I Joined a Fake Variety Show (GL) - Chapter 46

A new message arrived on WeChat.

Han Shutong saved the “wedding photo” to her phone and opened WeChat.

Seeing the sender, Han Shutong’s eyebrow lifted.

Yan Mengnuo: [You know I was deliberately trying to provoke you, so why did you still go to N City? Tsk tsk, am I witnessing the Ice Beauty falling in love?]

Han Shutong: [Problem?]

Yan Mengnuo: [Given that I gave you a reason to go look for Zhou Xi, can you be a bit nicer to me?]

Han Shutong: […]

Yan Mengnuo: [I’ll take the ellipsis as your agreement.]

Yan Mengnuo: [Get Qiuqiu to accept my friend request.]

Han Shutong: [None of my business.]

Yan Mengnuo: [Is that so?]

Yan Mengnuo: [I’m guessing you haven’t confessed to Zhou Xi yet, right? Want me to do it for you? How long should I take to think about what to say… I think five minutes.]

Yan Mengnuo was implying that Han Shutong should fulfill her request within five minutes.

Han Shutong frowned. She immediately screenshotted their chat and sent it to Luo Shuiqiu.

Luo Shuiqiu: [?]

Han Shutong: [Clearly, I’m being threatened.]

Luo Shuiqiu: [So?]

Han Shutong: [I hope your business doesn’t involve me and Teacher Zhou.]

Luo Shuiqiu: [She came to you. How is that my business? But I can agree, what will you bribe me with?]

Han Shutong: [What do you want?]

Luo Shuiqiu: [I want you to confess tonight, and then openly flirt with Zhou Xi on the show.]

Han Shutong: [?]

Luo Shuiqiu: [Since we’re not pretending to be a CP on the show, we’ll have to make it real.]

Han Shutong: [Something else.]

Luo Shuiqiu: [Can’t think of anything right now. You owe me one.]

Luo Shuiqiu: [But I won’t agree to add her as a friend. You can screenshot this to her.]

“…”

Han Shutong honestly sent the screenshot to Yan Mengnuo. Before Yan Mengnuo could reply, Han Shutong sent another message.

[Instead of trying to mend things on the phone, you should say “I love you” in person.]

Yan Mengnuo replied with an “Mhm,” then said nothing further.

Luo Shuiqiu, however, asked about Han Shutong’s itinerary again.

Luo Shuiqiu: [Are you coming back tomorrow? If not, I’ll communicate with the production crew and have them come find you in N City.]

Han Shutong saw the message and asked Zhou Xi’s opinion. Zhou Xi thought for a moment and said they should stay a few more days before returning. Han Shutong immediately replied “Good” to Luo Shuiqiu.

Luo Shuiqiu: [OK. Have fun.]

The production crew, hearing they were going to N City, didn’t voice any objection, as they had long wanted to film outdoors.

With travel and sightseeing content, they would have plenty of material. Perhaps they could even end the filming early and get more rest.

The three returned to the hotel. After sorting things out, they took a taxi to a barbecue restaurant.

When they left the barbecue restaurant, it was already eight or nine in the evening.

“Ah~ I’m so full!” Bai Mo exclaimed, rubbing her noticeably larger stomach.

Zhou Xi had been controlling her diet recently for a new drama audition. Han Shutong always ate lightly in the evening, putting down her chopsticks after only a few bites.

The set meal recommended for two to three people ended up mostly in Bai Mo’s stomach.

Though stuffed, she was happy with the meal.

Bai Mo smiled at Zhou Xi. “It’s so much fun eating with you and Sister Tong.”

In the past, Bai Mo would never have said something like this.

She was just Han Shutong’s assistant, and coupled with Han Shutong’s usual coolness, Bai Mo maintained a considerable distance from her. She didn’t dare get too close or be too free-spirited in front of Han Shutong.

But ever since interacting with Zhou Xi, Zhou Xi’s approachability slowly made Bai Mo relax.

The longer she spent with Zhou Xi and witnessed Han Shutong’s interactions with her, Bai Mo felt that Han Shutong wasn’t as terrifying as she imagined.

