Forced Cohabitation After a Hit Romance Variety Show with My Rival Actress - Chapter 10

Gu Yuan?

How could it be Gu Yuan?

Would Gu Yuan really be this free, still obsessively following Chi Yu’s “insane” love diary on the forum from years ago, and now spending so much time chatting with her?

This… this was truly…

“Impossible,” Chi Yu suddenly realized. Gu Yuan had blocked her on WeChat years ago.

Moreover, Gu Yuan’s WeChat name was an English one.

Therefore, the person before her couldn’t possibly be Gu Yuan.

After a moment’s thought, she unlocked her phone and tapped on the profile picture of the account named “Gu Yuan.”

“Gu Yuan’s” profile picture was a candid shot.

The background featured a lush green lawn and towering trees, with the sunset painting the sky crimson.

The subject of the photo was in extreme close-up, her face turned slightly to the side. A gentle breeze brushed across her cheek, causing strands of hair to tangle around her high-bridged nose and crimson lips.

Her slightly elongated eyes, partially obscured by stray hairs, narrowed slightly, long lashes fluttering.

Sunlight illuminated her face, casting a warm glow on her hair.

Though seemingly a fleeting moment captured in a snapshot, it felt as if divine favor had blessed the scene. The way her face was turned toward the light, bathed in golden radiance, resembled a breathtakingly beautiful still-life painting.

“……”

It was indeed Gu Yuan, and it was indeed Yan University.

The photo had been taken on the lawn in front of the library.

“……”

In that moment, Chi Yu didn’t even know if she should continue trying to greet this person.

The friend request verification remained frozen on her screen, a dizzying sensation washing over her chest.

It couldn’t possibly be the real Gu Yuan, could it? It couldn’t possibly be the real Gu Yuan, right?

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, she clicked open the person’s WeChat Moments in a daze.

The profile was set to show only ten posts to non-friends.

Chi Yu scrolled through them one by one, finding them filled with posts about making rosewater and gardening.

The photos were stylish and showed someone who clearly knew how to enjoy life, but almost none featured the person’s face.

Beneath the profile picture was a newly posted Moment.

It consisted of a single, simple sentence: Fan behavior: showing exclusive favoritism to one person.

Seeing this, Chi Yu suddenly understood. This was likely a fan of Gu Yuan.

“Phew…”

She exhaled slowly, paused for a few seconds, then tapped the “Accept” button.

The system immediately jumped to the chat interface.

You are now friends! Start chatting!~

Chi Yu had no intention of chatting. She had already put down her phone and moved to the mirror, where she picked up the hairdryer.

The hairdryer whirred to life, its powerful airflow sending Chi Yu’s long hair billowing wildly.

Under the mirror’s bright lights, her soft, lustrous strands shimmered with a radiant glow.

For no apparent reason, Chi Yu suddenly thought of the photos of Gu Yuan that person had used.

How could the wind make her hair look so beautiful?

Lost in thought, she even tried to mimic the effect, aiming the hairdryer at her profile until strands of hair flew into her eyes.

“……”

“Pah!”

Chi Yu spat out the hair and tossed the hairdryer aside.

I can’t do it. I just can’t.

Once her hair was dry, Chi Yu burrowed under the covers and picked up her phone. She noticed several new messages from the other party.

I added you earlier, but you didn’t accept right away. I thought you didn’t want to add me.

Did my words scare you? Heh, you’re actually quite cute.

Quite cute…

Though the last line was clearly a joke, it still gave Chi Yu a momentary sense of disorientation.

After all, she was chatting with someone using Best Actress Gu Yuan’s profile picture.

And she even thinks she’s cute.

Chi Yu typed on her phone: Why did you choose this profile picture?

The other person seemed to be waiting for her message. The name field immediately changed to “typing…”

Soon, her phone vibrated gently, and the reply arrived:

It’s Gu Yuan. Do you think it’s pretty?

 Profile picture is Gu Yuan, name is Gu Yuan?  Chi Yu replied.

It was hard to believe this wasn’t intentional.

Yeah, doesn’t it look like a high-quality fake account? People might actually think I’m Gu Yuan.

Chi Yu leaned against her headboard, staring at the Gu Yuan in the profile picture, her hair tousled by the wind. Do you like Gu Yuan?

