Join a Dating Reality Show with the Aloof, Fishing-Style Richest Man - Chapter 33.1

Qiao Yang was completely oblivious to the change in her tone. Gazing affectionately at Lu Zhao, he nodded and said, “That’s right, she’ll be part of my family sooner or later.”

After speaking, he pursed his lips and smiled with an air of pure sweetness.

Ji Zhaoxi’s expression turned even colder.

— Holy crap! Is it really this much of a “crematorium” scene right from the start? — CEO Ji: “I think you’re tired of living!” — Looking at Ji’s reaction, can we boldly guess that Lu Zhao isn’t the only one doing the chasing?!

Lu Zhao looked at Ji Zhaoxi, then at Qiao Yang. Finally, holding the plush toy she was using to tease Tangyuan (the cat), she smacked it right into Qiao Yang’s face and snapped, “I’ve told you I don’t like guys. Why can’t you understand plain Chinese?”

“Meow!”

Tangyuan suddenly let out a loud cry, staring fixedly at its toy.

Lu Zhao: “…”

She tried to hand it back to Tangyuan, but the cat now looked at it with disdain.

“Look at you, even the cat finds you repulsive!” Lu Zhao turned her fire back on Qiao Yang.

Being hit by Lu Zhao in public, and having it caught on camera no less, Qiao Yang looked like he was about to die of grievance.

“I already said I’d go get a sex change, but you wouldn’t let me! What else do you want from me?”

In his mind, if he changed his gender, he could be a woman for her, yet she was the one stopping him!

The audience in the livestream felt their jaws drop. Is this young master’s pursuit really this extreme?!

“I want you to stay away from me! I just don’t like you as a person!” As she spoke, she grabbed Ji Zhaoxi’s arm. “I clearly already have someone I like. Acting like this only makes you more unlikable!”

Lu Zhao’s words were heavy and heartless; when it came to people she didn’t like, she truly left them zero hope.

“No! I’m going to keep chasing you!” Qiao Yang refused flatly, even throwing Lu Zhao’s own past words back at her.

“A truly excellent ‘licker’ (devoted follower) is one who stays loyal and keeps ‘licking’ even when the master forbids it!”

Lu Zhao: “…”

She hadn’t expected that she would one day dig a hole for herself.

She looked at Ji Zhaoxi with a complicated expression, desperately wanting to explain that the “licking” philosophy she’d spouted before was intended for her, only to have it backfire and be used by someone else against her now.

A flicker of amusement danced in Ji Zhaoxi’s eyes. She was pleased by Lu Zhao’s attitude toward Qiao Yang, but seeing Qiao Yang continue to pester her still made her instinctively unhappy.

Ji Zhaoxi stared into Qiao Yang’s eyes. “I heard your family is expanding into the African market. Do they happen to be short of a manager?”

Qiao Yang: “…?”

His eyes widened instantly as he looked at Ji Zhaoxi in disbelief. Is this person threatening me right now? Is she? Is she?!

Ji Zhaoxi gave a chilling smile, nodding to confirm his suspicion.

Qiao Yang: “…”

Ji Zhaoxi didn’t spare him another glance and walked forward quickly, with Lu Zhao naturally following close behind.

Arrival at the Courtyard

They finally arrived at the small courtyard. Currently, the only guests present were Qiao Yang’s sister, Qiao Wei, and two other male guests Lu Zhao didn’t recognize.

They didn’t look like they were from the entertainment industry—likely “amateurs” recruited by the production team.

As Lu Zhao and the others appeared, the people in the courtyard came out to greet them. While the others were fine, Qiao Wei gave Lu Zhao a strange feeling the moment she appeared. She looked at Ji Zhaoxi, then at Lu Zhao, and seemed to… glare at her?

Lu Zhao’s sense of crisis spiked. Is this person trying to steal my spot?!

She looked at Qiao Wei, then at Ji Zhaoxi’s calm demeanor, feeling certain that these two must know each other. Lu Zhao leaned a bit closer to Ji Zhaoxi in a subtle act of claiming her territory.

Ji Zhaoxi seemed very satisfied with this behavior.

Just as the group was about to enter the house, Xu Miaomiao’s voice echoed from a distance. Everyone turned around.

They saw Xu Miaomiao hobbling along on crutches, wearing high heels on the bumpy stone path. She was swaying precariously until, seemingly fed up, she stopped. She opened a suitcase held by a staff member, pulled out a pair of flats, and kicked off her heels!

“These are in the way!” Xu Miaomiao cursed, crisply changed her shoes, and ignored whether the suitcase was closed or not. She hopped toward Lu Zhao on her crutches.

“Sister! I’m here!” Xu Miaomiao waved one arm enthusiastically, looking overjoyed to see Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao was terrified for her. She rushed forward to support her, looking down at the leg that had just come out of a cast. “Are you crazy? Your leg is like this and you dare to wear heels and hop around?”

“It’s fine, I’m agile!” Xu Miaomiao said dismissively, even stretching out her formerly broken leg to show it was no big deal.

Lu Zhao: “…They say it takes 100 days for bones to heal. Take it easy.”

The Cast Revealed

Once inside, it was time for introductions. The seating arrangement immediately revealed a bizarre atmosphere.

