Forced Cohabitation After a Hit Romance Variety Show with My Rival Actress - Chapter 25

Oh heavens, did I just hear the Best Actress say “sound asleep”?

Sound… asleep?

I know she probably didn’t mean it that way, but the way Chi Yu and she were looking at each other… these two are definitely up to something!

Are you all crazy? What status does Chi Yu have to be worthy of my Sister Tianyin? This is just rival camps trash-talking each other! Can’t you see that?

I bet they’re just trying to sabotage each other. Anyway, I don’t believe anything could actually happen in one night. If they really get together, I’ll go to Chi Yu’s Weibo and call her “Great King” and apologize!

Hey, your username looks familiar… weren’t you the one who said you’d wash your hair upside down last time?

Oh my, you’ve already eaten your words once, and you’re still making promises you can’t keep?

Marked! I’ll be waiting for your apology to Chi Yu!

The online discussions raged, quickly spawning several trending topics of varying sizes.

The official blue-verified account for Love’s Heartbeat had reached a new peak in followers. Beneath the latest behind-the-scenes clip posted by the official account, fans flooded the comments section with excitement, many urging for more updates. Then, the production team released a teaser—

Sweet romance, a heart beating for you—Love’s Heartbeat Diamond @Love’s Heartbeat Super Topic’s latest scoop is here! Tonight at 8:30 PM, each Guest will undergo a pre-interview and broadcast an exclusive five-minute live solo interview. A dedicated live streaming window will be opened on the XT App. All you darlings are welcome to tune in!

This announcement sent the discussion into overdrive.

Wow, so they went grocery shopping at the supermarket during the day, cooked at the Love House, and now they’re doing solo interviews and live streams tonight?

Will today’s footage be used as content? I love watching dating reality shows when they go grocery shopping and cook together—it lets me imagine their sweet future moments!

Perfect! A major highlight during the day, followed by live interviews at night. We’re being spoiled today!

I’ve already set my alarm for 8:30 PM tonight. Can’t wait to see today’s new footage!

Do you think they actually ate mala tang today?

As a Chinese expat in B Country, I’m dying for some authentic mala tang. The stuff here just isn’t the same. Listening to Lu Wenrui talk about it made my mouth water!

Nominate our Northeast China’s mala tang! It’s truly spicy, savory, and fragrant!

I can’t take it anymore! I’m craving it so badly, I’m opening my food delivery app right now…

In the Love House, everyone had finalized their pairings:

Gu Yuan & Chi Yu.

Li Tianyin & Lin Yihan.

And the “sliding down” group: Ruan Feiyu & Lu Wenrui.

After forming their groups, they noticed colored wristbands on a small tray.

Gu Yuan and Chi Yu received red bands. Li Tianyin and Lin Yihan, who detested warm colors, chose blue. The “sliding down” group had no choice but received pink bands, a color both had secretly longed for.

As Lu Wenrui fastened her wristband, she subconsciously glanced at the color of Ruan Feiyu’s outfit.

“Feifei, do you like pink?”

Ruan Feiyu had been in a low mood. Hearing Lu Wenrui’s words, she forced a stiff smile, hoping to lift her spirits. “Yes, I’ve always liked cute things, especially cute people.”

As she spoke, her gaze flickered toward a certain someone.

Chi Yu, the person being filtered through eight hundred layers of “cute,” was busy fastening her own wristband, oblivious to the implication behind the word “cute.”

Unfortunately, Chi Yu’s wristband was proving stubbornly difficult to fasten. Trying to manage it with one hand, she struggled to get the clasp to catch.

…

“Let me help.”

A gentle, clear voice suddenly spoke beside her. Chi Yu looked up and saw a pair of hands, as beautiful as white jade, reaching out.

The hands were slender and delicate, with evenly proportioned knuckles and skin as pale as snow, tinged with a faint rosy blush at each joint. The thinness of the skin revealed the subtle contours of the bones and tendons beneath.

They were exquisitely beautiful hands. Their owner, gentle and kind, straightened the twisted wristband and gently fastened the metal clasp.

