Truth vs. Lies

"Mr. Gu, the audience truly hopes you'll join our show. Please reconsider."

This was the third time Gu Yutang had received an invitation from the Traveling with X Family production team.

Gu Yutang lounged on the sofa, her exquisite, alluring eyes narrowing with visible impatience.

She mouthed, "Decline."

Her assistant, Wenwen, nodded. "Hello, I'm Sister Yu Tang's assistant. We really—"

"—Wait."

Gu Yijin suddenly appeared and interrupted Qiao Qiao.

Wenwen looked toward Gu Yutang. The woman made a gesture, and she stopped speaking.

Wenwen said softly, "Please hold on. Something's come up here, and we'll give you an answer shortly."

Leaning against the edge of the sofa, Gu Yijin said in a slightly ingratiating tone, "Sis, why not join the show? There's no downside."

Gu Yutang blinked. "There's no upside for me either. We'd have to expose our family to the cameras. If any negative publicity comes up, it won't be good for the company either."

Gu Yijin gave a bitter smile. "Sis, I actually have a selfish reason."

Seeing how pitiful he looked, Gu Yutang frowned worriedly. "What is it? Did something happen?"

"Once the paternity test results come out, Dad will bring Shen Qingling back to the Gu Family."

"I'm an outsider, after all. I'll be graduating and starting my internship soon. Someone with my status definitely can't work at Gu Corporation, or Dad and my brother will become suspicious."

Gu Yutang immediately understood what he meant.

"You want to enter the entertainment industry?"

"Yeah. I feel safest when I'm with you, Sis. I don't know why, but ever since I found out about my brother, I've been having dreams all the time. I dream that I'm thrown out of the house with nowhere to go, and even you ignore me."

Gu Yutang sighed. Thinking about the situation at home gave her a headache as well.

"Don't overthink it. I told you, no matter what happens, you'll always be my brother. Getting into the entertainment industry isn't a bad idea either. I have resources and connections, and the Gu Family has a foothold in entertainment too. With your looks, making it in the industry would be easy."

Gu Yijin said happily, "So, Sis, you're agreeing?"

Gu Yutang smiled. "Consider it paving the way for you. This show has indeed made quite a few people famous, but most of them became famous for scandals. If you want to make it through with a clean reputation, you'd better watch every word and action."

At this, Gu Yutang frowned again. "But if Shen Qingling comes home, he'll inevitably be on camera too. With his background, will he really not disgrace the Gu Family...?"

Gu Yijin lowered his eyes. This was exactly the effect he wanted.

The better he performed, the worse Shen Qingling would look by comparison.

The entertainment industry was his fallback anyway. Even if there was no place for him in the Gu Family, he could still make a living in entertainment later.

"Sis, Dad already said that as long as Shen Qingling really is a child of the Gu Family, he'll announce it to everyone. Shen Qingling will be in the news then anyway, and people will talk about our family regardless."

"Rather than let reporters write whatever they want, it's better to let everyone see for themselves on the show. Even if my brother performs poorly, it won't be our fault. After all, he wasn't raised in the Gu Family."

"If there's a problem, it'll be his. As long as you and I do well, no one will question the Gu Family."

After Gu Yijin said so much, Gu Yutang could only agree.

Besides, she did not want this newly arrived brother either. Gu Yijin had grown up with her, and at least they were of one mind. But this new Shen Qingling might not be.

Gu Yutang gave Wenwen a look, and Wenwen immediately called the production team.

Wenwen had been with Gu Yutang for many years. She understood her personality and the family's affairs, and she knew how to negotiate with the production team.

Gu Yutang asked the team to take better care of Gu Yijin. She openly stated that she was joining the show because of him.

Naturally, the production team understood her meaning: they were to make Gu Yijin famous.

The directing team extended another olive branch. "A dating show will be starting soon as well. If Young Master Gu performs well, we can reserve a spot for him."

Wenwen asked in surprise, "Is it that previously popular Heartbeat Romance?"

"Yes, but the rules for this dating show have changed. It'll have a more thrilling theme, so please keep an eye on it."

"A more thrilling theme? How thrilling could a dating show possibly be...?"

Shen Qingling was browsing online when a dating show trending on the hot-search list caught his attention: Liar's Cage.

"Truth vs. Lies, Love or Lie?"

"Truth is the wager, and lies are the weapon—do you dare place your bet?"

"Tear away the sweet words. Only those who survive have true love."

"We kiss through lies and kill with sincerity."

"When love becomes Werewolf, can the last one standing be trusted?"

"This is a high-stakes gamble, with ten million in prize money and the love of a lifetime on the line."

"Truth, lies, love, money, confrontation, truth, games, traps, choices."

"The most dangerous experiment in love—are you ready to be deceived?"

The show's promotional slogans were captivating. Even this concept teaser alone had drawn plenty of viewers.

The comments below were all filled with anticipation.

Heartbeat Romance is going all out this year. These slogans alone sound interesting.

Finally, it's not another boring dating show. I want something exciting!

It looks like a romance version of Werewolf. Someone will probably play a werewolf who deceives people in love.

I wonder how the production team will choose the guests. I really hope my favorite queen gets on it!

Don't even think about it. Director Jiang has never taken the usual path. He definitely won't choose the guests everyone expects. The picks will absolutely be surprising.

If it were you, what would you choose?

Shen Qingling said, "If it were me, I'd choose the ten million prize."

Because he had more than one love of his life.

If a show like this had existed in his previous life, it would have been tailor-made for Shen Qingling. If he played the liar, he would definitely win the ten-million prize.

Unfortunately, the entertainment industry in his world had not been as developed, and its shows had been relatively conservative. A dating show like this would have been absolutely impossible.

He had not expected this world's entertainment scene to play so much harder. In his previous life, anyone who dared to go on a dating show and act as a love fraud would have been cursed to death.

Shen Qingling only glanced at it briefly before losing interest.

He planned to go to bed early so he could see Lin Xingmian tomorrow.

His lunch with Song Zhining had been moved to the evening, so he was not exactly breaking his word.

As for Ruan Mingyi...

That could wait until later.

Ruan Mingyi still had not received a reply from Shen Qingling when Ye Qiao asked beside her, "Cold-Face Bro still hasn't replied?"

"I looked it up. People with his zodiac sign just don't like replying to messages."

"..."

"Okay, I'm joking. I figure he's probably asleep."

"Then talk to him properly tomorrow. This time, you absolutely can't lose to that bitch Sheng Xia."

"Of course I won't lose. Sheng Xia has Gu Yijin, while I have Shen Qingling. I'll crush her, okay? Hmph."