Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5: You're Special. You're Not Like The Other Girls.

　　According to the show’s rules, anyone who received a message could decide whether or not to reply.

　　If they chose to reply, they could only send one message.

　　And the person who got the reply wasn’t allowed to continue the conversation.

　　Naturally, Qin Shuo wasn’t going to reply to her.

　　Just getting that kind of message without blowing up was already impressive.

　　Chu Ling had assumed she wouldn’t get any love messages either.

　　It was only the first day. Besides the original male lead clearly showing interest in the female lead, and Male Guest No.1, Lu Shixuan, clearly not liking her, no one else's feelings were obvious. Plus, she hadn’t interacted with any of the other male guests today.

　　So she didn’t expect that when she got back from her shower, there would be a new message on her phone.

　　Anonymous message:【Hope you don’t mind me asking... What’s your favorite color?】

　　Favorite color?

　　Chu Ling thought for a moment and replied:【Gold.】

　　Gold. The color of treasure. Expensive, and oddly comforting.

　　That night, the messages and chosen dates weren’t revealed.

　　Viewers in the livestream could make predictions on the platform. Anyone who guessed everything right would get a chance to win a prize from the show, so everyone started placing their bets.

　　【Who will Qin Shuo choose? To be honest, I don't want to choose anyone. I can't tell who would be his ideal type. It's too difficult to choose】

　　【Forget Qin Shuo. Isn’t it harder to figure out who’s going to pick Chu Ling?】

　　【Not really. First, we can rule out Male Guest No.1.】

　　【Then we can also rule out Qin Shuo.】

　　【I’m dying. Who would even want to pick Chu Ling?】

　　【I just looked at the quiz results. Male Guest No.3, Jiang Yicheng, got the fewest answers right, so it’s probably him hahaha.】

　　【Whoever picks Chu Ling, I’m not watching. I’d rather use that time to watch the other three couples. Not giving Chu Ling’s stream even one click.】

　　……

　　The next morning, Chu Ling finally woke up after sleeping through three alarms.

　　Today was the date day. After waking up, all the female guests would receive letters from the production team, telling them where they’d meet the male guests.

　　Chu Ling washed her face and sat in front of the vanity table to start doing her makeup.

　　Casually, she thought to herself, The one who sent me the message yesterday is probably the one who’s taking me out today, right?

　　But then... what was up with that message?

　　She asked the system, “Was he trying to figure out what I like so he can buy me gold as a gift?”

　　Now that would actually make her a little moved.

　　System: “...You might be overthinking this.”

　　Once she was ready, Chu Ling got into the car the production team had arranged for her and headed to the meeting spot.

　　As soon as she got out, she saw a guy leaning against a car not too far away. He was wearing a black and gold outfit, had black-rimmed glasses, and a long wolf-cut hairstyle. When he saw her, he turned and smiled.

　　It was the Male Guest No.2, Lin Zirun.

　　A young writer who gave off total artsy vibes from head to toe.

　　Chu Ling was actually a bit surprised.

　　When she walked over, Lin Zirun politely opened the car door for her. “Miss Chu, welcome.”

　　Chu Ling got into the passenger seat without hesitation.

　　After Lin Zirun got in, she glanced at his outfit and gave him a playful smirk. “You were the one who sent that message yesterday, weren’t you?”

　　“Mm-hmm.”

　　Lin Zirun smiled slightly. “But gold-colored clothes are pretty rare, so I paired it with black instead. Hope it still looks okay to you.”

　　He looked at Chu Ling, trying to hide a trace of disappointment.

　　Who would’ve thought she’d say she liked gold, yet show up without wearing anything gold at all? Not even a tiny hint. Completely missed the signal.

　　Chu Ling: “...”

　　Wow, she thought he was asking what color gift to get her.

　　Turns out he just wanted to know what color she liked to see on him?

　　This way of pleasing someone... really is zero effort.

　　“Were you the last one to choose?”

　　She buckled her seatbelt and asked casually, “Or second-to-last?”

　　Lin Zirun shook his head. “No, I was the second.”

　　Chu Ling raised an eyebrow. “Really? Why?”

　　Choosing Chu Ling was something Lin Zirun had already decided on.

　　Chu Ling, with her stunning looks and empty brain, didn’t really seem like a good match for him.

　　But of course, Lin Zirun didn’t join this dating show to find love anyway. He came to build his public image so he could sell more books later.

　　Among all the female guests, Chu Ling had the most controversial reputation, but that also made her the queen of attention. Being paired with her meant guaranteed traffic.

　　If Chu Ling ended up behaving well, he could go for the emotional, heartwarming route. He’d spin the story into how he discovered and helped a girl trapped in negative public opinion, highlight her shining qualities, and even stir up some dating rumors with a beautiful celebrity to attract fans.

　　If she really was as bad as the rumors said, then she’d serve as the perfect contrast to make him look better.

　　Of course, Lin Zirun also had his own selfish reason.

　　He sneaked a glance at Chu Ling.

　　She truly lived up to being a celebrity. Even though she wasn’t dressed up too fancy today and her dress was pretty simple, she still looked stunning—bold and sharp.

　　Getting to go on a date with a woman this gorgeous already felt like a win.

　　Later, he could just spice up the story and use it in his next book. That would definitely bring him another wave of attention.

　　Lin Zirun cleared his throat and pretended to be a little shy. “When I first met you, I thought you were really special.”

　　Chu Ling smiled without warmth. “Special?”

