Ling Lu knew exactly what schemes Ling Lin was hatching.
Having been reborn, she saw Ling Lin for exactly who she was. In her previous life, because of the overwhelming scandals online, Father Ling had deemed her a disgrace and ordered her to withdraw from the entertainment industry. She had begged him multiple times, only to be rejected. Finally, Ling Canghai had made a single phone call to Ling Jinmo, ordering him to shelve her career indefinitely. From that moment on, her acting career had been permanently brought to a halt.
Following that professional devastation, the Ling Lu of the past had fallen into a slump, losing her smile and remaining miserable day after day. Compounded by the lasting effects of the car accident that left her with a limp, the double blow had nearly driven her into clinical depression. Yet, even when she had been left with nothing, Ling Lin remained unsatisfied. She had used her usual tactics to frame her in front of the Ling Family Members, causing the entire household to despise her. During those days, even the household staff would look at her with contempt and never give her a pleasant look. Once, when Ling Lu had accidentally passed by the study, she had even overheard Father Ling and Mother Ling discussing plans to send her away.
It wasn't until a great fire at the Ling Family Mansion consumed everything that her suffering finally ended. She hadn't been kicked out of the Ling family in the end. Instead, she had been trapped in the sea of flames while trying to save Mother Ling, ultimately turning into a handful of ash and remaining at the Ling Family Mansion forever.
Recalling the tragic end of her past life, a sharp pain pierced Ling Lu’s heart, and the corners of her eyes turned red. She quietly lowered her head, her long, slender lashes veiling the emotions in her eyes. When she looked up again, her gaze was perfectly clear. How fortunate she was; the mountains she had spent her entire previous life unable to escape, she had finally crossed this time. She should feel happy, not mourn the past.
A resolute look settled in Ling Lu’s eyes. No matter what devious plot Ling Lin was concocting this time, she would never let her succeed. In her past life, she had been blinded by family affection and had failed to see people for who they really were. In this life, she had long since cut all ties with the Ling family. If Ling Lin dared to cross her again, she wouldn't mind tearing this white lotus flower to shreds!
After Ling Xuancheng entered, he gave Ling Lu, who was standing in the corner, a casual glance. Although he had been abroad for the past few days and had only come to join the show with Linlin immediately upon returning to Jiangcheng, he knew everything that had happened at home. He had never been close to Ling Lu, the sister who had joined the family later, and after learning that she harbored malicious intent and couldn't tolerate Linlin, his opinion of her had plummeted even further. He found it particularly annoying that she always loved to act innocent and linger around him. Yesterday, he had heard the third brother say that Ling Lu’s wings had grown stiff lately and that she even dared to run away from home. He hadn't believed it. People like Ling Lu—the more you ignored them, the more they pushed; she was a typical people-pleaser. How could she possibly dare to actually break ties with her family?
Since entering, Ling Xuancheng had been waiting for Ling Lu to take the initiative and greet him, just like before. Every time she saw him, her eyes would brighten with an adoring gaze as she called him "Fourth Brother." If she were willing to swallow her pride and admit her mistakes, he wouldn't be opposed to putting in a good word for her before their parents. However, this time, he waited for a long time without seeing any movement from her. She acted as if she didn't know him at all, just like two strangers.
Seeing this, an inexplicable wave of irritation rose in Ling Xuancheng’s heart. The third brother was right; it had only been a few days, but Ling Lu really had grown wings! She even dared to look past him, her own brother!
Fine! If Ling Lu wanted to be stubborn, he would love to see how long she could keep it up.
There was still one final mystery guest left to arrive for the show. As the cabin filled with people, everyone was quite warm and chatty, gathering together to talk. Ling Lu hid herself in the crowd, acting very quiet, patiently listening to the others and interjecting a word or two every now and then. She held the perfect balance—neither appearing detached nor overly enthusiastic.
The moment Bai Tongtong saw Ling Lu, she thought she was uniquely beautiful. She had always been defenseless against beauties, and her favorability toward Ling Lu soared. Being an extroverted person, it didn't take long before she was calling her "Lulu" every other sentence. Ling Lu naturally responded to her warmth; in her past life, she had spent most of her time on the Ling family, leaving her with few friends, which was exactly why she cherished every friendship.
Amidst the noisy chatter, there was a stir at the entrance. Ling Lu, who was closest to the door, instinctively looked up and was immediately met with a pair of cold, deep black eyes.
The man stood tall with broad shoulders and long legs. Gu Linyun was wearing a double-breasted black trench coat over a simple black-and-white shirt, the collar buttoned up to the top, his cuffs neatly pressed. He exuded an elite aura. He had sharp features, a high bridge of his nose, and a defined jawline. Upon first glance, Ling Lu couldn't help but compare him to snow on a high-altitude glacier—cold and distant.
After entering the room, Gu Linyun gave the cameras pointed at him a cold sweep. In the control room, the director, Ge Hong, felt a chill run down his spine and immediately grabbed his walkie-talkie to instruct the cameramen: "Move the lens away, film the others!"
Seeing that Gu Linyun was no longer on screen, Ge Hong let out a sigh of relief, only to realize his forehead was covered in sweat. Gu Linyun was the sponsor of their program. Before the show began, Gu Linyun had already told Ge Hong that he was participating to promote a newly developed resort project. The focus of the program was not on him, but on the resort hotels and facilities along the travel route, as well as the other guests.
Gu Linyun’s icy aura, combined with his imposing stature, created an immediate sense of oppression and an undeniable presence. Everyone turned their gazes toward him. On the live stream, the comment section exploded the moment Gu Linyun appeared, even though it had only been a few seconds.
"I thought Young Master Ling was the pinnacle of looks, but this guy is even more top-tier!"
"Why is every male guest on this show more handsome than the last?"
"Calling all omnipotent netizens, I need all the information on this man within five minutes!"
"Doesn't need five minutes. I found it: Gu Linyun, Executive Director of KE Group, holds over half the group's shares, graduated from the Morris Business School in the UK with dual Master’s degrees in Economics and Law..."
Seeing such a brilliant resume, the comments paused for a few seconds before cascading like a waterfall again.
"This production team really has connections to be able to invite President Gu!"
"Is it possible, just a thought, that this show is sponsored by the KE Group?"
Everyone looked at the KE Group logo on the *Travel Chronicle* sign and fell silent for a few seconds. It really was.
"The production team invited the 'Big Boss' of the sponsors to be a guest? This is unprecedented in the history of variety shows! Just for this alone, I’m definitely following this show!"
"Count me in."
"Me too!"
Ling Lin’s eyes lit up when she saw him—Gu Linyun! It was really him! She had once seen him at a cocktail party hosted by the group, but there had been too many people surrounding him, and she hadn't managed to approach him. She never expected to see him on a reality show today!
Ling Lin’s heart skipped with excitement. She had always been confident in her ability to conquer high-quality men. Now that they were on the same show, she didn't believe that with her skills, Gu Linyun wouldn't fall for her.