Well, I just think this photo is really pretty. Do you like Gu Yuan?

Chi Yu chuckled softly, a faint puff of air escaping her lips.

How could she not be pretty? She was Yan University’s campus belle back then, and she had both the undergraduate and graduate students completely smitten when she was doing her postgraduate studies.

Hard to say. She looks a bit like my ex-girlfriend.

After sending that message, Chi Yu received no reply for a long time.

It wasn’t until she had lain down, found a comfortable position, and was about to fall asleep that a message finally arrived.

Buzz buzz buzz

If your ex-girlfriend looked like this, how could you bear to break up with her?

Chi Yu spread her hair across the silk pillowcase, the lotus-purple fabric accentuating her fair, radiant skin, making it appear even more delicate and rosy.

She picked up her phone, glanced at the message, and casually replied with a smiling emoji.

There was no need to share such things with outsiders, but since they were both online, a casual chat seemed like a good way to pass the time.

Chi Yu: Just playing around.

The other party: ……

A new green chat bubble popped up next to Gu Yuan’s profile picture:

The other party: I wouldn’t have guessed you were such a little heartbreaker.

Chi Yu’s eyes crinkled into a smile, and for the first time, she found chatting online surprisingly enjoyable.

The day’s fatigue seemed to melt away, and her minor worries and anxieties vanished with each message.

Chi Yu: Heartbreaker? I don’t think so.

The other party: So you dumped your ex-girlfriend, right?

Chi Yu smiled.  Chi Yu: Can’t say, it’s a secret.

The other party: ……

After a brief pause, the other party replied:

The other party: My ex-girlfriend ruthlessly abandoned me, but she’s never short on company. Wherever she goes, she’s surrounded by people. So I’m thinking, when we meet again, I should prepare an even thicker leash for that faithless dog.

Chi Yu: Sister, you’re so adorable! Remember to keep her tightly leashed. And if necessary, use a little whip—don’t let her off even if she begs for mercy!

The other party: Got it. It’s getting late, time for bed.

Chi Yu: Sweet dreams.

The other party: Good night.

Before a second had passed, another message popped up:

The other party: I’ll send you a picture of the leash once I buy it.

“……”

The next day, the sky was a dull, fish-belly white, neither bright nor dark.

Chi Yu boarded the production crew’s van, pulling her suitcase behind her. Kuang Baibai squeezed into the back seat, reviewing the filming schedule with the crew members.

In post-production, both their faces would likely be blurred with “staff” overlays.

The van was already equipped with cameras, and crew members were making final adjustments before Chi Yu got in.

The driver and the executive director followed in separate cars. The executive director, sitting in the passenger seat, occasionally turned to ask Chi Yu about various details.

“Teacher Chi Yu, do you have your passport? This flight is quite long, and not all the cast members are departing from Jing City. We’ll all meet up at the filming location in B Country.”

Chi Yu answered each question, while Kuang Baibai patted her bag from the back seat to indicate she had everything she needed.

After confirming everything, Kuang Baibai resumed her discussion with the crew member beside her.

The executive director flipped through his tablet. “Teacher Chi Yu, there might be some new instructions. The head writer asked me to send them to you today so you can familiarize yourself with them.”

“Huh?” Still groggy, Chi Yu glanced at the camera. “Didn’t we already get a version of these before?”

“There’s been a change. Teacher Zhu, the head writer, wants to add some elements. If it’s convenient for you, Sister Chi Yu, you can take a look before we board the plane. We’ll start filming as soon as we land.”

Chi Yu glanced at the tablet the assistant director was holding up. “What exactly has been added?”

The assistant director smiled. “Two new romantic pairings. Of course, these won’t be explicitly scripted. It’s just a slight bias we’ll incorporate during filming and editing.”

Chi Yu felt like she was still half-asleep, her comprehension lagging. “Hmm… two new pairings? Who with whom?”

“One is between you and Teacher Ruan Feiyu, and the other is between you and Best Actress Gu Yuan.”

“……”

Chi Yu: “……?”

She paused, then pointed at the camera in front of her. “Will any of this be recorded?”

The assistant director laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, the live broadcast hasn’t started yet. This is just pre-recorded footage that will be edited out.”

