Ning Xiaoyu only realized something was off after a while.

It was because the number of viewers on her livestream suddenly started skyrocketing.

【Anchor, respect!】

【Just a bystander passing through.】

【Anchor, you stayed in the swimming pool with the movie king for so long. What were you two doing in there? Dog head.jpg】

【How was it in the pool? Was it fun? Silly grin.jpg】

Mixed in with these teasing comments were occasional unfriendly words like ‘schemer’, ‘green tea’, and ‘shameless’.

Ning Xiaoyu ignored the negative remarks entirely.

She wasn’t surprised that her trip to the swimming pool had been discovered by the viewers. After all, these days, netizens are incredibly resourceful.

She didn’t even bother guessing how they found out.

The cameras set up by the 《Hi, My Friend》 show crew were rather unpredictable. Without checking the livestream interface, even the guests themselves couldn’t tell when they were on air or when they weren’t.

If the cameras weren’t rolling, the guests’ livestream rooms would simply display a black screen.

In short, the production team was determined to capture the most authentic sides of their guests.

Ning Xiaoyu responded, “It was pretty fun.”

The viewers, sensing a juicy story, perked up.

【Pretty…… fun?】

【I love how straightforward the anchor is. Love it!】

Just as the audience eagerly prepared to dig for more gossip, Ning Xiaoyu casually added, “The massage chairs inside were fantastic, and the snacks were delicious.”

【???】

【That’s it? That’s all?】

【I was ready for something big, and this is what you gave me?】

After speaking, Ning Xiaoyu couldn’t help but reminisce about the massage chair’s sensation.

It had that kind of top-tier, unforgettable quality. The price had to be no less than five figures, maybe even six.

Her poverty limited her imagination.

Anyway, she couldn’t afford it.

Perhaps guessing her thoughts, the love system teased her, 〖Girl, just complete a few more missions and you’ll have it. Later on, each mission you complete will yield more love points.〗

Ning Xiaoyu quickly raised her hands in refusal. “No, thank you.”

Right now, each mission only earned her one love point. For that to increase, the difficulty of the missions would also have to go up. No thanks. She was perfectly content being a slacker.

────ρя


At dinner, Ning Xiaoyu spent 4 friendship coins to exchange for some fresh fruit.

Having snacked earlier in the afternoon, she wasn’t very hungry and used the fruit to fill her stomach.

After dinner, she informed the program’s director and left the Friendship House on her own.

This had been arranged from the start. During the month-and-a-half-long filming period, she needed to leave once a week.

An hour and a half later, she stood outside a hospital room.

Through the transparent glass, she saw her father, still lying motionless.

In just one week, he seemed to have aged even more, as if life had drained further from him.

Looking at her sleeping father, Ning Xiaoyu stayed silent for a few seconds before stepping into the room and sitting in the empty chair beside the bed.

As she always did, she began speaking softly to him, sharing her daily life.

“Dad, I recently joined a variety show. The pay from the program is very generous, enough to cover another year in this room for you.

While on the show, I saw that girl. It’s clear she’s doing well, so I’m sure Ms. Zhang isn’t doing badly either. You can rest easy now.

So, when will you wake up?”

As she spoke, Ning Xiaoyu’s voice grew quieter.

In truth, Ning Xiaoyu hadn’t always been a slacker.

She once excelled in her studies, the undisputed top student among her peers with a bright and promising future ahead of her. But an unexpected event had completely changed her life.

She always knew Ms. Zhang loved beauty, vanity, and dressing herself in elegant clothing.

And the man lying silently in this hospital bed had worked tirelessly to provide a better life for his wife and children.

But no matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t give his wife what she truly wanted. He didn’t understand that only the super-rich could satisfy Ms. Zhang’s insatiable vanity. This was something Ning Zhen could never achieve, no matter how hard he tried.

In the end, Ms. Zhang succeeded. With her exquisite beauty, she became the third wife of a wealthy businessman in the capital, bringing her younger daughter along when she remarried.

Ning Xiaoyu had never been close to Ms. Zhang. She resembled her father more, with refined and delicate features. In modern internet slang, her appearance could be described as ethereal.

She didn’t look much like her mother, whose beauty was vibrant and striking. Ning Yuwei, however, was almost a carbon copy of Ms. Zhang, bearing a seventy or eighty percent resemblance to the latter’s younger self.

Because of this, Ms. Zhang favored her younger daughter exclusively.

As for Ning Xiaoyu, all the affection she had ever known came from her father.

Resting her chin on her hand, she muttered, as if to herself or perhaps to the man on the bed, “So, all your efforts back then— what were they for? In the end, wasn’t it all for nothing?”

His wife had left, and his younger daughter seemed to have forgotten him entirely.

