Chapter 17: Filming the Dating Reality Show 16

Nan Chu’s sudden display of directness made Jiang Han burst into laughter. Unable to resist, he reached out and pulled her into an embrace. "Why are you so adorable?"

Nan Chu looked up at him, her expression a mix of confusion and hesitation, before she finally seemed to make up her mind and reached out to hug him back. Jiang Han was even happier. After holding her for a long moment, he asked, "Nan Chu, have you started to like me too?"

"I don't know." She had never liked anyone before; she didn't know what "liking" someone felt like. Looking into her eyes, Jiang Han knew she truly didn't understand.

"Liking someone means feeling a flutter in your heart, thinking of them all the time, paying special attention to them, feeling nervous and excited, longing to be together, being possessive, not minding physical contact, and caring about their feelings..."

Nan Chu thought it over. Her heart had indeed fluttered because of Jiang Han, and she had been thinking about him ever since last night. She felt nervous when she was with him, and she didn't mind his touch... It seemed she really had started to like him.

Thinking of her past, Nan Chu furrowed her brows. She didn't know if she would remain in this world forever. What if the real Nan Chu returned one day? Would that mean she would die? Pondering this possibility, Nan Chu fell silent.

Jiang Han took her hand. "It’s alright if you don't like me yet. We’ve only just met, so it’s a bit early to talk about liking each other." He admitted that for him, it had been love at first sight. "You don't know what kind of person I am yet, so we can get to know each other slowly. Maybe after that, you’ll start to like me."

"Let me tell you a bit about myself," Jiang Han said, his deep voice flowing steadily. The Jiang family was an old, established clan with generations involved in politics and business. Through the years, they had accumulated both power and wealth. His grandfather had been a military man, his uncle was in politics, and his father was in business. In his generation, his older cousin had joined the military, while he had pursued medicine. As an only son, his father had told him that by the time he turned thirty, he would need to start taking over the company. He only had three years of freedom left.

"Nan Chu, you don't need to worry about family status. My parents don't hold those kinds of prejudices; in our family, we all just choose who we love." His father had married for love, too. His maternal grandparents were teachers, a middle-class family—hardly the ultra-wealthy.

After Jiang Han shared his background, Nan Chu spoke about her own family. Listening to her, Jiang Han felt a deep ache in his heart. What kind of parents were they? They didn't deserve the title; they were simply treating Nan Chu like a personal ATM.

The two talked for over three hours before Jiang Han finally returned to his room to sleep. Once asleep, Nan Chu began to dream. She saw herself in the "Infinite World," killing monsters, but she could feel that it wasn't really her. If it wasn't her, then who was it? Was it the real Nan Chu?

The real Nan Chu seemed to sense her presence, turning her head to meet her gaze. "You’re Qingyi! You’re still alive."

"Yes."

"Did you go to my world?"

"Yes."

"Then please live well for me. I’ll live well here, too."

"Aren't you afraid? You used to live in a stable world, and now you're suddenly in the Infinite World, facing death at any moment. Aren't you scared?"

"I feel quite happy now," the real Nan Chu laughed. "Killing monsters is truly exhilarating." It had dispersed much of the pent-up frustration in her heart. "This world is great; I like it very much. I feel like this is where I was meant to live."

"You live well, too..." After the real Nan Chu finished speaking, Nan Chu woke up. It was a relief to know the real Nan Chu was not only alive but living happily.

In the Infinite World, Qingyi opened her eyes. She had assumed the real Qingyi was dead, never expecting her to have gone to her own world. That was fine. She wondered if the real Qingyi could handle the trolls and online haters. And, of course, her parents. She hoped the real Qingyi would also live happily and not be cowardly and evasive like she had been.

*

The next day, everyone packed their things; they were moving to a new location for the broadcast. Nan Chu didn't have much, so she finished quickly. However, she felt reluctant to leave behind the roses and floral arrangements. Since she couldn't take them, she took out her phone and snapped a few photos with the beautiful flowers.

As she was tenderly stroking the petals, Jiang Han, who had just come upstairs, saw her wistful expression and felt a surge of joy. Since he had been the one to give them to her, he hoped her reluctance meant she valued his gifts.

"Are you all packed?" Jiang Han asked. Nan Chu jumped, startled. "Yes, I'm done."

Jiang Han helped carry her suitcase downstairs. Seeing that Li Wenya had a lot left to pack, Nan Chu went to help her, then carried her suitcase down as well.

In the afternoon, they took a flight to Dali. Upon arriving at the guesthouse, everyone drew lots to choose their rooms. The women remained on the second floor, and the men on the first. At 5:00 PM, the live stream began. After playing some games, the female guests received a message instructing them to head to a specific restaurant.

When they arrived, a new male guest was already waiting. Shen Shangqian, a twenty-eight-year-old popular singer who had performed countless hit theme songs for dramas and movies.

[Pudding is here! My idol is so handsome.]
[He’s so lucky, getting a date with five female guests at once.]
[It’s actually Shen Shangqian! The director is amazing.]
[Good luck, idol! Try to win a girlfriend.]
[He said when he was twenty-four that he wanted a girlfriend and to get married. Four years later, he’s still single. I'm anxious for him.]

Shen Shangqian’s fans flooded the chat. He introduced himself with refined manners, and the five female guests followed suit before they began to order and eat. Throughout the meal, Shen Shangqian kept the conversation flowing; he was clearly a very sociable person.

Meanwhile, at the guesthouse, a new female guest had arrived: Cheng Luoli, a twenty-nine-year-old award-winning actress.

[Wow, it’s the Best Actress!]
[My queen, I’m here!]
[She’s still as beautiful and elegant as ever.]
[The production team is insane for booking both a top actress and a top singer.]

The addition of Shen Shangqian and Cheng Luoli pushed "Twenty-One Days of Love" to the top of the trending topics. Cheng Luoli spent time in the guesthouse cooking and chatting with the male guests, getting to know them.

At 9:00 PM, all the guests met at the guesthouse. After everyone introduced themselves, the director had them draw lots to reselect their cooking partners:

1. Shen Shangqian and Nan Chu
2. Fang You and Sha Mengyuan
3. Si Junyan and Cheng Luoli
4. Jiang Han and Zhuo Han
5. Meng Yuan and Li Wenya
6. Nangong Hengmo and Xu Fei

Jiang Han: [Such clumsy hands! How could I not draw my future wife?]
Nan Chu’s ears turned slightly red at the comment.
Zhuo Han: [It’s this Jiang Han guy again, the cold-faced freak. What rotten luck.]
Xu Fei: [Nangong and I really are fated.]
Fang You: [Damn, why couldn't I get Cheng Luoli? If I had, I'd get more screen time.]

Once the partners were set, the director announced, "Our two new guests have the right to choose their dates for tomorrow. The person chosen cannot refuse. You have three minutes to think it over, and then you must extend your invitations now."

Shen Shangqian and Cheng Luoli looked at the director simultaneously. Making them choose on the spot—this was intense.

[This is so exciting, choosing on the spot.]
[I bet the Best Actress will choose the best actor.]
[Luoli will definitely choose Meng Yuan; she’s publicly stated she likes the 'dominant CEO' type.]
[She’s so elegant, she matches anyone.]
[The idol will definitely choose Li Wenya; she’s cute and fits his ideal type.]

The chat was filled with speculation.