Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

Xu Qingyan returned to the underground parking garage of the residential complex, sighed, and took out her mobile phone to call Shen Jinyue.

Upstairs.

Shen Jinyue, with a depressed expression, returned to the apartment, her upper body draped over the sofa as she sat on the solid wood floor beside the living room couch.

The living room lights were off, shrouded in dimness.

She took out her mobile phone and launched "Love Hunter," which was airing its seventh and final episode that night. On the screen, the camera focused on the annoying Xu Qingyan.

In the dim living room, only the glow from the mobile phone remained, like the sole lighthouse in a vast sea.
Find your next adventure on empire

Shen Jinyue curled up beside the sofa, eyes glued to the screen, revisiting the moment before they had parted.

During the days of the romance reality show, she had a lot of fun. Every morning someone would take her for breakfast, and she could banter with others and laugh in front of the camera.

The island was like a secluded microcosm, free of disturbances, a place to forget all her troubles. But dreams always end, and she was always running away.

She hid away on a remote island for the summer holiday, then took leave at the start of school, temporarily hiding out at a friend's place.

On the phone screen, You Zijun and Cui Ying were exchanging identity tags. Cui Ying opened hers with a calm face, discovering the other person was Love Hunter, while You Zijun stood frozen in place.

The camera zoomed in, revealing to his astonishment that the box he was holding contained a Gold Hunter tag—Cui Ying was the ruthless Gold Hunter, completing her harvest at that moment.

You Zijun gazed dumbfounded at Cui Ying, then glanced up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle. His eyes conveyed a hint of disappointment and pity, yet appeared unexpectedly comedic.

Deception is everywhere in life, even from the closest parents, let alone from strangers.

Lost in thought, suddenly her phone popped up with a call.

Xu Qingyan!!

She was stunned for a few seconds before answering. Although her emotions hadn't settled, she still managed to force her voice cheerier.

"Hello, hello...."

"Stop with the hellos, come down and get me," grumbled Xu Qingyan impatiently, "I'm such an idiot, I should've never let you pay. Just come down."

"Oh, you're on the first basement level?" Shen Jinyue said in surprise, wiping her face and getting up from the dimly lit living room, "Wait for me, I'm coming down now."

"Bring the keys."

"Oh."

On the first basement level, Xu Qingyan waited about seven or eight minutes before Shen Jinyue finally arrived, late as usual.

"Hello, didn't you just leave?"

"The car turned around on its own, let's go," Xu Qingyan said as she joined him in the elevator and skillfully pressed the floor number, "For today's business, I'll clock out after picking you up."

"How did you know the floor?" Shen Jinyue was astonished.

"Hm?" Xu Qingyan looked at her and rolled her eyes, "Not only Pei Muchan has sheltered you. Mid-August, I came to Xinghai and stayed here for a few days."

"Oh, well, I actually wanted to ask you a question," Shen Jinyue suddenly became nervous again, "Don't get me wrong, it's a very serious question."

"Because I couldn't find a guy to ask. Just now at dinner, I noticed you advising your sister, and you seemed very knowledgeable about these things, so I...."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingyan glanced at her and remained silent.

Even the clueless Shen Jinyue had her problems—could it be a romance issue? It didn't seem likely; her personality was like that of a girl who still hadn't grown into her fur.

He didn't like to meddle in others' business; if Shen Jinyue were to ask about something related to love, he'd head downstairs to his home immediately and contact through a message in a bottle in the future.

Beep beep beep, the main door's code unlocked.

After entering, Xu Qingyan turned on the lights more fluently than she did, then lounged on the sofa. There was an instinctual feeling that this apartment was probably occasionally used by Pei Muchan during the New Year's.

Now, it seemed highly likely he had guessed right.

The living room quieted down, and Shen Jinyue bustled about, coming back with two bottles of drinks. Xu Qingyan faced her, and looking at the drinks, found it hard to hold back.

"Shouldn't you be making tea?"

Shen Jinyue blushed, "I couldn't find the tea leaves, and then..."

"Fine," Xu Qingyan moderated his usual tone, realizing he was back to solve problems after all, "You mean to ask how to get a diploma without attending school?"

"No," she shook her head in response.

"Then are you asking how to get along well with roommates?"

"Not that either."

"So what is it?" His patience was wearing thin.

For some reason, whenever he was in the same space as Shen Jinyue, it was as though they were natural enemies, his patience running thin within minutes before they would argue.

But the now quiet Shen Jinyue made him feel somewhat unfamiliar, and he couldn't help but extend his patience.

After a moment, her voice spoke up.

"Xu Qingyan do all men cheat?"

Xu: "????"

He was stunned for a few seconds, then looked up at Shen Jinyue, puzzled.

"Did you get cheated on?"

"What! No," Shen Jinyue was startled, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes, then she lowered her head and murmured softly, "I mean... hypothetically."

"Stop with the hypotheticals, I'll teach you a way," Xu Qingyan didn't want to drag it out, so he said, "This is about a friend of yours, not you."

Shen Jinyue blinked, as if she had discovered a new world.

"Oh, right, it's about a friend."

"My friend's father is having an affair, he apparently has another woman and even fathered a son. But he still takes good care of his family, yet the relationship between his parents is very tense."

"She... My friend is caught in the middle, they think she's unaware, but she actually knows. I wanted to ask, on my friend's behalf, is there any chance her father could go back to the way he was?"

Embarrassed by the contents, Xu Qingyan felt a headache coming on; a soap opera of the rich and famous?