An Effortless Win

Zhou Yun had reminded them about eleven o'clock because the Dating Show had an important segment: every night, they had to send a text to someone of the opposite sex, openly expressing their interest.

Tang Zhi Chu had already been familiar with this rule in his previous life. After all, he was part of the Industry Circle, and the two worlds were remarkably similar.

In the second-floor lounge, Huang Ze Jun shifted slightly to the left on the sofa when he saw Tang Zhi Chu come in, clearly inviting him to sit down.

Yang Jia Xing, seated in the armchair opposite them, also asked, "Are you okay?"

"Much better. I wasn't feeling well. Sorry."

Yang Jia Xing waved a hand. "If it's a cold, I've got medicine. If you really can't handle it, I'll take you to the hospital later. Don't force yourself."

Tang Zhi Chu sat beside Huang Ze Jun and nodded. "Alright. If I'm still uncomfortable, I'll ask you for some medicine."

Huang Ze Jun took the chance to add, "You didn't seem to have much of an appetite, so Xiao Yun and I made some porridge while we were cooking. Go have some later."

Tang Zhi Chu was a little surprised, but he still thanked him.

Why was everyone suddenly being so nice to him after one nap?

What had he done? Thinking back, he seemed to have been detached from everything the whole time. By all rights, there was no way they should have a favorable impression of him.

After sitting there for two minutes, Tang Zhi Chu suddenly understood.

Yang Jia Xing sat opposite Huang Ze Jun, and before he had arrived, neither of them had spoken. Both looked equally composed.

Were they secretly competing?

Competing on a Dating Show?

Obviously, it was over the female guests.

From their perspective, not only was he quiet and withdrawn, but his background and résumé were unimpressive. That made him less of a threat, turning him into a "sweet deal" in their eyes.

Tang Zhi Chu smiled faintly without showing it, and his thoughts finally began to clear.

With the three male guests gathered together, it was naturally time to text a member of the opposite sex to express interest. The female guests were downstairs.

Although Tang Zhi Chu was quiet, he had been taking note of useful information.

In terms of looks, none of the three female guests were lacking. Zhou Yun had the best figure. Tang Zhi Chu vaguely remembered seeing her midriff when she stretched; she had defined abs, and even her belly button was a neat vertical line.

Jiang Lan seemed like a refined young lady from a distinguished family. She mostly responded to others, gentle, modest, and never fighting for attention.

As for Chen Si Yang, there was no need to say much. Her arrival had completely lit up the villa. She was the visual of the Planet Girl Group, with looks worthy of a luxury ad campaign.

Who should he text?

Tang Zhi Chu hesitated for less than three seconds before choosing Chen Si Yang's number.

It was not because of her looks. He simply wanted to get a foot in the door.

"Nice to meet you."

A completely ordinary text.

The female guests were on the first floor.

Everyone heard the dull vibration of the phones clearly, yet they had to pretend they had not. They were afraid that whoever received a text would feel pressured, and also afraid of looking awkward themselves.

Chen Si Yang picked up her phone again with a small, subtle movement.

"Nice to meet you."

This was the third text she had received.

Chen Si Yang did not feel proud or pleased. Instead, she felt immense pressure.

Not all of that pressure came from receiving three texts. Some of it came from why she had joined the Dating Show in the first place.

The Planet Girl Group had disbanded half a year ago. There had been conflicts, but more than that, each company had been seeking to maximize its own interests.

Yes, maximize profits.

So the company Chen Si Yang belonged to had bundled her up and sold her off to another company. Tianhe Entertainment.

Everything she had seen and experienced after debuting in the group had gradually worn down the Chen Si Yang who had once been full of passion.

Chen Si Yang felt that if she kept slacking off, she would truly be finished.

So after reading motivational self-help posts for three days and recovering a little energy, she gritted her teeth, sought out her manager, and proactively asked for work. She was preparing for one final gamble in this industry.

Her manager was in a difficult position. Chen Si Yang had come from a girl group and had also graduated from a film academy, so she had some acting foundation. But Tianhe lacked neither actors nor singers.

An artist from a girl group with no background—could she get a good film or television project among a company full of Senior figures? Even Chen Si Yang knew that was impossible.

So her manager gave her three variety shows to choose from.

An acting variety show, an outdoor variety show, and a Dating Show.

Chen Si Yang thought about it for an entire night. The acting show was tempting, but she chickened out. The acting shows on television looked terrifying; forget minor actors, even established Senior actors could be criticized until they cried.

What about the outdoor show? That felt more like being an extra. Only the Dating Show gave her plenty of room to perform.

She had formal training, and Chen Si Yang was confident in her acting. Rather than getting torn apart by Senior actors, directors, and film critics, she might as well date on a Dating Show and accept the market's real test.

Wasn't a Dating Show basically the same as a romantic idol drama?

Precisely because she knew why she was here, Chen Si Yang felt enormous pressure.

But she also knew this was a hurdle she had to cross. To survive in this Industry Circle, she had to be a little ruthless.

Chen Si Yang gritted her teeth and considered who to text back. It made her feel as if she were choosing the male lead for this romantic idol drama.

Yang Jia Xing was very proactive—so proactive that Chen Si Yang did not even know how to deal with him. If she texted Yang Jia Xing back, the pressure would undoubtedly become even greater.

Huang Ze Jun had also expressed interest in her. When they had decided on cooking partners earlier, he had even tried to compete for her, only to lose to Yang Jia Xing in rock-paper-scissors.

However, Huang Ze Jun was a little older and looked too steady. Chen Si Yang felt that they were not a good match.

In Chen Si Yang's view, chemistry was extremely important in a romantic idol drama.

That left only Tang Zhi Chu, the one who had not spoken at all.

Chen Si Yang's brows relaxed. He actually seemed like a viable option.

Tang Zhi Chu's cold silence made her feel less pressured instead. And in terms of appearance, he was indeed the more outstanding one among the three. They were about the same age, too.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Si Yang began composing her text.

Upstairs.

Tang Zhi Chu thought, Just as expected. Both Yang Jia Xing's and Huang Ze Jun's phones had vibrated, while his remained completely silent.

Leaving aside his poor performance, his background was even worse.

Tang Zhi Chu calculated that it looked like he would have to play a simp for more than a month.

Whether he looked like a simp or not did not matter much to Tang Zhi Chu. Who the hell dated in front of cameras? Even if they did date, they would be dating for the audience.

Just as Tang Zhi Chu was considering how to become a memorable simp in the viewers' eyes, his phone suddenly vibrated.

He picked it up. His face remained expressionless, but he was deeply surprised inside.

The number that had texted him was the very one he had sent his message to!

In other words, this text had come from Chen Si Yang.

"You seem like you don't really like talking!"

Tang Zhi Chu: "???"

Tang Zhi Chu's vibrating phone drew Huang Ze Jun and Yang Jia Xing's attention.

Both were surprised. Someone who had been shut off from everyone the entire time, with almost zero interaction with the female guests, had still received a text?

However, neither of them was particularly shaken. Instead, they each shot the other a glare.

Yang Jia Xing thought, That old man has some tricks. Chen Si Yang actually sent him a text!

Huang Ze Jun thought, No, no, I need to be more proactive. Chen Si Yang must have sent her text to that kid across from me!