The sea breeze ruffled the hem of her shirt, and her loose white casual trousers remained spotless. Ling Shuangjiang suddenly stopped, turned to face Xie Wang: "Actually, I am Fox."
Xie Wang nodded: "I know."
When did you find out?
"The first night in the jungle."
Ling Shuangjiang hadn't expected Xie Wang to guess so quickly, and her carefully prepared words were now useless. She lowered her head: "Are you angry with me?"
Xie Wang, with one hand in his pocket and an unreadable expression, asked, "Why am I angry with you?"
“Because I have a suspicion that I induced you to choose me.” Ling Shuangjiang actually knew everything in her heart, and said lightly, “What if I am a scumbag who pretends to be your brother, but actually makes you willingly choose me, and then abandons you in the end?”
Xie Wang said earnestly, "I know you're not."
Ling Shuangjiang, carrying the small white bucket, looked at him intently: "Thank you for believing my motives."
A silence fell between the two.
Ling Shuangjiang asked again, "So what are you going to do tonight?"
Xie Wang: "I chose you, and then you rejected me."
Although she knew Xie Wang meant well, Ling Shuangjiang's expression gradually darkened.
He slowly sat down on the rock: "Why should I refuse you?"
Ling Shuangjiang's depression and displeasure were obvious.
Xie Wang didn't quite understand why Ling Shuangjiang was unhappy.
He sat down next to Ling Shuangjiang and turned his head to say, "Because of this, you can get double the reward."
Ling Shuangjiang stated bluntly: "But I don't want a reward."
"You don't want a reward?" Xie Wang thought for a moment. "Then what do you want?"
Xie Wang's tone was very serious, leaving Ling Shuangjiang momentarily speechless.
"Actually, if I had a choice, I wouldn't want to be Fox. The character of Fox is inherently deceptive, and I hate the deception and utilitarianism mixed into relationships. So I don't want to get any rewards by rejecting you, nor do I want you to become a character similar to the 'Joker'."
Xie Wang understood Ling Shuangjiang's meaning.
"So, for the final step, I chose you to go on a date with, but you don't want to reject me, is that right?"
Ling Shuangjiang nodded and asked him, "Is that alright?"
Xie Wangwei was slightly taken aback: "Of course."
Ling Shuangjiang lowered her eyes and looked at him slightly: "However, if I don't reject you, even if we successfully hold hands, even if the dating reality show ends, the media will still label us as 'Xie Wang's boyfriend' and 'Ling Shuangjiang's boyfriend.' Are you ready? Or are you willing to bear the responsibilities that come with this identity?"
These words made Xie Wang begin to seriously consider them. He quickly grasped the meaning Ling Shuangjiang wanted to express and pondered it for a long time.
He seemed to realize what Ling Shuangjiang meant.
If the two successfully pair up, it will no longer be just a segment in a dating reality show, but a real-life relationship. Ling Shuangjiang is destined to develop her career in the entertainment industry, and their relationship will inevitably affect her.
Moreover, they weren't actually dating.
"You're worried that if we successfully pair up, we'll be paired up and it will affect your future career, right?" Xie Wang began to reflect, realizing that he had indeed been too arbitrary in this matter and hadn't considered the future.
Ling Shuangjiang almost laughed out of anger.
Why is Xie Wang always able to misinterpret his meaning?
He looked Xie Wang up and down and sighed helplessly.
Having spent the past month together, Xie Wang had already experienced his lack of emotional sensitivity. Not long ago, Xie Wang's statement, "I like Ling Shuangjiang," was a conclusion he had reached after much internal struggle, and it was not easy for him to come to that conclusion.
However, Xie Wang may be in a state of confusion right now, unwilling to believe that he is gay, yet discovering that he does indeed like a boy.
He didn't want to force Xie Wang to make any promises about this matter; it was best to let the other party gradually understand.
"So, don't choose me." He lowered his head and whispered.
At this moment, Xie Wang's heart was in turmoil and entanglement.
He discovered that Ling Shuangjiang was unhappy when he chose her, and she was still somewhat unhappy when he didn't choose her.
"Okay." That was his final answer.
The two returned to the RV close to afternoon.
Some guests have even started packing their luggage, preparing to return home.
Ling Shuangjiang said to him, "You should pack your bags too. You can leave after the lunch gathering tomorrow."
