Forced Cohabitation After a Hit Romance Variety Show with My Rival Actress - Chapter 31

By the time Ruan Feiyu rushed to the second floor, Gu Yuan had already gone to the bathroom.

Chi Yu sat before the sheer, billowing curtains, casually twisting her hair into a bun.

The camera was already on. After the crew finished their checks, they apologized to Chi Yu. “We’re sorry, Teacher Chi Yu. Everything’s working fine, but we just need…”

The young woman pointed to the personal mics resting on the Beauty’s Couch. “We just need Teacher Chi Yu and Teacher Gu Yuan to put their mics back on so we can verify the connection.”

Chi Yu had been sitting on the Beauty’s Couch, legs crossed, stretching her limbs as she raised her hands behind her head to twist her hair into a bun.

The movement accentuated her slender waist and revealed the stunning lines of her figure.

Hearing the crew member’s request, Chi Yu lifted her gaze and smiled. “Alright.”

Ruan Feiyu burst into the room just in time to witness this scene.

Chi Yu sat in the sunlight, her hair pulled back in a bun. The sheer curtains behind her danced in the breeze, filtering the sunlight into a warm, diffused glow that spilled across the wooden floor.

She smiled at the staff, making the young woman blush.

“Does this need to be adjusted right now?” Chi Yu asked, her fingers still threading through her hair. “I’m ready on my end, but Teacher Gu Yuan…”

She glanced at the tightly closed bathroom door.

The sound of rushing water echoed from within.

“Teacher Gu Yuan is taking a shower. She worked hard this morning and wants to relax before lunch.”

The young woman waved her hands dismissively. “Oh, right, right. A shower to relax is perfectly understandable. No worries, we can adjust it later. The live stream signal is connected, but the director hasn’t switched the feed yet, so we can wait until the audio equipment is fully adjusted before syncing the live stream.”

What the young woman didn’t mention was that the live chat was already frantic, its comments practically bursting through the ceiling of the virtual room.

“Oh, that’s good,” Chi Yu said, lowering her hands and remaining seated on the Beauty’s Couch. “So today is just cooking, eating, and then free time?”

It was clear Chi Yu was relaxed, already showing interest in chatting with the staff.

Sunlight streamed in, filling the room with a warm, fragrant atmosphere.

The young staff member blushed slightly, scratching the back of her head self-consciously. “Yes… oh, no, not exactly. Today, the guests can move freely around the villa. There are no mandatory activities, but at 8:30 PM, we’ll be doing a live solo interview session. We’ll be asking about your interactions and relationships with the other guests over the past few days, so please prepare accordingly.”

“Also… if any of the guests would like our support with hair and makeup, we can send stylists to assist. Please let me know now, and we’ll do our best to accommodate your requests.”

Chi Yu propped herself up on the Beauty’s Couch, her deer-like eyes curving into a smile. “Nothing else, just… give us a bigger budget next time. We wouldn’t have to work so hard.”

“……”

True, our production team is pretty ruthless, the staff member thought, but what can I say?

The young woman awkwardly scratched her head again. “Yes, that’s only right.”

Just then, a staff member noticed the person at the door and greeted her directly.

“Ah, Teacher Ruan Feiyu is here too! Is there anything we can assist you with?”

“……”

Ruan Feiyu stood at the doorway for a long time, watching Chi Yu laugh and chat with others.

Chi Yu’s casual gesture of twirling her hair made her look effortlessly beautiful.

Ruan Feiyu lingered, reluctant to leave, until she was startled by the staff member’s voice. “Ah, what was that?”

The staff member remained polite and courteous. “Teacher Ruan Feiyu, we have a live solo interview scheduled for 8:30 tonight. Each participant will be interviewed individually. Is there anything we can arrange for you regarding the interview? Do you require makeup and styling support?”

Snapping back to attention, Ruan Feiyu nodded. “Yes, I do.”

Her gaze instinctively flicked toward the door separating the room from the sound of running water in the bathroom before returning to the staff member. “I need to take extra care with my hair and makeup. Please arrange for the best makeup artist available.”

After the film crew departed, life at the villa returned to normal.

Even Lian Li Tianyin and Lin Yihan had returned and were helping set the table in the dining room.

The kitchen filled with the savory aroma of Mala Tang, which had been portioned into individual bowls and arranged on the round dining table.

The camera captured this warm, afternoon scene of domesticity.

The air seemed to hum with leisure and contentment, the steaming food complementing the bright sunlight streaming through the windows.

