After hesitating for several seconds between choosing one of the options or giving up and accepting punishment, Ning Xiaoyu ultimately decided to make a choice.

A salted fish like her, exuding the essence of laziness, was better suited for insignificant roles. As for being the female lead in an overly dramatic, cliché Mary Sue urban romance? She’d pass.

The standard formula for such dramas was runaway pregnancy, misunderstandings, resolving misunderstandings, more misunderstandings, and resolving them again. Back when she watched these dramas, Ning Xiaoyu had always wondered, Aren’t you two tired of all this back-and-forth?

With that thought, Ning Xiaoyu reluctantly chose option c. Among the three options, only c was somewhat acceptable.

Option a? Impossible. She had crossed it out immediately.

As for option b…… earlier in the morning, she had declared herself, Ning Xiaoyu, as someone who kept her mouth shut. There was no way she would go back on her word about keeping yesterday’s events a secret. With that resolved, option c was the only choice left.

Clearing her throat, Ning Xiaoyu prepared to loudly praise the movie king.

The love system was excited to the point of sparkling with joy. Here comes the sweet moment! Its existence relies on CP moments to barely function.

As soon as Ning Xiaoyu coughed, the others instinctively turned their attention toward her.

Ning Yuwei asked suspiciously, “What’s wrong, Teacher Ning?”

Did she think the crowd was too much of a hindrance for her to stumble upon Lu Jingdu?

Hearing Ning Yuwei’s voice, someone who had been casually walking closer immediately paused. Just as the person was about to turn around and leave, a crisp, slightly lazy female voice rang out from behind.

“Actually…… I grew up watching the movie king’s movies. His films have accompanied me for many years. Among them, the role of the pleasure-seeking heir of a wealthy family really helped me establish the correct worldview and had a significant impact on my life. From that perspective, the movie king is truly both a mentor and a friend.”

Compliment: √

The unexpected praise left everyone stunned for a few seconds.

Shen Yueyue blinked and said blankly, “That’s…… quite a unique compliment.”

【HAHAHA, I can’t! Of all roles, the one that stuck with her is the pleasure-seeking heir?】

【Found it! The true salted fish essence of our anchor!】

【So, that’s the object of your envy, right? Side-eye smile.jpg】

【Out of all his iconic roles, you only mentioned the rich heir?】

The love system, struggling to hold its composure, muttered in confusion, 〖The movie king has only been in the industry for three years. How could you have grown up watching his movies?〗

Ning Xiaoyu replied slowly, “I grew up from 20 to 23. That’s still growing up, isn’t it?”

If the love system had hands, it would have been scratching its head in frustration. 〖But…… but you’re saying you only established your worldview at 20?〗

Ning Xiaoyu rested her chin on one hand. “Is that not allowed? I was too rebellious during my teenage years to form a solid worldview.”

〖And…… three years count as many years?〗

Ning Xiaoyu spoke unhurriedly, “Humans aren’t like systems. Three years isn’t exactly short.”

The love system felt like it was having an existential crisis.

This……

Its host had chosen option c and technically fulfilled the mission requirements…… but something still felt off.

What the love system didn’t know yet was that it had been bound to the most unconventional host in its history— one who didn’t fully follow its rules, nor did she act according to its expectations.

Her individuality was unmistakable.

In other words, Ning Xiaoyu’s salted fish nature was one of a kind.

To be fair, Ning Xiaoyu hadn’t lied. Whether it was Lu Jingdu himself or the ‘wealthy heir’ role he once played, they both represented her ultimate life goals.

Wealthy and carefree. Being able to lie down and do nothing yet still live a great life.

That was her dream, without a doubt.

Ning Xiaoyu successfully completed the mission and earned one love point. The mission wasn’t particularly difficult, after all.

Her mood was quite good.

As for the person who heard her sincere praise, he chuckled faintly before leaving unnoticed by anyone else.

────ρя


After completing the garden task, Ning Xiaoyu had 9 friendship coins in her pocket.

At noon, she spent 4 coins on a boxed meal, which included meat, vegetables, and soup. It was nutritious and well-balanced. With 5 coins remaining, she had enough for dinner.

So the salted fish went on strike in the afternoon.

Ning Yuwei didn’t follow Ning Xiaoyu around anymore. She likely realized that trailing Ning Xiaoyu was pointless, so she decisively gave up and went off to find another way to cross paths with Lu Jingdu.

Ning Xiaoyu enjoyed her newfound freedom.

