After Entering a Romance Reality Show Disguised as a Man to Win Over All the Female Leads - Chapter 2

To her left, He Jiao caught the interaction between Rong Yu and Lin Mengxing, and her expression soured even further. Just as Rong Yu was about to reach out for the sticker in Lin Mengxing’s palm, she felt that familiar, burning gaze again.

Following the sensation, she glanced over and was met with another fierce glare from He Jiao.

Rong Yu: “…?”

The way He Jiao looked at her was complex: disdain and contempt mixed with indignation and resentment, as well as a trace of pain and grievance. It was as if… she had been abandoned by Rong Yu after a whirlwind romance, with the word “scumbag” practically written across He Jiao’s face.

Rong Yu didn’t understand the meaning behind this look, but her hand instinctively pulled back. She turned away and shook her head at Lin Mengxing. “I don’t need it, thanks.”

Lin Mengxing glanced at He Jiao, who had already looked away with a cold huff, then raised an eyebrow and retracted her hand. She gave Rong Yu an interested nod, smiling with narrowed eyes but saying nothing.

Just then, Host Zhang urged them again. Rong Yu’s manager, Lin Su, patted her shoulder. “Time to go.”

Rong Yu immediately stood up and followed her and the other guests toward the host.

The female guests were generally shorter than the men, so they stood in the center, but since Rong Yu’s height was similar to theirs, she stood to the side next to He Huaiting. Behind her stood a high-cold elite handsome guy in a suit and tie, and a mature-looking man with gold-rimmed glasses who seemed easier to get along with. Rong Yu quickly recalled their roles from the novel: the overbearing CEO, Qin Wenhan, and the gentle professor, Sheng Ming.

Neither was much taller than Rong Yu, but because of the inherent differences in male and female silhouettes, the contrast in their builds was quite obvious when they stood behind her.

Yet, absolutely no one suspected Rong Yu’s gender.

Is this what Lian Langsheng’s doctor meant? she wondered. The brain world automatically shifts toward personal preferences. Since Lian Langsheng had set a “woman disguised as a man” role for her in this world, even if her voice and body didn’t match a male’s perfectly, no one would question it.

Zhang Yongan beamed at the camera. “Hello again, viewers! Thank you for waiting. This season of Heartbeat Moments begins now.”

“First, let me introduce the rules for this season. We’ve made some slight changes. The season is divided into four stages, each lasting three days. During these three days, male and female guests will draw lots to form pairs, complete missions together, and develop feelings. At the end of each stage, the guests will vote for each other.”

“If a pair mutually selects each other, they are considered a ‘successful match’ and can claim our grand prize: a round-the-world trip for two and a bonus of two million RMB. If multiple guests choose the same person, that person will get to make the final choice. The chosen pair gets the luxury package, while those not selected… unfortunately, must temporarily say goodbye to our show.”

As Zhang Yongan finished, the live-stream comments on the front screen began to explode.

However, they were almost entirely about the male guest, Seven.

【Finally! If it weren’t for Wenwen (Seven), I wouldn’t have waited this long.】

【Hurry up and start already! AHHH!】

【Wenwen!! Mama loves you, hehehe~】

Rong Yu remembered Seven. In the novel, he was a K-pop style singer with blue-streaked curly hair. He went for the “cool guy” vibe and had a rebellious streak. She peeked at the other side of the lineup and saw a thin man, roughly 1.8 meters tall, with blue hair standing to Lin Mengxing’s right. He had clearly seen the comments; he let out a disdainful smirk, crossed his arms, and stood in a highly affected, “I-know-I’m-handsome” pose.

The fans in the chat went wild at this.

【Ugh, Wenwen is too handsome!!】

【Looking at it this way, the guests this season are all good-looking, but our Seven is still the best.】

【Seven is so hot today! Who else could stay until the end? Unless the girls are blind, they’re definitely choosing our Wenwen.】

Rong Yu almost laughed out loud at the last two comments. Seven’s fans certainly didn’t lack confidence.

