We Went Viral After Appearing on a Dating Reality Show with Movie Queen O - Chapter 40

Gu Xingyu’s face flushed. It must be a coincidence; the progress bar had just happened to stop there.

She turned to look at Shulan, only to find her wearing a faint smile, showing not the slightest hint of embarrassment.

“Shulan, do you think I’m… good?” she asked shyly, her lashes fluttering as she lowered her gaze. Her eyes were filled with anticipation, and a rosy blush spread across her cheeks.

“Yes,” Shulan replied with a smile, her peach-blossom eyes curving into crescents. It was as if all the light in the room had converged on her alone, making her radiant and dazzling.

Gu Xingyu couldn’t help but smile brightly, her lips curving upward uncontrollably. She lowered her head, her ears burning crimson.

Her gaze then drifted back to the screen, which now displayed a deep blue background. It was a scene from their date at the aquarium—romantic and intimate, their figures weaving in and out of frame, sometimes close, sometimes distant. Their hands hung down, almost touching.

Gu Xingyu held her breath, her heart pounding harder. Her eyes involuntarily shifted to Shulan, watching her reaction, eager to see the expression on her face as she watched the scene unfold.

Shulan was intently focused on the screen, the corners of her lips curving into a faint smile. Her brows were relaxed and gentle, her gaze completely absorbed in the moment.

“Xingyu, that trip to the aquarium together was really nice,” Shulan said, turning her head with a nostalgic smile.

“Yeah, but you were too busy with work. There were so many other fun things we could have done,” Gu Xingyu replied, her voice tinged with regret.

“Like going on a trip together as friends?” Bai Shulan asked, her gaze inscrutable.

The conversation took an abrupt turn, leaving Gu Xingyu momentarily stunned. She nodded hesitantly. “Um, I guess so…?”

“Alright,” Bai Shulan said, nodding thoughtfully before continuing, “What would you do if a friend liked you? She’s an Omega.”

She smiled warmly at Gu Xingyu, asking the question with casual ease, as if it were just another topic in a friendly chat.

But for Gu Xingyu, the question felt intrusive.

She had never considered such a scenario. Once you’re friends, why bother with feelings of liking or disliking? Alphas and Omegas are all the same.

Friendship and romantic love are different…

Hesitating for a moment, she carefully considered her answer. “…It would depend on whether I liked her back. But if I did, we probably couldn’t stay friends, right? If I didn’t, I’d just be honest with her…”

After speaking, she looked at the other woman, her brow furrowed slightly, still lost in the hypothetical question.

Many of her friends had jokingly said they liked her, but they were just jokes, right…?

“Well, do you consider me your friend?” Bai Shulan asked directly, her gaze fixed intently on Gu Xingyu’s eyes, not missing the slightest flicker of emotion.

Gu Xingyu gasped inwardly. How was she supposed to answer such a question?

Her relationship with Shulan was complicated. Even without the context of their arranged marriage, her feelings for Shulan weren’t the kind one would have for a friend.

Yet, in reality, their bond wasn’t particularly deep. It wasn’t quite romantic love, nor was it true friendship—strictly speaking, it was neither.

A complex emotion flickered in her eyes as she looked at Shulan, her voice soft as she replied, “I guess so…”

“Hmm…” Bai Shulan smiled faintly, her lashes fluttering. “Xingyu, say I have a friend—well, someone I consider a friend—and I think I’m starting to like her. What should I do?”

She looked directly at Gu Xingyu, her ears flushing crimson beneath her long hair. Her expression was gentle, a hint of shyness in her eyes.

Bai Shulan’s gaze, direct and intense, fell upon Gu Xingyu, leaving her momentarily stunned, her mind blank. What did Shulan mean by “that friend”?

Was she talking about me? Gu Xingyu wondered, a sense of panic rising in her chest. Her heart pounded harder with each beat, as if it might burst from her chest.

Gu Xingyu lowered her gaze, licked her lips, and felt a mix of surprise, delight, and a sweet, shy embarrassment.

“…Ahem… So, do you think this friend likes you back?” she asked, her round, almond-shaped eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“…I don’t know,” Bai Shulan replied, feigning thoughtfulness.

“What do you feel? Do you sense any affection from her?” Gu Xingyu pressed, her voice urgent with curiosity.

“…Maybe she has a little affection for me. But whether she likes me… I really don’t know,” Bai Shulan said with a smile, her gaze fixed intently on Gu Xingyu, waiting for her response.

“…Okay, then… Should we wait and see?” Gu Xingyu asked hesitantly, lifting her gaze.

What Shulan had said seemed to be about her. Could it be… that Shulan liked her? A faint blush crept across Gu Xingyu’s cheeks as she avoided direct eye contact.

Her heart pounded harder, and she found herself involuntarily projecting herself into the scene, reliving memories.

Coupled with Shulan’s earlier question, Gu Xingyu grew increasingly certain of her answer.

For a long moment, she remained immersed in thought, wondering if she should take the initiative, move closer to Shulan.

Meanwhile, the episode of Spring Love on TV had already finished and started playing again from the beginning.

