Chapter 27: Filming the Dating Show 26

The next morning, a new male guest arrived. Xu Ruizhi, who is also an actor, began his career as a child star and, despite being only twenty-four, is already well-established in the industry. He went on a date with Yang Yi.

Meanwhile, Nan Chu and Jiang Han went on their own date, which involved tree climbing and visiting a temple to draw fortune sticks. They specifically drew sticks for romance. Nan Chu drew the worst possible fortune, which spoke of a fleeting spring blossom that, despite its brilliance, is destined to be scattered by frequent storms overnight. The interpretation suggested that she might meet someone she fancies and share a spark, but it would ultimately lead nowhere. Jiang Han, on the other hand, drew the best possible fortune, predicting a life with a beloved partner, growing old together, and never being parted. Neither of them let the fortunes dampen their spirits, and they continued their date as planned.

Once the date concluded, they returned to the guesthouse. Upon arrival, Li Wenya pulled Nan Chu aside and headed upstairs. "Nan Chu, I've come across a good script. There's a supporting role that would be perfect for you. Would you like to audition for it?" Li Wenya asked. "If you're interested, I can recommend you to the director."

"What kind of script is it?"

"It’s a modern urban drama. You would play a kindergarten teacher who is the male lead’s ex-girlfriend. It’s not a huge part, but if played well, it could really stand out."

"Let me check with my agent first."

"Sure, just let me know." With that, Li Wenya returned to her room.

After resting for a while, Nan Chu went downstairs. The new guest, Xu Ruizhi, had returned with Yang Yi, and since they had already eaten dinner, they sat out the meal. Once the other guests finished dinner, they began playing games. This time, it was a pairs game: popping balloons. The male and female guests had to embrace, and the team that popped the most balloons within two minutes would win. The pairings were based on the dates they had earlier that day.

Aside from Nan Chu, the other female guests were a bit nervous, as the sound of popping balloons can be quite startling. Nan Chu, however, was unfazed, so she and Jiang Han went first. They were incredibly fast, popping twenty-eight balloons in two minutes—roughly one every four seconds. There was one stubborn balloon that took quite a while to burst, perhaps due to its quality. Next were Nangong Hengmo and Li Wenya, who managed to pop twenty, a very respectable score.

When the games ended, Jiang Han and Nan Chu were declared the winners and received an invitation card for a designated date. Following the games, the production team had Xu Ruizhi ask the female guests a series of questions to help him get to know them better. The women wrote their answers on boards. After fifteen questions, the session concluded, and they sent their "heartbeat" text messages before the live stream ended.

Afterward, Nan Chu contacted her agent, Zhuang Wenqi, who encouraged her to give the audition a try; if successful, it would be a great opportunity. After the call, Nan Chu sought out Li Wenya. Li Wenya contacted the director, and Nan Chu was soon added to the assistant’s contact list to receive details on the time and place for the audition.

The next day, Nan Chu and Jiang Han went on another date. While shopping, Nan Chu bought a gift for Li Wenya to thank her for the job lead. That afternoon, she received the audition notice for the following day at a hotel in the city. Back at the guesthouse, she left the gift in Li Wenya’s room with a sticky note. When Li Wenya returned from her date with Shen Shangqian, she found the gift.

"Nan Chu is so thoughtful," Li Wenya said, clearly delighted. She opened the package to reveal a pair of earrings. She tried them on immediately, and they suited her perfectly. The next time they met, Li Wenya asked, "Do they look good?"

"They look wonderful; they suit you perfectly," Nan Chu replied.

"You have such a good eye," Li Wenya said, linking arms with her. "I'm sure you'll pass the audition, and then we can act together."

"I'll do my best," Nan Chu smiled.

That evening, they held a barbecue. Jiang Han, Meng Yuan, and Shen Shangqian were each at a grill. Nan Chu stood by Jiang Han, who was roasting all of her favorite foods. "How does it taste?" he asked.

"Delicious," she praised.

"Then I'll roast some more for you." When the food was ready, Nan Chu took a skewer and fed it to Jiang Han. "You should eat something too." Jiang Han felt a wave of sweetness as he took a bite of the grilled beef.

[Did Nan Chu just feed Jiang Han?!]
[I saw it!]
[The Jiang-Nan couple is so sweet!]

"Jiang Han, I want to eat some eggplant. Could you help me roast it?" Yang Yi asked, walking over with an eggplant.

"If you want it, roast it yourself. I don't know how to roast eggplant," Jiang Han refused. He then moved aside and reached out to take Nan Chu’s hand, leading her to sit down. He had already prepared more than enough for the two of them. Yang Yi was left fuming internally, though Shen Shangqian kindly stepped in to help her with the eggplant.

After they finished eating, the production team organized a game of "Radish Squat," followed by a drawing to determine the next day's pairings. Nan Chu and Meng Yuan drew number four, meaning they would be on a date the next day. The others were paired accordingly.

After the draw and the final text messages, the live stream ended. Feeling full, Nan Chu decided to go for a walk. Jiang Han and Si Junyan both noticed and followed her. Under a sky filled with stars, the three of them walked in companionable silence before heading back.

The next day, Nan Chu went shopping with Meng Yuan. After lunch, he dropped her off at the audition. Since it was a supporting role, the requirements weren't too high, and impressed by her appearance and acting, the casting team selected her on the spot. The assistant added Zhuang Wenqi on social media to discuss the contract and compensation.

Back at the guesthouse, Nan Chu found Li Wenya and shared the good news. Li Wenya was thrilled to have her friend join the cast. The two chatted for a while before heading downstairs. Since the people assigned to dinner duty hadn't returned, Nan Chu and Li Wenya began preparing the meal, later joined by Jiang Han and Si Junyan, who helped out.

Once the meal was ready, Nan Chu called the other guests. Later that evening, the production team initiated a thirty-minute voting session. Once it concluded, the director announced, "The dates for tomorrow have been determined by the audience vote."