Chapter 35: A Smile That Hid a Knife

[??????]

[…Huh?]

[Are you also typing question marks?

What a coincidence, me too!]

[This answer is way too beyond the scope…

In every sense of the word, it’s beyond the scope…]

[So who exactly is it?

Why would coming on a dating show make up for this, um, this deceased person’s regret?]

Sang Zhiyi’s answer was so explosive that the barrage was extremely curious about who the person she mentioned actually was, and they began speculating wildly.

[My first reaction when someone says that is usually a family member…

But I really don’t mean to curse anyone!

Ren Xiaoqian doesn’t fit my random guess either!

And this is a dating show…]

[First, eliminate all the guests everyone guessed earlier [doge]]

[No, no, first we should determine whether it’s a “he” or a “she”!

The person who mentioned a family member gave me an idea—what if Ren Xiaoqian treats a pet like family, then it might be an “it”!]

[Damn, my melodramatic brain won’t stop.

How about the mermaid sister’s ex-boyfriend?]

[???

Coming on a dating show for a boyfriend, after he’s died?

Isn’t that too melodramatic, even beyond over-the-top?]

The audience, of course, couldn’t guess what the real answer was.

The original owner, Ren Xiaoqian, had come for Lou Yanchen—it was indeed “because of someone.”

And Sang Zhiyi had come for Ren Xiaoqian—also “because of someone.”

Sang Zhiyi had never forgotten why she had come to this world.

That delicate, timid clinging vine had been weak and cowardly, but also pure and innocent.

Her identity and her true feelings had become secrets that could not be spoken in this world, but Sang Zhiyi still wanted to do everything in her power to tell the world that they had once existed.

Even if only in such an ambiguous way.

Although the tens of millions of viewers in the live stream were eager to get more specific information, and even the staff on site at the garden villa felt an itch of curiosity in their hearts, hoping to hear Sang Zhiyi explain further, Sang Zhiyi stopped right there.

She didn’t say another word.

Leaving countless viewers in the live stream wailing.

[Aaaaah, who exactly is it, just tell us clearly!

If I don’t get the answer, I won’t be able to sleep tonight!]

[I hate this!

The mermaid sister shows us such a big melon, and then just takes it away?!

I haven’t even gotten a taste of what this melon is like yet!]

The show couldn’t just get stuck on Sang Zhiyi, so the camera had to move on to the next guest.

The male guest closest to Sang Zhiyi and Zhongli Miaomiao was Song Ying.

“Me?”

Song Ying smiled very cheerfully at the camera.

“Do you really want to know?”

[Yes, yes, yes!

Of course we want to know!]

[Don’t be a riddle like Ren Xiaoqian!

Director Song, just say whatever it is!]

[Wait, seeing Director Song’s expression, I have a bad feeling…]

“I forgot,” Song Ying said in an extremely crisp tone.

“It’s been too long.

I can’t remember anymore.”

This was the truth.

Although it really didn’t sound like it.

Back when he received the invitation from the production team of Love of a Limited Season, Song Ying had casually agreed.

Later, when filming was about to start, he had been planning to stand up the production team, but then he heard that Lou Yanchen and Jiang Yingru would both be there, so he came to watch the drama.

As for exactly why he had decided to agree back then, Song Ying genuinely couldn’t remember anymore.

[???]

[I f*cking knew you’d be like this!]

[If anyone else said “I forgot,” I’d think it was an excuse, but if Song Ying says it, I think it’s probably the truth…

He really does suddenly do things on a whim.]

[I get it now.

This episode’s theme is “How to Torture the Audience.”]

[It’s not just the guests; the production team also knows how to manipulate the audience.

The most anticipated President Lou is being interviewed last!]

A close-up of Lou Yanchen’s upper body appeared in front of the camera.

He frowned slightly and spoke in a low voice.

“I forgot, too.”

He certainly couldn’t say the truth, that he had come to pursue Jiang Yingru.

So he simply copied and pasted Song Ying’s answer.

[???

Aaaaah, I’m going to explode!

