After Entering a Romance Reality Show Disguised as a Man to Win Over All the Female Leads - Chapter 9

Her kiss could no longer be called a kiss; it was practically gnawing. Whatever Mu Shuiqing hadn’t finished saying was swallowed whole. Rong Yu gripped the other girl’s hands, interlacing their fingers and pinning them beside her face, intensifying the kiss.

The temperature in the chilly room suddenly skyrocketed.

Rong Yu expected to be pushed away the next second, but to her surprise, Mu Shuiqing remained passive, enduring it all. When the kiss finally ended, Mu Shuiqing’s eyes were misty and dazed, her thoughts seemingly scattered. Her chest heaved violently, her breathing ragged. “I… I just… wanted to transfer Yang energy to you…”

Rong Yu licked the lipstick from her own lips. “I know.”

She hid her emotions and looked at Mu Shuiqing with an innocent face. “This way, the transfer is more thorough, isn’t it?”

Mu Shuiqing froze for a moment, and her face instantly exploded in a deep crimson. She rolled off the bed, snatched her peach wood sword and the shadow pinned by it from the pillar, and bolted out of the room with unprecedented speed.

The room, which had briefly warmed up, fell silent and cold once more.

Rong Yu sat on the bed with her head lowered, touching her lips and carefully licking the corner of her mouth. She couldn’t help herself. Knowing the other person was a part of Lian Langsheng’s consciousness made it impossible to hold back.

Rong Yu lay back down, staring at the ceiling and recalling Dr. Lin’s words. Both she and the doctor suspected that all four women—Mu Shuiqing, Lin Mengxing, He Jiao, and He Huaiting—might be Lian Langsheng’s primary conscious entities. Her next step was to test all four as much as possible.

As she lay there, she began to regret her impulsiveness. She had restrained herself for so long in the real world, yet she had failed again just now. Mu Shuiqing had simply seen her having “sleep paralysis” and tried to help, but Rong Yu had taken advantage and kissed her.

She covered her face and took a deep breath. Lian Langsheng always had a way of easily swaying her heart, even when she wasn’t fully conscious.

She fretted over how to make Mu Shuiqing forget what happened, eventually drifting off to sleep. When she woke up, it was evening. Seeing the sun setting, she braced herself to go out and cook dinner, but as she opened the door, she saw Mu Shuiqing walking toward her carrying two bowls of rice porridge.

Actually, it couldn’t really be called porridge; it was more like rice water.

Mu Shuiqing froze for two seconds upon seeing her. Her already stoic face became even stiffer, and she spoke in short, jagged bursts: “Rice porridge. Wards off evil. Replenishes Qi and blood.”

Rong Yu carefully observed her expression, took her bowl, and took a sip. Her eyes widened instantly.

Mu Shuiqing was definitely one of Lian Langsheng’s consciousness fragments. Her title as “Head Chef of Dark Cuisine” remained undisputed. The rice grains were as hard as stones, and the water tasted nothing like rice.

In the real world, Rong Yu had eaten Lian Langsheng’s “special” picnic lunches so many times that she had mastered the art of keeping a straight face. Her eyes lit up, and she praised her sincerely: “Mmm! It’s delicious!” She held the bowl as if it were nectar.

Mu Shuiqing’s tense expression relaxed slightly. Her red eyes reflected Rong Yu’s figure, carrying a hint of disbelief. “Really?”

She leaned down to her own bowl and took a very ladylike sip. The next second, she herself was stunned. “Huh… it’s actually not bad?”

Because of their color, her crimson eyes usually looked somewhat sinister, but now they looked dazed with shock. Rong Yu suspected that Mu Shuiqing’s sense of taste might truly be different from ordinary people.

However, when Rong Yu looked down again at the half-raw rice sitting in clear water, she was shocked to see it had transformed into sweet, soft, and perfectly cooked porridge. She took another sip and was amazed by the fragrant grains. The once-unchewable rice was now smooth and tender, releasing a rich flavor with every bite—it tasted as sophisticated as a state banquet.

Did it change just because I said it was ‘delicious’?

Mu Shuiqing breathed a visible sigh of relief. “It’s my first time cooking. I’m glad it wasn’t a disaster.”

Rong Yu knew she was using this to move past the “Yang energy” incident, so she didn’t expose her and just nodded. “As expected of Shuiqing, you’re so talented at cooking.”

