Forced Cohabitation After a Hit Romance Variety Show with My Rival Actress - Chapter 26

For this episode of Love’s Heartbeat, the production team chose a supermarket run by Hua Country immigrants, which had become incredibly popular locally.

Unlike typical B Country supermarkets, this one also stocked seasonings and ingredients commonly used in Hua Country cuisine.

As the group entered with their shopping carts, they immediately drew attention.

First, their dazzling appearances transformed the mundane act of grocery shopping into a spectacle.

Second, the six guests were all highly popular, and the Love’s Heartbeat crew accompanying them was sizable. This impressive entourage naturally piqued the curiosity of local B Country residents.

Once inside, the six guests split into pairs to shop.

Though they were “split into pairs,” the supermarket was small enough that they could easily bump into each other around different aisles.

Lu Wenrui had dashed off so quickly that the crew struggled to keep up. By the time they caught up, they found her tugging on Ruan Feiyu’s sleeve, her expression slightly panicked, as she was saying something.

“Don’t go over there!” Lu Wenrui frantically pulled Ruan Feiyu back, clinging to her arm and pouting. “There’s a big bad wolf over there trying to eat the little white rabbit!”

The crew leader overheard and dismissed it as a joke.

Only Lu Wenrui knew she wasn’t joking—she was telling the truth!

And when she said “eat,” she meant it with chilling precision.

Ruan Feiyu fell silent for a moment, frowning in confusion. “What? What little white rabbit? What big bad wolf?”

“Do they even sell those things in B Country supermarkets?”

Lu Wenrui pouted, covering her forehead in exasperation. “Feifei, how can you be… so dense?”

Ruan Feiyu: “……”

“You’re the dense one!”

“No, you’re denser than me!”

“Reflect the denseness!”

“Reflect it back again!”

Their bickering sounded like two children squabbling, drawing a chorus of teasing from the live chat.

Ooh-la-la, do I sense some pink bubbles between these two?

Honestly, their childish seriousness while arguing is kinda cute.

Kindergarten class, tops!

The Dunderhead Duo? What a bizarre yet fascinating ship!

The result of their squabble was that both were labeled “equally dense dunderheads.”

As the two “beautiful dunderheads” continued to argue, the figures hidden behind the shelves emerged: the “big bad wolf” and the scowling “little white rabbit.”

Lin Yihan touched the corner of his mouth, as if wiping something away.

“What are you doing here?”

Lu Wenrui: “……”

Having just witnessed something shocking, Lu Wenrui’s heart was in turmoil. She immediately fell silent, terrified.

And Lin Yihan had only just lowered his hand…

Why is he wiping his mouth? Why is Lin Yihan wiping his mouth?!

The chibi version of Lu Wenrui in her mind covered its ears, threw back its head, and screamed hysterically, its face contorting through a series of dramatic expressions.

Then, Lu Wenrui’s expression shattered as she saw Li Tianyin approaching, her face flushed crimson and her brow furrowed.

Li Tianyin’s lips glistened with a suspicious, unidentified liquid.

The chibi Lu Wenrui in her mind began wailing again: “Tianyin Eonni, aren’t you the eternal ‘top’ of a million girls?! How can two ‘tops’ have a future together?! Help me—!!”

Ruan Feiyu was the only one oblivious to the situation. She glanced around at the group before fixing her gaze on Lu Wenrui’s face.

“What’s with that… expression?”

“Did you see a ghost?”

“……”

Well, it might as well have been a ghost.

Lu Wenrui’s mental defenses crumbled and rebuilt repeatedly, until she finally seemed to reconcile with herself. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “It’s nothing.”

Ruan Feiyu remarked, “Are idiots always this weird?”

Lu Wenrui remained silent.

“I advise you to be kind.”

After exchanging a few sharp words, Li Tianyin secretly wiped the corner of her mouth before turning to face the pair.

“You two are here, but where are Gu Yuan and Chi Yu?”

“……”

The question jolted them awake.

But the dreamers replied, “I forgot…”

Gu Yuan and Chi Yu strolled along the shelves, pausing to compare prices and products.

With limited funds, they had to budget carefully. Yet the list of things they wanted to buy was long, forcing them to scrutinize every item.

Finally, Chi Yu moved behind a shelf, positioning herself on one side while Gu Yuan remained on the other.

“Hi.”

