Love Contract with the Queen Actress - Chapter 29

[OMG, did you know? Shen Wu is really going on a dating show with Su Yuchen!]

On a morning filled with New Year’s cheer, the dazzling starlight of the previous night quietly faded, replaced by the rising steam from breakfast stalls. What should have been an utterly ordinary day suddenly exploded in online discussions, again.

[I saw it, I saw it! “Love or Marriage” announced this morning that both Shen Wu and Su Yuchen are confirmed to join the show. Holy moly, the trending list blew up last night, and now it’s happening again today.]

[Seriously, my Weibo is lagging like crazy!]

[Some Weibo engineer made a burner account to complain about the servers crashing last night. They just finished fixing them after working all night, and now they’ll probably have to scramble again. [Ghost emoji]]

[Shen Wu is truly the nemesis of engineers, especially now that Su Yuchen’s been added as a catalyst. These two are practically inseparable, if you don’t ship them, you’re missing out on all that chemistry. The hype is exploding just as expected.]

[So if you want to see Shen Wu, just look for Su Yuchen? They really are glued together all the time. Why though? It doesn’t even seem like a publicity stunt. The CP fans keep insisting it’s real, and I’m starting to believe it.]

[Isn’t it obvious? Su Yuchen’s drama is about to air. It makes sense for the boss of the same company to help promote a newcomer.]

[True, no wonder they went to “Starry Night” together and are now pairing up for a dating show.]

[So those two take up two spots, who are the other four going to be?]

[“Love or Marriage” is wild. Every episode has a new twist. The one before last was a stormy mountain villa murder mystery, and the last one was “Top Employee.” I was obsessed with that architect girl from the last episode, so cool! She commanded cement trucks like they were tanks. Absolutely invincible!]

[I heard this year’s theme is an island getaway, no work segments. And because Shen Wu’s joining, the production team rented a massive island and built a live-streaming studio. They’ll have to survive on a deserted island, I’m so hyped! [Star-eyed emoji]]

[It’s not exactly survival, the island is covered in hidden cameras and drone footage. There just won’t be any crew around, and the locals are sparse, so the participants can relax more.]

[I mean, it’s basically survival, right? According to the official promo details, the designated activity zones on the island have nothing, no phones or communication devices allowed. They’ll have to cook for themselves, fetch groundwater from a well in the valley, and sleep in tents if they can set them up. Otherwise, it’s sleeping in tree hollows. How thrilling!]

[Ahhhh! Am I really going to see Shen Wu cooking in front of me?! I bet she’s amazing at it, like, “Wow, she’s so domestic!” levels of amazing, right?!]

[Is anyone else looking forward to the staple segment, sending a midnight text to your crush at 12 AM? Then the next day, they’ll vote for the most popular contestant and see who’s the perfect match. With six people, there’ll be mind games, alliances, and flirting everywhere. Just thinking about the drama has me pumped, hahaha!]

[I’m genuinely looking forward to it, sending daily heart-fluttering texts to someone I have a crush on. The two with a 100% match rate get to take a helicopter to the island’s highest peak hotel, enjoy candlelit dinners and spa services, and even watch them soak in hot springs or swim. Ugh, I can’t wait any longer.]

[No need to overthink it. Even as a complete outsider, I know Shen Wu and Su Yuchen are a guaranteed 100% match. Just wait and see, those two will be sending each other heart-fluttering texts every day, living in that mountaintop villa. If I’m wrong, I’ll go bald, I swear!]

[Hey, upstairs, your username looks familiar. Did you forget to switch accounts?]

[@Headstrong Big Sis, you forgot to take off your alt!]

At this very moment.

In the outskirts of the capital, at the film studio, Chronicles of the Dynasty was still in full swing.

Su Yuchen, immersed in her final scene, had been in character since morning and hadn’t touched her phone at all. She had no idea what kind of frenzy was unfolding online.

“Chronicles of the Dynasty, Scene 231, Take 3, first shot, action!”

