As they fled downstairs, Jing Luan began to feel something was off. He had intended to scare her, but somehow, he was the one running away.
His first thought was that he'd been tricked, but then he remembered Shen Jianxi's genuine emotions from moments ago and dismissed his own dark thoughts.
❤️
On the day they were to participate in the dating reality show, Shen Jianxi and Jing Luan packed their belongings. Xu Da then drove them to the filming location, a cabin.
The show was called "Let's Fall in Love, Everyone!"
Hearing the title, Shen Jianxi felt a bit speechless. The name was too plain, clearly indicating the lack of skill of the person who came up with it.
A total of ten people would participate in the show, five men and five women.
Besides her, Jing Luan, Ji Zhaoyun, and Ye Chuanzi, there was one more male contestant who had not yet been revealed.
The female contestants included film empress Li Ying, popular young star Zhao Yingxin, singer Qi Jia, girl group member Qiao Nuan, and one ordinary campus belle.
The show was pre-recorded, so there was ample time for preparation.
Before they parted, Xu Da earnestly cautioned them to merely fake a couple's dynamic and absolutely not to get carried away, as it would be detrimental to their future careers.
For some reason, upon hearing this, Jing Luan subconsciously glanced at Shen Jianxi beside him, who was listening intently.
Realizing what he had done, Jing Luan found it amusing. She was a girl, yet she listened so seriously to Xu Da's advice about not dating girls.
After Xu Da finished speaking, the two entered the love cabin together.
They thought they were the earliest to arrive, but to their surprise, an unfamiliar male celebrity was already sitting in the living room. Upon seeing them, he stood up and walked over to help them with their luggage.
"Hello, Teacher Shen!" Jing Luan's expression was exceptionally excited. This was his idol, the film emperor Shen Xingzhi.
Shen Jianxi was also observing him seriously, as her system, 77, had chimed in the moment she entered the house.
【Name: Shen Xingzhi
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Occupation: Actor
Frequent Locations: Xingzhi Studio】
Shen Xingzhi walked over and only then noticed Shen Jianxi behind Jing Luan. Primarily, her frame was smaller compared to that of a male, and combined with the angle, Shen Xingzhi hadn't seen her immediately.
"Hello, Teacher Shen," Shen Jianxi also greeted him politely.
"Hello to both of you." Shen Xingzhi did not seem to have any airs about him and offered them a friendly smile.
Facing his idol, Jing Luan couldn't bear to let him carry his suitcase and politely refused. Shen Xingzhi didn't insist and instead took the suitcase from Shen Jianxi's hand.
"Hey! Teacher Shen!" Caught off guard, her suitcase was snatched away. Moreover, was it her imagination, or did Shen Xingzhi's hand seem to have lightly scratched her palm just now?
77: "Beep! Affection +10, current Shen Xingzhi affection level is 10."
Shen Jianxi: ...
Alright, she knew. It wasn't her imagination.
However, things seemed to be off to a good start. Shen Xingzhi was interested in her, though she wasn't sure why.
"You're a child, you should rest well. You called me Teacher Shen, so I should take good care of you," Shen Xingzhi said gently, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over her hands and eyes, a flicker of infatuation passing through them.
Shen Jianxi noticed this in time. She glanced at her own hands and understood.
It seemed this Shen Xingzhi was a hand fetishist. He had a preference, which would make things easier. She could use her hands to build up affection in the early stages.
However, she couldn't figure out why he was so infatuated with her eyes.
Because Shen Jianxi had always habitually presented herself as pure and innocent, her gaze was very important. Many times, her eyes appeared incredibly clear, devoid of any impurity, which was also something Shen Xingzhi liked.
Furthermore, he had discovered something amusing on their first meeting: Shen Jian, this boy group member, was actually a girl.
Although she didn't know how she had managed to pull it off, it didn't stop Shen Xingzhi from developing an interest in her.
They walked side-by-side, chatting and laughing, with Jing Luan following behind. For a moment, he felt regret and jealousy.
He wasn't sure who he was jealous of – Shen Xingzhi? Or Shen Jian?
Perhaps both.
The first floor was for the men's living quarters, and the second floor was for the women's.
Shen Xingzhi had arrived a while ago, and his room was already chosen and tidied. Looking at the few remaining empty rooms, he turned to ask Shen Jianxi for her opinion, "Which one do you like?"
Shen Jianxi carefully observed each room. Catching a glimpse of Shen Xingzhi's room out of the corner of her eye, she turned and smiled, "Teacher Shen, please choose for me. I have a bit of indecisiveness."
77: "Beep! Affection +5, current Shen Xingzhi affection level is 15."
Shen Jianxi knew she had made the right move.
A flicker of surprise crossed Shen Xingzhi's mind. He had already planned where this child would stay from the beginning, but since it was their first meeting, he didn't want to appear too assertive, as that might scare her away.
He feigned contemplation, then pointed to the room to his left. "This one is good. It gets good sunlight and isn't as damp."
Most importantly, this room was at the very end, so she would have to pass his room whenever she returned or left.
Shen Jianxi glanced at it and thanked Shen Xingzhi gratefully, "Thank you, Teacher Shen. I think this room is good too."
She and Shen Xingzhi carried their things inside. Jing Luan looked around the hallway and finally chose the room to Shen Xingzhi's right, feeling a faint sense of disappointment.
After they had finished unpacking and came out, Ye Chuanzi and Ji Zhaoyun entered simultaneously. Shen Jianxi couldn't shake off a sense of unease.
What was this sense of urgency from having the current target and the former target converge at the same time?
As if not expecting anyone to arrive so soon, Chu Yunqing and Ji Zhaoyun were momentarily stunned. Inexplicably, none of the five people spoke first, and the atmosphere was incredibly awkward.