Chapter 9
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Chapter 9: Title
After three people voiced their opinions, the room fell silent for a few seconds. Gong Yu glanced at the person beside him and scanned the doorways of the rooms before hesitantly saying, "I naturally want to hear everyone’s thoughts first. Personally, I lean toward the double room on the south side."
Only the last person remained silent, and all eyes turned to Zhong Yueli.
Zhong Yueli spoke unhurriedly, "I’m fine with anything. You decide—just leave whatever’s left for me."
Once all five had stated their preferences, some viewers in the livestream remained confused, while a few self-appointed "class representatives" quickly summarized the group’s positions. Liu Tian and Gong Yu favored the large double room, while Gu Feng and Qin Yuanzhuo preferred single rooms. Zhong Yueli, on the other hand, had yet to make a choice, leaving the room assignments unresolved.
So far, the room assignments were unresolved.
None of the five were fools; they swiftly grasped the situation.
After a brief but tense silence, Qin Yuanzhuo broke the stalemate: "Perhaps I should take the double room."
A faint smirk flickered across Gu Feng’s lips before he masked it and nodded. "I’ll take the smallest single room. Does that work for everyone?"
The others naturally agreed.
Some viewers noticed the subtext: in this subtle standoff, Qin Yuanzhuo had conceded. A few participants exhaled in relief.
Gu Feng’s decision settled, Gong Yu promptly turned to Liu Tian. "Seems we’ll be roommates."
Liu Tian grinned, about to reply, when Qin Yuanzhuo interjected: "At home, I usually read on the balcony in the mornings. Since the south room has one, I’ll take that."
The group’s dynamic shifted again.
Zhong Yueli maintained his languid demeanor, seemingly indifferent. Gu Feng, now settled in a single room, leaned against the stair railing, spectating. The remaining three exchanged uneasy glances.
Originally, after Gu Feng and Qin Yuanzhuo’s dispute ended, Liu Tian and Gong Yu would’ve occupied the south double room with the balcony, while the "losing" Qin Yuanzhuo and noncommittal Zhong Yueli would’ve taken the smaller double room. But Qin Yuanzhuo’s latest move reignited tension: three contenders now vied for two spots.
Another silence ensued before Liu Tian stepped forward, clapping Gong Yu’s back. "Brother Yu, let’s room together in the east. Sound good?"
After a beat, Gong Yu slung an arm over Liu Tian’s shoulder with forced cheer. "Sure thing!"
Qin Yuanzhuo adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. "Yueli, shall we share the south room?"
Zhong Yueli nodded. "Works for me."
Thus concluded the room allocation drama.
With Su Moying being the only standout on the girls’ side, while the boys’ cohort—boosted by popular figures like Qin Yuanzhuo and Zhong Yueli—commanded higher viewership, two-thirds of viewers initially chose the male contestants’ perspective. After the girls resorted to drawing lots, even more viewers switched to the boys’ livestream, which had barely progressed. Consequently, the boys’ "second round" of room assignments captured over 80% of the audience.
Eager "class representatives" in the bullet comments recapped earlier developments, fueling heated discussions:
[Brother Yuanzhuo’s such a scholar! Book-loving guys >>]
[My two faves rooming together! <3]
[Was eating but got totally sucked in!]
[Felt like watching palace intrigue with all that tension!]
[Someone explain what just happened??]
As chatter flooded the feed, the screen abruptly darkened, displaying:
"All contestants have settled in. What awaits on the first official Match Day? Tune in tomorrow at 9 AM on Mountain Peach TV!"
The static message remained, though comments stayed open. At 9 PM, after nine continuous hours of streaming, reactions poured in:
[It’s over! Anyone else watched from start to finish?]
[Only left twice for takeout!]
[Y’all are hardcore—I’m wiped after 3 hours!]
[For Sakura, I’d watch 3 more!]
[Need more Zhong Yueli tomorrow!]
The livestream buzz lasted five more minutes before viewers trickled away. The Chief Director, pleased with the metrics, announced: "Tell the team not to leave—I’m treating everyone to barbecue!"
With daily broadcasts requiring rotating shifts, today’s crew could rest. The same couldn’t be said for content creators now scrambling to capitalize on the show’s hype. Though as exhausted as regular viewers, traffic potential kept them grinding through edits and hot-takes—their relentless drive fueled by the pursuit of virality.
In a dimly lit room, a girl with short hair, who appeared to be in her twenties, opened her computer and decided to stay up all night editing videos, aiming to release them before tomorrow night.
To accommodate the public’s schedule, the program group announced the start time of the first day’s main event on their official account in advance: ten o’clock in the morning. However, the live stream would begin broadcasting at nine, showing contestants’ morning preparations.
During this period, the live stream wouldn’t display multiple perspectives simultaneously as it did during competitions. Instead, the director would control the switching, so viewers only saw one room at a time.
The first scene cut to the room shared by Qin Yuanzhuo and Zhong Yueli.
Golden sunlight spilled across the man’s face as he sat upright on the balcony’s wicker chair, cradling a book in his right hand while propping his chin with his left, revealing an exquisite profile.
Fans who’d been waiting eagerly in the live chat since dawn erupted when their long-awaited idol appeared first, flooding bullet comments frenetically:
[Yuanzhuo gege is too handsome! A visual knockout!]
[This view is pure eye candy! Sunlit perfection!]
[Uwaaa I want to be that book in his hands!]
[He could coast on his looks but still cultivates his mind through reading! A truly substantial actor!]
After lingering on Qin Yuanzhuo’s shot, a staff member broke the tranquility: "Hello Yuanzhuo, what are you reading?"
Qin Yuanzhuo turned slightly with feigned surprise before smiling. "Good morning."
He closed the book to display its cover: "I’m currently reading The Moon and Sixpence. There are many thought-provoking passages—I’ve been jotting them down."
He gestured to an open notebook beside him. The camera zoomed closer, revealing ink strokes of vigorous elegance—clearly practiced penmanship—though the text remained indistinct.
Bullet comments cascaded endlessly:
[Buying brother’s same edition! Basically reading together!]
[Flawless face, velvet voice, AND calligraphy skills? Qin Yuanzhuo leaves mortals no chance!]
[Captivated by looks, enslaved by talent! This is why I stan!]
Following brief exchanges, the staff pivoted the camera toward the room’s other occupant.
In the spacious double room, a man lay sleeping facedown on a single bed. Despite crew members noisily adjusting equipment earlier, he remained undisturbed—until staff called repeatedly, escalating volume until he stirred.
Zhong Yueli rolled over drowsily toward the abruptly approaching lens, rubbing his eyes. His porcelain complexion showed no blemish even under extreme close-up, dewy lashes framing slightly dazed eyes.
"What’s… wrong?" His voice rasped with sleep. "Overslept?"
Staff hurriedly clarified: "No! Official assembly isn’t for another hour. This segment’s ‘Contestants’ Morning Routines.’"
"Ah."
Everyone recognized his sleep-fogged reluctance to engage. Yet as the second-most popular male contestant—whose mere close-up could sustain viewer adoration—staff pressed on despite his lethargy.
Live chat combusted:
[PROPS TO CREW! MORE FOOTAGE LIKE THIS!]
[God-tier visuals even makeup-free! How?!]
[That SKIN! Those FEATURES! Heaven’s favorite right here!]
The ensuing awkward interview unfolded:
"Sleep well yesterday?"
"Passable."
"Adjusting to the new room?"
"No issues."
Zhong Yueli’s terse replies and languid tone betrayed his grogginess. After minimal exchanges, even staff relented—though not before securing ample close-ups.
The feed then switched to another room.