The long staircase stretched before her. With the support of palace attendants, Princess Minglu ascended step by step.

She climbed the jade steps carved with dragon motifs.

The camera captured only her back.

Jeweled ornaments and tassels swayed, their chimes delicate and rhythmic.

The long hem of her gown and the trailing cape shimmered with iridescent brilliance.

The style grew increasingly reminiscent of the Empress, her mother, who wielded the phoenix seal…

“Cut!”

“That’s a wrap!”

“Perfect! Su ‘One-Take’ Yuchen lives up to her name!”

“Congratulations to ‘Her Highness the Princess’ on wrapping up!”

A bouquet of dewy lilies was placed into Su Yuchen’s arms. Amid the fragrance and the surrounding cheers, voices of celebration filled the air.

“Happy wrap-up!”

“Congratulations!”

“With Xiao Su wrapped up, our drama is almost ready to air.”

Chronicles of the Dynasty wasn’t like conventional TV productions with long production cycles.

It was a weekly drama.

Though episodic, it was crafted with cinematic quality. A fortune had been spent hiring a post-production team to work overtime, ensuring the early episodes were polished and ready for weekly broadcasts. All that remained was the grand premiere on the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, during prime time, across major streaming platforms, a litmus test for hard viewership data.

The tenth was chosen because both the investors and Director Gao favored auspicious numbers, symbolizing perfection and completeness.

The fate of the drama hinged on that day’s performance, success or failure would determine its future as a weekly series.

Even the usually composed and taciturn Director Gao was beginning to show signs of “data anxiety syndrome,” his brows tightly furrowed. When Su Yuchen wrapped, he merely patted her shoulder before walking away in silence.

Everyone knew Director Gao was shouldering the weight of investors’ hefty stakes, so the pressure was immense. No one dared disturb him.

But it was clear to discerning eyes that Director Gao held Su Yuchen in high regard. Normally, he wouldn’t even spare an expression for a wrap-up. Had he not been preoccupied, he might’ve said a few words.

Executive Director Chen noticed this, clutching a rolled-up script as he approached with a smile.

“Xiao Su’s wrapped up just before New Year’s Eve. You can enjoy the holiday now.”

The crowd of overworked crew members chuckled in agreement, thinking, Exactly! Xiao Su gets to go home for the New Year, while we’re still stuck here grinding away.

The executive director joked with a smile, “The first two episodes have quite a few scenes with Xiao Su. If she suddenly blows up, it’ll be tough to get her for the second season.”

Su Yuchen, who had a warm, almost familial rapport with the elder director, teased back, “If that’s the case, then you must absolutely invite me for the second season, it won’t be difficult at all.”

“Good, good! Actually, we’ve been filming the first and second seasons back-to-back. We’ll need you back on set soon, so you must come. After all, I’ve never seen anyone embody the ‘Deer Princess’ as perfectly as you do.”

“Absolutely,” someone chimed in. “Xiao Su is the one and only ‘Deer Princess.'”

Laughter filled the air as everyone pulled Su Yuchen, still in full costume, into group photos.

It wasn’t just the publicity team snapping pictures, the styling team adored Su Yuchen even more. They didn’t just take countless photos with their phones but also insisted on taking small group shots with her.

Amid the photo frenzy, the wardrobe team couldn’t resist their gossipy urges and started asking about last night’s “Starry Night” event.

“Xiao Su, we watched you walk the red carpet last night! The photos went viral in our group chats, you looked stunning! Who did your makeup? It must’ve been a pro team. I downloaded so many high-res pics to study the details.”

“Right? Xiao Su walked the carpet with Goddess Shen Wu! I had no idea you two were from the same company!”

“Come on, tell us, is Shen Wu as beautiful in person as she is in photos?”

Su Yuchen had been quietly listening to the praise, offering polite smiles for the camera, but at this question, she couldn’t help speaking up.

