Chapter 23: A Dating Show No One Believes In

Once the car was moving, Ke Hao occasionally observed Xu Zhaozhao through the rearview mirror. Truth be told, the way she had deftly popped the hood, checked the vehicle, and jump-started the battery earlier had genuinely impressed him. Although jump-starting wasn't exactly a test of technical skill, it was enough to show that she knew her way around a car.

Chen Sisi, sitting in the passenger seat, noticed his gaze, and her expression darkened. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have faked a sprained ankle. Instead, she had handed Xu Zhaozhao the perfect opportunity to shine. The more she thought about it, the more resentful she felt; she already disliked Xu Zhaozhao, and now her aversion was even stronger. However, she couldn't afford to burn bridges with her just yet. At least on this dating reality show, there were still many ways she could make use of her.

"What's so great about a woman knowing how to fix a car?" she thought, rolling her eyes. "A bunch of ignorant fools!"

Chen Sisi assumed that since she was in the passenger seat and the camera was behind her, it couldn't capture her face. Little did she know, the rearview mirror betrayed every one of her expressions.

[Haha, I can't hold it in anymore, guys.]
[I came here for a sweet romance, not a comedy show.]
[Honestly, if Xu Zhaozhao hadn't been diverting everyone's attention, Chen Sisi's lack of intelligence would have been exposed long ago!]
[To be fair, if she used these expressions for acting, wouldn't it be much more vivid?]

Chen Sisi was unaware that the internet was currently mocking her in unison. She was still busy plotting how to further close the distance between herself and the movie star.

In fact, she wasn't the only one; Shen Mu had also noticed Ke Hao's gaze. As a man himself, he understood the admiration in those eyes. He desperately wanted to offer Ke Hao a piece of advice: "This woman is a master at acting; you’d best not lose your heart to her." Yet, inexplicably, he felt an indescribable surge of anger. He looked at Xu Zhaozhao in the front seat, who was chatting with Auntie Fu and making her laugh heartily. His eyes dimmed.

*What am I even doing?* he wondered. Since he had decided Xu Zhaozhao was that kind of person and had chosen to walk away, things should have ended there. Meeting on this dating show was an accident, and Xu Zhaozhao had been keeping her distance—why was he the one actively trying to get close to her?

Even though he had decided to leave the show today, the moment he saw Sun Yu and Zhan Wang invite Xu Zhaozhao to team up, he couldn't help but intervene.

"Shen Mu," he asked himself, "do you still have feelings for that woman?"

"How could that be possible? She deceived you!"

Sensing the heavy atmosphere behind her, Xu Zhaozhao turned her head slightly. However, she ultimately didn't look at Shen Mu, instead pulling her gaze away to continue talking with Auntie Fu. She had been telling Shen Mu the truth; since he had chosen to end things, she didn't want any further entanglement. She had no desire to interfere in anyone else's relationship; she just wanted to be herself.

The journey from Ancient Tree Village to the market was seven or eight miles—an hour's walk, but a quick trip by car. Ten minutes later, guided by Auntie Fu, the van arrived at the market. Ke Hao parked in an open space, and everyone climbed out.

Chen Sisi was the first to exit. The musty smell of the old van made her feel nauseous; she missed her luxury motorhome dearly. Xu Zhaozhao helped Auntie Fu out first, while Shen Mu followed behind, carrying the basket of duck eggs. As soon as they stepped out, they were met with the curious stares of the market-goers. After all, they were a group of handsome men and beautiful women—and more importantly, they were being followed by cameras.

"What are you all doing here?" someone asked curiously.

"They're here to film a show," Auntie Fu answered for them, "and to promote our surrounding villages while they're at it."

"What kind of show?"

"This..." Auntie Fu was stumped.

Ke Hao added from behind, "It's a dating show that showcases pastoral life. You can watch the live stream on your phones."

"Live stream?" A few elderly people gathered around. "What's that?"

[Wow, is it possible that there are still people who don't know what a live stream is?]
[Why not? Look at the market; it's mostly elderly people. The young ones have likely moved to the cities, and the elderly left behind probably don't use smartphones much.]
[This environment is so nice—a return to simplicity. This is what life should be.]
[Right? If I didn't have to work, I'd want to go on vacation in that village too.]
[Exactly. The village has clear streams, stone houses with history, working at sunrise and resting at sunset... the ultimate retirement dream for a corporate slave!]

"A live stream is a kind of program you watch on a mobile phone..." Ke Hao explained to the locals one by one.

"That's boring," an old woman watching the commotion shook her head. "What's the point of watching it on a phone? You should watch TV; the screen is bigger!"

"My old eyes can't read the words on a phone anymore, let alone watch a show!" an old man with gray hair chimed in.

"Me too," another hunched old man added. "Not only are my eyes bad, but my ears are almost gone too. My kids got me a phone with a loud volume a few years ago, but..."

The crowd gathered around the crew for a while, but finding no interest in the topics of "dating" or "live streaming," they soon dispersed to tend to their own business. A few stood at a distance, occasionally pointing at the crew.

[For some reason, I want to pull up a small stool and bring some sunflower seeds to join them.]
[People who love excitement and gossip, truly!]
[Is this a market or a chatting convention?]
[The function of a market isn't just buying and selling; it's also for socializing.]

Just then, Auntie Fu spotted an empty patch of ground, stepped forward to claim it, and beckoned to Shen Mu. "Xiao Shen, Xiao Shen!"

Shen Mu stepped forward. Auntie Fu took the basket from him, carefully placed it on the ground, and sat down behind it. Seeing that Auntie Fu had already gotten into the swing of things, Xu Zhaozhao asked, "Auntie Fu, are you hungry? We're going to get something to eat; should we bring you something?"

Auntie Fu shook her head. "You young people like to sleep in and skip breakfast. Go eat; I had mine before I left."

Xu Zhaozhao nodded and headed further into the market. Chen Sisi immediately grabbed Ke Hao's arm. "Ke, I'm so hungry. Let's go find something to eat, shall we?"

"Alright," Ke Hao nodded.

[Did Chen Sisi forget something?]
[Forget what?]
[Forgot to keep limping! She was complaining about how much her foot hurt under the tree just a few minutes ago. How did she get better so fast?]
[Note: "Spraining an ankle" here isn't a verb; it's a tactic.]

Only when they saw the comments did most viewers realize that Chen Sisi's foot was no longer limping. How could a sprained ankle heal that quickly? It only proved that she had been faking it all along!

[Chen Sisi is such a poser, she... I... I'm speechless!]
[Why did she even do that? It backfired and gave Xu Zhaozhao the spotlight for fixing the car!]
[Is it possible their scripts were swapped, and Chen Sisi is meant to play the unlikable villain?]
[Do you think that's possible given her status?]
[I wasn't sure before, but it might be possible from now on.]