As soon as the words were spoken, Gu Zhaoping noticed that everyone had fallen silent and was staring at her with peculiar expressions.
She glanced around, her brow twitching slightly. "Would everyone like to exchange a few words?"
The others: "..."
Well, no—that wasn’t exactly their intention.
The cameraman awkwardly whispered to the director, "Boss, should we air this segment?"
The director, snapping out of his daze from the earlier mishap, immediately made the call. "Of course we’re airing it! Why wouldn’t we?"
He had a hunch—this clip would become an instant meme!
This was even more pretentious than the usual dating show contestants!
Double majors were one thing, but studying the cello on top of that? And martial arts? And competitive chess? And what was that other thing—astronomical archaeology?
Was this even humanly possible?
Did her days have 240 hours or something?
Anyone would think she was just making things up.
The footage was promptly archived, and the other guests finally tore their gazes away, returning to their own interviews.
Only Chu Yanze spared Gu Zhaoping another glance. Though aloof and sparing with words, he had a sharp eye for people—and something told him she wasn’t the type to boast.
Besides, she hadn’t recited those lines like a script. It felt genuine, as if this was just her everyday reality.
Meanwhile, Liang Zhiwei’s face betrayed a hint of concern.
After the meet-and-greet recording, the guests would be divided into groups, each filming a day-in-the-life vlog. The next session would involve team-cooked meals.
Even as the grouping began, Gu Zhaoye was still nowhere to be seen. Zheng Anling couldn’t help but ask the director, "Should we keep waiting? Do we split now or after Gu Zhaoye arrives?"
The director was sweating bullets internally.
But he reflexively snapped at her, "What’s the rush? Gu Zhaoye will come when he’s done. If you’re so impatient, why don’t you call him yourself?"
"Not at all. It’s just that the numbers don’t add up. With only 10 guests, and groups of four, one team is already complete. That leaves two groups of three."
"If Gu Zhaoye doesn’t show, it’s fair. But if he does, one group will end up short a member."
Zheng Anling remained composed, laying out the problem plainly.
Unlike the director—a middle-aged man with a temper and a habit of brown-nosing—she was actually trying to get things done.
The director finally grasped the issue.
Aside from the pre-formed clique of four, the remaining guests were Ruan Nian, the Li siblings (Li Xunxi and Li Xunwen), Liang Zhiwei, Chu Yanze, and Gu Zhaoping.
Grouping them would be a nightmare. Ruan Nian couldn’t be paired with Liang Zhiwei—or Gu Zhaoping. That left Gu Zhaoping and Liang Zhiwei in the same group.
The Li siblings couldn’t be separated, so Chu Yanze would have to balance out Gu Zhaoping’s team.
And if Gu Zhaoye showed up, would he join Gu Zhaoping’s group as her brother, or Ruan Nian’s?
The answer was obvious. No one even considered the possibility of him choosing differently—he would pick Ruan Nian.
So Gu Zhaoye’s attendance was crucial. Without him, the groups stayed balanced. With him, Gu Zhaoping’s team would be at a disadvantage.
Cornered, the director had no choice but to approach Ruan Nian. "Ms. Ruan, we’ve hit a snag with the groupings. Could you clarify—will Gu Zhaoye be joining us for these two episodes?"
Ruan Nian was already fuming over the live-stream fiasco and its fallout. This question did nothing to improve her mood.
"I’ve already said he’ll come when he’s free. Are you asking me to pressure him?"
Realizing she’d slipped out of character, she softened her tone.
"Gu Zhaoye is a busy man. I can’t bombard him with trivial messages—it’s unprofessional, and his subordinates might see."
"The show should understand. He’s not some ordinary boyfriend who jumps at your beck and call. I have to respect his schedule and priorities."
"After all, this show is insignificant to him. He doesn’t need the pay or the exposure—unlike some people who’d claw their way onto it."
The director winced. That was harsh.
He got the message but forced a smile. "Understood. My apologies, Ms. Ruan."