On that slender, pale wrist, she wore a wristband in the same color family as Chi Yu’s own.

…

It was Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan’s delicate, elegant fragrance instantly filled Chi Yu’s senses. She couldn’t help but sniff, the faint outline of the muscles beneath the thin skin of her swan-like neck tightening with the effort.

The wristband was tamed.

Gu Yuan’s voice sounded above her: “There, all done.”

With that, her hand withdrew lightly, leaving Chi Yu’s skin.

It had come as softly as a feather, and departed just as gently.

Yet it felt like a feather, lightly tickling Chi Yu’s heart.

Ruan Feiyu fastened her bracelet and looked up to see the scene unfolding before her. She bit her lip and reminded them, “We should get in the car now.”

Chi Yu kept her eyes lowered. Even after her jade-like fingers left her wrist, she maintained the gesture of checking her wrist, her gaze fixed on the skin that had been touched.

Only when Ruan Feiyu spoke did Chi Yu raise an eyebrow and lower her hand.

Then, she flashed the group a seemingly radiant smile. “Alright, I’m coming.”

One by one, the group boarded the production team’s minibus.

Inside, live streaming equipment had already been set up on the seats.

The sisters settled into their seats. Chi Yu was the last to board. Despite two empty rows at the front, Gu Yuan remained in the back, her slender figure bathed in sunlight, her skin glowing almost luminously.

Ruan Feiyu didn’t invite Chi Yu to sit beside her this time. Even if they weren’t officially a couple, surely sitting together briefly wouldn’t hurt?

Clinging to a sliver of hope, she stared at Chi Yu, her eyes shimmering with a watery sheen.

Two seconds later, her hopes were crushed by Lu Wenrui’s abrupt arrival.

“Ugh, it’s so hot!” Lu Wenrui plopped down beside Ruan Feiyu, leaned back in her seat, stretched her legs, and vigorously fanned herself with her straw hat. “This tropical island is something else, huh? So hot even in the morning! I’m already drenched in sweat from just walking this short distance. Hey, aren’t you hot?”

Ruan Feiyu: “……”

Not just not hot—my heart’s freezing.

Chi Yu glanced at Gu Yuan by the window, walked over, and sat beside her.

As soon as she settled in, Gu Yuan shifted uneasily, fidgeting like a startled animal.

Chi Yu: “……”

Chi Yu wondered if she had pinched her sister’s chin too hard last night, causing her to look so distressed and frightening others.

She asked, “What’s wrong?”

Suppressing her doubts, Chi Yu actually found Gu Yuan’s clingy demeanor quite endearing.

She sometimes enjoyed the fragile quality Gu Yuan possessed—she had liked it before, and seeing it now…

She wanted to pinch her again, to watch those tear-streaked, oxygen-starved tears cling to her long lashes.

“…”

Gu Yuan glanced at the other guests in the front seats. Everyone was already seated, the driver had started the engine, and a few production crew members were giving final instructions about the route. One crew member was assigned to ride in the front passenger seat, while the others dispersed to the other vehicles. Once the cars began moving smoothly, the group started chatting casually, paying no attention to the back. Only then did Gu Yuan lower her gaze and speak softly.

“It’s nothing. I’m just worried that being paired with me might hinder your chances of developing a real relationship.”

Her voice was light as a feather, but to Chi Yu’s ears, it sounded like the most amusing joke she’d ever heard.

“…”

Chi Yu chuckled softly. “Isn’t Sister afraid of hindering her own chances of developing a new relationship?”

Before Gu Yuan could reply, Chi Yu suddenly leaned closer.

Taking advantage of the high seatbacks, Chi Yu covered her microphone and whispered into Gu Yuan’s ear with a soft laugh, “I want to hinder Sister’s chances of developing a new relationship. You’re welcome.”

“…”

Even the Guests in the front row hadn’t noticed anything amiss in the back, but the live broadcast equipment on the seatbacks didn’t lie.

The moment Chi Yu covered her microphone and leaned in to whisper something, the Live Chat erupted in a frenzy of screams.

