In the eyes of the love system, the CP it supported was the sweetest in the world and its host was naturally the best in the world.

Anyone who tried to break up its CP was a villain in its eyes, someone who needed to be slapped in the face by its host and taught a lesson in life.

But its host was simply too lazy. She muddled through each day, eating without concern and waiting for death. She avoided fighting, avoided competing, and couldn’t even be bothered to contend with Ning Yuwei. Even when others openly provoked her, trying to step on her to climb higher, she still lay back like a salted fish, completely unbothered.

In the end, it was because she didn’t care. Nothing stayed in her heart. Her laziness was astonishing, even infuriating. At times like this, the love system had to keep issuing love missions to push its host to improve!

Whether it was option a, b, or c, the love system believed they were all excellent choices.

〖Dance, showcase your unique talent, or perform a comedy routine! Girl, you’ve got this! I can’t wait to see you steal the show!〗

Ning Xiaoyu: .…..Steal the show?……’Thank’ you very much.

Never in Ning Xiaoyu’s lifetime did she expect that she would see these options given by the love system.

Did the love system have some misunderstanding about her?

As an eighteenth-line celebrity, she did know how to dance, but barely.

As a background actress, she sometimes had to accompany leads in dances for contrast. She had learned simple moves and had been praised by her dance instructor for her talent back then. But she hadn’t learned much or studied systematically. Dancing at Ning Yuwei’s level was nearly impossible. Making Ning Yuwei feel overshadowed in the short term? Even more impossible.

It was clear that Ning Yuwei had put in a lot of effort. Judging by her flexibility earlier, she must have maintained her daily practice even after joining the program.

As for a unique talent, Ning Xiaoyu still had no concrete ideas.

Then there was option c— performing a comedy routine.

Life wasn’t easy for unknown actors and actresses. They had to be versatile.

She did know a bit about comedy, but performing a routine with Lu Jingdu?

No, thank you.

Ning Xiaoyu couldn’t imagine Lu Jingdu, dressed in traditional clothing, standing on stage cracking jokes to an audience.

He didn’t seem like the type to play the comic foil.

If they were close friends, maybe she could do a routine with him. But as of now, she and the movie king were not close enough to collaborate on something like that. Maybe someday they would be, but who could say for sure? That was a matter for the future.

As the silence stretched without Ning Xiaoyu’s response, Ning Yuwei maintained her sweet smile. “Teacher Ning?”

In the livestream chat, Ning Yuwei’s fans flooded the screen.

【Weiwei’s dance was so beautiful! But those few seconds weren’t enough— definitely not enough!】

【Petition for the full version of the dance!】

【Still savoring that dance…… Honestly, aside from the movie king, I don’t care about anyone else’s performance.】

【Not interested in Ning Xiaoyu’s act at all.】

Amidst these comments, a few of Ning Xiaoyu’s loyal fans managed to get their voices heard.

【Can’t wait to see!】

【So, what’s Xiao Yu’s performance going to be?】

【Maybe something like Ling Zige’s magic act— pulling a dove out of thin air! Or melon seeds!】

【Melon seeds could work. Pull them out and start snacking on stage!】

Under the watchful eyes of the other guests and the curious or gossip-hungry gazes of the audience, Ning Xiaoyu closed her eyes, bent her knees slightly, and in just two or three seconds, floated on the surface of the hot spring pool.

That’s right. Ning Xiaoyu ultimately chose option b, which was to showcase a unique talent.

It was to float on water!

Dressed in a conservative black sports swimsuit that revealed only her arms and a small part of her pale legs, Ning Xiaoyu lay quietly on the water’s surface. Her long hair spread out like seaweed, drifting with the current.

The mist rising from the hot spring created an ethereal atmosphere. Amidst the fog, she lay peacefully on the water, her hands crossed as if in slumber. She resembled a fairytale Sleeping Beauty, exuding a strange sense of tranquility and serenity.

It was as if she had fallen under a witch’s curse, entering a deep sleep. At that moment, all she needed was a prince’s kiss of true love to awaken her from her slumber on the water.

【Is this…… Did Sleeping Beauty step out of a fairytale?】

【Three seconds to go from salted fish to Sleeping Beauty. Absolute legend!】

【She’s not lying on a bed but on the water, and it’s even better. I don’t know about anyone else, but this completely won me over!】

【Who is this little star? I’m following her right now!】

【Upstairs, the precious little star’s name is Ning Xiaoyu! Easy to remember, and worth every bit of investment!】

In truth, Ning Yuwei’s earlier performance wasn’t bad at all. Her foundational skills were solid, and she danced with sincerity and emotion. She had clearly put in her utmost effort to make her performance stand out among the female guests.

But the problem was that Ning Xiaoyu didn’t play by the rules.

People naturally loved novel things, especially younger viewers who loved chasing stars and watching variety shows. They were particularly drawn to things they’d never seen before.

Ning Yuwei’s dance was excellent and there was no doubt about it. But she wasn’t the only one who could dance that well.

Take Xi Rui, for instance. She was a graduate of the Beijing Dance Academy and had studied dance for over twenty years. If she hadn’t entered the entertainment industry, she might already be a renowned dancer.

Broadening the scope further, there were plenty of amateurs whose dance skills rivaled Ning Yuwei’s. Many students from dance academies were beautiful, elegant, hardworking, and had been training since childhood.

In short, Ning Yuwei’s dance was stunning, but when compared to a fresh, unique performance, it might fall short.

