Chapter 12: Bodyguard Brother, You’ve Got to Work Hard!

[Comment Section]

• “Blind guess: CEO Cheng. His cash-splashing skills are undefeated!”
• “Could be Gu Chuan. That fight scene had me glued to the screen!”
• “My bet’s on Bai Ruanruan and Movie Emperor Shen. Their fan bases are a force to reckon with.”
• “Jiang Mi’s got a shot too! The dog-taming scene was insane!”

The comments were buzzing with speculation, but Jiang Mi remained calm. The downside of holding the “script” was knowing all the spoilers.

In the original story, the winner of the introduction vote was Bai Ruanruan. However, to maintain her persona as a pure and delicate white lotus, she handed the room assignment rights to Shen Mingxuan.

“Mimi Jie, who do you think will win?” Lu Yu asked curiously, hugging a throw pillow.

Jiang Mi’s gaze flickered mischievously. “Call me Mimi, and I’ll tell you who.”

Faced with such a tease from a gorgeous woman, Lu Yu blushed instantly, stammering, “M-M-Mimi Jie, I… I…”

Jiang Mi was charmed by her cuteness. With a smile in her peach-blossom eyes, she said warmly, “I’m not much older than you. Just call me Mimi. No need for the ‘Jie.’”

Lu Yu’s face grew even redder. “O-Okay, Mimi, or Little Taro—either is fine.”

Her family, friends, and fans often called her “Little Taro,” and Jiang Mi found it delightful. “Little Taro? That’s adorable!” she said cheerfully.

As the two chatted away, they didn’t notice the two pairs of intense gazes fixed on them.

“Cough, cough. The winner of the introduction vote is… Jiang Mi!”

All eyes turned to Jiang Mi in unison. Some looked shocked; others found it completely expected.

Jiang Mi herself was among the surprised, though she quickly curved her lips into a smile. Changing the storyline wasn’t exactly new to her—nothing to be overly startled about.

“Well, everyone,” she quipped with a playful tone, “if you’re hoping to share a room with someone special tonight, better start buttering me up now.”

CEO Cheng Lin straightforwardly asked, “Name your price.”

Jiang Mi’s voice turned sweet. “That depends—different people, different rates.”

Cheng Lin raised a brow. “What about me?”

Jiang Mi blinked, recalling that Cheng Lin wasn’t your typical overbearing CEO but rather the clueless rich heir type. In the original show, he’d fallen head over heels for Bai Ruanruan and ended up as her loyal ATM.

Why did this human cash dispenser suddenly seem focused on her?

Jiang Mi’s gaze flitted briefly to Gu Chuan before she flashed a bewitching smile. “Same answer—different people, different rates. For some, 20 cents is enough; for others, they’re priceless.”

Cheng Lin patted his chest with a smug grin. “I’ve got money to spare.”

Jiang Mi couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll think about it.”

Gu Chuan’s dark, unfathomable eyes landed on her. “Think about what?”

Jiang Mi leaned close, her breath brushing against his ear. “Think about who to spend the night with—Cheng Lin, Fu Li, or Shen Mingxuan?”

Gu Chuan pushed her shoulder away, his voice cold. “Do as you please.”

Annoyed, Jiang Mi pinched his arm, muttering, “So stiff.”

A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Gu Chuan’s lips.

Meanwhile, Bai Ruanruan was fuming. Of all people, the introduction vote winner had to be Jiang Mi? She quickly interjected, “Director, shouldn’t we also reveal the vote counts for everyone else?”

[Comment Section]

• “Great question. We want to see too!”

[Comment Section]

• “Jiang Mi at the top? Wow, didn’t see that coming. Could it be her haters voted for her ironically?”
• “New here, huh? I recommend watching Mi-Jie’s dog-taming scene. You’ll get why she’s first.”
• “Even with the dog-taming boost, she shouldn’t outshine Bai Ruanruan and Movie Emperor Shen—their fan bases alone would crush her.”
• “Obviously, it’s her sponsor’s influence.”
• “Still talking about sponsors? Funny, considering CEO Cheng dropped ten million on giveaways for the show. If the crew was rigging votes, they’d side with him, wouldn’t they?”

The comment section was in chaos, and tensions were high on set as well.

The director cleared his throat, deciding to stop teasing and get straight to the point.

“Jiang Mi: 11 million votes.”

