The third day of filming for "No Romance Cottage" was nearing its end.
Once again, it dominated the trending charts.
#LinMo EXPLODES
#ShenSizhanPTSD EXPLODES
#GuJingchuanTrash EXPLODES
#GuJingchuanLeavesThreeJinOfPoopUnflushed
Two female guests had stepped out, but the livestream continued as usual.
Li Huanyu once again tried to invite Xie Guanyan to dance, but as she moved toward him, Jiang Wan pulled her back.
"Huanyu, let’s dance together," Jiang Wan said.
She didn’t want to ruin the ship she was rooting for.
Nor did she want Li Huanyu to be publicly rejected by Xie Guanyan in front of millions of viewers.
That would be humiliating.
She and Li Huanyu had acted together before.
Her impression of Li Huanyu was quite good—someone who rose from humble beginnings, carving her own path in the entertainment industry with solid acting skills.
The forced pairing with Gu Jingchuan was likely the company’s doing.
Jiang Wan, backed by a wealthy family, could afford to be carefree in the industry, but Li Huanyu didn’t have that luxury.
Li Huanyu glanced at Jiang Wan, itching to refuse.
Is she afraid I’ll steal Xie Guanyan?
But with the cameras rolling, she couldn’t outright reject her. "Fine," she agreed.
—"Why isn’t Jiang Wan dancing with Xie Guanyan?"
—"I still think Jiang Wan and Xie Guanyan have zero chemistry, but Li Huanyu seems really into him."
—"Why is Jiang Wan clinging to our Huanyu? Can’t she see Huanyu doesn’t want to play with a privileged nepo baby?"
Jiang Wan quickly noticed Li Huanyu’s distracted dancing, her mind clearly elsewhere.
Li Huanyu just wanted it to be over.
Once it ended, her eyes darted around, searching for Xie Guanyan—but he was nowhere in sight.
She frowned in confusion.
Where did Xie Guanyan go?
Gu Jingchuan had finally realized Xu Yan was here for Lin Mo.
It wasn’t news to him that Lin Mo was popular.
Narrowing his eyes, he considered his options.
Xu Yan was the eldest son of the Xu family, the most powerful dynasty in Jingnan.
If he could use Xu Yan against Xie Guanyan, victory was guaranteed.
The production team had provided some low-alcohol drinks.
Seizing the moment, Gu Jingchuan picked up a cocktail and approached Xu Yan. "Young Master Xu, care for a drink?"
Xu Yan’s calm gaze flicked to him. "You’re too low-tier to drink with me."
Gu Jingchuan: "..."
—"Xu Yan’s words are so heartwarming, auntie approves!"
—"Xu Yan is clearly here for Lin Mo. I’m convinced they’re a couple! They both go to No. 1 High School and have known each other forever!"
—"I’d never let my daughter marry a guy like this—I’d worry she’d take the wrong path. But I could marry him. I’m not afraid of detours; I’ve been lost half my life anyway. I can handle the hardship."
—"Shen Sizhan keeps staring at the door like a ‘longing-for-sis’ statue."
The director checked the clock—only ten minutes left in today’s livestream.
He turned to the assistant director. "Go tell Lin Mo and the others to hurry back."
The assistant returned shortly. "They’re not outside. The crew said they drove off."
The director frowned. "Did they get so caught up in chatting they went to a barbecue stand?"
Assistant: "No way. Lin Mo’s too responsible—she’d definitely bring takeout back."
The director rolled his eyes, then noticed Xie Guanyan was also missing. "Wait—where’s Mr. Xie?"
The assistant had an answer this time. "He went to the restroom."
Director: "Go get him. Voting’s about to start."
As the assistant went to fetch Xie Guanyan, Lin Mo suddenly dashed back inside, startling the director.
She had no time to explain, her eyes urgently scanning the room for Xie Guanyan.
When the power had gone out earlier, plunging everything into darkness, Xie Guanyan had set his drink down to kiss her.
