[Holy crap, that's exciting!]
I thought the person I loved loved me very much, but I never expected that he was actually an actor.
[Wow, the production team really knows how to play games.]
[Huh? Doesn't that mean it ends in a bad ending?]
At this point, Joey asked tentatively, "What if FOX falls in love with him in the end?"
The director raised an eyebrow: "Of course. If he voluntarily gives up the grand prize, then he and his partner can enjoy the normal rewards."
Wen Ai raised her hand: "What's the grand prize?"
The director cleared his throat: "You can choose either the lead role in an S-level film or television drama produced by the film company to which the program belongs, or a detached villa in Bintan city."
In the audience, actress Lin Xueer exclaimed, "The production team is so generous! The first item is extremely tempting for these celebrity guests."
Actor Lu Shaoheng murmured, "For the non-celebrity guests, that property worth 30 million is also very tempting."
Ling Shuangjiang, who hadn't spoken until now, looked up and asked, "What are the normal rewards for ordinary guests?"
His voice was soft and clear, with the gentle tone unique to southern boys. Xie Wang was attracted by this voice and looked at Ling Shuangjiang for the first time.
For some reason, Ling Shuangjiang reminded him of the expensive white peony that sat in his bedroom.
Elegant and unique, valuable yet understated.
Yet it is dazzling and alluring during its flowering season, making all the brilliance of other beautiful flowers pale in comparison.
Xie Wang had never met such a handsome boy before, and his face seemed strangely familiar.
The director replied to Ling Shuangjiang: "The reward is two diamond love medals and a three-day, two-night luxury island honeymoon."
After the rules were explained, the director prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he said to the guests, "You have six hours to enjoy one last luxurious lunch. Afterwards, please take your suitcases and head to the pristine island."
[The last... lavish lunch?]
[Is this an attempt at wilderness survival?]
[It shouldn't be a wilderness survival exercise. I recognize the island they filmed on; the facilities there are pretty good.]
[I have a feeling the guests will have a tough time during this month-long recording.]
A moment later, the lavish lunch began, and the guests took their seats one after another, ready to enjoy their first meal of the team building activity.
As she took her seat, Wen Ai stared at Xie Wang and Qi Yu, then seized the opportunity to sit between them.
Ling Shuangjiang took her seat in order and found that the person opposite her was Xie Wang.
The lunch was extremely lavish, and the guests gradually opened up and began to get to know each other. The celebrities were all in the entertainment industry, and since they saw each other frequently, they were somewhat acquainted. Therefore, among those present, the three non-celebrity guests were the most interesting to everyone.
So far, Ling Shuangjiang seems to be the easiest to get along with. She looks gentle and kind, is pretty, and has a good personality.
Chyi Yu looked to be in her late twenties, with a gentle and refined demeanor, like a wealthy person who knew how to enjoy life.
Only Xie Wang.
She kept a straight face throughout the meal, as if she was being forced to participate in a TV show. That indifferent expression was a waste of her good looks; it was a complete waste.
His clothes were simple; he didn't wear an expensive watch like Chyi Yu. He only had a black rope tied around his left wrist, and the object in the center of the rope was currently unidentifiable, but it looked like jade.
“Nobody knows your names yet,” Wen Ai said, pointing to the two people beside her with a simple smile.
Xie Wang's voice was flat as he uttered the name the production team had prepared for him: "lou".
Chyi Yu followed closely behind: "otto".
Wen Ai tilted her head and smiled: "The names are all very nice."
The reason for using a foreign name is obvious to everyone. A billionaire like him certainly has a name in China; if it were directly exposed, anyone could easily find out with a simple search.
Ling Shuangjiang rested her chin on her right hand, silently reciting the two people's foreign names in her heart. A smile unconsciously appeared in her eyes, and the black mole on her face was particularly bright.
The names were probably chosen intentionally by the production team; one translates to "famous on the battlefield" in French, and the other to "wealthy" in German.
At this point, Joey joined the discussion: "Why did you guys come to participate in this variety show?"
Xie Wang replied briefly, "I'll attend in place of my younger brother."
Chyi Yu replied, "Relax your mind and body during your busy work and find true love."
The message conveyed by this answer is particularly important.
Wen Ai and Shen Ke exchanged glances, and could roughly guess which of the two was a billionaire with a net worth of hundreds of billions.
[The fourth male participant is filling in for his younger brother on the variety show? That means the younger brother was originally supposed to participate, right? There's been a change in his role; I don't think he's that billionaire tycoon.]
[This is too obvious; the fifth male lead must be that big shot.]
[Guests, you can go for it! Marry the fifth male lead and reach the pinnacle of your life!]
Meanwhile, the audience members in the background were also having a passionate discussion.
Lin Xueer: "It's too obvious, isn't it? The fifth male lead should be that big shot."
Lu Shaoheng smiled calmly and said nothing.
He had met Xie Wang once when he first started out in the business; at that time, Xie Wang was the heir to the Xie Group. Six years had passed; Xie Wang should already be the chairman of the board.
Based on the Xie family's market value not long ago, Xie Wang's net worth is at least hundreds of billions, which should be the hundreds of billions tycoon mentioned by the program team.
He just didn't expect that this big shot would actually take his brother's place on the dating reality show.
"Ling Shuangjiang! I was wondering why that name sounded so familiar!" Joey's voice quickly drew everyone's attention.
