Chapter 143: A Clash of Rivals

Li Jiayan returned from Lu Zhou's place in a trance. She absentmindedly ordered lunch, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't take a bite; everything tasted like ash.

Her mind was swirling with an analysis of the current situation. The landscape seemed to be growing increasingly complex, and everything felt like it was slipping beyond her control.

Previously, she had been quite confident about winning Lu Zhou back, thinking there was plenty of time and no need to rush.

Now... she didn't know if it was the atmosphere of the show, but she felt more and more uncertain.

Was there really time to take things slowly?

When exactly had the competition become so fierce?

At the beginning, it was hard for Lu Zhou to even receive a single text message from a female guest. She had even felt a secret pang of sympathy for him because so few women chose him.

Now... there were already three women who had proactively come to him just to talk!

No... could it be that Qi Jiajia’s refusal to tell her who was in Lu Zhou’s room earlier was because the person inside wasn't someone everyone would easily guess?

Could it be... Chu Yao?! Instead of Ye Fangfei, as she had assumed?

This thought suddenly popped into Li Jiayan’s mind.

"?! " She was inwardly shocked.

It was highly likely!

If that were the case, did that mean all four female guests wanted to choose him?!

Absurd!

Utterly absurd!

Ugh, so annoying. Why was it like this?

Li Jiayan felt like she was going crazy. Dealing with Ye Fangfei was already enough to keep her worried; the thought of how to break the mutual attraction between Ye Fangfei and Lu Zhou was already making her head explode!

And now, two others had to come and join the fray!

It was just... inexplicable!

It didn't make sense!

Li Jiayan at least had some intuition regarding Qi Jiajia’s interest in Lu Zhou. Given that Qi Jiajia was dating Wen Yiming and had a history of being a "fangirl," it was likely just a momentary impulse—she was probably just coveting Lu Zhou’s physique.

This type of opponent wasn't hard to deal with.

But why Chu Yao? She couldn't figure it out.

Chu Yao’s ex, whom she had loved so desperately, was Xu Junze. The fact that she could love someone so deeply proved she likely preferred Xu Junze’s type.

But were Xu Junze and Lu Zhou the same type of man?

Clearly not, right? Their styles didn't even resemble each other...

Good grief, then what did she see in Lu Zhou? Did she want to latch onto a star to boost her social media profile, or was she trying to use this to break into the entertainment industry?

Li Jiayan felt like her head was about to burst. With Lu Zhou having so many choices and not being dependent solely on her, how was she supposed to keep him? Could someone teach her?

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

It was Wen Yiming.

"Want to chat?" He leaned against the doorframe, flashing a bright, sunny smile.

Wen Yiming was always like this—his outward image was forever positive and upbeat; it was rare to see him feeling down.

He was quite a fascinating existence, too...

Li Jiayan held the doorknob, not intending to let him in. Feeling irritable, she didn't want to bother with anyone else's feelings for the moment and asked bluntly, "What do you want to talk about?"

Wen Yiming froze. *Huh? What’s going on? She doesn't seem very happy.*

"Nothing much. I was just a bit bored on my own and wanted to spend some time with you. We can talk about anything." The smile remained on his face.

"But I want to be alone for a while right now," Li Jiayan stated clearly.

The show was entering its final countdown, and today was critical.

She wasn't in the mood to entertain someone who meant nothing to her; it was a pure waste of time. She needed peace to gather her thoughts.

Wen Yiming’s smile gradually faded. He could sense her unease and anxiety.

He smiled, nodded in understanding, and said, "Alright, I won't disturb you then. If you’re feeling down and want someone to talk to, I’m always here."

Li Jiayan softened her expression slightly and gave him a smile. "Thank you, Yiming."

Wen Yiming turned and left. Just as Li Jiayan was about to close the door, a thought flashed through her mind, and she called out to him again.

Wen Yiming, thinking she had changed her mind, beamed, only to hear her say: "Today might be the last chance for a formal conversation. Don't you plan on having a serious talk with Jiajia?"

Wen Yiming, hands buried in his jeans pockets, smiled. "No. We’ve already talked about everything there is to talk about. There’s nothing left to say."