President Lou, you’re doing this too?!]

[Flashbacks to the first episode, when all the guests forfeited…]

[Wait, President Lou, you really like following Director Song’s lead, huh?

Can this pair be shipped?]

[I’m so angry!

Other than the little princess, there’s not a single honest person!]

Lou Yanchen was, after all, the financial backer of the production team of Love of a Limited Season.

Since Lou Yanchen didn’t want to say, they would just move on to the next segment.

The barrage in the live stream was again full of complaints.

But soon, this episode welcomed its first real climax.

The special guests were finally about to arrive.

[!!!

This time I want to praise Limited Season!

They’re being very decisive, bringing them right out.

I thought they’d tease us a little longer!]

[They can’t help but be decisive, can they?

With only these four guests, the normal proceedings can’t even continue without new guests.]

[I’m dying of laughter.

The host is working so hard to gloss things over, saying things like “Thank you for the audience’s support, it’s because the audience is looking forward to new guests that we have these special guests” hahahaha.]

[What else can they do?

They can’t tell the real reason, and even if they did, they couldn’t broadcast it [doge]]

The camera’s focus shifted to the entrance of the garden villa.

The first guest to walk in was exactly Zhong Yueyi.

Zhong Yueyi was dressed in her own casual clothes.

A wine-red dress made her already beautiful features even more dazzling.

Her medium-short hair was permed very delicately, and she looked both capable and charming.

She gracefully walked into the reception hall on the first floor of the villa and smiled, greeting the four guests present.

“Hello, everyone!”

Sang Zhiyi noticed that the moment Zhong Yueyi’s gaze met Lou Yanchen’s, there was an almost imperceptible flinch.

Oh, dear.

Sang Zhiyi’s eyes narrowed slightly, and faint dimples appeared at the corners of her lips.

It seemed that Lou Yanchen had already found out some things.

The next second, Sang Zhiyi cried out in great surprise.

“Sister Yueyi?!”

Sang Zhiyi immediately stood up from the sofa and quickly walked over to Zhong Yueyi.

“I’m so glad!

You’ve finally come to Limited Season!”

With such close proximity, their gazes unavoidably met.

Looking at Sang Zhiyi’s sincerely innocent expression, alarm bells went off in Zhong Yueyi’s heart.

Since their last meeting, Zhong Yueyi had realized that this person was no longer the same as before.

But based on two full years of knowing her, Zhong Yueyi had only thought at the time that Sang Zhiyi seemed to have suddenly come to her senses, no longer wasting the face that God had given her.

Not only had her appearance been completely renewed, but her acting skills had also advanced by leaps and bounds, to the point where Zhong Yueyi felt threatened.

It wasn’t until two days later, when Zhong Yueyi was called into the president’s office by Lou Yanchen, that she finally understood what Sang Zhiyi’s parting words had meant.

That was the first time Zhong Yueyi had met with Lou Yanchen alone in his office, but it was completely different from any of the scenarios she had imagined.

It wasn’t her finally stepping into Lou Yanchen’s heart, with the two of them entangled in ambiguity, nor was it her achieving outstanding success in her career, earning Lou Yanchen’s praise.

It was her standing stiffly in front of Lou Yanchen, enduring his furious, disgusted questioning and scolding!

All the tricks she had used to deal with Ren Xiaoqian over the past two years had suddenly been dug up by Lou Yanchen.

Zhong Yueyi believed she had been cautious enough, having done many things without involving her own hands.

After all, there were so many people at Starlight who hated Ren Xiaoqian; if one pawn was no longer useful, she could just replace them with another.

But even so, with Lou Yanchen’s abilities, he had still found evidence pointing directly at her.

Especially recently, when Sang Zhiyi had suddenly become famous for her mermaid performance and, contrary to her usual behavior, no longer came to Starlight, Zhong Yueyi had to admit that she had been a bit anxious at the time.

Thus… she had left behind obvious incriminating evidence.

Zhong Yueyi had used every trick in the book, carefully apologizing and defending herself, finding suitable scapegoats for all the crimes she could deflect.

