The Film Queen Is Cold and Ruthless, Only Sends Money - Chapter 12

Even though the show was scheduled to start at 9 AM, viewers had already gathered in front of their screens long before.

Each couple had their own dedicated livestream, with the main program channel occupying the center of the screen creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

The couples invited by the production team were all highly talked-about, and the moment the livestream went live, the dark screen was instantly flooded with a dense barrage of comments.

As the first episode of the entire season, the production team had deliberately chosen a weekend for the premiere.

They even bought a trending hashtag on Weibo’s splash page, ensuring that even casual passersby would click in out of curiosity.

When the clock struck exactly 9 AM, all the livestreams lit up simultaneously. The sudden influx of viewers caused the streams to lag momentarily.

The guests appeared on screen one after another, and the show’s backend data immediately skyrocketed to a peak.

The program had officially begun.

The first thing that appeared on camera was a picturesque small town.

He Rong County was a small southern town. From where they stood, faint blue-green mountain ranges stretched into the distance, shrouded in mist, ethereal as if stepping into a fairyland.

The air was fresh, the scenery beautiful, and a winding stream flowed through the town, sketching out a life as serene as an ink painting.

[What a beautiful town! Just one glance and I feel healed!]

[Is this season really going for a cozy vibe? Or is this just a trap before the real chaos starts?]

[No need to doubt it, the production team definitely lured us in. The only question is when the “killing” begins.]

The director’s voice came from behind the scenes: “Today, we’ve arrived in He Rong County. We’ll be filming here for the next week. First, let’s have our guests introduce themselves to everyone watching.”

The first to speak was Lin Yan, a renowned director and the most senior among the guests.

Dressed sharply in fitted clothes, she wore the obligatory black baseball cap of a director.

Even so, she was still considered the best-looking among young directors. “Hello everyone, I’m Lin Yan. I’m really looking forward to spending this time with all of you.”

After she finished, the gentle woman beside her spoke up. “Hello everyone, I’m Xu Zhi. I brought a little gift for everyone today.”

Four years ago, Lin Yan had announced her marriage to a non-celebrity, which initially left her fans in disbelief.

But the moment they saw Xu Zhi’s photo, they all switched sides.

[Gentle as water, Xu Zhi is the perfect embodiment of this phrase!]

[Hydrangeas symbolize blessings and happiness. Sis, you’re really making me cry here.]

[Ahhh, Lin Yan and Xu Zhi are so sweet! The way Lin Yan couldn’t take her eyes off Xu Zhi when she handed out the flowers.]

The hydrangeas Xu Zhi had brought were beautifully wrapped. When Su Yun received hers, she handled it carefully and smiled. “Thank you.”

After distributing the flowers to everyone, Xu Zhi returned to her spot and smiled softly. “No need to thank me. I’m just glad you like them.”

Next up was Jing Chaozhao, a top-tier singer who seemed a bit reserved. “Hello everyone, I’m Jing Chao.”

[Hahahaha, Jing Chaozhao casually dropping one of her double characters again.]

[How bold of you! A cool girl like her would never use cutesy reduplication!]

Her partner, Su Xue, sweetly added, “Everyone can call her Chaochao.”

Unfazed by Jing Chaozhao’s glare, Su Xue cheerfully introduced herself. “I’m Su Xue! Hope we can all have fun together!”

[Xuexue is adorable! Her dynamic with Chaochao is so good!]

[Will Xuexue get punished for exposing Chaochao’s real nickname?]

[Punished how? Elaborate, please!]

Liu Yangran took over with a smile. “Hello everyone, I’m Liu Yangran.”

Her recently announced girlfriend, Ye Ying, followed suit. “Hello everyone, I’m Ye Ying.”

The two had fallen in love on set, and even while introducing themselves, they held hands.

[Look at the details! This is what a sweet couple looks like!]

[Don’t worry, everyone I’ll head straight to the CP fan forums to create content!]

After introducing herself, Liu Yangran’s gaze lingered on Su Yun.

No heavy makeup, no arrogance since arriving she hadn’t even spared Liu Yangran a single glance.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. After giving Ye Ying a faint smile, she turned her attention to Su Yun and Jiang Zhi’s introductions.

Unlike the other couples, Su Yun and Jiang Zhi weren’t as physically close, each holding the white hydrangeas Xu Zhi had given them.

[Standing together like this, they look like they’re taking wedding photos! Surprisingly well-matched!]