Li Jiayan: "..."

At this moment, in the live stream—

[I feel like Li Jiayan is a bit calculating. She wants Wen Yiming to go interfere with Qi Jiajia, right?]

[Drop the "feel like." She’s definitely calculating.]

[This is called being smart, not calculating, thank you! There’s nothing wrong with trying hard to win over the person you like.]

[This guy Wen Yiming is so heartless.]

[They’ve already broken up; being heartless is the right thing to do. Not getting entangled is better for everyone.]

[Li Jiayan should learn from Wen Yiming; then she wouldn't be in so much pain.]

...

After Wen Yiming left, Li Jiayan counted the time while staying in her room for a long while, thinking that Lu Zhou and whoever was in his room should be finished talking by now.

They couldn't possibly spend the whole day in there, could they? If it was Chu Yao, given their different professions, social circles, and lack of common hobbies, they shouldn't have that much to talk about since they weren't very close.

With this thought, Li Jiayan went out again.

When she arrived at Lu Zhou’s door, she found it slightly ajar. She peered inside and saw Chu Yao and Lu Zhou washing dishes together in the small kitchen.

"???"

It really was Chu Yao!!!

She actually hadn't left yet!

Why were they washing dishes? Did they cook together? And then eat together? And now they were cleaning up together?

*Heh...*

At that thought, the jealousy in her heart boiled over completely.

What exactly was Lu Zhou thinking?

She could understand him getting tangled up with Ye Fangfei before.

But on such an important day, he was actually spending so much time with Chu Yao? She couldn't understand it.

Was this still the devoted Lu Zhou from back then? Had he changed? Had he become the type of man who enjoyed flitting among flowers?

She needed an answer.

Watching them laughing and chatting in the kitchen, Li Jiayan grew angry.

She decided not to torment herself anymore. Without caring about the consequences, she raised her hand and knocked on Lu Zhou’s door.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

Slow, heavy, three times.

The laughter in the kitchen finally stopped.

They turned their heads in unison toward the door.

Li Jiayan looked only at Lu Zhou as if nothing were wrong, her eyes filled with lingering tenderness. She smiled and said, "Lu Zhou, if you’re free later, could you come and find me? I want to talk to you."

Seeing this, Chu Yao subconsciously picked up a rag to wipe the water from her hands and smiled. "How about I leave first so you two can talk?"

Li Jiayan glanced at Chu Yao. *What a calculated move!*

By saying that, not only would Lu Zhou think she was magnanimous, but he might even grow more fond of her because of it. More importantly, her words carried a hint of being chased away, allowing her to play the pitiful victim in front of the netizens.

Li Jiayan felt terrible. She and Chu Yao had actually gotten along quite well, and she had originally thought Chu Yao was the person least likely to become a rival.

Yet today, because of the same man, they were forced to go head-to-head and play games with each other.

Li Jiayan felt an inexplicable urge to cry, but she told herself she couldn't lose.

She shouldn't lose. This was her man; he was meant to be hers.

Everyone else was just a latecomer.

"No need," Li Jiayan said before Lu Zhou could speak, smiling sweetly to try and regain the upper hand. "You two continue. I was just here to make an appointment in advance."

"Is that okay, Lu Zhou?" She again sought confirmation from him.

Lu Zhou looked at her for a moment and nodded. "Alright, I'll find you later."

Li Jiayan said her goodbyes with a smile and returned to her own house.

Absurdly, she ran into Qi Jiajia again on the way back. Li Jiayan didn't know what word to use to describe her current mood.

"Going to find Lu Zhou?" Li Jiayan stopped playing games and asked directly.

Qi Jiajia awkwardly tucked a strand of short hair behind her ear, chuckled, and, thinking quickly, pointed toward the beach.

"No... I just finished eating and wanted to take a walk by the beach to digest... Do you want to come?"

Honestly, Li Jiayan felt a real urge to have a talk with Qi Jiajia, but she was worried that if she walked away, she might miss Lu Zhou when he came to find her later, so she ultimately declined.

The two brushed past each other again.

This scene made the netizens laugh hysterically.

