The Female Lead Is Enjoying It

Jiang Zhaolie and Yu Sui'an weren't the ones left without a date, so why would they drag Xu Chun along and make things harder on themselves? Besides, the whole reason she'd joined the show was to stop Xu Chun from pestering Suisui and breaking her heart. If she agreed now, everything she'd just done for Suisui would be for nothing.

Jiang Zhaolie's expression went cold, and she refused without hesitation. "Don't even think about it."

Xu Chun wasn't bothered by Jiang Zhaolie's cold words. She patiently laid it all out for her. "Zhaolie, don't be so quick to refuse. Look, you and I are still technically engaged, and Suisui and I just broke up. If you abandon your fiancée in front of all these people and go on a date with someone who just broke up with me, think about how people will talk."

"The three of us are already public knowledge. If you two abandon me, won't that just hand everyone gossip on a silver platter?"

"And even if you won't consider me, you should at least consider Suisui. She hasn't done anything wrong, and she has so many dramas waiting to air. If your selfishness ends up affecting Suisui's future..." Xu Chun stopped right on cue, leaving Jiang Zhaolie the rest of the time to think it over.

Jiang Zhaolie's fury ignited as she listened to this calm, well-reasoned analysis. And whose fault was all of this?

Who had outed their relationship in front of all those livestream viewers? Who had been so clingy and obnoxious that Suisui didn't even want to look at her? Who had insisted on being in a group with Suisui, making Jiang Zhaolie so worried that she rushed to join the show? If Xu Chun had just made a point of keeping her distance from Suisui from the start, none of this dog-blood mess would have happened.

Jiang Zhaolie glared at Xu Chun as if she wanted to eat her alive, but Xu Chun couldn't even be bothered to spare her a glance anymore. She looked straight at Yu Sui'an. "What do you think?"

The several million viewers who saw Yu Sui'an nod with their own eyes and heard her say she agreed were instantly dumbfounded. I have never seen anything like this in my life.

Breaking up and still going on a dating show with your ex and her fiancée—as expected of actors and stars, their mental fortitude is on another level. If this were ordinary people, the first thing they'd want to do upon meeting is run the other one over with a car.

The livestream comments were absolutely spectacular, and the dog-blood three-way date shot straight to the trending topics. And Xu Chun, the person playing the crucial linking role in this love triangle, successfully climbed to the top of the hottest male and female celebrity rankings, far ahead of everyone else.

Her manager held her phone, feelings complicated. Of course she wanted Xu Chun to become wildly famous, known to all under heaven, but not to be remembered this way, etched into people's bones! Xu Chun's chaotic personal life had been exposed today; would any decent production team be willing to hire her after this?

The manager let out a deeply aggrieved sigh. Forget it, no point worrying now. One step at a time. At least Xu Chun had earned herself some solid notoriety; she needed to seize this opportunity and arrange things properly for her.

And so the three-person date was officially set. He Qingli watched with her jaw hanging open, so stunned she couldn't help but doubt reality itself. She tipped her head back and stared at the sky for a long while before finally forcing out, "This is so goddamn surreal..."

When Xu Chun's cheating scandal first broke, He Qingli hadn't wanted to believe her idol would do such a thing. They moved in the same circles, so she had more information than fans or netizens, and after dealing with Yu Sui'an a few times, she was more inclined to believe it was all Yu Sui'an's scheming and set-up.

But... now, watching Xu Chun look so calm and unbothered, even enjoying herself, He Qingli fell silent.

As expected of my idol! she thought excitedly.

Even more likable now!

Xu Chun, completely unaware that she'd won He Qingli over, was propping her chin on her hand with a conflicted, troubled look, pondering whether to cling to Jiang Zhaolie or Yu Sui'an for the rest of the time. She and Yu Sui'an had already broken up; if she kept getting entangled with her, Yu Sui'an's fans probably wouldn't let it go. Jiang Zhaolie was her nominal fiancée, but she was truly unbearable. Xu Chun even felt that the woman's very breathing was wrong.

But she was already notorious because of Yu Sui'an. If she kept getting close to her, there might be even greater misfortune. So Xu Chun settled for the next best thing and moved to Jiang Zhaolie's side.

Jiang Zhaolie's heart and eyes were fixed on Yu Sui'an alone. She glanced sideways at Xu Chun as she moved, then ignored her. Xu Chun reminded her in time, "Zhaolie, I'm your nominal fiancée right now."

"If you're all sweet and attentive to Suisui while ignoring me completely, I'm afraid the netizens will start making things up and spreading rumors again."

Jiang Zhaolie's infatuated gaze froze. She turned back with discontent and resentment in her eyes. Xu Chun shrugged innocently. "There's no use looking at me like that. If you're so capable, go cover the netizens' eyes and shut their mouths."

