Appearing on a Marriage Show Before Getting Divorced - Chapter 4

The “infinite loop” of clap clap clap.

………………….

Director Niu felt like she had been slapped “clap clap” right in the face. She went full Sparta, standing there like a complete idiot, unable to move a muscle.

Chu Nian looked at her and said slowly, “Sister, we’ve known each other for a long time.”

Director Niu immediately hugged herself tight. What is she… trying to do?

Chu Nian’s eyes were filled with sincerity. “We’ve been friends for a while now.”

Friends?

Director Niu’s eyes welled with tears. My dear friend, what are you about to say?

Chu Nian: “I trust you.”

Director Niu: “…” Please don’t. I don’t even trust myself!

Chu Nian: “About the ‘little fresh meat’ around you—”

Director Niu bit her tongue instantly: “There are absolutely none!”

Ten minutes later.

The “trusted” Director Niu returned to the dining table to get things back on track. “Since we considered that everyone is coming here from busy schedules, the filming won’t be too dense at the start. This afternoon is free time. Tonight, we’ll head to the back mountain; it’s the best spot for stargazing. The crew has set it up to be quite romantic. Are you all looking forward to it?”

Director Niu opened her arms wide, looking at the six guests expectantly, waiting for a cheer.

Lin Yiyi, cracking melon seeds, nudged Ruan Youran. “Jianjian, what are we doing this afternoon? Want to head over to President Qin’s? She brought a ton of skincare products.”

Qin Yanlan’s company, Daguerre, specialized in cosmetics and perfumes. She was an expert in skincare, and her nose was legendary—she could identify someone by their scent from meters away and had never been wrong.

Ruan Youran looked at Lan Ke. “Sister Lan, how are you and President Qin getting along?”

Lan Ke smiled. “It’s fine. In my eyes, you’re all just kids. What’s there to say about ‘getting along’ or not?”

“I admire your impartiality, Sister,” Youran said. She stole a glance at Chu Nian, who was talking to Qin Yanlan. Seeing that Chu Nian wasn’t looking, she leaned in and whispered into Lan Ke’s ear, her eyes darting back to Chu Nian every few seconds like she was afraid of being caught.

Lin Yiyi looked at Song Ci sitting quietly beside her. This girl had been a trainee since childhood and was clearly used to being restricted. Even with the cameras off and everyone chatting freely, she sat perfectly upright. “Song Ci, what are you doing this afternoon?”

Unlike the other five, who had crossed paths professionally and bonded quickly, Song Ci still felt like an outsider. Startled by the question like a little squirrel, she jumped. “I… I’m practicing my dancing this afternoon.”

“Dancing?” Lin Yiyi chewed on a toothpick like a big boss, smiling at the girl’s timid nature. She reached out and pinched Song Ci’s cheek. “Don’t be so tense. You’re here to have fun; relax.”

At the pinch, Song Ci’s body went even more rigid. She stared at Lin Yiyi blankly. Yiyi’s eyes were bright and flirtatious, carrying the untamed spirit of her “Sect Leader” persona.

Song Ci’s face turned red, and she lowered her head. She was young, and most people treated her like a distant older sister; few had ever been so casual with her.

After the brief exchange, everyone returned to their rooms. Having suffered from insomnia the night before, Ruan Youran felt light-headed. When she got back, Chu Nian was—true to her habits—showering again.

Youran was used to it. She ignored her, flopped onto the bed, and, inhaling the familiar scent, fell fast asleep. In the past, whenever she couldn’t sleep in a new place, she would steal Chu Nian’s pillow to smell her scent.

Now… though she couldn’t take the pillow, Youran felt like she was a glutton for punishment. Just smelling her scent in the air was enough to send her to dreamland.

She slept so soundly she didn’t even notice when Qin Yanlan knocked and entered.

Chu Nian had just finished showering and drying her hair. Dressed in silk pajamas, she and Qin Yanlan sat by the bed with glasses of red wine, chatting quietly.

Qin Yanlan raised an eyebrow, looking at the sleeping Youran. “Are you sure we won’t wake her?”

Chu Nian nodded. She walked over to Youran and gently rubbed her soft earlobe. “When she’s in a deep sleep, her lips pout slightly like this. If you listen closely, she makes a tiny snoring sound. At this stage, even thunder wouldn’t wake her.”

Qin Yanlan looked at her in surprise. “Are you planning to go public?”

They had known each other for years through family and industry circles, but Chu Nian’s cold personality meant they were merely “gentlemanly” acquaintances. When Chu Nian disappeared for three years, Qin Yanlan had tried to investigate but found nothing. When Chu Nian finally reached out, it was specifically for this show, which had baffled Qin Yanlan.

Chu Nian looked out the window, her eyes misty. “I want to. But she… she doesn’t want me anymore.”

Qin Yanlan paused and set down her wine glass.