Chi Yu had just crouched down to pick up a small bottle of chili sauce from the lower shelf.

The price tag had barely registered when a soft, feminine voice suddenly came from behind her.

“Hmm?”

Chi Yu turned to see a fair-skinned foreign girl with golden hair and blue eyes, her cheeks flushed slightly, waving at her.

“Hi.”

Chi Yu stood up and smiled at the girl. “Is there something I can help you with?”

Having studied abroad, Chi Yu spoke fluent English. Her delicate features, bright, deer-like eyes, and long lashes that fluttered with her smile made her particularly striking.

The girl’s face flushed even deeper, as if flustered. She covered her mouth with her hand. “I noticed you when you first came in… Oh, wait, that’s not what I wanted to say. What I really wanted to ask was… are you filming a show?”

The girl seemed to have mustered her courage, but it ultimately crumbled. The words she’d meant to say transformed into a casual greeting.

Chi Yu still clutched the bottle of chili sauce. She stood up, her khaki denim skirt accentuating her long legs.

Boots in a similar shade revealed a sliver of white socks at the top. The wide boot shafts swayed loosely around her slender calves, and the skin above her knees glowed with a faint, rosy blush.

“Yeah, we’re filming a dating reality show.”

The girl looked surprised. “Oh, a dating show?” A wry smile crossed her face. “Guess I don’t stand a chance then.”

Chi Yu raised an eyebrow, a sweet but insincere smile curving her lips. Those unfamiliar with her wouldn’t easily detect her impatience and dismissiveness.

“What kind of chance are you hoping for?” she asked with a smile, placing the chili sauce back on the shelf.

When she turned around, the girl had already leaned closer.

The girl pursed her lips into a smile and, having made up her mind, went straight for it. “I was wondering if I could get to know you better. Maybe we could grab a drink sometime?”

Chi Yu wore a microphone, and the film crew was hidden behind a nearby shelf, recording everything. The cameraman’s earpiece buzzed with instructions from the Chief Director and scriptwriter.

“Wow, this is definitely a flirting attempt! After filming so many seasons of Love’s Heartbeat, this is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this. So exciting!”

“Keep filming, keep filming! Try to stay hidden—it’ll look more natural that way.”

“Hahaha, I can already predict our show will be trending again!”

The cameraman, ever the professional, skillfully concealed the camera behind a shelf. The production team, never one to shy away from drama, broadcast the entire scene.

Ahhhhhh!!!

The live chat erupted in screams and wails.

Chi Yu is so irresistible! And this is B Country!

Duh! With looks like that, she’d be a knockout anywhere!

Wait, she’s already on a dating reality show, and now this bold B Country girl just swoops in as an unexpected foreign ally?

Impressive! The crowd’s getting involved—a free guest appearance!

LOL, I’ve never seen a dating show guest get confessed to by a random person before. Are they seriously considering adding an extra cast member? Why can’t it be me?!

I seriously suspect this is a scripted stunt by the production team. Don’t all reality shows have scripts?

Girl, you clearly haven’t watched enough Love’s Heartbeat. This show has a rough outline, but no script. It’s all about capturing the guests’ genuine moments and shining qualities.

Look at the production team’s hidden camera footage. They were scrambling to find guests earlier—it’s clearly not staged.

Yeah, the live broadcast we’re watching is definitely less polished than the edited version that will air later. We’re watching 4 x 12 hours straight, while the TV broadcast will condense four days into two hours. Even with the director switching camera angles, there’s still a lot of raw footage. Those earlier scenes clearly captured genuine, spontaneous moments.

Oh, thanks for the info, sis! But thinking about it that way makes it even more exciting! Chi Yu really got hit on—this is hilarious!

As the subject of this heated discussion, Chi Yu maintained her smile. “You look underage. Minors aren’t allowed to drink.”

The other girl burst out laughing. “You’re quite the charmer.”

Perhaps due to the B Country’s liberal customs, the girl tossed her hair and leaned even closer, pressing against the shelf in front of Chi Yu.

She propped her elbow on the shelf, stretching her body into a deliberately seductive pose.

Most importantly, she was now standing very close to Chi Yu.

“I’m of age. You’re the one who looks underage. Seriously, I know a great cocktail bar. I’d love to buy you a drink. You know, you’re incredibly alluring.”

