Best Actor Xiao, whom netizens claimed would never give Xie Mi a second glance, was standing downstairs from her apartment.
His cap and face mask covered him up thoroughly, but they couldn't hide the anger in his eyes.
"You want to break up with me?"
Xie Mi casually brushed her bangs aside. "Wasn't my text clear enough? Don't tell me you're going to shamelessly beg me to take you back."
"Oh-"
Xiao Jingxi suddenly laughed, as though something had clicked. "I get it."
"So you've finally realized how boring you are, and you're trying a new approach to keep me interested. Unfortunately, you chose the wrong method."
He slowly narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with disgust. "Acting like this will only make me more repulsed by you."
Click-
A flash went off as Xie Mi took out her phone and snapped a photo of him.
Xiao Jingxi froze, then instinctively reached out to snatch it.
Xie Mi nimbly ducked under his arm, lowered her head, and rapidly tapped away on her phone.
Then Xiao Jingxi's phone rang.
His manager sounded anxious on the other end. "Jingxi! Something's happened on Weibo!"
Xiao Jingxi hurriedly took out his phone.
He saw that Xie Mi had just made a Weibo post.
[Xie Mi]: Whose dog wandered over here? Come collect him.
Attached was the photo she had just taken of Xiao Jingxi.
"Xie! Mi!"
Xiao Jingxi gritted his teeth, but when he looked up, all he saw was Xie Mi's rapidly retreating back. His fury only grew. "If you dare leave, don't ever expect me to take you back!"
Hearing that, Xie Mi ran even faster and threw in a sliding tackle, slipping straight out of Xiao Jingxi's sight.
Xiao Jingxi laughed in anger.
"Fine! Fine! Fine!"
"You'd better not come crying and begging me to take you back!"
Two days later, news that Xiao Jingxi and Xu Shuangrong would appear together on a dating show flooded Weibo.
It seemed deliberately intended for Xie Mi to see.
The shippers celebrated as though every holiday had come at once, and still found time to mock Xie Mi.
[Zhuge Sparkles]: The lovebirds are going on a dating show, and a certain someone is still making a clown of herself.
[Hard-to-Kiss Bunny]: She even Photoshopped a picture to claim that Best Actor Xiao went to her place to see her. Does she actually have a delusional disorder?
[Achoo Together]: Thinking about it, she's kind of pathetic. She trashed her own reputation and acted like a lunatic just to get Best Actor Xiao's attention, but he couldn't care less. Instead, he announced a dating show appearance. What a slap in her face.
[Xiao-Rong Ship Supremacy]: Best Actor Xiao is obviously doing this on purpose. Protecting his woman like a boss and driving that crazy bitch mad!
The dating show, titled "Human Love Observation Room," was also exceptionally good at publicity.
It announced these two guests when the Xiao Rong CP's popularity was at its peak, while keeping the other four guests' identities secret.
That secured plenty of buzz while leaving ample room for suspense.
As the shippers celebrated, other netizens eagerly speculated about the remaining four guests.
Amid this unprecedented hype, the day of the show's premiere finally arrived.
As its name suggested, "Human Love Observation Room" was an observational dating reality show.
Several male and female guests would live under the same roof.
During that time, they would face various experiments prepared by the production team, revealing the most authentic chemistry between men and women.
The show aired live, allowing viewers to send real-time comments.
The moment the premiere began, the livestream's popularity shot through the roof.
[It's starting! It's starting!]
[I'll fly the flag for the Xiao Rong couple! Let's see who dares stand against them!]
[I heard there's a mystery guest. For realsies?]
[Huh? Why are all the guests wearing masks?]
Indeed, they were.
This was the first segment the production team had arranged.
All six guests were currently riding in separate vans, heading toward the filming location.
However, each wore a mask and had a voice changer.
Their identities would be completely concealed. Without seeing faces or hearing their real voices, their first meeting would rely entirely on the connection between their souls.
The male guests wore, respectively, a panda mask, a tiger mask, and a fox mask.
The female guests wore a rabbit mask, a peacock mask, and... a salted fish mask.
The salted fish mask certainly looked out of place, but heaven was their witness: the production team hadn't singled anyone out. The guests had chosen the masks themselves.
[Hahahahaha, I want to know which genius picked the salted fish mask.]
[That's pretty calculating. Deliberately choosing something that doesn't fit in makes you stand out instead. This salted fish is no amateur.]
[Holy shit, Panda Guy's body is incredible. Those broad shoulders, that narrow waist, those long legs. Drool, drool.]
[Aaaaaah! Shuangrong's fans are called Fluffy Bunnies, so Miss Rabbit has to be her! Seriously, I'm crying.]
[With a body that good, Panda Guy must be Best Actor Xiao, right?]
While viewers speculated about the guests' identities, the producers handed each guest a questionnaire in their van.
"This is an ideal-partner questionnaire. Please fill it out carefully. We'll use your answers to assign your first date of the day."
Behind her salted fish mask, Xie Mi smiled confidently.
Sure enough, the process was exactly the same as in the novel.
The only difference was that she, who wasn't originally supposed to participate in this dating show, had turned up.
Her reason for joining was simple, too. She simply wanted to find a man to have some fun with.
Her favorite character in the novel was the second male lead, You Hongxuan, a ridiculously fit, six-foot-one sports student with eight-pack abs.
Unfortunately, You Hongxuan fell in love with the female lead, Xu Shuangrong, on the dating show, only to be used by her and meet a miserable end.
Xie Mi decided to come on the show herself, win You Hongxuan's heart, and happily take her handsome man home.
Eight-pack abs! Here I come!
The guests finished their questionnaires one after another. A professional psychologist analyzed their answers and reached the final conclusions.
Miss Rabbit's ideal type was a gentle, well-mannered man who could occasionally be a little domineering.
Miss Peacock's ideal type was an emotionally stable man who valued cleanliness and respected women.
Miss Salted Fish's ideal type was a six-foot-one man with eight-pack abs who studied sports.
[Wait, something weird seems to have snuck in.]
[Hahaha, fuck. So basically, a six-foot-one sports student with eight-pack abs?]
[One world, one shared brain.]
[Girl, delete this. I'm seriously sweating here.]
Even Director Niu, who had seen his fair share of things, was left utterly speechless.
He had expected inviting this menace to provide some entertainment, but he hadn't expected her to be quite this entertaining.
He was now a little worried about how far the show might go.
"Your first date of the day has been assigned."
The van stopped outside a romantic seaside restaurant. A producer smiled and pointed the way. "Please head to the beach. Your date is already waiting there."
After getting out, Xie Mi fell deep in thought.
A seaside restaurant? That wasn't right.
If I remember correctly, You Hongxuan was assigned to the garden restaurant for his first date.
My ideal type matched You Hongxuan perfectly. No matter how you looked at it, I should have been paired with him.
Had I remembered the details wrong?
Before you continue