Chapter 5
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Chapter 5: Title
Fate proved unkind. "Zhong Yueli," Song Yutian announced to the lens.
Zhong Yueli’s fans erupted in digital lamentations, spamming "Zhong Yueli deserves better!" to ward off any association with the controversial woman.
After some thought, Song Yutian posed a question that had intrigued her from the start:
"What sunscreen and whitening products do you use?"
She’d noticed earlier:
While male celebrities generally maintain basic skincare, their complexions usually run darker than female artists’. Among the five men present, Gong Yu sported a tan, while three others had average skin tones—one to two shades darker than the women.
Yet Zhong Yueli’s porcelain fairness stood out, jarringly pale among them. If not for his skin’s natural translucency, Song Yutian might have suspected heavy foundation use.
Wei Yao chimed in excitedly: "See? I noticed it during our collaboration too! His skin is insanely fair and flawless!"
An Xin leaned forward curiously: "Really? So do you actually use whitening products?"
Sure enough, when female artists bring up this topic, they tend to show particular interest.
[Hahahaha, she really knows how to ask!]
[No wonder he’s acknowledged as the costume drama heartthrob! Not just fair-skinned but flawless!]
[I’m dying of laughter hahaha, the female contestants are so curious!]
[Just realized Song Yutian has some comedic talent.]
"Zhong Yueli, please answer," the director said after the venue quieted slightly.
After the initial surprise, Zhong Yueli answered calmly: "I’ve never used any products. This is my natural skin tone."
The bullet comments exploded with cooing sounds again. While fans seized the chance to promote him, many viewers genuinely expressed envy.
[Aaaaah, that’s such a flex!]
[I want to be this pale too!]
Next, An Xin picked Qin Yuanzhuo, and Shen Xi selected Liu Tian, both asking relatively ordinary questions.
Finally, it was Wei Yao’s turn. The only remaining unanswered participant was Gong Yu.
Wei Yao pondered briefly before asking with a smile: "Who in this room would you most want to collaborate with? ‘Everyone’ isn’t an acceptable answer."
Gong Yu thought for several seconds before responding: "Since you asked this way, my answer can only be one person. The teammate I most want to collaborate with is—Wei Yao."
Hearing this, Wei Yao smiled graciously: "Then I’ll look forward to our upcoming Match Days."
[Wait, what? I was just shipping Wei Yao with Zhong Yueli!]
[Everyone, remember this isn’t a dating show! NOT A DATING SHOW!]
[Wei Yao: No one understands show dynamics better than me.]
As the Q&A session concluded, the director cleared his throat for silence: "Now, I have an announcement. Though tomorrow is the first official Match Day, the competition begins now: I declare the warm-up round officially started!"
"The God of Destiny has arranged your first teammate. Your warm-up mission is to identify your designated partner and dine together at the specified location!"
[Hahaha, first time seeing a program group play deity.]
[God of Destiny? How dramatic can this show get!]
[Betting on a Wei Yao-Gong Yu pairing!]
[Based on my variety show experience, Gu Feng and Su Moying must be teamed!]
"To better test new teammates’ chemistry—ta-da!" The director clapped as staff poured in with blindfolds.
All participants sensed impending mischief.
"Next, you’ll be blindfolded and dispersed across this complex. You must locate your partner through your own efforts."
"Warm-up rankings won’t affect scores, but remember—our competition rules are interlinked. Even a butterfly might trigger a hurricane! Also, last place will receive… a special punishment!" the director added.
Before anyone could ask about the punishment, staff swarmed in to blindfold the contestants. Clearly, the program group aimed for maximum chaos.
"Wait! I’m not ready!" Liu Tian protested.
"What’s happening? What should we do?" Su Moying asked, her voice soft with confusion.
All objections were ignored as contestants were herded onto sightseeing vehicles.
[How will they find partners? No clues?]
[Pure luck? Or clue-hunting?]
[Probably need to search the park for hints.]
The live chat buzzed with theories while contestants rode to various locations.
Each received program-issued phones containing only staff and fellow contestants’ contacts—personal devices had been confiscated since recording began.
A banner appeared atop the stream: "Audience may switch sub-channels for individual contestant perspectives."
The main feed showed director-curated highlights, while sub-channels offered dedicated contestant views.
Among the ten contestants, Liu Tian panicked most, repeatedly asking, "What’s happening? Where are we going?" His maternal fans spammed "Stay calm, dear" in bullet comments.
Su Moying’s cluelessness proved most endearing. Removing her blindfold, she blinked owlishly, as if questioning reality. Fans adored her naive charm, flooding chat with laughter.
Qin Yuanzhuo appeared the most capable, persistently grilling staff for details during transit. Though mostly met with "No comment," he immediately scanned for clues upon arrival, earning fan praise as "IQ king adapts fastest!"
Song Yutian drew contrasting reactions. Her silent journey attracted trolls and rubberneckers betting on her failure, the chat already mocking "Last place incoming."
Yet upon removing her blindfold, Song Yutian immediately flipped through her phone contacts and made a call.
[Who’s she contacting?]
[What is this? Can she ask for help from outside?]
[This must be the phone given by the program group; I guess she wants to call another contestant.]
Soon, cameras from Gu Feng’s side revealed the answer, as the director split the screens, showing Gu Feng on the left and Song Yutian on the right.
"Hello? Who is this?" The phone in Gu Feng’s pocket rang, and he instinctively answered.
Only after speaking did he realize this was not his phone, but the one provided by the program group.
"I am Song Yutian," the woman on the other end introduced herself.
Gu Feng’s expression instantly turned wary. "Song Yutian? What do you want?"
"I’m your teammate. Where are you now? Are there any landmarks around you?"
Song Yutian’s tone was so natural that Gu Feng instinctively obeyed and looked around. "There’s a very tall tree with red things hanging from its branches—wait!"
Gu Feng finally snapped back. "How do you know we’re teammates? Song Yutian, I’m telling you—"
"Stay where you are. I’ll come find you." A dial tone followed as she hung up.
The audience shared Gu Feng’s bewilderment.
[What just happened? How did she know?]