“Even more beautiful than in photos.”

After a pause, she added earnestly, “Many times more beautiful.”

“Wow!”

Her words sparked a chorus of delighted squeals.

“Ugh, so jealous!”

“Xiao Su got to see the legendary beauty up close? So lucky! Wait, Xiao Su’s a beauty herself!”

“True, two stunning women in one frame, pure eye candy. I’ve already set it as my wallpaper.”

“Are you two really doing that dating show? Forming a CP? That’d be amazing!”

“Someone pinch me, I was on the ‘WuXinYuYi’ tag last night. I’m obsessed with them. So dreamy, so perfect!”

Su Yuchen’s ears turned pink at the barrage of comments, she’d never been part of a real-life shipping frenzy before.

“N-no way,” she stammered, her denial lacking conviction, partly from fluster, partly from guilt.

Luckily, the women didn’t take her embarrassment seriously and brushed it off.

“What do you mean ‘no way’? You’re doing the dating show together, aren’t you?”

“Exactly! Everyone knows how huge ‘Love or Marriage’ is. The news just dropped this morning, it’s still trending!”

“With Shen Wu joining, it’s gonna explode.”

“Xiao Su’s in it too, double the explosion. Bet they’ve already lined up tons of ad placements, haha!”

Though the women sounded earnest, their teasing was mostly in jest. After all, who’d expect a small-time actress like Su Yuchen to actually have something with Shen Wu? It was all about shipping the perfect, screen-deep, fictional CP.

Those interactions, as well as walking the red carpet together last night, could simply be a case of the same company and team, with a senior artist mentoring a junior one.

Su Yuchen held a bouquet of white lilies, burying half of her petite face in the flowers as she tilted her head slightly and smiled at the camera.

After posing for a long time, she finally couldn’t suppress her curiosity and turned to ask the person beside her, “Does my ‘Queen Mother’ not have any scenes scheduled today?”

The white lilies made her face appear even fairer and more delicate, her exquisite features reflecting the dewdrops on the petals, looking absolutely lovely.

The wardrobe assistant adored her and couldn’t resist taking selfies with Su Yuchen on her phone. Hearing the question, she replied, “Actress Ruan? No, she’s not here today.”

“I heard her daughter threw a tantrum and went on a hunger strike. Her assistant came to see Director Gao this morning, apologized, and rescheduled today’s scenes for tomorrow.”

Fu Mozheng threw a tantrum…

Was she upset about what happened last night?

Su Yuchen zoned out for a moment, then sighed regretfully. “I even prepared a little gift. Today is my ‘Queen Mother’s’ birthday, and I thought it’d be perfect to give it to her since we’re wrapping up filming today.”

As she spoke, she handed over a carefully wrapped small gift box.

The base was made of white cardboard, lined with white raffia grass, soft and fluffy on top of which lay an adorably designed little gift. The box was sealed with a transparent plastic cover.

A champagne-pink satin ribbon tied into an exquisite bow, showing just how much thought had been put into it.

The wardrobe assistant took the gift box. “This is so delicate! Is it a cream-glue phone case?”

“Mhm.”

Inside the white box lay a red-based cream-glue phone case.

The edges were adorned with alternating pink and light-blue cream embellishments, dotted with beads and tiny glass strands. On the red base, cream-glue designs depicted chibi-style caricatures of the Empress and Princess Minglu, their heads pressed together as they grinned goofily, utterly adorable.

“It’s not worth much, just something I made for fun. Just a small token of my appreciation.” Su Yuchen entrusted it earnestly. “Then I’ll trouble Sister Du to pass this gift to my ‘Queen Mother.’ I probably won’t be coming tomorrow.”

“What a shame. Look how much effort you put into this gift.” Sister Du sighed, gently stroking the satin ribbon.

“It’s alright,” Su Yuchen smiled. “It’s the same if Sister Du conveys my wishes for me.”