But it made sense. Back when this show wasn’t popular in the novel, no big stars wanted to join. Seven was the only artist who agreed to participate this season. Even if he was only a third-tier singer, he had a solid fan base. With low general viewership, his fans effectively took over the chat. Through their “fan filters,” only their “oppa” was worth looking at. Occasional comments like “Hey, the other guys look better” or “Who’s the puppy-dog boy with the brown curls and blue eyes in the middle?! So handsome!” were instantly buried by Seven’s fans.

While Rong Yu held back her laughter, a cold snort came from beside her. He Huaiting didn’t hide her voice at all—even Mu Shuiqing, further to the right, heard it. Mu Shuiqing turned to He Huaiting, her beautiful but dull eyes blinking as she spoke bluntly: “Do you think he’s ugly too?”

He Huaiting remained expressionless but answered seriously: “I wouldn’t say ugly, just… not very pleasant to look at.”

Rong Yu: “…” These two really were as merciless with their words as they were in the book.

Since they didn’t hide their voices, even without microphones, the other guests heard them loud and clear. Rong Yu watched the drama unfold. Seven’s face began to darken, and his “cool guy” mask started to slip, though he managed to restrain himself for the cameras.

Lin Mengxing clearly heard Mu Shuiqing as well; she didn’t turn her head, but she raised an eyebrow high. He Jiao glanced at Mu Shuiqing, pursed her lips, and stayed silent.

Taking in everyone’s reactions, Rong Yu thought back to the girls’ behavior today.

In the original text, He Jiao was the most gentle and sweet guest, yet today she was full of resentment. He Huaiting was supposed to be a cool martial artist, and Mu Shuiqing a studious overachiever, but they were currently performing a “supernatural horror” act. Lin Mengxing was no better, with her scent that appeared and vanished strangely—Rong Yu felt a chill just thinking about her physical reaction to that smell earlier.

Each of the four female guests shared some traits with the original characters, but they had all deviated wildly. Normally, a person’s brain world is like their dream, and the dreamer is the protagonist. Lian Langsheng’s consciousness should be residing in one of these four women. But if they were all acting out of character…

Who is the real Lian Langsheng?

Rong Yu had thought her knowledge of her friend would make this easy, but thirty minutes in, she was already at a loss.

I guess I have to take it one step at a time, she sighed inwardly.

As she worried about her difficult journey ahead, Mu Shuiqing—who was separated from her by He Huaiting—spoke up again: “He’s not even as good-looking as the person next to you.”

She was still talking to He Huaiting. It took Rong Yu two seconds to realize “the person next to you” meant her. She turned and met Mu Shuiqing’s gaze. The girl’s crimson pupils stared straight at her, appearing to have a swirling red mist within them. Her face, as exquisite and stiff as a doll’s, remained expressionless as she said: “I hope you are my partner for the first round.”

He Huaiting also looked down at Rong Yu. Her reptilian golden pupils reflected Rong Yu’s face before she indifferently looked back at the screen.

Since Rong Yu wasn’t sure which one was Lian, she offered everyone a bright smile and nodded slightly. “Thank you, I’d be honored.”

Maybe it was her imagination, but Rong Yu thought Mu Shuiqing’s eyes glowed a bit redder for a moment before returning to normal. After staring at her for two more seconds, the girl pulled her gaze away.

Good thing this is a novel world, Rong Yu thought, otherwise their eye and hair colors would definitely cause a stir.

Rong Yu rubbed her nose and went back to listening to the host. He had finished the instructions and was introducing the guests. As she boredly watched the large screen, she noticed the tide in the comments had shifted.

The comments that were previously praising Seven were now mysteriously talking about her.