As he turned away, he overheard an assistant mutter, "She’s not even married into the family yet, but she’s already acting like the lady of the manor. Once she ties the knot, the whole world will have to bow to her."
"Basically, they’re too good for our show, and we should be grateful they bothered to show up?"
"Even Gu Zhaoping came without a fuss. What gives them the right to be so high-maintenance?"
The director hissed, "Keep it down!"
He agreed—but wouldn’t dare say it aloud.
His resentment toward Ruan Nian grew another notch.
Thinking of Gu Zhaoping, his feelings grew even more conflicted.
Right. Even the notoriously difficult and demanding Gu Zhaoping had put aside her work to join the show—and aside from the incident with Ruan Nian, she’d been cooperative.
So why couldn’t Ruan Nian and Gu Zhaoye manage the same?
Chu Yanze sat quietly, headphones on, lost in his demo. Only when a staff member approached did he pause the music and look up, listening attentively.
"Mr. Chu, you’ll be grouped with Gu Zhaoping and Liang Zhiwei. Any objections?"
The staffer spoke cautiously. Chu Yanze had a reputation for being prickly and hard to please.
But to his surprise, Chu Yanze merely blinked, then slipped off his headphones, letting them rest around his neck. "Just the three of us?"
"Y-yes."
After a beat, Chu Yanze nodded. "Got it. Thanks."
Even polite? The staffer was stunned.
Once alone, Chu Yanze picked up a glass of juice, sipping as he subtly studied Gu Zhaoping’s back.
Gu Zhaoping seemed to sense his gaze and turned. Chu Yanze choked mid-sip, his chair screeching as he jerked back.
He quickly raised his hand to cover his mouth, coughing several times before grabbing a tissue to wipe his face and clothes.
Unfortunately, the shirt he was wearing underneath wasn’t very thick, and after being soaked with juice, the fabric clung to his skin, outlining his well-defined physique. Chu Yanze kept his head down as he wiped himself, only to realize something was amiss. His hand paused mid-motion.
He hurriedly looked up and, seeing that Gu Zhaoping wasn’t staring at him, let out a relieved sigh. He quickly pulled his jacket closed, stood up, and said, “I’m going to change.”
His assistant blinked in confusion. “Oh—okay, sure.”
Even after changing into fresh clothes, Chu Yanze still felt a lingering irritation, running a hand through his hair.
Would that woman think he did it on purpose?
After the groups were assigned, Liang Zhiwei mustered the courage to approach Gu Zhaoping for contact details. “Miss Gu, should we make a group chat?”
Gu Zhaoping thought it was a reasonable idea and nodded, holding out her phone for Liang Zhiwei to scan the QR code.
Chu Yanze remained seated, seemingly absorbed in his music, but his right thumb unconsciously swiped across his phone screen, unlocking it.
He pretended to browse through playlists, as if completely uninterested in their conversation.
Liang Zhiwei turned to him. “Mr. Chu, would you like to join the group…?”
Before she could finish, Chu Yanze had already extended his phone toward her, his eyes still averted—his QR code displayed on the screen.
Liang Zhiwei was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t expected the notoriously difficult Chu Yanze to cooperate so readily.
Once the group was created, Chu Yanze glanced at his phone, pressed the screen off with his thumb, and slipped it back into his pocket.
Seeing that the day’s filming had concluded, Gu Zhaoping didn’t linger. She gave a slight nod. “I’ll take my leave now.”
As soon as she stood to leave, Liang Zhiwei turned to bid Chu Yanze farewell, only to find him already on his feet. “I have something to attend to as well,” he said before walking away.
Watching his retreating figure, Liang Zhiwei was puzzled. He hadn’t seemed in any hurry just moments ago.
What… suddenly came up?
Meanwhile, Ruan Nian was discussing filming details with Li Xunxi and her brother.
“Neither my brother nor I are good at cooking, so we’ll have to rely on you for that,” Li Xunxi said, delegating tasks efficiently. She was well aware that neither she nor her brother had ever lived independently, leaving little opportunity to hone culinary skills. Even if Gu Zhaoye joined them, he’d likely be in the same boat.