He had been in a coma for seven long years.

It was only thanks to the compensation from the accident that Ning Zhen had been able to hang on for this long.

In these seven years, neither Ms. Zhang nor Ning Yuwei had visited him even once.

Rather than working hard only to lose everything in the end, it’s better to be a salted fish from the start. Just go with the flow and make life a little easier and happier for yourself.

After staying with her father for about half an hour, Ning Xiaoyu left the hospital room and paid a fee of 40,000 yuan.

Her previously accumulated love points, which had been at 4, now dropped to 0.

Ning Xiaoyu asked, “Is this money alright?”

The love system clapped its metaphorical hands confidently and said, 〖Rest assured, Girl, the money you’ve received is post-tax and completely legitimate.〗

Ning Xiaoyu nodded. After all, the system was a product of interstellar civilization, so it surely had this level of capability.

────ρя


When Ning Xiaoyu returned to the Friendship House, only a dim lamp remained lit in the living room.

The other guests had already gone back to their rooms to rest.

She glanced at her phone and realized it was already past eleven.

Just as she was about to head to her room, Shen Yueyue suddenly appeared out of nowhere. “You’re back?”

Ning Xiaoyu nodded.

Shen Yueyue pulled her aside and said, “In a few days, it’ll be the movie king’s birthday. Earlier, everyone was discussing what gifts to give him. The gifts can only be purchased using friendship coins. I was worried you might not know and wouldn’t have enough coins ready in time, so I waited for you.”

Ning Xiaoyu thanked her and then couldn’t help but ask, “Do we have to give a gift?” Can’t we just skip it?

Shen Yueyue gave her a look as if saying, ‘Isn’t that obvious’? “Everyone else is giving a gift. You don’t want to be the odd one out, do you?”

Ning Xiaoyu responded with an “Oh” and said she understood. She figured she’d deal with it later.

It was still several days away, yet everyone was already busy preparing gifts for Lu Jingdu.

Such was the life of a winner.

────ρя


After returning to her room, Ning Xiaoyu couldn’t help but think about her father, who looked even more aged as he lay motionless on the hospital bed. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

At first, she had resented her father. She couldn’t understand why he had tried so hard to keep someone who wanted to leave. In the end, he not only failed to stop her mother but also ended up in a coma, leaving her to face the world alone.

How old had she been back then?

But over the past years, as she grew older, that resentment had slowly faded, replaced by longing.

She missed her father. She wanted him to wake up and be able to talk to her again.

Since she couldn’t sleep, Ning Xiaoyu decided to stop trying.

She threw a coat over her pajamas and stepped out for a walk to clear her mind.

The villa was located near the sea, surrounded by a large private beach. Other than the show’s crew and guests, no one else could enter, so safety wasn’t a concern.

Otherwise, Ning Xiaoyu wouldn’t dare wander out alone in the middle of the night.

She didn’t know how long she had been walking when she suddenly caught a faint whiff of smoke, as if carried from afar by the sea breeze.

The scent of tobacco mixed with the salty tang of the ocean air, creating an oddly ethereal aroma that wasn’t unpleasant.

Instinctively, she turned toward the direction of the wind and noticed a faint, glowing red ember in the dense night.

Thanks to the heightened awareness she had gained from her recent missions, Ning Xiaoyu immediately identified the person based solely on the elegant shape of the hand holding the cigarette.

It was Lu Jingdu.

For a moment, she froze, her gaze locking with his as he looked over.

Through the heavy veil of night, she could only faintly make out his indifferent expression.

In the stillness of the night, with no one else around, their eyes met for several long seconds.

It felt as if they had transcended time and space to encounter each other at that exact moment.

If one of Lu Jingdu’s fangirls were there, she might have exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, even Brother’s silhouette is breathtaking!”

Unfortunately, Ning Xiaoyu was no fangirl— she was a full-fledged salted fish.

Without bothering to observe him further, she turned on her heel and walked away.

〖Love System: ……〗

It had been about to assign her a mission!

Ning Xiaoyu practically flew back to the villa, as if something were chasing her. Within moments, she was near the house again.

Once there, she let out a long sigh of relief. She had narrowly avoided being roped into another mission. Good thing she had left quickly.

Having just spent 40,000 yuan, all she wanted now was to lie flat like a salted fish and avoid missions altogether.

Still, she hadn’t expected someone as composed and elegant as Lu Jingdu to smoke.

The way he smoked was practiced and nonchalant, carrying an air of casual indifference.

The love system, adopting a worldly tone, remarked, 〖One puff to ease a thousand sorrows. Looks like our Movie King isn’t in a great mood.〗

Ning Xiaoyu had no interest in prying into the world of an A-list celebrity. As a salted fish, she had little curiosity. She had been in a bad mood herself earlier, but being skilled at self-soothing, her mood had already improved.

