Chapter 5
Not only was the agent excited, but the system was also constantly shouting in Cheng Zhaozhao’s mind.
[Host! Your popularity is increasing rapidly!]
[003 has never seen such a grand scene before. What should we do?]
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**
The world fell silent as Cheng Zhaozhao and Qin Qin returned to the program’s team accommodation after spending two hours in the mall. Four attendants helped them carry their belongings into the room, marking the end of their service.
When the two of them arrived at the program’s team, there was no one in the villa. The other guests naturally had no knowledge of their shopping excursion.
Cheng Zhaozhao had been strolling around all afternoon and was exhausted. Since dinner was still some time away, she decided to take a nap.
She woke up in the evening.
The program team had arranged dinner, but this time it was a casual gathering for all the guests to have a meal and chat freely.
Cheng Zhaozhao and Qin Qin sat together at the table, where a variety of dishes prepared by the program team were laid out. Beside the table, small light bulbs were set up, decorated with white and pink roses, creating a special ambiance.
However, compared to earlier in the afternoon, the atmosphere at the dinner table had become somewhat peculiar.
The reason was simple—everyone had seen Cheng Zhaozhao trending on social media, and it was a positive trend. The entire internet was praising her, with numerous memorable quotes circulating.
Many people joined this program with the intention of increasing their own popularity, so they all carried different thoughts and motives regarding this matter.
However, among the guests, the most angered was the second female lead, Zhang Xue. After the segment where the selection took place was aired, people online started hurling extremely offensive insults at her. They called her all sorts of names, such as a green tea bitch, a man’s lackey, and claimed that she deserved to be slapped by Cheng Zhaozhao.
Some even compared her appearance to Cheng Zhaozhao’s and concluded that they were not even in the same league. Putting them side by side was an insult to Cheng Zhaozhao.
As an internet celebrity who rose to fame based on her looks, Zhang Xue valued and took pride in her face the most. The comments she read online, such as “Internet celebrities are just internet celebrities, they can’t compare to female stars,” infuriated her to the point where her nose almost twitched in anger.
What was even more crucial was that every time she looked up, she saw Cheng Zhaozhao’s face. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she had to say that it was indeed beautiful, so beautiful that she wanted to stab it with a piece of broken glass and scratch it forcefully.
But now, she couldn’t show any negative emotions in front of the camera.
Just when Zhang Xue was feeling frustrated to the point of almost vomiting blood, the male third lead sitting beside her suddenly coughed.
The male third lead’s name was Xu Ren, the one who had chosen Zhang Xue over Cheng Zhaozhao during the selection process at noon.
She looked at Xu Ren and saw him slowly taking out an exquisite black box from his jacket pocket. As he opened the box, he said:
“I went to C’s store this afternoon and had one of the limited edition winter bracelets reserved for me. It’s a global limited edition, and it cost me a six-figure sum. The salesperson said it was hard to get, but luckily, I’m her loyal customer.”
A sense of superiority was evident on his face.
The news about Cheng Zhaozhao trending had caused quite a stir, and many of his friends were aware of it. Since he and she were on the same variety show, under the instigation of his friends, he had made a bold statement that he would definitely win over Cheng Zhaozhao.
In Xu Ren’s eyes, women were something that could be easily obtained with money. There was no woman who didn’t like jewelry.
To pursue a woman, all he needed to do was spend money. Cheng Zhaozhao appeared to be the kind of woman who enjoyed luxury, so with such a generous gift, how could she not be moved by him?
Inside the black box was an elegant ladies’ bracelet, adorned with diamonds that sparkled and shone under the studio lights, exuding a dazzling radiance.
Beside her, Zhang Xue sat up straight, feeling a nervous excitement building up within her.
Was he going to give it to her? But they hadn’t known each other for very long. Would it be too soon to receive a gift?
However, perhaps her charm was simply irresistible.
The corners of Zhang Xue’s mouth couldn’t help but curl up. To be honest, she was quite satisfied with someone like Xu Ren, who came from a wealthy background. Coming on this show, besides increasing her own popularity, she also hoped to hook a rich second-generation back with her.
Her mind raced as she had already figured out how to respond to him.
First, she would say, “How can I accept such a valuable gift?” She definitely had to decline at first, showing some modesty. Then he would insist on giving it to her, and she would…
“Zhaozhao, I think it suits you well.”
Xu Ren handed the box to Cheng Zhaozhao across the table.