“Don’t worry, you can trust me completely. First thing tomorrow, I’ll go find Actress Ruan’s assistant and make sure your gift and your thoughts are delivered.”

The other assistants gathered around, admiring the gift and showering praise. “Our little Susu is truly too sweet, even preparing a handmade gift.”

“More thoughtful than a real daughter, her actual daughter is throwing a tantrum right now.”

“Having your birthday ruined by a tantrum, who could handle that?”

“Alright, alright, we haven’t finished taking photos with Susu yet. Let’s not bring up unrelated people.”

Sister Du carefully placed the gift box into her backpack, and the assistants pulled Su Yuchen into another round of photos.

The shy guys who had been waiting finally seized the chance to squeeze in for a group photo.

The photoshoot lasted over half an hour, yet no one minded sacrificing their precious lunch break, everyone was just happy to celebrate the beloved Susu’s wrap-up.

Even happier, of course, was getting to take photos with the dazzling star from last night’s “Starry Night” gala.

At that moment, someone suddenly remembered something and blurted out, “Did you guys see the ending? The kingfisher and the eggplant fell in love!”

Everyone immediately understood what the guy was referring to.

After two seconds of silence, the room erupted in laughter.

Nearly everyone present had been affected by Liu Ruomeng’s arrogance at some point, so they were particularly eager to enjoy the spectacle.

“Oh my god, the way she and Fu Mozheng were dancing together, hahaha…”

“I never in a million years expected the rankings to turn out like this.”

“Yeah, haha, who could’ve guessed? Liu Ruomeng actually came in second.”

“I wonder what Liu Ruomeng is doing now? She must be thrilled, right?!”

…

“Wahhh! Sis, you have no idea what I’ve been through!” Liu Ruomeng’s shrieking voice blasted through the phone receiver. “They called me a kingfisher!!”

Su Yuchen, sitting in the car, glanced awkwardly at Shen Wu, who was driving beside her. Her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to that night, the soft, springy sensation under her fingers after they had slid past that slender waist. A wave of guilt washed over her for no reason, and she covered the phone’s microphone with her hand.

“It wasn’t that green. Don’t take it to heart.”

“…”

“Wahhh!”

Instead of comforting Liu Ruomeng, those words only made her more hysterical.

“I’m not happy, not happy at all! I want to cry! Wuwuwu!” True to her word, Liu Ruomeng began wailing loudly on the other end of the line. “Coming in second isn’t making me happy at all. Not only did I have a terrible experience with Fu Mozheng, but I also… also…”

Her voice grew heavy, as if she were struggling to articulate something. After a long pause, she still couldn’t get the words out.

Finally, she just let out another howl before launching into a rapid-fire rant: “I think I’ve attracted some lunatic, and it’s driving me crazy! She knows exactly how to piss me off. What, is being rich so great? Is being the CEO of a listed company so impressive? Does having a red business background make her special? Is she insane? What kind of bad luck is this?! If she messes with me again, I swear I’ll fight her!”

She continued spewing a torrent of disjointed complaints, her words pouring out like raindrops in a storm: fast, relentless, and suffocating.

She really did seem deeply agitated.

Su Yuchen tried several times to interject but couldn’t find an opening.

“Calm down first,” she finally managed to squeeze in during a brief pause. “It’s okay, stop crying. President Kuang is Shen Wu’s friend, she can’t be as bad as you’re making her out to be. I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm.”

There was a stunned silence on the other end, as if Liu Ruomeng needed a moment to process this. Then she wailed again, “Awoooooo! So, you already knew?!”

Su Yuchen wanted to clarify that she didn’t actually know that much, she had just pieced it together from Shen Wu’s comments the night before. After all, it wasn’t hard to guess who Liu Ruomeng was talking about, given the outrageous stunt of throwing money around just to mess with someone. No one else would do something like that.

But before she could explain, the howling resumed on the other end.

“Sis, you have no idea what she did to me… Ugh, I can’t even say it! She’s just a total pervert!”

