Let me take a look

Song Yunxing assumed she was joking and happily accepted the points vouchers, waiting for the next customer.

As someone over thirty with some life experience, Yu Wan could naturally tell that the two weren't bitter enemies the way online rumors claimed, nor did they seem like a couple in the throes of romance.

It was more like... coaxing a sulking child.

Yu Wan glanced at Shen Yanci. He calmly nodded at her, his ears faintly red beneath his tousled black hair.

Yu Wan's brows shifted slightly, and a faint smile curved her lips.

Ah, love. It really was more entertaining when young people were involved.

Lu Yiyi and Luo An also left the orchard and arrived at the points exchange counter.

Luo An set down a basket brimming with tangerines. Before it had even been weighed, he eagerly trotted over to join the two of them.

Song Yunxing earnestly introduced him to the villa's guest rooms, which had "no drawbacks." He explained how they blew the other houses out of the water in terms of value and practicality, painting a picture of the comfortable life they could all enjoy together in the villa-in short, selling him a dream.

Luo An was visibly tempted and was just about to take out his points vouchers.

"Isn't this wrong? You're exploiting a loophole in the show's rules. It'll put the director in a difficult position." Lu Yiyi took the points vouchers from the staff member and deliberately raised her voice.

Hearing Lu Yiyi's words, Luo An paused.

"We can't do this. What was the point of today's tangerine-picking contest, then?" Lu Yiyi held down Luo An's hand as he reached for his vouchers, her tone carrying a hint of reproach. "The production team has its rules. What you're doing is wrong!"

Everyone froze at her words.

The other guests had all bought rooms from Song Yunxing and Shen Yanci, and the atmosphere suddenly became painfully awkward.

[Seriously, does she own the ocean? Why is she policing everyone?]

[She's not happy staying in a villa for 40 points and just has to ruin it for everyone else!]

[But she's not wrong. The production team has its rules.]

[Buddy above, the head director is right there and hasn't stopped them. Yet she's already passing judgment!]

Song Yunxing paused, then frowned. "No one's stopping you from following the rules. Go pick a place back there."

"We bought the house, so it's ours. They wanted to buy rooms because of my sales pitch. You're free not to buy one, but you have no right to criticize the other guests."

Lu Yiyi looked flustered and lost, tears glistening in her eyes.

"I was only telling the truth..."

"Let's go. They can choose for themselves." Song Yunxing put down the megaphone and led the others over to find a staff member to show them the way.

"Let's go, let's go!" Lu Ran linked arms with Gu Nianzhi and shot Lu Yiyi a discreet glare.

Of course they could follow the rules. They had scored the most points to begin with, and even after paying for their room, they still had points left over.

Besides, she disliked Lu Yiyi for some inexplicable reason. There was just something off about her!

Yu Wan and Shi Jinyan said nothing either. They could tell which was the better choice: spending 40 points on a villa guest room for the night or spending 40 points on a house with unknown conditions.

Seeing that things weren't going her way, Lu Yiyi immediately sought outside support, her voice choked with tears. "Director, are they really allowed to do this?"

Director Guo rubbed his chin. With all the guests staying together, any friction between them would be a major attraction! That seemed more worthwhile than creating a contrast between their accommodations.

Besides, having the guests together would make it easier for the production team to "pull strings behind the scenes."

"I won't interfere. They bought the right to use the villa, so how they use it is up to them. Besides, the guest rooms are part of House One to begin with. As long as those two agree, it's fine."

"House One has three guest rooms. You can buy one from them, or you can buy one of our houses here." Director Guo pointed at the keys on the table.

Song Yunxing and the others were already far away. There was no way she could swallow her pride and go beg him.

Lu Yiyi glanced at Shen Yanci, gazing at him through tear-filled eyes as she said softly:

"Shen... I was too impulsive just now..."

Shen Yanci gave her a cold glance, placed the tablet and communication microphone on the table, and walked past her.

His icy words hit her like a bucket of freezing water. "Watch your mouth, or don't blame me for being ruthless."

Without the slightest regard for her expression, he strode after the group ahead.

