Chapter 5: This Man Has a Poisonous Tongue

Facing the sudden approach of Shen Mu, the polite smile on Xu Zhaozhao’s face froze instantly.

She looked at him in disbelief. Having rejected three female guests, including Chen Sisi, wasn’t his entire goal to pair up with his "white moonlight"? Now, his sudden desire to partner with her could only mean his white moonlight had already been taken. Could that person be Song Qing? Had Ke Hao snatched Song Qing first, leaving Shen Mu with no other options?

"Sorry," Xu Zhaozhao refused flatly. She stepped toward the fitness influencer Sun Yu, who had invited her earlier. "I’ve already accepted Coach Sun’s invitation."

She had no intention of being a substitute or a stepping stone in someone else’s romance. Besides, when she wasn’t filming, she enjoyed following Sun Yu’s live fitness streams. Teaming up with him for the show’s tasks would be a perfect opportunity to learn more about exercise.

"That’s right," the burly Sun Yu nodded. "Shen Mu, I’ve already teamed up with Zhaozhao. You’ll have to find someone else!"

Left standing alone, Chen Sisi wore an expression as if she were about to burst into tears.

[What the hell is Shen Mu doing? How could he treat Sisi like that?]

[My filter for the "iceberg man" has shattered completely. He’s not cold and sincere; he just has a deep-seated preference for flashy, cheap women!]

[Xu Zhaozhao seems a bit wronged here, doesn't she? She didn’t go out of her way to chase after Shen Mu.]

Faced with rejection, Shen Mu’s reaction was quite different from the others. He said to Sun Yu, "You chose to pair with Xu Zhaozhao simply because, among all the female guests, her outfit is the most provocative. Standing next to her fits your professional image..."

Sun Yu was stunned. He did have that thought. Regardless of Xu Zhaozhao's reputation, standing next to her did make for a visually striking pair. He hadn't expected Shen Mu to call him out so directly. After all, on the first day of meeting, who could truly see through to anyone's heart? Wasn't everyone making initial matches based on fame or appearance? By what right did Shen Mu criticize him?

Just as Sun Yu prepared to retort, he heard Shen Mu continue, his tone brooking no argument.

"If you want to improve your popularity and better open up your market, first, Xu Zhaozhao's unknown status as an actress isn't enough; you should have paired with Chen Sisi!"

"Second, Xu Zhaozhao standing next to you creates a match in terms of physique, but she doesn't actually complement you. Chen Sisi, however, does."

"She is slender and delicate, which better highlights your muscular, athletic build. One is still, one is moving; one is soft, one is hard."

[Oh my god, did this corporate executive bring his company's HR tactics to a dating show? As a wage slave, I feel extremely uncomfortable!]

[This "dad-splaining" is turning a dating show into a corporate performance review.]

[Agreed. My fan heart can't take it anymore. A preachy man is such a turn-off.]

[Well, having two weirdos, one male and one female, on one dating show is quite the spectacle.]

[Let the schemer and the preacher be locked together so they don't go around harming others!]

[But... Shen Mu doesn't seem wrong, does he? I caught a glimpse of the muscle definition on Xu Zhaozhao's arm when she grabbed something earlier. She might actually steal the spotlight from Sun Yu...]

[This is a dating show, for heaven's sake! Stop talking about "highlighting" or "stealing the spotlight." I want to see a sweet romance!]

By now, the other guests had formed their teams and were heading out. Under the shade of the meeting area, only Xu Zhaozhao, Shen Mu, Chen Sisi, and Sun Yu remained in a tense stalemate.

Having suffered two setbacks in a row, Chen Sisi’s face turned terrifically dark. She struggled to keep from losing her temper. After all, failing to form a team was a selling point for the show, and they were currently under the intense scrutiny of the audience. As the camera turned toward her, she shed a single, timely tear, wiped it away quickly, and then forced a brave, smiling face.

"Shen Mu, since you don't like me and prefer Zhaozhao, then I wish you both all the best."