Mid-sentence, Liu Ruomeng seemed to choke on her words, as if what she was about to say was too taboo to voice. She swallowed hard and forced herself to continue: “I asked her why she was so fixated on me, and she said she just likes dark-skinned girls. Like, is she mentally ill or something?! I-”

Liu Ruomeng blurted out a string of bleeped-out curses, leaving Su Yuchen at a loss for how to respond.

“Where the hell am I dark?”

“Big sis, tell me, am I dark?”

“Am I dark?”

Su Yuchen: “…”

The prolonged silence spoke volumes.

“Forget it, don’t answer. I already know.”

“Actually…” Su Yuchen stole a glance at Shen Wu before speaking into the phone, “You’re not that dark.”

“Hmm…”

Liu Ruomeng choked up on the other end of the line, as if tears were silently streaming down her face. “Big sis, what do you mean by ‘not that dark’? How could you bully me like that lunatic?”

Without waiting for Su Yuchen to explain, she sighed helplessly and said, “We’ll meet again, and then you’ll see just how crazy she is.”

With that abrupt remark, Liu Ruomeng hung up, presumably to go cry.

She came like a whirlwind and left just as swiftly.

So fast, maybe in her past life, she really was a kingfisher?

The mischievous thought made Su Yuchen chuckle involuntarily.

“What, talking to Liu Ruomeng made you this happy?”

Shen Wu’s voice drifted over from the driver’s seat, faint and unreadable.

Su Yuchen quickly straightened up, putting on a serious face. “No, she… she just told a joke, that’s all.”

The car weaved through the endless stream of traffic as Shen Wu kept her eyes on the road and tossed out a question, “What joke was so funny?”

There seemed to be a faint trace of something sour in the air. Su Yuchen pressed her lips together and stole another glance at Shen Wu.

“She… seems to have some misunderstanding with your friend and complained to me a bit.”

“Friend?” Shen Wu flicked the gearshift paddle, her gaze following the curve of the road as she turned the wheel, subconsciously tilting her head slightly. “What friend…?”

A pause.

“Oh, you mean Kuang Gong.”

It was as if the name had just jogged her memory. She shrugged indifferently.

Her slender, pale fingers tapped the turn signal, and against the electronic beep of the indicator, she parted her lips lightly. “A pretty boring person.”

“Ah, boring?”

“Mhm, super boring.”

Su Yuchen was puzzled. “A boring person would throw five million just to mess with someone?”

It was contradictory, nothing about that seemed boring.

If anything, it felt like the behavior of a spoiled rich kid.

“Well, usually she’s boring, but once something piques her interest, Kuang Gong in hunting mode is pretty insane.”

“…”

Su Yuchen blinked. “You… seem to know Kuang Gong pretty well?”

There was a hint of something unspoken in her tone, though she hid it well.

But Shen Wu, focused on driving, didn’t turn her head or catch the fleeting ripple in Su Yuchen’s bright almond-shaped eyes.

“Our families go way back. We fought as kids, and as adults, we just cross paths at dinners and family gatherings.” Maybe it was because she was driving, but Shen Wu’s tone was flat, devoid of emotion, and she ended up rambling a bit.

“Anyway, I don’t know much else about her, but I do know that when she was fighting for control of the family assets for herself and her sister against other factions, she did some pretty ruthless things normal people wouldn’t understand. Later, the elders sent her to an emotional management center. After she got out, she sent all of them into one instead, took full control of the family, so yeah, I’d say she’s pretty crazy.”

For the first time, Su Yuchen heard Shen Wu share so much information about someone else and it sounded like they had grown up together as childhood sweethearts.

For no particular reason, a faint sense of envy toward Kuang Gong rose in his heart.

How wonderful it must be to have known Shen Wu since childhood…

Most importantly, the two of them truly had a childhood sweetheart relationship.

Before this, Shen Wu had never shown such familiarity with anyone else.

