Appearing on a Marriage Show Before Getting Divorced - Chapter 8

As soon as the scene ended, everyone swarmed around them with “concerned” inquiries.

True to form, the moment the cameras stopped rolling, Chu Nian regained her cold and glamorous aura. No one dared to pester her, so they directed all their energy toward Ruan Youran.

Youran’s face had returned to its normal color. She tilted her chin up, putting on an extremely aloof expression as she looked down at the others. “Go away, go away, everyone go away.”

Lin Yiyi, being the most familiar with her, stood there cracking melon seeds. She scrutinized Youran before teaming up with Lan Ke to “solve the case.”

Lin Yiyi: “How did this happen? She actually managed to make you blush.”

Lan Ke: “Did she touch a sensitive spot? Is that why you’re embarrassed?”

Qin Yanlan, who had been standing nearby looking indifferent, added flatly: “No matter how sensitive the spot is, it wouldn’t make her lips look that glossy.”

……………………

That was the ultimate killing blow.

Where exactly could someone be kissed to end up with such hydrated, glossy lips? The source of “water”???

Lin Yiyi stared at Ruan Youran, her gaze traveling from her chest to her neck, to her mouth, and then from her mouth all the way down…

Youran threw a pillow at her, her face flushing crimson. “Rogue!”

Amidst the laughter and chaos, Director Niu waved them over. “Come here, you six. Take a look at this.”

They gathered around a laptop. Director Niu scrolled through the footage. “We’ve put together some early clips. To ensure success, I ran a test screening with a hundred internal viewers. Check it out.”

Being professionals, all six focused seriously.

It had to be said: Director Niu was a master of editing. She selected highly representative frames and clearly put a lot of thought into the pacing. She didn’t fully reveal the scenes; instead, she used “bleeps” to censor important dialogue, purposefully piquing curiosity.

For the Sunset Glow couple, she used a clip of Lan Ke and President Qin gazing at each other under the stars. Lan Ke said sadly: “At my age, to be honest, I don’t really trust feelings. Being alone is fine, free as the wind, bleep—”

The actual words were “without any restrictions.”

After the test screening, most netizens filled in the blanks: —”But seeing a boss like President Qin, I’d like to be ‘restricted’ in the wind for a bit.”

Lan Ke: “…”

Qin Yanlan: “Netizens are quite talented.”

Next was the dance between Song Ci and Lin Yiyi. There was a shot where Yiyi leaned into Song Ci’s ear. Yiyi hadn’t actually said anything, but the crew added a bleep anyway.

Test viewer feedback: “Who can be flirtier than Sister Yiyi!”

Lin Yiyi: “…”

Ruan Youran (gloating): “This is variety, sister. Anything is possible. They’ll just dub over it later.”

When it came to Youran and Chu Nian, it was naturally the “bed” scene. The moment the lights went out, the screen filled with bleep sounds.

The test audience went wild:

— “What are they saying? What are they saying?!”

— “They’re definitely doing more than talking!”

— “Look at those lips afterward. Did they make out?”

— “God, give me back my Goddess Chang’e. I can’t accept this. Look at Ruan Youran’s ‘pesky’ face—getting the prize and acting like a victim with red eyes.”

— “Yeah, she acted indifferent to the Goddess at first, then she’s rolling up pant legs and winking? It’s a total Green Tea (manipulative) strategy.”

Youran stared at Director Niu with eyes like lightbulbs. “Where did you find these test viewers? They have zero class!”

Lin Yiyi seized her chance to strike back. “Haha! The eyes of the masses are bright! Director Niu, I suggest Youran does the dubbing. Have her say things like ‘Oh, I hate you’ or ‘Stop it.’ It’ll be a massive hit!”

As Youran was about to explode, Director Niu patted her shoulder solemnly. “Jianjian, you know 33 Days of Marriage might be my retirement project.”

Everyone gasped. No one had heard this bombshell before. No wonder she was being so extravagant and secretive.

“A good actor,” Director Niu said with hope-filled eyes, “must ignore outside noise and do everything for the ratings and the show.”

Translation: Youran needed to show some “spirit of sacrifice.”

“But my persona card was ‘Chang’e’s Pesky Rabbit’!” Youran tried to struggle.

“We can change it to ‘Green Tea Rabbit,’” Niu replied instantly. “Don’t you think green is a very cute color that suits you perfectly?”

Ruan Youran: “…………….”