The live chat immediately flooded with comments:

Finally fixed! My god, it was down for ages!

I’m so mad! When I checked, the second-floor bedroom was already empty.

Damn it! I was waiting to see Chi Yu massage Gu Yuan! That would have been a historic moment!

Just thinking about Chi Yu’s hands… huff huff… pressing against Sister Gu Yuan’s fair skin… huff huff… Ah, I’m gone!

I wanted to see it too! But Chi Yu’s so stingy, and the crew was too slow. We didn’t even get to see the “aftermath”! I’m so mad! Waaah!

“Aftermath”? Perfect word choice! In my mind, I’ve already draped a red wedding canopy over my OTP and watched them enter the bridal chamber! But that’s just in my head, because in reality, all we got was a black screen! Nothing to see!

Seriously, both signal feeds went down at once? I’m speechless. Even Lian Li Tianyin and Lin Yihan have become “missing persons”!

Weird thing is, I saw Lian Li Tianyin and Lin Yihan come out of the tent with flushed faces. Did I imagine it? Did I witness something scandalous?!

This dating reality show is really something! I bet we’ll end up with two couples.

Hehe, don’t jump to conclusions about a love triangle so soon. Who knows who might catch each other’s eye later on?

While the live chat buzzed with speculation, Chi Yu remained oblivious, helping set the table.

Ruan Feiyu stayed close to Chi Yu, her eyes darting furtively at the younger woman as she arranged the utensils.

As Chi Yu placed a pair of chopsticks on the crisp white tablecloth, she suddenly looked up at Ruan Feiyu. “Sister Feiyu, is there something you wanted to tell me?”

Ruan Feiyu froze, her heart pounding erratically under Chi Yu’s sudden gaze from those beautiful, deer-like eyes.

She stammered, a faint blush creeping up her neck. “…No, nothing important.”

Chi Yu glanced at her again before turning back to her task, carefully folding a small white napkin. “Hmm, nothing? I thought you might have something on your mind, Sister. You’ve been staring at me the whole time.”

Ruan Feiyu’s ears flushed crimson, as if her thoughts had been exposed. She cleared her throat awkwardly. “Ahem, it’s nothing really. I just wanted to ask why Gu Yuan hasn’t come down yet. What were you two doing in the bedroom just now?”

The question hung unfinished, but everyone knew what she was implying.

Chi Yu reacted swiftly, cutting Ruan Feiyu off mid-sentence. “Sister,” she interjected, “Sister Gu Yuan and I were just resting upstairs. I promised her a massage, but we didn’t finish. We agreed to continue next time.”

Aware of the cameras and microphones, Chi Yu was wary of Ruan Feiyu asking inappropriate questions and quickly intervened.

Fortunately, Ruan Feiyu abruptly changed course. “Then… could you give me a massage next time too, Hao Hao? My shoulders are always so stiff.”

Chi Yu stared blankly. Does she really think we were just giving massages? Besides, Chi Yu wasn’t the type to meekly play the role of a servant, massaging anyone who asked.

With a polite smile, Chi Yu folded the napkin on the table before glancing up at Ruan Feiyu. “Why don’t you ask Sister Ruirui? She looks like she’s about to crush your shoulders anyway.”

With that, Chi Yu stepped aside and went to the kitchen to fetch the dishes.

Ruan Feiyu stared blankly at the spot where Chi Yu had stood, not even noticing her departure.

When she finally looked up, she saw Lu Wenrui sitting across the round table, clenching the handkerchief in her hand so tightly her knuckles turned white. The force looked like she could twist the fabric into dust at any moment.

Ruan Feiyu: “……”

What is Lu Wenrui doing? She’s been acting like a bull all day, expending endless energy.

Just as she was pondering this, she heard the camera in the hall swivel with a creak.

Ruan Feiyu glanced up and saw Gu Yuan descending the stairs from the second floor.

The live chat immediately erupted:

Ahhh, Sister Gu Yuan!

Did she just take a shower? Her hair’s still damp. She’s not wearing any makeup, but she looks absolutely stunning!

Sister is too beautiful! I finally understand why I bother with makeup—just to look pretty. But Sister looks like this naturally, without any makeup. It’s a world of difference!

Waaah, Yuanyuan, my Yuanyuan, my wife Yuanyuan! So she was showering upstairs. Then why did Chi Yu cover the camera?!

Wait, wasn’t the last scene supposed to be Yuanyuan’s wife giving Chi Yu a full-body massage? Why is she taking a shower now?

