The Female Lead Insists on Being My Wife [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 23.1

Chapter 23.1: Stealing the Wife in a Romance Reality Show (Part 6)

The thought had barely surfaced before Chen Suihe shook her head violently to clear out those messy ideas. Who was the other party? Shen Chuli! A famous Movie Queen, incredibly valuable, and the holder of a zero-scandal record since her debut. How could she possibly do something like “demolishing a rival’s fandom grain bin” in the dead of night?

Chen Suihe closed her eyes and muttered a string of self-hypnosis, successfully brainwashing herself.

Shen Chuli watched as the girl shook her hair into a frizzy lion’s mane, then—as if having made a grand resolution—stood up, washed the dishes, and left. The movement was so seamless and smooth that there wasn’t even a gap for her to interject.

At that moment, Shen Chuli reached an epiphany.

Presently, a certain someone (Shen Chuli)—who had guessed Chen Suihe would wake up for food and thus specifically took a fragrant bath, meticulously groomed every strand of hair, applied a “fake bare face” makeup look despite the late hour, and even carefully sprayed “femme fatale” perfume—finally understood the meaning of “casting pearls before swine” (or in this case, throwing flirtatious glances at the blind).

She tugged a strand of hair hanging over her chest; sure enough, it had caught a bit of the oily kitchen smell.

By the time Shen Chuli finished her second shower, hardworking little birds were already chirping outside the window. Unlike her, Chen Suihe, having successfully hypnotized herself, had long since drifted into dreamland hugging her plushie. In her sleep, Chen Suihe smacked her lips, likely tasting some delicious CP moments in her dreams, a sweet smile plastered on her face.

The first thing Chen Suihe did upon waking was check her phone to see if the “Grain Bin” app had replied. Seeing the interface still marked with a “404,” the food-deprived shipper Sui-sui decided to make a decision that “went against her ancestors”:

She would take the dance directly to the source! She’d get the “Main Leads” to provide the content themselves, purely to spite that hateful rival who reported her fandom bin! After crafting a meticulous plan in her head, she imagined the rival’s face when #LiYang eventually became a real couple, and she giggled under her blanket.

With her mood lifted, the snowy-white “Mochi Sui-sui” got out of bed full of energy! Having promised the producer yesterday to give up the “bottom-of-the-pot” black foundation, and seeing the extra money in her bank account, the “Outstanding Employee” Sui-sui kept her word! After a simple face wash, she rubbed toner and lotion onto her face like she was kneading dough, clapped her hands, and headed out.

The live stream had opened on schedule. All the guests except Chen Suihe were already in the living room on the first floor. Unlike Chen Suihe’s energetic state, Shen Chuli, sitting on the sofa reading a script, had obvious dark circles under her eyes.

The moment Chen Suihe stepped downstairs, she caused a minor commotion.

“Who is this?!”

“Wow!” Wu Yang, who happened to look up, let out a gasp of admiration that drew everyone’s attention.

Although they had been together for several days, being stared at by so many eyes made Chen Suihe feel a bit shy. Her foot hesitated on the stairs, but just before she could retreat, her wrist was caught by Shen Chuli, who had walked over at some point.

Seeing Shen Chuli proactively take her hand, the bullet comments went insane.

“? Who is this? A new guest?”

“Ahhh! My “chosen wife” has appeared!”

“Hello everyone, let me introduce you: this is my newlywed wife. Name unknown, age unknown, I know nothing except her gender. But don’t worry about it, she’s my wife.”

“Some of these comments, tsk tsk. I advise you not to be a “Cao Cao” (home-wrecker). Wife slept with me last night.”

“LMAO, the person above is also seriously ill.”

“Secretary, you have three seconds. I want all the information on this pretty girl!”

“Wait, the program didn’t announce any “flying guests” (cameos).”

“Secretary! Where is my secretary!!!”

While the comments were fighting over their “new wife,” one comment slowly drifted across:

“Emmm, sisters, I have a bold guess.”

“Don’t get too excited yet, or you won’t be able to speak later.”

“This new wife… is, possibly, maybe, probably… her. It’s very likely our soft little Monkey Baby.”

“Because didn’t the Producer Sister confiscate all her black foundation yesterday and order her not to wear it anymore?”

“?”

“??”

“???”