That was, of course, impossible. And precisely because she'd thought it through, Jiang Zhaolie felt even more suffocated. She couldn't help but stare at Xu Chun several times, feeling that something about her had changed.

As she remembered her, Xu Chun was quiet, spoke little, and devoted herself entirely to honing her acting and studying scripts. She seemed clumsy with words, like a stuffy old scholar who didn't understand romance, forming a stark contrast with her own bright, gorgeous appearance. But today's Xu Chun was like a firecracker, not only sharp-tongued but merciless, every word stabbing straight into the heart.

Was it because Suisui broke up with her that she'd become so hysterical?

Jiang Zhaolie's eyes were full of scrutiny, and Xu Chun instantly jolted, terrified the other woman would discover that the person inside Xu Chun's body had been quietly swapped out. She reined in some of her outward emotion and met Jiang Zhaolie's eyes coldly. "What, did I say something wrong?"

Xu Chun's high-and-mighty "don't push your luck" look instantly yanked Jiang Zhaolie back to reality. "..."

Does this woman have a split personality? One moment she's earnestly and humbly begging me not to embarrass her too much, and the next she's acting like a scumbag who pulls up her pants and doesn't recognize you—so cold-blooded and ruthless.

Jiang Zhaolie was furious, belatedly, but damn it, Xu Chun made perfect sense. To protect Suisui from cyberbullying and criticism, Jiang Zhaolie could only suppress her desperate desire to glue her eyes to Yu Sui'an and instead tend to Xu Chun with a sour face, her words and actions perfunctory to the extreme.

Even so, it was enough to put Yu Sui'an in a strange mood.

Yu Sui'an didn't know which of her unhappy feelings was stronger. On one hand, Xu Chun was her ex. She'd painstakingly pursued Xu Chun for a long time before winning her over and getting her to agree to date her. Then she'd schemed to make Xu Chun fall so deeply for her that she couldn't stop, and just when Xu Chun had fallen the deepest, she'd ruthlessly proposed the breakup, ensuring Xu Chun would never forget her.

On the other hand, Jiang Zhaolie was her new prey. She hadn't successfully conquered her yet, and the woman had already obediently listened to Xu Chun's few words, like a good little dog—which gave Yu Sui'an the illusion that something she liked was being stolen by another thing she liked, even if it all had its reasons.

She bit her lip lightly, her bright eyes fixed on Jiang Zhaolie, full of fragility and loss.

Jiang Zhaolie's heart shattered instantly. She wanted to turn and comfort her, but then she realized they were still livestreaming, and her movement froze mid-gesture.

Under Yu Sui'an's gaze, full of grievance and unease, Jiang Zhaolie felt like her heart was being cut out as she pulled away. Yu Sui'an's eyes dimmed, her expression immediately dulling, as if a pearl had lost its luster.

Xu Chun felt her own heart ache at the sight. She shoved Jiang Zhaolie aside and frowned at her accusingly. "Why are you bullying Suisui? Did she provoke you? So many viewers are watching—where are your manners?"

Jiang Zhaolie couldn't help but think: "???"

Didn't you just tell me to stay away from Suisui?!

She watched helplessly as Xu Chun walked over to Yu Sui'an with a concerned expression, gently comforting her. Jiang Zhaolie's brain buzzed—what a scheming woman! She'd lured her into making Suisui sad, and now she was playing the good person, offering warmth to save Suisui's face and make Suisui grateful to her.

Jiang Zhaolie belatedly gritted her teeth. She did it on purpose!

She never would have imagined that in just a few short months, Xu Chun had become so calculating!

Seeing the two about to fight, He Qingli hurried over. "What are your plans for room assignments tonight? Those three want the big room, so only the four of us are left..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Zhaolie immediately looked at Yu Sui'an, her meaning obvious. But Yu Sui'an hesitated for a moment, then softly raised her eyes to Xu Chun.

Jiang Zhaolie: "?"

Daggers shot from Jiang Zhaolie's eyes straight at Xu Chun. Xu Chun met her gaze and inwardly protested her innocence. She hadn't done anything!

"I'll share a room with my sister," Yu Sui'an said softly. Her voice was crisp, like a clear spring bubbling through the mountains. "I wouldn't feel at ease if my sister roomed with someone else."

Xu Chun felt nothing in particular about Yu Sui'an's words, but Jiang Zhaolie's imagination ran wild, and the eye-daggers stabbing at Xu Chun drove even deeper. Xu Chun rejected Yu Sui'an's suggestion without a second thought. "No need. I'll just room with Qingli."

You two can go deal with each other.

But to her surprise, that made Jiang Zhaolie unhappy. "Then you room with Suisui. I'll sleep with He Qingli."

