Chapter Summaries

After receiving a five-million-yuan commendation, Xu Chao donated it to Damai Village, and Fu Sichen matched the donation. Their generosity left the village chief thrilled and the director worried that Xu Chao might leave the show.

• Xu Chao excitedly proclaimed his duty to serve the people, inspiring Lin Yang and the others to join in.
• The lead police officer awarded Xu Chao five million yuan for his role in catching criminals.
• Xu Chao announced that he would donate the entire reward to support Damai Village's development.
• Fu Sichen pledged another five million yuan, bringing the donation to ten million.
• Xu Chao pulled Fu Sichen's hand away from the village chief and sheltered it against his chest.
• The director panicked that Xu Chao might leave the show because money would not keep him there.

Xu Chao landed an eight-million endorsement for the Pig-Raising Handbook and was invited by Director Chen Lixin to play the Little Heir in his new film. After Xu Chao chose to shoot the ad first, Director Chen still insisted on casting him, but agreed to audition Shen Xinbai at the producer’s urging.

• Chen Chong brought Xu Chao to the agency, where he found five variety-show offers waiting for him.
• Xu Chao accepted an eight-million endorsement for the Pig-Raising Handbook after Chen Chong received the offer.
• Director Chen Lixin invited Xu Chao to play the Little Heir, a role that Shen Xinbai had played in the original novel.
• Xu Chao told Director Chen he could not come that afternoon because he had already scheduled the pig-raising ad, and Director Chen arranged for him to visit the studio complex the next day.
• The producer objected to Director Chen’s choice and recommended Shen Xinbai, so Director Chen agreed to have Shen Xinbai come in while continuing to favor Xu Chao.

Before filming a farm commercial, Xu Chao and Chen Chong noticed a black Volkswagen following them. Xu Chao identified the followers as a stalker fan, filmed the commercial with enthusiastic animal fans, and decided to confront the follower on their way home.

• Chen Chong took Xu Chao to Shaxian food before driving him to film a pig-farming commercial.
• Chen Chong spotted a black Volkswagen following them and urged Xu Chao to call the police, but Xu Chao insisted it was a stalker fan.
• At the farm, Huahua the pig and the other animals crowded around Xu Chao, and he suggested a commercial idea that delighted the director and farm owner.
• Xu Chao and the animals filmed the commercial successfully, then he said goodbye to his animal fans.
• When the black Volkswagen followed them again, Xu Chao asked Chen Chong to pull over so he could talk to the stalker fan.

Xu Chao tried to confront the people following his car, but discovered the driver was Lin Zhiya, who tearfully embraced him and called him Chaochao. The police intervened, and Lin Zhiya insisted during questioning that Xu Chao was her son.

• Xu Chao persuaded Chen Chong to stop and confront the people following them while calling the police.
• Xu Chao approached the black Volkswagen and found Lin Zhiya behind the wheel; she recognized him and tried to touch his face.
• Lin Zhiya got out and hugged Xu Chao, while Chen Chong told the arriving officers she was an obsessive fan forcing herself on his artist.
• Lin Zhiya shielded Xu Chao from the police, and Xu Chao told the officers she was not a bad person.
• A trending topic portrayed Lin Zhiya as an obsessive fan who had forcibly hugged Xu Chao, while online commenters debated whether she was the famous pianist.
• During police questioning, Lin Zhiya identified herself and repeatedly insisted that Xu Chao was her son.

Lin Zhiya was caught following Xu Chao and revealed that she was his mother, leaving Xu Chao stunned when he learned who she was. At the police station, he met his father Xu Ruhan, who eagerly accepted being called Dad and immediately asked where Xu Chao’s mother was.

