Chapter 11: The Elusive Green Tea

After a satisfying meal, Xu Zhaozhao and Shen Mu returned to the original gathering spot of the production team. Everyone had left from there after receiving their tasks, leaving all their luggage behind. Now that the task was completed, it was time to return.

In the countryside, free from light pollution, even after dark, the moon and stars illuminated the path. As they threaded through the unfamiliar ancient village, with her ex-husband Shanli following behind, Xu Zhaozhao’s mood was unusually complex.

Suddenly, she misstepped and twisted her ankle.

“Be careful!”

“Careful.”

Two voices spoke simultaneously.

Two different men’s arms steadied her at once.

One was slender and familiar—her ex-husband’s.

The other...

Following the arm adorned with a high-end luxury watch upward, she saw actor Ke Hao.

Beside him was Song Qing, his partner.

Seeing Song Qing, Xu Zhaozhao’s eyes dimmed.

She withdrew her arm from Shen Mu’s support and shifted her entire weight onto Ke Hao.

Once Ke Hao helped her steady herself, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and offered an awkward yet grateful smile.

“Actor Ke, thank you so much. Without you, I might not have been able to continue the show!”

“It was nothing,” Ke Hao said, gently retracting the wrist that Xu Zhaozhao had grasped tightly.

If not for the live cameras, he would have long been infuriated by her behavior.

[Wow, Xu Zhaozhao is playing the game so slyly! Shen Mu was also holding her up, but she only thanks the actor.]

[Shen Mu is such a fool.]

[Not a fool, just a simpleton. Everyone sees Xu Zhaozhao’s little schemes clearly, yet he insists on teaming up with her.]

“Senior, I’ve found my bracelet.”

At that moment, Song Qing emerged from a neighboring house, holding a bracelet encrusted with tiny diamonds.

After helping the family finish farm chores, she had taken off the bracelet to wash her hands and then forgotten it at the sink.

Just as dinner ended and she was about to leave, she remembered and hurried back for it.

Seeing the bracelet, viewers watching the livestream couldn’t help but react.

[Wow, are these ordinary contestants on dating shows always this wealthy? First, Shen Mu wore a suit worth tens of thousands, now Song Qing’s latest starry-sky bracelet is a global limited edition that money alone can’t easily buy.]

[What is this?]

[It’s no surprise that contestants on dating shows are wealthy—they’re carefully selected by the producers. These ‘ordinary people’ are only relative to famous celebrities. What surprises me more are the netizens who can identify all these brands at a glance. You guys are so rich it’s intimidating.]

[Finally, some truth. At least I know there’s a distance between us and the contestants, but I’ve always felt viewers are equal.]

[Don’t get defensive. I recognize this bracelet not for anything else, but simply because... I have one too!]

[Stop it, you’re killing me!]

“Since you found it, be sure to keep it safe this time. By the way, this path is tricky, watch out for twisted ankles.”

With that, Ke Hao gave Shen Mu a pointed look before leading Song Qing away.

Xu Zhaozhao checked her ankle—no injury—and straightened up, only to see Shen Mu’s face dark as a soot pot.

She glanced meaningfully at Song Qing.

Indeed, when a man truly loves a woman, he cannot hide his emotions.

Just seeing Song Qing walking ahead with Ke Hao was enough to turn Shen Mu’s face black with jealousy. How much must he like Song Qing?

Yet one thing Xu Zhaozhao could never understand was why Shen Mu had proposed to her back on the island if he liked Song Qing so much.

She knew Song Qing came from a decent family, had no complicated entanglements, and was currently single—otherwise, she wouldn’t be on the dating show.

It made no sense that someone like Shen Mu couldn’t win her over and had to keep chasing her all the way to the show.

But no matter how many questions Xu Zhaozhao had, she kept them to herself.

With cameras following all the way, just maintaining her image was exhausting, let alone demanding explanations from Shen Mu.

She comforted herself: well, they were divorced now; she wasn’t at a loss.

At least during the island vacation, she had a handsome companion.

Shen Mu was an unexpected detour in her life plan; her true goal remained retirement and seclusion on the island.

She dreamed of owning a home, planting a few vegetable patches, keeping a cat or dog, and spending days by the sea writing songs amid sunrises and sunsets.

As Xu Zhaozhao snapped out of her daydream, she saw Shen Mu had already disappeared into the distance.

Without lingering, she quickened her pace toward the meeting point, still keeping an eye on Chen Sisi.

Since she had encountered the actor, she guessed Chen Sisi was nearby.

Knowing Chen Sisi well, Xu Zhaozhao surmised that since she had targeted Ke Hao, she would create every opportunity to get close to him.

Sure enough, not far from where Ke Hao and Song Qing had left, Chen Sisi coincidentally met them.

“Hi, Actor Ke, Qing Qing, it’s you!” she greeted cheerfully.

Petite and delicate, Chen Sisi looked even more adorable next to her fitness trainer, Sun Yu.

Unlike Xu Zhaozhao’s direct approach toward the actor, Chen Sisi played a subtler game.

She casually linked arms with Song Qing. “Qing Qing, how’s your task going? Are you tired?”

Though she asked Song Qing, her eyes lingered on Ke Hao.

Song Qing, with a media background but currently studying abroad, lacked experience working with celebrities.

Her university senior had chosen her as his partner, and she was already thrilled. Seeing a popular young star like Chen Sisi so approachable made her feel especially flattered.

She answered Chen Sisi’s questions unguardedly.

Such a naive girl.

Xu Zhaozhao sighed inwardly.

Chen Sisi was fishing for information, trying to learn about the actor’s preferences and the type of woman he liked.

But...

Xu Zhaozhao thought sadly, it was precisely because Song Qing was so pure that she earned the affection of both Ke Hao and Shen Mu.

Unlike herself and Chen Sisi, who were both too skilled at masking their true selves.

[For those watching the actor’s or Sisi’s teams throughout the dating show, how do you feel?]

As the three teams converged, many viewers watching Xu Zhaozhao and Shen Mu’s livestream chimed in.

[It feels great. The actor really takes care of his junior sister.]

[Sisi and Sun Yu’s team is seriously sweet overload.]

[Yeah, Sisi got played by Shen Mu and ended up with Sun Yu, but he dotes on her so much!]

[Exactly. At first, Sun Yu chose Xu Zhaozhao as his partner purely because he feared Sisi wouldn’t want to team up with a small internet celebrity like him. Turns out, he worried too much; Sisi is so gentle and generous.]

[Everyone, stay rational. Don’t forget, Sisi initially wanted to team up with the actor.]