After two days, most of the guests had become familiar with one another. Naturally, relationships varied, and the guests had already formed closer or more distant cliques.

Ning Yuwei stayed close to the top star Xu Cheng, second-line actress Mu Jiajia, and the fresh-faced idol Ling Zige. The four of them always stuck together.

The movie king, however, remained a lone wolf since the beginning of the show. But with his high status, no matter what he did, his fans would praise it as the right thing to do.

There were also a well-known director, a supermodel, and others. But Ning Xiaoyu didn’t have much interaction with them, so she paid them little attention.

When the other guests took on their tasks and left, Ning Xiaoyu didn’t feel like staying alone in her room. Instead, she found a quiet spot near the villa, grabbed a lounge chair, and prepared to lie down like a proper salted fish.

However, for some reason— perhaps it was a windy spot— she found it uncomfortable to lie there.

Salted fish prioritize personal comfort above all else. She could endure poverty and even eat dirt, but she absolutely couldn’t tolerate sleeping uncomfortably. Sleeping was one of life’s greatest pleasures, after all.

So, she got up from the lounge chair, intending to scout out a better, cozier spot nearby. If conditions allowed, she might even return to her room to fetch her sleeping bag.

Yes, her gear was that well-prepared.

Ning Xiaoyu explored the left side of the villa but didn’t find a suitable place, so she decided to try her luck on the right side. If all else failed, she’d just have to retreat to her room to lie down.

Just then, she caught sight of a figure tightly wrapped in clothing, behaving suspiciously as he/she tried to climb over the wall. It looked like the person was attempting to sneak into the villa.

Instinctively, Ning Xiaoyu called out, “Who are you?”

The person froze at her words. Realizing he/she had been discovered, he/she immediately abandoned the climb, turned around, and stumbled away in a panic.

Ning Xiaoyu frowned. Something about this felt off. Forgetting about her nap, she went straight back to the villa and reported the incident to the staff. They quickly checked the surveillance footage, found traces of the suspicious person, and immediately called the police.

When the other guests returned one by one after completing their tasks, they quickly heard about the incident.

The popular actress Xi Rui was particularly upset.

“What’s going on? How could a suspicious person show up near the villa? Didn’t you say this place was very secure?”

The staff sincerely apologized, promising to strengthen security measures.

But Xi Rui was clearly unimpressed.

During dinner, the director approached Ning Xiaoyu, looking excited. “Xiaoyu, we have you to thank for today. If you hadn’t been so vigilant, inspecting the area around the villa, that suspicious individual might have gotten inside.”

Ning Xiaoyu was momentarily stunned. She wanted to explain that her vigilance wasn’t intentional— she was just a lazy salted fish looking for a comfy spot to nap.

But the staff didn’t give her a chance to speak.

“Teacher Ning is amazing! Without you, who knows what could’ve happened today.”

“Yes, Teacher Ning helped us spot the security flaw. We promise this mistake won’t happen again!”

“After we reported it, the police’s preliminary investigation revealed that the suspicious person was a stalker fan trying to sneak in to take private photos of celebrities. We’re still investigating which celebrity the stalker was targeting.”

“If you hadn’t scared the stalker off, today could’ve ended in disaster.”

The director concluded decisively, “Xiaoyu, you’ve done a great service today. How about this— the production team will reward you with three gourmet meals. If there’s anything else you want, just let us know.”

Ning Xiaoyu shook her head. “Nothing for now.”

The director smiled. “Alright, just tell me when you think of something.”

After the director left, Shen Yueyue looked at Ning Xiaoyu with admiration. “How did you think to inspect the villa? I always trusted the security here and assumed it was absolutely safe. Compared to you, my sense of vigilance is far too weak. I never thought the security here could have such a huge loophole— it almost let a stalker fan sneak in!”

Ning Xiaoyu opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Shen Yueyue continued, “We really owe you today, Xiao Yu.” If that stalker fan had sneaked into Shen Yueyue’s room, whether the person hid under the bed or in the closet, she would’ve been scared to death.

Even if the stalker fan wasn’t targeting her but another celebrity, it would’ve still caused trouble if the person hadn’t been caught.

Ning Xiaoyu had grown so accustomed to her salted fish existence that she felt numb. She tried to explain twice but never got the chance to speak.

The truth was, she was simply being lazy, trying to find a comfy place to lie down. But her behavior— wandering here and there, looking around— had been interpreted by everyone as vigilant and security-conscious.

It truly was a beautiful misunderstanding.