• Lin Zhiya told the officer she had followed Xu Chao because she missed him, then reported Chen Chong for supposedly feeding her son poor food.
• The officer reprimanded Lin Zhiya and told her that her family had been notified; she panicked when she learned her husband had arrived.
• Fu Sichen told Xu Chao that the obsessive fan in the station was his mother, and Xu Chao reacted in shock.
• Xu Chao blamed Chen Chong for calling the police and claimed he had only been joking about a fan’s inability to recognize her mother.
• Xu Ruhan arrived, and Fu Sichen and Xu Chao greeted him as their father-in-law before Xu Chao called him Dad.
• Xu Ruhan eagerly accepted Xu Chao’s greeting, then asked where his mother was, unaware that Lin Zhiya was at the police station.

Xu Chao’s biological parents and Fu Sichen competed to spoil him with money, then shared a hot pot meal as Lin Zhiya offered to become his assistant. The next day, Xu Chao headed to an audition wearing a matching tracking watch with Fu Sichen, while Chen Chong wondered about their relationship.

• Xu Ruhan, Lin Zhiya, and Fu Sichen each offered Xu Chao enormous sums of money, and Xu Chao suggested they play Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide whose money he would take.
• Lin Zhiya took Xu Chao to eat hot pot with Xu Ruhan and Fu Sichen, and she offered to become his assistant when she learned he did not have one yet.
• The next day, Chen Chong rented a Mercedes-Benz to drive Xu Chao to his audition, and Fu Sichen told Xu Chao to call if anything came up.
• Xu Chao revealed that his matching Platinum Wristwatch and Fu Sichen’s Black Gold Wristwatch each contained a positioning chip, claiming they were both worried about the other dying.
• Chen Chong stopped asking questions after Xu Chao explained the matching trackers.

Xu Chao impressed Director Chen Lixin by embodying the Little Heir and delivering excellent performances, but Shen Xinbai’s investor threatened to withdraw funding if he was not cast. Shen Xinbai learned that Xu Chao had been chosen and, determined to win the role, came up with an idea as a trending topic appeared overnight.

• Xu Chao arrived at the filming location, changed into the Little Heir’s red costume, and immediately won over Director Chen Lixin with his appearance.
• Director Chen Lixin photographed Xu Chao and praised his look, while Xu Chao called his assistant Lin Zhiya “Beautiful Mommy.”
• Xu Chao performed his scenes with exceptional skill, but the producer warned Director Chen Lixin that Shen Xinbai’s backer might withdraw the investment if Shen was not cast.
• Shen Xinbai learned that Director Chen Lixin had chosen Xu Chao, cursed him, and urged his agent Wang to get Feng to invest more.
• Shen Xinbai insisted he had to get the role, then suddenly said he had an idea as a trending topic appeared in the middle of the night.

Xu Chao’s parents publicly defended him after online attacks, and the pig-handbook commercial turned the backlash around. While filming a playful triple-fold video, Xu Chao accidentally kissed Fu Sichen, then went to the set and encountered a man who seemed to know him from before.

• Xu Chao’s pig-herding footage prompted online insults, but the advertiser released his humorous pig-handbook commercial, which won over viewers.
• Lin Zhiya and Xu Ruhan publicly acknowledged Xu Chao as their son and threatened legal action against those abusing him, leaving Shen Xinbai worried as his smear campaign collapsed.
• Xu Chao, Fu Sichen, and Lin Yang filmed a triple-fold video; Lin Yang lost his balance, Fu Sichen fell onto Xu Chao, and they kissed.
• Xu Chao played off the kiss by adding a line about getting a kiss to the commercial, then fled to the film set to calm down.
• At the set, Xu Chao boasted about being Jingshi’s number-one macho man before a man in a floral shirt greeted him and recalled that Xu Chao used to call him big brother.

Xu Chao discovered Fu Sichen had come to discuss investing in the film, and Fu Sichen kissed him possessively before taking him to another dressing room. When filming began, Xu Chao realized the male lead, Gu Chengfeng, was the flashy young man he had mistaken for a brother and a key figure from the original novel.