Aaaaaah! What were they doing just now?!

Could it really be like Sister Gu Yuan said? Did they sleep together all night, completely passed out?!

This is way too intimate! Leaning in to whisper in each other’s ears like that—only couples do that, right?!

Holy crap, I’m dying to know what she said!

Could it have been something… inappropriate for minors?

The Live Chat buzzed with speculation, and another trending topic exploded:

#Chi Yu Suspected of Kissing Gu Yuan#

The hashtag shot to the top of the trending list, its popularity still climbing rapidly.

The show’s Director, seeing the trending topic, nearly wept with excitement in the control room.

“We’ve been trending every day since filming started!”

“Exactly! And it’s always about Gu Yuan and Chi Yu! Do they just have a natural talent for trending?”

“Our show owes everything to them! The official account’s follower count has doubled! Teacher Zhu, should we add more content featuring them?”

Beside him, the Chief Director gulped down a large cup of cola, wiped his mouth, and asked, “Should we add another plotline?”

Chief Writer Zhu pushed up his glasses, shuffled through the pile of scripts in front of him, and chuckled. “No need. They’re about to face a major obstacle.”

“What kind of obstacle?” the Chief Director asked.

“A massive one!” Chief Writer Zhu replied.

The bus swayed and rattled as it drove from one suburb to another.

Inside, the guests were in high spirits. Lu Wenrui even coaxed Li Tianyin into singing the title track from her new album. Everyone enthusiastically promoted Sister Tianyin’s album, and Lu Wenrui immediately stood up to mimic the song, terrifying the Live Chat into begging for mercy.

After the commotion died down, Lu Wenrui slumped dramatically into her seat, feigning exhaustion, causing Ruan Feiyu, who was sitting in the same row, to bounce in her seat.

Lu Wenrui gave an apologetic wave before turning to face the back of the bus.

“Sisters, what are we eating today?” she asked, her eyes landing on Chi Yu. Lu Wenrui was already rubbing her hands together eagerly.

She winked at Chi Yu, who was maintaining a perfectly straight face after her recent mischief. “Baby Sister Bao, what are we having today?”

“……”

As the conversation naturally shifted to the timeless topic of food, everyone’s attention refocused on the matter at hand.

Lin Yihan glanced at Li Tianyin, who was turned toward the window, gazing out. “We’ll just eat whatever the supermarket has. This is B Country, so the ingredients and seasonings might be limited.”

Lu Wenrui raised her hand again. “If we can’t have spicy hot pot, can we at least have rice noodles?!”

Without waiting for a response, she knelt on her seat, leaned over the backrest, and waved her arms wildly at the guests in the row behind.

“I absolutely love super spicy rice noodles! Before I debuted, there was this traditional rice noodle shop downstairs from my apartment. It was incredibly spicy and fragrant—I was obsessed! But after I moved, I never got to taste that flavor again…”

Ruan Feiyu finally turned to look at her, even tugging down Lu Wenrui’s skirt to prevent it from riding up. “Why are you sounding so pitiful?”

Lu Wenrui pretended to wipe away a tear. “It’s just… thinking about that flavor makes me want to eat it so badly…”

Lin Yihan raised an eyebrow. This time, she didn’t insist on her own opinion but seemed to be recalling something.

“Actually, I really miss this noodle shop downstairs from my old place too. They closed down a while ago. When I was starting my business, I used to eat there all the time. The owner had a daughter who loved to sing—she was really hot-tempered but incredibly beautiful… and a total heartbreaker.”

“……”

No one else noticed, but Lin Yihan clearly saw Li Tianyin’s shoulders stiffen for a moment before she slowly turned her head to look at her.

The awkward tension between the two women was caught on camera, sparking a flurry of discussion in the live chat.

Wait, a heartbreaker? Why is Li Tianyin acting so weird?

Li Tianyin’s family used to run a restaurant, right? They mentioned it during the band’s live stream.

Tsk tsk, President Lin has a story!