A beautiful foreign girl had already captured Chi Yu’s attention. The girl wore an overwhelmingly strong perfume—fiercely alluring, yet cloyingly pungent.

The scent itself was pleasant, but like taste, once your senses have experienced something exceptional, your standards become more discerning. After smelling a truly exquisite fragrance, the feedback from your olfactory nerves to your brain always feels excessively intense, yet somehow… not quite right.

Subconsciously, Chi Yu frowned slightly, then quickly replaced it with a sweet smile.

Her doe-like eyes flickered with amusement. “Sweet, you’re quite charming yourself.”

She gazed at the girl through lowered lashes.

“Though you’re adorable, I’m working.”

Live Chat:

Ahhh! Chi Yu, are you trying to seduce her?!

No way! She rejected her but called her charming and adorable? Could she actually be interested?

I’m so mad! Why couldn’t it be me? We’re both just ordinary people! I should go stake out the set and see if I have a chance.

Isn’t Chi Yu supposed to be paired with Gu Yuan on Love’s Heartbeat? The solo stans in their CP fandom are tearing the community apart! Now she’s flirting with someone else? No way!

What about Gu Yuan?

Speaking of Gu Yuan… Wasn’t she supposed to be with Chi Yu? Where is she right now?

The live chat was in a frenzy, the audience’s anticipation reaching fever pitch. True to expectations, Gu Yuan finally appeared at the end of the aisle, captured by the camera.

She’s here! Gu Yuan’s here!

This is the first time I’ve watched a dating reality show and been so drenched in sweat. I’m so nervous I can barely breathe!

It might sound inappropriate, but I honestly feel like I’m watching a wife catch her flirtatious spouse with another woman—live!

This is beyond intense! So thrilling!

She’s getting closer! Gu Yuan is approaching! But Chi Yu hasn’t noticed yet. She’s still turned away, being way too intimate with that other woman!

In the live broadcast, Gu Yuan slowly approached, while Chi Yu remained completely oblivious.

What had started as a few casual jokes between Chi Yu and the other woman had already been blown into an epic saga by the vast online audience.

As the protagonist of this drama, Chi Yu was merely making small talk.

She had a knack for striking up conversations, and everyone she spoke to seemed instantly drawn to her.

The foreign beauty’s eyes already held a starry-eyed admiration.

She even pressed herself closer, shamelessly flaunting her impressive assets.

Chi Yu merely smiled softly, but the smile suddenly froze on her face.

She didn’t turn around, yet the delicate fragrance of jasmine wafted from behind, filling her mind.

It was like a superior fragrance, inherently superior to all other mundane scents.

Even a fleeting wisp of it instantly revealed the difference in quality.

“……”

Then, Chi Yu felt a warm, fragrant embrace press against her shoulders and back. The embrace was so familiar, carrying the scent of jasmine.

Instinctively, Chi Yu’s spine stiffened slightly, but not out of shyness or fear. On the contrary, she was suppressing a subconscious reaction.

The body’s memory often silences the most stubborn lips.

But suddenly, Chi Yu realized that Gu Yuan hadn’t actually embraced her. Yet a fragrant strand of hair brushed against her cheek.

“……”

Chi Yu turned around, nearly bumping noses with Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan’s fragrant body pressed against her back as she stretched her arm forward, leaning slightly, and gently stood on tiptoe to reach something on the second shelf.

The two froze in their sudden eye contact, their bright eyes locked in a silent gaze, as if time itself had stopped.

Waaah, all that tension for nothing! The moment these two locked eyes, I knew no one else stood a chance.

Holy crap, the chemistry between them is off the charts!

At this moment, allow me to play some background music: “You Are My Destiny”~

Yes! And we need a slow-motion shot of this. This heartfelt gaze deserves to be immortalized as a classic scene.

Waaah, they’re so beautiful! A gift from the Creator—they were meant to be together!

When I was little, I used to dream of growing up to look just like them…

Gu Yuan and Chi Yu held each other’s gaze for a moment before Gu Yuan withdrew her hand. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said.

She glanced at Chi Yu, then at the girl leaning forward in front of her, offering an apologetic smile. “I was trying to reach the cheese. It’s a bit high up.”

Though she retracted her hand, she didn’t move away.

Her tall, elegant figure commanded attention simply by standing there.

Even more so now, with the two women standing so close.

