Chapter 28 Sometimes, watching a show alone feels rather helpless...

After all... he was the Prince of Love Songs—who wouldn't be moved by him? The flurry of messages between Qiu Shishang and Lin Yunyu had already come to an end. Whether or not there was truly something between them no longer mattered; the online crowd simply wanted to believe what they chose to believe, and so they began shipping the pair with gusto, even forming dedicated fan groups for their ship.

At this moment, Si Shaozhe was still fixated on the four profile pictures on his app, agonizing over his choice. Firstly, he immediately ruled out Ji Ya. Of the remaining three, one was an A-lister, one a newcomer, and the other could be considered a semi-A-lister. With the latter two, as long as he sent out his message of interest, his status and influence in the industry would surely stun them, and they'd be eager to throw themselves into his arms.

After all, connections and aligning with top stars were the name of the game in this circle. And he himself counted as one of its big players—a connection with him would be considered a stroke of great fortune.

Si Shaozhe deliberated for a moment, then scrutinized the four beautiful avatars again. Honestly, it was such a hard choice! If he chose carelessly, what if the other three got upset? He didn't have the patience to comfort each one individually—he was, after all, the heartthrob of the masses.

But as he looked at Ji Ya's picture, he muttered inwardly: This woman’s status and background outrank mine. I don’t like being overshadowed by a woman—eliminated. Then he considered Xu Mengbai—too revealing, all the male guests on the show have already ogled her. If he hyped things up with her, wouldn't he just be setting himself up for a green hat in the future?

Lin Yunyu? She seemed to have already gotten close to the movie king, Qiu Shishang. A woman like that was out of the question!

After this culling, only one target remained: Bai Yichu. She, too, was a top star. A powerhouse pairing would surely bring them immense attention. Moreover, this woman was known for her aloofness and difficulty—wasn’t that exactly the type men liked to pursue? Winning her over would be a perfect double victory.

Confidently, Si Shaozhe sent his message: “The moonlight tonight is beautiful, but it pales in comparison to your beauty, Miss Bai.”

Si Shaozhe was full of self-assurance, yet within ten minutes he checked his phone over a dozen times. Still, the message remained unread, completely unraveling his composure.

He almost blurted out a curse, but restrained himself to maintain his image. Inwardly, he cursed Bai Yichu thoroughly—“It’s your good fortune that I fancy you, so what’s with the icy act?!”

He rolled over in bed, consoling himself: “Maybe she’s busy, after all she’s at the top of her game. I don’t check my phone all the time, either.”

In his mind, he could already picture Bai Yichu’s flustered reaction upon seeing his message. Si Shaozhe’s confidence was unwavering, but his restless tossing and turning betrayed him. This glaring contrast drew a wave of ridicule from the live chat.

“So this is what a top star is like? His way of pursuing love really is... unique!”

“Huh? ‘The moonlight tonight is beautiful’? That’s his opening line? I can’t—it’s so cringe!”

“No way, right? He doesn’t seriously think he’s God’s gift, does he?”

“If I’m not mistaken, since Chu Chu didn’t reply, that counts as one failed attempt, right?”

“Can’t stop laughing. Did you all forget about Si Shaozhe’s message? Isn’t that already a reply?”

“Who else relates? Sometimes watching variety shows alone is so lonely—today I actually witnessed a typical self-important guy online!”

“Shocking! Top star’s love confession rejected, resorts to wild self-consolation?”

“The one above, by self-consolation, do you mean, like, with his hands?”

“Alright, enough! Is there any line you people won’t cross?”

…

The next morning.

The guests were busy with their own routines—some exercising, some rehearsing, and some preparing for the next segment. Qiu Shishang came downstairs in a tracksuit, planning to make breakfast for everyone, only to find the fridge completely empty.

He felt a little at a loss; he’d arrived late the previous day and had no idea what the production team was up to with such arrangements. A staff member hurried over and quietly explained.

“Mr. Qiu, here’s the situation… The show’s rules require guests to use ‘Love Cards’ to purchase ingredients—a card per portion, three cards for a cooked breakfast, or eighty cards for a monthly subscription. I’d recommend you go for the monthly package.”

A monthly package? For breakfast? Wasn’t this absurdly expensive?

A perfectly good show reduced to a profit chain… Truly remarkable.

Even more surprising, the production crew seemed genuinely committed to this setup.

He sighed deeply. Where was he supposed to get these Love Cards? Were they really expecting the guests to film on an empty stomach?

“No cash allowed?” he asked.

“I’m afraid not, per the show’s rules,” the staff replied with a polite smile.

At that moment, the sound of someone descending the stairs caught Qiu Shishang’s attention. Looking up, he saw Si Shaozhe coming down, and by the time he looked back, the staff member had already slipped away.

Qiu Shishang: …

Though he was speechless about the show’s rules, he still took out a pack of coffee from the fridge and asked, “There’s only coffee left. Want some?”

Si Shaozhe gave him a glance that seemed to say, “I get it.” The fridge had been emptied save for coffee—clearly a product placement by the production team.

But, just as before, he ignored Director Lin Jia’s signals and the staff’s obvious prompts, simply sitting down on his own.

“Hand-brewed is best,” he remarked.

“Mhm, let’s discuss breakfast with everyone once they’re all down,” Qiu Shishang replied, unfazed by Si Shaozhe’s treating him like an assistant, nor by Lin Jia’s unheeded product placement. After all, both were stars who hardly lacked for money.

The coffee was soon ready. Si Shaozhe drank first, not bothering to wait for the others, and headed out for his workout. Image management was crucial. Qiu Shishang, after finishing his own cup, also went to exercise.

At eight, all the artists gathered downstairs. Qiu Shishang, just returned, didn’t see Lin Yu and asked, “Where’s Lin Yu?”

Ji Ya, sipping her coffee elegantly, replied, “He probably tired himself out last night. No need to wait for him.”

Last night, tired himself out?

The others shot shocked glances at Ji Ya. What kind of wild implication was that? It was hard not to imagine certain scenarios!

But the heiress simply continued sipping her coffee, clearly unwilling to discuss the matter further, and no one dared probe.

Qiu Shishang cleared his throat to draw attention, then relayed what the staff had told him earlier. “What do you all think?”

“Besides using Love Cards to buy food, the show allows us to grow our own ingredients, right? It’s not too tough. Let’s just make today’s arrangements, then figure out how to be self-sufficient later,” Wang Fei suggested sensibly.

Everyone agreed, nodding in approval at his plan. And so, the decision was made.

The production team handed each person twenty Love Cards, much to everyone’s relief. For a moment, they’d thought the crew intended to have them film on empty stomachs—but thankfully, some decency remained.