“Besides the live stream, we’ll also release an edited version later for television broadcast. So, certain elements won’t make it to air. You can rest assured.”

After laughing, he tapped the screen emphatically, gesturing for Chi Yu to look at the document he was holding.

Chi Yu rubbed her cheeks and then read the document aloud into the camera:

“My heart is pounding with anticipation for love. I have a feeling this journey will be different. So, which sister is waiting for me? I’m coming!”

Her bare face, without makeup, looked pure and fresh on camera, radiating a natural, clean beauty.

The production team in B Country: “Cut this scene into the trailer! Make it extra provocative. Remember to put Chi Yu in the center, with Ruan Feiyu on one side and Gu Yuan on the other.”

“Understood, Director. We’ve also received feedback on Li Tianyin’s storyline, and we’ll edit that as a main plotline as well.”

“After our creative team’s analysis, we believe the CP lines between Li Tianyin, Lu Wenrui, and Lin Yihan have more potential. We plan to prioritize their storyline. After all, Gu Yuan doesn’t seem interested in romance. Ruan Feiyu and Chi Yu will likely have stronger romantic tension, especially since they already went viral.”

“No matter how we bet, this season’s love triangle is guaranteed!”

“Just thinking about it is thrilling!”

Everyone was buzzing with excitement, except Chi Yu, whose teeth ached: Who wrote this cheesy crap?

The weather at the filming location was perfect.

Stepping out of the airport, the sky was a deep, clear blue.

Airplanes roared overhead, their engines whining.

Dappled shadows from the trees danced on the concrete ground, their tranquility disturbed by passing vehicles. Leaves fluttered, and the shadows leaped and swayed.

The production crew drove to the suburban filming location and stopped in front of a villa.

The open space before the villa was already filled with production vehicles and buses.

Through the car window, they could see the filming set—the Love House, where they would be filming this season’s show.

The three-story villa stood before a lush, emerald-green lawn.

Painted in alternating shades of creamy yellow and white, one wall was completely covered in climbing roses. Several clusters of bougainvillea cascaded over the black wrought-iron railings of the second-floor balcony, their vibrant colors adding to the villa’s lush, vibrant atmosphere.

At the entrance of the cream-colored villa stood a pole displaying the show’s logo: two pink hearts nestled together, the left one reading “Love” in peach-pink script and the right one reading “Heartbeat” in powder-blue script, with elegant cursive English lettering below.

“This is the recording venue!” Kuang Baibai exclaimed, hopping out of the car. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the building, sighing, “It’s really nice. Good luck, Sister Chi Yu! You’ll be recording here most of the time, while I and the other staff will be in a building just around the corner.”

Chi Yu followed Kuang Baibai’s gesture and glanced in the indicated direction.

In the distance, she could see a row of villas, shorter than the main building, mostly two-story houses. From the rooftops and windows, it was clear that the villa area was still inhabited by local residents.

Chi Yu adjusted her waistband, making sure the hidden microphone was still properly positioned.

Just then, she heard someone call her name.

“Chi Yu!”

The voice carried a note of joy and excitement.

She slowly turned to see Ruan Feiyu, her face beaming with smiles, weaving through the crowd toward her.

Chi Yu’s gaze drifted past the woman’s hurrying figure, past the wisps of hair at her temples, and settled on a white-clad figure standing at the edge of the crowd.

The woman’s skin was fair and luminous, her long hair loosely gathered into a bun, with a thick, lustrous curl cascading over her shoulder. A large cluster of strands rested against her pristine, radiant shoulder.

Her white dress featured a qipao collar, but the shoulders were cut open, revealing her smooth, level shoulders and most of her collarbone.

Beneath her delicate, translucent skin, the elegant lines of her bones created a breathtaking silhouette.

Thick lashes framed her slightly melancholic eyes, while her high nose, full red lips, and fair complexion accentuated her striking, three-dimensional features.

She stood at the edge of the crowd, her skirt fluttering gently in the breeze like ethereal white wings—delicate yet breathtakingly pure and luminous.

How could one describe such an otherworldly aura? Words alone seemed inadequate.

At that moment, her gaze pierced through the layers of the crowd and met Chi Yu’s.

It was Gu Yuan.