Their faces were magnified in each other’s vision.

Chi Yu noticed Gu Yuan’s pale cheeks and the fleeting sadness in her eyes. The sorrow vanished quickly, masked by long lashes that framed the corners of her eyes, now tinged with a restrained, watery flush.

“……”

“Do you want cheese?” Chi Yu asked.

Gu Yuan nodded obediently. “Yes.”

Chi Yu’s gaze shifted from Gu Yuan’s face as she reached for the box of cheese on the highest shelf.

In truth, Chi Yu and Gu Yuan were about the same height. Chi Yu had always been around Gu Yuan’s height, and though she’d grown slightly taller in the past two years, she was still only a little taller than Gu Yuan.

If Gu Yuan couldn’t reach something, Chi Yu wouldn’t be able to grab it effortlessly either.

But Chi Yu either didn’t realize this or simply didn’t care.

After retrieving the red-packaged item and handing it to Gu Yuan, she leaned even closer to Gu Yuan and finally turned to face the girl who had been flirting with her.

“Sorry, I’m taken.”

“……”

The live chat exploded:

Ahhh! What did she say? She said she’s taken!

A clean, decisive rejection—for Gu Yuan? I’m shipping them so hard!

Help me up, I can still ship!

I’m seriously impressed. Is Gu Yuan deliberately fishing? Chi Yu’s mouth is practically twitching from the hook!

As expected of a goddess! With effortless grace, she delivered a knockout blow to her competitor, combining subtle jabs with a decisive strike.

And she even made Chi Yu say it herself! That’s legendary-level seduction right there. Who could resist such a goddess-tier fishing technique?!

Exactly! There’s a whole shelf of cheese, but she specifically wanted that niche brand on the top shelf, and she even had Chi Yu reach for it. When Chi Yu couldn’t reach, oh-ho-ho, I’m already seeing the Best Actress’s subtle moves to reel in this little sister.

Impossible! Absolutely impossible! My sister would never be interested in some eighteenth-tier nobody. Seduction? What a joke!

Are you blind or just overthinking things? My sister and Chi Yu are rivals—or rather, a small-time nobody like Chi Yu isn’t even worthy of being my sister’s rival.

I agree! They were just colleagues chatting casually to get rid of an unwanted guest. At most, it was our Sister Yuanyuan being kind and helping out. You fans of these nobodies need to stop overanalyzing everything. “Seduction”? When would my sister ever lower herself to notice a kitchen maid like Chi Yu?

Exactly! Chi Yu, that kitchen maid, a nobody even among nobodies, thinks she’s reached for the stars just because she played a supporting role. She’s trying to latch onto my sister to climb the ladder? Dream on! Go back to playing your bit parts, okay? Stay away from our Best Actress, thank you very much.

Exactly! What era are we living in? Still clinging to big shots? Is that even interesting? A kitchen maid trying to punch above her weight? She needs to know her place.

Upstairs, you might not believe it, but Chi Yu isn’t just a kitchen maid. Her family are second-generation elites, and not just any elites—they’re practically on par with Gu Yuan’s family. The two families even have historical ties. Don’t ask how I know; I just do!

The Live Chat erupted into a full-blown argument with Jin Hongjin:  Oh, how much are you getting paid per comment? Is Chi Yu trying to copy my sister and fabricate a wealthy background for herself?

This is hilarious! As if you can just conjure up a wealthy background on demand! What kind of family does Gu Yuan come from? And you’re claiming Chi Yu’s family is on par? Don’t tell me you’re talking about the Langshi Group, one of the Four Great Capital Conglomerates, and that Chi Yu is Chairman Lang’s daughter? Hahaha, that’s a joke straight from hell! How dare she even compare!

I already know how Chi Yu’s PR team will spin this next: they’ll hype up her family background. Seriously, stop deluding yourselves. If Chi Yu were from a wealthy family, would she have ended up at resource-starved Ennai Media?

Exactly! If she had a background as powerful as Gu Yuan’s, she’d at least have her own studio like our sister, not caring about profits, just pure clout.

Right? Why doesn’t she? Is it because she doesn’t want to?

Jin Hongjin sat at her computer, furiously pounding the keyboard.  She genuinely doesn’t want to.

Let me tell you this: even if Chi Yu never entered the entertainment industry, she could live a life of unimaginable luxury—the kind ordinary people can’t even fathom. Why would she need to cling to anyone’s coattails?