　　As in especially annoying?

　　“I saw you on TV before, but I didn’t expect you to be even more beautiful in person,” he said. “And you give off a completely different vibe from the other celebrities I’ve met.”

　　Oh.

　　Here we go. The classic combo of “you’re special” and “you’re not like other girls.”　　　

　　Enough, bro.

　　That line’s been used so much her ears are falling off.

　　Chu Ling didn’t feel like continuing the conversation and just asked, “Alright, so where are we going today?”

　　Lin Zirun gave a mysterious smile and said, “You’ll find out when we get there.”

　　Meanwhile, the show’s backend picked up a spike in the number of viewers tuning in to the live broadcast of【Chu Ling - Lin Zirun】's date.

　　Surprisingly, Chu Ling’s room ranked second, right after Qin Shuo, who already had his own fanbase.

　　【Didn’t y’all say last night you wouldn’t watch whoever ended up with Chu Ling? Look at the numbers now.】

　　【…I’m not here for Chu Ling, I’m here for Male Guest No.2, okay? He’s totally my type!】

　　【+1. If it weren’t for him, who’d be giving Chu Ling this many views?】

　　【Alright fine, no need to act. I am here for Chu Ling. I wanted to see what she was going to do this time, hahahaha.】

　　An hour later, once they arrived at the destination, Lin Zirun finally revealed the plan.

　　“A photographer I really admire is holding a month-long exhibition here in this city.”

　　“I’ve always wanted to come and see it, but I never had the time or opportunity, and no one was ever willing to accompany me.”

　　Then he looked at her with a warm expression and gently asked, “So, I wonder… would I be lucky enough to go with you today?”

　　Chu Ling: “…”

　　She was already here, the tickets were bought, and the cameras were rolling.

　　What was she supposed to do, say no?

　　As expected, Lin Zirun looked completely in his element at the exhibit.

　　“Check this one out. This was the photographer’s breakout piece. It won the Hasselblad International Photography Award that year. Also happens to be my personal favorite.”

　　“The composition, the color palette, everything about it is just perfection.”

　　He was fully immersed. “Looking at his work is like a full-on visual feast.”

　　Chu Ling followed beside him, looking pretty uninterested.

　　【What’s with that look on Chu Ling’s face?】

　　【She doesn’t look interested. Probably doesn’t even know who the photographer is.】

　　【Come on, she clearly doesn’t get it. Just another pretty face with zero substance.】

　　【I knew it! The Male Guest No.2 picked the wrong girl. Lin Zirun, run while you can!】

　　Chu Ling: “...”

　　Honestly, all she wanted to say was, this guy’s just another know-it-all.

　　Men, no matter the place or time, once they know a little something, they’ll do anything to show it off. (T/N: But not all guys are like that, okay\~? Some of them are just shy and soft and look like sweet little cinnamon rolls. So let’s not be too mean! 🥺💖)

　　If Lu Shixuan’s act was about flaunting his elite status, then Lin Zirun’s was more of a pretentious artsy type.

　　Lin Zirun asked her, “Do you know why I love photography?”

　　Chu Ling shook her head.

　　He continued, “A lot of people have asked me where I found the courage to quit my job—”

　　Chu Ling: “?”

　　She glanced around.

　　Literally no one here asked.

　　The topic shift was more forced than the beef stew Qin Shuo cooked yesterday.

　　“I said, because the world is so big, I wanted to go see it.”

　　“While I was traveling after quitting, I saw so many beautiful sights. My eyes couldn’t take it all in, so I started using a camera to capture them. That’s how I slowly fell in love with photography.”

　　“On that journey, I witnessed a lot of amazing views, but—”

　　He looked at Chu Ling with deep emotion and said, “I’ve never seen a view like you. Maybe this show is one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.”

　　“If I get the chance, I’d love to take a photo of you. Even if… nothing really happens between us in the future, I swear it’ll still be something I’ll treasure forever.”

　　While the comment section exploded with romantic squeals, Chu Ling raised her brow slightly.

　　“You want to take a photo of me?”

　　She asked.

　　Lin Zirun nodded, but something about her tone felt off.

　　“That’s gonna cost you.”

　　Chu Ling paused for a second, then acted all generous. “Well, as long as it’s not for commercial use, I guess I can give you a discount.”

　　Come on, even regular models cost money to shoot.

　　She’s a celebrity. Even if it’s not for a brand deal, it should still come with a price.

　　System: “...”

　　Lin Zirun: “...”

　　He let out a couple of awkward laughs. “That’s a funny joke.”

　　Then he hesitated before continuing, “Chu Ling, I don’t think you’re really like what you show on the outside. Maybe you’re just used to using humor as a way to close yourself off, to push others away. I think deep down, you’re actually a soft-hearted girl who’s afraid of getting hurt.”

　　Chu Ling: “...”

　　Nope, not even close.

　　“You keep shutting yourself off, but honestly, that’s not great for your relationships.”

　　Lin Zirun looked at her gently. “This kind of behavior is a textbook case of avoidant attachment. I’m guessing your childhood, or maybe your family growing up, left you with some bad memories or trauma. That’s probably why, as an adult, you instinctively shy away from emotional closeness.”

　　【Oh my god, he’s so good at analyzing people.】

　　【He’s still so gentle even with someone like Chu Ling. Male Guest No.2 is a total dream.】

　　But Chu Ling just curled her lips into a faint smirk.

　　Seriously? Trying to run textbook theories on her now?

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