Damn, these two are acting way too suspicious!

Spill the tea! Where exactly was she massaging?

Gu Yuan descended the stairs in soft, flat-soled slippers. As she moved, the tendons and bones beneath her fair calves and ankles flexed visibly.

The arches of her feet peeked out halfway, the delicate skin stretched taut over the bones, becoming even more defined with each step.

She had changed into a flowing, pale duck-egg blue dress. With one hand slightly lifting the hem and the other resting on the banister, the fabric swayed gently, brushing against her pale calves with each graceful stride.

Even this simple act of walking down the stairs radiated an air of effortless elegance.

Her half-dried, shoulder-length hair framed her face, which remained strikingly beautiful even without makeup. She moved with a serene grace, captivating the guests who were setting the table.

The live chat erupted once more:

Waaah, Sister Gu Yuan is so beautiful! I’m speechless!

Sister’s allure isn’t just about looks. Check out her works—they’re all critically acclaimed masterpieces!

This Tiffany blue dress looks stunning on Sister Gu Yuan! The greenish-blue perfectly complements her fair skin!

Upstairs, that’s not Tiffany Blue, it’s the traditional Chinese color “Sān Lǜ” (Three Greens). Our ancestors’ meticulously crafted hues are the true masterpieces!

Lu Wenrui twisted her towel and turned around, her eyes sparkling. “Wow! An angel has descended!”

Though she was the only one who voiced her thoughts, the other guests’ expressions spoke volumes—they all wholeheartedly agreed with Lu Wenrui’s sentiment.

Ruan Feiyu pursed her lips, watching Gu Yuan descend the stairs. She called out softly, “Yuanyuan.”

“…?”

Gu Yuan looked up at Ruan Feiyu, then smiled warmly. “Feiyu, thank you for your hard work.”

Ruan Feiyu and Lu Wenrui had handled most of the kitchen tasks. After speaking, Gu Yuan turned to Lu Wenrui as well. “And Wenrui, thank you for your hard work too.”

As she spoke, Gu Yuan approached the table, glanced at the dishes, and then seemingly casually shifted her gaze toward the slender figure in the kitchen before returning her attention to the group, her smile deepening. “Is there anything I can help with?”

Before anyone else could respond, Li Tianyin spoke up. “I don’t think so. Sister Feiyu and Wenrui worked so hard earlier, but Sister Yuanyuan, you must have been even more exhausted after making jianbing at the park for so long.”

Lin Yihan finished setting out the bowls and chopsticks for Li Tianyin before turning to Gu Yuan. “Yes, please sit down and eat. There’s nothing left to do.”

Lu Wenrui, who couldn’t hide her thoughts, crossed her arms and huffed. “We haven’t even gotten to you two yet! Where did you disappear to earlier? Trying to avoid work, huh?”

Li Tianyin’s ears, barely visible beneath her hair, flushed slightly. She avoided Lu Wenrui’s gaze, fiddling with the utensils. “No, we just had something to take care of.”

“What could be more important than helping out?”

“……”

Faced with Lu Wenrui’s interrogation, Li Tianyin couldn’t utter a word. Instead, a warm blush slowly spread across her cheeks.

Seeing her silence, Lin Yihan stepped in. “We were indeed busy with something earlier.” She glanced at Li Tianyin, noticing her head was now bowed even lower. A faint smile crept across Lin Yihan’s perpetually icy lips as she continued, “We’re really sorry we couldn’t help earlier. How about this: after everyone finishes eating, Tianyin and I will take care of the cleanup—washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen.”

Lu Wenrui’s anger subsided considerably at this, though she remained with her hands on her hips, her tone noticeably softening.

“Ooh, ooh, ooh, already calling her Tianyin?”

Li Tianyin lowered her head. “Just shut up.”

“No way! I won’t shut up! Sister Yuanyuan, tell me who’s right here! Hey? Sister Yuanyuan, what happened to your wrist?”

At Lu Wenrui’s exclamation, everyone’s gaze fell on Gu Yuan’s wrist.

Beneath the thin skin of Gu Yuan’s delicate, pale wrist, the wrist bone was clearly visible in its elegant shape.

Across the bone’s surface, several vivid red finger marks stood out against the fair, luminous skin.

Though partially concealed by a slender bracelet, the crimson marks remained strikingly conspicuous against the pale skin.

“…Ah, this.”

Gu Yuan withdrew her hand from the table and tucked it beneath the surface, gently covering her wrist with her other hand.