That left Ruan Nian as the only viable candidate for the role.
Li Xunxi tilted her head, studying Ruan Nian. “You don’t know how to cook, do you?”
Ruan Nian’s expression turned awkward.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t cook—just not particularly well. She remembered how Liang Zhiwei had gone out of her way to learn cooking techniques to impress Gu Zhaoye and win him back.
But with everyone’s expectations already set, Ruan Nian had no choice but to nod stiffly. “I can manage some simple home-style dishes.”
Satisfied with the arrangement, Li Xunxi smiled. “Great, then it’s settled. Ruan Nian will handle cooking and chores, my brother and I will take care of extreme sports, and shopping can be left to Mr. Gu once he arrives.”
Ruan Nian bit her lip, wanting to protest. Being stuck in the kitchen wouldn’t give her any standout moments. “I’d like to participate in those activities too—”
Li Xunxi looked at her incredulously. “Seriously? Extreme sports aren’t for everyone. Most require years of physical conditioning and reflexes. If you joined, we’d have to split our attention to help you.”
Shouldn’t helping her be a given?
Ruan Nian was stunned. This was the first time she’d encountered someone who treated assisting her as an inconvenience rather than an obligation.
“Let’s just stick to our strengths,” Li Xunxi concluded breezily, with Li Xunwen nodding in agreement.
Ruan Nian had no room to argue.
“I…” She clenched her jaw, suddenly overwhelmed with regret. If only she had saved some charm points to boost her physical abilities—then she could have dazzled everyone with her skills.
But now, not only did she lack charm points, she had lost all the ones she’d previously accumulated.
For the first time, Ruan Nian regretted not allocating some points to athleticism.
With extreme sports and fitness trends booming, athletes and physically adept celebrities were gaining massive followings.
She couldn’t possibly explain to fans why she wasn’t participating—should she admit her teammates thought she was inexperienced?
Then it hit her—her injury. Her eyes lit up. She could use it as an excuse to avoid the activities.
Ruan Nian forced a smile. “Alright, thank you, Xunxi. It’s just as well—my foot is injured, so I can’t join anyway. Though I really do love these sports.”
Li Xunxi smirked. “Oh? You love them, huh?”
The remark carried a hint of sarcasm.
Ruan Nian’s eye twitched, but she held her tongue.
She was starting to regret her earlier decisions. The people she’d dealt with before were nothing like these high-society elites.
Then again, their privileged backgrounds meant they had no patience for mind games or catering to others.
Getting them to wait on her would be harder than scaling the heavens. If they showed her even the slightest consideration, she’d count herself lucky.
Suppressing her frustration, Ruan Nian turned to the crew with practiced poise. “When filming, please make sure to avoid focusing on my injured foot. It doesn’t look good, and as professionals, we should always present our best selves on camera—otherwise, fans might worry.”
She knew the production team would air this segment.
Since things had come to this, she might as well milk some sympathy.
If people pitied her, then the injury wouldn’t be in vain.
The crew quickly nodded. “Of course, we’ll be mindful.”
…
By evening, Gu Zhaoping’s group chat remained silent.
Finally, Liang Zhiwei broke the ice: [Hello, teachers! This is Liang Zhiwei. We introduced ourselves earlier, but if it’s convenient, we could start assigning tasks now~]
Neither of the other two seemed the type to take initiative, so Liang Zhiwei gathered her courage and broached the subject.
At this point, Chu Yanze, who seemed to have been offline the entire time, suddenly replied with two simple words: "OK."
So he was online after all?
Liang Zhiwei wiped her sweat and introduced her strengths: "I'm good at baking. I can take the lead for the next big meal. Do either of you have any specialties, Miss Gu or Teacher Chu?"
Gu Zhaoping had just finished her training. Wiping sweat from her brow, she glanced at the message and casually replied:
[I can make some basic Western meals.]
This matched Liang Zhiwei’s impression perfectly. She smiled wryly, already resigned to the fact that she’d likely be handling most of the cooking for the next session. But then, after a brief silence, Chu Yanze replied:
[I’m good at Sichuan cuisine.]