The hot spring resort, nestled in a lush forest surrounded by jagged rocks and vibrant greenery, provided an extraordinary setting.

In this natural paradise, Ning Xiaoyu’s performance heightened the fairytale atmosphere to perfection.

Shen Yueyue snapped countless photos with her phone.

The sound of the camera shutter broke the other guests’ trance.

Only then did they realize what had just happened and began clapping in appreciation.

Ning Yuwei bit her lip hard and followed the others, clapping along.

Xi Rui, standing nearby, remarked, “Xiaoyu’s performance was certainly novel and beautiful.” Then, with a teasing smile, she added, “But it seems like Sleeping Beauty really fell asleep. So, which prince is willing to step forward and ‘kiss’ her awake? Of course, I mean kiss in quotes.”

【Is Xi Rui about to stir up some drama?】

【With so little time, has Sleeping Beauty really fallen asleep? This speed of dozing off is incredible.】

【So, which prince will it be? Dog head.jpg】

【It probably won’t be our brother, right?】

Among all the guests, Xi Rui was the oldest. Although her celebrity status wasn’t particularly high compared to the other guests, most of them were willing to show respect to her as a senior.

Her gaze swept with interest over the faces of the male celebrities one by one.

The six male guests participating in 《Hi, My Friend》 were all quite good-looking. Aside from Lu Jingdu, whose appearance was otherworldly, the others were at least above average in terms of looks.

No wonder the show became a breakout hit just four days after airing. With a cast this remarkable, it would have been strange if it didn’t go viral.

Smiling, Xi Rui began naming them one by one. “Xu Cheng…… Ling Zige…… Xue Anzheng…… Hmm, let me think. How about we let our movie king play the prince?”

Gossip was, after all, an eternal human instinct.

From the earlier stalker fan incident to Ning Xiaoyu falling off a cliff with Lu Jingdu to save him, and then Lu Jingdu making a promise, Xi Rui felt there was an invisible string subtly pulling the two of them together.

Two people who should have had no intersection in their lives were now having frequent encounters in this reality show, as if it were destiny.

Since that was the case, she didn’t mind giving the situation a little push.
After all, who didn’t enjoy watching a good show?

When Xi Rui made her suggestion, the others’ expressions varied.

However, no one voiced any objections.

Ning Yuwei pressed her lips tightly together, her hands clenched, and her eyes lowered, lost in thought.

In the end, the decision of whether to accept this suggestion rested with Lu Jingdu. Everyone else’s opinions were irrelevant.

When Xi Rui called his name, Lu Jingdu’s expression remained unchanged. He nodded slightly and said, “It just so happens that I haven’t performed an act yet.”

Having chosen to participate in this reality show, Lu Jingdu couldn’t always remain on the sidelines. For certain segments, he was willing to cooperate and participate.

Xi Rui’s interest was piqued.

Before she made the suggestion, she hadn’t thought Lu Jingdu would agree. She had casually brought it up without expecting a favorable outcome. Yet, he agreed?

At that moment, Lu Jingdu stood up and walked leisurely toward Ning Xiaoyu.

As Xi Rui had described, the sleeping beauty was comfortably floating on the water, buoyed by its surface.

He recalled only seeing someone float like this on TV when he was a child— a method for non-swimmers to stay afloat in emergencies. In reality, this was his first time witnessing such a dramatic scene.

Unlike the media footage he had seen before, this scene could genuinely be called beautiful.

Ning Xiaoyu’s long, seaweed-like hair swayed gently on the water’s surface, reminiscent of an animated GIF. It exuded an air of serenity, perfectly encapsulating the essence of Sleeping Beauty.

Lu Jingdu took out his phone and opened one of his go-to apps— Piano Keys.

Whenever he didn’t have access to a real piano but needed to clear his mind, he would occasionally play music on this app to regain his touch.

He casually played the nursery rhyme titled 《Wake Up》.

This was a song typically used to coax children aged three to six to wake up.

When he finished, Ning Xiaoyu remained unresponsive.

【LOL, after all this time, Xiao Yu still hasn’t woken up. It looks like ordinary methods won’t work on her.】

【She probably got really tired from the long bus ride today and fell into a deep sleep.】

Unfazed, Lu Jingdu lowered his gaze. His movements, as elegant as a dance, glided over the piano keys as he played another tune.

This time, he had barely finished the prelude when Ning Xiaoyu suddenly stirred and fully awakened.

She opened her eyes, looking confused. “Huh? What time is it?”

【Haha, the movie king actually played the default phone alarm tune! Iconic!】

【This ringtone haunted my entire student life. The moment I hear it, I feel compelled to wake up. Occasionally hearing it even now makes my heart skip a beat.】

【After graduating high school, I completely abandoned this default alarm tune. It’s too much to handle!】

Shen Yueyue chuckled as she noticed Ning Xiaoyu had woken up. “It’s still early. Everyone is performing their acts.”

Still groggy, Ning Xiaoyu mumbled an “Oh.” So she hadn’t been asleep for long.

Shen Yueyue winked at her playfully. “A prince ‘kissed’ you awake with a melody.”

Ning Xiaoyu looked puzzled. What? What prince? What kiss?

While she was still trying to make sense of the situation, two hashtags suddenly shot to the top of trending topics.

#SleepingBeautyStepsOutOfAFairyTaleIntoReality

#ThePrinceAwakenedSleepingBeautyWithAKiss

Along with this, Ning Xiaoyu’s social media follower count began to skyrocket.