• Xu Chao joked that the unfamiliar man could compete to be his little brother, then Fu Sichen arrived and explained he was meeting Director Chen about investing in the film.
• Xu Chao realized Fu Sichen’s investment meeting was the collaboration he had mentioned and remembered their accidental kiss while hinting at filming another version.
• Fu Sichen asked Gu Chengfeng what he thought they were planning to film, then kissed Xu Chao and held him close as a loud thud sounded behind them.
• Fu Sichen teased Gu Chengfeng about his age and twitching limbs before leaving with Xu Chao, while Gu Chengfeng angrily struck the dressing table.
• Xu Chao moved to another dressing room and wondered why Fu Sichen had kissed him as the makeup artist privately shipped them.
• At the start of filming, Xu Chao recognized the male lead, Gu Chengfeng, as the flashy young man and remembered his role in the original novel’s tragic romance with Shen Xinbai.

Xu Chao struggled to act out the Little Heir’s secret love for Gu Chengfeng’s Great General until Director Chen Lixin had Fu Sichen take the role. During the new take, Fu Sichen asked Xu Chao to call him “A-Chen,” and Xu Chao realized Fu Sichen was seeing someone from his past in him.

• Director Chen Lixin explained that Xu Chao’s Little Heir secretly loved the Great General, while Gu Chengfeng’s character saw the Little Heir as a younger brother.
• Xu Chao repeatedly missed the emotional beats of the scene, and Director Chen Lixin stopped filming and gave the crew a break.
• Fu Sichen admitted he was jealous of Xu Chao acting affectionately toward Gu Chengfeng, and Director Chen Lixin recognized Xu Chao’s feelings toward Fu Sichen as the right emotional reference for the role.
• Director Chen Lixin arranged for Fu Sichen to play the Great General, despite Gu Chengfeng’s objections, and filming resumed with Fu Sichen’s face kept hidden.
• Xu Chao ran into Fu Sichen’s arms as the Little Heir, and Fu Sichen asked him to call him “A-Chen.”
• Xu Chao realized Fu Sichen was looking past him at someone else who used to call him “A-Chen.”

During filming, Xu Chao misread Fu Sichen’s kiss as proof that he was being used as a stand-in, then resolved to enjoy the marriage on his own terms. Their crew dinner and online exchanges fueled public excitement about their relationship, and the chapter ended with Fu Sichen asking to kiss Xu Chao at home.

• Xu Chao grew distant during filming, believing that Fu Sichen could never see him as anyone but the Original Host, but he regained his composure and delivered an excellent performance.
• Fu Sichen kissed Xu Chao during the scene, and Xu Chao mistook his affectionate words for evidence that he was thinking of his White Moonlight before deciding to act like a shameless, well-paid stand-in.
• Fu Sichen coaxed Xu Chao with offers of food, figures, spending money, and a warmed bed, then treated the production crew to a lavish meal.
• Shen Xinbai saw photos of the crew dinner and hired paid trolls to attack Xu Chao, Director Chen Lixin, and the film, then contacted Zhou Nan after Lou Jun did not answer.
• Director Chen posted Xu Chao’s costume photos and a filming clip, prompting praise for Xu Chao’s acting; Fu’s Consortium and Xu Chao also traded suggestive comments online.
• Back at the villa, Xu Chao tried to go to his own room, but Fu Sichen caught him and said he wanted to kiss him.

Xu Chao rescued Lin Yang after Zhou Nan tried to rape him, and his childhood memories of Lin Yang and Fu Sichen began to surface. Zhou Nan’s scandals were exposed, he was fired and summoned by the police, while the second episode of Romantic Island began.

• Xu Chao rushed with Fu Sichen to find Lin Yang, who told them Zhou Nan had tried to rape him and then abandoned him in the wilderness.
• Xu Chao recalled that Lin Yang had been dark-skinned and chubby as a child and had received little bear cookies from him, prompting Fu Sichen to reveal that Xu Chao had promised to marry him.
• Lin Yang said he was relieved to be done with Zhou Nan, and Xu Chao arranged for Zhou Nan’s past scandals to be exposed online.
• The production team fired Zhou Nan, and Shen Xinbai promised to help him before blocking him and leaving him to face the fallout alone.
• Zhou Nan received a police summons, and the second episode, Romantic Island, began as viewers wondered whether Lin Yang would continue on the show.

