When Ye Ruihuan revealed her score, it was clear—no one else even came close. The task might as well have been designed for her to win.
The prize? She could invite any guest she wanted on a date to a private island. Though called a "deserted island," it was anything but—equipped with elegant accommodations and stunning views, it was the dream reward.
Everyone had heard rumors of this perk, and many had secretly hoped to win it themselves. But now that Ye Ruihuan was the victor, the room went strangely quiet. People exchanged cautious glances, lips pressed shut. The tension was thick, even their breathing grew quieter. All eyes were on her—who would she choose?
A minute passed. Ye Ruihuan was still studying the mission card with an amused gleam in her eye. She had to admit—XX Network had really outdone themselves. The show would get its buzz, and she'd get to spend time with her little rabbit. A win-win.
Feigning a thoughtful pause, she finally said, voice calm but clear:"I'll choose Lin Ruijiao."
A visible shift passed through the group. Some lifted their heads, others froze mid-bite.Wasn't this supposed to be a romantic reality show? Why did it suddenly feel like a battlefield between celebrities?
The guests exchanged wary glances.
Ye Ruihuan and Lin Ruijiao—weren't they supposed to not get along? Why would she choose her?Or… had the two of them signed some kind of secret agreement with the production team to keep the show trending?
Questions swirled silently, but no one dared speak them aloud.
Lin Ruijiao frowned, though her face showed no surprise. Her eyes held a quiet resignation, as if saying of course she did. Ye Ruihuan was, as always, trouble.
But the cameras were still rolling, and Lin Ruijiao knew better than to make a scene. Still, the atmosphere had shifted—again—because of her.
After a long silence, the woman who now seemed the most pitiful in everyone's eyes finally broke it with a gentle smile.
"Well, I'm full. Feeling a little sleepy—I'll head upstairs to rest," she said softly, before leaving behind only the slim silhouette of her retreating back.
Ye Ruihuan's expression hadn't changed from beginning to end. But as Lin Ruijiao walked away, the smile faded from her eyes."The little rabbit's probably had enough of me for now," she thought, sighing inwardly. Then she stood. "I'll take my leave as well," she announced.
The guests all nodded quickly, like chickens pecking rice, smiling politely until she left.Once Ye Ruihuan was gone, they finally turned to each other, expressions dazed, and began to whisper and share small talk to diffuse the tension.
Meanwhile, the camera followed Ye Ruihuan upstairs. Inside the room, Lin Ruijiao was tidying up, her mic already set aside.
Ye Ruihuan removed her own microphone the moment she stepped in and called softly,"Ruijiao."
No one outside heard.
The cameraman remained by the door, not daring to enter.
Inside, the two women stood facing each other.
Then the camera picked up Lin Ruijiao's clipped voice: "Why did you choose me?"Her tone was sharp—accusatory, tired.
The smile disappeared from Ye Ruihuan's face. The cold expression she often wore on screen returned, and a heavy stillness settled over her.
Then Lin Ruijiao stepped forward. Her face calm, voice measured, she addressed the crew:"There's something we need to handle. Please stop filming. Thank you."
And with that, the door closed.
When the episode aired, the live comment feed exploded:
[Oh my god, are they finally going to throw down?!]
[Why did it cut off right there?! What happened next??]
[WTF—did Lin Ruijiao just talk back to our girl Ye Ruihuan?! Who does she think she is?!]
[Ughhh, why does Ye Ruihuan keep clinging to Ruijiao? Still trying to milk that clout?]
[Yesss, go Ruijiao! Say what needs to be said! We're not pushovers!]
[Stop being so rude, Lin Ruijiao!]
[No one else thinks this looks like a couple having a lover's quarrel??]
[Lover's quarrel my ass, our Ruijiao wouldn't even LOOK at her.]
[Pfft, as if Ye Ruihuan would ever be with Lin Ruijiao. She was probably forced into this by some backer.]
[Wait… did they really spend the night in the same room? Or are they just acting like they did?]
[Come on, it's obviously staged for drama. Our Ye Ruihuan would never actually stay with her.]
[Right? I bet she stormed off to another room or went back to the hotel.]
[But other guests said they did sleep in the same room?? So what's the truth?!]
[It's all scripted. No way our Ruijiao would agree to sleep next to her. She'd rather be anywhere else.]
...and so the storm continued.
The bullet screen was a battlefield—everyone talking past each other, unwilling to accept the obvious. Even if the truth was plain as day, neither fanbase would believe it. At this point, they were bitter rivals, exchanging insults by the second.
But the drama had the unintended effect of hooking everyone's curiosity. Most had come for the romance, only to be pulled into something far more compelling. It felt like watching a suspense thriller—fragmented, confusing, impossible to piece together. For casual viewers, it was downright baffling.
The closed door to the room was the biggest tease of all. What exactly had happened behind it?
Unfortunately, no one could answer that. Not even the production crew. The microphones had been removed, the camera inside shut off, and the cameraman had been ushered out.
Inside the room, the atmosphere was suffocating. Both Ye Ruihuan and Lin Ruijiao stood in silence, their expressions strained and stormy.
Ye Ruihuan was still reeling. She hadn't expected Lin Ruijiao to lash out at her with such hostility, with such fierce rejection.
"I don't really know any of the other guests here..." Ye Ruihuan forced a faint smile as she tried to explain.
"Don't play dumb," Lin Ruijiao cut her off, her patience razor-thin. "You know exactly what I meant. Why did you come on this show?"
"Because you're here." This time, Ye Ruihuan didn't hide anything. She gave the answer straight and clear.
