Chapter 62: From Now On, I’ll Pave a Path of Blossoms for You

Because after the premiere of the show, Lu Zhou's online popularity soared, the director decided on the spot to increase his screen time in the subsequent episodes.

Once the guests' professions were revealed, Lu Zhou, who had initially been fairly popular among the female participants, gradually became sidelined. He received no texts before bedtime, nor did any of the women take the initiative to show him affection. After some careful editing and embellishment, he came across as rather pitiable on screen.

With each new episode, Lu Zhou would trend on social media.

During the first date, his remarkable dancing at the seaside music festival failed to win Qi Jiajia’s heart at first sight. On the show, he would retreat to dark corners to write songs alone, comfort his ex-girlfriend and encourage her to pursue whomever she liked, telling her not to feel pressured by his presence. Yet, during the second date round, he was left alone, returning to the cottage at night to entertain himself in solitude. It was painfully clear how talented he was—his new song’s choreography was his own, his dancing mesmerizing, his violin playing captivating.

But in the end, no one chose him.

His fans mourned for him online—

“Brother, it’s okay; we shine on our own.”

“My treasure boy, just focus on your career!”

“You’ve struggled in the industry for ten years, but from now on, we’ll pave your path with flowers!”

Lu Zhou began to amass his own fan club, with a dedicated discussion forum that quickly gained traction.

Because of this, he started receiving offers for brand endorsements and small commercial performances. Suddenly, his workload increased.

Lu Zhou finally tasted a bit of the celebrity life—busy making money.

Though he still wasn’t a household name and his gigs were modest, compared to his previous obscurity, his current status was enough to make his parents hold their heads high.

At last, they could walk around the village with pride, no longer fearing the neighbors’ gossip about their son studying music, unable to support himself and still relying on his parents.

Sometimes, when his mother ran into high schoolers in the village watching video clips in back alleys, she would hear a familiar tune and beam with pride, “My son wrote that song.”

Now, from one end of the village to the other, the phrase “Old Lu’s family has produced a big star” was often heard.

But soon, the newly minted “big star” Lu Zhou found himself with a new dilemma:

The whole village was watching his dating show “Switch? Exes,” and now everyone knew he wasn’t popular with the female guests.

Soon after, matchmakers began flocking to their door, enthusiastically telling his parents they had plenty of good prospects to introduce, insisting there was no need for him to suffer on television and become the nation’s laughingstock.

When Lu Zhou heard about this, he laughed until his stomach hurt.

Time passed quickly, and the early episodes of “Switch? Exes” had nearly all aired.

The show’s popularity reached an all-time high for dating reality series.

Every participant gained a sizable personal fanbase, even the previously less popular Xu Junze, Wen Yiming, and Qi Jiajia, who each became the subject of lively discussion.

Xu Junze’s actions on the show moved many viewers to tears, but everyone remained curious about the real reason behind his breakup with Chu Yao, leading to endless speculation and sleuthing.

Wen Yiming was told by netizens to stop “casting such a wide net”—that if he kept fishing like this, he’d end up with nothing—but his gym business boomed unexpectedly.

Qi Jiajia, the show’s sole representative of the working class, faded into the background and became the female counterpart to Lu Zhou, but this garnered her a wave of sympathy fans. She even enjoyed a small perk at work: her boss assigned her to fewer overtime shifts.

As for Zhang Chen, who had previously won viewers’ sympathy for his unrequited love for his ex, once the later episodes aired, that sympathy waned. Despite not winning back his ex, he was favored by several other female guests.

Zhang Chen remained a hot topic, and his reputation among netizens was generally positive.

His fans joked that he was a “pure-hearted good man”—he faced all manner of temptation on the show, yet remained untouched, devoted only to Ye Fangfei.

But there were also many viewers who found his behavior unappealing, even suspecting he was following a scripted role from the producers.

“Is a three-day relationship really an ‘ex’? With no emotional foundation, how could he be so devoted? What nonsense.”

“Xu Junze and Chu Yao are the real deal. I get Xu Junze’s infatuation, but Zhang Chen’s actions baffle me. It feels fake. Why does he insist on chasing Ye Fangfei? She’s clearly cold towards him—can’t he see?”

“A hopeless simp gets nothing in the end—no sympathy from me.”

“I actually feel bad for Ye Fangfei, not Zhang Chen. She’s being relentlessly pursued by a matchmaking candidate—poor girl.”

As for the heated discussions around Ye Fangfei, they took many forms.

Some of Zhang Chen’s fans commented under her social media: “Sister, please just give him a chance!”

Others, who disapproved of Zhang Chen, tagged her: “Don’t you dare look back! Men like that can become obsessive, and you’ll never get rid of him!”

Gossip-loving viewers chimed in: “Where else can you find such a wealthy, devoted young man? You only dated for three days and already decided you weren’t compatible? Do beautiful women only fall for bad boys?”

Some fans of unusual pairings wondered: “Am I the only one who thinks Ye Fangfei and Lu Zhou are a good match on the show?”

Ye Fangfei’s own fans replied: “Let Fangfei shine alone! Who needs a man when you have a career?”

Meanwhile, Chu Yao’s consistently cold rejections of her ex on the show sparked controversy. Some viewers called her heartless and indifferent, while others praised her clarity and regarded her as a role model for women everywhere.

The surge in discussion delighted Chu Yao.

However, as an avid viewer of every episode, Chu Yao noticed that some moments between her and Zhang Chen during their second date—particularly when Zhang Chen picked her up in a “princess carry”—had been edited out.

She began to understand one thing very clearly: Zhang Chen’s background was far from simple, and he had joined the show for no one else but Ye Fangfei.

This revelation woke her up completely.

During the hiatus in filming “Switch? Exes,” the cast shifted from participants to spectators, and many found their perspectives quietly changing.

Previously, Lu Zhou had reached out to one of the casting directors for “Star Power 1+1,” sending a carefully prepared singing video and earnestly recommending himself for the show, hoping for a foot in the door.

He was politely rejected—the reason: his status in the music world was not yet up to standard.

He had only hoped to get his work seen and earn an interview, but was turned away at the outset.

Well, so be it…

He mentioned this to Pan Chengyi, who immediately sent him a chain of email addresses.

“You’re reaching out to the directors who handle established singers. Of course they won’t consider you. I heard this show has a national open audition. You can apply by email, and if you make it through, you’re in.”

Without hesitation, Lu Zhou applied.

Pan Chengyi didn’t quite understand why he was so determined to get on this show.