Xu Chun's attitude had actually given Jiang Zhaolie a wake-up call. The three of them were under everyone's watchful eyes right now. If Jiang Zhaolie insisted on being with Suisui for her own selfish reasons, forget the online backlash Suisui would suffer—Suisui herself would probably be annoyed by her clinginess. As Jiang Zhaolie and He Qingli both turned and left, Xu Chun couldn't help but think: "???"

But then she noticed Yu Sui'an staring at her with burning eyes, and "..."

Xu Chun warily backed up two steps. "What?"

"It's time to go back and rest, sister." Yu Sui'an smiled faintly, the pure, sweet aura of a white lotus fully embodied in that moment. Yet Xu Chun didn't dare let her guard down for a second; she felt the woman was brewing something big.

Still, they did need to rest. Xu Chun took her luggage from her manager and walked with Yu Sui'an, one after the other, toward the guesthouse. Xu Chun had brought three large suitcases, making them very inconvenient to move. Yu Sui'an stopped a short distance away and watched her quietly for a long while, then suddenly stepped closer. "Sister, let me help you."

She reached for one of the suitcases. Xu Chun reflexively dodged. "No need, I can manage." She paused, then added, "You go up first."

Yu Sui'an didn't move. Instead she tilted her head and smiled. "Sister, haven't your arms always been weak? No matter how much you work out, it's the same." Her casual words carried an inexplicable intimacy. Xu Chun's internal alarm bells blared. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Yu Sui'an had already briskly carried a suitcase in each hand and headed upstairs.

Xu Chun, suddenly realizing she looked tall and capable on the outside but was actually a weakling, watched petite Yu Sui'an—who looked like a gust of wind could knock her over—lift the suitcases with ease. "...?"

Yu Sui'an only started moving her own things after helping Xu Chun bring everything up. Out of courtesy, Xu Chun helped her carry luggage too, making two trips. Xu Chun had worked up a bit of a sweat, and it was getting late. Yu Sui'an got up, covered the camera facing the bathroom with a towel, and asked Xu Chun, "Are you going to wash up now?"

Xu Chun said no. Then she dug out her change of clothes. "Then I'll go first."

Yu Sui'an's expression was normal. "Okay."

The two got along quite peacefully, but the viewers didn't get it. 【I really didn't see this plot coming. Xu Chun betrayed Yu Sui'an, so how could Yu Sui'an be the one suggesting they share a room? Won't it bring back painful memories?】

【So what if they broke up? This is work now. I don't understand Suisui's thinking either, but I believe she can separate work from her personal feelings.】

【But for normal people who've broken up, forget sharing a room with an ex—they probably don't even want to look at them... So is there more to this breakup than meets the eye?】

【Yu Sui'an sharing a room with Xu Chun is much safer than sharing with anyone else. After all, if she rooms with Xu Chun, hundreds of pairs of eyes across the country are watching. Nothing could possibly happen. If she rooms with Jiang Zhaolie, it'd invite gossip, and if she rooms with He Qingli, it'd indirectly create an opportunity for Xu Chun and Jiang Zhaolie. How could a qualified white lotus tolerate that?】

Yu Sui'an held her phone with slender white fingers, quietly watching the comments and messages scrolling across the screen, her expression unreadable. Speculation about her choice was everywhere, both on the livestream and online, but Yu Sui'an didn't want to explain.

Watching the show's numbers climb higher and higher, the director was grinning so hard his face creased. Thinking about how this love triangle would make his show a milestone in dating variety shows over the next few days, the director wanted to kneel down and kowtow to these benefactors. His eyes were glued to the camera, and he couldn't help but think, crazed with excitement:

If only it were even more dramatic!

If you're going to chase excitement, you might as well go all the way. He thought that if Xu Chun could keep adding fuel to the fire on the show, he'd call her daddy on national television.

Xu Chun changed into her pajamas, wrapped her hair in a towel, and opened the door. Hearing the sound, Yu Sui'an turned back, and their eyes met. Xu Chun immediately looked away, fished hair oil out of her suitcase, and headed back in. Yu Sui'an's gaze followed her closely, her eyes shifting slightly.

After a few steps, Xu Chun suddenly remembered she'd forgotten her face mask. She stopped and turned, and in that instant, her gaze inadvertently collided with Yu Sui'an's dark, unreadable stare.

Xu Chun's scalp went numb.

This little white lotus couldn't possibly be...

"Sister." Yu Sui'an's voice cut through Xu Chun's thoughts. She snapped back to reality and found the other woman had somehow already come to stand right in front of her. A faint smile played at the corner of Yu Sui'an's pale lips, and under Xu Chun's forced calm, she slowly spoke. "Are you afraid of me?"