Fortunately, those pieces of evidence were not the most damning, and Zhong Yueyi herself still had value to Starlight.

Lou Yanchen was a very shrewd businessman.

Since Zhong Yueyi, as Starlight’s top female artist, still had her uses, he only gave her a severe warning and deducted some money and resources.

It didn’t harm her bones, but it was certainly memorable.

Zhong Yueyi didn’t even remember how she had walked out of the president’s office.

Emerging from the Starlight building, Zhong Yueyi had only one thing on her mind.

The humiliation she had suffered today, she would return to Sang Zhiyi tenfold!

So, even though she already knew that Ren Xiaoqian now was almost a different person from the one in her memory, having become extremely difficult to deal with, Zhong Yueyi still agreed immediately when the production team of Love of a Limited Season sent her an invitation for the first time.

This dating show had not only Sang Zhiyi but also Lou Yanchen.

She could kill two birds with one stone—dealing with Sang Zhiyi while also salvaging the image she had lost in Lou Yanchen’s eyes!

Zhong Yueyi had been mentally prepared for this, but facing Sang Zhiyi’s proactive strike as soon as she walked onto the set, she still couldn’t help but feel her scalp tingle.

Before Zhong Yueyi had time to think it over, Sang Zhiyi firmly grasped her hand, her tone full of gratitude.

“I never had the chance to properly thank you before, Sister Yueyi.

Thank you for giving up your spot to me!”

Zhong Yueyi: “…?!”

In an instant, Zhong Yueyi understood exactly what Sang Zhiyi was trying to do.

But it was already too late.

Sang Zhiyi’s speaking pace was neither fast nor slow, as if she was truly very emotional.

“Originally, you were one of the guests invited to Limited Season from the very beginning.

I-I wasn’t qualified to be on the show at all…

It was Sister Yueyi, who is extremely kind-hearted, specifically giving up her own spot to me, that allowed me the opportunity to become a guest on Limited Season!”

“Being seen by so many people now, being liked by so many people now—it’s all thanks to you, Sister Yueyi!”

Even back when Love of a Limited Season was still an unknown show, it had already been able to invite guests like Liu Bolin (who hadn’t been blacklisted yet) and a top-tier guest like Jiang Yingru.

Lou Yanchen and Zhongli Miaomiao, who had joined later, had also paid a considerable price to succeed.

At that time, Ren Xiaoqian was merely a minor nobody who had been shelved by Lou Yanchen for several months.

Even her notoriety hadn’t spread far; she simply could not have received an invitation from the production team.

It was Zhong Yueyi who had seized the opportunity, “kindly” taking the initiative to suggest that she give her own spot to Ren Xiaoqian, allowing Ren Xiaoqian to follow closely behind Lou Yanchen into the production team.

Zhong Yueyi’s scheme had indeed worked.

Lou Yanchen had flown into a rage at Ren Xiaoqian’s presumption, scolded her away, and completely abandoned this clinging vine.

The opponent she had devotedly dealt with for two full years had ultimately lost, leaving not even a bone behind.

But unfortunately, the person Zhong Yueyi was now facing was Sang Zhiyi.

Sang Zhiyi directly told the whole truth, and she did so with the demeanor of someone endlessly grateful.

Zhong Yueyi felt like her scalp was about to explode.

The live stream was on, and Lou Yanchen was standing right beside her.

Did Sang Zhiyi even need to explain what she was trying to do?

Sang Zhiyi was openly tattling, telling the story of how Zhong Yueyi had deliberately given up her own guest spot to send Ren Xiaoqian to the show to be humiliated by Lou Yanchen!

Zhong Yueyi didn’t know whether others could read between the lines, but Lou Yanchen definitely could!

Seeing Zhong Yueyi’s increasingly uncontrollable facial expression, Sang Zhiyi asked with concern.

“Sister Yueyi, are you feeling unwell?”

Sang Zhiyi glanced at Lou Yanchen, then innocently questioned.

“How come your face looks as bad as President Lou’s?”