Chapter 4: You, Team Up with Me
The male guests were fine, but the female guests were all incredulous.
Whether celebrities or ordinary participants, none of them had missed watching other dating shows.
They had expected a lighthearted romance experience, but who would have thought they’d be doing farm work?
Chen Sisi discreetly nudged Xu Zhaozhao’s arm.
If she couldn’t speak openly, she had a spokesperson to express her thoughts for her.
Xu Zhaozhao shook off her gloom and began to adopt a delicate, pretentious persona. “Shouldn’t they have taken us to where we’d be staying first, so we could drop off our luggage and settle in?”
“Then everyone could sit together, chat, get to know each other, and only start the dating tasks tomorrow. Why are we helping the villagers with farm work right away?”
“Besides…”
She glanced at her exquisitely dressed figure with difficulty.
“Even if we have to help with farm work, I need time and space to change clothes. This outfit is very expensive.”
The director was ruthless in his denial. “Sorry, that’s the rule.”
“If you don’t successfully complete at least one farm task for the villagers, you’re considered eliminated, and there’s no need to arrange rooms!”
“What? Eliminated? Did I hear that right? A dating show with an elimination system?”
“A dating show mixed with a survival game—I like it.”
“I always said ten men and ten women was too many; my eyes couldn’t keep up. So there’s elimination?”
“Love or bread, that is the question!”
“Isn’t Xu Zhaozhao just shooting herself in the foot? She’s the only female guest dressed so tight and sexy.”
“Ahahaha… I’m strangely looking forward to that scene…”
“Will Xu Zhaozhao just quit outright?”
“Relax, she’s here to ride the hype, not to leave so easily.”
On and off camera, everyone was mocking Xu Zhaozhao.
Many female guests, who initially resented Xu Zhaozhao for stealing the spotlight, now felt glad they had chosen more casual attire.
Tight dresses and stiletto heels—forget farm work, even bending down or squatting would be difficult.
However disruptive she was at the start, she would surely be dirt-faced and humiliated later.
After receiving the unequivocal program rules, Chen Sisi immediately approached Ke Hao.
Before the other female guests could react, she was the first to invite the movie emperor. “Emperor Ke, let’s…”
“Emperor Ke, let’s team up, just the two of us?” Xu Zhaozhao immediately followed up.
They spoke almost simultaneously.
Chen Sisi glanced at Xu Zhaozhao, her eyes surprised and a little wronged. “Zhaozhao, I invited Emperor Ke first.”
“So what?” Xu Zhaozhao shrugged carelessly. “It doesn’t matter who said it first; what matters is how the emperor chooses, right?”
She dutifully played the role of the wicked antagonist in Chen Sisi’s last ten days.
Looking expectantly at Ke Hao, she said, “Emperor Ke, team up with me. I can do anything; you definitely won’t lose out…”
Chen Sisi said nothing, just quietly stared at Ke Hao, nervously biting her red lips.
“Wow, what a bold move by Xu Zhaozhao, trying to steal the emperor Chen Sisi wanted to invite.”
“Don’t even think about hijacking him! Ke Hao belongs to Sisi!”
“The emperor and Sisi together are perfect; scheming bitches stay away!”
The comments overwhelmingly favored Chen Sisi.
Though unable to see the comments, Ke Hao took a step back, distancing himself from both Xu Zhaozhao and Chen Sisi.
“I am honored by your choices, thank you,” he said.
His voice was magnetic, immediately soothing anyone who heard it.
Chen Sisi’s eyes sparkled with confidence.
Ke Hao was humble and low-key; he would never team up with a flamboyant woman like Xu Zhaozhao.
Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Ke Hao walked straight over to another elegant and tall female guest.
“Song Qing is my junior from university. We have a bit of history, so I choose to team up with her for this task.”
Having just won the Best Actor award, Ke Hao was focusing intently on elevating his career. Scandals and romances could damage his reputation if mishandled.
Therefore, regardless of whether a young popular actress or a glamorous minor starlet, he wouldn’t choose them.
Song Qing, chosen by him, covered her mouth in shock, eyes wide with disbelief. “Senior, you actually remembered me?”
Ke Hao smiled. “How could I forget? When I came back to give lectures at the university, you always sat in the front row, taking the most notes!”
Song Qing blushed.
Chen Sisi’s eyes grew red.