Perhaps sensing Su Yuchen’s prolonged silence or feeling she had said too much, Shen Wu lightly tapped the brakes at a red light and turned to look at Su Yuchen. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all!”

Su Yuchen immediately put on an unaffected expression, pretending as if nothing had happened, and swiftly changed the subject. “So… are you spending New Year’s in Jing City?”

Just then, the brief red light turned green. Shen Wu pressed the accelerator, shifting her attention back to the road.

“Yeah, or I might go abroad to be with family. Haven’t decided yet.”

“Oh.” Su Yuchen had originally wanted to say: If you’re staying in Jing City for New Year’s, it might be hard to find meals during the holidays, please, for the love of everything, don’t try cooking for yourself.

But before the words could leave her throat, Shen Wu spoke first.

“Want to come with me?”

A single sentence, effortlessly flirtatious.

The sour ache in Su Yuchen’s chest instantly dissipated.

Flustered, she lowered her head slightly, staring at her clasped knees, suppressing a smile at the corners of her lips.

Well, so what if they were just family acquaintances? Everyone has someone like that, why overthink it?

With that thought, Su Yuchen’s mood lightened considerably, her tone becoming more cheerful. “It’s great that you’re going abroad to be with family. I’ll be going home to spend time with my mom too.”

“Just teasing.” Shen Wu chuckled.

Her clear, bright voice reverberated through the car, plucking at heartstrings.

Shen Wu’s voice was pleasant to begin with, but her laughter was even more captivating.

Though outsiders all assumed Shen Wu was aloof, proud, and unapproachable that the goddess rarely smiled.

In reality, Shen Wu would laugh uproariously, loud and unrestrained, while hugging a pig plushie and watching cartoons.

“But it’ll only be for a few days. I’ll probably be back by the third day of the New Year.”

Their show recording was scheduled for the ninth day of the New Year, with filming starting on the tenth. They likely wouldn’t see each other for a while.

Suddenly remembering something, Su Yuchen smacked her left fist into her right palm, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling.

“How about I make you some dumplings?”

“The property’s cafeteria probably won’t open until after the Lantern Festival. If you’re at home… ahem… just don’t cook, okay? Do you know how to boil dumplings?”

This was genuine concern for the other’s meals.

Shen Wu, still driving, curled her lips into a smile and turned into the underground garage of Lan Mansion.

“Won’t it be too much trouble for you?”

Personally, Shen Wu found household chores exhausting.

She couldn’t bear to see Su Yuchen tire herself out.

But Su Yuchen was brimming with enthusiasm.

“Not at all! I’ll make a big batch and freeze them for you. What filling do you like? I’ll pick some up at the supermarket downstairs later.”

Shen Wu’s heart melted into a pool of spring water. She hummed in agreement.

“Cabbage filling.”

“Ah, perfect.”

“I like cabbage filling too.”

Su Yuchen was also delighted, her eyes shimmering with joy.

The two drove back to Lan Mansion, where the warm, hazy glow of the penthouse greeted them.

Shen Wu wrapped her arms around Su Yuchen’s waist from behind, resting her chin on Su Yuchen’s shoulder.

Her silky hair cascaded down, tickling the fair skin at the nape of Su Yuchen’s neck.

“Baby, to celebrate the wrap-up of your filming, is there anything you’d like as a gift?”

At some point, Shen Wu had started calling her “baby” more and more naturally.

That one time in front of everyone had been embarrassing enough, but even now, with just the two of them, it still made Su Yuchen’s heart race and her cheeks burn.

She could feel her body temperature rising.

She lowered her head slightly, and the dumpling wrapper in her hand was accidentally pinched too hard, causing the cabbage and dried shrimp filling to spill out, startling her.

Although, but… our current relationship isn’t really suitable for something this ambiguous yet, right…

Su Yuchen’s emotions churned inside, but she was easily bewitched by the faint fragrance behind her. Flustered, she picked up her chopsticks and hurriedly tried to tuck the spilled filling back into the wrapper.

