back at Ge Jiang beside her.

Ge Jiang gave her an encouraging smile. “Good luck.”

Zhu Ningyue’s heart raced, her nerves flaring up.

When she saw the envelopes on the tray, she regretted not letting Ge Jiang draw instead.

What if she didn’t pick the one Ge Jiang wanted? Wouldn’t that disappoint her?

Seeing Zhu Ningyue hesitate on stage, Qiu Qing’an turned to Gu Nanxuan beside her. “Do you want to go up and draw later?”

“I won’t. You go.”

Gu Nanxuan knew her own luck all too well.

Qiu Qing’an smiled faintly. “What if your luck suddenly turns around this time?”

Gu Nanxuan looked at the three envelopes on the tray, swayed by her words.

Although the odds were still stacked against her, she couldn’t resist the urge to try her luck.

After only a brief hesitation, she nodded in agreement. “Alright, I’ll go.”

Qiu Qing’an reassured her, “Don’t worry, it might not even be your turn to draw first.”

In the livestream chat:

Ahhh, why is our Best Actress whispering to Gu Nanxuan again?!

Can someone like Gu Nanxuan just stay away from our Best Actress?

Ugh, she’s probably going to drag our Best Actress down during tomorrow’s event. What bad luck.

The comments were ruthless.

On stage, Zhu Ningyue finally finished her selection, leaving two envelopes for the remaining two groups.

Si Kongyuan immediately stood up. “I’ll go next.”

Seeing that it really wasn’t her turn to draw first, Gu Nanxuan inexplicably felt a wave of relief.

Whatever was left, whether it was hers or not, the outcome was already set.

At least no one could blame her luck.

After Si Kongyuan took her envelope, Gu Nanxuan stepped forward to take the last one.

Once all three groups had their chosen envelopes, the host announced, “Now, please open your envelopes.”

Gu Nanxuan tore hers open and pulled out two cards.

One read “Activity Fund: 1,000 yuan,” while the other bore the words “Photography Shop.”

—Meaning she had drawn the rights to the photography shop.

Exactly the result she had hoped for.

Qiu Qing’an glanced at her cards and smiled. “Good luck.”

Though Gu Nanxuan’s expression remained composed, she couldn’t help but feel a quiet thrill inside.

This was the first time she had ever drawn such a favorable outcome purely by chance.

“Ugh, I should’ve waited to draw first!”

A frustrated groan came from Zhu Ningyue.

Gu Nanxuan turned to see the words “Food Shop” on the card in her hand.

Zhu Ningyue and Ge Jiang—one couldn’t cook at all, and the other’s skills were barely passable—had somehow ended up with the food shop.

Even without opening for business tomorrow, it was easy to predict they’d end up with the lowest sales.

Beside Zhu Ningyue, Ge Jiang sighed but had no choice but to accept the outcome.

Si Kongyuan’s group had drawn the “Handicraft Shop.”

Though it wasn’t the “Food Shop” she had wanted, it was still one of her backup choices.

So the result was acceptable.

Noticing the mixed reactions on the guests’ faces, the host grinned. “Seems not everyone got what they wanted.”

Zhu Ningyue slumped in defeat. “Can we swap cards?”

“Sorry, that’s not allowed,” the host cheerfully refused.

“Now that everyone has their cards, please take them to the side to exchange for your keys and activity funds.”

Each group received 1,000 yuan in activity funds, which could be converted into the scenic area’s exclusive currency.

Each shop had fixed operating costs and selling prices.

The food shop offered three options:

—Making pancakes: cost 4 yuan each, sold for 6 yuan.
—Making drinks: cost 6 yuan each, sold for 10 yuan.
—Making small cakes: cost 10 yuan each, sold for 20 yuan.

The handicraft shop also had three tiers: handwoven bracelets, hand-painted fans, and handmade clay figurines, priced correspondingly to the food shop.

The photography shop, being a unique model, had only one option:

—Film cost: 1 yuan per roll, sold for 5 yuan.

But there was a fixed 500-yuan equipment fee.

Moreover, each of the three shops had to pay a 100-yuan management fee upon opening.

This meant that the photography shop started with only 400 yuan in operating funds, while the other two shops had 900 yuan each.

Gu Nanxuan: “……”

She had known her luck wouldn’t be this good.

Who starts off 500 yuan in the hole right from the beginning?

Zhu Ningyue, seeing this outcome, immediately brightened up, her earlier gloom vanishing as she burst into laughter. “Oh, I was just wondering when your luck had gotten so good—turns out the catch was waiting here.”

This way, even if she and Ge Jiang weren’t skilled at making food, at the very least, their first-day revenue wouldn’t be the lowest.

Thinking about it this way, her food shop wasn’t so bad after all.