Watching Ke Hao and Song Qing team up shoulder to shoulder, the lonely Chen Sisi glared fiercely at Xu Zhaozhao.
Xu Zhaozhao shrugged helplessly.
Who could have expected the story to unfold this way?
It wasn’t her fault for not helping Chen Sisi.
She had done her best; whether it worked was beyond her control, especially when the target was the movie emperor.
Seeing that the emperor had already formed a team, other female guests with their own designs on him quickly found partners.
Ashamed and frustrated, Chen Sisi forced herself to recover from the blow of not being chosen by Ke Hao.
If she was eliminated in the prelude, it would be humiliating, and she’d lose the chance to form a bond with the emperor later.
Now, she had to find a way to pass the first stage.
Her gaze settled on Shen Mu.
Except for being an ordinary participant, Shen Mu’s external conditions matched up to Ke Hao.
Naturally, he became the second most popular choice for female guests to team up with.
Unfortunately, two female guests had already invited him, only to be flatly rejected.
Unlike Emperor Ke, who declined Chen Sisi and Xu Zhaozhao politely and left them face, Shen Mu showed no gentlemanly side, turning down everyone with a blunt “No.”
Seeing the first two female guests fail, the others lost interest in teaming with Shen Mu.
“Shen Mu is just a pretty face. The emperor is approachable; why is he so arrogant!”
Many began to criticize Shen Mu in the comments.
“No arrogance—he’s honestly expressing his true feelings. Should he fake liking female guests just to team up?”
“Exactly, Shen Mu is just being himself.”
Watching the first two women hit a wall, Chen Sisi smiled faintly. She was unafraid as she approached Shen Mu, who had rejected others.
She was a rising pure and innocent starlet, the dream girl of many fans.
Shen Mu might refuse other female guests, but he wouldn’t refuse her.
She had that confidence facing an ordinary participant.
“Hello, Shen Mu,” she said, calm yet coquettish. “Would you… like to team up with me?”
Seeing Chen Sisi invite Shen Mu, Xu Zhaozhao’s eyes dimmed.
This time, she didn’t step forward to be the awkward supporting role but instead stepped back two paces, placing herself in a corner unseen by the cameras.
Shen Mu’s consecutive refusals to two women indicated they weren’t his true love.
She anxiously awaited Shen Mu’s answer.
If the true love was Chen Sisi…
Before Xu Zhaozhao could overthink, Shen Mu gave everyone the answer in three words.
“No, I won’t.”
Hearing this, a wave of relief washed over Xu Zhaozhao.
Thank goodness it wasn’t Chen Sisi.
If she lost to Chen Sisi, she would be very resentful.
Chen Sisi hadn’t expected such an answer either. After her initial shock, tears welled up in her eyes.
“Wow, he actually dares to reject our Sisi!”
“To the person above, I remember your ID. You just said he was honest, but when it happens to your idol, you change your tune?”
“Hahaha, this spirit equally crushes every female guest.”
“But…”
Chen Sisi held back tears and, though wronged, “understood” Shen Mu’s sharpness.
“You rejected me; no female guest will team up with you from now on. You’ll be eliminated at the start. Is that your goal for joining the show?”
Shen Mu’s expression did not change.
She spoke the truth: that was indeed his purpose. He wanted to be eliminated immediately.
If the originally scheduled ordinary participant hadn’t had an accident and failed to show up, why would he join such a boring program?
His driver was waiting outside, ready to take him away once he was eliminated in the first round.
He still had several meetings waiting.
Especially…
He glanced at Xu Zhaozhao.
He had just gotten rid of this scheming woman and didn’t want to give her another chance to cling to him.
However, as he looked at Xu Zhaozhao, he suddenly noticed a muscular man talking to her.
He had seen the profile—this was a fairly famous fitness influencer.
Xu Zhaozhao’s face beamed with a warm smile; it was obvious they were about to team up.
Shen Mu suddenly stood up in fury.
They had divorced yesterday, and today she was openly flirting with the movie emperor in front of countless viewers.
Failing to seduce the emperor, she moved on to the muscular man.
A nameless fury burned in his chest.
Chen Sisi, seeing him stand, thought Shen Mu had agreed to team up with her.
“So, shall we—” she began, but before finishing, Shen Mu brushed past her.
She turned back blankly.
Shen Mu blocked the muscular man and said to Xu Zhaozhao in an unequivocal tone, “You, team up with me!”