The next morning, a crew car arrived to take them to the day’s filming location: Qinghe Villa, a traditional Chinese-style resort garden in a mountain valley.

When they arrived just after 8:00 AM, Rong Yu was surprised to see the others already there. He Jiao turned her back coldly as soon as they made eye contact. Lin Mengxing gave her a wink and a nod. On the other side, He Huaiting was boredly practicing with a sword.

It was a three-foot longsword with a sharpened edge that shimmered with a silver light. Its movements were fluid and lethal, leaving trails of light in the air. Wearing a simple athletic tank top and cargo pants, He Huaiting looked like a god of slaughter. Rong Yu thought she caught a faint scent of blood in the wind.

Mu Shuiqing is Metaphysics, Lin Mengxing is ABO, He Jiao is Rebirth… so He Huaiting must be Infinite Flow, Rong Yu deduced. The giant tentacle she saw on the first day likely came from the “Red Octopus” dungeon in an Infinite Flow novel she had written.

Host Zhang Yongan gathered everyone. “A day has passed, and I’m sure you’ve all had a happy process of getting to know your partners.”

Three of the four pairs looked decidedly unhappy.

“Today’s mission,” Zhang announced, “is to prepare a sumptuous lunch for your partner! The catch? You cannot use your own money, stocks, or liquid assets to buy ingredients. You must use your imagination and find ways to acquire food. You also cannot accept gifts from fans.”

The chat was worried for Rong Yu’s group, thinking they would have the hardest time. Meanwhile, Qin Wenhan tried to pawn his cufflinks, only for Lin Mengxing to remind him she couldn’t cook. Sheng Ming tried to convince He Jiao to work a part-time job for two hours, but she ignored him and marched into the Villa to demand a meeting with the owner.

He Huaiting and Seven weren’t speaking after their fight. When He Huaiting turned to leave, Rong Yu intercepted her. “Miss Huaiting, can we collaborate?”

Mu Shuiqing and He Huaiting both looked confused. “I want you to help me get some ingredients,” Rong Yu explained. “I saw your skills; could you catch some wild game or fish for me? In exchange, I’ll cook for you. The host didn’t say we couldn’t help each other cook.”

He Huaiting thought for a moment. “Deal.”

Seven tried to protest, but He Huaiting silenced him with a cold glare. Mu Shuiqing decided to stay behind to prepare seasonings and chop vegetables to save time. Before leaving, Rong Yu couldn’t help but rub Mu Shuiqing’s head. Mu Shuiqing instinctively squinted and leaned into the palm—an action that made the “CP fans” in the chat scream with joy.

Ten minutes later, Rong Yu and He Huaiting arrived at a deep green, pristine lake near the villa. He Huaiting pulled a dagger that extended into a longsword and looked at Rong Yu. “What ingredients do you want?”

“Seafood?” Rong Yu suggested.

Without a word, He Huaiting thrust her sword into the water with lightning speed. When she pulled it back, a large, flopping grass carp was skewered on the tip. The chat was in awe of her skill.

Rong Yu caught the fish in a bucket. As water splashed onto Rong Yu’s chin, He Huaiting reached out and gently wiped the droplet away with her thumb. Rong Yu froze. He Huaiting remained expressionless, but the veins on her sword-hand were bulging.

“What else do you want?” He Huaiting asked.

“What do you like to eat?” Rong Yu asked, testing her tastes.

He Huaiting thought for a moment. “Barbecue. When on a mission, barbecue is the most convenient way to drive away beast swarms.” She, like Mu Shuiqing, didn’t care about the cameras.

“What dish do you want to make?” He Huaiting asked.

Rong Yu asked for recommendations. He Huaiting gave a deadpan, serious analysis: “Venison is good, but they are protected animals. Mutton and pork are hard to process in the wild. This lake is small with few species. Human meat is too loose and doesn’t taste good. Comparatively, Cthulhu meat is firm on the outside and soft on the inside. When grilled, it’s crispy and the meat is the most delicious.”

The entire scene fell into a deathly silence. The cameraman’s hand began to shake so violently the footage started wobbling.

The chat was frozen for ten seconds before a comment appeared:

【H-Human meat?】

【Cthulhu???】

【Is it… that Cthulhu?】