The guests traveled by private jet to a romantic island getaway, where the director revealed that Lin Yang would go on matchmaking dates with two new male guests. After the production team blindfolded everyone and led them to separate locations, Xu Chao overpowered two staff members and forced the director to bargain for their release.

• Shen Xinbai needled Lin Yang about Zhou Nan, but Xu Chao turned the criticism back on Shen Xinbai and the director announced Lin Yang would have two potential husbands to choose from.
• Fu Sichen revealed that his private jet was carrying the guests because Xu Chao wanted to ride one, and Xu Chao gleefully took credit for the flight.
• At the island, staff ordered the guests to wear black masks, and Xu Chao joked about a battle royale before Fu Sichen told him to wait for him.
• After staff members led the blindfolded guests to separate locations, Xu Chao restrained two of them and demanded that the director ransom them.
• Xu Chao tickled the staff with foxtail grass and questioned them about the director until the director agreed to meet his demands.

Xu Chao demanded supplies from the production crew, then found Fu Sichen and received the Mermaid’s Tear ring. The guests gathered for the start of the new episode, where Xu Zhou and Gu Chengfeng’s attention toward Xu Chao complicated the planned pairings.

• Xu Chao refused to budge until the director sent supplies in exchange for the crew member he had taken hostage, then hid the supplies and headed southeast to find Fu Sichen.
• Xu Chao rejected Gu Chengfeng’s flowers, mistook his teasing for a threat to Fu Sichen, and stood protectively in front of his husband.
• Fu Sichen gave Xu Chao the Mermaid’s Tear ring, and Xu Zhou arrived to lead them toward the gathering point.
• Xu Zhou told Xu Chao that the medical reports were ready and agreed to give him Fu Sichen’s report after the livestream.
• At the gathering point, Shen Xinbai greeted Gu Chengfeng, while Xu Chao pushed Xu Zhou to introduce himself to Lin Yang; Xu Zhou teased and complimented Lin Yang.
• The production crew announced that the second episode of Fake Husband and Wife, Desert Island Survival, had begun.

The guests began a three-day deserted-island survival challenge, choosing only three items each before the director assigned them to build a house. Xu Chao became the group’s natural focus, while Shen Xinbai grew jealous of his standing and struggled to come up with a workable plan.

• Xu Chao and the other guests protested the survival challenge, then chose three items each; Xu Chao’s suitcase played a song that seemed to mock Shen Xinbai’s attempt to act cute with the director.
• Fu Sichen removed Xu Chao’s banana cushion, and their teasing about sleeping together prompted the others to misunderstand Xu Chao’s remark about hugging a “big banana.”
• Xu Zhou kept two medical examination reports and a jacket, while his family watched and criticized him for expecting Xu Chao to take care of him.
• Lou Jun chose red bean cakes because Xu Chao liked them, making Shen Xinbai suspect that Lou Jun had spent time with Xu Chao in the countryside.
• After the production crew left, the guests surveyed the island and learned their first task was to build a house; Shen Xinbai suggested using fallen trees, but Fu Sichen and Wen Shiting pointed out that they had no nails to join the wood.

Xu Chao joked that he wanted an underground palace, prompting Xu Zhou to scold him and Fu Sichen to promise they would share a grave someday. As the group struggled to build shelters on the island, Xu Zhou tried to persuade Xu Chao and Fu Sichen to let him stay with them.

• Xu Chao said he wanted an underground palace, and Fu Sichen agreed to share a grave with him someday until Xu Zhou sharply objected.
• Xu Chao changed his request to a thatched cottage, and Xu Zhou promised to build it while Fu Sichen explained how.
• Xu Chao brought Fu Sichen a coat, and Fu Sichen accepted it as they worked on their shelter.
• Lin Yang asked Xu Chao for help because his group could not build a house, then withdrew when Xu Zhou glared at him.
• Xu Zhou gave Xu Chao jujubes and claimed he feared being far from them at night, but Xu Chao pointed out that his five-person group had not finished a house and asked about the other two.