Lu Wenrui was a bit intimidated by Lin Yihan, but her gossipy nature surged within her. Finally, she couldn’t resist asking, “President Lin, this little heartbreaker… are you still hung up on her?”

“Hehe.”

“……”

The live chat erupted in laughter, with viewers commenting, “Our silly girl really dares to say anything! She asked what we’ve all been wondering!”

Lin Yihan’s gaze seemed to casually drift toward Li Tianyin. “That depends. Has that little heartbreaker forgotten about me yet?”

“……”

Li Tianyin: “……”

Lin Yihan’s segment quickly ended. Perhaps because everyone was hungry, the conversation shifted back to discussing the menu.

Lu Wenrui, eager to rally more support, leaned forward. “Sister Yuanyuan, is there anything you’ve been craving—something you can’t get in China, or that your manager won’t let you have, but you’re really craving right now?”

Gu Yuanzhen pondered seriously for a moment, then smiled. “No, not really.”

“Huh? Really? Everyone has their favorite foods, like… spicy hot pot or rice noodles?”

Gu Yuanzhen shrugged. “Either is fine.”

Only one thought flashed through Chi Yu’s mind: I don’t like either of those. I just want to eat grass—fresh, green salad with a squeeze of lemon juice. That’s all. Maybe a side of toasted bread. Even bland Chi Yu wants to gag herself…

Lu Wenrui, misunderstanding, slapped her thigh. “I get it! Okay, okay, Sister Yuanyuan likes both! Let’s have her make both for us!”

Chi Yu, who had just pulled out the white envelope from the production team and gently opened it to count the local currency inside, suddenly looked up, her expression one of shock.

Lu Wenrui tilted her head, puzzled. “What’s wrong? Why that face?”

Chi Yu awkwardly twitched the corner of her mouth, forcing a smile. She held up the envelope. “Why don’t you take a look first?”

Lu Wenrui leaned over, peering into the envelope. The pitiful banknotes lay inside like malnourished children, making the envelope seem even emptier and their presence barely noticeable.

An awkward silence filled the air, as if a faint breeze were rustling through the carriage, carrying fallen leaves.

Lu Wenrui’s face paled. “This is all the money we have?”

“We’re supposed to eat what with this?!”

Realizing she’d lost her composure, she immediately clapped a hand over her mouth.

Meanwhile, the live chat erupted in laughter.

Ruan Feiyu was stunned at the sight of the two bills. “So, the production team gave us this meager amount to cover all three meals for the entire day?”

Even Lian Li Tianyin sat up straight and turned her head.

“This… It’s not even enough for a regular meal, let alone spicy hot pot that requires a special broth base.”

Ruan Feiyu frowned in despair. “The production team even split us into groups: Hao Hao and Yuanyuan to buy vegetables, Xiao Rui and I to buy meat, and Tianyin and President Lin to get the remaining ingredients.”

“…Buy vegetables and meat? With this little money? What are we supposed to buy?”

Lu Wenrui dramatically covered her face with a smack, pretending to sob. “Isn’t this just another one of the production team’s impossible challenges?”

“This obstacle is insurmountable!”

“What are we going to do?”

“……”

Behind the monitors, the Chief Director checked his phone and saw a new trending topic surging:

#Love’s Heartbeat to Starve Guests

The discussion and engagement exploded instantly. While some criticized the production team, most comments were sarcastic, expressing curiosity about how the guests would overcome this seemingly insurmountable challenge.

The show’s official account gained another wave of followers.

The Chief Director gave Chief Writer Zhu a thumbs-up. “Teacher Zhu, you’re a genius!”

The car swayed back and forth, and everyone was racking their brains for a solution.

Finally, Lin Yihan broke the silence. “I have a suggestion to get us out of this predicament.”

Chi Yu added, “I have an idea too.”

Lin Yihan glanced at Chi Yu, who smiled.

In unison, they declared, “Let’s start a business.”

Lu Wenrui looked confused, scratching her head. “What? What kind of business? What can we even sell?”