The joys of being a salted fish were simple like that.

Before long, Ning Xiaoyu was back in bed.

This time, she fell asleep almost instantly.

────ρя


When she woke up the next morning, Ning Xiaoyu suddenly remembered she had forgotten to send her goodnight messages again! Missing out on several friendship coins left her feeling regretful.

When she checked her phone, however, she was surprised to find two messages waiting for her— one from Shen Yueyue and one from Lu Jingdu.

Lu Jingdu’s message had been sent around two in the morning, shortly after their encounter by the sea.

Ning Xiaoyu immediately understood what he meant.

Don’t tell anyone about his smoking. Okay. She understood perfectly.

The love system looked exasperated. 〖You understand? What exactly do you understand?〗

Ning Xiaoyu gestured as if zipping her lips. “I, Ning Xiaoyu, will take the matter to my grave.”

The love system felt utterly drained.

Did the big shot actually care whether she spread the word about him smoking? Probably not.

It didn’t bother explaining further and instead resorted to savoring any subtle sweet moments from their interactions, bit by bit.

As it pieced them together, its exhaustion vanished.

Because the sweetness was overwhelming!

Oh, it was back in action! The system was convinced that the CP it shipped would be super, super sweet in the future!

────ρя


Ning Xiaoyu sent good morning messages to both Shen Yueyue and Lu Jingdu.

She quickly received a reply from Shen Yueyue.

As for Lu Jingdu, she hadn’t gotten a response yet. He was probably still asleep.

Not receiving one didn’t bother her. She mostly wanted to reassure the movie king that she knew how to handle last night’s situation.

After freshening up, Ning Xiaoyu leisurely headed downstairs.

Once there, now a ‘rich’ person with 7 friendship coins, she opted for a plate of egg fried rice costing 3 coins and a cup of soy milk for 1 coin.

The breakfast was to her liking.

After eating, Ning Xiaoyu went to take on a task, only to learn from the staff that all the tasks had already been claimed by other guests. If she still wanted to participate, she could collaborate with them.

The reward in friendship coins would be the same as if she did it alone.

Coincidentally, Shen Yueyue was also nearby, preparing to pick a task.

Upon hearing the news, Shen Yueyue pulled Ning Xiaoyu aside. “It must’ve been Ning Yuwei and her group.”

And why?

What else could it be? Obviously, jealousy.

Jealous of how Ning Xiaoyu had twice managed to encounter the movie king alone and even landed on the trending topics several times because of it.

Ning Yuwei was probably losing her mind with envy.

As a third-line actress, Shen Yueyue knew more about the industry’s inside scoop, though she didn’t realize Ning Xiaoyu and Ning Yuwei were related. It didn’t even cross her mind that they could be sisters.

Shen Yueyue whispered, “Ning Yuwei is really lucky. After her mother remarried into the Shen family, she became the second young lady there. The Shen and Lu families are old family friends. I heard that not long after Ning Yuwei joined the Shen family, she met Lu Jingdu and hasn’t been able to see anyone else since.”

Frankly, Ning Xiaoyu didn’t care much about Ning Yuwei’s life.

But since Shen Yueyue seemed chatty, Ning Xiaoyu didn’t interrupt her.

“Still, Ning Yuwei doesn’t hold a candle to her mother.

She looks a lot like her mother, but it seems she didn’t inherit her mother’s methods. You know, CEO Shen’s first two wives didn’t stay married to him for long, but Ning Yuwei’s mother has held onto the title of Mrs. Shen for seven years. She’s still got CEO Shen wrapped around her finger even now.

Ning Yuwei, though? She hasn’t even held the movie king’s hand. The comparison is stark.”

Shen Yueyue sighed. She seemed ready to continue but stopped when she noticed Ning Xiaoyu’s lack of interest.

Instead, she asked, “Xiao Yu, which task are you thinking about taking on?”

Before Ning Xiaoyu could answer, Ning Yuwei’s voice interjected, “Teacher Ning, Teacher Shen, how about we team up?”

Ning Xiaoyu looked at her impassively and replied, “Sure.”

Hearing that, Ning Yuwei visibly relaxed.

She refused to believe that, with Ning Xiaoyu under her watchful eye today, she could manage to spend time alone with Lu Jingdu again!

────ρя


Ning Yuwei had taken a task in the small garden.

Tending to flowers wasn’t a daily necessity.

Today’s task was relatively simple, just watering a few specific, rare plants.

The production team wasn’t interested in making things difficult for the guests. After all, their primary goal was to help participants form genuine friendships— or even romantic connections.

