Forced Cohabitation After a Hit Romance Variety Show with My Rival Actress - Chapter 12

Who is Best Actress’s ex-girlfriend?!

Did I hear that right? Best Actress said she has an ex-girlfriend?!

As the live broadcast continued, trending topics exploded across social media:

Gu Yuan and her ex-girlfriend are on a dating reality show together

Gu Yuan personally confirmed her ex-girlfriend

So Gu Yuan actually dates!

These related hashtags shot up the charts like rockets.

Not only Gu Yuan’s Weibo and fan forums, but also the official “Love’s Heartbeat” forum, were flooded with fans and gossipers.

Holy sh1t, holy sh1t! I was half-asleep just now. Who did you say Gu Yuan dated?!

A comment flashed across the screen:  Ruan Feiyu!

Gu Yuan walked up to Ruan Feiyu and said, “What are you two talking about so happily with my ex-girlfriend?”!

Holy sh1t, Gu Yuan’s ex-girlfriend is Ruan Feiyu?! That’s insane!

Oh, I know! Gu Yuan and Ruan Feiyu were both in the performance arts department at Yan University, in the same year. Gu Yuan majored in film directing, while Ruan Feiyu studied acting and performance.

OMG!! College sweethearts!

Wait, are they planning to rekindle their romance on national TV?!

The comments section exploded, trending topics went viral, and Ruan Feiyu’s PR team went into crisis mode.

Even Ruan Feiyu, who was present, felt her head fill with black lines.

Gu Yuan smiled at Ruan Feiyu, bypassed Chi Yu, and sat down beside Ruan Feiyu.

The live stream chat went wild, and the studio audience lost their composure.

Lu Wenrui nudged Li Tianyin beside her, but Li Tianyin remained unmoved, seemingly uninterested in gossip.

Left with no other option, Lu Wenrui turned to Gu Yuan with sparkling eyes. “Gu Yuan-jie, are you saying your ex-girlfriend is here?”

The only two people Gu Yuan could have been referring to were Chi Yu and Ruan Feiyu.

By eliminating the least likely option, the remaining one was undoubtedly the correct answer.

The guests’ gazes immediately focused on Ruan Feiyu’s face.

Ruan Feiyu frantically waved her hands. “No, it’s not…!”

Lu Wenrui grinned mischievously. “If it’s not you, then who else could it be but our Chi Yu-meimei?”

“……”

The live stream chat erupted in agreement:

Look, Ruan Feiyu is panicking and denying it!

Exactly! If it’s not her, who else could it be but Chi Yu?

She’s probably just embarrassed. Honestly, anyone would be awkward in this situation. It’s understandable, totally understandable.

Ruan Feiyu finally took a deep breath, then exhaled heavily. She narrowed her eyes at Gu Yuan and forced an unnatural smile.

“Yes, it’s been a long time.”

Live Chat:

Whoa! She admitted it!

So, can I ship a “second chance romance” arc where they rekindle their love on this dating reality show?

Now I get it! That’s why Best Actress Gu Yuan joined this dating reality show!

Okay, okay, I get it now too! That’s why Best Actress touched Chi Yu’s chest back then—because Chi Yu had just been trending for a dating rumor with Ruan Feiyu!

Jealous! She’s totally jealous!

Help! I’m going to be glued to this livestream all day! This season of “Love’s Heartbeat” is already too good!

Hahaha, as a former TV station employee, I can already picture the scriptwriters scrambling to rewrite the couple dynamics overnight in a panic.

I bet Chi Yu likes Ruan Feiyu too. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have argued with Best Actress in the makeup room. This season is diving straight into a love triangle from the start!

I’m so hyped!

At that moment, the pad in Jin Hongjin’s hand slipped and clattered to the floor.

She frantically picked it up, but couldn’t retrieve the shock and disbelief plastered across her face.

“This isn’t… playing for keeps, is it?”

Jin Hongjin had never imagined Ruan Feiyu would go to such lengths—enduring all this just to avoid creating drama between Gu Yuan and Chi Yu on the show!

She flipped over the pad, its screen now dark, and was unlocking it when her phone buzzed insistently.

“Who is it now?”

Grumbling slightly, she reached for her phone. Just as the pad’s screen flickered back to life, the name on her phone’s display startled her so badly that she dropped the pad again.

With another thud, Jin Hongjin straightened up immediately.

“Hello? Chi You-jie.”

“Mm-hmm, about that… Chi Yu’s on a dating reality show. Yes, you know. Yes, it’s for work.”

“What? Your grandmother found out? But she’s filming in B Country right now and can’t come back…”

“I swear on my life, she didn’t know Gu Yuan would be there before she agreed. Don’t worry, Jie, I’ll keep an eye on her for you… What? You’re coming back to China? When? I’ll organize a hundred people to welcome you home in glory! Oh, you don’t need that…”

“Big Sister, rest assured, I won’t breathe a word of your return to her!”

After the initial shock, everyone calmed down.

Regardless of how the public opinion outside was brewing or how many trending topics were emerging, the guests remained completely unaware.

Their phones had been confiscated for the duration of the filming.

Once the shock subsided, they resumed filming.

The six guests gathered around a round table, and a small motorized box in the center automatically opened.

Inside lay a pink and light blue Task Card, printed with the show’s logo.

As the box opened, the card slowly unfolded, revealing large, bold letters:

Task 1: Self-Introduction

Please highlight your unique talents and hobbies to help those who want to love you understand you better.

The guest with the blue cup in front of them will begin the introductions.