Shulan’s gaze flickered between the screen and Gu Xingyu.

“Hmm… I think I missed the very end,” Bai Shulan said, dragging the progress bar to the final seconds.

It turned out the ending scene showed Gu Xingyu and Bai Shulan alone on a date at the Aquarium—a preview clip with only a brief glimpse, followed by nothing more.

Gu Xingyu glanced over, realizing the show had ended. The more she watched, the more convinced she became that Shulan’s “friend” was referring to her, though she still hesitated to believe it, dismissing it as mere speculation.

“Let’s go downstairs for dinner,” Bai Shulan said, rising and giving her a gentle smile.

Just then, Gu Xingyu’s phone rang. She snapped out of her reverie, pulled out her phone, and saw it was her mother calling.

“Xingyu, why aren’t you replying to my messages?!” her mother’s gentle but scolding voice came through the line.

“Mom, I haven’t had a chance to reply yet…” Gu Xingyu’s gaze darted away.

The bed suddenly dipped as Shulan sat down beside them, listening to their conversation with a gentle smile.

“What’s going on between you and Shulan? You two were on that dating reality show together, and you didn’t say a word to each other!”

“No, Mom, I… I was just…” Gu Xingyu stammered, but before she could finish, Shulan interrupted.

Shulan took the phone. “Mom, it’s me, Shulan. Those were just for the show, don’t take them seriously…”

“Xingyu and I are doing great, don’t worry…”

“Yes, we are. Okay…”

Gu Xingyu looked directly at her. Shulan’s expression was relaxed and gentle, the corners of her lips curving into a slight smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She exuded a graceful, domestic warmth, her beauty so tender it stirred the heart.

Bai Shulan smoothly ended the phone call.

“Let’s go eat, Xingyu,” she said, her eyes shining as she smiled at Gu Xingyu.

The smile was like a small pebble dropped into a lake, sending ripples through Gu Xingyu’s heart.

After dinner, the two returned to their respective rooms.

Bai Shulan was curled up on the sofa, replying to various messages.

She noticed that Yin Xian had sent her several WeChat messages and even called, but she hadn’t answered.

So she called back.

“Xianxian,” she said softly.

“Shulan, you finally replied?! Did you see my messages? Are you deliberately ignoring me?…” Yin Xian immediately began to complain, her voice full of exasperation.

“I honestly didn’t notice. My phone was off,” Bai Shulan explained.

“Fine, but why turn off your phone for no reason? Can you reply faster next time? Seriously…” Yin Xian grumbled.

“……” Bai Shulan smiled faintly and nodded slowly.

“What’s going on with you? Do you like Chen Ren or Gu Xingyu? Wait, what’s your relationship with Chen Ren anyway?!” Yin Xian had too many questions and immediately zeroed in on the most important ones.

Bai Shulan smiled faintly, a hint of helplessness in her expression. “…Do you think I like Chen Ren?”

Back in her room, Gu Xingyu checked the message from her manager, Sister Dan: filming for Spring Love would begin in two days. Overjoyed, she couldn’t wait to share the news with Shulan. Her mind began to conjure up beautiful scenes of what they would experience together.

Eagerly, she went to Shulan’s room to knock.

But before her hand could touch the door, she heard a voice say, “I like Chen Ren.”

The words struck her like a lightning bolt. She stumbled back two steps, a suffocating sense of heartbreak washing over her as the pink bubbles in her mind shattered completely.

I knew it, she thought bitterly. How could Shulan ever like me? The “friend” she mentioned must have been Chen Ren all along…

The few wonderful days they had spent together had given her false hope, leading her to indulge in reckless fantasies.

She fled the scene, retreating to her room like a wounded animal.

Yin Xian: “What do you mean it doesn’t seem like it? You and Chen Ren were always together back in school—everyone thought you were a couple! And you still seem close now!”

“…Really? Then tell me, do you think I like her or Xingyu?” Bai Shulan pressed.

“Ugh, that’s why I’m asking you! You and Chen Ren are like childhood sweethearts, but something feels missing. You and Xingyu were on a dating reality show, but you two didn’t seem particularly close…” Yin Xian analyzed.

“Doesn’t that answer your question?” Bai Shulan smiled knowingly, then stated plainly, “I like Xingyu.”

“Ahhh! I knew it! My intuition was right all along! Shulan, all those years of friendship finally paid off! You’re finally being honest with me!” Yin Xian roared on the other end of the line.

“Wait, then why don’t you just tell Xingyu? She’d probably be over the moon.”

“…Hmm… Do you think she likes me?” The smile on Bai Shulan’s face faded slightly.

“…Probably? I guess?” Yin Xian hesitated. Xingyu usually acted carefree and was always flirting with that Xiao Xiaoxiao…

“Right…?” Bai Shulan murmured thoughtfully.

“Don’t worry! Once you make your move, Xingyu will be head over heels for you!” Yin Xian reassured her.

“Alright, just don’t spill the beans.”

“Relax, relax! Xingyu’s going to be so thrilled!” Yin Xian declared confidently.