Chapter 63: Taking Liberties

From this, it was clear that Tong Xing’s character left much to be desired.

“Oh, so it’s you. I think I remember now.” Lian Youyou withdrew her hand, replying with a deliberately indifferent tone.

A look of displeasure was already showing on Zhu Shiqi’s face. “Lian Youyou, you should get back to your own place. Tong Xing is my partner this time!”

“Tong Xing!” Zhu Shiqi’s mood flipped faster than a page in a book. She glared at Lian Youyou with a sullen face, but turned to Tong Xing with a beaming smile. “I look forward to working with you over the next two days of filming!”

Zhu Shiqi seemed to think that Lian Youyou was trying to ride on Tong Xing’s popularity.

She had no interest in doing such a thing.

But unexpectedly, Tong Xing called out to the director, “Director, could you switch my partner to Lian Youyou, please!”

Everyone present shot Tong Xing looks of utter astonishment. They’d seen divas before, but someone demanding a partner change on set—that was a whole new level.

Zhu Shiqi’s pride took a hit. Her smile froze awkwardly on her face, and she pressed, unwilling to accept it, “Tong Xing, do you have a problem with me? Look, you’re a top idol in the dance and music industry, and I’m a famous model. Us being paired up as a CP would be even better. As for Lian Youyou, she—”

“Why shouldn’t I have a problem with you?” Tong Xing’s words were blunt and cutting. “You’re just some nobody model, not fit for the limelight, yet you come here trying to leech popularity.”

Not fit for the limelight?

Those very words Zhu Shiqi had just used against Lian Youyou were now being turned right back on her by Tong Xing.

Lian Youyou, meanwhile, swung her bunny ears leisurely and sat back to watch the drama unfold, calm as ever. Though she didn’t like Tong Xing, who had toyed with her daughter’s feelings, she couldn’t help but feel a touch of satisfaction hearing him put Zhu Shiqi in her place.

…

After some discussion with the other staff, the director reluctantly agreed to Tong Xing’s unreasonable request.

Lian Youyou sat on a bench in the amusement park, watching the endless stream of visitors with a distant gaze. The camera zoomed in for a profile shot—her head slightly tilted, the curve of her fair neck graceful and delicate. Bathed in the soft winter sunlight, she looked radiant in her pale embroidered sweater, as beautiful as a painting.

Tong Xing, wearing a sweater of the same style but in a different color, approached with two rolled-up crepes in hand. He sat down next to her and handed her the one filled with fresh strawberries. “I bought this for you.”

“Thank you.” Lian Youyou’s smile was sweeter than the crepe itself.

Filming a reality show like this was no different from acting in a drama—no matter how much you disliked someone off-camera, you had to pretend to be close on-screen.

Lian Youyou took a big bite of the crepe, her smile bright and innocent, like a child delighted by a piece of candy. “It’s delicious.”

She rarely indulged in sweets, always watching her weight. Today was a rare treat, and she was overjoyed.

“Youyou,” Tong Xing called softly.

“Hm?” Lian Youyou turned her head, only to find Tong Xing’s delicate face suddenly much closer, filling her field of vision.

Was he about to take advantage of her?

No way!

She was about to raise her hand to block him when Tong Xing tilted his head and pressed his lips to her cheek, right beside the corner of her mouth.

Tong Xing’s warm tongue lightly licked away the cream smeared on her face, leaving Lian Youyou so flustered she trembled all over.

Were reality shows always this risqué nowadays?

Not far away, Coco stood with the staff, watching this scene unfold with a worried heart. If Youyou’s boyfriend saw such an intimate moment, wouldn’t he get jealous?

“What do you think you’re doing!” Lian Youyou, cheeks burning, shot to her feet.

“Of course I did it because I like you.”

Tong Xing’s cherubic looks made him a favorite among girls. With his furrowed brows and innocent expression, he looked more like the wronged party than her.

Their segment’s director interjected, “Youyou, we’ll edit out the part where you stood up! For now, sit down and cover your face, act like you’re shy and smiling!”

So they’d cut her protest, but film her pretending to be bashful?

She hadn’t done anything to betray Lu Ming, yet guilt inexplicably welled up inside her.

Lian Youyou was already thinking about how to explain everything to Lu Ming later…

These so-called unscripted shows were never truly spontaneous—everything was at the mercy of the production team.

After being taken advantage of, she still had to film a solo interview segment with Tong Xing.

“When he kissed me, I was totally stunned,” Lian Youyou cursed Tong Xing inwardly, but kept up appearances. “I really didn’t expect Tong Xing to be so bold and passionate. I hope his fans won’t scold me for this—I wasn’t trying to take advantage of your idol, I promise.”