With everyone else chiming in, Youran looked to Chu Nian as her last hope. Chu Nian gave her a small smile. “Director Niu is right. You are a professional.”

A masterful use of ‘killing with a borrowed knife.’

At lunch, Director Niu pulled the “Green Tea Rabbit” aside. “Give the audience what they want. What’s wrong with ‘Green Tea’? Isn’t it just a synonym for ‘pesky’?”

“How can you say that?” Youran pouted. “You’re a veteran artist! ‘Pesky’ has its own integrity and pride. ‘Green Tea’ implies a moral defect! How can a lady as pure and extraordinary as me be labeled like that?”

Niu blinked. “So you’re admitting you’re pesky?”

Ruan Youran: “…”

“You just have too much ‘idol baggage’ right now,” Niu teased. “Look at Film Queen Chu. She’s so pure and high-above, yet for the sake of the show, she’s transformed herself into a ‘beast in a suit.’”

She was always like that, okay?!!! Youran screamed internally.

“Anyway,” Niu finished with a wink, “your acting is a bit behind Nian Nian’s, so work hard to be a lovable pesky rabbit. Fighting!”

Ruan Youran had a competitive streak. She knew her acting wasn’t great, but hearing someone else say it made her want to prove them wrong.

After a nap, she decided to have a talk with Chu Nian. She stepped out to find Chu Nian and Qin Yanlan chatting in the vine-covered corridor. To be honest, they looked incredibly well-matched.

In her student days, Youran had been captivated by Chu Nian’s mature vibe. Now that they were older, that aura was even stronger. Chu Nian wore simple, elegant clothes, and her gaze held an invisible pressure that made others nervous—but Youran had always loved it to death.

Meanwhile, Qin Yanlan also had a powerful aura, but it was different. She sat there with a “Boss” vibe that said, “Everyone, the meeting has started.”

Watching them, Youran felt a pang of jealousy. She silently retreated, sitting on her bed and murmuring, “I can accept it. It’s fine. We said we’d let go…”

Lin Yiyi arrived, dressed in a stunning swimsuit for a dip in the pool. Seeing Youran’s state, she guessed what was happening. “Jealous?”

“I’m so useless,” Youran muttered.

“Don’t worry,” Yiyi comforted. “Let’s put on a show of our own.”

Standing by the pool, the two launched into a dramatic rendition of Titanic.

“Oh, Jack Ruan! Don’t leave me!” Yiyi cried out, clutching Youran’s waist.

Chu Nian and Qin Yanlan looked over. Youran, playing along with a tortured expression, wailed: “Oh, Rose! You jump, I jump! Nothing can separate us!”

They were so close and so “in character” that they actually looked like they were swaying on a ship. Director Niu watched from her monitor, cigarette in mouth. “What are those two doing?”

Cameramen instinctively hoisted their gear to capture the scene.

“This is—” Qin Yanlan looked at Chu Nian.

Chu Nian narrowed her eyes and stood up. “Let’s go see.”

The crowd gathered. Seeing the audience, the two “lovers” intensified their performance. Yiyi even started sniffing Youran’s hair. Youran looked blissful, her eyes closed with a smile.

“Get closer!” Lan Ke cheered from the sidelines.

Closer? They’d have to kiss! Song Ci bit her lip and glanced at Lan Ke.

Director Niu blew a smoke ring. “Good acting, very passionate. But Rose shouldn’t be in a swimsuit for a shipwreck. The atmosphere isn’t tragic enough; it looks like they’re about to go grocery shopping for New Year’s.”

“The director should help them get into the right mood,” Chu Nian said nonchalantly.

“True,” Niu nodded. Looking at the shallow, safe pool, she shouted: “The storm is coming!”

Yiyi smirked. “What do we fear from storms? As long as we embrace tightly, I’d willingly sink to the bottom of the sea!”

Youran nodded firmly.

Director Niu stepped forward and kicked Lin Yiyi into the pool.

Lin Yiyi: “???…”

Ruan Youran: “…”

Watching Yiyi splash around in the cold water, Youran was horrified. That water looks freezing! Forget ‘you jump, I jump’—those are just lies from fairy tales!

While everyone was distracted by Yiyi, Youran tried to shrink her presence and tiptoe away. Suddenly, a dark shadow blocked her path.

Chu Nian stood there, arms crossed, smiling. “How moving. I’m almost in tears.”

Like hell I believe you, Youran thought.

Chu Nian’s lips curled. “Rose has jumped. What about you, Jack Ruan?”

Ruan Youran: “…………………………”