Liang Zhiwei was taken aback.
She had never heard that this aloof, untouchable A-lister of the entertainment industry was secretly a home cook?
Her momentary pause seemed to make Chu Yanze think they didn’t believe him, because he immediately started flooding the group chat with photos—one after another, pictures of meticulously plated dishes appeared: vibrant colors, glistening red chili oil, and generous portions of fresh ingredients.
What’s more, the cook clearly had an eye for cleanliness. The kitchen island was spotless, without a single stain or drop of grease, and all the utensils were neatly arranged.
The dishes looked mouthwatering. Liang Zhiwei was so stunned she dramatically sent a starry-eyed emoji.
[Teacher Chu, you’re amazing! Who knew you had such hidden talents?!]
[I feel like I’m about to lose to you here.]
Chu Yanze: "…"
Chu Yanze: [It’s nothing special.]
Just as cold as the rumors said—only warming up slightly when talking about his skills.
Liang Zhiwei assumed he wouldn’t reply again, but then Gu Zhaoping came back online and dropped a message:
"I’m decent at extreme sports."
"Anything else, just leave it to me."
Such a domineering, reassuring statement.
Liang Zhiwei immediately started showering her with praise, but then—just when she thought he’d vanished—Chu Yanze suddenly reappeared and chimed in:
[But when I cook, I always make a lot. You should all try some.]
[I’m also okay with extreme sports. I like skiing, mountain climbing, cave exploration, and high-altitude trekking.]
[Don’t worry, I won’t slack off either.]
Liang Zhiwei: "…"
Where was the reticent Chu Yanze from before? The moment he started talking about his strengths, he turned into a peacock showing off his feathers?
Gu Zhaoping finally caught up with the messages. After glancing at the photos of the dishes, she gave an approving nod and replied to one of them:
[Looks very appetizing. Well done.]
Her tone carried the authoritative air of someone used to giving praise—like a superior or an elder.
Liang Zhiwei held her breath, half-expecting Chu Yanze, with his famously rebellious attitude, to snap back.
But instead, after a long pause, he simply sent a cat sticker:
[Okay.jpg]
And then, unexpectedly, he added:
[Before the next recording, Sister Zhaoping, we’ll need to do some shopping. Do you want me to help carry things?]
Liang Zhiwei: "…?"
Gu Zhaoping found this youngster surprisingly considerate. Since she was already meeting Fang Yining and the others tomorrow, she figured they might as well pick up groceries together at the mall.
They’d be filming at the estate for a while, so they needed to stock up on essentials for daily life.
Gu Zhaoping: [Fine. Meet me at Baichuan Mall tomorrow. What about you, Liang Zhiwei?]
Liang Zhiwei snapped out of her daze: [Ah, sorry, Sister Zhaoping, I have work tomorrow. I probably can’t make it.]
Only then did she realize—she’d unconsciously started calling her "Sister Zhaoping" too. Was she even allowed to be this familiar?
She stared blankly at the screen, watching as everything unfolded without her control.
Meanwhile, Chu Yanze had just stepped out of the shower, running a hand through his damp hair with a slightly troubled expression.
He’d been in a hurry earlier, his fingers still wet from the shower, so his replies hadn’t been as carefully worded as usual.
Still, at least he’d secured a shopping trip with Sister Zhaoping tomorrow. He sighed in relief at his own quick thinking—then immediately felt a flutter of nervousness.
Gu Zhaoping, however, remained completely oblivious to the young man’s inner turmoil.
Instead, she received a rather pitiful message:
[Sister Zhaoping… will you come to my birthday party tomorrow?]
The sender wasn’t even in her contacts.
Puzzled, Gu Zhaoping checked his profile and past messages before realizing—he was one of the male models listed in her documents.
[Nan City / popped champagne towers / 182cm / 05.JPEG]
Gu Zhaoping was momentarily speechless.
Before she could respond, another message timidly appeared:
[I’m in Haishi now… Do you have time to meet me tomorrow?]
