On the first floor, Ye Ruihuan had already received a message through the intercom and was waiting for the production crew to arrive.
"Ruijiao, you're coming down?" she asked softly, looking at the approaching figure with a gentle smile.
"Mm. I saw the crew." Lin Ruijiao answered truthfully, taking a seat on the sofa to the side. She made a conscious effort to avoid any physical closeness, keeping her head lowered and eyes glued to her phone.
Ye Ruihuan, sensing her mood, didn't push further. She quietly retreated into her own thoughts, her smile fading without a trace.
Soon enough, the production team arrived. The camera zoomed in, trained squarely on the two of them.
[No way. Did they really spend an entire day together on the island!?]
[Come on, that has to be staged. There's no way those two could stay in the same room for so long.]
[Exactly. Our Ruihuan isn't even the type for that.]
[For real, Ye Ruihuan's way too pampered to survive a day on that godforsaken island.]
[But it is beautiful there. Ruijiao probably stayed the whole day—she was upstairs just now.]
[Lin Ruijiao's not like Ye Ruihuan. She's sweet and obedient.]
[Honestly, they look fine. Doesn't seem like anything happened.]
[??? So what did happen? I'm dying to know!]
[+10086. Definitely all for show. Even if they're not sworn enemies, there's no way they'd spend that long together without something going wrong. I bet Ye Ruihuan left and was called back to finish filming.]
[Ugh, Ruijiao's pretending again. Flashing those fake smiles like she's some innocent schoolgirl. Give me a break.]
[??? Excuse me? Who says Ruijiao's fake? She's always been sweet and genuine. If anyone's forcing a smile here, it's Ye Ruihuan!]
The chat exploded again, both sides fiercely defending their favorites. With the sudden appearance of Lin Ruijiao and Ye Ruihuan in the live broadcast, viewer numbers skyrocketed. Influencer accounts jumped at the chance to stir up speculation, flooding the internet with "analysis" videos, most of which claimed the two had nearly come to blows on the island.
Even on the boat ride back, they kept their distance and said nothing. The camera clung to them, but much to the viewers' disappointment—nothing happened. The crowd that had rushed into the livestream to witness drama quickly lost interest and trickled out.
They hadn't even disembarked yet, but the other cast members had come out to greet them, their smiles warm and polite. Yet, what most people noticed was how intensely they studied the two women's expressions, clearly trying to gauge what had gone on during their time alone. The atmosphere was… off.
But judging by their body language, it didn't seem like the two had even interacted. Some began to wonder whether the production crew had secretly taken them off the island mid-shoot. Curiosity turned to unease; all eyes remained locked on them.
[Wait, the guests look just as surprised…]
[Don't tell me they actually stayed on the island together for a whole day?]
[Is this for real? From the others' reactions, it doesn't seem fake.]
[Ye Ruihuan would never agree to stay with Lin Ruijiao. No way.]
[Pfft. And who's the one always clinging for attention again?]
[Maybe they split up and took separate floors? LMAO.]
[Honestly, they don't even look that different. Nothing seems off.]
Because this was Ye Ruihuan's final episode, the crew had prepared dinner early. After eating, she headed back to her room to pack. Lin Ruijiao followed suit, gathering her toiletries and preparing for bed.
Then, just as she was about to step away, she glanced at Ye Ruihuan, who was busy organizing her luggage—and said something unexpected.
The cameras were still rolling, but the microphones had been turned off. What happened next was only visible: Ye Ruihuan's expression shifted drastically, her face awash in shock.
[Wait, what just happened?? What did Lin Ruijiao say?!]
[Omg omg omg what's going on, Ruijiao what did you do??]
[What the hell did she say to make Ruihuan look like that?!]
[They were fine on the island, but now this?! What did she say??]
Facing away from the camera, Lin Ruijiao spoke softly, almost gently.
"Ruihuan, I'm planning to terminate the contract…"
There was no anger, no emotion in her tone—just calm clarity.
Her words dropped like a stone into a still lake, sending ripples racing in every direction. The peaceful surface shattered. Ye Ruihuan's heart lurched violently. Her pupils contracted. She didn't even register the camera anymore.
The production crew, sensing the shift, quickly cut the livestream. The cameraman received the signal and stepped away, turning off the feed.
[What the hell?! They cut the stream?!]
[Nooo! That was the most dramatic moment yet! Something huge just happened!]
[Come on, XX Channel, you always go big! Why stop now?!]
[What happened to Ye Ruihuan?! What did Lin Ruijiao say to make her react like that?? That fake angel act finally slipped, huh?]
[Huh? Lin Ruijiao is not some fake. Don't project your fave's meltdown on her. You think one sentence would break her if she didn't have something to feel guilty about?]
[Exactly. Ruijiao's always been kind and polite. Clearly Ye Ruihuan's the one with the problem.]
[Wow. Classic white lotus stans. Twisting the truth like their idol.]