Maybe Zhou Sheng had switched the glasses by mistake, or maybe Xie Guanyan had grabbed the wrong one when the lights came back.
After searching fruitlessly, Lin Mo overheard the assistant whispering to the director: "Mr. Xie said to leave him alone in the restroom."
Director, puzzled: "What’s wrong with him?"
Assistant: "Sounded like he’s in pain—probably constipated."
The director smirked. "Go grab the laxative from my car. Time for me to shine!"
His success was all thanks to his meticulous attention to detail.
Assistant, impressed: "Absolute legend."
Lin Mo rubbed her nose awkwardly.
Xie Guanyan’s flawless reputation is ruined!
She hurried toward the restroom, but the director called out, "Lin Mo, voting’s starting. No more sneaking off to eat!"
Lin Mo: "..."
Her peach-blossom eyes flickered.
Xie Guanyan had locked himself in the restroom—a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt.
Dragging him out now, live on air, would cause an uproar.
Qiao Yinyin finally reentered the living room.
Lin Mo had bolted the second they parked, leaving her bewildered.
The director announced the night’s main event.
"Viewers, it’s time to vote for tonight’s ‘Sweet Bedroom’ pair! The bedroom won’t be livestreamed, but drones will patrol the cottage. If any guest steps out alone, it will be broadcast!"
"With eight guests, the IDs are a bit lengthy, so check carefully before voting! You have five minutes."
—"No sleep tonight—we’re pulling an all-nighter!"
—"Our motto? Make the real couples crack under pressure! Charge!"
—"Vote for Pair 3 (Xie Guanyan & Lin Mo)! Five lucky voters will get free milk tea on me!"
The five-minute voting window allowed for last-minute campaigning, but with millions of viewers, the outcome was unpredictable.
At home, Jin Yang watched the livestream, his composure crumbling.
He could tolerate the cooking segments, but the thought of his future boss’s wife sharing a bedroom with another man? Unacceptable.
An hour ago, he’d enlisted a tech expert.
Just then, his phone buzzed with a WeChat from the boss.
Jin Yang grinned.
Even the most upright man would bend in this situation.
But the message read:
[Get people to vote for Lin Mo and Shen Sizhan.]
Jin Yang: "..."
He wanted to ask if the boss was serious.
This was a golden chance to get close to the woman he liked—and he was letting it go?
Did he take a vow of celibacy or something?
No. If the boss could endure this, Jin Yang couldn’t.
He typed back:
[Boss, it’s too late to rally people now.]
Then he messaged the tech expert:
[Keep this quiet. Make sure Pair 3 tops the chart.]
The reply came swiftly:
[Haven’t even started, and multiple groups are already rigging votes.]
Jin Yang was stunned.
[Multiple? Who for?]
Expert:
[Shen Sizhan & Lin Mo, Shen Sizhan & Qiao Yinyin, and Xu Yan & Lin Mo.]
Jin Yang narrowed his eyes.
[This is a battle of hacking skills now. Can you handle it?]
The expert took the bait.
[Just watch.]
To ensure fairness, the director displayed real-time vote counts.
Soon, Shen Sizhan & Qiao Yinyin hit 4.5 million votes, while Shen Sizhan & Lin Mo reached 6 million.
Xu Yan & Lin Mo surged to first place with 9 million.
The director was baffled.
The livestream had over 20 million viewers, but not everyone would vote.
What’s going on tonight?
As time ticked by, votes kept climbing, but the rankings held steady.
Xu Yan and Lin Mo remained far ahead.
With ten seconds left, the director checked again.
The results seemed final.
For a moment, I couldn’t figure out why everyone was voting for Xu Yan and Lin Mo.
But then, in the last five seconds,
Xie Guanyan and Lin Mo’s votes skyrocketed from just over four million to a staggering thirty million.
At the same time, Xu Yan and Lin Mo’s votes dropped to zero.
The director: "…"
The director understood exactly what was happening.
Several big players were rigging the game against him!