Cheng Yu rejected Shen Xinbai and Lou Jun’s attempt to join the others, and the contestants split into separate shelters before setting out to find food. Xu Chao uncovered a secret supply bag and shared its contents with the group, but Shen Xinbai and Lou Jun confronted him over how he had obtained it.

• Cheng Yu refused to share a shelter with Shen Xinbai and Lou Jun, and Xu Zhou, Lin Yang, and Gu Chengfeng also declined Shen Xinbai’s invitation to join them.
• The contestants finished their shelters, received bedding from the production team, and set out in separate groups to search for food.
• Xu Zhou invited Lin Yang to accompany him, while Xu Chao and Fu Sichen went together to the buried supplies.
• Fu Sichen correctly guessed that Xu Chao had pressured the production team into providing a supply bag, and Xu Chao divided the food among himself and the others.
• Shen Xinbai and Lou Jun blocked Xu Chao and accused him of extorting the director and violating the show’s rules and professional ethics.

Xu Chao rebuffed Shen Xinbai and Lou Jun’s accusations, while Fu Sichen defended him and promised to stand by him. Xu Zhou and Lin Yang joined in supporting Xu Chao, and Shen Xinbai challenged them over Xu Chao keeping the supplies.

• Xu Chao told Shen Xinbai that his concerns were none of his business, and Fu Sichen echoed the rebuke when Lou Jun criticized Xu Chao.
• Lou Jun warned Xu Chao that his behavior on the livestream could damage his public image, but Fu Sichen said he would cover for Xu Chao no matter what he did.
• Xu Chao felt his heart race at Fu Sichen’s defense and wondered how much Fu Sichen cared for his White Moonlight.
• Xu Zhou arrived with a dusty, bedraggled Lin Yang and declared that their family supported Xu Chao unconditionally.
• Lin Yang defended Xu Chao for winning the supplies, and Shen Xinbai accused him of tolerating Xu Chao keeping everything for himself.

Xu Chao defended his supplies against Shen Xinbai’s accusations, while the other guests praised him and shared a hot pot meal. Lou Jun later approached Xu Chao and asked him to come with him, leaving his purpose unclear.

• Shen Xinbai accused Xu Chao of keeping supplies for himself, but Xu Chao revealed that he had extorted them from the director and the other guests praised his ingenuity.
• Shen Xinbai and Lou Jun demanded half the supplies, but Xu Chao rebuked Shen Xinbai and Cheng Yu, Lin Yang, and Wen Shiting backed Xu Chao.
• Gu Chengfeng and Wen Shiting carried the supplies to the house, where the guests divided them while Xu Chao saved Fu Sichen’s preferred items and excluded Shen Xinbai and Lou Jun.
• Lou Jun refused to share his Swiss rolls with Shen Xinbai but gave him the remaining sour fruit, while the others ate hot pot.
• After Xu Chao finished eating, Lou Jun approached him and told him to come with him.

Lou Jun tried to win Xu Chao back with Swiss rolls, but Xu Chao rejected his advances and affirmed his loyalty to Fu Sichen. Xu Chao then pointed out Shen Xinbai, whom Lou Jun had once given most of his Swiss rolls to, leaving Lou Jun to face him.

• Lou Jun approached Xu Chao with a box of Swiss rolls, but Fu Sichen stepped between them and Xu Chao denied having spoken with Lou Jun.
• Lou Jun offered Xu Chao the Swiss rolls and reminded him they had once been his favorite, but Xu Chao called Fu Sichen his favorite instead.
• Xu Chao recalled that Lou Jun had given the Original Host nearly expired Swiss rolls after giving most of them to Shen Xinbai.
• Xu Chao noticed someone behind the leaves and pointed him out to Lou Jun, who turned and saw Shen Xinbai.