Qi Jiajia walked toward the beach, biting the bullet. She passed Lu Zhou’s cabin but didn't go in, guessing that Chu Yao might still be inside.

Taking off her shoes to stroll on the sand, Qi Jiajia kicked at the sand, silently thinking: *Why do I run into Li Jiayan every time I come to find Lu Zhou? This is super, incredibly awkward...*

*Why is Lu Zhou so busy today?*

*What are he and Chu Yao talking about? For so long?*

Actually, she didn't have anything special to say to Lu Zhou; she just wanted to confirm his feelings so she could make a decision.

The show was finally coming to an end. Inexplicably, she felt a bit reluctant to leave. Even though filming was tiring, it was truly a magical experience for her.

Without a phone and unable to access the domestic internet, Qi Jiajia had no idea what her image had become in the eyes of the netizens.

How much had her popularity grown? She didn't know.

But she knew that when she returned to work after the show, she would inevitably face the scrutiny of her colleagues.

*Whatever.* She had considered the consequences before deciding to join the show.

Her current job might pay well and look glamorous to outsiders, but who knew how unhappy she was?

The extreme workload, the immense pressure, and her disgusting boss—who loved to squeeze his subordinates and steal credit—she really didn't like this job.

She wanted a freer job, one where she had control, just like the other guests.

Yes, just like them. She felt that any one of them was freer than she was.

And she had to get approval just to take a vacation... having to watch her boss's expression. She still remembered the look on her boss's face when she asked for annual leave; it was as if he were looking at someone about to be fired.

Qi Jiajia sighed softly. At the thought of the reality she had to face after the show, the journey felt like a dream.

What had she gained from this show?

In the six months since breaking up with Wen Yiming, she had been using work to numb her pain.

In a relationship, the one who is hurt always finds it harder to walk away from the pain of a breakup.

Not because they loved more deeply than the other, but because the wound was deeper and harder to heal.

But after coming to this show, she realized that although she was angry when she first saw Wen Yiming and felt jealous seeing him be nice to other women, she was now much more at peace than before. She no longer dwelled on their past relationship.

She had even regained the ability to feel a spark for someone else.

She felt that regardless of the outcome, this show was worth it.

Qi Jiajia stared blankly at the sea for a long time. Feeling like she was about to get a tan, she stood up and headed back.

On the way back, she would pass Lu Zhou’s house again. She thought she would try her luck one more time; if someone else was there first, she would just give up on talking to him today.

After all, there wasn't anything she absolutely had to say today.

However, just as she was about to reach the cabin, Qi Jiajia bumped into Zhang Chen, who was coming out of the neighboring house. He was walking with long strides, hands in his pockets.

Seeing Qi Jiajia, Zhang Chen tilted his chin at her and asked casually, "Where have you been?"

Qi Jiajia had a bad feeling. She chuckled, "Just finished a walk. Where are you... going?"

Sure enough, Zhang Chen pointed at Lu Zhou’s house and said, "To find Lu Zhou."

With that, he went to knock on Lu Zhou’s door.

Qi Jiajia was speechless: "..."

*The women finding Lu Zhou is one thing, why are the men looking for him too? With so many people, when will it be my turn? Will it ever be finished by tomorrow?*

Qi Jiajia looked up at the sky.

The live stream audience was laughing their heads off.

[Hahaha! Jiajia, you’d definitely win the lottery today.]

[I’m so anxious! They can't even get in after three tries!]

[Sister! Being too reserved will make you lose out sometimes. Don't be shy! Just follow Li Jiayan’s example and make an appointment with him!]

[What is Zhang Chen looking for Lu Zhou for?]

...

Lu Zhou hadn't long since seen Chu Yao off and planned to take a nap before going to find Li Jiayan.

As a result, he hadn't been on the sofa for long when the door knocked again.

Confused, he got up and opened the door to find Zhang Chen standing there.

Lu Zhou yawned, covering his mouth, and asked in a slurred voice, "What’s up?"

Seeing his sleepy appearance, it wasn't hard for Zhang Chen to guess he had just been sleeping. *At a time like this, he can actually sleep?*

"Want to chat for a bit?" Without waiting for an answer, Zhang Chen stepped into the room.