???
Zhang Xue instantly froze in her seat, her smile freezing on her face.
Cheng Zhaozhao was in the middle of eating her salad when she was caught off guard and saw a hideous bracelet placed in front of her.
The bracelet was adorned with diamonds, but in her aesthetic view, it seemed ostentatious and showy, as if they were afraid that others wouldn’t know how expensive it was.
To be honest… she didn’t really want it. Besides, she wasn’t familiar with Xu Ren. What did it mean for him to suddenly give her a bracelet?
As if sensing Cheng Zhaozhao’s resistance, Qin Qin, who was sitting beside her, reacted swiftly and said, “Hey? This bracelet looks familiar.”
Qin Qin pondered for a moment. “I remember now. Isn’t this the one you didn’t choose this afternoon, Zhaozhao?”
She… didn’t choose it?
Xu Ren’s face couldn’t hide his embarrassment, and he responded somewhat flustered, “How is that possible? The salesperson who attended to me personally said it’s a global limited edition with only a thousand pieces.”
Cheng Zhaozhao picked up her fork and speared some purple cabbage salad. “Yeah, in the end, Qin Qin and I bought one of the limited edition fifty pieces.”
She looked at Xu Ren and offered a fake smile. “Oh, you went to C’s store too. What a coincidence.”
Seemingly unintentionally, the bracelet she was wearing on her hand was revealed, with a small brand logo engraved on it.
[Hahaha, this is hilarious. Let me put it this way: Cheng Zhaozhao’s bracelet is only five times more expensive than the one in Xu Ren’s box.]
[Xu Ren seems like the kind of rich second-generation who wants to show off in front of beautiful women with a few pieces of dirty money. He even emphasized his familiarity with the salesperson and the six-figure price. Isn’t he something?]
[Could it be that someone really wants to show off in front of Sister Zhaozhao? Can Sister Zhaozhao be intimidated by the average rich second-generation?]
[Oh, the back-and-forth between Qin Qin and Cheng Zhaozhao is killing me. The show’s effect is off the charts.]
[Satisfying! Xu Ren’s previous arrogant expression was absolutely nauseating. He’s completely embarrassed now.]
[That’s why women need to have their own money. Otherwise, some men think they’re impressive just by casually giving some junk.]
“I’m really sorry, but I don’t need the bracelet either. Why don’t you keep it as a memento since you’re a loyal customer? It would help their business,” Cheng Zhaozhao said. Her voice sounded light and devoid of any hostility, but her words were dripping with irony.
Xu Ren could only force a smile and put the bracelet away. “It’s fine. It seems I need to improve my taste.”
He smiled gracefully on the surface, but his hand under the table clenched tightly, his fingernails turning white as his veins bulged.
Cheng Zhaozhao, he would remember this humiliation!
Shen Linchen and Song Yunluo were sitting together, and they naturally observed everything that had just unfolded.
Xu Ren’s attempt to show off ended up backfiring on him. It serves him right.
He couldn’t help but glance at Cheng Zhaozhao a few more times.
Suddenly, he realized that she wasn’t as annoying as he initially thought.
Beside him, Song Yunluo noticed his gaze and gently asked, “Who are you looking at?”
Shen Linchen shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
Song Yunluo chuckled softly, lowered her head to eat, but her brows furrowed slightly.
**
The next day.
Cheng Zhaozhao noticed that the show seemed to enjoy going against their lunchtime, as the game they were going to participate in the next day also had a connection to lunch.
It had snowed heavily at the recording site last night, and a thick layer of snow accumulated on the ground, which had not yet melted by noon.
The staff gathered everyone together and announced the rules of the game: “Did you all notice the snow on the ground?”
After receiving affirmative answers, she continued, “In this round of the game, only the male contestants will participate. The rules are simple: the male contestants need to transport snow from the starting point to the finish line, and the person who transports the most snow will win.”
“Also, let me introduce the person standing next to me, Master Jiang. He is the disciple of the renowned chef Mu Xuanlong, a master of state banquets. Despite his young age, he is already a top-level chef.”
The young Master Jiang, standing beside her, appeared to be around twenty years old. Upon hearing his introduction, he nodded slightly towards the camera, his face showing a hint of pride.
The staff announced the reward for the winner:
“The male contestant who ultimately wins this round will have the opportunity to invite two female contestants to have lunch together and taste the culinary skills of Master Jiang.”
****
Honestly qin qin is precious