The director straightened his close-fitting clothes.
"Ahem, it's been a while, everyone. Welcome back. Filming for the second episode officially begins now. Before we start, let me formally introduce this episode's guest stars. Let's welcome them with a big round of applause." As he spoke, the director was the first to clap.
"Hey, who do you think the director invited as guest stars?" Yun Xi quietly nudged Xu Wang.
Xu Wang had been thinking about the original novel's plot when the sudden nudge scattered his thoughts again.
"Won't we find out in a moment?"
"True."
Footsteps sounded at the villa's entrance.
Xu Wang looked up and saw a man and two women.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Zheng Weiguang, and this is my wife, Qu Rou." The man looked to be in his forties. Although the woman beside him had taken very good care of herself, the wrinkles on her face were still somewhat noticeable.
Qu Rou smiled and nodded.
"Hello, I'm Tian Xiaowu." Tian Xiaowu was a young female Omega.
[Ahhh, the director actually invited our AB couple!]
[Director Zheng and Sister Qu have been married for almost ten years. They've always been so loving.]
[Xiaotian is full of energy too.]
The livestream's comments scrolled furiously.
Seeing the three of them and hearing their familiar names finally revived Xu Wang's long-buried memories.
The relationship between these three was anything but ordinary. The director really knew how to pick them-he'd invited three walking disasters.
Zheng Weiguang was an alpha, and his wife, Qu Rou, was a beta. They were a rare AB couple in the industry, and their devotion to each other was equally famous.
But that was not the truth. Behind their glittering reputation lay endless darkness.
Xu Wang looked at Tian Xiaowu, who stood beside Qu Rou, showing respect for her senior.
The three of them stood in this order: Zheng Weiguang, Qu Rou, and Tian Xiaowu.
Looking at their positions, Xu Wang could not help twitching the corner of his mouth. He suddenly remembered a picture he had come across online before transmigrating: the wife stood in the middle, with her husband and his mistress on either side, holding hands behind her back.
Yes, Tian Xiaowu was Zheng Weiguang's latest lover, and she was not the first. Who knew how many there had been by now?
Xu Wang looked at Qu Rou, who had kept a gentle smile on her face the entire time. This woman was quite ruthless in the original novel too. Did she not know her husband was cheating? Of course she knew. Why didn't she say anything? Because she'd started cheating long ago herself.
As Xu Wang thought to himself, he suddenly noticed that someone seemed to be hiding behind him.
Puzzled, Xu Wang turned around and found himself facing a trembling Yun Xi.
"What's wrong with you?" Xu Wang looked bewildered.
Watching Yun Xi press close to his wife, Pei Yanchuan radiated a chill and pulled Xu Wang straight into his arms.
Yun Xi awkwardly withdrew his hand.
Xu Wang looked thoughtfully at Yun Xi. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced toward Zheng Weiguang's group and suddenly noticed that both Zheng Weiguang and Qu Rou seemed to be looking at Yun Xi, and their gazes were not particularly friendly.
Zhong Ran had gone over to greet the three of them as soon as they appeared.
Zheng Weiguang was a famous director with several hit films to his name, and Qu Rou had been a bona fide award-winning actress in her youth. The two of them had plenty of connections.
In the original novel, their scandals had never been exposed. Instead, Zhong Ran had gained leverage over them, leaving them no choice but to offer up their connections to help him rise. Calling them Zhong Ran's stepping stones would not have been an exaggeration.
"Thank you all for making the flight here. The production team has prepared a generous lunch for everyone. After lunch, please change and head to the beach for this afternoon's activities." The director smiled and clapped his hands. Several crew members came in pushing carts loaded with local specialty dishes.
At lunch, Yun Xi once again took the empty seat on Xu Wang's other side.
As soon as Qu Rou sat down, she used the serving chopsticks to place a shrimp on Yun Xi's plate.
For the first time, Yun Xi, who usually dared to do anything, clutched his trousers nervously.
"Xiao Yun, when I met you before, I thought you were such a hardworking young man." Qu Rou wore the expression of someone looking after a junior.
"Thank you... Sister Qu." Yun Xi's palms were already sweating.
A sudden fire of curiosity flared in Xu Wang's heart. Something was off. Something was very off with Yun Xi. He definitely knew something.
Seeing this, Zheng Weiguang took a sip of water from his glass.
After lunch, everyone returned to their rooms to change before heading to the meeting point on the beach.
Because the sun was so intense, the production team had put up a temporary makeshift canopy.
"Welcome, everyone, to this afternoon's water balloon championship."
"Married couples will compete in pairs, whether husbands or husband and wife. Ms. Tian and Mr. Yun will form a temporary team."
"The competition is very simple, with three stages in total. In the first stage, escort the water balloon, you'll need to transport a water balloon while facing each other, but you cannot use your hands. If the balloon bursts during transport, you must start over. In the second stage, cross the water balloon obstacle course blindfolded, each pair must wear thick, solid-black blindfolds and hold hands as they cross the water balloon obstacle zone. Crew members will keep throwing water balloons attached to long ropes. If one hits you and bursts, you must start over. The final stage is crossing the slippery surface. We've sprinkled some sudsy water on the mats, so you'll need to carry the water balloons in your hands carefully. If one bursts along the way, you must start again. Both partners must complete all three stages together to succeed." The director explained the course in front of them.
"The first three teams to finish will each get one spin of a prize wheel. The teams after that won't get any. Here's a hint: the prize wheels have different odds depending on your ranking. The higher you rank, the better your odds; the lower you rank, the worse your odds!" The director had the crew bring out three enormous prize wheels. Each wheel was divided into four sections, with the "Better luck next time" section differing in size.
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