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

Shu Zi was taking small bites of the agonizing sandwich when she heard Yu Shize's words, and her eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

She was probably tired; she doubted it and guessed that she couldn't contact the person.

But she didn't look up or reply, continuing to immerse herself in her melancholy world of "losing her loved one."

Gu Yan raised his eyes and calmly lingered on Shi Ze's face for half a second.

She casually moved away, picked up the glass water pitcher beside her, poured water into the empty glass in front of Shuzi first, and then poured some for herself.

[Is Fang Yutong not coming down? Is she tired, or does she simply not want to come and is waiting for someone to invite her?]

[Tongtong was simply exhausted; her livestream room went dark (speechless)]

Yu Shize's explanation is reasonable, but there's something strange about the two of them, compared to the first episode, although they were also acting strangely in the first episode.

[Zizi, don't be sad. Mr. Gu's way of pouring water is so natural. Does he often pour water for you like this at home?]

Shen Yihuai and Han Jingxue are sitting together! Even though they're not talking, I could watch them all night!

[The way Huanhuan and Youbao try to find meat in the salad is just like me (laughs while covering face)]

Everyone was present, but the dining table was eerily quiet, with only the faint clinking of cutlery and the sound of chewing.

Jiang Yunyou looked left and right, feeling that the atmosphere was suffocating.

He cleared his throat, determined to take on the responsibility of breaking the awkward silence, and spoke in a loud voice:

"Hey! Let's guess where Director Liu will hide our... cough, I mean, Yan Shen and Sister Zi Zi's batch of 'strategic supplies'?"

"What if he's locked himself in his room? Maybe we could plan something, something that happens under the cover of darkness..."

Su Yanhuan almost choked on her juice and quickly reached out to cover his mouth:

"Jiang Yunyou! Shut up! Do you want to never see the sun rise again?! Do you want to end up with nothing but this weed?!"

Everyone was amused.

Yu Shize smiled knowingly, a helpless yet amused smile playing on his lips, and naturally continued the conversation, his tone teasing:

"Yunyou, your idea is a bit dangerous, but," he changed the subject, smiling as he looked at everyone present:

"For everyone's sake, we really have to give it our all in tomorrow's mission."

"I'm ready to give it my all, to try and help everyone... and myself, to win something tangible back!"

As Shu Zi listened, she wondered to herself, "What is Yu Shize up to now? Does he think he's all good again after a week's rest?"

He's been so focused on Fang Yutong that he's forgotten about him; he hasn't even gotten revenge for the infamy he suffered before!

Shen Yihuai picked up his water glass, glanced at Han Jingxue fiddling with the salad beside him, and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft:

"What are your thoughts on tomorrow's tasks, Teacher Han?"

Han Jingxue gently parted a piece of lettuce with the tip of her fork, without looking up: "Improve as you go."

Shen Yihuai nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

With limited space under the table, his knee seemed to "accidentally" brush against Han Jingxue's leg across from him.

Han Jingxue paused almost imperceptibly, her hand holding the fork tightened slightly, and then she quickly and naturally pulled her leg back.

She still didn't look up, but her fair earlobes turned red at a visible speed.

Shu Zi, who was sitting next to Han Jingxue, happened to look up to get her juice and witnessed this "under-the-table confrontation".

She blinked, quickly lowered her head, and used the action of drinking juice to desperately suppress the upward curve of her lips.

Wow, this late-night snack suddenly seems quite delicious!

Tsk! How come I never noticed before that my senior sister blushes so easily!

Yu Shize ate his sandwich, taking in everything with a smile on his face as he listened attentively.

He knew he lost a lot of fans in the first episode because of Shu Zi's incident, so he tried to keep his presence to a minimum.

However, during his break, due to the rumors surrounding Fang Yutong and Liang Zihao, he unexpectedly gained a lot of "sympathy fans," and his public image improved.

Now, he must seize every opportunity to be appropriate, positive, and valuable.

Fang Yutong is right. Career should be the priority. If you have a career, what else can you not get?

She's only with Liang Zihao because he's rich, because he can give her resources, and once he reaches a high enough position...

Second floor, Suite 202 "Shell Picking"

Fang Yutong did not sleep.

The master bedroom light was off, with only the faint blue glow of her phone screen illuminating her expressionless face.

She leaned against the headboard, her fingertips swiping rapidly across the screen.

The encrypted album contained numerous screenshots, chat log snippets, and a few photos taken at slightly deliberate angles.

The main character is Liang Zihao, and the backgrounds are high-end occasions. Occasionally, her profile or back view appears in the shot, and their relationship seems quite close.

She flipped through the pages one by one, her eyes calm, even with a hint of scrutiny.

Then, she exited the photo album, opened her contacts, and found a number that had no name saved but whose location was listed as overseas.

My fingertip hovered over the dial key for a few seconds, but I didn't press it in the end.

She locked the screen, tossed her phone aside, lay down, and stared at the blurry shadows on the ceiling.

Liang Zihao went missing, and Liang Qiming personally took charge of reorganizing the company; all of this seemed to be spiraling out of control.

Liang Zihao had previously told her that the head of the Shu family seemed to disapprove of Shu Zi's involvement in the entertainment industry, and that the father-daughter relationship was strained.

She dared not detonate the "bomb" she held regarding Shu Zi's family background until she understood the Shu family's clear stance and the extent to which the Liang family had compromised.

The faint sounds of laughter and conversation drifted downstairs, a mixture of Jiang Yunyou's loud voice and Shu Zi's listless tone.

And then there's Yu Shize's deliberately cheerful voice, trying so hard to blend in...

He changed quite quickly.

Fang Yutong tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a smile that was devoid of warmth.

The more polite and distant Yu Shize was to her in public, and the more he tried to sever their last remaining "romantic" connection, the more he solidified his status as the "victim."

This may make some people feel that he has "come to his senses," but it will also completely disappoint those who ship him as a couple.

She needs to find a new, more stable foothold as soon as possible.

My gaze involuntarily fell back onto the blacked-out phone screen.

She could almost see Shuzi's carefree face laughing by the campfire, and her nonchalant expression when everyone mentioned "Aci," which was glaringly obvious.

Shu Zi... the Shu family...

Fang Yutong's eyes darkened.

Perhaps she should try a different approach.

A head-on confrontation is unwise, so what if... it's "admiration" and "getting closer"?

Her mind raced with calculations.

After a while, she turned over, facing the wall, and slowly closed her eyes.

The late-night snack came to an end in a subtle atmosphere.