Even with an annoying partner, nothing could dampen Lian Youyou’s enjoyment of the amusement park. It was her first time in a place like this. In the nineties, Binhai City had amusement parks, but none as varied as today’s, and she’d never had time to visit one.

So, taking advantage of this reality show, she finally had the chance to play.

“Let’s go ride the roller coaster!”

“Okay…”

“I want to try the pirate ship!”

“Slow down!”

“Let’s go to the haunted house!”

“Youyou, you never used to be this brave…”

Of all the guests, Lian Youyou had the most fun, tackling one ride after another, leaving even her partner Tong Xing struggling to keep up.

After the haunted house, Lian Youyou excitedly dashed toward the drop tower. “Let’s do this one—it looks so thrilling!”

Tong Xing called after her, “Youyou, let’s take a break!”

Lian Youyou waved back, her smile radiant. “Then you rest, I’ll go on my own—”

Before she could finish, she ran straight into a broad chest.

She hadn’t even looked up to see who it was when a familiar aura washed over her—cool, aloof, carrying a faint woody fragrance.

Bit by bit, Lian Youyou looked up. In the bustling amusement park, she found herself staring into a pair of calm, unreadable eyes.

Lu Ming stood before her, dressed in a tailored suit, his eyes narrowing slowly, dark gaze deeper than usual, yet as if he wasn’t at all surprised to find her here.

Coco, standing nearby with the staff, covered her mouth in shock.

When had the dream man arrived?

The surrounding crew had no idea that Coco knew Lu Ming, assuming she was simply awestruck by his looks. “That guy is so handsome. What a waste if he’s not a star.”

Afraid that the crew would discover their relationship, Lian Youyou mouthed silently to Lu Ming, “What are you doing here?”

“Just checking up on you. Carry on.” Lu Ming picked up the sunglasses hanging from his shirt and put them on, shielding his half-lidded eyes.

“…”

Carry on… with what?

Perhaps because she’d been taken advantage of by Tong Xing today, Lian Youyou felt a pang of guilt.

“Youyou, what are you doing? Come here!” Tong Xing, gasping for breath, caught up and saw Lian Youyou and Lu Ming standing close together. As if declaring his territory, he reached out to grab her.

Before Tong Xing’s hand could touch her, Lu Ming grabbed her first and pulled her behind him.

Tong Xing was already quite good-looking, but compared to Lu Ming, he instantly seemed ordinary.

“I say—” Tong Xing started to lose his temper, but when he met Lu Ming’s gaze, the words caught in his throat.

Lu Ming said nothing, but his presence was overwhelming, regal, intimidating without anger. His silence dragged the atmosphere down, making even the notoriously arrogant Tong Xing shrink back.

Unable to meet Lu Ming’s eyes, Tong Xing turned away and snapped at the crew, “How do you let random tourists disrupt the shoot like this?”

Taking advantage of Tong Xing’s distraction, Lian Youyou whispered, “Lu Lu, how did you find me here?”

She hadn’t told Tong Xing she’d come to Y City for the show…

“Rekindling an old flame with your first love?” Lu Ming sneered. “You really had a thing for sissies back then, huh?”

Du Mao had seen leaked photos online of that guy kissing Youyou, and had abandoned a company meeting to drive straight over.

He vaguely remembered Tong Xing from high school, always chasing after Lian Youyou. In truth, he’d just used her to help him cheat on exams. When he’d been scouted to go to Korea in sophomore year, he’d dumped her without a word.

“I never liked him!” Lian Youyou protested, aggrieved. “The show didn’t pair us up originally—he asked the crew to switch. If I’d known it was him, I’d never have agreed to do this!”

“Oh? But you seemed to be having a great time with him.”

So that guy forced himself on Youyou. Good—he was finished now.

“It’s not like that, really!” Lian Youyou explained desperately, pushing Lu Ming toward the breathless Du Mao, who had just caught up. “You go back with Du Mao first, I’ll call you tonight after filming, okay?”

Du Mao tried to lead Lu Ming away, but the segment director for Lian Youyou’s group blocked their path.

“Sir, your behavior is seriously disrupting our filming schedule!” the director said angrily. “Even as a fan of Miss Lian, you can’t just sneak onto set. You’re—”

Du Mao pulled out a black business card and handed it over. “This is President Lu’s card.”

The director took it, glanced at the text, and his eyes went wide. “Is this for real? You… you’re really—”

“Now you know. Don’t say it out loud,” Du Mao said, retrieving the card. “If you breathe a word, you’d better watch out for your job.”