"Me?" Lin Ruijiao let out a short, disbelieving laugh. Her eyes brimmed with disdain, her voice sharp with scorn.
"Don't try to pin it on me, Ye Ruihuan," she said coldly. "Don't come here and say things like that, acting as if you did it all for me."
Her words were like blades—precise, merciless. They drove deep into Ye Ruihuan's chest.
A flicker of bitterness passed through Ye Ruihuan's eyes. There it was. The little rabbit really did hate her. She lowered her gaze, choosing silence. At this point, anything she said would only make things worse.
"If you've got so much free time, why not go join some other show? What's the point of showing up here, making a mess of things?" Lin Ruijiao was visibly agitated. "Now the entire show's off-track. The trending topics on Weibo are all over the place—completely ridiculous."
Maybe it was because Ye Ruihuan had been acting gentler lately, but Lin Ruijiao's own words were coming out sharper than she intended. She realized, too late, that Ye Ruihuan hadn't even talked back.
Seeing her just standing there, swallowing everything quietly, Lin Ruijiao paused. What was the point of continuing this? It wasn't like she could walk away from the show now—not without breaching her contract, or Ye Ruihuan's agency's.
She looked up. Ye Ruihuan's expression was unreadable. There was nothing more to say. The woman was still doing whatever she pleased, completely ignoring how anyone else might feel.
With a small sigh, Lin Ruijiao turned away, picking up her things and heading to the bathroom to wash up. Behind her, Ye Ruihuan stood alone, lost in thought.
This entire confrontation had gone far worse than Ye Ruihuan imagined. She had expected Lin Ruijiao to be a little upset—never this angry. This wasn't a kind of fury she'd ever seen from her.
And she definitely hadn't expected their situation to become such a hot topic online. Somehow, the fans of both sides had turned this into an all-out war. From Lin Ruijiao's reaction, it was clear she cared about those headlines. Maybe more than she let on.
Ye Ruihuan chuckled bitterly to herself. In Lin Ruijiao's eyes, she didn't even rank higher than a cheap rumor. And now? There was nothing left to explain. All she could do was figure out how to fix things.
Meanwhile, under the hot spray of the shower, Lin Ruijiao was slowly cooling down—literally and emotionally. The steaming water ran down her back, calming her chaotic thoughts. As the fog in her mind lifted, regret started to creep in.
It was still Ye Ruihuan, after all.
Why had she snapped like that?
Her tone had been too harsh, her words too cruel. In the misty bathroom, Lin Ruijiao mentally retraced the entire encounter. She had acted on impulse. There was no denying it.
But what now? How was she supposed to face her again after this?
What surprised her most was how Ye Ruihuan had simply... taken it. No anger, no rebuttal, not even a frown. When had her temper softened this much?
Anxious and uncertain, Lin Ruijiao returned from the bathroom. Whatever their issues, they still had to finish filming this show together. A complete fallout wouldn't help anyone. She glanced around the room, looking for Ye Ruihuan, trying to read her expression.
Ye Ruihuan stood up the moment she saw her, and to Lin Ruijiao's surprise, there was no resentment on her face. In fact, her expression was warm.
"Jiaojiao," she said gently, "if you're uncomfortable, I can talk to PR. We'll pull the trending posts. I promise—no more gossip online."
Her voice was calm and steady. No trace of annoyance. No sign of blame.
"...No need," Lin Ruijiao replied after a moment. "Trying to cover it up now would just be self-deception. Might as well ride the wave. It's not every day you get free publicity."
She smiled faintly, giving Ye Ruihuan an easy out. No point escalating this. They still had a long way to go, and there was no benefit in staying on bad terms.
"...Alright." Ye Ruihuan's smile finally softened into something genuine. The tension in her shoulders melted away, and for a fleeting moment, something gentle, something unreadable, flickered in her eyes.
Lin Ruijiao quickly looked away, as if afraid she might fall into that dazzling, disarming smile. Something about Ye Ruihuan was off today. Or maybe... she was just changing.
Night settled in, the lights were turned off, and the room was quiet enough to hear each other's breathing. From the faint rustling on the other bed, Ye Ruihuan could tell—her little rabbit still wasn't asleep.
"Jiaojiao..." she called softly.
Maybe it was the darkness, or maybe it was the tone of her voice—but it sounded especially gentle tonight. Comforting, even.
"...Hmm?" Lin Ruijiao responded. She wasn't sleepy either. Too many things were on her mind. Ever since joining this romance show, nothing had gone smoothly. Trouble just kept piling up.
"You're still awake," Ye Ruihuan said with a light chuckle in her voice.
"...Yeah. Maybe I napped too long this afternoon."
Silence fell between them again, deep and boundless.
Then, unexpectedly, Lin Ruijiao asked, "Do you think this show is fun?"
She regretted it the moment the words left her mouth. Why did she ask something like that?
"It's alright," Ye Ruihuan replied seriously. Her voice was soft and clear. "Because you're here."
"...So you mean I'm the entertainment?" Lin Ruijiao shot back instinctively. Then immediately regretted it—she'd just revealed the hidden question behind her words.
"What are you thinking?" Ye Ruihuan let out a quiet laugh. "Of course not."
After a short pause, she added, "I just wanted to be with you. That's all. It's not about whether the show is fun or not."
"...I see." So it really was just about seeing her face. About chasing after her senior, Dong Yulan—the irreplaceable white moonlight. It had nothing to do with Lin Ruijiao herself.
She accepted the answer calmly. She'd grown used to this kind of thing. But still... for Ye Ruihuan to join this show, to stoop so low just to be a stand-in—she must really love her deeply.
Lin Ruijiao never thought Ye Ruihuan could love anyone this much.