Stop projecting your own ignorance onto others, okay?

Her keyboard practically sparked as she clashed with the dissenting voices, getting labeled with all sorts of malicious tags by Chi Yu’s obsessive fans and even being called out by anti-blacklisting accounts.

When she tried to post again, she discovered she’d been reported.

“……”

Jin Hongjin was beyond furious. Her head throbbed from the endless online battles. Finally, she grabbed her phone and called her assistant. “Get me 100,000 bots. Tonight, I want to see ‘Chi Yu Si Gu Yuan’ trending worldwide!”

After their unusual experience, Chi Yu and Gu Yuan silently pushed their shopping cart through the supermarket aisles.

Neither of them mentioned the earlier incident.

As Gu Yuan lowered her head to push the cart, strands of hair slipped from her temples, obscuring her expression.

In the silence, only the rhythmic clatter-clatter of the shopping cart wheels rolling across the floor echoed through the aisles.

Clatter-clatter. Clatter-clatter.

Clear, yet monotonous.

Finally, Gu Yuan stopped. Her sudden halt caused Chi Yu, walking beside her, to pause as well, interrupting her swirling thoughts.

“Look,” Gu Yuan said, pointing to a product on the shelf. “They actually have this here.”

The shelf was stocked with candies, but since this was a supermarket run by Hua Country natives, it featured many small Hua Country goods and specialty candies.

Among the colorful, dazzling array of sweets, one stood out prominently: a ring-shaped candy. That was the one Gu Yuan was pointing at.

Gu Yuan’s slender, pale fingers pinched the ring candy, lifting it up to examine it closely.

A gentle smile curved her lips. “This ring candy is a special design. I haven’t seen one in years. I never expected to find it here in B Country.”

Hearing Gu Yuan’s voice, Chi Yu finally looked up.

The moment her eyes met Gu Yuan’s, she was struck by the warmth of her smile.

Her gaze then drifted downward, settling on the object Gu Yuan held in her hand.

“A double-ring candy?”

The transparent wrapper was printed with tiny white flowers, encasing an amber-colored candy. Its semi-translucent texture suggested an overly sweet taste, likely not of the highest quality. Yet, encased in the clear wrapper, the candy was molded into a ring shape, giving it a special significance.

Firstly, it was a ring candy—both rings and candy being symbols of sweetness.

Secondly, the ring base was a rare double-ring design, meaning it could be worn by two people together.

Back when Gu Yuan and Chi Yu were at Yan University, Gu Yuan had to cross several campus zones to find Chi Yu. Whenever she passed the campus convenience store and saw these candies, she found them amusing and started buying one every time she passed, bringing it to Chi Yu.

Neither of them particularly liked the cheap taste of the candy, but they enjoyed slipping the double-ring candies onto their fingers and playing with them.

The grass grew lush, the orioles sang, and the setting sun cast long shadows.

On the lawn in front of Yan University Library, Gu Yuan and Chi Yu lay head-to-head, each extending their left hand. From opposite directions, they slipped their ring fingers through the candy rings.

Then their jade-like hands intertwined, palms touching.

The air was fresh, the grass soft, and Gu Yuan’s lips tasted sweet.

Those trembling lips endured Chi Yu’s increasingly rough and possessive kisses.

Those were Chi Yu’s happiest moments.

“Ring candies… the double-ring kind.”

A smile suddenly bloomed on Chi Yu’s lips, and she looked up at Gu Yuan.

Her gaze instinctively fell to those crimson lips.

“Sister, let’s play?”

Lu Wenrui grabbed Ruan Feiyu and started pulling her away, but Ruan Feiyu, completely oblivious to the situation, resisted. “So, did you come up with a plan?”

“What about the money we need for groceries today?”

“How are we going to eat?”

Faced with this barrage of questions, Lu Wenrui stomped her foot in frustration. It was the first time she’d ever heard someone more concerned about food than she was.

“This is no time to be thinking about eating!”

“……”

Ruan Feiyu blinked, then stomped her foot in response. “What’s wrong with eating? Isn’t solving our food problem exactly what we’re supposed to be doing today?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Lu Wenrui said, tugging Ruan Feiyu along while glancing back at the “big bad wolf” and “grumpy bunny” trailing behind them. She finally sighed heavily and tugged harder on Ruan Feiyu. “Alright, alright, let’s just go. We’ll find Sister Yuanyuan and Hao Hao and see if they have any ideas.”