“Movie Emperor Shen, Ruanruan, CEO Cheng, and Gu Chuan: around 10 million each.”

“Dr. Fu and Little Taro: 8 million. Wanru: 2 million.”

[Comment Section]

• “Oof, this is public execution—whoever has the least votes must feel awful.”
• “A celebrity like Chen Wanru being overshadowed by regular folks? Yikes.”
• “Makes sense, though. The others played bold and exciting; all she did was sing a boring song. No votes, no surprise.”

Chen Wanru’s eyes turned red as she glared resentfully at Bai Ruanruan. If Bai Ruanruan hadn’t suggested revealing the vote counts, she wouldn’t have been humiliated like this.

The director felt the awkwardness too and quickly moved on with the schedule.

Initially, they had planned for the guests to make dinner together to build intimacy, but the introduction segment had run overtime. It was already 8 p.m., so they moved straight to room assignments.

[System Notification]

• “Host, please maintain the ‘infatuated with the male lead’ persona.”

“So, I can’t actively choose to share a room with Gu Chuan and can only passively wait?”

• “You’re prohibited from actively sharing a room with any man who isn’t the male lead.”

Jiang Mi rolled her eyes at the system’s awkward phrasing, feeling like even the simple-minded AI was starting to sound a bit lewd under her influence.

Reluctantly, she set Gu Chuan’s name tag aside and instead picked up Shen Mingxuan’s.

Returning to the living room, she announced cheerfully, “I’m back!”

Lu Yu excitedly patted the sofa beside her. “Mimi, how’s the rooming arrangement?”

Jiang Mi sat down, her gaze sweeping across the group—pausing only briefly on Gu Chuan before skipping over him entirely. “I can’t say,” she teased, “but I think you’ll all be satisfied.”

[Comment Section]

• “Ooh, that’s loaded—she said everyone else would be satisfied, not herself.”
• “Does this mean the production team imposed restrictions on room pairings?”
• “Argh! No live stream for the room assignments? The suspense is killing me.”

The director began calling names.

The first to head to their room was Chen Wanru. She stormed upstairs with a sullen face, ignoring everyone.

Next was Bai Ruanruan. She glanced at Jiang Mi on her way out, only to be met with a smile filled with subtle implication.

Third was Shen Mingxuan. He hesitated as he looked at Jiang Mi, his expression a mix of uncertainty and expectation, which left Jiang Mi thoroughly confused.

In her room, Bai Ruanruan mood soured immediately upon seeing Chen Wanru.

Her plan for the first night had been to share a room with a male guest.

However, she maintained her graceful image in front of the cameras, walking over and linking arms with Chen Wanru. “Wanru, it’s so great to be rooming with you.”

Chen Wanru’s smile was forced. “Great? Are you here for romance or to make friends?”

Bai Ruanruan face stiffened, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Wanru…”

Chen Wanru took a deep breath. “Sorry, I’m just in a bad mood.”

“No, it’s my fault,” Bai Ruanruan sobbed softly.

Chen Wanru suppressed her irritation and began to comfort her, but before she could say much, footsteps sounded in the hallway. Shen Mingxuan entered the room.

“Movie Emperor Shen, what are you doing here?” Chen Wanru asked, startled.

Shen Mingxuan frowned slightly. “The director assigned me to Room A.”

Chen Wanru brightened. “This is Room A! Looks like it’s the three of us tonight.”

Bai Ruanruan eyes flashed with disappointment but quickly softened into a smile. “Mingxuan-ge, it’s great to share a room with you.”

Shen Mingxuan’s smile was faint and strained. “Same here.”

He had assumed Jiang Mi would pair him with herself, considering her relentless obsession with him.

But to his surprise, she had gracefully let go, even thoughtfully pairing him with Bai Ruanruan.

Wait—why did he feel a pang of regret about not being in the same room as Jiang Mi?

Perhaps this was Jiang Mi’s strategy. If so, it was working—she had definitely caught his attention.

[Comment Section]

• “Haha, the expressions on these three are priceless—so many hidden thoughts!”
• “Jiang Mi is a genius. Two women fighting over one man? Prime entertainment!”

Finally, Cheng Lin, Lu Yu, Fu Li, Gu Chuan, and Jiang Mi were called to their rooms one after another.

As Jiang Mi and Gu Chuan walked upstairs together, she suddenly leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Bodyguard Brother, you’ve got to work harder.”