 Love’s Heartbeat  is a dating reality show that emphasizes immersion. To help the guests relax and minimize the filming atmosphere, the staff were absent from the villa’s living areas, relying instead on hidden cameras. The villa segments were primarily directed through Task Cards.

It was precisely this immersive environment that had led previous seasons’ guests to occasionally forget they were being filmed, even kissing openly in front of the cameras.

While pre-recorded footage could be edited out, live broadcasts offered no such recourse.

Most viewers tuned in to Love’s Heartbeat live broadcasts hoping to catch a live kiss. If this season delivered one, it would be a major win.

Lu Wenrui glanced around. “Do we need to introduce ourselves?”

Actually, everyone present felt introductions were unnecessary. Most of them had crossed paths professionally before and weren’t meeting for the first time—except for Chi Yu.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing Chi Yu’s cheek in a warm glow. Before her sat the only blue afternoon tea cup. These subtle details often went unnoticed; the production team always had new tricks up their sleeves.

Chi Yu’s fingers rested on the lace-edged saucer. She smiled before speaking. “Hello everyone, I’m Chi Yu, 21 years old, and a newcomer to acting.”

She had barely finished half her introduction when the comments section erupted.

Oh, 21? I thought she was only 18 or 19! She looks so pure and innocent!

She’s the youngest sister here! Our precious little sister!

Her smile is so sweet! How can someone be this beautiful?

“As for hobbies,” Chi Yu continued, “I enjoy riding motorcycles and skateboarding. When I was studying abroad, I learned a bit of cooking to avoid starving—it’s barely edible, but if the sisters don’t mind, I’d be happy to serve them.”

“That’s all for now,” Chi Yu said, nodding to the group as a closing remark. “Thank you all. I’m actually quite strong, so if you need anyone to deal with bad guys, you can count on me. I’ll protect my sisters!”

With a playful flourish, she flexed her biceps.

The live chat immediately erupted:

Wow, there’s a really nicely shaped muscle bulging under Chi Yu’s sweater!

Some people look so slender and innocent, like a pure, harmless little rabbit. Who would have thought she could take down a big bad wolf with a single punch?

I like this girl. Someone who protects her sisters? I’m all for it.

Chi Yu wasn’t just boasting. During her school years, she had trained in Taekwondo and won numerous awards. It was actually she who had helped Gu Yuan fend off a group of thugs years ago, leading to their first encounter.

As Chi Yu finished speaking, something seemed to dawn on her.

She suddenly looked up and met Gu Yuan’s gaze across the table.

Gu Yuan’s beauty was striking. Even with her eyes lowered slightly as she sat at the round table, she managed to precisely catch Chi Yu’s gaze.

Their eyes locked for a fleeting moment before both women quickly looked away.

Across the room, Lu Wenrui tugged at Li Tianyin’s sleeve, exclaiming loudly, “Really? That’s amazing! I thought none of us knew how to cook!”

Li Tianyin finally spoke, her voice a calm, androgynous tone: “I can cook instant noodles.”

Lu Wenrui wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Ew… Didn’t the instant noodles you made when we collaborated make the cameraman throw up?”

Li Tianyin: “……”

Lin Yihan glanced at the two women. “I can’t cook either. And if it’s instant noodles like that… I think we’d better ask Chi Yu for help.”

Chi Yu smiled warmly, radiating harmless charm. “It’s no trouble at all. Just a small thing.”

Lin Yihan: “Since I’m sitting next to Chi Yu, I’ll continue my introduction.”

“My name is Lin Yihan. I’m just an ordinary worker in the finance industry. Please take care of me.”

That’s way too humble.

After Lin Yihan finished his brief introduction, the order continued with the cool Li Tianyin and then the nation’s darling, Lu Wenrui.

The live comments began to flood in:

Lin Yihan has such a cold face. She doesn’t look like the type to be interested in women.

But the way this listed company CEO looks at Li Tianyin… there’s definitely something… suspicious.

But from what I can see, Lu Wenrui and Li Tianyin seem much closer.

Lu Wenrui is very lively and gets along well with everyone. She loves to talk. When I watched her on other variety shows, everyone called her “Little Sister Treasure.”

She’s not the youngest here anymore, but that’s okay. Both Chi Yu and Xiao Rui are still “Little Sister Treasures.”

Finally, it was down to the last two people.

The comments section was already buzzing with anticipation:

So, the ex-girlfriend introduction is coming up next!

Hehehe, let’s see how Ruan Feiyu introduces herself.

Ruan Feiyu tilted her chin slightly. “Hello everyone, I’m Ruan Feiyu, an actress and singer. I prefer being direct. It’s quite a surprise to run into an old acquaintance here today.”

Her words carried a clear subtext, but the gossip-hungry audience was focused on something else entirely.

“Direct! She’s so direct!” Lu Wenrui’s eyes sparkled.

Chi Yu rested her cheek in her hand, watching without comment.

Gu Yuan crossed her arms, pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders. The thin fabric draped over her slender back accentuated the graceful curve of her shoulder blades.

Finally, it was time for the last and most anticipated introduction.

Gu Yuan simply raised her gaze and smiled faintly. “Hello everyone, I’m Gu Yuan, an actress. I’m a very persistent person.”

For two seconds, the comments section went silent.

Then it erupted.

Persistent about what?!

I get it, I get it! Best Actress Gu Yuan is hinting at Feiyu!

Waaah, so she never forgot her ex-girlfriend after all.

Gu Yuan’s ex-girlfriend is Ruan Feiyu!