Her goal was the award-winning actor, not anyone else; her current priority was passing the warm-up task. As for the humiliation she suffered from this nobody, once she was with the actor, she would surely pay it back tenfold. Shen Mu, that dead man! She cursed him ten thousand times in her heart. Once the show ended, she would make him regret it!

While cursing internally, she cast a slightly misty gaze toward Sun Yu. "Coach Sun, would you be willing to team up with me?"

She had heard from the director that the task involved helping villagers with farm work. With this burly man as a partner, it might be more helpful.

Her tears successfully elicited infinite sympathy from the audience behind the screens.

[Chen Sisi is so pitiful. How could they treat her like that?]

[If I were there, I’d scratch Shen Mu’s eyes out. Scumbag, daring to reject my Sisi.]

[You only dare to scratch a nobody. Why don't you try scratching the award-winning actor?]

Receiving an invitation from the popular young actress, Sun Yu was flattered. He nodded frantically, "Yes, yes, I’d love to be on a team with you, Sisi."

He actually felt Shen Mu was right—Chen Sisi’s appearance did complement him better. But Chen Sisi was a hit star, and he was merely a fitness blogger; he hadn't dared to risk embarrassment, so he had settled for inviting Xu Zhaozhao. Now, though he didn't know what kind of madness had taken hold of Shen Mu to ignore a hit star, since Chen Sisi had offered, he was certainly going to take the chance.

"Then..." Chen Sisi tried to hide the nasality in her voice, "let's head out!"

Sun Yu nodded.

[The most sensible people get hurt the most. My heart aches for Sisi. She clearly doesn't like that fitness blogger.]

[Me too. Shen Mu is truly no gentleman!]

[What kind of company has him as an executive? With that kind of emotional intelligence, how did he even get the job?]

Meanwhile, in Hai City, at Extraordinary General Hospital.

Su Chengyu, lying in a luxurious hospital bed, stared blankly at the live stream's comments.

"Little Uncle..." He was caught between laughter and tears. "If I had known he would be like this on a dating show, I would have dragged myself there even with an appendicitis attack."

He said painfully, "Now, that development project is truly hopeless!"

Extraordinary Construction wanted to develop the villages around Ancient Tree Village into a folk tourism resort, but the government hadn't yet seen the value of those locations and had rejected the proposal. Upon learning that Director Sun was making a countryside-themed dating show and looking for sponsors, he had provided the sponsorship and requested a spot for a non-celebrity guest.

Su Chengyu had wanted to use the opportunity of the show to promote the quaint, ancient village and, by extension, Extraordinary Construction. He hadn't expected an appendicitis attack right as he was about to leave. Unable to find a last-minute replacement, he had to beg his Little Uncle to go in his stead.

The result? His Little Uncle had managed to provoke the entire cast’s resentment within half an hour of appearing.

"Young President Su, don't worry," his assistant comforted him. "The Big Boss didn't reveal his background or identity, did he?"

"Aside from the shareholders, very few employees in the company have ever seen the Big Boss. No one will link him to Extraordinary Construction."

"Right, right," Su Chengyu nodded. "Luckily, Little Uncle didn't reveal his identity. Everyone is unaware that he is from Extraordinary."

Otherwise, it would be a massive embarrassment. The mysterious Big Boss behind the prestigious Extraordinary Construction had become the person with the worst reputation on a dating show. If that got out, it would affect the company’s stock price!

However, even though his Little Uncle was performing so poorly on the show, he noticed some subtle changes. For instance, he used to be cold to everyone, never once losing his cool. Just now, when he had rushed between Xu Zhaozhao and Sun Yu, there had been a trace of barely perceptible exasperation on his face.

"Xu Zhaozhao?"

Looking at the Xu Zhaozhao on the screen who had been passively paired with his uncle, Su Chengyu’s eyes were filled with curiosity. "To be able to disturb Little Uncle’s emotions... who exactly are you?"