I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

The group walked through the foyer, down a few steps, and onto the private driveway in front of the villa.

The driver had already gotten out of the car and was waiting. Upon seeing this, he immediately stepped forward, deftly took the suitcase from Gu Yan's hand, and steadily placed it into the trunk.

After settling everything in, Shu Zi opened the car door, stepped inside with one leg, then stopped and looked back at Gu Yan, who was standing not far from the car.

The evening breeze ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead. He stood there, tall and straight, quietly watching her.

"Then I'm leaving," Shuzi said.

"Okay." Gu Yan nodded, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, his voice steady, "See you at the recording location."

"Okay, okay, let's go!"

Shu Zi waved, bent down and got into the car. Just before closing the door, she suddenly poked half her head out and mouthed a sentence quickly and silently:

"Don't forget my snacks!"

A faint smile flickered in Gu Yan's eyes, and he nodded to indicate that he understood.

Fang Zhizi quickly followed and climbed into the back seat, sitting down next to Shu Zi. Her face was still flushed, and her eyes were sparkling as she glanced back and forth between Shu Zi and Gu Yan outside the window.

Lan Manwen nodded to Gu Yan again before getting into the passenger seat.

The car slowly started, drove away from the driveway in front of the villa, exited the gate of Yunqi Platinum, and merged into the tree-lined road outside.

Through the rear window, Shu Zi saw Gu Yan still standing in front of the villa, watching the car leave until it turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

She then looked away, leaned back in her chair, and let out a soft breath.

Before he could even exhale properly, he turned his head and bumped into Fang Zhizi's big eyes, which were as bright as 8000W light bulbs and seemed to be saying, "Quick! Give! Me! Gossip!"

"Oh my god!"

Shu Zi jumped in fright, almost leaping off her seat. "Little Gardenia, what are you doing! Your eyes are so scary, are you going to eat me alive?!"

"Sister Zizi~~~~~"

Fang Zhizi's lips curled into a smirk as she leaned closer, whispering in a low voice, her excitement barely concealed:

"You and Yan Shen... are you... are you living together?"

She spoke the last three words softly and quickly, but each word seemed to bubble with gossip.

Upon hearing this, Shu Zi immediately launched into a triple denial mode:

"No! That's not true! Don't talk nonsense!"

"It's a temporary stay! Understand? It's just a temporary arrangement! A completely innocent stay!"

Fang Zhizi automatically translated in her mind: Yes, we are living together.

Her eyes shone even brighter, sparkling with a "I understand, I understand, I understand everything" light. She pressed on, glancing ahead, and lowered her voice even further:

"So, are you two together now? Secretly?"

Shu Zi replied firmly and without hesitation, "No! Absolutely not!"

Fang Zhizi: "..."

She glanced silently at Shu Zi's serious and resolute face, and then recalled how Yan Shen had so naturally taken the suitcase, the way he looked at Sister Zi Zi, and the way he had stood at the door watching the car until it disappeared from sight...

If nothing serious happened, Fang Zhizi would write her name backwards for three days! No! Five days! No! Seven days!!!

But this was clearly not something a mere assistant like her could pry into, so she could only nod frantically, her face saying, "I know, I know, you don't need to explain, I understand."

The gossip fire in his eyes not only didn't go out, but burned even brighter; the little drama in his mind had probably already reached its eightieth episode.

In the passenger seat, Lan Manwen glanced at the two lively characters in the back seat through the rearview mirror, said nothing, but her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

She gazed thoughtfully at the rapidly receding street scene outside the car window, her finger lightly tapping on the folder on her lap.

The car smoothly merged into the slightly congested traffic on the main road in the evening and headed towards the company.

As dusk settled outside, the car was quiet, save for the faint sound of the air conditioning running.

The car was quiet for a short while before Shu Zi took out her phone, unlocked it, and instinctively tapped the little eye icon with her thumb.

On the trending topics list, #HeartbeatWithYouEpisode2# and #BattleForTheChoice# are trending.

These keywords are already firmly displayed at the top, followed by the bright red "Explosive" word, making it look quite lively.

Voting hasn't ended yet, so the rankings aren't visible. The final rankings will be revealed during the live broadcast tonight.

But now, judging from the heated discussions in the related topics, with all sorts of analytical posts, prediction threads, and short essays on campaigning and recaps flying everywhere, the air is filled with an invisible smell of gunpowder.

Shu Zi knew without even thinking that she was probably on the list.

Okay, whether it's a blessing or a curse... well, there's always someone taller to protect us.

She logged out of Weibo and opened her chat with Fang Ran.

A little girl asked, "Ran, what are you doing?"

The one who sleeps the most within a hundred miles: "I'm thinking about how to use that koi necklace that He Yuzhuo gave me—it's so dazzling it could blind a titanium alloy dog—as a weapon to give him a physical send-off, sending him to meet Marx ahead of time."

A young woman said, "...Sister, this isn't over yet! Calm down! Put down the necklace, it's evidence!"

A little girl said: "Take a deep breath. The world is so beautiful, yet you are so irritable. This is not good, not good at all."

The one who sleeps the most within a hundred miles: "Just kidding, I'm packing my bags, getting ready for a short business trip, to leave this place where He Yuzhuo breathes, and have a couple of days of peace and quiet."

The biggest sleeper for miles around: "What about you? Have you set off yet?"

A little girl: "Yeah, on my way to the company."

The person who sleeps the most within a hundred miles:

"Alright, then you get back to work."

"By the way, I'll be watching the live stream tonight! Sister, I've voted for him!"

"Let's get this straight, it's not that I don't love you, it's just that I want to see if that kid Gu Yan dares to choose you in public!"

A little creature said, "...Ms. Fang Ran, could you think of something more mundane? Like world peace?"

The person who sleeps the most within a hundred miles: "No way~ Watching my sister's (fake) relationship progress is my biggest and only source of amusement lately."

The sleepiest person within a hundred miles: "Go for it, Examiner Shu! I believe in you~ Love you~"

A little girl: "...Get lost (smiles)"

A few seconds passed.

A little girl commented: "By the way, why has Qiaoqiao been lurking in the group these past few days? I can't get her to show up even after tagging her."

She's the biggest sleeper within a hundred miles: "She said she's going into seclusion to cultivate, and will be out of contact for a while, with no set return date."

A little girl: "...6".

After ending the pointless argument with Fang Ran, the car happened to be parked downstairs at the company.