Left standing there, Lu Yiyi clenched her jaw and stared at his retreating back with reddened eyes.

What right did he have to snap at her? Song Yunxing was just a Beta! She was an Omega!

Omegas were rare in the industry. Her status was far more prestigious! How was she inferior to that mediocre Beta?

Luo An glanced sideways, pretending not to notice anything amiss.

They were promoting themselves as a couple for work, but after collaborating for some time, he had a fairly good understanding of what Lu Yiyi was like.

She was nothing like the second female lead she played. Gentle, lovely, and uninterested in rivalry-none of those descriptions had anything to do with her.

In private, she treated him poorly, always with an air of superiority and lofty contempt.

He was a Beta, not particularly famous, and only the second male lead in their drama. Rather than spending time with him, she preferred visiting the male lead's private dressing room.

They were only playing a couple at their agencies' request. Each was getting something out of it.

Luo An concealed the coldness in his eyes and comforted her with a smile. "It's all right. I know you were only trying to give them a well-meaning reminder. I'll go talk to Song Yunxing. Staying together would let us look out for each other."

"...No! Let's stay somewhere else." With her pride freshly wounded, Lu Yiyi had no desire to offer a friendly face only to receive another cold shoulder.

"All right, whatever you want." Luo An gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. He looked utterly devoted, but his eyes held nothing but indifference.

"...There are cameras here!" Lu Yiyi played along perfectly, lightly thumping his chest a few times before blushing and shyly burying her face against him.

[Aaaah, Luo An is so gentle! Huge points for the Yiyi-Luo An ship!]

[Lu Yiyi, stop stirring up trouble. You didn't help pick the tangerines, either. Luo An did all the work, and now you want a separate house! How many points do you two even have left?]

[Seriously, you can ship this?]

[Yiyi is just too blunt. She doesn't mean any harm, and Luo An understands her temper! My Yiyi-Luo An ship is real!]

Meanwhile, the camera followed the main group, and a small, pure-white, three-story villa came into view.

The villa's decor was cozy and elegant, with little night lights glowing outside.

Beyond the wrought-iron double gates lay a small garden in front of the entrance, lush with green grass and numerous potted flowers. Their little buds swayed in the breeze.

The swing at the side of the garden was wrapped in decorative lights. The atmosphere would surely be even more romantic at night.

[This show gives them such nice accommodations. The houses on the other dating show are so cramped.]

[90 points really isn't much for this house!]

[This little courtyard is gorgeous. Imagine how romantic it would be to come out and watch the stars at night.]

Song Yunxing opened the villa's front door, and the lights inside came on automatically. The living room had huge floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a clear view of the garden and the sunset outside.

The first floor had a guest room, a spacious living area, and an open-plan kitchen.

"Wow! This place is amazing! Those 40 points were so worth it!" Lu Ran sat on the soft sofa, smiling with the bliss of someone ready to do absolutely nothing.

While the guests looked around the first floor, Director Guo called the staff into the guest rooms to install cameras. He made a point of whispering into one staff member's ear, and the two exchanged devious smiles.

Director Guo cleared his throat twice to draw the guests' attention and had the staff enter the villa.

"Ahem. Please pick your rooms, rest for a bit, and unpack your luggage. Today is our first day of filming, so dinner tonight is on the production team."

Exhausted after a long day, the guests cheered and headed upstairs to look around.

The villa was lovely throughout. Even the guest rooms were spacious, with twin beds, and almost all had their own bathrooms.

Lu Ran was the first to finish looking around and head back down a floor, where she noticed another door by the stairs.

She twisted the handle hard, but the door wouldn't open. In less than two seconds, she gave up and excitedly ran toward the kitchen.

[Hahaha, Lu Ran really is laziness incarnate. If it won't open, she just won't open it.]

[Didn't you notice? The director said there were three guest rooms, and now the staff have locked the one on the first floor!]

[Hehehe, I bet it's to stop Song Yunxing and Shen Yanci from changing their minds. There must be something good in the master bedroom!]

[Aaaah! Hurry up and install cameras in the master bedroom. Let me take a look at the goodies!]