But this gesture only made the attempt to conceal the marks seem even more obvious.

Ruan Feiyu bit her lip. “So… Yuanyuan, what happened to your wrist?”

She hadn’t seen what had happened upstairs earlier and didn’t know the specifics, but if the marks on Gu Yuan’s wrist were from Chi Yu, then something must have happened between them…

Ruan Feiyu didn’t dare dwell on the thought, her eyes already starting to redden.

Just then, Chi Yu’s voice rang out.

“Oh, that?” Chi Yu said, placing the last dish on the table with a gentle clink. Straightening up, her bright, deer-like eyes curved into a beautiful smile. “I was giving Sister a massage and got a little too enthusiastic. My bad! I didn’t realize her skin would bruise so easily.”

“……”

The guests fell silent.

After a two-second pause, the live chat exploded:

Holy crap, did I just hear that? Sister’s skin bruises easily!

Oh my god, I’m dying! Gu Yuan’s skin is so delicate it bruises with just a touch! I’m so jealous of Chi Yu!

But I have a question: how does a massage leave finger-shaped marks on the wrist? What position—呸, what technique—would cause that?

Sigh, what else could it be? Pushing her down was just too perfect (outrageous comment)!

Aaaaaah! Why? Why did you cover the camera just now? I won’t be able to sleep tonight thinking about it! Pay me for my mental distress!!

The camera was covered to prevent you delusional shippers from obsessing over ridiculous pairings. Chi Yu isn’t worthy of my sister. Thank you.

Exactly! They’re rivals to begin with. Chi Yu doesn’t even deserve to be my sister’s rival. Can you people get a grip and stop shipping everything?

Shipping everything will only hurt you.

After a series of events, everyone finally settled back around the dining table.

A pristine white tablecloth draped over the white table, its edges swaying gently in the breeze.

Bowls of Mala Tang, portioned out for each person, sat beside small bowls of fluffy, distinct-grained rice.

The rice had been a gift from the supermarket and butcher shop owners. Sensing the group might not be accustomed to Western cuisine, they had insisted on giving them a bag of rice.

Now, it proved invaluable.

The fragrant dishes were arranged on the table. To better suit Hua Country palates, Lu Wenrui and Ruan Feiyu had researched extensively, discovering that delicious steamed rice could be made without a rice cooker. They had prepared a large pot of rice using a double-boiler method.

Facing the spread of delicious food, Lu Wenrui’s eyes sparkled—a different kind of sparkle than when she’d seen the beautiful Gu Yuan earlier. This time, her lips stretched into a wide grin, and she nearly drooled.

“It smells so good! I’m starving! I almost snuck a bite in the kitchen, but Feifei slapped my hand. Can we start eating now?”

Ruan Feiyu couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of her nose.

“You don’t have to announce your attempts to steal food.”

Lu Wenrui: “So strict! You wouldn’t even let me have a single bite.”

Ruan Feiyu: “Wouldn’t it be better to wait and eat together when everyone’s ready?”

Lu Wenrui was about to say something more, but Li Tianyin had already started organizing everyone for dinner. “Alright, alright, we’ve all been starving for ages. Let’s eat first and talk later.”

The suggestion was met with unanimous approval. Chopsticks clattered as everyone dug in, their faces beaming with happiness.

“Mmm, this is so delicious! I haven’t had Mala Tang in ages,” Lu Wenrui mumbled between mouthfuls, covering her mouth with one hand, her eyes sparkling with delight. “My manager is probably screaming at the screen right now, but too bad! It won’t stop me from devouring every last bite.”

Li Tianyin nodded in agreement. “The broth is exceptionally flavorful.”

Lin Yihan smiled and placed a chopstickful of vegetables into Li Tianyin’s bowl. “Eat some of this. Don’t you love chrysanthemum greens?”

Li Tianyin stared at the leafy greens in her bowl, paused, and murmured, “Thank you.” Then, she carefully avoided the vegetables and took a bite of rice instead.

Oblivious to the tension, Lu Wenrui continued to eat with gusto, savoring each bite. “Aiyo, President Lin, how did you know Tianyin Eonni loves chrysanthemum greens? It seems you’re remarkably familiar with all of Tianyin Eonni’s preferences!”

Ruan Feiyu glanced at Li Tianyin, who was blushing furiously, and cleared her throat. “Ahem, let’s focus on eating. Don’t talk so much—you might choke.”

“I won’t choke, I won’t choke~!” Lu Wenrui waved her hands repeatedly. “By the way, sisters, are you all ready for the individual interviews later?”