【Wait, WTF? Who is this blue-eyed handsome guy?】

【?! Who is this?】

【Oh my god, that face is perfection!!!】

【Why didn’t I notice him earlier? I must be too tired from work today.】

【Stop talking about Seven. Are you guys blind? The boy with the brown curls and blue eyes next to the girls is clearly hotter!】

【Exactly. If you don’t appreciate a ‘puppy-dog’ type, don’t watch romance shows.】

【Is this chat room occupied by ‘mosquitoes’ (Seven’s obsessed fans)? The mixed-race handsome guy is obviously better.】

【I think he’s called ‘Rong Yu’? Aww, even his name is pretty.】

【The guests this season are great, but Rong Yu is insanely handsome. Do guys like this really exist?】

【I’m not trying to be weird but… I think Rong Yu would look even better as a girl (.).】

However, before the tide could fully turn, Seven’s fans pushed back:

【Are you man-crazy b*tches that desperate?? You see one guy and lose your minds.】

【LOL, get some taste. What’s so good about this sissy-looking guy? Is he as cool as our Seven?】

【+1111 People who don’t ‘get’ Seven really shouldn’t watch variety shows.】

Non-fans couldn’t stand it and started arguing back. The chat turned into a battlefield:

【’Sissy’? Since when is that an insult? You moron.】

【Do you have to be a Seven fan to watch this show? Do we have to worship that horse-face of yours?】

【Your mom is a horse-face! You’re a donkey-face!】

【There are eight guests here, not just one third-tier singer. His singing isn’t even that good, and he thinks he’s a top star. LMAO.】

…

This round of bickering pushed the comment count past 200,000. The platform sent a notification that the engagement goals had been met, adding 20,000 to the “Heat” rating. The viewership broke 130,000 and jumped to over 150,000.

While the content was mostly just arguments about Seven and Rong Yu, the popularity boost was undeniable.

The host smiled more broadly as the “Heat” meter rose, but Rong Yu felt something was off as she watched the group shot on the screen.

It might have been her imagination, but since the show hadn’t officially started, there were no individual cameras yet—just a wide shot of everyone.

Yet, she felt like she had a thin, natural “soft-light” filter on her in the frame, as if someone was giving her a personal spotlight. He Huaiting and Qin Wenhan were standing right next to her, but they didn’t have this filter; their lighting was the same as everyone else’s.

Rong Yu: “…” Did I secretly pay the cameraman? Even the ‘beauty filter’ is being given exclusively to me.

Intrigued, she looked at her reflection on the screen and decided to wave and smile at the camera.

The next second, her image on the screen was instantly bathed in a pink filter. Golden-pink bubbles and heart-shaped effects even started floating down over her head—a classic “sweet romance” atmosphere.

The chat, which was already mentioning her name, went into a frenzy, completely burying Seven’s fans.

【OH MY GOD?! SO HANDSOME AHHHH!】

【I love this puppy-dog younger brother!】

【Baby Rong Yu smiled! My heart is melting!】

【When Rong Yu smiles, why does it feel like the whole world is turning pink? Am I falling in love?】

Rong Yu: “.” No, it’s just the filter. Even I see myself in pink.

Rong Yu didn’t know why this was happening, but since no one else seemed to notice anything wrong with the screen, she suspected only she could see it—or rather, only she realized it wasn’t normal. She remembered no such setting in the novel. In the book, “Rong Yu” only slowly gained popularity halfway through the show; the start was dominated by Seven’s fans. But now, the momentum was shifting toward her much earlier.

While she pondered the filters, the host finished introducing the guests’ backgrounds. The details matched what Rong Yu knew, though they added more “flesh” to her current persona.

According to the host, “she” was a “visual influencer” who had gone viral after someone took a candid street photo of her profile. The show’s producer had tracked her down at her university and personally invited her to sign on for Heartbeat Moments.

The part that confused Rong Yu was: if the crew found her at her school, how did they not know she was a woman?

She had entered this world only thirty minutes ago, so she had no memory of anything before that.