Now, if Zhou Xi was nearby, Bai Mo was no longer constrained around Han Shutong. She usually said whatever came to mind.

Zhou Xi looked down at Bai Mo’s stomach, reached out and gently patted it, then turned to Han Shutong and suggested, “Xiao Mo ate too much. Should we walk around outside to help digest the food before heading back to the hotel?”

Han Shutong’s gaze also fell on Bai Mo’s stomach. Although Bai Mo sucked in her abdomen as much as possible while the two were staring, it was still somewhat visible. Furthermore, Bai Mo was wearing a crop top today.

Han Shutong nodded. “Good.”

The barbecue restaurant was only about two hundred meters from the shopping street. Walking a little further south would take them there.

Zhou Xi and the two walked along the road toward the large neon lights in the distance.

The shopping streets in every city seemed similar: designer clothing stores, cosmetic shops, department stores, and a few snack stalls.

Zhou Xi and the others had just finished eating and weren’t very interested in the snack stalls.

But the next moment, Zhou Xi saw the ice cream hanging on a drink shop’s sign.

Zhou Xi pulled back her gaze, trying to pretend she hadn’t seen it.

But she was in a shopping district. Every five steps was another drink shop.

Every time she passed one, the ice cream on the advertisement board seemed to wave its hand, telling Zhou Xi: Eat me, eat me. Don’t miss out on me.

Han Shutong, who had been silently observing Zhou Xi, followed Zhou Xi’s gaze and also saw the picture of the ice cream.

Han Shutong leaned toward Zhou Xi. “Do you want to eat it?”

Zhou Xi smiled. “A little.”

Just as Zhou Xi was about to say she wanted to eat it but couldn’t, the person beside her passed in front, leaving a single sentence behind: “I’ll go buy it.”

“Hey, wait,” Zhou Xi called out.

But Han Shutong walked quickly, already several steps away, as if she hadn’t heard Zhou Xi call her.

Watching Han Shutong walk away, Bai Mo wasn’t sure whether to follow or stay put.

Couldn’t she have just let me buy it?

Bai Mo took two steps forward, intending to follow. But a sudden intuition told her to stop.

Bai Mo then walked to Zhou Xi’s side. “Sister Zhou, let’s go over there together.”

“Good.”

“Sister Zhou, were you and Sister Tong this close in college?”

Bai Mo looked at Han Shutong, who was already in line, and couldn’t resist her curiosity, asking Zhou Xi.

Zhou Xi shook her head. “We weren’t close. We had the same relationship as with any other classmate.”

“Ah? No way?” Bai Mo exclaimed in surprise. “I feel like you and Sister Tong have the kind of relationship that lasts for many, many years, like best friends. My bond with my best friend isn’t even as good as yours with Sister Tong.”

Zhou Xi smiled faintly. “If Shutong hadn’t sent me holiday greetings every year, we probably would have lost touch the year we graduated.”

Bai Mo was even more surprised. “What? Sister Tong sends messages like that?”

Bai Mo tried hard to picture it, but couldn’t imagine Han Shutong copying and forwarding group messages.

“Mhm,” Zhou Xi asked. “Didn’t you receive any?”

“No,” Bai Mo said. “Although I haven’t been with Sister Tong for a long time, I know her. She’s not the type of person to send group messages.”

Zhou Xi froze when she heard this. “…Is that so?”

“Yes. Sister Tong is sometimes busy filming or reading scripts during holidays. How would she have time to send those things?” Bai Mo said. “Sister Zhou, you must be remembering incorrectly.”

Remembering incorrectly?

No.

Zhou Xi pulled up their chat history. Lately, she and Han Shutong had been chatting more, and it wasn’t just holiday greetings. But scrolling back before July, all the messages were Han Shutong’s proactive holiday greetings.

The facts were right there.

But… why would Bai Mo say Han Shutong wouldn’t send messages like that?

Zhou Xi put away her phone and looked up at Han Shutong, who was about a meter away.

While she was checking the chat history, she and Bai Mo had already reached the drink shop.