The tasks weren’t the focus.

They were merely a way to bring guests closer together.

Ning Yuwei seemed to have a fixation on the small garden, having chosen tasks there twice in a row.

Once there, Ning Yuwei kept her eyes fixed firmly on Ning Xiaoyu. Wherever Ning Xiaoyu went, she followed closely behind.

Ning Xiaoyu knew she was being followed but didn’t care.

Even when she went to the restroom, Ning Yuwei followed her inside.

Though Ning Yuwei didn’t use the facilities, she squatted outside the restroom door, keeping guard.

Ning Xiaoyu, a self-proclaimed salted fish, wasn’t bothered at all. After all, there was still a door between them.

After washing her hands and leaving the restroom, Ning Xiaoyu casually found a large tree and leaned against it, ready to rest for a while.

Ning Yuwei quickly caught up to her. “Teacher Ning, you’re resting here? I’ll join you.” She said.

Not long after, Xu Cheng, Shen Yueyue, Mu Jiajia, and Ling Zige also arrived.

In an instant, six people gathered under the shade of the large tree. Among them were top celebrities, rising stars, a fresh-faced actor, and even a barely-known eighteenth-line actress.

The group lazed under the sun, occasionally engaging in light chatter.

Unbeknownst to them, the cameras in the small garden, which had been repaired earlier, captured everything, broadcasting it live to the audience.

【As expected from a cast full of celebrities. The scene is truly pleasing to the eyes!】

【Too bad there’s an eighteenth-line actress ruining it. Such an eyesore.】

By now, after more than a day of live broadcasting, Ning Xiaoyu had gained a small fanbase.

The moment they saw such comments, her fans jumped to her defense.

【Who’s calling her an eighteenth-line actress? Based on Xiao Yu’s Weibo followers and the livestream viewership, she’s at least a sixteenth-line actress now, okay?】

【Lol, is there a difference between sixteenth-line and eighteenth-line?】

【Of course, there’s a difference! She’s sixteenth-line now, soon she’ll be sixth-line, and after that, who knows, maybe she’ll become a top-line star!】

【Keep dreaming, Kid. Anything can happen in your dreams.】

Ning Xiaoyu remained oblivious to the arguments breaking out in the livestream chat because of her. At the moment, she was simply enjoying her peace and relaxation.

Surely, the love system wouldn’t assign her another mission at a time like this, right?

Yet, just as the thought crossed her mind, a crisp ding sounded in her ears, followed by the excited voice of the love system, 〖Girl, the movie king is approaching this way. He enjoys being alone and doesn’t yet know there are many people here.

Now’s your chance to show him how special you are! Not only that, but you can also subtly let him know that there’s a crowd here. You can:

A. Loudly boast to Ning Yuwei about having a private photo of the movie king.

B. Tell everyone that you ran into the movie king at the beach last night.

C. Praise the movie king loudly in front of everyone.〗

Ning Xiaoyu: “……”

Right now, she wanted nothing more than to rewind time to a minute ago and slap the version of herself that thought the love system wouldn’t assign her a mission.

Frustrated, Ning Xiaoyu tried to reason with the love system, “What private photo? How could I possibly have a private photo of Lu Jingdu? System, honesty is a virtue, you know.”

The love system fiddled with its metaphorical fingers. 〖But it’s an exclusive photo only you have. That makes it private, doesn’t it?〗

So that’s how it was explaining it?

In truth, the so-called ‘private photo’ was just a picture of the back of someone’s head.

If shown to a random passerby, they wouldn’t even recognize who it belonged to.

Realizing there was no point in arguing with the romance-obsessed and childish love system, Ning Xiaoyu gave up entirely.

The love system was practically giddy as it urged her on, 〖Host, any of the options will do. They all seem so sweet!〗

From the love system’s perspective, if Ning Xiaoyu chose option a, she would instantly become the center of attention and the object of everyone’s envy.

A private photo?

Who else could possibly have it?

No one, that’s who. No matter how many tricks Ning Yuwei had up her sleeve, it wouldn’t matter. Even if she followed Ning Xiaoyu all day, it wouldn’t change the fact that Ning Xiaoyu was the most special one.

If Ning Xiaoyu chose option b, then everyone would see just how fated she and Lu Jingdu were to meet.

They crossed paths so often that it couldn’t possibly be the love system’s doing.

It was destiny’s arrangement, clear and simple.

And if she chose option c, the love system considered that an equally brilliant option.

Today, the movie king, dressed in an elegant British-style outfit, was slowly making his way over.

The distance was perfect— close enough for him to hear Ning Xiaoyu’s voice, but far enough that neither party had yet noticed the other.

Because, after all, many stories began with a simple, “Oh? You’ve caught my attention.”