While she was still wondering, the host clapped his hands, and a staff member brought out two square lottery boxes.

“Now,” the host said to the camera, “we come to the exciting part: drawing lots for the first round of partners! After this, guests will live together in pairs for three days. We will provide individual sub-streams for each pair so viewers can choose which couple to watch and donate to.”

“Additionally, all paid gifts given to a specific couple will go to them. Based on a 1 RMB = 1 Vote system, we will calculate the support ranking at the end of each stage. The highest-ranked couple will receive an extra reward!”

The host turned to the guests with the boxes. The chat was filled with:

【AHHH can’t wait! Let Seven draw first!】

【Seven fans, get out! Let Rong Yu draw first!】

【Rong Yu first +111】

【Who will Rong Yu get? I hope it’s He Jiao, two mixed-race beauties would look so good together.】

【Rong Yu looks like a good doggy; pairing him with He Huaiting would be cool too.】

【Cat and dog? I support Lin Mengxing X Rong Yu, haha!】

The host shook the box. “Should the men draw first, or the women?”

Lin Mengxing narrowed her eyes and said nothing. He Jiao just smiled. He Huaiting remained silent and aloof, and Mu Shuiqing stood like a blank doll.

The host cleared his throat. “…Then, let’s have the four male guests choose their partners for this round.”

Rong Yu was standing in the very center, so Host Zhang asked her to draw first.

The box was full of small spheres. As soon as Rong Yu reached in, she felt many balls rolling around, some with faint carvings on them. Before she could even decide which one to pick, one sphere floated up on its own. Defying the laws of physics, it pressed itself firmly against her palm, as if something was pushing it into her hand.

This violation of Newton’s laws startled her, but she pulled the sphere out anyway.

On the red plastic ball, three characters were written in black ink:

— Mu Shuiqing.

The host took the ball and held it up for the camera. “It looks like our first couple of the season is set: Rong Yu and Mu Shuiqing!”

【Huh, didn’t expect Mu Shuiqing.】

【Two doll-like beauties? So pleasing to the eyes!】

【They look good, but it feels a bit weird.】

Rong Yu was mixed-race, and her look in this world was a perfect replica of her real self: brown hair, blue eyes, and sharp features that blended Eastern and Western bone structures. Her blue eyes were especially beautiful, like crystals. Her look was neither too soft nor too harsh, blurring the lines of gender. She stood out among the guests and had an inexplicable sense of approachability.

Mu Shuiqing, on the other hand, was a classic Eastern beauty with a hime cut. Her features were delicate—the image of a “good girl”—but her expression was so blank that she looked like a lifeless doll. Though beautiful, she was easy to overlook because it was hard to imagine anyone “matching” with her.

The viewers had been trying to play matchmaker, but they never expected Mu Shuiqing and Rong Yu to be paired first. The more they looked, the less chemistry they saw.

Rong Yu looked at the red ball in the host’s hand, then turned to Mu Shuiqing, only to meet the other girl’s eyes.

The tall, slender Mu Shuiqing was watching her quietly with those crimson eyes. From a pocket where the camera couldn’t see, a small white paper doll poked its head out and waved at her.

Seeing the waving paper doll, Rong Yu immediately realized how that ball had “mysteriously” jumped into her hand. Mu Shuiqing had rigged it.

Could Mu Shuiqing be Lian Langsheng?

But Rong Yu clearly remembered that her friend was terrified of ghosts and anything supernatural. Even slightly scary things frightened her.

Whenever they went to a haunted house, Lian would grip her hand tightly. During horror movies, she would try to bury herself in Rong Yu’s arms. Even in horror-themed “murder mystery” games, she would hide behind Rong Yu with teary eyes if another player startled her. It made no sense for her to suddenly become a medium who wasn’t afraid of ghosts in a dream meant to reflect her true personality.

Author’s Note:

Lian Langsheng: It was all an act! Otherwise, how could I hold your hand? Dammit.