Lu Zhou pressed his temples and closed the door.

Zhang Chen sat on the sofa as if he were at home. Lu Zhou turned and went to the bathroom to splash his face with water to wake up before coming back out.

"Want some water?" Lu Zhou offered out of politeness.

"No need, I’m not here to drink water." Zhang Chen clasped his hands on his lap in a relaxed posture. "I’m here to talk to you about Fangfei."

Lu Zhou poured himself a glass of water, took two sips, and said, "Go ahead."

"I know you two went on a date yesterday. Although I’m curious about how it went, since the show is almost over, it doesn't matter if I know the details or not."

Zhang Chen didn't mince words and went straight to the point.

"Tomorrow is the last day. Let's speak like men and stop playing riddles."

He gripped his hands tightly, his dark eyes locked onto Lu Zhou, and asked seriously: "Tell me, are you going to choose her tomorrow?"

The live stream audience was hyped—

[666! Can they even play it like this?]

[Fight! Fight!]

[Ahhh, I love the directness, Brother Zhang!]

...

Hearing Zhang Chen’s question, Lu Zhou subconsciously glanced at the camera, thought for a second, and countered: "Does my choice tomorrow have any impact on the decision you’re going to make?"

Zhang Chen knew this kid wouldn't be so easy to get a straight answer from. He cursed internally.

"Your choice obviously won't influence my decision, but it will have a direct impact on the quality of my sleep tonight," he said.

Lu Zhou: "I don't care about the quality of your sleep."

Zhang Chen: "..."

He nodded with a smile, "Indeed, who cares about the sleep quality of their opponent?"

Lu Zhou: "We aren't actually opponents."

Zhang Chen: "???" *How is that supposed to be interpreted?*

"Have you still not made up your mind?" Zhang Chen sized Lu Zhou up and reached this conclusion.

He had actually observed that the state between Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei this morning was somewhat off. Could it be that yesterday’s date wasn't pleasant?

*If it wasn't pleasant, that’s good!*

Zhang Chen put on the tone of an expert and said, "Love is not a game. It’s right to weigh things carefully. After all, sometimes making the wrong choice leads to great regret."

Hearing this, Lu Zhou was silent for a moment before nodding, "You’re right."

Zhang Chen paused. *Oh? Did he actually guess this kid's thoughts correctly this time?*

*He really hasn't made up his mind?*

This shouldn't be a bad thing.

Zhang Chen decided to put more pressure on Lu Zhou.

He stood up and said he needed to use the bathroom. After staying in there for a while, he used the excuse of "no toilet paper" to call Lu Zhou in as well.

Once Lu Zhou entered, Zhang Chen turned off his own microphone and signaled Lu Zhou to do the same.

There were no cameras installed in the bathroom.

Knowing he had something to say, Lu Zhou complied.

Zhang Chen washed his hands and pulled out a paper towel to dry them.

"Although I’m only a year older than you, I’ve seen much more of the world."

"A friendly piece of advice: a relationship where you’re punching above your weight won't have a good outcome."

"Ye Fangfei is someone you can't reach."

Lu Zhou raised an eyebrow, placed the new tissue on the sink, and didn't respond.

"You actually have quite a few choices right now. Don't be blinded by one leaf; choosing what is truly suitable for you is the hard truth." Zhang Chen patted Lu Zhou on the shoulder.

With that, Zhang Chen let go of Lu Zhou and gave him a friendly smile.

Lu Zhou pursed his lips, still saying nothing.

Zhang Chen turned his microphone back on and left the bathroom.

At this moment, in the live stream—

[Why did Zhang Chen come out first?]

[Zhang Chen didn't beat Lu Zhou up in there, did he?]

[I suspect they were up to something shady in there.]

...

A moment later, Lu Zhou emerged from the bathroom. He shook the water off his hands, his expression calm.

"Think about it carefully. I’m leaving," Zhang Chen said.

"I won't see you out," Lu Zhou replied.

The netizens were left bewildered.

Thanks to book friend 20190617233820240 for the 500 Qidian coin tip!

Thanks to "Your Little Yang Classmate" for the 100 Qidian coin tip!