Xie asked, "I heard there's a three-day luxury tour to follow."
"That's a reward for the couples who successfully paired up."
"So that's how it is."
Ling Shuangjiang returned to the car and began to slowly pack her luggage. Although it had only been a short month, her life seemed to have undergone earth-shattering changes.
The most important person in his life also appeared.
Holding the dumbbell Xie Wang had given him, he smiled silently, carefully packed it away, and prepared to take it with him.
Everything else in the car was left behind.
Before long, evening arrived. A table was set up in the middle of the beach, and all the guests sat around it in two rows.
Everyone received a preference card on which they could write down the guests they wished to have dinner with on the island. Only guests who made both choices would have the opportunity to go to the luxury estate.
Whether they will successfully pair up depends on each person's choice.
Some guests may choose each other, but it's just to say goodbye more easily.
The results came out quickly.
The couples who have been granted the right to have dinner together are:
Ling Shuangjiang, Xie Wang.
Warm and cozy, Qi Yu.
Joey and Bai Xinyu.
The applause from the other guests also signaled the end of their recording.
Cheng Jia had no regrets, after all, he participated in the event for the sake of popularity, and being paired with a CP might not be a good thing.
Shen Ke wasn't emotionally affected; he just wanted to finish recording quickly and go back to his regular gigs. After all, there was little chance he'd end up with the guest he liked.
Lu Shaoheng held the card, his back slightly hunched, his expression filled with indescribable loneliness.
The card bore the name Ling Shuangjiang.
But Ling Shuangjiang did not choose him.
It's normal to have regrets, but he still felt a bit bitter.
He admitted that he initially noticed Ling Shuangjiang because of her appearance, and it was also because of her appearance that he didn't have the courage to confess his feelings to her in college. But he truly liked Ling Shuangjiang.
They thought that recording a variety show would give them a chance to get to know each other, and that spending time together might lead to a relationship.
But then Xie Wang appeared.
Just as the six were about to leave, he called out to Ling Shuangjiang to stop them.
He ran over, looked into Ling Shuangjiang's eyes and remained silent for a long time. After a moment, he whispered, "Shuangjiang, I hope you are happy."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled and said, "You too, I sincerely wish you well."
[Sigh, it's over for Lu Yingdi and Shuangjiang.]
[It felt like there was a chance at first, but then Mr. Xie realized something, and that was it.]
[As expected, my brother's CP is the real deal!]
[By the way, who exactly is Fox? Do we still not know?]
—
Ling Shuangjiang and Xie Wang had been to the manor countless times, and they knew the way like the back of their hand.
Before they arrived, the production team explained the rules to everyone.
If you're interested in finding a partner, you can prepare a business card with your contact information beforehand, add each other as WeChat friends on the show, and start a relationship.
If you don't have a specific intention, you can prepare a cluster of baby's breath to represent your best wishes and hope that your partner can find happiness.
Will all three couples end up together?
I think it's unlikely.
[Is it really possible that Bai Xinyu and Qiao Yi are a couple? I always felt that Bai Xinyu was very focused on self-interest in this relationship.]
[Bai Xinyu seems to be trying to get attention; I don't think he's being genuine, it feels very fake.]
[Wen Nuan and Qi Yu, should that work?]
[Shuangjiang and General Manager Xie are the most likely candidates.]
[I'm also betting my vote on President Xie for Shuangjiang.]
Dinner is ready.
The aerial camera began to move along the courtyard where the warmth was.
Wen Ai raised her wine glass: "Thank you for taking care of me during this time. I had a very happy month in the dating reality show."
Chyi Yu nodded: "We'll take care of each other."
The atmosphere fell silent as Wen'ai slowly and deliberately cut her steak.
Normally, Wen Nuan would be the one to liven things up, chatting away with Qi Yu, but today she was unusually quiet.
Or, to put it another way, ever since the Warm and Cozy Ad incident, she has become more taciturn when she's with Chyi Yu.
Chyi Yu guessed that, given Wen Ai's personality, she would eventually take the initiative to talk to him about holding hands, and he could then use the remaining time to deduce whether Wen Ai was indeed Fox.
He prepared both a WeChat account and a starry sky.
The plan is quite flexible.
Half an hour later, a few seconds after Wen Nuan looked at him for the last time, she took out a cluster of baby's breath from the bag at her feet.