Chu Nian took a deep breath, composed herself, and looked at Qin Yanlan. “President Qin, I have a favor to ask.”

Chu Nian continued, “At the table today, I saw Youran and Sister Lan…”

Qin Yanlan looked at her. She had seen them talking too; wasn’t that normal?

Chu Nian fixed her gaze on her. “They were… whispering in secret.”

Qin Yanlan: “…” Film Queen Chu is truly a woman of letters; that choice of words immediately changes the vibe.

Chu Nian turned to the sleeping Youran. “I think she sees Sister Lan as an older person who doesn’t care much about things and—pardon me—doesn’t seem very ‘sharp.’ She’s likely trying to trick her into swapping CP partners before the show officially starts.”

Swapping CPs?

This was practically stepping on President Qin’s tail. Her gaze went cold. She left only one sentence before turning to leave:

“Keep a leash on your own person.”

President Qin was a woman of the world. Though she trusted Chu Nian, she needed to verify things—after all, that was just Chu Nian’s speculation.

In her room, Lan Ke was in a tracksuit. Her left hand drew a circle in the air while her right hand pushed outward with a “He-ha!”—she was practicing her martial arts.

Qin Yanlan: “…”

Seeing her enter, Lan Ke wiped her sweat and smiled. “Want to join?” She asked casually, assuming the President would have too much “CEO baggage” to join. To her surprise, Qin Yanlan nodded, shed her coat to reveal a silk blouse, and stood right beside her.

With a firm horse stance, President Qin began practicing Tai Chi.

Lan Ke: “…”

“Sister, how is your relationship with Youran?” Qin Yanlan asked casually.

Lan Ke laughed. “You mean Jianjian? She’s a good kid; I like her quite a bit.”

Qin Yanlan let out a cold snort and pushed a palm forward with visible killing intent.

Lan Ke: “???”

President Qin made up her mind. Breaking through Lan Ke wasn’t going to work. She looked at Lan Ke. “Since you get along so well, why don’t we invite her here to practice with us?”

Ten minutes later.

Ruan Youran, her hair looking like she’d been electrocuted at the roots, stood there in loose pants. She drew a circle with one hand and “kneaded dough” in the air with the other. “Ugh, Sister Lan, what gives? I was sleeping so well and you dragged me here.”

Lan Ke was sweating. She was about to speak when Qin Yanlan beat her to it: “I heard you want to swap CPs?”

Lan Ke’s foot slipped; she nearly fell over. Heard from whom?!

Ruan Youran narrowed her eyes at Lan Ke, her gaze screaming a soulful question: Sister, what are you doing?!

Lan Ke looked completely innocent. When had she ever said that? She had been busy punching the air!

The ball was back in Qin Yanlan’s court. Qin said calmly, “Actually, swapping CPs isn’t out of the question.”

The eyes of both other women lit up. Youran wanted to swap for “irreversible” reasons. As for Lan Ke… based on her veteran instincts, she felt Qin Yanlan’s gaze was getting weirder and weirder. She was a senior in this industry; shouldn’t everyone treat her with respect? But Qin Yanlan… she called her “Sister,” yet her eyes looked like a wolf eyeing its prey.

Qin Yanlan nodded, meeting Youran’s eyes. “Sister Lan and Film Queen Chu are old acquaintances. They’ve always gotten along and share similar goals. If they were a CP, perhaps—”

President Qin didn’t finish. She gave a cryptic smile and lowered her head to continue her routine.

Ruan Youran stood there, her mind in a daze. She stared at Lan Ke, her soul screaming: Sister, are you playing me? Have you had your eye on Chu Nian this whole time?!!

“It’s settled then,” President Qin said decisively. “I’ll go talk to Director Niu before the news gets out.”

“No!”

Just as Qin Yanlan was about to leave, Youran spoke up, her voice low and icy. she shot Lan Ke a look of utter indifference. “We all signed contracts. Swapping CPs just like that? It’s too flippant. I could never do something so unprofessional!”

Qin Yanlan nodded approvingly. “Youran truly has professional ethics. So, Sister Lan, what about you?”

Lan Ke: “………..”

Lan Ke’s face was green. She still hadn’t figured out how a simple martial arts session had turned into this.

Youran returned to her room dripping with sweat and fury.

Chu Nian was busy maintaining her hair—it was famously “silky as Dove chocolate.” Behind that silkiness was a lot of time and effort. In the past, Youran loved to grab a lock of it and sniff it like a little pervert.

Youran slammed her towel onto the table and raised an eyebrow. “I heard you and Lan Ke are quite close?”

Hearing her tone, the corners of Chu Nian’s lips twitched upward. It seems President Qin made her move. She nodded. “Mhm. I admire my senior very much.”

Admire? Youran scoffed.

She stared at Chu Nian, her voice cold as ice. “Are you thinking of swapping CPs? Give it up. I will never let you have your way!”