A month ago, Stellar Entertainment gave Xu Wenyi two choices.
One was *Thirty Days of Cohabitation*, a well-known maker of on-screen couples, and the other was *Space-Time Traveler*, a rising hit variety show in recent years.
This time, she avoided *Thirty Days of Cohabitation* and chose the latter.
Her manager urged her to reconsider, pointing out that if they wanted to build a couple's ship, there was no platform more suitable than a romance reality show.
As Feie's flagship variety program, *Space-Time Traveler* was guaranteed to be a hit every season, and with the right maneuvering, it had the full potential to blow up completely.
"Sister Zhao, I want to let nature take its course. Going on a romance show feels too deliberate; I'm afraid it would backfire. Besides, couple fans get too deeply invested, which makes it inconvenient to uncouple later on."
This was the reason Xu Wenyi gave, and it was more than enough to fool Zhao Li and her crew.
What was the real reason?
Xu Wenyi tightened her grip on Wei Xin's arm and flashed a genuine smile. "Slow down, watch your step."
"Then untie me, will you?" Wei Xin glanced down at the rope around her ankles.
The very thing she feared had most certainly happened. Not only did she now have to share the frame with that bastard surnamed Xu and play lovey-dovey, but she had actually been captured...
She had lost face to the absolute ends of the earth, and she could only pray that Grandma was not watching this program.
"No way, what if you run off? It took me so much effort to find you..."
Not wanting to talk to the villain, Wei Xin turned her head to comfort An Quan. "How did you guys get caught, too?"
What kind of situation was this? A total wipeout?
And it was only the second day!
An Quan said with embarrassment, "The NPCs could run too fast, and I ran out of stamina."
The paint on Ji Zhili had not yet faded, leaving him looking bright red all over. "I was afraid of getting smashed to death, so I surrendered."
Sigh!
Wei Xin shook her head and sighed. "You savages are too savage!"
"Are you taking a roundabout way to insult us?" a female artist from the savage team laughed. "Xiaoxin, you're a prisoner right now. Aren't you afraid we'll abuse our prisoners?"
Tanhua, 30 years old, an artist signed with Feihuo Pictures, who had spent years cultivating the modern romance drama track and was currently attempting a transition.
Wei Xin let out an "oh" and looked at Xu Wenyi. "Xu Wenyi, she wants to abuse me."
Things had come to this; for the sake of a meal, losing face didn't matter.
"Be a good girl~" Xu Wenyi said softly. "What do you want to eat tonight?"
"Fish soup!" There was a small stream in the woods, so the production crew must have released fish into it.
A flash of surprise crossed the depths of Xu Wenyi's eyes. Wei Xin answered far too decisively, her tone even carrying a hint of anticipation, as if she had long known that Xu Wenyi was skilled at making soups.
Yet this time, she clearly hadn't cooked for her yet...
A beam of light flashed swiftly across Xu Wenyi's mind, vanishing before she could reach out to grasp it.
She nodded and agreed, "Alright, I'll make fish soup as soon as we get back."
Wei Xin was thoroughly looking forward to drinking the soup made by Xu Wenyi once again. Anyway, since they had a contract, freeloading a few meals was entirely reasonable.
Besides, if they were going to have fish soup, Xu Wenyi would have to untie her hands, and then she could take the opportunity to run!
Wei Xin: (?????)???
[Sister Xin, what on earth are you smiling at???]
[Didn't they say Wei Xin never wrongs herself? Isn't it uncomfortable being tied up like that?!]
[Whether it's uncomfortable or not, I don't know. I only know there's～fish～soup～]
[What on earth is in the fish soup? Why must you drink fish soup?!]
[Xu Wenyi's love]
[Defeated solo fans]
[CP fans dying of sweetness]
[Must you guys play wordchain at a time like this???]
……
Wei Xin followed Xu Wenyi for a long time before finally returning to the campsite—a small cave.
Of course, the cave was artificial, the entire venue was artificial, and even the trees had been transplanted from elsewhere.
"You guys slept here last night?" Wei Xin frowned.
Sleeping directly on the ground; though there were straw mats and straw sheds, they couldn't keep out the chill.