Gu Yuan’s lips curved into a faint smile. “They mean we can buy some ingredients, set up a stall near the filming location, and sell Hua Country snacks. There’s always a market for those. We can use the profits to buy more ingredients and cook meals.”

“Exactly!” Chi Yu laughed, naturally leaning against Gu Yuan’s shoulder.

Wow, these sisters are so quick-witted! They really know how to come up with solutions.

Among these quick-witted sisters, Ruirui definitely isn’t one of them.

Harsh, but I don’t think Ruan Feiyu is either. Princess Feifei looked so serious, and she only understood after Gu Yuan explained it.

Wait, out of all of them, is Chi Yu the only one who can cook?

LOL, imagine Chi Chef having the busiest day of her life!

The live chat buzzed with activity as the car pulled up to a supermarket.

After parking the car, everyone got out and immediately noticed a grassy park adjacent to the supermarket. Blond-haired, blue-eyed men and women jogged leisurely through the park, while others had spread out picnic blankets and sat on the ground. Children ran past, laughing and playing, followed by small dogs wagging their tails.

“There really is a park here!” Lu Wenrui shielded her eyes with her hand, stood on tiptoe, and peered into the park. “Look, so many foreigners!” she exclaimed loudly.

Just then, two B Country citizens walked past her. Both were tall and muscular, with blond hair and blue eyes. Hearing her excited shout, they stopped and, speaking in perfect Hua Country Mandarin, corrected her earnestly, “This is B Country. You’re the foreigners here.”

Lu Wenrui froze.

Lu Wenrui petrified.

Live Chat:

Hahahahaha, I’m dying of laughter! They’re right, though—you’re on their turf, you’re definitely the foreigners!

LOL, I’m laughing so hard I’m crowing! Calling them foreigners when you’re the ones out of place is just clueless!

Seriously, that guy’s Mandarin is flawless. Looks like we can’t even encrypt conversations in Hua Country language anymore.

Forget Mandarin, even dialects are useless now! Last time I was in Duomodo talking to my mom, some foreigner corrected our directions and pointed us the right way. wipes sweat

Alright, it seems no dialect can be used for encryption anymore.

The Live Chat erupted in fervent discussion. Lu Wenrui awkwardly covered her mouth, hiding behind Li Tianyin.

Li Tianyin glanced back at Lu Wenrui for a couple of seconds before finally bursting into laughter. The other “foreigners” joined in, bending over and clutching their sides.

Even the cameraman couldn’t resist, his laughter shaking the camera until he finally steadied the shot.

After their playful banter subsided, they headed to the supermarket.

The supermarket was crowded, shoppers pausing at shelves to examine products.

Chi Yu pushed a small cart, also browsing the items.

The shelves were stocked with a dazzling array of goods. Chi Yu navigated the aisles with her cart, Gu Yuan walking beside her.

They didn’t exchange words, simply looking at the products, but the scene was already captivating.

Oh my god, is watching a beautiful woman shop at the supermarket always this mesmerizing?

I never knew even picking out groceries could be so aesthetically pleasing when you’re good-looking.

I saw several foreign guys pull out their phones to take pictures of them, and some foreign girls were blushing, probably wanting to strike up a conversation.

Our Hua Country beauties are just that stunning! They draw attention wherever they go!

Upstairs, still talking about foreigners? Have you forgotten what just happened to Lu Wenrui?

Exactly! They’re the real foreigners here, hahaha!

Right, right, it should be: “Wow~ these foreigners are so handsome/beautiful! I want to talk to them!”

Upstairs, you’re killing me! Who wouldn’t want to talk to them?!

I’m already imagining shopping at the supermarket with Gu Yuan and Chi Yu. I’d live with them forever if I could! We’d be so happy together~

Hahaha, bold statement! You just voiced my inner thoughts!

While the livestream chat buzzed with laughter and excitement, the other four participants seemed distracted.

Lin Yihan kept following behind Li Tianyin, but she seemed to be avoiding him, always trying to walk a step ahead. Soon, they turned a corner and disappeared behind the shelves.