[I waited over a month for this! Do you know how much I suffered, production team? Finally, it’s here!]

[Su Yun, your quietness is making me uncomfortable!]

Su Yun had been whispering to Jiang Zhi about business ideas aside from a pancake stall, she was considering adding grilled cold noodles, takoyaki, and other snacks, which she thought would do well.

When the director called her name, she hastily abandoned her entrepreneurial brainstorming and turned to the camera. “Hello everyone, I’m Su Yun.”

With no notable works to her name and no desire to steal the spotlight, she kept her introduction simple and left the rest of the time to Jiang Zhi.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Zhi’s introduction was even briefer.

It wasn’t intentional her mind was still preoccupied with Su Yun’s earlier question: Should the snack stall be set up near a school or a residential area?

[You two! Could you at least say a few more words? Learn from the other couples!]

[I don’t ship you, but could you at least pretend to care?]

[Su Yun didn’t hog the spotlight? Something’s off.]

[Maybe she’s saving it for later? The show’s only been on for three minutes, let’s keep watching.]

Once all the guests had introduced themselves, the staff handed each of them a pink card.

[The show’s signature pink cards! Wonder what’s inside this time?]

[Probably a mission? Hope it’s not too hard right off the bat.]

Liu Yangran examined her card and guessed, “Are we doing a mission right after arriving?”

Su Xue, who had never been on a variety show before and was blissfully unaware of the producers’ tricks, asked innocently, “Is the production team treating us to something?”

[Oh, Xuexue the production team’s “treats” are never good!]

[Now I’m curious, what kind of “treat” do they have in store?]

Lin Yan, being a director herself, was familiar with all the tricks. She speculated, “They’re probably making us choose rooms.”

They were currently in the living room, their luggage still beside them.

Su Yun turned around and saw four rooms lined up behind them, their doors wide open as if the production team wanted them to take a good look.

The first room was lavishly decorated, complete with air conditioning, a fridge, a water dispenser, and even a vase of fresh flowers on the cabinet. The wallpaper was in a minimalist, fresh style.

Everything about it screamed: Comfort. Luxury. Pick me.

From left to right, the rooms grew progressively smaller. The second room was slightly more modest, missing some appliances like the fridge and AC, but still within acceptable limits.

By the third room, things took a sharp downturn, the space was half the size, with barely any furniture.

And the fourth room? It could only be described as dilapidated.

Just as everyone turned to look, a gust of wind blew through the living room.

The fourth room’s rickety, crumbling door finally gave way with a loud BANG, it collapsed right in front of them.

The door lay flat on the ground, revealing the interior in all its glory: a lone wooden plank bed, not even a blanket in sight.

[HAHAHAHAHAHA, this can’t be scripted, right?]

[Starting off with this level of chaos? Production team, I knew I could count on you!]

[I seriously doubt that wooden plank bed could even fit two people.]

[It’s fine maybe we’ll get to see “My CP Broke the Bed” in real life!]

[Look at the guests’ faces, this is the definition of “smiles vanishing instantly”!]

[Xuexue, why aren’t you smiling? Don’t you like smiling anymore? HAHAHAHAHA!]

Su Yun: “…”

Production team, it must’ve taken real effort to find a room this terrible.

She leaned toward Jiang Zhi and whispered, “Which room do you want?”

Unaware that her mic was picking up every word, Su Yun’s hushed voice was crystal clear to the livestream audience.

[Already picking rooms? Su Yun’s pretty confident, huh?]

[Definitely the first one. No question.]

Jiang Zhi glanced down at her microphone. “If I say I want it, can you get it?”

Su Yun belatedly remembered the livestream but answered anyway. “Of course not. The rules haven’t even been explained yet.”

Blind confidence was unwise. Blindly trusting her was even more unwise.

Jiang Zhi: “Then why ask?”

Su Yun: “If you want the first room, we’ll work hard for it. If you want the last room.”

Jiang Zhi raised an eyebrow, waiting for Su Yun to continue.

The livestream audience held their breath.

Su Yun, oblivious, finished matter-of-factly: “If you want the last room, we should probably discuss it again.”

Unless someone had a particular kink, no one would willingly choose the last room.

Jiang Zhi: “…”

What had she even been expecting?

Jiang Zhi: What was I even expecting.

Su Yun: You can expect my pancake rolls, grilled cold noodles, takoyaki.

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