Ruan Feiyu: “What preparation is needed for that?”

Lu Wenrui excitedly slapped the table. “Of course we need to prepare! Don’t you know how… how scheming the production team is? Before I came, everyone warned me to be careful. Love’s Heartbeat is notorious for setting traps. Who knows what tricks they’ll pull during the live interviews?”

Live Chat:

Wenrui finally made an accurate assessment of the situation.

You know what? Tonight’s individual interviews seem to have a new twist. See the XT voting interface in the upper right corner? They say if a guest’s popularity exceeds a certain threshold, it triggers a special mission!

What kind of special mission?

Heaven only knows! The production team is so shady; who knows what surprises they’ve cooked up for us?

Sisters, I’ve discovered something major! Out of the six guests, only three individual interview rooms have been opened. They’re mostly set up now, and it doesn’t look like they plan to open any more.

Ohhh, so that means tonight the six guests will be divided into three pairs, and the so-called “individual interviews” are just separate date interviews?!

Great, fantastic! Look at them still looking so beautiful, completely unaware of the chaos that awaits them later.

Probably because the Mala Tang is too delicious, haha! I’m craving some now.

The guests remained blissfully unaware of the Live Chat’s discussions, their senses temporarily numbed by the incredibly flavorful Mala Tang feast.

A sense of contentment enveloped everyone around the table until another knock echoed at the door.

The staff member peeked in again. “Excuse me, teachers, for interrupting you again.”

“Um… the individual interviews will be live-streamed later. Due to the time difference between domestic and international broadcasts, we need to start this afternoon. We need to prepare now.”

“Oh, and! As per Teacher Ruan Feiyu’s request, we’ve secured the best local makeup artist. None of the other guests requested a makeup artist, so this premium service will surely meet Teacher Ruan Feiyu’s expectations.”

“……”

Ruan Feiyu stared in silence for several seconds before finally lowering her head and pressing her fingers to her forehead.

You didn’t have to spell it out so clearly.

This is the first time I’ve felt so embarrassed about wanting makeup.

The production crew had already set up the interview equipment in each of the participants’ rooms. Chi Yu found it odd that the live broadcast equipment was located right in their individual rooms.

If that’s the case, wouldn’t recording separate interviews in the same room disturb the other person’s interview?

As she climbed the stairs, pondering this question, she suddenly caught a faint, refreshing scent of jasmine.

Sure enough, as she rounded the corner, she saw Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan stood with her back to Chi Yu, seemingly gazing at something. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned and met Chi Yu’s gaze.

Both their hearts skipped a beat.

Chi Yu didn’t notice—or perhaps didn’t care—what Gu Yuan was looking at. She glanced around to confirm they were alone, then stepped forward, braced her arm against the wall, and cornered Gu Yuan in the dimly lit hallway.

“Sister, were you waiting for me?”

“……”

Gu Yuan pursed her lips and smiled faintly. “You could say that.”

Chi Yu raised an eyebrow. “If not me, then who else?”

They were standing too close, as close as they had been during their earlier intimate moment.

But this time, Chi Yu wasn’t trying to recreate that intimacy. She reached out, her thumb and forefinger gently caressing Gu Yuan’s delicate earlobe.

The technique was too suggestive, making it hard to suppress one’s imagination in such an intimate setting.

Gu Yuan’s long lashes trembled slightly. She finally managed to say, her voice trembling, “Stop teasing.”

“I’m not teasing,” Chi Yu replied.

Feeling the warmth of Gu Yuan’s earlobe beneath her fingertips, Chi Yu seemed pleased. A smile curved her lips, two sweet dimples adorning the corners.

“Good sister, do you know what to say during the livestream later?”

“What should I say?”

Gu Yuan parted her crimson lips slightly. These lips, still slightly flushed from Chi Yu’s earlier teasing, now faced the mischievous girl who was smiling at her.

Chi Yu glanced down at Gu Yuan’s flushed lips and chuckled softly. “Good girl, I’ll only tell you once.”

“During the livestream, when I’m not by your side, remember to tell the audience that the person who makes your heart flutter—and the one you’ll be sending future text messages to—is me.”

“……”

Gu Yuan’s chest rose and fell several times. Finally, she closed her eyes briefly, then opened them to meet Chi Yu’s gaze.

“Okay, I understand.”

“That’s a good girl.”

Chi Yu whispered, leaning closer to press a fleeting, butterfly-light kiss against Gu Yuan’s trembling, welcoming lips.