Lu Wenrui stood frozen before a shelf of dried snacks, wanting everything but her eyes widened at the price tags. “Oh my god, everything’s so expensive! I want this chocolate truffle, but even one piece would probably blow my budget.”

She spoke, but no one responded for a long moment. It was then that Lu Wenrui realized she was alone.

She turned her head and saw only Ruan Feiyu nearby.

Ruan Feiyu’s gaze was fixed on a spot ahead. Lu Wenrui followed her line of sight and saw the backs of Chi Yu and Gu Yuan.

“……”

“Sigh……”

“Why bother?”

Lu Wenrui sighed heavily, her heart filled with melancholy: Since ancient times, love has only brought regret!

All I want is chocolate!

Lu Wenrui chanted under her breath, “Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, come into my bowl! Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate…”

Her incessant chanting was so repetitive that viewers watching the live stream were starting to feel dizzy.

Master! Master, stop chanting!

Now all I can think about is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate…

I’ve already opened my food delivery app. I’m definitely getting chocolate today!

Me too! I’m already eating it. I think Lu Wenrui could start a new career as a mukbang streamer and sell food. She’d be a huge hit!

Little did Lu Wenrui know that netizens were already planning her next career move. Right now, she was chanting her mantra and pacing around aimlessly.

While others on the dating reality show were scheming and vying for attention, their minds filled with romantic strategies, her thoughts were consumed by just one word: chocolate.

Humming a little tune, she rounded a corner and suddenly froze in her tracks.

A sudden burst of profanity erupted from Lu Wenrui: “What the f—!”

She frantically covered the handheld gimbal camera in her hand.

Before she could block the view, she seemed to catch a glimpse of Lin Yihan and Li Tianyin—one turning away, the other reaching out.

Then the screen went black.

The live broadcast feed naturally descended into chaos.

The live chat exploded with questions:

What happened?!

Why did it suddenly cut off?!

Were those Lin Yihan and Li Tianyin? What were they hiding?!

Yeah, what did she see?! Tell us!

Lu Wenrui had indeed witnessed something shocking. In a dimly lit corner hidden behind the shelves, she saw Lin Yihan pinning Li Tianyin against the shelf, his hand clamped around her neck as he kissed her fiercely, knocking two bags of potato chips off the shelf in the process.

Lu Wenrui: “!!!”

OMG, the legendary wall-kiss!

Frozen in place, Lu Wenrui couldn’t even scream.

Her utterly stunned expression was immediately captured by the gimbal camera.

After about three seconds of stunned silence, Lu Wenrui finally snapped out of it.

Her first instinct was to cover the gimbal and microphone. Her second was to turn and run.

“……”

But before she could take more than a few steps, she bumped into a dejected Ruan Feiyu, who was walking with her head down.

“Ouch!”

Ruan Feiyu was momentarily stunned by the collision, her shoulder throbbing. She clutched it and took a step back. “What’s the rush? Why are you running so frantically?”

The panic hadn’t yet faded from Lu Wenrui’s face. She steadied herself against a shelf with one hand, while the other clutched her straw hat against her chest. “N-no, I’m not running from anything.”

Ruan Feiyu eyed Lu Wenrui suspiciously, her brow furrowing. “Not running from anything? Then why do you look so flustered?”

At that moment, the camera loosened its focus, and Lu Wenrui released the gimbal. The film crew caught up, resuming their tracking shot.

The live stream viewers immediately began flooding the chat with questions:

Why are you running if nothing’s wrong?

Did you see something?

Something must be up. You wouldn’t run for no reason, right?

Ruan Feiyu continued to scrutinize Lu Wenrui for a moment before stepping aside, intending to investigate what lay ahead.

“What’s going on? Why are you acting so mysterious? What’s up ahead—”

Unexpectedly, Ruan Feiyu’s arm was suddenly yanked back.

She turned to see Lu Wenrui clinging to her arm, her eyes wide with barely concealed panic as she shook her head frantically.

“Don’t go there! There’s a big bad wolf waiting to eat little white rabbits!”