Zhou Xi walked up to Han Shutong. “I’ll do it myself.”

“No need,” Han Shutong refused. “Just wait here.”

Bai Mo, who was “dumped” by the line, looked around idly. Suddenly, she saw a shop in the distance that she had wanted to try for a long time. Seeing the shop, her stomach miraculously felt less full.

Bai Mo walked to Zhou Xi’s side, pointed to the shop, and asked, “Sister Zhou, do you want to eat there? I can go buy something for you.”

Zhou Xi instantly saw through Bai Mo’s intentions. She smiled. “Go buy it if you want to eat it.”

“Hehe, thank you, Sister Zhou!”

Bai Mo skipped toward the shop.

Zhou Xi was amused by Bai Mo’s behavior. She turned to look at Han Shutong, only to find that she had already ordered at the counter at some point.

Zhou Xi had no choice but to take a step back, afraid of disturbing the other people in line.

Behind Han Shutong, a few young girls were talking quietly.

Though their voices were low, Zhou Xi could still hear them.

They were debating whether the person buying ice cream in front was Han Shutong. One insisted it was, saying she knew from the trending searches that Han Shutong was in N City.

The other insisted it wasn’t, saying Han Shutong wouldn’t come out late at night to buy ice cream.

Zhou Xi listened to the second person’s reasoning, which was sound. If Zhou Xi didn’t know the truth, she might have believed it.

Gradually, Zhou Xi heard her own name mentioned.

Then, one of the quiet girls suddenly spoke up. “Did you two see the photos in the Super Topic? OMG, they’re absolutely incredible! That photographer is so good!”

Super Topic?

What Super Topic?

Is it Han Shutong’s fan Super Topic?

And what kind of photo made this quiet girl utter a national curse word?

Zhou Xi wasn’t usually nosy, but the girl had piqued her curiosity.

While she was thinking about these questions, Zhou Xi saw Han Shutong walking down the steps from the counter with the ice cream in her hand. Zhou Xi ignored her thoughts, immediately cut around the line, and walked to Han Shutong’s side.

Zhou Xi took the ice cream. She didn’t eat it but held it up to Han Shutong. “You take the first bite.”

Han Shutong looked at the tip of the ice cream, then at Zhou Xi.

Zhou Xi saw Han Shutong’s hesitation and raised her hand again. “Just take a bite. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll mind if I bite it first and then try to feed you.”

Han Shutong didn’t speak. She obeyed Zhou Xi’s suggestion, took off her mask, and took a small bite.

Just then, the girl who had insisted it wasn’t Han Shutong looked over and happened to see the scene.

“Han… Han…”

Zhou Xi heard the voice and turned. She saw the girl tapping her companion. All three were staring at them, covering their mouths, as if about to scream.

Zhou Xi raised her free hand, placing her index finger over her lips. “Shh.”

The three girls understood Zhou Xi’s gesture. They quickly nodded, mimicking Zhou Xi, placing their index fingers over their lips and shushing.

Zhou Xi’s eyes curved in a smile. She waved at them, then turned to Han Shutong. “Let’s go find Xiao Mo.”

The ice cream melted in her mouth. Han Shutong put her mask back on.

“Okay.”

The two walked toward the shop where Bai Mo was, unaware that the three girls behind them were frantically taking pictures of their backs.

Zhou Xi ate the ice cream. “Shutong.”

Han Shutong: “Mhm.”

“Just now, Xiao Mo and I were talking about you sending group holiday messages. Xiao Mo said she’d never received one and that I must have remembered incorrectly…” Zhou Xi felt that walking without chatting was too boring, so she continued slowly. “Then I scrolled through our chat history and found that I was not mistaken.”

Han Shutong stopped walking as she listened to Zhou Xi.

Zhou Xi only noticed after taking two more steps. She turned to look at Han Shutong, about to ask what was wrong.

She saw Han Shutong slowly walking toward her.

Han Shutong stopped in front of Zhou Xi. After a few seconds of silence, she said:

“Those were not group messages.”

“I only sent them to you… and no one else.”