Lu Zhao sat next to Ji Zhaoxi. Qiao Yang tried to sit next to Lu Zhao, but Xu Miaomiao bumped him out of the way. Qiao Yang glared at her, but Xu Miaomiao raised her crutch as if she were about to swing. Qiao Yang chickened out and moved away.

Then came the self-introductions, and the audience went wild.

• • Qiao Yang: “I’m Qiao Yang. I joined this show for Lu Zhao!”

• • Lu Xunyou (a delicate-looking youth sitting by Qiao Yang): “I’m Lu Xunyou, Qiao’s junior from school.” (He looked at Qiao Yang with a shy gaze).

• • Qiao Wei: “I’m Qiao Wei.”

• • Gu Zhiqing (the handsome man next to her): “I’m Gu Zhiqing, Weiwei’s ex-boyfriend.”

Qiao Wei rolled her eyes and ignored him.

Lu Zhao was stunned. She whispered to Ji Zhaoxi, “Is the production team really going this hard?”

Ji Zhaoxi remained calm, stroking Tangyuan’s fur.

Room Assignments and “The Plan”

When it came to picking rooms, Xu Miaomiao insisted on a room on the second floor next to Lu Zhao, despite her leg injury.

“Sister, why insist on this?” Lu Zhao asked. “Do you really want to climb stairs every day?”

Xu Miaomiao looked shocked. “Didn’t you say we should create opportunities whenever possible?” She leaned in and whispered, “If my leg is hurt and I can’t climb stairs, won’t my ‘Sister’ (referring to the person she likes, Zhou Jiayan) have to carry me up and down? What a great chance for physical contact!”

Lu Zhao: “…Are you sure your sister has the stamina to carry you every day?”

Ultimately, Xu Miaomiao settled for the first floor but was full of sighs over the “missed opportunity.”

Meanwhile, Lu Zhao’s wariness toward Qiao Wei reached a new level. Qiao Wei deliberately chose a room next to Ji Zhaoxi! Lu Zhao even overheard Qiao Yang telling his sister to “take down” Ji Zhaoxi so he could pursue Lu Zhao more easily.

I’m facing a potential layoff! Lu Zhao thought, feeling the pressure of the competitive job market.

The “Licker’s” Self-Cultivation

As a devoted “licker,” Lu Zhao knew she had to maintain her presence. She went to Ji Zhaoxi’s room to help her settle in.

Inside, the bed was a mess of sheets and covers. Ji Zhaoxi looked a bit awkward, clearly struggling with the chores.

“Babe, if you don’t know how to do it, just call me. I’m at your beck and call~” Lu Zhao winked.

She efficiently made the bed and organized the room, while Ji Zhaoxi stood by, feeling a bit useless but watching Lu Zhao’s movements intently—likely thinking she should learn for next time.

“Do you want anything to eat tonight?” Lu Zhao asked.

“Do you have to cook?” Ji Zhaoxi frowned. She didn’t want Lu Zhao to work too hard for so many people. “I’ll have the production team prepare dinner.”

Lu Zhao didn’t object. She flopped onto Ji Zhaoxi’s bed to play with Tangyuan.

— I’m crying! She can just jump on CEO Ji’s bed and play with her cat! — The cohabitation rumors must be true! — Lu Zhao is truly the role model for all devoted followers!

Ji Zhaoxi hung up the phone and looked at the girl on her bed. “You came over here so fast. Have you even tidied your own room?”

“Not yet. No rush,” Lu Zhao replied casually, dancing with the cat’s paws. “I’ll do it before bed. It’s the same either way.”

Under her guidance, Tangyuan’s soft body twisted and swayed. It was incredibly cute and fluffy, yet somehow managed to look a bit… enchanting?

— Hahaha, I’m dying. I never thought I’d see a cat looking “sultry” one day. — Waaa, its temper is so much better than my rebellious cat at home! It’s actually cooperating without getting angry!

Ji Zhaoxi stepped forward and picked Tangyuan up. “Tidy your room first before playing,” she said.

Lu Zhao: “…You sound just like my mom.” Does she have to control even this?!

Ji Zhaoxi’s expression flickered with a complex emotion for a moment. Holding Tangyuan, she turned to head out. “I don’t have a daughter as old as you.”

Lu Zhao: “…” She let out a sigh and followed her out, heading toward her own room.

The courtyard was originally a guesthouse, so it was well-equipped. After Lu Zhao made her bed and prepared to unpack her suitcase, she spotted the bag she had left on top. She remembered the gift Fan Yaxuan had given her. It was so mysterious—what exactly was inside?

Glancing at Ji Zhaoxi, she opened her bag, planning to take a quick peek. Inside was a plain white paper box with no markings. She opened it to find an object that looked like a makeup sponge—large on one end, small on the other, resembling a snowman.

“?” Lu Zhao stared at the object. What was this? Was it really worth giving to her so secretly?

“What are you looking at?” Ji Zhaoxi’s voice suddenly rang out.

Lu Zhao turned to her, then looked back at the item in her bag. “Looking at the wrap-gift Fan Yaxuan gave me,” she said honestly.

Ji Zhaoxi stepped closer and looked down. Even Tangyuan poked its head out to join the fun.

“She gave you a makeup sponge?” Ji Zhaoxi frowned slightly, wondering if Lu Zhao was so broke she couldn’t even afford makeup tools.

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