Her slender, pale fingertips trembled slightly but managed to steady themselves as she gently pinched the edges shut, forming a perfectly round, plump dumpling that looked utterly adorable.

“Baby, you wrapped it so well, it’s definitely going to taste delicious.”

Shen Wu whispered the word “taste” right against Su Yuchen’s ear.

Her lips brushed lightly against the shell of Su Yuchen’s ear, sending a tingling, ticklish sensation coursing through her.

Su Yuchen was certain her heart rate had skyrocketed past 140, pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of her throat.

Temporarily robbed of speech, she could only hold the dumpling with flour-dusted fingers and place it steadily on the cutting board though her heart was still racing wildly. To mask her inner turmoil, she mechanically picked up another wrapper and grabbed her chopsticks, preparing to make the next one.

The person nestled in her arms was soft and fragrant, even the strands of her hair carrying a sweet, delicate scent.

Shen Wu’s gaze was tender as she nuzzled her nose against Su Yuchen’s slender, pale neck.

“Baby, do you know what everyone’s saying about us outside? That we’re so sweet together.”

“S-sweet… what do you mean…?”

The moment Su Yuchen spoke, her voice trembled uncontrollably.

Shen Wu wrapped her arms around Su Yuchen’s slender waist, continuing her seduction. “Since we’re already this sweet, why don’t we just go all the way? Hmm?”

Su Yuchen mustered every ounce of strength she had to steady her voice. “Go all the way how?”

Though her tone was even, each word came out slowly, as though she was restraining some inner turmoil.

“By making our contractual marriage official, of course.”

Contractual…

“We’ve already signed two agreements before, shouldn’t we sign this third one too?”

“How about it, baby?”

Shen Wu seemed to be doing it on purpose, her rosy lips brushed teasingly against Su Yuchen’s earlobe with each word, leaving Su Yuchen’s heart in complete disarray.

“S-stop… it tickles…”

Su Yuchen shrank her neck away.

“You’re so ticklish everywhere.”

Shen Wu chuckled softly by her ear.

“J-just… it tickles… maybe you should let go.”

Su Yuchen was genuinely afraid. The indecent thoughts in her head hadn’t been cleared away yet, and she was terrified she might lose control.

If they were in a contractual relationship, letting anything happen would be irresponsible toward the other person.

Besides, they hadn’t even signed any contract yet, there was no so-called “contractual marriage” between them.

“So, how about signing this?”

Shen Wu’s slender fingers slid a contract across the table, placing it right at the edge of the cutting board lined with plump dumplings.

Su Yuchen’s heart waged an intense battle.

On one hand, she found it nearly impossible to refuse Shen Wu. But years of self-reliance and resilience made it difficult for her to accept this agreement.

Marriage was something too sacred to be bound by a mere contract.

After a long hesitation, Su Yuchen finally spoke. “Let’s… not sign it.”

Shen Wu’s brows furrowed slightly. Having been burned once before, she knew exactly what kind of temperament Su Yuchen had.

For someone this stubborn and strong-willed, she needed to exercise more patience.

And so, for the first time in her life, Shen Wu discovered she possessed an endless well of patience, reserved solely for Su Yuchen.

She pressed her body closer, teasing the fair earlobe with her lips and teeth, whispering seductively into the hair by the temple, “Why not sign it? I think it’s great.”

The warm breath brushed against Su Yuchen’s skin, sending waves of shivers across the delicate, fair flesh.

Su Yuchen turned her face, meeting Shen Wu’s mesmerizing peach-blossom eyes.

At that moment, those eyes were brimming with mist, swirling with emotions too thick to dissolve.

Their gazes locked, not a word spoken, yet both saw the blazing fire in each other’s eyes.

Shen Wu chuckled lightly, “So, why not enter a contractual marriage with me?”

After a pause, she continued in a bewitching tone, “Baby, do you think I’m not beautiful enough?”