Next month, that bastard surnamed Xu was going to get a stomachache again...
"We are savages, of course we sleep in a cave."
Xu Wenyi was busy stewing fish, and the one speaking was Shen Qing from Stellar Entertainment.
Feihuo Pictures and Stellar Entertainment, two of the big three in the entertainment industry, were inevitably locked in secret struggles behind the scenes.
Whenever Feihuo participated in a project, Stellar would invariably stick a foot in, and vice versa.
Artists from both sides sometimes presented a united front to the outside world, and sometimes targeted each other directly.
Shen Qing clearly had no intention of coexisting peacefully, her every word filled with veiled barbs.
"Since we're recording a show, overcoming hardships is only right. Asking the production team for equipment not only troubles the staff to make a special trip, but it also ruins the viewing experience."
Among the trio of savages, only Tanhua's area had an outdoor survival tent, lighters, and other items; it went without saying who Shen Qing was taking a dig at.
Tanhua wasn't a soft persimmon to be kneaded at will either. "That's a very sincere point. We working stiffs get paid, so we should cooperate properly. If the audience has a good time, then getting hit by water bombs is just part of it. The NPCs are working too, and we shouldn't make things difficult for them."
All six of them were stained with mud and water to varying degrees; only Shen Qing was completely spotless.
After taking the indirect hit, Shen Qing immediately counterattacked. "When it comes to dedication, who can compare to Sister Hua? Braving the water in the dead of winter is even more resilient than a body double. We really need to learn from Sister Hua."
Two years ago while filming a drama, Tanhua posted online about braving the water in the dead of winter in an attempt to build a dedicated persona, only to be exposed for only recording thirty seconds of footage while body doubles completed all the other scenes.
An Quan's breath hitched, and she pinched her wrist hard to barely keep herself from laughing out loud.
As a captive, Wei Xin only wanted to quietly wait to be fed, but certain people always loved to draw a crowd.
Tanhua cast a light, indifferent glance at Shen Qing. "What can you do? Who told us to make our living this way? If you don't film seriously, you can't win awards."
She said as she walked, "After all, the public still likes things a bit more natural." Suddenly grabbing Xu Wenyi, she said, "Wenyi, don't you think so?"
Of course Xu Wenyi couldn't answer directly; questions like this could only be met with feigned ignorance and muddled through. "Huh? What are you guys talking about?"
"They're cursing each other out," Wei Xin honestly seized the initiative to answer.
Xu Wenyi: "?????????"
An Quan: ?(?'?'??)?
"Teacher Shen is cursing Tan—Wuwuwu???"
[Oh wow～]
[Sister Xin, hurry up and kiss her palm ahhhhhh]
[Licking works too, hehe, hehe]
[Ahhhhh my hands are so itchy, I want to scratch someone, who will let me scratch them?]
[Passing by holding milk tea (captured) (struggling) (struggling failed) (scratched to tears by the person above) (helplessly hugging myself) (wiping away tears) (grabbing the person below) (scratching her to tears)]
[???]
……
Wei Xin still wanted to launch a heavy blow, but Xu Wenyi rushed forward in a panic and covered her mouth.
Skin met skin, the palm still retaining the residual warmth of the flame, the unique scent of firewood mixed with an elegant fragrance of osmanthus.
Faint and lingering, like the first rain of spring, it sprinkled upon the tip of her heart.
A beat later, Wei Xin tilted her head back, staring blankly at Xu Wenyi.
A few seconds later, she tilted her head to indicate her confusion.
Why was that bastard surnamed Xu so nervous?
If she were to be cursed at by netizens for speaking the brutal truth, wouldn't that play right into her hands, saving her even the effort of digging up dirt?
Xu Wenyi acutely sensed that her mood was off and hurriedly let go. "Did I hurt you?"
Wei Xin shook her head.
"Then play by yourself for a bit, I'll go cook?"
Wei Xin stretched out her hands, which were tied together in front of her, and grabbed Xu Wenyi.
Xu Wenyi smiled and rubbed her head. "What is it?"
Wei Xin cleared her throat and looked at the two fighting cocks. "Do you guys see if there's still room for two people to sit by the edge of that pot?"
An Quan: (?◇?)?