The screen went blank for a moment, followed by a volcanic eruption of thoughts.

“The person above is typing in Chinese, so why can’t I understand it?”

“You’re saying that this snowy-white, tender-looking, sweet-smelling “new wife” is the same pitch-black, hilarious little monkey from the stream a few days ago?”

“No… please no… I was a “Mama Fan”…”

“What? What did you say!? You’re telling me this white and tender girl is my little monkey who won over a legion of monkey-raising Mama Fans with her personality?!”

“LMAO, the person above is still a Mama Fan? Sorry, I’m calling “Mother-in-law” first. Please marry Sui-sui to me!”

In an instant, Chen Suihe’s fan base shifted from 100% “Mama Fans” to a surge of “Girlfriend Fans,” along with some “Mother-in-law Fans” of uncertain attributes.

In the Heartbeat Cottage living room, Jiang Wan and Wu Yang stared at the fair-skinned Chen Suihe hiding behind Shen Chuli. Their eyes were glowing with a terrifying intensity. It looked as if the moment Chen Suihe left Shen Chuli’s protection, they would pounce on her and start pinching her cheeks.

Jiang Wan stared at her with bright eyes; besides thinking she was beautiful, he found her somewhat familiar. Although they were all stars, there was a huge difference between a “traffic idol” and a “serious actor.” Since the first large-scale girl group survival show went viral a few years ago, such shows had popped up like mushrooms. Jiang Wan and Jiang Suizhou had debuted from a boy group survival show.

Jiang Wan circled Chen Suihe, sizing her up for a long time until she felt flustered. “Sui-sui, has anyone ever told you that you look like a senior who debuted in a survival show a few years ago?”

Hearing Jiang Wan say this, the bullet comments chimed in.

“Actually, yeah! She really looks like my first-love “crush.” But she was quite young then, her features hadn’t fully filled out.”

“Oh! I know that one! She was called the next-gen “Visual Maknae” with top-tier skills. But they said she was a high school senior at the time. So cool.”

“Don’t say it, you really shouldn’t say it. She really does look like my idol Shen’s only “crush” in the industry.”

“The person above is a Movie Queen fan, right? The Movie Queen stans idols too?”

“Ha! You bet. Back then, she’d drop into various fan groups every day like she was clocking in, just to promote the voting for her pick. But I remember her pick was in a one-year limited group; after they disbanded, she went back to school for the Gaokao (college entrance exam).”

“Is that so?” With a few awkward laughs, Chen Suihe’s heart tightened, but she feigned ignorance: “Maybe I just have a common face!”

Versailles. Absolute “Versailles” (humble bragging)!

Jiang Wan stared at her slightly chubby cheeks, his hands itching. Before he could make his move, he was intercepted by his teammate Jiang Suizhou, who grabbed him by the waist.

“You’d better restrain yourself,” Jiang Suizhou whispered in his ear. “Unless you want the Movie Queen to completely blacklist all your film resources.”

Jiang Wan froze. His eyes darted back and forth between Shen Chuli and Chen Suihe. Chen Suihe, lost in her own thoughts, didn’t notice their interaction, but Shen Chuli shot them a cold glance. Jiang Wan instantly shrunk like a quail in his teammate’s arms.

From a viewer’s perspective, Chen Suihe felt the producer’s planning was a bit dull. Although it was 100% unscripted, filming the guests’ daily lives so realistically lacked conflict and highlights. But who was Chen Suihe? She was the “Outstanding Employee” Sui-sui!

After much deliberation, Chen Suihe decided to play the role of guest host. Let it be declared in advance: This was absolutely! Not! For the sake of matching a GL couple. Chen Suihe felt more guilty the more she thought about it, her speaking speed increasing.

She had planned it all before bed: a grand, romantic amusement park date for her beloved #LiYang! Yesterday, she had seen several amusement park tickets in the pile given by the producer.

As the organizer, Chen Suihe jogged away from the burning gazes in the living room to negotiate with the producer. She gave her a rough outline of her idea; the producer thought for a moment and waved her approval.

Once they went out to a public place, unless it was a pre-released solo schedule, the crew wouldn’t live-stream the entire trip. Thus, under the reluctant gaze of the audience, Chen Suihe took a stack of tickets and said goodbye.