“No, that’s not it,” Su Yuchen replied hastily, her heart flustered.

“Hmm?”

Shen Wu’s soft laughter seemed magical, tickling Su Yuchen’s heart.

“What do you mean by ‘not it’?”

She wanted to tease her further but feared scaring her away again.

Mentally, she calculated a change in strategy.

So, Shen Wu nibbled the earlobe right before her, “Didn’t you just ask if I was going abroad alone?”

“Hmm?”

The question was rather odd.

Su Yuchen lifted her eyes to look at her.

“No,” Shen Wu’s lips slowly curled into a smile, her beautiful mouth leisurely forming the rest of the words.

“I’m going abroad with Kuang Gong.”

“What?!”

This time, Su Yuchen’s almond-shaped eyes widened, the clear moisture in them turning into unmistakable confusion.

And a deeply hidden bitterness.

“With… President Kuang?”

“Yes,” Shen Wu’s smile deepened.

She struggled to suppress the corners of her lips, “As I said, our families have old ties.”

Su Yuchen, who had just talked herself out of her gloom in the car, suddenly felt dark clouds gathering in her heart again.

“You mean… President Kuang, who grew up with you?”

“Mmm,” Shen Wu raised an eyebrow lightly, “Our estates abroad are neighbors. Going back to visit the elders together won’t be lonely.”

“Oh, and by the way, President Kuang might be seeing us often in the future.”

Su Yuchen didn’t quite grasp the meaning behind Shen Wu’s last remark. She only felt something was off in her heart.

An indescribable sensation, slightly sour, yet at this moment, being held by Shen Wu, it was also sweet.

Such feelings had never occurred in her over twenty years of life until Shen Wu barged into it.

Was she sick for feeling so strange?

Ding-dong, ding-dong, the WeChat notification chimed.

Shattering the enchanting atmosphere.

Shen Wu arched an eyebrow, realizing the moment had passed.

She let go of Su Yuchen at the right time and went to play with One Yuan.

Su Yuchen waited a while before pulling out her phone, unlocking it, and switching to her work WeChat.

She saw several messages from the costume and props team sister.

[Xiao Su, is this the dating show you’re joining?]

[Liu Ruomeng is going too!]

[Be careful around her! If she still holds a grudge, don’t let her take advantage of you!]

Below were two attached images.

Su Yuchen froze, not because the costume sister’s worries were misplaced, but because she suddenly recalled Liu Ruomeng’s words on the phone, “We’ll meet soon.”

With that thought, her finger moved to the screenshots and tapped to open them.

The loading circle spun briefly before the images refreshed.

The text on the screen read clearly,

Apple Dog Daily:

[Breaking News! Kuang Gong, the enigmatic CEO of the Kuang Shi Group who has never given interviews, has actually agreed to join the new season of “Love or Marriage”?!]

[Is it years of suppressed desires finally boiling over, or is he seeking his own springtime?]

[Or does he have another goal in joining the dating show?]

[Could his target be Shen Wu? Let’s wait and see!]

Su Yuchen’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes widened slightly.

With a flick of her flour-dusted fingers, another screenshot appeared on the screen.

This screenshot showed a new guest list posted by the official blue-checked “Love or Marriage” Weibo account, with two big names highlighted at the end: Kuang Gong and Liu Ruomeng.

[[Diamond] #SuperDatingShowAlert# “Love OR Marriage” V: @_Kg @LittleMengTodaySoCute, welcome to the new season’s island camping adventure.]

[Sunshine, beaches, sweet romance, which one will you choose? Plus, a bikini beach volleyball tournament, are you ready to scream?]

At this moment, Su Yuchen finally understood what Liu Ruomeng had been crying about.

She had sobbed, “Just wait till you see how crazy she gets.”

Shen Wu had also said, “We’ll be seeing each other often.”

And the whole world believed that Kuang Gong’s target in joining the dating show was Shen Wu.