"What did you just say?" Ye Ruihuan stared at her in disbelief. For a moment, her heart seemed to stop, and even her breath caught in her throat.
They were alone in the room now. Someone had even closed the door behind them.
"I said I'm planning to terminate my contract—with Huarui Entertainment," Lin Ruijiao replied, her eyes fixed intently on her. Her tone was soft, almost weightless, but her expression was serious.
"...Why?" Ye Ruihuan's voice trembled without her meaning it to. The clothes she had just folded slipped from her hands and scattered to the floor. "If it's because of what happened this afternoon, there's really no need to worry. I'm fine, I promise." Her words came in a rush, driven by a desperate urge to keep Lin Ruijiao from leaving.
"...No, it's not that…" Lin Ruijiao looked away, unable to meet Ye Ruihuan's anxious, frantic gaze. Her eyes drifted toward the side.
"Then what is it? Our company's terms are more than fair. What exactly can't you accept?" Ye Ruihuan pressed, refusing to let go.
"It's... personal. About my own career development." Lin Ruijiao grasped for an excuse, unable to admit the real reason—it was Ye Ruihuan herself.
Ye Ruihuan stood still, silent for a long moment. Only after she'd gathered herself did she speak again. "...Alright. Huarui Entertainment can tailor a development path just for you. Whatever you need, just say it. Please, take some more time to think this through." She bent down to gather the fallen clothes, and in that quiet motion, her once-commanding presence felt inexplicably small. She looked almost... humbled. So unlike her usual self.
"...Okay," Lin Ruijiao murmured, her voice barely audible. Her round, almond-shaped eyes seemed empty and lost, as if her thoughts had wandered somewhere far away.
Ye Ruihuan continued packing with distracted movements. The smile on her face had all but faded, replaced by the cool indifference familiar to audiences who had seen her on screen—but this time, it was colder still. Her eyes brimmed with disappointment and heartbreak. Her entire presence shifted, exuding a distant, austere force that made others instinctively wary.
The guests who had come to send her off dared not speak above a whisper. The sudden shift in "Sister Ruihuan's" demeanor was enough to make everyone uneasy. Breaths were held. Only when she finally walked away did the group quietly exhale in relief.
"Sister Ruijiao... what happened with Ye Ruihuan?" Shen Xuanzuan whispered as she approached Lin Ruijiao's side.
"I... don't really know." Lin Ruijiao shrugged, then turned and walked off.
After Ye Ruihuan's departure, there was only one more episode to film before the show wrapped up. While not all the guests had ended up in couples, most had found stable pairings. The most popular CP (celebrity pairing) by far was Shen Xuanzuan and Wang Wenye—their chemistry had fans swooning, and even after the show, their relationship remained strong, regularly sharing sweet moments on Weibo.
And yet, none of it could compare to the explosive popularity of Ye Ruihuan and Lin Ruijiao's ongoing feud. Every time an episode aired, their names climbed the trending topics list. Lin Ruijiao had, in every sense, become a household name. Even her parents, who usually ignored entertainment gossip, messaged her to ask what was going on. She had to work hard to explain everything to them.
Meanwhile, back at the Yuwan Villa, Ye Ruihuan had returned from filming with a cloud of gloom hanging over her. She called Ye Zhi constantly.
"Ye Zhi, what's going on with Lin Ruijiao's contract?" she asked, brows knitted tight.
"Big sis, you've asked me that like ten times already!" Ye Zhi sighed deeply on the other end. "It's fine. Everything's fine. The terms are great. What, is there a problem with the contract?"
"...No." Ye Ruihuan hung up shortly after. She stared at the contract in her hands—the one signed with her little rabbit—and read it again and again. Everything about it was solid. So why did Lin Ruijiao suddenly want out?
Her thoughts drifted back to when they first met. Lin Ruijiao had been so cheerful, so enthusiastic—throwing straightforward confessions at her like they meant nothing. But after signing, she'd completely changed. She'd become calm, reserved. Distant.
Could it be...
If she could dream, couldn't the little rabbit dream, too?
The thought struck her unexpectedly, and her heart skipped a beat. The dreams hadn't been pleasant. If she, even knowing herself, wouldn't like such an arrogant version of herself—then how could someone else?
Panic welled up in her chest. If that assumption was true, then the subtle aversion Lin Ruijiao had occasionally shown made perfect sense. A storm of emotion swirled in Ye Ruihuan's eyes as she clutched tightly at the jade safety charm hanging at her neck.
So that's it. The little rabbit... she wants to get away from me.
No wonder.
The realization hit like a boulder on her shoulders. Her expression grew heavier by the second, eyes clouded with confusion, bitterness, and—most of all—helplessness.
The air was so tense that Assistant Li instinctively shrank into a corner. Something was definitely wrong. What did Miss Lin say to her in the end? But now wasn't the right time to ask. She had a big-budget project and an incredible production team ready for Ye Ruihuan—but judging from her current expression, now was definitely not the moment to bring it up. She stepped forward tentatively, paused, then wisely stepped back again.