Aside from Chen Suihe, the rest were public figures. When she pulled out the “bottom-of-the-pot” black foundation to suggest disguises, she was met with four “no” votes! Chen Suihe wept. Looking at Shen Chuli—the only one who didn’t vote “no”—she went over with teary eyes to “reunite with family,” only to have a hat pressed onto her head by that very “family,” followed by a mask and sunglasses.

The sequence of moves was so smooth that before Chen Suihe could react, the foundation in her hand had been confiscated. After Shen Chuli finished her own disguise, she tugged on Suihe’s wrist: “Shall we go?”

Chen Suihe snapped back to her senses and followed her onto the bus provided by the crew. Before they got on, Wu Yang and the others had already found seats. Shen Chuli and Suihe were the last to board.

Sitting in the front row, Wu Yang and Jiang Wan looked at the two of them wearing same-style, different-color outfits. They opened and closed their mouths for a long time, watched the two settle in the back row, and finally turned their heads back indignantly.

“How hateful!” Jiang Wan whispered to Wu Yang. “The Movie Queen has a bad heart and too many schemes! Poor Sui-sui is too silly!”

Wu Yang nodded in total agreement. They had the heart to help but lacked the power; they wanted to save the “Little Lamb” Chen Suihe from the “Tiger’s Maw” of Shen Chuli, but they couldn’t win a fight nor out-influence her. They could only bite their handkerchiefs and watch with teary eyes as the silly Little Lamb fell into the trap.

Their resentful gazes were almost tangible, making Chen Suihe shiver. Shen Chuli asked in a low voice if the AC was too cold; Chen Suihe shook her head. Shen Chuli responded warmly, then looked up, her gaze turning icy as she looked at the two in front. Wu Yang and Jiang Wan immediately turned around like quails, not daring to peek over the seatbacks again.

During that short ten-minute ride, Wu Yang and the others felt like they were sitting on needles. The moment the bus stopped, the two of them unbuckled and ran off the bus first.

Scared to death! Wu Yang patted her heart with lingering fear. Shen Chuli’s look was both a flex and a warning; she looked at everyone as if they were competitors!

Wu Yang looked up and locked eyes with her fellow sufferer Jiang Wan. Both saw the same thought in each other’s eyes: Anyone who covets Chen Suihe will definitely meet a bad end. Definitely!

If the pitch-black Chen Suihe was just “likable,” the white and tender version was a literal “miniature sun” attracting all eyes. Even though only her flickering eyes were visible, she was still a glowing orb in the crowd.

Chen Suihe did not forget her mission. Seeing the two “Main Leads” separated by a distance that could fit the Milky Way, she began a frantic brainstorm to bring them together. After thinking for a long time, she slapped her “wise” little head!

There was a shaved ice stand ahead. She jogged over and cleverly bought five cups. After distributing them one by one, she intentionally left Shen Chuli out.

Biting her spoon, Chen Suihe thought proudly: Hmph, I’ve already bitten my spoon, so there’s no way a guy like Shen Chuli (wait, no, “Movie Queen Shen”) would lean in. Now she’ll have to take the initiative to talk to Wu Yang! This wasn’t just a simple conversation; this was the beginning of their love! The start of the #LiYang CP becoming the “True CP”! Then, sweetness, love, bliss…

Hehe… Just thinking about it made Chen Suihe bubble with happiness.

While she was immersed in her fantasy, someone tugged her sleeve.

“Can I have a taste?”

Chen Suihe’s mind was filled with the beautiful romance of her chosen ship. She didn’t care who was speaking and simply scooped a spoonful and held it out. But the person didn’t take the spoon; she leaned in and ate the shaved ice directly from Suihe’s hand.

Chen Suihe snapped back to reality. Chen Suihe was stunned. Chen Suihe was silent. Chen Suihe was screaming internally!

Waaaah, I’m guilty! I actually “tore apart” my favorite CP!

“Thank you,” Shen Chuli said, brushing back a stray hair, her eyes shimmering as she looked at her. “It’s delicious.”

Chen Suihe was struck dead center by that gaze. She waved her hands frantically, almost wanting to shove the entire cup into Shen Chuli’s hands. But Shen Chuli shook her head: “I’m entering a new film set soon, and my manager won’t let me eat too many sweets. Suihe, can I share yours?”