She chuckled and held up her phone. "I found a Baidu Baike entry for 'Ling Shuangjiang,' but the photo on it is of a little child."
Xie Wang, who had been in a low mood, suddenly became interested and looked up: "Is that the child star who acted in the family movie?"
Joey smiled and nodded: "Yes, the name is 'Mom, I Love You the Most'."
"Mom, I love you the most?" Wen Ai smiled with surprise, "I think I watched this when I was little. I cried so much back then. The little boy was so cute!"
[Now that you mention it, I do recall it.]
[I've seen it; that little boy was both heartbreaking and pitiful.]
[That actor is also named Ling Shuangjiang? Could it be the same person?]
[Oh my, I know this movie, it's a tearjerker of history! I was ten years old back then, and I was deeply moved by that young actor.]
[This movie was very famous when I was a child.]
Ling Shuangjiang slightly lowered her gentle brows and eyes: "I'm so lucky that so many people have seen it, that person was me."
"Is it really you?" Bai Xinyu became interested. "You seemed quite popular back then, why did you suddenly leave the entertainment industry?"
Ling Shuangjiang ignored the implication in his tone and politely replied, "I was young and prone to illness back then. I spent all my time on the film set with no one to take care of me, so my mother took me back to my hometown."
Huang Shan, who hadn't spoken for a while, smiled at him in a friendly manner: "Indeed, the child's health is not good, and it's very tiring for him to be on set all day."
As the conversation progressed, everyone became quite familiar with each other. Ling Shuangjiang's mole at the corner of her eye lifted slightly as she took a sip of the seafood soup. The heat caused her porcelain-white skin to flush slightly, and her eyes narrowed suddenly.
Before everyone's eyes had left him, Huang Shan couldn't help but praise, "Shuangjiang, you look so handsome."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled faintly: "Thank you."
[I knew this ordinary guy was no ordinary person; he was a child star who was famous all over the country back in the day.]
[Does Huang Shan like the Frost's Descent solar term? Should we ship Ling Shan and Huang Shan?]
[Huang Shan probably doesn't like the third male lead; she was just expressing her admiration.]
[The third male lead is so gentle.]
After dinner, everyone split into two or three groups to chat. Chyi Yu was the most popular, with Wen Ai practically monopolizing all the opportunities to speak with her. The other two female guests, Huang Shan and Qiao Yi, didn't insist on speaking to her and chatted with Shen Ke, Bai Xinyu, and Ling Shuangjiang.
Shen Ke was talking, but her mind kept wandering, her gaze occasionally falling on Ling Shuangjiang, who was quietly reading a book.
"Frost's Descent? You sound like a bohemian type." Huang Shan smiled at him. "What did you study in college?"
Ling Shuangjiang: "Art."
“Ah Jiang went to a foreign university, and half of our class went to the airport to see him off.” Shen Ke did not hide the fact that the two were classmates. “Many people in our class liked him back then.”
[Does the third male lead like boys or girls?]
[I don't know? I think maybe he likes girls? He's very gentle with girls.]
[His future girlfriend must be incredibly beautiful! After all, he's already very good-looking.]
[Not necessarily, let's see who he chooses later.]
Huang Shan: "Really? Shuangjiang was the school heartthrob?"
Ling Shuangjiang closed the book with a slight smile: "No, Shen Ke likes to joke."
He disliked crowds and didn't want Shen Ke to fuss over him and reminisce about the past, so he pretended to relax and made an excuse to go to the courtyard to avoid the crowd.
Having eaten quite a bit for lunch, Ling Shuangjiang felt a little tired as she basked in the sunlight in the courtyard and began to miss her soft, large bed at home.
He lazily arched his neck, basking in the sunlight like a kitten with its tail raised, his skin porcelain white and smooth, without a single blemish.
"Are you an adult?" Xie Wang's voice suddenly rang out. He had an e-cigarette dangling from his lips, one hand casually in his black trousers, his long legs and broad shoulders quite striking. The abs faintly visible beneath his black shirt exuded a powerful aura of masculinity.
Ling Shuangjiang's eyes flashed as Xie Wang's sudden appearance interrupted her thoughts.
Looking at Xie Wang, he suddenly felt that the name Lou was slightly lacking in Xie Wang's aura; perhaps it should be called Lion.
Lion, or the Lion King.
With a smile, he replied, "I'm 22."
"It doesn't look like it."
Xie Wang has recently been trying to quit smoking, but due to his irritability and cravings, he is using a specially made e-cigarette in the courtyard to relieve his worries. The e-cigarette contains almost no nicotine.
His skin was tanned, and his facial features were very sharp. With shoes on, he was about 190 cm tall and had a commanding presence.
"I remember you should only be a teenager."
Ling Shuangjiang was quite interested and leaned against the corner of the wall, saying lightly, "Judging from your tone, I feel like you know me very well."
In the sunlight, he and Xie Wang looked at each other, his fair skin contrasting sharply with Xie Wang's.
“You should be fairly familiar with him.” Xie Wang held a cigarette between his fingers, his thin lips slightly pursed. “If you have a younger brother who forces his older brother to wash his feet every day in order to learn the good qualities of the child actors in the movie; a mother who watches that movie regularly and cries her eyes out every time; and a grandmother who adores the child actor in the movie—then you will also have a deep impression of the protagonist of that movie.”