“Gu Yuan and Hao Hao…”

Ruan Feiyu’s brow furrowed slightly at the mention of their names. She suddenly realized she’d been rather thoughtless; when Li Tianyin and the others had asked about them earlier, she hadn’t known where they were either.

“I haven’t seen them in ages,” Ruan Feiyu said earnestly. “Have you?”

Lu Wenrui had only brought up their names as a distraction, but when she glanced up, she actually spotted Gu Yuan and Chi Yu.

The pair were leisurely browsing the deli section, pushing a small cart together as they examined the prepared foods.

Lu Wenrui immediately pointed. “There they are!”

Gu Yuan and Chi Yu pushed the small cart together, their arms brushing closely.

As they passed a counter selling raw meat, the vendor called out in Chinese, “Gu Yuan!”

Both women turned simultaneously, their eyes meeting the shopkeeper who was holding up his phone. “Ah! It really is Gu Yuan!”

Gu Yuan looked effortlessly chic today, wearing a pleated maxi dress with delicate spaghetti straps and her hair cascading lightly over her shoulders.

As she turned, the ends of her hair lifted gently, causing the hem of her dress to sway softly.

The simple turn of her head was so captivating that many viewers watching the live stream were mesmerized.

Ugh, is this the power of divine beauty? I could watch this a million times and never get tired of it!

She just turned her head, and my heart is already racing.

They’re both gorgeous, but I have a question: why do they need two people to push a cart with only one box of cheese? Isn’t that a bit excessive?

It’s not just that. They’re also holding a silk scarf, probably the one Gu Yuan had tied in her hair earlier.

What are they even doing?

Forget them, look at the shopkeeper—his face is turning red!

As expected, the stall owner’s face flushed crimson when he saw Gu Yuan and Chi Yu.

He adjusted his white chef’s hat repeatedly, exclaiming, “Oh my goodness! I never imagined I’d meet you here!”

The commotion drew the attention of the other guests, who quickly gathered around. Lu Wenrui was the most excited. “Chinese! It sounds so familiar!”

She couldn’t forget the embarrassment of being corrected for shouting loudly on the way here, so she deliberately lowered her voice now, though her joy was still palpable.

The owner’s face glowed with a rosy smile as he meticulously wiped his fingers with a pristine white towel. “My daughter is a huge fan of your variety show. I never dreamed you’d be filming here! I’ll record some videos to show her later, so she won’t miss out on seeing you in person.”

Lu Wenrui nodded vigorously. “Yes, sir! You’re such a wonderful father!”

As she glanced at the various meats in the display case, her expression turned slightly disappointed. “Ah, it’s all raw meat. We can’t eat it.”

The owner quickly interjected, “Of course you can eat it! These cuts here, and these—they’re all incredibly delicious when cooked!”

He spoke rapidly, as if afraid of damaging his reputation, before finally realizing, “Are you hungry?”

The kind-hearted owner gave each of them a sandwich and offered to share his takeout stall, letting them sell meat and egg pancakes for him. They would split the profits 50/50. However, since the meat was part of a joint venture, he couldn’t supply it to them directly. The guests would have to purchase the meat themselves, but he offered it at a very low price, along with discounts and coupons.

Lu Wenrui eagerly reached for Chi Yu’s pocket. “Alright, alright, hurry up and get the envelope out!”

Lin Yihan recalled, “I think I saw it earlier. It looked like we could buy 1250 grams.”

Ruan Feiyu’s hope rekindled. “That’s a lot! We’ll have enough for today’s meals!”

Lu Wenrui: “……”

For the first time, she shook her head and lectured others. “Eat, eat, eat! All you think about is food! You’ll end up ruined if that’s all you care about, you know?”

“……”

Ruan Feiyu was speechless for a moment, about to retort, when Gu Yuan’s voice cut through the air.

“We can’t buy 1250 grams anymore.”

Ruan Feiyu: “Why not?”

Gu Yuan and Chi Yu exchanged glances. Finally, Chi Yu gently lifted the silk scarf covering their clasped hands.

“We might have to buy this instead.”

Their beautiful hands were intertwined, each ring finger adorned with a candy ring.

“The rings won’t come off.”