Her eyes were moist, staring intently into Chen Suihe’s. It looked as if the moment Chen Suihe refused, she would burst into tears.

“You know, in this program, I’m most familiar with you.” Sensing Chen Suihe’s heart softening, Shen Chuli pressed her advantage with a killing blow.

How could Chen Suihe resist! She couldn’t! She was dazed by the “beauty trap,” her mind filled only with Shen Chuli’s slightly red rims, watery eyes, and soft request. If using a “beauty trap” were a crime, Shen Chuli would be the first one behind bars!

With her goal achieved, Shen Chuli wiped away her frail act in the blink of an eye. While Chen Suihe’s brain was still fuzzy, she dominantly pulled her along, swaggering off in a different direction from the rest of the group.

Wu Yang was stunned by this display! It was her first time—the very first time—seeing someone so brazen! To use “acting techniques” to lure an innocent, naive girl—simply loathsome! She wanted to turn to her boyfriend to complain, only to find her “acting geek” boyfriend was frantically writing in a small notebook.

Wu Yang walked over to see Li Chengxi’s notes, then couldn’t help but punch him. “You’re studying acting while on a date?!”

Punched back to reality by his girlfriend, Li Chengxi tucked the pen and notebook back into his pocket and gave her a fawning smile.

The amusement park was too crowded. Even if they didn’t intend to separate, they were squeezed apart by the flow of people. Jiang Suizhou locked onto a hand in the sea of people and pulled it out like a radish. Jiang Wan fell into his arms, hitting him so hard tears welled up.

“Where are Sister Wu and Suihe?” Jiang Wan asked, rubbing his nose. Jiang Suizhou shook his head: “Probably got separated.”

Even though the three pairs were split up, fortunately, their cameramen were still there, so the producer wouldn’t have to weep over wasted tickets.

The first thing Shen Chuli did after being separated from the group was pull Chen Suihe to buy souvenirs. Chen Suihe noticed she particularly liked souvenirs of the same type but different designs; she bought two of everything. Seeing her so enthusiastic, Chen Suihe was inspired to pick a few as well.

But unlike Shen Chuli who only bought pairs, Chen Suihe’s choices followed no pattern; they were all things she liked, intended for Wu Yang and the others. Once they finished buying a mountain of bags, Shen Chuli carried them all to the locker station. Chen Suihe waited obediently on a nearby bench.

The bench was in the shade. The noise of the crowd was in her ears, and a gentle breeze blew, making Chen Suihe close her eyes for a nap.

“Sui-sui?”

As she was half-asleep, Chen Suihe thought she heard her name and snapped awake. A strange girl stood before her, jumping in place with excitement when she saw her wake up: “It really is you! I was just trying my luck!”

The girl was extremely enthusiastic but kept a respectful distance. She peeked around: “Is it just you, Sui-sui? Where are the other guests?”

Looking at her behavior, Chen Suihe realized she was a fan of the show. She proactively pulled down her mask and gave the girl a soft smile: “There were too many people, so we got separated. Chuli went to store our things. Is there something you need?”

The girl hadn’t expected Chen Suihe to explain so obediently; she covered her mouth, her heart nearly exploding with excitement! She was originally a casual fan of Shen Chuli who watched for her, but later she was drawn in by the pitch-black Chen Suihe.

Only today! Only today she hadn’t watched the stream! Her little black monkey had turned into a white and tender rice cake! And she was explaining things so softly! No “star” attitude at all! The fan’s heart was melting.

Seeing that Shen Chuli hadn’t returned, Chen Suihe invited the fan to sit down, then ran off to buy two ice cream cones. “Eat quickly,” Chen Suihe urged as she watched the fan taking photos while the ice cream started to melt.

The fan took a “reverent” bite, feeling like she was ascending to heaven. Chen Suihe was so approachable that the fan slowly relaxed, and the two started chatting while eating ice cream.

“Will Sui-sui and Movie Queen Shen end up together?” the fan couldn’t help but ask.

Chen Suihe’s head snapped around, looking at the fan in total shock. After a long silence, she spoke with difficulty: “I… I’m a #LiYang shipper!”

The fan was also shocked! She hadn’t expected that after finally gathering the courage to bring the “CP dance” to one of the main leads, she would discover that this lead was actually in the rival fandom!

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