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

Shu Zi looked at the GIF, then at the comments section, and a big question mark slowly appeared above her head.

That's it?

They're hugging each other because the boat's about to capsize! If they didn't, would they be feeding the fish together?

I blew on his wound because it looked scary and I was afraid he was in pain!

Eating leftovers? Please, she just took too much and couldn't finish it, so he just ate it. It's perfectly normal!

Drink his beverage? Didn't he hand it to you himself? It's disrespectful not to drink more!

Patting his head... that was just him being nosy!

Isn't this all normal?!

How did that amount to indirect kissing? How did that mean we were dating on company money?

Shu Zi took a deep breath. Although she had already witnessed the imagination of this generation of netizens before, this time it was just too outrageous!

Compared to last time, it's even better!

She shook her head, continued scrolling down, and clicked on #HeartbeatWithYouBeachBattle#.

This trending topic is full of exciting and funny moments from the morning's match.

For example, the entire process of Jiang Yunyou and Su Yanhuan building a sandcastle and then having it disappear, dubbed a "human bewilderment showcase," was edited into a bizarre video with an alarmingly high number of views.

The comments section was flooded with "hahaha," and the "vegetable salad" meme featuring Jiang Yunyou and Su Yanhuan has gone viral.

As Shu Zi watched, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She laughed so hard she rolled around on the bed when she saw Jiang Yunyou sit down and collapse the "fortress", and when Su Yanhuan tried to block the ball with her foot but slipped and fell.

After laughing enough, she logged out of Weibo and continued scrolling through her phone for a while.

She scrolled for a short while, then felt sleepy. She yawned, tossed her phone onto her pillow, closed her eyes, and fell asleep within two minutes.

In the living room, Gu Yan also took a quick shower and changed his clothes.

He glanced at the closed door of the master bedroom, walked to the small refrigerator, and took out two bottles of water.

He placed a bottle on the coffee table next to Shuzi, then sat down on the sofa and took out his tablet to handle work emails.

The suite was quiet, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner running.

Suite 202, "Picking Up Shells".

After taking a shower, Yu Shize dried his hair with a towel and picked up his phone, which had been vibrating all morning.

The screen was lit up, and at the top was an unread message from agent Zhao Qihang, dated ten minutes ago.

He paused in drying his hair, then unlocked the device.

Brother Zhao:

"I watched the live stream this morning. The performance was alright, steady, no mistakes, but it was too bland and there were no memorable moments."

"The comments and discussions are mostly about Gu Yanshu, Shen Yihuai and Han Jingxue. At least Jiang Yunyou and Su Yanhuan are funny."

"Cheer up this afternoon, try to be more active and interactive, don't be like a block of wood."

"What you need now is positive exposure, highlights that the audience will remember, not being a background figure."

"As for Fang Yutong... just keep that in mind. Don't be too stiff on the surface, but don't be too clingy either. Find the right balance."

"Be smarter."

Yu Shize stared at those few lines of text for a long time.

Then, he turned off the screen.

He was well aware that his performance that morning had been lackluster, his defense and offense were methodical, and his interactions with Fang Yutong were polite but distant.

But what can he do? Should he deliberately create a "couple vibe" like he did in the first season?

After Liang Zihao's incident, countless people online are watching him, waiting to see him make a fool of himself, or calling him a "scumbag" or a "gold digger."

But Brother Zhao is right too.

Too much "flatness" means no buzz and no topics.

In this show, being invisible is more terrifying than being criticized.

Yu Shize took a deep breath and lay down on the bed.

Looks like I need to be more proactive with the tasks this afternoon.

1:50 PM.

Shuzi was woken up by her phone alarm.

She groggily reached over and turned it off, then lingered in bed for another two minutes before struggling to get up.

Still a little groggy from sleep, with her hair all messed up, she scratched it, got out of bed, went into the bathroom, and washed her face with cold water to wake herself up a bit.

She changed her clothes, applied sunscreen in front of the mirror, and tied her hair into a high ponytail.

When I opened the bedroom door, Gu Yan was already sitting in the living room, and he looked like he had been awake for a while.

"Awake?" He looked up.

"Um."

Shu Zi nodded, walked to the small sofa next to him, sat down, bent down to tie her sneakers, and asked, "What time is it?"

"One fifty-five." Gu Yan glanced at the time.

"It's about time we went down."

Shu Zi stood up, bounced around a couple of times, and stretched her limbs, which had felt a little weak from sleeping.

Gu Yan also stood up, and the two went out one after the other.

Downstairs in the living room, the other groups of people arrived one after another.

Shen Yihuai and Han Jingxue were already sitting on the sofa, each looking at their phones.

Jiang Yunyou yawned, tears still glistening in the corners of his eyes, as Su Yanhuan pulled him down by the arm, muttering, "Just five more minutes of sleep..."

Fang Yutong and Yu Shize were the last to arrive, coming in one after the other.

Fang Yutong changed into a pale yellow dress, while Yu Shize wore a light gray tracksuit, looking much more energetic.

When Director Liu came over with a megaphone, Jiang Yunyou was still dozing off on Su Yanhuan's shoulder, but Su Yanhuan slapped him awake.

"Is everyone here?"

Director Liu smiled and glanced around, "How was your lunch break, everyone?"

"Not so good..." Jiang Yunyou muttered softly.

"Looks like everyone's in pretty good spirits!"

Director Liu selectively ignored this and continued speaking, "Then let's get straight to the point and announce the afternoon's tasks—"

"Director Liu," Shu Zi suddenly raised her hand, looking serious, "may I have a suggestion?"

Director Liu raised an eyebrow: "Oh? What insightful opinion does Professor Shu have?"

"Could we schedule our next task indoors? Like building Lego in an air-conditioned room or something?"

Shu Zi had a "for their own good" expression on her face:

"Look at Jiang Yunyou, he's practically dried into a salted fish. Huanhuan's face will turn green if she eats this salad again."

Jiang Yunyou & Su Yanhuan: "..."

However, it seems to make some sense.

Director Liu nodded seriously: "Professor Shu's suggestion is very pertinent, I will consider it carefully."

He paused, then added, "After consideration, it's rejected."

Shu Zi: "...6"

[Hahaha, Shuzi is actually giving advice in a very serious manner!]

[Director Liu: I'd bet I'd listen to you!]

[Youbao Huanhuan: Although I was mentioned, I wasn't comforted.]

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic!"

Director Liu cleared his throat. "This afternoon's mission is called 'Freezing Heartbeats at Sea'!"

Simply put, it's about taking photos!

Taking photos? That sounded easier than throwing water balloons, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"but!"

Director Liu then changed the subject, "This isn't just an ordinary photo shoot; we've prepared twelve 'classic couple/CP photo templates.'"

Everyone: "..."

If you release the pressure too early, you know it won't be good!